Elvish Summer Casuals

Gabbie wants to wear her Baratheyl Bolero for more than one occasions this summer. I told her I'd strip it down into something more casual after the wedding — she might even have it dyed. I popped into Stitch Therapy to say hey to Maxcine and to ask Brandi for a favor — Brandi was gracious enough to be my fit model for Gabrielle's Barathyel Bolero. My favorite home girl's come home — she's back in Brooklyn while on school break from the Paris program.

The Fly-girl Test

Brandi slipped it on and moved her arms up and around to make sure the sleeves didn't crawl up. The bell sleeves needed more weight, the flap also needed more structure. I like Maxcine's Roman clasp, Brandi used it to close the top. It's funny how girls know what to do with a garment.

"Baby, don't you make anything for the big girls? That top is fly!" a shop patron said as she put down her baby sweater and gestured at her ample decollete. "I used to be Brandi's size but look at me now. You can't hide the pride!"

I have admit, I blushed. I just nodded my head in agreement, I felt anything I'd say might come off offensively.

The Shrug Test

The big girls dilemma — many knit patterns aren't made for the plus size gal, and they're usually displayed by someone who looks like they haven' eaten in days. Many full-bodied beauties knit and sew for themselves because they can't buy something in their size. You just can't take a Barbie-sized concept and simply make it bigger. How do we address America's growing needs?

Brandi shrugged her shoulders up and down and did a runway walk around the shop to make sure the back stayed in place. The mantle needed a few adjustments — the hem turned inwards and clung to her dress. Everything needs a few adjustments.

It's one thing to see a garment sit on a mannequin, but the real test is to see how it behaves and drapes on the body when in motion. I ended up re-knitting the entire mantle — oi gevault, twice.

It's almost ready for an evening out. I wonder if Gabbie will wear it on on their honeymoon. Brandi is my favorite model, the camera loves her and she knows how to move. As I packed everything up, the shop patron waved me down and mouthed "big girls" to me.

In Holey Matrimony

I designed an eyelet lace shrug for my friend Gabrielle, she and Paul are tying the knot on July 18. She's nervous, but at the last fitting she was elated to see her shrug come together. It fits on her as snug as a glove, but it's very comfortable. It's something old and something new, but I didn't want it to look too antique. Earlier we met and did some sketches and looked at yarn samples from Stitch Therapy and pattern books.





The design is inspired by Galadriel's dream sequence from "Fellowship of the Ring." I named both the eyelet pattern and the shrug "Barathyel" (Grey Elvish word for Queen). It's made with Linea Pura Biosoja — a light poly-blend of soy, cotton, and bamboo. It's perfect for a warm July wedding. The subtle strides of cream & ivory and the syncopated lace pattern make the garment appear as if it’s in constant motion — even when it's just resting on the mannequin.



The bell sleeves are very traditional, but the mantle drapes over the body on the bias in an asymmetric cut. It also makes the traditional bell sleeves look more LOTR and less Renaissance Fair.



The body wraps as one piece from the front and around the back. The top of the shrug (arms and shoulders) are also knit across as one piece. The bell sleeves are picked up and knit down. I'm still working on the back panel that join the top and the body.



A Mannequin?! You might be wondering how I ended up with a mannequin body. No, I didn't find it on the street. About two summers ago I stopped into Stacey Joy Elkin's shop Redlipstick. She had seen photos of the shrug I made for Caroline on my blog and read that I used a pillow and duct tape to make a form. She insisted that I need a mannequin body so she generously loaned me one.



But she didn't have a bag large enough to cover it so I walked home with it in it's raw state tucked under my arm through a small crowd of giggling school children and pointing parents. You have to admit, putting a Keyfood bag over the top half of a bare torso would have seemed even more creepy... I digress. But the mannequin helped me a lot. Better finish this up, final fitting with gown is on Tuesday.

Small Craft Warnings

The temperature dropped at sunset — 68° and gusty. On the way to Megan and Josh's farewell party Stephanie and I paused to look at some very odd looking clouds — a seagull got sucked upwards and into a formation of red skulls and demonic cotton balls. I took this picture in Brooklyn Heights. June has been unseasonably cold, stormy and wet. National unemployment average is up to 9.5% (and growing) and the New York real estate market is all a mess. One has to wonder if the weather is a prelude to even harsher times (aka, the 70s).

