Dressy

September 19, 2018

THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE SEPTEMBER DRESS

If you are new to The Monthly Dress, make sure you check out my post on WHY I STARTED THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES

THE SEPTEMBER DRESS

The September Dress is the final dress in my Monthly Dress Series. When I was sewing some of the last stitches of the dress, I had to stop because my hands were literally shaking from excitement. When I started this endeavor one year ago, I had a vision of what I wanted to do, but I could not have envisioned what would unfold over the next twelve months. So many of you have been with me through some or all of this process, and the posts are written in permanent Internet ink, but even so, it’s hard to even begin to put it all into words. I envisioned the September dress from the beginning, and finishing it and sharing it with you is nothing short of thrilling for me

THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE

September is fashion month. New York, London, Paris, and Milan host fashion week and Vogue publishes its biggest issue of the year. Vogue’s September issue is legendary–it sets the tone for the fashion world. It’s takes clothing and makeup and hair transforms them into art. Growing up, I always had an interest in fashion and beauty, but I didn’t have access to so much digital content or inspiration. Vogue’s September issue was an important part of my introduction to what would become an important part of my life, that is, the joy of anticipating new trends and reinventing my own look as I adjust the vogue to fit my personal style.

All of this is especially important for the September Dress. The September Dress is what I would submit for a Vogue editorial. Soft whites with gold embellishments are my vibe! If the Monthly Dress Series is my opus, the September Dress is the perfect finale.

THE BLAZER

The blazer I made for this outfit has been in my head from the beginning of the series. I didn’t have a clear picture of everything I wanted to create during the year, but when I sketched out my ideas for each month of the year, I had a clear picture of this blazer in my head. Years ago, I pinned an image (included on my inspiration board) that helped inspire me to make this blazer. Also, a blazer seems appropriate for back-to-school month. It’s an nod to the school uniform–both the mandatory and voluntary outfits that come to mind when you think of going back to school in the fall.

This blazer might be the coolest thing I’ve ever made. It was a bit of an undertaking, and it was definitely out of my comfort zone. Although I have made hundreds of cardigans (literally!), I had never made something as complicated as a blazer. It took a lot of cutting and pinning and measuring to get things right. All told, it took more than 28 hours from start to finish.

After a lot of searching, I found the most perfect Oscar de la Renta wool suiting material at Mood in LA. Unfortunately, they only had 1 yard left, so I didn’t have any room for error. I bought some backup wool fabric just in case. I perfected my pattern by cutting up an old blazer I had and making some design adjustments to get the asymmetrical hem and sleeve length right. In the end, I was able to make it work with the Oscar de la Renta fabric, which is absolutely gorgeous.

As an aside:

I have hinted before that Garrett has impressive knowledge of women’s fashion. One example is his love for Oscar de la Renta. When I was telling him about my trip to Mood, I didn’t realize I had completely lost his attention until I brought up the fabric and it woke him up. “Wait, Oscar de la Renta what? Your dress is like that, or just the fabric is made by them?” He’s got good taste!

One last note about the blazer: It might be subtle or it might scream at you, but this blazer is also a small tribute to my favorite musician/artist/performer/entertainer of all time: the one and only Michael Jackson. I am not sure people know this about me, but I absolutely love Michael and all of his gold-embellished blazers. I like to think he would appreciate this one.

THE LOCATION

From the beginning, I was dead set on shooting in a library, which led me on an fun journey to the best location imaginable.

I wanted to shoot at the Admont Abbey library in Austria. It is a gorgeous library of white with gold embellishments. It’s basically my dress in a library. After seriously thinking we should do it, I eventually came back to earth and started looking for beautiful libraries closer to home. After a frustrating search, I remembered the home where I shot The July Dress and wondered if it had a library (I mean..look at it! Don’t you want to know what it looks like inside??).

I’d never been inside, and I know the owner has done a lot of renovating and improving, so I wasn’t sure if it had something that would work. The owner–a kind and dear friend I am lucky to know–immediately sent pictures of her library and offered to let me shoot at her house for a second time. The library was perfect so we planned the shoot and showed up with all of our equipment.

But this is the best part: Right as we walked in the front door, we realized the house is basically decorated like Admont Abbey library in Austria. It’s white with gold embellishments from head to toe. Look at this giant mirror! Look at this living room! Soooo perfect for the dress. It felt serendipitous, but after having this happen so often during this series, it felt like more than a coincidence. It felt like the realization of a vision that started more than a year ago.

