fits waist of 27″ to 31″ and will be available for sale at: Trunk 544 Haight Street at Fillmore
Posts Tagged ‘reconstruct’
faux corset made from neckties!
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010new burgundy waffle back vest
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
one of my favorite vending opportunities this past year was the 2009 Holiday Gifty Show at the Crucible in Oakland. it was my first show that i did alone (my man was sick) and it forced me to entertain myself more than usual. i ended up meeting all kinds of wonderful vendors and customers. everyone was so enthusiastic about the waffle back vests that i actually sold out of them and took three special orders for more! here is the one i made for Nieves on a trade for some of her wonderful bodycare items.
this week in sewing:
Friday, January 22nd, 2010how many pin cushions is too many pin cushions?
i bleed for my art!
i finally got the right dress form and started Nieves’s custom vest:
i made this necklace from thrift store chains and an antique key from England. it is available for sale at Trunk, 544 Haight St. San Francisco, CA
i made this necklace from thrift store chain and two antique keys from England. it is available for sale at Trunk, 544 Haight St. San Francisco, CA
if you’d like to donate neckties, old jewelry, or fabric to me, please email me at: [email protected]
the proud new owner…
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009of my latest racer back vest made from neckties! it fits her as if i made it with her in mind. i love it when that happens! 
reduce, reuse, recycle!
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
wow, the last three weeks have been insane for me! i worked sew hard to prepare for the Divisadero Art Walk that i didn’t really have time to think of anything else. the Art Walk was a huge success. i had such a great night and i owe it all to my boyfriend for helping me set up, the wonderful strangers who expressed their interest in my work, and my wonderful friends who showed up, bought stuff, and hung around all night. i am truly blessed.
during my mad dash to complete everything, i managed to knock out a couple of vests made from neckties. everyone seems to be excited about them and i have two stores waiting for me to create more to leave with them. they’ve been labeled “perfect for burningman”. i’m really excited about them to, i think they look awesome and i would wear them on and off the playa!
the first vest i made is a women’s size small (or size 4). i had a momentary lapse of reason when i decided to patchwork all the pieces together to make the yardage before cutting out the pieces. i say this because i used a different stitch for every piece and it took me 12 hours to complete the vest from start to finish! 
i plowed through five bobbins which really translates to ten bobbins worth of thread (top and bottom thread). i don’t know how much thread that really equates to but i’ve never used sew much on one garment before. which is funny because the garment is relatively small. it definitely looks incredible and now i know what my machine is capable of, that’s for sure. i know, i’m a nut. i don’t think i’ll use that method again in the future because it’s way too labor intensive. too bad it doesn’t fit me (i’m an extra small) cuz if it did, i’d wear it to death…if you happen to be a size 4 or size small, you can purchase the vest here.
after spending sew much time on that garment, i decided that there’s got to be an easier way to construct them, but have it look just as amazing. the second vest i made is a men’s size medium. i used a total of 16 ties and the pieces i chose were much bigger this time. 
i also decided to use only two stitches: a feather stitch to quilt the ties together and a fun, criss cross in the shape of a boxy X to go around all of the edges. well, three if you count the serged seams during construction. it turned out fantastic! i couldn’t be more pleased with how it looks. i lost track of time but i’m guessing that this garment took somewhere between three and five hours to construct from start to finish. that is waaaaaaay better than 12 hours! i think i can now streamline the process and get it done in three hours tops. this one’s not for sale yet, i’m using it as a show piece to sell the stores on my idea. but, i will be working on a men’s size large next, and they will be available for sale shortly thereafter sew stay tuned!
versatility
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
i love the versatility of this collar! as you may have seen it in the previous post, it wears much like a shirt collar. or you can wear it upside down, as pictured here. i can’t stop wearing this thing! i’m sure i’m gonna wear it out in a month, it’s my favorite accessory right now. lucky for me (and possibly you!) i made 15 more today, i just need to set the snaps and line up a photo shoot. busy busy busy!
not your grandfathers neckties!
Friday, May 1st, 2009
here are my latest renditions of wearable tie art. i’ve created three different necklaces: one is a collar, one is a choker, and one is a mini tie of sorts that can be worn two ways. the collar behaves much like a shirt collar except it’s far more fashionable and fun to wear. two vintage neckties are used here, one of them folded down over the other. the top tie is a pink and blue paisley with a light brown background while the bottom tie is a gunmetal silver with a stitched pattern on it. 
the stitch work that holds them together is an heirloom stitch that i like to call the chicken foot stitch, due to it’s shape. on one side the thread shows as a sparkly blue and, on the other side it’s a silky burgundy. a shiny, silver snap holds this collar firmly in place. the choker is made of one vintage necktie and is held together by a shiny silver snap. 
the pattern on the tie is a blue background with beige and cream outlining repeating circles. the chain holding the key is a scrap that i got from a key chain that was on it’s way to the dump…the key is an authentic antique called a “Saturn” or “Flying Saucer” design that came from England 30 years ago and is estimated to be from the 18th, 19th, or 20th Century. all i know is that it’s a really fun shape and kinda rusty…the third necklace wears a bit like an unaltered tie would, except that it snaps together in the front.
it is made from one shiny silver vintage tie and the pattern is of diagonal stripes of different colors and patterns. it can be snapped in two places, thus changing the look. i enjoy each one for different reasons and the only drawback is that i can’t wear them all at once!
these one’s are for me but i’ll be offering them to you very soon!
if you want to see more, click on any of the photos.
i love sock pockets!
Friday, April 24th, 2009
i have a firm belief that within every outfit i wear, there should be at least one pocket! even if it’s in my socks. during the recent heat wave, i didn’t really feel up for sewing but i managed to crank out these two different styles of pockets. for the black pocket, i used black and white felt with silver thread. i free handed the skull and cross bones, cut it out, glued it to the felt, then hand sewed it down with a metallic black/silver thread. in doing sew, i created the outline of the teeth. 
it is the perfect size for business cards, credit cards and a drivers license. perfect for when you’re out clubbing or hooping but don’t have any pockets. you can slip this slender pocket into your boot or sock to hold a few necessities. pretty cute! the black and red pocket is made from the wider end of a necktie. the funny thing about neckties is that they are by no means exact. the point isn’t exactly in the middle like you would expect. 
but not to worry, when used for a pocket it gives the finished product more personality and a true one-of-a-kind look. to make this pocket, i serged the raw end of the tie together and folded it into the inside before sewing all around the edges with a sparkly silver thread. then i added a snap to make it secure.
looks pretty good i think. this pocket is slightly bigger than the other and can easily hold a house key, id, credit cards, and money all at the same time. maybe even more. it also fits into my sock or boot and works well as a change holder in my purse. i could make a longer tie pocket and use it for an iphone or ipod cover. the possibilities seem endless. who wouldn’t love a cute homemade pocket that is also keeping an old necktie from ending up in a landfill? i love upcycling, everyone wins.
more = better
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
Originally uploaded by evilbendy13
i couldn’t decide which one to wear, sew i’m wearing all three. i really like the way they all look together, even if they don’t match. they add a really fun element to any outfit!
