301paydayloansonl.com/

Shortest Time to Get Payday Loan Online

Payday loans online offered by lending firms features in fact absolutely completely changed this entire process of allowing financial loans. As such you're less than funds along with consider getting effortless pay day advance loan, make sure you utilize online and that will surely save your time as you will take a job to try to get a new loan without seeing the lender and therefore helping you save through distributing applications personally.

In reality Payday loans online is the best choice to satisfy your instant obligations, like having to pay your debts soon enough that will in any other case appeal to very high curiosity as well as punishment and for some other un-anticipated cost, which you might not necessarily anticipate at the beginning of the actual month. Even so, to avail this kind of loans you'll want to maintain credit history on optimistic part to become entitled.

While trying to get such a loan you need to guarantee to have best interest rates on distinct internet sites associated with financing organizations making detailed review to reach best cope befitting to your requirement. These kinds of financing firms typically give an individual loan with little paper work nevertheless, you have to have standard revenue plus there shouldn't be any other payday loans online exceptional in opposition to anyone.

Mens Clothing Advice – Best Dress Tips for Men

Payday Loans Overview

Customized t-shirts are the way to ensure that you are allowing Upunique.com knows about ideas, feelings and designs which you like. This also allows you to advertise your organization fashionably. Since the t-shirts are capable of showing particular beliefs about apparel, the likely decision is to be able to project the ideas, pictures and ideas for you to other folks over the variations.

Once you start considering linen suit, you will need to start by discovering the right suit. Typically, you will be able to find fundamental t-shirts which may have particular reduces. This can be separated simply by women and males t-shirts. This will still incorporate small, prolonged or even no sleeve possibilities. A number of places will also gain sweats that you can style along with printing. You may even uncover differences in exactly how the actual neck of the guitar is actually formed with all the t-shirt, in addition to a deviation involving measures to the masturbation sleeves.

Not simply will the actual t-shirts have diverse slashes and fashions you could pick from, but will also include certain patterns. You will need to think about this just before a t-shirt, to be able to make certain that matches with the entire emblem or phrasing you might be putting on the particular clothes. After you have made the decision which in turn set of t-shirts you want to assist, you can then move into producing custom shirts. This particular commences with finding tips, phrases, key phrases, images or perhaps photos that you would like. This will likely complement the placement from the suggestions, in the center place sideways or back of the t-shirt. When placing the info you need to the right spot, you will want to make certain you make the correct graphic impression with the colors and placement. By simply messing around with the design, there is a potential of developing sure the information you are interested in expressing will stick out.

301paydayloansonline2.com/

Payday Loans Online To Helping Your Emergencies

It's not at all without explanations why a quick payday loan online is generally known as quick payday loans. The truth is these refinancing options will not require that you proceed through a complicated method in places you suffer from a lot of financial papers. You don't actually require fax your monetary paperwork on the banking institutions to obtain the authorization for cash advance on the internet.

In case you fulfill the minimum membership conditions, you can get instantaneous endorsement for a similar without having faxed any kind of documents. Nearly all finance institutions along with economic businesses are making everything available online. You need to simply fill in online software for that advance payday loans, delivering particular particulars with regards to your demands, your own employment details and the specifics of your own bank checking account where your own wages are paid monthly. This data are usually reviewed within a day, along with normal situations, you happen to be authorized for that payday loans inside twenty-four hrs.

In case you go delinquent about the payment date from the payday loans online, or perhaps there isn't sufficient equilibrium on your account, you will be charged a lack of success with the, and also the deadlines to the low interest rate payday advance is going to be expanded on your subsequent pay day advance - the day if you gets your following pay. Around the upcoming payment date, you'll need to pay took out volume as well as a certain amount of curiosity.

Wearitable1

Shirt for Charity Events

Increasing cash with regard to charity has grown to be much more demanding considering that the credit crunch, and also fundraising have to get far more imaginative than in the past to have their fans giving. Shirts for charity enables you to increase well-being amidst your assistants, boost funds and also assistance with the important associated with activities, it's just reliant on picking the right item of clothing regarding customization.

Private garments for charities

In case you manage Non profit news situations, where you can pool of regular volunteers or perhaps workers, think about providing customized clothing that is certainly printed with all the charitable organization emblem, site and also tagline * and possesses a specific shade or perhaps style that just workers along with employees could use. You can find multiple benefits:

- Participants throughout fundraising activities are able to recognize staff along with helpers quickly

- High-quality personalized outfits could increase morale among your employees and volunteers, and produce all of them sense portion of a team

- The logo and internet site will assist you to maintain nonprofit and its cause obvious

And if you're working a meeting which has a fee to be able to Local non profit, you could offer a free t-shirt as part of the price. This particular is helpful for occasions using more and more individuals, since volume requests involving published t-shirts decrease the price tag on every item of clothing. Again, be sure that the logo and website for your nonprofit are part of the design, whilst the look to since couple of colors as possible to hold the price lower.

