Karena Design is officially launching a new project line! For a long time, I've wanted to experiment with creating custom lingerie. It might have a bit of a trashy reputation in some circles, but I really believe that beautiful lingerie in the right context can be classy, flattering, and just really fun to wear. I find the best inspiration in vintage styles. My first piece, a little sleeper set, was originally inspired by a lovely vintage set, and specifically designed as wedding lingerie. I've always loved light, lacy things. Sometimes I call them "running through the meadows" clothes, although this finished product probably wouldn't be worn outside. I started with a fine ivory cotton voile, and an assortment of laces. I designed this set from scratch, just using a pair of pajama shorts as a loose pattern for the bottoms. I finished most of the edges of this piece with lace, so while most interior seams were french seams, hems and insets were a little more complicated. For intimate apparel, it's imperative that it's elegant and comfortable inside and out. For wider lace edges, I usually double turn the hem up on the right side, the opposite that I normally would. I then sew the lace over it, with one seam right above the turned up edge and on the top edge of the lace, and a second seam just at the bottom edge of the garment. For thinner lace, like the scalloped piece I used in several places on this garment, I double turn and stitch a hem as normal, then use a fine zig zag stitch to sew the lace right over the seam. And for a lace inset with a curved edge, like the bodice inset on this garment, I started by tacking and stitching down the lace piece on top of the bodice, then cutting away the unneeded fabric. For the neatest finish on the inside, I turned under these raw edges and stitched them by hand. Whew! But even with all of the detail work, a lightweight cotton is easier to work with than say, a chiffon or other slippery or stretchy fabric. As I continue to design lingerie pieces, I'll be branching out into different materials, but for this piece, I enjoyed working with the simplicity of cotton. And I was very pleased with the finished product! The hardest part of lingerie is fitting precisely to a woman's curves - because even in a looser garment like this, the idea is to give as flattering of a fit as possible! Since I didn't use any elastic, I put a thin drawstring at the top of the shorts, and another in the back of the tank. I did the rest of the fitting with small darts along the neckline, that I then eased into the lace inset. And now here we are!
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Hello friends! In the middle of moving across the city this fall, I've been working on a fun alterations project. I was given an old men's sport coat made of a really fun tweed wool. It's a little hard to see in a picture, but it's a mixed brown/gray with all sorts of interesting undertones that come out in the sunlight. And it's nice and warm, perfect for the our snowy Minnesota winters. Resizing a structured piece like this takes patience - especially when not only changing the size, but the gender. I brought in almost every seam, darts, shoulders, and arms, at least a half inch, removed the pocket flaps to make it a little more feminine, and brought the hem up several inches. The final touch will be new buttons for the front, and contrasting elbow patches to make it a little more unique. Another great bonus of this piece? It goes with both black and brown. And there's the (very nearly) finished product! Up next? Another dance recital collection, this time more of a traditional dress, and then a really fun bridesmaid dress alterations project. And of course Christmas is coming! I better get started on my gifts!
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