Rose Strewn Riding Peplum

As soon as i became aware of Natalie Chanin's wonderful stencil and applique technique, i knew how i wanted to use it in my own wardrobe. I saw low contrast, neutral-toned stencils and stitching on single layer linen.

I'd say the droopy eyes are due to lack of coffee - but i'm a tea drinker!

Here is my first attempt. I loved the Riding Peplum's strong, sweeping lines. At the same time, the pattern pieces are big and simple, a great canvas for showcasing fabric embellishment.

I used Alabama Chanin's Rose Placement Stencil (which i had used previously on a tee) and acrylic fabric paint and medium to create the roses (the stencil can be downloaded from this page - scroll down). Then i started stitching. I stitched about half of the roses right at the edge of the paint, the others i eyeballed a margin of around a quarter inch between the stitching and the paint.

I used those triangular makeup sponges you get at the drugstore to do the stenciling. I like the crumpled effect you get from the edges of the sponges. The project took awhile, but was not onerous.

I really love the way it turned out! As you know, i constantly complain about not being able to find fascinating, low-contrast detailed fabrics. Traditional Alabama Chanin style fabric embellishment, with two layers of cotton jersey, is overly warm for a large part of the year around here. Using this technique i can get the look without having to take salt pills ;)

Yesterday I purchased Deer and Doe's Bruyere Chemise after seeing Seamstress Erin's beautiful chambray version while eating breakfast. I have a length of white linen which i will make up first, and an Alabama Chanin paisley stencil which i cut out months ago but which has yet to be used (link here, scroll down again). I am thrilled to start on such a useful and stunning garment - white linen blouses have been more and more in play in my recent outfits.

I cannot help but play with hemlines. The hems of the Riding Peplum and the jacket balance each other out by moving in two opposite directions, so even though there's a lot going on it's not jarring. The low contrast between the two low-saturation garments keeps things from being too crazy as well. I always enjoy echoing the lantern shape of this hat by wearing a similarly shaped peplum or skirt. As these jeans approach the end of their useful life, i am happy to report that Uniqlo's $40 jeans are a good fit on me. I just need to get my hiney motivated to buy a pair!

I experienced an interesting synchronicity whilst working on this garment, centered around roses. Curious readers can find the story here. Even without reading the synchronicity, it's obvious that i adore roses in clothing and jewelry. Do any of you have similar talismans?

p.s. i don't want to say anything about posting more coming up in case i jinx it! Please help me by pretending you never read this "p.s." - & have a wonderful day!