After Thought ..,

First of all Happy Mother's Day to all of you.  I didn't get a chance to say that yesterday.  Today I wanted to talk a little bit about my thoughts on the fashion show and other life situations.

On the drive home from the fashion show, I let out a long sign of relief. This event marked the end of one of my busiest times of the year. Finals were over, Pastor's Anniversary was over (Media Services), my time as fashion show chair was drawing in on a close and the warm weather was energizing. I was relieved and almost immediately started thinking about things I'd like to sew this spring and summer.

 On my very long list are several UFO's and new projects:

V1356
V1355
1260
V1307
Rhonda's Perfect Travel Dress
B5753
B5645
M6565
V8805
B5893
S1617
V8846
a few things for my DD

Short list right? I'm planning a sew-cation so I can realistically get it done before classes start at the end of August.

I had other thoughts as well. Personally, I felt the fashion show was a success, but wondered what others "really" thought. There were so many tasks to complete. I was thankful to have a committee of hard working, talented people. Everyone that I asked to help or lead a team graciously accepted and did an excellent job. As I've said before, the Haute Couture Club is comprised of a phenomenal group of women. I feel privileged to be a part of this club. There were three members that really made my job less tedious: Sandra Young, Rhonda Buss and Dolores Panek. The three of them represent a combined membership of over 50 years and tons of experience with the annual fashion show. I called them my special consultants. They really were. I love these ladies and working with them made this incredible task a lot less scary. Next, there is Sue Heiss who was willing to help with just about everything. From garment reviews, staging, and other activities, she helped with it all. These ladies were supportive and faithfully helped me over the course of the entire year.

The rest of the fashion show committee worked just as hard in their respective teams. Other committee members: Patricia Ferguson, Debra Latimore, Tara Fowler, Evelyn Cummings, Kathie McCallister, Bonnie Girsch, Lauren Walker, Wendy Grossman, Norma Neuswanger, Sheril Hughes, Kevin Sullivan.  I also have to thank all of our contracted staff: Barbara Martin, Jeanine M. Clarke, Donald Witthoft, Colleen Davick, Robert Ingham, Venu Mallipeddi, Kitt Lyles, Curtis Boysen, Joaquin Garcia, and Roy McGrath. We had over 35 raffle prize contributors, vendors, and other businesses that supported the club through ads and prizes (scholarship proceeds).

Last but not least, the models and designers. There were about 30 people involved in designing, sewing, and modeling the garments on the runway. These people and our guests helped make the fashion show a success.

Would I do it again? "Yes, maybe four years from now." Ms. Karen Harder has the privilege of being the fashion show chair next year. She will do well.

I can't remember if I mentioned the show theme here: "Elements of Glam!; celebrating the earth through fashion". This year's theme was ripe with opportunity for inspiration. With all the work I was responsible for as the fashion show chair, a student and an employee, I couldn't sew something for each segment. At some point, I'm hoping to do so.

Our segments were:

Shades of Blue - Water and Sky
Wind, Water, and Fog - wispy, floating fabrics (chiffon, georgette, etc.)
The Tundra - cold and barren (embellished coat)
Rhonda's Any Way You Want It top (group project)
Shaking It Up -earthquakes, volcanos, avalanches (multiple layers, fringes, ruffles)
Flora and Fauna - floral and/or animal Precious Metals and Stones

Last week I blogged two of my show garments. These were made specifically for the show. My sister modeled two other outfits that were blogged here and here.  I only modeled one outfit, blogged in December.

My thoughts turn to other projects and responsibilities related to the home and work. It's time for spring cleaning: windows, carpets, walls just to mention a few things. My duties at work are changing a bit, and I'll be traveling again soon. I'm especially thankful that the traveling did not start before the fashion show ended. And I'm hoping it will end before school starts up again.

And, I still need a vacation. I'm tired. It would be nice if I could take off an entire month. I miss going to the movie, concerts, plays, and out to dinner.