The choice of clothes available for marketing is larger than previously. Finding the time to consider the alternatives can't merely raise money on your charitable organization, but in addition increase your charity's user profile.

Differences Between Bespoke Suits and MTM Suits

There exists good deal associated with controversy along with false impression in the difference between bespoke suits and MTM suits. The actual fits which are sewn on built to measure relate to the process where predesignated patterns are employed, which are altered to suit the actual rating with the clients. These kind of outfits fit much better than people that are ready to don, which are mostly bought simply by Americans. Your created to evaluate clothing may be side attached or stitched around the devices.

Complementing patterns and colors is the concept of appropriate, but trendy company attire. Artist neckties using daring designs are best matched along with basic suits and shirts. Also, striped suits should be associated with a basic gown shirt and a solid-colored tie up. Should you select a blue pinstripe suit, complement this with a ordinary bright outfit shirt plus a solid-colored tie. In this way, almost all elements blend together.

These kind of solid as well as quietly stylish pink shirts for men might be donned in numerous events. In contrast to basic, reliable coloration tops, it has the individuality involving twill jacquard natural cotton twill cloth, making it glossy as well as easy.This mild pink shirt emits any responsive impact along with a three-dimensional experience. It may be matched with a in contrast to man made fibre tie up, preventing the reliable color suits via hunting way too tedious and common.

Navy wool suit characterized by it's masterful creating and layout, is suitable for all instances. This particular 120s pure wool fabric along with superb rigid amount can certainly produce a simple and clean format. The particular processed glossiness along with smooth feel with the wool textile can make one feel comfortable and also self-confident.

Forecast For Fashion 2012

Forecast for style 2012 is here now! Fashion is definitely changing and unknown. You really can not forecast exactly what style is within along with what exactly is not really. Out of your tender are some guidelines to keep gorgeous or higher up to now about the outfits for 2012.

Hey there, will not put your entire 2011 clothes as well as hurry in your preferred store for the fresh and most up-to-date fashion wear for 2012, certainly not till New Year. New Year implies various things, however for fashion, that implies the new stylish and chic 2012. What to anticipate regarding 2012 in fashion business? Here are several listings that could get the arms started out.

Hues: Next year will probably be for your combination of warm colors and people soft tonal capabilities which will normally show contentment plus a fantastic a sense well-being. These kinds of colours are different tones regarding lemon, delicate tone regarding yellow, beautiful green, the ones smooth natural and organic shades that we end up watching. It's also far more concerned about the periodic palette from diverse tones involving grey along with fairly neutral shades. For the gown: figure will be here along with individuals female elaborate particulars throughout every single outfit. Tea attire and applications are saved to the best way towards runway with assorted layers involving training collars as well as cuts which might be rather well considered.

Reduced rise as well as skin restricted denims are really yesterday, right here right now are the extensive lower leg pants and flared denims both for genders. Consequently go on and explore your own wardrobe of those trousers are very last today.

Also consider individuals 360 degrees dresses as well as clothes. This means that a corner and also the entrance section of the outfit or perhaps garments offers type with some other shape, drapes thus setting up a 3D look.

Never neglected the components. Next year, 2012 will certainly even now includes gorgeous components through fairly neutral hues and hues. Hold on to these fake pendants and your grandmother's brooch associated with your own because of it is still looking for the next year. Metallic hues are so out and about this coming year.

hiphoprevol

hiphoprevol

In the Mood for Sicily

Dear readers, doesn't the fabric on this skirt remind you of Sicily? Black with tiny modest flowers, beaded in slightly irregular pattern to make it look just so perfect and authentic...

I picked this beauty at Mood on Monday two weeks ago, just a day before we took a plane to Europe.

THE (SEWING) HOLIDAY

Because our holiday is exceptionally long this year (the reason behind the light posting recently) - four weeks, readers - I decided to take some sewing with me. I packed this fabric (incl underlining and lining) along with tangerine red dress-in-progress, hoping to work on both projects at my in-laws in Germany. Yet, my mother-in-law's sewing machine I hoped to use was beyond home repair and so I put my already-basted tangerine dress aside and took on the beaded chiffon challenge.

THE MOOD

I have to say a few words about the fabric before I explain the project. As I said before I got it at Mood. I went to Mood knowing I wanted a 'statement' fabric for a simple skirt, a garment I could dress up or down.

Now, Mood has a small but great 'lace' section. Unfortunately, high quality lace in colors other than white and cream sells out really fast, but if you are flexible you are likely to find some gem pieces at a very reasonable price! This was the case with my beaded fabric too, as I was initially looking for dark solid-color guipure or Alencon lace.

