Delving into Art Design Fabric

I really enjoyed my time at The Houston International Quilt Festival and Market last month. If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen some of my exploits. I really enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes workings while helping my friend Cheryl of Paradiso Designs. While not helping, I was walking the floor meeting new-to-me fabric designers and companies. 

One of the companies I discovered is Frond Design Studios and their retail store  Delve MIY. Their fabric is made by transferring artwork to textiles! Their catalog is extensive and beautiful, be sure to pop over to the site and drool. I met the owner, Stephanie Brandenburg, and was given an opportunity to play with some of her fabric. 

 

I love the large scale print of this Weeds design. I took several weeks considering a pattern to showcase the details of the art without breaking it up too much with the seaming. The tunic on Simplicity 8138 felt like a perfect combination .the simple silhouette is a great canvas to showcase the beauty of the dandelions in this print. 

I liked that the back is sectioned into three pieces. It adds interest to the back rather than being cut on the fold. 

Because this was a fast and easy sew, I also felled the seams and stitched them down. 

I found the pattern had excessive ease below the bust. With a cotton fabric, the tunic stood away from my body in an unflattering way; it made me feel boxy. That and the high side slits, I had concerns about my modesty on a windy day. to remedy this, I added two vertical darts to the front reducing the width by about 4-inches.

I like this a lot. I enjoy clothes that make me feel provocative, without looking like it.

I love this tunic. It works for my lifestyle and aesthetic  At its’ base, I am wearing a t-shirt and leggings! This easy topper implies a greater level of style consciousness than my daily kid wrangling knows to be true. Additionally, the fact that the fabric is awesome artwork takes some of the creative pressure off of me. I can be a stylish, and comfortable walking canvas.

I am excited to get stitching on my other Delve/Frond fabrics. Here are swatches of other fabrics I got. I have a definite plan for making some of these into dresses, yoked tunics, and wishy skirts for me and Little Miss. I also have the overly optimistic idea that I might try my hand at quilting...

Genesis from Rosewood Organics

Plaster of Paris in Fennel

                              

Painting Dandelions Linear Mod Petite

Painting Dandelions Panel

Barnboard Whitewash

Painting Dandelions: Wish Petite

Medusa

Painting Dandelions: Grand Linear

I got a bit carried away with the "Dandelions" line huh? I have those in mind for the quilt and maybe coordinating pillows. I love them all and cannot wait to make them up once the Christmas holidays end freeing my time up again. 

Which of these are your favorites and what would you make?

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

Chambray Tunic using Vogue 8595

I know it says something about me that I make clothes and end up not wearing them. I, like many creative people, enjoy the process and am always looking toward the next project. I was in my closet last week looking for something to wear and came across a tunic made using view B of Vogue 8595. I think I made it about three years ago and never wore or wrote a review about it before now.
                            

I am pretty sure I made it before becoming pregnant with my son. I could not wear it when pregnant and it does not allow easy nursing access, so I did not wear it before weaning him. 

I used a Ralph Lauren chambray sheet I had in my stash for fabric. I liked that the sheet had white twin needle stitches. I used them on the pockets and around the wrists of the sleeves. I made it before gaining and losing baby weight, so it is bigger than I would make now, but I think the size is still fine. Here are the photos of the completed tunic.

Vogue 8595

Pocket detail (sorry about the wrinkles, I was wearing it most of the day)

Wrist stitches from the sheet.

Photo bomb hugs from my son!

Here is my review of the pattern.
Pattern Description: Easy to sew loose-fitting pullover tunic top has front neckline slit, optional collar and patch pockets, and your choice of sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 6-8-10-12 (I made a 12 when I made this between kids about 3 years ago. I will make the 8  when I make it again.)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes!

Were the instructions easy to follow? This is a Very Easy Vogue pattern and it lived up to its name.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked slanted patch pockets and the over-sized collar.

Fabric Used: A Ralph Lauren chambray sheet. I took advantage of white contrast twin stitches and positioned the wrist and pockets so they would show.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I did not make any.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will sew this again. And recommend it to others. 

Conclusion: Quick and easy tunic.
 
Happy Sewing!
Bianca

Meet B.I.R.A. My Custom Two-way Dress form

I used to own a sewing dress form. It was one of those mass produced numbers you can adjust to fit your size and height. I fiddled with the knobs on the bust, but the waist would shift. I would widen the hips, but the rear would shift out of whack. It was a good guideline for garment fitting but, it did not adjust to fit MY body. I sold it to someone on Craigslist. She could use it more than I, and I was happy to get rid of it. 

I continued to sew without a form and did okay until I recently lost about 25 pounds. I was able to cut and sew a pattern from the big four US companies and know it would fit based on history. Since losing weight, I have found it difficult to determine the correct size to cut and sew. My mind sometimes gets stuck on the larger size despite the objective data of my measurements. It occurred to me that a dress form would come in handy for tissue fittings and adjustments as I went along. That said, I couldn't see purchasing another like the one I had.

I did some research on other brands and types of forms that provide a more realistic replica of ones' body, but the cost was prohibitive. I did some Pinterest looking and found paper tape, duck tape and plaster cast D.I.Y options. After reading a multitude of methods, I did not find any one that suited my needs. Some were armless or legless, options that did not allow for sleeve or pant fittings. Others were not pin-able, or durable to last long term. Some instructions omitted key steps or were lacking visuals that I thought necessary for my success. 

I made a list of key features I wanted in my form and decided to design a form to suit my needs.

• It would have arms for sleeve fittings
• It needed to be more than standard torso only, or "one-way" dress forms
• It would have hips and legs for lower body garment fittings for pants, shorts, swimwear, etc.
• It would have a stand for dresses, but be easily removable to fit lower body garments.
• It would be an exact replica of my body
• It would be pin-able for draping and alterations
• It would be fairly easy to make and could be done in a weekend or two

I got to work and made B.I.R.A (my Body Image Realignment Aid). This custom dress form is fantastic! She meets all the requirements I specified and more. I love her!
 

 Here is B.I.R.A in my Passport Dress

Here I am in the same dress!

Here she is wearing a pair of jeans and my Anna's Garden Fitted Tunic.

 Here I am in the same garment!

 Pants can be fitted from the hanging position

 

Or Shorts can be fitted on the stand. B.I.R.A is wearing my Cynthia Rowley overlap shorts.

  

I have documented the creation of B.I.R.A in a 15-page  pictorial digital PDF download. It is available for sale in My Etsy store.

It is also available on Craftsy.

For the next week I will be hosting a giveaway of this PDF instruction booklet. 

Enter to win a copy below! Please spread the news!

 

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