the fashion issue of Seattle Sound magazine just went to print and my kimono dress made it into their spring boutique article! The Bouncing Wall gals are in the know and got a hold of advance copies which they're handing out for free, so pop over there and pick yourself up something cute while you're there. the dress is a one-of-a-kind called "Mackenzie" and it's made of cotton stretch fabric with a self belt and could fit anyone from an 8 up to a 12 ($118).
I bought this pair of antique earrings last weekend despite the fact that they were clip-ons. when I first discovered antique jewelry I used to force myself to wear clip-ons because they were so pretty, and I would always get a headache. no more headaches! just remove the clip, add a jump ring and add a kidney hoop from the bead supply store and voila, pierced earrings.
very productive day. finished several dresses in the new spring design. how ever did I choose these bold patterns? 
our product partners in this crime of fashion are Bob & Diane of Atlas Carpet... our gracious hosts invited Team Steam out to their home for some R&R 
...and rug yarn winding. part of our materials are these HUGE skeins of hot pink and copper yarn that I will use to crochet details on the skirt and knit sleeves for the jacket among other things, maybe boot laces... but they have to be wound into manageable portions.
there was some healthy competition between the pinks and the copper winders, but the outcome was usable yarn for the good of the project.
I came across a fabulous blog called Scoutie Girl through Sam Trout the fabulous local t-shirt designer... I sent them a link to my etsy site and they are featuring one of my skirts on their home page tomorrow! What a great group of handmade designers to be rubbing elbows with.
our good friends the smiths are due to give birth to their first child on my birthday! the bug shower was put on by the hostess-with-the-mostess, marquez, who came up with the crafty idea that we all should decorate a onesie for the little bug.
I don't think glam.spoon will ever transition into the kid apparel market, but decorating a onesie with fabric markers definitely satisfied my crafty side.
you're never too old to ask your mom's advice. I told her I was planning on using hot glue to finish the edges and fusible interfacing as a backing and just hoped it didn't unravel like the first attempt. she suggested that I attach the interfacing before cutting the pieces out. brilliant! I spent 8 hours Friday and probably 6 hours Saturday and I think I've made some good progress. there is finally some color on the skirt!
I spent so much time this weekend wrestling carpet into submission that I needed an afternoon of pure creativity. you wouldn't think it could take a whole afternoon to make two pairs of earrings, but I also spent a good amount of time just disassembling pieces I've bought recently. i just love taking things apart and putting them back together my way. and I loooooove my box of parts.
I love it when I'm able to accommodate a customer with a little alteration. a very nice woman contacted me through etsy about a skirt she was thinking of buying, but wondered if I had anything similar in a longer length. I told her I'd be happy to add some fabric to whatever skirt she liked for no additional charge. It's only a few more minutes of my time, and it makes the item even more personalized. she was thrilled and so was I. Here are the before and after photos:
sometimes a skirt is just waiting for its final evolution so it can find its owner.
3 posts in a row about product runway might tell you how frequently this challenge is on my mind. I added sleeves to the jacket and redesigned the collar... added a third bubble tier to the skirt (will i ever stop? i love volume)... and i'm leaning towards 'happy' with the overall presentation, although there is still much work to do. maybe it's good that Project Runway is over, so I can focus on something else.
If I can just get the bones of the pieces solid, the rest of the team has graciously offered to help with the details. the main obstacle is an equation of (X = unfamiliar materials) multiplied by (Y = perfectionism). you do the math.
