The Cutting Floor

Happy Conclusion

2011-06-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Remember my awesome friends Kate and Ryan? If you don't, check 'em out here. Mr. N and I had the pleasure of standing next to them at their wedding this weekend, and it was an incredibly wonderful time! We couldn't be happier for them and hope they're enjoying their honeymoon in the Bahamas. I was given the task of making Kates' rehearsal dinner dress, so I made some quick sketches for her. She chose the dress on the right:

So I got her measurements and got started. I adapted a pattern I already had and made a muslin from it:

I experimented with different ways to arrange the back straps.

Kate liked the above arrangement best, so I packed off the muslin and mailed it to her to try on.

In the meantime, I rooted through my stash to see what I had in the way of peacock feathers, and low and behold, I had this.

Several years ago I interned with amazing prom dress designer Loralie, and she gave me a whole bunch of fabrics and trims and appliques she no longer needed. That's how I came to have an entire roll of this amazing trim, which couldn't be more perfect for this occasion. Here's how the trim will be placed:

Then I bought some beautiful silk dupioni, sewed until 3 in the morning, hopped on a plane, and put the dress on the bride.

Perfect! We made some adjustments to the straps and ended up doing a simple halter strap which suited Kate to a T. Here I am with the bride:

As it turned out, Ryan and Kates' officiant is a Canadian citizen, so in order for their marriage to be legal they had to go to the courthouse to be officially married a day before their actual wedding. Which means I got to make Kates' wedding dress, in a sense. Pretty cool. Here's the bride and groom at the courthouse:

Making it legal, as Mr. N looks on.

Congratulations, you two! We couldn't be happier. Thanks for letting us play a big part in your day!

And Now, Proud to Introduce...

2011-06-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

my new website, www.ChiCrochet.com!! I am so excited to have an online catalogue for my crochet patterns. I'll be posting new patterns all the time as well as crochet tutorials, tips, and advice! So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

I hope you love it! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to email me at bniel at chicrochet dot com. I'll still be posting projects I'm working on here, but for crochet patterns and crochet news, be sure to bookmark the site.

Happy Hooking!

Big News

2011-06-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Coming in two short days...

Cryptic? Yes. But it's worth the wait! Can't wait to show you!

Special Assignment

2011-06-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I had two great friends from two completely different circles. This is Kate, one of my nearest and dearest from early college days in Pennsylvania:

And this is Ryan, dear friend of Mr. N. and I from Chicago:

Don't mind me in the background. I'm just really into Rock Band. Ryan is too, that's why his face is so serious.

When Mr. N. and I got married two summers ago, Kate was one of my bridesmaids and Ryan was one of Mr. N's groomsmen. I had a gut feeling that they would get along, so I mentioned to Ryan that he might want to try to get to know Kate during the wedding weekend. Also, anytime assigned seating was involved, guess who was seated next to each other? That's right. Well, it turns out Ryan and Kate hit it off. Really hit it off.

They're getting married in 3 weeks and I couldn't be happier! Kate gave me the great honor of making her rehearsal dinner dress and I'm so excited to dress the lovely bride. The wedding has a peacock theme, so I made some sketches for Kate to choose from (click to enlarge):

Which one did she choose? Check back soon for the finished product!

Organization

2011-05-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a few weeks into this self-employed/working from home/full time designing thing, which is awesome, and I've learned several key things already:

1. All the moms go to Target between 10-12 on weekdays. Seriously, if you're a mom looking to meet other moms, get yourself to Target in the middle of a weekday. If you're not a mom, like me, just keep pushing your childless cart full of Target brand boxed wine right to the checkout and get out of there.

2. Showering is not an item I get to cross off my To Do list. Some things should never be on a To Do list.

3. To work at home, you need to have a functioning workspace. So my first order of business was to get my workroom in order, not to mention my yarn and hooks. Until this week my hooks had been all over the place--a few rubber-banded together at the bottom of a bag of yarn, some in the couch cushions, and a few at the bottom of various purses (yeah, i know, it's an addiction). I needed to keep them all in one easily identifiable place, so I found some old, strange fabric and whipped this up:

Aren't you just dying to see inside? It's glorious:

Isn't that fabric bizarre? I love it. This was a super easy project, all you need is some fabric and a couple strips of elastic! Now I have any hook I need at my fingertips.

Now the bigger issue of the yarn. Until just recently, my yarn was in a moving box that I dug through every time I needed to find something. The digging resulted in a yarn knot the size of my head, and if I found yarn I wanted to use, I first had to extract it from the twisted mass by cutting it out. Not productive. Until a magical trip to Ikea last week, when Mr. N spotted an organizational tool that has revolutionized my life. Behold:

Amazing. It's all right there, sorted by weight! Oh, and yes, that is a pink and black feather boa. It's from my bachelorette party, and no, I'm not getting rid of it any time soon.

Now that I'm organized I can start taking over the world! I'll keep you posted!

Big News, Big Trip!

2011-05-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yep, ok, this is my confession. It's been an insanely long time since I posted anything here. I can assure you, however, that is not because nothing has been going on...quite the opposite, actually:

1. One of my crochet patterns has been accepted for publication by a major crochet magazine! I wish I could say more, but I'm contractually obligated not to share a thing until it's published in October. But once October rolls around I can't wait to share everything!

