Fur Real and Faux

Shelbee and Nancy are presenting their monthly Good Buy/Goodbye series with the theme Fur next week. They are soliciting outfit photos involving fur items.

I realized I have quite the collection!
I gathered up All Most of the Fur Things.
Put them in a heap, Marie Kondo style.

Mr Lou, my favorite Fur Thing, escaped when the pile got too big.

Assessed my collection!
Do they "spark joy"?
Oh, YES!

Shelbee style, I'm going to show you some "greatest hits" from the past:

2/6/2013

1/26/12

10/23/2013

3/24/2012

11/19/2012

12/9/2011
I gave this one away, it no longer fit.

Here's one particular item of note that I got from my Great Aunt Carol:

A grey cashmere cardigan trimmed with fake fur binding, buttons, and mice.

By some miracle, it has only one tiny moth hole.

It's also too small. Marie would say "take a photo and give it away. I say no.

And a blast from the past from high school:

11/1973
As part of our senior yearbook photo package, we had both informal black and white pictures in a location of our own choosing
and color formal posed "studio" style portraits. Guess who didn't take the studio portion seriously.
Wearing a mink-lined coat that belonged to Cousin Hitch (my paternal grandmother's cousin, I think).
My mom put the coat in fur storage when I moved to CA -- I wonder if it's still there?

Check out the Fur edition of the Good Buy/Goodbye Book.
There will be a new photo of the Big Pink Shawl Rug, as seen in Inglewood.

Linking with
Patti's Visible Monday
Catherine's #shareallLinkup

An Over the Top Outfit, Deconstructed

I'm going to a Zandra Rhodes book signing on Wednesday.
On Friday I road tested an outfit.

Let's study what's going on.

The pink fluffiness is a rectangle of Mongolian Lamb. Maybe originally intended as a rug?
It was displayed on the floor at the Flitterman Collection studio sale:

It was love at first sight, but it took me several circuits of the room to commit.
No regrets!

Next layer is the pink mystery fiber sequinned ombre scarf that I got at a Tibetan shop in Williamsburg, NY in January 2012. That MIGHT have been the moment I was finally comfortable wearing Barbie Pink.

On my extremities:
chenille armlettes cut from socks,
striped socks from Uniqlo (obtained at a store opening on deep discount).

Neon Yellow Fluevog Aimees on my feet.

Base layers: royal blue cheap Chinese high-low dress:

And last but not least, the Crazy Legs Leggings from Society6!

Somebody (on Facebook? on Instagram?) wanted to see a closeup of the print on the leggings:

It's a digital composite of three 60's prints which I insterted into the Crown of Thorns quilting pattern.

Let's continue deconstructing!
I couldn't find the red ground paisley vest (in a box somewhere), here are the other two sources:

Pink, mustard, and white smock that is "in work" (I cut off the yoke).

You've seen this neon shirt before!

All three garments came from my friend Larry's stash. Thanks Larry!

Linking up with
Patti's Visible Monday
Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike
Ageless Style

The Laurie Coat

Lesley came over for a jam making session and we got to talking about how we're going to use the "loot" we snagged at a yarn sale in Newberry Park on Saturday. She was talking plans for denim yardage and I mentioned a coat I'd seen and specced at an exhibition in Portland in June 2011.

click on the link above to see a detail

I sewed a version from sari fabric in 2012(?) and I don't think I ever posted it.

Here it is today:

I happened to have on this new abstracted leopard sweater and knew it'd look good with the coat.
Then, since the pattern on the sweater reminded me of the 80's Norma Kamali tights that I still have, I added those. (They're 100% nylon and no longer tolerable for daily wear).
And to finish it off, I dragged out my 80's Norma Kamali "elf" booties. (I no longer wear these either).
Voila! An olive casserole!

Linking with
Patti's Visible Monday
Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike

The Highs and Lows of Online Secondhand Shopping

On Saturday, I experienced the distaff sides of online shopping.
Two packages, two distinct experiences.

The first that I tore into came from Suzanne Carillo's VintageBySuzanne Etsy Shop.

Look! It's a present!

Suzanne blogged about this item and as soon as I read her words "it’s just not my vibe" I pounced.

Cool buttons!

It is my vibe it most certainly!

Package number two: Fluevog Supervog Safety Oxfords, purchased on eBay.
A "smile" greeted me as I opened the envelope
(Yes, I paid $14 postage for shoes wedged into a tyvek shipping envelope without any padding).
This was not a happy smile to see:

[Thinks to self: On noooooo. Expensive cobbler repair. Let's see how they fit].
[On dear. They were very large looking].
Advertised as Size 7.5, they were MEN's 7.5.
10" footbed - 1.5" too long! And both shoes have the sole splitting issue in front.
Damn. They are really pretty (albeit heavy) shoes.

