Quanique Boutique

My Two New Friends

2008-07-31T18:44:00.002-04:00

The pretty dolly on the left is Sadie. She's is the first doll I've ever sewn. Isnt she sweet?
The funny lil buck-toothed guy on the right is Snookums. I started a Monsters! swap over at swap-bot and he was my practice guy. He has no legs but I love em just the same.

Runway Report

2008-07-23T17:25:00.002-04:00

Harper's Bazaar is launching a new mag next week.
Runway Report
"The book features 220 pages total, including 81 pages of advertising. Newsstand copies will retail for $6.95."

I honestly can't wait to see it.

Must Buy ASAP

2008-07-17T15:49:00.005-04:00

So the other night as insomnia took hold of me yet again, I was browsing Zappos for a pair of Back to School sneaks. Well I found muy muy choices but there were two that I must have no wait what.

First pair:

Converse All Star Chuck Taylor Hard Rock Glitter Reapeat Ox

"Crowns, roses and unicorns-OH MY! With the Chuck Taylor® All Star® Hard Rock Glitter shoes you'll rock these everyday.

Canvas upper in glitter design print"

They also come in white but me and white sneaks dont mix.

Second Pair:

Vans Classic Slip-ons ((Checkerboard Rose)Black/Flame/Snorkal Blue)

Yeah OK anyone who knows me knows that I pledged never to buy a pair of checkered Vans because everyone and their Momma(literally) has a pair(or more) of these iconic footwear. But come on how many people would wear two different colored shoes at the same time? I've done it before, with some old school Reeboks and with some super cute Plaid kitten heels.

Anyway back to searching for more cute stuff to update my wardrobe.

It's Almost Autumn!!

2008-07-15T01:06:00.004-04:00

As my favorite fashion season slowly approaches, I realize that I need a wardrobe makeover. I really need to get rid of all the too small t-shirts and ill-fitting jeans that are clogging up my dresser drawers.

So over the next few weeks as September and loverly "Back-to-School" sales come creeping in to focus I will be scouring magazines and websites trying to find the least annoying "IT" item for Fall.

I'm not really one for following Trends. But you just have to pick the right item. I always remember something Carolina Herrera said, you're not supposed to dress head to toe in Trends. You are supposed to pick one "Hot" item (an accessory, a color, print,cut...whatever) and pair it with Classic pieces from your everyday wardrobe. If most of your wardrobe is filled with Classics you can never be out of style. And you wont feel you wasted your money on Trends that only last one season. I mean come on it took like 20 years for High-waisted pants to come back(though I really wish they didn't).

Oh I'm kinda in huge like with Original Penguin, their clothes are so cute.

Oh boy I cant wait until its cool enough for cardigans and my super sweet striped Ben Sherman
blazer.

Speaking of whats hot for Fall. I just read that Takeshi Kaneshiro will be become the first Asian model for Emporio Armani Underwear! He is H-O-T...hot! Oh man I thought Giorgio outdid himself when he approved those life-sized ads of David Beckham in his skivvies. But now Takeshi will be up there too. I don't know if I'll be able to stand it!

Summertime (Back in the swing of things)

2008-07-03T04:44:00.002-04:00

Its been quite awhile since I wrote anything here. But I've keeping busy or at least trying to. Thanks to Swap-bot I have lots of little projects to keep me from getting too bored. Since I only work on the weekends I have four days of free time to work on craft projects.
I have mix Cd's and a mixed tape to make
I'm going to make a first attempt at Amigurumi
Handmade bookmarks
Postcards made from cardboard boxes

That's just a few of the things I'm working on. I'm also making a purse with matching wallet. Finishing a dress, starting a scarf and trying to read a few books.

Plus I'm volunteering at the Celebrate Brooklyn festival.

These things should keep me busy until school starts again....I hope.

It's that time of year...again

2008-05-12T14:42:00.003-04:00

The weather is getting warmer and people are starting to shed their excess layers. I'm all for warm weather and the cute outfits you get to wear without having to be all bundled up. But some people need a Dos and Don'ts checklist before they get dressed. Like:
Don't wear short shorts with tights
Don't wear a thong with a jersey dress(because it will look like your ass is eating your dress)
Don't wear high waisted pants if you have a short torso and big boobs OR unless you need to create the illusion of having a waist
Do match you bag and your shoes
Don't wear shoes that you can't walk in/are too big or too small
Don't wear open toed shoes that make it look like your toes are being put through a sausage maker
Do add slip grips inside open toed shoes to prevent unsightly overhang
Don't wear sandals if you have dry, ashy, crusty feet that goes for both men and women

I'm pretty sure I have more Dos and Don'ts...mostly Don'ts but I can't think of them all now.

