I have been working diligently on creating a handmade wardrobe since June 2012. I am a participant of Seam Allowance and have taken the pledge to make and wear at least 25% handmade a day. On a daily basis, this could be a shirt, a dress, pants, even socks. What I haven't been as diligent about is documenting it online. Let's see if I can rectify that starting now.
Last Summer, I took an epic road trip to Northern Minnesota to visit my Mom. While there, I stitched my first Alabama Chanin dress. I had indigo dyed the fabric. Made the stencil. It was magical.
So this Summer, I decided to focus on a new indigo dyed Alabama Chanin dress. The top layer of fabric I chose to dye a solid blue. As I have been interested in expanding my resist-dyeing skills, I chose to resist-dye some of the fabric before stitching.
Unlike last year, this year I wanted to use one of Natalie's stencils. I thought June's Dream would be fun, as I'm always fond of polka dots and thought that this motif would allow us to peek through to the shibori side of the garment.
I added embroidery, using the chain stitch, which is the favored stitch of the Rabari, the nomads I worked alongside in India. It was nice to think of them as I stitched.
The completed dress, modeled alongside a cornfield in Iowa. Part of my trip included visiting my Grandma, who lives on the border of Nebraska and Iowa.
Now, I am onto another indigo resist dyed Chanin dress. It is almost done! I'll post the details soon.
Something very exciting arrived on Monday afternoon. In April when Natalie last visited, her and I discussed the rising popularity of the DIY side of Alabama Chanin and how it could be fun to create a DIY trunk show. Well, the 1st ever Alabama Chanin DIY trunk show showed up on Monday. I raced over to the boxes, excited to open them, only to realize that this process needing my full attention so I could relish in every detail.
Today, the trunk show opens to the public. It is available to see during store hours. Natalie has sent every garment pattern featured in her 3 books - in sz XS - XL. This way, you can see and be confident in your choice of size when making your next garment. There are also garments which have been embellished with applique, reverse applique, beads, and embroidery. Natalie has included 3 binders full of (I can never say this again without thinking of the presidential debate) gorgeous samples of embroidered, appliqued, and beaded fabrics in a range of colorways. I consider these books as bible for inspiration. They are simply incredible. I am available, if you would like to make an appointment, to help you choose a kit, size, color, style. All kits are custom made and will be 10% off during the trunk show. The trunk show is available for your perusal until Monday, August 26th. Hope to see you soon!