One or two magazines a year is the amount that prevent me from honestly saying that I never buy magazines. But it's rare. I'm typically disappointed by the lack of depth in the articles or how they weren't about what I thought they'd be about... which is sometimes difficult to know... without reading the article in the store... and then why would you bother buying the magazine. It's a debate.
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In the end, I wish I hadn't spent the money. Like now. The cover of Belle Armoire's Summer 2013 edition advertises garments that give shape to all women. It's not hard to deliver on that promise since all women have shape and all women dressed in garments will have shape although the implication is that all women will have wonderful shape in whichever garments it is that they're going to tell us about only that's not what happened. It turned out to be more of an ad for a clothing line than any how-to information about choosing garments to flatter your figure. And - of course - flattering your figure was what I was looking for. I should have read the article at the newsstand. BUT... by buying the magazine... I did discover two new artists whose work was fun to look at. Both have an Etsy store.
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Christina Molcillo's store is called Black Lotus Clothing and features her highly detailed, highly texturized clothing. In the article, Christina talks about studying fashion in art university and how she hated sewing, patternmaking, and even ironing only she needed to learn to sew to make the garments in her head a reality. So she did. With technical expertise. And still hated it until...
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... she had an "ah ha" moment and started experimenting with ripping fabrics, sewing off seams, and slightly rigorous stitching and fell in love. She describes herself as the opposite of an ideal seamstress. I'm not so sure. Isn't ideal loving what we do in whatever way we do it?
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Sarah Clemens Clothing is a very successful business that employs not only the owner - Sarah - but five seamstresses and a photographer, her husband. It's a home based business that Sarah happened into accidentally and with a lot of pressure from friends. I can see why.
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The garments are gorgeous. They have an Alabama Chanin overtone without being nearly as expensive and they're predominately sewn from one of my favourite fabrics, linen. The skirt below reminds me a little bit of the skirt I refashioned earlier this summer from a jumper Diane had refashioned. I have another jumper in my stash that I may need to take more in this direction.
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How people end up doing what they're doing always fascinates me especially when they're people successfully making a living in the arts creating something they love to create. That's not so easily done. It's a HUGE accomplishment.
For some, a financially and emotionally satisfying life in the arts happens immediately, for others it happens by accident, for some it takes a rather circuitous path that eventually takes hold, and for still others the path keeps circling and never settles. Although I don't believe it's THE element of success, I think a critical element is working authentically in your own voice and being able to march to your own drummer.
Perhaps the circuitous path exists because it takes some people a lot longer to speak authentically. Perhaps the never settling path is there because some people never find their voice. It's an interesting thought.
What I've found to be true in my life is that the process of finding my voice and speaking authentically has led me along a circuitous path. I've never been one for existing in the status quo. While many things - like the fact that I work primarily with fabric - remain the same, my creativity is always evolving and changing directions. And this is good. It works for me.
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My next project is the Vogue 8767 jacket which would look fabulous with one of Sarah's skirts or ruffled pants although - LOL - I'm not sure if my boys would go out in public with me if I was wearing those. They gave the pointed Marcy pants from yesterday strange looks. Love it.
No fabric requirements are given for just the jacket. According to Vogue, it must go together with the dress that's also included in the pattern. Not. The dress - and especially the jabot and collar - don't interest me at all. Nor does the "prissy" look of the vintage illustration. What I like is that these lines will flatter my figure and that the gathers under the bust from the princess seam will make adding a FBA easy and then what I want to explore is making this less jacket and more cardigan like along with making it more artsy and less vintage. Right now, I'm prepping the pattern.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - to have my friend Caroline here for the week. We've been friends for thirty-five years and enjoy the same passion. Both are a gift.
In the end, I wish I hadn't spent the money. Like now. The cover of Belle Armoire's Summer 2013 edition advertises garments that give shape to all women. It's not hard to deliver on that promise since all women have shape and all women dressed in garments will have shape although the implication is that all women will have wonderful shape in whichever garments it is that they're going to tell us about only that's not what happened. It turned out to be more of an ad for a clothing line than any how-to information about choosing garments to flatter your figure. And - of course - flattering your figure was what I was looking for. I should have read the article at the newsstand. BUT... by buying the magazine... I did discover two new artists whose work was fun to look at. Both have an Etsy store.
Christina Molcillo's store is called Black Lotus Clothing and features her highly detailed, highly texturized clothing. In the article, Christina talks about studying fashion in art university and how she hated sewing, patternmaking, and even ironing only she needed to learn to sew to make the garments in her head a reality. So she did. With technical expertise. And still hated it until...
... she had an "ah ha" moment and started experimenting with ripping fabrics, sewing off seams, and slightly rigorous stitching and fell in love. She describes herself as the opposite of an ideal seamstress. I'm not so sure. Isn't ideal loving what we do in whatever way we do it?
Sarah Clemens Clothing is a very successful business that employs not only the owner - Sarah - but five seamstresses and a photographer, her husband. It's a home based business that Sarah happened into accidentally and with a lot of pressure from friends. I can see why.
The garments are gorgeous. They have an Alabama Chanin overtone without being nearly as expensive and they're predominately sewn from one of my favourite fabrics, linen. The skirt below reminds me a little bit of the skirt I refashioned earlier this summer from a jumper Diane had refashioned. I have another jumper in my stash that I may need to take more in this direction.
How people end up doing what they're doing always fascinates me especially when they're people successfully making a living in the arts creating something they love to create. That's not so easily done. It's a HUGE accomplishment.
For some, a financially and emotionally satisfying life in the arts happens immediately, for others it happens by accident, for some it takes a rather circuitous path that eventually takes hold, and for still others the path keeps circling and never settles. Although I don't believe it's THE element of success, I think a critical element is working authentically in your own voice and being able to march to your own drummer.
Perhaps the circuitous path exists because it takes some people a lot longer to speak authentically. Perhaps the never settling path is there because some people never find their voice. It's an interesting thought.
What I've found to be true in my life is that the process of finding my voice and speaking authentically has led me along a circuitous path. I've never been one for existing in the status quo. While many things - like the fact that I work primarily with fabric - remain the same, my creativity is always evolving and changing directions. And this is good. It works for me.
My next project is the Vogue 8767 jacket which would look fabulous with one of Sarah's skirts or ruffled pants although - LOL - I'm not sure if my boys would go out in public with me if I was wearing those. They gave the pointed Marcy pants from yesterday strange looks. Love it.
No fabric requirements are given for just the jacket. According to Vogue, it must go together with the dress that's also included in the pattern. Not. The dress - and especially the jabot and collar - don't interest me at all. Nor does the "prissy" look of the vintage illustration. What I like is that these lines will flatter my figure and that the gathers under the bust from the princess seam will make adding a FBA easy and then what I want to explore is making this less jacket and more cardigan like along with making it more artsy and less vintage. Right now, I'm prepping the pattern.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - to have my friend Caroline here for the week. We've been friends for thirty-five years and enjoy the same passion. Both are a gift.