Malotke Sews

View from the Bridge. For Christmas we went to see Falling Water in PA. It was amazing, even with it being freezing! When we got there we had time to check out the little pods at the beginning - a little museum area, a gift shop, and food area. Because we had driven so much that morning we elected to get coffee and hang out before the tour. Then it was our turn for the tour. We walked down to the starting point, a bridge, and met with our guide. Because it was winter a lot of the statues and artwork outside were covered. The picture to the right was taken while standing on the bridge. In the picture you can see the floating stairs and some of the terraces. I would love to come back in the spring or summer time and see the house in a completely  different weather setting. You're not allowed to take pictures inside or from after the bridge, but they offer a lot on their website. I loved the tour, it was a great in depth look into the house and the history behind it. Vie...

One of the big things I have planned for 2019 is officially starting my own business. It will be small, insanely so in the beginning, but nonetheless I will be starting my LLC. It's something I've been wanting to do but have kept pushing it off because I was always thinking I'd move and relocate or the paperwork was too hard or just that I'm already too busy to start something new. With this plan in mind I did ask for a few business related gifts for Christmas - some small expenses that it'd be nice to have taken care of right away. Luckily I got a few great gifts! I received some office desk supplies (organization supplies, new pens, folders, etc), a light box, and a fun letter board to help with social media stuff. I also got a printer, which is great because my old one broke so it is perfect! I am ready for the new year to start and for my business to be up and running! I have small goals for the first few years, nothing mind blowing, just to cover costs of ma...

As promised, here are my progress images from pattern testing the Parker Peplum by Seen & Sewn Patterns ! First things first, I had to cut and piece together all of the pattern pieces. Then I figured out my fabric choices and started pinning down the pieces. Next step was cutting out each piece. After that I did what I usually do for sewing projects, I serged all of my cut pieces. This wasn't really a step in the pattern instructions, but I tend to do this for everything I sew. Since it's knitwear I could have serged the pieces together, but I wanted to sew them together and then decide if I wanted to press seams open (little difficult with zig zag stitches) or serge them together. Next was the sewing part. The instructions were easy to follow and I liked that it had accompanying images to check what you're doing at each step. The pattern is pretty straight forward. You sew one shoulder seam, put the neck binding in, sew the other shoulder seam, and finish th...

Parker Peplum This week I got to test another pattern for Seen & Sewn Patterns  called the Parker Peplum! This past summer I tested out a pattern named the  Aspen Tank . It went really well and because of my fabric choice and the top's silhouette I am able to dress it up for work or wear casually out and about. For this top it was suggested to use a knit fabric. Without looking deep in my fabric stash I decided I didn't have a fun knit fabric and needed to go shopping...but I had some issues with there not being enough fabric of the ones I selected at the store. I found a basic black textured knit and got 2 yards and about 5 inches (it was all that was on the bolt). I found a fun printed remnant to use for the peplum if I didn't have enough black. Well, when I got home I cut out the pattern pieces and started to lay them out on my fabric. I ended up not having enough of my black and white gingham remnant to use for the peplum pieces. I could have made th...

Project #1 is to make covers for some pillows I have for reading in bed comfortably. I found a really soft polyester grey velour at Joann Fabrics. It was a remnant, so I have just under a yard. Project #2 is another one of those Dress Express dresses in a light grey. They still had a few but none in my size (Medium) so I chose a Large and will just make the seam allowances larger to make it more of a medium fit. Also, I'm thinking about using a black knit for the neckline and armholes instead of the grey it comes with in the package.  The first dress I made like this one was so cozy I had to grab another pre-cut kit to have a second comfy dress.  Upcoming Projects: I will be pattern testing a lovely peplum top for a pattern company and also starting to design costumes for a show. More to come on both of these when I start working on them.  I will be posting the progress and final images for my current two projects when they're finished. As usual, some things ...

Photo: Ben King/Broad Green Pictures/Amazon Studios I recently watched The Dressmaker and I am still thinking about the costumes. I don't want to give anything away, but if you love costuming, 1950s fashion, bold colors, and fabulous textures in textiles, you should watch this movie. One of my favorite aspects of the movie is the way the flashbacks are muted, not just the lighting but the costuming as well. This provides the viewer with a harsh contrast to the current timeline in the movie. Set in the 1950s in Australia, before Myrtle "Tilly" (Kate Winslet) comes to town the inhabitants are drab and pretty basic in textiles - think lots of cottons. After Tilly sets up shop and starts to transform the town's women's wardrobes, we start to see lot of colorful ensembles with silks, chiffons, wools, and patterns. I would love to just write a short analysis of each character's costumes, but maybe sometime in the future just for fun. Basically if you enjoy...

On Saturday I purchased a pre cut dress express kit to help me get out of my sewing rut. I've been uninspired and just not feeling it with sewing lately. It's a soft knit in a black and white tie dye pattern. The instructions were pretty straight forward and simple. They have you stitch one shoulder seam and then do all of the bindings (neck & 2 SH seams). After that it's side seams and hemming it. I chose to serge all my sides and the hem. For now I have left the hem alone. I'm considering finding a trim that would add a little bit of funkiness to the bottom of the dress. But if not, I will just hem it an inch or two and it'll be great. Pictured Right is the completed dress on my male mannequin. My female mannequin is currently broken so I've been using my male one for everything. Once I get a better picture of me wearing the dress I will post it!  Right now I don't have my next project lined up, but I will probably start something this co...

I've been in a really bad design rut lately. I haven't wanted to sketch or sew anything since I finished costuming "Servant of Two Masters." It's been a rough couple of months. I finally finished reorganizing my desk area and have been trying to figure out what to work on project wise.  I have been hard at work finalizing my business plan and other related things, so I just haven't been in a creative sort of mood.  I figured I should snag a couple of zippers from JoAnns and while I was there I ended up with  few extras, as usual. One of the things I got from their clearance section is a pre cut dress kit. It's a soft knit with a fun black, grey, and white pattern. Plus, it's a great addition to my closet for just $8. Since it's pre cut it'll be a quick project and hopefully help me get out of my rut. Fingers crossed it works!