San Francisco - YAY!!!!

We are in San Francisco for a long weekend vacation. It is a beautiful city and we are loving it! We went to the Golden Gate bridge, Golden Gate garden (the Japanese Tea Garden and the oldest public playground in the U.S), Solsalito, China town, Swan Oyster Depot and many other places, including gorgeous Solsalito.

These are some of the photos we took (if DH is not in the picture, he is the one who took it, and I think he did a wonderful job).

Racerback Tank Maxi Dress

I have made no secret my love for Helmut Lang His maxi racer back tank dress (photos at the end of the post, courtesy of bloomingdales.com).is a piece that I've admired ever since it made it to the retailers. So, I made something similar. I changed the front neckline to a less deep one and the underarm curve is higher also.

What I like about this design is the understated simplicity which renders itself to so many options as far as accessorizing. I can also see myself wearing the dress with a motocycle vest, leather jacket, or a fluid wrap.
Here ( I was leaving for the DIA to drop-off DH) the dress is worn with a jersey wrap/cozy worn in one of the dozens ways it can be styles. This video http://www.dkny.com/womens/cozy_video.html illustrates some of the ways and is really worth watching.

I used the pattern I had previously made for the racer back tanks, elongated it, and widened it at the hem.

The fabris is gray rayon jersey from http://www.gorgeousfabrics.com/.

Tje original Helmut Lang dress:

Fiona Paxton Inspired Necklace - Tutorial

In the comments to my previous post I was asked to provide a tutorial on how to make the necklace.

This is how:

Materials needed:

• Beaded trim - 1" to 1.5" wide


• Beads, beading needle and cord/thread


• Satin ribbon


• Seams Great or similar product


• Fray-check and glue

The trim you can get from your local craft store, online (from mjtrim.com or other source), or from ebay. You can also bead it yourself, I guess, if you have the time and skill to do so.

Everything else you should be able to get from your craft store or beading store.

Measurements and Steps:

The necklace is 40" long, the bead trim part of mine is 25" long. You must cut the trim 1" longer on each side, remove the beads from that 1", and secure the remaining beads.

Next, you make the beading stringss, each 15" long and with at least 6" extra cord at each end.

Then, thread each end of the strand. Pierce with the needle from the right side of the trim at the end where the beads end, pull the tread out from the wrong side, and secure.

After you are done securing all of the bead strings, place some fray-check over the secured edges of the thread ends.

Next, you will fold over the extra 1" on each end of the beaded trim and glue it. Then, you will apply the satin ribbon on the back side of the beaded trim. I used a product similar to Seams Great and used an iron to create the bond between the back side of the trim and the ribbon.

And you are done!

Additional notes:

• Your beaded string can be of equal length or get shorter as they go towards the inside part of the trim (see photo below):

When I made my necklace all rows were of equal length. Last night though I redid it as in the photo above and I think it is a more flattering design option.

• Instead of beading strings of beads, you can use jewelry chain, best if it is 2mm wide. For a 1.5" wide trim you will need about 14-15 lengths of chain. If you are using chain, you are better off going with the option above (the lengths of the chains getting shorter as they go topwards the inside), or otherwise you are facing major tangling. The end link of the chain is sewn onto the trim and the thread is fastened on the wrong side of the trim.


• If you are using beading thread/cord, wax it before you start, for strength.

Fiona Paxton Inspired Necklace

If you have been paging through magazines letely, you must have come across images of celebrities wearing Fiona Paxton's necklaces. The designer is a RCA trained textile designer who has been developing embroideries and prints for big couture clients for more than 10 years.
I have porovided photos of two of her designs at the end of this post, howevber, if you are interested, this link http://www.ninaandlola.com/fiona-paxton.html will show you more of her designs.

And here is my design:
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I am really loving it!



These are the inspiration necklaces by Fiona Paxton (images through shopbop.com):

What I Wore Today

So, this is what I wore today:





Pants: made by me (Burda WOF pattern)

Burned-out tee

Alicr and Olivia vest (it was on a really good sale so I figured I'd get it even though I could make one, besidesm it is really well made)

Necklace: self-designed and made
Bunch of other vintage and not so vintage jewelry (ebay, TJMaxx, Banana Republic)

Aldo shoes... I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If enyone likes them, here is a link (http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/women/pumps/peep-toe/73502140-maune/91) and with this coupon you get 10% off: STUDADV817002.

On a sewing note, I am really going to try to make the jacket with the pronounced sleeves. I don't know if I'll be successful, but will give it a try. As a starting point, I took Violet's advice (http://violet-bleu.blogspot.com/) and ordered two Winifred Aldrich's "Metric Pattern Cutting" books, one for general women's wear and one for tailored women's garments. Violet commented that the book provides instructions for changing a semi-fitted sleeve to a very close fitted sleeve and raising the bodice armhole. I'll keep you posted how the project goes, even if it is going south:)

Balmain SS'09 Inspired Blazer

I am in love with the shoulders on the jackets below. The first two are by Balmain, I am not sure about the third. In any case, I see the third as quite wearable for me, and am thinking on perhaps trying to make it. It is going to be the biggest drafting challenge I have eber undertaken.

net-a-porter.com

http://www.bloglovin.com/link.php?l=aHR0cCUzQSUyRiUyRnN0YXJkdXN0YW5kc2VxdWlucy53b3JkcHJlc3MuY29tJTJG&b=365849

Here is my analysis of the last jacket:

• single breasted
• peak lapel
• 2 hip pockets
• narrow sleeve (may be a 2-piece one)
• high armhole
• fitted bodice: princess seam or 2 darts

Preliminary sketches for the purpose of the armhole and sleeve:

I'd very much appreciate input and ideas about how to make it, as well as suggestions on a pattern I could start from for the bodice.

Punk Bracelets

I have been inspired by Jen Kao's jewelry and wanted to do something similar. The photo is courtesy os http://www.forwardforward.com/.

What you need is leather, chain, zipper and glue. From there you can add on if you want to. In addition to the basics, I used eyelets on the leather and threaded leather lacing through some of the chains.

I kinda like how mine turned out, It is not an everyday item but is a fun punky one that I will wear from time to time.