When In Doubt Wear Purple

Batiks in Bloom

2012-03-07T16:09:00.003-08:00

I used to work in a fabric warehouse that sold mostly quilting fabrics and notions. Quilting never really was something that struck my interest, at least not in the same way sewing and designing clothes did. I was limited on what I could buy, to makes clothes with, while working there since not many fabrics stretched and I love fabrics that are comfortable. I did however fall in love with Batiks. These beautiful dipped dyed fabrics that I got to see come right off the 10,000 yard rolls into my department to be made into sample swatch kits. I knew I wanted to work with Batiks more. Their feel, weight, designs, colors, everything about them was appealing.

Fast forward about 8 years later, I was shopping in Fabric Depot and I saw a Batik that caught my eye. The colors and patterns reminded of me a city scape at dusk. I wanted it right then and there only to find out it's 109 inches wide. It was actually made for a quilt back. Which to me was a double score since that meant twice as much fabric!

Recently I have been working on full circle skirts to sell in my shop and oh darn, I just have to experiment with fabrics for girls around my size. So I used my killer find of a Batik and sure enough, the pattern for my size uses quite a bit of fabric. So the extra width was perfect and it turned out exactly as I had hoped! So on this glorious early spring day we are having here in Portland I thought I would take the opportunity to get some pictures of my todays fabulous outfit.

OOTD Details-
Skirt- I made
Shirt- Target
Belt- Torrid
Tights- OneStopPlus
Shoes- Target
Ring- ChubbyCartwheels.com
Glasses- Coastal.com

I also put out a new item in my store on March 1st. Velvet Leggings! Yes! They are so fabulous and soft. I can't say enough good things about them. They come in 7 different colors, sizes 14-32 and are only $40 dollars. I hope you like them! More new items to come very soon! www.ChubbyCartwheels.com

Fatshion February

2012-02-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with bodysuit patterns to possibly put in my store ChubbyCartwheels for a little while now. This is my favorite I've made so far so I have to show it off. A stretch olive green crushed velvet bodysuit. I am rather large in the chest so some inches will be to be added up top but this fits great, is really comfortable and will go so well with lots of my outfits. It was also a perfect occasion to finally wear my new fur cardigan from Torrid that I got on clearance for 8 dollars. Now if only spring would get here so it could be warm enough to wear it out! I also did some rummaging around my mom's shed last week and found a box of my old clothes including these amazing patent leather platforms I got from Hot Topic back in 2001. They used to be mary jane style with the strap across the top but one of them broke so I just cut them off and now have fabulous slip ons. I love them so much!

OOTD Details-

Fur Trim Cardigan- Torrid
Bodysuit- I made
Skirt- I made

Belt- Torrid
Purse- Thrifted
Shoes- Hot Topic
Necklace- Evans
Bull Ring- ChubbyCartwheels.com
Glasses- Coastal.com

Changing Cartwheels

2012-01-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

I knew when I opened Chubby Cartwheels that the front page was a bit on the simple side, but I was a tad overwhelmed by the whole site design process itself so simple was good for me then. Plus I knew I could always change it down the road when I was settled in a bit more. So one of this past weekends little projects on my to-do list was to revamp it a bit and add the customer photos page. I am happy to say that all those changes have been made plus I have added some more fabrics to the selections as well!

Gift Card Goodness!

2012-01-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today's OoTD post is brought to you by Hubster Mcgee! Yes, Ben bought me a gift card to Fabric Depot for my birthday back in December and I went the other week with my lovely friend Nicole to spend it. I brought my 40% off a cut of fabric coupon so I to find a great deal. As soon as we reached my favorite section, activewear, I knew it must be mine! Stretch crushed velvet in a deep red with cream polka dots. It was like fabric cream dream. Done and done, it was mine. I managed to get 3 yards for 23 dollars using my coupon and with my $20 dollar gift card I only spent $3 of my own dollars.

Once I got home I looked through my pattern folders for the perfect way to use this fabric. It screamed 90's to me so the only possible answer was a babydoll dress. So yesterday when I had a whole free day to myself, I spent 6 straight hours working on it while watching Spaced, Misfits and Sherlock. This dress is infused with british comedic energy.

So here is the final product! I am rather proud of it and can't wait to wear it out!

OoTD Details-

Dress- I made
Necklace- I made (tutorial here)
Ring- I made
Belt- I made
Purse- Stupidiotic.com
Tights- OneStopPlus
Shoes- Payless
Headband- Gifted
Lipstick- Diva by MAC Cosmetics

Tea Party Ready

2012-01-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

I've been planing this outfit for quite a while so I'm really excited to post it. I bought this awesome abstract floral print at Joanns last year and knew it must be made into a skirt. But actually getting around to it was another story. I finally put aside a couple of hours and got it done the other day. It has an elastic waste for comfort which I need and want on most skirts these days. The shirtI bought last year from OneStopPlus.com. It's a perfect basic to go with jeans for a casual look or with a skirt like I have here to dress it up a bit. For my accessories I choose this beautiful floral necklace that I picked up when I was in Paris in 2007. I made the two finger ring, the ribbon bow hair clip and hardware clutch which you can find the tutorial for here. I feel like I should be headed out for tea. Maybe I should host a tea party next.

OOTD Details-

Top- OneStopPlus
Skirt- I made
Tights- OneStopPlus
Shoes- Payless
Belt- I made
Clutch- I made
Bow Hair Clip- I made
Ring- Chubby Cartwheels
Necklace- Paris

DIY Shoe Makeover

2012-01-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

I bought a pair of black open toe wedges over 5 years ago and after the first year of wearing them, all they did was just sit around and collect dust in my closet. Many times I considered donating them since I wasn't wearing them but something told me to keep them just in case. Normally I don't listen to that little voice as it leads me to be a pack rat but I'm glad I did on this occasion.

I took a look at my current craft supplies to see if anything inspired me and with my Mod Podge, Acrylic spray and a small bottle of glitter I knew exactly what I could use these shoes for. A shoe makeover! So I went out the next day and purchased the biggest container of chunky gold glitter I could find. I'll give you a step-by-step process of how I did this DIY.

Supplies-
Old Dress Shoes (Check your closet for a pair you never wear or hit up Goodwill)
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Lots of Glitter
Acrylic Spray
Spray Paint (optional)

The nice thing about these supplies is you won't actually end up using much of any of them when the project is done so you have plenty left over for future projects.

Step 1- (This step is once again optional so if you don't want to do this portion skip on to step 3) Spray paint wedges outside or in a room with lots of air flow. It's going to smell for a while to so no matter where you spray it either lay something underneath the shoes so you don't spray the floor or grass. I didn't bother to tape anything up since the top is black anyway and will be covered up soon with glitter. Easy peasy.

Step 2- Let dry over night. Super boring step.

Step 3- Once completely cleaned and dry, stuff the inside of shoe with paper towels or scrap fabric to protect the inside of the shoes. Keep that large sheet of paper or newspaper down under the shoes to catch any drippings of glue and loose glitter which you will collect at the end to put the extra back in the container. Waste not want not.

Step 4- Take your sponge brush and spread a decent/semi thick and even coat of mod podge to one half of the shoe. Front to back or side to side, it doesn't matter. Just make sure you get it even.

Step 5- Sprinkle glitter over the podged area making sure to cover every bit of glue.

Step 6- Gently put it down and let it dry for about 20 minutes. Go make a snack or call a friend and brag about how fucking hot your "new" shoes are going to be.

