Summer is definitely, my ultimate favorite time of the year. My toes literally know that it's almost time for them to sink into beach sands as they start to tingle around the beginning of May. I am not kidding either, my toes really do know, they have a mind of their own. In the meantime, my skin is sending my brain neurons messages that I have to get into that bikini and lay out in the sun to get me some vitamin D.
Linen fabric comes to my mind for summer time as well. However, linen fabric should not just be for Summer as it can also be carried into the Fall Season in some geographic areas.
I remember, back in my art teacher days, I taught tie dye classes during the summer programs at the local Art Museum and my kids would go home proud as heck with their summer tie dyed T-shirts they created under my guidance. The next day, they would wear them proudly to class. Oh, fun times. This summer specifically, brought back memories of the times where we could teach in a normal school settings.
I came up with this cute fashion illustration below. I pictured myself, skipping around on a nice green hill or sitting out at the Millers Outdoor theater in Houston, Texas listening to music in a picnic setting wearing this linen tie dye blue blouse. That is the cool thing about our brain. We can travel and imagine all kinds of things, events and experiences. During this pandemic, I think all of us are guilty of making our brains create imaginary happenings.
Then, comes sourcing the fabric. All the local fabric shops had lighter weight linen fabrics and my thought process was well, we are at the end of summer and fall is around the corner. A thicker linen fabric made more sense to me since this tunic blouse can be worn into the Fall Season and then taken back out and worn next Spring and Summer. A heavier weight linen seemed the best choice and I went with it. So I waited two weeks for my linen bolt to come in the mail. I love online shopping. It is easy and it feels like Christmas waiting for your package to arrive.
Once I had my fabric off I went into setting my fabric up for the dying process and here is what that looked like.
This is the only time you will catch me in the kitchen, when I am dying fabric. Those of you wanting to try this at home. You can use Rit dye for cotton fabric and a stainless steel pot only for dye projects and not for cooking. Some folks, get creative and use natural dyes made from natural products. You would have to google that or you tube it to read up more on that.
Here is the result after it was washed and pre-shrunk as this is 100% cotton linen.
I was quite pleased with this result. I used "Sapphire Blue" for the color and looks like a gray blue hue. I liked it, as it goes well with denim jeans or any solid color leggings for styling purposes. Super cool.
On to the pattern and sewing and TA DAAA!!! Yay.
Love this!!! Just FYI..the first sample, I sewed on my mom's 50 year old sewing machine as I was visiting her and took the dyed fabric with me. She told me not to take my portable sewing machine with me. I guess she didn't want me sewing while I was visiting her, so I just asked her if I could borrow her machine instead. She did let me. This is what happens when creating and sewing is in your family blood. I go visit my auntie, sister, or my mom...they all have sewing machines, I can borrow. All the left over pieces, I ended up making my mommy a really cute garden hat for her. That is for another blog story.
Then, I needed a human model. Due to social distancing these days, I was that lucky gal. I have a new appreciation for models, not that I did not before, but, some models just have that natural ability to be fabulous and photogenic. Well, striking a pose and being natural was very difficult, that's all I can say. I gave it a go anyway. Here are the results of that. No wonder these photographers, take so many shots.
I am trying not to laugh here. This is my top model pose okay. Lol. It was also taken in the evening hours, so yellow lighting is not that fabulous. Natural lighting is way better. I am learning as I am doing this.
Okay, I could not keep it together..had to smile at least and show a little shoulder too.
I love how it hides my booty on the back side. It gives it that shirt dress style.
All in all, after trying out my design, I truly am enjoying it as it is easy to wear, nice and cool for this hot summer we are dealing with in Texas. I know it will also serve nicely in the Fall Season as you can always wear a long sleeve shirt underneath. Wear a belt of your choice with it. Wear it up or down. Not that we are going out much these days but, at least when out for essentials we can still look fashionably fabulous.
I hope you enjoyed this little fashion design journey with me. I would love to get any feedback. Thanks again for reading all the way to the end.
Fashionably Yours,
Matilde Caceres
Micze Design Studio
info@miczedesignstudio.com