This journey began with a bright eyed beauty, curious to know more about what I might be able to create for her and what the process of creating a custom dress looked like. Laura contacted me, looking for a custom dress to wear to her sister’s wedding event. She wanted a dress with a 1930’s feel, one that had fabric interest with unique design details.
She had seen a dress in a movie that she loved and wanted to get a similar look. She sent me photos of screen shots from the movie, plus some inspiration shared on Pinterest
She loved the rich tones of the fabric combination, and the soft ruffled neckline of this dressShe also loves the straps of this dress
I got to work and found a pattern that was designed in the 1930’s and had the basic shape of the dress style she liked including the sweetheart neckline, the low back and the long, softly shaped skirt
I found this pattern and ordered it from Etsy
We hit the fabric store shortly after I received the pattern, and I also made a mock up of the dress for her to try on
It was my first time making a ruffle like this at the neckline of a dress. Although we like it, we decided it was a bit too much for her.The fit of the dress was great, but here we are playing with different strap placement and neckline shape
Back to the drawing board!
As the construction of the dress progressed, I kept Laura posted with details of what I was doing and got her input on any options she had.
She loves the combination of the drapey lavender chiffon with the deep plus satin. I also thought the colors were beautiful together, just the placement was not as compelling as it could be.
I brought up an idea of draping over the entire top of the dress, allowing both fabrics to have their moment. I presented her with this idea of draping and criss crossing the chiffon over the bodice.
She really like that idea, approved it, so I got going on making it happen!
I finished constructing the dress underneath by adding boning and bra cups to the lining of the dress.
The lining turned out beautifully and was a pleasure to look at as she slipped into the dress. That kind of detail makes me happy, and hopefully also the case for the wearer!
The bodice and skirt lining ready to be installed into the dress!Plenty of pining and hand sewing happening on my trusty dressformThe bodice front, sides, and eventual side drape piece, all pleated and basted, ready to be sewn together, then sewn over the main dress bodice.
So after quite a bit of trial and error, as this was my first time creating such a dress with the draping detail, I finally finished the gown!
Here are some photos of the versions I sent over to her before finishing up on her final version:
She looks so pretty and elegant, even unfinished!The drape happening in the back would also look so gorgeous! I might need to make this dress again just for fun!
And the finale!
The final gown!
Meanwhile, Portland was hit with a big snowstorm that essentially shut down the city and trapped many people at home. Well, that didn’t stop me! My sweet husband offered to drive me and the finished gown over to Laura’s house and deliver it in person in his SUV that is great in the snow. What a nice guy!
Laura was radiant in her dress as she tried it on in her bedroom! I brought along a small sewing kit and supplies to do any last minute fixes as needed.
Well, it turned out that the dress needed a little more than just a few stitches to make it perfect. So, unfortunately I had to take the dress back home and make some fitting changes to the bodice and straps to make it just right. No problem! OK, one major problem: the dress was meant for her to take along to wear at her sister’s wedding event in California the next day and it wasn’t ready. UGH!!! I was hoping to be able to make the changes that same day and drive the dress back over so she could pack it for her trip. I ran out of time and wasn’t able to make it happen. You have no idea how SO disappointing this was for me, not to mention for her as well. So she left early the next morning for California, all without the dress we worked so hard to make in time for the event. GRR, I was SO upset with myself!
Well, now the dress is complete and altered and ready to go for the next occasion she may have to wear it. All in all, Laura was such a wonderful client to work with and I hope that she’s willing to work with me again on another gorgeous creation, and possibly even teach her some sewing lessons so that she can learn to make her own beautiful and unique clothes!
Lesson learned: time management is KEY to making deadlines and leaving room for error.
The gown turned out so elegant and eye catching! Every angle of the dress has interestWe love the low back! And the drape! So pretty and elegant!
Thank you so much Laura for choosing me to create such a beautiful gown for you! I enjoyed every moment of the process, mishaps and all. Enjoy wearing your dress and may you glow and shine in it as you do so naturally! Love, Stephanie
I’ve known Michel for a few years now. She has come to me on several occasions to alter and do minor repairs on her clothing. She loves fashion and is always intrigued with what projects I am working on, especially the custom dressmaking ones. She would say to me that someday, she’d love to have me make something custom for her. Well, that day came along when she was asked by her best friend to be the Maid of Honor in her wedding, and she had the choice of what to wear in the wedding as long as it was formal, elegant and black.
As soon as Michel was asked, she reached out to me to see if I was available to create a gown for her. Of course I was! Michel is such a wonderful person and a repeat client of mine, so I was honored to create something special for her.
We had our first meeting at my house on a warm sunny afternoon, over a light lunch and refreshments, sitting out on my back deck. We talked about what style she likes, what parts of her body she’d like to highlight and what she’d rather not. We talked about color (black), and fabric options, the timing of the wedding, and I showed her some images I put together on Pinterest.
A black lace gown I pinned on Pinterest
She loved the idea of a fit & flare dress, or a mermaid style that is fitted from the bodice to the upper leg, then flares out at below the knee. She wanted to highlight her slim waist and also wanted sleeves as the wedding was scheduled for the end of January, so she might get cold. It was great as we worked together to decide on a suitable style as she had an idea of what she wanted, but also put a lot of trust in me and my experience in the fashion industry, dabbling in image consulting.
