So that friend I mentioned in my Burda Young 6799 Hoodie Jacket post? She asked me to make her a pair of pants to go with her navy blue/lilac purple jacket too.
Awesome! My home sewer heart loves getting more requests, and after sifting through my online pattern archive she chose the tapered ankle-length pants design in this McCall’s pattern collection with just the belt loops in a navy blue fabric.
No problem! Let’s get to my process sewing these pants…
This one was kickstarted by another friend of mine who was interested in me making a dark blue and purple hoodie jacket.
Of course I took on the project! I would not miss a sewing opportunity for something I’ve always bought but never made for myself, much less for anyone else.
This Burda Young pattern from my collection was the final pick (Design B). Up to this point I’ve purchased Burda patterns but I haven’t tried making any of them so this was a ‘right place, right time’ moment for yours truly.
First Pattern Probe post of 2021! Already I’m more productive with this blog than I was in 2020 and I was in quarantine too, lol.
Too busy figuring out things to do while stuck at home, I guess.
Anyway, this latest probe into my ever-growing sewing pattern collection was sparked by a friend’s request for some comfortable shorts with a custom phrase on the back. I showed them some options and this one for dance outfits (Letter G) was chosen.
So off I went on another garment making adventure!
Hello 2021! I know we’ve just met, but I had just ended a very contentious relationship with 2020 and am eager to meet a new year, lol.
So today I thought I’d display some Christmas cards I made and sent. This is a recent thing I started because a creative & crafty person like myself SHOULD be making Christmas cards to send every year.
It’s been a minute, in a matter of speaking, since my last post. Not going to lie, I’ve never been very good at keeping a diary in my youth so keeping up with a blog was never going to be different, lol.
But then the Year of Satan 2020 happened, and things have been going crazy all over the place. I’m doing okay with all of it, channeling my anxiety into more useful pursuits. While some people took up bread-baking to keep their minds off of the Troubles, I have found my way back to sewing.
Simply put, I’ve bought a TON of fabric. My basement is starting to resemble a fabric store so I’m diving back into my sewing bucket list trying to be rid of it before I find more fabric to buy. It’s a vicious but pleasurable cycle, lol. 🙂
This is a piece that I’ve wanted to do for some time.
A while ago I visited a local Indian Food Festival and spotted these earrings at a jewelry booth. They were the most unique pair I’d ever see and I LOVED the opulent look they had so I got them and wore them a lot since.
This year my nails decided to go as thirsty bloodsuckers.
The pinky on the right has some cavity problems though, lol.
Anyway, here’s how I made this:
I first painted my nails in Sinful Colors Professional’s Snow Me White. For an extra secret touch I did 1 layer of Sinful Colors Professional Glow-In-The-Dark Topcoat on top and let both dry a day.
Then I used a striper brush to fill in the negative space with Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel in Power Outage to form the fangs.
Lastly, I used a dotter to add blood drops on the teeth using Sinful Colors Professional in a bright red.
Not perfect but eh, it’s Halloween. Ugly is in today. 🙂
Back in October, a client of mine invited me to enter an art piece for a gallery exhibition. He runs an arts non-profit called Inwood Art Works and their initiative is to cultivate the rising arts community in Northern Manhattan. You can check out their site here if you’re curious.
The theme was called “Bridging the Invisible Divide.” All artistic pieces had to be 8″ x 10″ and interpret the various divides between communities today. This resonated with me being in tune with mass media’s constant discussion about the fractiousness existing among us. We embrace the notion of diversity and individualism, but when it comes to interacting with others who are different in opinion and thought, that’s where things get ‘lost in translation’ and we turn into cliques warring with one another. Whether it’s about current politics or the movie Batman vs Superman, there is an invisible wall that exhausts more than strengthens.
When I’m not freelancing for web sites (design, develop, maintenance) I indulge my visual artistic tendencies through crafting. Sewing is a favorite of mine and I accumulated a TON of patterns over the years. I look at them and think there is a variety of potential canvases to do something cool and conceptual. I also like the idea of creating art with dual purpose, work that can be used AND displayed at once. For this exhibit’s size dimensions, a zippered pouch was the most practical way to go. The material to make it in was a no-brainer too; what better exhibits an ‘invisible divide’ than clear vinyl? For my image, I wanted it bold, graphic and simple, kind of as a call-back to Saul Bass and mid-20th century graphic design.
It’s about the basic human act of conversation that is over-complicated by the very things that are celebrated and encouraged; individualism and diversity. Two colors on the opposite sides of the pouch speaking the same words to one another and achieving the same conclusion, but they never meet and merge. There is a false sense of consensus due to the clear vinyl and being split from front to back.
The special thing about this piece is that it can be used as a working zipper pouch. I have also installed rings on each end so a wrist/shoulder strap can be attached and tun the piece into a purse. The canvas I hung this on has clasps to hook into the rings for displaying purposes.
I’m happy to say that not only was my piece accepted into the group exhibition, it also got a brief mention in The Manhattan Times’s review of the show. SO EXCITING! 🙂
This has been such a great experience I may produce another one and make this a series exploring the ‘invisible divide.’ Stay tuned!
Happy August! This is a project I completed 2 weeks ago and have now gotten around to blogging about it. Just enjoying summer too much I guess. 🙂
Anyway, this was inspired by some recycling on my mother’s end. She handed me some jar lids from Pier 1 air fresheners thinking I could use these as stencils. Good eye Mom & thanks for the next project idea! I even treaded into uncharted territory and video recorded some of the process to post online, just to see if I could. Check it out!