Goodbye, summer... minä perhonen

I only knew of minä perhonen from its collaboration with Fritz Hansen, so designer Akira Minagawa's clothing collection is such a wonderful discovery. Light, delicate, refined - now I don't want summer to end.

all kinds of everything

sunshine and holidays
postcards to write
budding trees
autumn leaves
a snowflake or two

all kinds of everything
remind me of you.


By Dana. All Kinds of Everything won the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest.

Le Bouton Studio

Le Bouton Studio makes oh-so-beautiful clothing for women and children. Lisa is a modernist at heart--with an eye towards clean and simple forms, a refined appreciation for textures and color, and a really high standard of craftsmanship. Here she is with the dress she made for me--the second photo makes me think there was some waltzing going on during the photo op. And yes, I am an amazon, and yet I feel gamine in that dress. Thank you, Lisa!

The Le Bouton shop is preparing for the debut of its fall collection. Bookmark the link and check it often. I'm sure you'll find something you'll love. Lisa also keeps a journal, where she shares everyday scenes from her life with her adorable muse/daughter, Frances.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

From Elegy IX: The Autumnal by John Donne

Piña

Day

Night

My mom just sent me a huge stash of natural fabrics made from materials such as pineapple and banana. These are the old-school eco fibers--organically produced, and are traditionally used for Filipino formal attire for both men and women. The embroidery is amazing in its intricacy, and is usually positioned on the fabric in anticipation of how it's going to be used in a piece of clothing: butterfly sleeves on a woman's dress, the front of a man's barong? My favorite piece is the geometric one above. I've had a small collection for a while and a few ideas for their use, but mom's infusion of material is making me want to sit down and just start making.

Hat Anatomy: One in Ten Auction

Wrong side of the fabric.

The blue satin lining makes an appearance.

Hot cha cha. Well, not really, but nice 'no?

The light blue bridal satin lining wanted to say hello, but the brim was having a bad interfacing day due to the humidity and refused to be photograped alone, acquiescing only to a couple of group shots.

The Everyday Cloche is a deep crown hat made from patterned upholstery fabric, with a silver buckled self-fabric belt and a short curvy brim. It is lined in a blue bridal satin. This is size 22 1/2. As part of the One in Ten Auction, you can bid on the Everyday Cloche here. To explore other amazing handcrafted pieces, look here.

The Making Community

Photo from bara.

As a student-milliner and novice sewing enthusiast, I've turned to creative and craft blogs for inspiration and validation. The making community is a generous and supportive one—marked by a joyful nature.

Early in June, Eireann Lorsung’s mom suffered an aneurysm, which they were told only one in ten people survive. Thankfully, her mom is on her way to a full recovery. Eireann is a poet and artist, and when she decided to organize an auction of handmade pieces to raise funds for her mother’s medical costs not covered by insurance, I knew that I was going to sew a hat for the auction.

A lot of beautiful handmade pieces from a variety of artists and crafters are waiting for your bids. Please check it out here. To learn more about each piece and its maker, please peruse the main auction site at One in Ten.

Bidding will begin tomorrow, August 19th, and will continue until Friday evening (August 24th), so go, Go, GO!