Learn how Yves St Laurent, Eddie Murphy, Threads Magazine, Starry Nights and Neon Lights helped me design myself a garment that I didn’t see coming…
The Inspiring Events
As someone who has spent a couple of decades sewing for others and helping others sew for themselves, I usually need an inspiring excuse to make something for myself.
Well, I’ve got that this year! This October, I’ll be attending two “fancy” events specifically for sewing people: Raleigh Frocktails and the Gala at Camp Workroom Social.
And it’s about time I started a new “behind the seams” blog series! It’ll help me stay accountable to get this idea out of my head and onto my body.
I have a feeling that this series is going to be kind of all over the place, but that’s how my custom sewing process goes most of the time. The long road, that starts with brainstorming and ends with finishing touches, is a twisty one and you rarely know where you are going until you get there.
I hope we both enjoy the ride…
…starting with the first steps of the custom process: Brainstorming and Design!
Neon Lights
Nearly every October since 2016, I’ve been teaching at a sewing camp for adults called Camp Workroom Social. (This year my class sold out first– in less than 5 minutes!)
On the last night of Camp, there’s always a big party. And for the past few years, this big party has been upgraded to a “Gala”. Though there’s no pressure to “dress up”, if Campers or Staff want to make something to wear to the Gala, they are offered a theme for inspiration.
Camp 2024 Gala Theme: Neon Lights
Hmmmmm….
After thinking on the theme for a while, I thought of something I’ve already made that would easily knock out this theme: Separates, made ~18 months apart.
This is a top that I made specifically for this headshot in January 2023…
…which I never (hemmed or) wore out of the house until I made this matching skirt a couple of months ago.
The fabric is a deadstock Yves St. Laurent viscose crepe from Blackbird Fabrics. On the black background, the print features some of YSL’s classic motifs in bright colors: lips, hearts, and lightning bolts.
Kinda reminds me of “Neon Lights”…
Easy, breezy, done!
A Starry Night
Then, there was the October Surprise: Event #2
Mere days after making my decision to wear the YSL separates to the Camp Gala in mid-October, I heard about a Frocktails event in Raleigh in early October!
Frocktails is basically a cocktail party where sewing people get together for a night out wearing things they’ve made. In my previous blog post, I shared the color-blocked dress I made for Asheville Frocktails in 2019. I had a blast at that event, and knew it would be really fun to meet other locals who love to sew.
Raleigh Frocktails 2024 theme: Starry Night
Hmmmm… Could I brainstorm something new to make myself that could match both themes?
With stars now on my mind, my first idea was to do some funky patternmaking to make a fitted bodice where all of the darts were manipulated into a star shape.
Have you seen nerdy patternwork like this before? If a point ends at the apex, I could cut out the star piece and close/eliminate the darts for a fitted bodice with star seams. All of the shaping would be contained within the seams of the star (+ a short seam at the Center Front below it). So fun!
Fabric Finds
I looked at my “fabric stash” for more inspiration. Is there any lingering yardage that I could use up?
These are the fabrics that I thought might loosely translate to Neon Lights and/or Starry Night.
Especially this one, which has been sitting in my stash for almost 5 years.
I rarely ever buy fabric without a specific project in mind, but sometimes I change my mind. I originally bought this minty green silk/wool satin at NYC’s Mood Fabrics in 2019 for one of the skirts I’d make in the 2nd Edition of Skirt Skills.
And I randomly ran into one of my Skirt Skills students while in the store! It’s so wild to accidentally meet my online students IRL!
But I later decided that the high-shine might not be ideal for the pencil skirt design I was envisioning, and it has remained uncut ever since.
But the high-shine seemed to be the quality that really worked with both party themes, and I’d love to finally make it into something!
Meanwhile...
Meanwhile, I was under a deadline preparing an article for the Winter 2024 issue of Threads Magazine about creating a custom Sketching Silhouette. For the magazine, I had just made myself a brand new set of Sketching Silhouettes from a photo. Time to test them out I guess!
And since I’m playing with fabrics, I chose the digital set.
While trying to keep the details as simple as possible, I used ProCreate and my new digital Silhouette to quickly sketch myself a fancy-ish minty silky dress with the star as the focal point.
I don’t know…
I might look like a shiny cheerleader?
Maybe instead I mix the two splatter print rayons for a more casual wearable look?
Hmmm… I think this patternmaking puzzle would be really fun to try, and really fun to wear for a theme party, but would I want to wear it again?
I had my doubts.
And there was something extra awkward about that necessary little seam under the star. Maybe I move that seam? Or add more seams? And/or add little tucks or darts radiating from the star?
Fun for sure, but I’m still not really sure I’d wear this.
Do I really want to wear a dress with a fitted bodice?
Do I really want a star on my chest with points at my nipples?
Then I thought,…
Maybe the star is on the back….?
A Star on the Back Of A...
And it hit me, while watching Beverly Hills Cop 4…
What I actually need in my closet, is a cool jacket.
