Fun Fastenings

A friend of mine suggested this patten and it has turned out to be another fun one. It is an easy pattern to make, and most fun part is making up the different ways to fasten the two pieces together at the top to form the garment. Adding a bit of extra silk or lace, either into the felt, or after the felting also adds excitement to the project. With this one I just played a lot. When I was younger, I used to worry about what other

people thought about what I did. Now I add what I like to my work and if I think that it looks okay it does. This piece looked like it needed a little something extra, so I added some purple silk and white lace. The contrasts in color and texture added an interesting touch. I am getting ready to go to an art fair in Sisters, Oregon. This will be a first for me. I am really powering on getting things made so that I some variety.

It is difficult to see in the pictures what I have done here. I made some extra fringe on my black silk chiffon, felted it as usual, then I cut it in a pattern that made a good fastener at the top of my garment. I sewed 4 of these on, one on each side of the shoulder, and then tied the fringes together. The tails of the fringes flop over the shoulders, and the sleeves are open, giving the garment a very fun look. (In the picture, my green t-shirt doesn't do much for the look.) I know that my explanation needs work, so if you want more just ask.

On my final garment I am showing, I used my beautiful Prism Galaxy ribbon. This is a favorite of mine. I probably use it too much. On this piece I used covered buttons and ribbons as fasteners, but I also sewed the shoulders and used the decorations mainly as just that. Again, I left the sleeve open. 

I have a few more of these in the works, each one with its own character. They allow for a lot of creativity. Any questions, just ask.