Swap- o- Rama- Rama

2008-04-28T23:07:00.018-04:00

Here are some pictures from yesterdays clothing swap:

This is the sorting room. Swappers would pass their clothes through the window to the sorters. The sorters separated everything by article of clothing. The runners would then take the piles of clothes into the main room.

The main room full of clothes and people.

This is the Sewing/ Screen Printing room. Swappers would bring their new found items and alter or decorate them here.

The fabric scraps table.

One of the screen printing stations.

Freshly printed clothes drying

This sweater was probably one of the coolest items.

Some fabric swatches I grabbed up from the sewing room.

My new Skippies. $3.50 shoes from K-mart made supercool by adding fabric. I'm still trying to decide if they need something. I was thinking of adding some eyelets or nautical themed buttons.

I spent most of the day helping out at the shoe and bag restyling table. Lisa the designer in charge gave me these white sandals to decorate.

I found this little purple bag. I added the butterflies and the chain.

Unfortunately I didnt get a chance to sew or screenprint anything. I also missed the fashion show. But I hope there is another swap soon, because it was alot of fun.

One Person’s Trash is Another Persons Treasure

2008-04-28T00:19:00.001-04:00

No Im not talking about those crazy garbage eating Freegans.

I was at a clothing swap this afternoon. It was very cool. Bascially people bring in bags of clothes they no longer use or want. Everything gets separated into piles and you can pick through thwm all and take home as much as you can carry. Some people get their entire wardrobe from these swaps. There were people with suitcases and shoppings carts full of cool stuff they they found.
In addition to the clothes they were different crafty workshops. Screenprinting, sewing, jewelry making.
I found some really fun stuff. Mostly T-shirts for a rug that Im making. Currently Im in the process of taking apart a knit sweater so that I can reuse the yarn and crochet something awesome out of it. I also took a pair of $3.00 skippies from K-mart and added some sweet nautical fabric. Im really excited about my finds. Be prepared for photos of stuff that I've made.

Projects Completed and in the Works

2008-04-24T11:05:00.007-04:00

I am thoroughly enjoying my renewed interest in http://www.swap-bot.com/ . I collect postcards and participating in swaps really adds to my collection. I have sent and received cards from all over the world.

Right now I am in the middle of a handmade dishcloth swap. I like dishcloths because they are soo easy to make. I made one for each of my three swap partners.

Also I started making a rug out of old t-shirts. (I'd like to thank my friend Danny for donating the first t-shirts).

WIP it, WIP it good!

2008-04-15T20:33:00.002-04:00

Every good crafter is familiar with these three seemingly harmless little letters: W-I-P.
Not a crafter? Then I'll explain. WIP is short for Work-in-progress. As a crafty gal who enjoys making all sorts of things I have quite a few works-in-progress.
Right now I'm working on a crocheted Fat Bottom Bag, a crocheted dishcloth, I still need to finished sewing the summer dress I mentioned a few weeks ago. I want to make a cake for an new instructable contest. And thats all on top of keeping up with schoolwork. I have to teach a dance to these girls in my Phys Ed class so that we can teach it to the rest of the class. I have to write 2 short papers for my Family Relations class. Im in the midst of doing research for my final project in Costume History-a five page paper and powerpoint presentation.

Whew!

Wish me luck people. I'm gonna need it.

Swap-o-rama-rama

2008-04-13T02:28:00.003-04:00

Here's abit of info about an event I'm really excited about.
I've voluneteered to help out during the Swap. I will try to take pictures when I can so I can post them here. It sounds like its going to be a really fun day.

