_ _ _Running_ _Stitch_ _ _

Incentive: Apron

A friend of mine has been trying to lose her "baby weight".  After 2 kids, the female body just doesn't like to go back to the way it was.  Unless, that is, you're Heidi Klum.  In THAT case, you walk in the Victoria's Secret fashion show only four MONTHS after giving birth.  I didn't make that up... she really did just do all that.  

Anyway, back on track.  My friend wanted to lose 20 pounds.  She was having trouble losing the last couple of pounds so I told her I'd make her an apron if she did it.  Well guess what?  She totally did it!  

Keeping my word, I made her an apron in her favorite colors: pink, black and green.

I think she loved it.

I hope she uses it to make things like fancy salads and grilled chicken with low-fat marinade and not... oh... crisco covered cake with donuts on top.  That would be counterproductive.  That wasn't my goal.  

This apron is so fun to make!  Who wants one??

Motonari Ono

There's something so special and different about Japan Fashion Week, to me.  New York Fashion Week gives me the feeling of glamor, but Japan Fashion Week is more edgy and full of oddity.  I love it so much more.  I'd rather see anything else than see another pretty satin gown.  Nothing bores me more than a pretty satin gown!  

I came across Motonari Ono yesterday while browsing the JFW photos.  They're not too avant garde.  They're actually really wearable.  But they still have that something about them, that special different edge.  They have a dark, boudoir feel that I'm really loving.

I love the tiny polka dots on this top.  And I love the styling.  Doesn't something about this say Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" to you?

Amazing jacket and amazing shoes.

I love this top!!  I love the shoulders and the high collar and the ruffle cutout.  And the color.  And the shoes.  Haha.

This belt makes my jaw drop to the floor.

Love the tuxedo feel of this, but with lace!

That placket!!  And oh yeah... I'm definitely going to need to do that to a pair of my own shoes.

Amazing jacket and I love that long ascot collar!

So delicate and pretty.

Yet again - another jacket to die for.  Like, for serious.

I can't control my drool.

Alex Box & Rankin

While browsing online today, I came across some...

INNNSPIIIII-RAAAAA-TION!!!!!!!

Oddly enough, up until today, I had never heard of Alex Box.  She's fantastic!  She's the Make-Up Artist behind the UK brand Illamasqua.  She does the runway make-up looks for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld.  

She just released a book of breathtakingly artistic make-up images shot by photographer, Rankin.  Due to the respect of their copyright on their images, I dare not post them here!  Instead, I'll link you to Rankin's website where you can drool see for yourself!!

Try NOT to be inspired by the color, texture and creativity that is ooooozing out of these photos.

.........

Amazing quote on the Illamasqua blog:

ODE TO MY ALTER EGO

MY ALTER EGO IS THE PERSON I WANT TO BECOME.
SHE'S DARKER, BOLDER, BRAVER.
SHE'S A MORE INTERESTING VERSION OF ME.
SHE DOESN'T HOLD BACK.
SHE DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN.
SOMETIMES, I LET MYSELF BECOME MY OTHER I.
WHEN SHE WALKS OUT AND TAKES OVER,
I FALL IN LOVE WITH WHO I AM.

Halloween Preview

Last year was a bloody zombiefest.

We had no shame in our ripped jeans, popped collars and douchy attitudes - as long as they were doused in mockery and fake blood.

It's fun to be scary... gross... creepy... weird...

But I want to swing the pendulum the other way this year for Halloween.

Sugary sweet.  Sickeningly cute.  But - still a little on the demented side, of course.  Most of that will come into play with the make-up and the attitude.

I can't wait to show you the entire look!!

McQueen Knockout

I have an alter ego.

It is the woman that Alexander McQueen designs for.  Do you know her?

She is seriously a total knockout.  A power bitch.  And some sort of Queen of some sort of Land that I've never been to.

If you check out his website right now, he's got some pieces that are to-die-for...

 

Seriously.  The details.  AAAGGGHH!!

 

The zipper pull is shaped like a skull, of course.  Go to his website and zoom in on those details to get the full effect.

 

And really - all the looks together are really what make the statement.

This woman is not messing around...

 

... and neither am I.  I'm serious when I say I'm in love.

Odosketch Love

I'm completely enamored with Odosketch!!  Have you seen this amazingness yet?

It is a Flash based drawing template website.  All you do - is draw!!  If you create a login on the site you can save your drawings.  If they like your drawing... they'll feature it on the front page of the site for others to "watch".  You draw... and then watch what you've done.  It's amazing.  It's addicting.  And also it is beautifully designed.  The drawing tools are simple yet very effective in creating amazing works of sketchy art.

I have not created anything amazing as of yet... just silly stuff to play around with the tools...

