We love our "Indie" Pattern Lines - Check out Kayla Kennington's great Garments to Make!

Stonemountain & Daughter - Special Labor Day
Store Hours

              10:00 AM - 5:30 PM  - Monday Sept. 3rd. 

      

    

 Kayla Kennington is a pattern maker, but she is so much more!

         

For many years, inspired by The Bernina Art-to-Wear Fashion Show, she created museum quality garments. They are truly amazing, inspiring, and take sewing to a whole new level!

         

        

       

         

Magnifique Fantasia Fleur de Soleil.

         

The top of this Bernina Show piece is based on Kayla's Fantasia Top #518. It is made of rectangles, triangles, and squares just like her other modular design patterns. Below is the Fantasia Pattern made up as a jacket and as a wedding dress by Kayla Kennington to show you its versatility.

          

         

Pattern - Kayla Kennington Fantasia Jacket

         

What lovely details... 

         

Here is the same pattern made up as a gorgeous wedding dress..  

          

      

    

For many years in Houston, Texas, Bernina sponsored a fabulous art-to-wear fashion show. In 2001, Kayla sent in a portfolio to see if she could qualify as one of the fifty designers. She was chosen and for the first year she set to work to create her butterfly opera coat.

The theme was "Renaissance" and she thought of it not only as a time period but also as a resurgence of ideas and technologies. That made her think of transformation and of the butterfly.

 Further inspiration came from a book from the Art Institute of Chicago - "Clothed to Rule the Universe - Ming Dynasty Textiles"
filled with silk robes with beautiful embellishments.

Her goal was to make a piece that was theatrical enough for the stage, intriguing enough to view closely, and refined enough to actually wear.

Well, she aced her goals - her piece won top award in the show - The Creme de la Creme award and she took home a top of the line Bernina sewing machine with embroidery software!

Kayla says that winning the award was wonderful, but perhaps the best part was having a venue to show her pieces!

      

   

For 2002, the theme's show was "Masquerade" and Kennington created a stylized image of a Phoenix as a tribute for a small village in Vietnam where local weavers create silks on looms that are over 100 years old. This piece also won the Creme De La Creme award for 2002.

       

Kayla was in Seventh Heaven. She knew she had done her best work to date! She always strives to create museum quality work, to make something never before seen, but ultimately the challenge is with herself to create the best she has ever done, and that is really what it is all about!

      

      

       

For 2003, The theme was "Fantasy" and Kayla created Madame Dragonfly.

She was awarded Bernina Hall of Fame Award. Since then she has exhibited as a non-competitor and in 2005 was one of the judges. 

      

    

      

       

Want to learn to design unique garments? Here are a few classes you will love!

         

Class - Intro to Design with Nicole Vasbinder

         

Learn the principles of good design, garment terminology  and flat and figure sketches. No previous drawing experience needed!

Class - Intro to Draping and Pattern Drafting I
Learn to drape and basic bodice in muslin and then make a paper pattern from the drape.

Class - Draping II
Turn your ideas into real garments! Your basic bodice morphs into different patterns as details are added. Learn to add princess seams, gathers, pleats, and tucks, and collars for fitting and style.

           

            Class - Designer Details
Learn to make your own custom bias tapes, piping, covered buttons, and ruffles!

          

      

    

      

       

Here is Kayla Kennington's Lanai Top. This top is on display as part of her trunk show. This top is very geometric and yet still fluttery.

       

Lanai Top and Perennial Pant
Kayla named this top after the Lanai Restaurant in Maui where she enjoyed wearing this design as the sun went down. The top was created with modesty and comfort in mind  for the warm days of summer or enjoying your favorite resort.
The Perennial Pant pairs well with all of Kayla's design. This is a very versatile pant. It has no side seam. For an elegant evening look, Kayla likes to make this pant up in a silk crepe de chine.
Stonemountain has silk crepes in beautifully classic colors..

taupe, pink, salmon, and grey

and a few fun patterns..

      

    

  

       

Kayla's Angel Top is made simply with rectangles, roll-hem serged on edges of each  panel and   connected with a decorative dot stitch. Pattern  includes instructions for roll-hem serged  edges.

This is a good design for beginners  thru advanced. An illustration for nearly every step! Here is the Angel Top from Kayla's trunk show, it is made up in a velvet.

Pattern - Kayla Kennington Angel Top
This top was part of Kayla's cruise-wear collection, and it inspired her to make the pattern. This top is very romantic, great for weddings or to wear on an exotic vacation. The angel top can easily be extended into a dress.
Tip:
As the pieces are modular, it can be easy to confuse them. Once the pieces are cut out, Kayla likes to pin the pieces directly into her dress form.
This is beautiful designer silk charmeuse print from Italy.
 

         

For a fabric that is 44" wide you need:

         

1 3/4 yard to 2 1/2 yard

         

(sizes XL - XXL)

         

This unique charmeuse is wide at 54" so depending on your layout,

         

you may be able to use less!

         

Tip:

         

The pattern is made of simple rectangle panels - so think about your layout in terms of highlighting your fabric's design.

        

      

Come see the trunk show of Kayla's garments that are now up at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics.