Visual Obsessions

OMG. Luxirare has done it again!

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:10:00 +0000

Knocked it out of the ballpark! Considering my love of hardware, I'm swooning over how she used hardware when designing and making a leather travel bag and remained so true to her style.

Check out her travel bag, just check it out!

Photo from Luxirare

I have a pile of hardware with visions of stylish bags dancing in my dreams. After weeks of traveling for work, have a few days to play. I think I'll play with hardware and leather and fabric today.

Thank you Luxirare for the inspiration ...

Woo hoo hoo! Shoe hoo hoo. EDITED TO ADD: Aw poo poo

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:29:00 +0000

EDITED: Ain't happenin'. These shoes really are sold out. What I loved about them was the mix of leather and the canvas touches, plus the look of leather wrapping around the sole. Even similar KORS shoes with the leather wrapping around the sole are sold out. Oh well. Wish I knew how to make shoes.

~~Happy-happy-happy dance. I may soon have the shoes from this Stylin' polyvore in my hot little hands and on my hot little feet:~~

~~I've been watching them since, what, March? They're now on big discount because the summer season is nearly ovah.~~ But there's just enough time remaining for me to do my own New Dress A Day transformation and accessorize it with these sandals. A month ago, I picked up a size 6 looooooong beige skirt (same color as the fabric in the photo above) at Macy's for $11. It was so cheap I felt guilty buying it.

Now there's a few problems though. The skirt is dowdy as heck. And I'm not exactly a size 6 for the time being. For the time being. Because been there, done that, ain't opposed to doin' the size 6 again. Ha. But for $11, we can overcome.

Positive points are, it has a fantastic flare and swing. And if I hike the waist up over my bust, the skirt actually fits! It skims over my waist and down the back and the flare and swing swirl just above my knees, very flatteringly all around. Wow. This dowdy skirt can easily become a cute dress. I need to fashion some shoulder straps and the skirt will need to be worn over a T or blouse. And I also need to add triangle shaped wedges at the waist, in spots that will now be the underarm points, to give the clearance for a bust. It's a full bust adjustment, actually.

I will post this New Dress A Day refashioning soon. With the fabulous shoes!

But don't count on any more posts like that. It will likely be the Only New Dress A Day.

New Dress A Day Blog

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Many of us in the online sewing community are well aware of A Dress A Day blog.

But have you heard of the New Dress A Day blog? I heard of it through an email my sister sent. Must say, very impressive!! She sews a dress a day. And not only that, she sews a dress a day from $1 garments that are beyond their glory years. In fact, many of them never had any glory. Somehow she has the vision to make them glorious. Truly.

Check out a typical transformation. From this:

To this:

Yeah, incredible vision. Plus she puts the time into photographing the steps of the transformations and writing about them. We appreciate!

Sewing in the News

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:28:00 +0000

It's been an extraordinarily busy summer. But during snippets of downtime, I surf the NYTimes app on my iPhone and read the free articles. I enjoyed these stories:

A Return to Basics, One Stitch at a Time
Published 8/9/10 -- FLORENCE — When Sara Checcucci opened her atelier in Galluzzo, a southern district of Florence bordering the Chianti hillsides, she was astonished by the number of young people who would stop to gaze at her through the window as she worked. Later some of them came in and asked her to teach them her skills. So she arranged a series of evening courses, and was even more surprised when her pupils included young men. ...

Fashion Tries on Zero Waste Design
Published 8/13/10 -- YOU wear organic T-shirts. You hang your clothes to dry. You recycle your unloved suits and dresses. But frankly, that’s just the tip of the green iceberg. Today’s truly fashion-forward have a more radical ambition: zero waste. That may sound more like an indie band than an environmental aspiration, but it’s a new focus of top fashion schools. ...

Is Italy Too Italian?
Published 7/31/10 -- “THIS tradition is finita,” says Luciano Barbera, as he opens the door to an underground warehouse. Dozens of large wooden boxes are stacked to the ceiling, containing nearly 80 tons of colorful thread, wound in spools and idling like sunbathers at a beach, absorbing moisture in a cavernous room kept naturally cool and humid by a creek that burbles under the floor. ...

Plus, is Elaine Benes style (remember Seinfeld?) now "in"?

The New Adventures of Old Elaine
Published 8/18/10 -- ON a recent August night, young women in stilettos teetered precariously through the cobblestone streets of the meatpacking district in Manhattan. Appropriately for the neighborhood, they were squeezed into minidresses that were as snug as sausage casings. But a few blocks south, far away from the blare of Hummer limousine horns, at the fashionable opening of the Algus Greenspon Gallery on Morton Street, a more demure look prevailed. Like a modest Robert Palmer-girl army, the women mingled in floor-length print dresses and brown lace-up boots with their hair in messy secretary buns. The genesis of the look could have been those unforgettable images of fundamentalist Mormon women that dominated the news a couple of years back. But if you squinted, what you saw was a sea of Elaines. ...

Image from NY Times

You gotta be kidding me ... I hope ...

Obsessed With Double Belts

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:59:00 +0000

UPDATE: J.Jill sells this belt in gray and black for $34 now.

I've considered getting a very simple double belt like this Eileen Fisher belt at Garnet Hill for quite awhile:

It's also online at Dillards, Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus and Saks in various colors. I love the minimalism. No buckle to imply any style so you can take other accessories in different directions. Right now Nordstrom has the Graphite color in one size only on sale for under $50 but it's $98 everywhere else. It is Made in America, in NYC. So that's a bonus by my count lately.

