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Custom Wedding Dress & Kimono Upcycled Clothes | オーダーメイドウェディングドレス&着物ドレス

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Making Wedding Dress Pt.6 – Ruching

August 29, 2011 By Chie

My friend told me that she wanted a wide waistband, that is a bit more decorative than just one of fashion fabric. We initially thought of ordering this handmade organza and rhinestone belt from an etsy seller, JML Jewel Design(which is full of very pretty items by the way!) But things did not work out with the timing and seller, so we decided on adding a fabric that is ruched on top of waist band.

This is how it looks like from the front. I cut a piece of fabric that is 1.5 longer in length than the waist band. Then I sewed a straight line with wide stitch length, gathered the fabric, and sewed it on the waist band in order to create this ruched look.


Inside looks like this. I stopped often to iron.


I’m so happy that the side seams matched up perfectly!

This is how it looks like after attaching the waist band. I put the pretty pearl choker on the dress form to motivate myself! I’m pretty happy with how the dress looks so far 🙂

By the way, I finally started watching Project Runway shows a couple of weeks ago. We (yes, Andy watches this show with me! He is a wonderful husband :p ) finished season 1, then skipped season 2, because I wanted to watch Alison Kelly from BurdaStyle in season 3. It is so inspiring to see all the designers tackle the challenges and sew in such a limited time!  As a side note, I think Heidi Klum looked amazing while she was pregnant!

Read my progress on sewing wedding dress! :

Part 1 – Fabric shopping
Part 2 – Muslin
Part 3 – Another Muslin
Part 4 – Cutting Fashion Fabric
Part 5 – Sewing the Bust Part

 

Filed Under: blog, blogs, bridal

Shop Update – Midriff Cut Out

August 26, 2011 By Chie

TGIF! I updated my shop with new dresses:) They are available in both white and powder blue. I really wanted to try incorporating a midriff cut out in my dress as I wrote here and here. I finally got to it this week and I love the result! I think the key hole is small enough to be  fun to wear but not overly revealing or embarrassing. I wanted to create a piece that’s unique but not trashy 🙂

It might be because I am making a wedding dress that I chose white for one of these dresses. I think this dress would be perfect for an engagement photos, or as a gateway dress!

I modified the pattern I drafted for sweet heart cut out dress. The sleeves and top back panel are modification of the Tara pattern from BurdaStyle. I think these flatter sleeves are super cute and fairy like. I adjusted the length of the sleeves so it sits better with the front top panel.

Top: Powder Blue Midriff Cut Out Dress, Bottom: White Blue Midriff Cut Out Dress

I also made the same dress in powder blue. I underlined the entire bodice, since this blue fabric is gauzy and light weight. I wanted to give a little more structure to the bodice. I am happy with the result of underlining. I am not crazy about the iron-on interface I have on stock. They are too paper-like and I didn’t want to use it for this dress.

Both dresses are fully lined because I was afraid of them being see-through.

I think these will be the last of my Summer dresses of the season. From next week, I’ll be transitioning into fall/winter clothes. I much prefer sewing light weight summer dresses, but Andy urged me to make fall/winter wear and I think he is wright. Any requests or suggestions on what I should make for the cooler weather?

Last but not least, I made two share buttons! If you are reading this from a reader, please hop over to my site and grab the button 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo

Filed Under: blog, blogs, creation, Etsy

Mommy’s Diary 18

August 25, 2011 By Chie

So, last week I wrote about my sadly significant hair loss since child birth. It seems that I am not the only one with this problem…Andy is fine but Kiko is loosing her hair along with me! She did not have much hair in the first place (I guess lot of white babies don’t, as oppose to Asian babies, who are born with a full head of hair!). She has lost hair such that her hair now makes a big M shape. The bald space on her head is getting more and more pronounced. I’m not sure if it’s because her head is growing, or she if is shedding like me. Anyone know?

