What the what?!?- Nipple Fashion Design

So I recently gandered at Remake it: Clothes which I was bought for christmas and stumbled upon Nippleocalpse by Rachel Freire.

Rachel Freire makes couture from meat and leather by-products- as you do.  Her Nippleocalpse collection is made from cow nipples.   The nipples are collected from waste in an ethically operated tannery (I'm quoted the book here, ethically operated tannery sounds like an oxymoron to me).  She made two dresses and used around 3000 nipple 'petals'.

 

 

So this dress was controversial and what not but as the designer said it is the same basic materials as what makes your shoes and handbags normally.   If it was human nipples (as I initially thought it was for a brief second of insanity that I assume everyone else also experienced) I would understand . I wouldn't chose to wear myself but that's because it clearly the most unwearable dress in the world- it's underwear, a train, and a really tall hat.  I mean what event would you be going to?  Thoughts?  Comments? Suggestions?

How to turn a jumper into a cardigan (it's super easy!)

I've been on the look out for a new black cardigan for work for a while now.   The one I have is fine but boring and I've had it for years and I'm bored of it.  But I need something reasonably priced in plain black but I don't want another boring black cardigan to match the one I already have.

At the same time I have a black jumper that I bought cheap in the sale (£2.99 I believe) that I like because it has funny wing things on the shoulders but because it is plain black I never wear it as it doesn't really go with any outfits.  Jumpers are hard to fit into an ensemble I find.

The solution was so obvious it's only taken me a year to think of it; turn my jumper into a cardigan I can wear at work.

Step one: Lay the jumper down flat and find the center and mark a line.

Step two: cut down the center line.

Step three: Attach bias binding* (I used the satiny kind, and it took a whole meter for one cardigan, and I am 5ft7") to the newly cut raw edges, and sew it in place.











Step four: Measure where you want the buttons to go- I used 6 and space the about 7cm apart, and mark this on both sides of the old center line.

Step five: On one side sew the buttons and on the other cut button holes.  I have yet to fathom the button hole stitch on my sewing machine so I cheated.  I cut the holes and then used a match to finish off the edges of the holes.  The match melts the threads to stop them fraying.  Time will tell how well this works!

Step six: sit back and marvel at your finish product.

Before

After

I also did an old purple jumper that I never wear, but I decided not to add buttons to it.  I generally don't like cardigans that don't fasten so I may in the future add another type of fastening to it.

*Bias Binding?  It is a strip of fabric usually in cotton or satin that is cut on the bias- that means at a 90 degree angle, which allows it to stretch and therefore go around curves like arm holes or neck lines.  The edges are already folded over to give you a neat finish and you simple fold it over a raw edge and sew in place.

White Shirt

I bought this white top from a vintage fair for £2.  I liked that it was big and boxy but then I never wore it because it is big and boxy.  So I took it in at the side seams- too small twice, but now it fits.

Upcycled Shirt Top

Upcycling!  Yay!
I left my old job with a few of their shirts (I don't know if I was supposed to hand them back in, no one told me to and really who would want used shirts).  So I've used some as linings for things, but for this I used the top of one of the shirts in a top.  I liked the idea of being able to see that it used to be another shirt.
I've said shirt too much.
I cut the top of the work shirt just under the arms, and attached some pink jersey.  The jersey wasn't long enough on its own, but it was twice as wide as I needed. So I cut off the excess and added it as a frill/peplum.  It now looks like a super short pink tennis dress. 

 

Update

Well I don't know that I'm lacking from inspiration, I tend to have too many ideas rather than not enough.  Although few of them actually go anywhere and I rarely have the motivation to plan them out so I can get the proper bits and pieces.  So that's it I lack motivation- except I want to make stuff, I enjoy it and feel pleased when I've achieved something.  I lack a decent amount of sewing shops that's for certain.  And that's not my fault, but this city was built on capitalism not make do and mend, or rock and roll for that matter.

There's been a few projects I've attempted that have used up my time and resources and frustrated me intensely as I can't do anything with the finished project.  I should organise better.
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Minerva Dupine: Steampunk Softie

Boyfriend bought me 'Steampunk Softies: Scientifically minded dolls from a past that never was' for christmas and I've finally managed to finish one.  They are super cute and the instructions were fairly straight forward- the most challenging part was collecting all the bits and pieces needed, I chose the simplest one and it still cost me £35 for the all the stuff.  I had to get a lot online, and I had to buy packs of 100 when I only needed one or two of some things.

Anyway, I did Minerva Dupine a detective.  'In her neat practical dress, and wielding an immense magnifying glass with an outsize dose of savior faire, Minerva Dupine is always in demand.

Not exactly like the one in the book- mine has something of a slightly scruffier edge but I'm still pleased with her.  Not sure where she's going to live, or who Ill make next!