I may experiment with making a similar style. You can get a 72" length of leather strip at Tandy Leather in various widths. The 3/4" width is $13.99 for 72" strip. But it's natural cowhide, so the option to color it is a plus or minus depending on how much project you want to take on. Of course Tandy has dyes, paints and stains in many colors, and Edge Kote if you want the edges to look nice and finished. Tandy also has the tools to punch holes, and if you have to purchase these just for this project, the DIY ROI starts to look not-so-good. Although I already own these from scrapbooking projects.

And for the final important piece, Tandy has the Stud Thingie. Yes that is an official term in my house.

Or for a rocker chick look, try a dog collar spike:

I don't know about you, but I've never had a dog tough-looking enough to pull off wearing spikes on its collar without looking silly. I'd probably look silly wearing spikes too!

I already have a Stud Thingie, so the only thing needed is a leather strip long enough to wrap around my waist and upper hip area twice.

Save on shipping by seeing if there's a Tandy store in your area.

I should add, I don't mean to be an inadvertent shill for Tandy only. Their brand-building works as it's the first name that popped to mind. There are many other sources for these same supplies such as Zack White Leather Company which has a larger selection, and many at lower prices: long leather strips for double belts in many widths and you can even choose a preferred thickness, button studs, a ton of dyes and finishes, and tools like belt punches.

If you want a finished leather or a textured leather, try leatherwise on eBay. You may need to double up the leather and edgestitch and possibly piece strips together to make the belt long enough. This metallic blend of copper and brass in their eBay store would make a gorgeous belt:

Or how about this brown embossed ostrich texture:

You could also call their store in Santa Cruz, CA to see what leather solutions they have. I've ordered from their eBay store many times and loved all leathers I've received.

Wa-la ... a double wrap belt for not a bad price!

Make A Birkin or Kelly Style Bag

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:26:00 +0000

Maybe you want to make a statement by carrying a non-animal skin bag. Maybe you don't have the money for the real H. (Uh, maybe? More like, likely.) But still want a classic style like the Birkin or Kelly bags? Here are some tips to make one. It might take some work. But it wouldn't be worth it if it was too easy, right?

-- Search for the OOP Vogue 7892 handbag pattern
-- Adapt this paper Hermes Kelly pattern
-- Download directions to make a Birkin style trash bag
-- Get kelly bag fasteners and padlocks at MacCulloch & Wallis

Trying to make a knockoff look just like the real thing would never ever look right. And it wouldn't be the right thing to do. So get a little crazy. Add your own touches. Why not use an old Hermes-style silk scarf for a lining. And frankly I find the single color bags boring. Mix colors and show your style, like these artist-designed Kelly bags on the Hermes site (to see more, click on the les Kelly de Leila line drawing for a slide show):

So as you can see, you can be inspired by your favorite home dec fabric, faux fur, remnants of tribal fabric, studs, stencils, paints. Have fun with it!

Another personalization idea -- cover the bottom with many rows of feet like those on this Alexander Wang bag:

Check out this new line called Leah & Bliss, where they went nutso, encrusting Birkin style bags with jewels. Then carrying the bags in public. How can you miss this walking down a sidewalk? So people asked about them. Now they sell them. The rest is retail history.

(Pardon me I feel a rant coming on ... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH why don't I create something fabulous and get the guts to parade it around and then ... and then ... !!!)

Finally, this Washington Post article explains differences between the Kelly and Birkin, but we're not going to worry about this too much, because this isn't trying to be anything like real, right! Although according to this article, it is fitting that Lady Gaga is putting Sharpie graffiti and spiked studs on a Birkin and not a Kelly.

Gallery of Shirtdresses

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:04:00 +0000

Who would have thought shirtdresses are interesting enough for a gallery of photos. Maybe they're not. But good ones have a lot of detail to be examined if you want to recreate them, like good trenchcoats.

This isn't the most gorgeous post of all time. Shirtdresses are brainy. And this is a thinking woman's post.

Click on photos to enlarge, or go to the Nordstrom product links to zoom in to details. If you want to fondle shirtdresses in person, you'll see below, there's only one place you need to go for these.

Nordstrom

Safari details. Back yoke. And back center seam allows for some adjustment.

Nordstrom

Trenchcoat-style flaps. Gathered sleeve hem. Princess seam and center back seam.

Nordstrom

Note the extra wide hem.

Nordstrom

Contrast collar detail. Big casual pockets to match slouchy casual feel.

Burberry at Nordstrom

More gunflaps. Self fabric belt. All classic on the front. But on the back -- an exposed zipper!

Nordstrom

Hmmmmm. How literal. But it's flannel. And the shoulder line ...

Hidden buttons too, very clean. Depends on the look you're after.

Nordstrom

Snaps instead of buttons. And the zipper detail ...

Also encased elastic waist.

Nordstrom

Drawstrings and interesting collar for casual wear.

Nordstrom

Back to work with this style. Or a party. Darting at the waistline. This belt style goes well with the collar and puffy sleeve. Maybe that's what makes me think of party. Not keg kind of party. More like wine and cheese.

Nordstrom

Ruched waist.

Nordstrom

Mandarin collar. Waist features drawstring in back.

Nordstrom

Zipper closure instead of buttons or snaps. Very safari. Cute in khaki or navy.

Nordstrom

Lots of topstitching, including lines over the pockets. Check out the waist. And raglan sleeves meet yoked back. Darts for shaping. Spend time looking at this one.

