Tuesday, May 31, 2011

31.


Just a quick post today! It's the end of the semester so I am in the middle of a busy few weeks. I had an essay due last Friday, I have a big test tomorrow and an exam next week. I've been treating myself to sewing breaks in between study blitzes, and after sending out a cape yesterday I got this email in my inbox today. A lovely surprise! It feels great knowing I have happy customers - I don't always get to hear back after my capes go out into the NZ Post abyss.

Hello Morgan

Thank you so much for the beautiful cape! I was just walking out the door when I spotted the parcel in the mailbox; I immediately backtracked, unpacked it & put it on - so it's had a wearing already.

Sometimes you find a new piece of clothing which immediately feels like an old friend - that's the way I feel about my cape.

So thank you! I hope you continue to make beautiful clothes & your business flourishes!

All the best.
PS I forgot to mention the amazing packaging!



Monday, May 23, 2011

30.

I wrapped up my first international cape order, ready to go off to Australia this week. At the same time, I got to use a few new items that have arrived since I last shipped orders out, including packaging from Foxes HQ and tags from Kat's Paper Trail on Etsy.

Along with Foxes business cards and postcards, I now have cape-sized ziplock bags to protect the capes from the rain on their journey to their new owners. This one below is going to Australia, so I had a bit of fun vacuum-sealing the bag for better protection and potentially cheaper postage. You can also see my new scallop tags in action!



Tags, buttons (my favourite things) and string. Is that a cat-shaped button I spy?

Sunday, May 22, 2011

29.

Yesterday was the May Fabric-a-brac, a fabric sale event that happens a few times a year to raise money for the Mary Potter Hospice. My Mum and I went and made sure to get there early! It definitely paid off, as when I insisted we do a second circuit of the market in case we'd missed anything, I noticed a lot of fabric had been snapped up quick.

Last time we went to Fabric-a-brac, it was held in Brooklyn. I got a whole load of bargains, including a bolt of vintage cream lace and a swathe of black jersey for $10 each. This time they had expanded into the St Anne's Hall in Newtown, and the selection was just as excellent. Here are a few of the things I bought:


Aztec-ish sweatshirting, cream cotton canvas, white linen, flannel check, ochre corduroy, burgundy corduroy and barely pictured, a lovely brown vintage floral blend. Also not pictured is my one regretted purchase: 3 metres of white and pink seersucker stripe. What am I going to do with that?? I'm not a baby pink person at all, but it's all for a good cause and I am sure I will find a use for it at some point.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

28.

I have been doing some painting! I hadn't painted in at least a year so I didn't have a lot of confidence in what I was doing and abandoned my first attempt halfway through. Then after I drew everything again I looked back at the first one and realised I could totally work with it. So now I have two versions! An edited version of these will appear in the summer issue of the Tilde Journal.




Tuesday, May 17, 2011

27.



Here are some photos from after I rearranged the art and such on my walls last week. This isn't even everything on the walls in our bedroom, but I got as much as I could. Things I have learned from this post: a) I need to take straighter photos, and b) I need to put things on my wall straighter.


At left is a watercolour sketch based on the reenactment of Sasha Pivovarova and Igor Vishnyakov's wedding staged for US Vogue, June 2009. The original photograph can be seen here.

In the middle are two drawings that Callum ordered for me for my birthday. They are by Alicia Carrier. Alicia runs a project called 1 Hour Drawings. Each drawing costs US$10, and she will draw what she can in an hour, loosely around your requests. You can see my two drawings in slightly better condition on her most recent blog post; mine got caught in the rain and had to be rescued with a hairdryer, heavy books and the hot water cupboard.  

The square of wallpaper you might recognise from my last post!


Wider shot featuring the most excellently grim painting. We were given it by Callum's grandmother, who didn't like how depressing it was. It's actually a lot darker - my flash is making it look a lot brighter and more positive than it really is.


L-R: cats, cats, more cats. Original watercolours and prints by Caroline Knowles of Ventricular Projects. I made the black and white collage, and the image at the bottom left (which I can't trace, anyone recognise it?) was on the wall in the room that was at once my mother's, and at once her sister's, at my grandparents' house. 


Maps from an 1886 atlas, purchased from Quilters Bookshop in Wellington. I chose the top one because it shows where I lived in Canada (the ~golden horseshoe~).


Posters I designed to promote Honesty is Appreciated Collective over the 09/10 summer. The first four went up, but the main poster never made it around town. Maybe someday soon when the boys behind Honesty have more time! 

Obscured by the exercises prescribed by my doctor is an Impressionist painting my 12 year old brother did in his year 7 class last year. 

On the far right is a painting done by DRYPNZ, who I met at the Cuba St Night Market in 2009.

Monday, May 16, 2011

26.

Just a few snaps from the last couple of days! 



Two blankets arrived wrapped in this gorgeous vintage floral vinyl wallpaper. Unfortunately it was so well taped up that I could only salvage a tiny square, which is now pinned to the wall above my workspace.


Current stock and pattern blocks. Play I Spy: scallop hems, the Palace skirt, the Kensington blouse, the Biscotti cape, the Belvedere dress and the Condessa skirts!


This is where I work! I did a massive rearrange of everything on the walls since I took this photo, though. Photos soon!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

25.

Saturday was very productive, spent with my lovely assistant Tessa who was everything I could ask for. Working together we made a Pepper cape from start to finish, as well as preparing for another Robin's Egg cape. I also had the time to catch up with the books and plan out some things for the future of Crowns Clothing!

Here's a preview of what's coming next. This dress doesn't even have a name yet! The scallop hem is a feature of a number of pieces which will be available for the summer.




Saturday, May 14, 2011

24.



There's only one of the five original capes still available in the Foxes boutique! I am taking custom orders for the Tangerine, Robin's Egg and Pepper capes, however, and will hopefully get ahead with some more stock soon.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

23.

Did you catch the Viva magazine in today's New Zealand Herald? The Madeline cape in Pepper was featured right in the middle of the first page! I forgot it was today and just got back from a mad dash to buy one before the shop closed.

The whole Viva magazine is full of darling goodies, including a cuff from Karen Walker's Filigree jewellery collection that I would love to have on my wrist... there's no mention of the price, however, which is not a good sign.



Crowns Clothing was featured thanks to Zoe Walker, who writes for Viva but is also half of the blogging duo behind So Much To Tell You, a style/inspiration blog that I like very much.

Another thank you is due today to Lauren at Blooming Leopold, who gave a shout-out to Crowns Clothing in her most recent post - a bit out of place in a post titled Spring Street Style, but very much appreciated!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

22.

This morning I was excited to get my hands back on my capes and blouses, which were borrowed for a photoshoot earlier this week. The weather has been pretty on-and-off, so while they were waiting for a good day I was getting more and more like a clucky mother hen.

The results from the shoot look amazing, though, and I definitely didn't have anything to worry about! The photoshoot was a prize for the model, Amanda Kate Butterworth, for winning Ralph Swimsuit Model of the Year (a big title!) and was shot by Brady Dyer. More information about the shoot is available on his website.

Here are a few of my favourite shots. Click on the images to be taken to the rest of the photos, which are just stunning.



(spot the Biscotti cape?)