I really suggest that you go and play - right now!  

Respect The Quilters

I have got LOVE for quilters.

I didn't even know that I did!  I mean... I did... but... now I truly know in my heart that I 100% admire them!  I have never been to a Quilt Show before.  Coming from a background in fashion design... I guess I sort of made the assumption that it was a "granny" thing?  I don't know what was wrong with me and I'm sorry.

We went to a Fabric Expo/Quilt Show down near Cincinnati a while ago and although we went for the fabric - we were taken aback by the absolutely amazing quilts that hung before our eyes.  I'll share with you a few favorites (although I regrettably don't have the artists names for each of the quilts - they were on such small cards so could not be incorporated into the photos easily).

A girl getting a tattoo...QUILT!  See??  Seeee??  Freakin' awesome.

And look at that detail.  I love the use of that print for the skin... a nice comic book reference there.

And this??  I can't be sure that it is not actually a painting...

We sort of got the name on this one!... And SEEEERIOUSLY???  I'm positive that this took three lifetimes to complete.  My mouth dropped to the ground and I left it right there in the Expo Center.

Thank you - quilting Gods - for allowing us to bask in the glow of your beautiful fabric art.  And thanks for making me feel like a completely talentless fool!!

Tea-Stained Bag & The Five Year Journal

This past Christmas, I got a 5 Year Journal for my Mom.  I also got one for myself so that we could both write for a year and then switch on the 2nd year, etc.  So every other year we'd get our own back and get to read what the other wrote the previous year.

I was decidedly bored with every other unfinished project I have going on so I yanked out some white cotton and some old tea and put them together - with the journal in mind.

I love a nice hot tea fabric drink.  Mmm.

Just give it a stir and let it sit long enough to stain it.  I gave it about 15-20 minutes while I ate dinner.  It could need more, or less.  I'm no expert with tea!

Hand wash it to get the extra tea outta there.

And toss it in the dryer!  Look at that color.  That's the good stuff right there.

The stuff dreams are made of.  No, really.

And now with terribly yellowed lighting - I plan out the chopping up of the fabric, to turn it into a little bag for the journal.  Nothing fancy - just a little drawstring bad-boy oughta do.

And maybe a stripey drawstring?  Yes, that'll do too.

Finish it up with a nice running stitch for that handmade touch.  That's where the love is at folks!

 

And scrunch.

Mom - this one's for you!

A Mad Hatter Tea Party Stylist

This morning when you woke up - things were different.  

The air was fresh because the window by your bedside was open and a cool breeze was coming in.  You could smell something sweet... like little frosted cakes.

You stepped out of bed and onto a cold wooden floor, slipped on your robe and slowly approached the curious oak wardrobe over in the corner of the room.  The hinges creaked as you pulled the doors open.  Like I said - things were different - and the things inside looked so unfamiliar.

Such curious things....

LunarraStar on Etsy left this sweet little teapot necklace dangling from a hook on the inside of the door.  It was sparkling in the light that came through the window.  You slipped it around your neck - excited to see what else lie before you within the curious wardrobe.

Luckily for your cold feet, a beautiful pair of ballet slippers were left on the bottom of the wardrobe...

HydraHeart lined them in pink satin - perfect for a spring morning, exploring the contents of an old oak wardrobe... (and wow!  they fit perfectly!).

Hanging from the three hooks within the wardrobe were three different dresses just begging to be tried on... so... you did.  What girl could resist??

The first one was a delicate little babydoll dress, partially constructed from a vintage slip.

It was left in the wardrobe by imyourpresent, with love.

Hanging from the second hook was an intricately detailed and futuristic jumper, handmade by emilyryan.

You tried it on and felt otherworldly.

On the third hook was an incredibly special ruffly party dress.

It was placed into the wardrobe by katetowers.

You don't know how these treasures appeared in your wardrobe - or what is so unreal about the day - but you know that you never want it to end.  A gust of wind swirls into the room and pushes one of the doors to the wardrobe shut.  On the floor, you see another treasure.

FIAZCO has left a silk-lined clutch!  You knew this had completed your outfit for the day and you should make your way down for morning tea.  It is, after all, your un-birthday!

Today will be a little different... as you had sensed... it will be full of crazy mad tea parties from coast to coast to coast.  Stories and photos and inspiration will be shared between friends and strangers alike.

Be sure to enjoy the tea party, as mad as it may be.

................

If you're new to the blog - welcome!!!

Add me to your blog reader!

Follow me on twitter @running_stitch!

Leave a comment and say HI!!  I'd love to read your blog, too!

Slowly But Surely

I have been slowly and steadily working on a new project.

