Treat Yo Self - B-day Week

Sorry for the MIA, I've been floating around on many thoughts in my head. I am going to be firm, that I don't wait to air dirty laundry or negative feelings on my blog. I want to keep this as a positive and inspiring place for myself and my readers.

My Birthday is fast approaching next week and I have been treating myself very well.  With a little influx of cash from some side projects I was able to get myself one of my long coveted dream knitting machines the Brother KH 260 Bulky.

Please excuse the bad photo, this was off of Ebay and I am expected to receive my lovely in the mail today.  I have so many amazing ideas for her. Some of my friends say that a knitting machine is cheating but there are so many more amazing things you can get done with a machine and faster then handknits.  I'm reminded of this great blog post by StyleBubble on a designer called ALL Knitwear.

 photos from Stylebubble

These pictures get me so excited to get the machine in my hands and to get to work.  I've been away from knitwear too long where my heart lies in design. I'm slowly refocusing and designing a few small run collections.

Aside from that I bought myself this pretty dress from Nasty Gal

Lastly my Weaving teacher Pat Bullen is letting me borrow this little beauty for a month so I've spoiled myself with some new yarns to play with on the loom. It is a 4 harness 26" Kyra table loom with attached legs.

 

This is only the beginning as well.  I have a birthday party this weekend with friends a bit early since my actual birthday falls on a Tuesday.  I look forward to the local Spring flea, Columbus Zoo (which my hubby and I have done every year since we've been together) and dinner with my Parents.  I also plan to pick up this cute Gnome Necklace I spied last week when I was shopping for another friend's B-day present.

 Hopefully they still have it!

TiLT - Fashion inspring me

I feel slightly obligated to post something more "fashion" oriented considering this is amidst New York Fashion Week and right before the Oscars. Let me tell you what you won't find here, trends. I don't really follow them the way the masses typically does.  I do fashion to the beat of my own drummer and go for inspiring and original rather then that new hot color or shape to wear.  Sure I follow the trends but I pick and choose what I like and what I think is really appropriate for me.  Doesn't mean it is appropriate for you, just me unless otherwise stated.  Having said that let's move on with my Things I Love Thursday for fashion inspirations!

 1. Pastels and Peekaboo maxi skirts.
 I love mint I always have and there is something about pastels that just screams for spring to start.  I could never personally pull off the Pink but I think with a contrast of Electric blue or black I could rock it.  That peekaboo maxi skirt I am in love with. It's not a leg baring slit, it's not a skort, simply a combination of long and short hems that give a little show as you walk or sit cross legged looking over all sophisticated when matched with the right fluid fabric.

 2. Sheer Oversized Sleeves
 If you know me and my design work you know I love an over sized sleeve. This one of course instantly struck me as amazing.  It makes me wish I had endless yardage of silk organza to play with.

3. Givenchy Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012
 Firstly, yes! true Haute Couture not the pret a porter that most people assume is Haute Couture.  You can read my rant here.
Moving on, the attention to all the details, the elegant draping, this has got it all.  There wasn't a single piece in the collection I wasn't floored by. I am also reminded by a quote from Valentino "I have never made a dress where the hem shows the ankle as you walk that is disgusting". If you haven't done so already you should take a closer look at each individual piece here.

4. Making Lace
Although I am not so keen on this design it has sparked a wonderful DIY lace idea in my head.  I want to use satin stitch and free form sew some of my own patterns to an OOAK (one of a kind) lace for applique on my own pieces in the collection I am forming around Neurons. 

5. Sketch applique mixed with heavy beading
I am in love with this contrast.  The very sketch like light embroidery and applique matched with super heavy beading in coordinating colors.  It looks light and airy but the feel is weighted.  It reminds me of the Japanese squiggle coloring books turned adult

6. Striking Ombre
Yes Ombre has been around the block more then a few times but what struck me about these pieces is how potent the color is and stark.  Not to mention the careful selection of which part to dye.  Both of these pieces would of been just find on their own plain because there is enough detail going on with them to make them unique.  Adding in the ombre was a gamble, it could of been viewed as overworked and trend following but the above two pieces hit the perfect pitch in my book.  The first shows how ombre doesn't have to be just from one side to the other.  The bow was the basis for the garment and letting it bleed out organically into the rest of the jacket is poetic.  The dress/skirt on the right is a prim example of how you don't have to let the ombre take over the entire garment.  It is super saturated and then quickly disperses to the stark white of the rest of the garment.  This is just another example of how editing embellishments to any garment is key.




