I know, I know, yet again I have neglected my dear readers. This past school year was a lot, though. This was the year that I created my own 6-piece collection and showcased it at my school's annual fashion show. More on that after I talk a little about some projects I did before all that!
First up is this adorable little pair of overalls I made for a friend who had a baby boy in October. His name is Finnley and he is the cutest thing ever! The pattern I used for his overalls was
Simplicity 2459. I found this cute plaid on sale for an awesome price when I was still working at Hancock Fabrics. I used bright orange buttons on the sides to pull out the orange stripes, I did turquoise buttons on the inside where the straps secure, and this was also my first time ever using snap tape. While I haven't become best friends with the snap tape, I must say it wasn't that hard to work with.
I believe I made these overalls in a size 12 months, so that way he would be able to wear them when he's a little older and possibly still be able to grow into them. As another special gift for Mr. Finnely, I made a custom embroidery hoop for his room. I found out his nursery was done in vintage airplanes, so I chose to do that for his hoop. I love making personal gifts for people, and this piece was a big hit with mom and dad!
I was on a big hand embroidery kick at the time and was making embroidery hoops for a lot of friends. Like this hoop I made for one of my best friends at school. She is a huge Beyonce' fan. Enough said. Lol Needless to say she loved it!
In addition to my embroidery kick, I had gotten into cross stitch. I had never cross stitched before, but started with some cute patterns from
The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. I you love cross stitching, and have not experienced all the kawaiiness (cuteness) of The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery patterns, then you are truly missing out! Being that I was a first-time stitcher, it was great that their patterns are easy to understand, easy to follow, and explain everything so clearly. I think I had already bought 2 patterns when I decided to buy their
Woodland Sampler to stitch up for a friend who loves anything woodland.
This pattern is a 12-month one, which means it originally came out as a block-per-month. In total I think it took me about 3 or 4 months to stitch it up. I was on a mission to have it finished as a Christmas present for her. Once I had it stitched up, I decided to make a cute little pillow for her...because y'all, she has a real pillow addiction! For the backing of the pillow and as a little border around the front, I used an awesome batik cotton I found at fabric.com.
Well, now we've made it to 2015. Spring semester! The semester of the fashion show! For my collection, I chose to do a little girl's line. I've discovered that that is what I want to do with my life. Be in the childrenswear industry, whether as a designer at a company or have my own line. I will also be doing a little girl's line for my senior collection. Before I get too much into my collection, though, I must show off my dress I made for my school's Pantone Cocktail Party.
We were told to come dressed as a Pantone color of the year, and I chose 2001's Fuchsia Rose. For my dress I used
New Look 6143 and the fabric is a stretch cotton sateen I got on sale at Fashion Fabrics Club. The polka dot tulle I found at Joann's.
My friend Hannah, pictured with me, also made her outfit. She drafted the pattern for the top and skirt herself. She went as Pantone's Emerald of 2013.
This picture is a great representation of our friendship. Lol
Now, at this point it was just a few short weeks to the fashion show. All garments are complete, we're finishing up accessories, and preparing for our jury presentations.
As part of the junior class requirements, we had to make every single piece of clothing, and any accessories we used had to be made by us or altered significantly in some way.
My collection name is Lil' Miss RockaBetty, and it is for little girls 3-7 years old. My inspiration was the 1950s Rockabilly culture, that is still prevalent in today's time. I wanted each piece to be cute and functional. All my fabrics are 100% cotton. My 6-piece collection included:
1. a peplum top with a pair of stretchy denim jeans
2. a dress with pleated skirt and 3/4 length sleeves
3. a two-tone gingham skirt with a sleeveless top
4. a polka dot sleeveless top paired with gingham shorts, feat. removable suspenders
5. a sleeveless polka dot dress with red pearl snaps down the front
6. a cherry print romper with red pearl snaps in the front and adjustable shoulder ties
My accessories included a picnic basket I wove with gingham ribbon and I made a gingham liner for it. I made pinwheels, a reversible hair tie, a purse I covered in fabric-inside and out, and a headband featuring giant cherries I made from styrofoam balls and paperclay. I also made a cherry necklace from small styrofoam balls and paperclay. The piece I love the most, though, is the cherry purse I made. I used brown circular boxes that I cut and covered in vinyl, glued together, and lined with gingham. I also cut out some foam leaves and added a brown leather cord strap.
I am so pleased with how everything came out and my little models made each piece even more adorable. These little girls are so stinkin' cute and I am so proud of them! It was so great seeing a collection that I produced go down the runway and I can't wait until next year for my senior one!
Well, that's all the updates I have for now. You won't have to wait months to hear from me again, though. May 30th I'm heading to New York for a week with other girls from the fashion department at my school and our Fashion Dean. It is our required travel trip through the school, and as part of the class we have to blog daily about our time there.
So, next time you hear from me I'll be updating form the Big Apple! Until next time y'all!
