Happy Easter! Although I didn’t make it through to the final week of Project Run & Play, I’ve had such fun creating outfits for Gigi these past few weeks! I am grateful to be asked to participate, as I would not have stretched my creativity to make four complete outfits in one month. And yes, […]
First Communion Dress From the Building Block Dress Book Bodice
Her special day was a lovely one. It was sunny and a bit windy as we met her classmates at the church to receive their first time taking the sacrament of Holy Communion. The children were so cute and it was a happy day! Her best friend came and we went to the beach afterwards. […]
Sewing a little girls’ lace overlay bodice
While sewing a lace overlay over a strapless bodice is quite involved for a woman’s dress, sewing one for a little girl is pretty simple. In the past, I’ve only made dresses like this for women and they involves creating a structured, boned corset under a lace overlay. It is very time consuming! But not […]
The winding tale of sewing with silk velvet and the nightmare of buttonholes in velvet. Vogue 9141
Vogue 9141, completed with just enough time to get to the Christmas show. Vogue 9141 in silk velvet with silk taffeta collar and cotton lawn lining. Size 6. Lots of twirliness with its’ circle skirt! I spent the night in downtown LA last week after attending one of my oldest and best friends’ fiftieth […]
Sewing a Chantilly lace overlay A delicate subject
Hello readers. After a two month break from blogging I did miss it. It’s the first long break I’ve taken since 2010 when I started blogging. It’s nice to be back. I’ve been taking my time with the latest project and haven’t been working on any other projects this past summer. Except for working with […]
Fitting bustier muslin 1 & 2
Last post left off with me making the pattern to fit my dress form perfectly. While the form is close to Lily’s measurements, aseach body is just so different even when the measurements are similar. One size never fits all! I wish. Here are the results of our first fitting…I knew the bodice was going […]
10 Tips for sewing silk chiffon
Silk chiffon is soft, floaty, and so, so, delicate. Yes, it’s a bit finicky, but so worth the effort if done right. I’ve been working on a chiffon kimono, and thought I’d share my notes on working with silk chiffon. Here are my ten tips for working with silk chiffon, an elegant and often expensive […]
Adding A Lace Overlay To A Strapless Wedding Gown:Thread tracing and applique seams on lace
Annie came to me back in March about making her wedding gown. Annie is Maria’s cousin, the young woman I made the lace wedding gown for a couple of years ago. I was super busy at the time, and wasn’t sure if I could swing making a full dress for Annie. I had a play […]
Refashioning Mom’s Wedding Gown Into A First Communion Dress- Finished!
Mom’s Wedding Gown To First Communion Dress… I finished the dress and everything went well. The fit was great, and my little friend was so happy in her dress made from her mom’s wedding gown on her special day! The gown has lots of little details, making it a miniature wedding gown, really. It has […]
Working on: Wedding gown upcycled into a girls first Communion dress
I have been working on a project this week that is proving very interesting, as well as a lot more challenging than I anticipated. But my projects always seem to work out that way. A few months ago, I spoke with my friend Christine about redoing her wedding dress to make into a First Communion […]