Some Thoughts and Sketches and someone else's cute baby.

As I mentioned I had some plans for variations on the dress I posted on Tuesday. Here are some very simple sketches of a few of my ideas.

This is a wedding gown, it has the same pleating detail at the french darts, but I removed the collar.

This has the same collar, but the fabric on the halter between the top of the dress and the neck would be sheer in this. It also does not have the pleating on the french darts. This one is also intended to be a wedding dress.

This is like the one above, but it is has a pencil skirt instead of a circle skirt, and it does still have the French dart detail. I dont really know about the red, I was just playing with some new markers. It would look really cute in a swiss dot. I should have rotated the picture before I cropped it, she looks like the leaning tower of endless skinny legs.

This is a circle skirt, no haler, same dart detailing. This could be a pretty tea length wedding dress, or it could be something more casual, and of course I can do it as both.

I have more sketches to draw, but I haven't had the chance yet.

What else? Well my friend Jon, or Jonny Rocketpants, sent me this picture:

Yes, it is another CAUSTIC SIGHTING. Awesome. This is Jon's niece wearing a special onesie I made. Jon and a friend programmed a game called Quarry so I made a few screens. You can download the game for only $1. I still need to make an adult sized shirt for Jon. Isn't his niece ADORABLE?

I also finally got around to looking through the Paris section of vouge collections and I was NOT impressed. All that stood out to me was how BAD everything was. I dont remember the runway shows looking so horrid when I watched them on you tube several months back. I Karl Lagerfeld designed a terrible collection for Channel, and I was equally unimpressed with his own collection. I generally consider him and John Galliano to be the real greats right now. I liked the general aesthetic of Galliano's Dior collection, but I didn't like many of the pieces, and I was much more disappointed with his own collection.

I asked a friend of mine to model for me , so I am looking forward to getting some things done and taking some great pictures to post made to order dresses and other clothing. I think I can charge enough for the dresses that one the first few purchases can help me purchase a the dress forms I need, but I am still going to be on the lookout for a good deal on a used one.

Well, I'll be back this evening for my treasury of the day.

Take care!

Xoxo

Erica

Daydreaming and... Coming soon to caustic threads...

So, I have been doing more sewing and designing the past few weeks and as much as I REALLY LOVE screen printing, it is very revitalizing for me, as designing has been a long time passion. Soooo I have been daydreaming about making some investments that I think would really help me make more of a business out of my designing.

I want to buy two adjustable dress forms in addition to the designers dress form that I already have. I CAN grade (or size) Patterns, but I do not trust this method fully and would like to have SOMETHING to fit my clothing on. Since my business is an Internet business I usually don't get to fit the item directly on the customer (which is ALWAYS Preferred). So I think an adjustable dress form is the next best thing. I need two because they come in sizes sm/m and m/l.

The other thing I want is to either get my industrial overlock machine going OR try to resell it and buy a household one. I am hoping to find all of these things used, but I have a few ideas for coming up with funds if I cant.


I finally got back to this dress, it has been sitting in muslin, really just waiting to get ruined, so I finally made the pattern for it. This is what it looked like in muslin : http://acrylicandsteel.blogspot.com/2010/03/from-workbench.html

I was able to cut and sew most of the pattern this weekend, and I think it is SOOO cute. The problem is that I don't know if I can get this fabric again, so it may be one of a kind.

It has some really interesting details at the top that I just love...


And this Too Cute print in the pocket for a little interest. It helps that I love this shade of green I am sure, and I just swoon over Japanese prints. There are several variations of this dress that I have swirling around my brain, so I hope to get a chance to sketch them out and make the patter pieces soon. On this one I just need to do a little finishing on the inside on the neck and then install the zipper and do the hem for the outer skirt. It is fully lined.

I also want to offer this dress in several basic colors and fabric choices that I know I can always find, and do a version where the halter part of the dress is in a sheer fabric.



I burned two new screens this morning, this is a sample of one of them, of course the real thing will not say caustic threads across it :) the other one is a fox. I am trying to think up some cleaver text to print along with the fox but I haven't come up with anything yet. I am going to print this screen tonight to see how it turned out! I cant wait!


I also made two shirts like this. I whipped one up for autumn pretty quickly and had just enough fabric to make one to sell, so I decided to make another.



and... a bonus picture of Adam and autumn for family, fans of Autumn (fans of Adam???) and anyone else who likes cute kiddo's.

