what i'm making: lirika matoshi inspired dress pt. 2

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful evening. I finished my dress on December 30th and I love it! It's pretty extra but in the end, it was totally worth it. I ended up just wearing a camisole under the dress for maximum comfort.

For the bodice of the dress, I used my trusty BurdaStyle sloper that I've used for numerous projects. This dress was actually rather easy to sew since it's the star fabric that makes the project. Comparing mine to the original, I could have made the sleeves more billowy and the skirt could have been more gathered as well. I'm glad I went the direction I did though as I was able to use my arms without having to worry about them getting in the way.

And there you have my final sewing project of 2018. I look forward to many more fancy creations in 2019!

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what i'm making: lirika matoshi inspired dress pt. 1

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Happy Tuesday! Or whatever day you are reading this on. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my stories post about a dress that I'm in the process of recreating. It's always been a dream of mine to recreate a designer piece!

Initially, I had posted two of Lirika Matoshi's creations, the Cascading Shimmer Dress and the Teuta Dress. And then I waited a whole 24 hours (how patient am I?) to see which received a better response! Right from the start, everyone was feeling the Teuta Dress. I was surprised, as I felt the majority would lean toward the more sexy option.

I'll be sharing a bit of my creation process, but not full DIY instructions. I always feel a bit weird doing that with smaller designers, as I feel that I'm "ripping" them off. It's a battle I often have in my head. I don't know if I'm right, but I feel the DIY community isn't the same clientele who would shop the dress. Please share with me your feelings on the topic!

First I started with the top! I decided to make this part "detachable" so that if I was feeling extra cold (or naked), I could put on a warmer top. Here I used Orange Lingerie's Esplanade Bra. It's not perfect. I burnt it a bit with the iron (lol) and the bottom band stitching could be better. I wrestled with this project so much.

I initially extended the bodice a bit too much, which didn't allow the boning to lay flat. So I had to take it all apart, trim, and reassemble. What is that saying? Measure once, cut twice? 😉

Anyways, as I started this blog post the star fabric arrived. I'm very eager to wrap this up so that I can cut into it. More on the skirt portion, next time!

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my holiday party look

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Holiday party looks are always the most fun, in my humble opinion. My friend Lily bought a super cute dress from Princess Polly so I decided to give them a go. The verdict? Well damn, I absolutely love this dress! This dress also comes in two lengths & many colors. I paired it with these etoile pave hoop earrings which I grabbed at the Van De Vort x Moniker General store in Liberty Station. Shop the dresses below!

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items to watch this weekend

Friday, November 23, 2018

Here are some items I'm watching on this big sale weekend. I've never been one to swarm the stores because it just seems like too much work. So I'll sit from the comfort of my home. I hope everyone had a great holiday!

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small batch in la mesa

Thursday, November 15, 2018

I have such a soft spot for Downtown La Mesa that I alway pay new businesses on the boulevard a visit. Small Batch is one of three businesses to recently open, alongside Surfrider Pizza and Curbside.

If my memory serves me correctly, Small Batch now occupies the space where you could previously buy used wedding dresses. It's a bit small, but you no longer need to drive to Liberty Station or Hillcrest (aka Pigment and other similar stores) if you wish to find a cute letter pressed birthday card. You also can find some glassware for your bar cart or fancy matches. I know I'll be keeping my eye on them!

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uniqlo

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Recently I have rediscovered the amazingness of Uniqlo. What's better than pieces that you can wear to work and to play? This skirt is easily a new favorite in my wardrobe. Also, a $29.90 price tag is hard to beat! Fully lined and has pockets. I'm also really loving their t-shirt line because they are made of such nice fabric that you can toss it on with dress pants and call it a day. No sponsorship here, just fangirling.