ALL WHITE : BOLD COLORS

It's always an exciting thing for me to meet new people.  And nothing is better than connecting with someone who shares the same passions and values as you.  Boy did I hit "friend jackpot" with Adrienne Nixon of Adrienne's Essentials!  A simple conversation on Instagram lead to an in person meet.  What better place to get to know one another than at the fabric store?  And for these two girls, I don't think there could not have been a better place to talk fabric, fashion and eventually food!.....Mmmmmm,,,  I think by lunch we had both decided in our own minds that we COULD BE real friends now!!!  .......So what do you think happens when two artistic minds join and challenge each other's creative boundaries??  **MAGIC**  Connect with us as THE GREY BUTTON and Adrienne's Essentials lead up to our BIG Memorial Day reveal!!!!

Chic and Cozy Cape and Skinny Pants

I am really excited about this entire outfit.  Maybe because I made the whole fit....but the cape definitely stole the show! .... Well..... and this bag! 

Like a lot of sewers out there, I have a stash of fabric that I've been holding on to forever.  If you are anything like me, you fall in love with the fabric at the store and have absolutely no plans on what you are going to do with it but you buy it anyways and add to your stash.  And then, you go out again and spot some new fabric and the cycle is repeated.  Well, I am so guilty!  The problem?  Since I don't exactly know what I am going to make, I don't know how many yards I should get.  And then what ends up happening is when I finally have an inspired garment in mind, I don't have enough fabric!  So lately I have been challenging myself to design within the limitations in extra yardage.  It sounds easy, but when you have the entire piece figured out and then you find out you don't have enough to add sleeves, it's enough to make you want to throw in the towel and abandon the project.  I can always come up with an excuse to buy more fabric..but until I clear out my stash I have promised to refrain!  To my surprise I've noticed that I'm being a lot more creative!  And not drafting the patterns on paper first is also allowing me to see exactly how I want to use the fabric.  I just hold it up to my dress form- which takes the guesswork out.  It is usually at this point when the light bulb goes off and the design takes shape.
I had this fleece for probably 2 years.  It's so soft I considered just using it as a blanket and curling up on the sofa with some hot tea and a good movie.  But then I realized that I have virtually no outerwear and it's winter!  For some reason I am still being a rebellious....freezing...Californian.  So, I decided on a cape because I only had about 1 1/2 yards to play with.  I wanted to make a whole outfit of it so I also made some skinny pants and styled it with a leather hand-painted brooch and earrings.  To finish off the look, I could resist adding in my favorite bag, "Corners" from my accessories collection in a color combination I like to call Timberland- because of its army green color and cognac details. This look is super comfortable and effortless!  Another new addition into my closet..... CHECK!  To keep up with all of my creations as I sew my new custom wardrobe follow me on Pinterest!

    

To customize and purchase your handbag Corners handbag click HERE.  To view or purchase our hand-painted earrings click HERE.

www.thegreybutton.com

Cropped Denim Jacket

Sometimes you just have to let the fabric speak yo you. It knows what it wants to be. And that's exactly what ended up happening with this denim jacket project. What I set out for in the beginning grew into a completely different product in the end. I originally imagined a loose fitting cropped jacket with flowing sleeves. But when I searched through my fabric stash, I came across some leftover denim from another project.  I didn't have much so this could work out for my cropped jacket. Well..... now that changes everything because the denim is way more stiff than my original design.  Almost immediately- I felt a structured jacket was the way to go!  A couple of snips and tucks and this jacket started coming to life. My goal: keep things simple to allow the eyes to be drawn to the clean style lines and defined sleeves. Descrete pockets, a crisp top stitch and covered buttons finish the garment.

What I love most about this jacket is its versatility. Initially it feels dressy but I can easily dress it down with some jeans and a tee.  Throw in a cute clutch and some earrings and I am good to go! That's the beauty of being an artist! YOU can bring your vision to life!!  