2. I left my day job as an administrative assistant to pursue design, both fashion and crochet, full time. Seems a little crazy, but it was just time to take a risk and do what I want to do. Thank you for being the first members of my crochet empire! Website with patterns coming soon!

3. Mr. N. and I just got back from a 3 week trip to Europe. It was, in a word, incredible. We started at a friend's wedding in Budapest, then on to Venice, Milan, Lake Como, Lucerne (Switzerland), and then Stuttgart, Germany, where my amazing sister lives with her husband and beautiful little girls.

Here we are having aperitivos (afternoon drinks) in Venice:

Dinner in Lake Como:

Idyllic Lucerne, Switzerland:

And finally, Mr. N with two of our nieces, sporting dresses we picked up for them at the Baby Gap in Milan:

So as you can see, it's been an amazing, super busy past couple of months. Thanks for sticking with me on this journey and supporting me. I can't wait to see what's next!

Love,

b.Niel

Op Top by Alexis Winslow

2011-03-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Although I'm a die-hard crocheter, every now and then I like to do a knitting project to keep my skills up. Also, in all honesty, the knitting patterns that are out there are way better than most crochet patterns. That's something I seek to change. But in the meantime, I have a deep appreciation for both skills, though crochet will always be first in my heart. I like to stick up for the underdog.

A few months ago I came across an article about the top 10 up-and-coming knitting designers, and most underwhelmed me except one: Alexis Winslow.

This girl has got it going on. Her patterns are intricate without being fussy (unless that's the intention, as with the Miss Myrtle fingerless gloves) and beautifully fresh and modern. Needing a winter hat, I immediately gravitated to the Op Top. I knitted the hat on straight needles and seamed it together rather than working on circular needles, and it came out perfectly. It was my first time doing knitted colorwork (stranding), and it took me a few tries to get it right, but I love the finished product:

Thanks Alexis! I'm a huge fan.

Alexis is also an incredible painter, so if you haven't checked her out yet, I insist that you do so: http://www.knitdarling.com/.

Last Look

2011-03-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

The last pieces in the new collection are a little more work-friendly. I wanted to make a structured top with the brown floral from the previous dress, so I started by draping in muslin.

Then I marked the style lines and button placement, adding a 1" button extension:

Then I sewed a sample muslin.

Looks pretty good! Time for the brown floral.

This top is a bit of a departure from my usual aesthetic, but the floral just calls for a sweet, conservative silhouette.

The buttonholer on my machine is broken, so I manually made some buttonholes and sewed on the buttons (don't you love them? Thanks to Lauren for helping me pick them out!):

To complete the look, I whipped up a high waisted pencil skirt from the same brown knit as the jacket and dress:

The finished look:

To be completely candid, I think I prefer the silhouette of this top in muslin as opposed to the brown floral. Looks a bit busy and boxy. What do you think?

Coming soon: more yarncraft! huzzah!

Christmas Craft-a-palooza

2011-02-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

If you're a family member of mine, chances are you (or your children) have received a yarny gift from me at some point. This tradition may have started in the poor-college-student Christmases of yore, but it still continues today! This Christmas was no different--here are some of this season's Christmas crafts.

For my baby niece Elliana, this teddy bear (dog?), made with Lion Brand Homespun:

Who quickly made friends with Don Leon.

He'd be annoyed, but he's too busy sleeping.
Next, this heart purse for Ellie's older sister Kate.

Next, I whipped up these Tunisian crochet Christmas stockings for me and the Mister:

No fireplace, so an office door will have to do.

These stockings are huge--over 3 feet long. Great for giants with big calves.
And, the piece de resistance, the sweater I knitted for Mr. N. Yes, knitted! It took me about 3 months and 3 or 4 false starts but he loved it (and actually wears it! The pinnacle of achievement for any crafter):

It was a unisex pattern I altered to fit--I lengthened the body and sleeves three inches, and that was just barely enough. I used Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool, my favorite yarn ever! Here's Mr. N. with Mom and Dad N.

I also made the scarf Mom N is wearing from Lion Brand Amazing Yarn. Love the beautiful color variance.

That's about it from Christmas. And now, my belated gift to my wonderful readers: gratuitous pictures of Don Leon.

We'll get back to our regularly scheduled fashion soon. Thanks for stopping by!

ps. All patterns I used can be found by clicking the links in the text above.

Floral

2011-01-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

After the photo shoot I decided to make a few more garments to round out the new collection. I wanted a print that would complement the tones in the previous pieces as well as the feel of the crochet. I came across this lovely brown floral at the Needle Shop in Bucktown (the last 2.5 yards!) and I knew I had a winner. Before I started with the floral cotton, though, I had to work out the silhouette by making a muslin. I didn't have any strong design concepts for this dress, I just started draping:

It's not bad, there's just one problem--it's boring me to tears. I decided to start again with a different approach, an interesting sleeve. It's a truly rare occasion when I'll drape a sleeve, but apparently this was one of those occasions.

Ok, I'm liking the volume, but let's see how this develops.

Hmm. Going...

Going...

And Gone, into Shakespeare territory. This is a full on costume sleeve. It's Juliet, or Elizabeth Bennet, but not me. No sir. Unless any theater companies out there need a designer, in which case, please call.

So I started over, with a simple silhouette and interesting style lines.

I love all forms of a sweetheart neckline.

And a full skirt. We pear-shaped ladies love a full skirt.

I was pleased with this, so poof! Brown floral:

I'm loving the June Carter/Dolly-pre-implants vibe of this piece. But it's not done yet.

