Feminists and Pirates are not mutually exclusive

To prove Aristole's theory that art indeed imitates life, Maia recently started a drama class. You can't believe it, right? Given her predisposition for all things dramatic, emotional and pretend-y, I reckon she'll be teaching the class by next term.

The class is working on a 'production' of Peter Pan and given that there are precisely two boys amidst eventy girls, there is serious competition for a shot to play Tinkerbell.  This week, they were told to dress up either as fairies or pirates.

Naturally she wanted to be a fairy but I reminded her that I made Jamie a full pirate outfit a couple of years ago (in contrast to the terrible pound-store ripped and bent fairy wings) and when she tried it on she looked the business.  And I told her so forty five times until she believed that girls can be tough and strong and that she is not limited by her gender to be inferior and that she is the master of her own destiny and happiness and there is no such thing as toys for girls or boys.  Okay, maybe believing these things are a work in progress.

Pictured: the business  Not pictured: imaginary sword

Despite the fact that every single other girl in the class dressed as a fairy, she basked in glory of her fierceness (after some encouragement *sigh*).  As opposed to........

The Benign Pirate, circa 2010

When is a mix tape not a mix tape?

Look, Mom, I only went and got my first iPhone.  In defense of my fiscal responsibility, I was due for an upgrade and my contract only went up a smidge. 

Faux cassette tape iPhone cover, I see your dorkiness and raise you one handwritten mix tape label.  I win all the dorks.

Lego iPhone cover, I forgive the fact I'm going to have to slice your sticky-outey bit by the camera because you protect my camera from all the detritus in my pockets and bag.  I do like yellow, but not in the corner of every picture.

Look, I took a picture of my fabric reflected in the screen totally not by accident and now it's a business expense.

So, iPhonettes and iPhoners:  What apps can't you live with out and why? Which podcasts make you want to work all the live long day?  How can I dress it up even more dorky?

Oh, and if you want to add me to your Instagram pals, I am 'kitschycoo'.  I can't promise I will post anything interesting but if you're here you most probably know that.

Cyber Monday Sale

I'm joining in on the Cyber Monday extravaganza with some pretty nifty discounts! 

• Spend over £20 and save 20% (enter CYBER20 at checkout) 

• Spend over £40 and save 25% (enter CYBER25 at checkout)

The discount codes expire at 12:01 AM on the 28th of November, and for added fun, I can't even tell you which time zone they expire in.  Thanks, Big Cartel, for keeping it mysterious.

The shop has a new section with the final cuts of some of my most treasured fabrics.  Quite of few of the manufacturers only do single runs and when they're gone, they're gone.  That being said, occassionally they reappear as reprints and mostly likely I'll reorder if I can!  So maybe they're gone forever, maybe they'll resurface.  Again, keeping it mysterious.

And finally, now you can order Kitschy Coo gift certificates for all your favourite friends and family.  There's a button at the bottom of every page, as well as a dedicated page link at the top left tool bar.  The link leads you into Paypal to purchase, but I pinky promise that they're redeemable anywhere on my site.

The Swellest Swallow Skirt

In my first thirty-two years of life, the only thing I ever won was a sleeping bag that resembled a gigantic Handi-Snacks. So great was its awesomeness that the universe denied me prizes for twenty years out of fairness for others.  But now I have repayed my fake-cheese-on-a-red-plastic-stick Karmic debt, and am allowed to win at things again.  Behold, the Rockabilly Swallow Skirt from the very talented and inspirational So, Zo.

Behold, the hand-stitched leather swallows.

Behold, the delicious gingham facing in a terribly lighted picture.

Behold, my handsome / winsome photographer, who took picture after picture of my legs, torso or head while completely cropping out the skirt. 

And then a series of full frame shots of only the skirt and my belly. 

The skirt, Jaim. TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS SKIRT.

And then a dozen of shots of me pointing at the skirt in mock exasperation.

The World is Cruel Dress

Nay-sayers, wallow in the vindication of your doubts: I did not complete the Skater Dress pattern last weekend as I hoped.  The tutorial is done and dusted but I'm still putting a tiny bit more work into the pattern.  Can you guess what my stumbling block is?  A clue: it is my perma-block.  Fecking sleeves.

The sleeves: They menace me.

I thought I would test version 76.0b with a quick and dirty refashion of one of Steven's castaway sweaters.  The bodice is the skater bodice, the sleeves the skater sleeves, the bottom a gathered-in-the-centre-only rectangle.

The retained ribbing hem makes the skirt into a tulip shape that is pleasing to me.

