Gatsby, Old Sport!

Harkening back to my days in AP English, this Great Gatsby sweatshirt had been on my "Must Buy" list for over a year. I loved reading the book and writing a paper about it (mostly because I'm a huge nerd), and the movie was thoroughly enjoyable as well. The vibrant colors and choice of cover graphic for this pullover really caused much desire on my part. After much debate and waiting for my size to be stocked, I finally decided to buy this gem from ModCloth. It is by far one of my favorite apparel purchases from the store. The material is so soft, and it is long enough to wear with my sweet faux leather leggings. I paired the outfit with my black combat boots for a hopeful "leg-lengthening" effect, but I think it just added a bit more edge to the ensemble. Overall, it was warm enough for the cold spell we've been enduring, but light enough for the hot sewing rooms I attend class in during the day. If I was to liken my sweatshirt envy experience to Gatsby's; this top embodied the green light, except for the fact that I love it so much more in reality than when I was debating if I truly wanted it.

Gatsby Sweatshirt: ModCloth    Leggings: JCPenney       Shoes: Target

Either You've Dot it, Or You Don't

 

Unfortunately, I have been a bit preoccupied with the ever-daunting tasks the beginning of the school year provides, so I am sorry I have not posted lately. Here's a nice outfit post to reboot my blogging.

 

My love of all things mod was evident this summer, as I scoured stores online and at the mall for a nice pair of knee socks. Thankfully, I found this adorable pair of crocheted ivory ones from Wetseal. Being quintessentially mod, these knee socks have already been quite handy, especially with the unseasonably cold weather I've endured of late.

 

Otherwise, the rest of this outfit's pieces are treasured classics from my closet. I just adore how well the circle skirt matches with my Beatles shirt. The polka dots give it more youthful, whimsical feel. Circle skirts make any t-shirt ten million times cuter, and they are pretty simple to sew! The Beatles shirt was quite a find, as I stumbled upon their men's Beatles collection. Although it was disheartening they had no girl's shirts, I think the shirt meshes well with the highly feminine skirt. Finally, my kids sized ballet flats feature little Mickey Mouse heads which are rather adorable.

 

Hopefully, once school calms down I will have more time to sew and document my processes. I've started to create a new mod number, with faux red suede and faux black leather. I will be posting pictures soon I promise! Overall, it was a lovely last day of summer and I am already looking forward to my next round of freedom: Winter Break.

 

Shirt: Bloomingdales.  Skirt: Sewn by me. Socks: Wetseal. Shoes: Disney World.

Collaged Vase Project

I was feeling crafty today on my last day of freedom before heading to school, so I gathered some supplies I had laying around the house to create a Beatles vase to add some sunshine to my room.  Here's how I created my project:

Supplies:

• Collaging gloss
• Sponge brush
• Brushes to paint on design (I used a circular brush)
• Paints in coordinating colors
• Images
• Vase or glass

Step One:

Pick and cut out your image. I practiced with both a glossy sheet and one that was mounted on a firmer cardstock. The firmer image held up much better and retained its brightness. The glossier image stuck on to the glass no problem, but grew darker due to the saturation of the gloss and had some air bubbles. On the other hand, the glossier one looked much more "collaged" as it seemed to meld right into the glass. I choose the firmer sheet, but in the end, your decision is a personal preference. You might want to try both to see which one you like better.

Step Two:

Glue the image to the glass with the collaging gloss. I applied the gloss to the wrong side of the image with the sponge brush. I placed it onto the glass and held it in place for about a minute before going to the next image. Use a small brush to gloss over the corners if those start to peel. Additionally, I put the images on the outside, since I wasn't sure if I would be putting water on the inside for flowers. Both ways would work, you just need to think ahead to see which way is best for your overall vision.

Step Three:

Paint your design on the glass. This is your chance to pursue this venture even more creatively. Circular dots in some coordinating colors matched the summery, psychedelic theme I was striving for in the finished product. Squiggles, lines, musical notes, and flora are just a few ideas that could be included in your design.

Step Four:

Patience. Let your piece of art dry for the specified amount of time on your paint and gloss jars. If it needs retouching, feel free to do so once it has dried.

Step Five:

Decorate! Use beads, flowers, and more inside the vase to add some fun embellishments. Or, if you're looking for a subtle, minimalistic tone, leave it be. This is your project, so let the ideas stem from your own mind!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and use it to bolster your own creative endeavors!

