Bridal Couture Collaboratin'

Today I will be finishing those 5 projects that I said I would be finishing yesterday. It seems that I get started on something and I get distracted. Perhaps its ADD. Perhaps it is just living in this harried modern lifestyle where everything seems to have to happen NOW and you have to make choices. Someone or something always gets put on the back burner unintentionally.

This has been a slow summer, business wise. Its still there. I'm not going down. But the world is living in fear right now and luxury items just are not on the top of every one's agenda at the moment. And for as hard as I try to keep my costs and prices down, the quality of what I make puts it in the realm of luxury item for many. If times were more affluent, you had better believe my prices would be way higher right now. And worth every penny. Ive seen whats out there. So get it while we are on the downside if you can! Seriously!

This week will be spent on finishing my part of the creation of Ariellah Affalo's wedding dress. Ive been in a collaboration with Christina of Black Lotus Clothing. We have been on buying trips together for fabrics and shuttling this dress back and forth while juggling Ariellahs' fittings. She has been out of the country or getting ready for all of her many projects - as well as preparing to get married in September! Oy! But I really enjoy working with Christina. She is super, super lovely! (And so is Ariellah! I adore her!)

But the whole wedding outfit is just gonna be gorgeous. It already is. I cant wait to see the wedding pictures!!!! As you can see in the above photo (yes she is wearing the Fluffie Rufflie Dance Pants!) she could wear a burlap bag and still be stunning, so you can see how excited I will be to see her wedding photos! And you had better believe that I will post those pics asap!!!

So there is that to finish up this week AND get some new merch. sewn up for Prepare For The Playa. I don't know how I'll get it done, but who needs sleep anyway!

Kc.cosumecouture@gmail.com

Corsetry Day Today

Its lazy hazy summer in San Francisco today. I didn't want to get out of bed this morning and neither did any of the pets. Usually someone is up and at em by now, but the roomie is off teaching somewhere for a FCBD General Skills week and I must have been using her a.m. schedule as my alarm clock!

Today is my designated corset making day. Molly just got a real job and wont be sewing for me any longer so we are doing corsetry 101 before she goes off to her new life. I have a Victorian style mock up to make - as well as a waist cincher and hopefully I can get going again on a Victorian for me.

I'll soon be posting on Craigslist for a part time production sewer. Just one offs - or small lots. I would like someone who can speak and understand English, and not just have good sewing skills, but can crank stuff out with good quality control. Home sewers need not apply unless you have had production training. I cant afford to teach anyone new tricks at this point! I would prefer this person to make a few things here so I can show just how I like things done and then they can take it home for piecework. If anyone knows of anyone in SF who would qualify, please let me know! This person must have at least an industrial straight stitch and serger.

I often get people offering to help me cut and sew, but its just not the same as home sewing. You actually have to know the tricks of the trade and know how to crank stuff out. You have to know how to cut and sew accurately and quickly. Ive had interns and I may do this again, but this would slow me down right now. So for all the good intentions - and Ive tried hiring friends and home sewers - no offense, but I cant afford the slowdown!

I'm actually wishing I could clone myself in a body that's much younger, but don't we all!



So corsetry day is upon me. I coffee stained the one in the picture because I wanted it pretty ratty looking and distressed. I added lots of lace and trim and pearls. I'll make a skirt to match and post it on etsy one of these days.

I made a lot of black Sampants and they sold out before I could post them up on etsy. So I went and got more fabric yesterday and will try to cut it all out at some point this week.

What I really need to do very, very soon is to have someone clean up the patterns that I have been using, grade them properly (or again), get them up to speed so that I can hand them and fabric over to a cutter and have this all done for me. I am about to that point now. Its either do this right or do something else because its just all too much for one person to juggle. And why have I not done this yet? Well, its always a case of being able to afford it.........it takes a lot of money to make a line of clothing.

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Its been slow in coming. but Im starting to post some new merch up on etsy!
For all you lovers of a good stripe, I have a very small run of striped Sampants. This is what I have left over from vending at the SF Mecca Bazaar. Since my studio is belly dance central half the time, sizes get snapped up before I can get them listed online. When that proverbial ship comes in, I'll be able to produce items more quickly and in greater number. But til then, its a series of limited items, small runs, and custom orders.

These are great for Burning Man by the way!

Happy August! It is starting to fly quickly by!

kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Prepare For The Playa

I dont know why this photo comes out blue when I upload it - but go here for the website!

Its time to start getting your playa groove on.........I'll be vending at Prepare For The Playa with Black Lotus Clothing on August 22nd!

I'll have more Sampants
Skirts
Tops - I'll have some tops this time - I promise!
Baby Bloomers
Hip wraps and scarves to keep the dust out!

Prepare For The Playa
Saturday, August 22nd
Artist Grotto and North Parking Lot
Sports Basement
1590 Bryant St. SF

Free Entry - so no excuses!!!!!

Hafla Tonight

I should have posted this a while ago, but I was just too busy to do much blogging til I took my much needed day off yesterday!

Gibson Pearl and Wendy Marlatt will be performing as well as many more, Im sure!

A Good Day Off

I took today off. Yes I did. I went to see the Richard Avedon Exhibit at SF MOMA. I didn't know I was going to see it - I just knew I was going to free day at the museum, so this was the icing on the cake!

And I saw the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit as well, but she doesn't float my boat like Richard does.

Sigh.

Then I went home and sewed sequins and buttons onto a shoulder bag, blogged, and made silly comments on facebook.

A good day off. I'll have another one day.........

kc.costumecouture.com

Dynamic Loveliness

Libby Bulloff took this lovely photo of Molly Mitchell (Deshret Dance Company) a while back. Its just gorgeous! Libby's art work can be found at her etsy store!

Molly is wearing a custom made gold knit jersey skirt based on the Rattie Tattie one that I produce. I made this skirt a little differently - longer and with more lace. It still scrunches up in three places for great draping effects! You can see her dancing in it at the Maker Fair below:



kc.costumecouture@gmail.com

Mecca Bazaar 2009

This woman was so cute. She modeled one of my lacie shrugs towards the end of the day. The whole afternoon was like this.....I think everyone had fun.......

I didn't know how the Mecca Bazaar was going to go today, seeing as I gave the world the wrong address. But everyone showed up and all the wonderful cutting edge usual suspects were vending and it made me happy to be among them! I heard the show was great last night and there is still more to come as this is an immersion - a week of intense workshops and classes and shopping - a perfect and unusual event for those who don't live here and cant have access to all the wonders of belly dance on a day to day basis that we take for granted.

I always love meeting those that have ordered from me or have contacted me in some way.
I especially love it when someone from far, far away comes all the way to San Francisco and buys something that I have made to take back home and wear. It feels like a part of me now lives in another country. This is so magical and romantic to me.

Today, I was amazed at how creative these wonderful women who dance are. They were taking my scarves and tying and wrapping and using them for everything but what I originally made them for! It reminded me of when I was a kid and took fabric and manipulated it to make myself into a princess or a frontier explorer, or a pirate.




Here is Deb Fink showing us how to wrap a scarf.........

Maybe now that we have to watch our pennies, our brains are churning ever harder and looking for more ways to make our dollars stretch. Why buy three skirts when you can buy one with three or four looks. Why buy a certain thing and wear it for one look, when you can take one thing and turn it into five looks. Its so much fun! Anyway, I noticed it more today than I usually have and I took note......

Thank you Lisa for being such a huge help!



kc.costumecouture@gmail.com