KittyBaroque

The Sunday Collection....

Ready for the Sunday collection?

This week I'm choosing a small Paul Rand book called Sparkle & Spin.

Paul Rand was an American Logo Designer who, like most creatives, dabbled in many fields - one of which was Children's Illustration. I have a book called 'Sparkle & Spin' and there are some samples from it below.
I've also got another called 'Little 1' but I haven't photographed this one yet. You can find info on Paul Rand here.  I simple MUST collect the other ones, 'I know a lot of things' & 'Listen, Listen'

Enjoy Peeps!

Blessings, KB

Sew What?

Always a captivating question and one I never have adequate answers for.
I recently decided I am going to sew more of my own clothes. This is mainly due to the terrible quality stuff I find out there and also that I don't want to be part of participating in Sweatshop labour practices.

Let me tell you though, its not as easy as you think. At School, I was never good at Science based subjects so at age 14, when in England you have to make your 'O Level' choices, I chose mainly practical ones with one or two compulsory selections: - Art, Needlecraft, Food & Nutrition (You would think this would qualify me almost as a 'Domestic Goddess' but the Food & Nutrition component, while fun was taught by this crazy Nun (yes, I am another Catholic School Gal) and was more terrifying).

I always excelled in Fine Art class and was a total perfectionist in both that subject & Needlecraft.
I knew my way round a sewing machine. I learned the basics and had the chance to explore other advanced techniques. If you promise not to laugh, I will tell you that my final examination garment was a Turquoise jumpsuit with a zip up the front 'a la Sting in 1978' (who else???). It was totally en vogue at the time and I was convinced I was a seamstress extraordinaire. Addendum, there is something below I am thinking of making in a Turquoise Wool.....

Fast forward 27 years (YES, 27...) and I find myself faced with the sewing machine again.
Now, I am a clever crafty chick, I can pretty much figure stuff out if I have the rough instructions but it took me THREE weekends to draft up a commercial Straight Skirt pattern so that it fit and I am just not sure I have the stamina to do it for more complex structures! I AM wearing the skirt I made to work - which was kind of the point as I am trying as I said to avoid sweatshop etc.. but seriously, how CAN I make more complex patterns AND GET THEM TO FIT! If anyone has any great websites with some tech on this I would LOVE a link or two. I am thinking of doing classes with this Lady in South Oakleigh called Designer Stitch as I have a feeling a more practical hand might help and I am SERIOUSLY VERY excited at the prospect of making my own fabulousness.

Last week I was SOOOOOO desperate for some stuff that fits me that I ended up going into Zentini and ordering a tailormade shirt. I had the INTENTION  of getting one that was a basic White Shirt 'a la Tim Gunn on TG's Guide to Style' in his list of basics - others being a Day Dress, LBD, Jeans, Cashmere Jumper, Tailored Skirt & Pants, Sweatsuit Alternative and a couple of other things that escape me at the moment but instead ordered, well, you will just have to wait and see but it has LOTS of colour and pattern and really, NO WHITE* :-) Secretly, I think the Gal there was quite happy that someone who said they wanted 'something different' actually did, she said most people mean Mushroom or Taupe when they say that. You will have to wait to see the shirt but it is DEFINITELY NOT either of these AND has ruffles!

Sew (heh heh...) on that note, here are a couple of shirts I would really like to make from an issue of the Burda Magazine from January 08 (thx Nikkishell:-)) which you can buy a back issue from here*

Do you think this one is just TOO plain? I LOVE the pintucks though:

This one is VERY Parisienne.....

and this one could be just TOOOOOOOOOO 'Adam & the Ants' but I LOOOOOOOVVVEEEE the sleeves:

And this one I think will be FABULOUS in Turquoise Wool with my PROMISED basic white shirt. I've heard though that the skirt in the central view (which is the one I LOVE) is really not as full as it looks and that you might need a 50's petticoat under it:

Sew, whaddya think???? I mean, I KNOW that tailoring is a SKILL and that I can't expect to conquer Everest in a day but does anyone have any tips? I bought a book called something like Patterns that Fit and it is REALLY good on how to alter but I think having someone on hand to show you and measure you properly is essential.

LOOOOOVVVEEEEE the above though and can't WAIT to show you more clothes I have made. I will try to take a photo of the ONE skirt I made recently tomorrow.

Blessings
KittyB

Shots from Home....

