Tonights two samples are 1.cotton lace with jacobs fleece in and was fun to do and a good reference subject.

2nd the silk was pleated in the smocker the merino fibres felted in  very pretty effect and I have used this for em,bellishing bag fronts and also a collar on a jacket

This absolutely incredible gown hails from CHRISTIAN DIOR’s Spring 2009 collection. In flowing silvery grey silk fabric, this grecian-inspired gown is perfect for every season. Gorgeous worn elegantly with a simple black clutch or with a hemmed inner lining for the sexy runway look. A spectacular and rare find!

Style: Composed of grey silk fabric this stunning dress features flat scalloped lace ribbon straps above a sweetheart neckline. Built-in corset inside the bustier-style, pleated bodice with lace ribbon trim. Amazing pleated skirt with alternating lace ribbon down the length to the bottom hem. Fully lined. Hidden zipper and hook and eye side closure.

Fabric: 100% silk.

Condition: Brand new without tags.

Retail: $19,150

Size: 36/4

Measurements:

Length: 66″

Bust: 32″ (30″ plus 2″ cups)

Waist: 26″

Hips: full

Please email us for the Madison Avenue Couture pricing.  madisonavecouture@gmail.com

Peacock Feather BUTTERFLY Pure Luxury Handmade Dupioni Bridal Silk Clutch

Available at my Etsy shop:
Magic Laboratory of Fashion
All designs are © Tatiana Agapcheva, please do not copy my work.

#4: Dupioni

the poem will follow I suppose.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  It is brilliant to have readers all around the world and really nice to discover whenever any of you have special days that you like to celebrate, to those of you Stateside I hope that you have a wonderful day. 

I promised you pictures of the completed work from last Saturday’s workshop at Clasheen as soon as I recieved them by email so here are Ann’s and Alisons, I think that Lindsay is still embellishing hers so you will just have to wait another while! 

Ann with her beautiful finished felt

If you look closely at Ann’s work some of the smaller leaves are actually three dimensional and stitched in place after the rest was felted.  This picture probably dosen’t do the colours full justice, the leaves really have loads of silk fibres and silk chiffon as surface decoration which gives a beautiful depth to the felt and the background is a warm creamy white.

Alison's amazing felt landscape

Alison’s landscape really came together as the day progressed.   There is a palpable feeling of motion about the wall hanging, I can just imagine the tree swaying in our local mountain breeze!  The colours really remind me of the Blackstairs mountains which surround my house, at the moment they are a beautiful heathery purple (from the heather!) and a rich golden brown from the dying heather.

In response to some queries about the size of my hearth rug, it  measures just over 1m by just under 1m.  This probably translates to about 4′ X 3′ but I don’t have an imperial tape measure that I can lay my hand on at the moment!

Below is a close up shot of a scarf I designed for the exhibition “It’s not only the Queen” which ran in February2009 at the Dundas Street Gallery in Edinburgh.

It was developed from an art work of mixed media and then manipulated to create the pixelated design.

I’m all thumbs when it comes to needle and thread and have a very deep appreciation for seamstresses and quilters past and present.   I am particularly awed by those who diligently saved every scrap of fabric from feedsacks to finery and stitched them, by hand,  into stunning works of art.   Here is just one example I found a few weeks ago.  Can you imagine the stories these fabrics could tell?!

More pictures on eBay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270489544233&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

I’ve been busy trying (and failing) to get my Level 3 homework done.  Here’s a shot of one of the yarns and a sample I had to do using it.  It’s 100% bombyx silk cabled yarn, with which I did some Hardanger onto linen embroidery cloth.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I did weigh the Icelandic wool and divided it into two piles.  There was just over 400g per layer and interestingly enough not much shrinkage overall by the time the rug was complete, possibly even less than 20%. 

Starting to lay out the Jacobs fleece

Cotton fabric between the layers of wool

I should also have said that I used green silk hankies both within the fleece and at several points near the edge of the rug but that the white silk tops around the outside might not be silk at all but is more likely to be tencel.   It felt quite different in the hand but as I don’t know where I got it from so this is just an uneducated guess!

My finished hearth rug!

Beautiful black silk blouse with tie. Made in Canada.

100% Silk

24″ long

34″ around

$35

SH1001-42 – Please email labconsignment@gmail.com referencing this number for any questions or to purchase.

$15 Shipping in Canada

Payments can be made via Paypal or email money transfer.

