by | May 29, 2015 | Accessories, Fashion, Sewing |
Hi Beautiful People!
Sometimes when you buy a jacket, it doesn’t look as good as you think it did in the store. It happens. Buyers remorse gets us all at least once. Sometimes the problem is that the jacket is just too plain. If you think that your jackets might have that problem, there are ways to spice them up a little. Here’s how to turn that plain jacket into a fashion miracle.
This Tommy Hilfiger jacket is one of my favorites, it’s all in the details. The princess seams flatter my figure and can make a pretty dress look edgy.
JT with Vinny
Badges
Nice and simple. Removable too. If you find, your jacket needs a little more color or texture, line the outer lapels with a few badges. If you want the badges to represent your outlook or tastes, check eBay for the appropriate badges. If you’re a big fan of a certain band, why not make it known with a badge? A few too many badges can ruin the look though. Be sure to not overdo it. If you do decide to go a little overboard, there’s a tipping point where having a lot of badges has a real punk rock vibe.
Studs
On the subject of punk rock, what’s more, punk rock than studs? While you should be careful where you’re placing them, they’ll add a more defined texture to a jacket. Sticking them on one shoulder or both will instantly bring a little flavor. Just don’t overdo it, or it won’t be a very comfortable or light jacket for much longer.
Patches
When in doubt, patches can add a little color to your jacket. If you’re not too keen on the solid color of your jacket, injecting a little vibrancy can work wonders. Custom patches too are a good idea. It works on the same principle as the badges. If you want to show your outlook or tastes, patches can show that. Patches need a little more space than badges. While you can get some small patches lined on a front pocket, for more detailed designs you can them to be elsewhere. The larger patches will go directly on the back. Medium patches can go on the shoulders. Either on the top of them or at the sides.
The Worn Look
If none of the other options are right for your jacket, it might be just that it looks too new. You could wear it every day for a year to give it the worn look. A quicker way to manufacture that look artificially. Usually, different kinds of washes can give the worn look. Washed denim, for example, is pretty popular. Even to the point where they’ll sell clothes in stores that already have the look.
Leather is a little different. You want to be careful you’re not distressing it too much. The leather may crack and peel. While you do want a little bit of decay on the leather, you don’t want it falling apart. Be very careful.
If you’ve tried some of these methods on your jacket, and it still isn’t looking good? You might just have to admit the jacket might not be right for you.
by | Aug 19, 2012 | Fashion, Sewing |
Hi Bubbling Readers,
I hope your day is going well!
I designed and sewed a capelet and reversible skirt for a Product Development graduate class a few years back. I had to come up with an outline for the type of personalized woven labels that I wanted to be included in each garment if it was sold in the stores. I am now starting to get the plan going for deciding what I want to include on my label. I would like to include the labels on garments that I sew from now on.
At the time I was taking the class I felt like a true designer, I had to look up label requirements and find out why having a label was so important. My game plan was to name the label after my mother. The label would be called, BlueGlori, which is a mixture of my mother’s first name and maiden name.
Below is my graphic draft of the label so it’s a work in process.
The background of the label:
My grandmother would call my mother Glori as her nickname and Blue is my mother’s maiden name. So I reverse the names and came up with BlueGlori. In my class I decided to market reversible skirts and capelets. Having the label on my reversible skirts and accessories was a way to pay homage to my mother. Well, I am revisiting this idea from that class and resurrecting this idea again. This was so cool to me because my mother who is in heaven now has always been my style icon. To me, she represents beauty and elegance. A fashion designer has more to incorporate in a label than merely only picking out a name there’s meaning behind that name and the combinations of fabric play an important part on comfort, wear and care of the apparel in the line.
This picture below is the other side of the reversible skirt. The material is 100% silk so the skirt would be dry clean only. The capelet is made out of silk also so the fabric information is important to include on the label because you wouldn’t want the customer to put this in the washing machine.
The wrap around reversible skirt goes on effortlessly and is a timeless classic. Tie- in the timeless elegance that represents my mother which encompasses the label BlueGlori.
A pic with me in the finished garments.
This look:
A holiday party look or a night out with my husband after work by simply adding a satin tank and the capelet.
So I have the plan now to keep working on the label.
by | Dec 27, 2011 | Fashion, Sewing |
I am enjoying my hubby and doggies! This is such a wonderful time of the year and I strive to be like this all year long.
I love doing projects around my house.
I have a few alteration projects that I wanted to get done. My first project involved my red cashmere sweater. I wanted to wear the sweater to church for our Christmas service. However, it was too large. What should I do? I could have given to a charity/resell-it shop. But it is cashmere! And I really liked it and I couldn’t see giving it away.
I looked at the sweater and I decided I would take off an inch on both sides, and then finish off the seams. I started to sew at the cuff of the sleeve of the sweater and worked my down.
Stitching the sleeve and body of the sweater
The cashmere was so soft that it glided right through each stitch.
Almost and the end and making sure I backstitch for reinforcement
I cut off the extra fabric and clipped the excess threads. I repeated the process on the other side of the sweater. The finished product turned out great. It looks like I never did a thing to it. That’s just the way I like it. So if you have lost some weight and still want to keep a cool sweater, please look at it to see if it can be altered. If it is not too complicated, you can recycle a sweater where it looks completely new again.
The red sweater finished
I really like how it fits in the waist, very slimming.
My hubby and I were able to color coordinate for a holiday photo.
JT and hubby
More fitted in the waist
Outfit Review
Red Cashmere Sweater – Macy’s
Blouse – J Crew
Trousers -Jones New York
Loafers – Anne Klein
Heart Necklace – Nolan Miller
Ceramic Watch – Isaac Mizrahi
Christmas Bracelet – Gift
Gold Heart Charm Bracelet – Gift
Emerald Green Ring – Sajen
I serve in the Communion Ministry at church so I like to look polished, but comfortable. I need to be able to move and be on my feet to help with the juice and bread. I have two more cashmere sweaters, one in white and one in pink, that I need to alter the same way. It is a good feeling to know that with a few minor alterations, I can still wear these sweaters.
by | Jun 11, 2011 | Fashion, Sewing |
A friend of mine is getting slim (congrats to her!) and asked me to see what I could do with the waistband on her favorite skirt. Well the waistband was far gone. So much so that it had no elastic stretch left in it.
A lot of things happened during the time she gave it to me and I started working on it. So I decided today that I would get to it. I started by cutting out the original waistband because it was serving no use to the skirt at all. I am creative, so the ideas flow and I run with it.
Old Waistband
I folded over the top of the fabric, like sewing a hem on a pair of pants.
Folded over fabric to sew
I did not need to iron because the gauze fabric is so pliable. So I began to sew the waistband of the skirt.
Getting ready to sew the fabric waistband
This is a broom stick skirt. It has a lot of fabric so this took some time to stitch around the circumference of the skirt.
I made sure I left an opening for the elastic to go into. I used the method of a safety pin on the end of the elastic and working the elastic through the opening.
Pulling Elastic through the waistband
After I finished bringing the elastic through, I sewed the opening closed. I moved the fabric around so the gathers were even.
I finished off the skirt by stitching over the waistband to make sure the elastic doesn’t roll.
Finished skirt.
This is a great way to recycle a piece of clothing. It’s a new skirt because by taking off the original waistband I brought the length up a bit and it looks really pretty.
This is a cool tune from Rochelle Jordan. Was listening to this while I was sewing.
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