Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Is it pronounced "The-Koon" or "Tuh-koon"?


Hi!

Is it just me or do you find it almost impossible to pronounce most of the famous fashion designer names or labels?  When Fabric Mart received an inventory of Thakoon fabric, I was super excited, because I have seen beautiful makes by this designer!  However, when I attempted to share this great news with one of my new sewing pals, I realized, I don't even know how "Thakoon" is pronounced.  So I pointed it out to her on the screen instead, lol!  Luckily, she is also familiar with this designer and was able to tell me how to pronounce it correctly and I confirmed on you-tube..."tuh-koon".  Now if you are like me, and struggle with saying fancy designer names or labels, check out this cool you-tube video I found for a little help.

Okay, let's get into this month's DIY look!


This is a beautiful double-faced 100% silk satin.  Very luxurious sounding, huh?  Well it is.  The colorful print is gorgeous and I love the contrast black and white design on the other side.  It is very seldom that I feel overwhelmed by a busy print or fabric like this.  When making clothes with bold fabric, it is just a matter of knowing how to balance it out to create an interesting, but comprehensive and stylish look.  I could not wait to get my hands on this fabric to have some fun with it.  Julie from Fabric Mart did a little research and discovered that this fabric was used to make garments for Thakoon's 2015 pre-fall fashion show.  Guess what, there is still some of this fabric left, click here to get yours.  I also picked up a couple yards of the silk chiffon version (see here) and a different Thakoon lawn jacquard fabric (see here) during a sale.  Both are beautiful!  You all PAY ATTENTION to Fabric Mart sales, I have purchased really cool designer fabric for super deals!


Now we all know that sometimes things do not go as planned.  Well, I planned on making McCall's M7537, view C.  As I started stitching together the garment, I did not care for how the dress was looking.  I did not see the look I had envisioned for this fabric coming together.  Therefore, I stopped halfway through (as you can see below) to figure out a look I truly wanted to wear.  I was too excited about this fabric to continue making a garment I was not sure I loved.  I will probably re-visit M7537 with different fabric, because the pattern is very cute.


Since I had cut out all of my pieces for M7537, I had to figure out a look where I could salvage the fabric and remaining scraps.  I decided to go with the crop top for Simplicity 1099, view B.  I used two pattern pieces, the front and back bodices.  Instead of using the facings, I completed the edges with a hem or narrow hem.  Since my torso is shorter, I hemmed the top at 7/8ths of an inch to make sure I got the cropped effect and so that the design and details of the skirt could be seen.  I love the high-low effect of the crop top.  A benefit of using the double-faced fabric is that with movement or if the wind blows, you get a glimpse of the other pretty side. 


I took a little care in matching up the print on the wrong side.  I cut out one piece at a time.  Slippery fabric like this is prone to slide around when folded, which means it is harder to keep print lined up when cutting pieces on the fold.  So for cut-on-the fold pattern pieces, I cut one side, then flipped the pattern piece to cut the other side.  This gave me control over how the print was cut. 



McCall's M7537, view C, is designed in a way that two contrasting pieces of fabric are sewn together to create a gathered bottom for the dress.  I had already stitched the bottom of the dress together and I wanted to continue with the contrasting look; however, I did not want to make a gathered bottom.  The fabric is too stiff for a gathered bottom, plus I could tell it would not hang correctly.  Therefore, I chose to make more of an A-line structured skirt.



I split the center back of the previously constructed bottom and added an invisible zipper. I opened up the side seams and added contrasting pockets and attached a waistband.  I made slight pleats to fit the skirt within the boundaries of the waistband.  Notice that I cut my waistband with the contrasting print running in the vertical direction vs. the horizontal direction of the bottom of the skirt.  I thought it added a cool element to the look.





This is my first time making a garment in silk and/or satin.  I stitched this with a 60 sharp needle, which worked out well.  Here are pictures of the insides.




I hope you enjoyed, until next time...have a great month!

Yours truly, Tee
from Maggie Elaine blog

Comments

  1. Oh my goodness you are talented! It is amazing how you can change a pattern design and make a completely different look. I agree the fabric is beautiful....You look fantastic Tee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you bpatricia74!! The fabric is so gorgeous and I am thrilled that I made something out of it that I really love!

      Delete
  2. Beautiful outfit! I like how it looks on the reverse side too. Glad that you were able to switch gears in the middle and create something that was suited more to you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Ann! So glad I was able to re-work the look!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely as usual!!! It looks so comfortable ... FIESTA :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Monica! Thank you so much! Yes, it is very comfy! One of the things I love about it, the fabric is so silky against the skin. FIESTA!

      Delete
  5. Fabulous outfit. I love the way you used both sides. I also purchased some of this fabric and it is really special I have washed it several times to reduce the shine and soften it up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! Oh, good to know about washing it. I gave it a good steam and I was planning on dry cleaning. However, I think I may try handwashing when needed. Thanks for the info.

      Delete
  6. This is stunning on you; I love it. And your workmanship, creativity and spunk are pretty darned cool, too. I especially love the bottom of the skirt where you used the underside of the fabric. It's a very rich look.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really appreciate your comment Tacomapat! I love the bottom of the skirt as well, I think it really brought the look out. I was so happy that the lines flowed well once it was stitched together!

      Delete
  7. Good job - you're my inspiration...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times.  Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

Made By A Fabricista: Well Suited for Fall

Fall is my favorite time of the year! The weather is cooling down and I'm always excited to transition into the cooler weather. I get to create with some of my favorite fabrics and I'm always inspired by all the cool fashion trends for the season. So for this month's fabricista feature I snagged some cool medium-weight twill fabric in a beautiful warm cinnamon color.   This fabric has a medium bottom weight feel to it, great for pants, outerwear, jackets, boiler suits and more. I used a needle suited for medium weighted woven fabrics and my serger for finishing raw edges. The color of this fabric is so warm and inviting. I think it is the perfect color for Fall. I couldn’t wait to create a fall ensemble with this fabric. I chose Simplicity Pattern S9893 because I’ve been dying to create this pattern since it launched. It is a cool cape with cargo pockets, storm flaps, hidden buttons at the shoulder, a collar with button tabs and even more button tabs at the underarm. This c