Clean out your closets
The New York City 2008 Spring
SWAP-O-RAMA-RAMA is Here!
http://www.swaporamarama.org
Pass it on
*
April 27th 2pm to 7pm
New York University's Helen and Martin Kimmel Building, 9th floor
on Washington Square Park South at LaGuardia
$10 and any sized bag of your clean unwanted clothing to enter
"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness." Gandhi
Join in the communal process of reuse and celebrate our collective creativity! You are invited to Swap-O-Rama-Rama, a giant clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores reuse and creativity through the recycling of used clothing.
It's easy to make the move from consumer to creator - and it's fun. At this Swap-O-Rama-Rama you'll find a host of talent brought together to teach you how to transform your new/used duds into works of your own. Together they bring you: DIY Stations where you can learn many wonderful ways to create out of textile reuse, Sewing Stations where local designers will teach you fresh clothing mod tricks, on site Silk Screeners & Stencilers with a host of original designs and extraordinary local designers who'll show off their work in the Swap-O-Rama-Rama reuse fashion show.
Of course the core of the swap is the gigantic piles of free clothing (several thousand pounds!) sorted into categories: pants, shirts, skirts, sweaters etc. These piles are the collective total of each guest’s contribution of any size bag of unwanted clothes so clean out those closets and let go of what's no longer inspiring. Take home as much clothing as you can carry. Remainders go to a local women's shelter.
Wondering what to bring? http://swaporamarama.org/swapattend.htm
Sewing machines are generously supplied by Janome http://www.janome.com
Tell your friends to join the swap mailing list by sending a blank email to swaporamarama-subscribe@gaiatreehouse.com
Have a look at previous NY Swap-O-Rama-Rama's: http://gaiatreehouse.com/autumn2006pics/autumn2006pics.html ; http://gaiatreehouse.com/swapwinter2006/swapwinter2006.html
Contact for questions: mina Leibitz <ookanuba@yahoo.com>
See you there... oh and please... PASS IT ON!
Wendy, Mina and the NY Crew
=

Sneaker Freak! (Swap-bot edition)

2008-04-09T21:24:00.008-04:00

Howdy to my fellow swappers! Here are a few of my favorite sneakers.
I have tons more but these are the ones I wear the most.

This is my first pair of Hi-top Chuck Taylors. They are camo with skulls. Sooo Awesome and they go with pretty much everything. I bought them online at Converse.com

I love these Nike Dunks. These are the second pair of Nikes I have ever owned (the first pair was waaay back in jr.high. I saw these in an Urban Outfitters catalog and begged my Mom to buy them for me. I was half joking but she left me use her credit card to buy them online. They were my birthday present last year. I love the shade of blue and the rainbow.

These are my newset pair of sneakers. The orange just pops! and I love the little pockets on KangaRoos. I remember having a purple pair when I was alittle girl. So these are kinda like a flashback to my childhood. I bought them at DSW.

Oooh these Vans Classic Slip-ons are sooo sweet! They're Houndstooth which is super cool. And so far I haven't seen anyone else with them. I love that. I bought these online at Vans.com

These are the first Chucks I ever bought. And I got em for 5 bucks! Crazy? I know considering I paid about $45 for my Hi-tops. Urban Outfitters was having a clearance sale while the store was being remodeled. The day I went there was a good shopping day for me. I got a whole new outfit(including the sneakers) for only 20 bucks. I love these cause from a distance it looks like regular camo, but upclose it animals!

Instructable #2

2008-04-08T02:24:00.003-04:00

I was cleaning up my room the other day when I came across an old sweatshirt, that i hadnt worn in ages. It was a little stained and missing part of a sleeve.(don't ask)

So I got the idea to turn it to a skirt. I decided to document it on Instructables.com.

I took this :-(

And made it into this :-)

You can read all about it at:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Introducing-the-Sweat-Skirt/

My first Instructable!

2008-04-03T10:58:00.004-04:00

I have been a member of Instructables.com for some time now. I love reading all the wacky things people come up with. Well they are currently having a contest to see who can best make over an old or boring t-shirt.

Someone else already did the whole adding bleach thing so I decided to work on an idea that had been in my head for quite a while. A t-shirt with a deep cut out back and a thin chains holding it together.

You can see the whole How-to process at http://www.instructables.com/id/Chain-Chain-change-your-boring-T-shirt/.

Here are som pictures of the finished product:

I think it turned out pretty well, don't you?

Back on Track

2008-03-26T11:02:00.007-04:00

I've been away for a few weeks. School and work have been occupying a lot of my time. But now I'm back...with a vengance! Ok maybe not.

But I have been working on some new projects. I made a shirt that I saw in the book Generation T. I was finishing it up at work and one of my co-workers asked if I could make a variation of it for her. I said yes and shes gonna pay me 30 bucks for it!

This is the version from the book.

This the modified version I made for my co-worker.

I also spent waaay too much time(and $$$) in Jo-ann's the other day. But I got some really cool fabric and patterns. I made an apron from this awesome apple print fabric, and Im in the process of making a cute dress for Spring, in my favorite color-purple.

This is the pattern I used for the dress:

This is the apron (I made full one):

My next project will be a t-shirt for Left-Handers Day. Yes, thats right lefties get their own special day. Its August 13th in case you didnt know. I'm making a t-shirt to help spread the word.