Aaaaahhhh, just the day for a few messy shots from home, just a few mind you :-)

Here is the Eiffel Tower. I tried to dangle things from it but for the Kitties it was all a little too tempting and things got crazy. So, in short, the Eiffel Tower is STILL naked :-(

Here is ONE of the bookshelves, as you can see above, I do need more of them ;-) A LOT more....

Wanna see a close up of my Loobylu Rabbit and AK Doll?
Just LOOOOOOOVEEEEEEE them <3 <3

And random fabulosity can be found here, yyyuuuuummmmmmmm

Hope to post tomorrow some Brown Owl's magic, I ACTUALLY finished something!!

Blessings All
KB X

*The Sunday Collection*

Gosh, it is Sunday already??? The weekend passes so quickly and we are back to Monday again, mmmmmm

Well, what shall I pick for my Illustrator of the day??? Lets go for Maira Kalman who is sometimes known as 'the Wife of' having been married to Tibor Kalman, a force in the Graphic/Creative world with whom she started the M&Co Design Company.

Maira's work is a playful explosion into the sensual qualities/colours of paint and it is clear she has a strong connection to her chosen material. Not content with one page her work often spills over the pages and probably also into worlds (pages) we cannot see where magical creatures play.

I have quite a few books of Maira's including the Max collection and her autobiography which is told in the style of a Children's book, in pictures - pretty incredible.

Here is a peep first up, Max....

And a couple from the Willy series....

Maira's Autobiography.....

Maira's work always makes a Winter's Day seem like a Summer one....

Speaking of that, how HORRID has it been today, ACK* Thank goodness though for the Rain.... a good cup of Tea and some Maira should cheer that up.

Blessings
KittyB (who got a Sting DVD today at JB's and has already watched it twice, YUM) X

It's a FLUEVOG day......

I swear I have had these for AGES and only worn the boots once so far - can't QUITE find the right outfit - and haven't worn the others at all yet but since there is only one place in Australia to buy the fabulous Fluevog shoes, when you like stuff that season you just HAVE to buy up BIG!

These are the sexy calf length corset boots, SOOOOOO comfy....

These are the spats shoes, a shade of Navy - so my school uniform colour so I have avoided for years but LOOOOOVVVEEEE these....

Ooooohhh, oooohhhh, while I am on the subject, how GOOD do they look with these Vivienne Westwood socks - seriously DO NOT ask how much the socks cost....

For the piece de resistence...aaaaannnndddd....I so can't even walk in these but WHO cares! I've ordered a suit from Anton's to be tailor made in a Sage Green Wool/Silk blend and they will look FAB with it...

What is SO fabulous about these shoes is that they are part hand made and in Portugal, not in Asia and they are SERIOUSLY comfortable, the last is SOOOO well constructed!

They cost $300 upward but if you are a person who really bashes their shoes around they are going to last you forever - MUCH less $ than Manolo's and MUCH higher quality. You can get them at Sole Devotion that now has TWO stores in Melbourne (one in Greville St Prahran and one in Degraves St in Melbourne CBD) and NOWHERE ELSE in Australia! The Gals at Sole Devotion are SOOO the coolest and the BEST so worth a visit to check out all their wonderousness. Just don't buy the Black Body Parts shoes I am hanging out for that are coming in this Summer in my size, or else!!

Seems like a lot of consumerism for a post not long after a 'Go Green' one BUT I think TOTALLY justified. I really only buy twice a year and I don't buy any other shoes, I'm of the philosophy that if you buy well made items you will be disposing of less (& purchasing less too). I have 8 pairs of shoes in total and 7 are Fluevogs and really, they become a collectors item and you will ALWAYS be admired* Did I justify my Shoe shopping enough????? :-)

Blessings, a stuck at home sniffling, KittyB

*The Sunday Collection*

I may not have shared this before but I have a collection of contemporary children's illustration books.
Its been an obsession developing for a while and due mainly to the most awesome bookstore nearby, Greville St Bookstore in Prahran (really the best Graphic Arts and totally QUALITY bookstore with a quirky sense of style) - SERIOUSLY, you just HAVE to go there (layby is offered...).

Thought I would make Sunday then a regular post of my obsessions that stir my soul and I will start with samples from my ever growing collection of Children's books with links to the Author where possible.

So, first cab off the ranks, Miroslav Sasek:

It is my intention to get the whole series but in the meantime I only have Paris and Rome. You can find more info on Miroslav & the "This is..." collection of books here.

Here is a pic from the book and the cover of the other I have just as a taster....

The books themselves are a large format, around A3, and the old school watercolour /ink & line work fabulously on this scale. They depict real places and situations and are a sketchbook of each location almost, all be it with some Czech panache. Nothing better to do on a Cold & Wet Melbourne Sunday than to dream of munching a croissant in some Parisienne Cafe.....

