Sew and Tell: Leather Patch Artsy Print Dress

We have had three snow days this past week. This shot was taken right before the snow started sticking on Tuesday. I don't like snow but luckily the boys were able to go to school! lol. 

 I thought I'd bring you  little warmth by blogging about this leather patch dress I made during the summer. Although the summer was tough for me as I mentioned in this post, making this dress was a high point and I think I was subconsciously starting to work through the whole vulnerability/armor concept here.   

 First off, I LOVE this print. It's very abstract conceptual art reminding me of my days working in a museum. It's also colorful yet muted. I am trying to wear more color and not resort to the grey, black, and brown that I love. I do not like bright colors, I guess it's the New Yorker in me.  

 Although I consider myself a "refashion designer" there are times when working through a concept requires me to sew from scratch. The combination of leather with an artsy print make it edgy yet soft. I love that juxtaposition. 

 Back view of dress

 The waist of the dress is elasticized. The faux leather belt continues the leather theme.

 I also paired it with boots when I took these pics in September. During the summer, I mostly wore this dress to church with wedges. I will definitely continue to wear it during the winter with a bodysuit underneath or with a blazer.

What do you think? 

Okay, I think it's time to leave summer behind and get back to winter fashion: My next blog post will be a tutorial of an infinity scarf from a sweater. Stay tuned!

Rocker T-Shirt Reconstruction

I absolutely LOVE doing t-shirt reconstructions! I'll never stop doing these, no matter how rich and famous I get, lol.  Here's my latest. 

I bought this t-shirt in Old Navy. I loved the words and guitar print combo, so cool! It wasn't particularly super big, it was just unflattering.

I decided to take it apart; the entire front, sleeves and all, from the entire back.

Then I cut it in this shape. I was intending to make a cowl neck line.

Here's the back shape. I used a self drafted pattern for this.

But then I thought "this is a rocker t-shirt, it needs a more dramatic transformation than just a cowl. I am a big fan of asymmetry so I looked in my leather stash and decided to add a patch on one side. I also folded the neckline into this asymmetrical shape and stitched it on the side.

Here's what it looks like from the back

My best air guitar! lol.

I really love the way it came out. Since I truly believe in the transformative power of clothes, it's a special piece that can be saved for times when I don't feel like a rock star. 

I'm always interested in knowing what you think and I read each and every comment.

Ladies and Gentleman, Introducing Leather Cuffs!

I can't believe it has been almost two months since my last post. I like blogging about my projects but the irony is that if I don't sew, I have nothing to blog about. So I don't blog as often so I can give the time to sewing. So I think that until my youngest goes to school, I will always have this dance between sewing and blogging. I actually should be sewing right now! LOL! However, I felt compelled to tell you all about my newest addition to my shop, wallet leather cuffs featuring my customary cultural icons.

These were really fun to make. I first became interested in leather cuffs when I read about Bunny Lang in the January/February issue of Belle Armoire magazine (www.bunnylang.com). I filed the idea in my head for later use. Later on, I noticed my friend Shavon from church wearing leather cuffs all the time. This sweet girl was all of a sudden transformed into this tough chick. It really made any outfit mean business, she looked more serious in a rocker chic way. But again, I decided to file the idea. I didn’t have any leather and the thought of purchasing it didn't intrigue me.

It was months later, after tiring of constantly fixing the heel of my leather boots, that this idea once again popped in my head. The boots were too busted to give away so I decided to cut them up and begin on my first leather cuff.

I really liked it but how could I incorporate my passion for cultural icons on leather? This process made me realize that I really liked making cuffs and so perhaps, I thought, I could make fabric cuffs and include the icons there. I had been trying to find a craftier way to play with fabric and this was it!!! Thus, my fabric cuffs were born.

At first, these concentrated on family photos, I then incorporated the cultural icons. They were so much fun to make and I have sold quite a few. Then my friend Yesenia asked if I could make them more useful, like add a zipper, etc... I sat on this idea a while. I didn't know how the fabric would stand to yet another addition. I was already adding images, loop closures, buttons. Would they look too thick to wear? So again I simply pondered the idea while i continued to make the cuffs. Then Shavon showed me the inside of her leather cuff and I thought, "hey, with leather and snap closures, the zipper might work!" When part of my hubby' leather coat got ruined in the trunk of our car, I immediately asked him if I could keep the remaining good portion of it. he said yes (as long as i agree to make him a cuff) and I began snipping away.

Making the cuffs has been a tinkering process. I realized I had to buy thicker needles for my sewing machine as it would not sew through the leather at first. I also had to decide whether I wanted to leave the raw edges of the leather or bind them. At first I tried to bind the edges but it made some of the cuffs look bulkier. At the end I decided to leave the raw edge on most of the cuffs and sew around it. They look a bit rustic but I really like the way they came out. When using recycled materials you sometimes want the audience not to realize what it’s made of but in this instance it’s like I’m being true to where they came from. These are essentially strips of leather from a coat with snaps, a picture and a zipper. I like that. Hope you do too. Check them out at www.nelesc.etsy.com and tell me what you think. I love feedback!