reader's closet - Threads
New Look 6824 Summer Dress Sew Along
8 commentsThis summer I participated in the Summer Dress Sew Along. I decided to make a special dress. A dress that included some special sewing techniques. Susan Khalje's article in the May...
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Summer dress
1 commentI know it's too late for summer dresses but since I live in California I can still pull off this summer dress. I drafted the pattern for this dress. I make all my patterns for the clothes I sew.
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Evening dress
I just finished making an evening gown inspired by the 1960's Yves Saint Laurent evening gown.I really love the way it came out. I drafted my own pattern for this dress.
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Project American Girl Addy's Nightgown
2 commentsWe found an amazing link where you can download a few patterns for American Girl doll clothes. We will be using them in our Fashion Design class at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas...
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Jacket with Fur Collar
3 commentsI had made this jacket last fall and look forward to wearing it again. I took designs from different patterns to make this look my own.
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Sun hattitude
To complete my little trio of beachy goodness, I made this sun hat. The lining is the same as my shorts, the denim is from the same bolt as my pencil skirt, and I used red cotton broadcloth...
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I can't believe I'm wearing shorts!
Seriously, I don’t wear shorts. Except for bumming around the house on weekends. But I bared my legs on the beach, and may have gotten over my fear. Well, at the beach...
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Beach bum skirt
Whipped up just in time for vacation, and I only wish I’d been wearing this skirt all summer long. IKEA linen blend, muslin lining, invisible zip. I had slight issues with the pocket...
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scattered beads
2 commentsI made this haltered dress using a yellow crepe silk. I accentuated it with scattered beads, sequins, and pearls on the neckline. I wanted it to look simple but elegant so I added a detachable...
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Gatsby Ribbon Frock
12 commentsMy focus this year of 2011 has been to tackle projects that I thought about or started sewing YEARS ago. This project involved the subject of my personal study over the last three years, that of...
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How to make a sweet vest or waistcoat for kids.
Hello! I make children's clothes, and if you would like to see my full article on how to make this pretty waistcoat, please follow this link to my squidoo page!. if you'd like to see all of my...
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White Poppy Inspiration, a 1930's re-visit
3 commentsThis year I have been tackling those sewing projects that I started thinking about or began sewing YEARS ago! This Vintage Vogue is one of many such projects I have to share...
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One Yard Wonder
2 commentsThe print fabric was given to me by one of my sewing students, so I took it as a challenge to create a simple garment with just one yard of fabric. In order to make the skirt long enough, I added a...
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Yasmine Inspired
4 commentsThis shirt is inspired by a design seen on site of designer Yasmine. I used McCalls 6076 which gave me a different collar and sleeve but a shoulder princess seam like the original. The bodice is...
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Flouncy Blouse Redo
This shirt uses the same fabric from the flouncy blouse I draped and designed, but it was created using a pattern. It still has some fit issues, but it turned out to be wearable.
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The Lilah Dress
4 commentsA friend gave me several pieces of vintage lace from her late mother-in-law's sewing stash. I thought it would be fun to use a few pieces on something for my friends grand-daughter. I used New...
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Dress of indiscretion
1 commentThis dress was originally planned in a different fabric, but I ended up using this super-soft heathered modal. It feels fabulous against the skin! I got a little lazy while cutting out the...
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The Lord Mayor's New Clothes (Elizabethan England)
2 commentsThis costume was created for the Lord Mayor at the 2011 Central Coast Renaissance Faire, which portrays England in the year 1585. The costume is a dark blue mid-weight linen doublet with yoke...
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Octopus Halloween Costume
1 commentIt's almost halloween! I'm hoping someone craftier than me can give me advice on how to make this octopus costume. I'm great at visualizing... not so great at executing :D. I can handle the dress...
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80s Jacket Makes '11 Clutch Bag
4 commentsThis clutch bag is made from Butterick 5576 out of felted wool from a Geiger inspired jacket I made back in the 80s. Once the pewter buttons were removed and the lining cut out it was thrown into a...
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Vintage Upcycle
3 commentsI recently found at a yard sale a mint condition vintage cloth to a card table, ca 1950s. Since the blue in the cloth was the same as my grandaughter's blue eyes it would be perfect for a summer...
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Retro Inspired Swimsuit
4 commentsSo this is my second swimsuit!Made it to wear on my trip down to Southern California (visiting friends and family)Kind of had an idea of the design when I started but as usual kind of improvised as I...
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historical recreation Jane Seymour Queen of England 1530's
TUDOR GOWN:Re creation of Jane seymours gown Queen of England 1530's
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Handbags for summer!
All of these bags are for sale on my site. They are all my designs, with the only exception being the pink plaid. The pink plaid is a pattern I found, I've used it several times, just to make...
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Sewing Redux
Hello everyone! As I wrote in my bio, I started sewing at the tender age of 5. But for reasons unknown to me (more like what the heck was I thinking????), I stopped sewing about 10 years...
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Lace
I make all types of items using a hand or machine needle or hook. Some are gifts, some I sell, a few I keep for myself. I have tried all types of needlework and kept with the ones that I excell at...
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Oliver + S Tea Party Playsuit
2 commentsMade for my grandson. French General fabrics. Vintage buttons: 15¢ for the card of eight! I don't know what they are made of, but they could very well be plastic. The pattern did not call for...
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Black Renaissance Costume
1 commentThis is the second full length renaissance dress i made. Given to my daugher-in-law. It is done in black woven suede, and white satin. The lower sleeve band is covered in hand sewen pearls. The...
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Mother Nature halloween 2008
1 commentHalloween 2008, this was a formal skirt and strapless top pattern. I used it just as it was with a green dul satin. After completed i went to the local Michael's store and purchased a vine with fall...
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costumes and corsets
I love to make corsets, mostly renaissance. We had tickets for Halloween night to a play of Dracula. I thought it would be fun to go in costume. So I made my idea of a victorian corset, skirt and off...
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First Communion Dress
This was the first time I have made a first communion dress. But my neice wanted a dress done her way. So I agreed. She choose an out of print Guinne Sax from my collection. We removed the 3 teir...
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Dress form for the American Heart Association
This was a fun project, The American Heart Association provided small wire dress forms for us to create clothes for. I took mine added fleece to cover the wire frame, then to complete the look of a...
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Victorian costume
1 commentThis is the first part of the costume which includes a jacket, blouse and skirt. The fabric is a taffeta blend i found on sale. Originally the sleeves were to be short with elastic. I added a lower...
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Easy does it
This used up just one yard of this bright & beautiful, ikat-esque, polyester crinkle chiffon I found out in California on a visit to my bestie’s. Though at first the blousy, loose look of...
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silk sleepwear
2 commentssilk is the best material for sleepwear. Silk, queen of Porous protein fibers, has 18 amino acids, and good air permeability, hygroscopicity and antistatic property. Its elegance, verve, rich...
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