the secret life of skirts -wardrobe versatility

Speaking of Spring... How about this Boutique skirt...?

Disguised as one skirt this is actually two! The skirt on the top is a pleated skirt made of Liberty of London tana lawn. Don't you love this print!? I feel so fabulous in this skirt, but the secret to the fullness is the boutique skirt underneath. To make this you will need the following

Supplies

- The Tailors Daughter Boutique Skirt pattern
- Fabric Kit or your own fabric that is appropriate
- matching thread and bobbin
- Bernina sewing machine
- BERNINA Presser foot #86 The Ruffler Foot
- BERNINA Presser foot #35 Invisible Zipper Foot

Optional:
- Complete Kit $50
Includes fabric & pattern
Limited quantity fabric available


This skirt is so versatile. Its great for a lunch meeting or a summertime game of heavily competitive mini golf.. I wear these under dresses, skirts,or on their own with a slip... Or sometimes as a slip. Here are a couple of different versions i have made while making this pattern for you! I dyed these pieces to get the different color options. Click here to see how!

If you are an advanced seamstress that knows how to sew, here are the advanced instructions. For the pattern you can copy a yoke pattern that is your size.

1. First gather the selvage edge of the trim. Gather with the 3 seam method, or use your Bernina Ruffler Foot. For this one, the Ruffler foot was used with a 3mm-3.3 mm stitch legnth and the Ruffler set to ruffle at every stitch.

2. Next cut your yoke pieces out of the desired fabric.

3. Now sew left side seam of yoke... Attaching front yoke to back yoke.
Repeat this for yoke lining.

4. Pin yoke and trim right sides together at raw edges of skirt. Sew this seam at 2.2mm stitch legnth and be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

5. Next attach the invisible zipper using the 2 seam method with BERNINA Presser Foot #35.

6. Pin yoke lining right sides together at outer yohttp://www.thetailorsdaughter.com/ke. Sew. 7. Press seam opss seam open and then press lining to the back.

8. Handstitch yoke lining at zipper and voila!

A beautiful boutique skirt / pettiskirt valued at $300+, at a fract price... Plus yours is custom! custom!

Post pics of your garden pettiskirts to http://www.facebook.com/thetailorsdaughter and recieve a free TheTailorsDaughter tote! *

Marilyn Bag

This is the Amy Butler Swing bag pattern, which is one of my favorite bags to make! Actually i have made so many of these i needed to spice it up a little bit.

Im a sucker for a bow, and contrasting prints and polka dots... So i decided to make this a tribute bag to one of my favorite icons in this feminine combo of pink and gray.

The supplies needed for this bag include a cotton twill (home dec weight). I think this is a nice trick to adding weight and stability to the bag so that it isnt so flimsy. It also prevents warping when it is washed. This is a great solution, but is not mandatory. You could also use firm interfacing, or nothing at all. Whatever you decide to use will dtermine the feel and weight of the bag.

I recommend trying all styles for bags while you are practicing this pattern. After all they make fabulous gifts!

Embroidery:

This was a photo I found of her that i manually digitized in my Bernina Version 6 design software. This digitizing software is the best, in my opinion because it takes the mystery out of vector drawings and is so easy to edit one stitch at a time. Im so please with the way it turned out!
This project has opened a world of creativity to me... In thinking of embroidery as much more than a canned design.

Nobody else will have a bag like this! How super exclusive of me... I love it!
I think i need Audrey next...

Strawberry Bacon Mixed Greens

I am so excited to share this new recipe! I call it the Craving Rx... Because it satisfies any craving I have! It is a balanced meal with fruits, veggies, healthy fats, protien, dairy and antioxidents.
Ingredients

- 2 cp. organic mixed greens
- 1/2 sliced cucumber
- 1 slice morning star soy "bacon" cooked
- organic strawberries 3-4 sliced
- 1/4 red apple ( i like gala or pink ladies) * make sure its organic!
- 1 tbsp organic parmesean cheese
- 1/4 cup chickpeas
Girards Champagne Vinnegrette dressing to taste!

Directions:
Mix greens, apple slices, strawberries, and cucumber in large bowl. Next, add chickpeas

Garnish with crushed soy bacon and parmesean cheese.

