mr.Kate

There is just too much to love about this website - Mr. Kate - amazing DIY, style, home decor, etc. I find myself wanting to Pin (just joined Pinterest, still getting the hang of it)

everything on here.

Enjoy!

trick-or-too cute

Honestly these costumes on Little BGCG make me want to dress children up all year round. And while I die over babies in absurd food themed costumes (i.e. shrimp, candy corn) I think this UP theme costume is my favorite. How fun would that be for a Dad/Grandpa to take a little boy trick-or-treating in? Urhh so cute.

Also I just have to stress how much better homemade halloween costumes are than store bought. No one else will have your costume, they can be less expensive if you use things from around the house or can whip something up using cheap fabric, and - for kids there's nothing better than working with your Mom on your costume - that was always one of my favorite things about the season. It didn't hurt that my Mom was a kick-ass sewer and made some pretty awesome stuff in my elementary days. Thanks Mom!

YourNextRead.com

I came across this great website. I'm an avid reader and I'm always trying to find a new book, but I have trouble knowing what to look for sometimes. This website lets you start off with any book you like and then gives recommendations branching off - a web of connections that never ends. After a while of clicking around you won't know how you ended up where you did - but you won't mind either. Fantastic resource for anyone who enjoys a good book :)

YourNextRead.com

"all art should be functional too"

- photo and caption by evan kuchar

saweet lamp

i want this lamp.

check out Garbage's site for more cool lamps.

easy big curls

i've tried this technique twice and it worked swimmingly (shout out to steph fost).

watch Maegan's video how to on her blog here.

prada fantasy lookbook

the prada fall 2011 lookbook is in this amazing collage/scrapbook format...LOVE

see more at OutsaPop

new york fashion week top pick

i could not be more in love with this look, it's from DVF's spring/summer 2012. i think everything about this outfit says fresh and sleek - just what spring should be, not to mention this super tailored version of menswear is amazing. post and additional snapshots via HonestlyWTF - great blog, check it out.

super easy art

i'm always looking from some new art to hang on my walls and i found the perfect little piece - in an unexpected place. this small woodblock print is actually a greeting card that my cousins sent me for graduation. i loved the image so much that i decided to place it in a frame (this bright aqua one used to be plain wood, but i painted it to make it more modern). putting a small piece, like this card, in a larger frame - leaving a wide mat - makes more of an impact and elevated its presence.

golden globe

when looking for things to decorate my new space, i wanted to bring in something besides frames and wall art. so i rummaged around in our basement - currently completely full of things from my grandmother's house. i came across this small globe, only about 8 inches in diameter. i considered leaving it behind - it was kind of a dingy black and grey color. but i had just spray painted my headboard, so i was kind of on this spray painting kick - and went looking for paint. luckily i found a can of gold spray paint that did just the trick. sometimes a bit of a tweak is all it takes to bring out a little extra glam in an old piece.

i really enjoy the sentiment that a globe, even a modern one such as this, brings to a room. it especially exemplifies the eclectic nature of the style i've tried to bring into the space. a classic french dresser, a modern lamp, a lace lampshade, wicker baskets, a mission style desk, and a tribal painted nightstand - a little bit of everything.

periodic table of typefaces

buy a poster version or download a free wallpaper for your computer at Squidspot.

sticker wallpaper

i saw this installation by Brian Kaspr and Payton Turner on Craftzine and just thought it was absolutely amazing. i remember saving my allowance to buy pages and pages of those tiny stickers, keeping them in precious books. even as a six year old i was a bit overprotective of my possessions - well, things that aren't surprising.

desk, sweet, desk.

dear blog,

i'm sorry i've neglected you! but not to worry, i'm in the windy city now with lots to tell you.

sitting at my desk - which is blissfully familiar because it's the same one i've always had in my room at home - only now it has a better view. perched on the 13th floor beside the window, looking out onto the bustling excitement of the city. all i have to do it glance over my shoulder at all the newness, everything shiny and noisy in the best possible way. but sitting in my wiggly-with-years-of-abuse chair, with my forearms leaning on the warm worn old wood, i can still feel what it's like to be at home. finding this balance between - not to quote sweet home alabama because that's impossibly lame, but in fact yes i am - roots and wings. i feel like bursting at the seams with all the potential that my new chapter has offered me, while still carrying with me my favorite things i don't want to forget, like a perfectly-worn-in pair of sperrys. who says you can't have it all? i guess we'll find out.