Step 7- Give the wedge (non glitter area) a few gentle taps to shake any lose glitter off onto your paper underneath and repeat on the other side.

Step 8- Once all of the shoe is covered in glitter and dried check for any bald patches and touch up areas. If everything looks great take those bad boys outside of to the garage still with paper underneath and spray the shoes all over with a good long dose of the acrylic spray. This stuff will hold that glitter in place like a rock and still give your shoes great shine. In the end I waited till it was dry and gave it one more coat just to be safe.

Make sure you are getting lots of fresh air while doing this project. There are lots of fumes involved.

Project complete! You now have a brand new stylish pair of shoes that will spruce up any outfit. Not to mention what a great conversation piece they are when you get to tell everything how you turned those shoes from shit to chic!

My Inspiration Station

2012-01-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

So one thing I left out of my last post was that I woke up new years morning to a loud crashing sound in the apartment. At first I thought we were being robbed but it turned out to be my rolling rack that holds most of my fabrics collapsing. It had a strong lean to it that fortunately was always held up by my work table, but since it was out in the living room from the NYE party, the rack ended up buckling under the pressure. I don't blame it, I had way too much fabric on there. Lesson learned when you buy cheap Wal-mart rolling racks.

I was stressed at first because it was looking like it would cost about $25 dollars plus shipping for a replacement of the exact same, cheap as shit, rack. Considering I knew how flimsy it gets. I really wanted to find another solution. So I went onto Amazon because by mistake last year I signed up for their Prime shipping program where you pay $75 bucks once a year and get free shipping all year which has actually paid off in the long run. I looked up rolling racks and at the bottom of the page they suggested this shelving unit called the Whitmor Double Rod Closet that has 2 racks to hold plus 4 attached metal shelves for $43 bucks with free 2 day shipping. PERFECTION!! I ordered it right away and started getting my room ready for its arrival. In doing so I decided to clean the shit out of the room. And that I did. So I have some before and after pictures of my old office vs my new, clutter free and much better organized office. I LOVE IT! I work so much better in a clean and organized space.

With cleaning out and organizing I also wanted to change some of the wall decor. Before I had my framed photography from my travels through Europe. I loved them but I wanted something new. So I retired them to my bedroom and gave myself a fresh palet to work with. The first thing that came to mind was something big on my wall that practically screams me, inspiration, and everything that I do. So I went to Joanns and bought some white wooden letters with the giftcard my mom gave me for my birthday, coated them with Mod Podge and sprinkled this beautiful seafoam green glitter on them from Michaels to liven them up! Also I fully recognize I did a total Portland cliche and "put a bird on it". Not my intention in the least bit. The finishing touch of it all was taking the christmas lights from the bookshelf in the dinning room for my office window. Those lights change a rooms mood with minimal effort.

(My old rolling rack used to be in the empty corner space & the fabric pile isn't normally on the table.)

Small window vase I got as a stocking stuffer for Christmas with the same flowers from my jewelry holder.

My old earring holder was just a plastic grid hanging on my wall by a nail and honestly I felt like my fabulous jewelry deserved better than that. So I took an old picture frame from the Goodwill for $3 bucks, a can of spray paint from Home Depot for $3.50, Dollar Tree flowers, a glue gun, craft wire and a staple gun to make this new piece to hang everything on.

Best 10 bucks ever! Closet organizers are the way of the future and I will never be without one again!

New Years New Look- Outfit Post

2012-01-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

So this post is a bit late but I needed to wait till we had nice weather again before I could take the pictures outside of my snazzy digs. This was my NYE/30th Birthday party outfit! I decided to combine the party since having my birthday 2 days before christmas royally sucks balls and everyone is busy or broke on my actual birthday.

My fabulous friends who came were amazing and we had a brilliant time! Debz, who is an amazing chef/baker, made my birthday cake. Fresh, made from scratch with actual lemon zest in it, lemon cake with homemade boysenberry filling and cream cheese frosting. Could you just die? To top it off my mom gave me this adorable candelabra as a topper. We had delicious foods, cake and lots of booze. A perfect way to ring in the new year and celebrate my 30th year on this giant rock.

Now onto the outfit. I was stressing over my outfit for quite a while. Finally it came down to it had to be a dress or skirt because I wanted to break in my teal tights from OneStopPlus as well as my black lace button down shirt also from OneStopPlus. The tights were excellent as expected. I have them in wine, cream, grape and navy as well and I am thrilled that they fit me at my current size (32). But the lace shirt was a hit or miss for me. When I bought it I didn't know if it would work. Would the lace be stretchy enough? Would it fit in the shoulders? Problems I face with button down shirts most of the time. Fortunately it was big enough and fit well. It's a bit short in length but I was going to pair it with a high waist skirt and belt so it didn't matter much. For accessories I had a thrifted teal necklace and a DIY double finger ring I made myself. The finishing touch for todays photos in that outfit was my new eyeshadow to match my tights and necklace and my recently ebay purse purchase.

OOTN Details:

Shirt- OneStopPlus
Skirt- Chubby Cartwheels
Tights- OneStopPlus
Shoes- Payless
Purse- Ebay
Necklace- Thrifted
Ring- I made
Eyeshadow- "Edgy Emerald" by Maybelline's Color Tattoo collection.

Turning 30 and feeling good!

2011-12-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my 30th birthday and I have to be honest, leading up to this milestone I have had a variety of feelings about it. Sad, stressed, happy, confused, anxious and a number of others. But all in all it's become so clear to me that this is a great time in my life. I had a wonderful friend list off some things for me to be proud of that I have accomplished in my life up to this point and I agree with her. I've gone to and put myself thru school while working fulltime, lived on my own, supported myself, I have a successful alternative modeling career for years now, I've traveled and lived abroad, met a man I love and married him and I've started my own clothing and accessories site fulfilling a dream I've had since I was 16. Looking back I don't think I should ever really doubt or regret any path my life has taken since it has all brought me here, and honestly where I am is pretty damn good. I hope to make my 30's are an amazing decade where I live, laugh and accomplish even more. I am truly blessed with lots of amazing friends and family in my life who support me. I love my life!

Statement Jewelry

2011-12-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

I now have my collection of spike rings for sale on my site www.ChubbyCartwheels.com
They are great statement jewelry for your upcoming holiday parties or would make a great stocking stuffer for that special someone. Enjoy!

Small Silver Spike

Small Gold Spike

Bull Horn

Pyramid Spikes

Large Spike

Size Queen at Fat Fancy

2011-12-05T02:07:00.001-08:00

When I heard about the Size Queen fashion show being put on at Fat Fancy, I knew this was an event I really couldn't miss. For some lame reason I missed the last fashion show put on by these local companies and I was not going to miss this one. My lovely friend and fat fashion enthusiast Dani and I were each others date for the night out.

I did however have a secret agenda for going to this event besides just seeing Bertha's new creations for Size Queen. I wanted to show off some of my own goods whilst mingling with some of Portland's fat fashionistas. So my outfit consisted of this:

OOTN-

Shirt- Gisela Ramirez Crop Top

Skirt- Chubby Cartwheels (I made)

Leggings- Chubby Cartwheels

Shoes- Payless

Studded Suspenders- Hot Topic

Brass Knuckles Necklace & Pyramid Ring- Chubby Cartwheels

In case you didn't realize it, wearing a shirt anywhere with the lettering F*CK on it will get you a lot of attention. But what caught peoples eyes the most was my ring. The owners of Fat Fancy seemed to loved it. They asked me where I got it and when I told them I made them they asked me if I could make more to sell in their shop. Keeping calm on the outside I replied, "of course." But on the inside I was bursting with smiles.

