Yelena Dressmaking & Accessories

When it comes to the independent fabric stores, I've shopped at a few in different parts of the globe: Seville, Spain; Faro, Portugal; Budapest, Hungary; Villnius, Lithuania; Moscow, Russia; Montreal, Canada; San Rafael, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I might write about those experiences in another post.  Today, I want to talk about the store to which I still have to cross a bounty line, yet it's close to home: G Street Fabrics of Rockville, MD. It's been family owned since before my parents were alive. The locations of the store changed throughout the years, yet the substance stayed the same. Besides beautiful fabrics of different fibers and hues from around the world, trims and bridal adornments, threads, needles and buttons, G Street sales dead-stock fabric at affordable prices. Good for consumers, great for the environment! My first introduction to G Street Fabrics happened 30 years ago, when I first moved to the USA. Since then, many purchases of fabric, tools,...

 We all are a product of our environment. Growing up near the capital of Soviet Union, I had the most exposure to Russian and generally Slavic culture, even though, my genetic composition consists of various different ethnic groups. My first language is Russian, so were the lullabies, fairy tales, and family stories that shaped me as who I am today. Therefore, sometimes by choice, sometimes subconsciously I include Slavic themes and elements in my designs. Here are a few examples. This head piece was commissioned by a client. It took great many hours to mold the cardboard base, cover it with fabric and trims, and then embroider it with beads and rhinestones. Another commissioned headdress. This time, crocheted from jute and embellished with beads and seed-beads. My own “napkin shirt” (see my post “Heirloom fibers and their afterlife”) where I combined new cotton with the lace from my husband’s family heirloom linens, pearly beads and buttons.  For more examples read my posts ...

The lining with black cats echoes pewter side buttons.  Finding just the right skirt style for one’s body type could be a challenge. However, there is an easy answer: a wrap skirt. Why is it so perfect? It can be season-neutral or specific; it can be dressy, sporty or casual; it can be lined or not without sacrificing the comfort; and most importantly, it can adjust as the body changes from year to year. Besides, when the wearer is sitting down, it doesn’t restrict the movement.  It looks best in wool, cotton, denim or linen, Thai silk, raw silk or shantung. Polyester brocade is also suitable.  Usually, there are 2 fasteners (buttons, buckles or snaps) that can be safely adjusted up to 1.5” forward to tighten the waist or backwards to make more room. With the right side seam and/or dart tailoring, it can hug the wearer’s hips with such adjustments without distortion.  The wrap skirt doesn’t have to look basic. It can be embellished around the edges, which would give ...

  Hearts. These symbols of love can be produced in many ways depending on your skills, and time allotted.  If you are a crafter, use any materials at hand. I had natural wine corks, which I sliced thinly to frame a collage of red buttons and beads from my vast collection. In the center there is a framed silver coin with a heart on it.  If you are a baker, cut prebaked and cooled brownies with a heart-shaped cookie cutter; drip melted white chocolate over it; before the chocolate solidifies, crumble over it some freeze-dried strawberries. If you are a crocheter, hook up a heart. I used variegated cotton embroidery floss. I hang this 3” ornament on our Christmas tree.  If you like to give old things new life, make a pillow cover out of any used garment. Here, I up-cycled a cashmere scarf that was starting to show its age, and sleeves from a cashmere sweater that were left from a project, into this soft and pretty pillowcase. The existing lurex stripes reminiscent of a ...

 Sometimes, things come together in unexpected ways. The bag you see on the photos was a travel project from my 2023 trip to Europe. On long flights, in airport waiting rooms, and during numerous train rides my restless hands needed to stay busy. I had this cream Turkish cotton yarn in 2 similar shades because I couldn’t get the same exact one anymore from (now defunct) Joann Fabrics. I saw a picture of a Prada bag made of simple crochet stitched cotton, and I got inspired. I didn’t want to replicate it, however. So I got stuck with an unfinished bag. I just let it sit in my workroom as a reminder that I need to do something about it one day. Some time later, I was presented with a piece of beautiful silk crepe, cream with a crimson-ish berry print by a designer from Romania. The berries were rowan (рябина) — a favorite tree (bush?) from my childhood; about this tree (bush) my Mom and I used to sing an old folk song. So, I wanted to make a practical garment out of this silk, the on...

  Look at the photo below: that’s the only photo I have to show the original look of that sweater. Though nicely knitted of 4ply cashmere, it had a bizarre shape. Very baggy bodice with super tight sleeves. Was it meant to be a cape-sweater to be worn over shoulders with sleeves functioning as a scarf?—I will never know because it was passed onto me by a friend who couldn’t wear it either. I made my first attempt at wearing in as seen on that photo, with sleeves removed and body slightly pinched for shape. That’s what you see in that photo in a ski resort town in the province of Quebec in Canada. The newly made vest was warm, but I didn’t like its bulk. So, I decided to go to the extreme measures and unravel the whole sweater, sleeves and all. Try doing that, it’s surprisingly rewarding, like any small and peaceful act of destruction.  Then, with several balls of yarn and an array of hooks I set up to experiment. I looked at some magazine photos (see the mood board below) from...