I found a couple of sewing patterns to start with, and eventually decided on this one: McCalls 6838.
McCalls 6838 sewing pattern
The pattern cover is really not all that elegant, but if you look past that and look at the illustrations and line drawings, the pattern becomes much more appealing. To me, at least!
Line drawings of McCalls 6838 sewing pattern
In my sewing experience so far, I like to take an existing pattern that is already graded and figured out, and make it extra by adding design details, using nice quality fabrics, linings, embellishments, and leveled-up sewing and dressmaking techniques to really make the design special and valuable.
As a side note, I have been working solely for myself since June of 2022, running my design, dressmaking and bridal alterations business Love, Stephanie. Since then, I have leveled up my sewing and strive to create high quality garments with special details including fit, better fabrics, quality construction and special personal touches. Doing so, I have also revised my price list and raised my prices, no longer giving friends and family discounts or doing free-bee trades just because I feel like I am charging too much or still in training. Now, I charge accordingly for my work, my experience, my dedication to my clients, and my attention to detail. Saying that, this gown took a lot of time and effort to create, and I priced it at $1,400 not including fabric. Just in case you were wondering!
Back to the dress!
We had our first fitting using the pattern tissue paper to just get an idea of fit for the main parts of the pattern. Michel has a great figure, virtually zero body fat, so the pattern essentially fit right out of the envelope with very little adjustments needed. Must be nice, huh!
Tissue fitting!
From there, we went fabric shopping together and Michel chose and purchased a lovely black lace with a little floral motif all over, and a scalloped edge which I used later for the neck and sleeve edges of the shrug.
The pattern and the lace! Please excuse the cluttered background of my studio!
I then moved on to making a muslin mock-up of the dress to further ensure the fit and style are what she likes before I cut into her fashion fabric. I only had to make a few more fitting tweaks at the muslin stage, taking notes along the way to keep track of what I needed to do as I made progress.
The muslin!In her mock-up, Michel just needs a few tweaks to the fit, and to decide what lining she preferred (nude lining won!)
For each of my custom sewing clients, I keep a dossier type folder with my notes, sketches, pattern pieces, inspiration images, fabric swatches, receipts, and have this handy as I’m working on the project to keep it all together and organized. I keep and store each client’s dossier after the project is complete for my own records as well, and as a reminder as to how far I’ve come along which is nice 🙂
Michel’s dossier cover image, with my sketching & scribbles, stored in a pocket folder, with all my notes kept together
With the muslin fitting stage completed, it was now time to start cutting into the fabric and constructing the dress.
I cut out all of the lace pieces of the dress, including the bodice, the skirt, and the lower skirt flounce. I also cut the exact same pattern pieces out of a light weight lining material in a flesh tone to underline the lace and give it structure and opacity. Here I have my pattern pieces all cut out, stacked and pinned with the lace and underlining, ready to be hand basted together and later treated as one layer to be sewn together.
The bodice pieces cut out in lace with underlining pinned and ready to be basted together by handThe upper skirt pieces marked and ready to be basted together by handOne half of the lower skirt portion ready for basting the layers together.
Once the layers were basted together, I could move on to sewing the pattern pieces together and start forming the dress.
The bodice sewn together The bodice and upper skirt sewn together. It looks great just like this!
To give the lower circle skirt more body, bounce and twirl appeal, I added a layer of tulle between the lace and the lining, gathering it as I sewed it to the upper seam edge before attaching it to the lower skirt. I thought this was a great idea as I’ve seen this kind of layer in big ball gown type skirts, knew it would be easy to do and create a great effect.
Lots of pins to keep this tulle in check!It looks like a messy nest, so one pin at a time controls the tulle before and during machine stitching
This is the stage where I wanted to start adding the beading. I planned it at this stage of the construction process as I wanted the stitching and threads of the beading to be hidden between the outer layer (the lace and underlining) and the lining. I bought some lovely little black glass seed beads and black sequins and created a little stack of them and sewed 2-3 stacks to the large flower motif in the center. It wasn’t all that noticeable on the dress, especially in a photo, but in person, it gives the dress a tiny little shimmer and adds a slight texture to the lace.
Hand sewing the seed beads and sequins, one by one, to the laceI created tiny little stacks of seed beads and sequins to the center of the large flower motifs all over the dress and flounce
As I sewed the beads and sequins to the dress, I kept track of my time using the timer on my iPhone and jotting it down as I went. Adding it all up, it took me about 9 hours to bead the dress. If I had the time, I would have beaded more of the dress, but this wasn’t feasible with just my two hands and lack of time!
As the dress progressed, I had a couple of more fittings with Michel, this time in the fabric, before I added the lining, just to check fit again and make sure everything was perfect before the lining installation
Michel pinned into her dress, the straps and belt also just pinned, and deciding on the finished hem length.Pinned into the dress, with the unfinished shrug (again, please excuse the mess!)
She also wanted a sleeve option for the dress, so I made a little matching shrug for her using Butterick 4731 for the pattern.
Butterick 4731 for the shrug only (although I also like the gown in this pattern)I used the sleeves of view A and the front and back of view B to make the shrugI cut out the shrug in the same layers as the dress, also beading the outer lace layer before adding the lining
I used the pretty scalloped border of the lace material to create a trim to go around the edges of the shrug at the neckline, around the back, and the sleeve hem.
