Weardrobe

If you haven't seen it yet it's a very interesting site.  Mostly made up of people all over the place and their daily outfit photos.  I joined several months ago but today was the first day I actually was trying to upload some photos and be a part of it.   Some other bloggers that I follow like Keiko Lynn and Style Rookie are on the ranks of Weardrobe so I thought I would give it a go.   It is a little exhausting to be double loading photos though.   I wish there was a direct Flickr link or something.

OTD

Finally got some time yesterday to do some outfit pictures.  Luckily at the new job there are HUGE mirrors for me to stand in front of.  Bad thing is they have super ugly curtains and with the curtains open lighting is terrible and there is way too much background mess.  Someday I will have my digital SLR snd set it up with my nice tripod ~sigh~

 

Express Cocoon Grey Shrug

Rodarte from Target navy lace shirt

White Limited Cami

Untamed Menagerie "We're all made here" Necklace

Toki Doki I love LA watch

White beaded Cuff present from my old Intern

Deena and Ozzy knot belt

Express cropped Black Leggings

Steve Madden White Probe Shoes

Holiday Chores

So who else is already done with the Holidays before they happen?  I just feel like this year I have been running errands on every single free day I have had.  It's as little annoying as I just want to finish up The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess on the Wii.

We have some guests staying with us after Christmas till the New Year so we are trying to look like responsible adults in our house.  We have been cleaning for days.........  Finally it has put me in the mood to make my quilted hangings for the bathroom built in shelves.

I'm using this under the sea themed fabric to go with the rest of the Bathroom decor which is also sea creature themed.  It's called Mendocino from Heather Ross for Free Spirit and I picked up mine from no other place then Sew to Speak.  Here's the progress.

And my favorite two panels

I Hope that all of you got your last minute sewing projects done as well!

Rocking the Horse

I hate when Christmas lists escape me.   All the things I want I forget to put down in time.  Such as Rocking Horse Shoes.  In particular these Vivienne Westwood's.  I just saw them again on Style Bubble and coveted them instantly all over again.

Although I know most would say I am too old to think and dress like a Gothic Lolita deep down in my heart I still want to do it.  I like to use Ohayocon as my excuse to play dress up. Though I doubt I will have a full Lolita outfit I will still most likely portray my current Favorite Anime Character Nana Osaki from the NaNa manga.

I did find some decent imitation Vivienne Westwood Rocking horse Shoes on Ebay which I think I might Purchase this year for Ohayocon in January.

I'll make a larger blog about my love for Gothic Lolita Another day.  I still have TONS of things to do before Christmas and errands to run!

Sew to Speak meets the Internets!

Super exciting!
Remember that little local fabric store I always rave about?

Well they are now ONLINE with a little store!   Of course it's not all their fabrics and notions but it's a good start and great taster for those who can't make the local commute.  My most favorite thing about them is their unique collection of fabric prints and import japanese fabrics and prints.

I think these Ladies have made so much progress and done such a fine job with their store.  I really can't gush enough about it.  Every time I go in I end up spending much more then I should and for projects I haven't even made up yet!

They are also on twitter

as am I

http://twitter.com/torn_angel

They carry various lines like Moda, Alexander Henry, Kokka, Momo and so much more!
Go check them out!  While I am fortunate enough to actually go into the store today!

Rodarte for Target!

Why hello me late again on the train as usual because life happens and I can't seem to keep up with everyone else's exciting fashionable lives outside of C-bus!

Yes maybe you have heard RODARTE designed a line for Target's "Go International" That Debuts December 20th Nationwide.  GAH why does it have to be before the Holidays?!   I was skimming around and I want it all!  At least this is much better then that H&M Jimmy Choo debacle where it was only being sold in certain H&M stores and not online at all.  Just because you live in one of The Big cities does not automatically make you more fashionable and more worthy of such decadence.