Nordstrom

Snaps. Interesting back belt feature on dropped waist.

Who thought there could be so much to shirtdresses!

Maybe Don't Shop Under the Influence ...

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 04:47:00 +0000

... of insomnia. As I did back on June 3rd.

So I received the cutwork fabric.

It's not white as I expected, and I think white is really important. Because it's actually natural color and something about that color makes the cutwork feel sloppy messy, instead of a formerly crisp white that's now slightly messed up. Plus, I washed and dried it. The little cutwork threads are no longer straight and orderly. They're crimped and curly and going all over the place and now this fabric reads like a FUR!

The fabric is kind of like Kristen Stewart's Elie Saab dress for the Twilight premiere. Wearing this fabric would make me look like a poodle.

So I don't know what to do with it now. Maybe it's destined for home dec purpose. I have a room where this could add another texture layer as a throw that lays around doing nothing but adding another layer of texture. That makes me feel bad for this fabric. It was supposed to do more than lay around.

The emboidery on the Tessuti fabric is nice but the actual real-life blue color reminds me of scrubs:

If this became a dress, there's a danger of the top looking like scrubs morphed onto an embroidered skirt. That's not creative, it's weird. How to deal with this? Make the dress bodice a corset style? With seams and boning? Then belted with light supple brown leather, and below that, the embroidery leading down to the border? Need a solution that adds shaping and moves away from loose hanging folds of woven blue fabric.

Some examples of corset bodices on dresses:

J Crew

Rebecca Taylor dress on Shopbop

The hardware from MacCulloch & Wallis is substantial and impressive. The pieces are big, thick, heavy!! It was difficult to narrow my choices -- the shopping basket was too full and expensive at first. But now seeing the quality, I'm tempted to return for more. I also got copper rivets and jeans buttons, to attempt the Jalie jeans. Much of the hardware is Prym, so I'm now wondering, when I'm lusting after Prym fasteners and hardware in Burda that I've never been able to find, would this store be able to get them? I will need to do a real fastidious and patient job on anything I make for this hardware, so I do justice to the quality of the hardware. Big standard to live up to.

K-K-K-Kick It Up A 4" Notch

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:47:00 +0000

I saw these shoes, somewhere during blog surfing. I love these canvas wedge platform shoes. The shop's description tells you to "think LL Bean," but I'm not a fan of LL Bean. So I wish to "think" this:

Dress of Italian viscose knit fabric from Sawyerbrook

Vogue pattern

Bag from 6pm (really Zappos on deeper sale) with casual feel

Oh, this bracelet -- if money were no concern, I'd pile 5 of these Hermes babies on like very polished Ann D. But you could copy this look with heavy leather and some handbag fixtures.

Olive toenails to match the dress

This nice clean look is only a wish today though. Today, I'm doing heavy duty digging to move really good dirt to an area where I'm adding a raised bed. It's sweaty dirty work. But brings beautiful things!

R U an X Hourglass or an 8 Hourglass?

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:50:00 +0000

All hourglasses are not the same? All hourglasses are not the same, apparently. And this explains a lot. For one thing, it explains why despite recommendations that I, as the owner of an hourglass shape, should wear A-line skirts, I hate how they look on me. I feel like A-line shapes make my hips and thighs look bigger than my house. I've always preferred pencil skirts and straight skirts, but thought I wasn't "supposed" to wear them.

This explains why -- if you are an hourglass shape, you can be an 8 or an X shape. The difference is, the upper hip curve of an 8 shape flares out from the waist while the hips of an X shape have a straighter slope out to the hips.

How to make an 8 shape look its best.

How to make an X shape look its best.

More explanation of an 8 shape -- I'm off to study this!

Twist and Shout!

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:36:00 +0000

Burberry Prorsum twists ... this would really add interest to a basic black jersey dress, skirt, top or cardigan, wouldn't it?

I love to wear black but hesitate to sew it lately because it so often feels boring. How could you be boring with these twists?

Here's a how to, but it seems you need a fine light fabric so the twists don't turn out chunky and cheap looking.

Shirtdress Inspiration at Anthropologie

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 02:53:00 +0000

Anthropologie has a shirtdress category showing nine shirtdresses -- check out the details for sewing inspiration!

Knocking Off Those Cool Indian Prints on Yoga Tops

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:13:00 +0000

I love-love-love print yoga tops like these at Athleta.

But do I have $49 to $64 to spare for a tank top? Nope.

However, I do have yummy cream knit from Vogue Fabrics. It's bamboo, it's incredibly soft and I can't wait to play with it and sew it up. And I have a mile-high stack of scrapbook papers, many of them with Indian and Asian-inspired prints. I go gaga over paisley print paper. I have a scanner, photo editing software, a printer and transfer paper for fabric, and of course there's an iron or two around the house. If you have these things, you have what you need to make a one-of-a-kind printed top.

I've also gotten into hooping so I need some close-fitting comfortable knit tops. My sister, who is a fitness instructor, plans to teach hooping as a certified instructor, and when she told me about it, I thought (as you may be thinking) what the heck is hooping? Well watch these videos of hooping -- it looks like great fun and fabulous exercise! So I now have a Hoopnotica hoop -- I got The Vamp and my sister just ordered yet another to add to her collection, The Diva. Check out these LED hoops -- imagine a bunch of people out in the yard at night using these, what a sight!

And yes you do break a sweat when hooping. You feel it in your torso, hips, thighs, arms. Put on some music, start playing, it's fun!

