Twin floral sun dresses

Some women usually change their wardrobes following fashion seasons and trends, disposing or donating what they don't see fit to use anymore and rotating their clothes completely by the end of the year, or at least every once in a while. On the other hand, some other women tend to simply keep all their clothes even when they don't use them, because you never know when they might come in handy and, after all, trends tend to come back. The latter is the case of my mother's closet.

Throughout the years I've received a few vintage clothing inheritances from my mom, some of which have become quite useful and precious to me. One of my favorite pieces is a rayon sun dress printed with a tropical pattern of flowers and leaves in blue, green, purple and black. The garment is made by Kosi Bali, an old clothing brand which specialized in rayon clothing. The sole fact that it's made of rayon makes me love it immensely, since it is one of my all-time favorite fabrics to wear and work with.

I had to make a couple of alterations to the dress in order to fit me properly. One of the spaghetti straps was loose and had been shortened, so I let go the other strap and used them tied up halter-style. I also added two side pleats to the midriff area to make it tighter-fitting, since it was a size L. Other than that, the dress was (and still is) in incredible shape. Thank God for rayon being quite a durable fabric! I'd dare say this dress is among the ones I use the most, since I find it very versatile. It works well-paired with a fancy jacket, a button-up shirt or a basic cardigan. Throw in a pair of heels, sandals or flats and they'll look amazing together. Wear them with leggings or pantyhose and it's a hit. Accessorize and comb your hair accordingly... anyway it fits!

For these particular reasons, and because I found a beautiful and similar rayon fabric stuffed in our old fabric stash, I decided to clone the dress and give it a twin brother. Perhaps the cloning technique that I used was a bit crazy, but then again I hadn't sewn too many things yet. Thankfully, everything turned out OK. I cut out two pieces: one for the front and one for the back. I split the back piece in two in order to insert the zipper. Also, it seemed like the fabric wouldn't be big enough, but I managed to work well with it and make the dress fit within its limits. This twin dress also features side pleats and halter-tied spaghetti straps.

When you look at both dresses side-by-side, they truly look like they come from the same fashion brand, but little do people know that one of them is a clone. Not only are these dresses versatile, they're also really girly, comfortable and flowy. Rayon is quite a soft fabric, not too sheer, but not too heavy. It's also both warm and fresh. That's why I love rayon fabric so much! In addition to these features, rayon usually comes in beautiful prints, like the ones seen in these dresses. I really think this fabric was meant to turn into a twin dress to the first one, because they're so, so similar. For a relaxed beach style, I paired both of them with black flats, a stingray barb necklace, dry petal earrings and a high side hair braid.

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My lovely seamstress-inspired dress

Calling myself a professional seamstress is too much for me, but I do consider the experience I've harvested through these last years has developed my sewing skills, being able to handle more defying projects every day as a self-taught seamstress. I really can't put into words the way I feel when I walk into a fabric store and face shelf upon shelf stacked up with endless fabrics. The colors, the textures, the smells, the prints... everything revolves around me awaking my senses. Every visit to a fabric store is a unique experience for me.

There was one particular visit that made me thrive in enthusiasm. It happened about a year or so ago. I was rummaging through the cotton fabrics (as usual) and came across a new row of printed textiles. While idly choosing a couple of potential candidates, my jaw dropped as soon as I spotted it: a black fabric printed with colorful sewing-related items and words. It was inevitable, and I immediately fell in love with it. Naturally, I had to have it, especially because as soon as I saw it I visualized the garment that would come out of it.

The dress you see in these pictures was the fabulous outcome of that meant-to-be encounter. It has simple construction, featuring a bodice with a semi-gathered skirt attached just below the waist. The top is criss-crossed by four thin straps that form a double "X" on the back, adding in a nice detail. The black background of the cotton fabric makes a great contrast with each of the items presented: colorful thread spools and buttons, seam rippers, needles, pin holders, thimbles, scissors, measuring tapes, and four basic words for a seamstress: Sew, Baste, Stitch and Hem. You can also spot a pink stitched heart that conveniently reads "Love to sew".

The dress is very light, unrestrained and extremely comfortable, perfectly made to walk around in it. In fact, I took it for a stroll at Islands of Adventure and even got nice compliments from a super sweet clerk in one of Toon Lagoon's shops, who told me she came from a family of seamstresses and hat makers. By the way, did you know that the art of making hats is called "millinery"? In the photos I paired up the dress with my beloved black cardigan by Doll Me Up, and my new pair of uber comfortable gray and aqua slip-ons by Champion (from Payless Shoes Source). I also combined it with a pair of neon yellow D Heart heels.

