Saturday, October 29, 2011

It's all in the details



I spied the tunic length Zone Bleue design

in a charming little clothing boutique

on Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach named Duet

that specializes in unique and often hand made pieces

from all over the world.




I was drawn to the feminine ruched collar
and asymmetrical design.
.


It fit beautifully,

but the color of the top was not flattering for my skin tone,

it being a grey/beige hue





There was enough cotton in the fabric contents
that I believed it could be dyed to a warm beige color.
Upon returning home with the new acquisition
I filled the kitchen sink with warm water
to wet the entire garment
then drained most of the water and added in the contents
of a pot of coffee that had been sitting for half of the day.
I let it soak for about 15 minutes before gently rinsing
and hanging the garment to dry,


fortunately the color came out exactly as envisioned.

As I was pressing the piece I wondered why

the designer had chosen to leave so much of

the over lock stitching exposed on the edges

of the ruffles.


Was it a conscious decision to meet a certain price point?
Maybe I've been watching too much of the show "All on the line"
on the Sundance channel with Joe Zee.
Either way, in my world I couldn't seem to let this charming
design just be as it was created,
something inside me causes me to tweak it and make it my own.


Possibly it is the possessing of a cachet of delicate delights
needing to be seen and not tucked away any longer.

I felt it needed a little more and began foraging through my
cluttered studio to find the perfect vintage laces and trims to add
to the top covering the exposed seam edges.



I chose to also dye the lace pieces selected
for embellishing in coffee
before attaching them to the garment


and pieced several laces
together for additional detail
on the diagonal seam of the back of the tunic.



The lace you see at the collar of this sweet piece
was originally going to be an underskirt on the garment
but after pinning it in place
I realized it was adding too much bulk along the bottom
and found instead the lace was the perfect embellishment
to add along the bottom of the ruched collar



and included it on the sweet tie at the collar
and then recreating the tie into a rosette.




supplies needed...

miscellaneous laces and trims
needles, scissors, thread, sewing machine optional
pot of coffee
a creative imaginatio
n...



Sunday, October 16, 2011

A little R & R in Punta Mita




relaxing at the St. Regis Resort on Punta de Mita peninsula



laying on a lounge chair and enjoying the gentle sea breezes,

and easy summer temperatures under a huge umbrella



or at the oceans edge under a swaying palm tree




day dreaming and drawing...

soaking up the local color


.

reading and water coloring...




Punta Mita is a 1,500-acre amazingly lush beachfront village

located on the north end of Banderas Bay in Mexico,

about 10 miles north of Puerto Vallarta

and it's surrounded on three sides by the Pacific ocean


.


I can highly recommend it !

( a most generous gift from an appreciative client )



.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Free Range Chicken




my latest dish design

just back from firing

( notice the chicken is in front of the wire, not trapped behind it! )
thus the title




the perfect plate for serving this chicken appetizer on



Spicy hot and so good !


Jalapenos are washed sliced and the seeds removed



then filled with slices of grilled chicken breast



and wrapped in thin sliced bacon

popped in the broiler

for approximately 5 minutes on each side

until crispy !



Enjoy !


Saturday, October 1, 2011

Mingle magazine give away



Stampington & Company has generously sent me a copy of their new magazine



to give away here on my blog.


........ .........photos courtesy of Stampington & Company

The much-anticipated premiere issue of Mingle is finally here! Readers will delight in all the fun and unique ideas for gathering and celebrating we've put together. From a Thankful for Friends party thrown in the woods to extraordinary tips for hosting exceptional gatherings with a creative flair, we’re hoping to inspire you to find more reasons and ways to celebrate. This issue also explores two intimate artistic retreats – Pen & Paper: A Be Present Retreat and Do What You Love. There’s so much eye candy in this issue, you won’t want to miss it.


Since Stampington has gifted me with 2 issues

1 for me and 1 for you

I'm going to peruse my issue and give a short review

then give away both issues, including mine, slightly thumbed through.

2 winners will be announced

on Saturday October 22

So, if you would like to win this issue for yourself

leave a comment below

and maybe an entertaining idea too!


Congratulations to the winners,

to live inspired & rita

please email your mailing addresses !