Fashion

Laced Up...

A couple of weeks ago I got the chance to sew for my first customer, my Mommy! Yes I still call her that...

Any who, my mom had to take a group photo for an Igbo church group in L.A. that she is a part of and asked me to be her designer. I'm not really the best with delicate fabrics but didn't want to disappoint her by saying no, especially since it was too late to find a seamstress. So I thought to myself, if she believes that I can do it then I might as well give it a try.

The fabric that was used was a beautiful sheer golden lace and silk polyester lining. I definitely had to take extra precaution because 1, there was only a yard of fabric and 2, no means of ordering a second yard, so in other words there was no room for slip- ups. I feel that there is always added pressure when sewing for someone else. If you care about your craft you know that whatever you create is a reflection of you and you don't want to take shortcuts that result in subpar work all because you didn't give a 100%. Luckily my mom is more forgiving than most so I was not too worried.

 It took me about 2 days of patternmaking, fitting, sewing, ripping seams, and sewing again to get the final look. I think the hardest part was the fitting because I wanted a slim yet comfortable look and didn't have a zipper on hand. I was surprised at myself because I didn't mess up like I usually do when sewing for myself. I guess working under pressure kind of makes you a better sewer. ;)
This is the finished look, all lined except for the sleeves of course with front, back, and armhole darts. If I had more lace I would have added a nice peplum or another design detail, but my mom was happy so that's all that matters.

                  


Recently I've been fortunate to have some people ask me to design some outfits for them, so I'll definitely be posting the final look. If anyone out there sews feel free to show me I'd love to see what my fellow designers are working on!

Nonye B.