Hello 2014 ..

I've promised myself change for the coming year. 

Because change is essential to a well-rounded and varied life, I think.

On the brink of 26, I find myself in a better position than ever before to start taking some much needed and postponed decisions. I don't mind what I've done so far, in fact I'd like to do more of it, but better; and better requires a different setting, format and route.

But for now, I'll only be sharing some pictures of my last biggish project. Because, fuck chronology ..

Areola Treat's Lisa commissioned a snazzy and glittery cape to wear on stage and practically gave me carte-blanche to turn a bag-full of tinsel curtains in gold and hot pink into a NYE-stage-worthy piece. Cue 70s glam rock, Ziggy Stardust costumes in the V&A archives, Liz Taylor's painted and powdered Cleopatra etc etc. I basically wanted to create a cape that would as easily jump the queue at Studio54, make it on to Bowie's nostalgic rail of personal craft favourites as well as into Noel Fielding's wardrobe for the second series of Luxury Comedy.

The collar I moulded out of glued and threaded layers of gold leather strengthened by recycled prints of Mdina watercolours I had lying about the house in gold wooden frames that deserved to frame better things! The first gold tinsel layer was laid on one strand at a time to ensure an even and flat spread that doubles over the shoulder area for volume. 

The collar I cut  out of leather scraps using tiny scissors and whatever was left of my waning eyesight after the second double layer of hot pink tinsel went on - again, one strand at a time, whilst listening to some inspiring music to urge the process on. Tip 1: dancing and gluing can be hazardous to eyes/hair/cat. Tip 2: place cats in a safe place before trimming tinsel to size - cats love tinsel-rain too much for their own good.

... and now we wait for photos of the cape as worn on stage for last nights NYE concert celebrations.

Some last words: welcome 2014 and bring on more fancy capes, travel opportunities to far-away lands, more time consuming projects, time for reading more books about great people's work, welcome all that and more. 2013 lessons were enough to last me a couple of years so I feel absolutely good to go. But first, some more rest and much needed detox.

Later on in the week I'll hopefully be posting more detailed posts about the sewing projects that have shaped my second half of 2013. Time permitting I'll even share some photos from my last holiday - the first holiday to teach me what relaxation is all about. In the meantime I'll be off to tackle the rest of my festive reading material ie. Balenciaga: The Couturier's Couturier, Pattern Magic, King of Fashion: The Autobiography of Paul Poiret and some more texts along those lines.

For the moment, I'll just dream some more until it really hits me that it's already the 1st of January.