inspiration - bora aksu & the realms of the unreal

images: new york magazine

i don't usually pay a huge amount of attention to most of new york & london fashion week but couldn't help but notice bora aksu's autumn/winter 2012 collection at lfw this year. i am absolutely smitten with the london-based turkish designer's gorgeous collection which he has described as "romantic with a darker twist" and was entirely based on the story and accompanying watercolor illustrations of henry darger's in the realms of the unreal, with bora's girls mimicking darger's seven vivian sisters. check out this fascinating huffington post uk article to learn more about how the epic story influenced the collection on all levels.

i am particularly enamored by the "fantasy heroin" aspect of the collection as expressed through the gorgeous color palette, contrasting silhouettes, rose brocade, and sweet bows, collars & crochet trims. the knit dresses are also a marvel and those patterned tights are to die for - so lovely paired with all the interesting fabrics, wallpaper-inspired prints & textures throughout. my absolute favorite look is the bubblegum pink georgette & brocade dress with peaked shoulders and lamé collar - fierce and sweet!

this site has even larger pics of the collection including shots from the back that are well worth taking a look at for the impeccable details... just phenomenal!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

never neverland

i'm taking a bit of a break from making pleated skirts as i wait on some white ink to arrive in the mail for an upcoming printing marathon. in the meantime, i've been working on a few quick sewing projects in an effort to use up some of the interesting fabric scraps i've got lying around from past endeavors. this peter pan collar tutorial by elegant musings is the perfect quick & easy project for all those random leftovers and even gives the choice between pointed or rounded ends - how cool is that?!

it's difficult to tell in the pictures, but i used a very fine corduroy for the bright red collar which adds a wonderful texture and was also really fun to work with. the print-at-home pattern & instructions are easy to follow - all you need besides your fashion fabric is a bit of interfacing and your choice of closure (ribbon, button, etc.) i finished my collar off with a thin mustard velvet ribbon and couldn't be happier with how it turned out. makes me feel like a little girl in a fairytale who stumbled upon never neverland and never wants to grow up!

xoxo
☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: dress - dear by amandy bynes / skirt - isaac mizrahi for target / shoes - naya / purse - vintage / glasses - vintage / owl ring - ebay 

inspiration - red valentino

images: style.com

red valentino's fall 2012 lookbook is pretty much all a girl could ever ask for - at least one that has always dreamt of fairy tales, faraway places, and magical & extraordinary things. i love the thought of living in an animated world just like the backdrops for this adorable collection. 

i've been a big fan of red valentino's creations each season but am particularly smitten with this collection as it embraces a soft sweetness and a harder gothic darkness with equal weight while featuring a lot of interesting structural & textural elements. there are more than a few details from this collection that i'll be appropriating for my own spring & summer wardrobe - most notably altering a few of my skirts to mini-bubble skirts and adding pom pom fringe to a future pleated skirt design. i'm really loving the modern mini skirt silhouettes, gorgeous knit pieces (so crazy about that first dress) and all the vintage inspired touches throughout.

i'm also incredibly intrigued by that plush outfit as i've been madly attracted to materials like old quilts, vinyl, leatherette & plush teddy bear fabric lately for making pleated skirts but don't have the kind of sewing machine you need to handle those heavy-duty materials. it seems like i'm going to have to look into getting a tougher machine soon that can handle my wild imagination. and, maybe some of my very own hand drawn, snow white-inspired wallpaper as a backdrop for my real-life fairytale!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

big daddy chain

it's been such a long while since i've shared any completed crochet projects with you! here is an incredibly quick & easy accessory that will really get you noticed - the big daddy chain by hooks & halos. you might remember i used another hooks & halos pattern last december when i made the boerum warmer - the pattern for this chain was just as simple & easy to read as the warmer and is perfectly suited for the beginning crocheter. 

i used lion brand thick & quick yarn in citron for a big thick gold chain look (as opposed to silver or platinum) and worked on two links at a time over the course of a week until i was done. i can hardly even remember working on it, the links were done so quickly due to the thick yarn & large hook required. the big daddy chain is definitely a "notice me!" piece and i can just imagine what sorts of comments i'll get wearing it around town - should be entertaining. :o) 

i paired it here with my extra large gold hoops and one of my favorite vintage dresses ever featuring a quilted skirt with fantastic multi-colored print. i don't know what it is about vintage quilted skirts but i'm just mad about them. it probably has to do with the fact that my second vintage purchase ever as a teen was a dress very similar to this one with a black top and quilted skirt w/ pockets in muted tans & browns. it's been a total love affair ever since!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

new in the shop - vintage gloves!

these vintage gloves have actually been in the shop for a couple of weeks now, but i just added another two pairs this afternoon so i thought i should make a little announcement here. since this is supposed to be a companion blog to my shop and all. :o) i am really loving the long nude & brown gloves at the moment, which seem like such a great lightweight alternative to leather or suede. hop on over to the shop to check out all the different colors & styles! 