I'll be back late tonight to do my treasury of the day!

Take care!

Xoxo

Erica

PhotoEZ Screen Printing Kit!

I have wanted to learn how to screen print for a long time, but have been pretty nervous about the whole thing. I wanted something that seemed fool proof, I didn't want to mess with making frames and I didn't really want to mess with the chemicals either. I also had a very unusual fear of printing transparencies on my home printer- which was dumb, because it is REALLY easy as long as you get the right transparency paper. I looked into getting a Yudu, which was expensive but looked easy. Before I committed to buying a Yudu I looked around a little and that is when I found this PhotoEZ starter kit for about $100 including 5 sheets of the screen paper 6 colors of printing ink and everything you need to get started. I read the reviews and was SOLD. The kit does not have the exposure light that the Yudu has but in sunny New Mexico that is not a problem.


This is a burned stencil. I am keeping them in protective plastic sheets in a binder. I like that they are so easy to store and take up no space at all. The stuff was also really easy to use! Have made 8 stencils now and only made a mistake with one of them (I under exposed it, and I have to admit, I was not paying much attention to how long it was out in the sun)

\
I used some muslin to test the stencils before printing them on something more expensive. It worked very well and it gave me a pretty good idea of how to pull the ink across the stencils. Fabric ink like this has to be heat set, so I washed the muslin, expecting all of the ink to wash out. I was surprised when it didn't, but it created a really cool effect so I will probably save the muslin with the faded images for ... I don't know... something.


I was really impressed with how EASY it was, and was amazed by the detail I got from my images. These shirts will probably be going in my "new" store, Caustic Threads. I have 5 printed that I am happy with.

This shirt says "If god had intended us to walk he would not have invented roller skates"


This is made from a popular piece of art of mine. I love how it turned out.



I am not really sure how to take pictures of shirts yet though. I will have to work with it a little. Maybe if I use a sheet or something I will be happier because the background wont look so distracting.



Anyway, anyone interested in getting started screen printing should TOTALLY check this stuff out. It is as easy as they say, and I love the results!

I have a few more items on my "workbench" right now, but I Will share those with you all later! Have a great day!

Xoxo
-Erica

Handmade Wedding: Custom Wedding Dress FINAL PICTURES.

So, For those who have been watching the progression of this custom wedding dress, here are the Final pictures (which also means that if you are tired of looking at it you will be glad to know that it is finished! ) You can see the original sketch for this dress here:



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05e1QuaYI3IZwxG7sD1ndJ07eU7yGxmi5VhBFiqeCNgaxsAeairFCvH9BVtS7ICa9ZdT6haYaK_3mxsC7ut17Fl8Nsiu1oVVZppgdS1fgz3VlYrLfNBA851ooogN24XvQAeywUm18rjY/s1600-h/TarasDress1.jpg



This project ran so smoothly I can hardly believe it is over... I keep thinking I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING- but at this point it really just needs to fit, and most minor changes I would expect the customer to have done locally by a tailor, and we used a muslin fitting garment so I expect the fit to be pretty good.



This dress is Designed By me, the patterns are made by me and it is entirely sewn by me as well, including some beautiful hand sewn details. This is a finished project that I am very proud of. I knew I could do it of course, but sometimes you have to DO something to convince your knowledge of your capabilities to overcome your insecurities.





I was also commissioned by the same person to make this birdcage veil and facinator:

The facinator which can be worn without the veil

The veil, which can be worn without the facinator too, of course.

The dress is very versatile and has four pieces, a bolero, a top which is fully boned, an underskirt with alencon lace details, and an over skirt with an inner tie up system that adjusts the length of the skirt (and then several pin on flowers)

That means it can be worn like this:

(this is the alencon lace underskirt)

Or like this:

(this is the over skirt when it is all the way down)

(This is the back, it has a very small train)

A few detail shots:

(The bottom of the dress worn as it is intended)

(this is to show the detail of the pleating on the bolero)

And this is how it is meant to be worn:


I took these pictures in old town in Albuquerque, New Mexico

We got a lot of comments about how beautiful the dress is, which means a lot to me, because they see a LOT of dresses as it is a very popular place to get married and get wedding pictures taken, so the shop owners there see a LOT of dresses.

I should have taken some business cards :)

For future reference... (you know, like market research...but less organized and targeted)

I have a question for YOU...

How much would you pay for this handmade custom designed wedding dress?

What about the veil and Facinator?

