It’s been taking me a while to work out a good schedule for all of my projects. I seem to be settling into a good routine though and have 3 beautiful linen collage skirts to show for it. Actually 5 but one was for me and another was a special order. These skirts tend to move fast and are perfect for spring so be sure to check them out. Click on the images to be brought to the product listing.
Linen Collage Skirt - Small
Linen Collage Skirt - Medium
Linen Collage Skirt - Large
Today I have been sewing away the morning in preparation for a birthday party in our household. The party has a Robin Hood theme. Naturally, the first thing to sew would be a Robin Hood hat for the birthday boy. I searched around the internet and found this excellent tutorial with a pdf pattern on Crafty Stacy. I have no craft felt on hand so I used a silk taffeta and linen with an upholstery fabric used inside to add stiffness. It came out wonderfully, so wonderfully that I can’t get the birthday boy to sit still for a good picture!
Next up, 8 sacks for a potato sack race! I have about 50 yards of raincoat fabric which I was gifted so what better to make them with in this rainy Washington weather?
Potato Sack races are very serious affairs!
And finally, Isadora of course required a new party dress. Secretly, I wanted to make her a really ornate Maid Marion kind of dress. I did not want her to outshine the birthday boy so I decided on a simple jersey dress with a generic kind of old-fashioned look.
I love a chance to sew up a bunch of crazy stuff really fast. A nice challenge. Now I’m settling in for a long day of drawing while the festivities ensue downstairs.
We moved to Arizona from Brooklyn, NY. There were a lot of things which I took for granted when I lived in NYC, especially where food and indie boutiques are concerned. One assumption I had made moving out here was that my only fabric shopping option locally would be a chain fabric store. I had figured it was back to ordering fabric on-line for me.
Once I landed in Patagonia and people found out about my dressmaking background everyone kept telling me that I had to visit SAS. I’m pretty jaded when it comes to fabric stores, I mean I even got to shop Mood when I lived in NYC. I put off visiting the store at first until I was with a friend and they had to shop there.
I walked in the door and felt like I’d fallen into a wormhole that had brought me right back to Brooklyn. There were stacks of fabrics everywhere, bare concrete floors and a staff that warmed my city girl heart. Almost every review site has criticism of the staff of SAS. To these criticism I say, grow up. These are some of the funniest and nicest people I have ever met as long as you treat them with the respect that any fellow human being is due. I have watched these ladies put up with a serious amount of bullsh*t with a surprising amount of grace.
Anyway, back to the fabric. It seems to be mostly endlot and priced amazingly. I shop there exclusively for all my jersey. Once I bought the most gorgeous 100% silk taffeta there for $2.00/yard. They also have trims that I can barely let myself look at for fear of it overtaking my entire studio space.
If you are ever near Tucson and like to sew go to SAS, you won’t be disappointed.
Now that I have my new webstore up and running I’m working to fill it up with new goodies. Here are a few of the recent sewing projects I’ve added to the shop, click on images to get more details regarding each item.
Handmade Orange, Yellow & Coral Linen Collage Skirt - Small
Rainbow Bow Bag
Handmade Aqua Horsey Jersey Jennifer Dress - Small
Handmade Aqua, Green, Brown & Black Patterned Cowl Tunic - Small
****Giveaway alert! This is post number 195! I want you to win a gift certificate to Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp!!! Enter here for your chance to win one of 3 gift certificates for Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp! Just post a comment to win, it’s easy.***
I was just looking back to see what the last new dresses I had posted to the blog and saw that the last 4 pieces I shared with you have all sold already! My dresses are moving fast these days so don’t miss your chance to get one of these. Click on the pictures to see item details on the Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp handmade dress shop on Etsy.
Handmade Yellow & Orange Layered Skirt with Orange Stretchy Waistband - Medium
Yellow & Green Layered Skirt - X-Large
Handmade Heathered Cotton Candy Pink Draped Collar Shirt - Large
Handmade Ikat Printed Jersey Cowl Tunic - Large
Handmade Purple Anchor Printed Jersey Cowl Tunic - Medium
First….****A reminder! This is post number 194! That means you have a few more days to enter our CONTEST!!! Enter here for your chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp!***
Right before Thanksgiving I wrapped up my first ever sewing class, Sew Basic. What a great experience! I had 5 students who had little sewing experience. We started with hand techniques and then started using sewing machines.
I learned to hand sew when I was 6 from my grandmother. When I was a little older my step-mother taught me to use a sewing machine. For most of my sewing life though I have been on my own, figuring things out as I go and mostly making it up. I’m not much of a class person when it comes to creative skills, I just like to jump into it and figure it out. I wasn’t sure this would be to my advantage as a sewing teacher.