Back to the fabulous fashion show! My favorite piece was by far the little black hologram dress combined with ripped fishnets and combate boots. A lot of her pieces have a 90's feel/look. Almost as though some of them walked out of Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion (one of my favorite movies).

My little purse friendly camera does not take great photos. It does however take decent video. So here are some screen grabs from the videos I took!

I also put together a little video from the show.

Tis' The Season To Be Crafty!

2011-11-25T20:18:00.001-08:00

First of all, I want to thank you all for all the amazing and positive feedback I'm getting about Chubby Cartwheels. I have gotten some very nice comments about my site, what I offer and I'm also enjoying making these clothes for you amazing ladies. So thank you for that.

Since the site opened last week it's been hectic as ever. 2 days after I launched the site, my 4 year old laptop died. Just flat out died. So I went out and bought a new one (I was going to within a few months anyway) and I couldn't be happier with it. Though I lost ALL of my bookmarks which are more precious to me than anything else on my old computer. I was fortunate enough to have just backed up all my info, pics, and so on, so I didn't lose anything like that. Just bookmarks for blogs, tutorials, websites and everything that is good in this world. Now I am starting over and desperately trying find them all again. I have managed to salvage a few blogs and tutorials thanks to Tumblr. If you don't follow me on there check out my blog.

A 2 inch spike ring. I used a plain adjustable ring and (2) 2 inch metal spikes unintentionally creating the affect of piercing my finger with a giant spike. Ugh... I need a manicure.

Aside from making clothes for my orders I have been working on fun little projects for myself. I started with a mustard yellow fleece ear warmer made with navy blue (suppose to be flowers but look more like) stars and a button in the back. All materials available at Joann's. A 1/4 of a yard will make you 2 bands worth plus whatever you want for the decorative piece.

-Please excuse my exhausted looking face/hair/look. The holidays have been hectic.

A reusable University of Oregon coffee cup sleeve just in time for the civil war game. GO DUCKS!

And tonight I finished my sweat hear cut white vinyl bandeau top. It was so incredibly easy to make so I plan on making more of them and in a variety of colors as well. I think if I turn them into tube tops they will go perfectly with an empire waist skirt. Plus with it being vinyl, it doesn't budge or move much so no straps = no problem.

On top of those projects I have been trying to get more organized with my craft supplies. As of 3 days ago they were in little plastic bags in a basket. But I found an old case I used to hold and organize plastic rhinestones. So now all of my hair clips, earrings, beads, pendants, pearls, glue sticks, ect... have a home and place to stay.

2011-11-15T15:25:00.001-08:00

The day has finally come. My store is open and ready for business. ChubbyCartwheels.com. I am very proud of this store and all that I offer. I have been collecting fabric, saving money, filling paperwork, crafting, and designing the site these past many months. To start with I am selling 3 styles of leggings, velvet skirts in several colors, a jacket that will soon be available in all sizes 20-32, and fun accessories. I have wanted this since I was about 16 years old but never gave myself a chance to do it. Finally with so much love and support from my husband, family and friends, my dream has now come true. Also big thanks to Crystal aka Wednesday from Project Lifesize who has been my model for this and other projects. She's quite the trooper. I hope to make more patterns and pieces to sell on the site as the months go by.

Thank you so much and enjoy! www.ChubbyCartwheels.com

Shawna

Robble Robble!

2011-10-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

I originally made this dress for a "sexy" Hamburglar costume. Hence the blog title. So while I won't be wearing this out to pick up the groceries any time soon, I do see maybe a night at Blow Pony in my future with it. Plus having my hair bright red right now, I'm starting to obsess over the color combination red, yellow, black and white. Can't tell right? I think this is an outfit where my OCD need for colors to match came on strong.

OoTD Details-

Dress- I made (fabric from Ebay)

Belt- Torrid

Bracelet- I made

Bow- I made

Purse- Garage sale hosted by Cupcakevandorn

Shoes- Payless

My New Threads

2011-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Gisela Ramirez and her F*uck Flattering crop top so I decided I wanted to try and make one for myself. I ventured out and found some amazing print fabric at Joanns and bought it on the spot. That plus the basic a-line skirt I made was the foundation for this outfit and this post. My first Outfit of The Day post.

Top- I made (Fabric from Joanns)
Skirt- I made (Fabric from Joanns)
Cardigan- Walmart
Shoes- Payless
Purse- Value Village (thanks dad)

F*ck Flattering!

2011-09-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

I got my first purchase from Gisela Ramirez! The F*ck Flattering crop top. I got the biggest size a size 28/30 and wasn't sure if it would fit well. Thankfully its very stretchy and fits like a dream! It has inspired me to wear more crop tops. So I paired this basic black white top with some funky colorful leggings I made the other day and a black skirt I pull up to my bra for a little bit of coverage up top and a higher skirt length.

Also I am super close to opening my clothing site up. I guess I have slacking on this for several reasons. Putting so much effort into something that will hopefully be a job for you for a while becomes very personal. I worry what will people think of the site? Will people like what I make? Will it be of good quality? All things I care about and want to make sure I am feeling strong on before I open myself up to the public.

Here are a couple screen grabs of what I have so far.

I should add some of the information has been changed as well as the pictures. These were taken when I was just trying to get a basic layout working. Trying to remain positive and keep moving with this and start it soon!

I have a class tomorrow called Starting an Apparel Business. I am so very excited to take this class. I had done a lot myself so far but I just want to make sure I am doing it right and not forgetting any steps along the way.

Thats about where I am at right now. Sewing myself some fun little projects, making leggings for friends, building a website, still trying to do work and this weekend I will be celebrating my 1 year anniversary of being married! :) Time flies when you are working your ass off.

I win!!

2011-09-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

So while on Tumblr one night I saw that Wicked Clothes was selling a Golden Snitch necklace! I had seen pictures of these floating around, people making them but no one to my knowledge was selling them. The minute I saw they were on sale for a reasonable price of 24.99 with a discount coupon code I knew it had to be mine. So I purchased it and 2 days later (today) it was in my mail box! They have extremely timely shipping and it's reasonably priced as well. Here is the video I made for my Snitch!

Urban Decay is having a big sale right now where they have loose pigment eyeshadows for $1 and cream shadow for $3 dollars plus with any purchase you get a free sample of a product they sell. With my semi recent hair color change to red I have been obsessed with blues and greens. So I ended up buying 4 colors of green and 2 shades of black/grey. Here is a picture of todays color Weeds. It's a nice light mossy green with some glitter specs in it. I also have the other colors I bought posted. All of which should be fun to play with!

And last but not least I went to JoAnn Fabrics and could not resist some good old classic red and navy blue stripe stretch knit. It was 12.99 a yard but with their endless supply of 50% coupons for a single cut of fabric it was more than reasonably priced. I'm thinking about making a skirt and having it be a bit form fitting. But I am not sure what to pair it with for a top. Something I'm sure will come to mind when I'm done making it. But for now here is the picture of the fabric itself.