Hand stitching the lace edge trim to the finished shrug
I wanted to be sure to have a well made garment that would last a long time, and be extra special to slip on and wear comfortably. I added two hanging loops into the side seams of the lining using a narrow satin ribbon, so that when the gown was hanging, not all of the weight of the dress was on the straps and it was supported with the loops. These loops would then just fall down into the dress when worn and are not seen. I also added a little waist stay right at the waistline of the dress using a wider ribbon and a hook and bar. This feature helps to support the weight of the dress on the inside. I see both of these interior details in some of the wedding gowns that I have altered, so I like to adapt them into my dresses for a high end, secret quality detail!
The hanging loops do their job to help support the dress while hangingThe waist stay added as her exact waist measurement inside the dress for support
Jumping ahead, as the wedding date was rapidly approaching, the dress and shrug were turning out so well, and I couldn’t wait to get Michel in it and delivered before the big day.
Before delivering it though, I wanted to add a little special and personal touch to the garment bag that I usually include with the dresses that I make for my clients. This time, I used my embroidery machine and made a monogram for her on the outside of the garment bag.
The purchased garment bag with the personal monogram
Finishing up the dress and delivering the finished product always feels great! She’s excited, I’m excited and everyone can’t wait to see her dazzling in her new custom made gown!
Checking and double checking the hem is even and balanced
The time finally came that I was 100% finished with the dress and I was ready to deliver it to Michel. It kind of feels like I am handing off a little part of me whenever it’s time to deliver the dress, so I try to take the time to get some good photos of the finished product before she’s gone off to her rightful owner!
She’s done! Isn’t she lovely!With the matching shrug
All dolled up and in her gown, Michel is absolutely STUNNING! She’s a natural beauty and does not need makeup of any kind, but boy, when she dresses up and gets all dolled up, WOW! Breathtakingly beautiful!
Stunning!Simply gorgeous!Michel and her best friend, the lovely bride Megan!
Another dream dress come true!! Onwards and Upwards!
One of my very favorite people on this planet is my beautiful friend Julie. She is a Goddess in my eyes. She has the biggest heart, is always cheerful and gives all of herself all of the time. Julie is a 2-time breast cancer survivor and is the strongest woman I know.
Julie had the opportunity to travel to California for a ritual retreat with a group of good witches. She would share stores, rituals and positive vibes with her sisters, and she wanted to dress the part and feel fabulous. She asked me if I could make her a special garment for her retreat, on short notice, and showed me her inspiration photo
Inspiration Robe in moss green velvet. So pretty!
GASP!!!! Yes!!!
I had to find a way (and the time) to make this amazing dressing robe for my dear friend, no question.
You see, this robe design goes way back to the early part of the 20th century by means of the artist and fashion designer Paul Poiret in 1910. And you know, I LOVE me some fashion history!
Quoting from the pattern envelope that I used to re-create this coat, appropriately named the Cocoon Coat, here is a little snippet about the designer and the history of the popular coat style:
“Paul Poiret (1876-1944) is generally recognized as the first “modern” fashion designer, and his influence on 20th-century fashion was profound. It is Poiret who is most remembered for freeing women from 19th-century corsets, although he then hobbled them with extremely narrow skirt hems, and for modernizing the Victorian silhouette. As the Parisian designer explained, “I like a plain gown, cut from light and supple fabric, which falls from
the shoulders to the feet in long, straight folds, like thick liquid, just touching the outline of the figure and throwing shadow and light over the moving form”
The fully lined Cocoon Coat offered here was designed around 1913-1919. It features batwing sleeves, one-piece front/back body, neckband, and a hobble skirt.”
Julie found this perfect pattern on of Poiret’s design from Folkwear patterns on Etsy, purchased a copy, and had it sent by express mail to me as soon as we agreed on the project and came up with the project plan, timeline and signed my contract agreement. We met up a few days later at the fabric store, and she purchased some gorgeous velvet and satin and we got started making the coat!
Because Julie is such a bright, happy and colorful person, she chose a bright, happy pink to have her cocoon coat made in! Deep pink velvet with a hot pink satin lining was the perfect choice for Julie as it went with the outfit she was planning to wear under the coat (pink French lingerie, of course!), her pink-streaked hair, all for the temptress alluring witch vibe she was going for!
Temptress Vibes. Nailed it!!!
Once I received the pattern Julie ordered, we set up a session to start making the robe together. We only had a couple of week’s time to get it done in time for her to pack it for her trip, so I took all the help and time she had to offer.
Although this pattern seems to be complicated to make with the batwing sleeves and the long, draped back, it is really just two very large pattern pieces, one left and one right side of the coat, with a seam down the center back and a seam pulling the sleeve together while simultaneously creating the draped shape. You cut 2 of the outer pieces and 2 for the lining, and the neck band.
We got to cutting out the enormous pattern pieces on the floor of my sewing room, trying to make sure everything was flat and not shifting as we cut, which was no easy task. We did the best we could with the space and tools that we had, and didn’t worry too much about perfection.
Sewing this baby was not easy either. Velvet is notorious for being difficult to sew as it shifts and slips and doesn’t like to be pressed or un-stitched if you make a mistake. Satin isn’t much better. Throw in the fact that the pieces to be sewn together are HUGE, and I was running out of time, so I didn’t have time to fuss and fiddle with it.
