Smocking Project

Hello! I made this dress for my daughter's dance and decided to share the techniques I used.

Happy experimenting!

Babylock Project #2

A few years ago, I designed this suit. Recently, I decided to refresh the look of the skirt. The original design of the skirt was a straight silhouette with two ruffles on the bottom. The new design of the skirt was inspired by work of Natalie Chanin. I was impressed with her couture hand-stitching techniques and I wanted to try something similar. Here is the result!




<My daughter and I a few years ago on a trip.

Happy sewing!

Project With Baby Lock #1

I believe that a lot of people who love sewing can relate to this statement: If it does not fit me, and I love the fabric, I will save it for another future project. This statement would be my motto for the following few projects.I would like to suggest some ideas on how you can transform your fabrics into something beautiful and wearable.

I fell in love with this black, beautiful, floral fabric, but I did not realize that the shrinkage of this fabric could be more then what I expected. After the final pressing, I was so excited to wear my suit, but I could not because the skirt shrank so much that it was not wearable. I started to look for a fabric to recreate my skirt and it took me a while before I found a black, 100% silk which could compliment the original fabric.
Here is a result.






This is the original suit. The following pictures will show the step-by-step transformation.

Happy experimenting!

Simple Couture Techniques

You can create you're own couture using two simple techniques; applique, and double ruffle. Here are two examples; the vest and the skirt.

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

I have used two versions of appliques for this garment; this is the first and probably the most time consuming because you have to attach it to the garment using hand stitching.

This inserted applique is much easier to execute because you don't have to finish all of the edges, just simply insert it as shown in the above image.

I like to use this type of embellishment because it gives you the freedom to create a variety of floral designs by playing with the width and length of the ruffles. The finishing edges can be in contrasting colors or left unfinished to help create a unique look.You can draw an intricate pattern on your garment as a guideline and attach the ruffles to create a one-of-a-kind couture piece of clothing.

Happy Sewing! 

Dyeing Project #5

Due to the excessive amount of snow that bathed our community this year, I continue to dye my fabrics with the ice dyeing/ice cube dye methods. My favorite part of the dyeing process is that every dyeing project will result in a different pattern, and can allow you to freely experiment. Here is another result of my ice dyeing experiment...

The end result: a whirlpool of teal and purple.

A close-up.

Another close-up.

Enjoy your snow dyeing experience!