I loved the color and the hand and the thickness of my green satin fabric. But for 5 years, any idea I’d have to turn it into a shiny skirt or a dress kept telling me to hold off.
But what if it was a luxury-esque version of a hoodie or light jacket? For the first time, I saw the fabric as a perfect for a vintage 80s-style satin school jacket, or Japanese embroidered satin jacket… That’s something that could be very wearable and could feature the super-shine!
Click on this Pinterest board to see more of my inspirations.
I started to get excited.
Reinventing the Sleeve
Also meanwhile, I’ve been diligently developing a course all about Sleeves for my Top Class graduates. For years, I’ve been working on reinventing the way set-in sleeves are drafted, and I think I may have finally Cracked the Custom Case!
Using only info from my body and my preferences, I recently developed a versatile set of steps, which drafted the weirdest looking sleeve, which I now think is the key to a comfortable custom fit.
This could be my first test to see how it works in a real garment! (Which I guess I’ll be doing publicly – gulp!)
The Star-t of Something...
Especially since I can’t remember the last time I made a jacket, I’d really want to keep the details simple. I tend to choose complicated details because that’s what I really enjoy sewing. Looking at the Japanese-inspired jackets made me think of really fun and elaborate embroidery ideas…
But, more than I want to embroider, I wanted to give myself enough time to enjoyably finish this project by October. And you know I love to go slow….
I realized that I could take my star idea, but translate it to a simple reverse applique´, with a small star on the chest and a large star on the back, like a sports jacket. But maybe a chunky hook and eye tape instead of a front zipper, to downplay the “sports” look?
My mind was buzzing with ideas… Love it!
And I thought this “gunmetal blue” silk charmuese from Mulberry Silks might be a good pairing for the lining, leftover from Andy’s wedding dress. Maybe I’d quilt the lining for a little warmth and structure?
I went ahead and bought my ticket to Raleigh Frocktails and daydreamed about this idea for quite a while.
Threads Deadline
Then, while still working on the article for Threads Magazine, I knew I needed to show a finished sketch on my new Sketching Silhouette. And since the article was mostly about pencil outlines on white paper, I thought a colorful sketch was necessary- to add extra interest on the printed page.
So I decided to do double duty and complete the whole outfit, with color, and then go ahead and share my sketch to possibly print in the Magazine! (I guess I’m really doing this!)
In the back of my mind I had been thinking that, if I had time, maybe I’ll make a pencil skirt out of the fabric leftover from this dress I made in 2011. I think there’s just enough…
But as I played around with my jacket sketch, I started to worry that the stars were a little too… Converse All-Star?
And I also wasn’t quite loving the the look of the black and white scribbly skirt, especially for the printed article.
Uh oh…
The Warmup Jacket!
Then it hit me again.
The YSL separates! I’ve already got a top and a skirt, that would look fun with this jacket (and in the Magazine)!
And instead of the star, I’d copy the YSL lightning bolt on the back and chest! I liked it before, but I love it now!
That’s it! Starry Night + Neon Lights + something I’ll love to make and to wear.
While on a daily dog walk with my husband, I was telling him all about the cool jacket idea- not only about the aesthetics, but about how I feel like it is going to be a nice warmup project to get me really learning how to use my new studio space… it’s a way to ease me back into blogging and shooting… to help kickstart the sleeves course…
And he said, “So, it’s your Warmup Jacket.”
Yes. Perfect. My Warmup Jacket.
Onward!
Though there’s a million other design and construction decisions to be made on this upcoming Warmup Jacket, I felt ready to move past the first steps of Brainstorming and Design, and onto the next step: Patternmaking.
Thanks for following along!
I don’t know what’s going to happen next either!
NEXT POST: Drafting the Patterns for my Warmup Jacket!
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“Worth every penny and every hour invested! I now get excited about steps I used to dread and I understand so much more about my body and fitting it!”- Chris
16 Responses
I just love your process pieces. It’s so exciting to follow the decisions and pivots!
That’s really great to hear. Thanks for following along!
I love this idea. I can’t wait to see how everything comes together!!!
Ha! Me too. :)
I am already very jealous of this warmup jacket! It was fun to hear your and Charles’s voices in this post. ❤️
💗💗💗
As a current Skirt Skills student, I love this chance to follow through all the twists and turns of your creation process!
I like following your projects too!
I’m looking forward to see your jacket at camp ant to follow this adventure till then! This is really fun and interesting, I love the way you present it.
Thanks for following along! It’s always a pleasure to see you at Camp!
Love following your journey thru inspiration, design and creation! AND I so connect with the “take your time and enjoy the journey” pace! I’m a skirt and top skills student and so very happy I found you Brooks ann 😊
I’m glad you found me too Laurie! It is always a pleasure to hear from you.
LOVE the process…and waiting on pins and needles for the next installment!
I’m not sure what’s about to happen next either! Thanks for following along.
I’m really looking forward to your tops 2 class! Sleeves are such a puzzle. Thank you for sharing your ideas and skills!!!
I look forward to working with you again Nancy. Thanks for following along!