THE SKIRT

As I am typing this post, the project is finished. As you see it is a straight skirt - simple project for complex fabric. I took pictures of the work-in-progress and will upload them as soon as I am back.

For now I will just finish this post with a quick note that this skirt is done all by hand (partly due to the absence of a sewing machine, and partly due to the nature of the fabric). It has only one, center back seam, with the most work gone into removing and resewing beads.

... AND THE STARRY NIGHTS

Please excuse me if I am very slow to answer your comments - I am currently in a picturesque place in South Tirol, in Italian Alps and the closest connection is a 30-min hike away. In fact, I am quite happy I am not distracted by internet as I truly enjoy the tranquility and the beauty surrounding us here. No music, no traffic, just pure nature, the Alps and the incredibly starry nights...

Let me just share this view from our terrace where I sew slowly, couple of hours a day while my younger daughter naps in our bed.

Sew Organized: Thread

Dear readers, a while ago I organized my sewing space, so I could easily find and store things, reducing clutter and time spent finding the right tool. I loved reading about your sewing spaces, so now it's my turn to share.

This week I am organizing thread. And here my solution (nothing original, I admit, but quite efficient).

I buy my thread in bulk during 50% sale at Jo-Ann's. Most of what you see there is Guterman Polyester and Mettler silk-finish cotton. What you see is not one giant thread rack. I used two Mega Racks by June Tailor. Mine accommodates 90 spools on each rack, that is 180 altogether.

I store my basting thread separately because I use three main colors: white, black and red. But more about it in another post.

How do you store your thread, readers?

Review: Moulage Class with Kenneth D. King

Dear readers, here is the part one of the promised review of Kenneth D. King's Moulage class. The class took place at the Sew Right Sewing Machines in Bayside, Queens, New York. Yet despite the remote location - it takes at least one hour to get there from Manhattan or West Queens - this class was worth every single minute spent commuting.

Instruction was excellent, the only thing that I found confusing was the organization. I dragged way too many things, including my sewing machine on the first day. It turned out we didn't really need the sewing machine on the first two workshop days at all, alas. But let's focus on the essential things: the class itself.

DAY ONE: MEASUREMENTS AND BODICE BACK

When we arrived everyone got a print-out with moulage instructions accompanied by an insight into Kenneth's rich biography. I loved his stories about Simmin Sethna, Kenneth's  patternmaking teacher. Simmin, who "was considered THE ONE to go to if one really was serious about learning", taught him the moulage method.

"When I get done teaching you, you won't need ANYONE - you'll KNOW! You will be able to draft anything," Simmin said to Kenneth reportedely. 

Kenneth was cracking jokes and telling anecdotes non-stop, yet despite this rather cheerful distraction we managed to take about 25 accurate measurements to draft the front and the back bodice block. Kenneth demonstrated how to take measurements on one of the students. We filled out our measurement sheet and proceeded to calculations.

This image was actually taken on Day 3; and, if you are a Threads magazine reader, you can see that Kenneth is wearing sheer jeans he made for the latest issue. He is fun! )

Once we were done calculating fractions (horror, I tell you), the back bodice was drafted. Kenneth demonstrated only a few steps at a time and then let us do it on our own. He regularly checked what we did and pointed out occasional mistakes. I thought he was completely in control. He also encouraged us to ask questions and was happy to answer them in detail.


(By the way, this was so different from the continuing ed patternmaking class I took at Parsons couple of years ago. The instructor just demonstrated the steps and never really explained the 'why' of the process. I just think you cannot learn patternmaking without understanding the link between the body shape, its movement and the flat pattern.)

However, I guess, at the end I was a little too inquisitive because Kenneth told me: "Just trust me". Yet, he did answer that last question later, when the block was drafted and he could demonstrate how that previous step made sense after all.

That's it, readers. I will finish this class review next week - there is more to say about the process, the fit and the slopers we walked out with.

What's your patternmaking experience? How did you learn it? Do you prefer to draft patterns yourself, or would you rather use commercial patterns?

Next Project Started

One more garment off my list this week - more about it later - now I wanted to share with you that I am finally working on the next one. Here are the fabrics, aren't the colors vibrant???

The tangerine is a very nice and fine wool I got a few days ago from Mood; and the blue silk tweed was sitting in my stash for a while now. So, my first project is a dress made with this tangerine wool.

MY NEW PATTERNMAKING ADVENTURE

I am not using any particular pattern this time but creating my own, using the sloper we drafted in the Kenneth King's Moulage class. If you remember, I took this class to be able to draft well-fitted garments myself. I think Kenneth's Moulage method produces very good fit for custom clothes, but more about it in a separate post.

The dress has simple lines, no sleeves, so I just need to add some design elements and draft a skirt. I will be making a muslin, of course, but mostly to check the design. Fitting alterations will be minimal, I hope, because the bodice was fitted, and the pattern we drafted was altered accordingly.

The red and blue lines you see on this picture relate to the dress and jacket sloper, and include wearing ease. I am so curious how it will work. Check in later this week for my work-in-progress update.

What are you working on right now? Any new techniques, methods you are trying?

Inspiration: Bustier referencing at Dior

Readers, are you following Haute Couture shows in Paris. Day 2 was no disappointment, with Dior being the most spectacular collection of the day. It's amazing, actually, as the new designer at Dior is Raf Simons who was responsible for the minimalist and linear style of Jil Sander. It seems, Simons surprised everyone, downgrading bias-cut dresses and Kabuki styling of Galliano to a footnote, according to the Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley.

My intention is not to critique this collection though. I thought, rather, I would look for details that make this show memorable - there were plenty, really! Instead, I wanted to quote another fashion guru, Cathy Horyn at the New York Times, because she captured the essence of the couture:

"His clothes are often so simple that you have to look at them for a while before you see the small gesture or the magisterial way of sleeveless black crepe falls over the body. He gets the most and the best out of couture, and this is just the start.”

 So, here are some of those small gestured that captivated me. I loved how Simmons translated the strapless look (which dominated his first collection) into other pieces. Enjoy!

This seemingly simple dress has elaborate bust shaping, similar to a bustier,
and a yoke that look like as if it covers a strapless dress. Beautiful dress, and with some patternmaking skills...
Source: {Stylebistro.com}

Now this looks like boobs talking to the audience on both sides of the runway. Not sure whether this detail directly references something done in the past, but in any case it is very weird. Am I the only one?
Source: {Stylebistro.com}

Classic tailoring spiced up!  Love this bustier cups!
Source: {Stylebistro.com}

This is a dress I would love to make! Not with glitter but maybe with lace instead. Not sure what it is, but it does create an illusion of a strapless dress. Fun!
Source: {Stylebistro.com}

Again, cup shaping resonates bustier shaping.
Source: {Stylebistro.com}

Now, what do you think? Do you think Raf Simons showed a fresh angle on Dior? Does Haute Couture inspire you to add new challenges to your sewing, try new techniques, introduce new styles? 

WORK-IN-PROGRESS: Stays

I am back to the bias stays/facing theme as I used bias stays and bias facings on my flapper dress.

{edit} If you are new to this - thanks, Oona, for reminding - stays are used to stabilize seamlines or garment edges to prevent stretching, not to be confused with the waist stay.

 It is probably one of the more fascinating subjects for me since stays belong to those invisible but crucial techniques in couture sewing. And once you dig into this topic you will uncover quite a few options. Who knows what to use? and why?... After taking several classes with Susan Khalje, making quite a few couture garments myself, and researching a range of available resources I began to understand the choices; and so, today, I want to share my findings with you.

I don't use fusible stays, so I won't cover those. But I hope this brief overview of sew-in stays will help you save your time when looking for the most appropriate stabilizing choice. 

TWILL TAPE 

Availablility: Black or white, polyester (less bulky) or cotton.

Width: 1/4" is preferred for stabilizing

Characteristics: straight grain, stabilized seams will never stretch, will behave equally well after washing

Fabric suitability: heavy- to mediumweight woven fabrics

Fit: close fit, tailored styles

Support: only on straight edges or seams, such as waistline, or top edge of the strapless bodice, etc.

FABRIC SELVAGE & STRAIGHT-GRAIN STAYS  

Availablility: fashion fabric selvage, can be made of china silk, silk organza, silk chiffon or cotton voile. Chose the stay to match the weight, the color and draping characteristics of your fabric. Stays cut on lengthwise grain can also be used, as well as crossgrain stays, but they are not as sturdy as the selvage, and, in addition, the crossgrain-cut stay will have some stretch. If you do use stays cut on lengthwise or crossgrain, do press them and stretch while pressing to remove all the stretch. I explain the reasons below, under bias-cut stays.

Width: 1/4" is preferred for stabilizing

Characteristics: firm support, perfect match in color and weight because it is cut from the same fabric, minimum bulk

Fabric suitability: sheer or delicate woven fabrics, medium-weight fabrics, bouclé.

Fit: any styles

Support:  straight edges or seams, such as waistline, or top edge of the strapless bodice, etc.

ELASTIC STAY

Availability: purchase braided elastic (gets narrow when stretched)

Width: approximately 1/4"(0.5 cm)

Characteristics: flexible support, allows to move, but returns to shape; bulky, so cannot be used on light-weight fabrics.

Fabric and Style Suitability: medium-weight fabrics, especially on dresses and tops with plunging necklines; also used for armholes.  


