A Busy Schedule

Cleaning out your closet is like taking a weight off your shoulders you didn’t know was there. If you haven’t done it before, or at least not in a long time, it’ll take hours. It’s a great way to remember good times, first dates, vacations, or any other kind of memory you could have associated with clothes. For me, it was a little bit of happiness.

I didn’t get rid of many articles of clothing after spending all last year trying to improve my wardrobe. There were a few shirts that were too big, and a pair of pants that had too much wear in them to last more than a few more months, but other than that my closet stayed the same. It really made me appreciate the work I put in all last year building a custom wardrobe. I wear a lot of knit and a lot of custom fitted wovens most frequently because that’s what fits the best.

The one thing I had a very hard time cleaning out was my shoe collection… I don’t have that many pairs of shoes compared to most girls, and compared to female stereotypes. Yes, most of them are heels. Yes a few pairs I still haven’t worn more than once, but how often do you find an appropriate situation to wear gold platform strappy sandals? Only in Vegas, or somewhere equally as anti-chic (in the best way). I couldn’t bear to part with more than two pairs of shoes. I only recently started wearing flats and made the mistake of buy two pairs that don’t fit my feet properly. I have wide feet, and wearing shoes that are flat on the ground only makes it worse (thus so many heels) and after trying to wear each pair a few times outside of the store, I threw them to the back of my closet to be forgotten in the hopes that one day my feet will shrink. (btw, if you've got size 9 or 8 1/2 feet and would like to talk about taking over some shoes from me, hit me up. specially those gold heels described. they're Michael Kors and run kinda small)

All in all, I am definitely better for going through everything again. It was very easy for me because my boyfriend has gotten me in the habit of getting rid of things I don’t wear often enough, every time I bring home new clothing. Now I can again say with great confidence that my wardrobe is impeccable (to my tastes, of course).

For my many classes I have been doing a LOT of work. Lots of drawing, sewing, drafting, driving, and writing. For my bustier class I drafted a regular base for the bustier, got it fitted, sewed up a new one, got that even better fitted.



I got really lucky because I brought the second one in on a day where I have a class with a man named Grant. He makes tutus and bustiers for a living. He oversaw me getting help with mine from a different classmate and decided to make my day by offering some advice of his own. Of course, I will do everything he said and it will be so much better for it! He shortened the back at the top and bottom, (notice that weird curve on top? I didn't realize it was there at all.) and helped keep it sexy without being pornographic in front. I am that much more excited to make this! I went to Thai Silks to pick up my lining and exterior fabric. I cannot get anything prettier.

You can see it's pretty sheer, but it'll be over a couple layers of white, so its not like you'll actually be able to see anything underneath it. The outside pattern WILL be that heart bustier if I can get it to lay right. I don't think it'll be that big of a problem.

In advanced illustration we've been doing a lot of practicing to make sure everyone is ready to really delve into the new stuff. We've been drawing things from pictures up on the overhead and it's been a lot of fun! I'm fairly confident in my drawing skills, stylized as they may be, and this is just making me egotistical. Not really, but it does make me feel good. Next week we'll finally be doing some newer and more advanced techniques.

The last one is my favorite.

In my construction class we've been doing really simple things like french seams and overcast stitching, and in my historical costume pattern design class we've been doing a lot of review on historical fashion so that we can have discussions and get ideas about designs intelligently and actually know what we're talking about. If you had asked me two weeks ago what a farthingale was I would have made a stupid face and said "uhidunno.."

My intro to the Fashion Industry is so amazing. it's a lot of work, and a lot of fast paced information coming at you but otherwise It's great! The class has a really weird schedule, but I've gotten to see some business during the work day and see the true side of the underbelly of fashion.

Basically my life is amazing right now! I'm making a dress for a friend and school is great! not too much homework, not too much free time. I'll keep you guys updated as more happens!

Finals and Weddings

I never got to post the pictures of my final dress for flat pattern, but that's because I never finished it! On my last day of working on it(and of class), the serger at school wasn't working and my invisible zipper broke in my last fitting. Super fun was strutting around in it with hooks and eyes every 2.5 inches instead of the intended zipper. It was a design I posted on here back in november (shorter version of it at least). You can see here and here

Me with ugly mid-speach face but
Bonus hilarity of Sister's Face!

that the design is asymmetrical. I had a lot of fun designing it, but sewing it all up was a whole other matter. I wanted obvious gathers around the waist, but made the mistake of placing it on the bias which if you work with wovens you know means it just smoothed right on out. There was so much fabric being redirected over my waist from the bust that I had to convert it to a dart instead of just gathers, but even doing that left so much extra fabric underneath. I should have done some more contouring, but it was silk dupioni that I couldn't afford to replace.
Actually on that note the whole THING should have been made of silk but I just didn't the funds. All the under layers of black were random pieces of fabric i had in my stash, and the organza should have been silk organza but is polyester.

I wore it to my cousin's wedding on the 7th, and it was a truly beautiful affair! I was feeling very snooty because i made sure to dress appropriately for the formal event, and there were many women dressed in bright red mini dresses. Also Susan and I were getting endless compliments on our dresses! I had recently taken in her dress after learning so much from my techniques of fit class and boy did it pay off! She looked impeccable! I think it was a great way to start of the new year!

And it is a new year! This is the first year that I have actually held up and fulfilled my resolution and i am so proud! I cannot wait to see what 2012 provides! While this year my resolution isn't to make a dress every month, I have decided I need to sew something every 2 weeks! this should be very easy while I'm in school, but in the summer and fall I'll be significantly more pressed to sew things!

I plan on finishing up all but one of the classes I need for my certificate this semester, so I'll have no excuse to not make dresses and or skirts for sale! I already have my etsy store set up, now it's just to fill it with products! Unfortunately for me that'll have to wait until I'm quite a few weeks into school already since my sewing machine has taken a turn for the worst! I disengaged the machine to wind the bobbin, and then all of a sudden it wouldn't reengage! oh woe is me, I nearly cried. Once school starts I'll have money so I can take it to a repair shop, but until then... Time to really get acquainted with my serger!! I start school on the 18th so expect another update sometime after then! GOODBYE FOREVER