Gah, July!

Gah. where do I begin? I promised myself to blog at least TWICE a month and where did that get me? I have no other excuse other than I have been, as Americans would call it, "crazy busy." 


Let's see, I made more of those striped Maxi dresses for friends: 

Then I attempted to make a skirt with a bunch of cotton scarves that I got on sale:

I kinda wasn't feeling it, so I shelved the project for another day. Do you know why? Because my wonderful  mother distracted me with this:

She got me 4.5 meters of this staggeringly beautiful blue grey embroidered Indian silk. I want to do a tunic with it, nothing complicated with so many darts and tucks that I have to distort the beautiful embroidery on this fabric. I am, however, doing some more beading on it and it's so much fun. I'm using gold metal beads (not metallic beads, real metal beads. I'm so happy I found some.)


While I was beading, I also decided to make a wearable muslin of the tunic I want to make out of the Indian silk. I made it and my mother loved it so much, she claimed it. >D I will take in the sides a little bit and maybe add darts (maybe) at the back for the next version. My mom was happy with the first one, I'm not complaining. 

Self-drafted, 100% cotton.

Most of all, my time has been taken up by this little boy: 

I wake up to this everyday and I love it. 

Cotton/Silk Embroidered Blouse for Mom: DONE!

e

The Details


MATERIALS: 4 yards (yes, you read that right) 60 width Cotton/Silk (70/30), 1 pack of cream colored bias tape, five spools of white thread (four for the serger, one for the machine) and half a yard of cream colored cotton twill tape.


DURATION: May 5 to June 7, 2011. Embroidery from May 5 to June 2. Sewing took a total of two days, June 6 to 7. 


PATTERN: Self-drafted according to Mom's measurements.


CONSTRUCTION: I really enjoyed making this blouse. The planning, embroidery, modifying the design and sewing was so much fun. 


The front bodice is doubled, so the embroidery is protected from skin and friction. 


I did change a lot of things from the original design. It was supposed to be a tunic with set in sleeves, but it ended up being a raglan peasant top instead. 


On to the horror stories: a bit of fabric got caught in the knife of my edger (eek) and there was a big hole next to the right arm-scythe and while I was doing the embroidery, Connor ate a melon popsicle and left an orange stain on the neckline. (DOOOOOOOOOM) So I cut away the offending parts and made the blouse raglan sleeved. Mom liked this silhouette better than the original so I'm relieved. 


I also originally cut the sleeves to be quarter sleeves, but mom changed her mind and wanted long sleeves instead. I cut more leftover fabric and connected it to the existing hem. I covered the unsightly seams with bias tape and hereby declare it a design feature. 


On to the next project! YAHOO!

Outfit of the Day: La Dia De Los Muertos Sunday's Best

Day of the Dead Blouse, me; High-waist pleated skirt, me; shoes by Kenneth Cole; kiss-lock purse by Alfa Delon; Cuban-heeled seamed stockings from Annelyn (heehee!); all my jewelry from my bling-loving mom.

This is what I wore last Sunday (March 20th 2011) to little Zoe's baptism. Remember that yard and a half of Day of the Dead fabric I bought on a whim? I wanted to turn it into a purse in the beginning (I was even able to locate a long lost silver kiss-lock frame just for that purpose!) but decided I would get more use out of this material if I used it for a garment. Fortunately, I had some cream colored cotton scraps available for the collar and the sleeve bands, so I didn't have to buy any more fabric. I finally used the vintage buttons I have been hoarding for the longest time on this thing.

Festive Dead!

The skirt was made out of black crepe with vintage buttons used as fastenings. No zippers here! I wanted box pleats for the skirt because... well, I kinda like box pleats. They look so... academic. And this skirt has terrific twirl, without exposing my ohsosehksay granny panties underneath (I kid... not really) I was also inspired by the high waisted 40's trousers and skirts from the 1940s. Almost everyone is into low-waisted skirts and trousers these days and I'm kinda tired of it. I figured, what the heck right?

Lipstick is MAC's Russian Red, which I am rapidly running out of. Must go to a nearest MAC soon!

The combination of puff sleeves and a high waist may or may not work for some people and it may not even work for me, but I'm just so happy with it. 

The priest is late.

My Cuban-heeled stockings in action.

My pretentious "fashion" blogger pose AKA the priest is REALLY REALLY late, I am very very hungry and these normally comfortable heels are killing me.

The baptism was a chaotic affair. There were about a dozen kids of different ages and sizes that were freaking out from the sheer amount of people, all that waiting for the priest who never showed up (another priest had to take over) and most of all, the heat. I was so glad I was wearing a skirt. At least I was somewhat ventilated.