_ _ _Running_ _Stitch_ _ _

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.

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!  

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!

Sew to Speak

I am so excited for the weekend!!  

Duh.  Okayyyy sorry that was an obvious and pointless statement. 

Who is not excited for the weekend?

What I meant to say was... This weekend, we are going to be checking out the new cute little fabric shoppe in town!  This little shop is something that I just discovered a couple of days ago and then found out that it has only been in Columbus for a year (although I'm sad I didn't know about it from day ONE!). 

It is called Sew to Speak.  Check out their blog!

I was whining about how there are no good fabric stores around here to get amazing prints... all we have is Jo-Anns.  Everyone has Jo-Anns.  Jo-Anns only inspires me to a certain degree.  

I want to walk into a fabric store and I want my HEAD TO EXPLODE.  You know??

My head exploded when I walked into MOOD in New York but that is another obvious statement.  

Sew To Speak is full of vibrant fabrics by many of the very bestest print designers that I admire.

Anna Maria Horner

Heather Bailey

Alexander Henry

Amy Butler

Tina Givens

To name a few.

I told Evan that we should think of a budget before walking into the store.  At the same time we both shouted out a number.  He said $30 and I said $600.  Well there ya go.

So does that mean the compromise would be $315?  Meeting in the middle!  

Isn't that what marriage is all about?   

I will definitely have to restrain myself.  Kid in a candy store will not even describe it.

Money does not buy happiness... but money buys fabric which brings happiness.  

So I guess it's an enabler to happiness.

See you soon - Sew to Speak!!

All photos were taken by April Rhodes on behalf of Sew to Speak.

www.sewtospeak.blogspot.com

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??

Kusudama

On the home page of Etsy the other day, Evan and I saw something really intriguing.  We clicked on it and studied and admired it - then immediately had to google search to learn how to make it!!

It's called... Kusudama!

It's a Japanese paper folding art form.  Originally they were used for incense and potpourri but are now mostly used as decoration and given as gifts.

They are actually really easy to make, which was really exciting to discover!  

Here is an online tutorial - so you can learn too!  

Then, we decided to make some.

And here is one in my hand so you have a size comparison:

THEN... while at JoAnn's yesterday near the scrapbook paper section, Evan thought... "What if we made one out of THIS paper?"  That paper is 12x12 inches!!  To make a ball you need 60 squares of paper.  When they're tiny (in the smaller balls the paper was about 1x1 inches) it's not that much paper.  But 60 pieces of 12x12 is a LOT of paper.  THIS BALL IS GOING TO BE HUGE!!  

We're going to use it as a sweet decoration at the wedding :)

Here's ONE of the flowers... just to give you an idea of just how huge this is going to turn out to be:

Ok seriously?!  It's huuugeee!!!  

Are you ready to see the whole ball - all finished?  I don't think you're ready.

Seriously.

Abnormally Massive Kusudama...

That is a full grown cat - not a kitten, folks.

Oh, wanna see it next to those tiny ones again?

Maybe we could go bigger and try for a world record...?

Have You Quilled Your Paper Today?

A craft that I remember doing many years ago has come back into my life as a new and enticing challenge.

Paper Quilling.

 
this image and more can be found at All Things Jenuine 

When I first learned it... it was simple and fun. 
It was a 'take home' project in Elementary School. 
I think I made a mosaic type of picture with a pond and some fish. 
I wish I still had it.

Now I've come across this again (having totally forgot all about it, probably directly after turning the project in the next day)... but now.. I see so many awesome possibilities!!

 
made by ForeverFiligree on Etsy.com!

 
Made by Hope; more of her work can be seen on her Flickr. 

Seriously... this is not an old lady craft. 
Well, it was, and could be... but it doesn't have to be.  See?

 
this image was found on the skull-a-day blog!

There's Something About Russians

Models, that is!!

After watching a re-run of America's Next Top Model, I've come to realize that all of my favorite models always happen to be Russian.   

There's just something about them!

The first time I discovered I had a favorite model was during one of my first fashion classes in college.  This model always stood out to me.  Sort of the way that some designers will have a model as their muse.  Kate Moss, for many.
Mine is Natalia Vodianova.

On ANTM, I thought that Natasha was a Natalia Jr.

Even Anya from ANTM, although different from Natalia and Natasha - has that something to me.  I donno... maybe it's her Russian-ness (although she was adopted and raised in Hawaii).

 

Who's your muse?