Fashion News | Qatar sisters The Al Subaeys offer a sneak peek at new nomadic-inspired collection

The Qatar based sisters Ghada, Hend and Maha Al Subaey, have come a long way with their ready-to-wear label The Kayys. Launched in 2011, the brand will show its new, desert-themed spring/summer 2016 collection in a runway presentation today at the Vogue Fashion ­Dubai ­Experience.

The Al Subaeys are widely felicitated – they won the Young Designer prize in the 2013 Arab Woman Awards, and also had the unique experience of dressing Gwen Stefani for her performance at the Men’s Handball Tournament in Doha in March.

Their label, which is available at The Luxury Arcade in Abu Dhabi’s World Trade Center Mall, started out as many other fashion projects do: with passion, pizzazz and out-of-the-box styling concepts.

The initial Marie Antoinette-meets-Middle East designs featured plenty of frou frou, volume and bright colours. Since then, their vision has matured, cuts have simplified and styling has become more refined. Today, the sisters are known for producing chic, on-trend designs with an urban edge and minimalist undertones – statement separates that can be layered or worn solo.

The sisters place a lot of importance on detail, and structured silhouettes and intricate hand embroidery have combined to become the brand’s signature aesthetic.

“We are really honoured and excited to be part of Vogue Italia,” says Ghada ahead of their big runway show in Dubai. “We’re looking forward to a great experience – we have so much to share with everyone.” Explaining their spring/summer line, ­Ghada says their work was inspired by a stormy desert landscape: “Abstract lines and curves reflect the mineral formations that take place on the sand dunes, and the writings integrated resemble the desert romance, poems and songs.”

Expect a soft, earthy palette of beiges, light browns and greens, in nomadic cuts such as hooded kaftans, trench dresses and bomber-inspired jackets. Textiles will include lurex wools and organic linens, cottons and silks. The new collection also draws heavily on verses by the poet Rumi, and Arabic calligraphy will be incorporated into embroidery on the garments. The sisters are no strangers to using script in their designs. Their autumn/winter 2015 show emphasised the word “numinous”, which, coupled with Arabic text, was placed on a white sheet of fabric and tacked onto the front of a grey dress and the back of a green bomber jacket.

“Numinous means having a strong religious or spiritual quality, indicating the presence of a divinity. It is a beautiful word that has several connotations and meanings on whatever you look at in life,” says Ghada, ­adding that if the brand achieves international fame for a particular style, it would be one that “embraces a woman’s inner worldly spirit and natural elegance”.

credit: thenational.ae 

Sewing Tips | PIN THE BUTTON HOLE

So the other day I was cleaning off my sewing table and ran across the instruction book that came with my sewing machine…and since I was tired…and not really into my work…I started thumbing through it and I ran across this little beauty of an idea that has changed my entire life.

Ok…so it hasn’t changed my entire life but it’s a really terrific (yes terrific) idea and I’ve already used it like a million times.  It’s simple, easy, and genius—here’s what it is:  Pin the button hole.

Yep, that’s it.  Pin the button hole.

How many times have I been ripping open the button hole and have zipped right through the end and had to go back and stitch up that dang button hole?  Too many times!!!!

But not now.  Now I just slide a pin across the end of the button hole and rip away and the pin stops me from going too far.  Like I said:  simple, easy, genius.  I wish I had thought of it…

I actually wish I would have thought of a lot of things…the microwave, refrigeration, triple bypass heart surgery, nachos…but no, I didn’t.  Not me.    Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to bask in the genius of others.  So until I think of something terrific myself (or Wednesday comes) I’m signing off and heading down to the gas station for a soda—something else I didn’t invent.  Talk to you then.

-liZ

Fashion News | UAE design business forecast to be worth $36 billion in four years

Amina Al Rustamani, chairman of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council, said the design market’s contribution to the Emirate’s GDP is among the highest in the region. Antonie Robertson / The National

The design business in the UAE is forecast to be worth nearly US$36 billion within the next four years, according to a year-long review of the sector commissioned by Amina Al Rustamani, the chief executive of the Tecom Group of business parks and chairwoman of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC).

The financial potential of the sector will be unveiled in Dubai tomorrow in the DDFC’s Mena Design Outlook report, as part of the strategy aiming to make Dubai a design hub rivalling London, Paris, and Milan, but also taking on the communications design hubs of San Francisco and Seattle.

“This outlook report is part of our ambitious vision to become a capital of design at a global level, showcasing regional talent and driving the innovation-led economy,” Ms Al Rustamani said. “We are proud to report that the design market’s contribution to the emirate’s GDP is among the highest in the region.”

