Dress

I finally got around to documenting the dress that I wore to my friend lisa's wedding last weekend.  I found the crazy fountain fabric a few months back at a value village.  It was shoes that I found a few weeks ago (same VV) that clinched the whole ensemble.  I made the outfit sans pattern, which means it probably took twice as long to make if I had just been sensible and searched for a pattern.  But now its perfectly sized for in in all the right places and the skirt will be ideal for biking just as soon as I put in a side slit or two.  I'm telling you, this serger machine is working out really well :)

In a frenzy to have a bag to match the dress I made for a wedding I am attending this weekend, I whipped up this beauty in a flash of inspiration.  Its fully lined with the light green fabric and just the right size to haul all my stuff around.  I am particulary pleased with the framing of the sculpture and bird in the bird bath on the front flap.  It is rather loud fabric, I know, but what else would match a skirt and top made of this wacky textile?  More of the same :)

Dutch Show

I am preparing for an exhibiton at La Petite Mort gallery coming up this weekend.  It's a group exhibtion of first generation Canadians and our relationship to our native land Holland.  I will be exploring bicycle culture through a mini photo sculture as well as exhibiting my pimped up girly bike.  I 've always wanted to have one of my bikes in a gallery, so this is going to be fun!.  My third piece is a conceptual piece on the Dutch treat hagel slag.  The show opens on Friday from 7pm to 10pm and runs until May 22.  See you there!

This is my bike before its pimping:  Its gonna look so cute!

Tentatively getting back into the swing of things

I am ready to post again...!  Maybe its because I've taking more pictures lately, or the spring air, or just better, more fun things happening lately, but I think its time to delve back into the bloggosphere and start having fun again.  So first off, this is the wicked new cycling jacket I made.  Its made of flurescent vinyl, so its not entirely breathable like a gortex, but its sure is super visible on the streets.  The cute strippey bits are some double sided fabric (fluroscent orange and pink...as if I could have resisted buying that :) and they can folded up to expose the orange or down to expose the pink.  I am still working on how to put in some much needed pockets in the front, but for now, its functional and super cute!

 

Wee interlude

If I put up a little post during a blogging break, does it break the break and I have to start blogging again?  Regardless, I can't resist showing off my sparkly new SERGER sewing machine.  I am so very excited that I actually finally own one, as I have wanted one since I was about 15.  I spent a few hours on the weekend altering many of my clothes and now have made it a mission to alter everything.  Once I'm done that, I'll get cracking on fashioning new items from my collection of fabric.  Oh boy... the excitment is palpable.  See?? this is why I need a blogging break, there are too many clothes to make :)  ...I'll be back when I have a new wardrobe to show off and when I'm ready to take orders :)

Taking a little break...

Its time to take a little blogging break.  I seem to have a number of things on the go and I'm feeling like sometimes its one too many.  So 'somethings gotta' give'.  I think a little reprieve from the blog for a few weeks will give me some time to recharge and rekindle the love I have for this medium. 

If you're looking for something to do, my pal Lori Nancy is in a new Mirvish production called e-Dentity, playing at the Royal Alex in Toronto until the end of May.  Its all about the internet, blogging, on-line relationships etc...its very techically heavy with lots of projections and lights and cool sounds.  I'm off to see it this weekend. Their MySpace site is here.  The show runs until the end of May.

Cozy Pillows Outside

I took the COZY pillows out for a little photo documentation.  I went down to the Ottawa River to see how they would look on a picnic table and a park bench.  Very cute.  But I couldn't resist scrambling up the embankment to tuck them under the bridge.  I am learning it is always a good idea to take the art of the studio and see where is belongs best in the outside world.  All this gave me ideas for more words, more places, more art....

Hoodie

I really challenged myself on this one...!  Why can't I just make some plaint and simple?  But no, that would be too easy...I must add stripes and lines and pockets and all the coziness to make the perfect not-quite-spring hoodie.  I actually made it with really crazy sleeves, but I took them off because it was too much.  They may appear in something else some day.  Also, I am really into this day-glow orange lately.  I just can't seem to get enough of it. 

Skirt II

I had to make myself another cute skirt to get me through the rest of the winter.  Its made of polar fleece, which I have been sewing with lately.  Its easy to sew on my straight sticher as I don't need to to go over the seems with the zigzag stitch.  I got so motivated with making the skirt, I'm working on a cute hoody.  Stay tuned....

