Tag Archives: handmade

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YELLOW FLORAL BIRTHDAY DRESS

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My computer has recently revived from a 3 week hiatus, and yet I’m still just using an old post. Haven’t got quite everything back up and running, and the laptop was really just an excuse to not blog. Maybe I’ll write about it later, but does anyone really care? Long story short: I’m busy sewing all day, working really hard, and also prioritizing my time off. I haven’t really done any personal sewing, and I’m waiting for photos on several large projects for clients. Theoretically I’ll be able to post every day in May.

So in the meantime here’s a post that’s all about eventually getting things done. Pictures were taken in July 2014, when I had an incredibly short cut and was still deep in platinum mania.

 

Happy birthday to meee… from 2013. I bought this fabric as a birthday gift to myself, but between other projects and design uncertainty, wasn’t able to sew it up until 14 months later. Luckily it was worth the wait!

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

The yellow floral poplin in from the Lisette line at Joann. I immediately fell in love with the color combination and the paisley-inspired print. But it was that print that got me turned around. Brightly colored flowers… would that be too juvenile? I hate the idea of being ‘cute’ or saccharine, and so the fabric was folded and left in my cabinet…

Would I use a Laurel-esque shift pattern (this was right around the time that design was sweeping the blogosphere)? What about a vintage sleeveless dress? Maybe I should copy a 2005 H&M shirt dress I still wear: even with the heart print and slightly puffed sleeves, the sleek seams and short hem made me feel powerful.

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

In the end, I combined all these elements. I made a complete pattern of the H&M dress, but eliminated the sleeves and collar. I used a placket inspired from my vintage pattern, though I constructed this one myself. I copied Laurel’s clean neckline, and from there added my own details.

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne The raw edges are serged and topstitched. The neckline and arm holes are bound with self-made bias tape, which I sewed on the front using my machine, and then whip stitched the inside and back. yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

I feel like the coral binding creates a neat outline for the wild print. The mustard thread for the buttonholes doesn’t actually match any of the 7 colors of the fabric, but it still felt like the right choice. And the gold shank buttons… somehow, I didn’t even consider that option as I imagined the perfect buttons, but they jumped out at me as I was browsing the Dill racks.

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

It’s been a great summer dress so far, and of course it will do well in cooler temperatures with a cardigan and leggings.

yellow floral shift dress, made by Julianne

I already bought fabric for this year’s birthday dress. I’m not sure if I’ll have it done in time (3 weeks!) and I’m not even sure what design I will use. Perhaps I’ll make a blog post all about that… I should have it published in about 4 months!

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SEA TURTLE QUILT

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I was picking up some basic supplies at Joann Fabrics when another customer asked my opinion on some fabrics she had selected. Always ready to share my ideas about color, I enthusiastically helped and before I knew it I had been asked to make the quilt myself. It’s my client’s own idea for the design, and really I only helped with the fabric selection (and I love her choice of batiks!). This quilt was given to my client’s friend.

baby sea turtle quilt, made by Julianne

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The finished blanket is about 40 x 40″ which seems perfect for a little baby. The X stitches in the background are on a 4″ grid. This is the first quilt I made since 2007.

baby sea turtle quilt, made by Julianne

There is an extra layer of batting beneath the shell to give it extra dimensionality.

baby sea turtle quilt, made by Julianne

My husband and I made a trip up to Santa Cruz and San Francisco around New Year’s Eve, and I brought the blanket with me.

baby sea turtle quilt, made by Julianne

This was a feel-good project to work on (especially during a cold snap). The client was thrilled, and I hope the family has many lovey years with this blanket.

baby sea turtle quilt, made by Julianne

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COSMIC PINK LEGGINGS

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I recently photographed several new projects, but while those pictures linger on my hard drive please enjoy my favorite new leggings.

pink cosmic leggings, made by JulianneIt’s my own pattern, at this point very well tailored to my booty. The spandex came from Fabric Planet and I’m also making some bikram yoga shorts (aka manties) for The Pink Lion.

Of course the shirt is also my own design, and the sparkly gold hat was made by Annie.

pink cosmic leggings, made by Julianne pink cosmic leggings, made by JulianneI’m totally loving the socks and sandals look and I think I’ve finally figured out how to pull it off (but that’s not really up to me, is it?). I got these Reiker sandals in Munich in 2009, and they are my most comfortable shoes as long as I’m also wearing socks. At this point I have quite a collection of socks that I wear with my beloved orange sandals! My teenage self would be appalled at this, and there’s a good chance that my mom is too.

pink cosmic leggings, made by Julianne

These pictures were taken around the Venice Canals, after my husband and I rode bikes to our favorite bar on the beach for frothy Xmas beers.

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That’s my kind of white Christmas!

Also Troop Beverly Hills is finally on Netflix! It’s pretty funny and wonderfully campy, and a little heavy on the ‘shopping is life’ mantra (and even though they sweep it away at the end, the message is still there). Here’s the troop from Mar Vista ordering 42 boxes of cookies! I was a hard-core Girl Scout for many years and though I kicked butt at cookie sales I don’t miss it.

Troop Beverly Hills, Mar Vista

Still way too busy and stressed, but getting through the days. Follow me on Instagram for more regular updates. Happy New Year!

pink cosmic leggings, made by Julianne

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