6.22.2011

a friend in need

is a friend you should run screaming for the hills from.  i'm serious.  run, don't walk.  GET OUT OF DODGE.

i have spent the last two and a half days using up all of my creative juices on a favor for a friend.  and i can't even tell you what i've been doing.  apparently, it's hush hush, and i would have to kill you.  not illegal.  just secret. were it illegal, it might be more fun.  but not by much.

i'm nearing the light at the end of the tunnel and gearing up for the oh, let's say, three hours of sewing i'll be able to get in this week before i turn into a pumpkin.  but as stated before, mon brainpower est TAPPED.  so, erm... i'm in need, could you do a friend a favor?

WAIT WHERE ARE YOU GOING I JUST NEED A LITTLE ADVI---

a wise group you are.  ahem.  i'm getting pretty good at mixing up prints and trim, if i do say so myself.  if you consider a riot of mismatched color good, which i do.  but i'm stumped on this skirt:


miss fugly!  cover up them bodacious saran wrapped tatas!

at this point, it's a maxi length, jersey knit skirt.  it wants to be a dress.  i used a bit of it on the yoke of this extremely purple dress, and i thought it should take center stage in its next life.  i knew i wanted ivory lace for the wasitband for a bit of a summertime girlie peep show... but all attempts to pick a fabric for the top have failed. i'm thinking wide triangle cups that tie at the neck.  here are the candidates:


what's that?  use a solid color?  i'm sorry, there is no solid color here in kalkatroona.


yellow & green striped linen? purple-y mod rayon?


teal synthetic flammable striped jersey?  slate blue polka dotta sheerness?  (alessa, i'm looking at you.)


okayfineherearesomesolidsorangesalmonblue.  don't pick any of these.

what would you pair it up with?

36 comments:

  1. Monitor colors can be wonky, so I'm assuming anything you suggested is a possibility.

    I like the green striped linen or the solid orange. The solid would allow the pattern to pop, yes?

    Gosh, I wish I could sew and blog like you. What's that? Practice and it helps being from Kalkatroona? Hmmmmm.... I can get 1 of 2, is that enough?

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  2. Super-synthetic-stripey-tealy-goodness! I'm always drawn to the synthetic stuff, even though I hate the feeling of it. It's the pyro in me.

    VIVA LA MAXIMUM PATTERNS!
    x

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  3. How about some of the lace lined? Texture and not a solid.

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  4. What about that crazy orange/pink/black flower print on the... wait those are pillows.

    Erm... the colors look different in the purple dress pictures. Going by THAT picture I say... um. Hmmm. Excuse me a moment. *runs off to do something in photoshop*

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  5. I'd go with teal synthetic flammable striped jersey.:)

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  6. I actually give up. I'm pants at mixing prints.

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  7. Hi, the solid orange/salmon as a combo sorryididpickoneofthose! :)

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  8. I think the purple because it would drape nicely and just the thought of synthetics over the chest makes me sweaty. Ok, ok...I live in Matchy-match Town and that's closest to matching that I can see.

    Good luck on the dastardly secret project. That is precisely the reason why I do not sew for others, unless they beg first and then reward me. And then, it's only for super simple mending or little girl dresses.

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  9. Striped linen! I love your funky combinations. They inspire me.

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  10. I like the jersey or the mod-cloth. But seriously. Which of these fabrics wouldn't you rock?

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  11. I say the purple rayon - why be subtle?? And there's some purple in the bottom of your skirt so there's a connection. I think anything you pick will be brilliant regardless ;)

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  12. I'd go with the pillows, too. :D

    I love the idea of underlined lace. That way you can use the solids - seriously, would you ever use them otherwise? ;)

    Other than that, I'd say the linen (linen's nice to wear! Natural-fibre-freak Marmota speaking) or the polka dots. Because you asked.

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  13. The purple mod rayon! That would have much nicer drape for a top!! And would look awesome with the lace! ggod luck w/secret project! Though it sounds like it's not exactly uber exciting!

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  14. well.. dunno.. pillow fabric would nail it, as others suggested..
    but if you're not willing to sacrifice the pillow (or you are, but fabric is too thick)
    than maybe you can choose first left fabric from this post

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  15. Ordinarily I'd have pickedasolidmatchymatchycolour. But! since its you and you make the crazy pattern clashing work in the most awesome of all awesome ways, I think you should us the purple mod because I think they clash too much so its perfect for you! :) hehe

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  16. I was going to vote for the yellow stripes....but then I realized that's actually your chair. Guess I need more caffeine. So I'm going to vote for the mod rayon.

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  17. Diggin' the dots...second choice: the yellowey-green striped linen.

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  18. I vote for yellow green striped linen AND the slate blue polka dots! You should (read: at least maybe in my little novice sewer brain it looks good??) do one triangle cup in each...?

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  19. I'm liking the print with the white circles and the horizontal squigglies and vertical stripes. If you're gonna mix prints, GO BIG!

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  20. I was going to pick the polka dots, but just to spite you I'll say the blue striped jersey! ;)
    Love the paisley fabric and the lacy waistband. Why do I never think of cool stuff like that...?

