One Swell Gal

For her wedding, Molly wanted not only a dress that she would look amazing in, but that she could freely (and enthusiastically!) dance in.  As a swing dancer that pretty much mandated something on the short side.  Eventually we landed on this design: a silk circle skirt with a gathered lace bodice, with two interchangeable slips; a demure lace one for the ceremony, and a bright blue crinoline for the reception.  I sewed a row of snaps on the inside of the corset to facilitate the quick costume change…it took me a while to figure that one out!

This was the first time I created a wedding dress from scratch…what an experience!  Most of what I do tends to be on the production side as opposed to the couture side, so it was a really nice change of pace.  Instead of thinking of the most efficient way to do something I had to think of how to make the most perfect dress possible, and so efficiency was tossed out the window pretty early on.

For this dress I built the interior corset from scratch, which was then hand sewn to the exterior bodice.  The corset consisted of two layers of cotton and 24 (yes, twenty-four) pieces of boning!  We did not want that dress sliding down even the tiniest bit, so it had to have some serious structure.  I’ve never been very interested in crossword puzzles, but I think the mental work this dress required will help me long into old age!

As for materials, I used a beautiful, delicate French lace that I draped over an amazing silk crepe-backed satin.  So luxurious!  What a pleasure to work with such high quality materials.

A big, big thank you to Molly and her amazing troupe of gal-pals that accompanied her to the numerous fittings to lend a critical eye.  This was really a group effort in many ways.

photos copyright Alysse Gafkjen 2011

One Swell Gal is now represented in the Western Time Zone!  If you find yourself in Albuquerque, New Mexico (still have to think hard about how to spell that…not the NM part but the Albu…) make sure to check out Pfeifer Studio.  We hope this is the beginning of something special.  Check out their blog to see all the new, interesting things they’re working on.

The pile we sent out this week:

The newly printed inside label:

Ahh spring in Ithaca.  So heavenly.  What a sigh of relief to get to walk around without heavy coats and boots…to actually let your skin see sunlight!  Down at the Farmer’s Market things are always a little chillier (hence my coat and boots), but each weekend it gets more and more beautiful.  You can find me there every Saturday, in a different booth every time, and Sunday, in this wonderful spot, booth number 43.

This was taken a few weeks ago…so I think at this time of year it’s safe to say you can leave your fur at home (although you might want to throw it in the car just in case!).

The quintessential Do-It-Yourselfer, Lauren decided she wanted to print her own invitations for her wedding this June.  She even learned how to letter press!  Talk about dedication.  But then there were some logistical issues and, long story short, we decided to silk screen them instead.  As her maid of honor it seemed like the right thing to do!

This project really tested my skills as a printer.  Achieving clarity with such a fine font is a real challenge, and although it’s not perfect, I think it’s pretty darn good.  And you get that warm and fuzzy hand-printed feel, while still being able to read what you’re ordering for dinner.

For me the best part is the flower.  I love the way the gold paint sits on top of the paper and gives the petals a real tactile feel.  Thanks to Lauren for helping me stretch the limits of my skills!

I love making custom bags for special events, and weddings are no exception.  It’s so fun to work on a design and customize the colors just right…it really is the epitome of a special bag.

Meredith Towsand contacted me recently about making a clutch for her wedding, and posted some pretty clutches (mine and others) on her blog.   It’s filled with tons of beautiful DIY wedding inspiration as well as interesting music she finds here and there.

Meredith is also an amazing artist.  You can find her artwork at her self-titled website meredithtowsand.com.  It was hard to choose an image for this post – she has so many lovely paintings and illustrations.  But eventually I decided on this one called Unity.  I love the flat, opaque shapes.  But I also love what is missing.  You get just information to know what’s going on here, without being cluttered by anything non-essential.  Love it.

This great little shop on West State Street in Downtown Ithaca is carrying my full line, and features several other local artists too.  It’s inside Mimi’s attic, and between the two stores there is a lot to look at!  Block out some time to come visit both and get lost for a little while.  And check out Ithacamade’s website.  They’re working on creating customizable gift boxes bursting with locally made products.  Very creative!  Send a special someone the gift of Ithaca.

One Swell Gal at Ithacamade

I just got word that One Swell Gal was accepted to the Mayday Underground show in Rochester!  This is a great event, so I’m really excited to attend this year as a vendor.  The date is April 30th…if you’re in the Rochester area definitely put it on your calendar!

Also, check out the Mayday website and one of their blog posts where they highlighted a One Swell Gal design in their publicity photos (three from the bottom on the right).

The past two months I’ve been really trying to work up some new designs, but, inspiration being the fickle monster she is, it’s been a slow process.  This dragonfly design is really coming along though, and so far I’m really happy with how it’s turning out.  I’m not exactly sure how I’ll lay it out yet, but I’m thinking something large-scale.  I printed a test screen with a bunch of small dragonflies, but it ended up looking a bit too…precious I guess is the word.  So scratch that.  Let’s go big.

After almost four months of being studio-less, I am so happy to report that I am back above Petrune where I belong.  (In case you missed it, there was a fire.  Here’s the very abridged version of the story: It sucked, it was messy, lots of inventory was lost, but now it’s all good.)  You can check out Petrune’s website for pictures of the smoking building as well as the reconstruction process.

So now I can get back to work.  I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to it.

Mannequins against a newly constructed wall in my studio. A perfect backdrop for my models.

I’ve had some web issues the last couple months, hence my prolonged absence from the blogosphere.  But it’s been a busy late fall/early winter, as always.  I’ve been printing and sewing and of course scheming about the next big adventure for this swell gal (think: printing, printing and more printing!).

In the meantime, if you’re looking for some lovely hand made items to give for the holidays, you can find me at the Holiday Spirit Store at 135 The Commons.  It’s a nice, seasonal shop that opens every year around the time.  We really transformed that old Night & Day space into something special…come check us out!  It’s worth the trip.