Fabricista Challenge Week #3 - Fabric Bundle

This week's Fabricista challenge was sent to us on Monday.  Here it is:

Challenge: Using the 6 yard Bundle we have sent you, make a 2 piece garment. What is in the bundle is a mystery and everyone will receive something different. Try to incorporate the three fabrics in some way. You can use fabric from your stash to finish your look, but keep in mind that the bundle fabric must make up a majority of your outfit. You will be judged on creativity, craftsmanship, the way you use your fabrics together, and fit. 

I received a camel colored crepe, a turquoise, brown and white cotton/silk sateen and a heavyweight burgundy flocked pinstripe denim bundle in the mail and after hearing about the challenge, immediately my head was in a jumble.  I have three different colors,  three different textures and three different drapes in my fabrics.  After a few days of carrying the fabric swatches around in my purse looking for inspiration, the 70's finally called.

I ended up channelling Mrs. Didrickson, my kindergarten teacher, who wore high heeled brown boots, chemise dresses and wide silk scarves in her hair.  I thought she was beautiful!  I made a modern round neck blouse out of the crepe with sateen insets reminiscent of a vintage tunic and bound it all in cotton binding from fabric in my stash.  The skirt is made from the wrong side of the denim with 70's inspired patch pockets.  I triple stitched the pockets, waistband and hem in camel colored thread and added hand carved "mondo" sized wood vintage buttons to the pockets, my favorite part!  

Yeah, I know my hair is bad.  I'm gonna handle it this week.  Have a great week!

Fabricista Challenge Week #2 - Description Dress

I made it to round #2 of the Fabricista Sewing Challenge.  Yay!  

Here's this week's Fabric Mart Fabricista Challenge:

Challenge: Using the pattern that we have selected for you, Salme's Yoke Dress, create a unique garment that reflects your personality. You can alter the pattern or add to the pattern to make it more you. Think of one of two words that describe you to inspire your look.
This challenge will be judged on creativity, craftsmanship, how well represented your two words are in your design, difficulty, and fit.
And here's my submission:

CHEERFUL AND STRONG are the two words I used to describe myself.  I don't consider myself a particularly moody person (please don't ask my husband if he agrees) and most of the time try to be cheerful.  And strong…..well, I think everyone should use that word to describe themselves.
After choosing my words it was easy to come up with the idea for the dress.  I went to the fabric store to buy black and white ponte knit and came home with the very last piece of turquoise baby wale corduroy.  I don't know how it happened but it did.  This is the story of my life.

I loved working with this Salme pattern because it was so versatile.  I made quite a few changes including: changing both the front and the back yokes of the dress, removing the back button opening, making a square neckline, narrowing the shoulder, lengthening it 2" and lining the bodice with a crazy black print.  The alterations took it from a party dress to a jumper I can wear all winter with a black t-shirt underneath.  I stitched out a Jacobean embroidery design on the center front for my CHEERFUL and added charcoal studs at the yokes for my STRONG.

 When I was finished I said to my son "Look at this dress with the embroidery and studs and tell me what you think the two words are that I used to describe myself."  He said, "Happy and you're a stud?"  Well, it's close I guess.

Head on over to the FabricMart blog to check out all of the other entries and vote.

Fabricista Challenge Week #1 - Recycle

This is week one of the Fabricista Challenge at Fabric Mart Fabrics blog.   This is the challenge:

Make a garment out of recycled materials or materials that would have otherwise been thrown away, such as scraps from your sewing room or grocery bags. You can reconstruct a garment to make it more fashion forward and utilize unconventional items to add accessories and embellishments. Be creative!

This is my submission:

I rummaged through all of the "give away" clothes and found treasure!  I love when menswear fabrics and details are used in women's fashion and with this challenge I had the pleasure of gathering from the boys and making it girly for a girl.  I used old ugly aesthetically challenged culottes (yep, wool culottes), an old jumper I had from the early 90's and some worn out men's dress shirts (yes, I cut out the stains) and came out with a high-waisted 6 gore skirt with a men's dress shirt placket inset at the bottom.  I used every last bit of the jumper and was able to refashion the  "v" waistband from the culottes reusing the original stitching, lining and buttons.  And of course an outfit isn't complete without accessories….upcycled pumps using a shirt sleeve and shirt buttons and a "dress shirt" for the sweetest accessory of all….my dog Jack.

Here's what I started with:

And here's what I made:

Hem Detail

And here are the shoes and the sweetest accessory ever....Jack!

Head on over to Fabric Mart's blog and check out the other entries (there are some really good ones!) and vote.

I've been chosen to participate in the Fabric Mart Fabricista Challenge.  I'm so excited!!!  10 seamstresses will compete in 8 challenges to become the next "Fabricista".  I can't wait.  Our first challenge has already been given: make something wonderful from recycled materials in just one week.  I'm off to gather goods from around the house as we speak!  I'll update on my project soon.