Consider it a guessing game. I will tell you in a few days how much I charged for this dress, as long as it is known that I will never ever make a dress like this for that price again ;)

that is...unless, I just feel like designing, or you are my good friend, or....

I really loved making this dress because the customer had some ideas but she really let me design it myself, and that is important to me, but I know I underpaid myself by a pretty long shot.

Thanks!

Xoxo,

Erica

PS- if anyone is interested in a custom wedding dress, veil or facinator, feel free to contact me either by email: ericahvoges@yahoo.com or by convo in etsy http://acrylicandsteel.etsy.com/

Vogue Collections is Awesome.

Hi all! I am very excited that I received a blog award from T over at www.poppyplacepdx.blogspot.com because I just adore her! I am very grateful that I have had a chance to get to know her through her blog. She is sweet and caring, and has taken the time to send me thoughtful personal e-mails during times when I really needed it. I am very glad to know her, even just through the blogosphere, and am so honored to have received a blog award from her.

That is all I will be saying about the blog award for today, I will be thinking hard about 7 things you may not know about me and also deciding who to give the award to myself and writing a full post on this later this week. It is hard for me to pick because I follow so many wonderful blogs :)

hmmm...

What else?

I am feeling pretty well, very tired usually, but in very little pain.

Also, Just in case any designers, or fashion lovers are not aware of it's existence one of the most wonderful fashion references available in media form is by far Vogue Collections. It is a $35.00 magazine, which is an excellent price for what it is. Vogue Collections is a periodical that comes out twice a year (fall/winter and Spring/Summer), has very few ads, and is basically just pages and pages of runway collections from top designers in Paris, London, Milan, and New York. I wait for it to come out every season, and everywhere I have ever gone I have been told "I have never heard of that magazine" or "we don't sell that" and usually a few weeks later I see a stack of them in their fashion section. It is an amazing tool for inspiration, laughs (it is amazing what gets sent down runways), and I think as time passes they will be an exemplary historical fashion reference as well.

As I said, This is a magazine well worth the money for any designer, or fashion fanatic! It will absorb many heart stopping, studious hours of "oh, that's cute" "I hate that" "I almost like that" "no, honey, most people CAN'T actually afford ANY of this" "the draping on this is phenomenal" Etc.

Of course if you are me, you will probably say " I could do that better" embarrassingly often for someone who is making no attempts at this time to be a full time designer.

Updates on a dress I am working on...

Well, first of all, I am giving away a pair of cute hand warmers! You can enter my giveaway HERE .


I have been doing a custom order for a wedding dress and I have reached a point where I am finally willing to share the progress. This has been an extremely fun project, and I liked having an excuse to spend $70 a yard on lace (even if the laces I wanted the most were all over $100 a yard) . I am only getting about $100 for this dress after materials, But I am so glad to have the opportunity just to MAKE it. I couldn't afford to make it if someone were not paying for the materials.


Just as a reminder, here is the Fashion Sketch of the dress.


This is the top and the underskirt. The top is not pinned on tight to the form. The form is only about a size 2 so the dress is a little bigger than that. The lace is all hand sewn on. I still need to hem the skirt, put the zipper in and cut off the extra netting on the lace.


This is the dress with the top sewn pinned on tighter and the over skirt on as well. The over skirt still needs all of the pleating done and I need to put the zipper in.



The top is fully boned and lined and has these buttons all the way up the back. I need to put some pleats at the top of the corset and then it will be finished.


This is the dress with the over skirt pinned up as it is intended to be. It looks pretty good to me so far!

I also still need to make the veil and the bolero. There is still a lot of work to do, but I am very pleased with the progress I have made.



Also... speaking of weddings.... Adam and I got our wedding rings finally, after being married tor almost 2 years. We got them from http://bendthefish.etsy.com . Mine is very elegant and has a tiny little diamond !I love it!

Have you seen these?

I have not gone to see a movie in quite a while, but there are two I am very interested in... so interested in that I can't really believe I have not seen them yet.

No great surprise, I really want to see Whip It.

No surprise, because Whip It is a roller derby movie. AWESOME. It was released when I was in Denver for Regionals. I also like Drew Barrymore so I am interested in checking out her directing debut.

...also no surprise, I want to see Coco Before Chanel.

I am pretty excited about this one. Admittedly, I have always preferred Dior (when it was Christian Dior) to Chanel (when it was Coco Chanel) but they were both amazing designers and I like them both, no matter HOW fundamentally different they were. Chanel did so much for women, from being a Fashion designer in what-amazingly-is STILL a men's industry to liberating women's bodies with her designs.

