Spoonflower is a friend of mine 2.0

Ahh, my dearest sewing blog, it's been much too long. University doesn't particularly want me to do fun things, I find. This is evidenced by the fact that I had two 50% and two 60% assignments due on one day. I've never looked better. The highlight of the day was when our tutor opened a curtain and all 40 students groaned at the same time.

Despite my complaining, I had a pretty fab time at uni last half-semester: the best bit was when I got to design a range of gowns that were able to be used as weapons against attackers/rapists. I could totally go for having those dresses hanging in my wardrobe. 

Anywho, I have decided to celebrate the six weeks of freedom I have ahead of me by buying some truly faaaaabulous fabrics off spoonflower.com. This time, I only got two that I didn't design myself:

 What can I say, I'm into pineapples at the moment. I'm hoping the sheer joy of this print can get me through the unpleasantness that is a winter in wellington. It's a long shot but I've decided to be optimistic for once in my life. I want to be the pineapple princess.

I don't care that I just wrote an essay that briefly questioned Rosie the Riveter's credibility as a feminist icon, I still bought this. This secret's between us. If you don't tell, I won't tell. Or something.

The following fabrics are a series that I designed all by my lil' self- the "feminine stuff" series. I just found all of these so damn hilarious that I couldn't quite narrow down my options to a sensible amount.

 "Snails have no place in fashion"- A quote from my ex-boyfriend. Don't worry, we didn't break up because of that outrageous statement. I hope to prove him wrong. it's SLUGS that have no place in fashion, I reckon.

Basset hounds are my lifeblood. That is all. I also designed a purple and yellow pug version which you should be able to find if you search "pretty pugs" on spoonflower.

mmmm.

 Celebrating the fact that I come from New Zealand or something.

I'm truly excited by this one!! I got two yards to make a cute dress for my ball- apparently massey is having one for its first years!! Even if it doesn't work out I'll still have a cute dress so who the fuck cares. I'm hoping that you won't be able to tell it has sharks on it at first glance from a distance, teheehee. 

They should be here soonish so I may make a quick review video or something! I was also planning on maybe filming a tutorial in the next few days and now that I've written it down it's a binding contract and I have to do it. It's a terrifying prospect but my duty is to the people or some shit. 

Seeya!!!

Colour block wif me

After a horrific week in which I had two 40% of my grade projects due on the same day, I had a golden weekend of peace in which to do whatever the fuck I wanted. Naturally, for me, this included doing fabrics that didn't have to have any justification behind it. I saw a coat a bit similar to this one on etsy and decided that the colour blocked coat and I would have a passionate love affair for a few days, until I finished or gave up.

I was on the verge of giving up when I originally put the body together- the fabric wasn't quite stiff enough and so it really just looked like I was wearing a sad dressing gown. Cos of this, there's a big layer of interfacing under the lining- it actually just looks like I've papier mache'd toilet paper to the inside so thank god for lining fabric, truly. Making me look slightly better than I am since ages ago.

Drink in the pictures but be aware I'm standing in an awkward way which makes the sleeves bunch up and the back panels look crooked. Composition isn't my strong suit at the best of times, and especially not when I have to run back and forward across my room to try and beat the self timer.

Professionalism 101.

I hate university part one

this is the first installation of what will most likely become a many part series. I haven't slept properly in several weeks due to two assignments being on the same day, that day being tomorrow.

The first assignment, I don't even want to talk about- we're meant the make an object what will change when part of the body moves, but it's the night before hand in and my piece is staying decidedly stationary. We have to present them in front of the entire class as well so the fun pretty much never ends. I bet you ten dollars that tomorrow night's blogpost is titled "humiliation", or perhaps "I've dropped out".

The second assignment, I've whinged about quite a bit- I have to make a shirt into an idea??? Something I don't understand?? At all??? I've done the sneaky trick of choosing an idea that will let you cut corners- I was a fiend for it in art class, picking artist models based on whether or not I could do a painting like that in 20 minutes. My thing is kind of based around overcompensating in dat class system and just generally being a bit of a wanker so I can pretend that the shirt is falling apart to emulate the class system, rather than just me being lazy and gluing it together while watching project runway. (Incidentally, what is Patricia even fucking up to anymore? I wanted to love you, I really did)

 Does that look like the wankiest thing you've ever seen, or what? I would like to take this time to commend myself on my excellent bullshitting skills, which is how I plan on getting through this four year degree. Wish me luck!!!

(I have some frickin exciting blog posts lined up omg plz stick around through my whinging about uni life)

On the agenda

Let's be realistic here. When you're paying upwards of 700 bucks to sit through lectures and classes at ridiculous hours, as I am, you gotta be a tightass about some things. Namely, clothes.
Also, when you're forced to produce creativity on a deadline, as I am, you've got to do a bit of.. appropriation.
The following items have caught my eye lately, and I would maybe be able to afford them if I exploited my student loan payments, but tbh that almost seems a bit more immoral than just quickly and quietly borrowing the ideas.
And then, you know, changing them the slightest bit so that I can get to sleep at night. Don't want a tell tale heart situation on our hands. (Ha ha ha look, a literary allusion, should have been an english student, really. Except not.)