Suck it, Ya'll!

Stephanie V. and Owen announced that they're tying the knot in June at their annual Memorial Day crawdad boil. Good food, lots of beer and good company — what better way to announce wedding plans than to throw a party?

I got there a bit late but the crawfish boil was endless. I helped clear off the the table for the next round. I must have sat at that table three times.




I ate most the of spicy boiled garlic, the corn with spray-on butter wasn't bad either. The only thing better than this is Steph's New Orleans dirty rice n' beans. They tons of desert inside as well.



Dan sat us down for a crawdad tutorial: pinch, twist, bite and suck... in that order.

Mat is a quick study, but he was picky. We were reminded that the edibles ones have curled tails and the straight ones might be deadly. The saying should go "The curl won't make you hurl."


Kids are always curious. This little girl peeled dinner for here sister and parents. What a good kid!


The set slowly on a beautiful weekend.

Knit PH at Prospect Perk, May 12 '09

We had an intimate crowd at Perk. Archie dropped by for a bit, I hadn't seen him in a while. He was getting his allergy shots just around the corner. For me the the first round of spring pollen was murder, or least it looked that way — nose nose bleeds and all. Eliza brought in the last quilt to sew for Afghans for Afghans.



Luise and Marci jumped right into the sewing. I learned a new stitch that night — the "invisible stitch" (aka ladder stitch) which reminds me, I have to bring my glasses more often. The invisible stitch similar to the mattress stitch but worked from the wrong side of the quilt.
It takes less time, the seams are less bulky, and it allows you to sew unmatched sides together.



This quilt is simply beautiful. Although it may never hang in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it reminds me of the work of Josef Albers. Quote Albers "Easy to know that diamonds are precious, good to learn that rubies have depth, but more to see that pebbles are miraculous." The colors in each square are like facets in a gem. It's made from left-over wool yarn, but mostly it's made with genuine care and sincerity. We're going to keep the quilt making as part of our Knit PH group.

Chew Chew Trained

This is Franky Meatballs Sternfeld, my friend Mikey's dog. Franky is a 3-year old pit-bulldog mutt who's slowly growing out of puppyhood. He's actually a well behaved dog, but unfortunately Franky chews everything — gloves, towels, loose string, carpet, shirt buttons... everything.



In the canine world chewing is essential to keeping a dogs mouth clean, just as flossing is to we humans. So I made Franky a bone shaped toy in hopes that he'd leave Mike's things be.



When Mike showed it to Franky, he jumped around trying to take it from Mike's hand. Mike made him sit first. He carefully took it in his mouth, and then a ran away with it. Mike says it's been his favorite toy ever since.



This "Dog-a-bone" is much like the one I made for Eric and Lynn's pup, Charlie. This one is much bigger — 15" long, 4" wide at the center.











No toy is really dog proof, but it's been about a month so far and the only damage is a little 1/2" hole and dog slobber.

The Road To Bánh Mì

My allergies have been getting the best of me, but I braved the pollen and joined Eric on a culinary expedition. After winding our way around the Greenwood Cemetery we went the wrong way (several times) through Boro Park under the elevated subway tracks. Eventually we found ourselves in Brooklyn's China Town in the heart of Sunset Park. Somewhere among Asian grocery stores, windows with preserved duck, and street vendors we found our way to Thanh Da 2 at 8th Avenue and 56th street. We were stalking the elusive bánh mì.





How do I best describe a bánh mì? Long story short it's a Vietnamese Cuban-style sandwich — but the best one you've ever had. Thanh Da 2 is an unsuspecting mom n' pop shop with much to offer. As you enter you pass stacks of durian fruit cookies and peanut candies. the temple of Zao Jun, the Kitchen God, is proudly displayed on the back wall. A large plastic Maneki Neko greats patrons from the refrigerator as they sit by the wall counter waiting for their orders. Their menu addresses customers in Vietnamese, Chinese, and English, as it was in Blade Runner. Most people order ahead and pick up as they run their lunch errands.