So tops like the Athleta print tanks would be perfect for hooping. Here's what I plan to do:

1) Grab my favorite Kwik Sew TNT tank top and knit pant pattern, 3115. I may modify it to a scoop neck:

2) Pre-wash bamboo knit from Vogue Fabrics. They have many colors (check out the celery & olive colors, yum!!), I picked mine up at the Evanston store after petting the fabric. So so soft. Good recovery and the cream is thick and opaque. That's hard to find in a cream or white knit. I snapped it up. Bonus for working it, it's microbial fabric?!?

3) Choose a piece of scrapbook paper with a print that I'd want on a top. Something with paisley like this:

4) Scan the paper, or you could photograph it at hi-res with a digital camera. An iPhone or other camera phone probably wouldn't deliver good enough resolution.

5) Open the image in photo editing software. I use Photoshop, and I would remove elements and rotate some, enlarge some elements, and play with the image until I got a pleasing design. Who knows, I may even combine and layer images from different papers. You could do symmetrical or assymmetrical design.

Here's some inspiration, big and small prints:

Athleta

Prana

Asana Green

Gaiam

Paragon Sports (unfortunate hummingbird positioning?!)

6) Print the image on T-shirt transfer paper. Some papers leave a big unattractive plasticy splotch on the clothing. Some transfers do a better job of transferring just ink. I am not an expert on the best products but will certainly be researching this before I get to this stage. Anyone have recommendations? Also unknown is how durable the ink is over repeated washings.

- or -

An alternative is to have your design printed on knit fabric by a digital fabric printer. Make sure you layout your design so you can cut the pattern so the design is placed in the location where you want it. Many samples shown by these services show designs covering the entire fabric, but you don't need to do that. Fabric on Demand will print on lycra spandex. Karma Kraft has a cotton jersey knit. Spoonflower has organic cotton interlock knit.

7) Sew your creative, one-of-a-kind printed yoga top!

My creation coming soon ...

Shopping the World. In One Insomnia-Fueled Night.

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:59:00 +0000

My credit card may very well be shut down for suspected fraud, as tonight's journeys have taken me to Germany, Australia and the UK. A last hurrah before there's no more fabric shopping for me for awhile. A few unique things I've had my eye on for months:

This cutwork cotton from Germany (Anita Pavani):

It will surely become a summer tunic, as previously featured in a Stylin' Series post.

This cotton from Australia (Tessuti):

Destined to be a shift dress or shirtdress. Previously featured in a Stylin' Series post.

Finally, I've salivated over so much at MacCulloch & Wallis (UK store) for so long. So many unique bag fasteners, rivets, buckles, cord locks, many styles of leather buttons (even hook & eye wrapped in leather!) and so much more. My shopping basket always got more full than I can explain to the DH. So I never completed a purchase. I like to stash these sorts of supplies in case they're needed in the future, because they're not easy to find. Instead, today I chose a few pieces I will use for current projects, thus, careful choices. I got these bag fasteners:

Silver handbag chain:

Some coat chains for jackets (OK, I lie, this is for the stash "in case ever needed"):

And I love love love this fastener:

Also got jeans buttons and rivets. Due to the success others have had with the Jalie jeans, I will attempt them too with some stashed denim. I got copper-color rivets and buttons.

They have yummy fabrics too. Including a black linen jersey I'd love to do into a summer sweater for the city...

AN IDEA ...

If you like the cool fasteners like those shown above, but don't want to tackle a handbag, use fasteners on a belt, like this MICHAEL Michael Kors belt at Zappos:

Stamping & Scrapping Rock Star Discovers Tinsel Trading

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:03:00 +0000

Another passion of mine is scrapbooking. I like vintage (rusty and slightly decrepit even better), I like metals, darker colors, travel and navigation themes, bits n' scraps of old prose in many languages, layers and layers of various papers. My favorite products are from 7 Gypsies and Tim Holtz -- they both fit my aesthetic. I buy papers from many lines and wind up mixing them in a layout. Like I said, I like layers. I have about an 18" tall stack of papers to choose from right now, all categorized by my favorite topics to scrap about, each of which have their own colors and style.

Right now I'm working on more of an art piece book -- it's a journal that Amelia Earhart would have written if she had landed on an island in the Pacific and had survived for a bit. It fits my loves of navigation, flight, travel. And it's giving me a challenge to try to channel the imagination I had in childhood. It seems to have gotten beaten into submission by adulthood. What is it like to be in Amelia Earhart's shoes, stranded on an island? I'm still trying to reach that place. Right now I'm finishing the visuals of the pages and researching about Amelia to kick my imagination into gear for what she would have written.

I started this book on Mother's Day weekend, when I visited my mom and sister for a scrapping weekend. We had three fabulous days of scrapbook binge!!! Fun. We went to the Mega Scrap Meet in Novi, Michigan. My sister and I stalked the Stampers Anonymous booth to see Tim Holtz. His classes sold out within minutes, literally, so no chance of taking a class, but we did watch his demonstrations at the booth. And got a pic on the iPhone, of course! So now his blog shows that he discovered Tinsel Trading. Oh man, if he likes Tinsel Trading, that's even more reason I must get to NYC soon! They sell some products on the website but you know there are many more tantalizing vintage metal things in the store.

For now, I have pllllllllllllllllenty of new scrapbooking toys from the Mega Meet -- many new Stampers Anonymous stamps, pile of exotic papers, I am loving the Perfect Pearls product which I'm using to layer snippets of words and writing on papers. Vintaj Earth also has fabulous vintagey metals and looks like they're expanding into scrapbooking, with some products at Archivers stores.