I kept Julie informed with my progress with photos of what I had done and when I expected to be finished. The coat did come together fairly quickly even with all of the setbacks and really started to look quite special and amazing!
The lining! Love itMaking progress with the coat, and imagining it with this awesome pink strappy bootie!
As the coat was taking shape and I was nearing the finished project, I took the time to try to capture photos of it. The photos certainly don’t do it justice on a dress form as the color is all wrong for one thing, and you really see the drape and shape of the coat on a person, but it still looked pretty dang awesome!
The front of the coat and the reflection of the back
As I finished the coat just in time to deliver it to Julie on her way out of town for her event, I made sure to sew a label in it to remind her of me and my presence on her back whenever she wore it.
Made with Love
Here’s Julie’s take on our Cocoon Coat adventure:
Cocoon Coat!
“The Cocoon coat was made from a Poiret pattern, and a style popular in the ‘20’s.
I was creating an outfit for a branding photo shoot, and what came to me was the Goddess. I googled Goddess robe and came across a modified cocoon coat, and another with an amazing headpiece and so this vision was born. I immediately called Stephanie and told her I was so damn excited and all of the deets!!! This coat would bring to life my vision of the Goddess, a facet of me, of my magic and beauty.
We selected the fabric, an amazing dark garnet pink color, crushed velour, with a brilliant pink satin for lining. The trim is a black almost rhinestone.
The coat is luxurious and alluring, timeless and makes me feel glamorous. As the Goddess, i wore the coat with my wedding lingerie underneath, bra, panties, garter and pink backseam stockings –
The coat is also something that could be worn as a coat for a glamorous evening out, or an intimate evening in, its so soft, and just envelops me in glowing pink, warmth and I feel like a movie star, the custom creation brought my vision to life and is a timeless statement piece that will remain in my wardrobe forever”
Julie Papke, September 2, 2022
Thank you so much for your thoughts on our process Julie! I loved working with you and creating this special coat just for you. I hope you love it forever!
Julie absolutely is magical in her Cocoon Coat and special sexy outfit, perfectly accessorized with cool boots and a crown.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a custom dress or outfit made just for you? Have you thought that just buying something off the rack or from a website is good enough and will do for the occasion, but deep down (or not even that deep) you wish you could wear something that fit you perfectly, was made well, is a flattering color on you, and was something you would be comfortable, confident and proud to wear to your event and beyond? Do you want a great dress, top, suit or outfit hanging in your wardrobe that you can reach for again and again and just know it works? If you said “yes!” to all of the above, I would love to be the one to make this dream come true for you!
So, what does this process look like, how does it all happen and how long would it take? It’s this going to cost me an arm and a leg?
For those questions, the answer is: it all depends.
First off, I am a one woman operation (at least for now I am) and only have so much time in a day. My goals for my Love, Stephanie custom sewing business include creating quality, timeless apparel for special clients who recognize the value in a well made custom garment. I use fine quality materials and construction methods, I don’t take on rush jobs, and I don’t take shortcuts. That being said, that is what takes the time to perfect the fit, using smart construction techniques, and all of the education and sewing skills that I have learned over the years that rolls into the lead time and cost of a custom made garment.
That’s me! Stephanie of Love, Stephanie
Sound intriguing so far? Great! Read on and I’ll walk you through what my typical process looks like from the perspective that includes the client experience and what to expect.
We begin with an initial meeting where I get to know you better, what your ideas and visions are for your custom garment, what your lifestyle is like, and what mood or purpose you’d like to portray through the garment you’ll be wearing.
Initial Client Consultation
From there, I build a plan and a timeline to achieve the finished garment before your deadline and get started sourcing fabrics and pattern options that go into making your garment.
Going over sketches and fabric ideas
I like to create sketches, a mood board, and gather any other ideas and components that go into the creative process of making a successful garment, and share these with you along the way.
After our initial consultation meeting, I gather up all the information and write up a contract that includes all of your contact information, the deadlines, our design concept agreement, project components, costs and payment schedule for you to read over and sign. This is an important step as I want to ensure both of us are in agreement over all of the details in case any questions or concerns should arise.
Then the fun begins! I’ll take all of the body measurements I need from you and get started making the garment.
Taking measurements Lots of measurements!
Using your measurements and a pattern, I cut out and sew up a simplified mock-up garment in muslin fabric to check fit, style preferences and to make sure you are happy with the basic silhouette before cutting into any fashion fabric. At times, an additional muslin, or part if it, needs to made and fitted again if there are a lot of changes that need a review before proceeding.
A mock-up fitting in muslinI check for any fit issues that need to be corrected, and make sure you are happy with the style lines and length
Meanwhile, the fashion fabric that you want, including any lining material, trim and notions needed, is confirmed and purchased. I aim to use the best quality fabric that is within your budget (not included in the cost of my labor) as I truly feel that the fabric makes all the difference in the look and wear of a garment. I prefer to work with natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk and linen, but will consider good quality man made fabrics to sew with such as rayon and synthetic blends.
Fabric choices are important in the outcome of a beautiful garment Silk is my personal favorite!
Once the muslin is approved and the fabric is all here, I transfer any changes to the pattern, and start cutting!
