James Blunt Concert

I saw James Blunt in concert last night at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Calif., a beautiful outdoor concert venue up in the hills just southwest of San Jose. Here's a shot of the view from the winery.



Despite the day's extreme heat (must have hit 100 degrees), the evening cooled off into the 70s, which made it perfect for the event (drinks helped, but 8 bucks for a tiny plastic cup of wine was a bit rough). His music is on the mellow side, so the vibe was low-key rather than high-energy, and of course, singing along is critical --- he is extremely talented, and hearing him live is such a treat. He played all the faves, including my fave, "Goodbye my Lover" (it is a very sad sad sad song, but there is something about the beauty of just his voice and the piano that is amazing). The best part was when he ran along the aisles and managed to plant a some kisses on a few lucky female concert-goers --- that definitely got the crowd up!

What is "Beach Chic", Anyway?

I just saw this article on WSJ.com, and thought, how relevant! The article, titled "Uncreative Black Tie, Please; The End of Goofy Dress Codes", is all about the return to simple and clear-cut dress codes for events --- not "resort dressy" or "wild chic" or some other unclear descriptor of what one should wear to an event.

Why is this relevant? Because we are preparing to go down to Malibu for my cousin's wedding this weekend --- right on the beach --- and the dress code for the wedding is "beach chic". When we received the invitation and read the dress code, we thought, huh?

Does this mean fancy flip flops are ok? Does "beach chic" translate into head-to-toe tropical prints? What about a suit? When we asked my parents, they had no clue. When we asked the wedding party, they vaguely answered something about dresses for women and gave an unclear answer for men. My brother thinks a hawaiian shirt would be ok, while my husband has fished out his Tommy Bahama togs. I'm not completely sure what I will wear, but I'm sure it won't be "chic" enough for the "beach chic" crowd!

Well, I guess in the end it is about attending and helping to celebrate the occasion, but I do believe if you are specifying a dress code, it would be very helpful to state it as clearly as possible, so thumbs up to the WSJ article.

Artfibers Zoe Project

I recently purchased a cool yarn at Artfibers (if you haven't noticed yet, it is one of my favorite yarn shops) called Zoe. It is not a natural fiber (75% nylon and 25% viscose), but has a nice feel and heft with some stretch and a slight metallic sheen. It is on sale through the end of August, as are several other Artfibers yarn, so it would be good time to try it out!

I made a swatch to test three different stitches: moss, garter and stockinette. I love the tweedy look that the moss stitch yields, but the garter is also interesting. I think a fitted cardigan would work well with this yarn, given the stretch and the structured quality of the knitted fabric. A popular pattern using Zoe is the Bell Curve Skirt by Kira Dulaney that was recently published in Knitty.

Pterodactyl on Project Runway

I can't believe the pterodactyl dress made it through this week --- one "wing" was broken!

Just a quick post about Project Runway. I still check out Tim's Takes on www.bravotv.com, but the Runway Recaps on the NY Magazine site is really fun too. Check it out!

Stand Collar Jacket - Finished

I feel like I'm on a roll with finished projects --- here's the stand collar jacket from the February 2007 issue of Burda World of Fashion magazine! I flagged this project when I received my issue last year, and am glad I finally came around to making it. Details I like are the high collar and the wide belt/sash, as well as the sportiness of the raglan sleeves and the tab accents on the sleeves and belt loops. Here's a previous post that has a couple of in-progress photos.

Some notes:

1. I used the black background version of the Umekomachi brand fabric from Japan (the red one was used for the ruffle hem dress), purchased at Eddie's Quilting Bee in Sunnyvale, Calif. I lined the jacket with a red silk charmeuse from my stash and used a fusi-knit interfacing. Medium-sized black snaps are used for the front closure and pink buttons that I found during a trip to Florence, Italy are used for the tabs on the sleeves as well as the tabs on the belt loops.



2. The pattern was well-drafted, which has been my experience will all of the Burda patterns I've used. I just made a couple of adjustments for my petite frame: decreased the shoulder length and decreased the height of the collar.

3. The original design is unlined; however, I chose to line it because my fashion fabric was lightweight and needed some heft and I wanted a more finished look. I chose the silk because it was in my stash and I loved the flash of red color as an accent for the black, but a Bemberg rayon lining would work fine. The silk as actually a bit too luxurious for this jacket!

4. If I were to make it again, I would choose a combination of a print and a solid, such as a print jacket and solid tabs, as the all-print jacket makes it difficult to discern the details. I might also change the sleeves to be plain without the tabs, just for a different look.

