Wednesday music

Still knitting.  Still eating leftovers...

Tuesday

Last night we almost finished all of Project Runway, season eight.  I had a dream that Mondo and I built a boat and were sailing up and down the Mississippi.  We had tons and tons of animals on board with us, and people were getting on and off...it was so much fun.  The whole dream I was thinking, Mondo is so much fun!  We see the last episode today, apparently I am rooting for him.

Working on the body for my sweater.  Trying to decide what kind of body I want...shoulder pads?  Maybe.  This Knitty  page has been helpful.  I have also been looking at people's designs on Ravelry, but no luck there.   Maybe we should start a knitting website for people who design their own patterns?  Maybe this exists? 

While looking for a beautiful interior I saw a few months ago I found this video of the leather king , Mitch Alfus.
Here are some of those interiors:  PamelaLoveJordanSullivan
                                                     JamieAnthony

Inspiration for everyone!

December...26th?

Carmel and I are photographing this shirt that I just finished.  Mostly I just look creepy dead and pasty pallor.  But we got a few that are okay, after a few false tries.  Today was a lazy day.  We watched Project Runway, walked to the bar in the Virginia snow, and ate plenty of left overs.  Plenty.  But most important, I finished my grey shirt!  Hooray!

While embroidering I listened to a Russian folk tale I found on Toasts website.  It was a nice morning for the story of the Tsar Saltan.

Happy Holidays, y'all

Inspiration, Part 3

Inspiration, Part 2

Inspiration, Part One

Drinking coffee, Christmas Eve, leaving for Richmond,Va in a few hours, taking it all in.  The snow makes everything look so lovely and light.  I took photos of some of the things I was looking at while sketching for Voltage.  

Voltage 2011 Sketches

These are my sketches for Voltage.  Little things have changes... I want to make more and bigger pockets.  I am adding the vertebrae crop tops to make things a little lighter for spring.  I am also working on some knit linen drapey tank tops.  I am really excited that Lela will be working with me, designing accessories.  She makes the loveliest buttons and necklaces and head pieces.

Knitting for food

Swedish Rams Horn pattern with slight modification.  I highlighted the cross in red.  It reminds me of the neon crosses you find in the hills while driving across the U.S.  You know the ones, they pop out at you     in the dark, bright garish blazes in the night.

A partially knit sleeve of a sweater.  This is another Scandinavian pattern, this one represents waves. 

The rising of the sun and the setting of the moon.  

Here is a close up of the sleeve.

This...is a belt.  It was a head band.  But it is clearly a belt.  A Holiday present for Alina.  Also in the wave pattern.

Angus is much interested.

Nemours...

I can not get this mansion out of my head.  I think about it all the time, which is weird, because I am not usually that way about such a silly large house built by a millionaire.  But the colors! And that bed! Nemours...

Alfred I. du Pont, rich man resident of the 77 room Nemours, and his wife, Jessie.  Her dress is amazing.  I love the belt.

A view of the entry way at Nemours.  The house was built to resemble Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon, which is another silly rich house that I have a special strange love for.  The marble floor makes me all gushy inside. 

I found this photo, couldn't resist adding it.  It is of the first subway tunnels in NewYork.  Taken in 1904, the first year that the subways ran.  The patterns on the ceiling are so inspiring.

Tuesday

Went to the mall today with Colleen.  Started cleaning the house, desperately needs doing.  After I finish I will continue work on the second skeletal crop top, pictured above.  Oakie will help me.  He has had a hard day, needs lots of love

And For My Next Trick

Skeletal crop top

Skeletal Crop Top

This is a shirt I worked on this week.  It is cotton voile and then has vertebrae worked in white embroidery thread.  I was working with a technique called white work.  Delicate stuff, that!  The top is made in two pieces with a kimono style sleeve.  It's simple and classy, my take on the basic white-t. 

 Here is one of my sketches for Voltage 2011.
  I started working on the sweater a while ago,
  and am now working on the skirt.  I put a little
  sneaky peeky down below...

      Start of the sweater...
           The pattern represents a crow over a cross.
           The crow follows you from birth to death, and
           the cross represents the sun and the moon,
           heaven and hell.

Beginning of the skirt.  Black cotton velvet and cotton
muslin.  I will add lace and an over skirt in good time.

All I Want for Christmas is...

A Wolf Dress Form!  I know, not gonna happen.  But the fund is started, so let the dough flow!  I'm also looking at buying a serger.  Big purchases for me in the new year.

Life, as it were

Worked today.  Worked yesterday.  The same type a thing.  The cats want for food.  I say naynay.
 Saw some weird things today, namely a jar of honey stuck to Alex's shirt.  It was his first day jobless.  Congratulations, how a bout you eat a cookie to celebrate.  I sewed on a skirt and a shirt today.  Want to wake up early and get some stuff done.  Wabi sabi Mommy!

Today was a good day...

Alice

 Oakie

Angus

Elyse came over and brought me food.  I made patterns, pet cars, and then worked on some embroidery.  And that is that.  Today was a good day.

Tuesday

On these negative degree mornings it helps to look on the internet.
So I look at Alexander McQueen and Rodarte.  Over and over again.
And then I drink lots of coffee and try to sew.

Alexander McQueen

Monday

Pattern drafting, I love.  Cats, they love it too.  They love everything.  I had Tony photo-tize the event.  Oakie is much interested.

An Experiment in Time

Need we say more?