Ta Da! It's a skirt, NOT pants

but you probably would have noticed that anyway!

Yes, I finished the tunic outfit I had started. For some reason, I was apparently convinced that this fabric was 60" wide when I bought it, and thought I was getting enough for a tunic and pants, but lo and behold it's actually 48" wide. I tried to get more fabric, but it was all gone, so it was on to Plan B.


Link to Larger Photos Here.

The pants would have been rather plain, but with the skirt, I decided to emphasize the vertical line of the CF and CB seams by turning the seam allowances to the right side and then edgestitching. I did the hem similarly, and the top elastic casing as well, which I think is terribly cute, although no one will ever see it, as I'm certainly not going to wear this skirt (or almost any skirt) with a top tucked in. I'm just too shortwaisted for that. The skirt pattern is for knits, and although this is a fairly stretchy woven, I was worried that it would be tight, so I added 4" to the circumference. It's just fine, with plenty of room to put it on as well. I attached the 1 1/4" elastic at the top only, so the skirt hangs away from the body just a bit below that, and I think it's a success.


After all the details on the skirt, the tunic needed a bit more oomph, so I turned the hem to the right side, and made it a bit wider than it originally was, and I edgestitched all the seam allowances, although on the sleeves, since they are rolled up, I didn't stitch them to the sleeve, but left them free. I may not always roll them just the same amount, and I didn't want stitching showing on the right side.


I can hardly wait for cooler weather to wear this, as I think it's going to be great fun.

Fabric Inspiration

I got a wonderful book in the mail the other day, and have been poring over it with great enjoyment. It's called Fashioning Fabrics: Contemporary Textiles in Fashion. It has the most fabulous close ups of extraordinary fabrics and garments that I've ever seen. It's a fairly new book too, and they have some couture fabrics from very recent collections. 2005 is the latest I've noticed so far. I would definitely recommend this book if you're at all interested in this subject.

Book Description: (from amazon.com)
Fashioning Fabrics considers the work of fashion designers who put textile development at the center of their practice. Taking in both flights of fancy gracing the most exclusive catwalks in the world and emerging designers working on a much smaller scale, this stunning book explores and pays homage to the experimental, the beautiful and the extravagant in textile design. From Issey Miyake’s sculptural pleats to Jessica Ogden’s salvaged and reworked vintage fabrics, from Pucci prints to conceptual play in the designs of Hussein Chalayan, Fashioning Fabrics concentrates on innovative, challenging approaches to design. Each designer is profiled in detail and their relationship with fabrics and fashion explored. Fashioning Fabrics is beautifully illustrated with detailed images of the textiles discussed and photography illuminating the creative process from studio to catwalk. Whilst it may seem obvious that textiles play a pivotal role in fashion design, the use of fabric is rarely discussed in its own right. Fashioning Fabrics seeks to redress this imbalance. With an introduction by Sandy Black, author of Knitwear in Fashion, and a renowned writer in this field, this book traces a history of innovation and passion for textiles.

Everyone else is getting their Burda World-of-Fashion magazines today, so I feel a bit left out, but I usually get them very quickly, so I shouldn't complain.

I've been working on a Fall outfit. I found a remarkable fabric which is a stretch woven. I know I said I'd never fall for them again, but what are you going to do? It's the very au courant metallized finish as well, and it has a different color on each side, coordinating beautifully. It's a tan/gold on one side, and a gorgeous taupe on the other. I'm using an old pattern for this, the Great Copy New York Pullover, now OOP (out of print) and my favorite pants with a narrower leg. I think this is going to be a very nice tunic look. The top is almost done, and I've color-blocked a bit, with the collar and under-sleeve pieces in the taupe and the rest in gold. The pants will be taupe. The way the pattern is cut, the yoke front, back and upper sleeves are in one (with a CB seam) and the lengthwise grain goes the length of your arms. This makes it look like yet another color, which I didn't realize until I had it together. It's not a big change, but enough to be noticeable, and very attractive I think. Here's a line drawing of the pullover pattern. It was designed for fleece, but I used it once before for a loosely woven wool, and liked the results very much.