You might be wondering why Kiko is dressed like a snowman in the pictures even though it’s a hot and humid August here in Japan. We had a surprisingly chilly few days last week. So I dressed her up in a cute jumper with tights, matching cardigan and hat. I bought these at a thrift store while I was in Philly last year. Back then I bought these thinking I was having a boy. I love being a mom of a baby girl, it is so much fun to dress her up like a doll :p

We started feeding Kiko rice porridge this week. We serve it to her once a day before her milk. I am feeding her about two table spoons of this mush. She takes it, but gives me this face as if to say “why are you feeding me such a terrible thing?!” Her facial expression is priceless!

I’m continually amazed by her growth. Something beyond her ability to do one day, becomes something she can easily do the next day. For example, she has an elephant mobile above her crib. She used to yell at the elephants getting frustrated because she couldn’t touch them and make them move like Andy and I are able to do for her. But overnight she became able to grab the elephants, rip them off the mobile ( the elephant heads are connected to a plastic pole with velcro tape), sing to them, then squeeze and lick them.

As of this week, she has really started enjoying her toys. Of all the toys, her favorite toy is a plastic bag though! I guess she likes the sound it makes when she crumples it.

As I write this I can remember just a few short months ago when I first brought Kiko home. A week or so after birth, I was driving and burst into tears. That day, Andy sent me out to the post office to ship some packages. While driving, I was listening to Usher’s “U Got it Bad” and all of a sudden I started to ball, the feeling was just so overwhelming…I can’t really describe it. I thought to myself, “I am caring for such a small, precious thing” I was (and continue to be) super worried because my mind filled with “what if” questions. What if I’m doing this wrong? What if something happens while Kiko is sleeping? What if she has SIDS and dies all of a sudden?

But as of the 17th of this month, four months have passed and I feel great everyday and have not balled uncontrollably since then. When I see “The Fatness” in the morning  feel that all is well. Of course I am always thinking whether I’m doing certain things right, but I guess that is is just part of motherhood. I’m really enjoying being a mom and can’t wait to bring even more “fatnesses” into the house!

Filed Under: blog, blogs, every day life

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生地をよく見ると、お姫様が👸 金彩の御所車、菊、そしてひっそりと佇む姫。 裾に宿ったまま、また別 生地をよく見ると、お姫様が👸

金彩の御所車、菊、そしてひっそりと佇む姫。 
裾に宿ったまま、また別の人生を歩みだしました♡

Released. Reimagined. — Helen Castillo @designerhelen x Vivat Veritas 

Look closely at the fabric — there’s a princess👸

A gilded royal carriage, chrysanthemums, and a maiden standing quietly in the shadows. Still living in the hem, she steps into another life♡

Model
@_kasumi.y

Photographer 
@nothing_special_88 

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

Nails
@ms_muse_nail

#着物リメイク #御所解 #KimonoRemake #TokyoFashion #ReleasedReimagined
@allpress_espresso のコーヒーバッグで作りました☕️ Cafés do Bras @allpress_espresso のコーヒーバッグで作りました☕️

Cafés do Brasil 豆を運んでいた頃の文字が、そのままジャケットの背中に残っています。
着物だけでなく、面白い来歴のある生地をもっと取り入れていきたいと思っています✂️
素材:コーヒーバッグ × 着物シルク

Made from a coffee sack sourced from @allpress_espresso.

Cafés do Brasil — the stamp from its days carrying beans stays right there on the back. 

Kimono fabric has always been at the heart of what I do, but I want to bring in more materials with a history — things that have traveled, carried weight, meant something before they became a garment.