The outlook study, undertaken by the global accounting and consulting firm Deloitte & Touche, showed the value of design in the UAE – in communications, fashion, architecture and media – stood at $27.6bn last year, ahead of Saudi Arabia at $21.9bn and Qatar at $11.9bn.

That compares with about $100bn in the Mena region as a whole, and a global value of $2.3 trillion.

High growth rates are forecast for design in the UAE, as well as Saudi, Qatar and Egypt over the next four years.

The biggest elements of the industry in the UAE are fashion, with 74 per cent of the total, followed by architecture and furniture design. Big growth rates are forecast in lighting, communication and interior design.

Speaking about the 2015 outlook report, Ms Al Rustamani said: “It will ensure a clear strategy and road map for the government and all stakeholders to focus on design as a key part of Dubai and UAE economic development. I want us to rival the rest of the world as a design hub and as a ‘smart city’.

“I will know we have succeeded when I have global designers coming out of Dubai and being recognised as international leaders in the field. The essence of design in Dubai will be a fusion of the Emirate’s cosmopolitanism and the Islamic and Arabic foundations of our culture.”

As the chief executive of Tecom, one of the operating businesses of government-owned Dubai Holding, Ms Al Rustamani has responsibility for the implementation of the Dubai Design District (d3) – a site of 22 million square feet in the city that is in the process of being developed as a multi-use hub for the design industry.

Phase I is complete, with 11 buildings, 500 companies and 10,000 professionals, while phase II – a “creative community” for 6,000 designers – is due for completion in 2017.

“The model has been set by areas like Shoreditch in London and parts of New York, which have developed organically. With space in places such as Karama, Al Quoz and Satwa too limited, Dubai has not had that opportunity, so we have decided to build from scratch. It is very exciting.”

The d3 development is being financed and developed by Tecom, which has made its name building and operating the successful business parks and free zones in Dubai. Ms Al Rustamani said: “D3 will be a normal commercial project for us. Tecom is not a traditional property developer, we have a long-term mandate and key indicators set by the government of Dubai.”

She aims to attract big corporates from the global design industry into d3, which has already pulled in some of the best-known names in regional design and architecture, as well as household names in the luxury goods business.

As a free zone, d3 offers 100 per cent foreign ownership, full repatriation of profit and capital, and exemption for 50 years from personal, income and corporate tax.

It is also a key part of the strategy to foster small and medium enterprises, with 95 per cent of all firms from the SME sector.

The report aims to help meet what have traditionally been regarded as challenges in design in the Mena region – a lack of design institutions, poor enforcement of intellectual property protection and limited willingness to recognise the commercial value of design.

DIY Tutorial | Pom Pom Pillows

If you don’t know by now, Lauren and I are obsessed with pom poms. Discovering the almighty pom pom maker when we first started HonestlyWTF a few years ago was an absolute game changer. Pom pom birthday garlands, pom pom gift tags, pom pom luggage tags, pom pom beanies, pom pom bag charms . . . for awhile there wasn’t a single thing protected from our pom pom craze. Except pillows. After recently lusting over a traditional Moroccan blanket, adorned with giant, fluffy pom poms, I was instantly inspired. My new outdoor sofa was in desperate need of some color and fluff and adding them to a handful of pillows, with Hmong and Guatemalan fabrics I had on hand, was a no brainer.

You’ll need:

• a few yards of vintage fabric
• a few yards of heavy linen
• a sewing machine
• a zipper foot
• a small pom pom maker
• a few skeins of yarn
• thread
• needle
• pins
• fabric shears

Start by making your pom poms. The pom pom maker comes in 2 parts, each that sandwich together with two moving arches. Keep all the parts closed when making a pom pom. For a small pom pom, take 2 yards of yard and fold it in half. Open one set of arches and wrap the yarn around it.

Close the arch.

Repeat on the other side. Take a pair of sharp shears and cut along the middle ridge of the pom pom maker around the entire circle.

Take 6 inches of yarn and slide it through the middle of the pom pom maker. Tie into a tight double knot.

Open the swinging arches and separate the two sides of the pom pom maker. Your pom pom is finished! All you need to do it take a pair of shears and give the ball a bit of a trim if necessary. Just be sure not to trim the tie, that ties it all together – you’ll need that for the next step!

Cut 2 pieces of fabric at the same size – I used a piece of vintage fabric on top and heavy duty linen on the bottom. Pin the pom poms, with the pom poms facing in, to the outer edge of the bottom fabric. The base of the pom poms should be about 3/4″ from the edge.

Sew the pom poms onto the fabric with a 1/4″ seam allowance and a straight stitch. Be sure that you have your zipper foot attached.

Once all the pom poms have been sewn on, lay the patterned fabric over the top and pin closed.

Sew the pillow closed – this time with a 1/2″ seam allowance. I recommend that you stick your finger between the two sheets to adjust the pom poms to prevent sewing them into the pillow. Leave a 3 inch opening on one side of the pillow and turn the pillow inside out.

Fill the pillow with handfuls of poly stuffing.

Once the pillow is full, fold the seams of the opening inwards and pin them closed. A blind ladder stitch will close it seamlessly. Take needle and thread, knot the two tail ends together in a double knot. Push the needle up and through the end of one of the folded seams. Now take the needle and grasp a tiny piece of fabric along the seam crease, across from the seam crease from which you started.

When the thread is pulled through, you will notice that the stitch is concealed within the seam crease, and there will be a horizontal stitch connecting the left and right sides of your opening. Continue stitching back and forth, grasping a piece of fabric along the seam crease and pulling tightly. 

Your pillow is sealed and finished!!

You can always add pom poms just on the corners of the pillows.

Hooray for pom poms!!

DIY Tutorial | Sew a Skirt – Easy, Fast and Simple Skirt Tutorial

Hey y’all – this is the last Back to Basics tutorial of the month – and we’re ready to tackle sewing things to wear! I’ve got a super simple skirt tutorial for you. Seriously, start to finish this one takes about 45 minutes (give yourself more time if you’re new to sewing, but before long you’ll be able to crank these out in that time frame, promise!). And you can make it in ANY size.

To make a simple skirt you’ll need:

• 1″  wide elastic. You will need the same length as the wearer’s waist measurement (see chart below). Measure your elastic without stretching it.
• Fabric. Depending on who you’re sewing for and how long you want your skirt, this may be anywhere from 1/2 yard to 2 yards or more. Download the chart below to figure out how much you need.

Find the waist measurement for your wearer on the chart you can download here. The elastic will be cut to the waist length; the skirt fabric needs to be 1.5 to 2 times the waist in width. A skirt that is 2 times the waist length in width will be more gathered and fuller than a skirt that is only 1.5 times the waist length.

I’ve listed 3 skirt lengths on page 2 of the chart for each size – to the knee, midi (mid calf) length, and maxi length. Choose the length you’d like, then add 2 1/2 inches to that length so you’ll have enough fabric for the waist casing and hem.

So to figure out how much fabric to buy, first figure out your width and length. For the skirt in the photo, I made it 44″ wide by 24″ long. Most fabric is at least 44″ wide, so I bought 2/3 of a yard (24/36 because a yard is 36″ simplifies to 2/3) and had the fabric for my skirt. But say you decided to make a size 20 maxi skirt – you’d need your fabric to be at least 60.75 inches around for the waist (40.5 x 1.5), so if the fabric you choose is only 44″ wide you’d need to buy 1 3/4 yd (60.75/36 then rounded up) and you’d have a few inches extra left after you cut out your skirt.

Start by folding your skirt fabric in half, right sides together. Match the side edges of your skirt, which are probably the short edges unless you’re making a maxi skirt in a small size, in which case the side edge may be the longer one. Stitch this seam and finish it.

Next, fold the top edge of the fabric down 1/4″ and press it. Fold it down again 1 1/4″ and press it – this will form the waist casing. On the bottom edge of the skirt, fold the raw edge up 1/2″ and press then fold it again 1/2″ and press to form the hem.

Stitch the casing along the bottom folded edge, leaving about 2″ unsewn so you can insert the elastic. Stitch the hem in place.

Using a safety pin hooked through the end of the elastic, feed the elastic through the waist casing, being careful not to twist the elastic.

Overlap the ends of the elastic and use a wide zig zag stitch with a short stitch length to zig zag the ends together, remembering to backstitch across your elastic as well.

Pull the elastic into the waistband and sew the opening in the casing closed. You’re finished!

DIY Tutorial | Color Blocked Pants

Color + block = the 2 words in fashion most commonly used this season. It was just a matter of time before we’d incorporate this much loved trend into a DIY. And thanks to Tommy Ton‘s color blocked pants, spotted at New York Fashion Week, we were finally inspired to give an old pair of chinos a much needed makeover!

You’ll need:

• a pair of old boyfriend jeans or chinos
• 4 oz fabric or craft paint (we used Martha Stewart Satin Craft Paint in Indigo)
• flat paintbrush
• small plastic tray
• masking tape

Depending on the length of the pants, measure 12-16 inches from the bottom hem to the calf. Use a long piece of masking tape to tape off one leg. Repeat the step on the other leg, aligning the two to ensure evenness. Squeeze 2 ounces of craft paint into the small tray.

