Crochet triangle scarf

I tripped over this pattern once again on Pinterest... I'm really starting to sound like a broken record! The original seemed to be a basic double crochet skipping 2, with a modified "spider web lace" around the edge.

This has got to be my favourite crochet piece so far. At least until I find a new scarf pattern ;)

Crochet Flowers

I'm loving the look of these crochet flowers, also inspired by something pinned on Pinterest...  I've tried it out with a variety of types of yarn, and I find something of a mohair or fuzzy finish gives it the right look.  Fairly simple to make, finished with a nice button and a pin on the back and you've got a great add on to a jacket, sweater or hat...

Baby Hat and Booties

This is my 1st attempt at making something like baby booties, and I must say it turned out fabulously...  

I made them for the son of the photographer I've worked with for well over 5 years now. I knew exactly what to reach for when I heard that they were having a boy!  She was kind enough to post a photo of my handy work on our little model.

I used the following site as a guide for hat sizing: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/size-chart.html

And did my best to mimic the following for the baby shoes: http://liscrafts.com/2009/01/little-button-loafers/

Puff Stitch Hat

My new hat was inspired by an internet search last week looking for a few cute slouchy hats... There will be quite a few posts over the next few weeks as I run through a few of the designs that I found!

The puff stitch is a super easy and warm stitch in crochet. If you are wanting to learn more about the puff stitch check out this youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8lLMHpt1Sw

It is just a coincidence that I made it with almost the same colour grey! I also only pulled the loops through three times rather than the 9 that she seems to use. I think that is almost too much puff in most cases and gives the hat a softer more floppy final look.

It is quite an easy pattern:

- chain 6 and complete the loop

- row 2: chain 2 and then double crochet 3 times into each of the 6 loops

- row 3: chain 2 then puff stitch + Chain 1 for each of the 18 holes

- row 4: chain 2 then puff stitch through the the gap by created by the single chain between puff stitches. on every third gap, add two puffs in order to size up.

- row 5: chain 2 then puff stitch through each gap.

- row 6 & 8: see row 4

- row 7, 9-16: see row 5

- row 17-21: single crochet for brim

Chunky Crochet Throw Blanket

Last week Michael's had my attention with a yarn sale with some of the chunkiest softest yarn on sale for more than 50% off...

I have been meaning to make my self a throw blanket for quite some time, and at $3 a ball of yarn I could hardly say no... The blanket was made with a 9.00mm hook using 12 balls of "Charisma" by Loops & Threads yarn, and was split to 3 balls of Taupe and 9 Off White. Certainly use whatever colour combination you wish!

The final product lays 66" long and 53 inches wide, however at this length the yarn would make it just under 4 rows, my suggestion would be to shorten it by one chevron (or 10 inches) and this will allow for a bit less waste and could bring your waste down a fair bit.

Counting in multiples of 20 count out your 1st row - single chain up to approximately 56"

Add two at the end of your 1st row, and double chain starting in the second last hole for a count of 9. In the 10th hole double chain three times.

Continue in the next hole, and double chain for 7 more. In the 19th hole and 21st hole do the 1st loop of a double chain and then pull through all three to reduce holes 9-11 to one loop for the 2nd row.

This is a quick video on the Chevron stitch I found on youtube. In his video you will see how he does the reduction taking two double crochet and bringing them together. I wanted a more angular finish, so you may note the difference is that I skip a hole in between.

And for an amazing set of written and photo instructions check out this blogger from Attic 24 and her "neat ripple pattern" for crochet.

Zebrassieres - "Lone Fish" P. Trash Records

I recently had the pleasure to work on a music video directed by the very talented Luca Fiore of Valkaline the video is for the song "Lone Fish" by the New Wave/Old School Punk band who have called themselves Zebrassieres.

The tune is short and sweet, and the visuals and story line was described quite well in a Youtube comment as being just like a Twilight Zone Episode.

I helped out to source the whiteout contacts, and made our already lean and mean robot looks more fair and plastic like.

Enjoy the video!

http://www.facebook.com/zebrassieres

Crochet Slouchy Shrug

I figured its been long enough that I've been making these little projects that it was time to tackle something more extensive... This fab lace shrug absolutely fits the bill. Made from a lovely spruce green Alpaca Wool, its cozy and fashionable which is just my style!

Modeled after a shrug I saw out shopping one day, this is quite simply one large rectangle with the flat sides attached to make a hole for the sleeves, I added a short trim on the sleeve and a crochet ribbing to finish the collar and essentially 4 balls of wool later this is what I've got!

