Chanel's "New Jewels"

Images from here

The "Grenade Cape" shown earlier this week at the Chanel Haute Couture show.

A cape fashioned out of the "gems" that I use to make The Empress Dowager's New Jewels!

I don't know if I should be happy, you know, the great-minds-think-alike thing. Plus I was there waaaay before the revered French fashion house. Well, we (me and all of you who saw enough value in The Empress Dowager's New Jewels to buy them) were there first.

Or be upset because the market might soon be flooded with cheap and nasty made-in-China pieces manufactured using my chosen medium of fabric "gems". Mass-produced and sold at lower-than-low prices that I cannot match because I am a one-girl cottage industry.

And you know what? I'm in the process of making a prototype for a capelet. Have had the idea since I started making The Empress Dowager's New Jewels last year but have not had the time to trial it (this Chanel piece took 700 hours to make) - pals can vouch for me. Now people are going to think that I stole Uncle Karl's idea.

New Fabric!

Went fabric-shopping yesterday and went slightly mad with what the shop had to offer! Woo!

What you see here is only a part of what I brought home to make more Milky Ways with. Got lucky with the dark brown tweed (third from left)! It's a wool/silk blend that Marc Jacobs used a few seasons ago.

Also brought home a few lighter fabric - they were on sale so I thought I'd get them now and use them later.

Will be back with more things to show soon! xx

Mindblowing!

Another great honour bestowed on The Empress Dowager's New Jewels!

First we got accepted to show at the last Finders Keepers Markets! Then we get asked if we'd like to be featured on their blog! Yes, pretty please! Wow!

I know I go on quite a bit about how big a fan I am of theirs very often here but man, this is quite a fan-girl moment.

The article, meant to be up next week, just went "live". If you'd like to know more about The Empress Dowager's New Jewels - how I got started, what inspired me, what's next and such - you can read it here.

Alright, I'm going to go float around in a dream-like state now. xx

A Milky Way Of Tweedy Agate

#105.

Besides "going to the gym" this Autumn/Winter with loads of athletic grey and neon, The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are also going on a slightly traditionally-Winter fabric route - tweed, tartan, suede, wool...snuggly things!

This is the first piece down that path. Made from a wool-blend tweed.

Again, like all pieces in the Milky Way "setting", it can be worn in a multitude of ways. Let your imagination run wild!

This might also be the first piece of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels that I'd like to see on a male. I mean, come on, look at it! It's quite manly and I can so see a boy/man rocking it.

I've not decided if it is for sale. You know how I feel about my first piece of everything. Haha.

But if you like it enough, let me know. I'll let you persuade me.

If you can wait, I've got a few tartan numbers coming up!

Alright, back to sewing them! xx

A Milky Way Of Opal Tangerine Dreams - A Commissioned Piece

#105. A commissioned piece for the lovely Sam.

It's her husband's present to her for her birthday but she placed the order and got him to pay for it. That's the way it should be!

Thank you for coming back, Sam! Hope you're having fun wearing the piece! xx

A Milky Way Of Granite And Musk Sticks (Version 1.0)

I'm back! With #104.

The Milky Way is also back! I made the first piece in this "setting" in June last year and have been wanting to use it again but just haven't had the time - it takes three to four times longer to make compared to the "Clump".

And this long scarf-like necklace is back just in time for the Australian Autumn/Winter! Something different to keep your neck toasty.

It's made from "gems" of four different sizes and there are sooo many ways that you can wear it - let it dangle...twist it around one time, two times, many times...long...short...it's all up to you!

This piece is made from a grey sweatshirt fabric (thought I bring some athletic grey back since #5 was so popular) with bursts of neon pink tulle overlay (I wanted to make it look like the mesh on sportswear). Yes, The Empress Dowager's New Jewels are going to the gym this year!

#104, I'm afraid, is not for sale. I like keeping the first piece of a new range for myself. Or to give to someone I know who will really love it.

But fear not! I will be making more of the Milky Ways in the same colourway. With slight differences, of course! Because no two pieces of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels will ever look the same. I will not allow it.

Taking orders now...

A Clump Of Striped Marble

#103. A commissioned piece.

The first piece of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels that I made in the New Year.

For a lovely girl called Anne. She wrote me just before Christmas to ask if I would make her #16 - A Clump Of Marble.

I said that every piece of The Empress Dowager's New Jewels is a one-off and that I do not repeat designs but I can make her something with a similar look and feel from a different fabric if she liked.

She did! And a long and very enjoyable game of email ping-pong followed.

Anne works in advertising and I used to too so we both know the importance of a good brief complete with pictures for reference and all.

These look-and-feel images came in one of her earlier emails. Anne loves nude-y neutrals as much as I do! Yay!

And I sent her these fabric swatches back...

...a linen

...and a seersucker. (How scroogey is the girl at the fabric shop?!)

Anne picked the seersucker, I started sewing and she received her New Jewels yesterday!

She happily wrote to say that they go with everything in her wardrobe. Even her boyfriend loves them! And is already thinking of her next commissioned piece.

I am looking forward to it because she's a delight to work with - she trusted me enough to let me do my thing.

Thank you, Anne! xx

Before We Move On To Newer Things...

...here's one last bit from last year.

Feast - a celebration of the predetermined as well as the gloriously spontaneous moments that happen around the Christmas feasting table.

Image by Zoe Brand

An exhibition of contemporary jewellery and objects that curator Zoe Brand of Studio 20/17 so kindly invited me to show at.

We were there for the opening and boy, it sure felt great to have my work shown alongside those by makers that I've longed admired.

Every piece of theirs I saw was amazing and it made me wonder how my naive work ended up next to theirs.

Maybe I really am a great swindler with my Empress Dowager's New Jewels. Like those charlatans in Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes. Haha!

These are the three "dishes" that I contribution to the "potluck".

Commemorative Bibs - Remembering My First Aussie Backyard Christmas

I made them specially for the show from fabric I handprinted myself with illustrations provided by my pal Selina of Paperocket.

This is what they are about:
"Ironically, thanks to children’s storybooks and the media, the only kind of Christmas I was aware of when growing up in tropical Singapore was of the snowy white Northern Hemisphere variety, celebrated by eating the traditional turkey and drinking eggnog – meals not made to be consumed in the island’s humid heat.

On my first holiday to Sydney one teenage summer, I discovered a whole new (and weather-appropriate) way of making merry for the “feast”-ive season – the all-day backyard barbeque!

These Commemorative Bibs, fashioned from textiles hand-printed with motifs not unlike those on souvenir tea-towels (another Aussie thing!), celebrate that wonderful discovery…all-day free-flow of chilled alcoholic beverages, the smoky aroma from the barbie and loads of fresh produce. Happy Christmas!"


Commemorative Bib #1: “Entrée: All-Day Cheeky Drinkie-poos”

Fabric used

The finished piece


Commemorative Bib #2: “Main Course: Succulent Prawns On The Barbie”

Fabric used

The finished piece


Commemorative Bib #3: “Dessert: Juicy Cherries From The Box”

Fabric used

The finished piece

A very late Merry Christmas Aussie-style to you! xx

New Year! New Jewels!

Hello all!

A Happy New Year to you!

After the short festive break, I'm ready to go again.

I've started working on new pieces for the colder months ahead. What you see here, "gems" in sweatshirt grey and hot pink tulle overlay, is the beginning of one of them.

I'm excited! And I hope you will be too! xx