Christmas Wrapping

'Tis the season once again for gift giving and more importantly gift wrapping. In true Martha Stewart style I enjoy wrapping my gifts in a unique way each year. Here is what I've got going this year.

I picked up these rolls of wall paper border at a flea market in Long Beach way back last spring. They spent the year sitting on my bookshelf taunting me with their holiday cheer.

Wallpaper borders combine with red and white string, matte red wrapping paper, and vintage style shipping tags...

To make what might be the cutest presents I have ever done. It was a struggle to decide what color of wrapping paper to use, that would compliment and not over power the boarder paper. I am a huge fan of big, beautifully tied bows and the string is a major departure from my usual style. However, I am excited about how well the string will ship! The wallpaper border is perfect and the tags add nicely to the vintage feel.

Because the wrapping just wasn't enough...

I picked up a Happy Holidays stamp at Renegade LA this weekend (thank you Paper Pastries.) It's hard to tell from the photos but the tags are embossed. After a few rounds with the holiday stamp and different colors of embossing I got the idea to do the snow flake tags. Then of course I just had to double up. The holiday with the snow flakes are by far my favorite. I'm considering putting them up on my Etsy site...good idea?

E is for Etsy

The Design 1103 shop is now open on Etsy! Check it out here.

It's just animal baby sweaters for now, but check back often as I plan to add head pieces for grown-ups soon!

I will hopefully get photos of my 'September Project' posted soon.

Suffrage!

August 26th is 90th anniversary of woman's suffrage in the United States. To honor this momentous occasion and the women who fought so long and hard for the right to vote I will be wearing the colors of the suffragette. In the form of a fabulous new head piece.

I read that the white camellia is the flower of women's suffrage in New Zealand. I made an oversized camellia blossom from fabric and combined it with two shades of purple and green ribbon. The whole piece is on a clip that can be worn in the hair or on a lapel.

I wanted the piece to be oversized to really make a statement.

Wear the purple and green and celebrate what may be our greatest right as American citizens. The right to vote and have our voices heard.

All Creatures Great and Small

As promised sweater number two...S is for smokey, S is for squirrel. Six month size.

The buttons are vintage!

Just for comparison here it is with O.

Anchors Away

I wanted to call this blog Octopussy but that seemed wrong for baby clothes. Hand knit hoody sweater with orange octopus applique. Coordinating cotton pique dress with ric rac trim. I am incredibly happy with how both pieces turned out. This sweater is the first in a set of alphabet sweaters I am going to knit. This is 'O for Octopus.' S for Squirrel is in the pipeline and I expect to complete it before midweek.

sweater and dress front

sweater front & dress back

The coming weeks should prove very busy on the design front. I will try to post as often as possible with what I'm working on. Cheers!

Look what I can do.

Being sick and tired of using ill-fitting kitchen towels to line my IKEA try I have made a tea tray liner. It's double sided and quilted made from hand printed linen remnants that I picked up at the Renegade Craft Fair the other weekend. (Linen remnants were printed by Stock Home.)

I am really happy with how it turned out. Just thick enough to not slide around on its own but not so thick that it's awkward to put and carry items on. As I was thinking about/designing this piece I was a little worried that it might turn out country kitsch, as quilts can sometimes be. I think the bold prints and the neutral background along with the non-specific quilt pattern that keep it more bohemian.

The only question now is what to do with the three or four remnants that didn't fit in?

Fascinating Rhythm

Taking a break from bigger projects to develop a few head pieces. Working with feathers, ribbon, and skeleton leaves. I call this one Earth. The idea is for it to be worn high on the head with long hair or flipped around and worn low in the back with a chignon or low pony. Still need to pick up a base and a comb to secure the whole thing to, but I like this start.

Hear comes the bride

First attempt at a fascinator to go with the russian net veil I'll be making for my friend's wedding. Ivory tulle roses, skeleton leaves in off white, and white feathers.

I think I'll be changing the feathers.

Variations on a Theme

These are wedding gown designs I did for my dear friend. She's not a traditional girl and so a nontraditional dress seemed to be perfect. All the dresses were designed to be fashioned out of english net, lace and tulle with various lace and ribbon detailing. She has requested a French net chin length veil with a flower accent and I wanted the dresses to compliment that idea of a playful veil. Enjoy!

And we're back...

Alright...after a week of sick and craziness let's get this thing rolling again.

Completed dress of Nankeen fabric. It was a hit at the wedding!

Front

Side Detail

Back Detail

Back

Nankeen

More design ideas for Nankeen fabric.

design1103 stick it!

Monster fail over the weekend for design. I was working on a dress, when I wasn't in bed sick. So, it wasn't a totally unproductive weekend.

Back to the design grind stone...LABELS add to the re-branding effort. I might do a bit more tweaking, when I have access to photoshop. These are to be used as clothing labels and stickers (think: jars of lemon curd.) I also want a colored field, so really this is a negative of my final design idea.

Re-branding, everyone is doing it!

Trying to develop new branding that will work for all the things I make. I think these little tags will work well. Good for clothing, knitting, baking, and crafts in general. Not bad considering all I had to work with was word and a black ink office printer!


Sometimes inspiration strikes when wandering the aisles at a big box office supply store. The next step will be to work out a square version and then order the designs on rubber stamps. I figure I can stamp labels for clothes, stickers for jars, and these little tags!


KEXP Song of the Day podcast, APM The Story, and NPR Tiny Desk Concerts.

No. 24 Lane 637, Chengle Lu, Shanghai

I have a wedding to go to over Labor Day weekend. I thought that I would wear my brown silk, as it is an afternoon wedding with an indoor evening reception. No go! The invite says 'think sundresses and khakis'. Arrg. Over the last couple of weeks I have been mulling over what to wear or really what to make to wear. Here it is...

A sleeveless dress, with a self fabric ruffle around the neck. Enough shaping under the bust that I won't look pregnant. A pleat/tucked skirt with pockets in a slight tulip shape. Exposed zipper in the back. Something that will be appropriate for a wedding but not too dressy. If I can get it done this weekend I may even have enough time to throw together a niffty new hat to wear with it.

China is known for it's silks but there is and older fabric tradition in China, Nankeen. Nankeen is woven cotton printed using a batik method and indigo dye. I LOVE IT! There must be over a hundred patterns that are at once ancient and modern. The pattern drying on the line in the photo below is the one I will be using for the dress.
Now all I need to figure out is shoes and handbag.

June Gloom

It has been overcast for the last few days. Making LA feel very Seattle like. I suppose that is part of what brought on the sudden inspiration for a slouchy grandpa cardigan, that is maybe a little more chic than Grandpa could have actually pulled off!
I'm calling it he Malibu Sweater. Perfect for throwing on after the sun goes down. To keep you snuggley and warm around the campfire. Looks great with shorts and sandals, a nice pair of legs doesn't hurt either!

I was at Jennifer Quiroz's most recent gig when the thought popped into my head. Nothing like digging in your purse for a pen and sketch book in a dark bar.