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Fashion - Relevant or Not

Decide for yourself here: http://morningmidnight.com/post/394946568/why-fashion-is-worth-blogging-about

Mardi Gras Buddha (or is it Budha?)

Knitting Update

My current knitting project

A New Year

I can appreciate the whole "New Year's Resolution" idea. I'm all for goals but what I have found out about myself is that goal's are really worthless unless there is some form of commitment behind them. And for me to be committed to a change, means that something meaningful has to happen for me to want to change.

For instance, over the past 5 years I have changed my eating and exercise habits all after a friend was diagnosed with cancer (she's doing well, thank you for asking). It wasn't a huge, overnight change. It was very small changes (the Japanese refer to this as Kaizen or baby steps) implemented over time. First I totally cut out soda from my diet (they are fattening and totally devoid of any nutritional value but you can bet that there will be a 2 liter of ice cold Pepsi at my last meal) and I started walking. About 3 months later I added ankle and hand weights. Another couple of months later I added interval weight training. I went quite a long time without doing anything new. Then I had a friend challenge me to a boot camp. For six weeks I got up at 5 am (no easy feat for a die-hard night owl) in the Texas summer heat (trust me, it's not that much cooler at 5 am) and worked out. I was amazed at the energy and strength I gained and didn't want to lose that so I started running. That was 2 years ago. So change happens, goals get met, when you are committed to them and when you don't overwhelm yourself.

This year I am not making any resolutions, per se, instead I choose to call it a "rededication". For me, 2010 is going to be The Year of my Art. I have always enjoyed art and design but this year I am rededicating myself to my creativity. I have already signed up for one art class and I have a wonderful, scary but exciting big project that I am launching in 2010 that is dedicated to my love of creating fashion (knitting, crochet, sewing). The website is being worked on as I write this. This is going to be the year that I take my creativity seriously and finally overthrow those demons (in my head as well as well-meaning people) that told me that being "crafty" was a good hobby but not suitable as a career.

Signs of Christmas

Change for the good?

Thank goodness we are doing well this year despite the economic down turn, but it wasn't long ago that things weren't all that great but as in this story, I found a new sense of strength, creativity and purpose when times were financially tough. Maybe if more people had to do this, we wouldn't be in a jam because they wouldn't be trying to fill the void in there lives with things.

Dress up time

I finished my Halloween costume this weekend but you don't get to see a picture of it until after the party. But rest assured, it does involve a FABULOUS pair of shoes.

It's been awhile

I have been trying to fill in the holes in my wardrobe and one of the things I have been lacking is a neutral, all purpose (winter) sweater. So I knitted this one out of Lion Brand's Wool-Ease, which is a middle of the road kind of yarn, mostly acrylic with a touch of wool. I orginally made a cardigan out of it but was disappointed with the fit so I unraveled it. This sweater, however, turned out PERFECT. It is exactly what I wanted, a drapey, yet shapely knit that I can wear with jeans or belted with my black beaded skirt.

I did something you are "never" suppose to do with yarn. I ironed it. I stuck the iron right on the sweater (those of you who are "by the rules" - not that we know who actually made up these "rules"- might want to stop reading now) and steamed it till it the yarn gave out it's last dying breath (otherwise referred to as "killing" the yarn).

For those of you who don't knit, generally you don't put the weight of an iron on the knit for the very reason that I did it. It takes all the elasticity out of the yarn. The steam and weight of the iron gets rid of all the stretch, generally something you want to keep in, especially for those body hugging curves.

But I did it on purpose for several reasons. First of all, (and I am kicking myself for not getting a "before" picture), the yarn was a little kinky from the previous sweater I had knit with it. Ironing it evened out all of the stitching. Second, less expensive acrylic yarn tends to be a little bit on the scratchy side. Killing the yarn can create a soft fabric (now if you have a REALLY cheap acrylic, sometimes no amount of steam ironing will get rid of the scratch. It's just best to use that yarn for something else). Finally, I didn't want to create a second skin, I wanted it to be on the drapey side so that it would have a more elegant look and killing the fabric created a beautiful drape in this yarn.

