Finding Happy

Though the joy in these pics is 100% real, I’ll be honest with you, I started this week out plain DONE. Sad, angry, ugly crying, DONE. I don't have to tell you why, the great big bulk of us is experiencing this on the regular, for any number of well known reasons. Just keepin it real.

At the moment, however, I am whatever is the opposite of "done." I don't know what that qualifier would be; I'm sure there's some new term for it that would make me slightly queasy, but I'm hanging on to it when I get it (as I'm also sure the great big bulk of us is doing). 

Those little bows from my last post started the shift back to happy. I had planned on making full on barrettes, but four stores and no dice proved that there's been a pandemic run on...plain metal barrettes? Interesting. I have no idea what people are doing with barrettes, but there it is. I decided to forge ahead anyways and use the humble bobby pin, which gave me such immense satisfaction when it proved to be the perfect solution, I couldn't even be mad at the aforementioned fruitless search.  

I didn't want to usurp that post with any amount of frustration, just as much as I don't want to usurp this blazingly happy pink print with general world shock. For now, I think it's better to say again, and as always, creating is a cure, and I'm grateful to have the means to continue to do it. We'll get into all the rest for sure, because it has to be talked about. But HOW BOUT WE HANG ONTO THIS HAPPY FEELING FOR A MINUTE AND TALK ABOUT CREATING.

This dress is the first garment from my Birthday Fabric Haul, and the print hails from House of Mami Wata. It's a riff on one of my self drafted patterns, but quite simply: if you have a princess seamed bodice in your pattern stash, you can get here. I'll do a little video on it, if you'd like to see how!

With six yards in a cut of wax print, there's really no excuse for poor print placement. And yet, as you can see, those angles don't match up under the bodice....

...and those curves at center front are serving you Georgia O'Keefe.

Always, always strive to have a manufacture's emblem down center back. Though with this print and social distancing WHO'S NOTICING

Plus the emblems don't start till below my butt anyways.

I have an EXCELLENT excuse for any dodgy print placement: Rob wants Jams out of this print. JAMS! I HAVE DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF THIS!!! 

Do y'all remember Jams? For those that don't, they are the most fabulous shorts in existence. Knee length, wild prints, with about twelve candy colored hues in every glorious pair. My Dad used to wear them on summer weekends, when he'd grill up a bunch of goodness on his speck of time off, on a deck he hammered together over more of those weekends. I loved helping him on those weekends! Once I helped by dropping an entire plate of barbecued chicken. Aside from that, I was an excellent beer-getter and plate-holder. 

That memory of my Dad's weekend uniform is one of my earliest inspirations to get to my current technicolor closet. 

So yeah. When Rob asked for Jams, I decided to re-prioritize print placement.

However I'm pretty thrilled with the side view at the bustline (cuz I cut the bodice twice, dontcha know).

And really. When have I ever shied away from highlighting reproductive organs, anyways?

Alrighty y'all, we're almost at the weekend! May you have Jams to wear, and a plate fulled of something grilled. And if you're at a "done" place... may you find a little time to create.

Re:Fashion ...from Quilt to Gown!

This right here is something I’ve been wanting to make for years now. A quilt dress. Mind you, I did NOT want to make the *actual* quilt. Though I do have roughly ten bags of wax print scraps stored up for a rainy day, this squirrel does not have the mindset (yet) for quilting.

But my mom likes to surprise me with all manner of technicolor goodness. And plants. Her thumb is green as the day is long. Sadly, the technicolor goodness has a much better chance of survival around these parts (watering is key, I’m finding out). However, I’d been wanting to hack into this Kantha quilt since it entered our domain. I couldn’t see cutting up such a beautiful gift from my mom, but then the perfect reason presented itself in Re:Fashion Season 2...

Said reason is revealed in the full episode on Bluprint, which you can, right this very hot minute, watch completely free! As in NO “free trial sign up,” NO “cc info needed,” just enter an email address and you can binge EVERYTHING on the site through January 7th.

I won’t say much more about this dress here, since you can get the whole story right now, even if you don’t subscribe to Bluprint. But I know we sewists love our static close-up shots, so I made sure to ask for some in our photo shoot!

