Summer Fun! New Shows, New Clothes

Howdy everyone, I've got a lot of exciting news about Rockin' B's summer schedule! We will be making appearances at several events here in the Midwest, and we are also opening our first gallery exhibition in downtown Lafayette, Indiana at the beginning of June. I've also got some quick preview pics of some new garments - I've been working hard on some beautiful one-of-a-kind dresses and skirts!

Please stop by and see us at BEATERSVILLE on Sunday May 30th in Louisville, KY. I'm very excited to be a part of such a cool event, and we will be sharing space with Saved Industries of Louisville. Beautiful clothes for vintage-loving people! We are also very excited to be meeting up with the folks who run Pinup Lifestyle - make sure to stop by and check out their fabulous site. They will be hosting a meet & greet at the Phoenix Hill Tavern during the show.

Rockin' B may also be appearing at the Road Rocket Rumble in Speedway, IN this coming June - the dates are June 24-June 27. I will keep you posted on developments with that, again it's a big "maybe" - but I'll let you know! Even if we do not end up vending, the show is FABULOUS and I will definitely be there as a spectator. Amazing bands, a great car show on Saturday, a live pin-up contest and lots of fun to be had all around. The Road Rockets sure know how to throw a party!

I'm also VERY proud to be presenting several one-of-a-kind garments from Rockin' B at a gallery exhibition in downtown Lafayette, IN - our new show is titled "Uptown in Cowtown". The show will be taking place at K. Dees Coffee and Roasting Company, opening reception will be Saturday June 5th at 6:30 PM. The show will feature one-of-a-kind garments and some of my working sketches. "Uptown in Cowtown" will be running through the end of July - please stop by and visit if you're in town!

(click to enlarge poster)

In conjunction with our K. Dees exhibition, we will be presenting a LIVE show featuring lovely models wearing Rockin' B, during the June 12th Mosey Down Main Street in Lafayette.  The show will take place at K. Dees, so keep your eyes peeled for our gorgeous retro-lovin' ladies working the crowd. Mosey starts at 6 PM, and we will be strutting our stuff throughout the evening.

On to the really good stuff:

Here are a couple of progress/work photos for Rockin' B's newest dress style. I'm really in love with this Asian-inspired floral print, and I've been using it in quite a few garments.

This first photo demonstrates my process for making custom piping (a bit tedious but worth it!):

This photo show the progress of the front bodice yoke on the new dress. Several layers, 2 different types of piping, pearl snaps - the whole nine yards! I love how that custom piping turned out...

That's it for now - stay tuned for more info and more photos of pretty dresses/skirts as Beatersville approaches! Oh yeah, and you should add us on Facebook - modern technology my friends.

Happy trails 'til next time!

~Jess

Finished Sample, Reverse Engineering, New Oaktag!

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at the Rockin' B Ranch. New supplies of all kinds were ordered from SouthStar Supply in Nashville a few weeks ago, including a fresh roll of oaktag (a very large, very heavy new roll!)

I also got a new pattern notcher (yay!!), a new pair of embroidery scissors, new thread snips, and a new needlepoint tracer. I also ordered some heavy-duty pant/skirt hooks from Atlanta Thread Supply, and they are very nice. I highly recommend SouthStar for any production supply needs, they have wonderful customer service. Atlanta also has good customer service, my order was incorrect when I initially received it and they corrected the problem immediately - but I've heard from other people that they have a habit of messing up orders, so buyer beware if you need something immediately.

Moving on to other fun stuff - I finished up another sample of my style# 11001, which is a yoked pencil skirt with a large front placket and welt faux-pockets. I snapped a few preview pics of this sample for my last entry, showing off the colors and some of the detailing. Friends, can I just tell you it turned out BEAUTIFULLY. The fit is perfection... I usually get so hung up with the fit of my garments, and to be honest the first fit sample for this pattern didn't turn out so great. It is, however, very reassuring that my pattern adjustments after that first sample did the trick - meaning I haven't lost my touch (as I thought I had following some frustrating samples in the near past).

Unfortunately, no photos of this newest sample yet - I finished it pretty late last night and didn't have the motivation to dig out my camera. I think it's pretty funny how Ryan is so blown away by each garment I create, he was the cutest last night after I tried it on to show him the final product - he was literally speechless and grinning from ear to ear. Guess it's good to know he thinks I'm talented, haha.