Open Thanksgiving 10am -4pm

Open Friday | 10am-8pm | spend $150 get 25% off | excluding accessories, denim + current sale items

 

www.intimo.com

www.intimo-outlet.com

Here are my finding (weirdly, all from ebay.co.uk)

Click

Click

Click

Click

Look for black appliques on, e.g., Etsy. You can sew of glue (glue gun) the applique to the dress to make it look more like Blair’s.

The cuff:

Etsy

Click

NAEEM KHAN magnificent Blue Silk Ball Gown 6 3.6k NW. Capture the attention of everyone wearing this magnificent deep smoky blue gown from Naeem Khan.  A favorite of Queen Noor, Beyonce, among others, this designer’s evening wear is truly incredible.  Glamour at its best. The details of this gown are incredible — a rich taffeta silk adorned with tulle, velvet and more silk….the tulle at the center formed into ‘flowers’ with small balls in the center.  Tapered on the top, the gown has a full crinoline skirt that can be puffed or flatted to meet your taste.  Truly a masterpiece from a designer of growing prominence.  Be glamorous like Michelle Obama at the State Dinner!

Style: Full length ballroom gown of silk taffeta adored by silk tulle and silk velvet with a fabulous crinoline lined skirt.  Elongated round neckline trimmed in tulle, velvet and ruffled silk, tapered bodice, with a wide band below the waist with sae tulle, velvet and silk ruffle detail, full skirt with mesh crinoline and silk lining, hidden back closure.

Fabric: 100% silk; lined in silk

Condition: Brand new with tags.

Size: US 6

Measurements:

Length: 65″

Bust: 34″

Waist: 28″

Hips: 36″

Email us for the discounted pricing or more information!  madisonavecouture@gmail.com

Gor geous colors and fabrics, amazing details, beautiful texture, layers layers layers…Whats not to love?! I mean really.

http://www.davidsteinhorst.com/

Sooo the biggest weekend of shopping is coming up this week, and instead of buying random odd gifts for someone you care for, here are some hot hoilday gift ideas….in random order cause their all great!

Cashmere Scarf or Silk Pashmina great in every color to go with every bag.

Spa Gift Certificate: Every Lovely Lady and Man loves to get pampered, whether its a massage, scrub or facial you can go wrong with with little bit of love.

Leather Gloves: they come in amazing color and are a luxury of life in the winter and extremely classy. like these Burberry ones on the runway!

A great bottle of perfume: whether you go with the classic sent or a new fresh smell, you cant go wrong with yummy smells!

Jewelry: Watches, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, gold, silver, plastic, i think anything shiny can make anyone smile.

Call me Old Fashion but i still love mixed tapes… i mean a customized playlist!! Sneak it on, or just give it to that special someone… still soo cute! & great for students!

Designer Bags: Everyone needs a new purse, book bag, or murse. Check out this 2010 Hermes Camel colored bag. (p.s. camel is so hot right now)

Board Games: Who doesnt love to snuggle up next to a fire and play a board game up at the cabin?? Everyone!!

Comfy PJ’s and Slipper!!! The love of new flannel or silk soft PJ’s!!

Happy Shopping!!!

]]> http://kateohkatie.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/opportunity/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:22:01 +0000 kateohkatie http://kateohkatie.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/opportunity/

I’ve got so much I’m excited about, that I still can’t talk about!  But I’ll try.  Let’s see here…

1)I have a BRILLIANT Christmas gift idea for [censored].  The inspiration just appeared one day, as good inspiration always does.  I think [censored] will love it.  The only thing is that timing will be tricky, but I think I can make it work.  I discussed the [censored] with [censored], and he/she suggested that I come up with a unique way to [censored] so that [censored] doesn’t suspect anything.  I think it’ll be awesome; I’ve just got to make it work!

2)I’m working steadily on another gift for [censored].  Do you ever get yourself so worked up about something, trying to get it exactly perfect, that no matter WHAT you end up doing it seems like a disappointment?  That’s sort of what I’m facing on [censored]’s gift.  I tried so many different things, that now that I’ve found one which is great, I’m tempted to try again to achieve AWESOME.  I’m also trying to resist the urge.

3)I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  I always love [censored]’s [censored] (oh wait.  I don’t have to censor that.  That’ll be “Dad’s cooking.” )  I’m bringing my homemade honey oat bread, and am hoping that there’s lots of turkey left over so I can make white chili, slow-cooker bbq turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup…

4)[Censored]’s, a co-worker, is having a birthday tomorrow.  So I’m bringing in a [censored] that should be AWESOME.  I may photoblog it tonight, in the piss-poor light.  I couldn’t find any ideal-looking recipes for it online, so I’m basing it off my tried-and-true [censored] recipe and adding new and creative elements, [censored] and [censored].  It will be delicious, I’m sure.

