Refashion Runway Week 4: Leather

It looks like I didn't get to this week's competition. I was voted out with the peplum challenge. I still don't regret that I made it for my daughter, and I am happy for the challenges I faced until here. I have really enjoyed my time competing, I am so glad it allowed me to "meet" new refashionists I didn't before and see how great and inspiring their work has been. I will try to sew along the two remaining themes which are Halloween and Winter White.

By now, I will leave you with what I had made to enter the leather challenge if I had passed last's weeks. Enjoy! And, by the way, please go there and vote for your favorite...

Contrary to last week, I was excited for the leather challenge. Working with this material wasn't new to me. I have actually done a few things in the past, with leather and vinyl... My only problem was not having any leather piece to refashion! I asked my friends in facebook if anyone could donate anything to me, nobody answered. 

My sister, actually found a faux leather brown jacket she didn't want. I was cutting into it but in the last minute, a costumer from hubby's told him she had seen my fb message and told him she had something she was willing to give me. I was  s o  h a p p y  when I saw it. But I was also kinda sorry to cut into it. 

Anyway... I knew exactly what I wanted to do from the start. I am mad about corsets. I wanted a new one for such a long time. So I did one.

this one needed a pose, right?!

I drafted a pattern. This video helped me to draw the corset pieces. I didn't make mine exactly like the one from the tutorial, but it was very helpful with the measurements, and I was able to adjust them to the design I had in my mind. Since the jacket was big, I had plenty of fabric to work with, I used basicly from the bottom and am hoping to use the rest for something in the future. 

I didn't take much pictures from the process this time. I have a serious problem with process pictures. I usually sew at night, after baby is sleeping, and then, when I'm really absorted in what I am making, I tend to forget the pictures details. Been trying to work on that, but it's hard... 

The ones I got for you, were taken the next morning, when all 10 pieces from the corset were sewn together. Instead of adding a zipper to the back I wanted it to look as a waist cincher, so I actually folded the center back pieces in half and kept in place with tape (which I removed once it was all done). I then marked my eyelets holes with the right punch and inserted them. I didn't even waste too many of them. My punch and eyelets weren't exactly the same size which is a problem, but a I said I didn't waste too many of them. 

Of course I was very pleased with what I did. I thought about lining and bonning the corset, but then I just dropped the idea. It was so much easier to add some bias to finish the piece. Besides, the purple looks so great and adds a final special touch to it. it wasn't really bias tape you know, it was a scrap left over from a shirt. I cut two striped from it (on the before picture above), sewn them together and attach it to corset as being bias tape. It worked. I am happy. We're done. 

This week we had a small family trip to the "sand city". It's an exhibition, that takes place for like 6 months every year, of sand sculptures. The theme for 2013 has been music. I had only been there once, even though I don't live that far, and the theme back then was mythology. I loved it! Every year since then I would say I'd go back... well, I finally did this year. 

I enjoyed it so much!!! I was even happier than the kids. I love music... I kept jumping and pointing out... 

look, The Rolling Stones... 

look, Jimmy Morrison... 

Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd... look it's Pink Floyd... 

look, minnie & mickey mouse... 

OMG Chanel... 

ahahah, is that Beyoncé? Jesusss!!

Is that Freddie Mercury? Cuz I'm not sure, doesn't look like him... 

OH gosh, Bono looks so much like Bono!

I gotta take a picture next to J. Galliano! Really! (I got two actually)

And that's it! My leather challenge.