It seems that every time I confect a new garment it becomes one of my favorites... But this dress really is one of my favorites, especially because it is directly related to my love for sewing.

 If you liked my story, stick around for more! 

How to resize a shirt [Tutorial]

It's pretty common to have some ill-fitting shirts in our wardrobes, which usually consist of garments bought without trying them on, or a gift from someone who clearly wasn't familiar with your size. Instead of stuffing these in the abysmal depths of your closet wondering if we'll ever get to wear them, there is a more appealing solution to this problem: resizing your shirt with this easy and quick method.

Below you will find a simple tutorial on how to resize a shirt. Hopefully it will help you recover some clothes that you thought you'd never use again. Please note that this tutorial focuses on reducing the size of a shirt, not increasing it.

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A convertible pinafore dress/skirt

Continuing with one of my previous posts where I wrote about wearing uniforms, one of the new items I sewed back when I started my job as a school teacher was an incredibly handy, comfortable and convertible pinafore dress/skirt.

 I have always adored overalls, and some time ago I discovered how nice they look with a gathered skirt bottom. That's why I decided that making a pinafore dress would be a wonderful addition to my uniform stash, especially because I would still be abiding by the dress code while wearing a unique piece.

 

Made with khaki stretch gabardine, this overall dress was originally intended to be one piece, but I had the brilliant idea of turning it into a convertible outfit before attaching the skirt to the top overall part. I used five snap buttons on the front and one pair on either side of the zipper to attach a removable strapped piece to the skirt, allowing it to be used as a gathered skirt or as a pinafore dress.

In these pictures I'm wearing the pinafore dress with a long sleeve white shirt from Fru Fru, a shark tooth fossil necklace and Frankenstein mary janes by Dark Chocolate Design. I'm also wearing the gathered skirt with a pair of lavender sneakers by City Sneaks, a white flying geese printed tee by Retro Republic, and a silver filigree heart locket.

I remember that when I studied at school, teachers wore a wider variety of khaki bottoms: from layered skirts to capri pants, and from overalls to flared pants. Sometimes I wonder what happened to that amazing diversity, since now every teacher at my school wears pretty much the same kind of outfit: plain khaki jeans and a plain white tee. I've had many students express they really like that I wear "unconventional" uniforms, and I guess it's because they are used to seeing their teachers every year wearing the same old outfits. I just hope I'm being a good role model teaching them about expressing and respecting individuality. :)

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It's black, it's white striped dress

Going back to my basic instincts, whenever I go fabric-shopping I'm always on the look out for striped textiles, which seem to be somewhat uncommon to find. Luck has hit me a few times because I've found a number of striped fabrics that are exactly how I ideally picture them in my mind.

Some say it's inspired by Beetlejuice's outfit. Others think it looks Robin Thicke-ish. I even thought it looked a lot like Hot Topic's dress from their American Horror Story collection. But the truth is that I'm simply a sucker for striped fabrics, and I'd wanted to have a dress like this since a very long time ago. I actually own several black and white striped clothing pieces, counting a hoodie, two dresses, a pair of pants, a knit sweater, two shirts, a pair of stockings, etc, etc, etc.

With a simple strapless bodice and a gathered skirt, the dress has a simple but elegant construction. I don't usually pair dresses with belts, but the day I got these pictures taken I discovered the dress fit a little big on me. I think this brown belt goes particularly well with my dress and it balances it out. Needless to say, I have already adjusted the dress to fit me properly.

The black and white striped fabric gives the dress a dramatic and even burlesque look. I also have this same fabric in red and white, so expect to see a similar dress in those colors soon enough! For these pictures I paired my dress with a black knit choker, a borrowed brown belt, and my faithful black sandal heels by Qupid.

Come back later for more about fashion and crafts! 

Pastel green in the '50s

Since I started sewing seriously and more frequently, I have felt really inclined towards fashion styles from the '50s, and especially attracted by the dresses. They are a perfect combination between girly, elegant, comfortable and sexy, and they can be styled for casual occasions or for more formal events.

After creating two  patterns out of my beloved Ixia fold over pinup dresses, I decided to start experimenting by altering the silhouettes. At first I still stuck to the original shape, but then I went ahead and created the pastel green dress seen in the picture below, which features a narrower skirt and a separate waistband from a different material.

