Sunday, September 25, 2016

Reptile Moto Jacket, PROJKT Maiden Lane, and Artistry in Fashion!


Well, this has been a crazy few days. Crazy fun! It's been a weekend of fashion with the PROJKT Maiden Lane runway show on Friday, and Artistry in Fashion on Saturday.

I'm writing this on Saturday night and I'm pooped!

TOC:


Reptile Moto Jacket...in TEAL

I wanted to make a moto jacket for my Paris wardrobe. I bought this teal reptile quilted-ish stretch woven from Mood months ago.

I had the lining in my stash. It is a heavy charmeuse that has an almost hammered look. I have a lot of it!

There are so many moto patterns available these days that I had a hard time deciding which to use but, in the end, I decided to go with the Lisette pattern, Butterick 6169, which has many satisfied reviews on Pattern Review. This collarless jacket is lined, has shoulder pads, shoulder princess seams front and back, in-seam welt pockets, and two-piece sleeves. Most reviewers noted that it has more-than-usual ease through the bust. Of course, I still made modifications:

Alterations and modifications:

I started with my usual size 18.

  • This jacket has more bust ease than similar jackets. Many reviews have mentioned that they didn't need an FBA. I did do an FBA, but I added much less ease than usual.
  • Narrowed the shoulder by about 1-1/2". This is more than usual.
  • 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment.
  • From other reviews, I saw that the jacket was on the short side. I lengthened it by 2".
  • Shortened the sleeve by 1".
  • Removed 4" from the waist at the side seams.
  • Swapped out the vertical in-seam pockets for angled zippered pockets.
  • Added zippers with gussets to the sleeves. I used a technique similar to my tutorial, though I actually centered the zippers at the seam. Centering the zippers requires more facings, but the technique is similar.
  • I used the reverse side of the fabric (which is black) for the front and back neck facings so that it exposes black when the lapel is folded back.

I mentioned my zipper expedition a couple posts ago. I wanted teal zippers for this jacket and I found a size 5 zipper with black tape and chunky metallic teal teeth at J.N. Zippers. They had both separating and closed styles and I had them shortened to my desired length. I also had them swap the silver zipper pull for a black slider. The front zipper is 20" long, the pocket zippers are 6", and the gusset zippers are 5".

Finished zipper pocket

Installing the zipper in the sleeve seam

Installing the zipper gusset. I used remnants of crinkled taffeta for the wedge-shaped gussets.

Finished sleeves

Zippers galore!

Back facing + lining using the reverse side of the reptile fabric. The heavy charmeuse lining has a hammered look.

I had to run to Britex for shoulder pads!

The reverse of the fabric shows when the lapels are turned back

Unzipped

Flashing the lining

Back

Butterick 6169, Lisette

PROJKT Maiden Lane

Left to right: Emily Payne, Kini Zamora, Richard Hallmarq, Rey Ortiz

Britex Fabrics pulled together a fun event last night! PROJKT Maiden Lane was a runway show featuring 4 designers, all with a connection to Project Runway or Tim Gunn. Britex closed off the entire length of Maiden Lane, festooned the lane with lights, brought in a DJ with a sound system, and installed a long red felt runway. It was a lovely evening in San Francisco, a bit nippy, but nowhere near as cold as it can get. Before and after the show the first floor was open to guests for some late-night shopping and champagne.

Lining up for the event
Photo credit: Britex Fabrics

It was Very Civilized.

Sharman, the owner of Britex, and Kirby are filling the goody bags
Photo credit: Britex Fabrics

Setting up Maiden Lane
Photo credit: Britex Fabrics

The runway. There's Wendy peeking out!

Looking across the runway

Waiting for the show to start
Photo credit: Rose


Emily Payne, a former Britex sales person on the first floor, a contestant on season 13 of Project Runway, and season 5 of Project Runway All Stars, kicked off the show. She continues to have close ties to Britex and was the impetus for the PROJK Maiden Lane event. Emily presented two runway shows, starting the evening with her children's line, named for her daughter, Devon Rose.

