my inspiration for lisa's dinner outfit

the long panel skirt by carolina herera.
lovely isn't it?

this simple clean black top by dkny.
it is just fabulous.
love the simple lines.

cheers,
YunY

a dress and a long skirt for my daughter lisa

recently, i made a dress and a skirt for my daughter lisa.  the outfit was for her graduation dinner party.  i made it from scratch.  it took me about 2 weeks plus.  here is the photo for the outfit....almost ready.

the fabric for the scarf was really nice.
my favourite colour, charcoal grey.
the colour combination makes the outfit looks classy,
if i may say so myself :)

first i have to draft her a new sloper (she told me that she has gained weight).  then i used this new sloper to make a pattern for the dress and the skirt. then i made a muslin for the dress and the skirt.  then i went out to shop for the fabric to make the dress and the skirt and the long scarf.  one has to be in black and the other one has to be in a striking colour.  at that time she was busy with her final exam and i have to pick her up at her college to do the fitting.  i didn't even have time to take any photos of the finished outfit on her.  it was really hectic.  i wish i could work on it continuously without interruption.  but that would be nearly impossible with the kids and the house and the rabbits...ha ha.   the deadline was yesterday, 9 april, her graduation dinner party.  and she happily told me that everyone loved her outfit.  here are the photos of the snapshot of the w.i.ps

the long skirt.

the facing on the waist of the longskirt.
i used cotton so that it is comfortable
the fabric for the skirt is from synthetic fiber, not so comfortable against the skin.

the zipper and the facings of the neck of the dress.

a close up of the outfit

front view of the dress

i love making this outfit.  and i love how it turned out......just like how i want it to be.

cheers,
YunY

my final sloper - tested and it fits :)

as promised.  i am going to share some of the photos that i have taken myself.  i tried to take some photos with the sloper on, but it was hard to get a clear view of the shoulder and the sleeve.  so, i improvised some props.  i used a mini bolster for the close-up photos.  and here they are:-

one of the shoulders.
and the neckline.

frontal side view of one of the sleeves.

front view.
 and there's the mini bolster.

another angle showing the shoulder seam.
and the neckline.
i think i nailed this :))

side view of one of the sleeves.

yet another view if the shoulder seam.
and the neckline.

side view of one of the sleeves.

frontal side view.

the sloper on a hanger.
it hangs pretty well.
and the sleeves hang pretty well too.
i am so pleased.

one of the sleeves.
love the way it hangs :)

the other sleeve.

that's my arm holding the camera to take this photo.
yep...no strain across the arm.  no more pinching-my-arm-sleeves...yeay!!

that's my arm at rest.
the sleeve head looks pretty good.
and no shoulder pads used.

some of my references for forward thrust shoulder adjustment are,
here
and
here
and
here
and here too.

and that's the end of one chapter.  and there was another daunting issue of a perfect set-in sleeve.... how to stitch it onto the armhole of the bodice.  that's another pain that i had to go through for the past one month.  but i nailed that one too.

oh what a feeling :)
YunY

why am i so obsessed with the perfect sleeve

i have been tweaking my own dress sloper and a month has passed by (it was not easy....with the kids and the house and the rabbits).  it was like trying to solve a huge and complicated puzzle in the middle of a busy road.

why...do you ask..has the shoulder seam and sleeve become an obsession of mine?  it is because i believe they are the key to perfect fit and comfort.

i have been studying pictures of the fashion runway and i can see that well known designers labels have this ONE thing in common....perfect shoulder seams to set the sleeves.  look at these photos (Elie Saab, Valentino)....focus on their sleeves.

my sloper needs tweaking to adjust for the forward thrust shoulders.  i have used the sloper system from the lucia's book.  the rest works like a charm....but i was stuck when it comes to the shoulders and sleeve.

lucia's sloper system works very well for standard body. my daughter alya, fits in this category.   hers was no problem at all.  everything fits.

will share the photos of my dress sloper in my next post.


cheers,
YunY

i love dresses and i am making them

i've been busy making these dresses for the past few weeks.

i am using the book by lucia and also the one by amstrong as my reference.

i have been having some challenges with the set it sleeves.  since i have forward thrust shoulders, i need to make a series of adjustments to get the sleeve to sit properly while maintaining good fit.

i'm playing with some slash and spread techniques to obtain a nice slimming drape of the fabric. once i am happy with the result i will try to create an empire waist dress with bishop sleeves.

these are the four wips...all of them are made from the cotton yardage that my lil sis brought from india.

just need to finish the necklines and hems.  they are super comfy and cooling.

fyi, i prefer tops and dresses without shoulder pads.  for my case, adjusting the shoulder seams produces better fit than using any commercially available shoulder pads.

