Paisley Top

If you haven't noticed I like lots of details.  I designed this top to look like a tank with a little shrug over it.  I trimmed it with lace and did rows of pintucks down the front.

Silk, Suede, and Appliques

This dress (on the right) is silk.  The appliques I cut out from scraps of a print, which I zig zagged on.  (I don't have the patience to hand sew anything.)   The dark turquoise is real suede.   Click on "Sari to see it Go" to see more of the dress on the left.

Floral Top and Dupioni Skirt

Black and Blue and Punk all over

Reversible Purse

I made this reversible purse out of Amy Butler home decor fabric.  For the straps I used some think cording.  I matched the the pleats to make a leaf design similar to my girls dress "pleated with precision".

I love my Boys, too!

I love designing girls dresses, but I love my boys, too!  Here are some projects I have made for them.  This Christmas I made them monster shirts.  They are really into their "ugly dolls" and they were excited to get these.  I bought a bunch of used tees.  To make them a little more interesting, I bought one short sleeve, and one long sleeve for each.  And then cut the sleeves, collar, and hem off of the long tees and sewed them onto the short sleeve tees.  I also bought extra tees to cut up for the monsters. All together I spent $8.

When we gave James and Luke bunkbeds, I made two of these pirate ship appliqued pillows.  I made this quilt based off a Pottery Barn quilt I saw at a friends house.

Sophia's Room

Here are some pics of Sophia's room.  I bought her bedding at Target and then I made lots of accessories.   The curtain was super easy.  I just bought a window panel and some trim and tied it up.  I cut a little fabric off the bottom of the curtain to use on the pillow.  I dressed up the $5 secondhand rocking chair with a little cushion that ties to the spindles.    

I made a new lining for this laundry basket which had a denim lining when I had it in my son's room.  I purchased the hanging rack unfinished, painted it, and added a ruffle to the bottom.  I wanted a place to display all the cute dresses I'll be making.  And I painted her name (below).  The "A" I covered in fabric like the $40 letters at Anthropologie.  A little tricky, but it turned out nice.

Pleated with Precision

Yes, it was a little tricky to match the flowers perfectly on the pleated skirt, but I think the result is well worth it.  I also added little yoyos on the straps for fun.

Green Sun Dress

This is one of the dresses I just couldn't part with.  It is hanging in Sophia's closet.

Paisley Halter

This 2T Halter was made from the left over scraps of my feather quilt.  I originally purchased this little gold floral fabric for the background of that quilt, and it ended up going with a lot of my girls clothes.  You will see it in many of my designs. 

Open Back Jumper

This dress has a pretty simple silhouette, the details make it special.  The bodices has rows of pleats in front, and vintage buttons.  But the back is the real surprise... 

Valentine Frock

I used one Valentine hankerchief for the bodice and another with a scalloped edge along the hem. 

Girl's Skirts

Here are some examples of skirts I have made in girls sizes.  I like to use these pockets which I gather at the top.

The hem of this skirt is a vintage pillowcase, and the pockets were cut from a vintage table cloth.

The details on this are handmade yo-yos layered on top of lace flowers.  The fabric was a vintage sheet.

Once again, the pockets are vintage.  For this skirt I handsewed the pockets for a more hand carfted look.

Gold Metallic Prints Unite

The bodice and front details are all taken from a vintage 60's home decor fabric.  The skirt fabric I got from a cute little fabric store in downtown Taos, NM. 

Teeny Weeny Ruffles

I know these aren't the best pictures, but I just had to share the dress.  It was a beast to sew.  It was falling apart like crazy.

Maroon Medallion

Assymetrical Ruffle

Ombre Dress----Thanks Grandma

The top of this dress was cut out of a scarf from the vintage collection I mentioned getting from my grandma.  They were all in mint condition, and many of them were labeled with stories about where she bought them  or when she wore them to a certain event.   

"Open Weave" Shrugs

I had been admiring all those cute little open weave scarves wishing I had a loom to create them on, when I found this great product that allows you to get the same look without actually weaving.  It's called Ultra Solvy.  It's this plastic sheet on a roll that you zigzag your yarn onto with a sewing machine.  Then you dissolve the plastic in warm water and you are left with just the yarn.  And it is surprisingly sturdy.  Once I had made a few scarves, I decided to try to make garments by making each pattern piece separately, and then sewing them together.  It's a little complicated and time consuming.  But I enjoying figuring out new ways to do things.

The two shrugs here are still available. 

$45 each small (purple) /medium (red)

Visit my etsy site.

 http://www.katesfrocks.etsy.com/

Sari to see it go

This is one of the most detailed dresses I've made.  The bodice is pleated every 1/4 inch.  I had the fabric for years and could never figure out what to do with a plaid sari. I ended up cutting the center piece on the bias top break up the plaid.  In the end it was stunning and I'm almost sad I sold it.   

Ruffles to Spare

This is the first dress I made for Sophia after I found out I was having a girl.  She is now nine months old and this won't fit her for another year, but I can't wait to see it on her.  I started making girls dresses to sell about a year before I got pregnant with her.  I had two boys and really had given up hope of ever having a girl.  Then we got a lovely surprise.  I had to choose which dresses I was willing to part with and which ones I would keep for Sophia.  This was the first dress that was actually made for her.  I pretty much used all my left over fabric scraps.  This is what I love about making kids clothes.  You can go over the top with mixing fabrics.

Sophia

James 5, Luke 4, Sophia

Pink Dot Babydoll

Purple Chiffon Dress

 I laid pink chiffon over a pale blue lining to make this soft purple color.  There is an assymetrical ruffle running down the open back.  It's hard to see in the picture, but there are ruffles running down the seams on the skirt as well.  Everyone loved this dress at the fashion show, but it never sold.  Their loss is your gain.  It's still available! 

 $150 (Small 6-8) 

Visit my etsy site.

http://www.katesfrocks.etsy.com/

Bird Kimono

This kimono inspired top has been my best seller, thus far.  Generally all of my clothing is one of a kind because I get bored making the same thing more than once, but I had many requests for this one.  The handcrafted touches keep each one unique.  I appliqued cutouts from the Japanese fabric onto the midrift along with vintage buttons. 

Beaded Army Dress?

I was excited about this dress, until I started making it. It was feeling like an army uniform.  My mom was taking a trip to San Francisco, which happens to be the home of my favorite fabric store, Britex.  So I sent her on a mission to get the perfect trim.  She came home with a couple of different options.  But this beaded metallic trim was perfect.  It ended up being one of my favorite dresses.  It was very popular at the fashion show, and it sold quickly, too 

White Paisley Dress

The top of this dress has boning to give it the look of a corset.  The lace detail is from a large collection of vintage scarves and hankercheifs I inherited from my grandma.  I really enjoy incorporating vintage fabrics into my designs.   

Roses are Red Top

  Size 16.  $45. 

This top is still available on my etsy site:

http://www.katesfrocks.etsy.com/