The beautiful silk georgette is laid out and ready to cutAnd sewn (silk is notoriously difficult to sew)
Most times, I have one last fitting of the garment in the fashion fabric to double check the fit, pin the hem, and work out any last details before delivering the finished creation.
From concept to creation!Perfection!The final fitting!
And that’s it! Easy, right?
Well done! Cheers!
In a nutshell, that’s the process in creating a unique custom garment, made especially just for you! No matter what size or shape you are, it’s an exciting and rewarding experience like no other.
Want to give it a go? Reach out to me and come on by my place with your dream garment vision and we’ll make it happen!
Suzanne demonstrates her Tall Drink of Style in her new Love, Stephanie coat!
Suzanne and I go way back, 37 odd years in fact. All the way back to freshman year in high school where we carpooled to school with our moms and a few other students living in Concord and Bedford who also attended our school Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts. It is a small, private college prep school on a beautiful campus where the classes were small and everybody knew each other.
Fast forward to modern times where we keep in touch with old friends and family through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. That is precisely how I’ve reconnected with Suzanne and many other friends from childhood, high school and college days.
Ever since I’ve been connected with Suzanne (she used to go by Suzy), she’s been a wonderful fan and always excited to see and comment on what I’m currently sewing. A few times she’s even commented like “I just love what you’re creating!” and “someday I love for you to make something for me!” which is such a wonderful and flattering comment to hear, and more and more, something I’d like to achieve full time. Custom clothes making for clients and even more, a fashion line of my own.
Well, one garment and one client at a time, I’m starting to see this dream come to life. So far in 2022 alone, I already have 8 clients that i have already, or am currently working on creating custom garments for, plus have several bridal and special occasion alteration projects, a re-fashioning project in the works, other special makes on the list. Unfortunately I have had to turn away several potential clients as I am simply too busy to take on more.
I’m also am working with an amazing business coach who is helping , me get organized, set goals, focus on my brand and core client profile, continuing education and skill development, plus I’m building a new website and branding refresh. I expect this is going to be a great year for my business and continuing growth on the horizon. So yay!
Back to her! Suzanne saw the lovely leopard coat I made for myself and that was the one for her! She reached out to me and asked if she could commission me to make one just like it for her. Of course I was delighted that she asked and jumped on the offer.
I got to work right away to plan out the process and set up a meeting to discuss all of the options and details that go into making a coat for someone other than myself. We started with a zoom meeting to talk and actually speak to each other after all these years. I made a PowerPoint presentation as I like to do for any new client, to help explain her pattern and fabric options, talk and demonstrate more about the details she would like, and my pricing levels that depend on the components, the time, and the level of difficulty. I also include my work process and a timeline with milestones and deadlines.
A screen shot of some of my PowerPoint slides
Suzanne loved the presentation and chose the style and fabrics right away, knowing she wanted a coat just like mine with just a few customizations.
My version of this amazing coat!
I sent her some fabric swatches in the mail so she could touch and feel the lovely and soft hand of the high quality materials I’d be using to make her coat. The only differences she wanted from my version was black silk lining and a slight different collar shape.
Butterick 6385 pattern The leopard print wool blend coating material
I also asked her to take body measurements according to a handy chart that I also sent over. We scheduled another Zoom meeting once she had the fabric swatches and measurements ready to confirm everything before I got started making a mock up in muslin for the fit and style review.
As soon as I was done sewing up the muslin of the coat, I mailed it to her and asked her to contact me as soon as she received it. She sent over some photos of her in the muslin which was great and a perfect prelude to our Zoom meeting which followed shortly after
So far, so good!Even just in muslin it looks great on her!
With just a few changes to make to the pattern after our Zoom meeting, I immediately got to work cutting out her coat in the fashion fabric. This honestly took the most time and careful organizing with precise cutting, carefully transferring the pattern markings such as the darts, notches and matching points, and also doing the same to the flannel underlining layer (which was going in between the fashion fabric and lining) for warmth and added “body” to the outer material, and also the silk lining. Time consuming to say the least, but this step is a really important part of making a successful garment.
The coat fabric, laid out right sides together, pattern pieces anchored down on grain and prepped to cut out
So, I sewed and I sewed (and I sewed some more!), all the while keeping her posted with my progress, trying hard to meet my deadline to get it to her in time to wear it this winter.
Installing lace hem tape as part of the finishingHand sewing the hem to the flannel underlining Of course, my Love, Stephanie label had to be beautiful and stand out!
After many long sewing hours and late nights hunkered down in front of my sewing machine and pressing table, I was so excited to finally finish the coat, pack it up, and ship ‘er out!
All packed up and ready to ship across the USA!
The coat arrived in perfect time for Suzanne to model for her new business launch of a fashion stylist in the Boston area appropriately named A Tall Drink of Style
I so happy for Suzanne and her new chapter in life, and I am incredibly flattered that she asked me to represent her style in a custom garment creation for her new business!
Now, that’s a tall drink of style!
Stay tuned for more great style and trend ideas from Suzanne, plus in collaboration with me, even more fashion and wardrobe ideas!
I had Dior in mind as I made this coat, with the yummy brushed wool fabric, the sumptuous silk satin lining, and the classic, tailored details, all brought me back to an era of glamor and sophistication of the 1940’s and ‘50’s.