cheers,
YunY

i am sewing clothes for myself

my lil sis came back from india last month.  she usually comes back during her semester break.  and this time she brought me about 10 pieces of cotton yardage.

i need a couple of tops to wear with my skirts and those fabrics that she brought were just perfect....lightweight, breathable, 100% cotton.

i made these two simple loose fitting tops and i couldn't stop myself from making a skirt too.  i took these photos last nite with my mobile phone.  i used the sloper system from lucia's book.  

completed...just to tidy up loose threads. 

completed...just to tidy up loose threads.

this is a basic long skirt.
i need to install the waistband,
and then hemming.
and still contemplating to line this skirt.

status: tops COMPLETED but still having some issues with the sleeves:( the sleeves hang ok....but a wee bit too tight when i cross my arms.  i'd prefer a bit more room.  the top of the sleeve cap, i.e about 1" around the joint at shoulder seams, has some excess fabrics. i suppose this has got something  to do with the fact that i have forward thrust shoulders.  i need to tweak the sleeve cap and the shoulder seam.  wish me luck.

status @ 21mac2013:  it has been a very long and painful one month of finding the perfect fit for the set-in sleeve.  it was done in series of 10-minute-in-between-sessions daily (with the kids and the house and the rabbits) for the past one month.  i almost give up.  and i think i'm almost there.  but i'm keeping my fingers crossed.  will be posting more photos of the sleeve later.

cheers
YunY

a short break from bag making

i like the way bluemarine combine colours and prints in this outfit.  this is going to be my next project (ha ha, i don't  know when i am going to start).  i still have a number of bags, wallets, belts, watch straps and phone sleeve to complete.  but i think i need to take a short break from bag making and maybe make a long dress that looks something like this.  maybe that's a bit too ambitious, don't you think?

blumarine

love this look too,

ysl

and this one,

valentino

this one too,

anna sui

this too,

anna sui

this too,

anna sui

love the crisp white shirt and the no-fuss skirt,

dkny

and this one,

dkny

i just want to keep these pics here....in my blog, so that i can locate them whenever i need some inspiration when drafting pattern for my next garment sewing project. 

cheers,

YunY

the samsung note can fit my buffalo mini-station

this sleeve is made by my cousin ida.  she's on her way to sabah (tonite's flight).  she will be there for a week........conquering the great mount kinabalu.  ida is so petite....barely 5 feet but she is one tough girl.  she loves the outdoor.  she dives, runs marathon, snorkels, climbs mountain...anything outdoor-ish.  i instead love being indoor....tremendously.   ida and i are so different.  but our love for sewing brings us to the Kopai Boutique.  and we hope that we will bring diversity into the handmade product that we create for the Kopai Boutique and many more projects in the future.

my buffalo mini-station is inside.

take a peek.

cheers,
YunY

handmade handbag - alya's 2nd lavender...completed

i have just completed alya's 2nd lavender.  click here for ealier post on this bag when it was first constructed.  i changed the lining to add more interest.  i also added a few rows of stitches to the leather trimming.  i love the effect and the combination of this leather with the fabric that alya has chosen for this bag.  i also did some quilting on the outer shell.

wip

wip

wip

wip

completed.

STATUS: completed, TAKEN

cheers,
YunY

my carlo rino bag has to retire

i love this quilted carlo rino bag.  i would take this bag whenever i attended a formal function. i was hoping that this bag would last me a life time.

sorry, the photo is bit blurry.
it's my mobile phone camera
and the weather outside is a bit gloomy.

unfortunately, last month, when i took it out from its duster bag, i found that the outer surface of the PU trimmings has disintegrated.  when i rubbed my fingers against it, black coloured crumbs would come off.  now, the nylon quilted body is still pretty but the trimmings look so worn out and crumbly.  i don't think i can use this bag.  i don't think it is easy to replace the trimming either.  i so love this bag and i feel so sad that i won't be able to use it anymore.

the inside pocket, its peeling......

the PU gusset is peeling

the other PU gusset is peeling too

i then decided to replicate the design, using cotton (quilting weight cotton) and this time i would use genuine leather for the trimming.  i know quilting weight cotton is a durable material.  when teamed with genuine leather trimming, this bag will last forever.  i know this is so, because i still have a whole leather bag that i bought 17 years ago.  the only thing that is worn out is the lining. once i replace the lining and give the leather a polish the bag will be as good as new.  and  i made a baby quilt for my son at about the same time.  i used american cotton and that quilt is still as good as new, even though it has been handed down to all his younger siblings.

i think using good quality quilting weight cotton and genuine leather (straps and trimmings) would allow you to enjoy your favourite bag for as long as you like.

cheers,
YunY