Rodarte:Fra Angelico Collection

To escape all the holiday crowds I went to LACMA to view the Rodarte:Fra Angelico Collection. Rodarte is the fashion label created in 2005 by the sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. The sisters donated their 2012 Couture Spring/Summer collection to LACMA because they were inspired by the high Italian Renaissance. Specifically by Bernini's sculpture Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and the art work of Fra Angelico in the San Marco Monastery in Florence Italy.

The 9 gowns on display are all silk:

chiffon,
crepe,
gauze,

georgette,

laime,

organza,

satin,

and taffeta.

Lots of pleats, feathers, lace, sequins and swarovski.

But, to be completely honest I was a little under-whelmed :(
To read all about it check out

http://www.lacma.org/art/installation/rodarte-fra-angelico-collection

Merry Christmas to ME!!!!!!!!!!

After fourteen years of not having a sewing studio I undertook the huge task of turning a former tiffany blue bedroom into my creative oasis.

And the first step was to paint, or I should say paint primer once, twice, three times to cover the blue.

As I painted I dreamt of the furnishings and accessories I pictured in my perfect room.

I realised with a ALOT of work and a little help from Santa my vision could become a reality.

My redo project became my Christmas present to myself.

After inhaling too much paint fumes I spent days of my life visiting discount home furnishing stores deciding on my furnishings. And I spent HOURS at Ikea selcting my studio furniture...

Did I want funky, industrial, whimsical or practical for my look?

I decided on practical and thought the hard work was done until I opened the Ikea boxes and faced the daunting task of assembling a million pieces into my desk!!!

And multiple the Ikea experience by two for the cubicles on wheels and the shelves.

You may think I am just another pretty face but, I am actually pretty darn handy with a hammer and screwdriver.

So after MUCH hammering, painting, shopping, shopping, ( and did I mention shopping ) I moved all my STUFF into my sewing studio.

I gathered my books from the bookshelf I installed in my laundry room, my notions from the garage, my fabrics and interfacings from the linen closet, my machines from the office, and still something was missing...

ME!

A wonderful, happy, safe new year to you all.

Night at the Museum...

The website Etsy has gotten so humongous that I don't visit it that often but, it is full of DIYers with lots of creative energy!

And now these crafty, creative folks are getting together outside of cyberspace with Etsy Craft Nights. I knew it was happening in NY but, now it is also in LA.

!Check it out!

Unique LA

Over the weekend I attended the Unique LA craft fair at the California Mart in downtown LA. For my sustainable fashion class I was hoping to find some green, earth friendly, sustainable manufacturers that actually had a business ( not just their home address ) but, I did not succeed. However the event was still an enjoyable outing with long lines, large crowds and many interesting small scale vendors. It was a real start-up 101 experience.

And I have to confess that the exhibits were many times more entertaining and engaging than the actual products. That being said there was ALOT of enthusiasm and energy in the hall and a good time was had by all.

The vendors were an interesting mix. Also there was a DIY section that was so popular we didn't even try to participate. The exhibits were as creative as the products so it was just visual candy to walk around.

I really liked the golden sewing machine and the proprietress. The website is makeshoplive.com so check it out. Also there was SO MANY free foodie samples, it was worse than Costco! And there was a pie shop and you know I love pie, their website is http://www.iheartpies.com/ and they're a pie of the month shop!! YUM.

So in conclusion I very much enjoyed the Unique LA experience. The caliber of goods could have been a notch higher but, the overall experience was pretty good fun.

HAT ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love hats, unfortunately they do not always love me back :(

I did resist purchasing any of these hats,

but I can never resist trying on a hat :)

L.O.L.

Is the season the reason?

The day after Thanksgiving in San Francisco is ALWAYS a happening.

And this year did not disappoint...

the streets and sidewalks were CRAZY crowded!

And there was crazy in the air!

From crazy giant Mermen on display to a man in a crazy giant glitter angel costume the sights were simultaneously hilarious and outlandish.

In the topsy-turvey day the upside down Christmas tree and the man on his head seemed almost normal!

...and finally there was this message from the 'occupy' Santa.

It just wouldn't be San Francisco without the craziness!

Scrimshaw Encounter

I've had this little scrimshaw ring forever and I'm not sure how I came to possess it.

Scrimshaw was what the New England whalers did back in the day. The sailors could get lots of sperm whales ivory teeth because the teeth were of no value. The sailors would spend hours and hours scratching out an image on the ivory tooth with a pocket knife and then rub soot into the image.

The word scrimshaw is actually derived from Dutch or English nautical slang meaning " to waste time ", because anything that wasn't work on the ship was considered a waste of time by the captains.

Scrimshaw became really popular in the 1960s because President John F Kennedy was a big collector. However in the 1970s whale became endangered and then in 1989 elephant ivory was banned for import or export so the scrimshaw declined drastically.
So back to my scrimshaw encounter last weekend...

I've driven by this little scrimshaw studio/shack dozens of times off Hwy 78 on my way to Julian for pie (: but, this time I finally stopped and knocked.

I always pictured an old hippie with a long white beard doing his scrimshaw thing and I was exactly right!

The artist name is David Hul and he had some amazing artifacts and work but, all was already embedded in little wood boxes or knife handles or something that wasn't jewelry. I was totally bummed because I really, really hoped to purchase another ring or earrings.

But David was a very nice man who does not use a computer and operates through snail mail. So I'm going to start our correspondence and hope to own another piece of scrimshaw before David and his skills are gone for good.

I love old hippies that are still hippies, they make my art heart glad!

It was a Ball!

Dress from Tadashi Shoji,

Arm candy from the United States Marine Corps.

Happy Birthday Marines !!

California Cool

I have lived in California all my life so I think I am a little immune to how cool and innovative California style has been over the decades.

So it was a real wake up at Los Angeles County Museum of Art where a wonderful exhibit of over 300 objects from housewares, furniture, games, graphics, textiles and fashions highlight California's mid century modern designs.

The display is in the Resnick building and is an extremely easy, engaging, enjoyable, exhibit to visit ( say that 5 times fast :).

Of course I focused on the fashions ( and for once photos are allowed ! ) but, the exhibit lasts until June 3, 2012 if you're curious about all the other wonderful designs on display.

It is just my opinion but, it really seems that people had more fun in the 1930's and didn't take themselves too seriously. And living in bright, beautiful California where the weather didn't dictate what you wore probably just added to the fun.
Every part of the world has it's own aesthetic but, California has always had one of the best vibes in the world ( yes, I am bias ).

WOW! I would totally love to wear this outfit today, or any day. It is hard to appreciate the textures and beauty of the fabrics/trims from an image but I promise this is a glorious outfit!

And finally, hard to believe 88 years ago (!) women knew how to rock a pair of blue jeans.

Of course the women probably didn't have 20 pairs of blue jeans and wear jeans EVERYWHERE...

I highly recommend this exhibit because fashions from the past are as fascinating as fashions from the runways.

Favorite Greens...

These are a few of my favorite greens,

from the tea drop

to the ATM stop

to my green peridot.

I simply remember my favorite greens...and then I don't feel so sad