THE DRESS

The dress itself took about 12 hours to complete, bringing the total project to around 40 hours of work–significantly more than any other dress in the Monthly Dress Series.

The dress is made of nine yards of a light-weight fabric with horsehair lining to give it the curved structure you see along the bottom layers. There are five layers of fabric, each with horsehair lining. Each layer is made of nine triangular panels cut from the whole and sewn together to create the layered shape.

A FULL YEAR OF DRESSES IS COMPLETE

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following along as I’ve made this dream a reality. Your excitement and comments have fueled me as I made these dresses. I feel like I’ve developed a unique bond with you as a reader, and I’m really grateful to have had this experience.

If you are new to this series, I announced a few months back that I will be taking all 12 of these dresses on a Monthly Dress Tour. I want everyone to have a chance to see these dresses in person, and I’ll be displaying my dresses in a Met Gala style exhibit in Pasadena in January and in Utah in February. I’ll be speaking at one of the nights of the tour and doing a meet and greet on the other night. I’d love to meet you and I hope you will come! More information on ticket sales to come in the next few weeks!

And now for the time lapse for The September Dress:

Worn during the pinning: RUFFLE SLEEVE GREEN TOP(wearing a small) || DISTRESSED DENIM JEANS (on sale for 40% off! One of the most flattering pairs of jeans I own, I want to grab a second pair!) || OPEN TOE BOOTIES (on sale! runs tts)

THE INSPIRATION BOARD FOR THE SEPTEMBER DRESS

The September Dress sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration

If you are new to this series, I have all of the previous links to the monthly dresses below, or you can view them all easily RIGHT HERE. Also, my PINTEREST MONTHLY DRESS BOARD is a great place for more images (follow along there if you aren’t already!) and make sure you follow along with my on INSTAGRAM for more details on The Monthly Dress Tour.

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY PREVIOUS DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES. OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

VIEW MY OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES BELOW:

THE MONTHLY DRESS TOUR

If you haven’t heard, at the completion of The Monthly Dress Series I will be taking all of my dresses on The Monthly Dress TOUR to Pasadena and Utah County! We are still finalizing dates and will let you know all of the dates and ticket sale information shortly! I can’t wait to meet you and I can’t wait for you to see all these dresses live in person!

Want to learn how to sew? Let me teach you with my online video sewing courses! I offer a beginner course and an intermediate course. I walk you through every step of how to create and sew your own clothing. In addition, the videos never expire, so you can watch and re-watch them at your own pace. Also, they make for a great gift!

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Dressy

August 17, 2018

BEHIND THE DRESS: AUGUST

As you will quickly see from the Behind The Dress: August episode below, The August Dress was the one dress I wasn’t super crazy about. I felt like I was just going through the motions as I started to prep for this dress…but just wait until you see what it was like shooting this dress!

The photoshoot for The August Dress was when everything finally clicked with me. I experienced so many emotions during the creation of the dress. Be there when the fabric literally caught my eye, our reaction when we held it in the light, what was so frustrating about filming the time-lapse, the most incredible special and emotional message I received from a reader, and the absolute MAGIC of shooting The August Dress in the desert.

Grab your girlfriends and throw this one up on your Apple TV, because it’s time to peel back the curtain on The August Dress and see what made The August Dress hard, emotional, exciting, and incredible rewarding!

BEHIND THE DRESS: AUGUST

This month we added a blooper reel to the behind the dress. Some parts of The August Dress were just too funny not to share!

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE OTHERS, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES:

And here is a fun editorial short video of the dress. It’s so fun to watch this one move!

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

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Dressy

August 9, 2018

THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE AUGUST DRESS

TURQUOISE SQUASH BLOSSOM NECKLACE c/o St. Eve Jewelry || LAYERED TURQUOISE NECKLACE || TURQUOISE RING || TURQUOISE EARRINGS || TURQUOISE BRACELET || LAYERED BRACELETS || GOLD CUFF || BODY ILLUMINATOR || GOLD SANDALS (on sale, run TTS)

THE AUGUST DRESS

The August Dress. This is the eleventh dress in The Monthly Dress Series, and this dress is all about the HEAT of August. There aren’t any major holidays in August…maybe because it’s just too dang hot to celebrate anything! I wanted The August Dress to capture the heat of a scorching desert.

THE DESERT

I have always lived in the West. Here, the great outdoors include the rough beauty of the desert. When I thought about how to incorporate the idea of the hot summer, I immediately pictured the earthy tones of the desert. The browns and oranges and golds, the greens and blues, and one of my very favorite colors of all time: turquoise! I also thought about the desert sky and the warm, dry wind. My photographer, Jordan Zobrist, loves shooting in the desert, so she immediately had locations in mind for the shoot. I don’t think the desert gets enough credit for its beauty and color. Look at some of these shots!

THE FABRIC

To be honest, I never really knew what kind of fabric I wanted for August. I hoped it would jump out and speak to me. Thankfully, it did! I was in Mood and I was walking up and down the aisles looking for some kind of cool beading or maybe an Aztec- or Mayan-inspired print. I wanted something that had really good movement, and I was looking at some long fringe trim. Ultimately, this textured chartreuse silk literally caught my eye. I wasn’t thinking chartreuse and I wasn’t thinking silk. The color is unique and it shimmers when it moves. When I found it in the store, I grabbed it and carried it over to a window to see it in better lighting. The natural lighting made it even better—I couldn’t believe how the ripples in the fabric looked like tiny little sand dunes. It was captivating!

Once I found the fabric, any other concepts for The August Dress went out of my mind, and I started wrapping the nearest store mannequin with the fabric. Not sure you’re supposed to do that, but this Monthly Dress Series has me acting like a crazy person. I kept saying “yes! yes! yes!” You will see in the behind the dress. The fabric ACTUALLY spoke to me on this one!

The silk has a subtle herringbone texture to it that ripples and moves so beautifully.

Honestly, I wanted the fabric and the wind to do most of the talking with this dress, so I went with a kaftan-inspired silhouette. Also, I wanted a deep V for the neckline and a centered front slit to let my legs show a bit so that my body wouldn’t totally be swallowed up in the fabric (and so you could get a great look at the sandals . . . let’s be real).

Originally, I cut long, full kaftan sleeves for this dress. However, the more I thought about the sleeves flapping in the wind, the more I realized they wouldn’t translate well on camera. After some frustration, I was very inspired by the sleeves I saw on an Elie Saab gown (included in my inspo board). They were long and regal, and I knew they would come to life on camera once the wind hit them. So, I scrapped the kaftan sleeves and created these long, draped, cape-like sleeves instead. It was 100% the right move.

I added a triangular side panel to the skirt section of the gown to give it a little more fabric for the wind to carry. Also, I really made sure to think through all of the elements of shooting in a desert and designed the dress to take advantage of them.

HAIR & MAKEUP

The hair and makeup played just as large of a role as the dress for this shoot. I compare it a lot to The April Dress . . . on its own, the dress is a fairly simple design. But the other elements of the shoot help reveal the dress’s character and help turn it into a work of art!

I couldn’t decide if I should do my hair super slicked back and straight, or if I should make it completely curly and crazy…so I did a little of both. I pulled back only one side of my hair in super tight twists, adding these gold hair jewelry embellishments for drama. For the other half of my hair I let it air dry, and added volumizing spray and pomade to build texture. Then I curled it with my curling iron, sprayed it with hair spray, and teased every section of my hair starting from the roots working my way to the ends. It was quite the mane!

I enlisted the help of Kendal, one of my very favorite makeup artists.

I wanted my eyes to be super dark and dramatic. She built up the smokey color with a brown/black eyeshadow palette, and then added copper shimmer to the top of my lid, and a line of turquoise pigment under the eye which I loved! I kept my lips nude and lined them with my favorite lip liner color ‘boldly bare’ and topped it with this beautiful nude lipstick in ‘crush’ that is so creamy and hydrating.

She skipped the blush and bronzed my entire face with this incredibly natural looking matte bronzer. I applied my favorite body golden shimmer oil to my arms and legs and tanned the night before with this sunless tanner (the darkest and best color I’ve found!) We secured my makeup with the best finishing spray ever (you can read more of my tried and true makeup favorites post.)

GET MY SMOKEY EYE BRONZED MAKEUP LOOK:

THE TURQUOISE

This shoot was so much more fun than I was expecting! I was mentally planning to sweat like crazy. It was 100 degrees when we shot, but it was so dry that it actually didn’t feel that bad at all! We shot at Red Rock Canyon Park and it felt like we were shooting on a different planet. The incredible rocks, cliffs, and desert landscape was so captivating. The August Dress glowed off the shining sunlight and the setting brought the dress to life.

I didn’t know very many of the specifics of The August Dress when I started making it, but I did know that I wanted to be draped head to toe in turquoise. Absolutely, I love turquoise and I always have. I wore one of my favorite turquoise rings from St. Eve Jewelry, and added a ton of pieces from their shop to make all my turquoise dreams come true. They have the most incredible vintage turquoise pieces—from rings to my huge squash blossom necklace. I love the look of the turquoise on the chartreuse fabric; they complement each other so nicely.

SHOP MY TURQUOISE JEWELRY:

photography by Jordan Zobrist

SHOP MY LOOK:

HERE IS THE TIME LAPSE VIDEO FOR HOW I CREATED THE AUGUST DRESS

worn during the draping: WHITE BLOUSE || DISTRESSED DENIM || COGNAC BOOTIES (run tts)

MY INSPIRATION BOARD AND SKETCH FOR THE AUGUST DRESS

The August Dress sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES. OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

VIEW MY OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES BELOW:

THE MONTHLY DRESS TOUR

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Fashion

July 11, 2018

BEHIND THE DRESS: JULY

It’s Behind The Dress: July day! I had so much fun designing and making this dress. I really think this video gives you a feel for all of the details of the dress- it really is so interesting to see The July Dress from so many different angles.

RED LIPSTICK WORN FOR THE DRESS SHOOT + INTERVIEW: NARS ‘LIGHT MY FIRE’ || NAILS: ESSIE ‘RUSSIAN ROULETTE’

From the unusual store where I discovered the fabric, to my boys first reactions to seeing the dress, to the house of my dreams for the location shoot- I hope you enjoy this episode of how I created The July Dress!

BEHIND THE DRESS: JULY

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE OTHERS, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES:

And here is a fun editorial short video of the dress. It’s so fun to watch this one move!

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

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Fashion

June 14, 2018

BEHIND THE DRESS: JUNE

The June Dress was a dream to shop for, a dream to sew, and a dream to shoot! I can’t wait until you see how magical the setting was for this dress. It’s one of my favorite Behind The Dress Episodes yet! I can’t wait for you to see how The June Dress moves and sparkles!

VIEW ALL OF THE IMAGE FROM THE JUNE DRESS SHOOT HERE

In this Behind The Dress episode you will just how much 60 yards of tulle looks like! There are a few shots of me sitting at my sewing machine to sew together all 60 yards and it’s crazy! Garrett also pops up in this Behind The Dress because he made a little cameo in this monthly dress. Also- can you even handle what furry little creature showed up to watch the shoot? I was dying!

BEHIND THE DRESS: JUNE

I can’t wait for this dress to be displayed on The Monthly Dress Tour! If you haven’t heard yet, I will be taking all 12 of my dresses on tour in a dress exhibit where YOU can see them up close! I’ll also be speaking all about my experience with this series. Check out this post to find out where I will be touring and take this quick 1 minute survey to help me plan the tour! I can’t wait to meet you!)

In case you missed the others, make sure you check out the other Behind The Dress Episodes:

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

Location: The Resort at Pelican Hill

Decor: The Finishing Touch Wedding Design

Dimond ring/earrings: Simon G Jewelry

Shoes: Badgley Mischka – Huges T-Strap Evening Shoe

Photography: Jordan Zobrist

Follow along with me on instagram and in my newsletter for updates on The Monthly Dress Tour! Over the next few months we will be prepping to bring these dresses to you so you can experience The Monthly Dress Series in real life! If you haven’t take this quick 1 minute survey I would really appreciate your input! If we do add more tour date locations, I will be using the information from the survey to determine where we take the dresses. Make sure you list your location! I will also picking some winners who took the survey to give free tickets to the tour to!

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Dressy

May 9, 2018

THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE MAY DRESS

The May Dress! The eighth dress in The Monthly Dress Series. A form-fitting full-length embroidered dress with brilliant shades of fuchsia and orchid melting together in a field of flowers, to give the effect that The May Dress is blooming right from the ground.

SIMILAR DRESS HERE AND HERE || FLORAL SHOES (run TTS, prettier in person) || TOM FORD LIP STAIN IN ‘VIOLET FATAL’ & NARS LIPSTICK IN ‘CLAUDIA’ || EYESHADOW IN “SHADE” FROM THE BACKTALK PALETTE (love all the colors in this palette!)

The Inspiration

My inspiration for the May dress was, of course, the gorgeous flowers in bloom around the world during this beautiful month. I absolutely LOVE flowers. I love them during every month of the year (remember the flowers in the April Dress shoot?), but May is the queen bee. Way back when I got the idea for the Monthly Dress Series, I knew the May dress would be floral. During my trips through the fabric district in Downtown Los Angeles, I always had my eye out for inspiring floral patterns.