Comparing sizes: a shoe that fits, a shoe that doesn't.

I went back online to check the photos of the listing to see if I'd overlooked the flaws, and to see how the sizing had been described, but the detail photos and additional description [which I didn't know about before. EBay newbie, me] were gone.
I asked for a refund and was issued a purchase price refund, without the shipping. So perhaps this is how the seller makes his money? I don't know. I messaged the seller to see if he wanted them returned, crickets.
I guess their destiny is my Poshmark shop. Sigh.

Have you experienced any online shopping highs or lows? Do tell!

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.
Catherine's #shareAllLinkup

A Glint of Gold

The Textile Arts LA "Year of Mindful Mending" with Ruth Katzenstein Souza had its final meeting last week. Ruth provided us with the golden opportunity of playing the Golden Joinery game.

From their website:

A tear in your favorite jeans? Your grandmothers silk blouse with a worn collar? They form the basis for the GOLDEN JOINERY game:
a fashion first aid
a game to wear
a treasure box
an adventurous journey
The game will be hosted by YOU. You will invite some friends, ask them to bring a dear but broken garment and together you will repair your clothes with gold. No experience needed with needle and thread, you will learn by doing.
The GOLDEN JOINERY game will offer techniques and playful interventions. The cards will guide you through the levels on the gameboard to get to the finish: your unique minicollection of garments with golden scars. They will be part of the ‘new’ fashion brand GOLDEN JOINERY, inmediately spread both online and offline.

I brought my grey Danish Schoolbag that I've had since the '80s, it had become worn at the bottom of a pocket -- so much so that I'd taped over the pocket opening with blue tape so I wouldn't accidentally put anything in there.
No before photo! Forgot, and we had to put our phones away!

Game material and tools included (from website):

manuals
gameboard
deck of 27 Cards
8 Round cards
set of needles
box of pins
4 Bobbins golden thread
threader
6 golden fabrics
leftovers
a tea bag

I was so grateful for the game supplies, because the golden "thread" that I brought was wretched to work with. Refusing to go purchase thread, I pulled apart some gold chord from my "Christmas Wrap" box. Each ply of the 2-ply chord consisted of 10 threads.

It was the most devilish stuff!
Threading a needle was a challenge (even with a needle threader!) and stitching with it even more so.

I also used some provided gold vinyl -- the tear was beyond mending with mere stitching.

Here's my mend in its current state:

I used two more types of thread: lovely golden metallic thread that came with the game and gold-color embroidery floss.

All the mends:

Ruth, thank you so much for our Year of Mindful Mending. It was a wonderful experience!

Linking up with

Patti's Visible Monday

Shelbee's Spread the Kindness

Catherine's #shareallLinkup

FierceCon 2019 -- the Power of Kindness

What? FierceCon was last weekend? Where does the time go?
WHAT is FierceCon? The tag line is "It’s not a Conference. It’s a Connection! Celebrating and empowering women at Midlife & Beyond." It's the brain child of Catherine Grace O'Connell and I encourage all of my over-40 female friends to consider attending in 2020. It was amazing. Yes, I've imbibed the Kool-aid.

I will probably [read hopefully] write more about my experience eventually.
[Including my project to sketch everyone that attended].
This post is about what I wore, as documented by others [credit given if I recall photographer].

Friday. The Fluevog Dress.

With Rena Perez of Fine.Whatever
We are brandishing the mini cards I had printed of the sketches I'd completed in time for printing.

I had a professional photoshoot with Courtney Paige Ray and wanted to have photos in The Dress, wearing Fluevogs, and showcasing my Fluevog Shoe Art.

photo by Courtney Paige Ray

Saturday day. The Kimono fabric Tunic

We are the Leopard Squad!
Lana Lindgren, Jill Lorentz, Amy Kennedy, Deb Gutierrez [shoes, can't see]

Saturday Gala. The BOOM! tunic.

In the hotel bar before the "Gala" party.
photo by the bartendress

Barbie Holmes, Sophie Davies, BOOM!

Sunday. The "tribal" tunic. The one I hand sewed on a bus.

photo by Paula Griffin

With Theresa Martin and wearing her super light leather earrings [gifted, link to similar].

The Faces of Fierce on Sunday morning. Catherine is reclining center front.
photo: Mike Castagna

Looking at these photos brings back the super fun time that I had and all the new friends that I've made. Really, consider joining in next year! I'll sketch you!

Linking up with
Patti's Visible Monday
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness
Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike