Experimenting: dyeing with used tea bags

This year, for my Y Collective pieces, I decided to use all of the used tea bags that Will and I have been consuming for the last few weeks (yes, we drink a lot of tea). I've always wanted to experiment with dyeing some of the silks that I love to work with, but I don't like to use chemicals if I can help it - part of the "eco" in me.

Here are some of my dye swatches, using silk organza and cotton.

Thanks to some suggestions from my amazing fibre artist friend, Amanda, I played a bit with binding coins and chopsticks, using wire and rubberbands. I was quite pleased with the effect that the coins gave with the patina.

As a result...when constructed into one

of the bodices for one of my SKIN pieces.

On this piece, I layered dyed silk organza over dyed plain cotton weave to give the piece a more ethereal feeling; kinda like "cells in the body or just below our skin"

This bodice is part of my "protective" piece.

a younger me in my 'older designs'

Ye Ole Days

I've been going through some old photos of my previous lines...

from long long ago...

as if they are from a "galaxy far far away"...

My earliest women's line of clean lines and symmetry...

My most enjoyed men's jacket line, cut short by my accident...it remains fondly stored in my memory...

We all need outlets

My one creative outlet while finishing gradschool is being part of the Y Collective - a collaborative team of artists/designers based in MI



Here is a snippet of the EMU annual fashion show, featuring the Y Collective...theme: collapse.

Our pieces are mostly very conceptual.



My pieces are "tunic squared": the black and white pieces that come out together. I layered silk organza with nuno felting, using different wool fibres, and hung hand spun yarn (thanks to Amanda) with 'collapsing' asymmetric sleeves.



The lighting and video angles aren't 'great', but it gives you the idea.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXafH67XNd8&feature=player_embedded

Farewell to genius

The fashion industry was shocked yesterday by the tragic news of Alexander McQueen's suicide.

I personally felt a profound loss, as he was certainly one of my favourite contemporary designers; and I admired him for not only his creative genius, but also the 'humbleness of his spotlight appearances'. There are so many 'big' people in the limelight these days, so many from whom to choose as inspirations...some might even call them "heroes"...so it is all the more sorrowful to have lost an inspiration who set a positive example for the creative generations.

Long live the creative genius of Alexander McQueen and may he rest in peace!

Fantastic flat pattern designs - Japan

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pattern_puzzle_pattern_magic/

Very Cool Bay Area Designer

Innovation and creativity abound in the Bay Area...

http://www.cariborja.com/Home.html