Welcome Summer!

It was a nice warm week here in Seattle. The beautiful sunny days made me think about what I'm going to want to wear this summer. Fun easy breezy dresses are the best way to bask in the glory of the sun.

Nautical fashion never seams to go out of style, and why should it! How can we not always love the lure of the Sea. I've made this dress in 2 sizes and it's a new take on one of my favorite patterns, I'm going to see about taking these along with a few others to Sassafras this coming week.

I love this Japanese floral fabric with little pandas hidden in it. I'm a fan of yellow, and I've always wanted to make a yellow dress for myself, but my coloring doesn't agree with the idea. So keeping the yellow away from my face is how I'm going to compromise ;)

I've been re claiming some of my own dresses this week, and I'm having a great time pairing the bits of fabric that I have with other fabrics that I can find.  This dress is available on my Etsy site https://www.etsy.com/listing/188169997/yakuza-tattoo?ref=shop_home_active_1

One of my favorite stores to make dresses for is Monster in Ballard, http://www.monsterartandclothing.com/
I get to make the most colorful and creative dresses of my dreams for the costumers there.

I made a size run of a different dress style with these cute little foxes, and I had a bit of fabric left over so I got to make this lovely foxy dress. I think she will go to Sassafras too :) http://www.sassafras-seattle.com/

Javier S Ortega

This week my blog is about one of my favorite people. He is funny, kind, and has an amazing talent for bringing beauty and mystery to the world. Every time I get to see one of his shows I feel so lucky to know him.

I love this painting, I think it so gracefully says so much about how we treat gender  in our culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOexdF

YVNxg

This is a show of his that I got to see last year, it's amazing! So elegant and gritty at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCJvfnNqfzQ

This compilation incorporates so many great elements, the sepia tones, and the allure of a crisp fall night. I can feel everything I love about Autumn when I look at them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb7iDZY9HjE

This painting is so dark and sensuous, the whole series is like discovering your favorite suspense or horror film was made before you where born.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoT0bPiGWyY

Check out more of Javiers paintings at his website http://www.orttega.net/ortega.html

Or go on a Youtube adventure, this one makes me want to join the circus, and pretty much be one of Javiers characters :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WNsxhxe0TM

Bright and Fancy

I'm making lots of bright and colorful spring dresses this week, including a great fox dress

I made it in small, medium and large. I have enough fox fabric to make one more too.

I also brought new pieces to the Pretty Parlor this week. The My little Pony dress is there too, it's in 2 sizes, small and medium :)

This is my new dress style! I love it, this one is at the Parlor (tree not included) I also have all the fabric to make a nautical version of this style in sizes, stay tuned.

My mermaid dress finally found a home at the Parlor too, it's available to pair with some great accessories. Yeah!

I also re made another mermaid dress, It was a sun dress, but the bodice didn't work out so I added the sexy V bodice with equally sexy whales on it... if your into whales ;)

The 60's and the Shift Dress

I love my new shift dress pattern! It's super flattering, has pockets, and reminds me of one of my favorite fashion decades (only without some of the itchy polyester fabrics :)

Owl dress! available in 3 sizes at Sassafras in Belltown Seattle http://www.sassafras-seattle.com/

Cupcake shift!

Oh the color! Feathers and berries, I have two and they are headed to Blush this week http://www.blushcleveland.com/

I want all of these, I'm hoping to add cute collars to the shift dresses this winter.

Japanese Garden, is at Frock Shop https://www.shopfrockshop.com/ in Seattle, I want to make one of these for me! I can also do special orders for this piece, the fabric is fabulous and I can get more of it.

Looking cute and sexy 60's style!

 I found all of the fun retro photos by following 60s_world on instagram.

Spring at the Pretty Parlor

Here's me and Vincent the Parlor cat. He has lots of fans, including a little old man named Mr Chase who brings him bacon every morning.

Lots of great accessories are coming in all the time. hand bags and wallets by Lux De ville. Dressy retro inspired shoes by Remix, along with all the great vintage finds. (just to name a few)

The Parlor has recently undergone a few changes, one tiny one is the lingerie boudoir. Which includes creations and accessories by the Burlesque Boutique http://burlesqueboutique.com/ eyelashes, rhinestones, pasties, wigs, oh boy! Everything you'll need to get dressed up to undress.

Also included in the boudoir....Great Gifts! Anne Taintor. Want a pretty vintage lady with a snarky comment on a flask, serving tray, card, or coin purse? Who doesn't?

Oh, Yeah, don't forget about the dress! The Pretty Parlor has no shortage of dresses for every occasion. Easter is coming up, 4/20 ha! And on Capital Hill you'll want to celebrate with Paster Kaleb at the Century Ballroom  http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/04/01/easter-sunday-with-pastor-kaleb and you'll want the perfect pastel hued outfit.

Fantasy

I've always loved to imagine that I was in a fantasy world. Worlds with mermaids, dragons, and castles. I've grown to enjoy all sorts of amazing stories from comic books and science fiction. I guess that's why I'm so drawn to creating pieces with these kinds of images.

Mermaids! the colors in this are great, it also has anchors in the back ground. I'm a sucker for anything nautical.

Batman! One of my favorite super heroes! I wish Frank Miller made fabric :)

I used to watch Star Trek with my mom on Saturdays. It was my first introduction to Science fiction. I also wish I could find Alien fabric, that would be amazing!

Barbarella! 

Skulls are another thing that I can't get enough of, I feel like this obsession has something to do with an early love of horror films. I would like to have nosferatu fabric made, Mmmmm, yes!

So looks like I need to find some HR Giger fabric, some Frank Miller fabric, and it would be super rad to make a dragon dress!

One of A Kind

Lately I'm trying to use my smaller pieces of fabric. So I'm having a great time getting back to making one of a kind dresses, I get to go through what I have and piece things together and then see what I can come up with