Oh! But here’s one thing I CAN talk about, a test knit which I recently completed.

Rachel contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d be interested in knitting up a sample for her out of a new 50 silk/50 wool blend that she’s trying out.  So she dyed up a hank and sent it my way, and in just 8 days (would’ve been less if I weren’t such a lazy ass) turned it into Damson:

This was my first time getting to test knit a yarn (The Sideways Spencer Redux I made a couple years back was my first – and still only – test-knitted pattern), and it was a lot of fun!  I felt like a yarn pioneer.  And, being the talkative and opinionated sort that I am, I really enjoyed getting to offer my feedback on the yarn.  I continue to adore Rachel’s dyeing skills; the semisolid cool teal was perfect for this pattern, I think.  And I LOVED how much the yarn softened up as I soaked it; it was so silky-soft to start out with, I hadn’t possibly thought it could get any better!

Mmm.  Love it.

There are currently 737 other Damsons on Rav, and I can’t believe that number isn’t even higher.  The pattern was SUCH a quick, easy, and fun knit!  The only thing I’ll do differently next time (because  I WILL be making it again), is I’ll BO after the lace panel ends and crochet on that little eyelet edging.  It took me 2 hours to knit that edging, and would’ve been about 20 minutes to crochet it.

(see the fuzz above? Just enough to be squishysoft, not enough to look sloppy)

I love the shoulder-hugging shape; so much, in fact, that now that I have two (Ishbel and Damson) I never wear my other shawls in the traditional way anymore – I always wear those over one shoulder, or like a scarf, now.

Everything about this experience was so wonderful, that I’d LOVE to have the opportunity to test knit again soon.  It really is a cool privilege!

Though I’ve gotta confess, I’m still having a lot of “who me?” feelings.  Wait…you think I’m a good knitter?  Me?  No way.  Apparently I’m better at faking it than I thought, because seriously y’all, I am NOT all that.

I think I’m eventually supposed to turn this shawl over to Rachel for her use in displays and whatnot, but not until I wear it several more times and have the chance to get some decent photos! Oh, what a hardship…

PS>I’m going to try and take better pictures of Damson this weekend, when hopefully I’ll have a bit more daylight.

PPS> The top in the photos is from Urban Outfitters, and Mom designed the necklace.  Isn’t it perfect?

PPPS>[Censored]

Designer Kurtis are becoming one of the latest fashion. These designer clothes are are usually beautify with stunning embroidery work and good for casual, party, official wear. They are available in every material and color. Best part of this dress is, its can be wear by any age group, and you can wear on jeans, salwar, Capri.

There are variety of Kurtis available in the market like Silk Kurtis- Silk Kurtis look more elegant and silk Kurtis can be wear in parties also. Formal Kurtis- To get the attention of other on occasions there are formal Kurtis which are cool and comfortable also to wear. Office wear- Wearing those regular dress in the office, of same pattern get monotonous so there are official Kurtis are there from which it will look you more beautiful at the same time you will look elegant and classy also.

It is a combination of Indo-western dressing style and they are equally popular in western countries also, in this dress women will more beautiful, aristocrat, fashionable. You will long,medium, short Kurtis according to buyers choice. You will find designers, formal, office Kurtis in every store and of many famous fashion designers like Manish Mahlotra, Ritu Beri,Rohit Bal, Ritu Kumar and many more. It is affordable also, you can get beautiful Kurtis at low price.

I love silk: chiffon, crepe, organza, china, georgette – you name it, I love it. Silk is an odd fabric, almost too delicate for normal handling, sensitive to rain, snow and heat, food elements, dry cleaning, other fabrics, nails, jewelry, and even its own embroidery. And yet, there’s no other fabric that’s quite as elegant or luxurious for a skirt, blouse, dress, scarf or shawl.

It’s natural that I’d love a sari. However, it was only last New Year’s that I would learn how to wrap or tie it on my own. I had just returned from an overdue visit to India, where I had selected several saris. Like language and cooking, it took lessons, from my mother. There are many ways to drape a sari depending on the region. I won’t attempt to list all of them – I leave that to French cultural anthropologist Chantal Boulanger.

I myself am familiar with only two styles, which I have nicknamed “namba” (Tamil for “ours”), the predominant style in the South as well across the subcontinent, and the other mainly worn in the north, “Gujarati” since the first time I had seen it draped that way was amongst my counterparts of Gujarati origin.

