Christopher Kane Inspired - Bejeweled Shoulder Cut-Out Sweatshirt

Marie Claire's February 2014 magazine featured Drew Barrymore wearing this Christopher Kane sweatshirt that retails for $3045!!! (No doubt because of the jewels on it.)

The cut-out is cool, but kind of really big. I liked the idea though.

It's kind of a specific color, though. Sort of nude pink. I had a skirt in my closet that I never wear because it's made for someone without hips, but I never got rid of because I love the color:

It took a lot of planning, because the fabric was REALLY limited, so I couldn't make any mistakes. I had just enough material to make this:

As you can see, the hole is smaller. I just felt it was more tasteful.

I thought about putting a necklace around it, but I didn't really have anything that would go, so I used pretty buttons instead.

This is all that was left of the skirt!

The End!

Couple Shirts Made from Two Skirts - Green and Grey

This one isn't inspired by any designers per se. I just remember an episode of Project Runway where the contestants had to make a similar look for a man and a woman. I was at work when I started thinking about something simple that would translate well for both genders' body types. I played with the triangle. If a triangle is point-down, it emphasizes the broad shoulders and small hips of the male. If the triangle is pointed up, it shapes the chest and follows the curve of the hips of a female. I drew this on a sticky note and my husband said it looked like Star Wars. . .

For some reason I always had this idea in my head using jade or a Kelly green. Maybe because the color is gender neutral? I dunno. I just love green. Anyways, I could never find the right color green jersey in any fabric stores, but I did remember that I had a perfect green colored skirt in my closet that I never wear. It was actually a skirt I'd made from a dress that I'd never worn! The problem with it as a dress: It was just too frumpy. As a skirt, the hemline was always wonky and hit my legs at a weird length. I really loved the color so I'd never gotten rid of it. Therefore, the third incarnation was destined to become two different shirts!

I had another grey skirt that I'd never worn because it was too tight. I found a perfect grey skirt at Goodwill a few weeks ago, so I had thrown this skirt into my sewing room wondering what to do with it.

Here are the two shirts. There are little mistakes in both of them because I had barely enough material to do both of these shirts, so some parts are kind of pieced together (see the shoulders of the girl's shirt especially). Also, the green was wayyyyyy stretchier than the grey, so there is a little puckering that I just couldn't help. I may one day reinforce the triangle seams with elastic, but. . .let's just see how they do without it for now, I say!

This is the back:

The original dress/skirt had this fold over in the front and the back, so I kept it. It helps add just a little something feminine without changing the whole "sameness" of the two shirts. Man fashion doesn't really like embellishment, so I didn't do it to the guy's shirt.

The End!

Dolce and Gabbana Inspired - Red Lace 3/4 Sleeves Tailored Dress

Dolce and Gabbana is going with a Catholic/Byzantine theme this fall and winter. The show started off with dresses printed in mosaics with motifs of saints and priests. All the women wore little gold crowns and crucifix jewelry. The show ended with the flood of Cardinal red lace pictured below. Several of the dresses caught my attention. 

(When I found 4 1/2 yards of red lace and a red cotton bed sheet at the thrift store, I knew what I had to be done!)

Here is a Dolce and Gabbana advertisement in Vogue for September 2013. Notice how the dresses have red material behind the red lace. That's the look I was going for. 

This is the cut and style of dress that caught my attention. This one is kinda see-through, though.

Here is a close-up of the same dress. I used this picture to figure out the sleeves.

Notice the bodice. The flowers are symmetrical and placed above the breasts (instead of on them, which would be distasteful). I knew that symmetry and placement were important, so I tried to keep them as I was cutting and darting. If you can't see what I'm talking about, scroll to the next picture.

I circled the flowers I was talking about.

Here is my dress. I didn't iron it because I don't think you are supposed to iron lace. I will steam it before I wear it, though.

See the symmetrical flowers??? That wasn't easy. That's why I'm making you look at them!

I also got the sleeves as symmetrical as possible. See the flower right on the ball of the shoulder?

It's like that on the other one too.

I don't know what the back of the original dress looks like, but I know on Project Runway they say that if the front of your dress is high, then make the back a little lower and vice versa. If they are both high it looks "Madame" and if they are both low, it looks trashy.

More symmetry in the back--notice the flower symmetry. Oh, I forgot I was going to put false buttons on the back. I was too excited to post it! I will have to post and update later. I also kinda haven't decided if I want to take another couple inches off the bottom, because I'm kinda short. I'll definitely post an update at some point.

This is a picture using the flash. I put a cross necklace with it as a nod to the runway show.

No flash.

The End!