Tag Archives: embroidery

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PSYCHEDELIC BEDOUIN

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Although I designed this coat for those chilly playa nights at Burning Man, it just so happens to be cold in our hemisphere right now. How convenient!

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If staying warm is your goal, this is the coat for the job! This fabulous textured rainbow shell is a heavy-duty upholstery fabric. I lined the coat with minky, a soft acrylic fiber that’s commonly used for baby blankets. Put this on and you’ll be snugly all night long.

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inspiration feedback loop

There are minky pockets set in the side seams, so your chilly fingers will always have a place to hide.

Another fantastic detail is the zipper–it can opened from the top or bottom, meaning you can ride a bike or use the bathroom without removing your fortress from the cold. With both zipper heads pulled to the top, the coat can even be worn as a cape.

The fabric selvedge has such a nice fringe that I used it for the hems.

There’s only ONE Psychedelic Bedouin, so get it quick from my Etsy shop!

Thanks to Mr. Siadek for the great photos!

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WAXED JEANS

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Would you call these pants jeans? The fabric is rather denimy, but I haven’t owned a pair of jeans since 2008 and it feels strange to start up again! I decided to make these pants in anticipation of the arrival of new boots. In one week my wardrobe grew about 10%. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to wear my new boots since the day I got them, but on the bright side it’s been 75º and sunny in LA!

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This fabric is so cool! Of course it was from Fabric Planet, but we’re sold out now so don’t try to copy me. The back side of the fabric is a weave of black and gray threads that looks awesome and is soft. The front side of the fabric is jet black and has a waxy coating with a sheen. I’m reminded of painted pants I saw in Europe of couple years ago, complete with tags warning against sitting on white sofas. In fact these pants do turn my legs black (I had to buy a loofa!) and have just about ruined my bike seat.

A few days before starting on these pants I saw a guy in Venice (CA) wearing a mean-looking coat with a green clown on the back of it. When I saw him again on the strand later that week it was his jacket I recognized, and that made me realize that with all the effort and skill I put into my clothes I want strangers to remember them! In a roundabout way, that’s why I did all the stitching on the back pockets. I generally prefer to do my decorative stitching by hand and only use the basic stitches on my machine, but this design was a whim and I’m glad I went for it.

nice ass black pants!

It seems rather ridiculous to me that these pockets took over an hour to make, but then again I was allowing myself to be distracted. I thought the asymmetrical shield shape would be interesting and (hopefully) flattering. The curved stitching line was also in the goal of some booty contouring. I’ll be the first to tell you that I’ve got a nice tush, and sometimes I get preoccupied with making it look even better. Success?

Between the color, the fit, and the shine, these pants have a hard edge, but I think the contrast fabric and the decorative stitching all over softens the look and makes them more my own style. I’ve had black pants in my wardrobe a few times but they’ve never managed to stick around for more than a few wearings. I think this time I will actually keep these not-so-basic black pants!

new boots! And how about these new boots? They’re local and vegan and comfortable–after I did a bit of tailoring in the leg!

Also posted on BurdaStyle and Craftster.

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ADVENTURE PANTS

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DON’T FORGET TO VISIT MY ETSY SHOP!

When I was backpacking through Europe, I got used to owning only one pair of pants and wearing them till they fell apart. Initially I selected dark, sensible colors, but by the time I was about to leave France I got a little more daring and opted for bright fuchsia.  Now I’m up to three sets of trousers, but I still like the idea of everything I wear being as versatile as possible. I want to go on adventures and get messy along the way, but still look awesome when I get there.

Cue the new adventure pants!

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They were heavily modeled on my beloved fuchsia pants, only even better! I didn’t use a pattern, but I’ve made enough pants for myself that I can just cut fabric into the right shape without having to do any prep. The fabric, which I got in the Fashion District, is super stretchy, so I can climb things or lay on the couch comfortably. Even after wearing them for days on end, I don’t really need a belt, although my sheriff buffalo belt is too cool not to wear. The fabric was originally a dark grey but I put it through a couple dye baths to create a wonderfully deep purple that will hide dirt and wear well while still being colorful.

In the spirit of thriftiness, the front pockets are made out of a silky pair of Jason’s boxers that had a big tear. So yes, every time I put my hands in my pockets I am technically digging around in his undies.

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I always like to do something special on the back pockets of pants I make, and it’s never the same thing twice. I usually come up with a design based on my initials, but I also like the idea of telling a story. So these pants have a star shooting across the back. It’s a nice design with plenty of pleasant symbolism. I also did a lot of handstitching details on the pants–Xs along the back yoke and front pockets, a backstitch down the outside leg seams, and a slip stitch on the cuffs. I happened to have the embroidery thread in my stash but it wasn’t quite the color I had in mind. Luckily, after a washing the extra dye in the fabric toned down the brightness of the thread.

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