The second runway show featured Emily's adult clothing. Emily commissioned some art pieces from Lance Victor Moore, who made some compelling face masks, designed to disguise the gender of the wearer. All of the models, male and female, wore one of these interesting-but-creepy, one-of-a-kind masks.

Lance Victor Moore's masks
Photo credit: Britex Fabrics

Emily Payne and Lance Victor Moore
Photo source: Emily Payne

One of my favorite pieces in Emily's show
Photo source: Emily Payne

Photo source: Emily Payne

For more pictures of these runway shows, see Emily Payne's Instagram feed and the #emilypayne hashtag. For more information on Lance Victor Moore's masks, see this Britex blog post.

Richard Hallmarq, a contestant on season 11 of Project Runway, presented the third runway show. His clothing featured knitwear and day looks. You can see more about Richard on his Instagram feed. Rey Ortiz, a contestant on season 1 of Under the Gunn, presented the fourth runway show, featuring evening wear. You can see more on his Instagram feed. The final runway of the evening, by Kini Zamora, contestant on season 13 of PR and season 5 of PR All Stars, featured his evening wear and clothing made with double-sided mesh fabric. You can learn more about Kini on his Instagram feed.

I took photos of the runway, but most of them did not come out, which is why my descriptions are so brief. One of my few pics that wasn't a complete blur is this dress by Richard Hallmarq:

It was a fun show, with lots of energy. Sharman says they may do more events of this type, and I hope so! It was a lot of fun for a mere $20. You can see more at #britexfabrics, #projktmaidenlane, and @britexfabrics.

Here are a few more pics from the evening:

A beautiful pic of Wendy and Rose!
Photo credit: Rose

The lovely Lucy, of Love Affair with Sewing, introduced herself!
Photo credit: Rose

Grace, a blog reader, also said hello!
Photo credit: Wendy

Sharman's pug, Kirby, was a star of the evening!

Who's a good boy?!?!

Someone is smitten!

Gorgeous Italian digital prints decorate Britex's window


Artistry in Fashion 2016

me, Sharman, and Ronda Chaney, who is wearing a self-made Kathryn Brenne jacket
Photo credit: one of Ronda's former students

Sharman Spector, owner of Britex, had a busy weekend! Her big event, PROJKT Maiden Lane was Friday night, and she was the featured guest at Artistry in Fashion on Saturday.

I love this annual event! Ronda Chaney, chair of the Fashion Department, asked me to help out with Sharman's talk, which was formatted as an informal Q & A.

Photo credit: Lynn C

Photo credit: Lynn C

Photo credit: Wendy

Photo credit: Wendy

I had left my regular glasses in the car, so I had to wear my prescription sunglasses!
Photo credit: Wendy

Photo credit: Wendy

Photo credit: Wendy

Other than the featured guest, one of my favorite things about AIF is seeing my tribe! You might recognize some of these talented folk!

Dorothy and Ann, each wearing self made

Patty and Mary, two talented sisters! Both are wearing self made outfits and Mary also made her purse from canvas that she painted. Mary Boalt is also one of my favorite people to follow on Pinterest!

A closeup of Mary's self-painted, self-made, purse!

Chris Groom and Mary Lou Lange, each wearing self made. Chris gave me a piece of that gorgeous ikat last year and I am busy thinking on how to use it!

Lovely Heather is wearing a self made "ball" necklace. She purchased that beautiful vest some years ago from Ruti. She came upon me buying my first purchase of the day in that very booth.

Artistry in Fashion raises funds for scholarships for deserving fashion students. Much of the student work is on display.

A beautiful felted vest made by one of the students

A hallway of student work

Have you heard of the book #OOTD (Outfit of the Day) by Angela Lan? Angela is fourteen years old and she's published a book on sewing and designing clothes for 12- to 16-year-olds. She learned to sew at the age of 11 and wasn't happy with existing books which focused on making pillowcases and other non-garment projects. She wanted to make clothes that she could wear, so she wrote a book, with included patterns. She is a very impressive young lady and she had a table at AIF, selling her books. Keep an eye on this one, as she might go very far.

