Have Your Color And Wear It, Too!

I love color no matter where or how it gets applied. 

Paint, paper, cake icing, fabric, Pantone chips, wallpaper, colored pencils and... cosmetics.  I love cosmetic color in all of its wonderful varied forms, from nails to eyelids to lips.  When I flip through fashion magazines, I'm often paying as much attention to the colors of the makeup as I am the color and cut of the clothes!  It's color to be worn and to transform with - how can I not love it?  As a result of this makeup fascination, I have a pretty decent collection of professional cosmetics that I don't wear nearly often enough.

Knowing this, you can understand how thrilled I was when my friends at Decades of Style pattern company brought me along to assist with makeup and styling at a recent photo shoot!  Sensing the need for restraint in order to let the clothes shine as the main star of our photo session, I brought a selection of demure glosses, blushes and eye colors that wouldn't overpower.  Difficult for me - those parrot green pots of MAC eyeshadow were there in my makeup case taunting me, but they had to be left at home! 

This session was going to be all about a sweet, timeless, natural look.  I packed lots of pretty, glowy, tawny basics like my Stila Convertible Color in "Lillium," Kevyn Aucoin Elegant Lip Gloss in "Molasses," MAC Tinted Lip Conditioners in "Plum Perfect" and "Virtuous Violet,"  and Lipstick Queen Oxymoron Matte Gloss in "Deafening Silence."  All of these are gorgeous neutrals!

At the most, I got to add a pop of lip color to Vicki, our model.  Here I am giving her a pouting lesson while I redden up her lips with a dab of  Retrofuturist Red full-pigment lipstick by Lime Crime.

In the end, it was a fun day and I was happy to lend my hands, artistic eye, and my eager stash of costmetics to such a great project.  Thanks to Christina at Meadowlarking, our wonderful photographer, for these great behind-the-scenes shots!

Next Steps In The Hawaiian Quilting Saga

The easy part of my first Hawaiian quilt block is now over; the applique process went very quickly, and as such I have started second and third pieces.  I'm now quite sure that needle-turning is one of my favorite sewing techniques - something I certainly didn't expect during my first two hours of this project! 

Next comes the more challenging part of the work - quilting the block by hand.  As this 22" block was intended for use as a throw pillow cover, I went ahead and made a sandwich of the applique piece, organic cotton quilt batting, and the backing broadcloth.

To secure the "quilt sandwich," I basted 1/2 inch from the edge all around the block.  To keep the piece from shifting or bunching during hand quilting, I also basted diagonally and in quarters across the entire square.  It was then ready to be put into my new 14" hand quilting hoop.

I started hand quilting in the center of the motif, and I'll be working my way outward to keep the work even as I go.  This is by far the most difficult part of the process for me, as I rarely sew with a thimble and as such I'm not yet used to having a chunk of metal on my fingertip.  The rocking motion of the quilt stitch is also taking some getting used to, as well as trying to focus on stabbing through all of the layers of the sandwich.  My stitches are uneven, but I'm sticking with it!  I can only get better at hand quilting the more I stitch!

Irresistible Plum Jam

What do you do when a friend hands you a plastic grocery bag full of Santa Rosa plums from their tree?  You make plum jam... TONS of plum jam, of course!  I did not actually make the jam - my talented husband did - but it's delicious and now we'll have plenty for months to come!

The results were delicious.  The plum jam was deep red and very sweet with a tart / sour / slightly bitter finish, thanks to the included plum skins.  I couldn't resist whipping up a batch of from-scratch cranberry scones with which to try the jam in earnest!  I give them both an A-plus for flavor and thrilling red color.

Flea Market Finds: 1950s Bar Ware and Lots of Hens

Once a month I take a break from the routine here at the studio and I venture out to the old Naval Air Station Alameda, now home of the Alameda Point Antiques Fair.  We locals call it the "Alameda Flea Market."  The whole thing is held out on the airstrip of the old base, where you can find hundreds of vendors comprising one of the biggest antique shows in the US.

I usually go with a few things in mind that I'm hunting for, but I always come away with a surprise item that found me.  This month, my husband alerted me to this bold hosting set of vintage 1950s beer pilsners, which feature my favorite mid-century diamond motif silk screened in gold and turquoise -- perfect for serving up ice cold oat soda or a bubbly French lemonade!

Each month I always seem to notice one item or category of items that are literally everywhere throughout the market... something always seems to be trending... do all the vendors get the memo or what?  July's item of the month were glass hen-on-nest covered dishes - in every color and type of glass imaginable.  They're a common item to see at the market, but this month they were at EVERY booth, it seemed.  Carnival glass, milk glass, jadeite, bright orange, painted ceramic... we saw them all.  As hen lovers ourselves, we couldn't resist this petite duo:  A clear hen with red comb and her milky white sister, who will undoubtedly be serving our after-dinner butter mints from now on. 

Pattern Review: Decades of Style 1930s Stardust Skirt

These days I don't get to sew clothes for myself as much as I'd like to, but I can usually wedge a skirt into my busy sewing schedule.  Such is the case with a quick sew like my new favorite, the 1930's Stardust Skirt (Pattern #3011) by Decades of Style.  It's earned its place as a stand-out for several reasons.

First of all, it takes very little fabric to make.  At just under 2 yards for my size, it's quite easy to pull a piece of fabric out of my stash for a delicious skirt.  The project pictured here is made with a black, cream and red Japanese dobby cotton that had been living in my stash for quite awhile.  Dobby cotton has a woven texture and a nice drape to it, making it ideally suited for clothing.  This particular print had a spirited geometric rhythm that screamed "30s Art Deco" so it was a match made in heaven!

But what about those great godet seams on the side front, you ask?  Wouldn't those get lost in that busy print?  Sure, but this was easily remedied using 3 yards of flat geometric crocheted lace.  I simply inserted and sewed the lace into the seams as I went.  The lace detail gave the skirt just enough definition and interest to enhance the overall look and quality of the finished garment.
 

The stardust skirt is also a very quick sew.  Between cutting and sewing, 1 or 2 days is all you need!  Fitting is easy - the back and side front are all one piece, shaped by darts.  The darts are easily movable and adjustable to fit your unique shape.  As with any custom sewing project, I always recommend sewing your garment in muslin first (as I did with this one) and have a friend help you mark, pin and alter as needed.   Even being the unique shape that I am, alterations to this pattern were minimal and easy.

Here you can see the finished result:  A sleek yet flowy skirt with a simple yet sophisticated front detail.  I debuted this beautiful new garment at an Alice In Wonderland-themed birthday party, where the playing card colors were very appropriate.  Even though I'll admit that I made this skirt specifically to wear to the party, it's a skirt that I am sure to wear and enjoy for years to come.

I also love that this skirt is an instant outfit, in much the same way that dresses are instant outfits.  With bold lines and a unique fabric choice, all I need is lipstick, a puff-sleeve black tee shirt and a pair of flats or heels.  Voila - instant glamour!  Who doesn't love a little instant glamour?