Bella Clutch ~ "Grey and Stripe"
Available at www.thegreybutton.com

"Fanned Out" Leather Hand-Painted Earrings in Silver
Available at www.thegreybutton.com

2015 is off to a great start! What projects will you be working on this month to start off the new year?  You can follow my journey as I sew my way through my portfolio and into a brand new wardrobe! I've created a Pinterest board just for my looks and you can also see what I'm up to on Instagram. I'd love to hear from you!  Bye for now buttons!!

Pleated Peplum: Done!

Last week I draped the beginnings to this top with absolutely NO idea what I was going to do with the sleeve.  As you can imagine, whatever I decided to do with the sleeve would determine the entire look of the top and ultimately make or break the design.  No pressure, huh?  Well it always helps me to grasp a look by sketching out all of my options.  It seems to always open up my imagination.  So when I sat down to draw, the first thing that came out was this dramatic sleeve.

I did really like it.......but I still wasn't sure.  And so I asked the question in a few groups on Facebook and I got so many responses.  THANK YOU!!!!     {Side Note:  I love the new sewing groups I am a part of!  Finally a whole community who is on what I'm on!}  I sketched out the top suggestions and put a poll on my website.  Here were the choices:

Over any other design, the majority agreed with me with the dramatic sleeve. Yay!  Now to make it!!!  I have to mention that I did not use any patterns on this entire garment and certainly did not want to start in having to plot out the sleeve on pattern paper.  So I didn't!   Here is the finished top with that amazing sleeve.

 I love it!  I styled it with a pair of turquoise skinnies (is that a word?) and even found a pair of earrings that went perfect!  2015 is going to be fun and this was just the jump start I needed,  If you missed the first part of this project, like the fabric I chose and a look at the pleats click here.

Pleated Peplum!

I love to design!!  .......But sometimes I have so many ideas floating around in my head that it's hard to decide where to start ....... or finish!  So I am soliciting your help.  I started this peplum top with a real shaky plan for the sleeves to begin with.  All I knew was that I've been sitting on this fabric for months (about 7) waiting for the day I figured out what to do with it.  That day finally came yesterday.  First, let me say if you ever find yourself near Goodville, Pennsylvania, check out the fabric store Goodville Fabric Outlet.  They have LOTS of fabric at super cheap prices.  Downtown LA has me so spoiled that I am forever on the quest to find discounted fabric places!  Okay, back to the top.....

Here is the fabric I started out with.   I only had 2 yards so I had to be creative.  I love fabrics that allow you to get use out of both sides!  Surprise!!  This on had it!

And I wasn't sure what the fabric content was so I did the burn test.  I think it is a cotton/polyester blend.

Confession:  So, after I draped the right side of the body, I decided to take the piece off and trace it for the left side.  Only problem was I traced it on the wrong side.  Well, I was trying to figure out how to incorporate both sides of the fabric before and my accident did it for me.  The result was fabulous!

The pleats are just a labor of love.  I happen to adore pleats because they are so simple but make such a beautiful statement.  You can probably still see my "stay" stitches on the above picture (and all the others until I'm finished) that way I keep things in order while I'm pressing away.  Here is a close up.

I know, I know.. I should have hemmed before pleating!  Got half way through before I realized my mistakes.  Oh well!  Next time will be better.

And now I'm at the part where I always find myself wondering....."What should I do with the sleeve?"  This makes or breaks the whole thing.  Initially I wanted a dramatic sleeve but the more I think about it........the more I second guess everything!  And so I am soliciting your help.  I posted the top in a couple of groups I am a part of in Facebook and got a lot of feedback and suggestions.  Now to narrow it down!!!  Help me decide...

Here is a complete look of what I have so far.

And here's the initial sleeve I thought about doing but who knows now!....  Help me decide by  a voting. 

 Click HERE to see the additional sketches for sleeve options and to vote for your favorite!