Have you seen either of these movies ?? What did you think?

Also, I wanted to talk etsy for just one second.

Have you ever ALMOST purchased something and then decided not to because you thought the shipping was ridiculous? That has happened to me while shopping for Christmas presents lately. I am still tweaking my shipping here and there, and as a new seller my charges were a bit too high. I still find listings sometimes that have high shipping, and I hope I didn't lose customers over the shipping charges. The funny thing is, if the item cost a dollar fifty more, and the shipping cost a dollar fifty less I would have purchased it. I don't know if that makes sense, but that is how it is. How do you feel about this? Also, this seller has a TON of sales... so I may be wrong. Maybe most people would rather pay the extra in shipping. What do you think? Just things I have started to think about when I list items.

PRODUCT REVIEW: New Prismacolor markers!

To start off I will say, I LOVE PRISMACOLOR.




A LOT. I always have a full set of pencils, and as you can tell, I have HUNDREDS of markers.

Prismacolor colored pencils are very waxy making them superior to any others because they color more evenly and are easier to blend. Prismacolor markers are amazing because they can be mixed and blended in a way that is unmatched by any other brand. A few years ago I purchased some new watercolors and I specifically remembering looking for prismacolor watercolor paint because I really trust prismacolor for fine art and illustration supplies. At the time, and to my disappointment I was unable to find them. I just searched online and learned that they DO sell them. (Note to self: add prismacolor watercolor set to my Christmas list) I also have looked for the chalk that the Savannah College of Art and Design uses for its annual sidewalk art fair in Forsyth park. When I lived out there I would participate by saying that I was interested in going to SCAD---which was true, but I could hardly afford to go there, especially after my time at FIDM. I have never seen such vivid colors in sidewalk chalk. They may be a really large version of a soft pastel. I am not sure.

SO, my love for prismacolor runs deep, and I was very excited when I was contacted to review their new line of markers. Prismacolor® Premier Fine, Brush & Chisel Tip Illustration Markers


At first glance these really looked like Michron pens, and ARE similar.

I decided to try them on two different types of paper. I started with a standard sketch paper, and I liked them. I was not in love, but they were nice. They sketch evenly, which is always important. The precision tip markers wrote well. The chisel tip, which is similar to a calligraphy pen allowed me to change the width of my line with a slight pivot of the tip. The brush tip really truly lovely even on sketch paper, which absorbs the ink faster than marker paper which I tried next. When I was working with them on sketch paper, I was not SURE that I would make the switch from Michron pens, as they were similar.

When I tried these pens on marker paper, it was very very clear that the people at prismacolor REALLY know what they are doing.

The precision tip pens write so smoothly without bleeding... and I was amazed when I was sketching these flats (those are the technical illustrations in the sketch above) that they dried quickly enough that I did not have to worry about smudging them when I moved on to the next line. EVERY TIME I go over my flats with a michron pen I smudge at least one line. If you can not buy an entire set I definitely think the 08 03 005 and the brush tips are MUST haves.

When I touched that brush tip pen to the paper it was LOVE. They are so free and fun to use, they actually made my heart jump the first time I used them. I loved being able to change the width of the line by simply applying more pressure to the pen. They are a great way to add a little whimsy to your illustrations!

The chisel tip is not really my thing. I will probably replace the black when the one I have is used dry, but I do not enjoy drawing in this way. I think many people will find themselves loving either the brush tip or the chisel tip, depending on how they like to draw. I do not dislike this pen by any fault of the pen- it does exactly as it says it does by making it easy to change the thickness of your line with a slight twist of the tip, but I draw in a looser manner, and do not have the discipline or skill to properly work with this pen. I think people who draw in a tight controlled manner, or with a lighter hand than I do will really enjoy this pen.

ALL of these markers have amazingly vibrant colors that seem to pop off the page and come to life! I highly recommend these pens, as well as every other Prismacolor product I have used as an artist and fashion designer.



Below you can read more information about these markers. The below information was provided by Prismacolor.



Prismacolor® Premier Fine, Brush & Chisel Tip Illustration Markers Bring Art to Life
Prismacolor gives artists more tools to help bring their creativity to life. Art students and professors, fashion and interior designers, graphic designers and sequential art illustrators will celebrate Prismacolor’s Premier Illustration markers’ exceptional quality and vibrant colors.