Start painting, using generous amounts of paint. Be sure to get close to the edge of the masking tape for a straight line!

Once the legs have been painted, allow it to dry completely. Turn the pants inside out, tape off a section 6 – 8 inches from the bottom (depending on the fold of the cuff), and paint. Once everything is dry, peel away the tape from the inside and out.

Fold the bottom of pants twice into a cuff. (Side note: the Martha Stewart craft paint will not crack or peel but will may stiffen the fabric)

Ready, set . . . color-blocked!

DIY Tutorial | Bell Bottoms

Some say that the comeback of the flare & wide leg denim trend marks the death of the skinny jean. Although I’m not ready to retire all of my skinnies just yet, I’m more than happy to lend a couple of pairs for the sake of an HonestlyWTF DIY. With denim scrap I saved when making some denim cut-offs last summer, we’ll show you how to upcycle a pair of skinny jeans into a pair of bell bottoms!

You’ll need:
– a pair of skinny jeans
– scrap denim or fabric
– a pair of scissors
– a seam ripper
– a sewing machine
– a ruler

Start by opening up the outer seams of each leg with the seam ripper. Stop at around 18 inches or right below the knee.

Fold the the scrap denim or fabric in half lengthwise and draw a diagonal line measuring the length of the open seam plus 2 inches. Adjust the width to your liking: the wider the base of the triangle, the wider the bell. Cut along the line. Repeat the step to make 2 identical triangular panels.

Pin one side of the triangular panel to an open seam. Starting at the bottom hem, sew a straight stitch with a half inch inseam. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can try hand sewing with a thread and needle. After sewing one side, pin the other side. Trim any excess fabric. Repeat the same step on the other leg

Your bell bottoms are finished! You can also try adding fabric like we did here. Have fun!

Tips & Tricks | Stitching and Cutting Corners Correctly

One of the common areas of sewing frustration, especially if you're new, is the corner. Those pesky four corners create any square or rectangular item, like the home décor standard: the pillow! In reality, any time you sew two pieces together then turn them right side out, that turned-out seam becomes the clean, finished edge you (and everyone else) will see. The number one goal when sewing a corner is to be precise. You must stop and pivot at the exact point where the seam allowances on the two sides intersect. This precision stitching, when combined with proper trimming of the excess fabric from the seam allowance, will create a beautiful sharp point and smooth edge every time.

Sounds simple, right? Mostly it is, but there are some techniques about stitching and clipping corners that will help you maintain the best, cleanest shape every time. From curtain panels to pillow edges to accessory details, by following a few simple steps, you'll never be backed into a corner again!

Everyone's favorite corner is the right or 90˚ angle. You'll find them on pillows, panels, placemats... as well as other items that don't necessarily start with a "P"! These corners come in TWO types: inward and outward. The two are sewn in a similar fashion, but clipped differently.

Although most corners in home décor projects are of the right angle variety, others can be more like a point (or acute angle, which means less than 90°). We used these in our Gypsy Romance 3-D Triangle Pillows.

Then there are the obtuse angles, which means more than 180°. We encountered these on the flap of our Scrap It: Gift Card Case/Biz Card Holder.

And you thought you'd never use geometry when you got older!

When you venture into garment sewing, you're likely to see a lot of stitching and clipping of corners on collars and cuffs. The good news is, you'll be ahead of the learning curve thanks to this tutorial.

In our examples below, we used a bold red thread so you could see and understand the technique. In actual application, you would select a thread to coordinate with your fabric. In the majority of our photos, we also used our Janome Open Toe Satin Stitch foot so you could clearly see all the stitching. For the majority of corner stitching, a standard pressure foot is the best choice.

Sewing and trimming an OUTWARD right angle corner

1. When starting out, regardless of the angle, it's a good idea to mark the seam allowance a couple inches from the corner along both sides on the wrong side of your fabric. This will enable you to clearly see where the lines intersect and improve your stitching accuracy. For right angles, it's fairly easy to determine where the two seam allowances intersect by measuring from each corner.
2. Using your seam allowance measurement (our standard home décor allowance is ½"), measure in from each corner edge with a ruler or seam gauge. About 3-4" should be enough.
3. With a fabric marking pen or pencil, mark the pivot point on each corner.
   
4. With your fabric right sides together, begin to sew along the seam allowance. As you approach the corner (and your drawn lines), get ready to stop and pivot at the marked point.
   
5. Stop with the needle in the down position. Lift up your presser foot, pivot, lower the foot back into position, and continue sewing.
   
   NOTE: Remember, in many cases, you will need to leave an opening somewhere in the seam in order to turn your item right side out.
6. With a pair of small, sharp scissors, trim the seam allowance at the point.
7. First, trim off the corner point at a diagonal, being very careful not to clip your stitches.
   
   NOTE: If you do accidentally clip into your seam, don't just leave it. There will be a hole at the corner and the weakened seam could continue to open up. Take the time to turn the piece inside out again and re-stitch the seam! This means you will not have much, if any, seam allowance to work with, so you'll need to sew carefully. Stay as close to where you clipped as possible without comprising the shape of your overall project.
8. After you trim off the point, trim along each side at an angle from the point. This will ensure a sharp corner.
   
9. Turn the piece right side out to see how your point looks. Not so good? That's because you need to gently push out the corner with a point tool. There are a number of different ones you can use, we've pictured an "official" point turner in our photo, but you can also use a simple chopstick or a long, blunt-end knitting needle.
   
10. If you were a little shy about your clipping, you'll feel the extra fabric bunched up in the corner; it kind of feels like a little knot. That means you need to go back in and trim a little more.
11. Press your project from the right side and admire your sharp little corner.

Sewing an INWARD right angle corner

1. Mark your corner points in the same manner as above.
   
2. Sew as before, pivoting at the marked corner point intersection.
   
3. This time, instead of cutting off the point, you need to clip into the point. Again, be careful to not cut through your seam.
   
4. Turn your project right side out and see how the corner looks. As above, if needed, turn it inside out again and trim away more seam allowance at the corner.
5. You'll notice you can see one of our red stitches from the right side. You will be stitching with matching thread, so no worries if a thread peeks thtrough.
   

A stitch length option

1. Sometimes, depending on the fabric type or weight, you may need to adjust your stitch length at each corner. In fact, some sewing experts recommend doing this at any corner in your sewing.
2. When approaching your corner, shorten your stitch length a distance equal to your seam allowance. Do this both coming into and going out of the corner. In our sample, this meant we shortened the stitch length ½" before and after the corner pivot point.
3. This helps insure a sharp point and helps strengthen the corner.
   

Added layers

1. When you have an added layer in a corner, like batting, everything is sewn in the same manner as we've been discussing.
   
2. When you're done stitching, first trim the excess batting to approximately ⅛" from the stitching line. This reduces the bulk. Next, go back and clip the corner fabric layers as described above.
3. It's often a good idea to trim back the batting around the entire project, rather than just at the corners, especially if you plan to use a line of topstitching along the seamed edge on the right side.
   

Different weight fabrics

1. To fully educate you on all we know about corners, we have to mention an option for dealing with various weights of fabrics. As above with the batting, the idea is to eliminate excess bulk in the corner that prevents you from effectively turning out each point. Believe it or not, sometimes the best way to create a point is to not sew one to begin with!
2. Mark your seam allowance as shown above, but instead of pivoting at the intersection of the two seam allowances, sew ACROSS the pivot point. The general rule is on lightweight fabrics (see our example below), sew one stitch across, on medium weight fabrics sew two stitches across, and on heavier weight fabrics sew three stitches.
3. You would think you'd lose the point, but you'll actually get a good looking one.
   

Acute and obtuse points

1. Acute and obtuse angled points are sewn the exact same way as the right angles; they just look a little different.
2. Mark your seam allowance and intersecting or pivot point. On the left is our marked acute angle; on the right is a marked obtuse angle.
   
3. Sew as normal, stopping to pivot at your marked point. You're starting to get the hang of this now!
   NOTE: When you are sewing acute angles, we recommend considering the "cross stitch" method described above. Because the acute point is so narrow, sewing across the pivot point with a stitch or two can be quite helpful. In addition, extra care and a slower speed is recommended because the raw edge can be stretchy (the exception to this would be if you are working with an interfaced piece like the point of a collar). 
   
4. Trim the point and seam allowances. The acute angle trims in the same manner as an outward right angle.
   
5. The obtuse angle should be trimmed as more of a simple slope from the point down either side.
   
6. Obtuse angles turn right side out the easiest of all the angles, which makes sense because there's more room at the point.
7. Acute angle points sometimes need a little more coaxing. You can use a point turning tool as we recommended above, but you may find the very tip of the point still doesn't want to turn. To fix that, all you need is a trusty straight pin. Insert the straight pin into the tip of seam from the right side and gently pull/pick out the point into shape.