When I tried this sweater on before I ironed it, it fit just fine but it wasn't exactly flattering. The ribbing pulled in (especially on the sleeves at the cuff) and the kinky stitches looked sloppy. It looked like a ho-hum, "homemade" sweater. After I ironed it, the cuffs flared out nicely (doesn't it look like I have monkey arms?) and the sweater skims my body, giving me some definition in the waist (I did build in darts) but not squeezing me like a stuffed sausage.

Overall, very pleased with my effort.

The September Issue

If you have any interest in fashion, I suggest you go see "The September Issue", a documentary about putting together the September 2008 issue of Vogue (the BIG fashion issue). You think the movie is going to be more about Anna Wintour, Vogue's famous editor but Wintour, while a fashion genius in her own right, really doesn't have the personality for film. She remains guarded and elusive throughout the whole movie (and while the Vogue offices look very much like the offices in "The Devil Wears Prada", the vibe of the actual Vogue office and it's staff seems more laid back - well as laid back as you can get under constant publishing deadlines.)
The real star of this movie is Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington. The woman is a wonderful storyteller. Her photo shoots and styling are phenomenal. She's one of those people I want at my fantasy dinner party.
Also, Andre Leon Talley is hoot playing tennis with more diamonds around his wrist and Louis Vuitton luggage than you can shake a stick at!

New Obsession

I found this book titled "Stella" in the fashion section at Half Price Books. I originally thought it would be about Stella McCartney but found out it was about a model named Stella Maret who did a lot of work for Jacques Fath. Now, I had heard of Fath, but after looking at this book, which is primarily photos of his clothes, I was obsessed.

The book has some amazing examples of his designs as well as other well-known designers from that era (the suit with the bow is a Lanvin)

I have a whole new appreciation for 50's fashion and for Fath, who was obviously underrated in his day.

What I did on my vacation

I finished up piddly details on several projects: the olive dress got a zipper (it looks awesome on, can't wait for some fall weather and a dinner date) and hem and the pink sweater got faux pockets and buttons. Then I made this shirt and a black trumpet skirt. I tried to take a picture of the skirt but the camera couldn't handle the contrast. You can see a smidge of it under the shirt.

Look Familiar?

I'm not one to make the same thing twice, but I had the yarn in white and decided to make another one of these tops. I made it a little shorter this time around.

The dress is the one I was debating whether to go navy or use this deep olive green. I thought navy would win but I had way more yardage of the navy so I decided to save it for another pattern.

This dress is actually from the same pattern as the blue dress I made last month. I still have to put in the zipper and hem the sleeves and bottom.

Bling

Necklace that I made today out of old jewelry. Pendant was originally an earring, blue pearl beads were from a necklace and the clear beads I bought. I love repurposing old jewelry into something new. Makes me sad that I never got a hold of my grandmother's costume jewelry. I bet I could have had lots of fun with that.

Compliments the sweater nicely, if I do say so myself.

Final (?) Thoughts

I finished the pink cardigan, all it needs is buttons - I'm thinking of going with silver. I am still debating if I will put the pockets on. This sweater has languished for about a year in a drawer, almost finished. I spent a lot of money on this yarn as it is a fine merino wool, which is why I picked a classic shape so that I could wear it for a long time. I just had to put on the front bands and collar. It actually took a little bit of engineering on the right way to do it so that it didn't cheapen the overall look of the garment. I managed to figure it out, though I ripped out the button band once because the first buttonholes were horrible. I tried a different technique and added more buttons, and then with a little bit of blocking, ending up with a very nice looking buttonhole band.

Overall this month has been pretty interesting. Did I actually succeed in buying only those things I needed? No, but I don't feel bad about it. What I realized was this wasn't an exercise in deprivation. I've already done that (out of necessity, not out of choice) and it's no fun (and why diets don't work). It was about becoming a more conscious consumer. Do I need to spend $5 on a magazine that I will read once? Probably not. Do I need 15 different shades of pink nail polish? Once again, I decided no (but I did have to think about that for a minute). If something is on sale for $10 do you buy it because it is on sale or because you really love it or need it?

