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Archive for the ‘studio life’ Category

work is bliss

Posted in fashion, studio life, tagged , , , , on November 9, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I have kept this site strictly business for the most part… and I intend to keep it that way… however, I am integrating what I do into who I am more and more… and I have started sharing that with others… testing the water… seeing if people roll their eyes and make comments about how I lived in the forest for too long… well they don’t. In fact I see that it inspires other people to think about what it is that they do and how they live… so in hopes that this may inspire you… here goes…

Over a year ago I started to practice yoga and it changed my life. In the last few months I have truly gone through a metamorphosis… creativity flows through me constantly, to the point of having hot hands that gain more heat as I work. After a busy bridal season I needed to work on a project that was just for me… I started a peacock wig. I kept it to myself and was sheepish about sharing it with others… it was a bit eccentric, and I don’t need to be appear any more eccentric than I already do… however, people gave me such positive feedback and encouragement that I made another one… a swan… and now I realize that I won’t live long enough to create all of the ideas that swirl around in my brain.

Originally I was working seated in a western chair which impeded me greatly, I had to take a lot of breaks to keep my shoulder and back from aching… while discussing this issue with my yoga instructor I had the epiphany that I needed to integrate yoga into my work. I started to work while sitting on a free chair and this allowed me to be dynamic while sitting instead of slowly crumpling up my spine and blocking my creative energy flow. I am now working with a local craftsman to make a frame to hold the wigs while I felt so that I can achieve complete flow while working. Is it work or yoga… well by definition yoga means union… and that is exactly what it is… the union between my body and my brain and my spirit… work as meditation. Bliss!

Much gratitude for finding my flow… may you find yours.

xoL

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The Fantastic Fox Wig

Posted in fashion, studio life on September 8, 2011 | 1 Comment »

I started this wig just before bridal season officially opened… and so it has sat waiting until I finally took some pictures and returned to the task at hand. There is a cute pin that says “The work you do while you’re procrastinating is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life”… um, drinking tea on the patio doesn’t pay so hot… but drinking tea and felting wigs sure is fun!! I would love to just make wigs for a living…

 

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Preparing for fittings…

Posted in fashion, studio life, weddings on May 16, 2011 | 1 Comment »

In this modern age women spend less and less time at the dressmakers. Clothes have become cheap and disposable. They also tend to not fit properly or be particularly well made…. but I digress. My point is that most women don’t seek out and meet with a dressmaker until some very special occasion warrants it… grad, wedding, or some other soiree. This can make the whole process fairly intimidating. So here’s a few factors to keep in mind…

Seek out a dressmaker that comes highly recommended. Take a look at their work and discuss fees at the first meeting. An experienced dressmaker will be able to give you a reasonably accurate quote.

Bring your foundation garments and shoes with you to every fitting. A good bra will  change the fit of a garment. If you haven’t found ‘the’ shoes yet, bring ones that are the same height. A crinoline is an important layer that helps hold the shape of the gown with a full or a-line skirt. Different crinolines can change the hemline and possibly the fit through the hips so be sure to pick one and stick with it.

Keep in mind that dressmakers and their studios are fully booked this time of year and their time is a premium. Expect to pay for the time you spend at fittings and arrive with all the necessary items to save your pocketbook as well as the seamstresses busy schedule.

It usually takes several fittings to have a gown fit properly. Hemlines need to be pinned after adjustments are done to the bodice and before the bustle is decided upon.

Take advantage of the experience that your dressmaker offers… she has most likely seen dozens if not hundreds of brides and gowns. It’s also important to be up front about what you like or want to be done. This is your gown, being clear makes it easier for the outcome to be what you had envisioned and within a budget you can afford.

On a final note, spend the money to have your gown professionally pressed and steamed. A lot of time and effort goes in to planning your ensemble for the big day… insure that you are wrinkle free and ready for pictures :)

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A few new services…

Posted in fashion, studio life, weddings, tagged , , on May 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I have started offering alterations to brides, their maids, and other gowns that require special attention. I was slightly shocked to hear that many kootenay brides are having to go to Spokane to have their alterations done. It’ s important to have alterations done on really expensive garments by someone who knows what they are doing and has the experience to offer practical advice. I am slowly starting to advertise this locally through the kootenay region and this seems like the most logical place to start.