But a really strange thing happened with this Amelia Earhart scrapbook. Flying and travel internationally are two of my loves. My husband has an airplane, a Piper Arrow, so I've dressed as Amelia for Halloween in the past and posed with the plane dressed as her because we happened to fly on Halloween!

So I'm researching Amelia's disappearance, as part of my background homework to figure out what to journal and write in this scrapbook. And I find this group, TIGHAR, that shows plausible evidence that Amelia in fact really may have landed on an island. In fact they just landed on the island for their ninth or tenth mission there to uncover more evidence. This time, they'd like to find DNA for indisputable truth about what happened to Amelia. Wow, what timing. This is giving me lots of material, so I'm pretending she did in fact land on Gardner Island, which it was called in 1937 when she disappeared, and the pictures and details about the island online give good inspiration.

I'm finding my natural aesthetic and interests work well for this project: metals, old looking stuff, navigation, travel ...

So, back to working on the book so there will be photos to post soon ...

Super Fast Skirt Idea

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Check out this skirt on Outsapop. It's the bottom of a trench coat! Great idea if you find a vintage trench where the top isn't fit or flattering, but the bottom works. Or couldn't you use one of the myriad Burda WOF trench patterns and make a skirt? For safari dress-up, in a metallic coated linen.

She was rare and she is gone and how can spirit like hers live on

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:04:00 +0000

It's a staycation day today and I caught this story on CNN's home page about blogging the end of a life, about Eva Markvoort. Seeing this changed my day. Maybe the rest of this year. Maybe my future.

Eva had cystic fibrosis and she died a month ago at age 25 while waiting for a second double lung transplant. Check out her blog, 65_RedRoses. The CNN writer pulled quotes from only the last few posts. I know they're on deadline. But if you don't have a publishing deadline, read further back. I read the whole past year and had to stop at March 27, 2009, fully conscious that Eva didn't know then that this would be the last year of her life. Her whole blog is about her strong spirit, her loves, her will to live. And live fully. She truly seems to have made the most of her year. Last year a movie about her first double lung transplant was released in Canada. I'd love to see this movie run in the United States. If you want to see her movie in the U.S., her family urges you to write the U.S. networks and encourage them to raise visibility about organ donation.

We all have decisions about how to use our time, no matter how much or how little time we have. I've been grappling with these decisions "front and center" lately.

I was supposed to attend a free seminar in Chicago today but it's a pain in the a** to drive into the city or even to find parking to take the train. I decided to do online training instead and use the transportation time gained spraying this afternoon to get the dandelions on our 1.5 acres under control before they go to seed in a matter of days. Got 3 containers of Weed B Gone concentrate for a murderous rampage in the sunshine.

I never got to the online training. Instead, reading Eva's blog created a life seminar of sorts for me today. It brought clarity, led me to decisions. I usually get led to decisions through inspirations from others. Serendipity usually leads me to these inspirations and I know enough now to perk up and pay attention when my gut says this is about to happen.

My decision struggle about time has been going on for a year, since my husband launched his business and needs skills that I have but have been reluctant to give in adundance. Even though we'd both benefit. I looked at it as work. I already have a full-time job and trying to work on marketing and communications for his business, even though I love doing those things, is a second full-time job. During the times when I have given my all for weeks at a time for his business, I'm exhausted. I've never been certain, though, if the exhaustion was due to the mental effort (which I don't shy away from) or due to my attitude. I hate to admit it might have been my attitude, but maybe I'll need to admit that. Not ready yet though. Ha.

I believe it is true that we can wear ourselves into the ground with negativity that comes from nothing but our own thoughts. (and having been treated for depression much of my life, currently very successfully so that's not my issue right now, I know what that's like and what I speak of here is not the seriousness of clinical depression, it's garden variety "poor me" negativity) We have the choice of how to respond to what happens around us, what happens to us. I saw while reading Eva's blog for a few hours today how she chose to respond to her decline leading to her impending death. Sure, she video-recorded her moments of frustration and rage, but even those moments seemed to be more for her reader's benefit than hers, like she was trying all along to leave us with something positive.

In contrast, my challenge is some work-related tasks which has no comparison to facing the imminent end of my life sooner than I'd want. Now I feel very ungraceful and ungracious about how I've been conducting my life lately.

I value inspiration, highly. I have for much of my life chosen to seek inspiration, as a very visual person, through visual means. Admittedly, that often tends to lead to a materialistic focus as many of my posts here have been. Things, fabrics, patterns, putting these things together. I enjoy that and make no apologies for it. That play is a necessity of my life as much as I need water and air.

Eva was obviously talented with artistic flair and communicating a message and feeling (apparent in this video which shows a year of her life and contrast that with this video). When you scroll through her blog and her videos you can see what talent she had at projecting feeling through the camera.

She didn't keep her talents to herself. She shared, for the whole world to see, even as she died.

Thinking about this led to clarity in which direction I should take with my time, and how I should think about what I'm doing. My conflict has been in not being able to rectify my need for visual stimulation and creativity, with a call for my skills and time for my husband's business. I've indulged my visual interests with hobbies including sewing. Including on here.

I will be doing less online and less indulging through hobbies.

