Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Doc Browns shirt collar now featured

A while back I picked up this amazing fabric at my super secret fabric supply location in Los Angeles. It was one of those fabrics that was kinda wacky and if u know me, there is nothing usual about anything I do! So I bought this fabric with no clue as to its origins, just thinking it was kinda cool. Then one day were watching Back to the Future 2 and then- "Great Scott!!" It's Doc Brown wearing a shirt made from THE VERY fabric I had bought!!

So my conclusion was that this fabric supply somehow manages to get old stock fabrics that have been used for who knows what!! I had bought some fabric there once that said Disney California hotel on it and I'm sure it had to be leftover decor fabric. Now as to whether this store actually knows what it is they are buying I'm not sure of. I've never been really chatty with the employees. But in any case I have found amazing fabrics there including designer prints for less than $3 a yard. And you won't have to bribe me to tell you that it's called M&L fabrics, located on Knott and Ball in Anaheim. It's no secret really ;)

So anyhow back to the collar...here it is and it looks amazing! I also did a second collar with another cool fabric that, yes came from M&L. I don't know if you can tell, but the print is sort of like looking at those 3d eye prints u know where u have to stare a while to figure out what it is. It's an old race car like a 30s model Mercedes or something similar lol. I think theres a barn in the backdrop too. I have a skirt that's been cut from the same print that maybe I should get around to finishing....it would look cool with a yellow shirt and the collar!





Saturday, November 24, 2012

Detachable Collar Crazy

Collars are all the rage again, and they come in so many variations. There's the collar necklace which can be fabric or jewelry. Or the detachable collar which is more of a mock collar, but hey it could technically be jewelry too. There's just soo many choices. And these cute collars are all over the runways and I decided to make a few with some of my vintage fabrics. The first is a huge bib collar that I spent about 10 hours on. I should have tried the template on the dummy first. In the end it seems soo huge! When I was constructing it it seemed perfect....but hey go big or go home! The second was my first attempt at a Peter Pan collar. I found a pattern and tutorial here. It doesn't lay very flat so I need to tweak it a bit. I made it double sided which is not something I've seen. I'm going to put a bunch more together in the next few days. This will help me use up my scraps, well the big pieces anyway. Also check out these patterns for pointy collars http://jenifersult.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/super-pointy-collar1.pdf and a really holiday looking one here. http://blog.makezine.com/craft/project_angel_collar/ You can also find a whole page of patterns here at the costumers manifesto.



Sunday, March 11, 2012

Fresh New Fat Quarter Clutches


I purchased some lovely fat quarters 6 months back and amazingly I am actually using them! I have fabric thats been sitting for years so 6 months is a big improvement! I got the stack of $25 for $25 at of all places Tuesday Morning They are actually designer fabrics, I had no idea they carried that stuff but then again I only went there once about 6 years ago. (are you getting how much I procrastinate)

So I came up with a few fresh new designs (and it wasn't easy). Sometimes I think I'm just making a pouch and that's so easy, but I want it to be new and innovative looking. And then it takes me hours just to create one little pouch that should only take an hour! You know its hard to stand out in a crowd on etsy because there's 71 thousand search results for pouch alone. So here they are and I haven't put them in the shop yet, but tomorrow I promise they'll be there. I really would love your comments!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Grandmas closet is now "granny chic"

Yes even I can remember when I was a teenager thinking that my dear grandma had no style. And today I wish I could have each and every piece that was in her closet. Vintage is the new modern, and more savvy shoppers are turning to the thrift and vintage stores. For me its always been more about price than label and today it still is. Heck I could win the lottery tomorrow and I'd still shop at the thrift store! I'm just an advocate for mass consumerism and I don't even see a need to buy anything new when there's so much clothing already on this planet.

I know not everyone is or can be as crafty as me, but you can still get some amazing vintage meets modern looks right off the rack at your local thrift or vintage store. recently I have been doing a lot of styling (on my lovely dress form!) for my vintage shop www.xanaduvintage.etsy.com So I thought I'd post a few looks here and give a few tips on getting the most from your vintage finds.

In this first look is preppy chic. I paired a 70s floral top with a cute lime green pleated tennis skirt. The colors are right on for this spring, and you could add a peach colored belt and wear it with cute flats or some wedge booties



This second look, is straight out of the 80s with the oversized bozy purple top and bold multicolored geometric print circle skirt. Paired with a black belt, and a clean classic pointed pump, you have a great look for the office. Keep a pair of tight in the right places straight leg jeans on hand for a quick change after work and you can easily hit the town at night in this one.


That skirt would even be more amazing if i chopped it straight in half and made it knee length now that I look at it! Hmmm....just might do that. I could get a whole second skirt from whats left. Or some high waisted shorts. You can see from those two looks that I love color and I love prints. Im not afraid of prints that look "dated". I think as long as you have a lot of solid colors in your closet to cover both halfs of your body, then you can always mix things up a lot. I also have tons of belts. I havent even worn them all! But belts are the cheapest accessory you can find at a thrift usualy about $1-$5. Changing just that one piece makes all the difference sometimes.

Another super great tip is those elastic belts from the 80s. Those are really easy to shorten or lengthen if you find a really long one. No sewing required, just use a big safety pin and pin on the inside. This way you can wear the belt, low or high waisted and change the look up even further!