Press Book

I picked up a dress form for an unbelievable 20 $ the other day at Hope Bargain Center in Pleasant Hill. Granted it's rather large, but to have a dress form at all is somewhat of a miracle, considering the usual price between 85-200$. It is pictured below.

Here is a press book I created. 
Recipe:
1 old plastic ring-binder folder
Various newspaper clippings of headlines and pictures
1 dash of pure creativity
Duct tape
Glue
Black permanent marker
I glued the newspaper clippings to the folder after I had arranged them in the college I wanted, then I taped down the various loose edges, and wrote 'press book' on the spine. The front page was a mishmash of catchy headlines and photos, the inside cover followed a coffee theme while the other cover featured fashion while the back depicts a cute penguin and a somewhat ominous statement regarding poisonous juice. If I get bored all I have to do is read my folder!
And there you have it! The perfect book for a reporter or writer's notes.

Note the headlines on the front cover and the penguin on the back cover.

Note coffee page to the left and fashion page on the right.

Apparel Design

Design Apparel Scheduled for Whenever I get in my dress form.!

A Jobber Moment

Me and my Swatches.
Definition of Jobber: An individual who buys fabrics/textiles wholesale from mills or converters. He generally purchases mill overruns or discontinued styles and fabrics, so his wares are very rare and desirable.)


So the other day after class our professor told us that if we wanted to get extra credit there were a whole bunch of old textile swatches in the Fabric Lab that we could give away. She also said if we wanted any, we were welcome to them. Enthralled, some of the most ambitious students hurried to the Fabric Lab. There were dozens and dozens of swatches, some silky, some rough and grainy. It was a pleasure to feel through them all, such a delight to the sense of tough and sight: Silks and satins and wools, organzas, laces, prints, an entire laundry list of samples. It was like suddenly finding a treasure chest. I was having a Jobber moment. I took a moment to savor the feeling of being able to choose which fabrics I would touch, sorting through greens and silvers and grays. I began setting some aside; my stash to take home. I could make sleeve cuffs, trim, handbags, the list of fashionable ideas was blossoming. Here I am, pictured amongst my swatch pile, dazed by the possibilities. 

Sketches...

Here are some sketches I completed last night:

A miniskirt and layer flowered shell top

A top and skirt decorated with buttons

Definitely one of my more Avante gard styles, this floor-length dress features orbit flowers and lace.

Polka dot trench with long armlets and leggings

Men's checkerboard sleeve hoodie and striped drawstring pants

Belted tie-shirt trimmed with lace and striped slacks

Cover up or feminine cardigan

Eye dress; circle skirt

Tree branch skirt, featuring lace faux plunge neckline and leaf-belt

Runway graffiti gown, graphic black and white

Croquis

Walnut Ink Recipe

Here is an interesting tutorial for those interested in making their own writing ink out of walnut juice. It was provided by my friend and colleague Benjamin Spick. Enjoy!


WALNUT INK

In a glass jar, place approximately 4 – 5 tablespoons of black walnut hull, crushed (I eye-balled this measurement; it’s the equivalent of two walnut hulls).
Pour ½ cup of boiling water over the hulls; screw on jar lid tightly, and let the infusion steep overnight. In the morning, pour through a coffee filter into a new jar. Let all liquid drain; discard the hulls and filter.
Add two teaspoons of gum arabic powder to the infusion. Screw lid on tightly, and shake to blend. Let settle. Ink is now ready to use. Color will be a medium brown.
NOTE: Black walnut infusion WILL permanently stain clothing and countertops, though it washes out of metal and glass just fine. Work on a surface you can clean. You may substitute walnut hull for black tea (I have not tried this, but I adapted this recipe from one that originally used black tea instead of walnut hulls; I don’t know what color value tea-ink would have in relation to walnut ink).
SUPPLIES:
•    Black Walnut. If you cannot obtain walnut hulls yourself (I used ones I gathered from my yard), you can purchase them from herbal supply companies. Frontier Natural Products Co-op (http://www.frontiercoop.com/) sells crushed hulls; Mountain Rose Herbs (http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/) sells hulls in powder form.
•    Gum Arabic (also sold as Acacia Powder) can also be bought from herbal supply companies. After doing some comparison, Mountain Rose Herbs seems to be the cheapest.