Instead, what I realized is, I can choose to change how I look at fulfilling this need with the call for some tasks that must be done now. A big-time investor is stepping into the business. My time to step up is now. This doesn't have to be incompatible with what I want to do. I once loved running a catalog business we had back in the 90s. I loved the design, the marketing. I loved the challenge of understanding the customer and writing for the customer. I can channel that need for creativity into marketing and communications for the business. And it's not just my husband's business, it's ours if we are partners in marriage. Why should I hold back from what I can do for it, because I want to piddle my time "relaxing" online? It doesn't help us. It doesn't have to be work -- the catalog business wasn't "work," why am I making this into "work?"

I have a quality where I don't like to be told what to do. But I will happily do the exact same thing if I choose to do it myself. What's with that? But it's true.

So I am choosing to give of my talents and skills to our business, to seek my love of creativity and visual inspiration and apply it to marketing a business that sells analytics products. Whaaa? Creative opportunity in statistics and analytics? Is this possible? Absolutely!! I've already been doing it, you'd be amazed at how visual metaphors and similes help people connect with an idea that they might not immediately understand. We aren't marketing to statisticians, we're marketing to "roll up your shirtsleeves" sales folks. I'm sitting in a spot where I see both sides and can connect them. I need to embrace my enjoyment in helping people to see these things. I do love to do that.

It's clear that is my calling right now. (after I kill the dandelions though!!)

I will check in here periodically to post not ideas and inspiration anymore, but to share and review the sewing projects that I actually complete. There won't be many. I will be busy.

But I will be busy being honest with myself. And truly finding how to align what I need with what must be done right now. The two are not incongruent as I previously thought. It's all very clear now. I am alive and here and have much to give and it's time to give it and enjoy doing it at the same time. I hope this serves as inspiration in itself, for others who may be facing similar struggles.

Stunning Buttonholes

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:47:00 +0000

Yes. STUNNING.

Can buttonholes be stunning? If you had asked me that question yesterday, I would have looked at you strangely. The "get a life" look.

Today, I have seen stunning buttonholes.

It's like you'd have to experience communication after death to believe it can exist. I have, and I do.

Now, I believe in stunning buttonholes.

Behold ...

Photo and tailoring prowess from

Made by Hand -- The Great Sartorial Debate blog

Beyond the superb detailed photography, check out the perfect raised handmade buttonholes. Do you want to know how to do them yourself? Watch the instruction video on the Made by Hand -- The Great Sartorial Debate blog. This post also shows a flatter and equally gorgeous buttonhole. Furthermore the video is classy, a cut above the typical bland voice narrating instructions. In fact there is no voice at all. It's much better without one and makes buttonhole work look enjoyable.

This totally inspired me to make buttonholes by hand on my next jacket or coat project. My work certainly won't be this beautiful, but I'm thankful for the video to see how to do it.

Snaking Its Way Into My Life

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:40:00 +0000

I've never been very afraid of snakes. When we were little kids, the boys in my neighborhood played with bugs and snakes. This was in the days before cable TV and video games. When we actually spent most summer days outside. Us girls kept a respectful distance, but I was never scared. Even when opening the mailbox one day and garter snakes rained down out of it. On me. Surprising and shocking, yes. Super scary, no, not as much as big hairy spiders. Now that's scary.

The shedded snake skins in our backyard were fascinating, and pretty.

So no surprise that I'd fall for the python trend. I am not trendy, so I tried to resist. But resistance is futile.

Here's what I plan:

Sources:
Python coating fabric from EOS
Leather strap in chocolate brown, beige, camel, ??? I need the python fabric in hand to decide.
Chocolate Bemberg lining (or a fuschia or chartreuse would be a fun surprise)
Possibly View C of Kwik Sew 3133 -- a design with a flap
Large oval turnlock on the flap
I'd attach the strap with D-rings or rectangular rings to balance the flap hardware

If you want to make a handbag to take for a walk on the wild side, leatherwise on eBay has great thin leathers for sewing. Right now, embossed and printed leathers up for auction: lizard, python, crocodile, baby tiger, gator, jaguar, crazy zebra, ostrich, cheetah, stingray, tortoise shell and more. This crocodile has a ton of texture. Lizards and python and crocodile are in various colors. They have beautiful floral embosssed leathers too. No affiliation, I'm just an occasional customer who's loved every leather I've purchased from this seller. If auctions have ended, keep stalking them, often they're relisted.

Disclaimer: No baby tigers were harmed in the making of this post.

"If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul."

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:59:00 +0000

-- Alphonse de Lamartine, French poet and politician who visited Istanbul during his travels to the Orient

Oh I so agree.

Spring/summer project:

Image from Newsweek.com Budget Travel

What's Your Color?

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Yeah, another color personality quiz. Verrrrrrrry interesting results, considering that my distaste for the print in the last post is somewhat due to the yellow color. And while flipping through April's Harper's Bazaar to pass time on a Chicago-to-Philadelphia flight yesterday, I had a major dislike of this year's yellow fashion trend. The only yellow I ever like is the daffodils and forsythia blooming in our gardens right now. Maybe because after a long Chicago winter, color outside is very welcome and those are the only flowers blooming.

InStyle Photo & Spring Fashion Trend Story

Anyway, a color test for you.

Surprise surprise, yellow is my color.

"You are quite the powerful thinker. It’s this talent that allows you to overcome a plethora of great obstacles. Luckily, this doesn’t affect your ego and you give off a pretty easy-going appearance. You enjoy the finer things in life and also have an attraction to art. If you can help it, you try not to rock the boat. But you also can’t stop yourself from searching for new ideas, methods or styles."

Hmmm. I do think all of this fits me. Why yellow for this? I don't feel like a sunny personality.

Could I grow to like yellow? I once despised orange. Now I love orange. I even committed to buying two paprika orange chairs for our living room six years ago, and love them as much today as I did then. They pop against our chocolate brown leather sofa and they look great with the orange and gold paisley cushion covers I've collected from India. Orange grew on me.

Yellow will never grow on me. I'm sure of it.

Um, am I sure of it? Edited to add, painfully obvious when this is the first post on the page and the photos are lined up just so -- perhaps yellow totes are OK.

Stylin' the Anna Sui Vogue 1177 Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:16:00 +0000

I have curtailed pattern acquisitions except for new releases that are truly different than patterns I already have. This pattern passes the test and will be acquired -- the Vogue 1177 Anna Sui dress. Which I would wear as a tunic with skinny pants.

From the looks of the photo, I would have completely bypassed this pattern. I do not like this print and the photo doesn't show the most interesting feature of the pattern -- the tuck, pleat and gathering details. Do you see them?

No?

Oh, here they are!

So I would sew this in a solid color. Likely black. Because I think all this detail could make black interesting. And because I'm only 5' tall, all these tucks and gathers in anything but a tougher-looking color could look childish on me. I want to toughen this up. Here's how I'd try it out:

Pattern: Vogue 1177 Anna Sui Dress

Fabric: Black Bamboo Voile from Vogue Fabrics -- If it's lightweight and summery, it may work with all the gathers and tucks. Do I order online or make the drive to Evanston? Because the voile is likely sheer, I'd make the cami too.

Pants: Antik Denim Gray Cropped Skinny Pants at Bluefly

Booties: Black Booties at Bluefly

Bangles: Black Crystally Glittery Bangles at Bluefly and Tiger Resin Bangle at Bluefly all on one heavy, unbalanced, over-laden arm. Why not. The handbag will be on the other side.

Handbag: Black "Fringe" Bag at Bluefly -- I would never buy this despite the price but we're having fun here. Isn't that what Anna Sui clothes are all about. This looks like a style Luxirare might make and her blog has certainly influenced me to think a little tougher.

Stylin' Series: Summer Sandal Season

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 23:05:00 +0000

The first public sighting of sandals on my feet this year occurred last Thursday when it was over 70 in Chicago. Had to do a quick rub-down of the heels with a pumice stone and rapid fresh coat of paint on the nails -- the feet weren't quite ready for public display -- but that's never stopped me from wearing sandals.

I love for my feet to be free. I love these Michael Kors sandals, and here's what I would sew to wear with them:

Sources:
Michael Kors sandals at Nordstrom
Vogue 1088 Donna Karan dress pattern (The plainer fabric seems to need detail in this dress to make it interesting. But a question for you -- do you really think pockets like this will make people think hips are bigger? Am I way off base in thinking it's obvious any perceived size is due to the pockets? Isn't that better than thinking it's the hips?? This is why I don't understand Project Runway judges criticizing dresses with hip volume. Seems obvious to me that it's the dress, not the model. Or does this not hold true? What do you think? Just because I know what Michael Kors would say about this dress on Project Runway, I will insist on accessorizing it completely with his products.)
Tessuti Fabrics Edo Jam organic Japanese cotton
Michael Kors sunglasses at Nordstrom
Michael Kors shopper tote at Nordstrom (expensive, total dream time here, but the massive pocket on the dress requires a slim bag profile)
Michael Kors studded belt at Zappos

How To Make A New Dress Form Look Vintage, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:27:00 +0000

Do you adore the clean beige look of vintage and pro dress forms, possibly covet a Wolf, but not the price? Me too.

So instead of this:

Image from Threads

I got this:

Far cry, huh!!

It's even more no-name than the Dritz Double Deluxe, because although it has the same measurements, it came in a box without the Dritz brand name. It was $99 on eBay. I've seen these cheap on craigslist too. But truth be told, this thing is so flimsy, particularly the base, that $70 is probably a maximum value price for it.

But it will serve the purposes needed, which are 1) to display things I want to sell for photographs and 2) serve as a basic dress form for fitting and styling until I upgrade someday.

The thing I can't live with is THAT BLUE. While I love to wear blue, there is no blue in my home decor except for fake robin's eggs on a shelf, because robin's eggs are always blue. No offense to people who like blue, it's just too calming a color for me and I feel dragged down by it. I must be surrounded by reds, oranges and fast 80s dance music. Sort of like visual caffeine to keep me awake and alive through the day.

So what to do about the blue? Cover it with beige fabric!

We all know how to manipulate fabric. You could use a linen woven and sew it with structured seams just like a pro form. Include a zipper in the back to allow you to slip it over the form. My form size will be periodically increasing and decreasing, if it's anything like my real body. A beige knit from EmmaOneSock in my fabric stash will be ideal. It's 20" wide, so it's perfect to sew halves together shaped to fit the form's curves, and I can make one size that could stretch and contract as needed.

I will also decorate it with letters and numbers. That's a project for later this weekend.

Meanwhile, other ways to modify cheapy dress forms ...

