Claire Kennedy Design

A Quick Trip to NY

....and I got to meet Nancy K where we trekked around the Fabric District and I got to see the McQueen Exhibit  - more about that later.

My first impression is that I was shocked since I had last been there at how many of the smaller shops were closed.  It breaks my heart.  But Nancy took me to her fav zipper place (Pacific Trims) and I loaded up on exposed zippers for clients for a while!

Then the cursory visit to B & J and Mood, and lunch and poof the day is gone...bummer!!! 

But Nancy asked me about lingerie loops.  You know, those wonderful little loops on the sleeve that keep the bra and shoulder/neckline/straps in place so that the bra never shows and so the bra strap never falls down.  They are a true luxury and I love 'em.

So for Nancy here's a shortie technique on making lingerie loops

UPDATE:  Well, who knew that Nancy & I could be so sexy....if you saw this video and learned how to make lingerie straps, but you also got an eyefull.  And just for your edification, that was not me, because if was, you would have had irreparable damage to your eyes as it would have been classified as classic eye pollution.

This is all to say that in the minds of the YouTube search engine lingerie = sexy = sex = porn.  So I have removed the video from YouTube and from here.  Please friend me on Facebook, and I'll post the video over there where it will not forward you to any porn sites.

I know those of you who are here to see porn are disappointed, but alas, such is life!!!  The rest of are headed back to the sewing room after this interuption!!!!

No more jokes!!!

Advantages of Sewing

This may be like preachin' to the choir, but one of the gazillion advantages of sewing is that we can turn our style and fashion on a dime, whereas when you're stuck being at the mercy of the store clerks, buyers and fashion designers, you're pretty much stuck in that style till the store starts carrying the new trend.

Sometimes this can put us at a disadvantage, because we can turn so fast, sometimes those new trends look a little more weird and we're not ready for them - another advantage, we're not on anyone's time-table but our own.

So what happens when trends change - we're going through that now as we're moving away from a columnar type style to a more hourglass emphasis on style and fashion.

That's why this looks a little strange to us.

But this is coming.

I remember when shoulder pads first came in (in the 80's and not the 40's - I'm not that old....yet!!!)

No one could be Joan Collins aka Alexis Carrington (on the series Dynasty), and I thought "No one will EVER wear that stupid thing!"

  Yep, I remember that real well, and remember how long that lasted!!!

 

The point is that when these new fashions and style trends come upon us, it takes a while for our eye to adjust.  And that's what will happen in the next couple of years...we will go from the androgynous look of the 90's to this more hourglass with shoulder accentuation, and no matter how strange it looks now, believe me don't say you won't wear it!

Some of the more interesting patterns are the one above (the Vogue 1248), and there's a new Sandra Betzina pattern out that uses this same line.

 

See the more hourglass shape, and the fuller hip to accentuate the small waist.  This is a fresher take our our bodies, and will take a while to get used to, but it is the trend.

Here are some others from BurdaStyle.com (and don't get me started on the site...like Miss Celie and Slapdash say!!!)

Anyway here are some ideas.

 

This is a great skirt, although if you have a few years (like decades) on you, make the skirt longer (add another ruffle, or graduate the bottom ruffle to the length you want), but it has a lot of movement and with the hip fitted, accentuates the waist.  Also if you make it in white - always line it (that's a law, not an amendment or idea - a law!!!)

 

Love, love, love this skirt...perfect for summertime sheer fabrics, particularly if you use this hemming technique.

 

 

One of the greatest way to transition from column to hour glass and shoulders is through a bateau (boat) neckline....this is a great classic pattern that has lots and lots of fitting seams that makes fitting a lot easier.

 

OK hope that gives you some ideas and some for thought.  Like my clients, I like pressing my students to think a little more outside the lines!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

So much for technology

And So much for html that is "supposed" to work no matter what!!!

 

Trying again...

 

A Video on Lynn Mizono

I've been putting most of my efforts into my newsletter lately as I can get a lot more in them than here, but here's this cute Lynn Mizono jacket that I just loved, but tweaked it a little and how I did it.

I posted this on my Facebook, and you shouldn't have to be a member to see it - I hope!

 

Let me know if this doesn't work.  This should take you to a facebook page that will play the video (you know about "should" and "might" and "would" in computers!!!)  I've tried it and works for me.

Enjoy