Fit: close fit


Support: deep necklines, armholes, and similar applications. Here I want to add that on those deep necklines you can always consider using boning to keep the neckline close to your body.  Elastic can keep the neckline taut, while boning will prevent the garment from revealing too much when you move. More on it later.

Application: it is applied using the catchstitch, which encases the elastic on both sides without piercing it - elastic should be able to move. The elastic is then pulled up to the desired length and securily sewn to the garment at the end.

SEAMS GREAT

Availablility: 100 % percent nylon; in black, white or ivory; bias or straight grain.

Width: available in 5/8"

Characteristics: light support, sheer and lightweight, minimum bulk,

Fabric suitability: sheer or delicate woven fabrics

Support: straight or slightly curved seams, prevents seam slippage.

Notes: Susan Khalje also recommends using bias-cut tricot to stabilize scalloped seams on knit fabrics.

BIAS-CUT STAY

on the top, the strip after pressing, stretching and steaming out the bias;
below, initial width. 

Availablility: DIY, I use a matching silk organza to make this bias stays because organza and sturdy and sheer at the same time. Bias stays need to be cut on true bias and then stretched and presses until all the stretch disappears. (Read my earlier post on bias stays)

Width: 1/4" - 3/8" 

Characteristics: light support, perfect match in color and weight because it can be cut from matching silk organza, minimum bulk, minimal fraying. The width of the strip reduces to almost a third of the original after pressing, the length increases, and the strip does tend to return to original shape if moved. It's simple mechanics, and so that's why you remove all bias with pressing - the strip can only get slightly shorter during the wear - making the stay perfect for necklines and armholes. In this, this stay works similarly as the elastic stay mentioned above. Finally, because of the bias the stay creates a softer edge (or roll) where it is applied, which I personally like more. Straight-grain stays, or folds produce a crisper edge when pressed. 

Fabric suitability: sheer or delicate woven fabrics, knits, lace.

Fit: any styles

Support:  shaped seams on wovens, straight and shaped seams on knits, seams on bias-cut garments, especially zippers, etc.

MY FAVORITES

I tend to use organza selvage for straight/ on-grain edges and shoulder seams. If seams are cut on the bias (V-neck, for example), especially on the lightweight fabrics, I prefer using bias stays, also from silk organza.

TUTORIALS & RESOURCES

At this point I cannot link to tutorials on how to apply this different type of stays - I am working on the bias stay tutorial - but you can find some information in the following resources.

• Bridal Couture by Susan Khalje (out of print) (overview of stays and twill tape application on top edge, and more)
• Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer (overview of stays)
• Couture Techniques Workshop DVD by Claire Shaeffer, (covers stay application and elastic stay)
• Professional Sewing Techniques for Designers by Julie Cole and Sharon Czachor (entire chapter dedicated to stays, or stabilizers)
• Threads Magazine - Threads Insider area (paid) gives you access to the Couture Techniques Workshop  DVD for free, as well as access to many great articles and videos by industry experts.

Readers, do you use different stays in your sewing? What were your biggest stay frustration moments? Are you interested in a tutorial on how to apply any of those stays? 

Reliable Iron: the prize has arrived!

This was the fastest delivery ever, readers! Just one week after Patternreview.com officially announced that I won the Natural Fiber Contest I had the prize. Kimberly of Reliable Corporation contacted me on Monday and on Thursday the iron was delivered. Can you believe it? Here is the proof:

As you can see, I am now a proud owner of Digital Velocity V100. I haven't tested it yet, but I hope it will last longer than my Rowenta, which produces great steam but doesn't last (it's my second Rowenta in two years). Reliable claims it is a 'revolutionary home iron', ahem... Anyway, I chose it over a simpler Velocity V50, because V100 has a larger water capacity. Well, it's great to have a second iron, since the life span of home electronics is relatively short nowadays, so I am really happy to have won this.

Meanwhile, I promise I will report if this iron will perform extraordinarily well or extraordinarily bad. Thanks for making me a winner, readers! And, of course, thanks to the Reliable Corporation and to the PatternReview.com.

Now, let me ask you - what is your favorite iron? Anything you can recommend? 

It's official... I won the Natural Fiber Contest

Even if you are tired of the dress, let me mention it one last time because it won the Natural Fibers Contest on PatternReview.com! This is so exciting, and thanks a lot to everyone who voted or followed the process. There are so many beautiful entries in the contest and I am very honored to be a part of such a talented group of people! ...Ahem, and, apparently I won an iron from Reliable Corporation. I promise I will unpack it with you )

Learning patternmaking all over again

I am one class away from completing Moulage class with Kenneth D. King, and I feel ready to slowly move away from commercial patterns and conquer patternmaking and integrate it into my sewing.

