See them in Action!

I love making my clothes. It makes them unique to me, and fun. I always love when I get that look. If you make your own things, you know the one. That look of disbelief and awe when you proudly declare 'I made it myself'. There is also that great feeling that you get, the satisfaction that comes with you knowing that those added extras you did are all from your own experiments and pulling together favoured elements into one cohesive design...

Anyway, so the point of this post is to show some of my clothing as worn my me. Not all of it, because I don't have the pictures. And I don't mean the ones I have to coerce my long-suffering fiancee to take for me for the promise of a massage! So I shall carry on...!

The first is my dress created from Simplicity Pattern 2497. I followed a nautical theme with the fabric choices, and added a pleated skirt and shoulder embellishments (see the original post here). After wearing the dress for the first time, I didn't like the sleeves. So with a nervous snip snip... Off they came. I'm glad that I prefer the look sleeveless!

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to snap a full-length picture of the dress. These photos were taken at a family day out at the Freds Pass Rural show. The two gorgeous young boys are my nephews. Such sweet little men!

The next garment is a top I designed from a costume I had made. It was adapted from my Cure Blossom costume to be a top instead of the original dress. I wore this to an afternoon at the races. My headwear is also one of my own creations... Read more about it on my other blog, A Rainbow of Balloons.

Next up on my project list to make is a purple skirt with pink self-made piping. I've never made piping before... so it should be an interesting project. I will let you know how it goes! Also I am craving to make this fantastic bag from The Boy Trifecta... Again, I will show you (if it turns out good! hehe)

Until next time!

Rainbow Smile ... Sew-Along Top #2

So, Blogger was playing up when I initially went to do my post. Then I was slack and didn't touch up this post. Ergo, here I am to fix that! (Finally!) As a balloon twister, I love to wear unique and eye-catching outfits. I recently decided to go by the 'stage name' of Rainbow, and since my business is called "A Rainbow of Balloons" I love to include it in my twister's wardrobe.

I used Simplicity 2497, a Cynthia Rowley design (click here for the last time I used the pattern), for the base of the shirt. Initially, I was going to do the version with the ruffled front. Mostly pink, but with a purple bias trim. This time I modified the dress to be a top by extending the hemline approx 6" so it would blouse out nicely whilst not coming un-tucked.


Because I was running out of time, for the Spring Top Sew-Along hosted by Rae; I decided to forgo the original pattern. I've had some fun rainbow grograin ribbon that I've purchased not once, but twice off eBay (same seller, months apart... I love my rainbow!) And yes, I made a belt out of the same ribbon, following one of Disney's tutorials.

Because the top is scandalously low, when twisting I have to wear another top underneath. I choose to wear a deep purple tank, I love that colour combination!

I decided to dub the top "Rainbow Smile" as it really does look like one (imho) and it really does make me smile. I would like to try the the pattern again, to make that elusive ruffle dress! I really recommend it, it has proven to be so versatile. I'd love to hear if anyone reading may have also used that pattern?

Goody Gum Drops

So I've entered this in Made by Rae's Spring Top Sewalong. I finally managed to convince my other half to take some photos of me in my new top. I have partially delayed a post on this hoping to make a matching skirt, however I keep procrastination and the competition deadline for  is looming.

So! About the top:

The pattern was originally draped for Cure Blossom, and it is insanely difficult to buy what you want at our local Spotlight so I decided to try dying fabric for the first time. Unfortunately, it came out too close in colour as another used in the top; ergo it became unusable. I really liked the colour against the purple fabric, and I had an 'ah-ha!' moment and decided it would also be great as a top.

• Self-draped previously as a dress, I modified it to be a top.
• Self-covered buttons, (my Gumdrops!) to be matchy-matchy.
• My design aesthetic didn't want visible machine stitching, so the blouse is lined and has self-made bias binding.
• The fabric is cotton drill and what I think is a cotton/linen blend. The pink was originally white, and dyed with Rit dye. 

My favourite part of it all is the back of the top. I'm pretty sure I will make this  design once again, but the plan is with rainbow striped fabric and making a dress.

Oh, and the flower is detachable, as a brooch. I thought it was a cute accent to the top. The idea of the ensemble is the intention that it could become one of the outfits I wear doing balloon twisting. Keeping it cute, unique and colourful! (Just what I love)

Thanks for reading, and please wish me luck!

Spring Top Sew-Along 2011

So recently I came across this:

I had been thinking about making a top based on the Cure Blossom pattern, and this was the perfect opportunity to get in and do it! Here is a sneak peek at the finished top:

I need to get a good photo in good lighting, hopefully tomorrow. The top reminds me of Yummy. 

There are still a week or so left to enter, so why not give it a go?! I've got another top in mind IF I manage to get it done. There are already some fantastic entries, so why not head on over to check them out?

