Happy Spring Break! Or as a friend of mine put it, Thaw Break! Remember my fascination with "running through the meadows" clothes? Maybe I should start to advertise it as a specialty - I just can't resist light cotton and vintage - looking lace. And this is no more true than for this piece, an airy cotton crop tank perfect for a summer evening out or maybe even a fun pajama top. Read on for lots of detail pictures and a few fun finishing techniques! I made this completely from scratch without a pattern, so I started by draping the cotton on my dress form to draw out the major lines and shape. As the cotton I had on hand was a pretty small piece, I also needed to make sure it would fit! I had a few garments in mind I was modeling it after. The biggest detail to pay attention to at this stage was the gathering I wanted along the back hem. Once the pieces were cut out, the next step was the lace overlay, which would cover the whole thing. Tiny pin tucks helped shaped the wide lace to the curves of the front. I attached the main lace pieces before sewing the side seams, to keep them a little neater. It was the finishing touches that took the most time and attention for this piece. Check out the captions below each picture for more explanation! And the finished product, front and back! I tried to turn the pictures right side up - but it's not cooperating today. Now I just need to find the patience to wait until it's a little warmer to wear it!
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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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