I’ve always liked stripes–I love to see the patterns of lines juxtaposed with an organic human form. I think this contrast is very approachable in bright colors, especially when they match my bicycle.
The fabric is a thin jersey, with the darker teal almost as thin as a burn-out. It’s very stretchy and also drapes beautifully, so it’s very flattering to different bodies. That’s right, different bodies, because I made two of these shirts, and the other is available on Etsy. Continue reading →
The keyhole neck has a striped loop and a ruby button, a decision inspired by Jason’s love of the fabulous. This was an important part of the design but I wasn’t completely sure about it until I wore the shirt out and about, and now I’m glad I went with my instinct.
A friend of ours is a Unitarian Universalist minister, and she’s created a Unitarian Universalist superhero to use in Sunday worship with the children–Chalice Girl. To aid in that purpose, Chalice Girl needed a costume, something that she could quickly put on while ducking behind a pulpit that would still get the kiddos excited.
Tera had a pretty good idea of the basic design she wanted, but still gave me enough freedom to make something we’d both be excited about. I incorporated the UU icon of a chalice in two intersecting rings, which was fun to re-imagine in textiles. I was able to take advantage of the crazy stock of prom-dress material in the fabric store, so Tera’s cape is a fabulous hot pink with silver glitter. The cape has snaps at the neck, so it can be quickly and securely fastened.
To attach the appliqued fabric to the cape I used double sided iron adhesive and then stitched over the designs with yellow and pink thread. The silver and gold is 4-way stretch lycra, one of my favorite fabrics ever, which was also used for the stretchy wrist cuffs. You can’t be a super hero without wrist cuffs!
My favorite part of this project was making the flame. It’s got the gold lycra layered with some shiny swatches I got for free.
The name for this dress comes from the colors and the amount of time it took me to complete! It was completely worth the work, especially when Jason and I went up to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. What an amazing place, perfect for an afternoon of flowers, photos, and a cool bottle of rosé.
This dress has my favorite shades of yellow! It’s so much fun to wear, and of course very comfortable. The skirt is made out of a sheet that has an awesome floral paisley pattern with hidden hearts. I’ve had that fabric for about 3 years, never sure exactly what to make out of it. In February a friend’s tenant gave me the white fabric. It was also a vintage sheet that had been torn in half. It has yellow roses and curls and it couldn’t be softer. It’s an awesome juxtaposition with the first fabric, from the color balance to the formality of the design. I made bias tape in a silky marigold fabric, slightly darker than the yellows in the sheets, which gives the design some structure. It was the only material I bought for this dress, bringing to total cost to about $2.
I was planning on lining the bodice because I was afraid the white would be too transparent. I spent hours getting the pink cotton to fit just perfectly, only to eventually realize that there was no way I would get the lining and the white fabric to line up perfectly. It turned out that the white fabric was thick enough that you can’t see through it, and I don’t even need the extra support of the lining to wear this dress without a bra. It’s also cooler without the extra layer of fabric, and this way I get to feel the soft white fabric against my skin. I’m sure this would have been easy to do if I’d used a pattern, but damnit, I didn’t want to use a pattern!
I’ve got front and back darts that make the bodice fit perfectly but still gives me room to move and wiggle. I put in an invisible zipper at the back (from my mom’s stash), and just about got the print to line up on either side.
The pockets are made out of the same silky polyester as the bias tape. They are set into the side seams of the skirt, which are slightly forward. Like always, I made sure that they are deep enough to carry bottles–this time wine fit! They completely conceal cans, which is important since there are open container laws in California. Although I designed it as a sundress for riding my bicycle, it also works great at night with tights and a cardigan.
Check out this video I made cataloging our day in the flowers!