Sandy, the shop manager, made us two of the house sandwiches (the Thanh Da Bánh Mì #1) filled with three — count 'em — THREE kinds of pork with all the fixin's. I got the spicy one with jalapeños. We also got some shakes, Eric had a papaya and I had avocado, one never knows how spicy these sandwiches will get. Sandy asked if I was Asian, I said "Well... not really." We Pacificos are not considered Asian because we're too many generations removed from any particular nationality— and too ethnically mixed. As I explained to a co-worker one day "You know how Eskimos aren't really Chinese? Such as it goes." Sandy is of Chinese decent but her family has been in Vietnam for generations.



The sandwiches take about 1o minutes to make, the bread is gently heated first, and then stuffed with generous layers of cold smoked pork, roasted pork, or a preserved dried pork. For me it's all about the bread — a wheat and rice flour baguette that's soft and spongy on the inside but a golden, crisp and flaky on the outside. Typically it's filled with layers of shredded pickled carrot and radish, onion, cucumber, cilantro, glass noodles, fresh green chili, and a secret weapon — Vietnamese mayonnaise. Each bite has it's own flavor and texture.



Thanh Da 2 has received glowing reviews from the New York Times, Chow Hound, Yelp, and few other reliable sources. Eric told Sandy he'd review their shop on his show Garden Fork. But the best testament to their success is their food. What can be better than the perfect bánh mì? Another one for later, booya! As the name implies, there is a Thanh Da 1, which is a broth and noodle shop. Another culinary adventure awaits us.

Make Your Own Wedding Bands

WAX CARVING CLASS
(6 week instructional seminar)
May 2nd - June 6th (on Saturdays)
11 am - 2 pm
Cost: $400
Instructor: Sakurako Shimizu

LILOVEVE STUDIO
457 Grand Street
Brooklyn NY 11211
Tel: (718) 388-2190
URL: http://www.liloveve.com

Learn to carve, curve, hollow, texture, and sculpt using different types of wax to create rings, pendants and charms. Carving wax is a wonderful medium to work for creating jewelry. Rich textural surfaces and fluid, carving shapes can be created in wax material and then cast into a variety of precious metals to create a unique piece of jewelry. Wax models may be sent to a professional caster during the week and finished in the classroom to see the process through from start to completion.

Sakurako Shimizu is known for her conceptual jewelry. Her foray into wax medium for jewelry has produced equally exceptional results - and LILOVEVE STUDIO is excited to be able to offer this upcoming Wax Class under her instruction.

About Sakurako Shimizu
Sakurako Shimizu is a New York based artist and independant curator. She received her BFA in Design from Tokyo Zokei Universityin Tokyo, Japan and an MFA in Metals from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Sakurako has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work has also been published in the Shanghai Morning Post, the German craft magazine Kunsthandwerk & Design, and other design magazines.

Her work is on view at Julie Artisans' Gallery in NYC, Heidi Lowe Gallery in Delaware, and will be included at Love Design exhibition 2009 Salone del Mobil in Milan, Italy and 2009 STRP Festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Sakurako is passionate about introducing art jewelry to a broader audience.

Sew What? Baby Blankets, That's What.

The first set of baby blankets for the Afghans for Afghans charity drive are done! I couldn't stay for the sewing party, I had to go to a house warming party in Bushwick, psst... there is no East Williamsburg. Eliza and I sorted over 60 squares by size and then arranged them into blankets by color on her dining table. Dinah, Eliza's cat came out to say hello.



It takes 20 to 25 squares to make a blanket that's roughly 30" by 40". All of these are made of wool and wool/alpaca blends. Aren't these colors stunning?





Everyone really put out their best work. Naomi gave me that last set of 12 crochet squares at Prosect Perk and Eliza got a few in the mail.Isn't it amazing what you can do with your leftover yarn? I like the hippie patch-work appeal. I think Janice Joplin would've loved these. Eliza, Liza, and Liz put everything together and while Dinah oversaw the entire process.



All photos by Eliza Brown