Entries Tagged as 'Handmade'

Monday, December 1st, 2008

Handmade Holiday: Embroidery Inspiration

There’s a claim from that last post I need to return to. “I’m making luggage tags! I think I’ll personalize them with embroidery.”
I can’t say that I’ve EVER embroidered ANYTHING before. But it looks so easy — and it must be in my genes, ha! Check out this bookmark my mom made in the ’70s, […]

Monday, December 1st, 2008

Handmade Holiday: Letterpress, Knitting and Leatha

We started our communal handmakery last week. (Finally got my pictures uploaded.) This is going to be HOT!
Our letterpressed gift tags are going to be a big hit.

I can’t knit, but Jen is knitting a neck warmer for me to give to someone on my list!

This old leatha skirt finally goes to good use. I’m […]

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Happy Handmade Holiday 2008!

In the imaginary profile of my “ideal self,” I make lots of things. I sew lovely dresses, cook gourmet meals (complete with garnishes) and send handmade thank-you cards to everyone I appreciate. But my real self… doesn’t quite get there. What to do when I wanted to make as many handmade Christmas presents as possible […]

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Legos! Heart pins! Marc Jacobs! Oh, my.

First, I saw them on The Sartorialist.

I sent the link to Heather, who’s helping me design Fashion Loves People — note the heart pin in my header, above. (Albeit much more rudimentary, we’re playing with the idea of making this my “thing.” Like pink ribbons.)
I initially thought these guys were some of the Sartorialist’s random […]

Monday, November 10th, 2008

The Art of Church & State

Eye candy time, brought to you by Church & State.

Alaska blouse, Connecticut shorts

North Dakota dress

Nebraska jumpsuit

Delaware dress

Oregon dress
C&S is designed by a ridiculously adorable and talented Portland couple, Nathaniel Crissman and Rachel Turk — read all about them at Portland’s Ultra. The duo used to sew all pieces themselves but recently began outsourcing to a […]

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Wearable Art: Kansas City’s West 18th Street Fashion Show

Well, it’s about TIME I wrote a little something about June’s West Eighteenth Street Fashion Show — particularly because a) I was in it, b) it’s been more than a month (!) and c) I’ve been a bit surprised at how little coverage it received. Call me old fashion fashioned (I’ll be here all week, […]

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Leanimal on Project Runway Season 5

Leanne Marshall, one of our favorite Portland designers, is trying her skills on Project Runway this season! In her handmade line, Leanimal, she has increasingly used hemp, bamboo and organic cotton materials. We’ll see whether her eco-friendly influence shines through — which may depend more on this season’s featured fabric shop than on her. Here’s […]

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Behind Beklina

To know hot green fashion is to know the fantastic online boutique Beklina. July is self-proclaimed Eco-Month at Grechen’s Closet, featuring green fashion content, and a sweet interview with Beklina founder Angelina made the list. Check it out (as well as the rest of Eco-Month), and enjoy these FLP Editor’s Picks — including Grechen’s 25% […]

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

Cursive Design: Modern-day craftswoman

Flipping through an old journal from my mid-teens a few years ago, I found a one-liner that I haven’t been able to forget since:
“Save the shoe repairmen.”
I love the concept of the lone craftsman working away in a dusty shop at his ages-old trade. (Just call me a romantic.) With planned obsolescence designed into way […]

Monday, June 9th, 2008

Red Leather, Yellow Leather, Recycled Leather

Leather jackets turned purses — brilliant! In 2005 Canadian designer Ashley Watson started sewing these beautiful accessories out of leather thrift store finds and officially founded Ashley Watson Recycled Leather a year later. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, one-hundred-percent recycled and incorporates detailing from the original jackets (as shown in particular below on the Brant). The […]

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

Shake your Bon Bon

Yes, the rumors are true… I will be appearing in Kansas City’s West Eighteenth Street Fashion Show on June 14. I must admit that I’m being quite sheepish to make any sort of formal “announcement” of this, but I am flattered and honored to have been invited to model for Bon Bon Atelier. The eighth-annual […]

Monday, May 5th, 2008

Upward trend in sewing machine sales

Shine up your Singers, buff your Berninas or go buy a new Brother — sewing is back!