All the photos in this post were taken from various sources which I unfortunately didn't keep a great track of when I plopped them into Pinterest and Evernote (sorry)
Style Bubble, Park and Cube, Givenchy Facebook, Style.com

OTD January 3rd, 2011

Okay! So I am trying really hard to start this year off right with my new spiffy camera and take some OTD photos but I am in constant learning and transition.  Like where is a good place to take the photos (IE Not in the low ceiling basement)  There will be one more small set in the basement because I didn't learn my lesson the first time.  I got my wondorous cord in the mail and I don't know what posessed me to think 1 meter (3 feet) would be long enough for me to take photos of myself from head to toe in one shot.  Unfortunately that is currently the only remote shutter on the market for my camera that isn't professional grade costing more then $500 bones.

Fair isle Sweater with Feather & Fan stitch: Tulle from TigerTree

White Undershirt : Express

Jeans: Dark Denim Zelda Ultra Skinny Express

Boots: Miss Sixty from Victoria Secret Catalog

 

A Closer less sexy look at the Boots. 

They were my huge splurge this winter and completely worth it.  Super Comfortable and looked great with my skinny jeans.  Rubber soles that are long wearing and flexible.  Best part is that they are over the knee and do not make you look like a hooker!

So the lessons learned from these photos are:
1. Pay attention to your background
2. Don't be afraid to be cheesy in the photos
3. Run Fast to get maximum pose time from timer
4. Make sure there is nothing to trip you and don't trip on your tripod
5. Keep your legs mostly together
6. Don't shoot photos in the basement if you want them to look nice

I remember when Style Bubble did this post about how cheesy she felt taking OTD's and how there were only so many poses she felt comfortable in but I can't find the specific post.  I think Keiko Lynn talked about it also once upon a time.  I swear more recently (like in the past 3 months) I read something from Park & Cube on how uncomfortable it was to pose for OTD's.

2011 Inspirations

As I slowly trudge into this new year kicking and screaming to get out of my holiday slump I snatched up some pictures to put me back in mood to sew and create. Once again I am at a lose to tell you where they all came from but I'll try!

Wonderful Tentacles Knitted into a wreath, I'm love the idea of this into a collar of a sweater or jacket

I believe I got this off of Craft:

 Gorgeous texture and shape on this knitted Pineapple bag that I randomly found on the net.

Delicate spidery effect on this crocheted Hanger makes me want to do unpatterned lace panels into strech knit garments.

I just love the way this looks.

(Found on Stylebubble)

This shape just calls to me and the craftmanship of the wood is divine

This was an entry from Etsy for the contest of sending a craft to the Moon.

Her unconventional freehand embroidery on this gives me so much mojo for hand emboidery goodness.

By Average Jane Crafter

I want so badly to create a little hanging plush city like I keep seeing all around. 

 I feel like this came from the same place as the Pineapple

Speaking of that Devilish Pineapple here he is again with closer look at those sublime knitted stitches

Something a little more class in Embroidery

No yearly inspriation can be complete without a look back at some Alexander McQueen

I think I saved this because of the Orgnaza Collar on the chick on the left side.  It made me want to do some more work with Organza while I am working on my wedding dress.

Goergeous ruffles in layers and layers and layers. 

This came from once again Style Bubble

Gold Paillettes Dress also from Style Bubble

The layers of these discs just looks like luscious scales from a dragon

These Images are from Park & Cube

I just love the knit wear inspriations of doing something a little bit different to something so simple and the gauzy layers with the open knit work.

Lastly no year for me can be without a little octo friend.  This image was taken from National Geographic site about strange new animals found in the year 2010.  This is a purple breed of Ocotpus.

Things Collected

Do you remember that first time you purchased an original designer item?  That newness and feeling of exclusiveness?  Such fond memories.  Saving up every dollar just to have it even if you bought it on Discount from TJ Maxx or Filene's basement it was still of designer quality and name.

I'm getting those same happy feelings everytime I look at my successful purchase of my first Vivienne Westwood Rocking Horse, Anglomania/Melissa shoes.  For months I had been hunting down the coveted shoes which I first glanced at Style Bubble.  But I wanted them even more when she got her own pair here.
At the time of course I could buy it right from the site but I put it off not thinking it would be so popular because they are this silly jelly heavy things.  I forgot how obsessed asians (especially Japanese) could be over Vivienne Westwood anything and at $190 it really wasn't bad.  Finally they came out with this beautiful red pair.

