Aftercalm

Even though the Storm that is Highball has not hit yet I am focusing on the calm afterwards........
I met with an old friend of mine that helped me a lot after college whether he knows it or not.  He helped to give me the confidence and connections to go to NYC and interview there for design positions.  Which in the end I didn't stay or end up at any of those companies but the experiance was priceless.   I have all this knowledge from the interviews to now pass onto all my students and it helped form me as a person and what kind of designer I wanted to be and turn into ultimately.

 ~~~~Break~~~~

OK as I was writing this nice little re-cap of a good thing I got this e.mail, basically saying the model new she had the flu and has been sick since last week and Just NOW less then two days away from the show is canceling.  Not professional and not cool.  At the slightest inkling of knowing you can't do a show you should inform all parties IMMEDIATELY especially since hair extensions are involved bought to match your hair color..........

Ohhhh how I loathe relying on other people......  This is why I try to only use my own models.  I thought I would be nice and use some of the S2 models since they were nice enough to help sponsor the event.  Last year I had one of my models stolen by Terri Stevens and this year one of them just canceling........... I hope that this does not become a trend as a part of my existence in Highball in the Short North.

Getting Wild!

So last night with about 3 hours of time I made majority of my MAX costume from Where the Wild Things Are.  It is going really really well.  All I have left is hood, butt flap, tail and Crown!

As for the Halloween Highball I am in a good spot!  Fitting with Gloria was PERFECT today and she told me that Priscilla rocked the Runway Class along with my given model Carolyn.  Tomorrow is the final Fitting on Angela for the Sea Anemone Costume and I am HOME FREE!

Oh I also started my new Job as Seamstress!  I have never had an easier more enjoyable job in my LIFE!  I spent all day just doing what I love, sewing!

In the work room

Here are some Photos all from Friday (yesterday) of me working on a dress from start to finish.  It was a bit of a marathon but I didn't want to leave any major sewing to do next week before Highball.  But I am super happy with the way it turned out.

The fabric is a 100% silk black and white checker and the model wearing it for Highball is Gloria! (below)

Highball Halloween Masquerade

This is so far my costume piece for the Halloween Highball.   It still has oodles of work and even since then it has changed quite a bit.   I had the fitting for this last week and had to make some adjustments on the skirt.  The top fit pretty well and of course the ruffles were a hit.  Last night I enlisted my Andy to help construct the bustle and today I plan to cover it and pad it for comfort of my model.   I also finally devised the perfect arm attachments to go with this.  Does this look Sea Anemone like to you, or just futuristic?   I hope as I finish it up it will turn over to the sea!

Here is the headpiece I have been working on for this costume also.

I can't believe it is less then 2 weeks for this to start!  I am so not ready for this right now, but I will be!

The Truth: RPG's

For a taste of something different and just so strangers out there in the vast internets who might be reading can get to know me a little better I am putting in a weekly post called "The Truth".  It is basically incredibly truthful things about myself that people don't normally know when they meet me or when they think of me as a fashion designer.  I feel these truth's actually explain a bit about my design elements.

This week's truth is RPG's.  If you don't know what that stands for then you are in for a treat!

Role Playing games = RPG's

I love them...............  Not like Dungeons and Dragons but video game RPG's like Final Fantasy, Persona, Lufia, The Legend of Zelda, etc etc....

It's a little bit like knitting to me.  Mindless repitition and picking different actions like picking different stitches.  As you get further the story unfolds just as you knit further you see your pattern unfold.  A little corny I know but I like the repetition.

The other thing that I love about RPG's is the character designs.  So complex and decorated and usually with some sort of reference to period costumes.  If I get stuck in a design rut I always turn back to my video games and try to get some inspiration from the characters or monsters or Aeons or espers whatever they call them per the game.  Not only do the games refer to periods in costume but also a lot of mythical legends and stories from all over the world.

I am actually such a huge nerd there are a few things I am very dedicated to. Final Fantasy by Square/Enix games, Atlus developed games and Nintendo.  Unfortunately for me each games usually takes anywhere from 40-120 hours to complete.  The story lines have become so complex and with so many sidequests and mini-games.  I have probably 6 games or more waiting for me to even start them.  I am about 20 hours or less from finishing Persona 3 right now which has been enjoyable for every 80+ hours I have put into it so far.  It is based in present day japan with an extra time at midnight called the "Dark Hour".  At this time select few have the power to stay concious and fight with their "personas".  Each persona is based on different tarot types and ancient gods/goddesses from different cultures and the end game is to stop the Dark hour and the monsters that come with it before the Japanese School year is over while creating relationships with people to strengthen the archetypes.  Sound Complicated? That isn't even half as complicated as Demon Souls or Disgaea.

Anyways here are some pictures of other games I had mentioned above.

And we All Fall Down!

I am feeling super good lately!

Got my first batch of product done for Milk Bar~

Came out of Craftin' Outlaws on the upside of the cash bar, in fact I hit my goal and then some.

Working on my Highball Costume is going smoothly and everything fit my models pretty good.  I just need to make one whole new dress so that's not that bad and it was something I wanted to do anyways.  I had to play a little musical outfits since the models they gave me were not what I had expected at all.  I requested a size 2-4 and one of them is a size 6!  Luckily I had been working on something else so that fit her but the sweater I had to give up on.

Lingerie is selling very well at Undone!  I made orders for holiday colors today so that I can start sewing for that.  I am very excited for this because I've never tried to do anything for JUST Holiday.

The one thing I really need to get my butt in gear is for the Substance Aspiring designer contest.  I've planned out several things but only started to cut out one of them.  I'm excited for it though.  I just need to sit down and get to work really.  I figure I will just randomly drape some things together from several of the shirts.  I know for sure I will be making a shawl of some sort, a dress, a skirt and a shirt.  I need to play with bleach some more and decide on my final colors also.

