Luana Suicide

Remember how I teased you with a few pictures of half finished hats? Well here are a couple shots of the beautiful Luana modeling one of my fascinators in a shoot for Suicide Girls. I haven't gotten the name of the photographer yet and will post it as soon as I know.

Hats hats hats

I'm preparing to vend at Edwardian Ball, which is coming up fast on January 21-22. It will be so much fun, I really can't wait. A costume extravaganza, plus vending to boot! This is my first year attending, and I'll be vending with Topsy Turvy Design, at what is sure the be the most awesome booth there. Can't wait to show you!

In preparing for the Ball I'm making tons of hats at a lower price point, so people can wear them away! These little fascinators in a variety of colors and patterns will surely find some good homes. I'm in the process of arranging a photo shoot with a few of them, and after some great shots would love to also sell them on etsy.

Hat Madness!

Completely unrelated to costumes, my darling dog The Baron von Tito, lovingly called Tito, passed away while I was home for the holidays visiting my family. It was really unexpected and I'm amazed every day and the amount it hurts to have him gone. Please go hug your dog today; or bring a bag of dog food, some old towels, or your heart to an animal shelter.

Upcoming Photoshoot + Chemise

I'm so excited to announce that next weekend my designs will be involved in a photoshoot in Marin County by the wonderful Aura O'Brien.

There will be several other designers shot over the 2 day costume and clothing extravaganza, and I was so excited when she contacted me to see if I would like to be involved!

I spent the last week scrounging up my different half finished projects and met her yesterday to drop off my things since I'll be out of town and unable to attend.

One costume she'll capture is the houndstooth corset and fascinator, though I needed to provide something to be worn under the corset since it is so low cut. Therefor... a quick trip to JoAnns and a search through my pattern collection, plus 6 hours of cutting/pinning/sewing created this...

I used Simplicity Pattern # 9769, "Misses Authentic Civil War Undergarments" and sewed their chemise with only a few diversions from the given instructions.

First, it recommended flat-felling the seams, which is a couture technique of encasing the seam alloance within iteself, so as to provide a clean and beautiful inside of the garment as well as out. But since I was in a bit of a rush I simply used my serger to machine finish all of the interior seams. Sure, it's not as painstakingly beautiful, but it's clean and does the job!

I also chose a poly Shantung instead of the recommended cotton because my chemise is acting as an outer-garment instead of as underwear. I would have loved to use a silk shantung, but alas my funds don't provide for such luxuries just yet! Using the flat, slubby side of the fabric, I think the chemise turned out beautifully!

I also added a pearl button at center front instead of the recommended hook and eye, ans shorted the chemise to shirt length instead of dress length because it will be tucked into a skirt anyway, and I didn't want to buy the extra fabric.

I am Thankful

So I haven't posted in a while, but I swear that I've been busy.

I've started in on getting my Pattern making Industry Certification from Apparel Arts School of Pattern making and Design in San Francisco. It's been a really wonderful experience so far! I am currently in a one-day-per-week pattern drafting class. It's at your own pace, and by completion I'll have learned how to draft zillions of variations on skirts, moulage (torso), darts, lines, necklines, armholes, collars, sleeves, pockets, & pants. That's pretty much the whole shebang. With that arsenal, one could create a pattern for just about anything!

If you're interested in Pattern Drafting and would like to learn, I highly recommend Building Patterns, The Architecture of Women's Clothing. It's definitely a text book, but if you follow it chapter by chapter you'll get a comprehensive explanation and tutorial of all aspects of women's wear, and most of which is applicable to men. Very Nice!

I've also recently completed a construction class, where we went through 8 weeks of construction techniques! Fly front zippers? No problem! Felled, French, and Hong Kong seams? Got it! I'm thinking about posting some tutorials soon!

I've been working on a corset that coordinates with my houndstooth wing fascinator for a photoshoot. Finally, it's about done!

This lady has a lot of hand sewing hours put into her.

The Bias binding is hand sewn throughout the entire hem, and spiral steel boning gives a comfortable support.

Note that this will be worn with a Chemise, so there won't be as much chest exposed!

I think it's turned out beautfully and I hope to offer them custom in my Etsy store.

Happy Fall! I'm going home for the Holidays and will be welcomed by snow! And I thought it was cold here!

Feather Fascinators

I've added two new fascinators to my Etsy Collection!

Many thanks to Kim of Topsy Turvy Design for letting me borrow her vintage mannequins. Aren't they beautiful?

Check out her revamped website here. Her designs are beautiful and I've seriously learned from the best!!

Deck of Cards!

I'm so excited to announce that my Deck of Cards hats are now for sale at Topsy Turvy Design!!

Please go go www.topsyturvydesign.etsy.com to check them out and... ahem... BUY ONE!

More photos are available on Etsy.

Fascinating Fascinators

What can I say? I've been in a hat making mood. And because the buckram scraps I've salvaged from Topsy Turvy's cutting room floor are small-ish, I've made some small-ish hats! They're still awaiting their veiling, but they are mostly complete!

Each hat is constructed out of buckram, a stiffly starched hat making fabric, and millinery wire, which is a wire wrapped in thread. Add a sturdy zig zag stitch and some hot glue and those are the bare bones materials of millinery.

I hand beaded each hat, adorning with rhinestones, bugle beads, seed beads, feathers, bows, brooches and buttons.

This one is made of fabric from my Burning Man costume. It's waiting for the perfect veil.

I love peacock swords, and prefer them as a colorful alternative to the often used peacock eye. Their opulence and depth of color are amazing! Each dot on the hat base is hand beaded with miniature jet black seed beads.

This woven houndstooth pattern is accentuated by jet black hand beading. I made the feather wing, and nestled is amongst a soft satin bow. Chic!

Thanks for looking. I hope to post these designs for sale on Etsy soon.