Vote for me on Burdastyle!

I entered a Burdastyle.com contest to make a party dress inspired by a decade. My dress made the top 50 entries and now I need you to vote on it so I can win a new sewing machine from Bernina! Please click on the link below and vote on my dress by clicking "vote" My dress is entry number 9 and my username is "girlofmanycolors" so make sure you've got the right dress! Thanks for reading my blog!

http://www.burdastyle.com/albums/198/images?page=9&size=small

New Etsy

New items. Right now I've only got a few vintage button bracelets up because that's all I've photographed so far. We just got a new digital camera for taking shots of our work and it's pretty perfect! To visit my new etsy, click here!

Highball Halloween 2010

Highball Halloween is a big block party that happens for Halloween in Columbus, Ohio every year. They shut down 3 blocks, build and 60 ft runway, and select around 10 designers to participate. 2010 was the 3rd year for the event, and my second year participating. Try as I may to capture good photos, I'm usually backstage running around, and not concentrating on getting shots. Fortunately, a lot of other people take pictures too! The theme was "Alice in Wonderland." This year I found some photos that had been snapped by Alison Horn. You can check out her other work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alisonhorn/

Model: Morgan Morton

Model: Rachel Sherer

Model: Margeaux Thomas

Dresses for Haiti Follow Up

I went back to my parents house on Monday and my mom informed me that the dresses for Haiti had finally arrived. One of the Ministers of the Episcopal Church went to deliver them, took photos, and two of them are of women with my dresses! It's really great to get to see the results of a project like that come full circle because I think sometimes people are skeptical that charities might be fraudulent or aren't using their donations as intended. But this one did! You can see the original blog post if you scroll down on this page.

More Ruffled Feathers

I know they're not really feathers. I just love the phrase "ruffled feathers."

So now I'm done using up the gray t shirt and most of the knit fabric I had. This tunic is a nice blue color and has teeny tiny bat wing sleeves. I didn't pleat the sides of this one because I thought it would be cute puffed out over the waistband of a high-waisted skirt. I've got some yellow knit left, but no plans for it. Brady tossed another t shirt into my bin of fabric so I might cut that up today. I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with either of these tunics, but they're complete! That was the important part to me. Making myself complete a garment using all the fabric I've hoarded. I think now that that's out of the way I might try to work on my clothing line...Oh, did I mention that? Can't remember...

I'm trying to start a really small scale line. It's taking a long time. Which I'm not used to. If everything goes well, it won't look a thing like the tunics I just posted. I'm thinking I'll call it "Phyllis & Hazel" after the guinea piglets. That was Brady's idea. I've already secured the Etsy name, now I just have to make everything to put in the shop. Piece of cake right?

Ruffled Feathers

This is my latest project. I bought a couple yards of knit fabric like 4 years ago and never used it because I guess I'm insane. I decided it's time to use everything up and get myself prepared for the arduous task of launching a clothing line that actually has size runs of a singular style. But right now it's just remnants and original items. This was particularly hard to sew because I started it and then discovered I didn't have any ballpoint needles for my machine so I had to use a standard need and try to adjust the thread tension to work with the knit jersey. The ruffle is all hand sewn and the pretty striped fabric is courtesy of Brady. He cut the sleeve off and old t shirt to use to polish something and I swiped the rest of it and turned it into the "ruffled feathers" you see on the collar.  For more pictures or to purchase this tunic, visit my esty page by using the link at the bottom of this blog.

Little dresses for Haiti

  

My mom has always been a crafter and a sewer. I suppose she is mostly to blame for me being the same way. She's also super active at her church doing all kinds of sewing projects to raise money for the vestry. Though I'm not a church goer, their latest project tugged at my heart strings and satisfied my urge to unload a ton of crap from my sewing closet. My mother and several friends and relatives are using up extra fabric to make "Little dresses for Africa."

We're sending ours to Haiti. I think the project originated in Africa, but the devastation in Haiti demanded that the project expand to include all the girls and boys rendered helpless, homeless, and apparently, naked. These are a few of the dresses I've made using up extra fabric. I've got about 7 of them to send so far. They're super easy to make so I encourage even  people who've never sewed before to try. It's a good way to start learning basic sewing techniques, use up fabric you don't know what to do with, and most importantly, send someone a pretty dress who needs it much more than you.

New Sewing Space

At long last I have moved-and am now finally settled into a new apartment (with Brady.) It took us a while to move everything in because we did it in small doses since it was hot and both of us have small cars. I was hoping to get a larger desk so that I could finally have enough room to hold a whole garment on the desk as I sewed but I still haven't found one. Though we have a giant antique kitchen table that is perfect for laying things out on now. And I do love black, white, and orange together...so I guess the small desk stays for now. So far it's been working pretty well. The tunic on the dress form is the latest work in progress. It should be up on Etsy within the week.

Project: Create a line of dresses, Status: sample 1 complete

Since I'm not working in an environment that requires sewing right now, I thought it most necessary to find an outlet for some of my creative unrest. I find that without realizing it, if I'm unproductive and uncreative for any extended period of time; I unwittingly slump into a state of depression, or rather, at least mild agitation. This was quite evident from January to March. Henceforth...the dress project:

Create a full size run of 50's apron inspired dresses complete with pockets, couture stitching details, and unique trims to be sold...somewhere, at some point, for some money.

This is the first one. I painted the fabric myself and I'm keeping it.

   

Linked

For this years spring student art sale at Columbus College of Art & Design, I came up with a few new designs. I'm happy with them and I think this will be a style I continue to make more of and I hope to get selling on Etsy and possibly some other venues...once I get my act together. I'm also working on a line of dresses so stay tuned for new clothing! It feels really good to be productive again.

HEY

new blog