The Mondayn Details

Yesterday was spent, in part, cutting out endless yardage of netting and muslin for my 'practice' wedding dress and today, I'm learning the complexities of cutting jersey (for a different project). Knits just do not like to stay in one place, so what seems like a strait line may curve on you once you let it go. I'm wishing desperately that I had the setup and years of tools that I know is just hanging out in my grandma's place, but since she lives no where near here, I'll have to improvise as usual. Wish me luck!

Oh, I also found the link to some boots in a style that I've been wanting for over a year: black, leather, over the knee (at a minimum) and no tall heel (because I'm tall enough). They're being added to my Christmas list :-)

Theme Song

I thought my blog could use a theme song :-)

:-) Just found this comic and thought it was fitting:

Inspiration - Non Sequitur

Coveting

Goddess dress by Alexander Wang
Credit: Net-a-porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/41253#)

Restricted 'Sasha' boot
Credit: Piperlime (http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=49314&vid=1&pid=701560&scid=701560002)

Post numero dos

I'd like to explain my title. I have an undergraduate and graduate degree in engineering and engineering management respectively, thus the 'Smarty Pants'. Not exactly the ideal training for fashion design of any sort but while I'm unemployed I'm reverting to my roots. Growing up I spent plenty of time with my seamstress grandmother, made most of my own clothes for my dolls, drew horses since I can remember knowing how to hold a crayon, and took private painting lessons up through the beginning of high school. Now I'm letting loose all the craftiness that I've neglected for so long.

On top of all that, I'm addicted to fashion. I love magazines like Elle, Vogue, and W for the crazy clothes and occasionally awesome photography. My wannabe couture fix is sponsored by gilt.com, where I occasionally splurge on a designer piece for 10-30% of retail, and my window shopping is sponsored by net-a-porter.com, where I dream of being so hip. Currently my love, however, is for Etsy.com, which is an amazing place to get some really cool things, support artists, designers, and crafters, and pay a lot less for most things :-) I've yet to really fall in love with the clothing options offered there, but everything else, especially jewelry, is amazing.

The images at the top are my current love affairs. The amazing dress by Alexander Wang, which is no longer available (not that I could afford it anyways) is the dress equivalent of the t-shirt and jeans outfit. I'm going to try and recreate it, or something very like it, myself. The boots are something that I think would go awesome with the outfit, and perhaps most importantly, are in my price range. Also, considering that they are light suede and worn on the feet, keeping them clean probably isn't easy, thus making it difficult to justify any real expense on this style of boot. My other covet, a black leather over the knee boot from topshop.com, are on my wishlist (I'd share the link but topshop is misbehaving right now).

Now I'm off to get some crafting in. I'll let you know how it goes :-)

First Post!

I don't even know who is going to read this blog, but what the hay, I'll do it anyway :-) It is my new addiction to Etsy.com which has driven me to blog, as evidently its good for business, and, more specifically, MY business: AubergineCat.etsy.com. Check it out.

This whole mess started with my fabulous idea to design/create my own wedding dress while I am unemployed, looking for work, and living in the middle of nowhere (due to my fiance's job here). A couple months and innumerable tangents later I'm barely 25% done with my practice dress and I've made a crazy array of jewelry and am now going to try out making a few dresses, skirts... more tangents :-)

So, what is this blog going to be about? I'm going to make it about everything wearable (with the occasional tangent), including things I make, things that inspire me, and items I covet.

First off, lets start with my good news from today: my treasury made it to the front page of Etsy! For those not familiar with it, a treasury is basically a mix of 12 products picked from etsy sellers that go together either photographically or along the same theme. The administrators at etsy occasionally pick people's collections and post them on the front page for probably about 10 minutes (I haven't measured so I don't know if there is a more precise timing). I'm totally excited that the admins at Etsy like this mix of products as much as I do!

Here it is:


More later :-)