And, of course, the main event at AIF is the shopping! There are lots and lots of vendors! I didn't take that many photos of the shopping because, well, I was busy. But here are a few that I took towards the end.

My friend Sarah was selling her beautiful ball necklaces!

One of the many jewelry vendors

One of the many clothing vendors

And, of course, you may have noticed one of my purchases!
Can you see what it is?!?!?!
Can you?!
It's made from eyeglass lenses!!! Most of them have been etched.
I love it!


Misc

I visited Seattle again last week and work is heating up. I have only a few weeks before Munich and Paris and I won't be doing a whole lot more sewing before then. (Though I do have one more almost-finished project that I hope to finish tomorrow.) The fall colors in Seattle were wonderful!

I learned that these are Horse Chestnuts, or Conkers, if you're British. I've never seen these in San Francisco! (They are evidently poisonous.)

Such beautiful berries!

I think it's kinda weird that Seattle has a statue of Lenin

I can't help it. I love a wing shot!

I hope you have a great week! Join me on Patti's Visible Monday!, Shoe and Tell Fashion, Defined Style, and Style Sweet Spot.

52 comments:

  1. Great post, Shams. There is so much to comment on I don't know where to start. It's all envy inducing. That eyeglass necklace is TDF. And your outfit with the grey knitted shawl, beautifully styled.

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    1. Thanks, Bunny! It was SO hot at AIF. Hot weather is such a challenge for me, sartorially! But I was enjoying my Sandra Betzina harem pants which were made with a Britex fabric.

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  2. It is glorious to see so many well-dressed women! You are quite the Roving Reporter :) Thanks for sharing the San Francisco scene with us!!

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    1. Thanks, Robin! Yes, there was so much more I didn't photograph, but it's can be somewhat overwhelming for me, especially when it's hot, like it was yesterday!

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  3. Thanks for sharing all of this with us!

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  4. I always enjoy your tour of this annual event! Such beautiful eye candy for those of us who can't attend! Thank you!

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  5. Shams, I love your version of the Lisette moto jacket. I just finished my first version of that jacket using a linen/cotton in a natural color with a metallic silver printed design on the right side. Love the pattern and the jacket and have plans for another and may well incorporate more zippers ala Shams!
    I know you will have a wonderful time in Paris with Marcy! And you and Margy will rock the city with your travel wardrobes. Wish I could be going again this time, but look forward to what I know will be a fantastic recap on your blog in the future. Safe travels and have a blast!
    Peggy (Taos DOL some years ago)

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    1. Oh, HI, Peggy !!! Thanks for giving me context as I know more than one Peggy! Sherry was there yesterday, too! She had just come back from visiting Ute in Oregon! I wish you were going, too, but thanks for saying hi!

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  6. What a terrific post, Shams!! I love sharing your weekend and especially AIF cuz I couldn't make it. Loved seeing Patty and Mary, two of my favorite people! And you looked so cool that day! You looked like a movie star in that outfit, the necklace and your sunglasses. Thanks for a romp of a weekend without having to leave my house.

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    1. Thanks, Gayle! I agree that Patty and Mary are special and so creative! I'm sorry you couldn't make it this year!

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  7. Sorry I missed you at AIF - but I did run into so many friends - loved seeing Patty and Mary, I love sewing with them, so talented! What a great show and "sew" many opportunities for amazing new fashion and jewelry. That necklace is wonderful - lenses, how different! And what a talented group of students there - I was so lucky to be able to take some classes there in the past. And thanks for Britex - looked like a lot of fun and beautiful pictures (especially of my little "boyfriend" Kirby!) Thanks for this fun report.

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    1. Sorry I missed you, Kathleen, but I spent a chunk of the day working at the two scheduled talks. Next time!

