WEARING THE SKY

Elizabeth,

You should teach me how to make scarves like these by Maria Alexandra Vettese.
Doesn't it remind you of one of my favorite childhood books?

{As seen on Oh Joy!}

FOR MMH FROM ERH

Speaking of baking... I can't wait to get into my kitchen with my brand new, one-of-a-kind apron. So thank you Elizabeth, it's perfect.

RECENT ACQUISITIONS: PART A

With Christmas and my birthday last month, and wardrobe boredom setting in this month, I've managed to acquire a number of new items that are either amazing in their own right or show promise for the future.

In the latter category is this dress I picked up at Value Village last week. It's way too big and 100% polyester (clings to e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g) but the attached metal mesh handkerchief alone was worth the purchase.

So what to do now? Leave it as is? Cut it short? Take the mesh off and turn it into a necklace that could be worn with anything? Tough call, I'd love suggestions.

BUILDING A DRESS IN FIVE STEPS

1) Plan and draft pattern.

2) Cut.

3) Sew.

4) Embellish.

5) Assess.

And it's just as simple as that.

LEATHER BABY, PART II

Ok, Wait. How long did I work in a fully functioning, fully equipped, fully leather-friendly studio? Nearly 6 years was it? And how is it that I'm only just NOW, in my house, with my poor little domestic machine and my total lack of all necessary tools, discovering the joys of leatherwork?

Well, I never said I was smart.

And it's not that I lacked the desire to work with leather before but I certainly lacked the time. Also, I was discouraged simply because I knew the costs involved with making leather clothing meant we could never afford to produce the actual garments (or indeed sell them). Making clothes is expensive, yo!
But that's all changed now that I only have to make things for myself.

So I draped this leather bustier. HA! Not only is it my first leather garment, it's my first draped one too. Yes, I've been a stuck-in-the-dark-ages flat pattern drafter until now, but all that's about to change.
I'm not entirely sure about the realistic wearability of this piece. Can I breathe? Not really. Do I care? Not really. I could, however, flit seamlessly between my sewing room and mad max (or any northside bar for that matter). That's important.
Anyway, a good start, though next time I'll stay away from skin-tight.

CHRISTMAS TREE

There so many baby cypress trees just like these ones lying around at work waiting to be made beautiful and festive in some way. I think these brilliant birch stands by Studio Choo are just the right thing.... now if I only had some birch.

MRS. RABBIT

For the past few weeks I've been helping my friend Kim sew costumes for the Capital City Burlesque's Halloween show which happens at New City this Friday. I finished Marissa's Jessica Rabbit dress earlier this week and it's pretty damn fierce -- I never knew redheads with 40-29-43 measurements actually existed in real life.
Turns out making clothes which are designed for the sole purpose of coming off rather than staying on is a whole different ball of wax. Changing my mindset about the wearability of these garments has been oddly liberating, kindof like burlesque itself I would guess.
Of course, this doesn't mean I'll forgo zippers for snap tape in my own designs anytime soon.

GETTING STARTED

I'd special-ordered a long blazer from Dace for fall which, sadly, never materialized. Boo-hoo, I shed a little tear, picked my sorry self up off the floor, then remembered I don't have any money to spend on clothes anyway so yippee!

But I still wanted a long blazer. Story of my life.

Lucky I know how to make one so that's what I did this Saturday & this is how it turned out:

And the nice thing about making your own blazer? You can totally give it a leather collar and line it with kasha for cool weather which makes it even more perfect for you than the one you had ordered in the first place. I'm so excited to finally be making things for myself again.

SEED STITCH

This weekend I visited a wool shop that recently opened just off the Avenue. Though I'm not a great knitter, I've been craving a wide woolen cowl for winter and the simple design I have in mind makes it an easy project. I bought two balls of baby alpaca in a deliciously soft cream and started on Saturday. Never one for the easy route, I actually knit the entire thing once, didn't like it and started again on Sunday night, this time using a seed stitch which I think is so pretty.
I'll post photos when I'm finished (hopefully soon considering the forecast.)