28
Apr 12

Inspiration: Dyeing with Oak Galls

 

Tinctory's Oak Galls Dye

tinctory: Oak Galls Dye.

I’ve been increasingly interested in Natural Dyes these days. This week, I ran across this beautiful website called tinctory. Eva, a woman from the UK has a beautiful aesthetic with Natural Dyes.  In the photo above, she’s dyed silks, cottons and wools. The grey fabric has been mordanted later with iron.

She uses her dyed  fabric to create jewelry by smocking her swatches into little organic looking pendants.

Today I’m going on a hike, picnic and will hopefully  harvest some Oak Galls. It’s gall hunting season! Stay tuned to see what I find.

 

No comments
09
Apr 12

Floral wrapping paper from my backyard

A quick easy way to create floral wrapping paper. Click the photo to zoom

In my previous post, I gathered some flowers from my backyard. Using a hammer, and spraying the paper with a soda ash mixture, I pounded the flowers until pigment started to leach into the paper.

I let it dry for about 4 hours and the floral paper was ready to use. You can use this technique on silk cotton and wool too!

No comments
31
Mar 12

Backyard flowers as wrapping paper

20120331-143216.jpg

I’ve learned about a super easy method to create collage style wrapping paper from flowers and soda ash.

I’ve harvested these flowers from my backyard. Little did I know I’ve got 7 different flower species including calalilies. Stay tuned as i pound them into a beautiful collage.

1 comment
04
Mar 12

Gorgeous 1950′s sewing machine

20120304-120018.jpg

Bought this at the white elephant sale in Oakland for $60! It’s metal, newly serviced and runs like butter. Plus it’s a beautiful aqua color with decorative silver plate. I’m in love.

No comments
13
Feb 12

Cartoonist Illustrates subculture at SF Main Library

Illustration of People Lining up at the SF Main Library by Wendy MacLaughton

An inspiring article featured on the Rumpus last March by Cartoonist Wendy MacLaughton beautifully illustrates the multi-cultural cross section of people seeking knowledge and repose at the SF Main Library. It’s a quick click through and very touching story. I didn’t know SF Main has an on staff social worker. No other library has one. Read the comments at the end…really good.

 

 

No comments
16
Jan 12

Leather poncho and wooly sweater

20120116-191449.jpg

Happy new year everyone! Trying to stay warm with of my fav Japanese designers mihara yashuhiro. He started out doing shoes and thank god got into womens clothing. Ck out his website. Www.miharayasuhiro.jp

No comments
24
Oct 11

RELUX0005: Caught the Fascinator bug

DIY Fascinator for my wedding

I had sketched and sketched a bunch of hat and lace ideas for my wedding. And wouldn’t you know it, the Fascinator Continue reading →

No comments
13
Aug 11

Pencil Sketches for a Levi’s Project

Pencil sketches, click image to zoom

Pencil sketches, click image to zoom

Back in April I was asked to design and sketch a project for Levi’s Menswear for a potential position. Levi’s gave me the concept “Oceans Connect us”. They wanted me to present my ideas on: Color, Fabric, Silhouette, Fit and Trims. I sketched these four guys and pulled the project together in a week. And I got the job!

This year has been a madhouse: wedding, new job, our house was broken into. All the while, I’ve still been sketching and designing. So I’ll be playing a little catch up, posting my work on Reluxia. Stay tuned!

2 comments
19
Feb 11

Injury at work

I’m sad to say that I’ve suffered a pretty bad cut to my hand last week from an xacto knife. It’s healing pretty well all things considered. The doc said it was a “surgically clean cut” to the finger. Anyway, it just means that Reluxia projects are on hold now til I heal up enough. Still will post about fashion, style and inspiration as often as I can.

No comments
07
Feb 11

RELUX004 Reworking: Pinning and Cutting Shape into a Dress

Pinning shape into a dress

Front: Reworking a dress by pinning and cutting

I’m reworking an olive and black tweed suit into a dress. Here, I’ve started pinning and cutting RELUX004 to give it shape. You can see the original frumpy suit here. So far I’ve taken away a total of 5″ off the bottom hem, 4″ off the sides and removed the sleeves. I put the jacket on backwards Continue reading →

No comments
← Older Entries