Lastly I am obsessed with this slippers!  They are by this Canadian company called Amimoc.  I saw them randomly on DSW and of course they were on sale and not my size.  Tracked them down and found them on another website.  Something about the rabbit fur and grey color just appeal to me and make me think ultra cozy.  I think they will be the perfect slippers to wear inside the sewing room at my new job as well.

And not it is time to get back to sewing!!!!  I plan to complete at least one skirt for myself tonight.  Perhaps I will work on a bandage skirt.

The progression is happening

Currently I have some great news!

I will be able to continue my dream of not buying anymore retail clothes and go full force with making my own clothes again!

Thanks to circumstances I will no longer be working at Express so much.  I have taken a job as a seamstress at a bridal/prom dress store in town.  Though it is far from glamourous it is a well paying job doing something that I enjoy that I will not get burnt out on.  Also the days I am working are perfect mix to give me days to detox and be my own personal seamstress at home.

I am all sorts of inspired and will be working on many new projects that I had put off on hold.  Like a white shirt collection similar to the one posted here.  Trying out some of the fabulous patterns from the Japanese Pattern books "Pattern magic".  

Even though Craftin Outlaws is this weekend and two weeks later is HighBall I feel no stress.  I am actually under budget for materials on Highball, I am so relieved!   I even started my Substance Designs and I have a good feeling about them!  The only thing currently holding me back is my Milk Bar Production work.  Even Undone Production work is fun right now!

Here are some other projects for myself that I want to work on.

Nice long Coat that actually fits my short body.

Huge Dress for myself for New year's Eve

A Deconstructed Linen or Muslin Skirt

Running out of time!!!!!

OHMIGOSH!

I am about to puke with all the work I need to get done in the next week!

I have been steadily just knitting random things and making bubble scarfs for Craftin Outlaws that happens in about a WEEK! Also we have fittings for the Halloween Highball in less then a week but still have not heard back about any model information. Oh and I need to start needle felting some extras and putting together my accessories. I need two more cuffs to crochet with pearls and oodles of yo-yo's to make!

I did however get my LIME CRIME pigments! In the above picture I am wearing just Elf and nothing else! It blended out so perfectly and the color was amazing! I barely needed anything to get it that way and I don't even have a green base coat on just a nude paint pot.

This is a ruffle I worked on by hand for about 6 hours. It is huge and insanely stiff (thank the stars for Pellon!) I have no idea how in the olden days people would just starch lace over and over again to keep their Elizabethan ruffles.

Also happening....... I am interviewing tomorrow for a seamstress position part time at this bridal/prom shop. I really hope I get this because I just can't do the retail thing anymore. I love the store, I love my co-workers and managers but my back and feet just can't take it.

Sick and Tired of it!

Seriously I am sick and have been since yesterday. I woke up with a sore throat and steadily throughout yesterday I have progressed to full on couch sickness with sweating fevers. There are many pros to being sick from my point of view. Above are my best sick companions EVER. My tender childhood toy "Puppy Dog" (I know real inventive name, kind of like that black labrador I had named "Blackie"), and my oldest brother's baby blanket which I stole since he is 8 years older then me.

Anyways the Pros to being sick are:

- Calling off from work and not feeling guilty about short comings of money because it really is unpreventable. If you were to work while sick you only will make yourself worse in retail and in turn probably get other people sick.

- Catching up on knitting

- Catching up on Documentaries and just in general TV, Movies and such.

- Also catching up on reading and video games.

- Spending good nap/couch time with the cat

- Being a whinny ninny and letting your mom take care of you (yes even though I live in my own house with my boyfriend, I must enjoy these few years left before I have a child of my own and they become a whinny ninny!)

- Also making boyfriend feel entirely guilty for giving me such sickness and taking good advantage of it and letting him lavish me with juices, cream puffs that I can't taste and general extra loving for no good reason.

- Good excuse also to not feel guilty for not being behind the sewing machine diligently working.

While sick couch surfing Netflix has been my best friend. I think I watched 3 movies today, and 8 episodes of various mini series and one INCREDIBLE Documentary! There are very very few things I watch on anything that make me actually stop knitting because I am so enthralled that I do not want to miss anything. I am a person that takes Knitting with me into the movie theater but this Documentry made me stop knitting.

Ballerina was exquisite but probably only to me more then the average person because I ADORE the Ballet. Once upon a time I wanted to go to ABC and become a Ballerina. I worked so hard to get to Point and practiced endlessly, I even changed to a more Formal ballet school but alas..... I am only 4'10" and rejected even when I was younger I was always much smaller then my school mates. I still like to pretend sometimes. I have two sets of Point shoes one american style and one in the russian form. Of course I love the Russian style better because it makes my feet look so much better and I have uncommon lean feet that just look good in them. The pain is terrible on the feet but the results are wonderful posture and balance and above average flexibility.

The Focus was on several Russian Ballerina's over a period of years. It was just amazing to think they start on their path at the age of 10. They audition and are chosen for talent, poise, flexibility, and execution. Even harder is that they must at that age see potential for these young girls to grow into a ballerina's slim and lean physique. Just watching them dance is so mesmerizing to me because I learned all of that and to see it perfected and executed what seems so flawless is breathtaking. What I loved most about this is that not only did you see performances but you also saw some of the practices before the performances, you see them mess up and sweat and strain themselves.

Just so inspirational! And me the Fashion person I even paid attention when she was fitting new shoes at the Ballet store and paused to see the details of some costumes hanging, as well as their rehearsal garments. ahhh how much I wish to dance again. It is also where my love of classical music and instruments came from. Perhaps this is why I tried so hard at Violin and Piano as I got older. I never enjoyed to practice those as much as dancing though.