Aquamarine Peplum Shirt

I owe a humble thank you to an unknown rodent!

This shirt, which I planned on altering, was too big for me to begin with, and the neckline was too low. I figured I would have some extra fabric to work with, and it's a good thing I did. After I washed it it was fluttering dry on a chair in my backyard, but I forgot to bring it in for the night. When I went out to get it the next morning, I discovered, much to my annoyance, that some little rodent had ripped holes right in the front of the shirt! I tried to sew them shut, but the result was obvious and ugly.

I sliced out the rodent holes, which hit around waist level, and took in the sides and sleeves of the shirt. Then I gathered the bottom portion of the shirt to the new width.

I sewed the gathered edge onto the shirt to create a peplum, and also made two pleats in the neckline to keep it from gaping. It's now one of those throw-it-on-and-feel-great-about-the-casual-prettiness-of-it kind of shirts.

Frankly, I don't think my original, vague, alteration plan would have turned out as well, so sometimes frustrating situations force out better creative results.

Herbal Topiary

This is a glimpse at my Herbal Topiary fabric design in Spoonflower's Herb Garden challenge of the week!

In the Fabric Shop

The Art Room and Contrast Bouquet are now up for sale in my shop!

Creation Painting

Once upon a canvas I began painting a glamorously staged room.

I wanted to cover the bottom of the canvas in bright splashes of paint, but since I wasn't sure if it would ruin the effect of the pastel-colored painting or not, I was reluctant. However, my friend suggested I could frame it and splatter the glass with paint instead. Thanks to her genius idea my painting was popped into a frame, although it was a plastic faux wood frame that I immediately painted white.  

I was about to paint a trompe l'oeil ornate design onto the simple white frame, but I realized it wouldn't have the same great texture as the real deal.

The next thing I knew, I was frosting the frame with acrylic modelling paste smooshed into a Ziploc baggie.

I kept building it up, smoothing it out, adding a little white paint here and a little podge there, and sanding the rough edges.

And that is how my art projects usually progress. They are whims of weirdness that end happily ever after! 

On the Porch

As a blend between the lush outdoors and comfortable indoors, the best porches are lounge-worthy spaces. I am so in love with these sturdy, ornate, dripping-with-flowers verandas on homes in Picton and Bloomfield, Ontario, because they are gorgeous examples of the kind of porch that invites summer lingering!

Petal Heart

"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her."

--William Wordsworth in Tintern Abbey

DIY Stamp Shirt in Moustache

Stamps are an easy way to make an all-over print on a shirt.

Materials:

T-shirt of choice

Similarly sized piece of cardboard

Acrylic or fabric paint

Paintbrush

Stamp

Step 1: Insert the cardboard into the shirt so the fabric surface is smooth.

Step 2: Load the stamp up with paint.

Step 3: Stamp and repeat! (Pretty self-explanatory!)

Vogue July 1935

I love the colors and brushstrokes in this cover illustration by Cecil Beaton!

Fruity Floral Shirt

When I was a toddler I had a pair of lime green shorts covered in a cheery fruit print. They met their demise when I dropped an ice cream bar on them. Death by chocolate. I was more devastated over the loss of that beautiful fabric than the ice cream, and ever since I have adored fruit print clothing. In the fragrant sea of berries, melons, and roses that is July, my wardrobe looked like it could use some of that fruity loveliness.

So I started with this coral t-shirt.

I painted it with acrylic paint.

I absent mindedly started painting the reference rose while waiting for the shirt to dry...

And here is the final product!