Passion for Fashion Winning Gown from 2009

Hi everyone! I am sew excited to be a part of TotallyStitchin as a Stitchin Woman, as well as the spokes “designer” for the new Baby Lock Love of Fashion Program. Love of Fashion is a series of fashion design classes that I teach around the country at various Baby Lock events and Baby Lock Dealers. I hope to share my love of fashion and design through draping, sketching, and other design skills that I uses each and every day in my studio with my clients. I have been using Baby Lock Machines since high school, but all of this came about as a result of the Passion for Fashion Design Competition sponsored by Baby Lock that I won last fall.

Passion for Fashion is just like a Project Runway Design Challenge where designers compete live for two days during the American Sewing Expo in Novi, Mi. Designers all around the country submit a small portfolio entry hoping to be one of 12 finalists selected to come and compete live. This year on Friday September 24th, designers will be given the secret challenge, $100 to buy fabric and the clock will begin. You have to design, pattern, sew and fit to your model by the next day for live judging. At the completion of a live fashion show the winner will be announced. It could be you! I can’t wait to see what that challenge will be this year. This is a wonderful program and Baby Lock will once again sponsor by providing the machines to sew on as well as providing the winner with thier own fabulous Baby lock machine. Winning had such a huge impact on my design work and business, so I encourage anyone who loves fashion sewing to enter the competition. Entry forms are available at www.americansewingexpo.com. As part of the prize package I won a trip to NYC. Next time I will share some of my experiences fabric shopping in NYC.

My sister recently asked me to make my new little nephew a Christening gown, since it has now become a tradition, that I make the Christening gowns for the children in the family. She wanted something classic and simple and not too frilly. I chose this Vintage day gown style pattern from Simplicity Pattern Company for the long gown with ties (pictured in blue) with a slip.

I appliquéd a cross to each side in the lower corner, using a piece of sentimental fabric (it was a piece originally from her wedding gown!). Then I used the vine corners section from Designer’s Gallery Floral Accents to create my own vine corner design.

Added a few of the tiniest hot fix crystals I could find for accent, some satin ribbon for the ties, a decorative thread serger hem and some lace on the slip and it was done in a flash! Here is how it turned out!

Doesn’t he look handsome!