Party like it's 1949... (give or take)

Hello all, I'm back after a bit of messiness in my life, and crawling out from under slowly, but steadily.  To those near and dear to me who have gotten a bit caught up in the swirl (or still are), I thank you for standing by me, dealing with delays in communication, etc. I love you all more than you know.

Example of a strongly opinionated dress (circa 1949) - image source cited above

One of the most glorious things about the garment district, is that it fully supports your choice to use any old-fashioned technique you desire to get the look you're going for.  No one needs to like it but you, and no one needs to worry about how long it takes, but you.

You can find all the tools and supplies you need, and whip it right up!

Unless, of course... you just CAN'T make your fingers "whip it up".

The hem of a similar style dress, painstakingly hand-sewn in place.

Maybe you need to hem a circle skirt (above), and get just the right feel, weight, and bounce for that edge.  

Really, how long does it take to make a garment by hand?  No one can answer that question for you.  You will make dozens, or maybe hundreds of decisions.  You will fret and cut and stitch and unstitch, fit, decide and undecide... and, unless a creative frenzy overtakes you and you immerse yourself in nothing but the making of the garment, forgoing sleep and nourishment until it's done, it can take what feels like an eternity.  But, yes, it is a daunting process.

Let's say you want to make something using less-than-modern techniques.  Often done this way to create a better quality, artisanal look, you will probably use your hands and brain more, and your machine(s) and instructions less. There are a million ways to improve your process, and here are some of them, highlighted with links to posts about each:

Pressing tools (Manhattan Wardrobe Supply)
Horsehair trim/braid (Steinlauf & Stoler)
Hand sewing thread and hem tape (SIL Thread)
Seam tape and bias binding (Daytona Trimming)
Beautiful buttons and closures (Botani and Buttonology)
Beads (Toho Shoji)
Feathers (Dersh Feather)
Boning (Steinlauf & Stoler)
Ribbons (Shindo or Mokuba)
Fabrics of peerless quality (B&J or Rosen & Chadick)

P.S.

So, in my recent whirlwind of life activity, some professional and personal blessings have rained down on me like you truly wouldn't believe.  While I'm not trying to be cryptic, a detailed explanation wouldn't be quite so fascinating to the vast majority of you, I think. Just know I'm still here, you'll see more posts from me, and I'm happily looking forward to this Friday's Speakeasy!