If you’ve ever been to a fabric store, you know there are floral patterns everywhere. And they’re so pretty! But after sifting through them, I started eliminating options pretty quickly. I didn’t want a floral pattern that clustered all kinds of colors together; I wanted a dominant color (even though I wasn’t sure which color I wanted). Floral prints are nice, but I didn’t want a print for a gown, but I also didn’t want 3D flowers like I had on the February Dress. I wanted a complex embroidery!

The Fabric

I kept my eyes out for a beautiful embroidered fabric and, after a few months, I found the one I used for the dress. The fabric is breathtaking! There are many different colored threads–pink, magenta, fuchsia, hot pink, and ruby–all blended or intertwined in a gorgeous pattern.

I backed the fabric with a nude cotton blend with enough spandex to be sure the snug fit was wearable. I chose nude because I wanted the focus of the dress to be the floral pattern. With a nude backing, no other patterns or colors compete for attention. I wanted it to look like the floral embroidery was painted on my skin. It’s a little sultry–perfect for a bright pink pattern.

The Shoot

A few years ago I saw pictures of the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, and I knew I wanted to do a shoot there. Once I had the inspiration for the May Dress, I knew there was only way place to shoot it.

During the shoot, I am in a field of fuchsia ranunculus. The flowers stretch around me as far as the eye can see. Standing among the flowers makes it seem like the pattern on the dress grows from the ground around me. The dress and the flowers melt together.

These SHOES were made for this dress!

The Accessories

I didn’t add statement earrings or a necklace to The May Dress. The primary accessory is a floral crown full of fuschia and plum peonies and pink ranunculus, created by the talented San Diego florist, Quite Frankly Creative. Like I said earlier, May is the queen bee, so a floral crown is perfect.

My nail polish is the same fuchsia color as the flowers and the dress. I did my makeup with fuchsia eye shadow and a bold fuchsia lip. I wanted this dress to be a monochromatic shade of fucshia all about the flowers–the ranunculus, the floral embroidery, and the crown.

FLORAL CROWN: Quite Frankly Creative (insanely talented florist, based out of San Diego!)

LOCATION: The Flower Fields (an absolute must visit in Carlsbad from March-May. The last day to visit is May 13th this year!)

photography by Jordan Zobrist

Here is the full time-lapse video of how I created The May Dress..

Worn during the draping: YELLOW BELL SLEEVE TOP (wearing a small) || DISTRESSED JEANS (only $88, great fit!) || GOLD STUDDED SANDALS (super comfy and run TTS)

And I think this is my favorite inspiration board and dress sketch to date!!

The May Dress inspiration sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration

SHOP MY LOOK:

SIMILAR DRESSES:

Next week a new episode of Behind the Dress will go live, where I take you through the entire process of shopping for this fabric, sewing the dress, and down to the flower fields for The May Dress shoot! You can see my other Behind the Dress episodes for:

Don’t miss any of my dresses from The Monthly Dress Series. You can follow along on instagram at #themonthlydressseries, or click on any of the dresses below to view the full post and time-lapse videos for that month.

Want to learn how to sew? Let me teach you! My online video sewing courses are ON SALE for 25% off right now through Sunday, May 12th with the code: SPRING. I offer a beginner course and an intermediate course.

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Dressy

April 18, 2018

THE PARIS DRESS TUTORIAL

I made this dress for our ten year anniversary trip to London and Paris last year. You can see my inspiration for this dress here (and one of the key factors that led me to create The Monthly Dress Series).

SIMILAR BLUSH HEELS OR HERE

Last year I made this dress, and it is still one of my favorite dresses to date. I fell in love with the embellished blush and pink hand sewn tiny flowers on the dress overlay when I was in Mood. And I knew I had to make something special with that fabric.

I’ve had many requests for a tutorial for this dress, so (just one year later), here it is! The Behind The Dress: April episode was supposed to go live today, but we are still making a few tweaks on that video. So I’ll have that for you here TOMORROW! (you can see the Behind The Dress episode for March here, February here, and January here). It is really really fun, so I hope you check back and watch it! The shoot for The April Dress was absolutely magical, and I have tons of behind the scenes secrets on how we were able to capture those images and the whole process for making the dress.

Here’s The Paris Dress Tutorial!

MATERIALS:

2 yards of overlay fabric (this can be see-through/lace/embellished fabric. My fabric did not have stretch, so keep this in mind when following along)
2 yards of fabric lining (this can be a poly spandex blend, or any fabric that has a nice soft drape to it. Stiff cotton, or fabric that is a lot thicker than your overlay fabric won’t work well for this dress.
matching thread

If you don’t know how to sew but are interested in learning, make sure you check out my online sewing courses for beginner and intermediate sewers.