A sweet, simple sleeve.

But wait...just one more thing.

Perfect!

The Big Payoff

2011-01-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

After all the sewing, crocheting, and finishing are done, my favorite part about a new collection is the photo shoot. Thanks to my incredibly talented friends, this shoot was the best yet! I had a total blast and I'm awed by the finished product--everyone makes my clothes look outstanding!

The garments, ready to be shot. I can't help but look at this rack and think, seriously? All that work and that's all there is?

The garments with accessory, shoe, and music selection.

The talent--gorgeous already. Here they are in hair and makeup. From left, Mallory, Emily, and Carolyn, and nope, not one of them single. Sorry boys.

Ready? Here we go! Click on any picture to view it larger.

Here's Carolyn in the April dress.

Sometimes I have to make adjustments, and it can get awkward. Luckily everybody has a sense of humor.

Here's Mal in the January dress.

Emily in the Faye dress:

Carolyn in the Shaw Jacket:

Thank you to everyone involved--Mal, Em, Carolyn, our amazing photographer Lauren, site supervisor and jack of all trades Mr. N., and moral support and shoe lending by Steph. You are all incredible and brought my vision to a whole new level. Thanks for lending your time, talents, and energy! I am abundantly blessed by every one of you!

A Little Something Extra

2011-01-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

So far I've walked you through three dresses in the new collection. Three looks is a great mini collection, but I wanted to expand this one a bit and add a few more separates. The first is a great jacket. I love love love those open cardigans that are so comfy and easy to throw on over anything. I wanted to make a jacket that had the same type of feel but with a little more structure and polish. Here's the muslin:

I also love low breaking shawl collar blazers and I wanted this to have a similar feel. I added a very laid back, non-80s peplum to the waistline. I realize the very word strikes fear into those women who wore them in their heyday--it makes them remember stuff like this:

but fear not. Let's ease back into the peplum's good graces and embrace it once again.

Here's the jacket in the final fabric, the same brown tweedy-looking slinky knit the last dress was made of.

I just love this fabric--it's a body hugging slinky knit that holds structure incredibly well. Which is also where I hit a snag. It tends to be a bit bulky, and when I lined the peplum with it it was a hefty, beefy mess. I re-lined it with a lighter fabric, added the crochet appliques and a hook and eye, and...

There you have it. A comfy, easy to wear, professional (provided you wear something under it!) blazer with some interesting details, 80s shame not included.

Get excited--photo shoot pics are officially coming soon!

The Dramatic Conclusion

2011-01-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

I just know you're waiting with bated breath to see how I solved the Case of the Befuddling Pseudo-Sleeve (see yesterday's post), so I won't torture you any longer. But before I show you the finished product I'll take you through all the steps I took to get there, and I'll warn you--it gets pretty ugly.

Here's where we left off:

For whatever reason, I just couldn't get on board with the sleeve like this. Too heavy? Droopy? Victorian-looking? I began to doubt the yellow, so I tried a similar motif in charcoal.

Um, no. Just no.

Ehh...again, no. Kind of makes me think of hairy tarantula legs. Let's go back to yellow.

Aaack! No, no, all wrong. I'm just backpeddling now.

Still no. I don't hate this concept, but it's all wrong here.

I don't hate this either, but it kind of reminds me of the Carrie Bradshaw massive flower-on-shoulder trend. Still a no-go. Getting closer, maybe?

Oh, hey, I like that. More of a shoulder/back piece than a sleeve, and it totally works. How does the back look?

If you block out the creative squalor in the background, it looks like we have a winner! I love how this orientation of the crochet piece frames the back. I loved it even more when I put it on my gorgeous model Mallory! Photo shoot pics coming soon (with a preview in the new header!).

I know you're breathing easier now. :) Thoughts? Comments? What would you have done differently?

Look #3

2011-01-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, dear ones! I've recently emerged from Christmas-yarncraft-gift-and-decoration-making-induced coma and I can't wait to show you everything my loved ones received, but before I do, let's continue with the new collection!

Warning: Many pictures and indecisiveness ahead.

During the process of figuring out the crochet piece for the first look, I rested the piece on the form to free up my hands for a second, and...

...a cap sleeve was born.

I really liked how the natural shape of the piece draped on the shoulder, so I decided to add this to a tiered dress for look #3.

Dude, get off my chair. As I was saying, a tiered dress. When a dress has a ton of pieces to keep track of, I use a rather unattractive method to keep them all straight.

Hot, right? Yeah, not so much, but it helps me keep track as I start sewing it all together.

The base.

The base with the bottom layer.

Bottom and middle layers.

All layers with the cap sleeve.

And, Ta Da, I hate it. The top layer is too short and it looks like a $10 dress from Dots or something. And no, I'm not hating on Dots, I got a pair of shoes there once. But still. Not the aesthetic I'm going for. Start over.

Ruching. I'm down with it.

The skirt of the dress in its final fabric, a brown, tweedy-looking slinky knit.

I couldn't decide if I liked the free flowing bodice piece over the ruched skirt or not. What do you think?

Yeah, I think not. I like the gathered top better. More refined. Also, note to self: ruched skirt, if not stabilized when sewn, will keep getting longer and longer and less and less ruched. That's what's happening here. I had to completely tear it apart and sew a ribbon into the seam when I sewed it up the second time to keep the gathers from falling out. I make mistakes, we all learn. Everybody wins, right?

