A FASHION DESIGN STUDIO IS A SPACE FOR FASHION DESIGNERS TO BRING THEIR IDEAS TO LIFE FROM INITIAL SKETCHES TO FINISHED GARMENTS. IT IS A PLACE WHERE CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE NEXT BIG TREND.
I’M ITCHING TO BE STITCHING
MC CALL’S, SIMPLICITY, VOGUE, BUTTERICK
RAISE YOUR HANDS & TOUCH YOUR TOES. IF ANYTHING SHOWS … GO CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES
CUTE AS A BUTTON
GIVEN ENOUGH FABRIC, I COULD RULE THE WORLD.
I’M SEW HAPPY, OH SEW HAPPY
BEAUTIFUL THINGS COME TOGETHER, ONE STITCH AT A TIME.
HAPPINESS IS A FULL BOBBIN
A DAY HEMMED IN PRAYER SELDOM UNRAVELS.
LIFE IS SEW GOOD AND I AM SEW BLESSED.
IT’S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL THE BOBBIN RUNS OUT.
I LOVE SEWING. I HAVE A MATERIAL WITNESS.
SOME OF MY BEST DAYS HAVE BEEN SPENT HANGING ON BY A THREAD.
IF YOU USE MY FABRIC SCISSORS, I WILL CUT YOU. (BUT, NOT WITH MY SCISSORS).
MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE.
SEWING MENDS THE SOUL.
MAY YOUR BOBBIN ALWAYS BE FULL.
I’M ENJOYING LIFE ONE STITCH AT A TIME.
SEWING IS A SPORT. IT INVOLVES BATTING, RUNNING STITCHES, PUMPING IRON AND LOOKING FOR FABRIC. YAH! I’M AN ATHLETE.
WANTED: SEAMSTRESS WITH SEWING MACHINE. POLICE SAY SHE MAY BE FOLLOWING A PATTERN.
A FAT QUARTER IS NOT A BODY PART.
MY HOUSE USED TO BE NEAT AS A PIN. AND NOW, I CAN’T EVEN FIND A NEEDLE IN A HAY STACK.
YOU HAD ME IN STITCHES. NOW, I’M SITTING ON PINS AND NEEDLES AND HANGING BY A THREAD.
YOU DON’T STOP SEWING WHEN YOU GET OLD. YOU GET OLD WHEN YOU STOP SEWING.
I SEAM TO KEEP COLLECTING SEWING MACHINES. I THINK I HAVE AT LEAST THREE. NOW, HAVE I A NOTION TO START COLLECTING FABRIC.
SEWING IS MY SUPERPOWER BECAUSE I MAKE DO AND MEND.
SEWERS NEVER CUT CORNERS
OUR COMMON THREAD IS THAT WE ARE FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS.
WHEN LIFE THROWS YOU SCRAPS, MAKE A QUILT.
I SEAM TO BE HAVING SEW MUCH FUN THAT NOW I HAVE A NOTION TO HAVE A PARTY.
NEEDLE BOOKS – THESE ARE VINTAGE FROM THE 1950’S
ADVICE FROM A SINGER SEWING MACHINE MANUAL FROM 1949
MOTHERS ARE LIKE BUTTONS … THEY HOLD EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
SEW MUCH FABRIC, SEW LITTLE TIME AND SEW ON AND SEW FORTH.
FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS – THESE ARE FROM GRANDMOMMIE, MARIE BRASWELL’S (AKA MOZINKA) ART CLASSES SHE TOOK IN THE 1940’S.
(FUN FACTS)
AWNING – THE FLOWERS ARE FROM A COUPLE OF FUN CRAFT DAYS THAT JADIE AND I HAD AND ARE MADE FROM PATTERN PIECES. THE LETTERS ON THE SIGN “FASHION DESIGN STUDIO” ARE MADE FROM PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS AND ARE PINNED ON WITH STRAIGHT PINS (DAVID’S IDEA). THE YELLOW RIBBON ON THE SIGN CONTINUES FROM THE SCISSORS OVER THE ISLAND/WORKSTATION.
TREE – THE TREE SKIRT, HER BOW, AND GIFT WRAPPING PAPER ARE MADE FROM PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS. THE ORNAMENTS ARE MADE FROM THE PICTURES ON THE FRONT OF THE PATTERNS. HER NECKLACE IS MADE FROM BOBBINS STRUNG TOGETHER WITH CHARMS.
CURIO CABINET – IN FASHION DESIGN, SELECTING ACCESSORIES CAN INSPIRE, ENHANCE AND COMPLETE AN OUTFIT. IT ADDS PERSONALITY. I LOVE LOOKING IN ALL THE LOCKED CABINETS IN ANTIQUE MALLS. THIS IS MY VERSION OF THAT IDEA.
TABLE – THE TABLE CLOTH IS MADE FROM PATTERN PIECES AND THE PLACEMATS ARE PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS. THE WINE GLASS CHARMS ARE ABALONE (SEA SNAIL) BUTTONS. THE PRINT ON THE NAPKINS IS A SKETCH OF AN ADVERTISEMENT FROM LEVY’S (LEVY/WOLF), A DEPARTMENT STORE THAT WAS IN DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA FROM 1912-1984.
WINDOW TREATMENT – MADE FROM PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS. THE WREATH IS A COLLECTION OF SEWING NOTIONS AND THE RIBBON IS MADE BY SINGER. MY BUDDY, CHUCK, GAVE ME THE HICKORY NUT THAT HOLDS A PRETTY AND ORNATE THIMBLE AND A BEAUTIFUL BROOCH THAT WAS HIS GRANDMOTHERS. THE GOLD SCISSORS TIE BAR IS BIG ROBERT’S. HE WORKED FOR SINGER FOR 40 YEARS.
