meretrix mehndi

Setting- Paying for newspapers at a market stand.

Guy: Hey, I like your mehndi.

Me: Thanks.

Guy: I tried it once. On my back.

Me: Cool.

Guy: It reminds me of what's-her-name... um... you know. Red hair. In the bible. Jesus's girlfriend.

Me: Mary Magdalene?

Guy: Yeah! You look like her.

Pattern Grading

Okay, some of you may have seen a weird version of this post, which I published accidentally. Sorry for the retcon ...

Anyway, Kate (who earlier had a question about Hawaiian dresses, which you all answered in record time), writes:

I recently acquired some AWESOME Vogue Special Designs dress patterns, but they are several sizes too small and about 10 inches too tiny for me in the bust/waist.

I am learning to redraft my own patterns, but in the meantime I would be happy to pay somebody for their expertise in resizing my small patterns into my size and tracing them onto pattern paper for use in my sewing room. Do you know of any companies or individuals who offer this type of service?

While I am in the mood to pay others to help with my sewing, are you aware of any companies that offer the service of cutting and marking patterns, then mailing the patters, fabric, and cut pieces back to the owner to complete the sewing?

I am so eager to sew that I am looking for shortcuts to speed up production time. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you.

I know nothing about grading but I found this nice post from Kathleen about grading machines. (I'm always in favor of more gadgets ...)

And this, from the Threads site, too.

And the pattern above? Is just an example of the kind of thing I'd grade if I could ...

Celebrate

It's that time of year again...fireworks, barbecues, flags waving, the 4th of July is here.
This year, instead of celebrating with just another red white and blue handbag, I thought why not focus on a moment of national pride?
Celebrating the American accomplishment of the first moon walk, this minaudiere from Kathrine Baumann is a miniature work of art.

The rear, which is the typical flag is a little been there seen that, but the front of the bag, a crystal mosaic of an astronaut on the moon's surface, with the flag waving in the background is pretty impressive. Even if it's not your thing (and honestly, other than maybe a rocket scientist, or space nut...suffice it to say, it;s a niche bag) the craftsmanship is impressive.
Now, say you are a space enthusiast, and you're thinking, "what a cute little novelty bag, I'll take 2..." you might want to check your bank account balance. This bag is a whopping $6250...but even astronauts can dream.
Available from Kathrine Baumann.

Prehnite: Misty and Romantic

Prehnite is one of those gemstones that no one has ever heard of until suddenly you start seeing it everywhere. Discovered in the 18th century in South Africa by a Colonel von Prehn, prehnite is usually a light green colour - a distinctive green not quite like any other although I have seen people confuse it with green tourmalinated quartz. It is also found in Namibia, Germany, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, India, Austria, and Canada as well as Scotland, Australia and France.
I like prehnite for its "misty" quality of green; some would say almost a milky quality although I disagree with that term. It does have black inclusions occasionally, but often these inclusions simply add to its beauty since the contrast with the pale green is quite beautiful. The prehnite bracelet above can be found on our Unique Gemstone Jewelry page, and the one below on the Unique Handmade Bracelets page. The prehnite bracelet above is simply two strands of prehnite blessed only with sterling silver for an accent, while the bracelet below also has the lovely lampwork beads of Suzette Celestin of Gaslite Lampwork. For those of you interested in the metaphysical aspects of gemstones, prehnite is best known for promoting lucid dreaming and is known as a protective gemstone with regenerative properties. It is also said to encourage energy flow through the body.
And here, because graduation is coming up, I've included a prayer box necklace with a difference: lampwork beads and genuine natural aquamarines. It's also loaded with sterling silver and would make a great graduation gift for a young girl who's special to you. Of course, the greatest part of the gift would probably be the prayer that you could write on a tiny piece of paper and put inside the prayer box so that it could accompany her on her journeys after graduation.

jewellery accessories jewelry fashion shopping braceletsbeads handmade beaded jewelry beading helmi gioielli smykker tak? juvelen lampwork beads The Jewelry Blog jewelry trends accessories jewelry prehnite unique bracelet handmade bracelet prayer box necklace

Up To My Neck

Sure, it might be summer time 'round these parts, but the hottest accessory right now is the scarf. What? Oh yes, dear readers, get ready to tie on one. But while every celebrity and her mother is wearing Sir Alistair Rai (yawn...so five months ago), the DCGF has rounded up the freshest, coolest scarves and wraps that will put you ahead of the fashion pack this season and beyond.