Ahh, very nice. I'm pleased. Dots-B-Gone. Now to add the sleeve:

Hmm. No, that looks too dainty. Too much like the doily shoulders of yore.

Hmm, I still don't know. Too heavy or droopy or something. Let's look closer.

Yeah, that is just not working out for me...is it the color combination? The yellow yarn on the pallid skin of my dress form? The length of the sleeve? The fact that it's not really a sleeve at all, but a decorative strap?

These questions baffled me for a few weeks, and I had total designer's block. I took a break and tackled it again, much later, closer to the photo shoot date. Check back tomorrow for the conclusion of The Case of the Befuddling Pseudo-Sleeve. The final result is exciting!

Look #2

2010-11-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the second installment of the new collection! For this second look, I wanted to make a day to evening look that was easy to throw on, comfortable, and stylish but didn't look like everything else in your closet. I started with a basic v neck bodice. This one fits rather poorly because my draping fabric didn't have near as much stretch as the final fabric. Please, I ask you. Learn from my mistakes.

If the neckline looks obscenely low, that's because...well, it is. I made this particular look to fit my unusually long torso, which is also why the empire seam looks a bit low.

Draping the skirt. I draped this as a rectangle--bad idea. You'll see why in a second.

Here's the bodice with a slim little sleeve.

Not bad overall, but the skirt is pretty atrocious. Puckery and boxy and just plain not ok. I went back and added a few curves, and...

The finished product. It might be hard to tell what's going on around the neck. I added a tie to the back neckline, but liked it best when the tie tied in the back under the arms.

For the shoulder detail I adapted the Flemish motif from the first look.

Mr. N commented that it looked military inspired, which I consider a huge success! Anything beyond "dress with doily shoulders" is fine with me. I wore this to work once (don't worry, I wore it with a camisole. I'm not trying to spill my goodies at work) and I was really happy with it. It was comfortable, easy, and interesting, which was my goal. What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Evolution

2010-11-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I have an insatiable desire for and obsession with yarncrafts. It only made sense that my next collection incorporate knit or crochet techniques. Knitwear is a huge industry and far more common in apparel than its cousin crochet, so I decided to take on the challenge of working crocheted pieces into my designs in a fresh and modern way, steering clear of lace collars and granny square ponchos.

For the first piece in the new collection, I started with the simple silhouette of a long sleeve minidress with a low back neckline. Here's the shell without the sleeves.

Then I played around with some crochet samples:

This was kind of cool, but the yarn looked too bulky to me. I added sleeves and made a new crochet sample in a lighter weight yarn in a more sophisticated color.

Disappointed. The back is still so exposed, the color is too close to skin color, and it still looks like I just slapped a crusty old piece of lace onto a perfectly simple little black dress. The piece is far too complicated to be appealing. Back to the drawing board.

Then, as I was flipping through a crochet book, I found a Flemish floral motif that was simple enough it could be manipulated a hundred ways and still look interesting and modern.

I was starting to like this, but needless to say, it needed revision. So I started doing the math.

After yet another sample, I was getting somewhere.

Since I still needed to find a new color, I made another sample in this beautiful yellow wet-spun linen yarn I recently bought.

Wow. Yikes. That's surprisingly terrible. Also, it still looks a bit...strained. The flower motif needs more petals so it fills the space better.

Wow, that's more like it. And the dark color is a great contrast against the skin (the skin of my dress form, anyway). I think I've cracked it! Here's the finished garment. The beautiful gray yarn is Lion Brand's Superwash Merino Cashmere.

Though it took a while to get there, I'm really happy with this piece. And I can't wait to show you how great it looks on my model...but not yet! I'll take you through the process of the other pieces too.

Thanks for stopping by! What do you think of this dress? Would you wear it? Or rather, would you buy it? Would your friends buy it? I'd love to hear what you think.

One Year Ago

2010-11-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

I was reaching.
I was struggling.
I was pushing.

Now?

I'm doing it all again. I'm in the home stretch of an intense, long process and I have so much to show--or, rather, I will after this deadline. I've come a long way over the course of a year, discovering who I am, what I do, and whether any of it is worth anything to anyone. The conclusion I've come to time and again is that I have to trust myself. I have to believe. Because it's all worth it to me.

New collection coming very soon.

Lazy Daze

2010-08-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

I hate cutesy puns. Most crochet designers, it seems, do not. I found this out when I went on a search for some new crochet patterns to practice on. It's so easy and fun to just follow instructions of other people's patterns. When I'm designing my own I never have any idea what I'm doing or what happens next or which way is up or what I just crocheted, I'm just groping around, hoping it all works out. Sometimes it does and most of the time it just doesn't. So I wanted to take a break by making someone else's pattern, which brings us back to the puns. I present to you the "Lazy Daze of Summer" crochet top. I know, I know, it sounds hopelessly cheesy, but the picture looked pretty cool. I also wanted to see if I could successfully execute an "experienced" level pattern. Lazy Daze is a cropped short sleeve top with some interesting stitch details made in a fine weight yarn (#2). I didn't notice the pattern specified #2 weight yarn until I was halfway done using #4 weight yarn. My first tip: read your pattern in its entirety before you start anything. Be smart and don't follow my example.

Here's the beginning of the front, a semicircle.