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Dressy

March 16, 2018

THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE MARCH DRESS

The March Dress. When I looked forward to the Monthly Dress for March, there was only one color this dress could be: a beautiful, true kelly green. I took the image of a field of clovers and morph it into a gown. St. Patrick’s Day was my main source of inspiration for this monthly dress. The kelly green lace for the dress is embroidered with the most beautiful details that remind me of clovers. I wanted this monthly dress to be fitted (a stark contrast to The February Dress) and I wanted it to be intricate and complex. I added 6 rows of ruffles cascading down the dress to mimic the curves and outline of a clover. I added kelly green satin trim to the each ruffle to make the curves of the ruffles pop. When you look at a clover, its leaves don’t all lay perfectly flat. They curve and twist, making them appear various shades of green. The satin trim adds a similar texture to this monthly dress. Because the gown has so much happening, I kept my hair simple with a clean low ponytail. I tied the pony with an over-sized ribbon I made out of the same lace fabric used in the monthly dress.

GOLD HEELS (on sale, 50% off!) || GOLD DROP EARRINGS || EMERALD NECKLACE || NAIL POLISH

GOLD HEELS (on sale, 50% off!) similar here || GOLD DROP EARRINGS || EMERALD NECKLACE || NAIL POLISH

photography by Jordan Zobrist

I knew two things when I initially started to plan this dress. It needed to be kelly green and the shoes needed to be gold. The shoes are a nod to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, and I love how simple and well these gold pumps pair with the dress. I wanted the setting for this dress to be reminiscent of the lush green landscaped in Ireland. I was originally going to shoot this dress in the Redwood forest, but after pouring through images of landscapes in Ireland, I opted for a larger green landscape sprinkled with trees, shot at sunrise so there would still be a touch of morning fog in the distance. I wanted to keep the colors of the shoot very monochromatic, but pick up other shades of greenery in the grass and trees surrounding me.

I must have had the luck of the Irish with me when I created this dress, because this dress was hard! Five yards of lace, and a dress pattern that I designed, and then deconstructed into 25 different pieces I then pieced together individually. It took me a little over 20 hours to construct this dress. I needed to take into account seam allowance in between each ruffle, stitch up sections of darts and then match them up along the dart and side seams. I gathered 6 rows of ruffles and added the green satin trim to the edges (which is my favorite part of the dress). Every single stitch went smoothly and every singly dart, seam, and hemline match up perfectly. My brain (and sewing machine) were completely fried by the time I completed everything, but this might be the dress I am most proud of purely based on the construction and level of difficulty.

Here is the full time-lapse video of how I created The March Dress..

shop my blue t-shirt dress from the time-lapse here

And here is my inspiration board for The March Dress:

The March Dress inspiration sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration

Stay tuned for my Behind the Dress post coming next week. I will take you behind the scenes of hunting through practically all of the LA fabric district for the perfect fabric, in my sewing room trying to get this dress finished, and the magic of this shoot! It was such a fun shoot, we were cracking up the whole time! The behind the scenes is almost as fun for me as the reveal, and I can’t wait to take you along with me!

SHOP MY LOOK:

SIMILAR DRESSES:

If you don’t know how to sew but are interested in learning, make sure you check out my online sewing courses for beginner and intermediate sewers.

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Dressy

February 14, 2018

BEHIND THE DRESS: FEBRUARY

So much planning and construction went into The February Dress, and this month we decided to take you along with us! For this month’s edition of Behind the Dress I take you down to the LA Fabric District as I search for the perfect fabric, at home as I cut, sew, and film the creation of the dress, and into the studio for The February Dress shoot day! (you can view all of the final images from the shoot on The February Dress blog post reveal here)

PINK JACKET (similar here) || SIMILAR LACE TOP || JEANS (same cut jeans, the version with distressing is sold out) || NUDE HEELS

I made this Behind The Dress video a little longer than my January one. I wanted the feel of this one to be more like an episode! So grab a girlfriend and a bag of conversation hearts, have a seat, and lets go behind The February Dress….