I must add that I did take couple of patternmaking classes, but to be honest, both the teaching and the results didn't live up to my expectations. It is different with Kenneth's method. I've seen his students using moulage method in their sewing and I know it produces well-fitted garments. Being able to control the pattern and make your own designs is very liberating. So, I decided I will learn this method! What I need is a better drafting foundation and detailed reasoning of the steps. 

Here is my plan:

• Moulage will serve as the foundation for the patterns I will be drafting during the challenge. 
• I will start with skirts.
• Resources I use are Kenneth D. Kings CD-Rom 'Skirts' (as well as other patternmaking e-books he wrote) and 'The Architecture of Women's Clothing' by Suzy Furrer. 

Let me elaborate on Suzy Furrer's book. I am using it because Furrer had the same teacher as Kenneth D. King, Simmin Sethna, and the method she describes is relatively similar to Kenneth's. I like comparing both sources for more reasoning behind individual steps. 


From what I understand, it took both, Kenneth and Suzy, two years of daily study to complete Simmin's course, which was based on couture patternmaking method she studied at Ecole Guerre-Lavigne (now ESMOD) in Paris. There is a good article about Simmin and her students on Soma magazine website if you want to learn more.


I want to learn what Kenneth and Suzy learnt, and classes with Kenneth and the books I mentioned is all I got. I will try to blog about the progress as regularly as possible, and will as well post the reviews of the sources I use. It won't be a draft-along type of posting (for that you need to consult the books or take Kenneth's class), but more of a review, where, based on final results, you will be able to see whether the method works. 


Have you tried making your own patterns, readers? If not, why? and if yes, how did/do you learn patternmaking? Does it work for you?  

Flapper style on runways

Being pre-occupied with flapper dress construction, I just could not pass this opportunity and share with you some of my favourite picks from this season's runways. I truly love this trend as many of these pieces are very versatile and can be worn day or night, for work or walk.

Once a turning point in women's wear, flapper style remains highly feminine and very expressive. I believe it still takes a personality to work Art Deco-inspired pieces - so strong is the language of geometry, symmetry and color of that era. And that's a good thing! Why else would we, readers, make our own clothes if we didn't want to express who we are?

RALPH LAUREN

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
For a simpler version, embellishing along construction lines will add a beautiful touch, playing it up with a contrasting trim or toning it down with matching beading. 

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
I love the styling of this masculine ensemble. Two strands of pearls, with smaller and larger beads. This piece is clearly inspired by Robert Redford's wardrobe in the Great Gatsby, designed by Ralph Lauren himself.

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
I like how this intricate embroidered fabric is mounted on organza - very sexy!

CHRISTIAN DIOR

{source: stylebistro.com}
Hip area is beautiful, with lace peeking through the chevron pattern.

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
Another heavily embedded piece in combination with sheers.

{source: stylebistro.com}
More sheers (chiffon and organza, I believe)

ETRO

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
Contrasting hip line devides ethnic inspired heavily embellished fabrics. Select any analogous colors from the color wheel to create similar effect. 

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
Too much embellishment for my taste, but I love the double 'skirt' part!

{source: stylebistro.com}
One of my favorites - I love this simple dress with the matching necklace

ALBERTA FERRETTI

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
This yoke transforms any skirt in an instant Art Deco piece

GUCCI

{source: stylebistro.com}

{source: stylebistro.com}
stunning! wearable?

{source: stylebistro.com}
This one is number one on my list!!! Very elegant, very simple and very flattering!

{source: stylebistro.com}

Do you like this style, readers? Are you making any Jazz-Age inspired pieces? 

Burdastyle Flapper dress: Fabric Selection

continuing on the topic of delicate fabrics, today's post will cover fabric selection for my flapper dress. I am making it as a part of my Burdastyle Couture Challenge series in June.

I settled for the combination of navy-color silks:

• crepe-de-chine for the underdress fashion fabric
• charmeuse for the underdress underlining
• chiffon for the skirt 
• chantilly lace for the top

UNDERLINING

As I move forward with the couture challenge, I am really glad to notice that I am slowly developing some kind of intuitive confidence with regard to the choices I make. And so, this time I was sure I needed to use silk charmeuse to underline the crepe-de-chine underdress. Don't ask me why... Or actually, I can explain it. Silk organza - the workhorse of underlining - was too stiff for this project. I could imagine it for a full skirt, or more fitted piece (depends), but here I wanted soft and sumptuous drape, with some weight to it, similar to 3-ply silk... I am glad Susan Khalje (who very generously acts as a mentor of this self-imposed couture undertaking on Burdastyle) approved of it.

"Charmeuse would be lovely as an underlining, and it can almost serve as a lining as well.  Organza would be too stiff - too unlike the charmeuse in drape and movement." 