The back and front pieces are similar, but the back is bigger. Here's the back with the left side complete. I think this is one of the reasons the pattern was labeled "experienced"--it described in detail the steps necessary to complete the right side, then said, "fasten off and do the same thing to the left side, but in reverse." It was a confusing and a bit improvisational.

Here's the complete front piece. Hard to tell where it's going from here, isn't it? I thought so too.

Here's the left sleeve.

...and the right. After the front, back, and sleeves were complete, the pieces were sewn together and I edged around the neckline, hem, and sleeves, which resulted in...

This. I was pretty happy with it. It certainly has that freshly handcrafted folksy crochet feel (as most crocheted garments do), but I figured I could edge it out a little bit. I guess you could say that's what my tattoos are for. Here's the back:

I bet you're wondering what it looks like on.

Not bad, right?

I really wish I had read the instructions right and made it out of the proper weight yarn, because it's rather bulky. A bit more suited for fall, I think. Unless by "Lazy Daze of Summer" they mean "Passing Out because You're Essentially Wearing an Afghan Around Your Top Half in the 90 Degree Heat."

I had a lot of fun on this project. I still hate puns, though. They're sew irritating.

I promise I won't wait as long to post again--thanks for hanging in there! And as always, thanks for stopping by.

Also, to give credit where credit is due, today's pattern can be found here.

Someone Else's Stash

2010-07-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Last summer on my 25th birthday, I received one of the most amazing gifts I've ever gotten from Mr. N and his whole family--Grandma V's Singer sewing machine.

At first I thought it was just a sewing table, but hiding inside is the most beautiful machine I've ever seen.

The details are incredible:

I was completely overwhelmed by such an incredibly beautiful, historic, and personal gift. But it got better. Inside the drawers were all kinds of notions neatly packed and stored for use.

Bias tape, bra straps, hooks and eyes, all neatly packaged and organized. Thanks, by the way, for ignoring my big crazy foot and my own disorganized stash on the right.

An old ruler.

Various belt buckles.

Lots of thread, old and new(ish).

I'll never know what Dennison gummed labels are, because this box was filled with small metal parts.

And my favorite item, elastic. Specifically "woven elastic for hose supporters/bras." 29 cents.

It's so cool to have a peek into history, when sewing was a necessity instead of the hobby/lost art it is today. I consider myself a decent seamstress but I'm spoiled by my electric machine. I tried sewing with the foot pedal and, well, it takes more than a little finesse. I know Grandma V could sew circles around me.

Thanks, Mr. N and family, for this incredible gift, and thanks, Grandma V, for passing your stash along to me. I've never met you but I feel like I know you a little bit.

Upgrade

2010-05-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a shamefully long time since I've posted and I apologize! So many things have been going on for Mr. N and I, namely our move to a new apartment in Logan Square! We love it, and we keep saying to each other, "I feel like we're staying at someone else's place who has a way nicer apartment than we do." We're thrilled. It's a little bit bigger, a little bit nicer, and a little bit closer to the train (not to mention a little bit more expensive). The neighborhood's also a little bit rougher, or "less gentrified" if we're being polite ("up and coming," "in transition"--we watch too much HGTV), but we love it. We're not in Bucktown anymore, Toto! With more space comes--that's right--a bigger sewing room! My studio has officially graduated from a .5 bedroom to a full one. Remember my old room?

...It was a bit cramped (I sewed in the closet). Behold the new space!

We have a little unpacking to do yet, so thanks for ignoring the mess. I've got a lot of cool things going on design-wise and I can't wait to show you! Check back soon. Before I leave you, though, here are some shots of Don Leon helping with the move:

And my personal favorite, courtesy of Mr. N:

Colonel Mustard in the workroom with the hook

2010-04-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

At long last I am proud to present to you the completed Mustard dress! I realize that's not the most flattering name, but I happen to love mustard and am not willing to think of anything more cutesy at this point. But before the big payoff, let me take you back to the beginning. Remember this sleeve?

While sleeves by themselves are great, I was looking for a bit more in this dress. I started at the hem and worked my way up.

While that's progress, I also prefer my dresses to have a...(ahem) bodice.

Great! Now all we need is a back, and we're set.

This dress was rather difficult in how many times I had to crochet several inches and then rip them out and go back again. But that's what this process is about! It's really exciting when it all comes together:

It still has some flaws that need to be worked out, but there you have it! By the way, it's definitely a fall dress. It's rather warm. Thanks to Lion Brand Yarn for the awesome yarn. Love that Vanna's Choice!

Thanks for checking in! Hope you like it!

Lady Justice

2010-04-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, when I'm not sewing and crocheting, I'm probably at my job at Chicago-Kent College of Law. While my job is incredibly menial (copying, proofreading, printing, teaching computer basics to professors, un-jamming staplers), it does have its perks. Mr. N and my friend Lauren and I experienced the best of these perks this past weekend when we attended the Barrister's Ball (also known as Law School Prom) onboard the Odyssey II for a dinner cruise.

Never one to shy away from a fancy occasion, I immediately began thinking about what to make. I challenged myself to use only fabrics and notions I already had on hand. This was rather difficult considering the only fabrics I had enough of to make a dress were several yards of various silk brocades I acquired while working as an intern for prom dress designer Loralie. Loralie hadn't wanted to use these fabrics, so she gave them to me. Silk brocade, while beautiful, has a tendency to be extremely colorful, over the top, and difficult to work with. Since taste and elegance were the name of the game I had to carefully consider this design. I also only had a week to do it. Something about this fabric made me think retro '60s vibe a la Mad Men (which is extremely hot right now, for good reason). While I don't have many pictures of the brief process, here's the dress near completion:

I hated this pretty pretty princess fabric before I started working with it, but I grew to really enjoy its gold shimmer. Here's a detail shot of the neckline:

The gold band is simply the wrong side of the fabric. It worked out beautifully!