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

inspiration - rike feurstein

images: rike feurstein

i first spotted one of german hat designer rike feurstein's knit pieces last month on camille tries to blog - check out this incredible blue-purple gradient cowl which nearly knocked the wind out of me when i saw it. i immediately began a hysterical quest to find out what on earth the fantastic stitch technique was so i could learn it as soon as possible and diy my own gradient cowl. i stumbled on this great tutorial via honestly wtf for the "no knit" scarf before discovering that the amazing stitch in question was developed and patented by rike herself. it's such a beautiful, mesmerizing stitch - i just get lost in the simplicity & chunkiness of the pattern and adore the playful use of color in her pieces like that one bright pink row in the middle of the light pink scarf... brilliant!

there has been speculation that the stitch might be based on the tunisian crochet stitch - a gorgeous type of crochet with a knit look that i've been intrigued with since taking the craft up. seeing as most of my projects this year were based on the single, double, and half-double crochet stitches (i.e. the most basic of stitches) i am in awe of the thought of inventing your own stitch - and such a gorgeous one as rike's at that. 

my crochet projects are starting to wind down a bit now that i'm really starting to delve into sewing. i've got a couple of completed pieces from last month that i'll be sharing with you this week and am now getting starting on my last project of the season - a pair of mary jane-type slippers. i might try to squeeze in one quick spring scarf based on the light pink / hot pink stripe one b/c i'm just so smitten but we'll see. there are a couple of projects i wasn't able to get to this year - a purse and a couple of blankets all involving granny squares, which i still have yet to learn. but, it's exciting to have some projects & new techniques to look forward to in the fall and i'm sure  by then i'll have even more projects added to the list.

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

i hope you are all having a lovely day!!!

sending lots of love your way this valentine's day...

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

all we are is stars

lucius and his first mustache finger : tara mcpherson

for my second pleated skirt attempt, i combined it with another diy project i've had on my "to do" list since last summer - making some sort of space garment. originally, i was planning on making a galaxy t-shirt dress but then decided it might be more fun to make some custom fabric instead. i used this "going to space" tutorial from unicorn parade almost to the letter except i didn't have any spare brushes on hand (besides tooth brushes for splattering) so i stuck to medicine droppers for applying the bleach & dye and used my gocco to screen print the stars instead of hand painting them. 

since my last skirt ended up so stiff & sculptural and was a polyester blend (and, polyester interferes with the bleaching process,) i went with a much thinner bottom weight this time made from 97% cotton/3% spandex. i cut the front and back fabric pieces out before bleaching & dying and ended up going through the entire process a few times until i was fairly happy with how it looked, and then screen printed the stars. i used strips of the untouched, crisp black fabric to make an extra-thick waistband (6cm wide instead of 4cm) and finished the hem off with black bias tape to pull it all together.

i'm really happy with how the skirt came out, especially since this was my first attempt at bleaching & dying fabric (i've never even tie-dyed.) it would have helped to have a few hubble pics of nebulae on hand for reference on the larger shapes but i didn't think about doing this until the very end. one thing is discovered is that bias tape is pretty much my new favorite thing EVER as straight & decent-looking hems continue to pose a major challenge for this beginner seamstress. overall, i'm completely smitten this skirt & the adorable little stars - it's incredibly lightweight but still stiff enough to keep its sweet silhouette and i love the polished look of the bias tape!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

*outfit details: vintage lace half shirt/wedding dress top // pleated skirt pattern - diy couture // black lita - jeffrey campbell // rings - forever 21, ebay 

inspiration - miu miu capelets & mules

images: miu miu

i am completely in love with miu miu's adorable off-the-shoulder capelets that were such a big part of her spring 2012 collection. now that i've officially been bitten with the "make your own clothes" bug, i've been on the lookout for a simple diy garment project to tackle in between pleated skirts and thought a capelet might be just the perfect project. a quick search brought me to this off the shoulder capelet diy tutorial on FtAshion so you know what i'll be making as soon as i have a few extra dollars for fabric & velvet ribbon! i particularly like the baby blue satin one w/ the navy velvet tie but also love that black & white patterned one - so cute!

i loved everything about this collection - not just the capelets - and fell especially hard for all those mules. i am loving the pink & red pair at the moment but that may just be valentine's day talking - on most days i think i'd go for the the blue velvet or pink satin pair... so girly! to tell you the truth, i'm actually not quite over miu miu's gold glitter peep-toe booties with pink suede from fall 2011 - too bad i can't figure out a way to diy all these amazing shoes!!!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

first pleated skirt!

i am sooo excited to share with you my first hand-sewn garment ever - a two-toned, hand-silk screened pleated skirt created from diy couture's easy-to-follow instructional book how to make a pleated skirt. 

the skirt is made from two pieces of fairly thick bottom weight fabric (65% cotton / 35% poly) in gray and electric blue that were sewn together. i used my gocco to screen print the blue fabric with a super cute friends with you inspired pattern before sewing. the stiff fabric and pleats kept reminding me of cheerleading skirts and seeing as friends with you is in the business of spreading friendship and joy, i thought the name "good cheer" fit this skirt perfectly! 

i followed the book's directions to the letter, making 12 pleats in the front, 12 in the back and a 4cm waistband. it was really tough working with this thick bottom weight on my first try, especially since it's 35% polyester - it was really difficult setting the pleats and the overall shape is very sculptural... it sort of has a mind of its own. while i loved the stiffness of this bottom weight during the printing process, i made sure to pick a much thinner, mostly cotton version for my second skirt. 

overall, i'm crazy thrilled with how it came out and *love* it to pieces. i'm still in total disbelief that i'm actually making my own clothes and have to keep reminding myself - it just seems too good to be true! but, it's not - it is true - and, it's all thanks to diy couture who demystified the process and made it simple enough for me to take the plunge. what i found out in the end was that making this pleated skirt was easier than a lot of other non-garment projects i've made in the past. when explained in an easy-to-follow format that's aimed at the beginner, you'll be stunned and how quick and easy making your own clothes can be!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

*outfit details: vintage purple striped ruffle jacket // black tank top - james perse // pleated skirt pattern - diy couture // black lita - jeffrey campbell // vintage clutch // rings - forever 21 // large gold hoops - ebay // vintage black doll's hat