Author Archive
June 16, 2013 | 
Author 
This is what happens when you lock yourself away with a pile of Bowie and T-rex albums, you watch Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Velvet Goldmine for the umpteen time and emerge all misty-eyed with a stack of newsboy hats to add to your store.
I was on a digital-art making role too—I love doing this stuff; loving what was happening between my screen and mousey clicks? I’ve decided my profile picture on all of my social media needs a bit of an update and I was thinking that maybe I can draw attention to my store this way? If I were searching for a newsboy hat I know I’d click on these images just through curiosity. Sure I’ll have pictures of the hat by itself showing all the detail and what not that goes without saying. I’m just waving a big old flag to alert the masses and having a ball in the process.
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I found making these hats very therapeutic. I managed to clear-out fabric scraps from my stash, corduroy, velveteen, plaid and used cotton for lining the only thing I needed to purchase were the self-cover buttons for the top of the hat.
These hats are perfect if you’re having a bad hair day, some are big enough to accommodate a fro, dreads or big hair in general. Anyway, enough of the chatter scroll away me lovelies I’m just going to make myself a coffee.
Well I hope this colourful post made your day that’s it for me this week I hope you have a creative week I’m off to clean up a little and listen to some Cocteau Twins.
Happy Days
Selfishly sewing for myself this week guys and boy do I LOVE this weeks make AND, it only cost $6 yep! six dollars; the fabric is all thrifted $2 bundles of awesome that only I could love—minus vintage mothball pong too, you may want to look away fabric snobs this shizz is straight from Nanna’s polyester pantry circa 1970? oh hush now I can hear you cringing. I’m no fabric snob, obviously! when I spotted this stuff my thoughts were ‘look at those colours, look at those patterns, imagine them all mixed together? Did I say this out loud in the shop? I really can’t recall but, I have heard myself talk my thoughts on a number of occasions. Wearing this and talking to myself ? it’s all part of the package.
The simple V-neck vest is where I started, I had to place a black jersey knit on the back if I wanted to make the leggings—not enough fabric, the fabric is more wooly poly, nice and warm. The skirt is actually a long pencil skirt but I’ve hiked it up under my arm pits to even out proportions. The blue and white striped fabric was minimal too, perfect for ribbing and enough for sleeves for the bomber.
The bomber turned out pretty awesome, I lined it in a dark blue cotton it’s dead warm, I’m not too fond of the feel of 70′s polyester on my skin, it sends weird electric super power zappy tingles through my fingertips, not half as bad as when some one scratches their skin through their jeans, hate that noise. When you’re sewing on a budget and the poly looks this fierce I can most certainly put up with the zappy tingles, I could totally turn this thing electric summoning up a static mess magical enough to charge a White Night festival. Imagine electric bolts of zappy awesome coming from my fingertips- superhero like?
Listen to me getting all carried away on my polyester train of thought, enough of that, what about mixing prints are you the kind of girl/guy who likes to experiment? see what works and what doesn’t. I kinda like it when it doesn’t work, I think that’s where the print-mixing becomes very interesting, a visual feast if you will. Louise Gray is my all-time favourite print mixer, the lady just blows my visual/sewing mind I’ve had a serious fashion fan-girl crush on her for sometime. She’s. the. business.
I like that I can split this whole outfit up, separates are good like that. I wore this to run some errands and when I got to the post office my main mail man says Kazz what you got going on there girl? You always cheer me up, he likes that I sew this stuff myself and I like that he appreciates it.
In other fancy news I have managed to categorise my blog into sections which should be a little easier to navigate, dresses, pants, suits, and the like. While I was doing that I sifted through stuff that I had forgotten I’d made, stuff I just wanted to delete and stuff that I’m very proud of it’s nice to look back on older stuff and realize how much you’ve evolved.
I just want to make a quick shout-out to two lovely ladies Carmen from CarmencitaB, and Loran from Loran’s World for their generosity. Both ladies— who obviously appreciate my taste and know how to make my sewing heart sing. THANK YOU so much for the gifts and for thinking of me xxoo
and last but not least if you’re up for a new swimsuit Heather-Lou of Closet Case Files has produced a killer one-piece retro/vintage inspired pattern for us ladies to sew up. I love this style of swimsuit, very flattering, something I’ll be sewing up when Summer swings back around.
