Birthday in the Sticks

Today is my 19th birthday and it feels so good to be spending it back home in Indiana.  I've been home for almost two weeks now and I've definitely noticed a difference in temperature.  I've been absolutely freezing!  There's a huge change from Savannah's winter temperature and Indiana's winter temperature.  I thought that I'd be taking more photos, but I've been too cold to even venture on an outside photo shoot until today. 

Even though I haven't been photographing much, I've made up for it in my time spent sewing!  This past fall I was commissioned to make a custom wedding dress so my main creative focus while I'm home is on this dress.  Here's a little preview of the hand beading that I just finished today.  I'll keep you updated as I work along!   

Until my next post I'll leave you today with the song that always gets stuck in my head for my birthday every year. 

Back in the Day

I just finished my first quarter at SCAD!  Finals ended this past Thursday and it feels so good to be on break.  I have 6 weeks before the next quarter starts and in a week from today I'll be back home in Indiana.  Since my last final I've been catching up on all of the fashion websites, and magazines that I didn't have time for in the past couple of months.  Which of course brings me to mention this month's Vogue with Jessica Chastain's feature, photographed by one of my favorites - Annie Leibovitz.  What a visually inspiring photo spread.  Not to go overboard, but also Tim Walker's editorial as well (I can't tell if this was just a really good issue, or it's been too long since I've opened a fashion magazine so everything is hitting me as flawless).       

All photos taken by myself

      Outfit - Hat and pants: Red Clover Boutique,  Blazer: H&M, Scarf: chiffon fabric, Shoes:  LeBunny Bleu 
(The oxfords from LeBunny are so comfortable!)

I'll share some of my artwork assignments from this past quarter in my next post.  That's pretty much been my life for the past couple of months so my blog is going to be void of sewing projects for a while, but that'll change just after a couple more weeks into my break!

I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving! 

Support structure

It's been well over two months that I've been in Savannah now, and I'm definitely feeling homesick. I was organizing files on my computer the other day when I ran across these photos.  My sister took these photos of Libby (my dog) and me while she was in Indiana this past summer.  I didn't realize how much I've missed Libby until I saw these.  My mom says that every time she's on the phone with me, Libby sits at her feet and stares at the phone like she's listening to me.  How cute is that?! 

Being homesick and away from close loved ones is definitely more difficult than I first thought that it'd be.  Even more difficult - and what hit me unexpectedly - was the strong surge of grief that I'm still experiencing over my brother Daniel.  Daniel committed suicide a little under a year and a half ago, on Memorial Day, 2012.  Honestly, after the one year anniversary date of his death I was feeling emotionally better than I had all year.  I was doing fine and I felt like I had finally moved past the most acute grieving period.  I was so busy working and preparing for school that I was excited about the future and I didn't think about his death, or what had happened to him much. 

Now that I'm in school, and in a place where I don't have to think about the future just yet - it's hit me just how much I'm still dealing with the grief from his death.  Which is hard, because I wasn't expecting to have this hard of a time and that's hit me off guard. I often compare grief to the waves of an ocean.  Sometimes they’re small, and gentle - while other times they’re huge, overpowering, and will come out of a place of nowhere.  This makes it difficult being so far away from home and my main support system.  

I've never realized before just how good it is to be around people who already know my story.  If I'm sad, or upset, or just not talkative, my family knows why; even if I don't say anything.  I know that new, strong supportive structures will be made in time, and they're already starting to form right now - but at the moment I'm missing home and I can't wait to see my family again in 3 weeks.

Dear Suzy

Oh goodness, it's been far too long!  I honestly can't believe that it's November already.  So much has gone on in the past two months that it feels like a blur, and I can't even pinpoint certain events to you (isn't that strange how that works?).  This last Thursday was Halloween and I was Suzy from Moonrise Kingdom.  While I was watching that movie last year, I realized  that I already had her entire outfit - saddle shoes and all!  It was incredibly convenient that I have a love for the 60s, because it very useful this week.   

Did you dress up for Halloween?  If so, what did you dress up as?  Do you have any pictures anywhere? Costume pictures are my favorite!

My Instagram

By the way - have you seen the trailer for Wes Anderson's new film?  It looks absolutely brilliant! 

 

1960s - Girl Around Town

Oh goodness, it's been so long since I've last been able to post anything.  

Adjusting to a new city definitely took longer than I thought it would.  It took a good solid month, but I finally feel like I'm starting the beginning of a new life here in Savannah.  Aside from adjusting, school has been going non-stop, and I just finished my first week of midterms today.  I can't believe there's only a month of this quarter left already!

Today I'm posting an outfit photo shoot that I took last weekend.  The romper was sent by the lovely people at Choies.com.  I'm going through a huge 60s phase right now so I was super excited when I saw this radical item in the mail.

It's very different photographing in a city than the country.  I haven't been able to explore too much of the city besides the main streets, but I'm hoping to have an exploration day with my bicycle soon.  There are so many cool nooks and crannies in the city, and I feel like I'm able to paint on a whole new canvas.  I have so many photo shoot ideas, and I can't wait to have more time so I can check out more of the area.

^The awesome thing about photographing in parks is that sometimes random dogs come up to say hello. 

Outfit:  Romper - Choies.com ,  Shoes-  Target,  Earings - Thrfited

All photos taken by myself.

I post more updates on Instagram from time to time.  This photo was one of my design projects from the first week of class.

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I hope that you've been cherishing your October and enjoying this beautiful fall weather!  Hopefully more to come soon! 

The Burdastyle Sewing Handbook - Skirt Variation

Well I've been in Savannah for over three weeks now and I'm absolutely in love!  The people here are so friendly and it's incredible to be surrounded by a city of fellow art students.  This summer my time was filled with work projects and preparing to leave. Now that I'm starting to get settled in Savannah I feel like I finally have the time to post the work that I made this past summer.  Here is a skirt that I made, and a photo shoot that I took back in August while still in Indiana.  

I made this skirt over three years ago.  It was when I was asked to be a part of the Burdastyle Sewing Hand Book.  They asked me to make a variation of the pattern that they were first-time releasing in their book.  It was very exciting to be a part of it!  

The skirt pattern is one of the 5 patterns that are in the book.  My variation separated the panels on the skirt instead of sewing the overlay together like in the original.  That way it gave a lot of movement and flow to the skirt.  Also I did some hand sewn bead work detail on the waistband and bottom of skirt panels.

Sketch from three years ago - it's crazy to look back on old work! 

^I'm the 1st on left in the 2nd row.  (Photo snatched from this lovely blogger/seamstress).

This was my first project using an invisible zipper and it definitely shows!  I even remember writing an apology note that I sent along with my skirt to Burdastyle explaining the poor quality of the zipper. I didn't know that an invisible zipper was supposed to be sewn using an invisible zipper foot so I sewed it using a completely normal pressure foot.  I know all of you experienced seamstresses are gasping in horror right now.  Thank goodness for kindness, because the lovely ladies at Burda never said anything about it.

 I'm pointing out that zipper, because it's very encouraging to me to look back at old work and compare it to more current work.  For instance, this zipper compared to the zipper on this swimsuit. It's cool to see the growth that can happen in a couple of years.  It always reassures me that with time and practice I can learn how to properly make a technique that I'm struggling with now.

Have you ever made, or created something that turned out badly but later you learned how it's really supposed to be made?  If so, tell me about it!  What are your tricks or tips?  If you have a picture anywhere include a link in a comment.  I loved checking out all of your bedroom links from my previous post!

I did a lot of collaboration work this past summer, which was so much fun!  About 3 months ago my friends Zac and Jonah asked me if I would be willing to take some photos to go along with the songs for their new band Ariadne.  Their song "Guardian Angel" which hasn't been released yet, was the inspiration behind this photo shoot.  

Music has always been one of a main inspirations behind my photography.  Music has the ability to touch and inspire one in a way that words can't.  It was fun trying to translate what they were saying through their music, into my photography.   

Here's the first song that they posted.  I definitely recommend liking their page to keep up with any upcoming works that they post! 

I'm very excited for the new collaborations that I'm going to have here at SCAD!  Classes are incredible so far, and I can't wait to post some of the photos that I've taken while I've been here in Savannah.  Hopefully I can post those sometime next week.  Until then, I hope your weekend is lovely! 

My Room / Sewing Studio

About a month ago I was going through my room because I was starting to organize the items that I'd need to take/throw out once I'd move to Savannah (I just arrived yesterday!).  Then I thought that it would be fun to show you all what my room looks like, since so much of my time has been spent in this space.  I'm always either sewing, editing photos, or working on some kind of project in here.  

When I was in the 3rd grade I made the decision that my room HAD to be lime green.  If you walk into my house, even though my my bedroom is the last one down a long hallway, you will know it is my room!  It's easily one of the first things your eyes will go to, because the green walls casts this alien glow into the hallway whenever my door is open.  It's a wonderful thing.

                                  ^This is the station where I spent most of my time at.

My room is really more of a work studio than a bedroom.  Yes I slept there, but I even moved my bed into my closet so that I could have more space.  I did this shortly after I first started sewing in the 7th grade.  At first my sewing machine was in my closet.  I had a little desk set up, but even then, I needed more floor space to pattern draft.  That was when I made the best decision I ever made, and moved my mattress into my closet.  The bed frame was too big to fit into that space so my bed is actually my mattress on top of several  plastic storage tubs.   It's not the best for back support, but at least I was able to sew! 

^My closet shelves store most of my fabric.  My bulkier fabrics are tucked away in random corners of my room.

^Where the blogging usually happened

^I used cardboard as a makeshift cork board and nails are holding up my sewing tools.  

Over the years my room became a place where I've loved to create and most of my days were spent in there working.  Right now I'm in Savannah and I've been slowly collecting items for my new room while also waiting for my items from home to come in through the mail.  Those boxes should be arriving in the next few days.  A few of the boxes are my sewing supplies and fabrics, which I can't wait to test out on my new sewing machine (it's a beaut)!  I'm excited for the possibilities of my new room, but I'm also going to miss my old space - including the alien, green glow! 

  

Have you posted any photos anywhere of your room or studio?  If so, comment with a link!  I always love looking at photos of how people decorate their personal space!