Christina Siriana Fall Collection

I think sewing has become my new thing. Funny thing is I wouldn't even consider myself that great at it. I am mainly attracted to fabrics, and then get cool ideas on what to do with them. These days I've been really getting into it, and pushing myself to do more that just circle skirts. I'm not a professional seamstress so I definitely have a ways to go and a lot to learn when making things that I am actually going to wear out in the streets. I learned a lot from doing my last collection, and have been practicing and watching lots of videos trying to learn techniques, tips, and tricks to get better. Fall is here and you know that's the time that we all start editing and changing out our wardrobes. This collection will be known as the Christina Siriana Fall Collection. When I did the spring Micheala Korina Collection, I got a bit carried away with the number of pieces. I definitely wanted to reel myself in and dwindle it down this go round. 

First up I started with a dress. I got this fabric surprisingly from Forsyth Fabrics which is an interior decor place. They were having a serious sale on remnants. In the haul I bought a piece of denim (which the sales guy was mad that I snapped it up) and a thin blue and white striped fabric. The striped fabric was thick so I knew it would pair well with the denim. 

 The design I was going for was a denim dress with 3/4 length sleeves, and the striped fabric would go as an accent at the bottom. I quickly realized once I started lining up my pattern that I didn't have nearly as much fabric as I thought, so I couldn't cut anything wrong. I cut out the denim fabric, sewed the striped fabric to the bottom, and then sewed the 2 main pieces together. After that I added sleeves. Due to there not being enough fabric, I compensated by adding the blue and white stripes to the end of the sleeves as well.

As you can see there is a split up the middle. That is because I have lots of dresses and wanted a more versatile piece. So I'm going to add a zipper to the front and create more of a hybrid dress/coat. That way I can wear it closed as a dress or leave it open and wear it as a long coat. To finish it up I added a collar, and hemmed the sleeves and the bottom. I also had to do some surgery around the arms. The armholes were a bit snug so I cut into them to add room. This was a difficult piece to sew. The fabric was so thick it put a working on my sewing machine. At the last minute I had extra fabric and opened up the sides to add pockets.

First project done.

 I wasn't sure how I would feel about this piece when it was done. The weight of the fabric and the stiffness, made me unsure how it would wear in real life. However I wore it to work last week, and it looked and wore great. I strutted those halls like no other. 

Next was a hoodie sweatshirt. I saw this fabric in Jo-Ann's and about died. I totally fell in love with it at first sight. Problem was I had no clue what to do with it. My first thought was a massive circle skirt, but I have so many of those and wanted to think outside the box. Also the fabric was part mesh so a skirt would require the additional step of adding a lining. I left it in the store that day, but I went back a couple of weeks later and it was on sale. That basically was the fabric gods saying "BYE ME". So I picked up two yards. The print was really girly, but I wanted something a little more universal. In the end I decided on a hoodie. The hope is that I can wear it with sneakers or put it with heels for a more unexpected chic uptown look. 

I've never made a sweatshirt or anything with a hood before, so I had to start by making a pattern. I made a template using a sweatshirt I already had. 

I cut out all of the pieces. 

Then sewed them together

To add the hood I measured the length around the collar.

Then cut out a hood shaped piece that matched that length. 

I definitely over estimated the size. The hood turned out a little large and in charge. However, I think that kind of adds to the appeal of it. Makes it feel a little more of a statement piece.

I have to say I kind of love it. The busy fabric mixed with the casual item really created a cool contrast. 

This next project might be my favorite piece of the collection. I saw this fabric in the spring and loved it then. I knew I wanted to make a dress with it, but figured I would wait until the weather cooled down a bit. I really liked that the print looked a lot like painted brush strokes. It makes me feel like a walking art piece. I'm going to use the fabric to make a Circle Dress.

I combined my circle skirt pattern and the top of my sheath dress pattern. I cut out a giant circle for the bottom, the back and front top pieces, and 2 sleeves. I had barely just enough fabric. I sewed the top pieces together, and then added the sleeves. This only took me a little less than 2 hours. 

Next I sewed the top and bottom pieces together. To get in the dress, I carefully cut the back open and put it a zipper. 

I was pretty impressed that it was actually a nice fit. I finished it off by hemming all of the seams and edges and adding a clasp to the back....and VOILA!

I wore this dress to work last week. I got lots of compliments on it. The fabric really makes a statement. 

The colder months are coming (you wouldn't know it as we're clearly still in the 80's around here), and I am all about staying snug. I decided to make some sweatshirts. I have had these ideas for awhile, but just now getting around to making them. I am going to start with the gray one.

So let me clarify when I say make, I did not actually sew these from scratch. I bought 2 sweatshirts and embellished. For the first one I'm going to use Heat-n-Bond. It is supposed to be a permanent adhesive. However, I have used their strip adhesive before, and it peels over time with washing. I saw a video of this on YouTube and figured I would give it a go. I did a test run on some scrap fabric just to make sure it worked. 

