How to Dot it!

I always wonted to make a 'how to'...but I never get around to taking all the pictures needed to capture the entire process. Today is no different. Yep...I'm pretty predictable. Even so, I'll try in this post to show you what I'm going trough while making a product.

Now, as you can imagine, first of all I must talk to the client and find out her wishes. That being done, the next step is to find that perfect fabric! Easy you think? NEVER!!!!
Until today, after so many years of working as a designer, I can still count the fabrics I really really loved. They are all with prints. I adore prints...And because I usually don't find what I want/like, I make the print myself! Using special textile paint, of course!

My client wanted a skirt with BIG black dots on it. Hmm...small dots everywhere. Big ones...zero!
So, here I am making it all from the start!

First of all, you have to make a stencil and draw the shape on the fabric. Keep in mind to have the same distance between them, so it looks professional and not home-made. Nobody wants that!

Now, you have to get some textile paint and a brush that best suits your hand (I, for one, like the hard ones for marking the contour). Mark the contour on all the dots. After a few hours (yep...it will take forever), have a break and then continue!

You might be lucky enough (like me) to have someone to help! But, I'm pretty sure, my little helper was doing more criticizing then working on the skirt...hmmm, look at that face! He hates fashion so so much!

The next thing to do is to fill all the dots, in 2 coatings. This will also take an eternity, that's why it's better to do it at night when nobody will bother you and you won't bother anybody. While doing that, take the time and think about your life, the things you did, the things you wanted to do...on the edge of depression? Relax, go smoke a cigaret, have a glass of wine and then come back to work...

It's always the same with tedious jobs...

Anyways, now the print is finished! After letting it to dry, iron it a few times and now you are ready to make the asymmetric skirt! Maybe you want a little color with it, to make it pop better (like the RED used here) and for it to look fuller, I advice you to also make a separate tull skirt (so the client can wear it with, or without that second skirt).

This is the end result!
I simply loveeeeeeee it and it's dots!!!

In the future, I promise to show you how to make a dress from start to finish, with patterns, pictures and everything!