OH HOLD UP A MINUTE WHO’S THAT THURRRR IN A FAMILIAR FABRIC

HI HANDSOME! MATCHING ME LIKE IN MY DREAMS! He is actually down with this sort of thing now! Well, to a degree. I mean, he’d *rather* a subtle hint of a pocket square. He went big for me this time. But couldn’t you see him in a technicolor blazer? A brocade blazer? A BROCADE BLAZER WITH A SEQUIN BACK PANEL AND ME IN A MATCHING SEQUIN BALLGOWN?! CAN YOU IMAGINE?!!!!!

Maybe in season 3.....

For now, catch seasons 1, 2, and everything else these Handmade Harriells have on Bluprint for free through January 7th. Just search “Harriell” on site to pull up all our madness.  And remember —- everything else is bingeable as well; cooking, carpentry, oil painting, ballet, crochet...and yes, actual quilting ;).

Design Process: A Gown Gone Crazy

I have been having a time and a half working out this dress for the NYC Ballet's Fall Gala. A TIME AND A HALF. Said Gala is this Thursday. In hopes of getting ahead of the curve, I started stitching soon after my birthday, when my Mom presented me with this g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s bazin print. Isn't it amazing? IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PRINT I'VE EVER SEEN.

It's also turned out to be one of the trickiest! Once I really took a look at the layout, I realized it had a heavy directional repeat. The smaller suns run along both selvages, the larger suns lay smack bang in the middle. Then there are lions within each sun. (Cuz the birthday girl is a Leo.) The smaller lions' feet point towards the selvage, the larger lions' feet alternate every other sun. And ALL feet are marching along the crossgrain, so using this print on the lengthwise grain means your lions are ass over teakettle. To boot, you can't use both sides of this print like other forms of wax pint, as this has a (super cool) shiny, embossed jacquard print on the "good" side of the fabric.

I took a full day to carefully cut a twelve-paneled maxi skirt, making sure I got all of the suns in the mix. Then spent another day on the bodice, eeking out a sun section for the sleeve. I'm talking days of cutting only--not stitching! Sewing it up was a slow train as well, french seams and underlining and boning and all that jazz.

These are not complaints, I LOVED figuring out this stuff! But after all that, I didn't like her. Maybe I spent too long looking at her! But I developed an eye twitch with the placement of the smaller suns. I felt like my gaze was drawn was to knee level, snared by those larger suns.  

So the three center front panels got a haircut from the waist down. 

It seemed like I could finagle the rest of the length into some sort of bustle...which, to be honest, looking at these pics, maybe I should have done. But each french seamed panel kept getting separate haircuts, until I was at the point where I should've just shortened it all at the waist in one go. 

With a fully shortened skirt, I tried MORE options...these are just a few pinned up. I went back in and added more panels for fullness, which I somehow don't have a picture of? That's ridic. Hold on a sec.

She'd need a crinoline, and I need my head checked. The amount of iterations she's gone through at this point is approaching Hollywood levels of reboot.

As I was scrolling through my own IG feed last night, like a diary, trying to find clues on where I began and where I might end, I came across another red carpet attempt that didn't make it to the finish line, and thought....maybe I should get that peanut butter in this chocolate.

I DON'T KNOW MAN I JUST DON'T KNOW!

This is often how things go around here! I thought y'all might like to see the process. I hope you don't get too attached to any of these as it may turn out to be something completely different...but feel free to tell me your favorite, or share more ideas! 

I am bound and determined to be somewhere solid with this by Sunday night, like, WEARABLE solid, since I start rehearsals for a workshop of a new musical on Monday, and I am NOT GOING TO SPEND THREE WEEKDAY EVENINGS SLAM SEWING. I'm not! I'm so super not! I have other options, and if I don't get her done by then, she shall marinate before I cut into her any more than I already have! 

RUNWAY REMAKE Reveal (and Reveal, and Reveal, and Reveal)

I yammered on about the making of this chameleon dress Sunday...here she is in all four iterations! 

No capes...

One cape...

Two capes...

FULL CAPES! 

PHEW! CAPES!

