Printing Process

I start off my moustache dress by first cutting out my patterns piece by piece, then overlocking their sides with a serger to prevent them from fraying.

After I've all my pieces ready, I let them sit in a hot tea bath of my kitchen sink for half an hour or so.

Once they turn a beautiful blush, I wring them out and let them dry overnight.

I then press them the next morning.

I generally use our dining table for my printing work as it's the largest table in the house. It is also in the area with most light. I'm looking forward to the day where Jian and I get our own place, and I'll finally be able to set up a workroom of my own. It can get a bit disorientating when I don't have a fixed working space, but I manage.

The mos are printed on with fabric paint, with a little stamp I've made out of linoleum and cork. 

One can honestly make and create many a thing with just a bit of ingenuity.

The printing goes on throughout all my pieces.

Once completed, they go back to the iron to get sealed in after being let air-dried.

Lights, at this stage of the process, normally sits and watch me work.

Then, voila! 

My pieces are now all printed and ready for sewing.

My Cat Colleague

If you were to ask me what's the most difficult thing to deal with working from home, I will swiftly say without a doubt -
My cat colleague.

Lights is a downright meanie when she wants to be.
She's so moody and her behaviour's just unpredictable!
One minute, she's the sweetest most affectionate little thing.
The next, she runs over to you from all the way across the living room, and nips you at your ankle over absolutely nothing!
Everything is one big game with her.

I bring out fabric to work on the floor, 

Lights thinks: TIME FOR SOME TUNNELING!

I bring out my sewers pins

Lights thinks: TREATIES!!

 

I leave my measuring tape on the floor

Lights goes at it viciously like it's a snake

I mean, I'm glad she enjoys being around me when I work, but seriously!

In between having to stop work half-way cutting up my patterns and chasing Lights around with a spray, catching then scruffing & disciplining her,
my cat colleague cuts my work efficiency by half.

Packaging

Finished up an order for a galaxy dress tonight:

Along with a pair of gold multi-faceted earrings:

 

Felt like I haven't put in much effort in my past packages and so, decided to act.

 

I've also churned up some home-made stickers to act as seals:

 

& tomorrow, they all go to post! 

Which, is my favourite bit :) 

It's a strange feeling. My work getting to go to different parts of the world I've never been.

It's almost a moral crime. Sounds silly, but I'm a little bit jealous of these packages for their travels.

Holographic Gates

Doing up an order of my galaxy dress, and resist-dyeing is such a reward.

It's effect is always beyond my imagination.
Dress is a lot darker as I left it to cure a good 5 hours longer.

One last step before the dress is ready to be packaged and shipped to its owner.

Also, Lights has fully recovered from getting spayed.

I thought by maybe stabilising her hormones she'd be less crazier a cat.

But no. She's still as eccentric as ever.

YAY

Terribly exciting stuff!

Yana got her moustache dress in the mail and, ooh!

She looks just adorable ♥

100 Likes

I knew I wanted to do something for the extraordinary day that my FB page receives a hundred likes.

Something fun and engaging, to say thank you, that hopefully rewards my supporters as well :)

Click here to participate!

Multi-Faceted Ear Studs

Have been dreaming about conjuring these up for a while.

I just love its versatility! Whatever you have on, it simply goes with!

Most definitely, my favourite jewellery I've made yet.

Available here :)

Custom Moustache Dress

Last week, I worked on this little number.

A sleeved moustache dress, with a longer back skirting.

The girl really wanted some puff sleeves, which I obliged.

Had a really fun time making this dress for her :)

Still waiting for pictures of her in the dress, but I'm so glad she's pleased with it

This week I'm working on something else. Here's a sneak peek!

Artwork-separation Anxiety

Amongst all the things I've sold and sent away in packages, this is the first one that leaves me slightly panicky.

It might be because, I've put in more work in this compared to my other products.

It might be too, that it's the first dress I've sold.

It's like a part of me belongs with it, and now I have to ship it away.

A proud and uncertain moment, like sending your child off to school for the first time, praying all the while that he'll have a good time at it. Only in my context, the mail man and external uncontrollable factors, such as the trip, will be pleasant to my package.

Bittersweet and unnerving is all I can describe for it.

Yet, I've gotten other things to look forward to, like making another custom modress with some kind of sleeves this time!

Splendour of the Heavenly Bodies

Been working at making a new dress for the shop and creating a pair of shoes for a friend:

Galaxy Dress
(click to see more here)

Cosmic Space Shoes

Lots of fun to do :) 

I just love the results of tie-dye. You never can quite expect what you will get, and that's the exhilarating bit.
Tie-dyeing, for me, teaches patience and reminds me of how I don't quite hold the reins.
Yet everything, in foresight and insight, is beautiful in its entirety.

:
:

Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker -- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'
Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?'

+

Also, major success with the porcelain rings!
Each has found a loving owner :)

Moustache Dress

It took a while, but I've finally put my moustache dress up on Etsy!

 

Dress should fit a UK 8-10.
Not doing open orders as of yet. Maybe, in a while more  :)