Mad as a Hatter

Lately, I've been quite obsessed with crocheting. Maybe it's just me preparing because of last year's insanely cold winter or exploring other ways of creating with fibers. Overall, crocheting has kept me pretty occupied this summer.

I had never really delved that deeply into crocheting, so when I picked it up again this summer, I knew I wanted a semi-easy project. So I decided to make a puff stitch hat, because why wouldn't it be easy to make something I've never attempted before? That's how my mind rationalizes things. Digging in my old yarn stash, some purple yarn caught my eye, and I went to work on the project. The puff stitch and ribbing were actually quite easy to accomplish once I had a little practice. I ended up getting a bit carried away, as the hat is a bit too long for my head. However, the hat would make the perfect Dopey topper if I were to dress as that sweet character from Snow White.

Next, using a maroon glitter yarn, I crocheted a ribbed skull cap. It turned out pretty adorable, although I am debating putting a pompom on the top. I just have no idea what color would be best, which is a problem as I am notorious for not making decisions.

For the third project, I went back to the puff stitch to make a more fitted hat. There wasn't much of this blue left, but the color was so vibrant and it matches my wardrobe so well that I knew a hat in this color was totally necessary. The band and overall process went much smoother than the first hat, which I was proud of.

Finally, a mixed blue yarn caught my eye while shopping, so bought a few skeins for some projects. I used the leftovers from my knitting machine legwarmers, which I will cover in another post, to make another beanie. This time, a mix of single crochets and ribbing was used for the hat to create a bit of interest.

Hats are my favorite cold weather necessity. I quite doubt that my obsession will ever dwindle. Being able to craft them myself is an added bonus. Needless to say, I won't be letting up on my crocheting rampage any time soon. Anyone else addicted to crocheting or hats in general?

Back In Time

Vintage clothing is simply beautiful. Wearing this type of clothing hearkens my soul back to a different era. My favorite time periods to draw inspiration from are the 1950s and 1960s. Experimentation and exaggeration were plainly seen in the way fashions were made and worn. From top designers to glamorous models to teens shopping on the street, fashions definitely helped to define these eras.

Knowing my affinity for the outlandish, it comes as no surprise that I enjoy wearing what I term "costume" pieces. Most people in their daily lives are not wearing A-line mini mod dresses or full skirts with petticoats. Although a few admirable souls do, which I think is quite fantastic. You might as well wear what you love, as your uniqueness sets you apart from the crowd.

Bearing this in mind, when I first saw the Simplicity Misses' Vintage 1950s Bra Tops pattern, I knew I would have to make these adorable homages to the yesteryears. So I bought the pattern and searched through my fabric for some whimsical material. Choosing a cotton fabric was crucial, as I wanted the finished product to read as a top, not as an undergarment.

First, I made this retro feeling bicycle bra top. Personally, I thoroughly love the vibe the print gives off, as it makes me think of summers biking around town. I could definitely see this particular top being worn with a pair of high-waisted shorts or a full midi skirt in a complimentary color. The back includes two tiny red heart-shaped buttons acting as a closure. There are two straps which act as a halter to tie up in the back. These straps are removable, which I thought was a nice feature.

This is the second top I made. The red flap on top of the Hello Kitty fabric really creates this striking contrast between the two pieces. The straps are made of the contrasting color and the back includes two black buttons to close the top. A red skirt and petticoat would complete this outfit in my mind.

Overall, the pieces turned out really well, as they were exactly what I had pictured them in my mind. It's always a successful project if that happens! I just hope there are still some warm days here so I am able to wear my new tops!

Bow Time!

Of all the accessories in the world, bows are definitely at the top of my list. Versatile and playful, these little hair pieces add a bit of whimsy to any outfit. From mini to overwhelmingly huge, one can be found to fit anyone's level of boldness when it comes to piecing together an outfit.

I love being matchy-matchy. If I can make an accessory to match my dress exactly, I will do it. From my eyeliner to my shoes, I have always been transfixed with wearing the same color scheme, making sure every color incorporated compliments each other. It may seem outlandish or odd, but that's me.

Pictured above is a collection of my bows that can be found on my Etsy Shop, She Said Sew Studios. Bows are so much fun to make and wear that I just had to share my love of them!

I've Just Seen A Face

 

If I have yet to mention it, I am obsessed with The Beatles. Call me old school, but they are my favorite band to listen to, to watch, and to learn about. They are brilliant musicians, in my opinion, and I love the fun they appeared to have in making music.

