Party Dress wear testing

The PARTY DRESS has been in the works for a very long time, in fact, I made the first version way back when I was still a student.  It turned up by surprise in a clean out all musty and in need of repairs.  

The latest update is shorter and narrower, shaped, bias cut and with a more wearable back cowl.  The yoke is still quilted and beaded but with some added curves and not quite so spongy.  

The sample is made from a Liberty print silk crepe called Shinjuku found at The Fabric Store.  The sewing pattern will be available from my Etsy shop in the next couple of weeks but first some wear testing...

new pattern CLASSIC COWL

The CLASSIC COWL sewing pattern is now available from my Etsy Shop is Australian sizes 10-16, for international customers a size conversion chart can be found right here.

 The pattern is suitable for light to medium weight jersey fabrics and I recommend cotton, cotton/elastane or viscose/elastane blends like the example shown here.  The hem, cuffs and neckline were all finished with twin needle stitching, detailed instructions showing you HOW TO hem jersey using a twin needle can be found right here.
 

 
Leaving the hem edges raw so they roll works best in 100% cotton and an example can be seen here.  The raw denim jeans, with all the pocket stitching removed, are by Nudie and the reading glasses are retro Gucci.

Pocket circles GIFT SHOP

 I recently added a bunch of pocket squares (circles in this case) to my Etsy shop.  Suitable for both men and women they come in all sorts of fabric/print mash-ups.  My model for the day was the always jovial @jfnolen aka @fashionfanaticjames, many thanks my friend.

The bound edges are hand stitched, in this case a gingham edge with a delicate printed floral in silk cotton voile.  For more information you can view the listing right here.

 

HOW TO remove that musty smell from old clothes

Jacket Renovation pt 2

Removing that musty smell turned out to be a two part solution.  From my local fishy pet store I purchased a bag of Activated Charcoal, $14.95 for 1KG.  The charcoal is treated with steam at high temperatures allowing it's highly porous surface to absorb gas particles (the smell) at a rate disproportionate to it's size.  Thank you science!

I placed my stinky jacket into an airtight tub with a cup of charcoal, sealed it up and stored it away for two weeks.

  

The smell was greatly reduced but the faux astrakhan facing remained largely recalcitrant.  Further research suggested a quick spray of vodka would do the trick so I laid it out on the kitchen table and bobs your uncle, 10 minutes later it was as good as new.

My love of Liberty is no secret, the new lining is Edenham in black, perfect for the overall look and an instant smell reducing bonus...favourite jacket restored to regular wardrobe rotation.

Jacket renovation pt 1

I made this jacket maybe 20 years ago.  I wore it a lot but for the past 10 years it's been stored at the bottom of a trunk in the living room.  

The body was cut from a pig skin suede with a soft lamb for the trim, the facings are in an astrakhan type fabric and it's lined in a printed satin. 

It's not in great condition.  The jacket is moldy across the lower back and down one of the sleeves and there are deep fold marks in the suede.  The lining is yellowing in parts and some of the seams are splitting over the shoulder.   I can deal with all of that but the smell is overpowering, that horrible musty op shop smell that makes your eyes water. 

 

Dealing with the smell is the first priority so the lining is coming out and will be used as a pattern to cut the new one.  The gigantic shoulder pads went straight in the bin. 

Some serious smell reduction research is now underway...