• Fine – Premier Fine tip marker is ideal for creating crisp lines and detail work, such as quick sketching, outlining and adding texture
• Brush - Premier Brush tip marker combines the control, flexibility and signature detail of a paint brush with the unique qualities of vibrant ink to create thick, thin or varied lines
• Chisel - Premier Chisel features a tip style that allows for varying line and stroke widths
• Color - All tip styles of the Premier Illustration markers are available in black, red, blue, green, orange, purple, brown and sepia
• Nontoxic, Lightfast, Acid Free, Archival Quality - Maintain vibrant color over time and prevent artwork from deteriorating over time due to the effects of aging
• No Bleed Through - Results may vary based on paper characteristics
• Buy – Prismacolor Premier markers are available at most art stores and national retailers including Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Dick Blick, Office Depot and A.C. Moore
• Price - Suggested retail price ranges from under $3 for a single marker to about $20 for an 8-count set

Go to www.prismacolor.com or contact Niky Roberts for more information:nrroberts@webershandwick.com, 314-552-6721

My new Sewing machine---is AWESOME---

I am sick again. It seems like I am always sick. I keep getting this cold that starts with a heinous ear ache, moves on to my throat and lungs and ends with me hacking out some lovely lung butter.

SO, I haven't put up a post about my new sewing machine yet. Probably because I am too busy sewing to take the time to write anything about it.

This is my machine:


And you may read more about it here. It is nothing fancy, but I love it.

It is SOOOO much nicer than my old machine, which I now know was in much worse shape than I thought it was in. I have made several really silly comments since I got it like "WOW, The pressure foot pulls the fabric STRAIGHT through!"

This sewing machine is computerized and has an automatic button stitch. It also has---GASP--- a zipper foot. It is amazing how much easier it is to sew a zipper with a zipper foot!

I lost my zipper foot on my old machine several moves (across state lines) ago and since it took me a long time to even realize how important it is to IRON while sewing, I didn't think it was that major to sew zippers with a regular sewing machine foot.

---I actually on the deans list at FIDM in spite of ignorance about sewing machines. I was always able to produce a decent outcome. Now I know how hard I was making things---

Any given item takes a fraction of the time to sew on my new machine vs. my old machine, and even the fancy stitches are easy to use.

I am so glad I finally replaced my machine. Another thing I have said several times since I got this new machine is "Adam, you know all of those times you said we could replace my sewing machine? I should have taken you up on that offer much sooner. "

My art room is finally unpacked!

Sooo... you may have seen my Before pictures. If you didn't then this probably doesn't seem like a great accomplishment. It is not as nice as some beautiful craft rooms I have seen, but I really love it- and I am so grateful to have a whole room... especially since I kinda need it...


This is my dress form with a work in progress on it. I got the form at the last thursday market in portland and it didn't have a base so adam made this one for me. It is great but I really need to be able to turn it. I am trying to decide what to do to make the bottom cohesive. Behind it I have a metal shelving unit filled with supplies. I have block printing
supplies, lots of watercolor and acrylic painting stuff, jewelry findings, a whole tub of sweaters I have already felted but not decided what to do with yet, a tub of lace and sewing findings, a tub of needle felting supplies, and a tub of clothing that I plan to upcycle... someday.


Then I have my sewing/drawing table, file cabinet, and a little metal rack with the billions of prismacolor markers I got when I was at FIDM and the few that I acquired since (really HOW many shades of each color do you REALLY need when you have been taught to blend colors... I DO need some new blending markers though.) , a few reference books, and my FAVORITE several past issues of Vouge Collections. I have an easel in the other corner, but I am not ready to share that painting (sorry).


And then there are the closets... They look messy but I know what is going on. Adam, my dear husband made me the shelves for the fabric.

I am going to be making this dress! YAY

After a few convo's and a little tweaking I got the bid to do this wedding dress. I am spending over half of the price that I bid on supplies and am going to get paid much less than minimum wage for my time- but I am madly in love with this dress and am SO excited to get to make it. I guess that is how I know I am a designer. I do it because I love it, and it is more important for me to have the opportunity to make something breathtaking than it is for me to make money off of it.

Initial sketches

I am hoping to get to make another wedding dress!
These are the initial sketches for the bid. The client wants a petal hem and a scoop neack or sweetheart neckline, but I am not a fan of sweetheart necklines, so I could not bring myself to do one, scoop neck it is!