In the video:
BLACK LEATHER EMBROIDERED JACET || BLACK PANTS || SIMILAR BLACK BUCKLE BOOTS (also love these and these) || MIRRORED SUNGLASSES || TORY BURCH BAG

SHOP THIS POST:

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Dressy

February 7, 2018

THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE FEBRUARY DRESS

The February Dress. A dress inspired by the love and romance that February brings. A month full of flowers, hearts, love notes, and kisses. I knew early on that February would be a ball gown. It had to be big and grand and beautiful, but it also needed to be whimsical. My choice in fabric created that look. The color, drape, and the embellishments in The February Dress had to be perfect. Something breathtakingly elaborate, but also delicate and not overdone. This blush floral embellished fabric was the clear winner. This fabric is symbolic of how every woman should feel in February (Valentine’s Day date or not!). It is feminine, unique with scalloped lace and beading that harmoniously create one of the most beautiful fabrics that I have ever worked with.

SHOP MY EARRINGS HERE

SHOP MY SHOES (they run tts and are even more beautiful in person!)

photography by Jordan Zobrist

This dress took nine yards of fabric and sixteen hours to create. The most fabric I’ve ever used on a dress was five yards, so the creation of this dress was really pushing my capabilities. I was originally going to do a flutter sleeve that mimicked the silhouette of the skirt, but the more I looked at the fabric on my mannequin without any fabric backing it, I knew I needed to do long sleeves to really show off the embroidery against the skin.

I kept the scalloped trim along the edges of the sleeves to match the hem of my skirt. I cut off all of the 3D floral embellishments on the sleeves to give it a cleaner look. I wanted the sleeves to be long, but not feel too heavy. I opted for a simple scoop neck and had the embroidered fabric come just a touch higher than the solid fabric underneath. I placed the embroidered bodice fabric at an angle, and the embroidered skirt fabric with the flowers running straight down, which I think is a really pretty juxtaposition. To get the look that I wanted for the full skirt, the embellished fabric needed to be gathered a lot.

The fabric underneath is a bit more of a baby pink (which kept the dress from looking too peach), but if the embroidered fabric laid flat against it, the skirt wouldn’t be the true shade of blush that I was aiming for. So I gathered about seven yards of the fabric to create the skirt. You will see in my Behind The Dress video coming next week…it was quite an ordeal! I also had to remove all the beading along the top of the fabric so that I could sew it without breaking too many needles.

For the hemline I chose a shorter hem in the front to give it a youthful silhouette. A full length gown with long sleeves would have read a bit older than I was wanting, and I love the little window the skirt has for the Badgley Mischka shoes (which, by the way, are the most beautiful shoes I’ve ever worn). I kept the jewelry simple with only these Baublebar drop statement hoops in the exact same blush shade as the dress.

I decided to keep the location for this shoot clean and elegant. I opted for a studio so that the focus would be on the fabric and the dress, not so much the surroundings. The January Dress was all about the location…The February Dress is all about the fabric. We created a cascading flower wall that enhanced the flowers on the dress without overshadowing them, and played a lot with natural light against the damask molded wall.

Here is the full time-lapse video of how I created The February Dress..

The inspiration board for The February Dress:The February Dress inspiration sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration

I hope you love this dress as much as I loved dreaming and creating it. It was a dress I feel like I’ve been dying to create for my entire life. If I could be any dress, I would be The February Dress.

Get this look with similar dresses below:

Thank you again for all of your excitement surrounding this series! I absolutly love reading through your comments! They help fuel my excitement and creativity. Was The February Dress what you were envisioning? Let me know what you think in the comments below, I would love to hear!

If you don’t know how to sew but are interested in learning, make sure you check out my online sewing courses for beginner and intermediate sewers.

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Fashion

January 19, 2018

MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE JANUARY DRESS

The January Dress. January is a fresh start to a brand new year. The dress had to be white…and it had to be underwater. January is a time for reflecting on the previous year, and the reflection from the top of the water portrays this. January is also the start off a new year completely fresh and washed clean. I picked white thin chiffon to represent a blank page, a new year ready for goals and resolutions. The dress needed a little sparkle, so I added a crystal belt for the final touch. The belt represents a goal for the new year. Not just any goal, but that really ambitious dream you hope to achieve in this new year.

I have been so excited and so nervous about this one. When my photographer and I talked about the idea of shooting a dress under water I couldn’t get it out of my head! There was a lot of thought and planning that went into the construction of this dress and the logistics for the shoot, and I am so grateful to have an amazing photographer that is up for all of my crazy ideas and isn’t afraid to work for the right shot! For the dress construction it needed to be elastic along the top and the belt was extra secure. I tested out various fabrics in the water before actually constructing the dress (I had to make sure it wasn’t too see through!). We shot this dress in our backyard pool! There is so much I could tell you on the backstory of what we went through to shoot this dress, and I will be posting a “behind the dress” video of it all next week! It’s worth it’s own blog post!