I learned of this great collaboration from a wonderful young girl named Tavi from Style Rookie who is WAY far from a rookie.  She has more travel and fashion experiences under her tiny belt then I have had in my whole 28 something life.  ~fuming with jealousy~  You can read more here at Teen Vogue.

It is a 20 piece collection that I am DROOLING over.  If I could do my Christmas list all over again it would be THIS in every design.

Being in the mood

For sewing that is and creating.   Whenever I feel especially down and my craft books and runway fashion magazine aren't giving me enough of what I need, I look towards this particular website.

Tokyo Made

Just browsing all these fun little items that I know I could made or someone I know could make helps to push myself.  It is also funny how somethings can traverse from asia to the american mainstream.

Like this cute Monster Pouch.

Here is Antrhopologie's version

And these great Resin Pendants make me want to learn how to make my own!

Everything is so funky yet artistic and I love it.  This is the kind of stuff I want to make to sell in the summer/spring for art/craft shows.  First and foremost I want to be able to get my own pattern resolved for a barrel bag to sell based on woodland creatures.  That will be later on though.

Rush for the Holidays

If you haven't noticed I have been working hard on updating my Etsy.   It's very hard time of year because after all those craft shows and events you just want to let your guard down and relax.  Unfortunately for me the colder months are my best selling months.
~BUT~
Finally I have finished all my updating on Etsy!  it only took me 3 days including taking photos, editing and posting of over 30 items.   Well worth it though.  Hopefully I will make some last minute sales before the holidays.

The process is longer then I would like but it's a one women show especially when I don't have time for interns when I am scrapping by myself.  I'm very happy with how it turned out and borrowing a Digital SLR made a HUGE difference in the quickness of the updates.  I had much less photo editing to do then I normally do and didn't even need to take a second batch of photos because everything looked brilliant the first time around.  It especially helped that I took my time to practice the week before getting accustomed to the camera's settings and playing with lighting.  Also helpful that my cat was a willing muse.

Daily outfit quickie!

This is an older outfit that was in August that I never got around to posting.

Just me working in my Studio ~cough dungeon cough~

Jelly Gladiators from BCBG
Red Silk Skirt from Express Circa 2005
Love graphic shirt from Express 2009
Large black triple buckle elastic belt from Target
Toki Doki I Love LA Watch
Black acrylic Bangle (present from mypenpal Steph B.)

Uniform Project

If you have never heard of this you need to catch up!
The Uniform Project is this incredibly creative team of ladies who are raising money for children in India to go to school.    This actually was one of the things I had seen floating around the internet that made me want to get back into Blogging myself and put myself out there.

In short, Sheena in the photos is destined to wear one type of dress for 365 days!  She has 6 of the same dress to change around and style but the dress MUST be worn.  I was fortunate enough to take part of this and donate both a monetary and clothing donation to the cause which will later be auctioned off as well to help raise more money!

In this outfit she is wearing a pair of my Striped Military pants and White Bubble Scarf

Also this month if you make a monetary donation Ebay will match it!!!  What better way to give for the less fortunate then double the donation?

Pondering Validity

After today I just once again have to ponder my worth as a designer out here in the midwest.  I find it so much more difficult then Chicago or NYC not at all because of competition but more the lack of.  At least when I lived in those other cities it was a struggle in the fashion competitions that was worthwhile.  Here in the OH it feels more and more like a crap shoot.  Of all the contests I've entered I feel there is less then half the people who actually design on the same level as me.  Perhaps all my work is just too Avant -garde for this town.

I feel like I do the best when I submit things for the Gallery shows then I do for anything else.  At least there I don't feel like I need to dumb down anything or worry about the resale is.  I do well at the Craft shows but that is a lot of trickle down from what I really love to do design wise.  Also my underwear does pretty decently at Undone but once again not my main forte'.