Oven Mitt Quilting

My first attempt at quilting!  These little oven mitts are a gift for the people we visited over christmas in Nova Scotia.  I got a whole wack of fabric scraps from them, and I wanted to send a few bits back.  Why is it that fabric has a way of holding memories and emotions...like, oh, that piece was from the footstool I re-upolstered, and that bit was our old curtains, and this piece was a pair of pants...etc...So now all those memories are sewn up into two tidy little oven mitts.  I wanted to be sure I did a good quilting job, those Nova Scotians are fanatical about their handicrafts and quilting.  I think I did a pretty good job for a first try...but could be a last try too, it was tough!!!  I'm not a big fan of sewing things straight :)

 

Mitten Coat

A blog reader April passed this on to me a while back and I wanted to share it here.  Designer Martin Margiela made this wicked coat out of ski gloves...what a novel idea! Damn, why I am stuck on making sleeping bags when I could be making a coat???  well, for one thing, it would be hard to go camping in that coat :)  Margiela's web site is very cool too, in the artisnal men's section, there's pants out of belts, a jacket out of cumberbuns, clever man.

 

Here is my cat Pandora testing out the sleepability of sleeping #4.  Looks like it is working...Zzzzzzz.  Makes me sleepy just looking at it.

A Confederacy of Dunces

One of my favorite books EVER is   A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy tool.  I read it a few years ago and recently I have been listening to it in audio format.  It is so funny, it cracks me up so much, I find myself laughing out loud all the time.  With quotes like " I have always found coconut to be good ruffage" and "you can always tell employees of the government by the total vacancy which occupies the space where most other peopple have faces" and other offensive dialogue.

3:15 tea

Guess what kind of tea I had today?

Bits and pieces

Every once in a while, I get these strange compulsions to make a multiplicity of little odd bits. I love making one of something and then making 10.  Maybe it comes from having worked in a factory a number of years ago.  For some reason the repetitive bit-making is soothing and almost meditative for me.  Then I'll glue these bits onto little pieces of wire.  At this point, I have no idea what I am going to use them for, but somewhere down the road they come in handy for this or that. 

Pumpernickel Bread

Here's a hearty bread recipy that my mum sent to me.  When I was young, she used to make this bread all the time and I did not like it one bit.  But it seems that now I love it...very dense, healthy and good for feeling virtuous (and depending on how much bran you put in, everything else will be happy too :) 

PS it might take a trip to Bulk Barn to track down all the ingredients.  Also, a very forgiving recipy.  If you want to make a few substitutions, omissions or deletions, feel free...its still going to work :)

S & P madness

It was a mad house at the spins and needles on friday night.  I can't believe how many people came to craft and listen to tunes.  It was really fun to see so many people getting their craft on (in public) and enjoy the simple pleasures of "making".   I had many people help sew up mittens and it was good to get me motivated on making sleeping bag #4.

Here's a view of the beautiful tiny stichery one of the attendees did for me.  I don't even sew that nicely!   Thanks everyone who helped out with the project...there'll be more mittens to sew yet! 

Spins and Needles II

I happy to be participating in Spins and Needles 2nd year anniversary bash happening tomorow night.  Details on the S&P site.  I'm bringing along a bag of mitts for more mitten sleeping bag sewing.  There'll be lots of other craft activities and rumour has it, some cool door prize swag.  So come out and craft!

Here's a picture of my two lost mitten sleeping bags with packs in the snow.  I've made a third one, a wee baby size bag made out of kids mitts.  Its too cute...The mini pack I'll be making for it will be really sweet too.  3 down only 2 more to go!

Tested

I tested my new skate cozies on the weekend and they proved to be effective in combating cold tempertures as well as unsightly skate esthetics. 

Skate Cozies

I have a pair of very old speed skates, seen here.  They are made only of leather, so they are not very warm, especially on the super cold days.  I made a pair of fuzzy skate cozies for them.  So not only do they look super cute, I think it will help keep my feet bit warmer.  I'm going to try them on the canal tomorow.  I also like the little detail 'heart' zippers.

Something New! I have added a quick-link to my shop at the top right.  I posted my fuzzy brooches which are garnering lots of attention these days.  Why not fancy up your winter coat with a little something warm and fuzzy?

Links

I picked up a copy of FibreArts Magazine last month and found out about many cool artists.

one of the artists featured in the magazine is Clarina Bezzola.  If you have a bit of time, visit Clarina Bezzola site.  She does all performance art with her textile creations.  There's video too.  Makes me think I need to keep working and making more art..!

 

In my frettering around onthe internet, I came across the artist Lisa Conkin making fantastic art with buttons and thread and string.

and I also read in the paper that there was a recent screeing at the Bloor Cinema of Mathew Barney's Drawing Restraint 9.  I would really like to see that movie, with all his crazy art and vaseline and Bijork. 

I've also added a wee link to Donate!  Gotta make some money somehow :) !!!