Teal Elegance

This gown was custom designed for a client with a beautiful, dramatic hourglass figure for a formal event this autumn. She has a very difficult time finding clothing that flatters her figures, as most gowns that fit her bust and hips are far too loose for her narrow waist, making her look shapeless and larger than she is. She wanted a design that accentuated her waistline, and expressed an interest in a one-shoulder strap. I sent her sketches of several ideas, and the gown below was her favorite.

The Girl Back Home

My friend’s husband joined the army recently and he’s been away in Basic Training for the past couple of months. She hasn’t seen him at all, and has only gotten to speak to him a couple of times for brief intervals – about 15 minutes in the past two and a half months!

This coming week he graduates from Basic and she’ll get to visit him before he starts AIT. She asked me to make a new dress for her to wear when they go out, something beautiful and flattering to her newly-pregnant shape, something summery and comfortable. This is the custom dress I created. It has princess seams with godets below the hip for a full, swingy skirt. I cut it a little roomier than her current waist measurement, but with a tie back, so that she can adjust the fit depending on how much her figure changed between taking the measurements and seeing her husband. The hem falls just below knee length, and the sleeveless bodice should be comfortably cool in the summer heat.

Have a Happy Fourth of July everyone! My sincere thanks goes to all those fighting for our freedom, and for all the wives and children back home whose sacrifices are just as important.

Custom nursing bra

My friend asked me a while ago to make her a new bra, both because she needed new ones, and because she was excited about the prospect of a custom bra. Her favorite ready-to-wear bra comes only in white. And white is fine some days, but not every single day. The bra I made was cloned from her old one for an identical fit, but in a beautiful black stretch satin. Even a nursing momma ought to get to be sexy!

Custom plus sized dress

I have a lot of sympathy for people who can’t find clothes to fit them – or can’t find the clothes they WANT to fit them. I’m always thrilled when I’m able to help someone achieve a vision for the garment they want in fabric they love and a size that *fits!*

The dress here was a custom request from a plus sized woman who wanted a simple, casual, comfortable maxi dress to wear this summer. She told me she wanted a soft, comfortable, slightly stretchy fabric and my mind immediately went to the soft poly stretch knit I’d used when I made my pj’s a few months back. I sent her a swatch from the scraps I had leftover and she agreed it was a perfect fit! (Though she chose a different color).

I drafted the pattern by hand using the measurements she’d send me and went to work. When I was finished the dress looked great and I shipped it out! Unfortunately when my client got the dress it was a bit large in a few places – the fabric had more stretch than I had accounted for. This is one of the perils that I occasionally face in working with long distance clients, where I’m not able to do a fitting in person. I let her know I’d be happy to alter the dress as needed; she sent me a few photos, pinned the dress where it needed to be taken in, and she shipped it back to me to take in the straps and bodice a bit. Despite the delays we ended with a beautiful dress and a great fit!

Amy Butler custom skirt

Here’s a custom skirt I created recently for a customer on etsy. The skirt is made from Amy Butler’s Lotus collection Lacework Grey fabric, with a matching solid blue woven cotton fabric lining. I custom drafted the pattern for her to her size and with the pleats she had requested. It closes with a back zipper closure.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!