My Crazy Crustaceany Crab Creation

I made this crab dress JUST in time to enter it into the Colette Laurel pattern contest. It was a race against the clock! My own little project runway contest... but I had to stop half way, and go to work:( BUT I finished it just in time!


THE CRABBY CRUSTACEAN PRINT
The night before the competition ended I created this crab print which was inspired by the lobster dress from the 30's. 

VOTE here at Coletterie if you love my quirky crustacean creation:) and take a look at all of the lovely Creators sewing up a storm!

                                                                                                   

(LEFT)

This Schiaparelli & Dali collaboration  inspired me to create my crabby crustacean print. 

(RIGHT)

This Les Heal lobster dress is awesome! Perhaps it can be the next source of inspiration:)

My Dead Docs :(

On May day I was out and about enjoying the intermittent sunshine, when I felt a strange dragging sensation under my foot...... this was the beginning of a sad soleless Dr. Marten day. On this public holiday, no shops open. No tape to temporarily fix the problem. I was forced to made use of some resourceful McGuiver inspired thinking. The lanyard on my keys proved to be the hero. I tied it around the nose of the shoe... all fixed!....Until the other shoe started to follow his partners example. This time the elastic in my jacket came in handy!

This rather embarrassing situation made me reflect on my love for the Dr Marten boots. My black doc's are worn daily and are still going strong, but these more 'showy' doc's have not lasted more then a few days. 

Has anyone else experienced something similar with their docs?

Experimenting with lace + the 'w' word

THE 'W' WORD
I have recently spent a little time researching and thinking about my 'w' dress (I get a little sick of hearing the wedding word so I will refer to it as 'w'). One major problem I am having with my research is that I have cast these huge self inflicted expectations upon myself. I feel like I should be making my ultimate  dress... this is where my predicament begins. I would love to applique and even embroider the fabric, but I just know that this is impossible. Time restraints teamed with a tiny budget is what will dictate the outcome of the dress. So I just have to get over this 'ultimate' thing and see the dress as being the 'ultimate dress... for this period in my life with time and budget constraints'.
So I am still experimenting with fabric manipulation techniques whilst clamping down on this 'ultimate' expectation.

THE LACE TOP - COLETTE LAUREL PATTERN
Rather then sewing from my own self drafted patterns I have began to sew from published clothing patterns again. My sewing skills are in need of some work, so this is my solution, and of course looking up sewing blogs. I didn't realise how many sewing blogs are out there now. A heap of good info! 

The Colette 'Laurel' pattern was a nice basic pattern to use for creating this simple silhouette. Perfect for experimenting with appliqueing. 
Whilst 'w' dress fabric shopping, I found a few different types of lace to muck around with. This particular lace is a guippure lace. It's a great one for appliqueing as it is easy to cut out. I entered this top in the Colette Laurel pattern competition (along with a crab print dress, but I will show that one off later) which you can find here.

SEWING THE SKIRT
Whilst visiting Hamburg the other month, we popped into Kleidermarkt. My favourite second hand store in Hamburg! I headed straight for the reduced items and found this sweet skirt. When I got it home I realised that the waist was tiny! So after calculating the best way to increase the waist measurement, I got cutting (this is always the scary part).  It actually worked out... except for the fact that when I sit down it looks as though a large bulge is coming from the stomach area. I suppose I just can't sit down. Problem solved:) 


 

TUTORIAL FOR APPLIQUE LACE
is on its way!

To my one.....

to my one... happy 9 years. Gee we're getting old! :)

'Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same' 

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

May Day + Spring.... FINALLY!

YAY! It is May Day. A day off work teamed with a wonderfully sunny-ish Berlin day. We are off to check out the festivities and celebrate that Spring finally came. Woo!

 

 I have been listening to Blouse a bit lately. I really love the mixture of electronic sounds and soothing melodies. Perfect for a sweet spring day. Take a listen.

CREATIVE TALENT: Harbour Master

I am really excited for 3 reasons today! 

1. I am continuing on with the Creative Talent interviews...after a rather long break. 
   
2. I get to show off some of the talent from my home town, Perth!  
3. I feel that this particular creative is an incredibly unique and inspiring individual!

We caught up with Claire from Habour Master whilst home on holidays. It was a real treat, walking amongst the old boats and listening to her story. Her unique style and outlook on fashion is definitely a source of inspiration for me. I particularly love these wise words of hers...... 

'Experiment, make a mess, don't be put off by the fear of doing it wrong because really, who's to say what's right?' 

 - Claire from Harbour Master - 

Photo by Michael Dooney                                         Photo of Claire Mueller

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Perth, Western Australia. I recently moved back here after a 5 year stint in Melbourne, and am pretty stoked with the west coast.

WHAT IS YOUR ART/CRAFT & WHERE CAN WE FIND IT?

There are a few aspects to my 'craft', such as it is - one is my personal style, which I document on my blog www.the-harbour-master.com. I mainly do this because it helps me look at my ever-changing attitudes towards fashion more objectively (and I've definitely caught myself out on more than one occasion, preaching on thing but doing another)!

I'm a visual merchandiser by trade, currently designing window displays for a high end boutique called Elle - if you're in Perth you can see my installations if you drive down Stirling Highway.

Though I studied fashion design I'm really not in a clothes making phase, it's all about accessories at the moment! I make earrings under the label CapnMueller which I currently just sell through Etsy, you can see them at www.capnmueller.com.

WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES ABOUT BUYING HANDMADE ITEMS?

I might expand on this slightly and say that I think there are positives in anything that has been consciously designed and manufactured, addressing the values of innovation, quality, longevity, environmental and ethical impact. Handmade items do, more often than not, address all of these values - from a fashion perspective we need to understand that if we don't nurture the immense skill required to make something beautiful by hand we will lose the soul of the industry.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

More & more I'm finding inspiration in actions and attitudes rather than physical things - how someone wears something because they are expected to, or despite having a wardrobe full of clothes only wearing the same 3 items - partially because it helps me assess my own style, partially because WHY people dress has always interested me as much as HOW people dress. Saying that, I love art galleries, museums, shipyards, fashion magazines, people watching in hipster cafes and the sea.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO CREATE?

A problem that needs solving, a desire to document & reflect, an ongoing urge to dress in a way that feels 'right' for any particular time. Sometimes I just like to be an enfants terribles and wear things to annoy people with no imagination. Sometimes I literally have a guttural need to make something with my hands.

WHAT ENCOURAGING WORDS/ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE INTERESTED IN SPARKING THEIR CREATIVITY?

Read - research - learn. Be aware of what other people have done and are doing so you can expand, not repeat. Experiment, make a mess, don't be put off by the fear of doing it wrong because really, who's to say what's right?


Below is an image of Claire's squid earrings. Make sure that you check out Claire's website & shop!

Claire's shop: Capnmueller

Website: The Harbour Master

MUSIC: Little Dragon rocks... but GEMA is crap!

Little Dragon from Gothenberg, Sweden 

I wanted to share what I am currently listening to... but it is ssssooooooooo frustrating trying to listen to new music in Germany. GEMA is doing my head in (GEMA is a performance rights organisation in Germany). We can't see/listen to anything!... Ok that is a bit of an exaggeration, but I can't listen to about 50% of what I find. It feels like a miniscule version of what it must be like to live in a country which heavily censors media. 

It is so annoying. I particularly DISLIKE when bands release something as a taste tester... but no we can't listen to it. e.g. the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs clip. They were plugging it for days. My brother sent me a link and of course I couldn't listen to it. And I still haven't seen the clip. AAAAhhhh GEMA is making me angry! 

If you are lucky enough not to be living in Germany you can watch the clip below. Is it good?


