'Tonic Approved

Good morning. I'd just like to start the day off with a quick thought for a future project. I've recently acquired a large amount of red satin and, have been planning to turn it into some sort of dress coat or jacket like the one pictured to the left. At the moment I'm looking into black lining and probably silver accents. If I'm feeling really invested in the project I am also considering some sort of black and silver embroidery down the front of the jacket as well as around the collar and cuffs. possibly even a back piece. Embroidery however does take a considerable amount of time and effort so this will be something to do over time rather than anything I will be able to show immediate results on. I should be able to create a pattern, in one afternoon, and then put the majority of the piece together in a second.

Embroidery would fill the quite times that I would have in the evenings since it is exclusively hand work, and to be honest the details like this are something that I greatly enjoy. Once I've done as much as I feel the piece requires, it should be a simple matter of sewing up the front seams and the hem - both of which can be quickly top-stitched on my machine.
 Today, I decided to get a better idea of what I would be working with since up to this point it had merely been speculation as to whether I would have quantity that I needed, so I laid everything out to take a good look at things. Cat-a-tonic decided that she needed to be more involved in the creative process and since elected to take a nap on my materials. In the department of creative support I find her invaluable - or in this case, completely without value.
A dress jacket like this is something that I hope will eventually become a key item in my line of Djinn and Tonic attire, since the base pattern should be quite simple, classy, and easy to produce in a variety of sizes (the standard S, M, L, and XL). The embroidery however is probably something that I wouldn't undertake for mass production or sale unless by commission and even at that it would have to be added on to the price of the standard piece at an hourly rate as it can prove to be quite taxing. I hope to have some new images to share with you shortly-if not of this jacket then certainly of the dress that Minnie and I have been working on.
Until then you have my regards
~Djinni

I Lied About Orange

In my previous post, I gave a small spoiler for what my next project would consist of, and I believe I posted something about 'lace and the color orange'. To clarify upon this, I had the opportunity to discover some vintage material (as pictured) that is elaborately printed with colorful medallions. It is something that Minnie purchased a long time ago, and has been shelved ever since, waiting for a moment of inspiration. I instantly elected to turn this fantastic stuff into a garment. At first glance the pattern seemed to be very orange, however upon a second, closer, look it proved to actually be a very bright red. Minnie described it to me as 'tomato red', when she corrected me, although I think it looks a bit more like the color of newly ripe cherries.

The material is a standard weight cotton and in quite good condition despite it's age. Minnie and I elected to use it as a prototype piece for the simple gown design I have adopted (in favor of the more elaborate corset and under-dress) for my wedding to Sir Reginald. This gown will feature a 7-panneled pattern to provide a flared silhouette with a full skirt, lace upper portion, and a gathered bust, as shown in the sketch to the right. It can be worn with a simple under-bust corset if so desired, or possibly gathered up and layered with an underskirt to create different finished looks. The material would look stunning with either gold or red accents, however for our lining and accent fabrics, Minnie and I have elected the red.
Our first real hurdle, as with any project was the construction of the pattern, and that occupied the first working session this past Easter. I have lately been in love with designs involving lots of lace and decided to modify the basic concept of a strapless dress to include a the lace upper portion with a line of tiny pearl buttons up the back, meeting the point where the dress itself would employ a zipper. This upper portion, as well as the lace ruffle that peeks out from the skirt-hem will be done in a red point d'esprit lace mesh, and trimmed with a slim band of red lace with a delicate floral design. The 7-paneled constitution of the pattern will allow the dress to maintain a slim, fitted, line through the midriff (perfect for wearing with an under-bust) and seamlessly transition into a much fuller skirt.

 Minnie and I met again yesterday and were able to finally begin the task of cutting and sewing the resulting panels together. The dress is fully lined, and we chose a soft red material for this purpose. During the several hours we spent yesterday in her underground workroom, we have been able to sew and press the panels composing the front and back of both dress and lining, and set the zipper. Because the lace upper portion must be attached between the outer and the lining material to create a finished edge both inside and out, I have not yet been able to attach the lining to the outer shell or to sew up the side seams without first addressing that part of the pattern. We did however begin gathering the bust of the dress, and mounting it to both a lightweight foam core material and to an inner and outer lining. The extra weight of the foam should allow for the finished dress to be worn with out the need for any additional undergarment, and should provide stability and shape to that part of the dress.
With any luck, one more good workday should produce a finished product, or at the very least a garment in need of only minor adjustments and handwork. There is much left to do, but this first portion has gone so smoothly that I can only trust in our abilities. As this pattern is a prototype, I would appreciate some feedback on what more could be done with it. What else would you, dear reader, be interested in seeing me create?
As always, my most sincere thanks,
~Djinni

Being Lili

Several months ago, I set my mind toward the task of building attire for the popular Magic the Gathering character Liliana Vess. Due to many new adventures as well as much non-photogenic weather, it has taken me much longer than anticipated to share any results of my efforts. I have however recently made a journey to the gathering known as MegaCon and this seemed the perfect opportunity to showcase my work.
I believe when we last spoke of this project I was finishing up some hand work on the bodice as well as doing the final paint details on the sleeves. These small things took a bit longer than expected due to the delicate nature of the work, however I was able to finish the full thing by my deadline at the end of last October. Each one of Lili's over the shoulder sleeves is constructed of a slim triangle of purple costume satin that fastens to the rest of the bodice front and back with a series of small black hooks. The pieces are fully detachable, leaving the bodice able to be worn as a simple purple corset, or as part of the greater attire.
Each shoulder is hand painted with a delicate boarder design. These designs are largely drawn from my own fancy as none of the pictures available give a very clear idea of the patterning, however I really fell in love with the metallic finish of the paint against the purple of the material.

The corset is fully lined with an old gold lining material (reclaimed from a second hand pillow sham) and all of the edges were turned inward and top-stitched with metallic thread so that the whole piece had tiny hints of sparkle both from the hardware and from the stitching itself. The bodice attaches to the flowing skirt (discussed months ago) with several more hooks so that the garb may be disassembled at will and worn in any combination of pieces.

I am on the whole largely satisfied with the finished piece and how it really evolved from the images and sketches that I used to build it. I feel I would be remiss If i did not now include a few images of the full attire. First off here is an image that I used extensively when putting my ideas together depicting Liliana. The most exciting moments however of being Lili, were when I bumped into another young lady who was dressed as Elesh Norn (another character from the Magic the Gathering multiverse) and was able to take a picture with her, and the moment when a young man who was working one of the stands selling cards, actually pulled the Liliana of the Veil card out of it's case and protective wrapper (this is a 90+ dollar card pictured below) and handed her to me so that he could take a picture of us.

I have very much enjoyed the experience of making this piece from start to finish and then enjoying wearing the results. I can only hope that if you too share my love of garb and and the feel of well made attire, that you will understand the feeling. At the moment, I am already deep into my next project. Although it is in the beginning 'hopes and dreams stages', I can spoil that it involves quite a bit of lace and the color orange!

Please to not fear that my long absences mean that there will not be more to come. The wheels of inspiration are ever turning. I do fear that until Sir Reginald and I are well and safely married there will be little time for my other amusements, however you have been lovely and patient with me to this point and I merely beg of you patience for a short while longer.
~Djinni