Luna

The past week I have been attacking my pile of sewing projects, and the completed pile is rapidly growing at a satisfying rate. It's a bunch of wardrobe maintenance--stray buttons, loose seams, and the like, mixed with refitting and reinventing of thrifted items. Luna, my mannequin, stands nearby as a sentinel of all things frilly and couture. Also yesterday I watched Coco Avant Chanel, so, you know, I'm living the couturière life! It's amazing what chic results can come about from hacking off a sleeve.

Christmas Mannequin

I decorated my "tree" with vintage lace, crinoline, fur, and chandelier crystals!

Wooden Shoe Forms

I had a "shoe day" at an antique show a little while ago, picking up these 6 forms after previously deciding I wanted to find some for display purposes. When it rains, it pours! The tiny ones are a rare find.

This little shoe is 92!

Statue or Bust

I have been drooling over the prospect of having a Classical statue as a decor item, and, joy of joys, I found this bust from Homesense for $25. It can be used just as an accessory, or for displaying jewellery or hats. 

Best of all, it's more than just a pretty face--it has a depression in the top of the head that can serve as a container for a plant, markers, or what have you. I am thrilled!

Vintage Find: '50s Christmas Apron

This is my great-grandmother's apron from the 1950s. It is pure Christmas fun so I cinched it around my mannequin for an amusing fashion statement!

PaperLove Blog Hop 2014: Paper Dress

I have always wanted to make a dress out of paper, and my recent mannequin acquisition has made that dream possible. There was a pile of paper in my basement that my mom had saved from purchasing breakable items at stores, so I grabbed it and got to work.

I draped the paper over the mannequin to create the bodice, which was manageable enough to piece together. Then I had to set up a card table to accommodate the sewing of the swath of skirt-to-be. At this point, as I supported the crinkly mass being fed through the machine, I questioned my rationality but was too motivated by the fact that, yes, what I was doing was crazy yet strangely awesome. This is the kind of project I foresee myself staying up all night to create for future window displays or what have you, so I may as well get used to it now. Side note: never try to gather paper--pleats are much more effective.

Once I finished the basic dress I had the delight of embellishing it with numerous paper flowers. It was like frosting a cake! 

Ta-da!

Oh, and I got to read some poetry while I was at it. I love the versatility of paper!

The PaperLove Blog Hop is a celebration of all things paper! Follow the links to discover more bloggers who love paper and use it to inspire and delight. And if you want to explore a whole world of paper, and stretch your paper passion further with a host of creative projects, why not join the innovative new online course PaperLove (starts March 31). Led by book artist Rachel Hazell, PaperLove is a five week creative adventure for paper lovers. Find out more here.
Majo Bautista / Tona Bell / Louise Best / Cathy Bluteau / Jennifer Bomgardner / Giova Brusa / Lindsay Buck / Beka Buckley / Joanna Caskie / Jonathan Chapman (Mr Yen) / Halle Cisco / Sarah Clare / Cathryn Clarge / Dawn Clarkson / Rhiannon Connelly / Jenny D'Fuego / Molly Dhiman / Ian Dudley / Ayisatu Emore / Akmal Farid / Monika Forsberg / Claire Fritz-Domeney / Louise Gale / Chrissy Gaskell / Julie Hamilton / Emma Hawman / Rachel Hazell / Holly Helgeson / Claudine Hellmuth / Kim Henkel / Sarah Hoffman / Joanne Hus / Paula Joerling / Beth Kempton / Julie Kirk / Eos Koch / Katie LaClair / Kristy Lankford / Michelle Manolov / Doreen Marts / Rosie Martinez-Dekker / Tori Mears / Maria Mederios / Lise Meijer / Debbie Miller / MaryJane Mitchell / Suzy Naidoo / Grace Noël / Hannah Nunn / Camilla Olsson / Jo Packham / Rachelle Panagarry / Monette Pangan / Melanie Paul / Nicole Piar / Jen Pitta / Liz Plummer / Julie Reed / Michelle Reynolds / Lisa Rivas / Angee Robertson / Natalie Ryan / Aisling Ryan / Elisabet Sapena / Kyrrha Sevco / Jamie Sprague / Elizabeth Steele / Terri Stephens / Juniper Stokes / Mary Tanana / Maike Thoma / Linda Tieu / Gabrielle Treanor / Tammy Tutterow / Deborah Velasquez / Jordan Vinograd Kim / Cat Whipple / Brooke Witt / Katie Wood / Amelia Woodbridge

Mannequin Fix-Up: Hallelujah

At long last! I have purchased a dress form! This one was only $40 at one of my favourite consignment stores. They were clearing out extra mannequins from their warehouse, and I happened to walk in the day they put them on the floor. Needless to say I quickly hauled this one out of there. Actually, I didn't have to do much hauling because it conveniently disassembles. Its measurements are 36''-25''-36''.

It has a slick wooden base, but I prefer the look of white to wood so I fixed it up with some paint. The neck and bottom of the dress form also needed some attention; I added a topper and stretched and pinned the mannequin cover in place. 

My mom and I have been excitedly experimenting with chalk paint, which is fabulous because it can be used on practically any surface without sanding, priming, or the like. It covered the wood very well. I purchased this circular wooden disk from Michael's, which we also slathered in chalk paint. The disk and one of these knobs were used to cover the hole in the top of the neck. I knew that knob would come in handy for my future mannequin!

Now I no longer have to drape every article of clothing over myself while sewing!