Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Swatches

Remember the birthday dress I made for J-bird's 2nd birthday? Well, 'tis the season once again, and I'm on the quest for new ideas.

Last year was a little frock I whipped up using some gorgeous Amy Butler fabric I found while in Utah last November. It wasn't what I set out to make, but I fell in love with the design as soon as I saw it on the bolt. Amy Butler's fabrics are amazing - a good, quality weight, and vibrant colors that provide dozens of combinations within each collection. I was both intimidated and excited to sew the dress - and all in all, fairly pleased with the result.

For this year, I have decided to stick with the same sewing pattern. I love the little gathered waist and full, twirl-able skirt. The sash makes it oh-so-My Favorite Things-worthy. I also like the cap sleeve - usually patterns call for a longer sleeve, and I'm not so good at those kinds of alterations. The next decision took the longest - but it was also the most fun. What fabric did I want to use for the dress? I started with my longtime fave fabric designer - Amy Butler. I also explored fabrics by Anna Maria Horner, Robert Kaufman, and Alexander Henry. Using my pic of J-bird in last year's dress, I cut and pasted different fabrics into her frock, using my photo editing software. It was like playing with virtual paper dolls!

Thirty-two - yes, 32 - design combinations later - I had a decision.

The fabric is from Patty Young's Andalucia line. I am SO excited! I just love the colors and prints. In my dress, I have used SIX different fabrics from the designer's line. I also made a few additions to my original sewing pattern. However, they are mostly trims and piping. This is completely ambitious, and a bit over-the-top for me. But hopefully, it will also be doable. You *must* remember - I am not a seamstress! I sew once a year.

My next step is to order the fabric. Surprisingly, it is very difficult to find this fabric in NYC! One would think that being in the fashion capital of the world, finding beautiful fabrics in the city would be a cinch. However, my frustrating and exhausting search this afternoon, pounding the sidewalks going shop to shop, proved otherwise. I could not find a single bolt from the entire line! So ebay and etsy.com, here I come.

4 comments:

Marci said...

I can't wait to see the finished dress! The fabrics look gorgeous.

Cyn said...

Beautiful choice! I love Michael Miller fabrics, and these suit the pattern perfectly! You might also try fabricworm.com and hawthornethreads.com. Both good stores, and I'm pretty sure they both carry the Andalucia line. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product!!!

Kendra Leigh said...

I actually hardly ever buy fabric here in the city- with all the "lines" of fabric out there, it makes buying coordinating stuff online so easy! Happy sewing! I love a good project. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

these dresses are adorable. you could sell these! do you??