Here's Lauren and I walking down Navy Pier to the boat:

Mr. N and I waiting to board:

And, finally, the best thing to do while you're drinking champagne on a yacht:

Ahh, the glamorous life. We're so glad we (did not) attend law school.

Quickie

2010-04-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

In the two years Mr. N has been with a fashion designer, he has never received a custom made garment. I'm not too great with the menswear, granted, but it was high time he reaped the rewards of being so incredibly supportive of my craft habit. Quite a while ago we picked out some fabric for a suit vest for him, but said vest never got made. I asked him several weeks ago what he wanted for his birthday, and he said, "Why don't you just make me that vest?" Since he had a vest he already liked and fit well, I committed the designer sin of simply copying the pattern. I must say, it was pretty great. So easy! Here's the original:

Please note the unsmiling "before" picture.

I simply copied the shape of the vest pieces onto paper for the pattern and made a muslin to ensure proper fit. Here's the muslin:

"You didn't get my skiier pajama pants in the shot, did you?"

"Wait, did Butler just score?"

Oops, there he goes to watch the game. Oh well.

The vest construction itself was simple. The challenge came in the form of buttonholes. Since my buttonholer is broken, I decided to do bound buttonholes. Here they are finished:

They're by no means perfect (or perfectly spaced), but they came out pretty well. Definitely a challenge. I hand finished them on the back:

If you're having trouble seeing, click on the picture for a closer view.

Finally, after a day of hand finishing at work, it was done.

The "after" picture:

Yes, he is looking very dapper. And to my great delight, he wore it twice last week!

Happy Birthday, darling. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Coming soon: The conclusion of the yellow dress. I can't wait to show you how it turned out!

Portrait of a Sleeve

2010-03-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

After my first successful crochet pattern, the Gia tank, I decided to challenge myself by writing a dress pattern--no easy feat. I didn't really have any idea how to start the dress itself, so I started with a sleeve. The sleeve in my head was a puff sleeve that ended just above the elbow. I experimented with different textures and found one that pleased me, the petite popcorn stitch. I began with a sample of the stitch:

I was happy with this texture, so I continued by making a paper sleeve pattern and crocheting a piece to fit the pattern, recording everything I did as I went.

Just in case you can't read it, here's the closeup:

As you can see, this process quite often drives me bonkers. I hope I'll find more organized ways to develop the initial pattern as I get better at this, but for now it's chicken scratch. Here's how the piece ended up, after I gathered the top edge and sewed the side together:

Not bad...but it was a bit long and I was hoping the shoulder would be a bit more puffy. It's also a bit loose fitting, which I didn't really like. So, back to the drawing board (scratching post?). Instead of making another sample I decided to start crocheting in the actual yarn I was using, Lion Brand's Vanna's choice (yes, that Vanna!). It's a good thing I did, because the Vanna's Choice was a medium worsted weight yarn and the white shown above is a light weight yarn, a fact that didn't really occur to me when I started. So as I used the VC I realized it was much thicker. Once I realized this it became apparent that I would have to start completely over. I could still use the initial pattern as a reference point, though, so I could more easily shorten the pattern, tighten it a little, and puff up the shoulder. I made the new sleeve, and voila:

As you can see, the yarn is much chunkier. The color, Mustard, is one of my favorites! Much more fun to look at than white. Here's a closer look:

I like that it's chunkier, it's a little more kitschy and retro. All right, sleeve complete! Kind of makes me wish you could just wear a pair of sleeves, but that would cause quite a sensation. More dress to come.

What was that?

2010-02-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

It's been quite awhile since I started crocheting that amorphous blob, and thankfully, it turned out quite different than it started. When you last saw it, here's what it looked like:

This was part of my first attempt at making a flared, racerback tank top. I experimented using Mary Jane Hall's graduated stitch method, which creates volume through increasing stitch size instead of adding more stitches. I quickly realized that doesn't really work here, because the piece looks choppy. The narrower edge is the neck edge and the wider edge is the flared hem of the top. Continuing on, here's the front I ended up with:

I know you're thinking how awesome (and by awesome I mean terrible) my color choices are, and before you judge me and never read my blog again, let me tell you these are just scrap yarn pieces I was experimenting with. Here's the back:

But what good are a front and back without straps? That was the real challenge in this garment. I wanted to make a racerback, and made several different variations to attach to the back neckline, but I couldn't get the shape I wanted using the vertical stitch method I chose for this project. As is usually the case, I realized I had to think more simply. So I crocheted a long strip and experimented. Though it's not a true racerback, the straps worked well. Once I had all the elements, I bought some nice yarn to make a real sample. I chose Berroco Pure Pima, a lightweight (#3) worsted cotton yarn. Behold, the finished product:

The weight of the yarn and the use of Mary Jane Hall's method of stitching in the back loop only (which also creates the ribbing!) make this top hang nicely. Here's how the back ended up:

I added a bit of contrast with edging in Berroco Seduce yarn, a gold/brown metallic. It cracks me up to think about yarn being seductive, but whatever, Berroco. Here are some detail shots.

