reversible dress #2/i'm back!

hey everybody...i took a bit of a hiatus from making clothing mainly because times are hard and i was trying to focus on procuring myself an actual paying job. too bad that hasn't worked out yet. so i'm back in my studio. awesome.

this is the reversible dress #2! it's in the exact same style at dress #1 but i made it a bit shorter.














here is the other fun side of the dress.















this is a close up of the pattern of the printed fabric...it's tiny little jewish stars! ha ha ha. i didn't actually mean to buy fabric that is so jew-y but you can't really tell from afar anyway.










description: reversible jersey dress with 3/4 length puff sleeves and empire waist skirt.
materials: 100% rayon jersey, 100% printed cotton jersey

what's to come...

i have a meeting tomorrow (though i guess it's today already as it's past midnight...) in reference to some corsets that a friend wants me to create to sell to some stores so if that comes through i will definitely be posting those up! also, now i'm going to work on creating a pattern from an already existing sweater that fiona's dad wants me to copy (hi joel! thanks for giving me work!). hey for future reference for any of you reading this at the moment, if there is anything you'd like to commission me to make just ask! i can copy garments already in existence, create something new and awesome, or pretty much just make anything you'd like so please ask away...
you can email me at schwartz.marisa@gmail.com

scoop-neck blouse

this is a scoop neck blouse i made from the excess fabric left over from the reversible dress. it looks kind of horrible on the mannequin, i'll admit. but i wore it tonight and it actually looks nice on a real human body. it's a bit lower cut then i would like though i'm sure there are some folks who would not mind that one bit ;). i was a bit of an idiot though and forgot that knit fabrics have a wrong side and a right side and ended up switching wrong and right. instead of ripping out the seams, which would likely cause tears in the thin jersey, i ended up doing french seams so now the inside of my garment is clean! i don't even know if french seams are acceptable for knit fabrics but oh well...i'll create my own knit rules.

this is a side view, as you can see i tried minimizing the blouson effect of the blouse a little so as not to make the wearer seem pregnant. hurray for finding ways to wear gathered tops without looking like you're knocked up. awesome.








the back is a bit boring, i was thinking it might be fun to maybe make a similar top but with a cowl neck in the back for some added drama. in any case, this is a simple, yet elegant (or so i think!) top that can be thrown with jeans (as i did tonight) as easily as it can be paired with a pretty skirt for the office or a night out.



description: scoop neck blouse with gathered elastic waistband and slight cap sleeves

materials: rayon jersey

my frequent studio visitor

this is plato. my loving pup who chooses to ignore the fact that he's not supposed to visit me in my studio. it's not because i don't love him; it's because of his damn hair! his visits are not conducive to my penchant for working with black fabric. sorry plato!

here he is trying to charm me into letting him stay...but i won't be swayed easily!

last ditch effort...

PISSED.

the "fiona" hoodie

this is my latest hoodie, named "fiona" after the lovely girl that it's for! i used a different plaid for the lining and piping and i added piping along the center front zipper for a change (if you don't like it fiona just let me know...i can't change it but i can give it to someone else and make you a new one..haha)



below is a detail shot of the plaid piping along the pocket openings and the center zip...
oh sweet! the lines match up to make a chevron pattern...i'll just pretend i did that on purpose. heehee.








description: center zip hoodie with cotton plaid-lined hood and cotton plaid piping along pocket openings and center front, center front pockets
materials: cotton, cotton plaid


here's an awesome garment tag that my friend jon so kindly made for me (thanks jon!!) they were meant for my organic cotton scarves but i think they'll do just fine on some actual clothing. sorry that it's a tad blurry...my camera was being uncooperative.

sunday -- the day of rest (from my studio only)

so i ended up taking a day off from sewing today and helped my parents plant a new mandarin orange tree instead. there's really no question about which one i prefer more. i went from slaving over a sewing machine to shoveling dirt as hard as cement directly under the bright, hot sun. it was really sweet of the sun to stay hidden all morning under dense fog only to appear the second outside labor was required of me. awesome. i'm kind of excited about the mandarin oranges though. should be pretty tasty.
i have a meeting tomorrow in reference to some corsets that someone wants me to make which should be fun. i'm also working on a new hoodie for my lovely friend fiona. same style, perhaps some piping on the pocket openings and a different lining for the hood. to the boys who want hoodies of their own (you know who you are)...i am working on finding a men's pattern so be patient!

for those of you who missed tina fey's brief return to SNL last night...check it out...no need to tell you that it's hilarious:

just in case the photos weren't enough...haha

some days, when the smog decides to take a break, i have a very pretty view of the ocean

i tried to give a little play by play but my camera didn't pick up my voice. probably because i mumble. oh well.