amelia's pleated skirt

this weekend, i finished an adorable miniature version of the diy couture pleated skirts i've been making as a gift for my god-daughter amelia. i wanted it to be sort of a complimentary piece to my pierrot/pierrette-inspired skirt - i thought it would be so cute for her to have her very own harlequin-inspired skirt and maybe at some point when i visit seattle we could do a little photo shoot together. that would be so amazing! 

making this skirt made me realize i absolutely love making children's clothes! they're so cute & tiny and it totally makes sense as i've always been drawn to making miniatures in every artistic medium i've tried. i couldn't believe how quickly this skirt whipped up after the initial dying and silk-screening process. i started out with the same fabric and used the same process as i did with my pierrot-inspired skirt but used a mixture of teal and pearl grey RIT dye to get that smokey blue/green hue.

i'm so excited to get this out in the mail to her although i think it might still be too big for her to wear. somehow, it ended up 2" bigger at the waist than i had anticipated so she might have wait until she's a bit older or maybe pin it for now. either way, this definitely isn't going to be the last piece of clothing i make for her from scratch! i usually reconstruct things for her that i find at thrift stores, adding patches or silk-screen images, or i'll collect vintage children's clothing for her but i've never made her anything like this before. i'm really excited to enter into this new chapter of making her things by hand, the most special of things. 

xoxo
☆ emilia ☆

inspiration - valentino resort 2013

it's been a while since a collection has caught my eye… i've been in kind of a 'fashion funk' lately and am not really sure where my style is heading as the summer season fades and fall arrives. i'm not quite ready to think about making a cloak or altering any autumn pieces just yet and have been more inspired by these uber-romantic valentino resort 2013 dresses full of gorgeous lacy florals and my favorite haute 60's silhouettes. the collection is full of exquisite lace, beautiful beading, and lots of pink which is exactly what i need for a bright burst of cheer and a breath of fresh inspiration into my wardrobe.

this collection is all about the perfect party dress (and, the perfect little flared trench to wear on top.) i'd love to wear that lovely long white lace gown and the adorable polyester floral embroidered mini dress (last photo) every single day for the rest of the summer… they just ooze prettiness and femininity which are the fashion characteristics i seem to be gravitating to most right now. it's tough to find that perfect balance between youthful joie de vivre and classic elegance but i think this collection does a good job of melding the two and bringing together an air of girlish whimsy with the smart sophisticated tastes of a mature woman.

i'm thinking pinks, taupes, and tans are going to be my go-to's this fall (inspired by that last dress) with bold bursts of color mixed in somehow… what do you think?? sounds… pretty! i can already feel i'm going to want to brighten things up this fall season instead of going with my usual darker palette - it's going to be fun trying to incorporate more femininity & color and keeping everything more muted and soft. we'll see how i feel by the time autumn actually roles around… knowing me i'll have changed my mind a thousand times and been inspired by numerous other collections/photos/etc. by the time it's actually here!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

goddess frida

yes, i'm still alive!

… and, who better to get me back into the blogging spirit than the patron saint of creativity & visual beauty herself, frida kahlo. i recently updated the shop w/ several fantastic vintage central american dresses which are so beautiful & unique they were just screaming out for a special frida tribute shoot. you can imagine my surprise when i came upon these beauties at a church rummage sale here in toledo. they are exquisitely crafted - total stunners - and i'm so glad i got to wear a couple of them during my trip to florida last month before they went up for sale. the lightweight peach dress w/ red embroidery is the perfect swimsuit cover up on an afternoon trip to palm beach for some window shopping and sun bathing! you can find the peach dress for sale here and the pink dress w/ white embroidery here.