Linen Eyelet Coat/Dress - Finished

I finished this coat/dress a while back, but just got around to getting the finished product photographed. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Given the inner construction --- underlining with silk organza; lining with silk/cotton batiste; and silk/linen interfacing along the hem, fronts, collar and cuffs --- it is definitely structured more like a coat than a dress.



Some details:

1. I used a beautiful linen eyelet fabric from Emma OneSock for the coat/dress. The silk organza, silk/cotton batiste and silk/linen interfacing came from Thai Silks. The front closure used two rows of large-size snaps from Joann Fabrics.

2. These posts have some of the construction details, such as padstitching, tailor-basting and elastic channels.

3. The original Burda World of Fashion pattern from February 2008 used a solid fabric, which really showcased the rows and rows of beautiful topstitching along the hem and cuffs. However, because of the fabric I chose, topstitching detracted from the print rather than adding to it. I was still able to achieve the "X-line" style of the coat/dress because I tailor-basted the silk/linen interfacing (basically silk/linen fabric that I used as a sew-in interfacing) to the hem facing, which added just enough body to the hem.

4. Padstitching the silk/linen interfacing to the collar really made a difference in terms of shape and structure. It really is important to test out different methods of interfacing as well as different types of interfacing. In this case, I chose the silk/linen blend because the fashion fabric is linen and I wanted to use a similar natural fiber. I have used hair canvas for other projects, but it tends to be heavier and more substantial, better suited to heavier wools. Here's a photo of the padstitching detail:



Would I make this again? Absolutely! I love the shape, and it feels very glamorous to wear. Next time, I would choose a solid fabric (but still one with body) so I can do the rows of topstitching; consider adding a decorative trim around the collar and front edges; and use flat elastic rather than round elastic for the waist shaping.

Ravelry Apron Swap --- Thank You!

Our Sew Obsessed group on Ravelry just concluded a summer apron swap. It was my first swap, so I was thrilled when I received an apron and other treats from Marietta (here's her blog)!



The yellow print is really fun --- it has a domestic theme, with appliances, clothes, flowers, etc., which is perfect for an apron --- and the trim is a pretty blue paisley that I've actually used for one of my projects. One of the best details are charms that read "dream" and "unique", which are sewn onto the pockets. The actual design of the apron is very cool as well --- the apron drapes around the neck, with the two front pieces hanging down both sides of the front and a tie that secures the two fronts in place. I love it!



In addition to the apron, she enclosed a matching tissue holder, card and unique tape measure. The entire package was very thoughtful, and I feel very fortunate to have had such a generous swap partner. Thank you!

I made an apron for another swap partner (her blog here) , who also happened to be the organizer of the swap. I have to admit, I was a little worried, because I hadn't made an apron in years -- YEARS -- and I didn't want to mess up the one that would go to the organizer! I was really pleased when she let me know she received the package and liked the apron --- big relief, as it can be unnerving to make something for someone else and wonder whether they will like it or not! I chose a bright orange batik print, as I read that she likes orange, and trimmed with a reddish/dark pink batik. Here's the apron:

How to Deal With Leftovers

I'm sure every crafter has faced this dilemma --- what to do with the leftover [fill in the blank] from a project. I've managed to amass quite a collection of single yarn balls; fabric scraps; ribbons and trims; embroidery threads; printed papers; etc. --- all in their own bins, organized by type. However, as time goes on, I'm beginning to feel very guilty about all of the odd lots, as it seems that something should be done to use them.

So recently, I finished a bolero using Artfibers Ginko yarn, a beautiful bamboo/silk fiber. I ended up with some yarn on the cone, not enough for a sweater, but perhaps a scarf (hard to tell the leftover yardage when it is on a cone). So rather than stashing the cone in my "silk fiber" bin, I decided to use the yarn now, while it is fresh in my mind. A scarf is not the most creative use for the yarn, but I wasn't sure of the yardage, so I thought a scarf would provide the most flexibility.

Image: © 2008 JKaori Designs

The photo is a bit washed out, but the actual red color is amazingly vivid and beautiful. The yarn also has a beautiful sheen to it, which I love.

I also had some leftover yardage from my Artfibers Origami Pullover --- again, some unknown quantity on a cone. So I decided to make a little shrug using a seafoam stitch. I'm actually really glad I did this, as this stitch is actually a good choice for this fiber --- it really showcased the paper/ribbon aspect of Origami, and the finished piece is so light and summery!

Image: © 2008 JKaori Designs

Funny, but while I'm pleased with how these mini projects turned out, I'm even more pleased that I used up all the yarn. There's something really satisfying about knowing that every scrap of fiber was used and created into something useful --- no waste!