Happy Easter to All! (More Pink too)

So far it's day 3 of the 5-day long weekend. Happy Easter to everybody, and Happy ANZAC day for tomorrow!

Yesterday, I celebrated two young children's birthday's with Hyper the Clown. Before heading out the door, I asked my other half to kindly take some photos. I do feel sorry for him but he gets used to it hehe

The wig is from my Cure Blossom cosplay, the top is a custom made one based on a blouse that was given as a gift from Serbia (what you can't see so well is the double-breasted pink buttons look that I love!), and I made the skirt and belt myself. What I love about doing what I do with balloons is that it's a fantastic excuse to dress up and not receiving strange looks ;)

I will be putting up a post about the party at my other blog, A Rainbow of Balloons if you want to learn more!

PS.. Do you recognize the butterfly clips from my tutorial? Hehe... They've been adorning my living room curtain, yay!

How Cure Blossom Transformed

If you read my last post here, you would have seen some behind-the-scenes pictures of the construction of the toile.

And so here are some pictures of the finished costume. It was very exciting to see everything just fall into place and no major issues at all! 

The sleeves were made from my custom sleeve block, very easy to do I tell you what! It ever interested in a tutorial, more than happy to help. 

The wig arrived the Friday the week before I was to go, so that was quite lucky. It came from China actually is in two parts. There is the base wig and then the ponytail which attaches with a large hair grip. It was lucky that I finished the costume in time, as I procrastinated a little thinking the wig mightn't show up; one of those things that is handy if you order earlier!

My wrist accessories were made in such a hurry on my sewing machine before I caught my flight to Brisbane. Mostly thrown together in the last hour and the sewing in the 10 minutes before the taxi arrived. I know, cutting it close!

When I arrived at Brisbane, I still had hand sewing to complete. That is; the lining of the dress and sewing flower accessories. The brooch was made after a hurried trip to Lincraft to buy the supplies. Lincraft, how I love the organisiation and the range of thee. So so much better than my local Spotlight.

I made the balloon mini-me to carry around on the Sunday of the convention. She was very cute (if I do say so myself hehe) It's quite funny that it was someone's balloon interpretation of Cure Blossom that first made me aware the character existed. My how things can come a full circle!

 Something about me that may or may not be obvious, is that I love the colour pink. Funnily enough, most of my costumes are of that colour in varying hues. This one here I also made, which I'll give you a gold star if you know what series I am from. It's a little harder because it never actually exists in colours other than black, white and grey.

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If you guessed Imperial Officer from Star Wars, I am impressed! It's intended as a Barbie-fied version really, just for laughs. I made all; the hat, jacket and skirt. I was miffed as I couldn't find my pink gloves before I left Darwin, and well I don't have a proper rank bar; so I pinned by favourite Pegasus brooch to my shirt.

Cure Blossom Cosplay... Complete!

Do you remember this post about my plans for Supanova? Well much to my amazement... I finished my costume in time! If in time includes the hand sewing I did at the hotel.. Which it does totally count as it was finished before the day I was to wear it.

For me, this outfit was the first thing I utilised my skills from my Fashion Design course. I drafted the costume completely from scratch, which feels good I tell you what. No commercial or online tutorial in site. Well I did get some inspiration from We Got to Live our Dreams like People on TV. Can I just say I love looking at blogs that have designers and their toiles and the creations that become. Very cool.

You know how it is, right? You're making a sewing project and you're all "look at me, I'm taking photos" the whole idea of documenting the journey. Well I started out that way, taking photos... then when it came to the construction of the costume, I got absorbed in what I was doing and the photos dwindled and died.

 You can click on each picture to view larger version

This is the first version of the toile. The next Friday evening I went to my bestie's (and partner in fashion) house to help me fit it to my body. What we discovered is that I made it way too short. I didn't want to start from the beginning, so I added calico pieces to the bottom to extend it.

 

The neckline has evolved in the process, starting up too high, then an odd shape, and finally to where you see it in the above booby shot. Which I think is the best of all three. Something valuable I learnt with the toile from my last Cert IV project, is not all necklines will suit. So don't forget to play around!

This is about where my zest for photo-taking dwindled. Alas! I did think that was all but realised I still had these extra 3 on my SD card! Lucky you :D hehe

I do hope you are ignoring some of the messier back-grounds! And that my friends is where the photo taking well and truly died.

But I can tell you the hardest parts of the construction on the costume was making sure the criss-crossing straps lay nicely, and ensure that the skirt wouldn't show too much booty. At least I achieved the straps challenge! +1 sewing to me.

Look out for my next post which is the finished garment! I'm excited to share it... But I will make you wait. Just a little mind you... So I'm not throwing out too many posts all in one day hehe.

If you are looking to make your own Cure Blossom cosplay and have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask! I am always happy to help where I can.