A little about Miroslav. He trained as an Architect as his Parents did not want him becoming a Painter (who KNOWS why??? heh heh.....). He studied at the Ecole Beaux Arts in Paris and commenced the 'This is...' series of books in 1959 (many have been reprinted in the last few years and can still be found). He continued to paint and made 4 films also around the book series using an Iconographic technique creating an illusion of movement by panning over the illustrations. Many original editions can be found on Ebay but thankfully, due to many reprints, you can still pick up new copies. 
WoW, I have learnt more about Miroslav then I previously knew so the "Sunday Collection" posts are going to work a treat.
Thank you Miroslav for your amazing creative contribution.

Blessings
KB

I'm using a lot of......

Yes, Ladies & Gentlemen I have fallen foul of the dreaded 'coming of Winter' scourge.
It strikes when you least expect it.

OK, so, granted I have been surrounded with people sniffling and sneezing at work for the last few weeks but I NEVER expected to be living it myself. Then, on Wednesday I started to get a sore throat. Thursday was a little husky but hey, this was the worst it could get. Friday, same as Thursday, then I had a spicy curried lunch and  the voice went extra husky (think Kathleen Turner but you know it is the downward slide) but by Friday night the eyes were watering and I knew I was in trouble.

So, you get to Saturday and you think (defiantly) that you just HAVE to go out as it is, well, the weekend and there is really NO WAY you can stay in. Some Dr. Hauschka Mascara, a new Eye make up brush & a new Giovanni's conditioner (the best natural solution) you are at home exhausted, sore, coughing, nose dripping and you have even resorted to buying a strong fortifying Chinese Herbal Remedy.
You go to bed early, tomorrow is another today.

Fast forward to today, Sunday. The WHOLE day in bed. In fact, I only got out because I couldn't bear the thought of being there all night AND day. I REALLY should have been there sleeping but couldn't resist reading and at least feeling slightly productive. So, I read the first chapter of Gorgeously Green (the BEST book for Glam Chicks who want to save the planet), more of Eat, Love, Pray (also well worth reading, especially if you feel you are in transition or post crisis) and lay there like some pathetic shadow of myself along with two very sleepy Kitties teaching me how to do it properly, ie:

So, what does tomorrow hold? Think my 'high powered PA' role might be running on empty and I have STACKS to do. Think we might need a bit more of the above*

Blessings, KB

Today's Sunday Breakfast.....

DH and I make sure we have at least ONE outing together each week.
Its tough to get him to go shopping, he DEF won't go into ANY girly movie, and getting him to leave the house in Rugby season is a DEF no-no and he DEF won't go into friend's house's either!! - worlds colliding and all..... (eh bollewangenhaptoet) BUUUUUTTTT every Sunday morning we go for breakfast somewhere locally.
We USED to be avid supporters of a local cafe call Amici in Prahran but after a legendary wait for SERVICE of 1 1/2 hours (I was in a particularly stubborn mood and after a few bad experiences with waiting staff wanted to see how far we could push the envelope) had avoided it for a few months going to many of the places reviewed on the Best Breakfast Blog - which I highly recommend using for your own tour of Melbourne for Breakfasts. We did a tour of many other breakfast venues for Mar/Apr/May then last week, thought we would give them the benefit of the doubt and went back - NO LUCK, they stuffed up our order and got it wrong THREE TIMES and we ended up with another bad brekkie experience - shame, cuz it is a really great cafe with awesome bread and patisserie.

So, this morning we went back to a previous recommendation from the Breakfast Blog - Las Chicas in Balaclava.
Now, some of you may think this place has a little brusque service, but, on a busy Sunday morning, I call it professional, if they are going to have their business be profitable they have to be on the ball (and frankly, after several bad experiences at Amici, brusque ROCKS). I'm a healthy vego type so if you are too head down that way and have the baked bean brekky - it has the most amazing Polenta, Pumpkin and Spinach Bread and the baked beans are FAB. Oh, and they do Soy Dandelion Latte's - LOOOOOVVVEEE those! Here is a pic of brekky this morning...... YUMMO! KB

SATC Pt 2

Sheer BRILLIANCE!
Had a fabulous time dah'ling at the Dendy in Brighton on opening night of SATC.
While farcical in places it is a couple of hours of sheer joy where you can let all your cares just drift away and feel like life is a glamorous, colourful and supportive place. This movie will take you through the gamut of emotions though (surprisingly) not that much sex......is that what happens when you fall into love and 'grow up'?
OK, OK, so my clothes are not THAT incredible but I am seriously working on getting myself a fifties inspired Red Rose Carrie dress and a bigger collection of shoes :-)
Thanks to the wonderful Heidi and Nichola for making it a wonderful evening, such glam chicks.

