12 09 2016

crocheted HopeLess bracelets

Here are some sweet/sad crocheted bracelets I’ve made using plastic alphabet beads. The alphabet beads are arranged in two rows dividing the word “HOPE/LESS” between two silver coloured star-shaped beads. I have made several styles using various combinations of coloured beads and cream or baby blue coloured silk yarn. I might make some with baby pink yarn later. Round metal tags stamped with “Minus Sun” are attached. Those are stamped one by one by myself with a hammer. I like the sweet, childish, and nostalgic atmosphere of the alphabet beads combined with this downhearted word. I suppose you would expect words such as “Hope” “Love” “Happiness” etc. for this kind of jewellery but not with me. I like my work to sympathise, rather than cheer up forcibly. Hope you like them and be happy! The star-shaped beads are pointing out the first row after all.

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15 08 2016

Girl T-shirt star and tear

Hello, I am still alive. I have been busy doing some free-lance translation projects and working in an office as a localisation game tester. It would be great if I can make a living solely out of my own label but it’s not going to happen too soon. However, I will keep it going even if it’s slow.

For this summer, I have designed a new T-shirt with a life size face of the Minus Sun girl. I’ve combined her melancholy expression with a pop art style illustration. The hair of the star version has diagonal blue dotted stripes representing rain and the tear version has tiny pink stars. The gold star and tear, which are placed where I usually draw her beauty spot, have been applied by myself one by one using gold foil so the result differs on each T-shirt. The Minus Sun logo is on the girl’s decolletage like a tattoo.

I had them made in Womens XL and Unisex XXL. As you can see, the Womens XL seems to be quite small as I usually wear size 8 for a top and I wouldn’t choose a tighter T-shirt than this but I suppose it’s fine for an average built person who likes to show off her curves? I like the Unisex XXL more because it’s roomy and I can almost wear it like a mini dress. Hope you like them!

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12 04 2016

personal projects for a colourful friend

Here are some photos from my life of being a personal seamstress these days.

I had the opportunity to make a headpiece for the first time. My friend wanted some butterflies or birds around her head so I suggested putting both and also some flowers as she wanted something elegant yet bold. I sourced materials from ebay including a set of dozen paper butterflies, a pair of birds, and an Alice band with flowers all in red/orange tone. The rest was arts and crafts, wiring all pieces together and gluing pieces of felt to the base to make it look more like a headpiece. It was quite fun as I like making “things” not only clothes.

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My friend brought this beach sarong to me and asked to make it into a strapless maxi dress as she cannot be bothered to go through the process of wearing a sarong. So, here it is, elasticated at the top and waist with a slit at the back for comfort when walking.

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This dress is same as the typical pinafore dress I often make but my friend brought the white dotted green fabric to me.

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30 03 2016

commissioned calico dress

Here is a commissioned dress I’ve just finished making. It is a simple pinafore dress with hand drawn dotted lines in black along the facing seam and the two front pockets. There are two holes along the neckline, one on the front and the other on the back. There is a horizontal seam in the skirt section dividing the dress as well as the pockets. I had the idea of using two different fabrics when I made this detail and I will probably make one soon.

Does this dress look familiar? It is almost the same as the Cultured Girl’s dress of “It rained into her room.” collection but without the red lines on the pockets and with the hole details around the neck of the Cultured Girl’s dress of “minus the sun, night all day” collection.

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21 03 2016

Contemporary Textiles Fair 2016

I have been exhibiting at Contemporary Textiles Fair at Landmark Arts Centre last weekend. Thank you for those who visited my stand. It was nice to meet new and old customers and other exhibitors including a coursemate from uni! Here are some images from the fair if you’ve missed it.

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14 01 2016

Alice dress with apron and petticoat

Here is the Alice outfit complete with an apron and a petticoat, all handmade. I’ve made some adjustments to the dress; bigger collar, changing seams of the bodice, higher waist. Made with 100% silk taffeta in light blue. The adjustments I’ve made to the apron is making it double layered, eliminating the binding, making the back straps narrower, and the waist ribbon wider. Made with 100% cotton in white with dotted pattern in the weave. The petticoat is a gathered full circle skirt made with 100% dotted Swiss fabric (a sheer cotton fabric that is embellished with small dots) with bought cotton lace trimmings. I did a little photo shoot using the amazing Alice in Wonderland pop-up book by Robert Sabuda.

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08 01 2016

Alice dress prototype

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you’ll keep following what I’m up to this year as well. Here is a sample dress I have made for last year’s Halloween. My friend was throwing a Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party around that season and she suggested that I be Alice. So here it is, my Alice dress mainly inspired by the original illustrations by John Tenniel.

Since it is only a sample, I have made it out of left over fabrics at home, cream coloured down proof cotton and light weight navy cotton. The body is quite fitted with covered buttons at the back with button loops to fasten. The mini round collar has angles at the back. The sleeves are puff sleeves but kept minimal with narrow bias binding. The skirt has gathers at the front and more gathers at the back to give volume but the sides are pleated to keep the volume down. There are horizontal pleats near the hem of the skirt. Basically, I tried to find the right balance of cute as I didn’t want it to be too costume-like.

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And this is the sample of the apron made with calico which is going to be worn over the dress. It slightly covers the shoulders and the straps from the shoulder and the waist is joined near the centre back to be tied in a bow. There are two mini pockets on the skirt and pleated trimmings at the hem.

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25 12 2015

“minus the sun, night all day” paperback edition

Finally, there is a paperback version of my second story book “minus the sun, night all day”. It is 56 pages long and contains pictures of the original fabric book and the text printed in a typical paperback style. The glossy cover has the logo, the title, and the line-up of characters (front style on front cover, back style on back cover) wearing clothes from the second collection with the same title. It’s imitating vintage books with the sun tanned look but it’s part of the design printed on thick silky paper. There is a line drawing on the last page featuring the 10 girls sat together back to back as if they’re in orbit.

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13 12 2015

hot pink silk dress

This is a simple dress I have made for my friend as her birthday present. Her request was “a twiggy style mini dress in hot pink with sleeves in a shiny fabric”. So here it is, made with dupion silk except for the side pockets in the seams made with pink muslin. All inside seams are finished as French seams and attached is a vintage ribbon care label stamped with the date and my name.

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10 12 2015

Christmas cards 2015

Like the past years, I have designed two new Christmas cards this year as well. In this “but Merry Christmas” series, as you may call, each design has a cynical illustration and a phrase on a dark navy background. This year I have “We are all tired” with sleepy girls in reindeer costumes and “A snowball fight alone” with a girl throwing a snowball at a snowman. Not so joyful but perfect for different people who understand.

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