You could choose any pattern to make this, the key is to make the width measure from just after your elbows across your back so it can hang and drape nicely.

I'm most definitely making another. Love this pattern!

Cozy eReader

I have been crocheting up a storm lately, this is the latest and greatest project...

After checking out the $30 and $40 prices for a case for my Kobo at Chapters, I figured that I could make my own in about an hour. This way I could have something cute and more my style if I made it myself.

So here it is, a Crochet Kobo-Cozy made VERY simply with an H sized hook and some Lighter weight yarn. This can easily be modified to fit other sizes of eReader or tablet...

- Chain 54 and then connected at the end into a loop.

- Then double crochet for 12 rows.

- Connected the end and then finished the open edge with a contrasting colour which was also used for the circle on the side there.

- Key to finishing the edge with an off set button is to start in line with where you would like the button to be.

- When you get to the end to finish, you can chain out 20 or so to make the loop for the button.

- Decorate it with crochet or felt pattern :)

Super easy project, and really rather cute. Enjoy!

Autumn is around the corner...

Well, I decided it was time to level up from making hats and scarves and try to make something that was a little more extensive. I had my 1st try at making a shrug which turned out wonderfully however it is a bit on the small side.

After looking at a few versions of these online I figured it out and eventually came up with these (basic) instructions.

Making a cropped sleeve Shrug:

Measuring across your back from elbow to elbow then add about 4 inches for extra give.

Starting with a G hook loop 10 to create the "cuff"

Continue with an L hook for the remaining length minus 2 inches

and Finish with the G hook for 10 to create the opposite cuff.

Using a single crochet technique called Crochet Ribbing you will repeat until you have enough width to wrap the cuff fully around your elbow. (for me this was 34 rows, and I wear a US Medium)

You will use single crochet to finish the sleeves and combine the 10 G sized loops plus 25 of the L loops

For the body you will start to add more ribbing rows with your L hook however each time you reach the end you will take an extra loop past the end and up the top portion to help make the sides. I did this for 20 more rows.

Finally in a continuous circle using the G all around the body opening, single crochet the collar, I sized up on this every 3 rows every 4 spaces so that it would be able to lay flat along the neck, but there are many ways you may choose to do this, with ruffles you can size up really quickly, or create something more open and lace that has more stretch and give.

The newest project has been the Crochet Cowl...

A SUPER easy to do project that looks chic and is super versatile took a super sized crochet hook, and 2 balls of super knobbly and soft yarn and really only an afternoon to do.

Using a Q or an S hook, chain about 24 - 30 depending on whether you have a long torso or not. Then using the same ribbing technique hook your way those two balls of yarn.

Once you reach the, you will flip the end to meet the starting row so that there is a permanent twist in one side of your cowl and attach with single crochet. (Mobius Strip)

Any ways a lot of fun and super wearable.... I'm already on to my 3rd Cowl! I wonder what to figure out next :)

Crafty Ideas - DIY Dress Form

Since my crochet binge started I've been finding it would be more and more useful to have a dress form to try things on to see how they fit, or how much needs to be added or taken away... so crafty friend of mine Raliat came over to help me make one!

What you need:

a good friend that can help tape you up!
3 Rolls of Duct tape - I went to Michael's and bought some dark red
1 Garbage Bag
2 super soft Pillows (Ikea Budget Pillows work well)

1 pair of Scissors you don't mind getting sticky!

- Start off by cutting slits in the garbage bag for

your head and arms to go through.

- We pinned the bag to my pants to keep it from slipping all over the place.

- We started at my hips and worked our way up covering my entire torso with 2 layers of tape.

- Taking the scissors we carefully made a cut up along the spine.

- Carefully tape the spine back together and stuff the form with the two pillows.

- Carefully refinish the surface with the 3rd roll of tape to give even lines front and back

- Finish the seams down the sides to hide the remaining edges.

And Voila!

Peaches and Cream

I learned how to Crochet when I was pretty young. My mother taught me so that I could make outfits for my dolls.

We'd make little skirts, or a sweater with some sleeves... all sorts of little outfits came out of looping together a bit of yarn and a little hook.

I love making things, there is something satisfying about being able to see something and knowing how to make it.

Oddly, I've never learned how to follow a crochet pattern, when I read the pattern no visual comes to mind, so unless I can see the item or get a photo of it, I really have no idea what I'm making when following a pattern.

I figured I'd show off a few of the things I've made in the last little while after a conversation I had with Anne Hopkins at the Clothing Show and a GF and Model friend of mine Raliat who are both avid crochet and knitters...