Add dressing

This is so great for you, and the complex variety of flavors are quite satisfying. Especially if you are adjusting from a sugar addiction.

Tip:
Add gluten free rotini, chicken, salmon or even tofu to make this a filling and satisfying meal.

Enjoy!


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Dyeing for-Rit!

Once... A long time ago I attempted to use Rit dye to make a light blue pair of jeans, a dark blue pair of jeans. Needless to say, the results were less than satisfactory, the jeans were ruined... And it left a huge mess in the bathtub...

I dont really give up easily though... And finally my persistance has paid off! I am now much more confident with the art of fabric dyeing. I realize that with a little more effort...and a little more attention, Rit dye can do exactly what you want it to do.

In the world of fibers black is the most heavily pigmented color. What that actually means is that it has to alter each fiber with the weight of heavy pigments. You might notice a slightly heavier handle on the fabric after dyeing it black. You may also notice your sewing machine gets "lintier" when you are sewing with black or dark colors. This is due to the fact that the altered fibers are slightly weaker and therefore the rubbing of the needle can shave those loose fibers into your machine. If you think your sewing machine needs a deep cleaning after all of the sewing on black, please let us know!

The first color I wanted to master was black. This can be one of the most difficult colors due to the fabrics ability to recieve pigment. Make sure you are dyeing only natural fibers!

Here is how to do it:

- Put fabric to be died into large pasta pot.

- Fill pasta pot with water making sure to cover the fabric, leaving it fully submerged.

- Place on large burner and turn on high to start boiling water.


- Remove fabric and set aside until water begins a slow boil.

- Add 1 cup of sea salt to water

- Once slow boil is reached add fabric, and dunk into water. I used a metal spoon that wouldnt be ruined by the dye.
- Add large bottle of Rit Dye.

- Boil for 2-3 hours. Stirring every 15 mins gently. This continually disperses the dye so that it is even, without splotching.

- When time is up carefully take the full pot to the sink and remove the fabric. Run under cold water until the water runs clear.

- Soak for 5 mins in White Distilled Vinegar to lock in the pigments.

- Rinse again.

- Hang dry


I am hooked on this! I love that i have all of these petti skirts. It is going to enhance the clothing i already have!





Chanel Number five could not sleep either, until we saw the results... Lol

Recently i have decided that i need another tTD Boutique Skirt in Valentino Red to accent this cute belt i picked up from Nordstrom Rack.
What do you think?

Name that Needle

The Big Question of Needles-

Everyday  we are asked the same question: “What kind of needle should I be using for that fabric?”

I have promised many of you a chart you can print and keep for a quick lesson on finding the perfect needle.

Along with thread, needles are very important to a beautiful stitch formation.  Many “mechanical” problems and damage to fabrics can be traced to a bent, damaged, or incorrect size or type needle.
*Note: The cheaper your needle, the more likely it will be bent, or damaged. This is why we only recommend BERNINA sewing needles, or Schmetz.

When selecting the correct needle, consider the following:

-       Needle system – 130/705H is typical for a BERNINA

-       Needle point – assures proper stitch formation and avoids damaging the fabric.  This is dictated by the name of the needle, I.e. Jeans, Metafill, Microtex, etc…

-       Needle size – smaller for lightweight fabrics; larger for heavier fabrics.  This is indicated by the size, 60, 70, 80, etc…

Things you need to know

-       Needles should be changed after every 4-6 hours of stitching. The needle is the most inexpensive part in your sewing machine but it is crucial for getting good results and keeping your machine running well. Don’t let false economy keep you from doing what is best for your sewing projects and your machine.

In my studio, I always have a nice selection of BERNINA Jeans Needles (size 80), BERNINA Ballpoint Needle (size 70), and Assorted Universals for the odd ball project that I tend to come up with.  I also prefer Gold Embroidery Needles (size 70) and Metafill (size 80) when I want to sew with Metallic Thread or sometimes on Laminated fabrics. Lately I mostly sew on densely woven fabrics, cotton of mostly medium weights for shirts, pants, and dresses. 

