Adding Patterns!

Cutting triangles.

My denim jacket has 1 patch and a little extra stitching around it, but since I don't have any other patches at the moment, I decided to add something else to it. Being me I thought a little bit of a pattern would make this denim jacket really stand out. I went through my scrap bin to see if I had any that would work for the under collar of the jacket. Of course the piece that ended up working is a piece from my Senior Collection. The red, black, and white plaid fabric has the perfect amount of stretch to work with the denim (72% Cotton and 18% Polyester). Being me I didn't measure anything out, I just lined up the selvage with the collar, pinned it, and sewed along from the inside of the jacket. 

Pinning the remaining 3 edges.

After attaching the plaid to the jacket I cut a few triangles to give the fabric ease along the neckline. Adding an under collar to an already made piece isn't as easy as doing it in the proper order while making a jacket. Next I pinned the plaid to the collar so I could hand stitch it around the 3 edges. Surprisingly it didn't take very long and it turned out pretty well. You can't see the plaid unless the collar is up or turned wrong but I know it's there and I think it's a pretty great detail to my jacket. 

Finished Collar.

I'm considering adding a different plaid (because I have SO MUCH SCRAP FABRIC) to the cuffs so if I roll the sleeves up and button them you'll get some more pattern and color. Overall I'm pretty happy with the progress of my jacket. Hopefully I'll get some more patches within the next couple of weeks and i can continue adding to the jacket.

Denim Jacket: First Patch Down!

Ironed on, about to start stitching.

First patch on my denim jacket is complete! I started off my denim jacket project with just a vague idea of what I wanted the end result to be but it's already changed multiple times since I've begun this project. After purchasing the denim jacket from work I went to check out the iron on patch selection at Jo-Ann Fabric Store. I was slightly disappointed but ended up purchasing a Wonder Woman patch for my jacket. 

My project has just been in that state until today. That's the funny thing about Christmas time for me, I always get these bursts of energy to finish projects and start new things. So after our Christmas celebrations I figured why not work on the jacket. I ironed on the patch and then, wary of the corners, decided to hand stitch the corners down so it will survive being in the washer. 

Final picture of the patch
with stitching around it.

Originally I was thinking of using thick embroidery thread and stitching a few onomatopoeia words like "POW!" and "BAM!" around it but decided on a simple outline to highlight the patch. I'm putting the comic book references on the back burner until I get more patches for my jacket. I don't think it will be an entirely superhero themed jacket, but it may turn out that way depending on the patch selection when I go shopping. I have found a few online I think I'm going to buy and they're all movie references so it could turn out pretty neat (at least to me).

Denim and Patches

Denim and Patches by brimalotke featuring a denim jacket

I'm trying to decide if I want to go with a theme for my own personal denim jacket & patches project or if I should just whatever patches I like and end up buying. Currently I just have the 1 Wonder Woman patch and I want to do embroidery around each patch. I may just have to roll with it and get any patches I'm able to that I like.

Project Costs so far:
Denim Jacket from 2nd hand store= $7
Wonder Woman Patch from Jo-Ann= $4

A lot of patches I've seen that I've liked are around $8/patch so this may get a little expensive. However, if I get them one at a time over a few months and gradually just keep adding them on it won't feel like I'm spending so much on the project. Plus there will always be coupons, discounts, and hopefully some great end of the year sales!

Dressing Mannequins at Work

When I open at my work I usually get to redress the main mannequin that we use as our "Outfit of the Day." It's what we use to showcase a cool look and then we post it to the Instagram. A lot of the time I do outfits I would wear so it brings variety to the store since each of us that works there has our own sense of style. Mine is a little bit of everything but I think it works pretty well. Most of the time I start my look by picking out the shoes and then going from there to construct the rest of the outfit. If there's something I've been debating about buying for myself I try to include it in the hopes that someone will see it and buy it (thus saving me money and room in my already very full closet). I've been doing this for a while but it's only been recently that I thought, "You know, I should be documenting these looks." I wasn't sure what to do with them, but it is a good idea of visual merchandising and styling so why not take a few pictures for records. The following are all the looks for the Outfit of the Day that I've done since I've been taking pictures of them.

