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Friday, February 15, 2013

Phase 7 Table Banner

I just finished making Alec a Phase 7 banner to cover his table at conventions. If you are in the Los Angeles area you should come out and see it in person at the LA Zine Fest on February 17th.



I made it out of polyester poplin because it's tough and somewhat wrinkle resistant, it should last a long time. The letters are machine appliquéd onto the background.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

My Wedding Dress

Alec & Claire

Alec and I got married last month! Luckily I had enough time to make my own wedding dress. I used a variation of the the dia de los muertos dress pattern that I made a couple years ago because I knew it fit me well. Since I was married in the winter I added long sleeves. I also really wanted a collar, so I added a peter pan style flat collar.


I'm a non-traditional lady who loves color, so making a white wedding dress wasn't really considered. I had been thinking about making it in a rich purple velvet, but I ended up finding this great printed fabric at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.


I picked out a cranberry velveteen for the trim details. Finding a good color match for the trim to fit with the print was a challenge (the materials photo doesn't show it well, but it does match) and I ended up with a pretty thick velveteen. To make sure the collar and cuffs weren't too bulky I found a cranberry polyester shantung to create a lighter facing. I also made Alec a matching tie using the same shantung fabric, the velveteen was just too thick.  The pink petticoat I made was created to give this dress a little more lift in the skirt, and to coordinate withe the pink flowers in the dress.

There are two pockets hidden in the side seams, because I like to be able to carry my own things even without a purse. I know that it's very non-traditional and doesn't give off much of a wedding vibe but it's very special to me. Plus since I'm so practical I can wear it again in the future for other special occasions.