Julianne

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CORDUROY RUFFLE SKIRT

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I have a really strange habit: the night before leaving for a trip, I get the urge to make a new piece of clothing to take with me. And so I usually spend the last few hours at home sewing!

ruffle skirt

These pictures were taken by my husband in the Painted Desert National Park as Jason and I drove to our New Orleans wedding reception.

ruffle skirt

I feel a little guilty about completely ripping off fellow Etsy seller Loni Gaghan‘s design. But that’s what making is all about, right? Anyway I’m not about to spend $60 on something I could make myself (although I would advise anyone else to, because it did take a few hours and seems totally a fair price), I certainly wouldn’t make this skirt for anyone else, and it was in the noble goal of de-cluttering my stash.

All of the materials for this skirt were overflowing from my fabric cabinet. The corduroy (left over from pants I made for Jason last year) was particularly bulky, and I never actually thought I would use it. I bought the coral cotton jersey for a dress I’ve never made, although I still have enough fabric to make that happen. The lining is a poly-satin that was completely consumed in this project.

ruffle skirt ruffle skirt ruffle skirt

I really love the tulip hem, and had been thinking of making a skirt in that style for weeks (and filling up my sewing board on Pinterest with ideas). When I decided on this design, I planned on adding the vintage wooden buttons to the front of the skirt. I didn’t even realize that they have tulips on them! Which makes them even more perfect.

I used a hook and eye on the tab of the waistband, but it is way bulky. I think I’ll switch to just a snap.

ruffle skirt

This skirt isn’t my normal style, but I really like the petticoat can-can dancer feel of it. And I think it will be really nice for winter layering. Also the tan corduroy feels like a neutral, without being bland, and the coral gives it the pop of color I need to feel like myself.

ruffle skirt

Because I do not even wear or have an interest in ruffles, I don’t own a ruffle foot for my machine. I just gathered the jersey stripes manually, and it was fine. I used about 200″ of fabric to make the ruffles. Probably will not feel the need to add ruffles to anything for another 3 years.

I forgot to incorporate pockets, although I’m not sure where I would have put them. Maybe I could still add slash or patch pockets to the back? Opinions on that?

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REGENERATING DOORS

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Finally, the wedding celebrations are complete! So now I can focus on other goals, like seeing David Bowie and riding that elephant. No time to elaborate.

I was away in New Orleans for three wonderful weeks, and in the week since I returned to not-so-sunny California I’ve been turning out bike seats like crazy! I could post each one, but a bike seat is a bike seat (even if I am proud of all the different paintings) and I have made so many other little things. Same idea for the zipper masks. I make these constantly, but there are only so many new ways I can blog about them!

And yet:

pumpkin mask

The reception/vacation really messed up my timing for Halloween orders. Seriously. But I did manage to get a few masks done in time for costuming.

While I was in New Orleans I re-vamped the screen doors at a friend’s house in Abita Springs. Her house is a gorgeous woodsy paradise, filled with art and healing and lots of fun times. She had these doors custom made from an artist in New Mexico, but a few hurricanes left them looking a little drab.

Before:

painted doors before

After:

painted doors

I somehow neglected to get a front shot after the doors were finished. D’oh!

Instead of repainting and obliterating the original design, I decided to enhance what was already there and give it my own rainbow spin. I won’t get into it, but the color concept was inspired by Carl Sagan, cause he’s awesome and so am I.

painted doors

The left handle had been broken off in a hurricane and found years later in the garden!

painted doors

I didn’t see it when I was actually there, but now the big orange flower looks like boobs with red spiral nipples. Which is still awesome.

painted doors

First time signing a painting with my new name!

painted doors painted doors

painted doors

I’m very proud of how they turned out, and I love the opportunity to contribute my art to such a beautiful space.

This project reminded me of how much I love painting! I’ve been focusing on textiles so much over the past few years, and the paintings that I have done have been graciously commissioned, but I hadn’t just sat down and painted what I felt in a long time. I’ve got big plans for our big coffee table now; maybe next time Jason is out of town I will fill our living room with paint!

And also, I’ve gotten a ton of requests for a boot tutorial. I will do this someday, but first I must discover the right fabric, and then have the urge to make another pair of boots. I’m not going to rush it, because then I’ll be stuck with another time-consuming project that I’m not really passionate about. I’m so excited about all the great responses the shoes, and even more excited to share all the wedding projects soon.

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