LINING

As you can see I haven't mentioned lining. And even though I initially considered to use lining for this dress, I was not sure. Somehow, it seemed to me that the dress will have too many layers for no obvious reason. Susan confirmed this doubt and suggested not to use lining as well.

"I think the crepe de chine and charmeuse would be enough, unless for some reason you want things to be heavier, in which case you could always use the matte side of a heavy charmeuse instead of crepe de chine,  but I think that would be too much.  It's a light dress."

CHIFFON ON A BUDGET

Selecting chiffon turned out to be more challenging than I initially thought. I bought crepe-de-chine and charmeuse at Mood Fabrics. But I could not get chiffon that would be lustrous enough to match the silks on the underdress and the lace on the top. All navy chiffons I checked were in a way 'milky', somehow not quite as transparent as I wanted them to be. Maybe I was too picky, but I decided to try elsewhere as well. So, at B&J I found two types of chiffon, Korean (similar to Mood's selection) and French (twice the price of the Korean). But, readers, you should see that French chiffon - it is just perfect - lustrous, bright, transparent, deep - you name it. I did splurge on French chiffon, readers. There was too much difference between the two to hesitate. The morale of the story, shop with all the fabrics you use for the project and compare. Never settle for the first best thing.

LACE

Now, since I splurged on chiffon, I decided to be super frugal with the lace. The magazine suggests purchasing 1.5m (1.6 yard) of 90cm - wide (appr. a yard) of lace. Of course, I did want to get a good French Chantilly lace for this project, but 1.5 meters was just out of question. 


I could only get half the length with the money left for the dress, so I had to think where I can save lace. I needed scallops on the hem only, because the armholes and the neckline are going to be treated with matching organza bias tape. The navy lace that B&J had, is 120cm wide (appr. 47"), and has scallops on both sides, so I can position the pattern pieces on 'crossgrain' to be able to make use of it. The only problem was the width of the lace, as I needed additional 20 cm to accommodate the finished length of the top. 


The answer was piecing at the top portions of the lace top, the last 10cm between the neckline and the armhole. I will need only four small pieces of lace which I will invisibly attach following the pattern and using tiny fell stitches. Bias binding will give the top additional support to compensate for the loss of the lace strength where it is pieced.  Yes, it is extra work, but is it worth the money I saved - absolutely! And, remember, I got that gorgeous chiffon, so...

Directional sewing to eliminate distortion

Do you ignore grain direction when stitching? You will probably get away with it if you are working with medium and heavy weight wovens. But if you work, like me this month, with delicate fabrics, you will want to take full advantage of this sewing method as it will help you avoid distortion and puckers. This applies to any fabric edges that are cut off-grain.

WIDE TO NARROW

It took me a while to understand and to actually use directional sewing with all my projects. Here are two easy ways to know which direction to sew:

• Sew from wide to narrow: the wide part of your garment piece is the strongest, because it has more thread intersections and is less likely to distort out of shape, or

• Run your finger along the edge of the garment piece. If the threads stand out you are moving your finger against the grain; if they lie smoothly – that’s the direction you want to sew. 

STAYSTITCHING...

...should always be done ‘directionally’. On the neckline, collar, or sleeve cap, resist stitching around the piece.

On the photograph below, I staystitched the neckline from the V-point to the shoulder, repeating the same for the other side.

NOT JUST STITCHING: 

A finicky fabric would also require that you follow the grain when cutting and, especially, pressing!

I am using a light-weight muslin for my flapper dress top, so I am extremely careful not to stretch out neckline and armholes when pressing. In fact, after the muslin piece was cut, I staystitched those off-grain parts and then pressed, and then checked against the paper pattern again to make sure that I haven’t accidentally stretched out any of those edges.

Do you use directional stitching in your sewing?

under construction...

--- dear readers,

as I was trying to make small changes to my blog template I lost all the work I've done before, so please bear with me until it looks coherent here. Maybe it's a good time for re-design...

Sewing with delicate fabrics: Guess the tool!

Dear Readers, I promised you on my Facebook Page that June will be a month of sheers or delicate fabrics on my blog (partly because my next Burdastyle Couture project will be made with delicate fabrics).

And, in this first post I am asking you to guess what's the tool on the photograph below (it's related to sheers, I promise!):

The best answer will be featured in the follow up post, and I will be more than happy to promote any sewing related link included in that comment! Your turn now!

Natural Fibers Contest

Dear readers,

I have submitted my curved panel linen dress to the Natural Fiber Contest hosted by PatternReview.com.

There are quite a few talented sewers participating in this contest, so, in this post, I would like to ask you to head over to the PatternReview contest page and cast a vote for your favorite creation - it doesn't have to be me!

Thank you!