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  8. The jacket is awesome but I'm also admiring your shoes: Trippen? And I love the new necklace, so stylish.

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    1. Thanks, Catherine! Yes, those are Trippen Salt in Petrol (Teal).

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  9. Great jacket--love it! Oh, Maiden Lane--ahhhh. What a wonderful runway show, thanks for sharing that and the AIF event. Love your cool outfit, the necklace, all of it. You will us up with so much inspiration. Have an outstanding time on your travels.

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    1. Thanks, Margene! It was a challenge to find something to wear in the extreme heat of the day!

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  10. There is so much in this blog that I could respond to. Suffice it to say that you are ready for Paris with the addition of the eyegkass necklace and the teal moto jacket. Tres chic darling!

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  11. Another wonderful post! I am so-o-o envious of the availability of these fabulously inspiring shows. We do have occasional art shows here in Naples, FL but nothing like the Britex event. Love the ball necklaces and your jacket with zippers, zippers, zippers and all the other photos. You must have energy to spare but waste none! Very impressive. Do you just sometimes hang out in PJ's on the weekend and create? I am a total fan!

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    1. Oh, Fran, you have no idea! I finished this post at 2am on Saturday, planning to sew all day Sunday, but I spent the first half of Sunday in bed and talking on the phone! I'm finally up and doing stuff. But, yeah, I get tired!

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  12. I don't know how you do it! keeping up the pace I mean..the heat yesterday was a killer for me!. So good to see you it was a fun event at Artistry in Fashion.Shams your blogs are So full of information thanks so much.I had never heard of kantha until you had it in a blog and now I have challenged my students to make something with a kantha by Febrary and we are having a fabulous time.All so exciting have a great Paris trip...Jane

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    1. Sheer determination, Jane! I don't want to get behind on my blogging or I'll have trouble getting everything done! I'm so glad I've inspired your incredible Kantha work!! It was great to see you yesterday, if only very briefly!

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  13. I missed saying hello! My DH fell on the sidewalk before the Britex show, and all the resulting problems, prevented attending the fashion show...and I bought my tickets in JuneđŸ˜¡Did make it to the fun AIF event. Saw you fleetingly across the area, but never again. Totally loved the brief vision of your outfit! Dynamite. You will rock Paris! Have fun and maybe some day our paths will cross. I can't believe you already posted about the fun weekend!

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    1. Oh, Belle, I'm so sorry about your DH! If you are local, I'm SURE we'll meet one day!

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  14. Teal is YOURS. Even reptile teal. So excellent.
    About that statue of Lenin - Fremont is the one that owns that statue. I don't think Seattle is interested in claiming it! In fact I am pretty sure there are lots and lots of people around town who would like Lenin to disappear into thin air!
    Also - you are going to so totally LOVE PARIS!!!! Not a news flash but it is fabulous! And I suspect Paris is going to love you! You'll make a very good change from the many men in coral, orange, red, pink, and fuschia jeans. Which are kind of unbelievable but they are all over the place. . . it's unexplainable.

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    1. Thanks, Claire! Yeah, that makes sense about that statue. I'm so inspired by your current travels! You make retirement look amazing! I hope Paris isn't going to be a letdown after all this planning and thinking about it, though I doubt it. ;)

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  15. Oh that fabric and cut of your new jacket are so wonderful! Thanks for linking, xo

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  16. Thanks for all the inspiration. Your jacket and fabric are spectacular. Love all the extra pictures.
    Marcia

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  17. Thanks for taking the time to share all the inspiration. The Paris wardrobe is looking great! And I'm glad you're getting to see a bit of Seattle now and then. I have an enormous horse chestnut tree in my yard and love to collect bowls of those shiny wonders--although on a windy day you need a helmet to get past it safely.

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    1. How funny, Elle! Those chestnuts are so beautiful! Too bad you can't eat them. ;)

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  18. What a jam packed post full of fun! And Ann!!!!!!! I miss her creativity so much (who else will sew the Miyakes?) online, but I admire whatever she chooses to do.

