Beading Woes and Wins in my Anna's Garden Poncho

Oh the troubles of beading an Alabama Chanin piece. The dilemma comes from finding a needle that is large enough to accommodate the thickness of the button and craft thread but narrow enough to fit through the bugle and seed beads. In the past I have found needles that work but I lost the package and didn't know what type they were  when I needed to replace them. 

I did some research and asked around on Craftsy for suggestions for good needles. I got suggestions for big eye needles. 

They have a collapsible eye and a narrow body to fit the beads. These work great in that they accommodated the button and craft thread easily, however because they were so flimsy they would bend and made the process very slow going. 

I then switched to the Sullivan's beading needles. They were thin enough to accommodate the seed beads but the eye was too small. I ended up using another needle to enlarge the eye and it worked for a time. The problem with this needle though was that going through the layers of jersey fabric, over time it would begin to arc and bend. This made for a slow process is well forcing me to stitch one running stitch and bead at a time.

I asked Dr. Fun what type of needles she was using and she pointed me in the direction of the Dritz Milliners needles. When I went to the fabric store though I forgot if she said embroidery or milliners. So, after debating for quite a while, I decided to go with the embroidery needles because the eye was  larger and the body of the needle is really narrow. I figured if I got it wrong I'd be back at the store if I needed to replace them.

Turns out the size 5 embroidery needle was perfect!  The steel is firm and the needle is short so it allows me to be easily work through the fabric without the needle arcing.  This needle allowed me to stitch a beaded back-stitch as opposed to a single running stitch every time.  It is hard to explain the difference, but in the time it took me to do one shape with the wobbly needles I was able to complete three shapes with the firmer needle.

My husband put some compression sewing gloves  in my Christmas stocking.

Compression Glove with double-sided tape as my beading glove.

I put them, and my needles too good use on my new poncho. With this poncho, I used a tan top layer stenciled with brown airbrush paint using the Anna's garden stencil and a white under layer. I used three types of beads in color combinations of white, silver,  and clear iridescence.

 

My label on scrap jersey.

I chose to use reverse applique in random shapes while leaving some shapes unstitched and unbeaded. 

Front on my custom dress form

Back

I am sure to return to this piece over time, adding more beads and stitches. For now, I am happy with it. 

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

Alabama Chanin Long Paisley Dress WIP

Now that I have completed my Anna's Garden Short Dress I am ready to move onto another Alabama Chanin project. Next up on my list is this long paisley dress from Alabama Studio Sewing and Design. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, but at $2800 it is out of my reach. I knew I had to make it when I had an occasion to wear it. I have two weddings this year, one in March and one in July. I hope to have this one done for March.

This will be a daunting task as this is a fully embellished dress. I am hopeful that  because it is a large format stencil it will go quickly. I made my paisley stencil in a process I explain here. For this project, I made it with three sheets of pennant felt because I wanted the airbrush process to go faster.

Stencil ready for airbrushing

Dress laid out

My trigger airbrush.

I recently upgraded my airbrush to this trigger model.  I love this mechanism with the lower pull trigger. My former top pull model made my finger cramp when I sprayed for too long. I find I spray faster and smoother with this new one.

 

Covering the already stenciled parts.

In the photo above, you can see that I used the mail box and felt sheet to cover the already airbrushed portion of the dress. By covering the previously stenciled area I can get really close to the painted areas without large gaps. The top layer is a tan jersey and the lower layer is also a similar tan with a bit more white in it.

One of four panels 

The stitching has begun.

So, I am chugging along and will keep you posted on how it goes.

Happy Sewing!

My Alabama Chanin Short Fitted Tank Dress is Complete!

I HAVE FINISHED MY ANNA'S GARDEN DRESS!

Since Competing this dress, I have pulled my support of the Alabama Chanin company. The contents of this post were true at the time. I am very proud of the work I did on this dress. I guess it is like the way you love your children after a divorce. I have entered it in the Sew Stylish Spring Fashion Challenge. Here is a photo of me in the dress for my entry:

I can hardly believe I hand-embellished and-stitched this entire dress! I feel like I did after delivering my kids, glad I embarked on the journey, thrilled with the result, physically and emotionally exhausted and fairly certain I will not consider taking on the task again for a least a year! This has been quite a journey which I have written about here. I have also written a detailed pattern review here.

Front

Back

Cretan Stitch on neckline and arms.

My custom dress label

My label says,"This hand-sewn garment was made with love and care just for you. It took FOREVER to make so please cherish it as long. Hand wash, dry flat, medium iron." :)

I would love to know what you think!

Happy New Year and Happy Sewing!

Pressing Forward on my Alabama Chanin Anna's Garden Dress!

I am so excited to be making significant progress on my Alabama Chanin Anna's Garden negative reverse applique dress. Inspired by this dress:

                  

I started hand-stitching this four panel dress in February when I got my new airbrush and Anna's Garden stencil.

 

I enthusiastically began stitching the panels every chance I got. I took it with me to appointments, on drives, to the gym, wherever  I went; I could not stop working on it. That was the way it was for a good part of the year. I was making great progress until one day someone said something to me that made me change my perspective on this one. It was a benign observation that eluded me until they mentioned it. It was not a bad comment in itself, but it just took the wind out of my sails. 

