Although I still have more swatches to gather for Spring 2014, here is a start. One of my favorite parts of designing clothes is choosing the fabrics, in all their colors, textures, and patterns. Oh, the possibilities! Seen here is a mix of cottons and silks mostly, though there are a couple of lightweight wools intended for outerwear. Is this going to be a fun spring, or what? Design sketches will be posted in the next couple of weeks. Stand by.
While waiting on the availability of my photographer to capture Look #1, which is finished, I thought you might enjoy taking an inside look at the construction of the silk tank. Although fairly simplistic in design, some of these details reveal why a well constructed garment takes a lot of time and thought. I’ll focus on the straps here, which seem fairly straightforward.
First, you might be surprised to see that the strap is not a straight line. It has to follow the shape of the body. Otherwise it would gap and pucker and look very unprofessional. I purposefully draped it as a single piece, rather than including a seam line at the shoulder since I wanted to keep the look as sleek as possible. Shown above is a single finished strap, next to its original pattern piece.
Let’s rewind to the beginning though: Shown above is the upper layer of the strap before it is sewn to the under layer. Eventually you sew the upper piece to the lower piece and turn the two inside out. Before you can do that however, the upper piece needs some support in the form of bias strips. The bias strips give the strap a little more strength and structure (the charmeuse on its own is very lightweight and rather flimsy). Bias strips also help draw in the shape of the curve to prevent puckering. These strips are made from one of my favorite interfacing materials: the very lightweight yet extremely stable silk organza.
Now the top layer can be attached to the under layer with an additional row of stitching. There is still some work to be done however before the strap can be turned. The seams must be graded. In other words, the seam allowance must be trimmed down to eliminate extra bulk. On the right side of the strap above, I’ve trimmed down one side. The other side must also be trimmed.
Extra fabric must also be clipped away from the outer curve in a triangular motif, an additional measure for eliminating bulk and facilitating the smooth look of the final strap.
Both sides are now trimmed and the strap is finally ready for turning.
Above is a look at the under layer before turning.
Ta da! The finished straps, looking pretty good. Experts may recognize from this photo however that I made one small, but arguably important, mistake in the pattern. A hint is that it has to do with the proportion of the under layer to the upper layer. I cut both the same size… But you know what? That whole process we just walked through? That was way too much work to start back at the very beginning. In the end, I’m hoping that this hiccup won’t be too noticeable — probably not to the average individual anyway. And this was a good reminder that details matter (!) — from the pattern to each and every step of construction.
Next, shown above, is a quick look at the blouse body which also benefits from the addition of a bias strip. Shown here is the top portion of the blouse without the straps and before the ruffle is in place. This bias strip, again, adds structure and support to the bodice — made entirely of fragile silk chiffon — and will help hold the shape of the blouse around the body.
Now we are ready for the ruffle! A very exciting step when the whole garment really comes together. But, lest you get too excited: my work is far from over. You see that ruffle there? Once attached, the whole outer circle requires a hand finishing stitch called a rolled hem. In other words, that’s about — let me calculate — about 47 inches of hand stitching! Let’s just say: this will take a while.
I’m very excited to show you photos of the finished blouse, along with the green “petal skirt” later this week. Do stick around!
Rather than generically referring to my new collection as “Spring/Summer 2013,” I have decided to give it a name. The word “jungle” implies adventure, possibly even a little danger. The word “flora” is appropriate because this collection is inspired by the endless variety of jungle plant life, in all its sultry green and vibrant accessory hues of reds, yellows, and blues. Above are the fabric swatches. I will be working with sheer cottons (mainly voile), sheer silks (georgette), and silk satin, also known as silk charmeuse. The bold color palette, combined with these notoriously difficult fabrics, promises a real challenge ahead. I’ll release the design sketches soon after my Memorial Day break. Don’t go far.
I am really pleased with how this design turned out. There was a point during the process of construction at which I thought I would have to throw the whole thing out. A trip to the fabric store revealed why this particular fabric may have been so difficult to work with: As it turns out, this is not an ordinary silk organza. Usually, organza looks the same on both sides. In other words, it has no right or wrong side. My fabric however is what’s known as a satin side organza, which means that the right side is shinier, and much more slippery than the other side. This explains why it was so difficult to cut and control.