Dem Legs

2011-07-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

Lately I'm either battling zippers on 4 way stretch fabric, making skirts, on Tumblr blogging Harry Potter gifs and/or making leggings. Mostly the last 2 though. With Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows pt 2 out now I find myself watching the previous movies more and more. The hubs is getting concerned. I'm that girl who in the theater was crying her eyes out at moments that probably didn't even intend it to happen but it did anyway. I also dyed my hair the day before the midnight showing. It's all sorts of crazy now! Ben and I did a double feature of part 1&2 for the show. It was amazing! So many people dressed up, had broomsticks, wands, there were even some kids fully playing a game of Magic in the hall waiting to enter the theater. I love geeks. Let it be know. This is me the day of the midnight screening and at the screening with my HP 3-D glasses.

But back onto my projects! There has been much experimenting lately. I made my first pair of lace leggings. They weren't that bad. The dilemma is the serger. I would have to invest quite a bit of money into thread to make them on there. Its something I am strongly considering since I can make these leggings in SO many colors. I keep seeing them in black and I love it, but I went for a brighter look. And blue it was!

I also decided to experiment with two-tone leggings. Now please excuse the pink fabric I used to experiment with. It was leftover from a couple years ago on a bathing suit so I didn't have to waste my nice fancy and new fabrics in case it didn't work out. My husband seems to be under the impression they look like "wrestling" pants. I'm also under the impression I foolishly married a closet WWE fan who knows nothing about women's fashion. I still love him... kinda. Anyway, I think they turned out really well and are super fun! The leggings I would want to make down the line to sell would be of different fabrics but this is the general idea of the two-tone.

These are some of the fabrics I bought on fabric.com's latest sale! Free shipping over $35 dollars+ online coupons + site wide sale = 19 pounds of fabric on my doorstep!! My favorite is the peach with the design and the pink with black polka dot. Gonna make some cute shit! My plans are leggings and shrug hoodies with these. God I love cute fabric.

This Is Why I Never Go Out

2011-06-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Not much to post about except these little projects. This is a Harry Potter inspired headband similar to what Rita Skeeter wore in the Goblet of Fire, what I'm watching right now in fact.

The Romper was done as an experiment. The band at the top wont be there next time and so it will be one long piece up past the bust. But without a pattern and apparently forgetting my belly sticks out more than I think, I needed to add some extra fabric so my ladies didn't show.

This next piece I just finished yesterday. I am making a bit of a collection on modern day Disney Princess dresses. This would be inspired by Snow White. Though I have a red belt from torrid I plan on adding to finish the color pallet. But here is the rough pic.

These two skirts were make with very old leftover fabric I bought but just never did anything with from when I worked at a fabric warehouse. What I wouldn't give to work there part time again. The savings on fabric and notions were INSANE!

And last but seriously not least I have this fun skirt I made out of some stretch velvet I bought. I only bought a little bit of it just in case it wasn't what I wanted but it was exactly what I'd hoped and more so I will be buy more of it and in MANY different colors. It's a bit difficult to sew (sliping and sliding all over) but the outcome is so worth it. It's one of my favorite creations recently. Easy but cute!

It's Fleet Week!

2011-06-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

I think it's perfect timing that I finished this dress today and we have sailors in town for the Rose Festival here in Portland. I set out to make a dress just like one I found randomly online in a google search and I managed to make it pretty well! The girl of course was of average size and the fabric was the best matches I could get considering I was shopping on a budget and online. I brought the waist of the skirt up to a full on empire waist which I feel looks more flattering on my body type. But here is the final product in comparison to the inspired picture.

I wish I had a better picture of my dress but this is all I have at the moment. A few things I could have changed a bit about my dress in comparison to the other is wider sleeves (which I would have lived but didn't realize till I already cut), made the skirt itself a tad shorter and made the white ruffles a bit longer. All in all I don't think I did half bad with this considering I had no pattern and was basing it off of a picture.

My next project was to be the dress I was commissioned to make but spandexworld.com sent me the wrong fabric. This was such a ridiculous ordeal. I ordered fabric samples from them for 3 different fabrics. Got it and my customer picked out the cream colored fabric for her dress. I placed an order for it only a few days later and yesterday I received a box of yellow fabric. Same style with the sequins but the fabric was so very yellow. holding them up for comparison there was no mistake it was the wrong fabric. Of course I got the package at 6 pm west coast and the company is on the east cost so they were closed. I called them today to set this mess up straight only to speak to the customer service man from hell. Making him realize you don't give someone a fabric swatch and then send them an entirely new batch of fabric that doesn't match and then tell me it's not THEIR fault. So sorry, but whose fault is it then? I demanded that I get an exchange processing asap and that I wont be paying for overnight shipping to get it to me. They said I needed to send the wrong fabric back first for them to process it and then they would send me the new cut. No. No. No. NO! With much arguing and him talking to his supervisor they said I could only order the new fabric if I ordered a new fabric swatch from them first to make sure this didn't happen again and not only that if I wanted it next day I would have to pay 15 dollars for it. A 4 inch square piece of fabric. Also that I would have to place this on Monday.
I am so torn with them. I have never had issues with them before with fabric quality, shipping, stock, anything. So this is something that has really made me reconsider dealing with them in the future.

So while I'm waiting for that to resolve I will be working with the other package I received from them containing my stretch lace yardage. They were perfect. Exactly what I ordered. Yay! The purple is for leggings which I should have done by the end of the weekend and the blue I was thinking leggings (which would be hot imo) but I have been seeing lace body suits online a lot lately and I would just DIE if I could somehow get myself a blue one. So thats what I am going to be sketching out tonight after I post all this. Here are a couple pictures of the fabric. I will post more on the spandexworld.com situation and update on the body suit if I can accomplish it.

I Make The Pretties But Never Seem To Wear Them

2011-06-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

I love seeing black and white vertical stripe dresses out now in clothes. I have seen them on tumblr, in magazines and all over the net. Sadly I had yet to find something I liked in my size or in my size period. So I went to fabric.com (a great site with excellent deals) and found some stretch fabric. When it arrives the stripes were a bit smaller than I had originally planned or wanted but in the end I didn't want to waste the fabric or let it stop me.

I also didn't want to spend time working on a pattern. I just wanted the dress. So I took a tight fitting t-shirt and a stretch pencil skirt that I already had in my wardrobe, laid the fabric on the table folded and folded the top and skirt in half down the center laying it's fold on the stripe fabric fold. Then just messed with the silohette till I got what I was going for, moved the skirt up a bit higher to create a shorter skirt on the dress and there it was. Last step was folding the t-shirt sleeve in on the original arm hole line. Practically a pattern in itself when I was done and no paper wasted! I then just eyeballed about 1/2 an inch seam allowance around the outside of shirt and skirt.

After hemming, cutting the top off and adding elastic at the top this is the final product. I am considering adding some black ruffled lace at the bottom with a shorter piece of the stripe fabric on top of it, giving it a more girlie out on the town look.

The next dress I am working on is for a friend to hopefully wear to the BBW Vegas bash this summer. I have the pattern all ready, I just need to buckle down and cut it out. This is the first time I'm making a dress for someone else so I am a bit nervous. Hopefully she will like it when I am finished and if she doesn't hopefully she won't tell me how shit it is. J/k... kinda of. And of course I will post many pics of it on here. But this is the pattern I'm basing it off of. There will be no gathering in the bust and the skirt will be form fitting and less flowy. This is also the fabric she chose.

I also just got a package of fabric in the mail for me to work on after that last dress. I saw this picture online and knew I needed to try and make a fat version of it. So I have all the fabrics ready, now just need to get other projects done first! I am so excited for it though. How cute right?

