Monday, September 22, 2008

RecyCouture 30s mix





Old lace dress from the 30s in a ripping (literal) condition. Took out the slip which became the evolve dress, then cut the top from the bottom. Added a wide stretchy band to the top of the flounced skirt so can just pull it on. Added tulle to the bottom of the top.
Worn with a middy made from the top of a pair of pantyhose, which keeps the skin tones from peeping through in a vulgar manner.

RecyCouture RAG



When wearing a gown that starts with a 1920s era chemise, that runs into a weird stretch remnant then bottoms out with a glitzy flocked floral of the 90s...one must pull attitude. The flapper rebel in me surfaced.
I used to wear vintage 20s clubbing ln Belltown 's premiere punk rock venue. This worked; as flappers bobbed their hair, raised hemlines, rouged their lips and merrily shocked the old guard.
Defiance for the old order never goes out of style, yet the real changes move so slow, unlike the fashions that personify them.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Stripey Tee and Skirt


The recyCouture Mourning Casual look is from the 2 Tees and a pair of really big pants, The big pants were given to me as I passed out class flyers in Ballard. I thought the Ryther Thrift Shop might post one as an inspiration to shoppers The shop volunteer at the cash register agreed, liked what I was doing and gave me the pants.

It's fun to cut and play with clothes that cost little as you have to come out ahead. (Experience if naught else!)

The big pants were cut apart, pleated to hip width and modified with inserts and reverse applique. The great thing is I didn't have to put a zipper in as I used the pants zipper and fly as is. This leaves time for the fun embellishing part.

Hope





The modified witch hat keeps the sun off. We need the vitamin D , but don't need the bad rays-it isn't easy being aware. I read awhile back that 10 minutes of sun should get the D need covered but will check it out and report back later. Like all (?) human derived truths, this one has a lifespan based on current technology.

What to Wear


Have you seen the Bluefly print ads.."closet full of nothing to wear" ? It does a good job of pushing fast fashion along with the little girl that doesn't have to choose, but can buy all the looks she wants from Kmart. How about the tv ad with the back seat, shoe box, pile up that extols the mother/daughter shopping experience? My aren't we pathetic!

I think labels should run below products that point out the persistent organic compounds, the toxic travelers that end up in human tissues (doing what mayhem?) and the natural but not organic fibers grown with pesticides and fertilizers that are running off and killing water life. Why keep pushing madness when we know better now?

Okay, I like a new pair of boots once in awhile. But please, the shoppers rush is short lived and then what?

Get a better creative outlet...you'll be happier.... I promise.

Monday, September 8, 2008

The San Francisco Garter Snake


This is the reptilian representative of my endangered fauna. Since it is the 7th species and was drawn on the 7th day and 7 is my lucky number, well it amuses me. What with all the mythical lore surrounding snakes, the whole Eve thing, snake in the grass, Cleopatra- the critter has a bad rep. Okay, some of it still seems deserved and I am not going to hike the back trails of Arizona in hopes of meeting rattlers.

When my mother was around 7 years old her father showed her a nest of baby garter snakes. She was unnerved by the wriggling mass but grandpa told her they were good to have around because they kept the bugs out of the garden

These providers of natural services haven't been well acknowledged until recently. The techno/chemical replacements are a bad trade in value and side effects. However, they are good for the bottom lines of some giant corporations as new opportunities arise with new problems.

That is the conundrum of capitalist economics, my dears. The old and big have the economic power to thwart and stall some very good ideas.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

We'll Miss You When You're Gone


..or we can all do something. The problems that may pop up when these critters die off are unknown....that is the problem! We don't know the extent of their food and services webs. (formerly called food chains we now know that linear simplicity is bunk)

Do the research, learn and then incorporate the knowledge. There is a lot of good info out there. Sign up for the A Fresh Squeeze e-letter, visit the Sustainable Style Foundation or the Green for Good websites, or do a search for sustainable living, etc. Real world information has grown by scads since the early days of 2000 and now; well it is almost too much. Then again, since we are a stubborn lot when it comes to making changes...(like the foreign oil crisis of the 70"s got the USA off foreign oil...right?) ......perhaps it's necessary.
So please don't shut off just because it's so noisy with green. However, unplugging all those lcd, nonsense clocked appliances is quite satisfying.
The Monarch Butterfly and the Poison Dart Frog are 2 of the featured endangered. The rest of the pastel illustrations are on the Posers and Pictures site.