Here is the full time-lapse video of how I created The January Dress…

in the video: HEART TOP (on sale for under $20!) || JEANS (on sale!) || SIMILAR FLATS (also loving these ones)

The inspiration board for the dress isn’t full of shoes or accessories, I wanted to keep the whole look clean and let the water act as my main source of inspiration.

The January Dress inspiration sketch done by Jill Paz Illustration (she is so talented!)

Make sure you don’t miss my previous dresses in The Monthly Dress Series. Click the images below to view them:

THE OCTOBER DRESS

THE NOVEMBER DRESS

THE DECEMBER DRESS

If you don’t know how to sew but are interested in learning, make sure you check out my online sewing courses for beginner and intermediate sewers.

photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Fashion

December 22, 2017

MONTHLY DRESS SERIES: THE DECEMBER DRESS

The December Dress is here! Inspired by the magic and wonder that comes with the month of December, I knew this dress needed to pack a punch. This month I wanted the drama to be in the fabric, so I went with clean simple lines in a form fitting silhouette with a full mermaid skirt and back train. December is glamorous. December is rich in spirit and full of joy. I picked a classic deep crimson holiday red for this gown…but before I knew the color, I knew that the fabric would be velvet.

(you can view The October Dress here and The November Dress here)

SIMILAR EARRINGS (ALSO LOVE THESE AND THESE) || MATTE LIPSTICK IN “LIGHT MY FIRE” || HEELS (on sale! run TTS)

Using The Griffith Observatory as the backdrop let the dress do the talking. Rather than shoot this dress in a snowy winter setting, I embraced an LA December. A fresh white building overlooking the Los Angeles city scape at sunrise. I went with a matte red lip (obsessed with this shade and brand right now. the perfect red lip that lasts all day), a classic winged tip eye, and drop crystal earrings to really amp up the glam. I added five extra wide bottom panels to the bottom of the dress to make it extra full. I love how the velvet photographed! While my other dresses were ornate and over the top, I really love the simplicity of this one.

Here is the full time lapse video of how I created The December Dress….

And finally, The December Dress Inspiration Board. I loved planning every detail of the shoot, from the fabric, to the winged eye liner, to the location and time of day to shoot the dress. Deep red velvet, crystal accents, and a clean white backdrop were the key ingredients in this month’s inspiration board.

Make sure you don’t miss my previous dresses in The Monthly Dress Series. Click the images below to view them:

THE OCTOBER DRESS

THE NOVEMBER DRESS

If you don’t know how to sew but are interested in learning, make sure you check out my online sewing courses for beginner and intermediate sewers.

photography by Jordan Zobrist

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THE SEPTEMBER DRESS

THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE

THE BLAZER

As an aside:

THE LOCATION

THE DRESS

A FULL YEAR OF DRESSES IS COMPLETE

THE INSPIRATION BOARD FOR THE SEPTEMBER DRESS

VIEW MY OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES BELOW:

THE MONTHLY DRESS TOUR

BEHIND THE DRESS: AUGUST

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE OTHERS, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES:

And here is a fun editorial short video of the dress. It’s so fun to watch this one move!

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

THE AUGUST DRESS

THE DESERT

THE FABRIC

The silk has a subtle herringbone texture to it that ripples and moves so beautifully.

HAIR & MAKEUP

I enlisted the help of Kendal, one of my very favorite makeup artists.

THE TURQUOISE

HERE IS THE TIME LAPSE VIDEO FOR HOW I CREATED THE AUGUST DRESS

MY INSPIRATION BOARD AND SKETCH FOR THE AUGUST DRESS

VIEW MY OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES BELOW:

THE MONTHLY DRESS TOUR

BEHIND THE DRESS: JULY

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE OTHERS, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE OTHER BEHIND THE DRESS EPISODES:

And here is a fun editorial short video of the dress. It’s so fun to watch this one move!

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

BEHIND THE DRESS: JUNE

In case you missed the others, make sure you check out the other Behind The Dress Episodes:

DON’T MISS ANY OF MY DRESSES FROM THE MONTHLY DRESS SERIES. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM AT #THEMONTHLYDRESSSERIES, OR CLICK ON ANY OF THE DRESSES BELOW TO VIEW THE FULL POST AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS FOR THAT MONTH.

The Inspiration

The Fabric

The Shoot

The Accessories

Here’s The Paris Dress Tutorial!

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