STYLO Issue 2: Part 3

I finally had a chance to sit down and savor the new issue of STYLO and I am in awe. Having worked in high end/big budget catalog production and having held a number of other jobs involving print and online media production, I’m pretty familiar with grueling work that goes into creating a visually-driven publication. Which is why I’m astounded by how Celina and Jess produced such stellar quality and quantity with so few core people on their team. Blown away. It would be mind-blowing if this was their only job, but this is one of about a trillion cool projects they’re working on!!

So I had contributed one more outfit to the magazine, and this one was based on pure whimsy. You know how fashion magazines often have those outfits which have absolutely no practical value or application, but are visually arresting? Well, that was my thought process, though I’m not sure that I achieved the “visually arresting” bit.

I felt good about meeting the “fresh-citrus” criteria with the cadette coat and pintuck dress, but I also wanted very much to sew something with metallic zing. Before my fabric fast began, I’d snared these baby-bottom soft faux leather pieces in copper, silver and nickel from here, and I’d made some juggling balls for K with them (for which she finds infinite uses, and I’m constantly tripping over them). Wait, is using a baby’s bottom as a descriptor inappropriate?

I loved the Perri Pullover pattern from Cali Faye — in fact, I loved all the patterns from her shop and wanted to make them all. As I was perusing the shop, a metallic, color-blocked version popped into my head. It would be so futuristic, quasi-industrial and hipster, I thought. Well…the jury’s still out on that one. At any rate, the pattern was a quick and easy sew, and I want the Perri pattern for myself!

Because of the thickness of the faux leather, I didn’t bother hemming and actually liked the raw edges. Cute sandals, right? I thought the gold and clear vinyl matched the top nicely and they were on mega-sale at Baby Gap (where I basically bought all accessories for this shoot last minute).

The leggings are the ones I use all the time from this book and the fabric is the same knit I used for the knit Meridian cardigan. This is my go-to leggings pattern and they haven’t disappointed me yet.

It was tricky getting the collar to lay flat and so I just rolled it out as a “design element”. Of course, this caused all sorts of off-the-shoulder shenanigans on K’s part.

It was fun sewing this up, though it’s less futuristic and more metalsmith apron than I’d envisioned. And yes, it’s probably not the most comfortable top to wear for K, at least not in this heat wave we’re currently having in Seattle. I imagine it would come in very handy for dress-up come autumn/winter time. She could pretend to be a fashion-conscious welder.

So that’s it for my STYLO sewing. I’m so inspired by all the other contributors and it just makes me want to improve more and more!