Tag Archives: handmade

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ANIMAL COLLECTION TEE

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This is the first project I’ve been really excited to share since Burning Man. I’ve been working the whole time, but on little things that aren’t necessarily that interesting to others. So finally, a new post!

Animal Collection teeI made this shirt for the Animal Collective show at Hollywood Bowl. I can’t even tell y’all how excited I was to finally see them! We took our friends (and PNF campmates) Matt and Marisha out for an evening of adventures and delicious beverages.

Animal Collection tee

The original idea of the shirt was much more simpler than the final product, and based on this gorgeous embroidered and beaded Hmong shirt I found on Etsy:

hmong shirt Animal Collection tee

When browsing through my Pins last week, I saw this shirt again and realized that I had recently picked up 5yd of a cotton jersey with a similar print and color scheme. (I’ve already made leggings and hotpants from the fabric too!)

The striped yolk seemed like an obvious choice, and then I noticed the orange pompom trim collecting dust on the corner of my desk, and from there it snowballed. Gold neck binding–definitely! Faux-epaulettes out of blue lace–of course! Teal and gold sleeves, left over from a dress–sew them on!

Animal Collection tee detail Animal Collection tee detail Animal Collection tee back detail

Jason was egging me on the whole time, and when I thought I had finished he suggested a little bling for the front. We sorted through every appliqué and finally landed on the gold studs for the front and silver vinyl shield for the back. He said they make the shirt difficult to describe, which is just what I was going for.

Animal Collection tee

Added bonus for all the materials coming from my supply stash. The shirt was perfect for the show and I got lots of compliments, but mostly I just felt good.

You can see more about the rainbow boots here.

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FLEUR DE LOVE BIKE SEAT COVERS

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I made this post back in March of 2011! The only reason I can imagine that it wasn’t published is because I was waiting for Maria to actually get her seat, and then it just kinda got lost. But it still counts as something I made!

I decided one day to make a new seat cover for my friend Maria, and then I decided to make a new one for myself, and then I figured that while I was at it I might as well make a third, so voila!

Fleur de love seat cover Fleur de love Maria detail

I originally came up with this design on the first seat cover I ever made, which was sadly stolen along with the bike it was on last summer. This rendition was enhanced by the liberal application of red and pink glitter, just on the heart, which involved planning out the order of the layers very carefully, and I just love the way it turned out.

Fleur de love seat detail Fleur de love seat cover

Maria’s went off to New Orleans for her birthday, albeit 2 weeks late. She loaned us her bright green cruiser for a couple weeks while we were in town, so I kept her bike in mind while working on her cover. I’m riding around on the cover with the teal sides, and it’s just perfect for my bike. The seat with the blue sides was available in my Etsy shop.

I know that fleur de lis aren’t very popular out here in Los Angeles, but I enjoy the connection I still get to my city by painting our symbol.


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MUSE DRESS

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I’ve found myself reconsidering commercial patterns over the past few weeks. There are so many nice Muse Dresses, although it was Kristin from Very Prairie who finally inspired me to reintroduce that pink tissue paper into my life. Despite (or because of) its popularity Butterick 5130 is no longer in print, but I was able to find a copy on Etsy.

muse dress

As lovely as this dress truly is, it’s a little more romantic than my style. Although all the reviews mention how clever the pattern is for using the seam allowances as casing for the elastic, I threw that whole concept out the window and opted for highly visible exterior casings.

muse dress

I decided to use a bright color, and this red cotton jersey from Fabric Planet is perfect. Not too orange, not too pink. At first I was hesitant, because a red dress is very A Red Dress. Like, “I’m a fabulous WOman and I wear red dresses out for brunch with my gal pals!” I do not need to get my groove back, but apparently I have room for a singular red dress in my wardrobe anyway.

muse dress muse dress

I wanted the two colors to coordinate without matching. I was aiming for a slight clash of colors, and I think the purple/red combo is a perfect juxtaposition, rather than head-on collision. Obviously, aqua stitching was a must.

Like nearly everyone else, I added a waistband to make the dress less like a nightgown.

The pattern calls for a moderate-stretch knit fabric, but since the dress is made to be about three times the size of the wearer, I don’t really think the stretch is so necessary. I bet the dress would look nice in a woven silk/cotton blend, and I think it would totally work. I’m also considering a maxi length. Although I normally consider that style to be too much dress, I have an intriguing image in my mind. Maybe with shorter sleeves? And a printed skirt?

muse dressThe dress was very comfortable for a long day at work, although the lack of pockets was a problem. Of course I’m smart enough to add pockets, but the weight of my phone would make the dress pull and sag in a very strange way. This probably wouldn’t be a problem for a less-stretchy jersey. The pattern instructions were very easy to follow, although I didn’t really follow them. To allow for the gathering, the pieces are all insanely wide, so you can’t really skimp on the fabric requirement.

If I hadn’t done all those fancy casing and top stitching, the dress would probably take 3-4 hours to make. I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon.

Honestly, I’m not sure if I would make this pattern again. Husband-in-training Jason likes the dress, but I don’t think I need more than one of this very distinctive design. And looking at these pictures, cute as they are, I’m not in love with the dress. I felt very aware of the dress all day, and I didn’t know how to accessorize it (if you consider shoes to be accessories). If I were to repeat the pattern, I think I’d feel compelled to give away this first dress. Doesn’t that sound promising to all you bloggerellas?

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