I used a surface chain stitch to embellish the straps on the front and back, and handy little stitch to add surface interest. Here's a detail shot of the front.

Great, right? Well, how does it look on an actual person? That's the real test. And I am the guinea pig.

What do you think?

A little droopy in the back, but that wouldn't be the case if this were on a person whose hips were in proportion to the rest of their body. It doesn't have the "flare" effect on me so much as "just making it over."

I'm pretty happy with it. Note to self--there is a definite risk of transparency with crocheted garments. Haha. I'll have to watch out for that next time. Thanks so much to Mr. N for the pictures...I was in a terrible mood after cleaning the junk out of this corner of my work room to take pictures, muttering "grr, no space for anything," "so tired of living in this craphole," etc, but Mr. N got me to smile. He always does.

Thanks for stopping by to see my progress! Crocheted fashion has proven more difficult than I realized, but it's always an adventure. Up next, a dress (yikes!!). Wish me luck!

What is this?

2010-01-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Good question. It's nothing...yet. It's a clue to the new direction I'm taking in my design efforts. I've decided to try my hand at writing some crochet patterns for clothing--a daunting task as crocheted apparel is notoriously unfashionable. Knitting is much better suited to making clothing, with a softer drape and more pleasing texture. Knitting is all well and good, but it's not what I do. I'm a crocheter. A compulsive, fanatical, work-until-your-fingers-have-cramped-into-claws type of crocheter. Not because I'm incredibly eager for the finished product, but simply because I love to do it. As I've already discovered, crochet pattern development is not for the casual hobbyist. It's a bit difficult to realize you made a mistake and have to rip out the 10 rows you've just worked. Fortunately that doesn't faze me. The process is thrilling, and this time I'm really looking forward to how the finished product will turn out. The above is just a sample using scrap yarn. Check back soon to see what it'll be!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

It being the new year and all, I felt like it was finally time to get around to posting the photo shoot pictures of the spring collection. Thanks to the models, Irena, Brenna, and Eileen, the photographers Kyle and Lauren, the blanket girl (a much needed job on a 40 degree day!) and hair/makeup stylist Emily, and all around helpers Steph and Mr. N! I could NOT have done it without you guys and I appreciate your help so much!

Though the collection didn't turn out anything like the sketches, I'm completely happy with it.

Here are some fun ones of me directing the models:

Wow, what a fun, exhausting month. Don is down for the count.

Getting closer

2010-01-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the final garments at various stages of completion:

Next stop, photo shoot. So excited!

Spring 2010, Part 1

2009-11-23T12:32:00.000-08:00

The development process for this collection was difficult. I used materials I've used before, but trying to bring the designs to life showed me more of what I don't know that what I do. Because of that, the designs changed drastically from the sketches. The first top, with a pleated bodice, proved the most difficult, but not until I started working with the silk organza. Working with muslin, the draping came out beautifully:

In the sketches, the pleats go all the way down the bodice, but I really liked the pleating over just the bustline, making the top flare out at the hemline. I decided to keep it that way.

This picture shows the markings I made to help me record the pleats onto a flat pattern. The finished muslin:

I really like how this came out. Unfortunately, that was not the case with the silk. After I completely finished this top in silk, I realized I just couldn't photograph it. Silk organza pleats well, but not on the bias. Now I know! Instead of trying to make it work, I went in a completely new direction. I leaned more heavily on the Frank Lloyd Wright inspiration when creating this top:

The hem is actually even, but my pieces of muslin obviously weren't. The markings on this will be appliqued bias tape. Although I'm not really sure what my "thing" as a designer is, I feel like this looks like me. I'm excited to show you the finished garment. This top will be paired with a high waisted skirt:

The second look also turned out completely different. After I realized the pleating wouldn't work on the bustline, it became apparent that it wouldn't work as a raglan sleeve either (I'm sure it can be done, but with very little time left I didn't want to try), so I started something completely new, continuing the heavy FLW art glass inspiration. It's a wide neck, raglan sleeve cropped shirt with more bias tape surface detail. Here's the muslin to give you a general idea of the shape of the top:

Ignore the wrinkles, please. :) This top will be paired with some high waisted skinny pants that I don't have a picture of because my form doesn't have legs. You'll see them in the final pictures.

Finally, the dress is actually very similar to the sketch. Here's a picture of the muslin to show the shape:

It's very loose and flowy, so not much draping was needed. Very easy. The difficulty came in the surface treatments and additions I'll show you later.

Here's my helper, Don Leon, napping on some patterns under the ironing board:

These last few weeks were exhausting for all of us: Mr. N, Don, and me.

But we made it through.

There you have it, the collection in bland muslin. I assure you the finished product is much more interesting. Check back soon to see the completed garments and pictures from the photo shoot!

crunch time

2009-11-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, everyone. I've been crazily working toward a deadline, November 16. I realize I'm being cryptic, but most of you know what it is anyway. Once all the crazy blows over I'll post about what I've been doing for the past several weeks. Thanks for sticking with me!

sketches

2009-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some sketches of the looks I'll be including in the Spring Collection:

It's a bit hard to tell, but the colors will be various shades of sepia, dark brown, and deep purple. The fabric will be silk organza, shantung, and cotten sateen for the pants and skirt. The lines on the bodice and shoulders of the first two looks are pleats.

