Fabrics By Design

It had been a desire of mine to take a class in shoemaking in the Art & Sole Academy in East Toronto. So I went ahead to take an intermediate workshop class for the actual shoemaking.
I choose to make desert boots. Our instructor was great and she spent time guiding each of us through the process individually.
Using this wonderful kid suede and magenta lambskin material I had purchased, I cut out pattern pieces from both of them. I got those pieces by taping up the wooden form on which the shoe is built with masking tape. After which I used a sewing machine to sew it all together.
The next step that followed was …

Vintage patterns are one of my favourites. Again, I decide to dabble into making a vintage style dress for myself.
This time I got inspired by the Butterick 6796, a vintage style dress that is a bit more unique. It has a darted bodice with a gathered rectangular skirt. I love how charming it is with an adjustable neckline that I am very comfortable with. The sleeves are just long enough to cover the upper arm and that makes it just perfect for what I had in mind.
After considering several options, I decided to use a Japanese cotton lawn with a pattern of little houses on it that made the whole fabric look simply charming. I…

I challenged myself once more on this project because a wool coat wasn’t just something I needed for fashion but also for practical use. I had given out one of my favourite and long used coats for charity so I needed something to help me cope during the 5-degree weather of the fall season.
After a long hard search through the Indie pattern scene, I eventually stumbled upon the Burda 6462 and I loved it. It was just right and practical enough for my wardrobe, considering the amount and type of wool material I had to work with. Plus, I had heard plenty of good things about Burda’s drafting, so I knew it was the right choice.
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Dresses like these are quite special, my experience with making this satin dress started when I came across the material while shopping online. Usually, I don’t like working with this type of material but the floral print caught my eye and I knew it would be a great opportunity to leap outside my comfort zone to do something I had never done before.
Since I already had something in mind, I got started on it right away. I was inspired by a dress that I had been eying in one of the boutiques where I shop and had been meaning to get it for a while now. It just always seemed way above my budget, so the moment I had everything I needed…