THE VINTAGE SINGER SEWING MACHINE IS MY MAMA’S (ROYCE ANN) AND WAS MADE IN 1957.
AUNT CAROL – ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO HAD A SEWING SHOP IN NEW YORK NAMED SEW-N-SEW. THE SEWING MACHINES AND HAT PINS CAME FROM HER LOG CABIN IN BOONE, NC.
LADY’S HEAD VASES – THESE WERE MY AUNT JEWEL’S FROM YEARS AGO. BUT, THEY ALSO REMIND ME OF CHUCK’S MOM WHO COLLECTED THEM AND HAD OVER 200 OF THEM.
Pin cushion tomato- A tomato with a strawberry attached was most likely introduced during the Victorian era. According to an urban legend, placing a tomato on the mantel of a new house guaranteed prosperity and repelled evil spirits. If tomatoes were out of season, families improvised by using a round ball of red fabric filled with sand or sawdust. The good-luck symbol also served a practical purpose, a place to store pins. Typically, the tomato is filled with wool roving to prevent rust and the strawberry is filled with an abrasive to clean and sharpen the pins.
I can’t help but think about Mrs Robertson, my Home Economics teacher in high school, she is the best teacher ever. We had such a good time in her class. I believe she would really enjoy this kitchen theme. Thank you Mrs Robertson, you will always have a special place in my heart.
I WOULD BE SEW-SEW HAPPY IF YOU WOULD LEAVE A COMMENT. THANK YOU SEW MUCH, YOU ARE SEW SWEET!
More than anything I love the purple necklace made of bobbins. Not just clever, but pretty too! The earrings made from bobbins, snaps and safety pins. Your mind never closes down, does it!
SEW ON AND SEW ON
I LOVE THE SEWING THEME, MY FAVORITE MEMORY OF SEWING IS WHEN I WENT TO VISIT MY GRANNY HILL IN WEST VIRGINIA, WHILE I WAS THERE MY TWO COUSINS CAME TO VISIT, WE HAD A GOOD TIME, GRANNY MADE THE THREE OF US YELLOW SUN DRESSES, WE WORE THEM FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, WISH I STILL HAD MINE. JANICE YOU’VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THIS THEME. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, MAMA
I loved touring your fashion design studio, twice.! The way you had everything replayed, showcasing your work while sharing your family history into everything was so impressive and the hand-drawn illustrations were amazing. The fact that you used the patterns to make an enhance so many things made my heart happy. Thank you for sharing. your stories, your collections and your beautiful displays. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Loved everything!
I certainly enjoy watching the steam engine get going, it starts with a little fire or thought and by the end of the mission full steam ahead. she certainly has a talent and she can find the best thing of any topic and bring it to light. I am so proud to just be part of her life, legacy and beyond. Hot plates and table scapes is like a history lesson wrapped up in visual perfection. We love what you do and cannot wait for the next venue to visit. Love you lots Ernie!
I know for sure that my mother-in-law Marie Braswell and my sister Carol would both just be thrilled at what you have done Janice with their collectibles and their talent. It’s like they haven’t left us when you use a little bit of them and take it to grander levels with your special talent. This blog takes me back to some very fond memories with both of those people. I also love the comment section from my sister-in-law Beth with the history that she gave us and with the creativity of your daughter Jadie in her comments. I feel like this is a very special family bonding moment for all of us.
It was a sheer delight to treadled through this display. Your passion for model home displays is a cut above all others. It’s not just a clip-joint appliqueing by-gone junk! Your skills for stitching spatial ticking and tucking while interfacing color diversity twill go down in the flannels of history. I don’t normally cotton to silk and slinky displays, but I satin awe over this one. No hemming or hawing here; you’re batting a thousand on this one. I hope this inspires others to give feed-dog back-stitch. Sincerely, Denim Herringbone. Thanks for the inspiration, Janice and Jadie. Love y’all!
These drawings were done by my mother, Marie DeWolfe Braswell. Her mother, Muriel, was a nature path who practiced holistic medicine. Her office was located above the Florida theater marquee. The theater was more than just a place to watch movies. It was an exotic and grand destination for the people of Jacksonville to be entertained by visiting stars. Marie (Mom), as a young girl, spent time there as her mom worked and was exposed to the latest fashions from entertainers and celebrities from around the world. It naturally kindled her desire to be a fashion designer for corporations and magazines of the day. Her passion for drawing and painting branched over into several mediums. Though she excelled in oil painting, she attended a class for industrial arts, where these sketches on display were born. She met my father, Woodrow Braswell, who also attended the class while learning to use his left hand; he had lost most of his right hand from an exploding grenade during WWII.
I don’t want to put all my needles in one quilt or be bias but, it seams this is your best sketch yet. It’s the darn-est thing! Your designs and binding created an un-measurably beautiful kitchen and theme with ease. Everything is just sew smocking cute! You have fit the darn camel through the eye of the needle with this one. I am wrapped around the bobbin over the designs you fabric-ated. This is sew much fun that I’ve busted my buttons and can no longer gather them! Thank you for patching me on in the creating of these flowers we made from sewing patterns. The 1950’s fancy fashion is a stitch in time. I can’t quite tack my needle on if I need a pencil skirt or a full skirt but, I am sure we can pin down the design in your studio.
Sew you soon,
Love Mr. and Mrs. LaKindellosie