Back to WOOORK!! - 4/25/11

So it's Monday yet again... lovely, I know.  The silver lining though is that through my aimless internet wandering I came across the auctions of the costumes from "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever".  This costume sold for over $8,000 to benfit the Barbra Streisand foundation.  I hope these amazing images of this Cecil Beaton design brighten your Monday.  But seriously.. get back to WOOORK!!!

Philip - In Brooklyn

Back to WOOORK!! - 4/18/11

           It's Monday and we could all use a shot of glamour in our morning cup of Joe.  Today I'm going with some Leslie Caron for desperately needed that pick me up.  Hollywood's French Prima Ballerina is oozing with unscrubbed beauty that most girls pile on the make up to look like. 
           In the 1955 film "The Glass Slipper" Leslie plays Cinderella perfectly.  That hoe shows up to the ball to holler at her man in a gown that is the defenition of WOOORK!!  Not to mention her "F*&# Me Pumps" made of glass.  That bitch is serious!

Philip - In Brooklyn

Back to WOOORK! 4-11-11

Hi Everyone!

It’s Monday.  Again. 

But don’t let the M-word get you down! 

Today’s back to wooork is brought to you by our dear friend, Esther Williams.  In her heyday, this she lived in her bathing suit.  Don’t hate!!  This gal worked hard for the money!!  Making “aquamusicals” was her bread & butter.  Miss Williams spent so much time "dancing" in the pool that she became a co-designer and fit model for Jantzen.  They developed and tested out a new fabric called Lycra, and created swimsuits for her films.  With Esther's input, they contributed to the revolution of womens mass-market swimwear in the 20th century. 

Before Esther Williams, girls swimsuits fastened closed with a metal zipper...and did I mentioned they were knitted out of wool?  Yeah.  Gross.  We have a lot to thank her for.

….imagine if a bikini was your uniform?! 

Now get back to WOOOORK!

 -Kathleen, In Oakland

I Wear Many Hats: The Dog Bonnet, a Tribute.

Hey Y’all,

Clothing can be so sentimental. 
Sometimes, it's the most tangible thing you can have to connect with someone that is gone. 
You can see them wearing it, touch the fabric that they once wore, note the creases and wear marks their body made in the garment.  It can be very moving to re-visit.

I wanted to share something I made a long time ago that is very special to me.  

Cotton Calico Bonnet, trimmed in goldenrod yellow grosgrain ribbon.

FRONT VIEW: Modeled by the Medium-sized Doggie dress form at work.

SIDE VIEW:  Earholes have self binding, bottom edge is bound in grosgrain ribbon. 
All hand-finished with tiny pick stitches.

BACK VIEW:  Bonnet is gathered and clean finished into a half-moon yoke.



EAR HOLE DETAIL: 3/8" satin rainbow ribbon was fitted under the ear to hold the brim in place. 
Ruffle brim has folded edge, and is clean finished to the main body with grosgrain ribbon, all hand-finished.




INSIDE VIEW:  All clean-finished inside for Doggie-proof durability!



This fully-functional cotton bonnet was specially created for Honey, our beautiful family dog who changed our lives forever.  Honey was a Yellow Lab/Chow mix, a stray, found abandoned in the little gulf town of Rockport, Texas in 1997.  Thanks to some very well organized small-town vets, we were able to research who she was and her past history.  Honey was originally named Sandy.  Her previous owners even had her fixed, but left her behind in the back yard when the moved away.

And there she was, months later, sitting at a gas station, ready to follow me home.  I called her “Honey” the moment I saw her, and the name stuck ever since.

She was like all Texas ladies I know, TOUGH and BEAUTIFUL.  Honey survived months of abandonment on the Gulf Coast, with the biggest & largest tick infestation I’ve ever seen, AND THEN went through a heartworm treatment! She was already 4 years old when she came into our lives, and lived over 16 years until we had to make the painful decision to put her down.    

Honey was gentle giant, a mother-dog who never fussed about anything….even little children riding on her back was just another day of fun for her, lol.  And boy, did she loved to dress up!  We adorned her in pink baby T’s, tiaras, bunny ears, cat ears (too funny) ….she was just a perfect joy to play with.    PERFECT.

I designed & made this little bonnet to fit her head, and Honey wore it every Halloween when she greeted the Trick ‘or Treaters at the front door with my Mom.  Our little Texas pioneer!

It will always be one of my favorite projects, and proudest accomplishments.

And here's Honey in her younger years....Ain't she lovely?!

-Kathleen, In Oakland