7 posts tagged “sewing”
So my laptop is up and running at the moment, but I can tell I'm going to have to take it in again- a long story but just an FYI if my communications go patchy again.
For Halloween I made my own costume, which was really quite a celebration for me in itself. I re-configured these two shirts into one and used some of the fabric from one into the detailing of the pants. The inspiration for the costume came from my comic book writer friend, Shane who has this idea about a world where everyone one was a super hero- or at least dressed like one, regardless if any one had powers or not. "Superhero chic," he calls it. So here is my interpretation of that (you may need to click on the picture in order to read the textboxes):
Let me know what you think!
So election drama is peaking, the economy is slamming into the valleys and the stars have become political as a reaction to the news media becoming a source of almost pure entertainment and docu-drama...but have you seen my haircut??? I've wanted a mohawk for so long, and I figure now is the time before all the strands fall out of my head completely.
In other news, things are going good: doing reiki on a regular basis and I just got two books on reiki techniques I've never heard of before, written by Walter Lubeck. I've not been sewing this week- but I plan to remedy that this Sunday. However, almost as important as my new 'do, I have been catching an eyefull of reality tv - via youtube. Honestly, I am shocking myself. But Project Runway was the gateway drug for me. So my dirty little secret is that I've fallen in love with Tyra Banks- yes, that's right...I'm watching America's Next Top Model. And I know, if only given the chance, I could work that g.d. runway like no one's business- catalogue, commercial AND couture. I guess you can have your Eckhart Tolle and Tyra, too- is it our contradictions that define us? Or do they just make us human?
Alright, girls rock that catwalk like a zen master-
Kman
So last week I completed a shirt I revamped for myself- I ripped out the seams on the side and sewed in some panels, then painted and stenciled it (it use to be all white and almost too tight for me to even get over my head).
I also made very, very belated Father's Day card for, um, my father, of course. I figure it being hand made makes up for the incredible tardiness- which tends to be one of my bad habits when it comes to mandatory card sending
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Finished! Yes! Even though it took me twice as long as everyone else in the class, and has its share of forgivable imperfections, ze bag ez fini! It's a pretty girly bag, but I made more for the experience rather than "a need for more bag."
Howdy, howdy.
So, currently, I have been getting crafty. Just a smidge, but I am planning on wading further and further into the world of fabrics and paints and stamps and knitting and god knows what else. I've wanted to learn to sew for years and years, and now, thanks to the Home Ec Workshop, that dream is slowly being realized. I am almost done with this bag that I hope turns out just cool enough. Cool enough for a project of this complexity. However, I will post that pic when it is completed.
In the meantime, I did manage to get some patches that I hand painted sewn onto a pair of jeans that my friend, Jon, donated to me. It is really all experimental right now. And I tend to go for sloppy-chic while figuring out how to make what I like actually work.
The text on the patches are part of a poem I wrote years back. The complete poem goes
"Outlive your demons.
Transform them
into a pool of raw resources.
Nourish not only yourself
but all those around you
willing and able to accept and benefit.
When being chased by tigers,
make pancakes.
- The Lesson of Sambo"
so i did the thing with the iron and the plastic bags. yes, it takes a little bit of experimenting to figure out how hot the iron should be. i tried putting a small image from a magazine under one of the layers of plastic, but after i ironed it, the plastic basically just melted off the image. so i will experiment with that some more.
i didn't make a bag, cuz i didn't have a real need for one. however, i desperately needed a new wallet. so that is what i made. i took two bags and put one inside the other and then folded them in half. does that make it 8-ply? after the melting and the measuring, i made an easy-peasy wallet. it was nice to sew something again. next time, i will make little folds for inside the wallet, but this was a good first start. i give you the simple fruits of easy labor below:
so, today was pretty dang productive- although the day did not involve picnics or graveyards (curious juxtaposition), all in all, it was alright.
i sewed up holes in my sweaters n jeans, sewed on missing buttons, gathered up a tons of recyling stuff, washed dishes, organized my tapes...is that all? feels like i did tons more than that. i did take a couple of notes while listening to NPR. Helen Keller was a radical. she was all about socialism, god love her. they don't tell you that in school, do they? http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/17_01/Kell171.shtml/
oh, god. i did clear out my email box. i had over 1000 email that were unread. things dating back from before last summer. so i dumped and dumped and am now down to 6. that's what procrastination gets ya.
seriously thinking about taking a sewing class this summer. i think i am finally in a place where i could learn how to sew without losing my mind. my big lesson from the semester applies- it is okay to be where you are. it's not about perfection, it's about learning. sounds so simple, right? theory is always easier than practice.
also, i have "discovered" the show, Medium. alright, sooo much better than Ghost Whisperer. GW tries to be scary, which comes off as contrived- the style tends to look like one of those ghost hunter shows that works really hard at being "eerie." and Jennifer Love Hewitt plays it sooo cutsy. but I admit, I still like the show. and JLH is growing on me. but she can't hold a candle to Patricia Arquette.
alright, goodnight all. may your dreams be about peace.
Kman