BTW, went to Borders the following day and consider it a perfect follow up to my SATC experience. After all, many people don't want to do the 'eco conscious' thing as they think that means you have to live like a caveman(woman). I LOOOOOVVVEEEE this book, GREAT fun! Oh, and you can go here to find out more about this philosophy/approach. "Pass me the formaldehyde free organic vegan nail polish!"

More green and new age-ness follows....
Blessings
KB

SATC FEVER!

I know, I know... betcha didn't think I was one of those Girls.

I came to it late, wasn't really until the last season that I started watching Sex & the City and like many became enamored in the characters, their friendship and of course the clothes. It started a yearning for, not only better shoes :-) - see photos of my Pink shoes in photo album and oh, many more to come in the next few days, own LOTS of new Fluevogs now (whoooooohhhhooooo) - but also that closeness of friendship in female friends.

I was never the crazy party kinda Chick, always more into being a serious Fine Artist and studying hard but I sure had my share of odd relationships and definitely knew how to put myself in some interesting situations (more another time) and one REALLY GOOD friend from age 16-24 a French Girl Natalie.
As life changes happened, we really grew apart. I married, I moved from London to Australia and lost touch. And its funny, now, cuz if you asked me who was my best friend, I would still say her as we shared so much and grew during that time.

Since moving, the type of friendships have changed with little consistency. I've had friends I've been close to for a period then drifted and some with whom I share only one aspect of my life. As I've grown older, I have a yearning for that closeness and female connection, that kind of friendship that is the core of SATC and where I might find it. At the same time, I know myself better, I feel strong, powerful and as if I really 'own' this body - its a strange space to be in, that sense of alone-ness and that that awareness that female closeness is essential for being.
So, while this was meant to be a sexy flirty post about the virtues of shopping, shoes and high fashion, it is a reflection on where I find myself.
Tomorrow, I'm going to see the movie and I am looking forward to seeing the intimacy of that sisterhood, and elements of where I am am, where I am going and what is still to be discovered within.

Now, where are those HOT shoes and what AM I wearing???:-)

"Life doesn't always turn out to be your fantasy, thats why you need real friends to get you through it all"

Blessings
KB

Results from the Flickr Game....

Results from the Flickr Game...., originally uploaded by Kitty Baroque.
1. Love XOXO, 2. eye candy!, 3. La maison de retraite de Barbie, 4. vintage tea set with cupcake, 5. After the rain has fallen..., 6. When life gives you lemmons..., 7. Preghiere al vento per la Birmania e tutti i popoli oppressi., 8. Desserts, 9. Nine Inch Nails 10., 10. The Great Escape, 11. Who You Lookin' At?, 12. Postcard from Kitty Baroque

This is just the best Flickr game EVER! Here are the results of my dalliance....

Why not follow the instructions below I took from Clementine's Shoes and create your own :-)

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

GO PLAY!

HUUUUGGGGGEEEEE Blessings, KittyB

Where have I been?......

Seriously, where HAVE I been?????
Well, y'all know I am a sporadic blogger but over a year!!! yeah, its a long time..... I am furiously interested in other peeps blogs but for some reason think that there could be no reason for anyone to be interested in my little life: I don't have littlies (only cutie kitties), my week consists of the office bound 9-5 and while I have this amazing camcorder that I could be posting all sorts of stuff from, I never seem to get my butt together and photograph stuff so there is lots of ranting and sometimes not much else.
Then, today, after being to a bloggers meet with Nikkishell and Justine and a heap of other super crafty Chicks on Saturday (and feeling a total poseur since I haven't blogged in over a year) I thought, ya know what, no one else's blog contains that much more interesting stuff than mine and its important to get your unique POV out there so thought I would give it a go (again) plus I LOOOOOVVVEEEE Typepad and Blogspot  etc.. doesn't do it for me and I had all this stuff up here already and blah, blah, blah..... sooooooo HERE I AM!

SO, can I at least post something pretty for you to look at today? Ooohhhh, yes, now this is a bit out of date but hasn't been posted before.

I'm going to make the "All Day Tote" from Lotta's "Simple Sewing" - here is a link to other people's creations on Flickr.

C U tomorrow peeples.....
Blessings KittyB