New Grounds - Drape & Shape

How you do it, it's right!

The other day I made my son a sandwich and he came back to the kitchen crying to break hearts. When I asked him what's wrong he said I did not make a sandwich as in half it and fold it on top of each other. I am sure if I would have done exactly that it would have been wrong as well. I am not questioning this behavior but I also can't blame him as I am not very different. 

I need things to be my way. Or maybe that is not true, I just don't want to feel uncomfortable, and sometimes things need a long time to be reduced to the max. When I had an outing to browse the High street I could find nice clothes, but looking closer or trying them on I could only find issues. The material was wrong or seams uncomfortable, it might have looked nice but it was hardly wearable and so on. I had to leave it and cannot call myself a customer anymore, even if I try very hard.

And now I am designing my own clothes I am not different at all. I might be very pleased with a new design but I need to put it to the test and only if I still like it then it will be part of my collection. This might be a too different approach as we live in a throw away society. But I always loved the garments worn to death the most and even when they were beyond it. 

The collection is completed and I am up to new grounds. In the collection I worked a lot with one-piece designs. The idea is that it is more comfortable to wear and a challenge but looks very different too. This time I wanted to drape more. This is even more of a challenge as drape and one piece is not easy to solve.

The top has one seam on one side. The other side drapes. Not too much as I still prefer plain cuts but enough to be a decorative element and shape around the body differently. The leggings are even more comfortable than the Hand stitched Yoga pants as there is hardly any contact to the body. 

Now in test phase and still only a first attempt in a new direction I am sketching and designing already more.....

a collection / chapter end

Suffering (;

I knew this would come. 
I have this self-imposed rule that I draw a pattern straight after a new design is born, no matter what. And if I make any changes I transfer them immediately too.

Obviously, there are exceptions. Sometimes I am not sure and think I can draw the pattern later. Sometimes the drawing is very free-style as it is in process anyway. Although I must say through experience my pattern-development got more and more accurate as it just speeds up the process, and although I know by now how to cut what, it is still of advantage to have the pattern finished, named and neatly stored. 

A year has passed. It feels like a chapter is finished and it is time to move on. But before that I wanted to present what I have done in form of a collection. I decided which of the designs will be part of this collection and did the last fine tuning. And I spent the whole weekend to create the final drawings of those patterns, I mean the final final ones, which was quite painful as I had to test and work out if it is all correct, like super correct. Because they will be graded and if there is an error, it will be in every size.... 

(... From now on I am not only drawing the pattern immediately but also do the final drawing.)

Well, now I only have to choose the fabrics and manufacture and present this collection in my shop. What a big event!

Bra take 2

I finished the "day" version of this super comfy bra. I just wanted a second one that is not visible or looks like another T-Shirt layer like the Yoga Bra.

This time I have used a wider elastic band with a softer structure, which seems to be even more comfortable. I did not fold the material over and embedded the band but left it outside, sewn on a single layer of Jersey. But because of its width I had to sew two rows of cross stitch around the band, which is a nice decorative element. 

The cut is lower for this version. I might try a different shape for the next one, maybe a V? The best thing about this breathable Organic Bamboo Cotton Jersey is that I can wear it quite often with only airing it, compared to a bra made of Cotton or Lycra. The material is very suitable for a bra due to its elastane content for stability, but rather for smaller cup sizes (;

Still in test phase but already one of my favorite no feel designs!

i can cu = ONE . . .

i can cu is ONE on the 1st of July!!!!!

....you might be busy but don't miss this:
because of this very special occasion - it is the FIRST birthday 
- i can cu decided to spoil you with a Hand stitched favorite Tank Top 
especially made for YOU!
. . . and the only thing to take part is share this giveaway and comment on this blog
. . . go on . . . be brave and dare to treat yourself with a gorgeous super comfortable Top . . . and it will be one of a kind . . .

(more detail here)

Happy Birthday!

See you at i can cu . . .
. . . winner to be announced on the 1st of July!

The Knickers Project

How to make a pattern & Hand stitched Knickers

This project has waited a long time now to be realized. I always wanted to make my own knickers facing the problem that I could never find the favorite pairs of knickers again. 
I don't know why but I always thought knickers are too demanding to make yourself but the reality is much more pleasant: 

Easily done, easily repeated over and over again and soooo comfortable!

But see for yourself!

Spring 4 Liverpool

A bit of spring for Liverpool

Just finished 2 pairs of wrist warmers in the shades variation. These have only 3 colours but wider sections. Don't know but they took ages to finish, probably due to sick kids and lots of ideas and new bamboo/cotton super jersey that arrived and is just waiting in front of my eyes . . .Anyway they are in the shop now here in Liverpool. The shop is an art shop and you can find a lot of gorgeous things there and it also attracts some interesting people. Volunteering there means meeting some of them and enjoying talking to them as well. Really nice when they are interested in Hand stitched fashion and even purchase some!

Yoga pants test phase

Testing Day for my new Hand stitched Yoga pants

When I did my training as a graphic designer I remember finding myself criticizing the to my opinion wrong spacing on shampoo and soap packaging or whatever was there in the bathroom while I was washing my hair. 

For my Birthday I got a voucher for Liverpool One, which is a popular shopping corner in the center of Liverpool. And again I was looking at seams and shapes . . . .

It has been now over a year that I am 'off high-street' and wearing handmade. I am far away from having a whole wardrobe stitched by hand but I am getting there, slowly.

So the next project are these Hand stitched Yoga pants. I designed already classic leggings which are very comfortable but I wanted to top it with a band made of the same fabric as the pants instead of an elastic band. The reason for this is it is soooooooooo comfortable and gentle around the waist. I call them pants because they are not as tight as leggings but still have a snug fit. The eye-catching cross stitching transforms this rather simple design into some very nice Hand stitched Yoga pants.

Today is the test phase for the cut and so far no pulling and adjusting and only comfort . . . .

Soon to be tested in an Organic jersey made of bamboo, cotton and elasthene. Really looking forward to that!