How do ya like my karma chameleon?! If you read Sunday's construction post, then you know it wasn't all roses. It's been a minute since I wrote a thought process post (or as Peggy put it perfectly: Thought EXPLOSION post). It felt weird--lately, finished garment reveals and quick shots on social media end up ruling the day, and it can seem like garments happen without a hitch. Pretty much never the case around here. I'd like to get back to the details, mainly to remind anyone wanting to jump into sewing that there are plenty of wonderful mistakes to be made along the way! Sewing ain't a straight line around here!

Honestly, I think I HAVE to have bumps in the road in order to get to where I'm going, because I sure didn't think a four-way dress was my destination. Now I have to decide what level of cape-titude is happening on its virgin outing. What say you? No cape? One Cape? Two Cape? Full cape? MORE ROSES?!!!! I MEAN WE ALL KNOW MORE IS MORE.

Thanks to my friends at Bluprint for setting me on this adventure, and documenting it all so beautifully! If you'd like to see the full episode, it's up on Bluprint (if you're not a member, you can download the app and watch all you like for free for 24 hours). New eps coming every Friday, each with a different creative face, all the way till the Project Runway June 13 finale!

On Wednesdays, We Wax.

The first time I heard about AKN Fabrics, I was certain I was being led to my death.

Whaaat? I can hear many of you cry, having experienced first hand, at PR and MPB days and meetups, the glory that is AKN. Don't worry, the story ends well, I love the jam-packed joint as much as you do.

It was 2014, the year of my first wax print--a gorgeous, megawatt yellow spray can print sent to me by Sarah. It was so vibrant! So weird! So stiff with wax! I hammered out an Anna dress and lived in it the rest of that summer. 

One hot August day, I was stomping through a particularly seedy section of the city. This neighborhood is unexpected, almost right in the middle of Manhattan on Broadway between 27th to 35th streets. I wanna say it's the perfume/costume jewelry/wig district. I don't know why it feels so off, but it's one of those Stephen King zones. Know what I mean? All strangers suddenly feel dangerous, even the buildings are eyeing you. Shadows are thick and make you invisible even in broad daylight.

It was high noon and plenty of summer sunshine, my favorite kind of day--but I was in that area, and had to cross the gauntlet from the subway to a casting office on 28th. A stretch of two blocks populated with, as SK would call them, low men, possessing far-too-appreciative glances and bestowing "compliments" upon pretty much anything with legs. It was a no-smile zone. And although I had my spray can dress on, a dress which screams happiness, I also had my game face on. My I am not a friendly person face. Focusing on a dot in the distance, I passed an "admirer." From behind me, I heard a suggestive: you like wax print?

Huh? Did he just comment on my fabric? This gave me pause. I slowed to a stop and cautiously turned. Yesss...?

He gestured to a dusty, six-story building behind him. A building with papered windows and a dark, unmanned entryway. I have wax print. For sale. Come upstairs with me.

OH HAHAHAHAHA, I answered, bubble burst. I'm sorry, but there is ZERO way I am following you into a building, by myself, to a high floor. I'm not saying you're a creep, you know, you could be great, but you could also be trying to kill me. You understand. Thank you though. I'll bring some of my sewing buddies next time, and if you happen to see us in a gang of three or more, ask again. 

Follow him into an unmarked building! From a street! I laugh out loud at it even now. Who knew he was referring to an ACTUAL store?! Not I! The only fabric stores I knew of at that point were ten blocks north! Years later, when I finally found, and ventured up into, AKN Fabrics, I saw my old friend on the street, working the passersby, and rode the elevator up with him. He's great. Zero creep factor. He could work on his sidewalk sales pitch, though.  

Speaking of creep factor. What is it with me and once a week Wednesday goals? That damn Wednesday creeps up on you like its running a perfume joint on 28th street! Mr. Hump Day especially likes to creep on me when it's the end of summer and all hell breaks loose when things are normally quiet and the only thing on the to-do list should be SWEAT IN THE HEAT! ALSO WHERE DID ALL THE HEAT GO?!!

