[Egoiste]

^ Your suit is wonderful !!!

[Egoiste]

My Friends wearing red dress by me !

Source: me

[Nymphaea]

^Nice! Looks elegant and comfy! Beautiful color. Was it difficult to drape/design? I haven't draped anything yet.

[Egoiste]

No, dress silhouette is very simple and straight. When you put a belt, then you have a draping, of course neckline helps to do better draping !

[Nymphaea]

Does anyone know how MJ created those puffed sleeves?
Because the fabric on top is smooth and not gathered like a normal puffed sleeve. Maybe shoulder pads?

style.com

Another question:
I want to pleat velvet in a non-labor-intensive way. I have a pleading board, but it isn't handy working with velvets. Velvet is also difficult to get straight. Anyone suggestions? TIA!

[Crying Diamonds]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nymphaea Does anyone know how MJ created those puffed sleeves? Because the fabric on top is smooth and not gathered like a normal puffed sleeve. Maybe shoulder pads? style.com Another question: I want to pleat velvet in a non-labor-intensive way. I have a pleading board, but it isn't handy working with velvets. Velvet is also difficult to get straight. Anyone suggestions? TIA!

I'd say it was certainly a sort of shoulder pad. Just that little detail of the sleevehead being raised a centimetre above the natural shoulder would mean having to add excess fabric onto the top of the sleeve to go over a pad.
The sleevehead would then be eased into the armhole (the gathering of the ease can be seen in the left detail above and is less apparent in the right picture where the fabric possibly has some stretch in it)
Though it's a subtle detail it requires quite a substantial amount of work, this in itself is reminiscent of couture.

In fact, the whole collection is reminiscent of a vintage couture collection, and not only with the prints and the mini-dresses; the perfect matching of the prints over pockets, seams, ingeniously across the body and continuing over the sleeves, and even over self-covered buttons, is an expensive and time-consuming detail, the cutter having to waste fabric trying to match the pattern instead of trying to be economic.
The deliberate use of metal semi-concealed zips harks back to any vintage garment, before the plastic zip was invented and became popular all couturiers were using these silver-teeth zips.



Though it's a very graphic and simple-looking collection, looking at the detail really brings the concept and the garments to life. And when experiencing Louis Vuitton garments they are the most exquisite quality. This was one of Marc Jacobs best, I think.
I wouldn't have looked into this collection in such detail if it hadn't have been for your post Nymphaea

photos: details of details of the collection from style.com

[Nymphaea]

^At first I did think it would be easy, but when I began to look at it in detail I also discovered it wasn't that easy, a pity! I'm not wary to do a bit of work to achieve this look, but I'm unfortunately not that experienced and at the moment I don't have experienced people (on couture level) around me who can help me with this kind of things. But I'm working on that! :-)
I'm also working on the Jil Sander coat in my avatar. Just like above, at first glance it seems so easy, but when I looked at the details I went . But I keep on going, because I am very picky on the details and the results are so nice!

[daniellat]

Maybe you could try the sleebes with a thicker fabric like wool. It could help you get the shape right and then just play around with the actual fabric and a shoulder pad.

[Nymphaea]

^Thanks, I had something like that in mind, I'm trying it at the moment.

[Jila]

maybe try drafting the sleeve in a similar style as a leg o' mutton sleeve without all the gathering ease? i would try opening it up at the middle when you slash and spread/pivot, since thats where it looks like all the extra volume went.

i would still try to add in as much ease as you can in the sleeve cap, but keeping it minimal enough to still be able to sew it in like a set in sleeve. it looks like its only at the top of the sleeve cap, so i would only increase the measurement of the top up until the front and back armhole notches.

and i would go for some wool fabric, because it looks like theres a lot of easing going on there and wool is much easier to ease than other fabrics. and from that little indent, it does look like theres some kind of shoulder padding you would probably have to shape yourself.

[Nymphaea]

I'm also sewing a 100% silk blouse (the silk is thin/lightweight and flowy like water) and I have a couple of questions regarding silk sewing:
- I want to strengthen the cuffs, but fusible interfacing doesn't give a nice result, it's a bit lumpy. I read on the internet silk organza or self backing as interfacing. Anyone suggestions? How many layers?
- Do I have to strengthen the seams, or isn't that necessary?
TIA!

[Crying Diamonds]

^ A very light fusible interfacing would be alright I'm sure, extremely light or it will become like cardboard and look cheap. Otherwise yes you could try out the organza, the best thing to do is to sample - get a variety of fusible interfacings and fuse them to samples of the fabrics and judge which is the best for what you want. Then you can keep the samples in a folder for future reference, if you liked
The seams depend on whether the blouse has to be pulled overhead or is particularly tight, if so it would be advisable to use French seams which are very strong and recommended for a lightweight silk which will inevitably tear under strain. Though French seams essentially require sewing each seam twice, it is worth it as they are strong and finish the garment off beautifully on the inside without additional finishing needed.

[Nymphaea]

^Great suggestions! Thanks Crying Diamonds for your advice!!!

[Jila]

just "finished" this coat. i would have fixed some things, but i had to turn it in. when i have time, im going to add in some belt loops, lengthen the sleeves with some cuffs, and possibly add some epaulettes or something.

[Nymphaea]

^Wow, wonderful Jila! You're very talented! Do you have more projects running at the moment?
I'm working on a leather skirt, my first leather project! It's a cowskin, but I find it a bit too thick, so next time it's definitely going to be lambskin. But it's almost finished! I also have almost finished a boucle black fitted dress.