oonaballoona brain

Rob & I have spent the last seven days in a furious nonstop tornado of creativity, with some of the MOST WONDERFUL human beings around. Saying "I really can't tell you how much this week meant to me" is such a cop-out, but... I really can't tell you. For one, our recent capers are still top secret, and for two, English has left the building of My Brain.

I do, however, have the picture that perfectly encapsulates my feelings, with this shot captured by our fearless director, who joyfully jumped right smack dab in the middle of my technicolor head, feet first. This right here is what the inside of my brain looks like.

I can't wait to tell you more! But for now, I just wanted to say OH HAI, and HOW ARE YOU, and wish you a frenzied, freewheeling weekend of creating. More soooooon!

Four Faux Fronts.

It's been a minute since I posted a What Was I Drinking, but it's certainly not because it's not happening. I'm just not documenting it. Last weekend, however, I had the pleasure of cutting out a center front bodice for a strapless halter dress FOUR TIMES without a satisfying result. I snapped a pic, I threw my arms up in the air, I stomped away before I did more damage. 

Three were cut on the bias to create a chevron effect, one was cut on the fold, all are going in the "figure it out" pile. 

It's a Dutch wax print, actually labeled as a "Kente print" on the selvedge. This printed fabric is very different from a true woven Kente cloth, which hails from Ghana, and is made of interwoven cloth strips (here's a very cool short video on how Kente cloth is woven). It was originally reserved for Asante/Ashanti royalty only. And damn if I didn't end up making some sort of plaid tartan out of it. Not that I'm not down with plaid. Or tartan. Or mixing up cultures and races. Peanut butter and chocolate. Sauvignon and steak. Whathaveyou. I'm down with it. Obviously. 

BUT UGH WITH THOSE CENTER FRONT PANELS. I think what's really tripping me up is that forest green, a color I've never really gone for. So I must have been drinking something super strong when I put this jammie in my cart, because forest green is ALL OVER this stuff.

I'm probably going to cut my losses (a phrase borne out of sewing if I ever heard one, but probably having origins in accounting) and make a voluminous maxi skirt out of it, to keep the green out of my immediate sight. If I can work out how to keep just that orange up near my head, I'll go maxi dress. But that's another great thing about wax print, with all that yardage at hand, you have some room to play...

And play I will, as today looks to be all weather and not much else. I'm thinking of building a blanket fort out of all the ankara I've got. It would be like Planet Color. Where it is perpetually summer. 

Have you experienced a true Kente cloth? I'd love to fondle the real thing someday!

Ten Years In Fabric: A Decade of Sewing!

Well HELL'S BELLS! (I've been listening to a lot of AC/DC). It's my ten year blogging anniversary today! TEN YEARS! A decade of oversaturated photos accompanied by occasionally coherent yammering, and I have nothing prepared for this moment! ONLY MY CAPS LOCK BUTTON, BOLDFACE, AND MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!

When I started this space, it was for my parents. Social media hadn't hit, and plastering your face all over the world wide web was still questionable. But a cross-country move made carving out a little visual corner of the internet a no-brainer, just to keep in touch with something a little more than a phone call, you know? It's grown into much more than I ever thought it would. I feel I ought to do something to mark the occasion, and I will...I just need a minute to figure out what that is. Because, y'all, I been BUSY. Like my mom says, when I'm radio silent on the blog, she knows I'm busy. (Cuz they still read my blog. I love my parents.)

For now, I thought it would be fun to whizz through my virtual closet and pick a sewn item for each year I've blogged. Up above, you've got from top left corner: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008. Everything in yonder collage still exists in my closet (save for the leather belt, which was for my Etsy adventures in 2009). The nice thing is...it got harder to pick a favorite as I got further along in my sewing escapades! I think that means I know what I like now. And I like what I sew.

As for 2018, I haven't made my favorite thing yet, but the wax print on my dress form is driving me happily bananas. Although I'd sewn with it before, 2017 was the year I fell fully in love with this wonderful stuff. In fact, 2017's pick was the hardest...so much Ankara! HEY. HEY!!! I know what I want to do for my celebratory gesture! 

Okay but I'm not telling you yet. I gotta figure some shizz out. Soon! Until then...thanks for hanging out with me, beautiful people. Here's to future cocktails, capers, and above all, color!