Sorry. I'm typing this at 2am with the windows open, because although it is oddly cold, IT IS AUGUST, and I refuse to close them! And I am chilly! CHILLY I SAY! Let me return to the point. It occurred to me, the hump day having crept up on me once again, that setting myself the task of sharing the finished garment for each of the five re:fashion episodes every Wednesday for a month was much like setting myself the task of putting up a work-in-progress every Wednesday for forever and ever amen. I abandoned ship fairly quickly on the latter, but with one more finished garment to go, imma power through the former... and the final episode features a sewn pattern that you'll likely recognize (and one that I bet you WON'T). Oh! And yes, the gorgeous floral print you see here hails from AKN, but you have to venture up into the store to get it. It's behind the cash register. Whatever you do, don't go pulling colors off the shelf. They've got a system. Ask my guy to help you out.

If you'd like to see how I made this flowery gal, episode 4 of Re:Fashion is here. If you know how to sew, it's fairly easy...I added a full circle skirt to an RTW crop top on which I taped the seams for a little "extra." However, it is almost never smooth sewing for me, and I had a pretty awesome, ahem, flower placement snafu. Rob is also showcased in some lovely prints as well. He is, how do you say, a VERY good sport.

alice + olivia + oona + marcy

Ahh, little mesh embroidered top. Hi, you. Snapped on my bod in the 70 degree days of February, stuck on a hanger in the 10 degree days of March. 

I have a feeling we'll soon be seeing an onslaught of blog posts entitled 10 Ways To Seasonize Your Wardrobe! and Temperature Tricks With Goop! or Climate Change Your Closet! It'll become the next thing we're all "doing," like Kondo-ing. Ugh, Kondo-ing.

(Deeper and infinitely more terrifying ugh, CLIMATE CHANGE. Not so much ugh as silent unending scream. Alrighty. In the interest of getting a day of sewing in, I'm going to stop that rollercoaster train of thought there before I careen down the first of many slopes, and talk about this little top.)

Lately, I've been wanting everything to be pretty, and fancy, which in my mind precludes "everyday wear." At least in the eyes of the general public. Mind you, I will gladly go out overdressed every day, if permitted. And when I get my hands on a fabric like this, my tendency is to really go for the gold and make something ridiculously complicated, meant for full-on party mode. 

However, I’m glad I reigned myself in on this one, because this fabric is a garden party right off the bolt. I only had one yard of this Alice + Olivia embroidered mesh to play with, and eventually went with my first instinct of crop (ish) top. Yes, I had to talk myself down from wiggle dress... sheer skirt... bell sleeve jacket. I'm glad I did! Methinks I've struck middle ground with this little fancy every day top! I'm not sure yet, since its only test drive was that weirdo springy winter day. But, drugstore/grocery/errands wearable, yes? I DON'T KNOW YOU'LL HAVE TO TELL ME. I'm wearing it everywhere when the climate allows.

Going simple was also the right choice for a complicated fabric like this. Even for a little self-drafted top, there was a lot of (HIGHLY enjoyable) work involved. The seams were stitched up with tear-away stabilizer, then trimmed & bound in a wonderful flocked velvet ponte from Chic Fabrics. After much deliberation on creating a cutaway neckline to mirror the hem, I decided that a defined outline on the neck was best– it’s encased in the same ponte. (And when I say deliberation, I mean I spent several hours trimming and pinning and placing flowers all around the neckline on my dressform, took two steps back to admire my handiwork, and realized it didn't work. What was surprising is that I didn't mind that it didn't work-- I tried it, I enjoyed the trying of it, I made a different choice. Not long ago, I would have gnashed my teeth over all that work and forced myself to keep going. 

Grown-uppery.

For the sleeve, I carefully cut the mesh away right up to the embroidery. The sleeve hem is the border “print” of the fabric, that brown embroidered motif ran parallel to the selvedge. As for the hem, I cut away a free form path, and appliquéd extra flowers in where needed (that little white daisy at center back, and the extra flame-y orange & yellow leaves at center front, for example).

So, I promised the showcasing of this baby's guts when I posted over at The Mood Sewing Network for my February fabric allowance project, but that's going to have to wait a minute. Mea culpa, I'm going full-tilt during the week, so I'm saving a great big chunk of my weekend time for creating! Details, like Spring, will come. Just not on a promised schedule. (Much like Spring).