"For Ellie"

This has been the one of the most crazy/frustrating/amazing experiences of my college career. I began the year trying to make what I thought an IP project should be, something grand and something that I thought would be impressive. Through the guidance of my professors, gsi's, and fellow classmates I was able to focus my vision and produce work that was truly representative of me. I couldn't be more happy with the way my work turned out and I am so excited for the opening tomorrow!!

My piece "For Ellie" will be exhibited at Work Gallery (306 State St) in ann arbor - a part of Epoch: the A&D 2011 Senior Show.

finished pieces!!

I've finished twelve textile collages and turned them in the gallery (YAY!!). I'm currently working on a layout for the grouping. Using photos of the works and rearranging them in photoshop I'm coming up with a variety of compositions. Below are the twelve pieces I have - though I may not show all twelve...I think that will depend on the composition I come up with.

first look at frames

This is rough of course, but I like the look of the pieces being pinned within the frame (sans glass) - it keeps it soft and uninhibited (allowing the texture and three dimensional qualities to come out) but polishes it a little. I think I would prefer a light (maybe unfinished) wood frame...something more simple.

inside small containers project

This is a project I made for my course - wonderfully titled - Inside Small Containers. It is a portrait of a friend and is made of papier-mache (japanese rice paper, arabic newspapers), some metal wire as well as styrofoam on the interior, and turmeric (the spice that rests in the double bowl system and is spilled out). I just love the color of the turmeric...

antique as decoration no more

Thus far I've let the more modern fabric serve as the main structure of the work, with the antique doilies and laces taking the role of decoration. For this piece I wanted to do a little role reversal. The lace - an ivory tablecloth from my grandmother's house, is front and center while the contemporary textile is more of a base. This modern fabric has a metallic sheen to it, which shows through the openings in the lace - a really interesting touch.

postcard

This is the image that I've decided on for my postcard -

to be printed and handed out at the exhibition.

new pieces

These latest pieces focus on a mix of textures as well as bringing in elements of the three-dimensional. The second and third pieces above incorporate pleats, an avenue I want to explore further (and maybe some draping too). I'm really happy with the first and second works. The first one, a needed change from the purely horizontal compositions, brought up the idea of framing again. Erica had a great idea - I might want to use fabric as frames for all the work, or even fabric-covered frames...just a thought on an alternate presentation.

variations on stitching

Janie suggested I try different ways of joining the fabrics, accentuating or hiding the stitching.

For this piece I stitched on top, allowing the thread to show. I chose a bright contrasting thread color so that the stitching would provide another stripe.

I've posted this piece before, but this time I finished all the edges by hemming them, giving it a clean border.

Here I stitched on top again but used a black thread to camouflage the thread.

more...

fabric studies part 2

A few of these studies came out of the preliminary mock ups I posted last time (as you can see some of them are similar). As I was sewing I edited a few, changed their format, etc. The first and last images are completely new ideas. The last piece utilizes the idea that Janie talked about in my small groups critique a bit ago - letting the pattern and form of the doily stand out on a background of another fabric. While these are all quite small, I do see ways in which they might be included in my final presentation. Because I'm imagining a grouping of these fabric pieces, there is ample chance for a variety of sizes. I'm going home this coming weekend to get larger pieces of fabric from my aunt's textile studio...these materials will allow for larger works. That's all for now!