I made this dress using a soft cotton fabric that had been lying around for several years. The only problem that I found was that the fabric is a little see-through. I don't usually line my dresses on the inside because the fabrics I use tend to be sturdy enough, so this was the first dress ever that I lined up, and whenever I wear it I necessarily have to put on a slip underneath the skirt. The waistband is made from a recycled satin waistband from a party dress that I hate, so I felt no regrets when I took it down and cut it into a new one.

My favorite part of this dress, apart from the exquisite color palette, is the bow. It is made out of the same material as the waistband and when I made it I couldn't decide whether I should sew it to the waistband or in the middle of the bodice. I liked both options so much that I finally sewed a safety pin to the back of the bow, making it easy to move it around and stick it wherever I liked the most. I normally wear it as shown in the pictures.

In this case my shoes are black wedge sandals by Vic Matie, my necklace is a key-and-heart matching "Best Friends" necklace from Claire's, and I also paired the dress with a black bolero by Exotik.

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Nude colors & a touch of purple

Uniforms usually bring together mixed opinions. Some say they're fantastic because you don't have to waste a whole hour each morning choosing what to wear. Others say they're a blasphemy because they suppress your identity through endless matching outfits for everyone. Debating this argument, there are people who state that uniforms are a way of showing equality and not discriminating anyone for what they wear. I personally think two things:

1. There are beautiful uniforms, normal uniforms and ridiculous uniforms. (Have you seen some of the prettiest stewardess uniforms?)

2. If you ever wear a uniform, you should definitely find a way to pump it up while sticking to the dress codes.

My daily uniform consists in a white shirt and khaki bottoms. I personally dislike it because these colors do not match with my skin tone (especially khaki, beige or whatever... yuck!). So from day one I started off by asking if it was allowed to wear skirts instead of pants, seeing as no one ever wore khaki skirts. I was told YES, so I immediately proceeded to buy khaki gabardine to make myself a jumper and a skirt/jumper (or pinafore dress). I also found a pair of old khaki jeans stashed in my crafting room, which belonged to my brother a long time ago... and guess what I turned them into?

In these pictures I am wearing an a-line skirt made with old khaki pants. You can even see some fading in the fabric caused by the sun. As I was saying before, I like to pump up my simple uniforms. In this case I chose to combine it with a plain white long sleeve tee (by Fru Fru), my favorite purple and black scarf (it was a gift from my boyfriend's sister, who bought it somewhere in Spain), my "The Haunted Mansion" bat key necklace (from Disney's Magic Kingdom park), a pair of palm-printed slip-ons (by Refresh), and I also threw in some Leia buns to improve my hair game.

 Stay tuned for more fashion posts! 

How to make a gathered skirt [Tutorial]

Full skirts are possibly one of the best fashion items ever invented. They're comfortable, easy to combine, flirty and elegant. You can pair them up with tees, blouses, shirts and cardigans, and you can wear them with sandals, wedges, heels and even slip-ons. You can put together a casual look or a classic outfit with one of these beauties.

In the video below I am sharing my very own tutorial on how to make a gathered skirt. This is how I've made most of my full skirts, with one or two variations.

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My first serious dress

My passion for fashion started to develop when I was very small, possibly due to the fact that I owned a lot of Barbies and loved to dress them up with an enormous variety of doll-sized clothes. I started crafting clothes for them with fabric and silicone, until I taught myself how to hand-sew. After that, I made some other clothes sewing by hand, until my mother showed me how to use the sewing machine. Some time later, my grandma helped me make the Dorothy Dress (check out my previous post). Even later, I dared to make my first dress from scratch and completely on my own. 

Crafted from an old fabric that my mom had kept within a fabric stash since many years ago, the dress follows almost the same pattern as one of my Ixia dresses. I traced out the pattern directly from a dress and adjusted it to fit some seam allowance and zipper space.

It is made from some kind of white and blue printed curtain or tapestry fabric. It holds up nice and firm, but the fabric is still still somewhat soft. Even though the seams are not perfect, it still has some pencil markings on the reverse side, and it has some fitting mistakes, I am very proud of my first serious dress. I wear it with pride, knowing that it was the start of what has been a wonderful progress as a self-taught seamstress.

Here’s a collage with several shots of the complete dress-making process.

Keep an eye out for more fashion posts! 