And yay!! Good news, my husband has decided to move out... of the office that is. Hehe. It's getting a bit cramped in here. I take over about 80% of the room with my supplies, tables, shelves and storage containers. He's decided since we don't use out dining room for anything that will be his new office. Which means MORE ROOM FOR MY SHIIIIIT! I bought a rolling rack so I can hang the clothes I make up now. Got the idea from GabiFresh on tumblr. Super cheap and will make a huge difference for me. Here is a pic I took of it after I put it together. I felt so accomplished. Note the table covered in fabrics screaming at me "Make me into something woman!" I can't wait to post the before and after pics of the revamped room. Hell I might post pics of the whole apartment. I am making curtains for all the windows so it's a good excuse to show it all off.

Modified Style Fashion Show (Pic Heavy)

2011-05-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

May 1st the Modified Style fashion show took place at Disjecta in Portland Oregon. Bringing together artists, designers, dancers and DJ's all to raise money and awareness for 3 local charities. Out to Pastures Sanctuary, Sisters of the Road and CHAP- Children's Healing Art Projects. All amazing organizations that I was so happy to help raise money for.
The day of the show was hectic to say the least. I went to Crystal's to prep her makeup and give her a lift to the event. We had a makeup/hair time slot at around 3:30 but I had no idea what the exact time was. So we decided to get there early. Good thing too. The schedule had been thrown out the window and it was all first come first serve with these amazing yet possibly overwhelmed stylists. We managed to get Crystal in soon after we got there with the head hair stylist and she knew exactly what to do with her. CRIMP! Big hair with crimping and the hair clip I made to match the dress.

Next it was on to makeup. The makeup artist Crystal got was amazing. Full of energy and wanted a chance to just get creative. I'm guessing lots of people knew exactly what they wanted. I said I didn't care as long as she still had at least a smokey eye effect. This is the look we very happily ended up with.

Then of course the final touches. The dress and shoes. We were lucky to have this amazing graffiti wall right outside of the front door to the building. Perfect backdrop for some outside poses of Crystal doing what she does best. Drinking and looking fly.

The night went amazingly well. They sold out, the place was packed and my outfit even sold in the silent auction!! Which is such a relief since items that don't sell come back the following year to sell for 5 bucks. Here are some pictures from the amazing night.

Best trophies ever!

The 3 plus size models in the contest out of 60.

The free Popchips photobooth. Always a good time.

Livvy (the wonderful woman who told me about this event) and me waiting for the show to begin.

This Zipper Will Work When Pigs Fly

2011-04-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

I bought some fabric off Ebay a while back and loved it so much that I put in for another order right away. I made a shrug pattern the other day and knew I wanted to use this adorable flying pig fabric and maybe even make some matching panties. I took some pink jersey knit I had from a long time ago to line the hood and make the cuffs on the arm. But when I went to put the zipper on I encountered a problem. One side of the shrug would stretch and not match up. I redid the zipper 3 times and it only ended up making it worse. I may try again with another cut of fabric and pray once again to the sewing gods, that seemed to work last time. ;) The mini shrug itself didn't turn out too bad as a whole. As long as you can't see the bottom of the zipper where it doesn't match perfectly. I'm keeping it for myself since I don't mind the mistake and using it for a set for my modeling along with the matching sexy panties I made. Here are a couple of pictures of me in the shrug hoodie. I love it sooo much! WAAHH! Why won't it just effing work?

Dress Rehearsal w/ a Size Queen

2011-04-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

So as I posted before I entered my friend Crystal and I into a fundraiser fashion show. Tonight was the dress rehearsal and the show is this sunday. Crystal and I spend the afternoon getting her pumped up and practicing her model walk for the big event. It was an awesome and laugh worthy time. Once we got to the event in the evening we noticed there were only 6 fat girls there out of 109 people. 3 of us were designers and our 3 fat models. One of the other designers is Portland's own Bertha Pearl who owns and designs for Size Queen. A great fat boutique that has developed an amazing following and customer base. This is a woman I planned on contacting just to pick her brains about being a plus size designer and there she was! My friend Livvy (one of the fat models) mentioned I'm designing clothes for my own shop soon and Bertha told me about the second Fat Fashion show she's putting on with the ladies from Fat Fancy. She said if I contact her after this coming show I could participate in it if I wanted with some of my own designs! AHHHHH!!!! Little excited here. I'm not sure if I can pull it off time wise but I'm going to try. I would need models, more fabric, and to work my ass off on top of making clothes for the Etsy shop I want to open soon too.
Speaking of, I am calling my soon to be shop Chubby Cartwheels after my Tumblr page. I will be selling leggings, skirts and some hoodies to start. Then some hair accessories and Big Body Hottie buttons. I AM SO EXCITED!! I have wanted this since I was 17 and after living my life, making excuses, saving money and getting my ass in gear it seems things are falling into place. I'm very grateful and thankful to everyone who supports me and gives me positive encouragement. MUCH LOVE!

Bertha of Size Queen. When large is just not big enough. http://www.bigboxers.com/

The space for Modified Style Fashion Show

Crystal with random big ball

Big Ballz up in huuur

Thrift, Cut, Sew

2011-04-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while my husband was out on the first day of shooting, I took full advantage of the office and apartment to myself. If he was gone working, I too would focus on the projects I needed to get done. The first project completed was a dress. When I visited Fat Fancy a while back my friend found in the bargain bin this stretchy, black sequin tube garment. My guess is it was taken off the bottom end of a top since there was bits of cut fabric still attached. It was only 2 bucks and I knew I could make something fun with it. I went through my fabrics when I got home and had this pink, green and black plaid that I bought from a fabric warehouse I worked at 5 years ago. Sequins on top, plaid for the bottom. It was prefect! This is what it came to look like in the end.

Being in the sewing mood, I grabbed some of my new fabric and made the jacket shrug I had been wanting to start for a while. It's the only bit of the new fabric I'm allowing for me to keep. This is why I bought 6 yards of this fabulous stuff, just a little more for me. The fabric is light and perfect for this summer. The sleeves slide up easy so it will work for cooler and hotter days. I actually made an army green shrug with this same pattern before. It was one of my first projects when I got serious about sewing years back. Simplicity pattern 2773. I should add that yes, thats a skirt I'm wearing pulled up to my bra. I'm a classy girl like that.

Lastly to share, I started working on some Wonder Woman style leggings the other day. I bought some fabric for a girl who wanted a WW bathing suit years ago. She canceled after I already bought the fabric so I kept it as I knew I could make use of it later on. So here be the start of WW inspired leggings. I do need more red fabric though, so hopefully they will be completed very soon.

Hunting and Gathering

2011-04-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

So my main goal for 2011 has been to start making clothes to sell. My biggest problem in the past besides lack of discipline was lack of funds. Contrary to what my husband thinks, it costs a fair bit of money to make about 12 pieces of clothing. SO I have been saving money, buying bits of fabric here and there and I think I have come to a point where I have a good amount to start with! I have a real thing for stretch fabric since I'm a chubster and I enjoy movement in my clothes. I have a tons of stretch knit fabrics, a few spandex pieces and some stretch denim. Put it all together you have a rather wild mix of fabrics that will hopefully get my shit in gear.
I have decided that I will make 3 pairs of leggings (at least), 3 hoodies, 2 dresses, 3 skirts, 2-3 tops, 2 bathing suits and some panties. A tall order considering I still feel new to all this and I'm still getting my polishing skills down. I have to take all my fabrics I'm going to use, match them to which piece of clothing I'm making them into, find the patterns and figure which sizes will be the best bet. Also figure out how much everything will cost. Thats the shit part. I don't want to over charge and come off as some chick who thinks her shit dont stink. But I also don't want to lose money. So much to do!
Here are some of my fabrics I have obtained over the past few months and a few links to where I got them!

Fabric.com
Fabric Junkeez
Fabric Depot
Joann Fabrics

Bows Abound

2011-04-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

Whilst still on a quest to make some fabulous plus size fashion, I've been bitten by the crafting bug it seems. I can't find enough tutorials and DIY pages to take inspiration from. Plus knowing so many fabulous ladies who are equally obsessed with these doesn't help... or I guess it would help. Recently I am crazy for bows. Bows from ribbon, fabric, even sparkly foam sheets. Here are some of the creations I have made lately and the video tutorial at the bottom of the post that helped me make them!

Measuring Tape Bow

Peach Ribbon w/ a Navy Ribbon stripe Bow

Hello Kitty Hair Clip

Sequin Bow and Floral Bow!

I don't work well during school

2011-04-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

... On personal projects.

I just finished my draping class and I didn't want it to end. I loved my teacher and everything she had to give us. The remaining 3 people. My dress sadly didn't make it to onto the dress form because I didn't realize the zipper needed to go down further in the back, so my teacher, being the slim lady she is happily tried it on. It's not the best looking piece on her since it's too big for her and the picture was taken with my camera phone. But I will post some flat pictures of the dress do you get a better idea of it. I have pictures of the process of making it in class as well.

Right now I am working on the plus size version of this same dress for my friend Crystal to wear in a fundraiser fashion show I entered into. Each designer entered got a paper grocery bag full of random bits of fabric and can make whatever they want for their model of choice. I jumped at the opportunity and have been working hard draping my real life model. It's so different from working on a dressform to working on a live person. A person with curves, who is not identical on each side, and who moves. But its been fun! here is my final product. Though we took the pics before realizing it needs to be taken in in the bust and in the back a bit. But this is the idea. The night of the show it will look amazing with tons more gold jewelry and wild makeup!

Pinning On Point & String Cheese Galore

2011-02-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

So in my last post I was talking about how my draping class I signed up for would possibly be canceled. Well it wasn't! I absolutely adore this class too. I feel like I am learning a lot and being able to expand my sewing/pattern making knowledge. It's nice when you find something that you really get and enjoy. Here is a quick little pic I took whilst draping the front bodice to make a sloper. I can't wait for class on monday! :) Yay!

I also found this great project on a friends tumblr. You take a t-shirt and slice it up into strips and make a necklace out of it. I absolutely loved the idea so I went to the goodwill, as I don't have many shirts I like ripping up, found a cute orange/coral color shirt and gave it a try. Here is what the example looked like:

And mine turned out like this (I kind of think they look like strings of cheddar cheese):

Sewing Gods, Hear My Prayer

2011-01-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

I just took my first draping class on monday night. I was actually kind of angry the first class fell on the same date as the Duck's National Championship game, but I still managed to catch the last quarter of it where all the real sad action was. But enough about that. The class was amazing! I walked in and of course was the first one there. I always am. I have this major hang up about being late for anything. The teacher was this petite brunette with an adorable black and white long sleeved cardigan and a simple black dress underneath. I always try to figure out if anything my teachers are wearing could be something they made themselves. I waited and finally more women started to show up. There is always, without fail, a young dark curly haired, hipster girl with glasses in my class. Never the same girl either. As it hit 6 o'clock we found out we were suppose to have 6 people there but only 5 had actually shown up. I got a little worried since this has happened before and it always ends up canceling the class. Our teacher didn't let it bother her and proceeded anyway. Fun for us to find out none of us had a syllabus, supply list or materials for the first class like we were suppose to. Way to go PCC with keeping the paying students informed. Our teacher just decided to roll with the punches. We would just watch and take notes. She's a first hand seamstress for the Portland Opera. (swoon) Such an amazing job. I loved the way she taught. Very specific, thorough, and was able to answer anything we threw at her in the first hour.

7 pm rolls around and she asks if we need or want a break. One of the women stands up and says. "You know what, I was going to have to choose between this class and a thursday class for sewing and I just think thursday is going to work better for me." Got up and left. That whore! Yeah 4 people left. Now I have an even bigger feeling this class will not last. GUUUUHHHH!! I loved it so and I've only attended it for 2 hours so far. Sad face to the max.

I would say ok thats enough of my complaining and I will just move on, but no. I have tried to take this damn class 3 times now. Never have I even gotten this far to the first class. It's always canceled from the get-go du to lack of enrollment. I left class that night inspired and ready to start new projects! This is what I have been waiting for. With no stimulation for my interests I just lack the want to actually create. This was perfect and something I wanted and need to know about if I want to bring my design skills to the next level.

Here is my prayer to the Gods of Sewing. "Dear Gods Of Sewing. I ask of you to keep my glass going. (hey that rhymes). I want to make some fabulous clothes and need to know how to get my draping on if I want to do well! Please keep this class open. PLEASE!! Amen."

Portland's Fat Community

2010-12-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Portland is great for many things. But on the top of my list would be their strong fat community. It wasn't till I joined an online BBW/FA community that I found so many of these very people in my own backyard so to speak. We arranged dinner meetups that soon turned into group outings for club and bar nights. Some of the activities and events that have graced this city in the past I wish were still around today. Like Fat Girl Speaks, the Cupcake dances and FATASS cheerleaders. All of these great groups and social gatherings that we used to have around portland but seemed to be a thing of the past sadly. But now days we have new events and community get togethers like Chunky Dunks, Fat Fashion & Art Nights, Fat-A-Licious fashion show put on by local plus size clothing boutiques. I have been to all three of these and they were so positive and fun. I love going to events filled with plus size women. The comradery with fellow fatties is just inspiring and uplifting. I'm always hoping Stacy Bias or even (i could only be so lucky) Beth Ditto will attend these seeing as she lives here and has been to some in the past. In the future I plan to attend as many of these from now on as possible and update as they occur. But until then I am going to post some pictures from some that I have already been to.

(Pictures 1. Me and friends at Chunky Dunk. Picture 2. Tim, Wednesday from PLS and me at the Bigger Art Night)

Here comes the big bride!

2010-12-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

Well screw Picasa. Every time I try to post decent sized photos of my projects they show up tiny on here. I just focused more on getting a nice background on my blog. It finally worked! I think it looks rather snazzy.

But enough about that! I have some pictures to share with you on a project that I am rather proud of. I was planning my wedding earlier this year and with that I wanted to design my own wedding dress. I sketched one out and ran it past my friend Barb who said she would come up to Portland from Texas and sew it for me as long as I helped and paid for the fabric. Umm YES!! My dream dress was coming to life! It wasn't till about June this year that I looked through my old notebooks and found a sketch of a wedding dress I did when I was 17. I had not looked at my notebook in 10 years... 10 years! They were SO similar! The same full skirt, peaks at the top of the corset. I knew it was meant to be when I saw that. So here are some pictures from the finished dress. Black and white dupioni silk, black piping along the top of the corset and a black and white plaid for the bottom of the dress and at the waist. 1 week, 2 cranky fat ladies, 100 degree weather and working till the wee hours daily and this is the final project.

