Busy Season

The next couple of weeks are going to be really hectic as I'm preparing for the Dublin Horse Show. I'll be selling there with Avaluk craft shop who I've been selling with in Kilkenny for a few years(this link goes to her facebook page where you can get update of all the different Irish handcrafrs that she sells). This is the first time I'll be doing a fair in the RDS and I've heard they are crazy busy. I have to bring as much stock as I can humanly make over the next couple of weeks, which means lots of LONG days in the studio sewing away while listening to my audiobooks. It will mostly be clothes that I'm working on but I'll also make a range of accessories to sell too. This blog will either die over the next while or I'll just post very brief photo updates of what I'm up to.
So ta ra for now and I'll see you on the other side!

Lecture in Eco Fashion

No, my aforementioned toothache did not kill me, although it sincerely tried to. I've just been really busy. One of the things I was doing was giving a lecture in the University of Limerick. I agreed to give a lecture on Eco Fashion and my business in Mikael Fernstrom's class, but it was only as the lecture loomed nearer that I actually started to question my sanity. When I said how nervous I was to my mother her reply was 'You'll be fine, you did debating before, and you were on telly sure'...well that public speaking was nigh on 15 years ago, and with tv they can always retake a shot!

I was afraid of the usual things, that I would freeze up, get cotton mouth, run out of things to say in about 10 minutes, lose my ability to read my notes, in general make an arse of myself. But thankfully I didn't, or at least I don't think I did, if any of the attendant students are reading this you can let me know. I prepared a power point presentation of my lecture, going through the background of my business, how I got into eco fashion, and then moved onto the wider topic of recycling within fashion, the effect the garment industry has on the environment, and the use of sweat shops. An hour is a long time to talk but after a small bit of Q&A I actually ran out of time-which I was totally shocked at.

It was a really fun experience, but boy is it a lot of work, I had a huge amount of prep work to do before the class. I assume lecturing only really begins to pay when you are doing it a few years and you have all the lesson plans pinned down.

I was asked back to give a second class to the same group, but this time it was far more practical. I gave them a small customising project to do on scraps of denim. This was a much easier class to give as it was in my comfort zone. I had no real research to do, I just had to prep the materials. The class naturally divided into two, those who knew how to sew and worked away happily on their pieces. And then those who had never picked up a sewing needle. It was nice to walk away after an hour and to know that I taught about 8 grown men how to thread a needle, sew properly in a straight line, and the essential skill in life...how to sew in a button. I was really surprised to see how open they were to learning this, and it was a lot of fun showing them.

I would think of doing guest lecturing again if I was asked, now that I've gotten over the first hurdle. The only thing is that within all the prep and nerves I didn't get any of my own work done that week.

Ps: Thanks to Mikael for inviting me to do the lecture, and also for the use of his photo.

New Clothes Order Sent Off

Here are some quick snapshots of some clothes that I just sent to Roisins Boutique in Inistioge, Co.Kilkenny. I'm having fun playing with nice pockets and clashing patterns. I've loads more work to do for the shop this week, and if I get time I'll post more pictures here.

New Clothes for Inistioge

I just sent off another order of clothes to Roisins Boutique in Inistioge, it was stressful trying to get it finished because of time constraints but I must say it was a really fun bunch of clothes to work on. Jackets/coats have always been one of my favourite things to make, I feel I can go a bit wild with them adding embellishments. I only wish I regularly had time to work on more pieces. When I get the markets of this weekend over with I'll be making more pieces for the shop.

New Order for Boutique: Part 2

Last week I showed you a couple of pieces that I'm working for for the boutique in Inistioge in Kilkenny. Betwwen markets, my sister being in hospital for her new baby, and the Etsy Ireland meeting I didn't get as much made as I wanted last week, at the moment I'm really in need of an eighth and ninth day in the week! But I did get these pieces made. I've been really enjoying making dresses recently and also working with 'clashing' patterned fabrics. A look that I've always loved, and which is very 'in' this season.

The tartan dress has been embellished with the material from a skirt and a shirt, all in complimentary tartan/striped blues and greys. This is the first time that I've made a rosette in this way and I'm really happy with how it turned out. The second piece has been customised with some vintage fabric that a friend gave to me, I think it's for making cushions and curtains. It's beautiful quality with wonderful patterns of birds and flowers on it. I made a band that goes around the waist, and a large tie for the back from two different patterned materials. I was very tempted to keep this dress for myself, but I need to be disciplined and send it off to the shop.

New Order for Boutique

I've been working on a new order of clothes for Roisin Boutique in Inistioge. It's been a while since I made some clothes so it was nice to get back to it. Here is a sneaky peek at two pieces that I've finished. I'm glad I remembered to take some pictures, as the last few orders I sent off I totally forgot.