I think there are some books out there for how to use bits of fabric or "one ball of yarn projects". But more ideas are always welcome!

Beijing Olympics

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing kicked off with an amazing opening ceremony. For me, the pagentry of the artistic segments were dwarfed by the one reason I bother to watch the opening ceremonies of every Olympics --- the parade of nations!

Here's a link to a WSJ article, which includes a great slideshow of outfits from the ceremony. It includes my personal faves --- Sweden and Angola. The Swedish outfits --- qipao tops for the women done in the nation's signature blue and yellow --- were beautiful and appropriate, combining a symbolic Chinese style with Swedish color. Angola, as well as other African countries, presented outfits that used bold and colorful traditional prints, and it was such a treat to see them.

I was underwhelmed with the US outfits, and was unsurprised to learn that they were designed by Ralph Lauren (the white polo logo should have told me he designed the looks). They were ok --- nothing special or spirited about them. They didn't really say "USA" to me, for some reason --- given the "casualization" of this country, I would have expected velour track suits or something along those lines. However, the athletes did look smart in their navy blazers --- just kind of boring.

Stay Current, Fashion-wise

There are a zillion fashion-related sites out there, but here are a few that I like to check out.

While the layout of these sites may project fashion-overload, Fashion Week Daily and New York Magazine definitely keep you current on the latest goings-on in the fashion world.

Daily Candy is another good site with gorgeous illustrations, but its information is localized to major U.S. cities, making the info more relevant for those of us who don't live in New York, Milan or Paris. For example, a recent piece profiled a Sacramento knit jewelry designer who will be one of the vendors at the upcoming American Craft Show at Fort Mason in San Francisco, which is scheduled for August 15 through 17. I'm hoping to go!

More Photos of Hawaii

Project Runway

I've been a fan of Bravo TV's Project Runway since Season 1 --- was that 2004? --- when Wendy was the villain; Kara was the favorite; and Jay was the over-the-top creative one who took home the prize. I still remember his final collection --- the spray-painted headsets, patchwork references and amazing knit and crochet pieces. Loved it! My only question about Jay is, what is he doing now? Well, it looks like he has his own online boutique and has launched a line on QVC. Go Jay!

So what brought on this wave of nostalgia for Project Runway? Well, we were flipping channels yesterday and came across Chloe Dao (Season 2 winner) on QVC --- so surprised to see her on TV again. I was definitely rooting for her during Season 2, and still love her designs. She was also interviewed for a podcast by Craft, and from the sounds of it, her business, which includes her QVC line, Houston boutique and wholesale line, is doing very well.

Another favorite from Season 2 was Daniel Vosovic --- in addition to his design work for a hotel chain, it looks like you can pre-order his new book titled, "Daniel Vosovic - Fashion Inside and Out", which will hit stores in late October 2008. Wow --- isn't he still only 25 years old?

Here are more updates on past contestants. Check out Season 5 on Wednesdays at 9 pm!

Casualization

It's just a made-up word, but it reflects some of the things I've encountered recently. Last week, I forgot to pack my pumps in my gym bag, so I had to spend the day at work wearing flip flops with my work clothes. At first, I felt self-conscious and inappropriate; but as the day wore on, I got used to padding around the office and hearing that characteristic flipping and flopping. By the end of the day, I wished I could wear them to work every day!

Within the framework of fashion, "casualization" refers to the concept of people being less "put together" when they go out into the public, and of society being accepting of that. Some examples:

1. Pardon Me, Your Slip is Not Showing: This recent Wall Street Journal article struck me, because I am one of those people who remember having to wear slips under dresses and skirts because I was told it was proper, but somewhere along the way, my slips went away, and I never wear them anymore. In fact, I'm not even sure I have any! The article hypothesizes the the demise of the slip is due to a "diminished sense of modesty" and the changing of social mores --- things that were once unacceptable are now okay.

2. The End of Fashion: I read this book during my vacation in Hawaii, and one of the ideas presented is that as people have become more casual in their dress, "fashion" in the form of couture houses and custom-made clothing have diminished. There is no longer an appreciation for fine tailoring and proper fit. Note: this is a good book and I highly recommend it.

3. Wasn't there a time when women always wore nylons with skirts and dresses? What about hats and gloves?

I often think about whether casualization is a bad thing or not. The fact that women in particular have choices in how they present themselves is good; however, the question is, what have we lost in the process? Have all the "stretchy pants" and flip flops created a generation of slobs? Is this a by-product of our hectic lives --- after all, who has time to think about putting on a slip when you have to get out the door?