Services I am offering:

~custom design for brides, grads, bridesmaids, flowergirls…

~alterations

~same day alterations for out of town brides

~professional steaming and pressing

Email me to set up a consultation.

xoLara

studio@threeowls.ca

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Friday Quickie~ my robot needs love too…

Posted in fashion, studio life on April 15, 2011 | 6 Comments »

I’d like to take a moment out of this busy week and give a shout out to my cheerful and hardworking assistant. Who as you can see is completely overloaded with paperwork and correspondence…

Have a great weekend!

xoL

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How is a raven like a writing desk…

Posted in studio life, Tea Time, tagged , , on March 30, 2011 | 2 Comments »

They both call to me incessantly… I struggle with keeping up with correspondence, I get distracted, I forget all the different messages and emails that I need or want to respond to… what I need is a writing desk. More importantly I need a ‘space’ to do correspondence.

There was a time in the past when the lady of the house had a writing desk. A place for her stationary and all the necessary tools for the job of keeping in touch with family and friends and dealing with the business of the household.

What luxury this seems… to have a place that allows you to sit quietly with your thoughts and ideas and the smell of beautiful stationary and compose thought provoking and interesting ideas… or plan parties or balance the finances. To make the time to simply sit and read the incoming correspondence filled with news, announcements, invites, and maybe even a little romance…

 

 

 

April is write a letter month. Time to practice penmanship and put some thought into what it is you really want to share with someone… I don’t know about you but I LOVE to get mail in a crisp and lovely envelope… and as my mother used to tell me as a child… If you want to get a letter you need to send a letter.

xoL

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I ❤ wool wigs!

Posted in fashion, studio life, tagged , , on March 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I have been doing all sorts of searches and combing through sites to try and find some sort of comparable wigs to the ones that I make. I haven’t found anything… well, I found a couple… but they aren’t really at all like the ones that I have been making. Originally I made a wig because I was invited to a Marie Antoinette birthday party… which didn’t end up being hosted, but in the process of trying to figure out what to wear I decided that I wanted a fabulous wig… I had a bag of wool roving that someone had given to me that was too nice to stuff toys with and I decided that people felted animals and all sorts of amazing things so why not shape a wig… I went and bought a beginner set of felting needles and set to work. I had no idea what I was doing but I started twisting and braiding and adding more and more layers until I had something that resembled the look that I was going for…

It has since turned into my passion. I now comb through paintings and archives looking for ideas for wigs… I used to watch movies for the costumes, now it is for the wigs… I have no idea what happened in Elizabeth: The Golden Age… but I sat on the edge of my seat because Cate Blanchett wore a different wig in every scene… what bliss! I recently met a wool felter who enlightened me on the way to integrate silk into my work… I am SO EXCITED! I have 5# of Tussah silk just waiting to be turned into something luxurious.

Here’s a couple of wool wigs that have turned up in searches done by myself and others… I love the multi colours and the sheer volume… but I am thankful to see these images after my own attempts as the styles are completely different… and often it’s enough to not know whether you can do something or not in order to make it happen ;)

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Reintroducing myself and the project… time to clarify.

Posted in studio life on March 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

You know when you are talking to someone and they make a comment that makes perfect sense to them but you are completely confused as to what they are referring to… the stream of consciousness in our own heads is rarely on the same page as someone else’s. I feel like I have been babbling away and only now just realizing that not everyone knows the context… I apologize if things are not always clear here at smalltownfrocks… let me explain.

Where to begin… hmm… I studied Fashion Design right out of high school. I grew up in the Kootenays but spent the last three years of high school in a logging town in Northern BC. I left the day after grad and moved to Vancouver. I have a degree in Fashion Merchandising as well as Fashion Design. I have worked in bridal since I was 17. I opened my first studio in Vancouver when I was 20. I left Vancouver for a year when I was 22 and lived and worked in London, UK. The majority of my career has been bridal focussed, but there has also been a fair amount of time working in costuming. I worked on several movies in Vancouver, as well as making costumes for exotic dancers, drag queens, and fetishists.

At 28, I was burned out of city life and moved to a remote mountain top in the interior of BC. I lived off grid for eight years. I moved back to the grid two years ago. I have two young daughters that I single parent. As a family we do have some safety concerns, which is why my address and phone number are not published on line anywhere. I am easy to contact through email and facebook. I do not have a brick and mortar store. I work from a studio in my home and sell on-line or in person after making the arrangements. Email me, I love doing custom work, in fact it is my specialty.

