Designing for Etsy...

I am so excited.  My husband an I just finished making all the little adjustments needed to make my Etsy banner work.  You would think that with two artists who work mostly digital this should have been a breeze.  Not so!  The crazy restrictions Etsy has placed on the size of the banner have made it practically impossible to work within the usual logo design rules.  Etsy calls it a banner when it's really an icon. Anything that is 100 pixels, yes pixels high is an icon.  Too small to be called anything else.

When I read 'banner' I thought logo not icon.  It took much longer to design around the restricted size then either of us expected.  Drawing letters and the little fox mask just one pixel at a time.  Tedious but I think worth it.

I really wanted something that spoke to the Japanese culture that is such a big part of the inspiration for my store.  After hours of searching for ideas I came upon some images of Noh masks but I didn't love most of the designs for a store identity.  I really wanted something more accessible and pretty.  Then we remembered a japanese anime called "Kakurenbo".  It's a spooky little story but the children in it all wore the most amazing masks.  All this research evolved into a Kitsune Noh style mask.  Kitsune is a fox in Japanese lore.  I will explain Kitsune a little.  The best way is by using an excerpt from the book Kitsune.

"Kitsune is an animal supposed to be mysterious, fascinating, and mischevious. And is believed to be very grateful for the kindness done to him, as seen in many tales, and is also affectionate as revealed in some dramas. He is enshrined as a god because of his supernatural power. He is endowed with the subtle art of metamorphosis, and he is able to bewitch men in the guise of a charming girl. An exceedingly interesting and entertaining beast Kitsune is."

There is much more but that is the general idea.  Here is the link to my Etsy store with the banner in place http://www.etsy.com/shop/RePurposeHistory?ref=pr_shop.

 

Everyone meet "Joan" not Mad Man's Joan but….

On Saturday my doorbell rang and I heard a big thump outside.  It was the Fedex delivery guy or girl.  I will never know because they were speeding away before I opened the door.  There on the porch was the box containing my new dress form.  I've been wanting one for so long but couldn't justify spending the money until now.

Into the house I go with the giant box that was much lighter then I expected.  I ripped off the tape because I have no patience and stopped... right there.  Before my eyes was a dress form with the most interesting shaped, um well no way to say but say it, breasts!  My brand new "uniquely you"  looked a bit like a caricature of a 1950's pinup.  I asked my husband for name suggestions, he took one look and she became "Joan".  Yes she is named after Joan on Mad Men.  I adore the character so I agreed.

uniquely you sans cover

At this point as much as I wanted to fit the cover right then it had to wait until we finished with our deadline for the DC comic JSA All Stars.  Tonight it was time to fit the cover.  The size was surprisingly close to my measurements.  I only had to take in the waist a few inches and I was good to put the cover on.  A warning to anyone looking at the uniquely you forms, putting the adjusted cover on is hard.  It took both me and my husband to wrestle her into it.  I think this form will get lots of use.  One of the best things about it is in fact that it squishes (technical term?) for corseting.

"Joan" with the cover fitted

Planning and designing

I've been sick for the last three days with food poisoning, yuck.  It's been pretty awful and kinda wonderful at the same time.  What!!  Ok I have to explain that part because I'm really not that crazy.  Food poisoning meant fevers and sleeplessness and some things that are just too much information.    Doing a lot of television channel hopping and couldn't really find anything to hold my interest so I ended up watching one of those horrible wedding dress shows in re-runs.  This got me remembering how much I use to enjoy working with brides, designing and sewing their wedding gowns.  A plan came to mind and I started sketching a couple of gown designs.  This one of a kind wedding dress is being made specifically for my etsy store.  I hope to have it complete for the grand opening.

This morning I'm sipping a yummy latte (made by my awesome husband) and surfing the internet for a little while before starting my workday.  I head over to the bay to hunt for the perfect kimono fabric for the wedding gown.  Lucky me, I found it in just a few short minutes.  As soon as I clicked on the photo I knew I had found the one.  This fabric spoke to me.  It's karieba/karinu furisode fabric.

Karieba/karinui is the cut pattern of the kimono roughly basted together.  It still needs unpicked, lined and finished to be worn as finished kimono.  Furisode is the most formal kimono of young unmarried woman it is most often seen at the Coming-of-Age Day ceremony when a girl turns 20.  It is easily recognized by the very long flowing sleeves, beautiful patterns and often has embroidery and hand painted designs.

While the fabric I chose is old and possibly vintage, it has never been worn and is in excellent condition.  I am trying to re-purpose damaged or un-wearable Japanese textiles into new jewelry and garments.  It would seem like unworn fabric wouldn't fall into this category but it does and this is why.  Chances are because this fabric has ended up on the bay that it will never be finished into the intended furisode.  The industry of kimono makers in Japan is sadly dwindling and I am unaware of many people in the United States who have the skills for the hand work required for kimono.  I am ecstatic to have purchased this gorgeous furisode bolt.  It will be a long fidgety couple weeks while I wait for delivery of the fabrics.

In the meantime I will begin drafting the pattern for the gown and working on the toile.  I like to have a few projects going at once.  It gives me time to step away and evaluate my process and design.

Here's a little peek at the images from the online store

I will try to obtain more information about the motifs in the fabric to share in a future post.

Today I started.

Today was big, I started to actually move forward and begin the process of developing  actual items for my etsy store.  I have a theme and it revolves around re-purposing beautiful Japanese textiles that are no longer usable in their original forms.  The hard part here is narrowing the flood of ideas I have down to a reasonable number.  All this of course has to be done in addition to my Day job as a freelance graphic artist. I color comic books for DC Comics and that it's normally takes up all my time and then some.  I will post links to that work sometime soon.

This afternoon my dear husband says to me "stop planning and get started sewing" I thought to myself ok he's right and I will never make this work if I don't pick up a pencil and get to drafting.  Funny part is DH sharpened a bunch of pencils for me, gotta love a supportive spouse.  He really thinks I can do this!

I gather my supplies and measurements and start drafting my first pattern.  It's going to be an underbust corset made from up-cycled, re-cycled, well loved kimono.  My first rule to choose a kimono it that is no longer wearable as intended.  It must have stains or holes or some patina.  I will have to use new boning and coutil for the inside but keeping our carbon footprint low by re using the kimono.  

Before I get to cut into the beautiful fabric I need a pattern so on to drafting.  My first try and the waist comes about 8 inches too small.  Yikes, I calculated really wrong somewhere so I start over and the second try is just right.

On to cutting my toile

Next I move on to sewing the toile together and the moment of truth, will it fit?

Yes!!  It's so awesome, I am only going to need very slight alterations to the lower hip.  The underbust area and waist look like they are going to be prefect.  DH has cut all the spring steel bones and tipped them for me.  I completely forgot to order the solid steel bones for the middle back so I can't do much until those arrive.  I have the center front opening busk already.  I will use quilting bars to help me form the casings for the bones.  Before I do that I will make the hip adjustment.

The goal with this pattern is to be sized to fit a range of people.  I am thinking of waist sizes from 22-34.  I have chosen an underbust style because I can have a nice range of sizes pre-made.  I love the idea of a custom corset but the sad truth is that the average person will find the corset online and want it now.  We are an impatient society and we don't like to wait.  I am guilty of this myself.  So my answer is to offer handmade corsets that have the best chance of fitting well on a range of people.  Hope this will work.

I will only be able to make a couple corsets or less for each unique kimono.  This means each corset will be one of a kind.  I am designing these to be worn as an outer garment and not just as lingerie.  This first one I am working on is going to look amazing with a button down blouse with french cuffs or a tee shirt and jeans.  I think I will photograph it both ways.

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