“To me fashion has always been about self expression and creativity. Everyday I use clothes to express a certain style that I’m currently feeling. I admire how creative we can be with fashion and the countless possibilities it offers. Fashion wouldn’t be what it is today if individuals didn’t take the chance to be bold and try something new. I also believe that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to be stylish.”
-Chanté (@taethecreative)
About Chanté Gibbs!
Now let’s get into Stitched Up!
Explain your process for selecting the item from our store. What drew you to it?
Since I already had a good idea of what I wanted to create, I decided to browse through the bedding and fabric section. That is when I came across this beautiful pink bed sheet. The texture of the sheet was soft and it wasn’t too lightweight or sheer. The color of the item matched what I I envisioned. Also, there was enough fabric for me to create the dress the way I wanted to.
Explain your process in altering/editing the item.
First, I washed, dried, and ironed the bed sheet. Then I measured my hips and waist to help me create a bodice and skirt for my dress. I pinned the sheet on the dress form and draped it to my desired design. I compared those measurements I took to help me create my two pieces. Once I took the bed sheet off, I marked and pinned new hemlines. Next, I sewed the side seams of the two pieces and made sure the fit was accurate. After that I sewed the bodice and skirt together. With my sewing machine, I hemmed the top of the dress before inserting elastic. I did the same to the waist/middle of the dress. Then I hemmed the bottom of the dress. On the remaining bed sheet, I measured out two rectangles pieces for my bow. One piece is for the main part of the bow and the smaller rectangle is for the middle part of the bow. I folded the smaller piece in half and sewed horizontally to avoid it from fraying. I then started from the top middle of the bigger rectangle I scrunched the into my desired bow. I used and tied the other piece to secure the bow. Lastly, I hand sewed the bow onto the dress.
What was your inspiration for the finished piece?
Recently I’ve seen people wear dresses with dramatic draped detailing to weddings, dates, and events. While on social media, I saw photos of Beyoncé and another model implement this trend into one of their looks. I also noticed many people this month are wearing bright colors. I ultimately decided to create something similar for going out to brunch, dinner date, or an event.
Parting thoughts to leave the reader with?
“Your Direction Is More Important Than Your Speed.”
Even through the obstacles, stay focused and keep going!
Credits:
Photos of final pieces were modeled and styled by me. My amazing fiancé was the photographer!