Expect these bad boys poppin' up in my wardrobe once my days are no longer filled with "drawing a shirt as an accessory to the body" or cutting up little bits of felt. #unilyf.

Flower gurl

yesterday was the day I tried something new. Sort of. My darlin' friend popped over for a bit of a craft day (the best kind of day in the land), and we team-worked up to help each other out with projects.

She wanted this skirt that we had seen on river island, I believe it was:

We ended up making it out of a sick black corduroy, which gave it the nicest drape, I want to cry thinking about it. I wish I was joking, but I'm not. These things make me happy. Getting the perfect drape on a circle skirt is like being fucking goldilocks when she's scoffing the porridge. It's always too soft so it has no shape or too stiff so you can see right up the damn thing. I will be fighting this war until i die. Today is the day I won. (well, yesterday, but let's not get picky)

Merinda helped me with making this cute as hell flower crown, something she's pretty damn great at and I am clueless about. It looks way more overbearing in this photo than in real life, but ah well, what can ya do? I got through this relatively unscathed, nursing only one major burn from the glue gun. I consider that a success. Now I just need an event to go to where it's acceptable to wear a garden on your head. 

Lastly, mine and Ali's store finally went live!!

It's been months in the making but the time has come for the unveiling or some shit, which has actually gone way better than planned. It's pretty fuckin' cool if I do say so myself so check it out! Or don't. I won't know either way. But I know what I'd do, if I were you. 

http://www.facebook.com/AlabasterClothing?fref=ts

Alabaster is the Ala-best-er

Hola friends,
As mentioned previously, myself and a friend are in the process of starting a bit of a clothing line, where we buy wholesale clothingz and alter them up into something new. This was by and large born out of desperation- we're both poor students with an irrational fear of working at mcdonald's. This work is the best kind of work because it doesn't really feel like work at all!! This is just stuff I do in my free time!! But we get money for it!!!!! Can't life be just amazing sometimes.

We had a photoshoot today with our delightful friend Izzy, except I pop up every now and then as it turned out that not all the pieces fit her. Ooops.
Take a look at the photos we've currently made public- we're pretending to be professional but in reality most of the day was spent scoffing two minute noodles and getting annoyed at my dog for taking a nap on the clothes when we weren't looking.

If you're intrigued (you better be), we'll be on etsy and facebook in about two days!! Buy our stuff!!! If you don't, we'll be very sad, but we will also pretend that we have a massive fan base that you don't know about. It's pretty underground, in that fact that it doesn't exist. Yet.

(???)

Back in Business

Oh hey blogspot, haven't seen you in a while, you're looking pretty good.
It wasn't you, it was me. Myself and fabrics went on a bit of a break due to lack of inspiration/Sam leaving/starting uni, but I'm starting to think that maybe we can be friends again. Maybe.

I've done a few pieces here and there where I needed new things, if I post them at all it'll be periodically when I have nothing else to say. My most recent creation that I'm actually happy with is as follows:

Don't lie, these pants are pretty fuckin' sick. They're made of this pretty heavyweight holographic lycra, and I expected that i would cry over them at least twice, but they were surprisingly untraumatic. Which was mean. I've never made anything like this before, I traced the pattern off an old pair of pants I ripped up, and altered them a lil bit. 

feelin' like a fuckin' legend as usually when I try to make pants they end up so tight that I can't move or breathe. Stoked.

Other changes:
dyed the bottom half of my hair. Was extremely careless as the bleach was so strong that i couldn't open my eyes or breathe, but I think it turned out all goods? Well better than it should have, in theory.

Starting a clothing label type of bizness with ma mate Ali. We're off on a photoshoot tomorrow, I dare say I'll be promoting it so hardcore that you'll all hate me within approximately twenty minutes. It totally sucks shit keeping all the items for sale at your place, the temptation to wear them out is oh so strong and I can't deal with it.

I have a project due for uni that involves ripping apart a business shirt and remaking it into something that represents an idea. My focus question is "to what extent can the shirt be used as a means of regulation?" (fucking wanky/obscure right) so pretty much you'll be seeing a lot of shit in that area. When you're at uni, you don't have time for anything that isn't uni.

Unless you adopt me and my friends' new mantra: "C's get degrees!"