The 1st image is a hat I made a couple weekends ago at the cottage. A loose and open summer style tam for those days where my hair just should not see the light...

To the right is a all cotton shower scrubby... with a popcorn finish to one side for a more scrub like feel. And a loop at the top to hang in my shower.

I started this pretty little scarf last summer and ended up just having so much going on that it dragged on for what seems like months.

It was a design I tripped over while searching online for light weight scarves for this beautiful yarn I found and it was definitely worth the wait. the beads were all strung onto the yarn in advance and pulled into the pattern as I went along. So I have no worries about whether or not they will come untied. If those beads fall off then the whole scarf is done for.

I have a few projects on the go for this summer, one being a light weight shrug that I am praying looks as beautiful as the one I scouted out on Etsy. Probably one of the most beautiful collection of shawls, shrugs and caplets I've ever seen is from Sweet Knitting from Turkey.

The Clothing Show Fashion Show Video!

Thank you very much to Luca from Valkaline for putting together this fantastic video clip from the footage we took at the end of the runway for the Clothing Show's Fashion Shows this Spring... nicely cut with some of the awesome photos from our show photographer Lou E.

Poll Results

Which of the following accessories do you own the most?

Shoes: 50%

Scarves: 33%

Necklaces: 16%

----

I must admit the results from this poll really surprised me... I would never have imagined Scarves would have outdone something like Handbags!

Behind the Scenes; Photo Shoots Mom&Baby Style

I just tripped over this great post on Modern Family Magazine with some behind the scenes footage from a fun little shoot I worked on!

Modern Family Magazine

The General Studio

Renee Morra

Heather Farmer

Clothing Show Fashion Show May 2011

All photography for this article by: Lou E Photo

The Spring 2011 edition of the Clothing Show's Fashion Shows was definitely a fun and energetic bunch people to work with. From the fantastic models that came to volunteer from all corners of the city (and beyond), to the makeup and hair teams that put in long hours on their feet to make sure every model look just fab. And finally the hard working team of dressers that did an amazing job at helping each and every model get out on the runway looking just smashing.

We had an extra 'set' this year making it a total of 24 designers... which made for a longer show and far more garments heading down the runway. Be sure to check at the end of the blog for the full list of designers that participated.

There were a few pieces that I really enjoyed this spring that went down the runway...

Anne Hopkins - The Wedding Dress

This was quite the show piece that went down the runway as the finale for Anne Hopkins' set. Not only was it really beautiful, it was all recycled from various sources... white pants, beads, maybe even some sheets were in there. It all came together as a stunning piece that really got a great response from the crowd.

Le Grana - Little Black Dress

This collection was all very wearable evening wear. Stylish and comfortable don't usually get to be uttered in the same phrase when talking about fashion. However Le Grana really got it nailed in this great collection of feminine, classy dresses that the girls not only looked great in, but felt it too!

Diane Kroe - Convertible Dress

This amazing dress can be worn what seems like a million different ways. New to me this year is the ability to gather and add layers along the hem/fringe of the dress!

So not only can you take the same dress and give it a new neck line, or change it into a skirt. Now you can give it more volume, or make it asymmetrical and textured. As always a lovely set of looks went down the runway, and I thought this image really showed the new gathering at the bottom quite nicely.

Mahlet Designs - 2 piece Dress

New on our runway this year is Mahlet Designs from Toronto. A lovely collection of knit wear and unique hand made pieces. The dress shown was particularly interesting to me because it is a combination of two pieces. The Black and the Grey which layer to make the dress. I found this unique because depending upon your mood you could be in a mostly Black dress or a mostly Grey one... It wears very comfortably and has a natural drape to it that makes it also quite elegant.

Glyfada Dress Designs - Lavender Knit Pocket Dress

This lovely piece was a beautiful knit dress that stood out to me almost immediately! The adorable front pockets, and lovely flower sewn up the one shoulder, are cute additions. But it was the unique pattern that gave it a beautiful draping along the hem line that really caught my attention. It is really a design that would look great on any body shape, and its light fun style makes it a great pick for summer.

I would like to give a special thanks to Deidre Tremblay, Catherine Huizenga, and Aisha Chacha for helping me out this last weekend, with out each of you, there is no way the show would have gone as smoothly as it did. Thanks so much to EVERYBODY, I really look forward to seeing what designs we will have on the runway this September!