So these are the things on my mind. In the meantime, Happy Sewing and have a fabulous week! Cennetta

Haute CoutureFashion Show - Vogue 1305

Today's review is on the second dress that I made for my sister. At first sight, I knew I'd make this dress for the show. It's not your typical dress. And that's what I was going for. I showed it to my sister; she liked it. So it was a winner.

The very first segment of the show was the Sky and Water, the blue challenge. Each participating member was challenged to make a garment that was primarily blue. Any shade: teal, navy, midnight, turquoise, any blue was fine. I selected a beautiful turquoise blue jersey knit from Supreme Novelty Fabrics.

Anyway.., here is my review of  Vogue 1305.  

Pattern Description:
MISSES' DRESS: Semi-fitted, lined, pullover dress (fitted through hips) has a draped right side extending into sleeve, left side slit, shoulder opening, and back opening with button/loop. Note: shoulder opening can be worn as neck opening.

Pattern Sizing:
6 to 22; I used size 12.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
For the most part, it did. There was an issue with the draping though. I will discuss that in the alterations section.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
There was absolutely nothing confusing in the instructions. It went together fairly easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like everything about this dress. It made me think of a Grecian Goddess strolling along a topical shore line. I thought it was a perfect design to showcase a beautiful shade of blue.  However, when my sister put the dress on and I saw that there were design flaws with the dress's drape.

Fabric Used:
I used a matte jersey knit for the dress and lining. The pattern says to use a stretch chiffon or stretch charmeuse for the lining. I ignored that suggestions which attributed to the heaviness of the dress.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
This dress fit perfectly except at the fullest part of the hips. I had cut this area about 1/4" wider on either side. So I had a little room to play with. I noticed that the center back and front seams were not perfectly centered. So I looked at the model to check the fit of her dress. Same affect, it pulled slightly off centered. When I let out the hip area, it was closer to being in the center. I think this was a side effect of the draping. I asked my sister to walk around in the dress. We even went outside (pictures of course). The draping did not stay in place.   I wondered why the draping wasn't ruched. So I decided to add little pleats along the draping to keep the draped affect. That worked. The dress is still quite heavy. This is a pretty, low motion dress. Cocktail party, yes. Dancing, no. Special note: My sister is 5'10" and I didn't have to add any length to this dress. It's very long.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
This was a one time sewing project. This dress is so unique. Who would need more than one? Don't get me wrong; it is beautiful. Yes, I do recommend it for that special event.

Conclusion: This is a easy dress to sew. It is unique and definitely an eye catcher. You should choose a lighter weight fabric for the lining to keep the dress from becoming too heavy.  Also, consider ruching or pleating the draped side to maintain the draped affect. All in all, it is a beautiful dress.

Haute Couture Fashion Show - Rhonda's Hanging on a Cliff Dressing

It’s so good to be blogging and reviewing patterns again. I hope I never have go this long without it again. Yesterday was the Haute Couture Club Annual Fashion Show. This year, I was honored to be the fashion show chair. The past month has been one of the busiest times of my life, and I’m glad its over. I need some down time.

For a half of a second I contemplated taking a summer course, but that would be bananas; I mean crazy as h*ll. I need a slow relaxing summer full of sewing, movies, get-togethers, just plain ole summertime fun. My daughter said to me, “You need to read something other than application manuals and text books." So on my read list is “Lincoln the Unknown”, recommended by Rhonda.


Okay, let me get back on topic. Today I am reviewing the first of my most recent sewing projects. It’s called the Hanging on a Cliff Dress designed by Rhonda Buss. I like the fact that Rhonda names her designs. My sister, Latricia, modeled this golden frock during the “Precious Metals and Gemstones” segment of the show.  

Pattern Description:This is a Rhonda Buss original design that is featured on her blog for Fabulous Free Pattern Friday. It consists of five rectangles. The dress has a long sleeve on one side and a very deep drape on the other side that acts as a sleeve with a small cuff. The skirt is straight and can be worn above or at the knee.