For the first one I loved these black boots even though they're ridiculously tall for me to justify them as a reasonable purchase. I went from there using a two tone denim and a cozy striped top. You can't see the back of it but the back opens up and is a black and white polka dot. Then I chose a grey denim button up and a silver skull necklace to add layers. I really liked the mixing of materials (of course!) and the simple color scheme.

For this look I did choose the jacket first. I saw it, was disappointed it's too small for me, and then proceeded to think up a look that would be perfect for a more casual holiday dinner or party. The look consists of a funky  embroidered jacket, maroon cotton and lace long sleeve, and a pair of boyfriend jeans. For the accessories I chose a shiny black tote, cut out oxford flats, and a multi strand pearl necklace. I figured it was comfortable and casual, but still fun with the colors and printed jacket. 

This look is very me :) I wanted to pull from our "Mad for Plaid" wall and create something that someone shopping might not have considered putting together in a look. I started off with the black and white striped turtleneck and then snagged a pair of grey denim jeans with details on the knees. I paired it with a red and black checkered short sleeve jacket, 90s reminiscent black ankle boots, a BCBG black handbag, and a pair of white rimmed glasses. I really enjoy mixing patterns and I think this is a really good example of that.

Here's a look where I started with the shoes (my size and practical!) and then created a look around them. It's difficult to see the details at the neck but I started with a black and white gingham button up sleeveless top and then layered a sleeveless cotton dress over it that says "Aimer C'est Vivre" (To love is to live). Then I chose a comfy green cardigan for warmth and color and a silver and white necklace to top it all off. I figured someone would pair the look with leggings or tights to stay warm with the winter season.

Lastly, is my most recent look that is a little more funky. The buyers did a mall visit a few weeks ago and we were supposed to be deciding on what trends we saw that we thought would be most popular and what we should be watching for to buy or not to buy. I did start with the red suede shoes for this look but then I decided to go with some of the trends we were seeing in the other stores to create the rest of the look. The boyfriend jeans have a lot of patchwork and embroidery and the top has some sequined patches. I chose the red bomber jacket because we saw them everywhere and I thought the color was a perfect match for the ankle boots. To finish it off I chose a small rectangular cross-body in a neutral brown. It's not something I would probably wear together (I love the boots and jeans) but it pulled the trends we've been seeing together and it's a great color combination. Plus someone bought the jacket too!

I enjoy dressing the mannequins at work and I hope I'll be bale to keep creating some neat looks that work for the store and that I can write about at the same time.

Embroidered & Patch Jacket

For my job as a buyer at my work we needed to do a mall visit, take notes, read the trend reports, take a quiz, and in general just discuss what we were seeing in the different stores. One of the things I loved was the bomber jackets with patches. I like the variety in the different stores and I like the overall idea. It's fun and can work for different styles. However, I just can't find one that really speaks to me. I want to pick the patches and the colors and so now I'm making my own jacket. I am pretty busy at work so I'm not starting from scratch. Also since I prefer the jean jackets to bomber style, I picked up a dark wash jean jacket from work and am ready to transform it into something spectacular...or at least have a lot of fun trying new techniques. 

I snagged a Faded Glory dark wash denim jacket at work and then proceeded to check out what patches Joann's had in stock. I wasn't a huge fan of the selection but they've been having so many sales recently I don't blame them for the low amount. Plus, I really just wanted one to start with because I want to try and snag some online. I plan on distressing the collar and cuffs and potentially adding a lining (at least to the cuffs so if I roll them there's a pop of pattern). Anyone who has seen my work knows I love patterns so obviously I need to add more to this jacket than just patches. I don't want to go overboard, but I plan on adding some hand embroidery (or machine since mine can do that!) around some of the patches. 

I had a Batman patch but I used it for my graduation cap...so Wonder Woman is the start of my jacket progress. As usual we'll see what happens. I'm just happy to start another project and it'll be fun to wear it around and show off my personality with my jacket. I'll post progress pictures along the way and if I do the distressing I'll share the methods and maybe have a step-by-step guide as well.