Well that’s it for me, let’s meet here again next Sunday, I like it when we hang-out, I like it when you comment, I even like it when you stop by and say nothing.
Happy Days
I was doing my fifth lap of Prancercise around my local park working up a sweet sweat instead of posting last week, I was just caught up in the moment, I wore white lycra tights and ankle weights too just like Joanna. Have you Prancercised yet? Get onto it you’ll form a conga line around your local park before you know and, you’ll be the talk of the town. I’m obsessed and you know what else I’m obsessed with? Bomber jackets!! I seriously can’t. stop. making. them. It’s just like the bra-making obsession I went through not long ago. I think this one is my favourite. The colours, the print, the fabric. Yumbo
She’s fully lined with a bright yellow poplin, finished off with bright pink ribbing. I love it, traffic stopping. Available in my Etsy store…lets Prancercise to the next item, swing those arms now.
I must have been drawn to yellow for some reason this week, not my favourite colour I spotted this ombre eyelash fabric and had plans to use it for the sleeves of the bomber jacket up there but then this free sized shimmer dress happened. The fabric moves like you wouldn’t believe, if you’re creative enough with your personal style I guess you can wear this with all kinds of wonderful, toned down or crazied up…
I danced the chicken dance in it and won the competition hands down. You just never know where a dress/top like this could take you.
Black just doesn’t photograph well does it? This one is a sheer lace cropped bomber with shorter sleeves, a tad boring compared to the funky stretch sateen pants I’ve made, I’m hoping I can go back and get more of this fabric to make a fitted jacket with crazy lining, I think it will look rad as a suit. I need to find a way to make this jacket work. I might steer away from black in the future, making this one could prove to be a big waste of time, it’s not until you touch it and wear it that it becomes more appealing, maybe a loud crazy printed dress underneath could work, leave it with me folks. If I had loads of cash and the resources to find the fabrics I have swimming around my head, I think I could seriously make your eyes bulge with happiness. *sigh*
My eyes bulged with happiness when I spied this digitally printed crochet cotton drill, 30% off at my local Spotlight so I made myself one of these babies. We have been living harmoniously ever since, I had enough fabric to make just one for the shop. She’s fully lined in purple poplin with dark purple ribbing, very warm and snuggly. I think it’s super funky, I hope more fabrics like this come our way in the not too distant future. This whole digital fabric printing thing is just blowing my mind, endless possibilities. I’ve looked into having fabrics printed in bulk, its way out of my budget, but there is no stopping the ideas from being put into place. You can dream right? I’ll just keep my eye out for unusual fabric prints and just keep pinning all matter of funky crazy prints to help sooth my fabric obsession.
So in other news my Janome was making weird noises so I took her down to the doctor for a full internal, she’s getting all of her lady bits looked at and tightened up. She’s getting old she is, her face (LCD screen) is fading and I’ve been told they don’t replace them when the light goes out. Sewing blind- I’m already feeling a tad sad, we’ve done a lot of miles together I really should prepare myself for her imminent death. I’ve already told her that I’d probably buy a Juki next, she completely understood- Bless her bobbin.
It’s now winter here and I have been spending my days layered up in all matter of crazy plaid patterns. I thrifted this wool skirt for a nice $6, it sat mid-calf, yikes, so I cut the bottom off and attached it to a piece of leather that I placed metal snaps to that then attach to leather tabs, it looks avant-garde don’t you think? I still have some fraying to do. I’m in love with it.
My hubby used to wear a red kilt around the house for years, he thinks he may have thrown it out- DAMN!! If you have one in any colour that you no longer want, send her my way I’ll give her make-over and wear it for days. I might even wear it on my next prancercise….start a trend or something.
So many different looks came off my sewing machine this week, love that!! sticking to one particular thing just bores me to death a bit like the book I’m reading at the moment, I love Murakami but this book is seriously killing me with dullness, it could be that I’m not in the mindset to read about the mystery behind The Dolphin Hotel blah blah bla b hope it picks up I can’t not finish it. And, thanks guys for the podcast recommendation- Snap Judgement!! totally hooked LOVE IT!!
**If you are having trouble commenting here can you shoot me an email pellkaren@yahoo.com it works fine for me when I logout and fine for others but not for some, let me know what browser you’re using thanks guys.
Happy Sewing