Also to add, since I've been asked a few times about it. I made the bouquet with upside down black and white christmas ornaments hot glued to little wooden pegs and put into a plastic bouqet holder with added feathers and black tulle.

Recent Work

2010-12-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

Some of my most recent projects!

1. Turquoise and Checkered Tank Dress. I made this all from scratch. No patter, just traced an existing tank top I had and the rest was guess work. So I will pretty proud of it. The belt around the wait is 3 inch wide black elastic. When I made the skirt I looked at it and it was too busy, so I made some pockets with contrastingbows to try and add just the little bit of color to break it up. I think it worked.

2. Silver One Sleeve Dress.I started this one from a basic t-shirt dress, sized it up, took what I learned from my pattern design class and cut one of the arms off all together. I also made the sleeve long and with gathering at the top. The initial goal was for a large over the top poofed out shoulder. But with time constraints and limited fabric I didn't want to push my luck. I still like how it turned out.

3. Rose & Houndstooth Print Leggings. Once again I took a basic leggings pattern, sized it up to a 32 and used this fun print. I originally bought this fabric thinking it was a jersey knit, but it showed up as a thin spandex like fabric. Without letting it go to waste, leggings was the best idea to use it up.

4. The Cage Skirt. I saw a similar skirt like this on a plussize clothing site selling for over $80. I could no fathom spending that amount of money on what was basically black elastic. So I

bought a bulk roll of 3 inch elastic, measured myself at the waist, hips, mid-thigh and knee. Cut the measurements minus 3 inches (it needed to be tight), pinned it together and sewed the pieces together accordingly.

5. Gold Chain Topper. Easy as pie. Buy yards and yards of chains, get wire cutters and pliers. Draped them accordingly to what I wanted. Took me all of about 30 minutes. The hard part is if you do it by yourself, getting all the draping exactly to the right lengths. Large mirrors become your best friend at that point.

Lets give this another go

2010-12-04T22:21:00.001-08:00

After over a year going by and not a single post I figured why not give it a try one more time. My life seems to have taken a different road since I was last posting. I have since gotten married, taken pattern design classes at my local community college, designed and made many new pieces including my wedding dress, started a cafe press page for my Big Body Hottie design and gained back some confidence I had lost. I feel like my life is on a good path and I might as well blog about my challenges and triumphs along the way.

So many girls I know are starting fat fashion blogs, which I love, but I don't want to join that club. Ever since I started sewing a couple years ago I get

more excited over pieces I make and fabric I buy than clothes I see online or at the mall. Don't get me wrong I still want so many lovely pieces, but now days I look at the garment and examine it's structure, lines and draping. So now rather than save for buying a special frock that won't end up fitting me anyway, I will just make it.

I won't post my recent projects just yet, but I will post this picture I found on a friends facebook page. I feel it suits me well.

2009-12-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

I obviously am not the best with keeping up on my blogging even though time and time again I say I will be better. This term I didn't end up taking the class I was signed up for at PCC for the fashion design program. It wasn't a good fit for me. Which is fine. I would rather focus time and energy on making clothes in my spare time. Next term I am hopefully going to be taking beginning pattern making and beginning draping. I am excited about both of these. I feel like my skills as a sewer have grown so much this past year. I went from telling people I like to sew and rarely ever having anything to show for it, to making, altering, sizing up, and designing my own clothes. I am living the life I wanted. I may not be an international fashion designer changing lives and having my clothes shown in NY and Paris, I am doing what I love and being able to make and sell a few items has made my year more than worth wild.

I don't think people put their goals first enough. There are always excuses for why we don't make the time to do what makes us happy. These days we have so many distractions from the endless hours of TV shows we need to keep up on, to the internet that will literally turn us into zombies. Add in a full time job and sometimes kids, and where is the time right? Life is all about priorities and if you want to learn something, do something or be something that only thing ever holding you back is yourself.

I've been posting on facebook a lot about goals, projects and things I have and still want to accomplish. My goals for next year aren't clear yet, but I will blog them once I know what I expect of myself in 2010.

Another update, I got engaged!! Nov 11th

2009-09-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well it sure has been a while since I updated. But fortunately for me, I have done lots with my time since. Projects I have been working on include several bathing suits, 2 of which were sold at a local boutique called Fat Fancy here in Portland, 2 skirts, a hoodie, a reconstructed shirt and the beginnings of a tutu. I have pictures of most of my projects and hope to by the end of the day, add a shirt to the list of finished items.

Along with side projects and I was taking a summer class at PCC. Apparel sketch and desing. It was such a great class. My teacher was very knowledgeable and had us working at a great pace. I learned so much, like how to draw a proper fashion croquis to use for my personal designs. I took the skills I learned in that class and combined it with a few of my beautiful friends and made them into real plus size fashion croquis. The industries plus size croquis still dont hold a candle to the size of woman I want to represent in my designs. So I made some in the image of my friends who are plus size models above a size 24. I have Courtney as the "pear", Katie as the "apple", Jen as the "hourglass", and myself as "papple" (big everywhere). Just so when I have a design in mind I can better design around girls who I want to wear my clothes. If I design on a size 16 model, how can I expect to understand how it will fit on a 34? I will post up pictures of them once I have finished them.

My next project is to make a Princess Jasmine costume. I found as close of a pattern for a similar outfit and figured I could adjust what I needed. The biggest time consumer is upping the size of the patterns. Once those are done, sewing seems like a piece of cake. Mmmm, cake. So I will do my best to keep updating as often as I can. Though I am in a class this fall term, there is no design or sewing required. It's more of an overview of fashion design, following trends, marketing. It should be very interesting.

Recycle, reduce, reuse!

2009-07-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the idea of reconstruction when it comes to fashion. Taking an old shirt and cutting it up for something new and fashionable. When the book Generation T came out, it was like the bible for reconstruction junkies like myself. I've made about 10 shirts from that book, used it in an activity block at the camp I worked at, and even tried to have "T" parties with all my friends. You just feel good creating your own look.

Now days everyone is trying to find ways to be "more green" while staying on a budget in this economy. Using different light bulbs, driving less, eating organic foods prepared at home. What better way to go along with all of those than sustainable fahsion!

Here is a link to a woman doing just that! Though her movement was generated with other objectives, she still has the right idea. This is her mission statement. "Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir. "

The Uniform Project

Her passion and dedication to her project inspired me to write about sustainable fashion. The only thing with all these ideas, books and blogs is how to connect them to plus size fashion. Big girls tend to give their clothing more wear and tear than say a girl who is 110 lbs. Accessorizing for a new look everyday with vintage, second hand or homemade items aren't always available to women of size. Especially in the range of 26 and up. I guess thats when it comes down to the person to take charge and get creative.

I am going to go through Generation T and its following book Beyond Fashion and make as many of these ideas as I can for plus size women from used clothing. Pictures and updates to come!!

Fashion Icon

2009-06-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of the famous Velvet D'amour. She is an amazing female icon in the BBW community but who has also broken boundaries into the main stream with participating in runway show's like for for Jean Paul Gaultier. I remember when I first heard about it from my mom that a proper plus size woman walked down the catwalk in Paris, I think tears swelled up in my eyes. A few days later I found out she was a member is Dimensions, a plus size online community, so I wrote to her telling her what a big fan I was and how I think she's an amazing and positive influence on women everywhere.

