Married in peacock

(Photos by Adeline Newmann)

The bride with her father

I recently had the pleasure of making a unique wedding gown for a friend. Erica is an artist currently earning her master's degree at CalArts. When she asked me to help her out, I knew we were going to make something exciting! I was especially thrilled when we went in the direction of working with some color (it is no secret that I am a fan of colorful wedding gowns!).

She was married on June 11 in a Japanese tea garden, where her peacock color scheme looked incredible.

While we were fabric shopping, we were struggling to find a brocade that was just right for the sash. I tend to be a bit on the selective side, I don't usually get a fabric or trim unless it seems exactly right. Sometimes it is hard to believe that one can't find the right fabric in blocks and blocks of fabric stores in Downtown L.A.'s Fashion District. Luck was on our side, though, when we stumbled over a gorgeous emerald green brocade with a gold peacock feather motif!



The fabric worked perfectly for the dramatic sash, tied in a one-loop bow, trailing behind the bride like a mini-train.




All that was left was to find the silks to complement the colors in the sash. The top of the gown is a taupe satin charmeuse, the cumberbund midriff is a gold silk taffeta (which I also used to line the underside of the sash) and the skirt is a rich royal blue also of silk charmeuse.


The bride created the antique brooch and peacock feather detail which we pinned on the back of the sash from a family heirloom pin and she also wore her mother's bridal veil.

Polly Pocket's got nothing on this!

Just recently came across this awesome tutorial for a portable fabric dollhouse! What little girl (and probably a few boys and grown-up girls!) wouldn't LOVE this as a special homemade gift?

Bippity boppity boo

There is no question that the entirety of the Disney Princess franchise is fraught with controversy and inaccuracy. One issue that has always bothered me from a fashion history standpoint is that the clothing the Princesses wear bears next to no resemblance to actual historical fashions. Los Angeles illustrator Claire Hummel has taken on this issue in a new series of illustrations featuring the renowned ladies in more historically appropriate attire. She did a lovely job maintaining the integrity of the original designs that we have all become so familiar with, while adding more authentic silhouettes and fabrics. Hope you enjoy as much as I did! (She even has prints available in her shop for a mere $10).

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head...

... but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red...

Especially if I were wearing a pair of Jessica Swift Rainboots!

I went to high school with Jessica Swift, a woman who has grown into an incredible artist. She works a lot in patterns (which has been featured on fabrics as well, for all you home sewers!), and all her work is infused with her spirit of love and inspiration. It is no secret how much I love rainboots (even though we only get rain a couple months out of the year here in LA), and I can honestly say that the designs Jessica is kicking around are fabulous! Probably the coolest I have ever seen!

Plus, there is a secret extra bonus! Each pair of boots is designed with a special loving, inspirational message printed inside to remind you how fabulous you are each time you put on those fabulous boots!

Right now, Jessica is using kickstarter.com to get this awesome project off the ground. For a donation of just $100, you'll be sent a pair of boots once they hit the production line! Contributions of any amount from $1 on up are greatly appreciated and are being rewarded with other awesome Jessica Swift art. Just think how amazing it would be to help Jessica's dream come true and land yourself a truly special pair of boots!



I can pretty much guarantee that no rainy day or mucky puddle will get you down if you were wearing these amazing boots!

Back in the saddle

I know I very much dropped the ball on the Royal Wedding Retrospective. I hope you enjoyed the posts I did manage to get up and also hope you enjoyed the nuptials of Kate and Wills as much as I did!

Part of what prevented me from putting the time into researching the RWR is that I am working on a new project, a wedding gown for a friend! The dress is unique (and colorful!) and it has been a real pleasure to be working on a custom project again. The wedding is June 11, pictures will follow soon after!

Yardage

I recently stumbled upon this great blog featuring a post on estimating yardage, a really important but sometimes elusive skill to have when making your own patterns or buying on a whim.

Biased

This is an excellent article on learning how to sew on the bias, a sure-fire way to achieve a designer look.