This particular project, smalltownfrocks, started off as me trying to regain my confidence and connect with the larger artistic community in the Kootenays. Initially, it was just a goal…make a dress, one a month for a year… it has sort of taken on a life of it’s own (and a website, and window displays, and an online shop, etc…) and I am still trying to smooth out lots of wrinkles, not get overbooked, spend time with my children, stay grounded… keep in mind I didn’t even have electricity a couple years ago, and I’ve only been online for just over a year… I am still at the bottom of a steep learning curve. I appreciate all the positive feedback, as well as the more critical. It keeps me challenged and learning and improving.

I am always happy to meet and work with fellow artisans and artists, if you have an idea or a project that you would like to collaborate on let me know! Plus, I am always on the lookout to add new products and ideas to the photo shoots… you have to contact me so that I know who you are, where your are and what fabulous thing it is that you do… The team at smalltownfrocks is easy going and committed to making it better and better… we would love your input and help. :)

I don’t know if this really helps or is necessary but it hopefully will clarify what is going on here and who and what we are doing… check out the talent page… there is some amazing talent! and we would love to add more…

xoL

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Tuesday Tutorial… fibre testing for wool

Posted in studio life, tutorial, tagged , , , on March 22, 2011 | 3 Comments »

I think it’s time for a little tutorial… so here we go.

smalltownfrocks is all about the reLove. I have always loved vintage and thrift store finds… and more often than not the labels are not attached or readable any more so it can be difficult to know what type of fibre something is made out of… there are a few simple ways to test.

Let’s start with something basic and handy… wool. Itchy is not always a good way to test, other than deciding if something is too itchy… there can often be blends. However, as we all know too well if you just chuck a wool sweater into the wash you will be left with a lovely piece of felted wool instead. Friction and temperature change is what makes wool felt. Acrylic or even some blends can be safely washed however… so how to tell the difference.

The burn test. Take a small snippet from the seam allowance or the end of yarn from a colour change. Hold it with a pair of tweezers (NOT your fingers!). Put a flame to the end and then pull it away. If it continues to burn after the flame is removed it is a synthetic.

Wool is self extinguishing, it will burn exposed to flame but will not continue to burn once the source is removed. This is why I stuff all of the toys that I make with wool. Naturally antimicrobial and flame resistant. The second clue is the smell of burning hair. Wool is a protein similar to your own hair and will smell as such when burnt. Synthetics will smell like burning plastic. A blend can smell like a combination of burning hair and plastic… yick.

The third and final clue that something is pure wool is that the bead that forms from the ash will crumble. Synthetics make a hard bead, think plastic. Wool will crumble like ash. Do not try to crumble the bead until you are sure that it is cool… it can stick and burn your skin if you grab it to soon.

So before you throw your latest treasure into the washing machine… check to see if it’s wool or not. If you end up with a felted mini sweater… send me an email… I could probably use it for a snuggly creation ;-)

Next week is testing for silk.

xoL

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Get in on the shameless self promotion… we are looking for submissions!

Posted in behind the scenes, fashion, studio life on March 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Gown #6 was photographed on the weekend and is now patiently waiting for it’s window premiere in two weeks…

Aside from the window finale that is happening next week… the attention in the workroom now turns to the next photo shoot in 4 weeks. This is going to be a change for the project in a couple of ways… it won’t be a monthly frock and it’s going to involve 5 models instead of 1. The talent is already busy planning out all the details… which leads me to todays post…

Small town frocks is looking for accessories and props from Kootenay artisans and businesses to showcase and use in the next photo shoot.

The main focus of this grouping is going to be corsets. We are in the process of booking a historic setting in Kaslo and the main theme is a ‘tea party’ which depending on weather could turn into a croquet match ;) We have had really positive feedback from other businesses that we’ve worked with in the past. Every item is listed with a link in the details page and an editorial post is also a potential if we are really pleased with your work or product :)

So what are we looking for:

~masks, stockings, legwarmers, armwarmers, cakes, pastries, a local tea would be amazing, organic flowers, jewellry, shoes, dishes, hats, fans, etc… This can be new or reLoved… this is just a brief list off the top of my head… I am open to all sorts of ideas and will style the shoot according to what amazing things we have to use… send me photos and info.Lara Blackman, Dressmaker

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