I followed the directions. You're supposed to first iron the Heat-n-Bond to the fabric and then draw the design facing backwards. I am using words for this so I printed out some letters on the computer and traced them onto the adhesive. 

To adhere to the sweatshirt, you peel off the backing and iron down the cut outs. 

I placed them all first so I could test placement and where to iron them down. I had to be careful not to over iron the letters. I pressed everything down then turned it inside out and ironed from inside.

Here it is on.

The giant tulle skirt is not part of the outfit. It just happened to be on the mannequin. It is actually part of my Halloween costume.

The next sweatshirt was white. I got the idea from a shirt I saw in Forever 21. It was full on sequins, and while it was too much for everyday I did like the saying. It said Work Of Art (Of which I consider myself at times). I was going for a more fitted, cute look with this one and started by cutting the neck out. I also wanted it to be a little more fancy, so I'm using glitter ribbon and metallic transfers. 

I wanted the word ART to be taken up a notch. I used Metallic Iron-On transfer sheets. I was excited to see these in the store, and much to my surprise they were a lot easier to apply than I had anticipated. I wanted the font to be something cool and artsy, but I couldn't find anything online or in Photoshop. So I ended up free-handing my own. 

They applied pretty much the same as any other transfer paper. I placed the letters down, covered them with Parchment paper, and ironed them down. 

The final product. 

For the last piece in the collection I am going to attempt....wait for it...a jumpsuit. I saw this fabric and immediately wanted to make a bodycon dress. The material is a Scuba-Knit and has quite a bit of stretch to it. However, once I got the fabric home I realized that when the fabric stretches the pattern becomes distorted and faded. It wasn't a good look for that kind of dress. I pondered long and hard on an alternative, and decided to attempt the jumpsuit.

I started with the bottom piece. This will be my first time making full length pants, so I created a pattern. I used a combination of some sweatpants and my shorts pattern. I laid the piece down and cut it out. 

Since this is a fabric with a large pattern, I paid special attention to symmetry between the 2 sides. Nothing worst than a lopsided pattern. After cutting it out I loosely pinned the 2 pieces and tried them on. They fit, so I proceeded. Next I put in pockets. Usually I do the complete hidden pockets in the sides. This time I tried front facing pockets.

It wasn't as difficult as I thought. I looked at a couple of YouTube videos and then checked out my own pants for reference. 

I did make them too small though. I really misjudged how big they needed to be less the cutout. So though they look nice, they're not the utmost functional. It's okay though. All part of the learning process. All and all the bottoms came out great for a first attempt. I was pretty impressed with myself that it was going so well. 

Next I added a waistband. I am going to add elastic to the waist to help cinch it in at the end.

Now on to the top piece. I used a cap sleeve like shirt I already owned and cut out both a front and back piece. For the front I was going for a little sexy, and cut a very low deep v.

With both the separate bottom and top pieces complete, I pinned them together and tried it on. After a few nips, tucks, and adjustments I sewed everything together.  

I tried it on after I sewed it together and the front v was a little too low. So I brought it up about 2". I tried it on again and friggin' eureka, I LOVED IT. To finish it off, I added cuffs to the bottom of the legs and the elastic to the waist. One good thing with this Scuba-Knit material is that it doesn't fray, so you don't have to finish the edges. I mean it doesn't get much better than that. That meant just like that I was done.

I did realize once I put it and on and walked around for a while, that my larger than average size bosoms were causing the front to gap and pucker. It was not laying flat the way I wanted. Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting because that has never been my life. So, I am going to add a piece of string across the front to keep it closed and in place. All and all though I absolutely love it. I am also very proud of myself. When I started this or even thought of it the whole thing sounded crazy and daunting. However, it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. I just had to take my time and really think everything through.

Oh, and for those of you that haven't already seen and/or were wondering what my Halloween costume was. That giant white ball of tulle was part of my creation for SIA.

Very fun costume. Not so easy to eat or have a real conversation with people.

So that's it, the Fall collection is done. What do you think? I am pretty proud of this one. I really love all of the pieces I made. I just need to get an uber fabulous life so I can have somewhere to wear them all to. I have already plotted a few winter projects. There won't be a full collection, but maybe a piece here and there. Also I have gotten quite a few requests from others. However, full disclosure is that I am truly a novice at sewing. I know it looks nice on your computer screens, but the insides are a little scary sometimes. I'm just starting to really learn and make real stuff. And for right now I've only ever made stuff for myself. So, when you ask me to make you something and I give an inconspicuous rebuttle, I'm not just being fully terrible. It's because I'm still learning and still a little self conscious about my skill level. I am truly flattered that you have that much faith in my work though. 

Until then....It's on to the next project.