Michael Levine.

Michael Levine is located in the fabric district located on Maple and 9th st in Downtown La. They had a large variety of high quality designer fabrics. Its hard to not step inside and see what they have in stock. This is defiently a place to stop by if your in downtown Los Angeles, but if your not , don't worry you can visit there online site here.

Measurements.

When taking personal measurements have a friend help you. To get the most accurate measurements wear a bathing suit, yoga pants and tank or a leotard.  You are going to want to get as close as possible to your true measurements so do not wear baggy clothes. You are going to want to grab a tape measure and measure your bust, waist and hips. Hold the tape measure snug but not too tight. 

Hand Embroidery.

This is one of the few hand embroidery i've done, I find it being very enjoyable and relaxing. That produces beautiful results. Hand embroidery can be applied to almost everything, stitching onto an old jean jacket, a blanket, a blank piece of cloth to be made into something else. The possibilites are endless. Hand embroidery is time consuming and requires lots of patience, but if you have any down time waiting in a waiting room you can defiently make time go faster. The type of stitches is used in BackStitch, but there is many different types of stitches you can use. I am still a beginner and found this stich simple and rewarding. I transfered my image using Aunt Martha's hot iron transfer pencils. These pencils comes in a pack of 2 and can be found at most sewing stores such as Joans for less then 5 dollars. To use these pencils you will need to trace of draw out an image on regular printer paper and iron the traced off image onto a the fabric of your choice. Keep the iron on medium heat and you may want to press in place for a minute or more to make a nice transfer. When you do trace off the image use medium to hard pressure that way it leaves a nice dark line. 

• Aunt Martha's Transfer Pencils
• Joans.com Aunt Martha's Pencils

Just Be Creative . (Images found through Pinterest)

1940s.

Beautiful gathering in dart detail on this 1940s blouse and skirt. 

Retro Rocket Rascals.

I am excited to show my Retro Rocket Rascals set that I will be having on sale on my online store. Here is a few items that I have posted and more to come . Everything in my shop has been handmade by me. I hope you all enjoy. 

Skull Pin Cushion.

This weekend UrbanThreads.com is having an awesome sale of hand and machine embroidery files. I picked up a few designs but this skull design is one I have been eyeing for a long time. when I found out about the sale I quickly purchased my pattern and immediately took out my Brother PE 770 embroidery machine. I abandoned my machine for so long and so happy to have used it again. 

This is the finished product I made using "Sugar Skull Pincusion"  from Urban Threads. They have great tutorial on how you can make your own pin cushion. 

Lana Del Rey Inspired.

 During the holidays I have made these Lana Del Rey inspired glasses. They were super fun and simple to make . I got all the supplies in Downtown LA fashion district. The shades were 5 dollars , and I found the flowers at a jewelry making store in a pack for a dollar . The glue used is a special kind of glue used for jewelry called "E6000". It's sturdy but you do have to let it dry for at least 24 hours . 

Soft Bras.

Today I have been working on three soft bras made out of Michael Millers "Kitten", "Retro Rocket Rascals" and Alexander Henrys, "Las Golondrinas". Each one of the soft bras have been carefully cut out, overlocked, sewn , applied elastic, sew on hook and eyes and constructing each set of bra straps then trimmed and perfected. Here is a little sneak preview of the finished product. 

Patches and Embroidery.

I have be been searching the web for some cute vintage patches and cross stitch embroidery.
Check out my pinterest as I will keep updating : www.pinterest.com/aprilkristinag1

 

Fabric Patches.

DIY Fabric Patches Tutorial

I love cute fabric, every time I make something I am left with these cute pieces of scrap fabric. So I finally figured out what I can do with those left over fabric scraps.

Supplies:

• Heat n Bond Ultrahold
• Fabric scraps
• Scissors 

Heat n Bond Ultrahold can be found at Joanns and most craft stores. It comes in a red package sold in the notion section. You need to make sure that you get the one that is made for fabric, patches, denim, leather, suede, appliques. This is so special because it is a double adhesive sheet that gets cut to your need. 

Step one:

Cut out roughly around your fabric that you want to make into a patch. Do this for both your fabric and your heat n bond sheeting. 

Step two:

Place the adhesive sheeting facing down on your fabric so the adhesive is touching the wrong side of your fabric. .

Step three:

Iron at medium heat, press in place, and do not use steam. Press for 30 seconds, make sure that it is well bonded. 

Step four:

Your fabric will be very hot, so let cool for a few seconds. Trim down your fabric giving it a clean nice boarder around your image. 

Now you've got yourself a cute patch that can be used on and old jacket, purse , backpack anywhere you may want. 

Enjoy. 

About Me.

Hello and Welcome,
My name is April Kristina Garcia and I am a sewing Enthusiast, Vintage , Pinup and Skull lover. I have a love for learning and making new things. I am constantly seeking something new to learn. I started sewing in high school and have been sewing since.  Sewing is very comforting, I get to express myself through my art and every stitch I take. I do work part time for a lingerie designer, ClareBare, the kind of work I do is sew, bras , panties, garters, and bodysuits. I love it. In this blog I hope I can share my experiences and tutorials on sewing and crafts. 

You can visit my online boutique at: aprilkristinag.storenvy.com
See my interests and pins at: www.pinterest.com/aprilkristinag1