Leopard print coat
I initially started making this coat back in October 2020, taking the time to ask my friends on Instagram which lining color they liked with the print. I ultimately chose bright red as I thought it had the best “pop”, but any one of them would have been gorgeous!
My favorite lining options for my coat, all choices in silk:
Lining options I had in my fabric stash of solid silks
Well, as usual for me, I eagerly started working on sewing up this gorgeous coat using Butterick 6385 pattern buy cutting out the pattern tissue, tissue fitting myself to check fit, cutting out the fashion fabric, the lining and a flannel underlining for warmth. I even made a few of the first seams, including the pockets (which end up being way too small.
Note to self: next time, make the pockets bigger!
Butterick 6385 pattern from Lisette
I chose view C with the stand up collar and the rectangle pocket flap of view A.
I got to cutting out all the pattern pieces before I realized that there was a good chunk of fabric missing from the upper sleeve that would leave a huge gaping hole if I attempted to ignore it, and I didn’t have enough of the fabric left to cut the piece again. To boot, the fabric store where I got the fabric also didn’t have any of exactly the same fabric left in stock. Grrr!
So, with the air deflated out of my sewjo, I rolled up what I had done so far, and added the coat components and pattern to my “to be continued” pile and there it sat for a better part of a year. “Le Sigh”
As part of my new life goals that I have set for myself recently, at least my sewing life goals, I want to tackle my unfinished projects, finish them, and clear the decks (and my mind) to focus on new personal and client projects to work on. So, with autumn in the air and this project staring me in the face and making me feel guilty about wasting time and resources, I figured out how to fill in the missing chunk at the sleeve by using fabric glue (gasp!) and scraps from the cuttings which I always save, and got right back into making this coat
Sewing the lining, which I serged all of the edges when I originally cut out the pattern. Thank goodness I did because this silk stuff frays like a mofo
I sewed and sewed with newfound energy for this coat, staying up late and ignoring my hungry husband. He’d survive, but I couldn’t until this darn coat was DONE!
Here’s a shot of the coat just before installing the lining, showing the interior interfacing and underlining in camel flannel for warmth and extra stability to the fashion fabric
Flannel underlining and interfacing inside the coat just before adding the lining.
I skipped the shoulder pads and sleeve heads as I felt I really don’t need them, however that is one step that I probably should have done. Next time…
Setting in the lining and going the finishing touches on the coat, some by hand, was starting to turn the corner and approach the end. I took a good amount of time pressing and pinning this baby into submission, all which made it easier to sew and have professional looking results:
Hand sewing some parts always looks better (my sausage fingers would not agree)
After finally finishing the coat, sewing buttonholes and buttons, I was finally DONE!
Aren’t those buttons cute? They kind of look like the spots on the leopard print!The red silk lining makes my heart happy!
I knew that I wanted to take some great photos of this creation for sharing on social media, and have many examples and inspiration photos from my Pinterest page such as these images:
I asked my dear fashionista friend if I could borrow a few of her gorgeous designer handbags for the photos and she was so sweet and generous to lend me some of her favorites for a few days. I narrowed down the options to these three I’m accessorizing with the coat:
A gorgeous Loewe structured tote in camel A classic quilted Yves St Laurent chain handle bag in blackA stunning Sophie Holme red clutch
I’ll just shut up now and let Her speak for herself…
Aaaaand, scene….
Ok, I’m now ready, the decks are clear for takeoff…
This little gem took me months and months to make, but the actual sewing took only a few weeks to complete. My biggest weakness when it comes to sewing is starting a wonderful and exciting new project, then something else shiny (or someone who’s paying) comes along and I set it aside for far too long. This baby was exactly one of those scenarios.
I love making jackets. They are a big part of my wardrobe and can be easy to sew. They are even easier to sew if you’ve made the same one before, as I did for this bomber jacket pattern. I used Simplicity 8418 pattern for the second time to create this beauty, and it is certainly not the last time.
Now, for the ingredients that make this recipe top notch, I used beautiful silk material, quality threads, and smart sewing techniques. The main fabric for this version I decided to finally use an end remnant of gorgeous silk jacquard labeled from Chanel that I won years ago in a fabric giveaway and was stashing for a special project. I also happened to have enough of a piece of silk lining-weight material in the perfect shade of purple to coordinate with the colors of the Chanel silk, also in my stash (If you don’t know me already, I have a very healthy stash of fabric in my possession).
Of course, I also had Pinterest to add to the inspiration for this creation, which made the decision to cut into this beautiful material more bearable, because after all, you only life once and you can’t take it with you. Here are just a few of the bomber jackets that inspired me:
I got right to cutting out the pattern pieces from the main fabric and the lining, as well as the light weight batting I used to quilt the silk to. The last time I made this pattern, I quilted the entire lining and left the outer side as it were. This time, I wanted the quilting to be part of the texture of the outer garment.
Well, I quilted part of the back of the jacket, and that’s about the time when I got busy with other pressing projects, paying clients, and teaching others to sew, so the jacket partially made and the cut pattern pieces was gently laid aside on the “to be continued” pile. There it sat patiently for months.
