Yelena Dressmaking & Accessories

 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. And 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 give structural stability to the edge as well as classy zing to the gar...

  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...

Original sweater from Garnet Hill. A pin at the bottom marks the only hole, so tiny, it was easy to avoid in my experiment. A “dickey” — a decorative scarf alternative that can be worn over another sweater or shirt, under a jacket or cardigan to keep you warm and stylish without extra bulk or constraint. The edging is crochet cashmere. Hat (cut from the bottom of the sweater) and mittens (cut from the sleeve ends) with crocheted thumbs that open for technology. The pink yarn, just like on the dickey, was sourced from another cashmere sweater that was easier to unravel. It’s the same gnome on both photos. His boots, mittens, nose and beard are from other discarded cashmere sweaters.  One more hat with the bottom part from a different sweater, same as the pompon.  It all started with a few cashmere sweaters whose sleeves were too tight to wear. The obvious choice was to make them into vests. I did some of that, but I wanted to experiment beyond the obvious. So, above are the 5 i...

 A friend came by with an off-white vintage cashmere coat, and a message “do what you wish with it!”  She knew my interest in preserving old jackets (see my post “The vintage vintage coat”). I examined the sample: the coat was in great condition, save one 3mm hole on the back; it was well made and maintained, the lining was impeccable. However, the 3/4 length A-line silhouette with 3/4 sleeves needed my intervention. Lengthening the sleeves was the easiest improvement. But there came a dilemma: what do I lengthening them with? Fur? Contrasting fabric? Oh, crochet might work! So, I got out my yarns. Unexpectedly, I liked the brown acrylic crocheted into bubbles best next to the light shade and smooth texture of the coat’s cashmere. I decided to adorn the collar as well so there would be cohesiveness in the garment. The plastic buttons were old, slightly cracked and discolored by time. Thus, I crocheted over them, making sure they sill fit into original buttonholes. And that hol...