i've always wanted to do a frida inspired shoot… to say she's been a major influence in my life - both artistically & personally - is a definite understatement. her iconic beauty and intensely personal self portraits have captured my imagination for as long as i can remember and her tumultuous marriage to diego rivera and leftist political leanings only sealed the deal. it's pretty much impossible to think of putting a large bunch of flowers on the top of your head w/out channeling a bit of frida... my only regret is that my hair isn't long enough for a proper side braid to weave my ribbon scarves in & out of and that i didn't have a hawk or a cigarette to complete the look. :o)

i hope you are all having a fantastic summer so far and getting in as much relaxation and lake swimming as i've been!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

inspiration - etro fall 2012

i know it's a little early to be mentioning anything about fall - ok, a lot early. i mean, we're not even into summer yet… geez. but, with my fall cloak project on the brain and not much inspiration to guide me, i couldn't help but notice the etro fall 2012 collection when i stumbled upon a few images of the show. the lush colors, huge mix of fabrics and exciting pairings of materials gave me the jump-start i needed to start designing a cloak with autumn in mind.

the detachable peplum belts are my favorite - i've got to say, i've fallen hard for the recent peplum trend and can't wait to get my hands on a peplum skirt, dress or belt of my own. i love the equestrian feel of that large brown leather waist cinching peplum belt and the black & maize dress it's paired with - the one w/ those dramatic sleeves - is pretty much 'to die for.' this collection has it all - rich velvets, delicate lace mesh, fall staples like tweeds, knits & tailored suits as well as several gorgeous sheer evening dresses with elaborate patterning and textural details.

this collection sure got my creative juices flowing - there are so many options for my fall cloak! one amazing detail i might have to copy on one of my cloaks is that adorable ruffle collar with bright red lining on the fur capelet. isn't it just adorable? i love little details like that - and, the etro fall 2012 collection is chock full of just those kinds of exquisite, over-the-top elements. these pieces are kind of making me excited for fall. just a little bit…

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

pierrot / pierrette

today i'm finally sharing with you photos of my final pleated skirt attempt from the diy couture 'how to make a pleated skirt' instruction book. after two other attempts, i feel like i finally got this one right in terms of fabric choice, length and fit and i'm absolutely thrilled that i have had such positive experiences with the construction of these skirts! i feel a bit amazed that i was able to pull these pleated skirts off and actually come out with garments i really love.

for this skirt, i had pierrot / pierette in mind as inspiration. i have always been influenced by all things french and pierrot, in particular, has always caught my interest in his many incarnations from 'sad clown' to pantomime to musician. originally, i planned on making both a pierrot and a harlequin skirt with each symbolizing the personality & look of each of the characters (i may at some point finish the other skirt, we'll see.) i wanted them both to feature diamonds and match somewhat, but for the pierrot skirt to have a very light, soft palette in keeping with the traditional white pierrot suit and to really contrast with the bright, bold colors of the flashy harlequin skirt.

so, i went with a white bottom weight fabric - 95% cotton / 5% - medium weight, and dyed it with a mixture of pink and tan RIT dye before screen printing a series of cream triangles on it to form diamonds in different patterns for the front and back. i concentrated the diamonds in the center on the front piece and went with more of a bottom border pattern for the back. i made the waist extra thick and the length a bit longer than the other two skirts and feel like i really hit the perfect balance this time. it fits me like a glove & is very forgiving - that 5% spandex makes a really big difference in fit & comfort! i used a bit of my leftover fabric to make a 'capelet' of sorts in pretty much the same way as the skirt - basically, a pleated skirt for my shoulders - onto which i added two big black buttons for a more authentic pierrot / pierrette look.

i hope you like my pierrot / pierrette inspired skirt (the last pleated skirt i'm making for a while!) next, it's on to making cloaks using the diy couture 'how to make a cloak' instruction book. i'll be making a couple of lightweight cloaks over the next several weeks before attempting a serious fall cloak with expensive tweed or similar wool fabric and am so happy my sewing skills are slowly but steadily improving… yay! 

