Manic Pop

I actually finished this last piece almost 3 weeks ago before I went to visit Chicago for a bit (yes, in the winter - cold doesn't bother you after 10 years of living there!) I was lucky enough to find a few vintage patterns at a local thrift store with miraculously all the pieces! I feel like that never happens. I'm still going on my odd-Photoshop kick though this one is more just a color-palette background. I kinda like the way they all look so much better now. This pattern is Simplicity 6959 from 1975. So in these photos.... I was sort of going for a retro-ad feel. I think it works! Here's the scan of the pattern packet.  I toyed with the idea of making this romper in a combo (reeeeally bad Photoshop but it gets the idea across), and eventually went with all-over print since why not? I have the fabric already! I'm pleased to show off that the fabric I used is one of my own designs, printed off on Spoonflower! It's my hand-drawn Vi...

So last weekend I had the chance to head out to Chicago for a bit.... and it truly was visiting home. I know I'm on a creative sabbatical right now which is a luxury in and of itself but I can't wait to go home to the city I lived in for a decade. While there I couldn't pass up a book that was at Shangri-La Vintage in Roscoe Village. It's one of my personal favorite vintage boutiques in Chicago and it stocks some of my favorite things like retro interior decorating books and a fairly large corner of vintage fabric. (Of course I would like the fabric!) So that got me thinking about my (fictional) new place once I head back...My old house was super-retro and I'm sure an apartment will look similar for me. Enjoy some photos from a 1975 home decorating book I found for inspiration!  Dream living room.   But I'll take this too. Or this!   You know eventually I need to make one of these as a couch cover, right?  The red/yellow/...

I'm decidedly pretty bored with the typical "Look what I made!" formula of sew something, take some photos, then post. I get that it's the easiest thing to do, but it's not been any...fun. So, I made some non-boring Photoshop collages to present my new work. I certainly won't win any Photoshop awards for any of these, but I definitely had fun. I picked Burda's Boxy Jacket with Leather Patches because duh! That one looks just like something I would wear. I even already pretty much have the sunglasses. Of course, I decide to put my own spin on it. Why leave that nice inside of the jacket plain and boring if you can leave part of it open? I turned part of the facing into what the lining looked like by using interfacing on the back to stiffen it. This also gives that part of the jacket more pizzazz when left open. Here are better photos of what the jacket actually looks like. Sometimes I really don't understand why Burda patterns a...

If you know me at all, you know I am pretty late to lots of popular culture things nowadays. That wasn't always the case, but I hate to just jump on things if everyone else is freaking out about something. This is especially true for films. I suppose I'm just not necessarily a film-type girl most of the time but with knitting a bit more, I have a little more attention to spend on watching something in the background. (I totally cannot sew and watch! I've tried and mostly I just get involved with my sewing more than watching.) I also don't find many movies that are visually inspiring to me - though the other day, finding this movie was a pleasant surprise. Has anyone seen this movie? I haven't even heard of it, though I guess I also don't pay attention either. I found it quite visually appealing and really loved not only lots of the fashion in here, but the art direction such as the opening credits. I absolutely love the combo of a matte red...

Happy New Year! I know it's been pretty silent on the blog, but that's because I am still recalibrating my life a bit. 2014 was particularly a disaster in absolutely all areas of my life - you name it, it happened (aside from death and illnesses, thank God.) I attribute what happened to being overly optimistic throughout that year as well as listening to others about where I should be and what I should be doing in my life. I thought I should be pushing Manic Pop further. After all, didn't I go to school for design? Shouldn't I be using my degree? I thought I should have had a more creative job, should be working more 9 to 5. I thought that following the footsteps of others would lead me to more personal happiness. Instead, I created less. I believed in myself less and got stressed out. Your art shouldn't be stress - it should be fun! I love having an outlet and creating for myself. If custom inquiries come along from things I am creating, I am not opposed...

So I wanted to post a Burda jumper-dress I finished the other day.   I am definitely doing to need go back in and pull in the bodice a bit! So frustrating. I don't know why I insist on using the poly-poplin for most things, but it crinkles easily and doesn't look.... professional.   The pattern I used for this jumper-dress was Burda's Retro Dress . I made it according to the 36 but should have used the bust from the 34 and the skirt from the 36.  Technically my bust IS a 33" but apparently not in Burda sizing though I suppose that could be due to ease included. Also, this jumper was supposed to be ALL mushroom print but I realized later on that I would need about 3 yards of printed material versus 2. BAH.  I was impatient to sew, so I colorblocked as always.  I did an inside lining for this but only on the top. Otherwise, I serged the edges like I usually do. ...

And now.... a very special blog post!  Back in about July me and Tanith of Tanith Rowan Designs collaborated on a maternity dress! I was up for the challenge: I had never made anything maternity before and I am still in early stages of using stretch knits for designing.  So I devised a version of my Sunrise Panel dress just for her based on her measurments and specifically for a stretch knit.  Dummy me didn't take photos with my DSLR like I usually do (or maybe I did but deleted them accidentally because I ran out of room on my SD card?) so we'll have to deal with in-progress photos from my phone.  I think the hardest part was deciding on colors. The fabric store I went to in Chicago can be hit or miss with stretch knit and being a little less knowledgeable in stretch knit, I wanted to see all the weights in person at the store before I bought it.  This is also the first garment I have sewn entirely on my serger - but it was...