First up is Little Factory's laser-cut "Uppercase Scarf," at right. Look closely: the scarf is comprised of the letters of the alphabet. Get out!

The scarf comes in white or black, and also in "Numbers" and "Lowercase." Each measures 160cm by 10cm (or about 62" by 4") and are 100% microfiber suede. And with the lightweight, open design, they're perfect for hot weather.

Now don't get upset, but currently the Uppercase version is out of stock in both colors. I wanted you to see it, though, because it's my favorite of the three and I'm sure they'll have more very soon. I want, I want, I want!!

For a more colorful look, I like this Crocheted Beaded Silk Scarf from Manushi in Nepal. It's sold via Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade organization that supports the work of artisans around the world.

Manushi - meaning "energetic woman" - is a women's collective in Kathmandu that designs and creates products, in addition to aiding in entrepreneurship and skills training. Sound familiar?

This vibrant scarf is woven from recycled loom-end silk with beads on the fringe, so it's environmentally friendly, too. And no two are alike. I think this would look amazing with a crisp white linen dress for daytime, or a black tee and denim pencil skirt for evening. You don't even need to add any jewelry! It's such a statement piece. Oh, and it only costs $20. Perfect.

And finally, the highest-tech and most expensive of the bunch is also the most likely to provoke strangers to stare at you and little children to point. In other words, you have to be a committed fashionista to pull off this one.

Check out the Color Changing Scarf by Yasuyuki Machida, available from the MoMA online store! The polyvinylidene fibers change color when exposed to heat or cold, including changes in one's body temperature. This version in green changes to yellow and there's a gray one that turns white when it comes into contact with skin.

Kinda reminiscent of the Generra Hypercolor tees of old, right? Only way cooler. And at $110, it's certainly not cheap, but think of all the fun you'll have! The only question is, green or gray?




Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on eBay funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.

fringe factor

Lately, I've been inspired by fringe. I love the flossy feel of it, and in particular, I love to dance in it (many hours have been spent watching 1920s film footage and practising Charleston-esque moves!) In the past, I considered fringe to be reserved for cowboys on Appaloosa horses, as well as the women in my family who wear lovingly custom-designed chaps and jackets on their motorcycles. As with any type of decoration, I still think that fringe is most attractive in moderation (unless you're dancing to smoking hot jazz, when more is definitely more), but I hope to see a touch of show girl on the streets this summer. If you're looking for DIY inspiration, Svenja Specht's spring collection for Reality Studio was influenced by a trip to Morocco, and features fringed accessories (the head decorations above are my favourite). If you really want to make people's eyes pop, you may be interested in the Roxy tights by bebaroque - with the lauding of Susie Bubble and Queen Michelle, I'm sure to see some fringed legs in the UK this fall.

A little gratuitous fringe action to get you in the mood...

(pink tights photo by Saga)

Fare thee well, old friend.

Last Friday night was one of my best and oldest friend's going-away party. He leaves tomorrow for boot camp. :( Here's some photographic eye candy from the event.


My BFFL looking lovely in my clothes.


Ralph, declaring his undying love for his penis.


Brittney making an attempt to dodge my camera.


Randall and Ralph looking debonair in my accessories. (Ralph has a strange drunk eye.)


Kori and I got our revenge by gaffling some of Jose's hats. (Please disregard that I look creepy.)


A hat theif and a funny asian.

I like my friends.

Done & done.