They had to be mine but I couldn't afford it at the time.  Carefully I saved my pennies and then they were sold out.  Don't you just hate that?!  I spent the next 3 months scouring the interwebs to find them at any price.  But I had no luck.  Every single day I went to Hervia.com to put my e.mail down for notification when they would be back in stock.  The unsaid answer was never.   Just as I was about to throw in the towel and cry in my kitties belly, Endless.com had them and in my SIZE!  If you don't quite know me I am petite with a size 5 foot so finding any designer shoe in my size is near a miracle on it's own.

"Forget the carpayment, it will just have to be late this month" is what I told myself and quickly added it to my electronic shopping cart and without even looking I went to "Check out".  I was done even better was the free overnight shipping.  It was a Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving but my shipping confirmation said I would have it by Friday.  By Golly I did!

As soon as I came home from work I immediately slipped them on with no regard to my ultra conservative khaki's and dress shirt.  I might of even taken a nap in them, I'm not totally sure because I was in a euphoria of happiness.

It really is a shame that it is snowing outside so these beauties have only been worn around the house.  It makes me feel like a 50's housewive doing the vacumming in her pumps.

Photo from here

Injecting Colors

I am simply in love with the colors in these outfits and the gorgeous embroidery on this bag.  It makes it look like it is dripping in color.  Winter isn't even here yet and I'm already scheming on my spring colors.

Once again I suck..... These photos came from Style Bubble lord knows when........  I wish I wrote down the designer for inspiration reference.

In other words I am working on some new pieces that are the cut and sew variety to post on Etsy in the next two weeks, some japanese pattern translating from Drape Drape and redesigned underwear to make it more cost and time effective but with the same feeling.

The Truth: Journals and Blogs

As odd as it sounds blogging is not the only documentation of my life.  I also have a hand written journal.  I used to do a lot of my thoughts and personal things on my xanga and my livejournal but nothing at all beats the honesty that I write into my journal.  I write just rambling thoughts of whatever is going on in my life at the moment or true ranting that no one else needs to hear.  A resolution I had made when I started this Blog was that I would not rant and become enbittered in this.  I have been doing a good job of it.   I wonder how hard it is for other bloggers to be this way and also if they have another source, outlet just like I do.  Over the years I've learned in my own way that ranting can feel good and all but who really wants to hear that or see that repeatedly?

I don't do this Blog to make a particular profit even though it would be a nice eventuality.  I do it because I love to write and share with my friends and strangers out there my thoughts, my talents, what I have learned and to me it is a continual teaching, at least with my sewing exploits.  I would without a doubt love it if I could make this like Gala Darling and Style Bubble my main source of income and receive hand outs from designers but the reality is not that.  I know the statistics, of the millions of Blogs out there how am I different?  What do I have to offer? and Why would any high end designer send something out to Columbus, Ohio?  The epitome of Midwest where the main thing we are known for is testing products and advertisements for big box stores and chains.  Perhaps that will change with our reputation of the Indie Craft Scene Growing more and more prevalent.

Here are a couple photos of my real paper journal.  I always like to take inspiration images and decorate with crazy stickers.

Criss Cross makes me JUMP JUMP

I had seen these tights posted by Style Bubble and instantly fell in love with them.  Who can seriously afford tights that will snag and ruin eventually that are over a hundred dollars?  Certainly not me. Contemplating this I figured how one could potentially make them on your own if you were so inclined with a masochistic fetish for sewing and pattern work.

The shoes on the other hand I would buy in a heartbeat if I had the income!

The easiest way to do this is getting a skinny jean or legging pattern and then dividing it into your separate sections.  Don't forget to either notch, number or code them in some way so you know how it all pieces back together.  This is all of course with no seam allowance at all (since you are using 4-way stretch materials).

**I would avoid using a wide fishnet in this but if you are DEAD SET on making it the most difficult stretch project ever my advice is use water soluble glue to glue the edges to water soluble facing so that you have something to sew on and then it will dissolve when you wash it or make some 1/4" or less binding for those edges out of a solid 4 way stretch to match your thread.**

  I would avoid using actual tights but getting 1/4 yard pieces ordered from House of Spandex or Spandex World.  As new tights have been manufactured in the round and are not suitable for being cut up and old tights are already stretched so the fabric would not be even.

The Final step is sewing it all together on your serger not sewing machine.  For this project the only thing to bind all these stretch fabrics together is using a 3-thread rolled edge with Woolly Nylon in all the loopers and I would even go so far as the needle.  There is not good way to thread it except with tweezers, needle threader tool and lot's of patience.  There are other stretchable threads advertised but in my experience Woolly Nylon has been the best.  It just has more stretch in it then any of the others I have tried.  not only are they separated nylon strands but they are also loosely braided together to also give a much better finished edge.

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!