Oops!: The Laundry Mishap Collection #s 2-4

2008-03-03T11:16:00.004-05:00

So a few nights ago I got bit by the inspiration bug and churned out three more shirts for my Laundry Mishap Collection.

My two new best friends. A spray bottle of 1/2bleach, 1/2 water and a Clorox Bleach pen(great for working with stamps and stencils or creating fine lines)

This is #2. I was wearing this shirt when I made the first in the series. I got some bleach on it and I really liked the color so I just added more bleach.

#3. A grey tee that i had for the longest. It was starting to fade so I gave it a lil bit of oomph. There are stars in the middle of those spots.
Close-up, you can sorta see the stars.

#4, this one I did entirely with the bleach pen. I just held it over the shirt and let it drip.
I stamped a bunch of grapes on the shoulder and at the bottom. It looks a lot more defined in person.

I still have a lot more T-shirts in my big box o' craft supplies. im not quite sure what I would like to do next. Ive been thinking a lot about spring/summer dresses. Ive been sketching a few at work. Id really like to make a T-shirt dress with a full skirt, but I havent really worked it out yet.

Ooops!: The Laundry Mishap Collection #1

2008-02-25T21:30:00.003-05:00

Usually spilling or splashing bleach on your clothes is a major tragedy. But I've deceiced to turn a negative into a postive. Using stencils and a spray bottle I have given my old t-shirt some new life.
It is a very easy process and its really fun too. All need is a 50/50 bleach/water solution, eye protection , good ventilation and a bit of imagination.
This shirt is just one of a series of shirts that I'll be making over the next few weeks. The shirt I was wearing while making this got a little bit of bleach on it. So that will be #2. I'll be posting pictures of it soon.

"You're clothes may be Beau Brummelly..."

2008-02-21T13:07:00.009-05:00

Andre Benjamin better known as Andre 3000 from OutKast is launching a new menswear line called Benjamin Bixby. New York magazine has an article about it Here.

Beau Brummell

I have always been a big fan of men's fashion. It may seem like there aren't a lot of choices when it come to menswear. But I believe it challenges designers to push the envelope. And I dont mean creating man dresses or trying to convince American men to wear kilts (even though that could be kinda hot on the right guy).

Designers like Paul Smith challenge men to add a splash of bright color into their wardrobe. Even though I am personally not a big suporter of pink polos, I do love bright colors. Luckily this spring bright, juicy colors are definitely in. Im going to look for some nice bright men's oxfords to pair with my thrift shop ties.

Here are some photos pf Paul Smiths Spring 08 collection. (from http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2008/spring/main/europe/menrunway/paulsmith/index2.html)

Shoes!!

2008-02-19T21:42:00.003-05:00

I L-O-V-E shoes! If I had the means I would buy tons and tons of shoes. I probably wouldn't wear them, mostly because alot of the shoes I like are stilettos. Like almost anything by Christian Louboutin. I can't afford to buy these shoes. And I would most likely break my neck if I tried to walk in them but they're are so freakin SEXY.

Inspiration

2008-02-14T14:21:00.004-05:00

For some reason my best ideas come to me when I should be taking notes in class. For example, this morning in Family Relations I was doodling instead of writing down the major causes of conflict in marriages. I have more doodles in my notebook than actual notes. I started jotting down more T-shirt ideas and thinking of better ways to do intarsia crochet.(http://www.knitting-and.com/crochet/tunisian-intarsia.htm)

Oh and by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!

Remember making Valentines out of construction paper and doilies? Yeah those were good times.

The First Time's Always the Hardest

2008-02-13T21:20:00.007-05:00

Well, well where to begin? I decided to start this blog for two reasons. 1) I wanted a place to showcase my latest craft projects. 2)I needed a place to talk about how just about everything I see inspires me.

So this is how it's gonna work. I'll post pics of things I've made and or the objects(people, places) that inspired them.

Well since we have now entered the Year of the Rat. I present the "Good Luck" choker. I recently made a pair of earrings and a brooch out of Chinese coins as well.

Right now most of my inspiration comes from the world of interior design. I found a whole bunch of T-shirt stencil ideas in the textbook for my History of Costumes and Furnishings class.

Gothic stained glass window motifs seem to be perfect for making really cool t-shirts.

I really want to use the large circle as a stencil. I m not sure if I'll use different colors (like a stained glass window) or if I'll bleach it out. I'll try both and post the results.