I have started to reframe how I look at my life and my purchases. It's about quality over quantity. For instance, I did go and see two movies this month. They are obviously not a necessity, but I enjoyed seeing them and spending the time with my friend, who I treated for her birthday. To me that was a quality purchase - it enhanced my life and our friendship. It's about figuring out what really matters and then going with that.

Also, since I didn't have the distraction of shopping, I spent a lot of time making things. I think I accomplished quite a bit this month. It reminded me how much I really enjoy sewing and knitting. This is my thing - creating fashion. It's what makes me happy. I get a little thrill every time I figure out how to do something I didn't do before. Sewing and knitting are like puzzles, you have to figure out the best way to put the pieces together. I enjoy that. Others may enjoy playing sports, cooking, gardening or making music, but for me it's creating fashion.

The point is this: we all have something that we like doing, our own creative spirit (creativity isn't just about art, it's about personal expression) and when you give your time to it, you fill that void inside yourself that you think that money, food or things can fill.

Day 27

I am wearing the pink blouse from Saturday's post today with a cute black/white/pink/green print skirt. I think it looks cute but the males in my household don't notice these things.

I also finished knitting the armbands on this tank top. It fits well, the ribbing is very flattering. It will be very versatile - I can wear it alone in the summer or under a jacket in the winter.

I did a major reorganizing of my fabrics. Well, it wasn't so much a reorganizing as it was digging up the piles of fabric to see what I actually have. I started matching up fabric to actual patterns I could sew with them. I have some wonderful black wool that I am going to make a gored skirt with and then I have a very cute dress but can't decide if I want to make it in this very dark olive green or navy. I think the navy is going to win.

I also have two knitting projects that I haven't finished and decided before I start anything new I have to finish them. One is a pink cardigan (I spent a lot of money on the wool for it - it is soft and luxurious and beautiful). It's practically done, all I have to do is knit the bands, collar and pocket and sew in one sleeve (the other is already sewn). The other project is a blue cardigan that has wonderful texture to it with cable and bobble stitches. I need to finsh the back and sleeves on that one.

Day 25

This blouse was interesting to work on. The fabric shifts alot so it was hard to get a handle on it but it didn't turn out too bad - a cute little summer top with some nice embellishments.
I also have another knit tank top in progress so hope to be able to post that soon. It's a lot simpler than the other one but still cute.

Day 18

Sweater to match skirt is finished. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't fit but it's pretty stretchy and it's fine. Not only does it go with the skirt I made but I have another skirt that I can wear it with and didn't even realize it.

Day 11

I won't bore you with day by day details, instead I'll focus on the finished products. Here is a dress that I completed. Luckily I had a zipper to match.
Picking the correct size in a sewing pattern can be tricky. They aren't sized like ready-to-wear. You have to go by your measurements and even then you have to check how much ease they put into the pattern. I went down a size for this dress because it had way to much ease in it and I am glad I did. It fits perfectly.

Days 6 & 7

I continue working on my knitting so nothing new to show there.
On Tuesdays, I have volunteered to teach a sewing class to teens at a local non-profit. The experience has been eye-opening. First of all, I was WAY too ambitious with my project, but in my defense, I was under the impression that the teens would SIGN-UP for the class, as in make a commitment to be at the class each week. That apparently is not the way things work at this place. Unfortunately, I have not had much direction from the director of the facility (in her defense, this was thrown at her at the last minute) so I pretty much dug myself a hole with this one. I don't mind working with the teens but if I had known that each week I would be getting a totally different group of girls (there is one girl who is very dedicated and has been there every week. I will make sure she gets her project done) I would have structured the class differently. I would have had a small little project they could conceivably complete in 2 hours, rather than an ongoing project where each class builds on the last.
I have learned a lot from this experience, it hasn't turned me off to teaching teens, but I am wondering if I should switch gears next class so that I can bring some closure to it because at the rate I'm going we are not making a lot of progress. Of course, I also decided that I am not taking any more new students until we finish this round. It may mean that next week I only have 2 students, but that's fine with me.