In the end I think it worked out to mine and my students advantage. When you reinvent the wheel to learn a skill it seems that you really understand how each minor move or adjustment makes the process easier or more effective. I have spent so much time figuring out these basics that I found myself more prepared than I thought to explain all the details which go into sewing.
With the exception of the classes final project I designed and prepped all of the projects for the class. I really was trying to give students ways to practice a variety of techniques and skills. For the final project I had students go shop for a commercial pattern and fabric and then make those projects in class.
In January I am excited to teach a group of children to sew. I will be teaching them hand sewing and students who are interested may go onto sewing machines.
First, I’d like to say that I am happy to see more organic cotton on the market. Cotton grown conventionally uses a lot of nasty chemicals so of course the more organic cotton the better.
That being said, there is a lot of fabric already on the planet so why should we just rely on new textiles? I know for large companies it is necessary to use new fabrics because they need lots of yardage of the same exact fabric. For smaller designers, such as myself, using identical yardage isn’t as much of a necessity. With that in mind, what are some of the options for smaller designers who want to leave the smallest environmental footprint with their clothing line? I say the answer is in the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle.
I have spent a lot of time reducing the amount of fabric I have to use to make a garment. Cutting patterns leaves a lot of hard to use waste fabric. I have been using a technique where I end up with very little waste fabric and the fabric that is left I use in my Collage Dresses & Skirts.
Another way I reduce is by using deadstock and scrap from bigger fabric stores. I happen to be lucky to live near a great resource for end-of-the-line fabric. Pieces that have damage, printing errors or are small pieces leftover from other designers past seasons. This fabric rarely comes in pieces larger than 5 yards. This means that my line consists mostly of one-of-a-kind pieces but I see this as a benefit. I mean, who likes showing up at a party to see someone wearing the same dress as them? Never going to happen with one of my dresses! I also look for fabric at thrift stores, tag sales and flea markets. All these sources are reducing the amount of new fabric I am purchasing new.
Reuse is another great one. I already shop for vintage for Deserted Treasures. Often I see great fabrics in already made clothing that might not be vintage or perhaps it’s damaged. These pieces are great to take apart and integrate into clothing and accessories.
As far as recycle, much of what I mentioned can fall under this heading. In addition, I feel like I have become the default textile recycling center in my community. Have a piece of clothing or fabric you think is pretty but no longer want in your house? Drop it by Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp, I’m sure Erika can make it into something. The best kind of fabric I get this way? Organic fabric of course!
So while I adore organic textiles and have used many of them during the existence of Mellifluous Couture, I always prefer to use fabrics that are already here, possibly preventing them from entering the waste stream.
I see the flexibility of independent designers, such as myself, to be just another reason to Dress Local. Indie designers have the flexibility to reduce, reuse & recycle textiles in a way which a large corporation never could.
Like this dress? Click the picture to check it out on Etsy.
8 classes running September 28th-November 16th
Wednesdays 7pm-9pm
at Patagonia Creative Arts Center 305 Naugle Ave, Patagonia
This series of classes will cover all of the basics of home sewing, including: hand stitching techniques ♥ sewing with a machine ♥ simple projects embellished pillows ♥ clothing from pre-existing patterns ♥ & more!
Cost: $120
Covers: All classes & most of the required materials*
*Additional materials: Many materials can be sourced from your home such as old clothing for patchwork and old pillows for covering. Final project fabric and patterns will also be the responsibility of the student, learning to shop for patterns & fabric is an important part of learning to sew!*
Please contact Faye at Patagonia Creative Arts Center, 394-9369 or Erika at Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp, 394-0055, to reserve your space. SPACE IS LIMITED so please contact us as soon as possible. Payment is due upon registration.
For questions call or e-mail Erika, 394-0055 or erika {at} tumbleandpopple {dot} com.
About Erika: Erika Rier has been sewing since she was 6 years old. For the past 10 years she has been the designer and crafter behind the clothing label Mellifluous Couture. She uses traditional sewing techniques as well as techniques which she has developed to create clothing with an excellent fit and drape.
I’ve just opened an Etsy shop, Mellifluous Couture, for a clothing line I started in Brooklyn 10 years ago. I’ve been back to designing for quite awhile now but have only been selling through my own brick & mortar gallery. It was high time to make these items available online again.
As a celebratory off I’m giving you a coupon for 20% to use before September 15th. Use code “celebration” and get 20% off everything in the Mellifluous Couture Etsy shop.
Today is my birthday! And what am I doing? Working of course. This is the blog of a confessed workaholic after all.
I thought I’d share some new pieces I have been working on as of late.
Stop by Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp to check them out or follow us on facebook to be kept up-to-date on our soon-to-be on-line store for clothing!