Materials: coffee sack × kimono silk

Photographer 
@nothing_special_88 

Model
@emorylove33

Jewelry
@viviange

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

#upcycledfashion #sustainablestyle #coffeesack #wearablestories #ReleasedReimagined
蝶は、繭の中でひとりで変わるわけじゃない。 縫う人がいて、形が生まれる。 描く人がいて、顔に光が宿 蝶は、繭の中でひとりで変わるわけじゃない。

縫う人がいて、形が生まれる。
描く人がいて、顔に光が宿る。
飾る人がいて、耳元に物語が揺れる。

そのひとつひとつが重なって、
一着の服がランウェイで羽を広げます🦋

今回のショーに関わってくださったすべての方へ💌
ありがとうございました。皆様の手が、この服を完成させてくれました。

A butterfly doesn’t transform alone.

Someone sews, and a shape is born.
Someone paints, and light finds a face.
Someone adorns, and a story stirs beside the ear.

Each gesture layered upon the next —
until one garment spreads its wings on the runway🦋

To everyone who was part of this show 💌
Thank you.🥹Your hands brought this to life.

Photographer 
@nothing_special_88

Model
@yui78_02

Jewelry
@viviange

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

#ReleasedReimagined #kimono #着物リメイク #sustainablefashion #runway
Before the doors opened, there was this. Garments Before the doors opened, there was this.

Garments waiting on the rack. Brushes in hand. Quiet conversations in corners. The unhurried moment before everything becomes a show.

""Released. Reimagined."" with @designerhelen was made possible by so many generous hands — our makeup and hair team, our models, every person who showed up early and stayed late. Thank you for caring for these pieces, and for each other, the way you did.

More to come🤍

扉が開く前の、静かな時間。

ハンガーに並ぶ作品たち。メイクブラシの音。片隅でかわされる小さな会話。 すべてがショーになる前の、穏やかな瞬間。

@designerhelen との“Released. Reimagined."" は、たくさんの方々の手によって生まれました。 メイク・ヘアチームのみなさん、モデルのみなさん、早くから駆けつけて最後まで残ってくれたすべての方へ。 本当にありがとうございました。
次回も頑張ります🤍

Photographer 

Models
@emorylove33
@naka_kanar
@bethenny.x
@izumi_nishida
@yui78_02
@aino.yamada03
@_kasumi.y
@sienna.christinaaa

Nails
@ms_muse_nail

Jewelry
@viviange

Hair 
@angh0
@sho_kanaida
@iam__little__boy

Make up
@glam_by_jyoti

#releasedreimagined #KimonoUpcycling #BehindTheScenes #SustainableFashion #着物リメイク
Behind the Scenes🪡 →The Runway ✨ カオスに包まれたアトリエから、ラ Behind the Scenes🪡 →The Runway ✨

カオスに包まれたアトリエから、ランウェイへ。

1つのコレクションが形になるまで、床が見えなくなるほどの生地、型紙、そして数え切れないほどの試行錯誤の時間が詰まっています。

命を吹き込んでくれた素晴らしいモデルの皆さん、そして支えてくださったスタッフの皆さんに心から感謝💝

あなたのお気に入りのルックはどれですか?ぜひコメントで教えてください👇❤️

From a chaotic atelier to the runway.

Before a collection comes to life, there are floors buried under fabric, pattern pieces, and countless hours of trial and error.

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible models who breathed life into each look, and to every member of the team who made it all possible 💝

Which look was your favorite? Let me know in the comments 👇❤️

#ファッションショー #ランウェイ #バックステージ #fashiondesigner #runway
Something I've been building since 2008 — taking k Something I've been building since 2008 — taking kimono fabric, fabric that already holds someone's memory, and giving it a new life.

Last Saturday, I got to share that with someone very special.

@designerhelen is a designer from New York who first reached out to me through my little sewing lesson account. When we started talking, I realized we were asking the exact same question: how do you take something with a past, and carry it forward?

We met in person here in Tokyo last December. That conversation became Released. Reimagined.
Two designers. Two cities. One shared belief — that beautiful things deserve a second life.

