I'm making some party dresses and vest/tie combos for a friend's mom's birthday bash. All in gold. And the material choices were not mine. My client picked out a combo and separately looked questionable, but as i start to put them together, have begun to really sparkle--literally and figuratively. Let's just say there is gold lame' involved as well as an embroidered lace that has "sparklies" on it. and on me. And on my counter. And in my sewing machine...
Yeah, I'll be glad when this order is done and i can take a dustbuster to my studio.
The vest and tie are from a pattern--because i see no reason to draw my own pattern when there are gazillions out there. I mean really--there are very few men's patterns out there, but of them, a great many are vests. In fact menswear patterns fall into a five categories: shirts, pants, jackets, vests & other. I can see why fashion designers don't get into menswear--it can be a yawn. Anyway, as much as i am getting into drafting patterns and such, i also don't believe in reinventing the wheel. If i own two patterns for a boy's/men's vest, why would i spend over an hour drawing one?
I'm also making ties--which seem to scare people. I vaguely remember making a tie before for an ex, and i don't remember it being a pain. And yet i hear these horror stories about making ties--how difficult they are, etc. *cocks an eyebrow* I'm thinkin' someone made it more difficult than it looks. I'll have to get back to you on that because right now I'm working on the hardest part of this order, the dresses.
They are supposed to look like this. Searching my pattern catalog, and others, i did not find a suitable copy, so i got to practice those drafting skills and make my own pattern. Luckily they are for girls, and i don't really have to worry about darts or even a close fit-since they will have sashes to tie around the waist. One of the dresses is for a baby, and one a toddler--and i altered the pattern a little for them--making an empire waist and tie straps for easy fitting. why put a zipper on a toddler's dress if you don't have to? The two older girls' dresses though are waist length with a zipper. Both of the girls are skinny as rails, and drafting did have a few challenges--according to chest and waist, these girls were a size 6--but the length of their torso was not (they are 8&9 years old--or close to) so i had to create a bodice pattern that had the length of a size eight, but width of a size 6. I forsee some fitting issue with them (mostly taking in) but nothing too strenuous. The skirt is a basic tiered skirt--separate tiers. I hadn't made one before, but that was the easiest draft because it was just a basic A-line skirt , cut up into separate pieces, upon which ruffles will be placed.
If all goes well, I may be able to create a couple sized patterns to sell, which would be AWESOME. Women who sew LOVE to make little girls dresses, so I'm hoping this all works out without too much alteration and fuss.
ANd i'll be glad when i don't sparkle like a stripper when i come out of my studio...
Lessons learned this week:
- dental work can be exhausting, physically and economically.
- Challenge is good for the brain
- i dislike glitter
- Men should wear skirts
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