Snoop Shopping - Erdem Chiffon Swallow Dress

Do you remember this Erdem dress from Spring 2010?  I loved this dress (for a much younger thinner person), it is very romantic, and I also loved the birds and the texture they achieved with the chiffon.

I had the opportunity to take a closer look.

Here we have the main motif, since the print does not have sharp edges, they have solved it by running a chain stitch to outline the bird, and some essential details, along with a satin stitch around the neck.

The other motifs, some of which are easy to identify and others less so.

The dress itself is pretty amazing when you consider that all of the texture is simply bias chiffon layers that have been sewn on a chiffon background.

It is lined in silk charmeuse, in a coordinating print.

Of course this goes back to my textile envy post, these fabrics are manufactured for the designer.  I couldn't begin to imagine how much yardage went into this dress, or how it was manufactured.  So this is one of those fabrics, while not impossible to make would be cost and time prohibitive.... but if you really wanted it...

The Woven Pantie Parade

As you know earlier, I was searching for the perfect pair of panties, well I'm getting closer, but it's still not NVPL material, but they're so cute, and comfortable, and washable....tweaked from Kwik Sew pattern 2325.

Made by Moi!

This was my muslin. - Black crepe de Chine

Second attempt - Silk Jacquard flowers

I've vowed to clear out my scrap stash (because let's face it, I'm never going to make that crazy quilt :).

Peach charmeuse with vintage lace.

Once a year I tackle the pile of vintage laces my mother collected.  I wash them, dry them, iron them, and wrap them up for storage.  There were two large cuts that did this.... and they were the last two I had from that batch.

It's easier to get through them if they aren't treated as one long length, so I thought about where I could use them..... how can I use the scraps I've accumulated from these projects .... hmmmm

tada!!!

Despite looking like bloomers, they fit very well.  It's because they were made from wovens instead of a knit that they look all poofy and gathered.  Stella McCartney has some in her lingerie collection but they have the days of the week on them.

 You can see them here at Nieman Marcus and they're only $195.00 for the set.

I like mine better, these are silk rayon, with lace trim.

These are a lightweight swiss dot with lace trim.

Here's the back....

Vintage Silk Nightgown with Valenciennes Lace

My mother the master of  lace inserts. This one is not as intricate as some other projects but still manages to mix three different types of lace, Valenciennes lace, a scalloped ribbon insert lace, and lace edging to finish. The body of the gown is a lightweight silk crepe de chine with a soft daisy print, there are slits on the bottom hem which are finished off with more edging lace. It is very light and begs you to curl up on a high back chair with a good book, cashmere wrap and a cup of tea... or at least to manage to get all that makeup off your face, brush and floss, and fall exhausted into bed.

The lace yoke is a good contrast for a freshly cleaned and buffed face!