I've finished the muslin for the first top, and it came out a little different than the picture, but I'm happy with it. It's always interesting to see the real life execution of the ideas in my head. Sometimes they work and sometimes they can only live as a drawing.

Tonight I'll be dying the silk organza shades of sepia. I love to say that garments are "hand dyed" when that really means "a packet of RIT in a bucket in my bathtub." Ahh, high fashion. Thanks for stopping by, I'll keep you updated!

inspiration

2009-10-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

When looking for photographic inspiration, I am often drawn to the same types of images.

Another place, another time, a dreamlike land in faded sepia.

A memory that warms, calms....

...and haunts.

These are images that really stick with me.

Another constant source of inspiration is the design of Frank Lloyd Wright, particularly his glass windows:

This image makes me think of a specific time in my life when Mr. N and I were just starting out and shared a fascination for FLW's life and work. The symmetry in this window is completely magnetic to me.

These are the images that have inspired my spring 2010 collection. I'm already ankle-deep in it and I'm about to dive right in, because this time I have a deadline and a particular goal. More about that later.

done and done

2009-10-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

...and here we have the finished product. Not bad. A cute fall dress. I ran into a few problems finishing it, however. After I made all the changes I mentioned in the previous post, instead of making another muslin I just cut the pieces out of the dress fabric and went to town. Had I made another muslin I would have found that the adjustments I made to raise the neckline didn't exactly solve the problem. They did provide more coverage, but they were a bit loose and flopped forward. So I decided to go with it. Here's a close up of the finished neckline:

I folded each side over to form a little lapel. While this wasn't my original intent, it adds a cute detail. In order for it to be wearable, though, I have to have a camisole under it.

I also added a ruched sash at the empire waistline that ties in a bow in the back.

Overall, a fun, quick project. Here's another shot:

Thanks to Mr. N. for being my photographer.

My next project is considerably larger. That's right, it's time for a collection! Right now I'm sketching some preliminary ideas and gathering inspiration. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for stopping by!

throwback

2009-09-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

While shopping at JoAnn (yes, JoAnn! gasp!) I came across this lovely polyester charmeuse. It's a little vintage, a little kitschy, and perfect for a retro day dress, something like this:

Before I get started, though, let me show you around my workspace. Here's my workroom, the .5 in our 1.5 bedroom apartment:

While I now have a large dining room table on which to draft patterns, it hasn't always been that way. For the three years I was in fashion school my only workspace was my bedroom floor. Despite the back and knee pain, I'm just used to drafting and cutting on the floor, thus the name of this endeavor.

And now, back to the dress. To begin, I draped an empire-waist, surplice bodice:

Pretty straightforward. Since I'm making this dress for myself, and I'm 6'1", I have to raise the shoulder about 1.5" as well as the neckline. Now for the back:

This is about as basic as it gets, Draping 101. Since it's an empire waist I don't even need a back dart. For the skirt pieces I cheated and used my wedding dress pattern. I can't drape skirts for myself on this tiny size 8 dress form. The top fits me, but I'm hopelessly pear shaped, so I draft skirt pieces.

Now for the interesting part, the petal sleeves. Drafting sleeves is much easier than draping. I started with a basic one-piece sleeve sloper (it's a jacket sleeve sloper, so it will need some adjustments, but I won't tell if you don't) :

I cut 1" below the widest part of the sleeve (the armpit) to make a short sleeve. Then I drew a curve from the notch of the sleeve cap to the sleeve hem, improvising the petal shape. I had no idea what the curve should look like, but that's the great part about pattern drafting, trial and error. I then added seam allowance and notches. Here's what the finished petal sleeve pattern pieces looked like:

All the pattern pieces are complete, so it's time to test out the pattern by making a muslin. Here's how mine came out.

Not bad for a first try. Here's the side view:

I think my husband Mr. N said something funny. A big shoutout to him for helping me with the pictures! So how'd the muslin turn out? Well, changes need to be made. First of all, I forgot to walk the shoulder seams together, so they didn't match. They were way off because of the extra 1.5" I added. You can't tell in the picture because I tucked the seams under. Also, the neckline needs to come up about another inch plus seam allowance. If I weren't wearing the black tank under this baby it would be a little cleavage-tastic. I also didn't walk the side seams of the bodice together, so they don't quite match at the waist. Shame on me for making making silly mistakes. Also, it's hard to tell in the above picture, but the petal sleeves are a bit loose and well, wayward. That's why you don't use a jacket sleeve sloper for a charmeuse dress. That's an easy fix though. If I just overlap the petals a bit more it'll create a bit more coverage and take some space out of the sleeve cap.

Well, that's it for this installment! It's time to give Mr. N and Don Leon some attention. Wait, what? You don't know who Don Leon is? Forgive me. Allow me to introduce him:

He helps in the workroom by batting yarn and tape measures around and getting scared of his own shadow.

See you next time when we'll finish this dress off!

moving forward

2009-09-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Until just over two months ago my major project was my wedding dress.

I'm really happy with how it turned out. It may not have been what I was originally picturing, it may not have been a blockbuster moment in fashion history, but it was the tangible realization of months of planning and work, and I'm proud of it.

And now there are no more excuses. It's time to hit the ground running again. Or at least a slow jog. People blog because they have a point of view and something to put into the world. I'm certain I have something to say with my designs, I'm just not sure what yet. I'll probably have an agenda to push soon enough, but for this moment this blog is about being inspired, creating, and finding my voice.

Thanks for jogging with me.