If you like the decorative finial on the top of vintage and pro forms, search for wood finials on eBay. You can paint them gold or black and install them on top of a dress form. Some samples from eBay:

My base is very flimsy and keeps tipping over, so I will mount the form on a sturdier cast iron base. As soon as I find the right base. Again, search eBay and your local antique shops for potential solutions. Look for a heavy stable base. For a modern look, think outside the box with an iron microphone stand like this one from eBay seller geartree:

An old table base could be converted for a new job, like this one from eBay seller theantiquewarehouse. Not for this price of $400 though! But you get the idea, look for an antique look in heavy iron:

Also from theantiqueswarehouse, here's a flagpole stand that could be a stable possibility:

More ornate, pretty:

These ideas don't have a pole, but no big deal. Pick up a large wood dowel at Home Depot, cut it to the right length and spray paint it black, and you're ready to go.

For more inspiration for lettering and detail for pinning ribbon markings, check out this old corset form currently on eBay:

There are 7 hours left for its auction and it's already bidded up to $261. Plus $70 shipping. You could easily replicate this look with a modern dress form. Drool on it a little bit for authentic water marks, too! If you have access to a baby, hold him or her up, aim, and you're all set with ample drool.

This website sells jewelry, but I like the dress form:

I hope this has delivered inspiration to dress up your dress form!

Talbots Or ... Steampunk???

noreply@blogger.com (deb) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:40:00 +0000

EDITED TO ADD: All the below sounds like superficial materialism. What I want to buy. What I want to wear. Not really. It's actually a metaphor for the fact that rather than go through life in an office, I want to live a life like Margaret Moth. I just think through visuals and things. Anyway, I'm on my way ... first stop this year: Istanbul, then India again ...

* * * * *

The more I see steampunk style, the more I realize I've been living a lie. Corseted into form-fitting Talbots wool jackets to be all uptight officey professional, which is what I thought I was supposed to be. Instead I'd rather be rockin' some hardware and leather. You're gonna find some interesting shoes peeking out from under my tailored wool work pants this spring.

I was way ahead of the steampunk trend. Waaaaaaaaaay back, like when today's steampunk aficionados were still riding with their training wheels on, I horded packages of watch parts from Michaels stores. I'd drive from one to another to another, snapping up all the packages. Until I finally tracked down a paper catalog from an ad in the back of a magazine, and found a source to order an infinite supply of old watch parts at wholesale. Needless to say, this was before the internet.

I spent so many hours of life gluing old watch parts and metal pieces and mixing them with semi-precious stones to make bracelets, earrings, necklaces, brooches. Those pieces were ME. I even designed little price cards and other branded materials on the Mac that held like 64K of memory. Remember that tiny cute box? And floppy disks? My company's moniker was 7:51 co. Long story why, but never forgot it, so watch for 7:51 to appear on a project to be posted soon.

I held house parties and sold some pieces. Some. But way less than the $4K I invested in materials over the years. Meanwhile I was so envious of my friends going on European backpacking trips. Heck I coulda gone to Europe and left them in backpacker dust while I powdered my face in fine hotels! Instead I bought watch parts. I was so obsessed with watch parts.

Unfortunately, not many other people were. While friends bought pieces, strangers didn't. I sat at several "art fairs" which were more like "craft shows," watching a friend frantically stuff more glittery ribbon into round glass Christmas bulbs so she could keep up with the consumer demand on her side of the booth. She was very happy. She made a boatload of money. My booth side was pretty unprofitable. But I sure loved those watch parts, I could look at them all day. And I did. Alllllllllllllllll daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay looooooooooonnnnnnnnnng. And I took them all back home too.

I held onto all those gears & workings & gems & chains for years, through numerous moves. On our last move from Minnesota to Illinois, I decided, no more. I hadn't opened those boxes in a decade. Life was moving on. I had new obsessions, namely, Japanese kimono and haori. (Thankfully I was ahead of the curve on that trend too and collected some nice pieces on eBay cheap-cheap-cheap before demand rose. I will never sell.)

So without a care, I put the plastic boxes of thousands of dollars of watch parts and finished jewelry pieces in a box for the Salvation Army. It was a decent write-off.

Now today, I imagine the riches that Etsy could bring me, as I had supplies purchased in 1990 dollars! Maybe someone else had the foresight to buy all those parts at a Salvation Army store. I hope they got themselves a kick-ass vacation with all the steampunk merchandise they made with my watch parts!

Always be true to yourself. It will bust out sometime anyway. As I see more steampunk style, I realize I've always had the bug for it:

-- I love zippers and hardware, as posted here previously.
-- We live somewhat of an aviation lifestyle as that's my husband's hobby and we have a small airplane, so of course I own cool aviator goggles and a leather Amelia Earhart jacket. I was Amelia for Halloween a few years ago. I'd love to find an affordable Italian 1950s aviator goggle with antique brass and leather in good condition.
-- Of course anything navigation-related that's old and metallic ... love! Compasses, lust for them. Old maps too.
-- While I no longer have clock parts, I seem to collect clocks. And pocket watches are the absolute coolest.
-- Is absinthe steampunk? Really? I was obsessed with making an absinthe candle. Back in the mid-90s. Like I said, we shouldn't lose sight of who we really are.
-- I love anything riveted. I once took a jewelry-making glass -- again back in the mid-90s -- and wound up making a copper and silver picture frame with tons of handmade rivets. It was the coolest. I gotta find that thing. Or else take another class and make it again.

I want this on a wall in my house:

Cogs and gears. I love them as much as I loved the landscape of Tuscany. That might sound incongruous. But the obsession for the visual is the same. I love them for different reasons.

Oh, and this:

Although I'd like it better in khaki so it looks more safari, another style I adore.

Because I am an Adventurer.

It's time to break free of wool business suits and keep exploring the world ...