It's another exciting day.
It's Needlework Monday!!πππ How are you doing and how's the new week going?
Are tailors magicians? You'd have to conclude at the end of this post because, many clients walk in and expect a designer to perform magic with whatever fabric they bring in, even when you tell them that it is not enough for the style.
So today, I wanted to ask you how you make up for a style when you realize that the actual fabric isn't enough...
Do you just discard the style totally or do you improvise?
Well, I asked this question because I had a similar experience just last week.
My client walked in with a style she screenshot from #Pinterest and wanted me to make a similar style but brought in fewer fabrics for the style.
I told her that the fabric wouldn't be enough to work it and that she needed to add about a yard to the fabric, but since the brocade fabric was quite expensive, she said she couldn't afford another yard of fabrics so she decided to change her mind.
"Ma'am I can make the style with you, all I need to do is to alter the design a little but it will come out nice and look almost the same," I convinced her but she said. "I want exactly the style or nothing!"
Well, I decided to make that particular style for myself just to prove that even though designers are no magicians, designers can be creative and even deliver a more beautiful outfit than that of the muse so I went to work.
I collected the screenshot from her via Xender App because I had the same amount of yards as my client. 2 yards of Brocade and a yard of Organdi.
For the original style, it is supposed to be 3yards of Brocade and half yards of Organdi.
So here is what I worked with.
Brocade (2yards)
Organdi (A yard)
Matching thread
Here is a picture of my two yards of brocade.
The black fabric there is called the organdi fabric.
To understand this project better I would be sharing the screenshot of the original style with mine at the end of the post, so stay tuned.
My style was altered because I had fewer brocade so I added the organdi to the boubou part to make it look big and classy.
I went ahead to cut out the neckline using the 6 inches depth and 3 inches in width which will be replaced with my organdi.
Here I have marked out my neckline and ready to cut.
I replaced that neckline by cutting exactly of it with the organdi which you can see here.
I marked out my body measurements and began sewing.
The first thing I did was to attach the new neckline to the bodice.
After joining in, and shaping the bodice this is what it looks like.
This itself isn't looking bad, yeah, but it wasn't giving the look from the muse, so I manipulated the style again.
I went ahead to join the remaining organdi to the sides of the boubou so it looked big like the one the muse was rocking.
And after I was done, here is what it looked like..β€
Now, tell me which do you love the most?
I would be in the comment section to get your response but before then, let me finish my story.
So I rocked this outfit to a function where I met that same client and guess what?
She was amazed at how I worked with little fabric and came out with a more creative style than that of the muse.
"Oh Amie," this looks better than that of the muse, I want you to make this one you are rocking now," She said and I was excited that I could convince her that even though we are no magicians we can still do wonders with fabrics and wow you with the result.
She came in not quite long to drop her fabrics and I will be working with her fabrics of 2 yards and a yard of organdi just like I did with mine.
So I pixmixed it with my newly improvised style.
Only the left-hand collage is not my property but a screenshot of the style I worked with while the right-hand is my property, cut and sewn by me.
I pic mixed it to get your opinion, did I do a good job with my improvisation?
This is just to prove that a good designer can get creative, think outside the box and even make something out of nothing!
All images used are mine except those stated otherwise.