    The rocket around the corner from Lenin used to (fake) fire up it's engine. People disliked that more than Lenin. He does dress up nicely for the holidays.

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    1. LOL, SJ! That's funny! I plan to go to Seattle in early December so maybe he'll be decorated by then. Ann and Dorothy are sewing away but neither seems to have the interest in recording it online. Ann has traveled quite a bit since moving back to the bay area and, luckily, I see her quite often so I can still enjoy her work, as well as Dorothy's. Who knows, I might lose interest in blogging one day, too!

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  19. Love the jacket open and this was such a fun event! Come share it on our new link up http://www.over50feeling40.com/2016/09/hit-your-style-sweet-spot-another-fall.html

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  20. Your moto is really beautiful. I am getting ready to make one from this pattern and have a question. Did you change the pockets because you like that style better-more zippers or for functional reasons? You are going to love Paris. Jeremie Barthold's spring coil jewelry near the fabric stores on Montmartre is super fun plus Dam Button. Did you make the scarf you had on in the AIF photos? It's lovely as well as your jewelry. Does you friend Sarah sell her ball jewelry somewhere on the net? It's wonderful!

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    1. Thanks, MaryHelen! I changed the pockets because because I wanted more zippers! I also like the ergonomics of an angled pocket. I did read in some reviews that the pocket bag on the pattern is small - some people made the pocket bag larger. No, I bought that piece recently (it has armholes, so it's not quite a scarf) from Simply Bella in San Francisco. ( https://www.shopsimplybella.com/ ) I bought it in person, and you might call to see what they have. Sarah does not sell her pieces online, but she has had a couple trunk shows at Filoli Gardens. She's also on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/bunjejump/ ) and you can contact her via private messaging there.

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  21. From Creative Hormone Rush: What strikes me is the careful planning you put into your jackets. The patterns are available to everybody, but you take them (I'm NOT gonna use that trite business phrase "to the next level") to the next constellation. The possibilities you see in materials and notions are always happily astounding. It's not just your superb craftsmanship, it's your wild and wacky vision that's so much fun. Even more fun is watching you stuff so much sheer design value and visual appeal into a conventional vehicle like a topper, coat, or here, a moto jacket. Quilted reptile fabric? SO GREAT! Who else on the planet would have put that combination together in her mind?

    Also, I confess that I laughed myself silly over "quilted reptile fabric." You and Oona. God was having fun when he made you guys.

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    1. Awww, CHR! What a lovely comment! I met Oona in person last July and she's a total hoot! Thanks so much!

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  22. Over from Patti's Not Dead Yet Style...WOW. That Teal Moto Jacket. I want to try those zipped sleeves and I see you have a tutorial for it. Dare I try...? And those eyeglass lens necklace - fabulous. I made a long necklace out of my old and broken readers, but nothing, nothing compared to yours. I'm blown away by all your creative endeavors. phew.

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    1. Thanks, Pao! They really aren't that hard to do! Thanks for visiting!

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  23. From Creative Hormone Rush: What strikes me is the careful planning you put into your jackets. The patterns are available to everybody, but you take them (I'm NOT gonna use that trite business phrase "to the next level") to the next constellation. The possibilities you see in materials and notions are always happily astounding. It's not just your superb craftsmanship, it's your wild and wacky vision that's so much fun. Even more fun is watching you stuff so much sheer design value and visual appeal into a conventional vehicle like a topper, coat, or here, a moto jacket. Quilted reptile fabric? SO GREAT! Who else on the planet would have put that combination together in her mind?

    Also, I confess that I laughed myself silly over "quilted reptile fabric." You and Oona. God was having fun when he made you guys.

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    1. Thanks, so much, CHR, for that sweet and thoughtful comment! I met Oona last July and she's a total hoot!

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  24. What a fun-filled post! The moto is superb, the eyeglass lens necklace so YOU, and I'm green with envy that I missed AIF...

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  25. You're wasted in the day job - jacket is just fab and that fabric!

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