Antique Button Ring

A few weeks ago my path crossed with an antique button seller.

I could not resist about half a dozen of the old buttons just because they were so cool.

Somewhere I saw an image of a ring that I thought looked like a big button...

Step number one for my button ring was to find the same size cylinder as my finger. I simply tried a ring on lots of stuff until it fit this nail polish top perfectly. 

I already had this fine gauge gold tone wire that I'm pretty sure I purchased at a hardware store. 

And of course one of my antique buttons.

Step number two was to feed the wire through the button and around the nail polish top three times for strength. I also used pliers to pull the wire snugly so ring would be a good fit for my finger.

I twisted one end of the wire to secure the ring circle shape and the other wire end I left very long ( about 14" ) and wrapped it tightly around and around and around and around the ring circle shape.

I think wrapping the wire makes the ring look much, much better, makes the ring more comfortable, and prevents wire from snagging clothes and hair.

And tadah !

My antique button ring looks as pretty on the inside as it does on my finger.

A fashion accessory success story:)

7th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design

The Los Angeles

Fashion Institute of Design and Manufacturing ( FIDM ) Museum 

is exhibiting over 100 costumes from  15 television shows.

The exhibit started July 30th and will end October 19th.

And it is free to the public.

It is always interesting to examine textiles, embellishments, and design details up close. 

Also, the variety of costumes from different eras, fantasies, comedies and extremes makes one realize just how challenging, inventive and fun it must be to create costumes.

It is also interesting how statuesque ( or not! ) many of the actors really are 

Game of Thrones on HBO

The costumes were impressive but, the displays were a little bleak. 

In past years more effort was put into the set around the costumes.

And there are no pics of the costumes online and no information handout with the exhibit. 

Of course it is free.

 

Michael Douglas as Liberace in Behind the Candelabra on HBO

The seven costumes on display for Behind the Candelabra were over the top! 

No small surprise costume designer Ellen Mirojnick is nominated for the Best Costume Design Emmy

 

Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley on Downtown Abbey on PBS

 Photos of any kind are strictly forbidden and it was impossible to sneak even one! 

The no photo rule seems so ridiculous since all the costumes are already on TV. 

 The highlight of the exhibit was the 16 costumes from Downtown Abbey featuring the entire Lady Mary wedding ensembles for the main characters.

I love the early 1900's costumes from Downtown Abbey mainly for the amazing, wonderful hats.

Fortunately ( or unfortunately ) FIDM is only a few blocks from the fabric district and I could not resist a visit to my favorite treasure hunt fabric discount store, 

Michael Levines The Loft.

And although I have 50,000,000 projects, ideas and tasks these fabrics were irresistible!

Across the street at the regular Michael Levines fabric store I also spent over an hour selecting trims for a variety of real and potential projects.

I think all those hats and costumes at the exhibit were just a little too inspiring!

Fashion; Hair and There

This is a FABULOUS ad campaign by TRESemme

featuring sewing items as hair accessories.

Buttons temporarily " sewn " into a hair-do is totally do-able.

The thread spool and needle are definitely fantasy.

 The bun as a pin cushion is totally my favorite.

And another totally do-able hair-do is the measuring tapes as hair bands.

Hey, I may even try that one!

Two thumbs up and cheers to the ad agency that came up with these great images.

Some magazines have a few of these images but, I finally saw the complete 5 page ad.

Real fashion fun! 

My Guayaberas or Mexican Wedding shirt

To begin this fashion journey we must travel back to March when I visited London determined to finally purchase some Liberty of London fabric.

Liberty of London fabric is extremely lovely 100% cotton fabric that is also extremely expensive. Liberty of London started importing fine fabrics from the Orient over 135 years ago. In 1884 the company began hand printing it's own designs. The fabric was very popular during the Aesthetic movement and Art Nouvea movement in the late 1800s.

Liberty of London fabric is available in the USA but, I found this discount store in a sketchy London neighborhood and still could only bring myself to purchase a remnant.

After much thought I finally came up with the idea of a Mexican Wedding shirt. This style shirt was developed about 300 years ago and no one is sure if it originated in Cuba or Mexico. The main features are the light cool cotton fabric, the vertical pleats in the front and the four pockets for carrying guavas ( thus the popular name Guayaberas for the shirt )

Oops, my research was not very good and I didn't put any pockets on my shirt. The main objective was to incorporate the small amount of Liberty of London fabric I had purchased. 

I'm actually really pleased with the finished shirt, although I am probably the only person to see the Guayaberas influence.

For my shirt I pulled out my favorite shirt pattern that I've used many times so it is already altered to my shape and 5'11 height. 

Shirts I have made using McCalls 3541 pattern

Of course I always have to make things difficult so I decided a hidden placket so the buttons wouldn't show was a great idea. Somewhere I have a book that gives formulas and measurements for creating a hidden placket but, I just do it.
There are basically three main ways to finish the vertical center front edges of a button front shirt. Either fold under the vertical front edges, sew a facing to the vertical front edges or sew a placket to the vertical front edges ( which is like a folded over facing ).
What matters most is that the center front line that is marked on the pattern tissue remains in the exact same place so the finished shirt will fit together properly.