Until next time,
XOXO

P.s. Get a fashiolista. Geeet one. Not enough fabulousness on my dash.
http://www.fashiolista.com/style/tessnorkee

Lime Crime and Overalls

Yeah, sorry I've been gone, I've been preoccupied with not really feeling like sewing much. A disaster, I know! However I did manage to finish up my teddy bear overalls, which turned out pretty good considering the fact that I made up the pattern as I went along.
I wore them out to a party (BAD idea- do not wear overalls when you are drinking a bit more than you should. Your bladder will resent you for it) along with my new lime crime velvetines matte gloss in suedeberry (what a mouthful, woah there). I love it with my whole heart despite the lengthy name! It's completely kiss proof, which my boyfriend loves- he's had it up to the eyeballs with lipstick marks all over his face. It also doesn't come off when you're eating, unless the food is reaaaally oily. I wore it out to lunch and didn't even have to touch it up afterwards. I might have to cry with joy.

As a quick side note, I made a top with a shark on it, and fabric roses as buttons.

I'd sort out my more questionable taste in fashion but I really can't be bothered.

Aspects of fabrics make me cry

The title of this post is a big, BIG confession. There's many aspects of sewing that I just can't stand. This usually results in me trying to skip the step and ending up with some weird version of it in its place.
I'm at the annoying stage where I'm making two items, and they're nearly finished, but first I have a whole lotta annoying steps to do before they're leaving-the-house worthy.

Like these badass overalls. I spent so long putting all these buttons down the side, only to find that, upon trying them on, the top half just doesn't fit right. This will involve many fabrics techniques that will make me die a bit inside- I'm not patient enough for fitting things well. It also might involve two more buttonholes and that's not something I'm okay with.

Similarly with this jacket I'm making, the only thing left to do is goddamn buttons. Although the buttons I have lined up for this are cool as hell (they're shaped like daisies), that does not do much for the inner pain I feel when I think of putting button holes on a slippery, plasticy fabric with no teflon foot :---(

Usually, there's only one thing to do in a situation like this, and that's start something else new and let the old projects rot in the corner until I have the emotional strength to finish them.

Revamping or something

I'm thinking of a two-part revamp today. First off, I managed to grease my way into a new little gift from my parents in exchange for cleaning up my sewing room- it sounds like I'm a spoilt little brat, but that room adds up to hours upon hours of stuffing fabric scraps away and picking fake fur and bits of tinsel out of the carpet. Not easy business, by any means. I had to have a bit of a sit down afterwards.

I'll be seeing this little beauty in just a few short days' (or weeks') time. For those of you who haven't seen the massive, massive hype for this one, it's one of Lime Crime's new matte lipglosses (Velvetines), this particular shade being suedeberry. I've become a lil wary of Lime Crime after all the scandal and so on surrounding them, but I've also heard the praises for this product sung from every rooftop so naturally I was curious. I'll do a review when it comes if I can be arsed.

The second slightly bigger revamp is the idea of maybe starting a fledgling youtube channel- I've always had trouble finding tutorials for things I'd actually WANT to make on the internet. Also, everyone seems to think sewing is an impossible thing- It isn't!! That's a lie!!! Anyone can do it, I promise!!! So posting a couple of tutorials just to see how they go seems to be a way of rectifying these two above issues. I'm fully aware that I'm relying on the fact that people like me piss around on youtube for hours on end, clicking on random related videos until they reach (hopefully!) my channel. 

Major issue with this idea, though: It means occasionally getting dressed and looking presentable. Ugh. I'm already feeling slightly put off.

Boyfriend does my makeup

So the other night myself and Sam put together one of these beauties after loving other couples' versions on youtube. Enjoy~~!

Spoonflower is a friend of mine

Guess who's back!

If I have learned anything from the last two hours, it's that I shouldn't be permitted to have the wonderful-ness that is the new photoshop free trial. I have knocked together a variety of fabric prints on  spoonflower.com that just don't make any kind of sense at all. The bottom one at least looks a little bit artsy, but the rest make me feel highly upset and very, very pleased at the same time.

I'm headed back into the realm of fucking around on photoshop again now (Does anyone ACTUALLY know how to work it in its entirety?) and I may come out with some prints of.. I dunno, beavers, or moose. I'm putting myself on the spot here.

Seeya suckas. I'm gonna buy my prints even if you don't. XOXO

Packing is the worst

If I'm being truly honest with myself, I haven't gone more than a day and a half without doing SOMETHING creative-ish in a very, very long time. It is for this reason that I find holidays to be challenging, no matter where the destination. There's always the in-between hours where everyone lies around, watching daytime television in the hotel room, which is an activity I can't say I'm that keen on. The holiday I am headed on tomorrow is of the "relaxing" variety, which means that these hours will be plentiful, and I will get fidgety and throw a toddler tantrum if I can't get my daily dose of fabrics. I've done my best to provide myself with materials to play around with that won't make a mess and result in my expulsion from the boyfriend's family.

I've thrown all my knitting and embroidery bits and pieces together in ziplock bags in the hope that I will find the patience to make some fucking awesome patches to sew on my clothes upon my arrival home. The bits and pieces include googly eyes and plastic babies, so I think it's fair to assume that this could get interesting. 

Back in business around the 8th or so. I think. I don't even know. Just go with the flow.