I am SO bad at maintaining my blog

Last year's resolution was to blog more. I failed. My last post was 6 months ago and so many things has happened since.

This year I want to blog more again too. Though I'm really not sure if I'm gonna keep up.

1. Let's start the very first post of 2015 with my catssistant, Lights, being cute.

2. I've gotten into doing lots more embroidery portraits and really enjoy coming up with them

3. This is my latest commission: a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary

4. Some new work that I'm in the midst of, think marbling + leather

5. If you've been following me on my Instagram or Facebook, you'd have found out I'm expecting our son, Eden, come either late April or early May!

6. So far I've made a pair of leather moccasins, a sleeveless onesie and just today, a pair of leggings for him

7. This is the first time I'm working with knit, so you can bet I'm pretty proud of myself with how things came out. Patterns employed are stamps I've carved years back. Thought to revisit them again. Am definitely starting a kids' line if anybody's curious.

8. Excited about the latest workshop I'll be conducting for the Purrzaar Market on 7th Feb, held at Within. Check http://www.within.sg for more info and sign up. Apparently we'll be working out in a beautiful courtyard. It's gonna be good.

Pretend Studio Life

1. This is what my workspace looks like, for those who ever were interested. It's a section off our bedroom, which I call my pretend studio. I've been filling it up with lots of plants lately.

2. Lights hang out with me quite a bit in my pretend studio. She's currently standing on the spot where I normally do my printing.

3. I bought a Siamese fighting fish to keep me company too recently. His name is Loki. He has a bigger bowl now and I've moved him from my plant shelf to my work desk (see first pic). I've even stuck a picture of Canada, which my friend has taken and given me on his trip, behind his bowl. It looks like he's swimming in the Green Lake. He's very happy in there blowing up a bubble nest.

4. This is Sybil. She's a prototype I made out of fabric scraps I'm left with. The wavy chevron dress is her favourite frock.

5. Lights and Sybil are buddies.

Cat Scarf

I had this textile idea for a while. 

It was first actualised on my couch covers. You might remember them.

On realising it on articles of clothing, I figured, a scarf would be best. 

And with all these rainy days we're having, what could be better?

With a 37" x 37" piece of silk voile, I roll-hemmed the edges before painting the borders with turquoise fabric paint.

 

Next, cat faces go on with a block printing technique I usually work with.

Some yellow diamonds follow after

Fine details are left to the end

Tea-stained later, to lend a quiet vintage tone

Then, voila!

We gots cat scarf.

With that, 2 new things are added to the shop today!

Go to see more of them!
And, isn't Lights silly with her tongue stuck out like this?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/graciechai

Printing Process

I start off my moustache dress by first cutting out my patterns piece by piece, then overlocking their sides with a serger to prevent them from fraying.

After I've all my pieces ready, I let them sit in a hot tea bath of my kitchen sink for half an hour or so.

Once they turn a beautiful blush, I wring them out and let them dry overnight.

I then press them the next morning.

I generally use our dining table for my printing work as it's the largest table in the house. It is also in the area with most light. I'm looking forward to the day where Jian and I get our own place, and I'll finally be able to set up a workroom of my own. It can get a bit disorientating when I don't have a fixed working space, but I manage.

The mos are printed on with fabric paint, with a little stamp I've made out of linoleum and cork. 

One can honestly make and create many a thing with just a bit of ingenuity.

The printing goes on throughout all my pieces.

Once completed, they go back to the iron to get sealed in after being let air-dried.

Lights, at this stage of the process, normally sits and watch me work.

Then, voila! 

My pieces are now all printed and ready for sewing.

My Cat Colleague

If you were to ask me what's the most difficult thing to deal with working from home, I will swiftly say without a doubt -
My cat colleague.

Lights is a downright meanie when she wants to be.
She's so moody and her behaviour's just unpredictable!
One minute, she's the sweetest most affectionate little thing.
The next, she runs over to you from all the way across the living room, and nips you at your ankle over absolutely nothing!
Everything is one big game with her.

I bring out fabric to work on the floor, 

Lights thinks: TIME FOR SOME TUNNELING!

I bring out my sewers pins

Lights thinks: TREATIES!!

 

I leave my measuring tape on the floor

Lights goes at it viciously like it's a snake

I mean, I'm glad she enjoys being around me when I work, but seriously!

In between having to stop work half-way cutting up my patterns and chasing Lights around with a spray, catching then scruffing & disciplining her,
my cat colleague cuts my work efficiency by half.

Holographic Gates

Doing up an order of my galaxy dress, and resist-dyeing is such a reward.

It's effect is always beyond my imagination.
Dress is a lot darker as I left it to cure a good 5 hours longer.

One last step before the dress is ready to be packaged and shipped to its owner.

Also, Lights has fully recovered from getting spayed.

I thought by maybe stabilising her hormones she'd be less crazier a cat.

But no. She's still as eccentric as ever.