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  21. hi love your blog! i say the yellow striped linen, you could go for a chevron effect!

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  22. I'm so bad at prints, why are you asking me? Oh, yes, because I'm also so bad at running away. I recently accepted two more commissions from friends, one of them major. What was I thinking?

    Do you have any more of the same print to make the top triangles out of? That would be my first choice.

    Yes, I'm lame that way. You know that.
    ... it's going to be fabulous, though.

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  23. Do you have any more of the skirt fabric? It's so nice, why not just keep going with it?? Otherwise my picks are for the solid or the yellowish stripe.

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  24. so far:

    YELLOW STRIPES: 9
    PURPLE MOD: 6
    SOLID OF SOME SORT: 6
    TEAL STRIPES: 4
    BLUE DOTS: 3
    MOKOSHA'S DARK HORSE: 1

    rachael: you are most certainly an honorary kalkatroonan :) so you have 2 out of 2! yeah, yeah, i get your popping point....

    reana louise: maybe that's it! i do like to live dangerously.

    meg: lace lined, you say? intriguing...

    ladykatza: nnnNNOOOOO!!! i was looking forward to your photoshop skillz!

    ashley: my 1st choice!

    anonymous: egads! how dare you?! actually, i've been eyeing those three solids as a dress of their own, now that they're sitting there so patiently...

    paisleyapron: the thing is, it's not even sewing, so i don't even get to play with my machines!!!

    claire: thank you :)! & noted.

    seeks: hehehe. in my mind, i rock them all.

    meg g: i didn't even see the purple in the paisley!

    venus: now that i think of it, maybe that was my first choice.. hmmm...

    hana: so you're saying use a solid all the way up, but start under the lace. i'm raising a curious eyebrow...

    debi: it certainly is WAY drapier than the linen... and uber secret project is DONE!

    mokosha: well now. a dark horse. i might've expected it from you.

    kirsty: HA! the best criteria ever!

    becky: mayhaps a bit more coffee... the blue ikat is my chair! but really, with all the prints in kalkatroona, it's anybody's guess as to what is furniture.

    rje: i love those dots too. but so sheer... would have to line it... brain cramping...

    DD: as i gazed suspiciously at the solids, i did think a solid purple or watermelon would work.

    hip-oh!: WHOAH. that is flippin me out.

    daughterfish: one of my many mottos!

    alessa: i call FALSE! you know you want those dots! also false, you do pick col stuff like that.

    allie mae: thank you! oh, snap. chevron effect. that may have just tipped the scales.

    tanit-isis: BOOOOO. i actually have two perfect triangles of paisley material left over, sewn straight up the middle, screaming to be cups. i have no idea where they came from. i shall indeed use them. on a completely opposite print.

    kelly: and boo again!!!! please to see above response. let's just say you meant the stripe. :)

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  25. One more vote for the yellow stripes. The stripes are a nice contrast to the paisley. You could then explore sewing it into a an abstract version of the paisley. Think Picasso does paisley. If anyone can do that, it's you.

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  26. One vote for the solid orange tucked in behind the lacey yoke... if that makes any sense...

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  27. I was going to say :yellow & green striped linen or purple-y mod rayon, but then I read your s´chart and maybe I actually mean teal stripes or blue dots?
    I think so.
    I think you should add a border at the bottom at the skirt too, in at least the same colour as the top part of the dress. But then I'm scared of wild pattern-combinations and always choose solids for me.
    I need to be a bit Kalkatroonianised I think!

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  28. I would go with the purple mod thing...that thing with big dots on it. Sort of. At least it has purple.
    By the way, the lace midriff is brilliant.

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  29. Oona, I think we got back at you by offering too many possibilities... Whatever you make in the end, make sure YOU like it - you will be the one wearing it, after all.

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  30. By the time I actually finish photoshopping you'll have done sewn the dern thing. I are slow at photoshop (still learning). But if you haven't by this weekend I'll try an drunken stab at it. (its been a rotten work week...)

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  31. first i thought i screwed up html tags, and sent you link to somethinkg like this
    but good ol' wiki opened my eyes
    ..

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  32. NEW TALLIES:

    YELLOW STRIPES: 11
    PURPLE MOD: 8
    SOLID OF SOME SORT: 7
    TEAL STRIPES: 5
    BLUE DOTS: 5

    shannon: whoah, nelly. that's a horse of a different color. i'd need more chardonnay, to be sure. picasso had absinthe, right?

    anon: it does, and boo the third!!!! nyet solids!!

    karin: so you mean you vote for ALL of them? how about bias strips for every single one? now, just so you know, i scrunched my nose indifferently when picturing a matching border on this. since you are interested in kalkatroonisation.

    lisette: thanks! the lace was an old urban outfitters belt that i wore once, so i'm pretty happy i'm using it.

    hana: seriously, this bit me right in the ass. i'm going to try my best to go with the winner though!

    ladykatza: no sewing yet. i haz faith in you.

    mokosha: horse's. ass. boxers. those are absolutely brilliant.

    angie.a: ohmiGAW i KNOW!!!

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  33. whoops, that's

    PURPLE MOD: 9

    big news, folks. this could go either way...

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!