On to the even better stuff: Reverse engineering. I've always been fascinated (and dare I say "obsessed") with executing operations using the correct industrial procedure. Maybe it's just my personality or my raising, but I'm a stickler for having things done "the right way". I've been learning over the past year or so that in industry there aren't as many standard procedures as I had thought. A lot of processes and operations depend on the individual factory, based on their management, their equipment and their workers' skill sets. Automated equipment will produce a certain seam class in a different way than a worker using a single-needle approach. Outside of obtaining a job in a garment factory (which is impossible for me at the moment), the best way to develop my own factory procedures is to employ reverse engineering using well-made garments from companies that produce garments similar to mine, in my target price point.

The best way to obtain these types of garments is to haunt thrift stores and charity shops - I found one of my best reference skirts at a church-run charity shop in my husband's tiny hometown, for a whopping $4. The skirt is a 6-gore yoked wool skirt, by Liz Claiborne. I would say it dates to the late 80s, but the look is much more vintage, I'd say 1940s. The wool is very lightweight, and the skirt is fully lined, and has flat-felled seams on the yoke and each gore. There is a hidden zip in back with a tab closure (3 buttons). The quality is very good, and I would say the skirt probably cost around $100 new. I have learned SO MUCH from this skirt - the biggest lesson being the waistband assembly and the process of finishing off the tab closure properly. I really struggled with patterning my waistbands until I took a closer look at the Claiborne skirt, and it really cleared up the operation for me - what a godsend! Even a quick trip to your local Goodwill will likely result in 1 or 2 garments that can be very useful.

In the case of my Claiborne skirt, I didn't rip it apart as it fits me so well and I love wearing it; but buying well-made garments to purposely rip apart and examine how they're assembled is something I do recommend. Thrift shops always seem to have a large quantity of well-made coats and blazers, not to mention men's dress pants and women's skirts. Careful disassembly and attention to detail will reveal a whole new world of operations, seam classes and processes - just look carefully and examine thoroughly.

OK, I think that's about enough geek talk for the day. In final news, I'm going to be attending SPESA in Atlanta next month, please do let me know if you're planning on going as well! There are quite a few people from Fashion-Incubator attending, and it will be a wonderful chance to learn about machines and operations, as well as attachments and automated processes (that's what I'm looking forward to!)  I'm going to be sharing a hotel room with Valerie of Yellowcake, she's an AMAZING designer based in Ohio and I'm just thrilled to be meeting her. Check out her shop on Etsy, prepare to be amazed.

I will be posting pics of my newest skirt sample, hopefully this evening - if I can persuade Ryan to help me out with taking those for me. Here's a quick picture of our newest family member, Fritz. He's a standard poodle, full of sweetness and smart as a whip. He really likes squirrels.

Work In Progress Inspiration

I love combing flea markets and thrift stores for little bits of inspiration. I found this lovely vintage encyclopedia supplement last week, and just had to snap a picture.

Without even thinking about it, I cut a new skirt style with beautiful curves... and then started working on the sample this evening, using some nice fabric that I've had laying around for a while. I stepped back after assembling the yokes and piping - and ta-da!

So similar to my little book cover from last week... amazing. Isn't it amusing how your brain can absorb random things from the world around you, then spit them back out in unexpected ways?

Here's a quick shot of the front, lacking embroidery and piping. Also a shot of the VERY first sample for this style with custom piping and turquoise fabric - and I mean very, very first sample so ignore the fit issues!

This is a very cute style in my opinion. Basically a high-waisted pencil skirt, stretch twill to fit curves beautifully, with piped yokes and an oversize decorative button placket in front. Yep, adorable.

New Machine

A dear friend was at a local thriftstore this week, and came across what she called "a weird looking machine". Called me up and emailed me a few pictures, and to my delight she'd stumbled upon a Stitch-Line blindstitch machine. I ran right over and snapped it up. Another piece of my production line puzzle has been added, I'm just thrilled! The table and motor were included, what a find.

The machine head is currently at Indianapolis Sewing Machine for a bit of rehab and some minor repairs. I want to make sure the timing and all bits & bobs are working properly.

Many thanks to my friend Amanda for spotting this beast in the wild. I can't believe someone would just hand over such a valuable machine to the mission store. However - perhaps they have a heart for the mission and knew this would give them a nice chunk of change. Definitely the most I've ever spent on something at a thrift store! At least I know it's going to a good cause.

Oh yes, and this is one was made in Japan, it's a 718-2. Every other machine I've looked at online was made in Taiwan and the price point is much lower (new) - which I don't see as good thing. All in all I'm very pleased that I got this particular machine.

Blog and Etsy Treasury Feature

How exciting is this? My pretty hand-embroidered Queen Bee shirt is featured in a Kustom Kulture treasury on Etsy, by Mercurios Jewels! Awesome! Check out the blog feature here, and Mercurios' Etsy shop here. Beautiful jewelry, with a gorgeous earthy touch!  Below is a quick pic of the actual treasury page:

I've got a lot going on in the real world too. I will be setting up a booth at the Beatersville Car and Bike Show in Louisville, KY on May 30th. My friend Cynthia of Saved Industries will be sharing the space with me, so please do stop by and see us! I'll be selling pretty skirts and pretty dresses - woo!

