not bored + M3 - day 15

For the last two weeks, writing daily here, but only about my clothing. Really there is a whole additional life that continues on, and since I'm writing here anyway, mayhap a daily comment as well as a daily costume...

Today was a work cleaning house day, re-scheduled since there were plumbing issues at C's house earlier. Discovered by asking that lapis is indeed metamorphic. Once work was done I scampered across town to the library, an hour late to the Rites of Passage art workshop. Missed all the lecturing, but had an hour of cut and paste and paint. Earlier today, I made a photomontage, for the background of this piece.

A bit of cut paper (inspired by the work of Rob Ryan, the British papercut god artist), and some white acrylic paint; it seemed the germ of an idea. Once home, a bit more time and the original montage was combined with parts of the quick collage. Each time I play with Photoshop, I discover more things that I can do with it. I may print this one out on good paper...

(click to embiggen)

≈ : ♥ : ≈

paisley cotton voile blouse grey chambray jumper

One thing I've noticed from taking photos of my outfits is how very much more interesting they look when I add an accessory, like a shawl, or some jewelry. I'm definitely trying to remember to wear a necklace or something everyday.

Right now I am on a roll of sewing summer dresses, having dreamed for years about having a weeksworth of popover dresses, or as I'm now thinking of them "Kiki dresses" Soon enough t'will be triple digit temperatures and any layers more than one will be too many. I've scrabbled out of the fabric piles enough to make at least five more: dk blue ikat, cornflower blue ikat, blue houndstooth linen, black chambray, and twotone blue stripey...

Thursday evening I was obviously channeling Fjorlief the Forgetful, since I left my spiffy new sunhat at potluck. Well it was nighttime by then, and the lovely E was giving me a lift home, and N had just gifted me with a huge bunch of fresh rhubarb from her garden, and well... I forgot. Since it will be a while before the wayward hat comes home, and the sun will keep on shining nonetheless, I made another one:

This grey sunhat is made from home-dec cotton fabric in an oriental lattice weave. Decided that more than one summer hat was a Good Thing, grey not indigo, and not all fluffy/flowery. The eyelet twill tape gives it a vaguely steampunk look, and now I can coordinate my clothing and my hats!

a close up of the hatband

Interesting eyeletted twill tape from Bolt, sold as an undyed cotton, and overdyed as part of my experiments earlier this year, trying to get "silvery grey". Initially intended as jumper trim, it makes a great hatband.

From start to finish a hat like this takes between two to three hours to complete, from cutting out the fabric, to wearing it in the backyard. Most of the sewing is done by machine, with some handwork to finish the inner hatband and attach the decorative outer hatband. I assemble the hat quite differently than the pattern instructions suggest, since I add a bias bound outer edge, and finish the inner edge in a way that is more similar to how this child's hat is constructed