The full list of designers from the show were:

Set A

Kaych

Anne Hopkins

Meshia's Closet

Flights of Fancy

DiLLy DaiSy

Lift Unlimited

Set B

LouLou Beads

With Love Lingerie

Diane Kroe

Sweetie Box Studios

Copious Couture

Inna

Evoka Design

Le Grana

Set C

Rose Purna

The Fairies Pyjamas

Mahlet Designs

Hey ! Vee

Set D

MiriArt Designs

HartBoutique

Anywhere But Here

Glyfada Dress Design

Poll Results

What colour other than black do you have in your closet the most?

Red - 60%

Green - 20%

Grey - 20%

Fashion Show Pre-Show

This will be my 3rd season involved with The Clothing Show behind the scenes as Runway Director. It is a pretty busy gig that starts off as gentle rumbles and ends up in a whirlwind for the three days during the show.

It is a tremendous undertaking doing all of the planning in order to put together a successful show. And because of the indie nature of the event, there isn't a tonne of cash flowing in order to just bring in the best from all corners to make it a flashy performance. So it takes careful thought to put something clean and simple together that not only looks the part, but gives everyone what they are looking for.

For the most part the cast and crew are volunteers, frequently from colleges and agencies, where this event is treated as a stepping stone for newer models, or a way to get hours for their program for the students. All in all, it is the experience that brings people in, but it is also the chance to network, meet new people and hopefully make some useful working connections.

Last weekend were the auditions for the models in the fashion show. We had a great turn out of around 55 models and we are seeking somewhere in the neighbourhood of 25. So between the models that have come out to meet us for the 1st time, plus a couple from last show that have indicated they would like to come back, I think that we are in some excellent shape for some lovely new and likely some still undiscovered talent to walk down our runway!

All in all, it takes a small army of volunteers to put on our 2 hour show: Models, Designers, Dressers, Makeup artists, Hair Dressers, Stage design and set up, managing crew... all in all it works out to nearly 85 people in the team both back stage an in the show.

The last two weeks leading up to the show is spent picking models, sorting designs, scheduling the weekend and communicating back and forth to all of those working for us at the show, and then of course reporting everything back to Bonnie and Clayton the owners of the whole weekend event "The Clothing Show"

Photo 1: Raymond Chow, Photo 2+3: Yuli Mitsner

Leather, Lampshades and Lipgloss...

"Hello World"

... It just seems to be an appropriate start to a new venture into this blogosphere as I kick off my new fashion, beauty and design blog. I will likely drift back and forth between the three, but really, fashion is beauty and design (in my mind anyways)

So who am I? I am a makeup artist, small business management professor, fashion show producer, interior design lover, bargain hunter, and hobbiest at sewing and crochet.

Born in Montreal, grew up just outside Toronto and living in Ottawa, I travel a lot, because it keeps both my art and my edge sharp and always on my game.

The idea for the Blog came about because I am always snapping pictures of all the things that I find for putting my modest little townhouse together in my attempts to make it fashionable and modern. My living room was recently photographed for Design Source Magazine in Ottawa. The issue is coming up this summer and I'm really quite excited to see the professional pictures... [twitter - DesignSourceOtt]

These are just a couple snapshots I've taken on my space, I'm loving the midcentury Modern look, and have been getting some great modern pieces as well as some amazing vintage finds from my mom!

I have been working in makeup for 18 years, having started with David Little back in Toronto 1993 while doing makeup for actors headshots. It was a great start, and frankly I still find my main focus as touching people up and making them into the perfected version of them selves rather than really being into crazy and wild transformations.

Currently I work freelance on a variety of projects including producing the fashion shows for The Clothing Show, makeup for videos with Parktown Productions and glamour makeovers for Bella Stella Photography. I also teach makeup at Models International Management as well as am represented by them here in Ottawa.

Because of all of what I get to see at the shows I attend, and the inspirations for shoots that I work on, it would be fair to say that I have gained quite a love for clothes and accessories. I find my self gravitating towards unique pieces that are a bit lesser known or where I can say I know who it was that made or designed that piece. I have to admit that I have more of a love for the Glyphics Corset Belt that I bought knowing the fantastic gal Steph that made it her self, over several other mall bought purchases. Or the awesome jacket from Plastik Wrap that Ryan literally picked off the mannequin and said try this one, it is exactly your size.

When I had considered starting a blog, I was going to call it 101 Black Outfits... mostly making fun of the fact that not only do I wear a stupid amount of black, but its also the colour I need to wear when I would go in to Sephora, Shoppers or Murale to do makeup for special events...

I will spare you all the weekly narcissism, but I can't promise it won't ever happen ;)

Photos: Portrait 1 - Mike Geiger; Living Room - ME; Makeup - Yuli Mitsner, Portrait 2 - Nicole Simone.