CURRENTLY LISTENING TO.......
Little Dragon - Looking glass, from my computer, not youtube

If you are in Germany have a listen to another song on Sound Cloud. I love Sound Cloud

https://soundcloud.com/littledragon/ritual-union

i heart berlin x front row society

Photos: Michael Dooney
Scarf: front row society + i heart berlin



This scarf is the result of a collaboration between 'i Heart Berlin', and 'Front Row Society' - with a twist of shit....  well, the image on the scarf was taken by Frank, the i Heart Berlin creator, at the 'the shit' Bonnie Strange label fashion show. The scarves were presented to us at an Art Connect Berlin meet up in Neuköln before Christmas. I found the image below on the Art Connect website... I assure you that I was actually very impressed with the scarf. The bright colours were what initially sparked my interest and the symmetrical print definitely amplified my intrigue. The purchase may have also stemmed from an unconsious need for brightness and light in an otherwise cold, grey, miserable winter in Berlin. What ever the reason ... 'the shit' follows me everywhere, even back home to Aus. 

The images above were snapped when we were home in Australia on a trip down at Margaret River. A few days of surfing, BBQing and a record breaking wine tasting expedition. My very patient and tolerant brother drove 5 of us babbling, tipsy idiots through 8 different wineries. What a trooper! All in all it was a busy yet relaxing summer full of Aussie fun! Now that the sun in Berlin has popped it's wonderful head out from behind the clouds, I just hope that this will be an awesome, notoriously invigorating Berlin spring and summer too! We certainly need it!  

Photo: Linda Rosa Saal - Art Connect Berlin

A random wintery day

For this long winter (yes I know that it is 'technically' spring, but there is still snow outside!) I am spending my days pattern making, sewing and screen printing! (and of course taking photos in the snow) Maybe the extended winter isn't so bad after all.

Photography Michael Dooney

Currently listening to Violetness. Nice ambient sounds.

Listen here on Bandcamp or Sound Cloud 

the new eco blog 'i give 2 hoots'

Photos: Michael Dooney

Getting older sucks! I have definitely got to a stage where I have realised that I am no longer a really young spring chicken. It is a scary feeling that has accumulated over the years.... I suppose that this is a normal experience for the 20 somethings. My daily ritual of listening to the news, watching documentaries and reading philosophy books has only contributed to this overwhelming feeling of dread. It all gets a little depressing at times, getting older and reflecting on the state of the world. Aaaahhhhhhh it gets me down.  

For me, these photos signify a moment of sadness and weakness ..or perhaps clarity. Just before christmas, I was getting ready to go home to Aus. I had only a short period of time to make a bathing suit. I gave it a go, but it was not fitting well and I didn't have enough time to solve the fit problems. So I went online. I found some nice bathers for a good price as well as this dress (photographed above). So I purchased both. When they arrived on my door step I felt terribly guilty. I never really buy clothes and since getting more into the eco/ethical fashion side of things, I definitely do not make these type of purchases. But I am happy to announce that it prompted me to reflect upon my current 'eco/ethical' practices and confirmed that I am passionate about the whole slow fashion movement.

So, in an effort to inject a little more positivity and optimism  into everyday, I am now starting a blog which focuses on the good things people are doing in relation to the slow fashion movement. This blog is called 'i give 2 hoots'. The slow fashion movement is something which values and celebrates community, human rights, environmental responsibility, artisan skills and crafter skills in fashion. I hope to create a resource which allows others to be inspired by those who are taking part in the slow fashion movement 'in their own way'. This last point is important as I find we tend to critise each other for the things we do (or don't do) rather then celebrating our successes. 

I have devised a number of categories. Have a look at the table below to see if you fit into one of these categories!

 

So if you sew the majority of your clothes, or if you aim to consume less, or you buy mostly second hand/vintage or you fit into any of the categories above, be sure to head on over to 'i give 2 hoots' & show that you give 2 hoots about the slow fashion movement!

www.igive2hoots.blogspot.com

How to create your own lace dress: My manual cut lace project

I recently made this dress as an experiment. As evidenced below, I am happy to report that it was well worth the time and effort. PLUS a heap of people on Fickle Sense & Burdastyle appreciated it, so I thought that I would share my process with you! 

