Tracey

Bohemian Tea Dress

03.01.2015 by Tracey //

Bohemian Tea Dress by Tracey

Pattern, Burda 112

Liberty wool/cotton blend, B&J Fabrics

Can I be honest about this dress? I’m kind of on the fence about it. Throughout the process of making it, I felt like everything was on track and it was shaping up to be exactly what I wanted. But when I finished and put it on, I was underwhelmed. It isn’t an obvious miss, but something is not quite right. I think the issues might be in the waist area. The center front panel is supposed to lie flat while the side panels are gathered. The gathers pull the front in a weird way that looks a little off. The belt helps with the overall look, but I had hoped to wear this dress without a belt too, and there is just no way. (To see the dress without a belt, click here.) If I had been buying this dress, I would have been in the fitting room a long time trying to make up my mind about it. And I am someone who makes up my mind FAST. We’ve all been there. If you buy it, it ends up sitting in your closet unworn. But if you don’t, you regret it, and it becomes a better dress in your mind. You have those days when you think, “I should have gotten that dress, it would have been perfect today”. But if you really had the dress, you would put it on, and then take it right back off again. You see where I am with this thing. Well, I made it, and it will be in my closet. We’ll have to wait and see if it gets worn. I sure do love the photographs, though! Very trippy! Obviously, Santiago can make anything look good.

Next Sunday, The Joy of Silk. Have a great week, and stay warm!!

Lockets

02.22.2015 by Tracey //

Photography by Tracey Hogan

All necklaces by Jewels by Piper

I love contrasts. These necklaces feature a beautiful antique locket with old fashioned appeal, but they are presented in a modern setting. They are feminine without being too sweet. They are precious and a little bit tough. And I have to confess that I have always had a soft spot for lockets. It’s like wearing a little secret around your neck.

Piper Dano makes these incredible necklaces that I’ve been slowly collecting over the years. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her a few times at her trunk shows and she is such a cool person.

Next week, Featherstitch Avenue goes psychedelic! It’s gonna get weird.

I hope everyone enjoys the Oscars tonight. I’ll be watching for the dresses. I have not seen a single Best Picture nomination. Not one!! You know kids have happened to you when you’ve seen NOTHING in the Best Picture category and EVERYTHING in the Best Animated Feature category. Go Big Hero 6!!!

Schoolgirl Skirt

02.01.2015 by Tracey //

Skirt and Styling by Tracey

Pattern, Marfy 3074

Wool and Cotton Tweed, B&J Fabric

Silk Charmeuse Lining, Susan Khalje Couture

Photography by Santiago Vanegas

Sometimes when I make something, the end product is pretty much as expected. Other times, I’m surprised. I started out making this skirt because my wardrobe lacked a warm skirt (and I am always cold!). I picked out this gorgeous tweed at B&J and went to work. When I had finished, I tried it on and thought, “Holy Cow! I just made my Catholic School Uniform!” I think I won’t dig too deep about the reasons I may have done it, I will just acknowledge it and move on. Now that I’ve re-created my uniform, I may as well just take it to its logical conclusion and style it with Oxfords.

For you sewing enthusiasts, the skirt is quilted with the silk charmeuse lining. And if you have never worn a quilted skirt, you should. It cannot be described how great a quilted skirt feels on your body. (To see the inside of the skirt and some of the details, go to our Instagram page.) The skirt has a narrow waistband and hand sewn couture zipper. I hope that one day I won’t break out into a sweat when I install a zipper, but so far that day has not arrived. This zipper turned out better than most of my others, so maybe I can take comfort in the fact that I am improving, at least a little. But every time, Santiago would come in close with the camera, I would flip around and say, “Let’s shoot the good side.”

For anyone who would like to make your own quilted skirt and need a place to start, I recommend picking up Claire Shaeffer’s book, The Couture Skirt. And definitely check out the quilted skirt post at A Challenging Sew!

(Just so you know, I have provided links throughout this post for your convenience. We are an unsponsored site, advertising free.)

Next week, Sunday, February 8, The Joy of Vintage Pumps, a selection of Courtney’s gorgeous shoes.