Category: Alteration

(Almost) Perfect Plaid Skirt

1/3/2019

When I was sorting my clothes using the KonMari method, I held each garment in my hands and asked myself "Do I love this? Does it spark joy in me?" Quite a lot of things went west, but the ones that stayed taught me a little about what my style actually is*, and made me determined not to settle for clothes that were "almost" right but not quite, when I could have things that are perfect for me.

Today I'm going to show you one of the few things I kept even though it had a ton of little problems with it, and what I did to make it perfect for me.

* Tailored, classic but quirky, and nipped-in at the waist! Warm colors with rich saturation.

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Shortening Lined Sleeves - Tahari Jacket

8/27/2018

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First, a picture of a delicious galette I made, all from locally foraged fruit and fancy cheese from the store! The dough is a simple olive oil and flour mixture (though I added almond meal). The filling is layers of thinly sliced apples fallen on the sidewalk, figs from a neighbor's tree, and a sweet soft cheese. Gotta love Portland's summer!

Today I am shortening the sleeves of a lined Tahari (brand) jacket. It's made of a poly/rayon/spandex blend in an unbleached linen color, and fully lined with polyester.

Wonderful galette!

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50 years for a 60's dress!

6/28/2018

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What a fun client and fun puzzle I have to share with you today! My new client, a delightful lady, got married in June 1968 and is revving up to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary! Congratulations to her and her husband! And since she still has the wedding dress, she'd like to wear it again for their anniversary party. However, her figure has changed a bit since she was wed; that's where I come in.

Notice: tiny waist, and lining cut slimmer than skirt

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Alteration: Sparkling Wedding Gown!

6/7/2018

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The task is three-fold:

take in the back zipper
hem the bottom to make it shorter and to remove the stained bits
do a 3-point French bustle.

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TUTORIAL - A French Bustle

6/4/2018

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I recently made a French bustle for a wedding dress. Let me show you how I made it, and show the bridesmaid(s) how to bustle it on the day of the wedding!

A bustle on a trained dress is a way of lifting the train off the floor so the wearer can dance or move in a crowd without disaster. The first dance is usually a ballroom dance, so the woman walks backward the whole time. She doesn't want to step on her train!

There are different types of bustles, and in-consistent nomenclature. The type of bustle your dress gets is partially determined by the type of skirt and train you have.

I'll be showing the French bustle, also called an under-bustle. It looks a bit like the robe a la polonaise and works well with dresses that have details at the top of the skirt. I like it especially when the train is full and long; when the train is not very full, the French bustle starts looking more like the bride went to the bathroom and caught her skirt in her undies...

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Crazy Jellyfish Hem!

5/3/2018

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Today a simple alteration that introduced me to a new, and not entirely sensible way to finish a skirt.

As you can see from the tag, this is a skirt designed for bridal wear, and indeed, the owner is a bridesmaid. Like all bridesmaid/wedding gowns, this skirt is too long on purpose, so that even the tallest women can wear it, but this means most women will need to have it shortened.

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Dress FAIL to Skirt WIN

3/22/2018

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Here hangs a disappointing project from my early days of drafting patterns. The problem is the bodice, which I listed among my failures in this post, but the gist of it is that the wrap top never hung right, and it looked worse after each washing, and was hard to iron. Such a shame!

I was at least pleased with the buttonholes and the cool buttons!

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Denim Blazer: Alteration

3/15/2018

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So! The denim blazer saga concludes! It began with Simplicity 7954, made up in charcoal denim, requiring some changes to the paper pattern to make it fit my sister, but I couldn't be sure of the changes because my sister was far away. The result looked really cool on a manikin, less well-fitted in person. But not bad for sewing long distance...

But recently I visited my sister, and decided to make the darn thing fit properly! So I armed myself with seam ripper and went, once more, unto the breach...

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Alteration: Round Neckline to V neck

2/26/2018

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Today's post shows a simple alteration to turn a round neckline into a V neck, on a formal gown made of stretchy fabric and sequined lace. You could do it by machine if you have a machine that doesn't eat knits, but I was using a borrowed machine that did like to eat knits, so I sewed this by hand.

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ALTERATION: Back Darts FTW!

2/15/2018

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When a simple, ten-minute alteration can turn a dud of a garment into a win, and make the wearer feel great, I am super happy. While visiting my sister, I worked with her to alter some items in her wardrobe so they'd highlight her beauty. The biggest problem she faces, like many small but busty women, is that any Ready To Wear (RTW) shirt which fits her bosom will bag out in other places. In my sister's case, the bagging happens in her back. So though she has a great figure, she puts on a shirt and feels sloppy and disheveled.

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<<Previous

(Almost) Perfect Plaid Skirt

Shortening Lined Sleeves - Tahari Jacket

50 years for a 60's dress!

Alteration: Sparkling Wedding Gown!

TUTORIAL - A French Bustle

Crazy Jellyfish Hem!

Dress FAIL to Skirt WIN

Denim Blazer: Alteration

Alteration: Round Neckline to V neck

ALTERATION: Back Darts FTW!

Karen Roy

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