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

singing in the rain

today, i'm sharing with you a very special recent vintage find which is so adorable i felt it deserved it's very own post… and. it's very own outfit! i found this amazing vintage children's umbrella at an estate sale this weekend and snagged it for my goddaughter - i couldn't believe my luck. when i woke up today and saw it was going to be a lovely rainy day, i just knew i had to style an outfit around it to share it with you. isn't it just the most darling little thing you've ever seen?! 

i never thought i would top the madeline outfit i put together for her last christmas and worried i might never come across anything quite as special for her again. as soon as i saw this umbrella, my heart sank and then leaped for joy! it's crazy cute and an adorable mixture of bambi, donald duck & the chipmunks although it doesn't say 'disney' on it anywhere - not sure if it's a knock-off or what. it's a little bent up but not terribly - i can't wait to send it off to her and to see pics of her splashing around with it!! it melts my heart just to think about it. i'm so glad i came across this adorable rainy day accessory, which only set me back $4.00… not too bad!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: clothes & scarf - vintage // shoes - penny loves kenny // rings - vintage, ebay, forever 21

inspiration - british pathé vintage fashion film archive

i spent a large part of this past weekend combing through the fantastic british pathé vintage fashion archives on youtube. there are so many amazing little videos in the collection highlighting vintage 40's, 50's & 60's trends in accessories, makeup and fashion of all kinds from wigs & shoes to swimsuits & swim caps. i love the footage of vintage fashion shows and all the strange & quirky newsreel type films like the "girls with sexy eyes" holiday camp contest or "battle of the bulges - 1940s style" which features all sorts of oddball exercise equipment & maneuvers. but, my absolute favorites are the clips of vintage shoe, hosiery, and even umbrella fashions - check out the video above featuring the most fabulous trends in 1950's spectacles. but be warned… you will quickly become addicted to these quirky & charming old films!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

adventures in dip dye

i couldn't help but get caught up in the "dip dye frenzy" last season on a pair and a spare - i'm pretty sure it was geneva's dip dye ombre mini skirt diy that made me fall in love with the blog and i've been a devoted fan ever since. she gave me the inspiration to make my own glitter shoes and i've been wanting to try another one of her diy tutorials for a while now (or, rather a whole bunch of them) but hadn't come across the right materials… until now!

a couple of weeks back, i came across a cream lace top on a thrift store run and then a homemade vintage white polka-dot skirt at a rummage sale. both of the items were crying out for some personality and the vintage skirt had a few tiny brown spots along the hem that refused to come out. i used the same technique geneva used on her ombre mini-skirt with a combination of navy & teal RIT dye for the lace top and pink RIT dye for the skirt. the top took a few days - i didn't want to overdue it so i kept dyeing and washing and dyeing some more - even using an old toothbrush at one point to spot dye a couple of areas until i was happy with it.

the skirt was inspired directly by the fam irvoll dress i mentioned a couple of weeks ago. i love the little burst of pink - i can't tell you what a difference it made to the skirt… it really brought it to life! one problem is that the skirt is incredibly sheer and i don't have a long enough slip so i'm on the lookout for a longer slip. overall, i'm absolutely thrilled with the results and can't wait to give another one of geneva's diy's a try! they're so quick & easy - almost instant gratification - and really breathe new life into old, outdated pieces.

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

inspiration - everlasting sprout

images: via Tokyo Fashion.com

this week, i've been feeling all kinds of inspired by the everlasting sprout A/W 2012 collection. there's so much i like about this collection including the unique knit pieces, the bold floral patterns, the socks, and all the adorable details found throughout. before i started crocheting, i really didn't give much thought to knits on the runway but these days i'm particularly smitten with designers who are known for incorporating avant-garde knit designs into their collections - i've learned to appreciate the material and the medium so much more than i ever did before. don't you just love all the textures and those gorgeous patterned knits (especially the dresses and skirts?!) i love the idea of florals for fall and the colors are just perfect - a bit darker but still incredibly bright & fun.

i've also been looking at collections with more of a critical "can-i diy?' eye lately thanks to geneva from a pair and a spare and have been finding sweet details everywhere i look that seem doable. like, the ruffles on those short pants pictured above? … love! i can't wait to get my hands on some secondhand tweed pants to shorten and add some flirty ruffles to - what a sweet, feminine touch for fall.

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