Curated By You: Binyue Hou Makes Two Linen Dresses Inspired By Water
Dress Made with FS BLUE ICE Midweight Linen
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.
My name is Binyue. I live in San Francisco, California with my little family. I am a product design engineer at Apple. I came to the United States 10 years ago to study Aerospace in Illinois. I started sewing at the end of last year during my pregnancy.
Why do you sew?
Sewing is the magical cool skill of thinking up an outfit and knowing how to make it. Creativity in styling is easily presented in life, as yourself become a walking exhibition of your work. It sparks interesting conversations about how slow fashion and thrifting are good for the planet.
As a child, what was your first encounter and memory of beauty?
As a child, I used to spend hours staring at a flower, a bug, snowflakes… nature always leaves me in awe.
Dress Made with FS BLEACHED Signature Finish Midweight Linen
Where is home and how does it affect what you do?
Home is Changchun, a small city (Chinese standard) of 4 million people northeast of China. Like all people from colder places, people from my place have great hospitality and alcohol tolerance.
Chinese culture and values are a big part of who I am, that’s also why I made a traditional Chinese dress sewing pattern — #Zhongdress , to enrich the sewing community with Chinese culture.
Name a book that you’ve recently read which inspired you and why?
I sewed a regency style dress for my baby shower and bought several books on the topic, this one is my favorite–The Art of Dress: Clothes and Society 1500-1914, by Jane Ashelford. It is interesting to see history told through dresses and fashion, and how the transformation of society influenced dresses.
What was the first thing you ever remember making on your own? Tell us about this memory.
I remember making protective covers for new textbooks with old magazines in elementary school.
Dress Made with FS BLEACHED Signature Finish Midweight Linen
How important is it to make something with your hands?
I learnt as a child, when I helped with cooking, the meal tasted much more yummy. More hand-making is more appreciation and mindfulness.
Hands help the heart express creativity to the world. The more hands are used, the more agile they are, the more free expressions.
How do you find the balance between motherhood and creativity?
Motherhood and creativity complement each other perfectly and are both rewarding in their own ways.
Motherhood is intuitive, creativity racks your brains.
Motherhood is warm and snuggly, creativity is out of comfort zone.
Sewing was such a great outlet for my creativity during maternity leave, kept me an energetic sleep-deprived mom.
Dress Made with FS BLUE ICE Midweight Linen
What does success mean to you?
To be inspiring.
To raise awareness that can make a positive impact for the world.
What have you chosen to make out of FS linen and why?
I made two backless dresses with senses of motion and flow. Linen is the most down to earth fabric to me, it could be really quiet or rather loud. Same quality as water. These two garments are made of big curves and volumes to capture the motions of waves (made with FS BLUE ICE Midweight Linen) and a water drop (made with FS BLEACHED Signature Finish Midweight Linen).
FS BLEACHED Signature Finish Midweight Linen
FS BLUE ICE Midweight Linen
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9 Comments
Christiana Aguirre
Binyue
You are so talented! I love to see your creations. Beautiful, inspiring pieces of art! You are amazing!
Christiana
Kelly Potocki
Hello Binyu,
Thank you for sharing your makings. They look fantastic! I am so happy to read that you are from Changchun, China. So am I! Sewing is my new hobby! I started sewing garments about 2 years ago. Hope to see more of your projects!
Kelly
Binyue Hou
Hey Kelly! Glad to see Changchunese in the sewing community! I wish more people join this hobby back home.
Elizabeth Nolfe
I love the white line dress by Binyue Hou Makes Two Linen Dresses Inspired By Water. I would love to make it. Do you know if a pattern is available?
Liz
Binyue Hou
Hi Elizabeth, thank you! Yes pattern of both dresses will be available in a few days. You can find update on instagram @make.w.binyue or http://www.withbinyue.com.
Binyue Hou
Hi Elizabeth, the Water Drop Dress Pattern is now available on http://www.withbinyue.com Thanks for asking!
Elizabeth Nolfe
Thank you ! I await with great anticipation !
Elizabeth
Vicki Lang
What cute dresses and I love the colors that Binyue Hou chose for them. The blue is my favorite with the flowing collar. Thank you for an article on a talented seamstress.
Binyue Hou
Hi Vicki, thank you so much.