This Year's Tree

The holidays have been busy. But, somehow, I manage to make time for the creation of my non-typical Christmas tree. This year, she was focused around a dress form, and the theme of an angel. So, here is the basic progress.








Start with draping some muslin for a skirt... then, add some batting.

Then, add a outdoor screening for the skirt.

about halfway done...

Now, making the wings with my students who came for dinner. Arturo, Anna, and Caroline.

Finished upper

Finished in daylight
Finale... Christmas Morning with my kids.

Picking Cotton in California

I recently had the opportunity to see my first 'live cotton field'. On a road trip, between the San Franciscco Bay area and Yosemite National Park, we drove through Merced and acres and acres of cotton fields.

So, we stopped the car and I got to pick some cotton to use in the Textiles class at the college.

A cotton boll to the left.


Here you can see various other shots...

Theatre in Fashion Exhibit Extended

FYI..

The Theatre in Fashion exhibit in Beverly Hills has been extended. Please see the October 25th blog entry for full information. As of now, the closing date is December 14th, 2011.

Theatre in Fashion features 80 garments designed by top designers such as Armani, Capucci, Fendi, Marras, Missoni, Ungaro, Valentino, and Versace. These amazing structures were created for opera, drama, and ballet. Therefore, they are stage pieces and utterly fantastic. Sponsored by the Wallis Annenberg Center, the exhibition is located on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. As you tour the array of color, structure and creativity, you will walk through several galleries, laid out by designer. In numerous cases, you can see the concept sketch, and then the final garment.

Theatre in Fashion (hosted by Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)

http://www.annenbergbh.com

Exhibit is located in a temporary space at

253 North Beverly Dr.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Hours: Wed – Friday, noon -7 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 per person, Thursday – Sunday;

Children under 12 and students with ID are free.

Admission on Wednesday is free.

Parking is free for two hours in a nearby lot.

And now.. to tempt you...

Missoni Costumes for the 1990 World Cup in Italy

Couture Pumpkin Pie

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's time to think about the menu. How about a couture pumpkin pie? As with fashion, just a simple tweak can turn a ready-to-wear style into a couture one. And so it is true with pumpkin pie.










I am visiting my parents in Canada, and this morning, my mom asked me to make a pie for lunch. She pulled out a clipping she had from Canadian Living magazine. The technique is simple, and the results are creative and fun.
So.. here is the technique.
After you have made the pie mixture and put it in the shell, smooth it out.

Take 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and mix it with 1-1/2 tsp of milk. Then take a funnel and put your finger over the tip. Spoon in the sour cream mixture.

Move to the pie, and center the funnel over the pie. Remove your finger from the tip of the funnel and let it drip out as you move around the pie. Start in the center and swirl your way to the outside.

Then, take a knife, position it in the pie mixture and move from outside to center. Do this eight times to divide the pie. On one of my pies I simply stopped in the center; on the other I swirled around a little in center.

Bake the pie as usual, and then cool it.

Cut and serve. Here is my dad, enjoying a piece of Couture Pumpkin Pie!

Fashion in Los Angeles

This past weekend I hosted ten women for a design retreat. The second day was spent in the Los Angele's area, touring fashion-related businesses.

Here are some 'street' fashions for your pleasure.

Theatre in Fashion, Beverly Hills, CA, Oct. 14 - Nov. 13th, 2011

Want to be awed?
Need inspiration?
Just simply love couture fashion?

If so, I need to tell you about an amazing fashion exhibit in the Los Angeles area which has a limited engagement (four weeks). The name of the exhibit is Theatre in Fashion (Il Teatro alla Moda).

I first saw this exhibit in Milan last summer with my Verona Retreat group. We were all in awe as we walked through the galleries, and were pleased to hear that the garments were coming to Los Angeles area in the Fall.

Theatre in Fashion features 80 garments designed by top designers such as Armani, Capucci, Fendi, Marras, Missoni, Ungaro, Valentino, and Versace. These amazing structures were created for opera, drama, and ballet. Therefore, they are stage pieces and utterly fantastic. Sponsored by the Wallis Annenberg Center, the exhibition is located on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. As you tour the array of color, structure and creativity, you will walk through several galleries, laid out by designer. In numerous cases, you can see the concept sketch, and then the final garment.

I think what amazed me most is the fantastic architectural design that occurs when a garment is designed for the stage. I can guarantee you that you will not be disappointed in what you see. Every fashion student should make a point of seeing this show, sketch book in hand, to learn from the masters.

Do hurry though, as the exhibit ends on November 13^th, 2011. It is a four-week engagement.

Theatre in Fashion (hosted by Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)

http://www.annenbergbh.com

Exhibit is located in a temporary space at

253 North Beverly Dr.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Hours: Wed – Friday, noon -7 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 per person, Thursday – Sunday;

Children under 12 and students with ID are free.

Admission on Wednesday is free.

Parking is free for two hours in a nearby lot.

And now.. to tempt you...

Missoni Costumes for the 1990 World Cup in Italy

Capriccio by Robert Capucci

Capriccio by Gianni Versace

photos provided with permission of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Only in Santa Fe.....

…. Will you see artsy mail boxes, lined up in a row. How creative, how fun, how stimulating.

Fashion on the Street

I loved how the motorcycle driver here attired herself (hair and all) to match her bike. This shot was taken in Verona, Italy.

Notice the Missoni-looking bed linens in the background.

Color… at Sunrise, and Sunset

Color palettes can come from many things.

I am often drawn to acts of nature as a source of inspiration, so here are some images to inspire.


To the left, you have the sunset, as I sometimes see from my back yard. We are looking over the Pacific Ocean, about 4 miles away.

There is nothing like a sunrise. This magnificent one occurred in New Mexico in August. I love the feeling I get when I am up early enough to witness a sunrise. I feel like I own the world.

And now, ... sunset, as witnessed in New Mexico

and the moon.

What keeps me going...

Java, Cafe, Coffee, Espresso...

Another interesting street sign.

Art Around Us

In the process of developing one’s creativity, it is important to not only look at the world around us, but to ‘see’ things that excite us.

Here are a few images; one a form of utility (the bike stand) and the other, simply art.

Both are creatively executed. These were taken at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The workers are removing the graffiti to make room for the next installation.

Knit Bracelet

Here is a an image of a knitted bracelet, as seen in a shop window.

This one was made from Sterling Silver. There is also a ring (left).

Fun Combination

So, I am on the look for interesting street art.

Here is a piece that caught my eye, in Utah.

I understand that this genre of poetry is quite popular. I just wish I could have attended.

True or False? Fake or Real?

Knock-off designs are common the world round. Here is an image taken in Florence, Italy that demonstrates the concern of manufacturers there over copycat clothing and accessories.

In three languages.

Energize...

So, what is your source of energy?

For me, in the summer, in more relaxed times, it is my morning routine.

Wake up early,
read in bed with a cup of coffee..
take a 30 minute walk, listening to a book on tape (and presently, it is Jane Austin's Northanger Abbey)
Eat breakfast,
Play piano,
Shower, and then begin my work day. All hopefully before 9:30 a.m.

What about you?

Walk in Nature... for Inspiration

Yesterday, we went for a walk in the local area of Huntsville, Utah. We were to take shots of the plants, and later we would paint similar plant life in watercolor. The walk was simply good for the soul. The beauty of Utah and the open space can't be expressed easily, even with photographs.

Here is info from Huntsville's home page. (http://huntsvilletown.com/about.html)
Huntsville is located twelve miles east of Ogden City up Ogden Canyon. Its elevation is just under 5,000 feet. At the south west end of the valley, a shimmering man-made lake “Pineview” forms a mirror for the mountains above. More history.

Population facts

As of the 2010, 717 people, 218 households, and 174 families reside in the town.Huntsville is rich in Pioneer history including the women who trekked into the valley.

Here are some shots from our walk.