This week I went to the Rain Beatles Tribute concert, and it was amazing! I loved the atmosphere, because the band's stage presence was spot on. The members really got into the characters of each Beatle. There were also some TV screens that showed recordings of fans from the 60s, along with other Beatle related videos. From the mop tops to the suits, the costumes were another spectacular piece that I loved. The concert had three different sets focusing on the beginning, middle, and end of their career together. 

Being me, I decided to dress up a bit. I had found this lovely Beatles' faces fabric and bought all of it. All of the Beatles are represented in cartoon form in the primary colors. I thought it would be quite fab to make a dress with the fabric. I made this cute little shift dress to embody the 60s as I see it. I lined the dress in red and added an invisible zipper. It was a lot of fun to make and it is my all time favorite pattern to use. I paired my newly refurbished oxfords with some nice orange-yellow tights. The tights definitely fit the mood of the 60s, and also doubled as warmth from the cold rain.

Even though it rained as a prelude to Rain, my dress, shoes, and spirit held up. I was the only die-hard fan who had dressed up, but I wasn't really expecting the older crowds to get into that sort of spirit of it all. But I was glad I did dress up, cause it was a nice opportunity to show off my Beatles love!!!

Dress: Custom. Shoes: Custom. Tights: Kohl's            

Painted Dapper Oxfords

I should dub this the summer of a million and one projects, because that's what it feels like I've done. However, it doesn't really seem like it, as I have yet to document any of them. So I'll begin with one of the projects I just finished: refurbishing my old oxford lace ups.

These shoes are definitely my most loved. They have been on two Disney trips, lived through two summers, and have even gone to New York. Sadly, my mom thought they were looking rather raggedy, but I just couldn't part from my beloved shoes. So I did what I do best, make them to what I want.

I had plenty of fabric paint and odds and ends left over from other craft projects. Armed with only a vague idea and some black and white paint, I decided to dapper up my out of shape oxfords. After a few coats of black paint, I could see the new life in the shoes. The white weaving, tongue, and dots helped to accent those areas. I used some black ribbon as the laces, using my heat embossing gun to make sure the ends don't fray. Finally, some matte paint sealer went over everything to ensure none of the paint rubs off on other things.

I really like the color choices, and I could see wearing them all the time once fall rolls around. Overall, I am pretty pleased that I get to hold on to my favorite shoes for a bit longer. Hopefully, they still have a few trips left in them!

Elsa from Frozen- Bodice

Like most people, I love the Disney movie Frozen. It has all the components to a great animated movie: intriguing storyline, significant themes, relatable characters, and beautiful costumes. The outfits Anna and Elsa wear are so adorable, I knew I would have to try to recreate them. Since my sister says I'm like Elsa, that's the costume I decided to sew first.
 
I searched a bit for the perfect fabric for Elsa's bodice. Nothing was really fitting the idea I had in my head, so I decided to make the fabric I wanted myself. I just wanted something to emulate the scale design of her bodice, have sparkle, and be around the same color. How hard could it be?

 I found the McCall's pattern M7000 so I didn't have to draft the whole costume from scratch. Knowing that I wanted to make a detachable bodice, I redrafted the pattern, making it a bit longer so as to cover the waistband of the skirt. I used a heavier cotton fabric with a little stretch that I had on hand to make the bodice. It was a good material, as it was heavy enough to hold the paint, yet flexible enough to bend a bit. After constructing the basic bodice, I put in some plastic boning, which allows the bodice to hold its shape on the body, acting more like a mock corset.  

Just painting, touching up, glittering, cutting, and gluing took forever and a day.
As you can probably tell, I'm not a professional photographer. Most of the time I barely remember to take pictures of my work, so I'd say this is a lot of photographs by my standards. 
 
 
 
 

 Well after many hours toiling, I finally finished it. I put scales on all of the panels and then added an extra layer of glitter. Personally, I'm pretty proud of it, as it took two full days to just paint and glue down the scales. Overall, I hope the rest of the costume will be easier, but I fear for the cape and its rhinestones....

 
 

A Beginning

I've never been the best about documenting my fashion design process, so that's why I am starting a blog. I hope having this will force me to get into the habit of taking pictures and writing out directions for my projects. Personally, I like to jump from one project to the next. This process should help me to slow down and analyze my work. Basically, I'm hoping it will act as a giant portfolio and archive of my sewing projects for any future references.

Apart from my sewing projects, I'm fairly sure there will be the occasional (fairly often) post about my many art projects, books, fandom loves, favorite band (The Beatles), and outfits that I am currently adoring. Being an English major, I love words, but I want to keep this short so I can get back to my latest project!