Thursday, May 21, 2020

My COVID Uniform

This came up in a textile group I'm in:
Hi All!
My name is Stephanie, I am Costume Designer/ Historian based in Los Angeles. I'm curious about your wardrobe! As we've been sheltering in place we've been curating a new type of uniform that we wear indoors, in our homes.
I'd like to invite you to share with me 3-5 pieces that you've been wearing in heavy rotation. It's an exercise to further consider the garments on your bodies and clothing that surrounds you at this specific time.
This is a time capsule project of mine that I intend on publishing on Medium. All the details can be found in this form, please feel free to share with others as I'm attempting to capture stories from around the world.
Thank you, hope you all remain healthy and safe at this time.
Best,
Stephanie
These are my regular "lounging around the house" garments.
COVID didn't change anything, except for the color chart tees.
1) Michael Brandon Chenille Sweater
I purchased this at a shop in Venice, CA in the late 90s. Been wearing it a lot since then. It's a non-wool blend (Nylon? Tags removed long ago) so it's perfect for SoCal weather. So comfy.
2) Color Chart Tee. 
I have two of these, which I had printed by Redbubble and Society6 last year to test how various colors print on black. The cotton jersey tees are super soft and nice, the printing is not. They're presentable enough for Zoom, so they're my "upscale" Zooming tops. They always get nice comments!
3) French Dressing Lounge Pants
I have two of these as well. Picked them up at the day job from the sample box. They fit perfectly! They've been my standard cool weather bottoms for a while. I will be sad when the spandex dies.
4) Striped Wool/Nylon/Spandex Ankle Socks
I picked these up on sale at Nordstrom's in the late 90s. They used to be in "winter work wear" rotation until the spandex died. Now I've worn holes in the heels. Sigh.
5) Leather Slides (don't remember brand)
Yes, that's gaffer tape holding the right shoe together. I got these new off of a Poshmark seller a couple of years ago (or was it retail at DSW?). As soon as they started getting shabby, they became "inside" shoes.
This is a "walking around the neighborhood" look with the Tee and Pants.
Again, the form link is here.

Linking up with
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

#MendMAY One Monthly Goal Challenge

The One Monthly Goal is a new-to-me Linkup Challenge that I discovered via Frédérique, one of my A-Z Blogging buddies.
I'm too late to officially add my goal for May, I'm going to play along anyway.

For Ali Edwards' One Little Word project, I'm making a tactile record of my actions while mending the Crazy Quilt (the endless mend and the cat's new favorite nap station).
This is somewhat disheveled, it makes sense to me!
Just a little behind in stitching things down to the base cloth (bottom part of jeans leg).
I'm snipping bits of the old distressed patches that I'm fixing, mostly by covering up with new patches. I'm taking bits of both and stitching to the piece of denim. Also recording any floss used in visible mends. I'm meandering down the denim, starting in upper left, finishing row, then going down and across from right to left, going down and across left to right, repeating until filled.

These are the One Monthly Challenge rules, in case you want to prep for June:

Select ONE of your creative goals for the month that uses fabric, thread and / or yarn.  This could be to make a few blocks. cutting fabric for a project, sewing on a binding, or finish a quilt top.  Any goal that involves a step in the process of making with thread, fabric or yarn is a valid goal.

Describe your goal in a:
  • blog post complete with a photo(s) of your project and a link back to One Monthly Goal. (main event page or to the actual linkup page)
                                                  or
                                                  or
  • via Flickr complete with a photo(s) of your project and a link back to One Monthly Goal. (link to this main event page or to the actual linkup page)

Add your project to the link-up at the goal setting link-up.  (Each month, the goal-setting link-up will be open from the 1st through the 7th, closing at 11:55 pm ET.)

Then come post again at the end of the month to share your accomplishment in the One Monthly Goal Finish Party.  The finish party which will run for 6 days at the end of the month.

The Mending Linkup is still open, add your mending projects!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


Linking up with:
Frédérique's Patchwork and Quilts

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Breaking Bad in Ojai

Go hiking but make it fashion:
Anita and I decided to do another Social Distancing Fresh Air activity and we set our sights on Ojai. Since Ventura County had reopened up the hiking trails, Anita suggested a hike up the Shelf Trail. Bonus: Severo had the day off and would join us. Win, win -- he would drive, I could take countless road tripping photos! Well, and he's a fun partner in crime!
Reading the coyote warning at the trail head.
The rules
Why was there a dictionary at the trail head?
Hi Anita!
Severo was determined to capture a photo of that lizard! He did!
California Sage, such a wonderful scent.
Social Distancing with Anita behind us.
Yes, our masks are not properly covering our noses. Sorry.
We then went to downtown Ojai and got great takeaway from The Nest.
More on that on The Glutton blog.

After that, Severo and I drove home via PCH, the coast highway. Lots of "No Parking" signs, lots of people parking anyway. "Beach Closed" signs on every LA County lifeguard shack, lots of people still on the beaches.
People, if you don't follow the rules we'll have longer restrictions!
Keep wearing your masks, social distance, and flatten the curve!

Friday, May 1, 2020

#mendMAY Fear No More

As I was looking for something else, I found this gif that I made five years ago:
"I was going to sew up something in one of my more gauzy, transparent fabrics for this week's prompt. I have not gotten very far:
Fear of cutting into fabric anyone?"

I have STILL not cut into two of these! The one that I did, has issues.
You can't tell from the (blurry) photo, this tunic is "sticky". It clings to cotton leggings and is too short to wear with uncovered thighs. I tried fastening a bunch of safety pins at the hem to give it more heft, but that didn't work. Maybe if I stitch a chain at the hem? Or would an edging with dingle balls work? Do I have dingle balls in the house? Maybe make it longer? All questions to ponder.