Math Challenge: Moulage Class with Kenneth D. King / Day One

To: 

all math geniuses, 

anyone with IQ over 140, 

nerds,

pattern-making experts

Subject: "Why are you still using inches in the US???" or "solve the problem!"

Yes, it is a Moulage Class review. But I won't tell you anything about it before we resolve this mathematic problem.

(Ok, I will talk about the class a little bit: Twenty-four measurements, fraction orgy, foggy brains and five hours later, and we walked out with a custom draft of the back bodice for Kenneth D. King's Moulage Class. The class is great - fitting and patternmaking bootcamp! but...)

Back to inches! Dividing fractions is (to certain extent) masochistic. You disagree? I mean it takes just a second to divide two-digit numbers in metric system! Now do the same in inches... Piece of cake? yeah, right... Now, try to use fractions for patternmaking / calculations. It can't be as accurate as the metric system.

Here is the very first measurement we took: my neck, which, by the way, measures 13" (or 33cm). To draft the moulage, we need to make the following calculation:

1. Neck: 1/6 (neck measurement) + 1/2  = back neck

let's write it out: 1/6 x 13" + 1/2 = 2 1/6 + 1/2 = 2 2/3 (here, try now and get it converted to eights or sixteenths for the ruler units). My calculation was somewhere around 2 5/8 (it is a millimeter more, but there is no way you can get this so precise for inches ruler)

NOW, LET'S DO THE SAME IN CENTIMETERS

neck measurement : 6 + 0.5 

to remind you, my neck measurement is 13" = 33 cm

33 : 6 + 0.5 =   5.5 + 0.5 = 6 cm

Now, look at your measuring band if it contains both, inches and centimeters. You will see that these two calculations differ from each other in slightly more than 1/4" (or appr. 7 mm). 

Or, am I doing something wrong??? Yes? Then, here is your challenge: prove me wrong! (and don't think of me as another arrogant European, please! I am neutral)


EDIT: Reader Jilly B found the missing 7 mm (read her comment after you found the mistake in my calculations). Thanks, Jilly B!

But my question still remains, am I the only one who thinks that fraction calculations are extremely cumbersome in comparison? 

The making of the Burdastyle Panel Dress

Dear readers, one of the projects I was working on in the last couple of weeks was the Burdastyle Panel dress, and so, here it is.

I guest blogged about it on Burdastyle, and if you check out my planning post and the finished dress report you will find some tips and techniques you may want to use in your projects as well.
It is a couture version of the dress, but I don't claim that it is the only way to make it - I made decisions I thought were right for this particular project. If you have questions why I did something the way I did, please ask - I will be happy to explain. And do suggest a different way to handle things I would love to know how you do it!

One of the readers asked me about seam finishes - here:

The question was: "When you clip the seam allowances to allow for curves, do you always round them?"

There are two reasons why I round seam allowances:

• It is easier to catch stitch around the clipped corners if they are rounded and not sharp. 
• The seam lies really flat and looks neat. 

This is the larger image of the stitched curve. I must admit I got carried away with the curves, but you get the idea, right? 

I made it following Susan Khalje's great tips on stitching curved seams:

• I recommend staystitching both sides of the curved seams, and then clipping any U-shaped (concave) curves, to allow you to fan them out and shape them to the corresponding seamline (the convex curves). The staystitching will help keep the seamlines from getting out of shape. Handle them carefully – with all of those curves and varying degrees of off-grain seamlines, you don’t want any distortion! 
• Give yourself lots of matchpoints, every inch or two, just to make sure everything lines up as it should. 
• Baste the curved seams, of course – basting will hold them better than any amount of pins, plus you’ll be able to use both hands to control the fabric as you stitch, without having to constantly stop to take out pins as you go along.
• Once you’re happy with stitching and take out the basting, then you can press the seams carefully and catch stitch the seam allowances to the underlining.

If you wonder, I did put a lot of matchpoints in muslin stage and transferred them over to the linen pieces.

Linen behaved relatively well, I must say, but I could see that without match points the panels would have stretched and shifted. 

On this image, besides match points on the muslin, you can actually see how I used the shell muslin to cut front lining. Burdastyle didn't recommend using lining, which I thought was strange because linen can be relatively sheer. So, I did make lining, matching the front panel seams as long as they lied flat, with darts forming above the bust point.  This saved a lot of time and worked beautifully - no curved panel on the lining, just two darts. 

That's it for the dress. Again, there are many images on Burdastyle, so check out the two posts - the links are at the beginning of this post. And, by the way, I did enter this dress for the PatternReview Natural Fiber Contest, go check it out - there are quite a few lovely creations in the contest gallery!

Have you made anything from the recent Burdastyle releases, magazine or website? Please, share your projects here if you did!