Work in Progress: Faux Fur Vest - Going from Yeti to Betty

It was suppose to be the simple project. I was going to just follow the pattern with a sleeve alteration, and call it a day. Three simple pieces of faux fur, and a lining with pockets.
My first encounter with making a faux fur jacket was the last post. I changed the pattern drastically from a varsity jacket to a box coat. It went so well, that I thought following a pattern for a vest would be a piece of cake. After all, there are no sleeves.
But I think I picked the wrong pattern...
I chose another Vogue Very Easy pattern, #V8753. They show faux fur on the front of the pattern, so I thought this would be a good choice. I was golden. Easy peasy. All those phrases before the other shoe drops. Including Whoops!

Now, I'm usually very good at picking a pattern and imagining the outcome in a certain fabric. And in my defense, it is a nice pattern, and lining drapes beautifully, so this is great for soft thin fabrics. But I misjudged how the bulk would effect the drape of the garment. Even cutting the pattern in an extra small minus seam allowance, I created this:

Inside-out, you can really see the sizing faux-pas

I should mention here, that I'm slight of build, especially around the shoulders. What I wanted to create, was a feeling of luxury and femininity. What I did create, was a friend of Yukon Cornelius. It was so big, I looked like a Yeti. The shoulders were a good six inches too big (and this is AFTER I cut down the pattern!). It completely overpowered  my frame. Wasn't this suppose to be the easy project?

The first thing I did was create a curve in the figure. I took about four inches off of the side seams, up to the shoulders. Next, I cut down the big scarf by two inches. I also took two inches off the bottom. I left the bottom edge raw, and will trim it, but not hem it, it will stay well because it is a knit.

So far, it looks like this:

It's better, but I have more sleeve to take off, and pockets to fix (the side slits aren't laying right).
Then there's all of that extra lining.

What a waste of good fabric.

Working with faux fur is very different then I imagined. It's harder, because you really have to sculpt your design. I found that using an exacto blade is perfect for avoiding cutting the hair, and creating exactly the line you want. I hand finished both furs, and I think overall it's a good choice.

This isn't finished. An this isn't over. Faux fur, I will prevail.

Fun Fur- The Faux Fur Jacket

I found two FABULOUS faux furs while I was in Downtown LA's Fashion district. These will be perfect for the two faux fur pieces I'd like to add to my wardrobe: a shorty "fun fur" jacket, and a luxurious long fur vest.

The shorty jacket is almost done. I used New Look #6120 Teen Wardrobe pattern, which has a varsity jacket pattern. Of course, I altered the pattern! I lengthened the jacket and sleeves by 2", changed from a club(? i think that's what it's called) collar, to an eased rectangular collar. Instead of hook and eye closures (which are impossible to find in this colour, without being prohibitively expense), I used gold plated magnetic snaps! At first I thought that it was a bit of a wacky choice, but I really like the look of it, and it matches the "fun" theme. For the lining, I used a digital camo  print charmeuse I found at Joann.com
Here's the result:

The 2.55 Homage Bag

This was one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do. I love the result, but I will never endeavor to anything like this again (for now).

 I still have to make a small pinch on the side seam, so that the bag will hang correctly

Hard to see in the pictures, are the quilted chevron stripes. This was SO much easier with my new Brother sewing machine.

The Suit: Pictures

As promised, here are some pictures of the (very nearly) finished projects.

The Tweed Jacket in itself presented no problem. It was based on a Vogue Very Easy pattern V8146, so the lines of the pattern were simple, which made it the perfect pattern to alter.
The lining was the tricky part, because I had to create my own sloper without the cape. It moves quite beautifully, and stays well without the use of chaining the bottom. I may add VERY small shoulder pads, just to reinforce the structure of the garment.

 I hated the bow in the back once I put it on, so I designed this beadwork embellishment instead

 

The Shorts turned out very well, considering how much I had to take the in. I still have to hem them properly.

The Suit: The Project That started it all...

I watched a few episodes of Mad Men a few months ago; I found it to be a thoroughly depressing show, save the incredible fashion stylings of Janie Bryant.
But the show has had an effect on the 2011-2012 fashion season, so I wanted to reflect something of that era (late 50s, early sixties) in my suit. I wanted something Chanel in proportion, with and updated feel to the bottom.

The Jacket is based on Very Easy Vogue Pattern V8146, with alterations to the collar, sleeves,side seams, and back embellishment. I added a lining, whch does not have the back cape.

The pants are loosely based on the BurdaStyle Marilyn Trouser #6065 (this is a downloadable pattern). I had to shrink the smallest pattern down by 4'' all around, re-designed the waistband, and the line of the outseam, and, of course, shorten them into shorts. But you can see a remnant of the original pattern in both the pleats and pockets.

I also wanted a few accessories to go with this outfit. I've always wanted a Chanel purse for its aesthetic value, but this kind of extravagance is not a part of my lifestyle. So I decided to make a Chanel 2.55 "Homage" bag.

Finally, I wanted a matching "Lucy" hat. I watched a ton of "I Love Lucy" as a child, and I just love Lucille Ball's style and taste in that show. Back then, hats were as important an accessory for a woman as a handbag or necklace, and the hats she wore reflected that importance. I designed a hat that has a flavor of Lucy, but updated to have a proportion of a cycling cap.

These projects were all quite a struggle for me, and I stretched myself as a seamstress, but overall, I'm satisfied with the result.
Pics, soon.

Vogue Pattern V8146 is a beautiful and easy Pattern.

Re-designing myself

“Ask yourself, if there were no praise and no blame, who would I be then? Then you know who you are and what your style is”

- Quentin Crisp

I have loved to sew my own clothes since I was very young. So, many years on, it is about time that I get on with the business of asking myself what my style is. And so that is precisely what I did. I asked myself, "how would I see myself dressing, if I could wear anything?" All of a sudden, I had an idea for a suit. And that idea turned into a collection. And that collection is what I'm working on, here.

This blog is so that I have a record of my progress. I'm not a professional designer, but I do have a lot of knowledge and experience in creating clothing for myself. However I've never tried to create a cohesive collection, and so I thought it might be fun to share this process; maybe it will inspire some of you to do the same! I'd also welcome advice and tips; every garment is such a learning process!

Sew, for me...

I did an inventory of my closet, and really thought about how I would like to dress if there were no judgement about the clothing I wore.
Then I went to the fabric store. This gave me a good understanding of the materials and prints and patterns I have available to me. I came up with about 8 looks, based on my style, the materials available, and and what was missing from my closet.

Croquis, for beginners

My next step was to sketch the ideas, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time drawing, so I swiped some croquis templates by searching google images. Yes, eventually I will be able to sketch quickly without a template, but this is a fantastic help in expediting a my ideas to paper, for now.

Here are the Croquis: