...currently...
Enjoying the chill in the air and dreaming up designs in velvet and wool.
One of the reasons I so enjoy custom sewing is that everything I make is unique. Even when I do several of the same item, say for a bridal party, the custom fit to each person creates enjoyable challenges. Sometimes, to get a dress to look the same on different body types, I actually use very different base templates to generate my patterns. It's a game I play, with no hard and fast rules, to make unique items look like each other.
But often, I have the joy of making something that is really unique - I won't ever make something that looks exactly like it again. In this case, I had an unusual order; to design and make a dress for a beautiful young woman as her Christmas present (from her then-boyfriend! Fellows, take note!)...no inspiration photos or guidelines given, so that I had near-complete creative freedom with it. Yes.
A couple of wonderful people from my church are getting married in a week, and I'm having fun doing dresses for two of the bridesmaids. One of the gals chose my Lula Dress, only we had to match the paint chip given by the bride...which turned out to be a rather daunting task. With no time to order silk samples, we scoured the local stores so we could match the tone in person. We finally found the color in a linen-look rayon blend that gives the dress a new laid-back character (and doesn't have to be dry cleaned, woohoo!) I've got another (very different) dress that'll be in the party, and I can't wait to see how it all comes together with what the rest of the attendants selected for themselves.
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| We found the right color! |
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Sorry the green is off a little in this one - that's what I get for taking photos at night! - but you
can see the texture. This fabric is very soft and breathable and will be easy to wear all day long. |
This was a fun little commission piece I did this week for a young mother in my neighborhood. The velvet is repurposed, from some vintage curtains that she trimmed to fit her dining room windows, and it's lovely stuff! Soft, not too thick, and holds it shape be-yew-ti-fully. (She agreed to give me a bit of it so I could make my own vest/shrug, as I'd fallen so in love with this one.) I made the pattern in imitation of another little shrug that she owned - that one was also velvet, but unlined and with different details. The fantastic silvertone button was supplied by the customer.
A little 1960s influence in a silk twill, knee-length dress. (The customer tells me she's wearing a little pillbox hat with it. Yippee!)
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| (Had to take the photos at night, unfortunately, but at least it was a nice, light-catching fabric!) | |
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"Oh, it came and it's beautiful! It fits perfectly, and I'm so happy with it. My sister, mother, mother-in-law, and best friend all (separately) said "That dress is so YOU!" when I sent them the pictures...I can't think of anything else I'd rather have heard. Thank you so much, Bekah, it's the best dress I could have asked for."
- E.G. in Chicago
"The first decision I made in planning my wedding was that I wanted Bekah to make my wedding dress. After seeing her beautiful work on a friend's wedding gown, I knew that I wanted to work with her to create my own, uniquely me garment..."
(Click on the photos for high-quality images and zoom!)
A talented bridal party of uniquely beautiful women + cherry-red silk dupioni = one happy seamstress.
(Click on the photos for high-quality images and zoom!)
This was the second time I'd worked with these materials...
Plural, because I made six dresses for her wedding.
Here is one.
(and a half, because I altered the one I'm wearing.)
(That's me on the bed.)
(I got terrible wrinkles in my vintage sky blue acetate-and-lace gown, just for relaxing for a few minutes like that. The nerve.)
And here are some of the bridesmaids. The strapless dresses are the Eclair pattern, unaltered, that was also the basis for my flower dress in the previous post. The pleated-ruffle-collar dress is a pattern of my own making (I got some basic dimensions from Simplicity #2497.)
I will be posting some good, up close images later on of all the dresses - I have to get them from the incredible photographers who sensibly protect their photos on their websites from nefarious photo-stealing people like myself. They didn't protect a few of their Facebook postings, which is how I stole these, but they are my personal friends and will forgive me.
Photos (so far) by photolodico. More to come from both her and redleafphotography.
"Thank you so much for all the work you put in, it's gorgeous!"
- R.M. from the UK
Another customized dress-from-a-photo; this is for a customer in Great Britain, and I have to say, it was one of the most fun jobs I've had recently!
Again, please pardon the poor photography...sometimes I don't have time to wait for the afternoon sun, and the flash wreaks havoc with the fabric reflection, but sans flash I get all kinds of funny colors. At least you can see the shape.
A lampshade custom-made for an order in imitation of one from a catalog.
This item was sold in my Etsy shop.
"The dress is BEAUTIFUL!!! Your work is wonderful and the attention to detail is fantastic. The colored tulle is such a nice touch. This dress will be perfect for the wedding I am attending next month. I am extremely pleased and can't wait to work with you again. I'll be sure to pass your information along to friends and family."
~ S.R. in Michigan
This item was sold in my Etsy shop.
"This talented designer and seamstress needs more credit then I can give her. Her work is absolutely stunning. Her photos do not do her work justice. Amazing - just what I wanted - I am so excited about my new yoga bag and bolster!"
~ E.F. in Arizona
This item was sold in my Etsy shop.
This bag is brocade, fully lined with faux suede.
"OH MY GOSH! You are so talented!!! I can not believe it!!! They are totally unbelievable! That fabric - actually both fabrics - are stunning. Your work is amazing! I can not wait until yoga class on Wednesday to show off."
~ E.F. in Arizona
This item was sold in my Etsy shop.
A birthday gift for a beautiful little girl, and a matching costume for her mother.
"What an amazing person to work with on our custom costumes!! My daughter was thrilled! (and so was I!) She LOVES it! She had to dance around all night last night!!! Thanks so much Bekah!"
~ M.L.F. in New York
This item was sold in my Etsy shop.
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