It seriously breaks my heart a little to think that my love of fashion is one-sided with the public here.  I'm not alternative, not goth, not trendy, what in the world am I?   Somedays I feel like giving up and retreating to nothing more then my "PINK" sweat pant suits and calling it a day for getting dress.  I've less and less reasons to bother with my makeup.  Lately I'm just happy to cover up blemishes as opposed to how I used to make sure my face was the purest matte porcelain looking mask with impeccable liquid eyeliner cat eyes.

In better news I hope that my new position as the Fashion Editor for the "The Artists Interview" Newspaper will help shape and open up the eyes for this town I call home.  There is a lot of good fashion here it just needs to be strained away from the OSU Buckeye Scarlet and Grey.   I have high hopes for turning this into an ultimate creative outlet for myself and reinventing some local lives.

A Bit of Mail

A couple weeks ago I got my first bit of blog mail!  It was actually an e.mail above is a just a photo of a letter from a Penpal (yep I still penpal with handwritten letters).
Very exciting and full of Questions that I thought you would all like to hear the answers now that I have a little bit of free time between projects.

The message is as follows

"This morning I found your site off the links page on galadarling.  As I was browsing through your posts, I noticed that you don't seem to ever use patterns.  Did you just wake up one day and not use them?  Did you ween yourself off of them?  Did someone teach you how to write your own?  I would love to be able to make beautiful clothes without using patterns, but I'm too intimidated to start.  Your blog makes me want to jump up and sew stuff though.  It's very anti-time wasting. 

Thanks-Meli"

My Response

Hello Meli!

    Thank you very much for the interest and I am happy to know that my blog is not for nothing and is an insight for people somewhere out there.

I actually do use patterns a lot but it is more of an after step.  Majority of my work is done with draping and then I use the piece to make a pattern with afterward, if I decide I want to sell it and need to do production.   I learned pattern making skills in College at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago but have since refined them.  I also learned about grading and production patterns while I interned with Gary Graham in NYC.  A lot of the time for simple shapes I don't need to use patterns because they have been ingrained into my head from years of using them and teaching pattern drafting at Columbus College of Art and Design as a Continuing Education Instructor.

Don't be scared to just jump in with fabrics and see what you come out with.  A good way to get to know patterns without having to depend on them all the time is by taking apart old clothes or cheap forever 21 outfits.  In the process you will also learn about the inner workings like facing, linings, and finishing, etc etc.  It's a little trick I have all my students do before they get into the pattern process and I have them keep the deconstructed pieces until the end of class so I always have something to reference back to when they have questions or can't quite picture how everything fits together.

Good Luck with Everything!
Cheers!

~Esther

If anyone has questions please feel free to post them and I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge.

No Shame in tears

Sometimes it really is neccessary to have a good cry.  To just let it all out the angst the frustration the disappointment, so long as you do not wallow in it.

Today was one of those days for me.  Due to unforeseen circumstances my monetary situation became very thin.  Things happen and we must take responsibility and do what is right, none of this selfish baby whining of but but but...... But nothing if you have to use that money someplace else and forgo that special something you had been saving for that's that. 

It hurt me alot to realize that I won't be getting my long coveted digital SLR Nikon D40 camera.  All my hard earned craft money had other obligations suddenly to fulfill.  I felt so frustrated and depressed I turn up Beastie Boyz "Sabatoge" the entire way home from work as I cried and yelled my eyes out.  Not only that but I suddenly felt like being entirely selfish and just quitting all my other obligations this month.  The substance contest, Ohio Art League Submissions and Holiday Hop Underwear.   I picked myself up and re-made my lists and am once again back on track.

Substance Design contest pieces are in the finishing stages.  I'm happy and I hope I win that $1000.00 prize.  Also doing a last minute photoshoot of these pieces with the Amazing Chip Willis before I turn them in.

Here is a sample of the Hand beading.

The Truth about Boring......

I love boring monetanous tasks.  I think they are fantastic.  Repetition of boring handiwork is a strong point for me.  This is why I love knitting, crochet, ruffles, pleats, smocking, embroidery and beading.  Most people would get tired or bored of them and give up but I thrive on it.