Fast forward to October of 2021 when I was planning to attend a conference that involved the professional sewing guild that I belong to, Association of Sewing and Design Professionals or ASDP for short.https://sewingprofessionals.com/. I knew that I wanted to wear garments that I had made to the convention and had a long wish list that I had wanted to create, but for the sake of time, and to tackle my growing pile of UFO’s that stare at me when I’m in my sewing room, and seem to beg for me to just work on them just a little bit, I revisited the silk bomber project and decided it would be a fantastic option for the convention.
Hence, the sewjo for this project sparked a new light in me and I got right back into the groove of quilting this baby and getting it going in time for the convention. Whatever the motivation was, it worked and I pulled through and finished the jacket in time to wear it a couple of times even before having to pack it up and fly to Boise, Idaho for the sewing pro retreat.
Well, the convention was amazing and I got a ton of compliments on my jacket which I was proud (and perfectly comfortable) to wear. Now I call that a job well done and worth the wait!
My latest creation is my favorite creation so far! It all began with falling in love with the fabric while walking through Joann Fabrics:
Embroidered Floral Mesh from Joann Fabrics
I just HAD to have some of this fabric to make into a great dress as it reminded me of the couture embroidered designs of current collections as Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta or Dolce & Gabana:
Or dresses from the past such as these from Christian Dior:
I saw these dresses (and many more) at the Dior exhibit in Paris in 2017-breathtaking!
Of course, the Joann fabric is nowhere NEAR the detailed hand embroidered and embellished fabrics from these designers, but it has the look of the fabric in essence.
I started to imagine what I was going to create from this fabric with this classic pattern from Vogue choosing view C, the strapless dress with a full midi-length skirt:
From there, I cut out the bodice pattern pieces and giant skirt pieces from the embroidered fabric, the red underlining and another layer of lining in black Bemberg rayon, all purchased from Joann Fabrics.
Constructing the dress was really not all that difficult. The only part that I took extra time and attention to do was to cut out and around some of the floral motifs of the bodice in order to later overlay the motif back over the seam once the seam was sewn. I only did this for a couple of spots on the front of the bodice as I felt that it would look much better on the finished dress instead of just cutting through a large flower. I realize that this may sound confusing, but if you saw the dress up close, you’d see what I mean.
In this photo, you can somewhat see how the flower motifs get cut off and trapped into the seam, so I did my best to cut around the large ones on the center front panel of the bodice and leave them “free” as I sewed the seam, then sewed them back down and over the seam with tiny hand stiches later:
The strapless bodice under construction
Boning came next. I followed the pattern instructions and sewed boning only into the side seams of the bodice. I thought this might not be enough support for the dress and skirt, but I just stuck to it knowing that I also planned to add a waist stay inside the dress to help hold it up and in place.
My fiancé Tom was sweet enough to help me do the final fittings of the dress and help me hem it too. He says he loves to help, I think it makes him feel like he is part of the creative process. How cute is that?!
Tom helps fit the back of my dress before putting in the zipper 🙂
Gidget wants to participate too by sitting on my dress right before I sit on the couch to do some hand sewing. Also quite cute:
What? Nothing to see here…Ignore the dead squirrel toy in the background
The inside of this dress came out pretty nicely too, with the smooth and shiny black lining, it slipped on with ease!
The waist stay made from a strip of grosgrain ribbon and hook & eye was the perfect support for this dress
I was so excited about my latest creation that I just had to get some photos of it as soon as it was complete so that I could share it with the world! (Or at least, my little world!)
My new dress is complete!
She’s so twirl-worthy!
I got a little dizzy twirling so much!
This fabric!
I feel like a princess in this dress!
Now, I’m off to tidy up my sewing room and get started on the next project. Ciao for now!
I’ve finally finished this dress and I am really excited about it!
I purchased the beautiful floral print silk and cotton blend voile at Josephine’s Dry Goods and the pink silk habotai lining at Mill End Store back in April, as well as the McCall’s 7537 sewing pattern around the same time. I gently laundered the fabric and cut out the pattern fairly shortly after that, and that is saying a lot because many of my desired projects sit and wait patiently their turn in the sewing queue.
I eagerly got started on this dress as I had a special event for which I wanted to make this that occurred back in June. However, by the time the date rolled around for the event I was not even close to being done in time for the event, plus it poured buckets that day and I would have been miserable (not to mention way overdressed!) if I had worn it, so it wasn’t meant to be quite yet.
Usually, I don’t take too much time sewing up trendy garments, but something about ruffles just calls to my inner femininity and I felt that the pattern silhouette it was classic enough that the trend would stick around for at least a little while, so I went for it.
Here are some of my ruffle inspiration looks that I find to be quite appealing, super feminine and flattering:
As with most dresses or garments that carry the details at the top and near the neckline, this pattern took the most time and attention to make at the bodice and gathered waist band. This pattern is labeled “Advanced” on the envelope and I can agree with that rating as there are quite a few pattern pieces and more advanced sewing and construction details.
Looking at the pattern envelope, it is a little more difficult to see all these pretty details with the print of the dress she is wearing:
However, the line drawing shows these details clearly:
I was immediately drawn to the feminine and girly silhouette of this dress! I love the sort of boho-chic, gypsy vibe this dress gives off. I think it would be amazing (although a total beeotch to sew) in a floaty silk chiffon, with or without the sleeves, made with all couture seams and construction (of course) and I believe would turn out a high end boutique-worthy frock.