 
Pattern Sizing: The sizing is based on the length of your torso plus three inches, hip, bicep, and fist measurements. That sounds odd, but it's an accurate description. Rhonda basis her pattern drafts on simple shapes and draping techniques.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, except my drape was on the opposite side.

 

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Yes they were. It is best to take it one step at a time.


 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: After I followed the basic instructions for drafting the pattern, sewing it together was very easy. Once I had it sewn together, I had my sister try it on. It looked like a bag. We laughed about it. Then we quickly moved into the second phase of making the dress: examination. First, I examined the neckline and the shoulder area. Both looked good. Next step – I examined the fit of the sleeve and cuff. Both needed to be taken in a little bit. Now on to the drape, Rhonda removed quite a bit of it. I think I cut off about 9 or so inches as well. I didn’t want to pluck out the stitching of the cuff. So I just made a new one, smaller than the original cuff. We didn’t like to point on the drape so I rounded off. Moving to the skirt of the dress, based on the instructions it sits three inches below the waist. I moved it up on the waist. I added darts of both sides of it for shaping. I also removed fabric along the sides of the bodice to create more shaping. See illustration here. I did not make a facing for the neck. I just turned the seam allowance to the wrong side and stitched it down. Finally, we chose a length that my sister liked.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the design of the dress. I thought it would be perfect for a golden dress for the Precious Metals segment of the show.

 

 Fabric Used:  I selected an audacious fabric to tie in with the theme of the segment, precious metal. It looks like liquid gold. The fabric is a two way stretch knit for Supreme Novelty Fabrics on Fulton in Chicago. They really have some nice fabrics. You should check them out.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  Yes and yes. I’m going to make it again for my sister in a less "gaudy" fabric. This dress was strictly for the runway. Well, maybe a New Year’s Eve party. The next one will be for everyday life, brunch or date with your significant other.

Conclusion:Loved making this dress. Seeing it come to life was fun and exciting. Drafting my own pattern isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I can really appreciate seeing how simple rectangles and squares can be used to form interesting and unique silhouettes. I will sew more Rhonda Buss designs in the future.

Inspiration - Haute Couture Club of Chicago - Fashion Show 2013

Now that the prom season is coming to a close (still one more dress to review), I'm turning my thoughts to fashion show 2013 projects. Next year I want to make something truly outstanding. I want to make something that has a tremendous Wow factor. At the same time I want to incorporate some trend related aspect into a few of my projects plus try a few more couture techniques. Below are a few trends I that piqued my interest.

Printed Blazer
Standout Pants
Embellished Trench
Lace Skirt
Floral Body Suit
     and of course,
Peplum Top (New Look 6030 is cute)

For today's inspirational post, I hone in on the embellished trench. I will make at least one coat during the next six months, and it may as well include some aspect of the popular trends of the day. There are many forms of embellishment. It's basically the act of adding extraneous decorations to something. As it relates to sewing, it can be as simple as sewing on an applique or trim. Or it can be as elaborate as manipulating layers of the fabric. I am drawn to several of the garments published in Cadena Mode Autumn 2010-2011.

 So here goes, I hope these choices inspire you too.

Jacquard patchwork coat with chintz finish.

Big flowers jacquard coat trimmed with passementerie on collar and cuffs.

Silk tweed (plaid) coat with patchwork embroidered details.

Jacquard coat with flowers and animal print.

Alpaca coat with line drawing made with two tones of same textile cuts, Satin silk blousson with woollen guipure overskirt

Organza embroidered dress and organza coat trimmed on same fabric than dress.

Jacquard velvet coat with geometric design and sequins dress crossed on waist.

Printer silk and wool coat, silk printed dress wit small channels on body.

Embroidery silk coat black skirt with broad belt and chiffon shirt crossed in collar and sleeves.

Description are as provided by Cadena Mode.