It gives me much satisfaction to spend hours meticulusly making even stitches.  I feel like overall these small handiworks end up being brilliant details.  It also helps to sell because not many people want to take the time to do these things. The only difficult thing is how do you put a price on your time and still make it affordable as a piece?   Or do I just throw caution to the wind and put it out there like a starving artist?

Hand Smocking on vintage linen to make a skirt.

It's all in the advertising

The hardest thing about being independent in every way shape and form is advertising myself in my opinion.  I'm not the kind of person who likes to toot their own horn and shout from the mountains about my design abilities.   I struggle to even do a resume because I feel weird listing all my good accomplishments and rewards even though that is what you are supposed to do.

I've found the best way for me to get over this is by donating items to other blogs, and charities and let them speak for me.   It is also a clever way to get rid of inventory that just for whatever reason isn't moving.

Such as this Shawl.  Nothing wrong with it very simply design made from cotton/linen blend on my knitting machine.  It had hearts on etsy but alas I have been sitting on it for over a year now.

At least someone loved it enough to give it a home and plug about me on their Blog!

"Whitz World of Beauty"

Aside from that I've also Donated to the "Available Light Theatre" and "Fuse Factory".  It's all a work in progress so I gotta keep doing it.  Eventually it will all pay off.

Halloween Highball the Overview and Photo Explosion

That basically says it all in the title.

Overview:  Good intentions but bad organization and not enough attention to the event schedule and how to control it.  Not to forgot there were NO GUIDELINES given to any judges regarding any of the costume contests (especially the Designer Fashion show)

My first Quib was they used the word Couture.  This is for sure NOT a Couture Fashion show in any way shape or form.  You wanna know what Couture is?! Check out the Wiki on it here.  I hate hate HATE the misrepresentation of words especially in fashion.  How people can throw around the word "couture" so much and inappropriately baffles me.  It's like false advertising to me.   They should use the word Avant-garde more often.  It fits better for sure especially being halloween and for the creative costumes.

Judging was just bad....... at least for my portion in the Fashion show they were supposed to judge based only on the costume.  We were supposed to have 3-4 looks that represent us as a designer and then one Huge Costume piece.  They picked the most tamed down collection and the only NON-costume design up there.  Also not the judges fault but the slideshow failed halfway through so no one knew who's designs were coming down second half and the sound was cutting in and out so badly that no one could hear what was being said.
I heard that people thought my MAX costume was my Fashion show Costume and because I was last before Althea Harper a lot of my pieces were mistaken for hers and my costume was assumed to be hers.   During the line up her Costume piece never got back up on stage so mine was last and then the assumptions just rolled.   How irritating eh?  This was a problem last year also because while my pieces went down Terri Stevens name was flashing so much credit and aww was lost.

There were good points about it also!
Definitely made better connections/friendships this year with other designers that were a part of it last year as well.  Hair was AMAZING!   We were provided MUA's this year.  Redress did a wonderful job organizing the transport back and forth for the models and keeping track of models.   I think everyone put in valiant efforts it was just sadly not enough to prevent bad judging, sound, visual and models from stealing garments.

Now for the Photo Explosion with very little commentary from moi!

At the Hair Salon "Phia"

In the line up Waiting............

Creme one shoulder pin tuck and pleated dress

Leather Mutton Sleeved Jacket with Colonial draped skirt

Gingham Silk checkered halter full gown

Just me in my costume

My Costume piece based on a sea anemone

To see more photos from the event this year and last year go here!
I wish I had the room and gusto to showcase everyone but I don't.

Here is a little snippet of Wilde Hunt Corsetry

Models: Angela Makeever, Samantha Trotter, Priscilla Dwomoh, Gloria Nyagea, Carolyn Cline, Ludie Senatus, Patti


Photos: Robert Walker, Rob Manko, Andrew Blight, "Walker Space"