So, I took to making this dress the best I could with the spendy fabric and luxe lining. I used French seams where ever I could, and took the time to sew by hand where needed.
It took many hours to carefully pin and sew the two separate ruffles, each ruffle consisting of three pattern pieces to be sewn together first and then hemmed with a micro-mini curved hem before attaching to the neckline:
Then, a lined facing was attached over the two tiers of ruffles and slip stitched by hand to the inside of the facing. I don’t have a photo of this in process, but it took a great deal of time and ended up kind of bulky, uneven and wavy with all of those layers. I skipped the elastic loops and lace up ties since there was NO WAY I could get these tiny loops made from elastic thread to sew down. I then edge stitched around the inner edge go the neckline to try to tame the ruffles and keep them from sticking up too much.
I read other sewing reviews about this on my favorite go-to sewing website Pattern Review that claimed that the neckline on this pattern was a pain to work with, which I do agree with, and very low cut, but I find the neckline to be OK and not reveal too much boobage.
Next came the gathered midriff. This was not too tough to do, just getting the gathers even between the top and bottom of the midriff was the only real challenge. As a finishing touch, I’ll make tiny invisible tack stitches on these gathers in various spots to keep them from poofing out or shifting around. This is a little trick I learned while working in alterations at a bridal shop where many dresses and gowns had this technique done on gathered areas of midriffs and necklines.
I thought I might make the long gathered sleeves of this dress, lengthening them to wrist length to suit my liking, but then as the summer days in Oregon reached temperatures in the 100 degree range a few weeks ago, I couldn’t bare the thought of a long sleeve and decided to cut the little cap sleeves from view C of the pattern:
Here is the bodice before and after I sewed on the sleeve:
The pattern directions have you just sew the sleeve to the armhole and press it towards the bodice, but I felt that this left a raw edge here that could potentially show and fray when worn (or hanging on a pretty hanger in a fancy boutique!), so I serged over the armhole and sleeve seam after sewing it and plan to tack it down at the under arm seam to keep in under control. I usually don’t like to serge seams and take shortcuts when I am making a dress as “couture” as possible, so if I were to make this pattern again in the future, I would most likely make a French or some other finished seam here.
Before the serger:
Sewing the skirt and skirt lining was a breeze. I used French seams for the side seams of both, then attached the two at the top and part of the side where the zipper opening was. Attaching it to the bodice while gathering it to fit proved to be a tedious task, but I got through it carefully and slowly as not to have any uneven gathers or puckers here.
Next, I slip stitched the midriff facing (or lining, whatever you want to call it) over the skirt seam by hand. I usually really enjoy this step in making a dress, whether with ot without a waistline band, as it really finishes off the inside of the dress, and is usually near the end of the process. Here is the facing pressed under and pinned in to place ready to hand stitch in place:
Putting in the side zipper was a little tricky since the seam doesn’t open all the way (the zip opening begins a couple of inches down from the armhole and extends through the midriff into the skirt), so it is a little difficult to maneuver the zipper in. The inside of the zip opening doesn’t look very pretty, so I might go back over this covering it with a binding to finish the edge and prevent stray threads from getting caught in the zipper teeth. I think I have enough of the lining material to make self binding over the zipper tape, that would be nice!
I hemmed the dress and lining just doing a fold and turn hem, nothing too crazy. Possibly an invisible hem would have been a little better for the outer skirt, but I don’t have my better sewing machine with the blind stitch foot and setting with me just yet (I’m in the process of moving and currently just have my “travel” machine at home with me), so I just made do with the turned under hem as shown here on the lining:
A few things I wish I had done differently with this dress is to 1) make in seam pockets. That would have been great, and an easy add. And 2) I should have taken the time to make a muslin mock up, even if it was just the bodice and midriff, as I feel that it is a little short in the torso length for me, and slightly too tight. We will see how it wears and how comfortable it is. Otherwise, the dress is great and very pretty!
I really enjoy how this dress turned out after all, but am not 100% sure if it is a great fit (whoops, I skipped the muslin mock up and just compared my measurements to the pattern measurements), or of it’s a great look for me. It may end up becoming a one of a kind Love, Stephanie for sale garment, so prepare to possibly place your bids Kids!
My friend purchased this lovely plaid fringed shawl (no, it is NOT Burberry!) and asked my to make some throw pillows out of it:
Plaid Shawl with fringe
The pillows were pretty easy to make, however it did take some extra time to plan out the cutting in order to keep the fringe border intact and on the outside of the pillow edges and to get the invisible zippers installed correctly.
Normally making a pillow with fringe or a piped edge, you can just sew right sides together with the fringe or piping sandwiched between the two layers and facing to the inside, then it is turned right side out. However, this fringe was already part of the edge, so I opted to first sew the long sides, with the invisible zipper prestitched on, right sides together, but the fringed edges I top stitched them closed on the outside, close to the fringe:
Top stitching the fringed edge
Unfortunately, I was not able to match the plaid on the front of the pillows to the backsides which is a little disappointing. I would have needed more fabric to do this (probably another entire shawl!) or cut off the fringe from the shawl and reattach it as trim.
These pillows took about three hours to make, including the strategic cutting of the shawl and sewing.
Taa Daa!
Overall, they came out really nice and make great accent pillows for a couch or a bed. I hope my friend enjoys them for years to come!
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