Sustainable Materials Exhibition opening

Orla Redican - Ev+A Dress

Marianne Kenny Modelling Nice Day Designs Dress

The opening for the sustainable arts exhibition was on last night, and there was a fantastic turnout. I was so busy running around talking to people and making sales (woohoo!) that I nearly forgot to take pictures. I heard really great feeback from people, saying it was one of the best shows they had seen in the gallery for years. I know this sounds awful but usually in group shows half of it is filler, but in this show there really wasn't any. There is an amazing mix of artists working in every discipline, from fashion, ceramics, sculture, painting, weaving, jewellery, performance and mixed media. There were some familiar faces too,Orla Redican from Farapinalia made this fantastic dress from the old Ev+A sign that had been lying in a skip. My ex-flatmate of 5 years Mark Halpin showed his wonderful illustrations of found tiles. I got to meet the lovely Missy Bonkers while I was drooling over her beautiful clothes. There were also handwoven mats made from found rope by etsy seller Conscious Crafts.

Mark Halpin- Drawing on Found Tiles

Missy.Bonkers Beanbag and cushions

Conscious Crafts -Recycled mats

Other highlights for me was the performance art piece where I guy was doing clay sculptures on his head, very playful and facinitating. Another artist has beautiful cutlery made from found metal and wire, I wanted to take those home, if I had money I would have bought them, they were stunning. I also really loved the mixed media paintings that had loads of found toys and knick knacks in them, they were a riot of colour and you could look at them all day long.

I'm delighted to be part of such an amazing show, it will continue for 6 weeks, and there will be lots of workshops from the artists. More details of which I'll poost about as I hear them. A big thank you goes out to Diarmuid Neilan for organising this fantastic show, I'm sure it's been a lot of hard work. Also I'd really like to thank my beautiful model Marianne Kenny for being stunning, and very patient in those high heels.

Limerick City Gallery

I delivered the two dresses to the Limerick city gallery yesterday. The show hasn't opened yet, but I believe it will be on Tuesday with the official opening on Saturday the 20th. I had a quick peek at some of the other work, it looks pretty cool. So if you are in the area pop in, and as with all these opening things there will be free wine...what better excuse is there really?!

To reward myself for all my hard work lately I went for a feed of pints, very tasty indeed!

Done, Finished, Finito....Hurrah!

I was totally right, making the cage for the inside of the red ballgown totally broke my heart. The first attemp was some bizarre paper mache and plaster of paris concoction that I won't embarress myself by talking about any further(let's just leave it at the fact when 2 friends saw the attempt they laughed...a lot!). My second attempt was an underskirt made from bedsheets with lots of wire going through it, and then more wire, and then a bit more. But that looked like a sadly deflating balloon. So in the end I went back to my first idea which I had initially dismissed....hoola hoops...5 of them to be exact. I fed them into the underskirt I had made for the wire and chopped them down to make them different sizes.

So after lots of shout, cursing, tantrums, some tears and dispondancy I finished it!! I know these aren't the best photos but I jusat wanted to show you something as I'm so thrilled that it's done. Please note this dress is the reason I've been a bold blogger lately....it took DAYS to make.

I have just over a day to finish my recycled denim dress, and then I've to install the works in the gallery. I'm really excited to see how they look in the space...I'll take pictures, I promise!

(Note: This is meant to be a show piece, just in case any of you were wondering why I made a dress that's impossible to sit down in...anyway, I hear FIERCE women don't sit)

Red Ballgown

Here is another piece that I'm working on as part of the sustainable material exhibition. I've only got the skirt part of the design started, but I'm happy with how the different fabrics sit together. It doesn't look like I've gotten that far, but patchwork takes quite a while between all the cutting and sewing all the pieces together. I've never done this style of skirt before, but I think it look really pretty. As you can see from the design I have a LOT of work left to do. I still have to A) finish the shirt, with another few tiers of material B) make a black bodice C) make a cage type structure for the inside. For this last part I was thinking of a making it out of rolled newspaper, kind of a papier mache with an extra few layers of varnish to make it sturdier. It's gonna probably cause me lots of heartache trying to make it but I think it will add that extra pizzaz needed for a show piece. In some ways it reminds me of something Bjork wore to an Mtv awards ceremony about 10 years ago.

Work in Progress

This is what I got up to today. This is the beginings of one of the main show pieces for the exhibition. So far I've used about 5 pairs of jeans and a jacket, I'll need at least six more pairs to get the lenght and train that I plan for it. I'll also need lots of material for the Queen Elizabeth ruffles I plan for the neckline. I'm happy with where it's going, hopefully tomorrow is another good day.

Inistioge Co.Kilkenny

I just wanted to let you know more about the wee little village of Inistioge that my clothes are now selling in. It's a picture book Irish Village that looks like it's been plucked straight out of 1940/50's Ireland. It's got loads of beautiful old houses, a large open square, a few sleepy pubs and stunning countryside walks. It's real little hot spot for tourists during the Summer and it's great claim to fame is the the Meave Binchy film Circle of Friends was filmed there.
It's only a 20 minute drive from Kilkenny city, but it has all the charm of being lost in old Ireland. I really enjoyed my stay there this weekend and wished I would have had more time to soak up the the tranquility of this village.They also have a great restaurant that I'm dying to try next time I'm down. Note to self: make time for more yummy pints and food when I'm there next, oh and those very pretty walks to wash away my hangover!