made by Julianne

TICKLE MONSTER PUPPET

27 April 2015 by Julianne

I love making puppets, and I think they are wonderful toys for adults (and excellent liquor bottle covers). But kids want to play too, and it’s not much fun playing with a hand puppet you could fit your whole head into. It’s an obvious solution: tiny hand puppets!

monster puppet, made by Julianne

This one was made for my youngest nephew’s 7th birthday, using many of the same fabrics from the funky hoodie I made for him last year. For scale, the sticker below is just under 3″ square. The puppet came first, and the drawing came after.

My sister tells me that this strange creature is actually a Tickle Monster, and is quite ferocious with its prey.

Minky dot body, lycra face, rhinestone eyes, vinyl accents. Clearly I had a very fun evening working on this.

I love combining materials and ideas into these strange creatures, and I love making toys for my favorite kids to be weird with. And who doesn’t love Tickle Monsters?!

FREEDOM FRY retro orange outfits

3 April 2015 by Julianne

I’ve recently connected with the Los Angeles band Freedom Fry, and they asked me to make a set of outfits. The leaders of the band are Marie and Bruce, who are also married to each other. Marie used to work as a stylist, and had a very clear idea of the band’s look and vintage influences.

It was great to work with such an informed yet flexible client! They’re both charming, and creative, and funny, and when they come for a fitting it usually lasts for hours.

I based the dress pattern on an old favorite of Marie’s, with modifications. Bruce’s shirt was an exact copy of one from his wardrobe. I really enjoy sewing men’s button shirts; they are crisp and precise and so satisfying!

I really enjoyed the challenge of the print, and having the designs match up. I’m really proud of this attention to detail! Of course it takes forethought and effort, but what’s the point of making anything at all if it’s not going to be perfect? This is not my mantra by any means, but I say it to myself anyway and laugh, and then get back to work.

I’ve created garments for a few musicians lately, and it’s work that I really enjoy. I usually listen to my client’s music as I prepare and cut the fabric. Stage wardrobes are more daring than street clothes, and can actively help tell the songs’ stories. It’s such a pleasure to connect with another creator and to contribute to their art.

They wore these outfits at SXSW, along with another set I will share soon. There’s also a third set of outfits that will be on their upcoming west coast tour! See how busy I’ve been?!

PRE-BIRTHDAY DRESS inspiration and design

24 March 2015 by Julianne

It’s almost time to start delaying on this year’s birthday dress!

Every year I gift myself fabric for a new dress, but this year I’ve sweetened the swag by removing any idea that the dress will be ready for my birthday. My professional sewing work is ruled by deadlines (and I have to make 3 other dresses before my birthday), so it’s rare that I get to create without keeping an eye on the clock. Happy belated birthday to me!

I wasn’t even thinking ‘birthday dress’ but when I came across this aqua, orange, and gold lycra at Blue Moon last month, I knew it had to be mine. But now what?

I’m having trouble coming up with a design. I spent an hour coming up with this sketch, and I’m not convinced it’s the best.

There was a break in the print every yard, so that’s all I got. I want to add in another fabric for contrast, and also for length. I feel like the lycra should be at the top of the dress, so that the gold is near my face and not wearing off from the seat of the dress, because of course I will be riding my bike. The fabric is long enough that I could have it be the entire top of the dress, with only 6-8″ border of a contrasting fabric at the bottom.

My original idea had been to match the light aqua, but now I’m considering adding in an entirely new color. Of course my first thought is goldenrod, or some other shade of yellow. Yellow makes me happy, and my last two birthday dresses have been yellow. The yellow fabric in the photo is a scrap of jersey, and I know where to get more. But I’m thinking different fabric, same color. I don’t want the weight of a lined jersey skirt stretching out the lycra top, so I’m thinking woven fabric.

So now onto pattern. Lately I’ve been wearing sheath-style dresses, without a defined waist. I’m not nuts about a bisected dress that looks like a shirt tucked into a skirt, but I could be swayed.

The stretchy fabric tempts me into cutting sleeves, because I wouldn’t really have to worry about ease. Most of my dresses are sleeveless, with a couple short sleeves. Would lycra sleeves be too warm? And what about pit stains?

And then of course, there are those stripes! Am I to just cut the dress on grain, without playing up diagonal lines that match up perfectly? The fabric already has a lot going on, but it’s hard to imagine playing it safe with horizontal stripes.

Here are some inspiration dresses, in no particular order:

And then there’s always the possibility of just making a dope top. Too many possibilities!

Are there any new patterns that you’re excited about? What garment do you imagine when you see that gold spandex? What should the centerpiece of my 28-year-old wardrobe be?! Suggestions welcome.