There’s only a minor difference between the two: in the South, the “pallu” or the end is draped across the body then over the left shoulder, creating a streamlined fall at the back. And in the North, it is draped over the right shoulder, fanned out across the body, with a pretty, hanging J-shape at the back. The latter style is better suited for saris with extreme embroidery or beadwork. I have worn those the other way, but my left shoulder generally suffers for it. In both styles, the pleats for the skirt part are tucked into the petticoat at the waist.

I don’t find tying a sari very easy or intuitive at all. The first time I attempted it independently, it took multiple tries. I was sweating by the time I’d got into reasonable shape. I still had problems safety pinning the pallu to the blouse.

Furthermore, not all saris are created equally. For georgette silk, the pleats are easier to manage, the pallu is more watery (this is where I’ve had the most success). Saris with a lot of beadwork and embroidery on chiffon can be tricky because of the need to manage a light fabric while the ends keep getting weighed down. Chiffon with less beadwork can be equally as tricky to handle. Heavy silks are well…heavy.

The great part is when the silk gets caught in its own beads and you’re struggling to disentangle it all. Although, it’s even better when figuring out exactly what to do with the slack, since sari tying involves much estimation: of height, pallu length, number of pleats for the “falls” as my mom calls them – probably not the technical term for the pleated skirt part which fans out like flower petals from waist to ankle. What part should one adjust? If there’s not too much slack, usually you can hide it— which is what I do!

The success to tying a sari is all about controlling the pleats with your thumb and index or middle finger. It’s actually tortuous pain. In the Southern style, the pallu is the easier part, particularly as there is a great deal of versatility in how you can drape it – it can be partially pleated, fully pleated and pinned, or left loose for a more informal, sexier look.

But perhaps, versatility is the watchword overall – a sari is an extremely versatile garment. And you never really know what and how works for you and the fabric until you yourself try it out. So, do what I did to supplement my lessons: watch YouTube videos.

You may ask: why even bother? How often do I wear a sari – 5 or 6 times a year at best? It’s October and my 2009 tally will likely conclude at 4. Am I holding onto culture unnecessarily? No. Culture comes and culture goes, but I wear a sari for one predominant reason: because it makes me feel beautiful.

This is a soap recipe that I really love it. This batch I made for monk. I had a post about “Soap for Monk” 2-3 months ago. I donated this batch to monk but I kept one of them to try. 

My recipe is: (700 grams)                                                                                         

Coconut Oil               140 grams

Palm Kernel Oil        140 grams

Palm Oil                      175 grams

Rice Bran Oil              175 grams

Castor Oil                       70 grams

    Lye                                   101 grams

   Water                              266 grams

Sodium Lactate              14 grams

Bubbly, Creamy and hard enough after using a while eventhough the cleansing number is over the average but I don’t see my skin gets too dry from using this recipe. I don’t like using  Olive Oil because the soap is too soft when you have been using for a while.  I know that Olive Oil is good for your skin but that is just my thought. (Olive Oil is very expensive in Thailand,too) I used my soap and my handmade lotion. wow! what a wonderful life!

I just bought a white Thai silkworm cocoon yesterday. I found them accidentally at weekend market. This is just for your information. I will call them ” Silkworm cocoon cleansing ball”

This kind of silkworm cocoon can be used to scrub your nose to  eliminate those black pore, acne, dark spot and deeply clean the leftover oil in the pore. It contains lots of protein and won’t irritae your skin. It also can help you to completely clean the facial cosmetics after discharging makeup, which makes the skin clean and refresh.  I will use this silkworm cocoon with my soap next time,too.

How to use : 
        1. Put the Silkworm cocoons into 40℃ warm water for 3-4 minutes until softened. 
        2. Fit the softened cocoons onto your fingertip, and massage face gently,especially, in nose area.
        3. using 2-3 times per week for better result. 

 FYI,   using each Silkworm Cocoon for one-time, for multiple-use may reduces the quality of sericin.

Thank you for reading.

Nai Sadak market is an amazing market in the center of Varanasi (Benaras) where most of the Muslims shopkeepers sell any kind of fabrics.
I always enjoy going there not only for some inspiration that I find for my work but also because this place allows my mind to travel with its fantastic touch of Orientalism.
It is a timeless bazaar where most of the people wear traditional garments, where so many colours, music and scents are mixing. 
This picture was shot there, those ladies who must belong to the same family were happy to find what they were looking for.
Their happiness attracted my camera.
Nai Sadak means “New Road”.