Pretty in plaid and pleats

Another pattern that I'm very fond of is plaid; perhaps because it's created upon the intersection of stripes or lines (yay!), or maybe because it reminds me of the famous Scottish kilts' fabrics (actually called tartan). I like most color combinations on this type of fabric, and I own a considerable amount of plaid clothing pieces in different colors. 

Scarves, dresses, shoes, shirts and skirts have been my outfit choices for these fabrics, which I have in a set of different colors: red, dark blue, dark green, yellow, pink, and orange. In the pictures I am wearing a black and orange plaid pleated skirt, which I made using only a meter of Abercrombie cotton. This was the first pleated skirt that I ever made.

If you've already mastered how to make a gathered skirt, making a pleated skirt is just going to take one different step. Instead of gathering the border of the skirt in order to sew it to the waistband, you have to calculate how many pleats you want or how wide you want them to be. Based on that, divide the length of the complete skirt rectangle into the number of pleats wanted. That will give you an average number of the width for each pleat. (Take into consideration that one pleat has three layers, since it is made in a zig-zag overlay. The width must be for the complete pleat. Ex: 9cm: 3cm - 3cm - 3cm). All that's left to do is create the pleats, adjust them, and sew them onto the waistband.

The color mix of this skirt might look a bit Halloween-ish, which it's perfect because I adore Halloween and its color combos. Speaking about Halloween... October is so close by! That means costume-planning time is right around the corner, and I will definitely be making a post about it. 

 Stay tuned for more fashion posts! 

Ssssstripe two!

As I said on my first outfit post, stripes are a recurring theme in my clothes. I simply cannot get enough of them.

In this case I'm wearing a scarlet red and green striped dress. When I made this dress I had already been sewing for a few months, so the project felt easier to complete. My aunt gave me the fabric, which she had bought many years ago to make a beach outfit for herself. I think the fabric gives a sensation of gypsy inspiration, due to its bright color mix and pattern choice.

I paired it with green heels with small bows (by Zabumba) and a rectangle-shaped stone necklace. The halter straps were made exactly to fit the width of the green stripes, and the complete ensemble was carefully matched to remain symmetrical. Here are some quick snaps back from when I sewed the dress.

 Stick around for more fashion posts and fun findings! 

We're not in Kansas anymore (Dorothy's dress)

Whenever you think about "The Wizard of Oz" many key elements might come to your mind... Emerald City, the yellow brick road, "I'm melting, I'm melting!", the red slippers, flying monkeys, and of course Dorothy's iconic blue gingham pinafore dress.

Here's a short story: when I was a little girl my mother made me a Dorothy costume to dress up like her for Halloween, and she made my brother a Tin Man costume to match. I adored that dress, but eventually outgrew it. Many, many years later, as my interest for sewing was developing, the first big sewing project that I planned for myself was replicating Dorothy's dress for myself. I remember going to a fabric store and buying 2 or 3 meters of blue gingham/vichy. That was the first time I ever bought fabric for me to sew.

Back then I was on vacations, so I went a few days a week to my grandmother's house, who was teaching me how to trace, edit and cut patterns, as well as helping me out to make my dress possible. Sadly I have no pictures of the process, which took a lot of patience, work and my grandmother sewing the zipper because I was no good at it. However, I have the beautiful outcome to remember those wonderful moments.

                 

This is not a replica of Dorothy's dress. I designed it to look more modern, but keeping the essence of her original dress. Here I am pairing it with blue bracelets, blue-and-white earrings, a heart-shaped cookie cutter necklace (from the book The Queen of Hearts), and yellow and khaki wedge sandals (by Naturale'z).

 Get ready for more fashion posts! 

Crazy about stripes

There are few times when I can resist striped clothing items. I have a clear weakness for them, and you will see that recurringly in my wardrobe. Since some time ago I've thought that I must have been a zebra in my past life, because I'm crazy about stripes.

This is a white and violet striped tee that I purchased at a very small shop near my home. I remember I'd been eyeing it for a couple of weeks, until one day it was gone from the display window. About a month later I was running some errands nearby and remembered about the shirt. I decided to pass by the shop and try my luck with the tee. Bingo!  They still had it; so I quickly tried it on and fell more in love with it. I obviously got it on the spot!

In the pictures I am pairing the tee (it is brandless -only says "made in Peru"-) with a black gathered skirt made by yours truly, black sunglasses, a heart-shaped necklace and black sandal wedges (by Vic Matie). The skirt is made of black stretch gabardine. Later on I will post a tutorial on how to make one like this.

 Stay tuned for more fashion posts!