april 2017

slow-fashion schedules & my completed "hello, sweetie!" super mash-up dress


dearies,

i'm thrilled to share my latest super mash-up dress, "hello, sweetie!" (aka "the tardis dress") with you!

she took a bit longer than i had anticipated but let's chinwag about that a moment, shall we?

slow-fashion is all about embracing slower production schedules. it's quite common for many slow-fashion designers to wait until you place your garment order before they begin cutting and assembling your item. because of this, your average wait time is anywhere from 2-6 weeks for the completion and shipment of your finished garment.

i've intentionally chosen to not follow this tenant. i prefer to be solely responsible for my designs - the cutting, sewing, everything. so, why not embrace a "sew-it-as-it's-ordered" philosophy? "hello, sweetie!" is the perfect example of why i do not!

perhaps you have a particular creative skill? maybe you paint, draw, knit or design lovely flower arrangements? maybe you even sew or bake and decorate cakes?! chances are you'll know of what i share: things don't always go as planned! 

"hello, sweetie!" is a super mash-up dress, which means it utilizes three complimentary patterned prints, one of which is a plum-hued gingham. as a long-time seamstress, it's my belief that if you have a balanced pattern in a selected fabric, one needs to match up one's seams (as best as one can) to allow the eye to see an uninterrupted continuation of the print at these seams. this, dearies, is why i pay great attention to matching up my print dress center panels just so! admittedly, all this matching up can be a bit tricky. a lot of variables come into play from the particular print itself to how the garment pattern is drafted. with the gradual waist-to-hip a-line flare of my dresses, sometimes a fabric print cooperates, other times, they get a bit...well lets just call it "finicky", shall we? 

she was coming together beautifully until i was ready to stitch the dress side seams together. when cutting my fabric pieces for this frock, i had taken great pains to match up the pattern of the front and back side pieces so they'd match up when stitched together. except, when the time came to sew them, they didn't match up quite as planned.

i'd thought i had done a better job matching up the pattern before cutting...

but no, the reality was my front and back side fabric pieces were ever so slightly off their intended mark, just enough to make a difference.

continuing onward, i made a slight adjustment to better align the gingham patterns at their respective seams. unfortunately, the adjustment only worked to my advantage on one side of the dress, but not so well on the other. not having the patience for finicky fabric, i decided to stitch together the remaining pieces and let it hang in my upstairs studio for a few days while i took a little break from it all.

a few days turned into weeks, and honestly, i couldn't get the motivation to re-work what needed to be done to complete it.  finally, one lovely (and rare) sunshine-filled afternoon i forced myself to sit down and take that portion of the dress apart and put her back together again. now, i'm happy to report, she is lovely and ready to be acquired!

when i started darling dearie i made the decision not to be creative under the pressure of "sew-as-it's-ordered". the last thing i want is to feel is that i have the sword of damocles hanging over my head! what a creativity killer, right? many of my fabrics are either vintage or discontinued fabric runs. it's very difficult with discontinued fabrics, and practically impossible with vintage fabric to (obviously) procure more if you suddenly need additional yardage to complete a project. and as you now understand, it doesn't take much for a project to go unexpectedly south when you least expect it. instead, i prefer to know that i have a completed dress in hand, worthy of being worn and loved to threads by you. this philosophy also benefits my personal slow-fashion business model, as i can photograph the completed item, allowing you to see it as it actually looks.

additionally, having my frocks pre-made, allows you to receive your one-of-a-kind beauty faster than having to wait for me to construct it and then send it off. i do love the premise behind the construction schedules for slow-fashion, but that version is not my personal cup of tea.

being a self-confessed perfectionist having high standards for both myself and my garments and oddments collections, is definitely a double-edged sword (damocles or otherwise). however, when you experience how beautiful and well-constructed these one-of-a-kind, flattering, versatile, and emminently wearable dresses truly are, i think you'll agree that my being a maverick is a good thing indeed!

as we finally come out of the grip of winter and head into a lovely spring and summer, social calendars start to become filled with weddings, baby showers, parties and graduations. my one-of-a-kind, slow-fashion frocks will take you beautifully through your calendar engagements. i'm confident you'll find your versatile dress, whether a gateway, mash-up or super mash-up, will become the perfect dress for social engagements as well as casual trips to the lake, beach, pool or just to wear as you relax in the hammock. once the weather starts to cool off and we transition back to fall, your dress will easily layer over t-shirts with sweaters, leggings and denim to keeping you looking stylish as the seasons change.

enjoy these days of spring, dearies! 

until my next missive...

XOXO

darling