FUK:GLAM

Decolourization

Petra — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:47:39 +0000

During my first month working at Heart Beat with Jodie, we experimented with bleach and spray bottles on various pieces of used and vintage clothing. Sadly, the best pieces were sold before I could get some photos!

Sweater Remix

Petra — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:43:06 +0000

Here are a couple of my sweater remix (deconstruction/reconstruction) completed pieces… the model is too damn skinny to wear them! The red hood is the latest one, put a couple red buttons on it last night.

ugly bags for beautiful people

Petra — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:47:25 +0000

ok so I’ve been “working” on this bag idea for ages now, well ok a month. I acquired a bunch of old vinyl beanbag chair covers (dollar-bag sale score again) and cut them up saving the zippers and as much area fabric as possible.

the colours are not too terrible, muted red, blue, and orange with some cool fading and discoloured spots. personally I love blue and orange together, don’t know why, I never wear it, but I like looking at it.

I started out just sewing random bits together. that was great fun but ended up with a big patchwork thing with no specific shape or idea what it had become.

the plan was a hip bag pattern from scratch… so at least I tried. after pages and pages of sketches, tests with pieces of newspaper, pattern paper pieces, and a pile of failed attempts at gusseted pockets… I got almost half-way with this one:

…but my sewing machine couldn’t handle 6 layers of vinyl to finish it.

So feeling a little discouraged, I figured I’d make a couple bags using a pattern to strengthen my skills and feel like I accomplished something.

not that pretty… I used fabric I didn’t want to save for something else… well except for the multicolour one, that’s from an old tshirt and a pair of stretch denim short shorts that I’m sure the world can do without. but I made three in two days and now feel a little more productive. and, the hip bag pattern has a fresh start.

I picked up some snaps, buckles, and eyelets today with money from selling some other junk, so I’ve got everything to make 10 or more belts next week.

¡The AntiCraft!

Petra — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:08:50 +0000

This site talks a lot of shit and I love it. There’s also a lot of great ideas.

There’s a new “issue” every few months with a bunch of fun projects, hilarious articles, book reviews, and tutorials/techniques. They probably wouldn’t approve of that dry description, but it’s true…

“Rather like pr0n, it’s hard to describe, but you’ll know it when you see it.”

Project difficulty ratings from “Box of Rocks” to “Anticraft Superstar”… but just reading the instructions definitely requires a warped sense of humour.

The first post I read was instructions how to make a Christmas tree angel out of bacon. (difficulty “Rrrrgh . . . . Burns . . . .”) Wicked.

The current issue includes a pattern for an apron! Imagine that… aprons are so bloody hip it hurts. I knew this was going to happen. Not only is it a customizable DIY apron pattern… but it starts with a quote from Alice in Wonderland! Doesn’t really get much better than that…

Stuffed Creatures

Petra — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:11:35 +0000

I bought a bag of stuffing at the dollar-bag sale – for just a dollar! crazy right… so I was thinking I’d make some stuffed animal. What do people call them these days? Softies? Plushies? errr… anyhow, I found these lovely little creatures on etsy (sorry I don’t have the links).

Etsy

Petra — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:03:44 +0000

I have an Etsy account, just haven’t tried to sell anything yet, but I will someday! I like to check it out now and then to see what people are making, what people are buying, and what people are charging! Lots of cool shit, great ideas, and you can buy craft supplies too!

Pocket Utility Belt Hip Purse Bag

Petra — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:01:43 +0000

When I was making my pvc hip belt with pockets I looked online for inspiration and found some absolutely BRILLIANT stuff on Etsy…

Check out:

Kana Beach

Petra — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:40:17 +0000

French label Kana Beach didn’t invent the “sarouel” (as they are called in France), but they sure made it look cool.

Adapted from the pants of a traditional Indian “salwar” there are lots of different variations by designers and crafty bitches around the world. I’m wondering which came first… the sarouel or the drop crotch jeans?

Kana Beach doesn’t just make sarouels though… check out their website.

Veronique Miljkovitch

Petra — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:22:00 +0000

I responded to an ad on Kijiji for a contract sewing job and it was Veronique! Sadly, I didn’t stay in Montreal but I was so excited to talk to her and see her collection. She is a real inspiration!

COMPLEXGEOMETRIES

Petra — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:11:36 +0000

Clayton Evans is a fucking genius. Not only is he the zen master, a brilliant designer, he’s also a super nice guy. He laughs at my bad jokes, which itself is a bad joke, and taught me some mind-altering secrets of the fashion industry… like, if it’s not expensive as fuck rich people won’t buy it.

Working with him and his wacky team of sketchy babies for a few months taught me that you can fuck everything up and still be bigger than sushi. He washes items AFTER they’re sewn, stretches and wrinkles everything on purpose, shoves it in a plastic bag with a handmade tag on a safety pin, and charges $80 for an oversized cotton crop top – and fashionistas from Montreal to Hong Kong can’t get enough of it! His business grew over %300 in two years! Complexgeometries brings the term “trashbag” to a whole new level.

HUGE Respect.