The Stephen Burrows Challenge Coat

Today is cataract removal day :(  I was told to call the day before the surgery to find out what time I should arrive. To my great disappointment, I have to wait until 3 this afternoon to arrive, so the surgery probably won't take place at least until 4. Here I sit, hungry, thirsty, and thinking. Regardless of what everyone has told me about it being such a simple procedure, it's concerning when it's happening to you. Oh well, I've been through worse, and this too shall pass. 

I had promised to share my Stephen Burrows coat that I did for the Haute Couture fashion show. This was such a fun project!

The 2 pieces below are the original garments designed by Stephen Burrows. I've read conflicting stories on the piece. Some call it a coat, while others called it a coat dress. I decided that I would make the piece as a true coat as I would get more wear out of it.  

The first step was to find the fabric. I went with merino wool, so the colors are not as vibrant as those that Stephen Burrows used.

Next was the pattern. In retrospect, I probably should have drafted it myself, but I came across the Butterick pattern below, 6143. With some changes, I thought I would get the basic shape that I wanted. 

The skirt of the coat was far too full, so I pinned out some of the fullness to get the shape that I wanted.

For the bodice, since it is knit fabric, I ended up using Londa's Creative Threads Terrific 'T" pattern as a base. The shoulder was changed a bit. Below you can see how I laid the sleeve over the sleeve of the original coat pattern. I used the width of the sleeve, and lowered the cap to halfway between the top of the t-shirt sleeve and the coat sleeve cap.  

I used a fusible knit interfacing on the knit fabric where there were not multiple layers of fabric. Since I made a coat rather than a dress, the fabric needed a bit more stability.
   

I determined where I would use the different colors. The green knit was laid over the yellow, and then the band of navy blue knit was laid in place. I sewed the navy to the green and then flipped it over and hand sewed the bottom edge to the green.

The same process was done on the bodice. I also basted all the pieces together around the edge so that everything would remain in place.

With all the stripes coming together at center front, it makes inserting the zipper a little bit of a challenge. To ensure that the stripes did come together at center front, I basted the zipper in place prior to stitching. Once the zipper was stitched in place and I was happy with how the stripes matched, I did a catch stitch to hold the seam allowance in place.

Then came the challenge of the lining. Since the coat is a knit fabric, I needed a knit lining, but I still wanted to have some slip to it as a typical lining has so that it would slide on over whatever I wear underneath. A few years ago, the Haute Couture Club of Chicago celebrated our 50th anniversary. One of our members, Renee Liepins designed the fabric you see below. If you would like to see some of her other wonderful fabric designs, you can find them HERE on Spoonflower. This is a lovely knit that has a very nice slip to it. The only problem was that I didn't have enough to do the entire coat. But, I had the solid gray that matched, so all in all it worked out. 

Here's a closeup of the knit fabric. Look closely and you'll see the HC in the pattern. 

The back of my finished coat.

 The front unzipped. 

And finally, the front zipped. I really did match the stripes :)

I so enjoyed this project, so much so that I think I would like to copy another design. If I can find complimenting stripes, then this little outfit is in my future. I know, I know, I am not supposed to be shopping for fabric!!!

Monday Morning Inspiration/Florence Eiseman

It has been horribly hot in Chicago the last few days. Last night, I walked Gracie, came home and began getting ready for bed all along thinking about how I couldn't wait for the temperatures to change and the lovely days of fall to return. As I laid down in my lovely bed, in a cool, air-conditioned house, I thought of something I heard at mass this past weekend. The priest talked about how we always compare ourselves to others who are doing better, a bigger house, a move expensive car, better clothes, a more successful career, and the list goes on. His challenge was to look the other way, think of those who have less, and then take another look at yourself and be grateful for all you have.  

As I sank into my bed, I thought of the people in Puerto Rico whose lives have been devastated by the recent hurricane, and so many more on other Caribbean islands who have lost everything, homes, and even family. The people of Mexico who have lost so very much. So many do not have a comfortable bed to sink into, electricity that can provide cool relief. As I closed my eyes, I embraced all that I have and became all the more grateful.

About a month ago, I made a trip up to West Bend, Wisconsin to visit the Museum of Wisconsin Art. I was pleasantly surprised to find a very sweet exhibit on the creations of Florence Eiseman. From Milwaukee, her career began when her husband's toy factory was struggling. In the 1930's, she began sewing on the advice of her doctor as a cure for her nerves. How about that?!!! 

When the toy factory began to struggle, Florence's husband gathered up some of the pinafores that she had made, took them to a buyer at Marshall Field's where they promptly placed an order for $3000.00, quite a huge sum in 1945. The company did not make a profit for a number of years, but little by little consumers began to embrace the impeccable workmanship, natural fibers, and the elegant but still childlike designs. In 1955, Florence Eiseman was the first children's wear designer to win the coveted international Nieman Marcus Award for contributions to fashion.  

Those of note who have worn Eiseman creations include the children of Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Kennedys, Rockefellers, and the list goes on.

Since many of you make children's clothing, I thought that I would share a few of my favorites from the collection. Truth be told, big girls can glean a little inspiration from the collection as well ;) 

The little polka dot dog below is just too cute!!!