For the hidden placket on only the right side of the shirt add enough fabric ( keeping the center front line intact ) to  (1) fold half the finished width, then (2) fold again double the finished width. Suggest doing it with paper first to get fold depths correct.

The left side of the shirt is finished normally. The left side of the shirt is where the buttons will be sewn.

I am indicating where the stitching line should be

Sew a vertical straight row of stitching through the fabric and front down the middle of the (2) second fold.

This stitching will also catch the (1) first  half width fold and now the folds are anchored and cannot unfold.
The double fold allows the buttonholes to be on the inside fold so when the shirt is buttoned no buttons show.

It's not hard- don't over think it!

Fold the fabric back towards the center front, press well with the iron and your hidden placket is complete. Finish shirt per instructions. 

*hint* measure the neckline now and make sure collar or collar stand will fit correctly

Here is a close up of my Guayaberas hidden button placket when buttoned up.

 Isn't my Liberty of London fabric pretty!

I must confess that I also stitched up two additional shirts with my Guayaberas.

That allowed me to tweak the hidden placket and use up some of my fabric stash.
I often work in multiples.

 Barack Obama WISHES he was also in a cool, stylish Guayaberas!!!

! Viva the Guayaberas !

No White after Labor Day?

What's up with white and Labor Day?

Coco Chanel wearing white long after Labor Day

All my life there was the unspoken ( and spoken ) rule that wearing white clothing after Labor Day was   against the rules. 

Who made the rule and why?

Labor Day was declared a national holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland and celebrated on the first Monday in September. 

Eventually this September date coincided with the end of the summer season for the very wealthy. White clothing was cooler and only worn during the summer months away from the heat and dirt of the cities. Poorer folks striving for acceptance also adopted the ' rule' of wearing white only during summer months.

So the 'no white after Labor Day' is really about cliques and status and an excuse to feel superior.

Many people say phooey to this rule and Coco Chanel was one of them.

White on!

Changyeostyle; A Fashion Student Success Story

 An email the other day announced a trunk show at a local boutique by the up and coming fashion line

Changyeostyle

What made the announcement exciting is the two founding designers of Changyeostyle are BOTH former students of mine from FASH 100!

Angelina Yeo and Annie Chang met in my class years ago and now are designing and selling their own line of fashions.

Could not resist this skirt and easy top

Changyeostyle fashions are perfect for the casual SoCal lifestyle. 

The designs are easy to wear and the knit fabrics are dreamy soft.

And another easy top in very unique fabric

I purchased two tops and a skirt thinking I would send them to my daughters BUT, I tried them on and loved the feel of the fabric and the great designs. So I'm keeping them!

Angelina and Annie are very creative, original designers with a great eye for detail and fine finishing.

I truly liked all their pieces and wish I had an occasion to wear black lace pants because they've got an amazing pair!

Go to their website, check out their entire inventory, and watch for details about their next trunk show in September at The Hanger in Tustin. 

One Hour Skirt

Been super anxious to tackle some of my ever-growing pile of projects and finally had some free time to actually attempt a project.

Since I only had about one hour I decided to whip up a quick knit skirt from this great fabric remnant I bought in LA for under $1.

The width of the fabric was just the right measurement for the length of my skirt so I just needed my hip measurement for the circumference of the skirt.

With a woven fabric 3" should be added to the hip measurement for ease but, since this was a knit I went with only 1' of ease. 

Ease is the difference between your actual body measurement and the finished garment measurement.

Cut my fabric into 5 pieces; biggest piece is skirt, 2 smallest pieces will be elastic waistband, 2 larger pieces will be a hem band because hemming knits is difficult.

Since this is a single or Jersey knit the fabric curls towards the right side of the fabric. 

One quick overlocked seam and I had the tube which will become my skirt. 

Next overlocked my 2 waistband pieces together at the short ends to create casing for the elastic.
Overlocking ( or serging ) knits is the quickest best way to construct knits.

  

Left a 1" gap in a waist band seam for opening to insert elastic.

Folded the waistband lengthwise and lined up the unfolded edge of waistband with the top of the skirt.

The waistband is on the outside ( right side ) of the skirt when I overlock the waistband to the skirt.

Cut the 1" wide elastic to a comfortable length for my waist and inserted the elastic into the waistband. 

Using a safety pin on the elastic end I was pulling through the waistband made it easier to feed the elastic through the waistband.

Sewed the elastic ends together and the waistband was complete.

Decided to add interfacing to the hem band to make it a little more rigid. 

Did not want the hem band all droopy, and uneven.

After folding the hem band in half I took a minute to hand baste the hem band so no chance of hem band rippling while I overlocked it to the skirt.

  

Third and last time at the overlock machine the unfolded edge of the hem band was lined up with the bottom of the skirt on the outside ( right side ) of the skirt and overlocked together.

And my skirt was finished!

It honestly took about as long to blog about the skirt as it did to make it.

One project done and only 239,756,000 to go.