None of this would have been possible without our incredible team:

👗 Models: @emorylove33 @naka_kanar @bethenny.x @izumi_nishida @yui78_02 @aino.yamada03 @_kasumi.y @sienna.christinaaa

💅 Nails: @ms_muse_nail — gorgeous handmade nail designs 
💍 Jewelry: @viviange — pieces specially designed to coordinate with each piece
✂️ Hair: @angh0 @sho_kanaida @iam__little__boy — next level editorial 
💄 Makeup: @glam_by_jyoti — 8 models, flawlessly done 
📸 Photography: @nothing_special_88 — can't wait for you all to see his shots 
🎯 Model Coordinator: @naka_kanar — styling schedules, rehearsals, walkthrough, everything

Thank you to everyone who came🤍

Photos by @robertorivera.mx

2008年から、ずっと作り続けてきたもの——誰かの記憶を宿した着物の生地を手にとり、新しい命を吹き込むこと。

先週の土曜日、その想いをとても大切な人と一緒に分かち合うことができました。

@designerhelen はニューヨークを拠点とするデザイナー。最初に連絡をくれたのは、私の小さなお裁縫レッスンのアカウントを通じてでした。話し始めてすぐに、私たちは同じ問いを抱えていると。過去を持つものを、どうやって未来へ連れていくか。

昨年12月、東京で初めて直接会いました。その会話が、このショーになりました。

Released. Reimagined. ふたりのデザイナー。ふたつの都市。ひとつの共通した信念——美しいものには、もう一度輝く機会がある✨

#releasedreimangined #tokyofashionshow #harajuku #japanfashionshow projectrunwa
この会場を見つけるまで、けっこう歩き回りました。原宿竹下口から少し路地に入ったところ。前面ガラス張り この会場を見つけるまで、けっこう歩き回りました。原宿竹下口から少し路地に入ったところ。前面ガラス張りで光がたっぷり入って、一目見て「ここだ」と思いました🌱

入口すぐの受付エリアには @brownie_shots のポップアップ、中央スペースはランウェイ会場になります。VIP席も準備中です✨

イベントまであと1週間を切りました。当日、いいお天気になりますように☀️

It took quite a bit of wandering to find this venue. Tucked just off a quiet side street from Harajuku’s Takeshita Exit — full glass frontage, light pouring in. The moment I stepped inside, I knew🌱

Right at the entrance, @brownie_shots will be running a pop-up☕︎ The central space becomes our runway. VIP seating going in now.

Less than one week to go. Fingers crossed for sunshine ☀️

#Harajuku #FashionShow #KimonoUpcycling #SustainableFashion #TokyoEvents
【VIP限定✨】 5/30のファッションショー、席付きVIPチケットをご予約いただいた方は、こちらの 【VIP限定✨】
5/30のファッションショー、席付きVIPチケットをご予約いただいた方は、こちらの帯をリメイクしたオリジナルポーチをプレゼント🎁 

意外とたくさん入ると大好評。
鍵、カードケース、スマホ、メイクポーチまでしっかり収納できる優秀サイズです。

パーティーにクラッチとして、ループにストラップを付ければショルダーにもなる✨

どの柄が届くかは当日までのお楽しみ🤫💕

🗓 2026.05.30 (Sat)
📍 Harajuku, Tokyo
Runway Event & Pop-up Store
詳細はプロフィールリンクをチェック🔗

【VIP Exclusive ✨】
A little sneak peek at the special gift for our VIP ticket holders🎁

For the May 30th fashion show, all VIP guests will receive this original pouch made from upcycled Kimono Obi.

It’s surprisingly spacious! It easily fits your keys, card case, phone, and even a makeup pouch. Wear it as a chic clutch for the party, or attach your own strap to the loops to transform it into a shoulder bag✨

Each one is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece. Which design will you get? It’s a surprise until the big day! 🤫💕

#帯リメイク #サステナブルファッション #ファッションショー #原宿イベント #着物リメイク 
ファッションイベント HelenCastillo
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