I did mention, a long time ago really, that I was going to get an Etsy shop up and running.  I do mean it and I really AM going to - but it's not a fast and easy process, considering all the hours I work at my "real" job.  I have a hundred different ideas of things I could make but there has been one idea that I just can not get out of my head and so this is the one I am going to start with.  

I won't give it all away but I can give a little sneak preview.  If anything - to push myself to keep going.  It's hard to get home from an 11 hour work day and then pick back up on a project but that is what I have been doing for a few weeks now and I hope that by Fall I can have enough product to put into my shop officially!

Etsy in Wonderland

So in my last post I briefly mentioned that Alice In Wonderland is being re-made by Tim Burton in 2010 - and that I'm super excited about it because I LOVE Alice in Wonderland and Tim Burton movies.

I was thinking about how I wanted to find and feature a random Etsy seller today.  

What better way than to find one through the ever inspirational ALICE?!

So here is what you find when you type ALICE into the Etsy search....

(okay I am featuring A FEW sellers because there were so many awesome things!!)

by poetsummer

by JacqleenBleu

by justbedesigns

by UntamedMenagerie

by StephanieFizer

by frostingcouture

by adorapop

by OrangeWillow

Don't you just LOVE Alice??

Free-write

Do you remember in English class in school when the teacher would have you do a "freewrite" for 10 mintues?  They would tell you to just write anything and everything that comes to mind without thinking much or editing or making complete thoughts - just to get the ideas flowing.  

Then, what comes out of the free-write is often a really great starting point for some real writing.

That was always my very favorite.

Well I was talking to my friend Heidi (the one that made my wedding dress) and I was expressing my frustration with myself and my creative blocks.  When I do get a little time to sit down and do a project for myself - I feel such pressure to make the time worthwhile that I want to make the idea so amazing and perfect that I usually get frustrated that I can't get that far and give up.  This leaves me with many unfinished projects laying around.

She asked me if I remember free-writing.

She said, what I need to do is take that concept of free-writing and use it on whatever project I want to start.  Just design - uninhibited.

It was like an epiphany!  OF COURSE that will help. 

 That is exactly what I needed to hear.  Because I seem to waste a lot of my time trying to think the entire project out before I start it and want something mindblowingly amazing to come from it.  

Which can't always happen.

Which is discouraging.  

Unless I don't have those expectations anymore.

So I'm going to start - with my at home creations - practicing uninhibited design.

Maybe something mindblowingly awesome will come from it anyway??

And if not?

At least I had fun... which is what life is all about anyway.

TEMARI

Wowww I love cool new things!!!!  Or rather - new to ME, and therefore, EXCITING AND INSPIRATIONAL!!

Have you ever heard of Japanese Temari?  I think that instead of explain it, I will show you and let the amazing photos speak for themselves!  (Let me give credit to the following websites: http://www.temari.com/index.htm and http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/14 )

 

 

Hidden Treasure = Freezer Paper

After reading more of the "Printing By Hand" book, I decided to give one of the projects a try.  The technique that intrigued me the most was one that is quite simple and it's actually REALLY fun to do.  I think the reason it's so fun is because there's a quick turnaround from concept to completion of the project... so almost right away you can see the project come to life (and not all projects are this way!!).  I typically need that immediate gratification in a project in order to actually finish it because I don't have a lot of free time outside of work to get through big long projects.

This printing technique requires hardly any supplies at all.  I had to go out and buy freezer paper (paper on one side, wax on the other!).  The rest of the supplies I had laying around.  Paint - check.  Brushes - check.  Fabric - check!  Ideas - check check check!  Time... check... (an hour before bed one night).

 

All you do is draw your design on the paper side.
Cut it out with a blade.

 

Iron the stencil onto the fabric and then blot the paint onto the fabric.

 

 

Play with color!

 

Once the paint dries... just peel the paper away to reveal your
MASTERPIECE!

 

 

Ta-daaaaa!

 

 

Try it!!  You will not be disappointed!

Textile Design for ME

As you may know, I am a Textile Designer for an apparel company by day (and evening, and nights and sometimes weekends when we're really busy).  Outside of work I have yet to work on too many of my own designs for myself.  I don't know why I haven't... I guess I just leave work at work and explore other creative areas at home.

Saturday I decided to pick up a book that would help inspire me to start creating my own prints at home.

 

It's a really awesome book and it's full of good useful information on techniques and materials and supplies needed for different printing projects.

It worked and it inspired me to spunk up this plain old lampshade into something that adds interest and a bit of my personality to the room!

  

I'm so glad that I STARTED AND FINISHED a project
and now I want to do more more more! 

What should I try next?!  :D 
Isn't it exciting to be excited about something?!