Other than that - my brain is chock full o' business at the moment. I'm going to be visiting the fine folks at Indianapolis Sewing Machine Co. this week to chat about a new overlock machine, and possible a blindstitch. I never thought I'd find machinery quite so enticing... but it is! I'm also planning on attending SPESA in May, so if any of you out there are also going, give me a shout! I'm planning on meeting up with quite a few Fashion-Incubator peeps, it should be a good time.

Back to work!

Happy Holidays, Looking Forward to 2010

Happy Belated Holidays to everyone, mine were lovely and I hope yours were too!

I'm definitely looking forward to 2010, there is so much promise and so many opportunities. This is really the first year that I've viewed the new year as a clean slate - usually my dates all roll together into one continuous blob of time. I'm starting off my year right with a few new photoshoots, which include both styling and modeling.

My husband Ryan and I sat down the other night at his urging and went over our 2010 goals, something I've never done before. I was reluctant, but I'm very much a list-oriented person; this is a good thing for me. Most of my goals revolve around Rockin' B of course, and from my year-long list I am going to break down a monthly list of smaller goals that will contribute to my BIG goals. I feel so much better when I write things out and pop them up on the wall!

I have a few of my big goals sorted out already. These include but are not limited to: be consistently wholesaling to 5 stores, book at least 1 tradeshow, tweak the Rockin' B Clothing website to integrate my blog and be more streamlined, and of course: complete my bathroom renovation.

Ok, so the last one isn't a business goal, but it's a big one for me. Our house is a beautiful 20s bungalow, with great woodwork, gorgeous details, vintage charm... except for the bathroom. Firmly stuck in the country blue/Laura Ashley/carpeted floor 80s! Ugh! I'm returning it to its former 1920s glory, with white beadboard, black and white tile on the floor, subway tile around the shower, new fixtures - and no more floral wallpaper. I've made a bit of progress towards this goal - I bought the floor tile. So... I just need to keep moving forward!

I'm optimistic and cheerful. This year I won't have a wedding to worry about, I don't have a brand-new house to worry about (as much), and I have my best friend/husband as the newest member of my household - life is good. I count my blessings every day.

It's Been Too Long! Also, Adventures in Drafting

o sorry I haven't posted for nearly a month, it's been a hectic time for my little family as my husband was out of town for nearly 6 weeks due to work. He's back now, and we're STILL getting settled into married life - we've only been together for half of our 3 month marriage. Not quite used to it yet, but we're making progress!

I've been working hard the past few weeks on drafting my new dress blocks for Rockin' B. The old blocks I was using are completely outdated in regards to my sizing, so a new set is in the works. I am also taking this opportunity to re-draft my basic sleeve block and the armscye on each bodice. After reading Kathleen Fasanella's section on musculature and armscyes in her book, I decided it was high time that I updated my patterns. After trying out the new bodice muslin, complete with new armhole - I'm amazed. The armhole is so dainty, cut so well... it just MOLDS to the body. I'm amazed at the small size as well, it really allows for amazing freedom of movement. I had a really easy time implementing the armhole change! My new sleeve, however, is a different story...

Based on Kathleen's advice, I looked up the c. 1931 drafting book by Harry Simons called "Designing overcoat patterns for men and young men". Lucky lou you, I found a free downloadable PDF of the book at the Internet Archive - yes, it's legal! Mr. Simons's book is hard to find and expensive, so printing off a PDF copy and making a little binder of the book is a great solution. Working from the double-breasted coat and sleeve instructions, I am attempting to draft a suitable sleeve for myself. The great thing about H.S.'s drafts are the armholes - they are drafted the way they're supposed to be, and mine now resemble his quite closely. His sleeve draft therefore matches his correct armhole shape; I figure I can mimic his sleeve draft to come up with a solid block for my own use.

The draft of the sleeve hurts my brain. Literally, it does. I need to just keep pushing through and complete the draft, even if certain elements don't feel right. Over the past couple of years, I've discovered that just forging ahead through difficult patternmaking problems has always resulted in a positive outcome.

In other, more fun news - I'm interviewing/measuring two potential fit models tomorrow. Hopefully one of them will meet my needs, so I can move forward with my dress patterns. For now I'm going to keep working on my two new skirt patterns, as I don't really need a fit model for those.

Here's looking forward to a productive weekend, a productive holiday break, and a great new year! Happy Holidays to all of you, best wishes for safe travel and a fun time with your loved ones.