 Troubleshooting your needle:

If the needle is:

Too small – the thread can’t stay in the groove to form a loop to be picked up by the hook point

Bent – the thread loop forms too far away from hook point and the hook can’t enter the loop to form a stitch

Blunt – the needle won’t pierce fabric, so no thread loop forms to make a stitch

 Note: You will eventually notice that you can hear a dull needle, as it punches through the fabric.

Download this quick reference chart for a smart phone or computer.

Peau de soie Fishtail Dress by Vanessa Empire

The evolution of this dress happened

 very quickly.  

The original design included a shirred section on the sides of the princess seams.  I then was going to make it strapless, and add the fishtail in the back.  After creating my rough version I realized that I did not want all of the bulky fabric on my thighs!   This is the why I always start with making a muslin.  It provides you with the opportunity to try a fit or sillhouette on your own body.
I have never been afraid of trying something a little bolder or different than what is found in "ready-to-wear".  If I don't like the style on my body, I can go back to the drawing table.

         



 This dress is made of espresso brown  
Peau de soie (po-da-swa) with  
 Turquoise and Paris Pink Silk Taffeta from 
Studio BERNINA.  I love working with Peau de soie.  It has a nice hand and is much more manageable than charmeuse.            Taffeta was more difficult to work with in this particular dress. 

Peau de soie

is also called the “skin of silk”.

 

After completion of the muslin, I simplified the design. 

"The more cultivated a people becomes, the more decoration disappears" - Le Corbusier

 I added the two-toned fishtail and the
Yves Saint Laurent  inspired Big Pink Bow. …
I added boning to the top so that it will stand with structure and a slit in the back of the dress.

I used the following BERNINA Presser feet:

 Ruffler Foot, Invisible Zipper Foot (#35), Jeans Foot (#8)

This dress was so fun to wear!     

Custom Tailor's & Designers - New York Boat Party

New York was a blast! It was so fun to catch up with some of my longest friends from the Custom Tailors & Designers Association (CTDA), which is the longest running trade association to this date.  While I was sad that some people didn’t make it to the boat party, it was great to catch up with some of the world’s finest tailors (including my mother), designers, clothiers and stylists in the world.

We were told to dress casual, so finally I have a reason to bring to life this little number that has been in my head twirling around.

This upgraded pencil skirt is made of cotton, with a Swiss batiste foundation.  Once the skirt was made, (darts, fit, darts, etc...)I created a yoke pattern, and then did a little math to determine how many stripes I needed to reach the desired skirt length. 

Once I was able to get the right fit, including the side seams and the yoke side seams, 

I began adding the stripes.
 
And... keep adding stripes....
  
and... finally with one stripe to go... I used the Rolled Hem foot to hem my foundation garment,
and added the final stripe.

The toughest part about this skirt ended up being getting the stripes to match up in the back.
There are no side seams on this number, so it took a little forcing of the fabric so that the
stripes would align around the invisible zipper.
   

This is a quick pic I took in the hotel while I was getting ready.
(Good thing I got this pic, since I would not have any skirt photos taken while on the boat!)
Then off for dinner and cocktails with our amazing and talented family, the CTDA.

This is "Il Maestro" Master Tailor, Gian DiCaro.  He is based out of Seattle, WA
and his shop, Gian DiCaro Sartoria, was named "the best bespoke tailoring west of the Rockies" by GQ.
He has done many events detailing and breaking down the 'art of dressing well'.

This is the wonderful and talented, Alan Levine.  His style sense continues to bring him to the top with a resume
including Fashion Director at Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Gladson, and Astor & Black. 
We thought this would be a wonderful 'blue eye' photo... but atleast we are coordinated and nautical!

This is Frank Cicco, of Frank Cicco Custom Tailors based in Bulter, PA. 
He is a 4th generation tailor, and has style that will make you do a double-take!
(He always has the best ties, and socks... as if the custom tailored suits weren't enough!)

And finally, a happy pose from Susan Igou (my mom in the middle) with Blanch and Urich of Gladson. 
We had such a nice time seeing everyone! I am missing pictures of so many... but was grateful for the opportunity to be together, and to stay involved in keeping the 'Art of Dressing Well' alive...
Bon voyage!