About a year later, I was in Paris with my friend James. On a day of sight seeing we got off the wrong stop on the Metro and landed ourselves in an unknowing opportunity. Walking down the street James noticed a MAC makeup store and suggests we stop there in order to cheer me up. We walk in and there is one attendant and one plus size women getting her makeup done. James and I talk about where he can go ask for directions while I look around. I mentioned to him I thought the women in the chair was Velvet. James wasn't convinced. So he walked off and left me to look. She started to speak to me asking if I was american. I told her yes, and she asked if I had ever seen the show Monique's Fat Chance. Once again I said yes an

d how I loved that show! She told me I should watch the upcomi

ng season because she was a judge on the show. My heart started beating faster because I knew the answer to my question. I asked who she was and she replied," I'm Velvet." I think I actually jumped and said." I KNEW it was you!"

We chatted for a while as her makeup was being done and James returned. That was a fun one to rub in his face. She told me before she left she would love to photograph me if I ever came back to Paris. Well, being as star struck as I was, I was going to make sure that happened!

Nearly 7 months later I was returning to Paris to visit and stay with Velvet. Imagine someone you look up to, admire and think is totally amazing. Then imagine being invited to stay in their home and them using you for a music video and multiple photo shoots. I was on cloud 9.

Fast forward to present day. I woke up today to see a video from Velvet that she had posted on my facebook wall. It's a video that once again pushes the boundaries like only Velvet can with fat, fashion and sex appeal. I was fortunate enough to be in this video! She took clips from our shoot and put them i

n there. Velvet d'Amour's CEST QOUI LA MODE .

If you want to learn more about Velvet D'amour she has a Myspace page a http://www.myspace.com/velvetdamour .

She is my fashion icon, size advocator, muse and my friend. All around, she's an amazing women.

Sad Sewing Day

2009-06-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Man, this was not a good way to end a rather productive day with my sewing project. I woke up at 7:30 on my own without an alarm clock. So much fun I tell you. But I decided to go ahead and start my day early making headway on my hoodie. Everything had been measured, cut and pinned together. It's current state is actually as the tutorial described it. An ugly vest. As I am making the pockets my needle on my machine breaks. Thankfully whatever part broke off hit my eyelid and not my eye. I was replacing the needle as quickly as I could so I wouldn't have to break my stride for too long. But as soon as I started sewing again I realized this wasn't going to work. The needle wasn't going down at all. I tried manually moving the needle but there was quite a bit of resistance from the machine. I haven't found anything wrong with it from what I can see. So at this moment my machine is out of service. Perfect timing considering my last class is tomorrow night. Montavilla here I come.

Going Insane!

2009-06-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest problems right now is I sit on my computer too much. I'm reading posts, on web forums, facebook, twitter, and now have 2 blogs to update. I am an internet junkie. But in all fairness one of my blogs is for my job, as is the twitter page. Gotta keep the fans happy. :) But also spending enormous amounts of time on my computer leads to me drifting off to different clothing sites where I search for hours for the perfect outfit that will actually fit my papple shaped bod.

I am not impressed with summer lines from Lane Bryant, Avenue, Torrid or Old Navy. Those are the basic sites I have to go to for clothing and season after season I get let down more and more. It's as though us fat girls went from being forced to wear boxy dresses and sweatshirts with kittens on them to sized down clothing with sequins and giant fake stones. And while I understand not all places can please every range of customer, I would like to see some changes.

Lane Bryant says they offer clothing up to size 30/32 now. But of course this is only online. Heaven forbid should they actually have them in stores. And the clothes they do offer in that size are a few stretchy basic tees and the occasional slacks. HI! Your a clothing store is aimed at fat women. And yet every time I walk into your store you have the most articles of clothing in a size 18/20. And when asked if you have any in 26/28 you say," I think we got like one in but it sold out so fast." Well no shit Sherlock. Then I ask why you get 10 size 18/20 in the top I want but only get in 1 in my size? "We sell more 18/20's in this store so we are shipped more, and since we sell less in the bigger sizes they send us less. Now I would like to call BULL SHIT on this one. Are you telling me that all those clothes in the clearance racks that are 18/20 are selling well? And the selection of 26/28's are slim pickings because they don't sell well? No. You are OBVIOUSLY not going to sell as many larger sizes if you don't bring them into the store!

Old Navy. You created a plus size line. Yay!! You wonderful people you. But then, you decide to take them out of the store and make them only available online. WTF? Do we embarrass you when our jiggly asses walk in the store? Did we take up too much room? Are we really that bad? Fine, we'll shop online, pay extra for your limited selection and throw shipping charges in there just because we are desperate for something different. But I noticed something recently. Your not carrying 4x in many of your new clothes this season. What gives? In past seasons 4x is usually the size that is NEVER available after an article has been out for a while. And yet, you are taking it away and keeping the 1x which you can't deny is the size always left in clearance. Please explain how this works?

Torrid!! Ohhh Torrid. I was in love with you before you even had a shop in my town. I was a loyal customer until I realized your pants run small and even then, they only go up to a size 26, and your tops and dresses go up to 28 and thats a small 28. Umm... hello?? You are a fat chick store. You can't tell me you honestly think people who want funky, fun, cheaply made clothes aren't any fatter than a 26 maybe 28. And lets be realistic, their 26 is closer to a 24. I call foul! What is it going to take to make you guys realize that people are just getting fatter! It's not a terrible thing and out of all companies in the world, the last place we want to be made to feel bad is by our fat clothing stores!! Give us a decent variety of sizes for the love of Godiva!

We all know the size of people in the US is growing. Some refer to is as the Obesity Epidemic. But here is my question. If people are getting bigger, why are fat clothing stores shrinking their options of larger sizes? Is this to make us think, hmm I can't fit into that hoodie. I guess I should loose weight and then I can buy it? WRONG!!! If this is the method of thinking then you are all in for a world of hurt financially. We just wont buy the clothes, plain and simple.

Us fat women have money to spend. Lots of it. We want to look good and feel good. So get with the program you guys. You can't tell me a few extra inches of cheap fabric is going to break your bank if you make a size 32. Your profit from cost to retail price has on average 400-500% mark up value. Your doing fine, we are the ones that suffer. Your customer. So thanks!!

Rant over.

My first attempt

2009-06-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

I've become increasingly more interested in reading blogs lately. People suggest a blog with subjects that I am interested in and I get hooked. Recently a friend of mine posted a link to a tiny fashion prodigy whose blog is called Style Rookie. Reading a blog by a 12 year old who has fashion wisdom beyond her years and far beyond my own comprehension was a great find and also a sad reality check that I do less with my time than a 12 year old who goes to school everyday.

I have a passion for fashion. I think I still have the first sketch I made for an outfit when I was in 4th grade. Plus the 2 notebooks full of sketches from high school. Mind you I didn't/don't dress like I follow fashion. I was about to apply to 2 different universities after high school with a fashion program, but with money being tight, I decided against it. Now, in 2009, I am still very plus size at a luscious size 32 and I still feel fashion is a large part of my life. I sit up till 3 am looking at fashion sites with the latest sets from designers shown in Paris, London, NY and LA.

My goal for this blog is to post about anything I feel I want or need to rant on related to size acceptance, size positivity and plus size fashion. Also since I have been getting back into sewing again, I want to post pictures and snippets about the clothes I am creating. I am forever learning new things about sewing and fashion and I hope you all enjoy at least one thing in my posts.