Such a simple little detail, but so cute.

I included this picture as I thought that it might inspire. The white circle is actually a pocket. Super cute!

While the Obamas were in office, they commissioned the Florence Eisman company to do girl and boy outfits with the presidential seal as gifts during their term of office. Such a thoughtful, and special gift.  

I included this picture for those of you who may make doll clothes.
The little red dress in the center is the main garment. All of the pieces that circle the dress are interchangeable aprons that would button to the dress under the collar and then tie to the back or side. So it's like 9 outfits all in one. Love this idea!!!
  

The exhibit runs through October 8, 2017. You can read more about it HERE. 

Do you have a sweet memory of wearing a Florence Eiseman garment? If so, the museum would love to hear your story. You can leave your message HERE. 

So as our week begins, may we all see the abundance in our lives.
Have a wonderful week!
Rhonda

Monday Morning Inspiration/Fun, Fresh, Effortless

A friend of mine was so inspired by a past Monday Morning Inspiration post that I did on Carolina Herrera that it prompted her to recreate one of the dresses. She did a beautiful job, and I think it is now one of her favorite dresses. Nice!

My friend's excitement over her dress has prompted me to pay a little more attention to what Carolina Herrera is doing. This is the time of year that many of us are growing a little weary of  warm temperatures, but are not quite ready to give up bright colors and floral prints. On a recent visit to Carolina Herrera's website I found this absolutely beautiful video that showcases her 2018 resort collection. The fabrics and colors are so dreamy! The video was shot at her Venezuelan home which been in her family since 1590, and the garden was her inspiration for this collection. It's only a little over a minute long, so it won't take much time. By all means, PLEASE take a look as the photographs do not capture the beauty of the garments the way that the video does.

Carolina Herrera New York - Resort 2018 BTS from Carolina Herrera on Vimeo.

Carolina expresses that the collection is fun, fresh, and effortless. I love how the pieces work together, and the 3 dimensional floral appliques and embroideries.

This is a dress that we have seen in the past as more of an asymmetrical bandage dress. I love the added circular skirt.

The longer jackets are lovely and the movement of the stripes makes the dress especially interesting.

I love everything about this look, the wide leg pants, the interesting play of the stripes in the peplum top, and the simple, but dramatic belt.

Fun poppies really add whimsy to the garments below.

I hope you have been inspired, I know I have!!! If you would like to see more from Carolina Herrera, you can find her website HERE.

Have a wonderfully, colorful week!

Rhonda  

Monday Morning Inspiration/Oscar de la Renta Resort 2017

Last week, I told you about a book that I was reading, Gary, The Most American of All American Cities. I found the book to be extremely interesting, and enlightening. Rather than watch the Grammy Awards last night, I finished my book. How are you when you finish a book that you have thoroughly enjoyed? Maybe you're like me, I close the book, hold it for a moment, turn it over and re-read the back cover, hold it in my hands for a few moments longer as I ponder what I've just read, and then rather sadly say goodbye. Isn't it wonderful though when you read something that really touches you? Now the search is on for the next great read :)


I've been sharing quite a bit of lace inspiration recently. The Haute Couture Club of Chicago will have a lace challenge at our next meeting. What usually takes place is our speaker will have about 45 minutes to give their presentation. Then we move into the challenge. Everyone who participates will have made something that they feel fits the criteria of the challenge. They put on their garment and then explain what they have done. It's always a lot of fun to see what everyone has made. So I am hoping that with all the inspiration that I've found, we'll have some knock out pieces for our fashion show which will be Sunday, May 7, 2017.

When I was looking for a fashion show of the Valentino 2017 Resort Collection last week, I stumbled upon the Oscar de la Renta Resort Collection. It's a beauty! This collection also showcases a number of lace pieces that I thought were especially lovely.

The collection mixes tweeds with lace and little sweaters. Love the peek-a-boo lace near the hem.

Lace godets add an airy touch to a tweed dress.

Love this little flapper inspired lace cocktail dress. Perfect combination of 2 laces and feathers.

This dress has applied lace on the tulle. The back of the bodice is lace.

Lace insets in the jacket.

Crochet is also a form of lace.

Love the combination of the stretch lace tee with the pieced skirt. 

I left the last 2 images in their larger size so you could really see the application of the lace. So pretty.

If you would like to see more still pictures from the collection, you can find them HERE at Vogue.com. 

There are many other pieces that are especially pretty, and there's nothing better than actually seeing the clothes move, so I've included the fashion show below. It's not too long :) 



Hope you enjoyed the show!
Have a great week!!!
Rhonda

Sewbussted's Material Witness

The first episode of Sewbussted's Material Witness is up!!!

As I said in the preliminary video, it's not perfect, far from it, but rather than wait until everything is perfect, I decided to just start :) I love podcasts, and the podcasts that I enjoy the most have an attached video. It's fun to actually see a person. The videos will be kept to approximately 30 minutes, not too long, and not too short. 

I'm very happy to introduce you to my friend, a wonderfully gifted designer, Bryan K. Osburn.  You can see more of his work HERE. If you would like to contact Bryan, he works exclusively through Facebook. Just put his name in the search box and send him a message.

Enjoy!