Yelena Dressmaking & Accessories

 The sleeves can be deceiving. I will elaborate. On many occasions, I installed sleeves into my clients sleeveless outfits for warmth/modesty. Sleeves can give a wearer a jolt of confidence by covering sunspots or other skin imperfections, making limbs appear longer and thinner or plumper, depending on what’s needed, shoulders—wider or narrower, again, whichever is desired.  However, there are circumference when the sleeves should be “surgically removed” or at least enhanced. Here are the cases leading to drastic measures: 1. The sleeves are too tight around the arms due to the original cut, wearer’s muscle/weight gain, or a shrinking accident after the garment is washed or dry cleaned. 2. The garment’s back is too tight around the shoulder blade area. This can be caused by the wearer’s anatomy, or faulty cut of the garment. Shrinking can also be a culprit, but not as much. 3. Combination of 1 and 2. 4. Sleeve damage beyond repair. If the cases 2 and 3 are most definite for th...

 If you came into my workroom, you might wonder about the presence of somewhat dangerous items seemingly unrelated to my trade and holding no decorative value. Those items are my tools as much as needles and scissors are. Let me tell you about some of them. Clear nail polish. It can stop a run in the pantyhose, and if you want to save a grosgrain or satin ribbon’s edge from unraveling, apply the polish in careful brush dabs at the cut edges, just as you would Fray Check (TM) by Dritz, which is also found on my table. Caution: both are toxic. Matches. Not only can they light a candle that could scorch-finish ribbon edges (do not try in combination with the nail polish!), a single unlit match can help producing a perfect button shank every time! Caution: flammable.  An awl. From preparing holes for a hand stitch on stiff leather, to marking a paper pattern piece, to starting a cut for a butthole, this handy tool is irreplaceable, so I have 2! Caution: sharp. Rubbing alcohol and/...

 All items in one’s closet can be divided into 3 groups. This includes all items from jewellery to the “unmentionables”, from shoes to hats, from coats to pjs. There are various ways to sort the items: pull everything out Marie Kondo-style; go through one shelve/drawer at a time; tag items as you use/see them. The choice is yours. I will only explain how the system works.  The first group pretty consists of the items whose main value is esthetic. In other words, you’ve been keeping these things because they are easy on the eye notwithstanding the purpose, which some might carry and others not. Here you should place that cute sundress you got on sale at the end of last summer, that splendid hat you wish to wear to the horse race one day, Valentine’s Day-only type lingerie, any jewelry that holds no sentimental value, special occasion shoes— you get the picture. This group is the easiest to edit: if the item is no longer beautiful to you for any reason (out of fashion, wrong siz...

 I often dress like I’m out to a party, I’m told.  Why not?  The life is short. It’s not a fact that I will outlive my coat, My skirts, my dresses, jackets, sweaters, blouses… And once I am done with earthly trifles, Someone will check my overflowing wardrobe  Exclaiming, “ Oh! Why did she not  wear all these clothes? She had the time, the body and the style… Now, what are WE to do with all this stuff?” Thus— while I can— I better outfit myself  For the exciting party of the present.  This lyrical intro by yours truly should put us in a mood of discussing the longevity of garments. All clothes are not created equally, some deteriorate and others pass the test of time; some clothes we might want to keep forever, while others serve their purpose in one day and are no longer needed; some are worn constantly and others rarely leave the closet. There are a few factors to consider when choosing a wearable item.  1.First of all, the material—usually fabr...

 Most people have a closet full of assets, yet declare to have nothing to wear. Let’s try to fix that. Here is a challenge: try wearing different outfits every day for a week — to start. The idea is, you can wear the same items, just style them differently each time. For example if on Monday you wore a white shirt with grey pants (skirt), you can put on the same shirt on, say, on Thursday (after the laundry?) but this time with green pants (skirt), as an option, layer it under a jacket, sweater or vest. If it’s a dress, pair it with different shoes and accessories each time, wear it over a button down shirt or light sweater, or under a cardigan or jacket. If you wear a uniform for work, spread this exercise just to your time off duty. To keep track of what you wore, take a picture of your chosen clothes right before putting them on, or of yourself before undressing in the evening. If at the end of the week you feel accomplished and still embracing the challenge, go for another week...

Much is written on how to pack for a trip. Here is my take based on personal experience and work with my clients. Let’s pretend I’m packing with you. First step in planning is determining a few details: • length of your trip; • number of travelers; • location of your trip (city, country, beach, park, combination); • size of your luggage; • season of the trip (might be different from the season in the zone where you live); • any appropriate wear/dress code requiring events or visits, such as to places of worship, business meetings, formal occasions; • level of physical activity and any applicable special equipment; • size of your train case, including hair care, and medicine; • access to the laundry facility during the trip; • plans for shopping on the trip. Next, let’s start from the bottom of the list.  If you would like to buy certain wearable items (a location t-shirt? A hand-embroidered blouse?) or toiletries (sunscreen?) on your trip and have the budget of time and money for t...

  This depiction of my front door in style of Henri Rousseau’s paintings  https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/henri-rousseau.html#slide_9   is about a yard at its widest part. The flowers and plants are inspired by lavender, black-eyed Susans, Japanese maple, juniper, lambs ears, and sedum that grow in my garden. Materials: acrylic yarn, cotton embroidery floss, cotton corduroy and percale for the base, wooden and metal buttons. Bonus point: find hidden cats 😸