M&S Schmalberg Custom Flowers

I recently wrote the cover article for Vogue Patterns Magazine, detailing a great company, specializing in wildly beautiful, ornate fabric flowers. Grab yourself a copy and read it!

The perpetual shirt...

If my other blog landed you here, you've read the background of my "perpetual shirt", and you're here for the sewing info.  Not a significantly difficult process, really.  It is a simple, raw looking t-shirt, with zigzagged edges, made of a durable, quality knit.  Boldly written on the front, is today's date.  Or mostly any spring date I want until 2019, actually... But if I'm still wearing it by then... I'll need your help.

Did I use a pattern for the shirt?  No.  Just took my scissors and went for it.

So, how do I make the dates change?  Here's the inspiration:

Why?  velcro is too fluffy for the letters to sit flush.  But, if I do this...

By creating a velcro "grooves", I recessed the under layer (soft side) into the shirt, so that the letters could lay pretty flat against the surface of the fabric plaque. Now, I can make it almost any spring day I want... Why only spring?  I didn't want to buy and velcro too many letters, and I probably won't want to wear it in the summer (too hot) or fall/winter.

The "201" is permanent, but the other letters are all removable.

I am a professional collaborative dressmaker by profession, and would make you one, if you want one made... Keep in mind, though, that labor, planning, and materials make this quite a pricey t-shirt!  You can show this example to your own dressmaker or crafty/sewing person to do this for you, if you don't wanna drop a chunk of change.

Who would I imagine wearing this? Myself...

I'm tired of people taking my pens...

I've got 100 of them... let's see how long that lasts!

Lacemaking... and what we can learn from spiders

The art of making lace in one form or another has existed from the earliest ages. There are scriptural references to various web-like fabrics, which were made of rude construction, no doubt, but whose general characteristics were identical with those productions of modern skill which have for centuries been known as lace. Homer and other ancient writers constantly mention net-works of fancifully embroidered materials; gold thread-work was nown to thee Romans, and as Egyptian robes of state are depicted upon the tombs of the earlier dynasties as being fashioned from a looped net-work or crochet..."

-The Art of Modern Lace-Making (Butterick Publishing Company, 1891)

Lace and silk from Metro Textiles

Pictured above, is a fabric combo on its way to becoming  something unique for me, inspired by a dream I had, an unrealized idea from a client I had last year, and the "Spiders Alive!" exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.

In an old Greek story, Arachne (uh-rak-nee) loved to weave. Her weaving was so beautiful and perfect that the goddess Athena got jealous. To punish Arachne, the goddess turned Arachne into a spider. But Arachne still loved to weave, and continued to do so, as a spider...

So, here's my question for the day... if all spiders know how to spin webs (and I assume all do), why don't they consolidate their efforts, and some work on spinning webs, while others gather the prey? Why don't they work together?

A spider uses its own body measurements to make its web, using a very practical and ergonomic design process. The spider starts with the most difficult part of construction -- the first thread, and creates an extraordinary silken net, often as beautiful as it is functional. It is also abolutely unique and personal.

We work to create our own intricate handmade patterns, using yarn, strings or thread and fabric, and our own human hands. There is something very natural about this. Something very real and tactile... Individuality is important. Personal expression, the need to share beauty, and this sense of accomplishment are vital.

Various custom projects (part 2)

A beloved dad (Larry or "Lah", as he was called) passed away, and as a gift to each of his children, teddy bears were commissioned, using his old, beloved sweatshirts to create each one.

See more examples of my work here...

Wedding projects

*This is an ever-growing post.  I will just add more photos as time marches on.  Click on any photo to enlarge.

This is an organza bolero I made for a bride who was wearing a sleek, strapless dress for a southern wedding.

Above, a silk gauze dress with the bride's own hand-crocheted flowers, for an outdoor wedding.

Above, a RTW bridal gown I altered to fit, and then made the peplum zip-off for the reception. Two dresses in one!

And another zip-off peplum, for a dancer bride, below:

Before (above) and after (below) - just a hidden heavy-duty zipper separating the two parts!

Below, a hybrid dress, made for a client who wanted to use some elements of her Mom's 1960's gown (the skirt), plus a sari fabric wrap top, to marry her Sri Lankan groom.  An American fairytale.

Not everyone gets married in white these days (below)... and, as all true New Yorkers understand, there's no quicker way to get to your event than the subway!

This bride bought an 1890's ensemble at auction, and we turned it into a wedding ensemble that matched her personality!

This bride stood a mere 4'9", and needed a dress for her extremely petite frame (below).

See more projects in the next post...

Various custom projects

*This is an ever-growing post.  I will just add more photos as time marches on.  Click on any photo to enlarge.

Threadbare, permanently soiled and with dry rotting elastic, my client was faced with the prospect of having to lose a cherished piece of his youth forever. Above, this car enthusiast's beloved racing jacket from the 1960's. (Orginal)

I was able to recreate the jacket, after finding a color similar enough to that French racing blue he loved so much, in a fabric made for home decor use.  The jacket had a pretty unique closure, which I was able to duplicate. (Shots of my copy, above and below)

A duster, style jacket with a dramatic, feather collar, for a dinner club/restaurant owner.  A "ringmaster" type of garment, just right for her role as host!

Sometimes, for religious reasons, shoulders and arms need to be covered.  When you've got a strapless dress, you might have to get creative by adding other fabrics and creating more dress where there previously was just... skin.  For the bridesmaid on the left, I gave her (previously) strapless dress some coverage! See below:

For the more creative client, I sometimes work from a sketch...

I found the appropriate fabrics within the client's budget, and created it.

Below, a reception dress for a Manhattan bride who traveled to Utah for a wintertime wedding afterparty. (Note: Actual client is bigger than dress form, which accounts for droopiness at left waist.)

Sometimes, you just need to add some interest to something very plain.  An organza ruffle trim rolled into a rose gave this strapless bridesmaid dress a "lift" for future wear.

Below, a hand sewn (yup, no machine), bias chiffon bridesmaid dress, for a wedding in Bali.

And, speaking of sewing things together by hand, this sequined top, made for a wedding in Puerto Rico, was hand draped, and completely handmade for my client.

Sometimes a client wants a beloved dress copied in a new fabric.  There are no exact copies, since the fabric and machines and methods I use are never exactly the same, but here is the result.  Which one is the RTW original?  Which one is my copy? Hmmm... (I'm not sure I remember... seriously)

Continued in this post...