It was not a conscious decision to stop working on this, but it fell by the wayside while I worked on many other things. It was bought back into my focus by Dr. Fun who is making a full length dress in the Anna's Garden stencil for Mardi Gras. Her dress is going to be beautiful and I cannot wait to see it completed. She lit the fire under me again to get stitching. 

Back in August I had half of the dress stitched and wrote about it here.

B.I.R.A Wearing half of the dress

Now, after renewed inspiration, I am making tremendous progress. Here is where I am today:
 

Front Completely Hand-stitched

Back still a work in progress

Stitch Details. I decided to keep some of the white paint in my version.

Getting There

Underside stitching

Though I love this, I am on the fence about keeping this dress for myself or selling it to help fund my Alabama Studio Week (if interested, email me). If I keep it, I hope to have it completed by my birthday in January. I am also hoping to have a place to wear it by then. :) 

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Alabama Chanin Bloomers T-Shirt

Back in August I made an Alabama Chanin Bloomers stencil with the intention of making a t-shirt and a four panel skirt.  My design plan led me to airbrush navy blue cotton jersey using white paint and use black cotton jersey as the backing fabric.

Painting skirt panels.

Skirt and shirt panels.

T-shirt all painted.

Summer stitching by the pool.

 I decided to stitch using the reverse applique technique with the knots exposed  and thread tails visible. 

All stitched and painted areas cut away.

I hand-stitched the front and back panels together per the instructions in the book (from memory at this point).  I felled the seems to the inside and bound the neckline using a beaded parallel stitch. I added three seed beads to each stitch and stitched it using a single strand of button and craft thread.

Beaded Parallel Stitch 

Completed Top on B.I.R.A

I am happy to have completed this top and I am steadily working on the four panel skirt to go with it. I will update when it is all done. I am not sure how long that will be as I am stitching away on a dress, and a beaded paisley top.

Happy Sewing, 
Bianca

Pattern Review Mini Wardrobe Contest Entry

I finished my entries for the Pattern Review Mini Wardrobe Contest. I began the month hoping to rise to the challenge of hand-sewing four garments in as many weeks. I honestly did not think I would get it all done in the allotted time. I was however, blessed with napping kids and a hubby watching football some nights. 

I made  a Alabama Chanin Corset and Long Skirt, and a dress and a jacket all hand-stitched in Alabama Chanin Style.

The four items combine to create the following outfits:
*Corset, skirt
*Dress
*Dress and jacket
*Corset, skirt, jacket
*Jacket, skirt 

I am very pleased with my results, especially the jacket and dress.They all go so well together. Here are pics of me in my new wardrobe.

The voting begins on 10/04/2013 and ends 10/10/ 2013. Here is the link to the contest gallery. Be sure to see the other entries and cast you vote for me! 

Happy Sewing!

Alabama Chanin Anna's Garden Corset and Long Skirt

I have always liked the hand-stitched corset from Alabama Stitch Book. For whatever reason, I never made one didn't think I would. That was until I saw a version made by  Nixxi, on Craftsy. She embroidered the June's Spring design to her sand colored fabric and stitched it using a baby blue colored embroidery floss. I think her end product is delightful and it brought this pattern back into play for me.

Even after making my beaded sampler top, I decided to change my entry for the mini wardrobe contest to include a corset. I had a white cotton jersey sheet in my stash that would serve as my fabric source.  I stenciled my fabric in "Anna's Garden" using  grey paint I blended. 

Painting the fabric

The pattern for the corset is from the Alabama Stitch Book and includes all the instructions to create this corset top and a multitude of other garments. They are sized xs-xl. I traced and I cut the size medium.

 I find A.C. necklines too low for my tastes so  I raised it about 1 inch. I sewed my corset with double stitching; once to secure it then again to top stitch. I had my seams fell to the inside of the top.    I chose to bind my neckline and armholes using a strip of white jersey fabric.  I secured the binding with a herringbone stitch using slate button and craft thread.

Anna's Garden Corset Front

  I really like the rounded hem on this.

 I am glad I raised the neckline and think it could still go up just a smidge more.

Herringbone stitch on bindings

Stencil close up

I am happy with my corset and the fact that the only significant alteration to the pattern was raising the neckline. It was really quick to stitch and I will certainly be making more.

To go with this lovely top, I needed a coordinating skirt. I selected the Long Skirt option from Alabama Studio and Sewing and Design. 

I had not made this pattern and thought it went great with the top. I love that the front is shorter than the back which has a train. Again, I made this by re-purposing the white jersey bed sheet. I traced and cut the pattern and began sewing.

The construction was easy but a tiny bit tedious. The seams are super long and needed to be stitched once with the seams inside, then, stitched again on the outside. After the sides were stitched up, I added fold over elastic (foe) to the top waistband. The pattern called for 1 1/2 in foe, but I didn't have any. I bought a spool 3/4 of  foe elastic on sale and a ridiculous price years ago and decided to use what I had on hand.

 

It was a bit fiddly to work with, but basting it in place instead of pinning, solved that problem. I attached it using a parallel stitch.

 Here is the finished product.

Skirt Front

 

Skirt back (I am stooping so the curve can be seen better.)

I really like this outfit! I will be making this again, and again. As we come upon the holiday season, this has been added to my gift giving list. Are you my friend?

Happy Sewing,

Bianca