My friend Elizabeth came to me one day asking if I might be interested in creating a piece for her to wear to a rockabilly convention and festival in Las Vegas. "Hell yeah!" I said. "Let's do this!" She sent me links to outfits she was already eyeing online, and I knew I was capable of creating the perfect outfit for her. Soon afterward, she picked me up and we shopped for fabric together, discovering a gold nylon fabric that's basically made of glitter. How perfect!
The bottoms, based off a pattern for high-waisted-but-loose-fitting beach capri pants came first, almost too quickly. The excessive bulge in the crotch was making me uncomfortable, but thanks to Google I learned how to reshape the pattern so that it would smooth itself out when worn. I also learned that my tulip glasses can have uses beyond merely holding beverages!
The bustier top came next, also very quickly. I suppose it's helpful when one side of the fabric is so obviously the wrong side that there's no questioning what direction everything goes when pinning it all together. The sew-through boning was a whole new experience for me, but wasn't difficult to work with once I figured out how to pin it to the fabric itself. For what it's worth, I have never stared at homemade article of clothing as much as I did this bustier. All that glitter is spectacular to see in person.
Elizabeth stopped by for a fitting before I attached the pieces together at the waist - I wanted to make sure it would hit at the right spot, not dig in nor be pulled in either direction whenever she moved. I don't want to feel responsible for her accidentally flashing all of Las Vegas nor walking around with an unsightly camel toe, and I'm sure she'd like to avoid these things as well. I also needed to see how much tapering and hemming would need to be done on the legs.
While making these adjustments, I had an urge to make her a matching cape combining the leftover gold glitter fabric with some leftover black fabric from making the Kitty Bungalow cape. Obviously, it would also need a lightning bolt on the back. I ran the idea by her and she was all for it, specifically asking for a TCB lightning bolt! Because, duh, its a cape made of glitter with a TCB lightning bolt. What place could be better to not-so-subtly drop references to The King himself than at a rockabilly convention in Las Vegas? It was destined to happen.
I finished the jumpsuit and began the cape, completing it within a few hours. I think I may have become a professional cape-maker over the past few months; I don't even need instructions anymore! The DIY lightning bolt was a challenge to figure out and the final result wasn't technically perfect, but she was thrilled with it and now I'm excited to see some event pics!
More pictures to come soon!
The bottoms, based off a pattern for high-waisted-but-loose-fitting beach capri pants came first, almost too quickly. The excessive bulge in the crotch was making me uncomfortable, but thanks to Google I learned how to reshape the pattern so that it would smooth itself out when worn. I also learned that my tulip glasses can have uses beyond merely holding beverages!
The bustier top came next, also very quickly. I suppose it's helpful when one side of the fabric is so obviously the wrong side that there's no questioning what direction everything goes when pinning it all together. The sew-through boning was a whole new experience for me, but wasn't difficult to work with once I figured out how to pin it to the fabric itself. For what it's worth, I have never stared at homemade article of clothing as much as I did this bustier. All that glitter is spectacular to see in person.
Elizabeth stopped by for a fitting before I attached the pieces together at the waist - I wanted to make sure it would hit at the right spot, not dig in nor be pulled in either direction whenever she moved. I don't want to feel responsible for her accidentally flashing all of Las Vegas nor walking around with an unsightly camel toe, and I'm sure she'd like to avoid these things as well. I also needed to see how much tapering and hemming would need to be done on the legs.
While making these adjustments, I had an urge to make her a matching cape combining the leftover gold glitter fabric with some leftover black fabric from making the Kitty Bungalow cape. Obviously, it would also need a lightning bolt on the back. I ran the idea by her and she was all for it, specifically asking for a TCB lightning bolt! Because, duh, its a cape made of glitter with a TCB lightning bolt. What place could be better to not-so-subtly drop references to The King himself than at a rockabilly convention in Las Vegas? It was destined to happen.
I finished the jumpsuit and began the cape, completing it within a few hours. I think I may have become a professional cape-maker over the past few months; I don't even need instructions anymore! The DIY lightning bolt was a challenge to figure out and the final result wasn't technically perfect, but she was thrilled with it and now I'm excited to see some event pics!
More pictures to come soon!