In addition, a burn test revealed that this fabric has some cotton in it. Cotton organdy, the cousin of silk organza, is known to have a crisper hand than organza. The stiffness of the fabric makes it very difficult to fold and press into place. Oddly enough though, once pressed, it holds its shape like it was born that way. Only a thorough steaming or cold water wash will undo a wrinkle once set.
The biggest challenge in pulling off this garment however was the hours of work required to finish the hem, neckline, and sleeves. The neckline and armhole facings were cut on bias and finished by hand. The inner edges of the sleeves as well as the hem were enclosed with silk ribbon to prevent fraying and then hand stitched in place.
Overall, I love this blouse and am excited to wear it. This piece is easy to dress down or up. It looks casual but still dressy with a pair of jeans, as pictured here. With a skirt, it will look more elegant. And it works great with my new spring coat.
Stick around for pictures of my finished skirt in the next few days.
During the course of drafting the pattern for my Spring 2012 blouse, I realized that my sketch was not developed enough, in technical terms, to allow me to easily execute the pattern. I had not really thought about how the sleeve would attach; nor had I taken time to draw a back view. After a couple of attempts at draping the idea I had in mind, I tossed it out. The arch in front was not particularly flattering. Plus, the fabric that I would be using, a relatively crisp silk organza, was not conducive to a flouncy sleeve. I was afraid it would end up looking stiff and wrinkled, especially if worn under my Spring 2012 coat.
What’s more, the organza was not a particularly sheer variety. So ultimately, 
the light, airy effect I was going for in the first two designs would probably not translate well. In the end, I decided to redesign the blouse to be more structured and have only a single layer of fabric throughout since the weight and color of the organza (hot pink) would offer enough opacity for daytime (though I did add shirring around the bust for a little more coverage there).
In keeping with my “window” theme, as described in my post on January 28 discussing the design inspiration, I added cut-outs in the shoulder area as well as in the back. Overall, I am really excited about this design. It is more interesting than before and will ultimately complement my chosen fabric much better than the original concepts.
The skirt design on the other hand, came out exactly as I had anticipated in only one draft. I thought of adding patch pockets to the front, but then thought better of it since I really like how streamlined and simple it looks. Remember the center panel will be a contrasting fabric, which will carry the eye from top to bottom, reinforcing the sleek lines. To replace the patch pockets, I will probably add in-seam pockets, since after all it must be practical. I have always loved having pockets in my skirts.
I hope to have pictures of one or both of these completed garments posted sometime this coming weekend. So, stop back by then.
Click on the photos below to see a slideshow of the proposed designs for my Spring 2012 mini-collection.
I tried to find some inspiration for these designs in an upcoming trip I have planned to Charleston, SC over Memorial Day weekend. In researching the architecture and atmosphere of Charleston, I was most intrigued by Rainbow Row, a line of 18th Century Georgian townhouses marching side by side in lively springtime colors. The juxtaposition of colors, seemingly without regard to any particular rule, is my favorite thing about Rainbow Row. This gave me the idea to juxtapose the two very different pink fabrics I am working with, the vibrant hot pink organza, and the equally vibrant coral sateen. I like how the two compete in an unexpected way.
Windows being so prominent in Georgian buildings, at least to my eye, I brought this idea into my designs in a subtle way. Each garment, except the coat, features a “window” of some kind, a single layer of transparent fabric that allows a little skin to show through. Additionally I echoed the Palladian-style archways in the seams of the bodices of the dresses as well as the hot pink organza blouse. All of the garments are very symmetrical, another prominent characteristic of Georgian architecture.
As I construct the garments, I plan to bring in a few other functional design details that were difficult to convey in these sketches, but that will also be inspired by various aspects of the Rainbow Row buildings. I would love to hear your thoughts on these designs, so don’t hesitate to comment!
My next post, with any luck, will feature me in my finished Knickers (since I have committed to completing and reporting on these before I can continue work on my Spring collection)!
Check back in about a week.