More photos of this dress by my man (Michael) before post

I was initially inspired by laser cut lace clothing. The laser cut technology has enabled many designers to create their own style of lace... so I thought I would give this a try minus the technology. 

 Some other inspirations here 

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THIS 'MANUAL CUT LACE' PROJECT?

• TEXTILE PATTERN DESIGN - You need an idea of the textile pattern that you want to create. I chose a jacquard style 
• THIN & THICK TRACING PAPER OR CARBON TRANSFER PAPER - I use water proof tracing paper for all of my stencils. You don't need it to be water proof, but I use stencils for printing and this paper is thick enough to use it as a stencil. If you can find a large piece of carbon tracing paper or use a few smaller pieces, you could draw your design straight onto the fabric without needing to use a scalpel or cut out the thick piece of tracing paper. This is probably much easier, but I wanted to make a stencil. 
• SCALPEL  - If you want to create a stencil make sure you have a SHARP scalpel
•  A SLIP DRESS PATTERN - I chose this pattern as it is simple and has minimal shape & darts. I utilised the pattern from Burdastyle- Jamie Shift Dress. 
• FABRIC - 2 x metres of course tulle; 2 x metres of a finely woven fabric which does not fray much. 
• SCISSORS -Some sharp scissors which allow precision cutting. 
• FABRIC MARKER 

1.Design your lace pattern. Perhaps take inspiration from textile patterns. 
e.g. 

 












2. Sketch out your design. If you want a symmetrical design draw only half of the design lengthways. 

3. Cut out your Shift Dress pattern pieces and make sure that the front piece is traced onto tracing paper (put this tracing paper front piece aside). Now cut your Tulle. When cutting the back omit the zipper and cut the dress on the fold so that the back looks like the image below. Sew the darts for the front piece. 
 

 

4.When you are happy with your textile design, have a look at where the darts lie. (please refer to image number 8 below to see where I placed the darts, I have marked them in yellow). Make sure that when you draw out your design on the tracing paper, draw the textile pattern to work WITH your dress pattern. 

Now transfer the 'half' design onto thin tracing paper. Once the entire design is transferred, fold the paper and draw the other half. This ensures that it is all symmetrical.

5. If you are using a stencil, transfer the final design onto the thick tracing paper and scalpel away!

 

6. Now that you have cut out the stencil, draw the pattern onto your cut out fabric.

7. Lift away the stencil and get those scissors out! Now start CAREFULLY cutting. If you want the inverted version for the back.... you need all pieces to stay intact! So be careful

8. ALIGN CUT OUT LACE PIECE TO TULLE. 
Now that you have your entire lace cut out. Pin and sew darts. Next you need to match up the tulle front pattern and the cut out lace darts. By matching these darts, you are able to align the garments together. Now pin, pin, pin!

9. Now carefully, starting from the middle top section, start sewing the black fabric onto the tulle. Sew close to the edge to prevent the fabric flapping away from the tulle. Sew from the middle out to the edges. Then move down the bottom section in the middle outwards. This hopefully ensures that your black fabric lies as 'bubble free' as possible.  This does take a while and feels a little tedious, BUT remember it is worth it in the end! You can hand sew some of the small pieces

 10. BACK SECTION
Now for the back section. Place your textile design next to the back section of the tulle and place the cut out pieces correctly on the tulle.

11. Pin and sew the back section. 
Once the whole back and front textiles are complete, match and sew the front section to the back. 
Now roll the edges of the neckline and sew it down. Cut the back of the neckline tulle piece so that it matches the front section. Cut the many threads. And you are finished! FINALLY!
 

12. Don't forget to make a slip. I used the same shift dress pattern, just made it smaller along the sides so that it clung to me more.

FERTIG!