Jan 13, 2011 | Fashion
I was floored by this video of Suzzanne Lee’s efforts into creating textiles utilizing bacterial cellulose (formed by fermentation in kombucha tea). Yup, “fabric” – well, more like leather – from BACTERIA.
What an amazing step forward in technology – I’m super-interested to see where this innovation will go once more R&D labs get ahold of it.
So this also begs the question: If they worked out the kinks in the fabric weight and texture…Would you wear clothing made by bacteria?
found via GirlieGirl Army
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 12, 2011 | DIY, Life
Well, since there were only 3 projects submitted to my last DIY Roundup, they’re all everyone’s favorites! I had a great time visiting all your blogs and checking out your pieces. You’re all so creative! Here they are, just to recap:
Katarina from She sells sea shells made an amazing statement necklace, inspired by Lauren Manoogian’s designs. You’d never think that this beautiful piece was crafted from paperclips and textile tape!
#2: Monika’s Plait Scarf
I tried very hard to find this tutorial; I really did. There’s no direct link to it, the forum is in Polish, and the site won’t let me search through anything without logging in. What I can tell from the thumbnail is that it looks like a braided rug. If anyone had any more success with finding this tutorial, I’d love to link to it!
Edit 1/20: Monika left a nice comment on this post explaining that it was a plait scarf project that she had finished but hadn’t linked a tutorial to it. Sorry I thought it was a rug – it looks very sweet all the same!!:-)
Teresa crafted her own pair of glitter heels: a breathtaking modern version of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. (The trick is to use tacky glue and spray adhesive – and you have yourself a pair of shoes that could rival the coolest Louboutins!)
Thank you so much for sharing everyone!
If your project has been featured above, feel free to grab the button below.
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 9, 2011 | Beauty, From You
from Formspring.me:
Hi Carly! I just found your blog yesterday and I loved it so much I have been going through all your old posts! (Is that creepy? haha) This may seem a bit strange, but I was wondering if you are Irish. I LOVE your red hair!
The Internet is probably the best place for creepiness! Thanks for your kind words about my blog:-)
I am ethnically Scottish/Danish/Norwegian/Czechoslovakian. (“Cais” is a Czech name.) But both my parents are Australians and I was born in the U.S., so I was originally American/Australian… Well, technically American now since I dropped the Australian nationality off my passport (I have only visited there a couple times and though all my relatives are there, I really just identify as American).
The red hair probably comes from the Scottish and the Czech sides of my family; apparently I have a second cousin in the Czech Republic who has hair the exact same color as mine. It’s tough to keep vibrant during the winter – and as the years go by!! :..(
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Jan 9, 2011 | DIY, Media
Unlike the New York Times, who doesn’t seem to understand what DIY actually is, Lucky Magazine gets it. They really get it! I was simply floored by their feature on dyeing pieces in your wardrobe to give them new life, featured in their February 2011 issue.
Utilizing Rit Fabric Dye
, Jacquard dye
, and Tarrago leather dye, you too can make over a number of items in your closet and dye them to suit your needs. (“The $2 Trick that Will Change Your Wardrobe!” reads the title.)
Though yes, dye is cheap, the prep and process time for dyeing something can be a few hours to a few days, so it’s not cheap time-investment-wise. But as the article points out, you can achieve dramatic results if you put in the effort to dye something correctly and carefully.
However, most of the pieces in the article appear to be new, which is why the dyeing works so darn well…when you’re dealing with items that have wear, stains, detergents, or distressing on them, your results may be very different. Dyeing something is never a guaranteed process…it’s fairly hit and miss (which is what many people love about it!). Don’t start off with trying to dye your favorite dress in the whole wide world…start smaller, and don’t forget the steps necessary to prep the piece to take the dye.
Dyeing leather is absolutely fantastic and utterly addicting, though again, some leathers will or won’t react with the dye, depending on finishing, tanning method, wear, surface coats, etc. Also: I couldn’t find the leather dye kit the magazine recommends buying from WardrobeSupplies.com – they only sell Tarrago-brand leather polish, which is not the same as dye. I’d recommend Angelus-brand leather dye, as I’ve worked with that before and it is extremely high-quality. If you’d prefer the Tarrago-brand, you can buy it here on a different site…or even buy the kit on Ebay.
They even put together a little video as a quick how-to for the dyeing process for cotton/silk/synthetic fabrics – where Fashion News Director Jen Ford dyes a Barbara Bui dress:
Their other video for how to dye leather isn’t up yet.
I’m so thrilled to see a mainstream mag really try to break the process of dyeing down and inspire people to try it out!
How about you guys? Are you thinking of dyeing a couple pieces in your wardrobe to liven things up a little?
xoxox
Carly
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Jan 7, 2011 | Fashion, Score!
Heard of Wardrobe Ave? New on the scene of e-commerce sites selling direct from designers, this growing e-tailer has something for everyone on its pages.
They sell an array of chic and covetable items, all from independent designers, small boutiques and vintage sellers. The platform allows you to shop directly from the designers or shops, and they ship worldwide.
I, for one, am drooling more than a bit over the JANICE white ruffled dress and the Tree Branches Chiffon Scarf.
To help ring in the New Year, Wardrobe Ave has graciously partnered with Chic Steals to offer a $50 credit to their site to one lucky winner!
One lucky Chic Steals reader will win a $50 in credits to WardrobeAve.com!
How to Enter
1. Visit WardrobeAve.com and leave a comment on this post telling me what you’d buy if you won. (1 entry)
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
2. Tweet this giveaway. Leave a SEPARATE comment on this post with the link to your tweet! (tweet as many times as you’d like for additional entries)
However, if you do not keep your additional entry comments separate from your required entry comment, they WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Giveaway open to anyone in the world!!
Giveaway period is open from today until Sunday, Jan. 16, 11:59 PM PST.
Winner chosen by Random.org and notified by email.
Also: Wardrobe Ave is currently running a 20% OFF Coupon Code promotion:
Take 20% off their ENTIRE store using code WARDROBE through now through January 31!
Good luck in the giveaway! and even if you aren’t the lucky winner there’s still that promo to take advantage of!
xoxox
Carly
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