centum blogum

i couldn't think of a better way to commemorate my 100th post than with a new dress and a rockin show to swoon over. we've been thrust into indian summer here in sf, so yesterday i drew all the blinds and set to work on a two-tone dress. the mint is a thick cotton, and i believe the black to be rayon. the bodice is lined, to hide all the seams, and i decided to hand-stitch the front closed. initially i wanted to fold down the corners to mimic a collar, but liked the way they looked sticking up. the skirt is the same pattern i made for the tulips skirts, 4 sets of inverted pleats.the show i speak of, and where i debuted my dress, is the dirtbombs at the rickshaw stop. love the venue, genuinely liked the opening bands (ty segall & the sermon), spotted kelly stoltz in the audience, was right next to ben blackwell when he set his drum kit in the middle of the crowd, and walked away with one of his drumsticks. the dirtbombs killed. they played like it was a hometown show, i felt like i wasnt in san francisco anymore, maybe because i've never been to that caliber of a rock show... i shook mick's hand, the lead singer, walked home starry-eyed and grinning. i love small shows... and now i'm off to the outside lands fest to see the dead weather, band of horses, modest mouse, lucinda williams and tenacious D ;)100th post shout out: thanks for entertaining me with your supportive and encouraging comments, and even if you don't comment, i still appreciate your 10 seconds of attention xo s

this post is all over the place

i'm tired and delirious from fried food and the sudden heat. so to begin, i have been going through a tomboy phase, peach cardigan aside. i wore a vintage denim shirt the other day that belonged to my dad, and i think he bought it at a thrift store. dad, if you're reading, i dare you to find a photo of yourself in this shirt. i should mention i wore this early in the week when it was still winter. this morning the temperature is climbing into the 80s...i also bought a swami records shirt, as modeled by the talented troubador dan sartain. he recently put out a few songs on third man records... i love his sound, early white stripes-esque low-fi with rockabilly. i don't know why hes been compared to johnny cash, other than his looks, but i digress...
this weekend i have a few sewing projects creeping out of the depths of my mind, maybe a nice strappy blouse? or another tulip skirt (i think indian summer is going to show up any minute). or something ornate and velvet like this (kate moss for topshop jacket). there have been numerous russian-inspired spreads lately which is fantastic because i love the embroidery. and i love to embroider. i've never attempted to embellish clothes with it, but there's a first for everything...

j whizz

its only august, and indian summer may show up for a brief fling, but i feel like the summer never really took its stand this year (i'm cuddling with my coffee mug as i write). so i decided to purchase my first ever piece of cashmere and see what the fuss was about. heading to the cashmere mecca, i settled on jcrew's v-neck cardigan. i wanted heather cypress, but it was completely sold out. utterly bummed, i called the stores, which i never do, to no avail. after looking at the sartorialist, i was inspired to go pink, peach-ish. sweet guava, to be exact. not something i would normally choose, but i think it will look cool with all the men's shirts i've been wearing...

ever lovin' mess

i have no cool photos to post, so enjoy barbie's shoe collection. they're so pretty i want to chew on them. maybe soon i will have something impressive to share... which is what the weekend is for.from ffffound.com
currently listening to the dirtbombs

window shopping

blame it on the incessant fog, my choices are dramatic and maybe a little dark. mainly leather and knits for me, with some silver jewelry. hot damn i want a snake ring...

la garconne

pixiemarket

shop zoeurban outfitterscurrently listening to jeff buckley's sketches for my sweetheart the drunk

fair weather friday

i'm afraid to say it in lieu of jinxing us, but the weather here in san francisco has been PERFECT. my weekend plans include sketching in the park, stitching final details on a dress, and lounging on the roof to make the most of our atmospheric luck. some inspiration for you all....

robot drawing by my paul (ink & photoshop) sketch by me (ink)balloon sketch from miss-tal.com
currently listening to bonnie prince billy 'i see a darkness'...

to-do's

not only was the weather beautiful this weekend, but i also got a lot done. i worked on said friend's wedding gown, scrubbed the apartment, and finally set up a respectable work area for myself by paul's various musical equipments. as sparse as it seems, there was lots of moving and shaking of fists to get it that way. inspiration will be added gradually... and finally i finished the "leather" jacket re-construction and i'm quite pleased with the results. i use quotations because while working on the thing, i kept getting whiffs of what i think is the sickeningly sweet smell of old PVC. though the jacket may have belonged to a clove-smoker. i usually never have a problem determining real leather... regardless, i love the thing (it was FIVE DOLLARS on ebay) and was prancing around in it last night. the trickiest part was getting the shoulders to hit just right. there's an awkward pleat that runs from the pocket up to where the old shoulder lived, so there's a little extra fabric. more studs must be ordered so that the collar is completely covered, but for now i like the 2 rows. i may have to stop there.

the weather should be nice

happy weekend folks. i'm going to spend mine listening to 'shot of love' while stitching the final touches on a friend's wedding gown. maybe sip some wine on the roof if i'm lucky...
p.s. i nearly forgot to add a photo of terry, the stuffed cat i made for paul's birthday. he makes a fine addition to the family. i made my own pattern, hence the extra long limbs...p.p.s. bob is playing 2 nights at the greek theater in berkeley in october, and i've got to get my fingers on some tickets. sure, they'll probably be a weeks groceries, but i'm summer music fest-less this year (outside lands $90?!), so there. the last time i saw him was 2 years ago at the bill graham civic auditorium. kings of leon opened for him, and once he started playing "don't think twice, its alright" i was sobbing like a belligerent beatles fan...

ebay DIY project

i won this jacket on ebay for $5 which is great because it is my next sewing project. behind millions of others... i have wanted a leather jacket with studs on it for a long time it seems now, since i saw the all saints version, which is about $653. i'm pretty happy with my win, and can't wait to get my hands on it and stud it out *rubbing hands together* i will always think studs are cool, just like tattoos and cigarettes...

the tie at the waist is one of my favorite bits.if you recall the few studs i put on my backpack, think dark brass, implement those here....i've never attempted to reconstruct a leather jacket, i'm usually adamant about leaving structured jackets as is since shoulders are so tricky to sew already. so fingers crossed everything goes according to plan.