Matching a striped curved bodice to a striped curved skirt when combining different coloured stripes?  Less pleasing to me.

Add a lazily-retained too-wide-adult-male-neckline and we have an explanation as to why Maia's drama teacher did not compliment her on her dress despite complimenting Maia's friend on her dress.

Clearly the only logical explanation, Maia, but it makes that bitter pill no easier to swallow.

These ain't your grandma's tigers*

The shop just got significantly more bad-*ss...

With organic cotton jersey tiger prints in dark green and ice blue.  A gloriously smooth and stable 95% cotton 5% elastane blend with fantastic stretch recovery.  Great for boys, girls, their mums, and everyone alive on the planet with good taste.  I want to make my entire winter wardrobe from these fabrics; go on and just dare me.

*Grandmas, never fear, I still have tigers for you:

The Rainbow Frock. Now with added rainbows.

In 'That's Not Surprising' News, the Rainbow Party Frocks are still flying out the door; I think I've made more then twenty in the last couple of months.  And now they're at least 12% more rainbow-ey...   

My kingdom for a horse less tedious belt loops.

The family that dorks together, stays together

It was Steven's birthday last week and also, probably the best day of his life. Because now he has a onesie just like me.  And not just any old onesie...

A onesie with a tail.  None of these lackluster no-tailed onesies for him. Not for his 35th birthday anyway, tis an occassion befit for a tail.

And, of course, a fox face.  If you blow this picture up (as I know you will) you can see that the sticker says 'I'm a fox'.  You tell no lies, sticker, that man is most clearly a fox in his onesie.

Now You're Just Somebody That Used to Sew

This week I finally got back on the machines for the first time post-surgery.  I'm not supposed to lift heavy things for as long as it suits me as an excuse an undetermined length of time; although I can't fault the surgery itself or the hospital stay, the post-surgery information about what I'm supposed to do or not do has been non-existent.  So to err on the side of caution, I was worried about lifting my behemoth Janome 1100D (it weighs at least 10 kilos) lest my nose collapse into my face or explode like a over-blown balloon.

What an anti-climax, nothing happened.

But also, yay.

In other anti-climatic and good news, I'm finishing up my Skater Dress pattern with the intention of having it ready for testing next weekend.  Those of you who've known me for awhile won't believe me (I'm looking specifically at Emily here) but it's true.  Probably.

There will be options for long, short and sleeveless versions and it will cover sizes 18m/2T, 3T/4T, 5Y/6Y, 7Y/8Y.  If you have access to a child that size, are interested in testing and can sew and give feedback in a speedy fashion please leave a comment with the size and sleeve option.  Long or short sleeves probably apply to most of us but I would definitely like a couple of those lucky ducks who live somewhere that's not currently freezing to test the sleeveless option.  Please, please, pretty please can you sew the size that fits your child's age rather than individual physique so none of that 'my child is 2 but I normally make her an age 8'.  I hope that doesn't sound mean or snotty but doing it that way gives me more meaningful feedback on general sizing; after testing you can make any size you like repeatedly and with impunity :) 

Pick a card, any card

It's only taken me five or six years to do what everyone else does within five or minutes, but I've finally gotten myself some mini MOO cards. 

Fifteen different ones to be exact.

Because I make no logical sense, I've been holding off getting new cards until my age-old mega-bulk business card purchase ran out.  You know, the cards that featured a product I no longer sell at an address I no longer sell at. 

Have you ever tried to photograph a bunch of photographs?  I tried both the compact and the DSLR and they both could not cope with so many faces and depths of field.  I have dozens of terrible pictures of my pictures (that can quite often be terrible to begin with), it was very meta.

If like me you are well behind the times and have just finished your stack of 1000 redundant business cards, you can save 10% off your first MOO order by clicking here.

I see your Ludicrous Request and raise you one...

Nose: days one through four.  It's gotten less exciting since then.

Thanks for all your continued well-wishes on my recovery, kind readers.  Particular gratitude goes to the Anonymous commentors, who have left their good will / shop links no less that 27 times since I last posted.  I was gone, but surely not forgotten.  By the spammers.  You will (most likely) be pleased to know that the bruising and swelling have all but disappeared, my Transformers Mask is coming off tomorrow and I'm feeling much more like my old self.  And by 'my old self' I mean ornery and sarcastic.

Here's an actual email from a PR person today:

Hi Kitschy,

My name is Isabelle and I am currently working with xx A fabric shop in Melbourne xx. I came across your site http://kitschycoo.blogspot.com/2010/09/very-big-list-of-best-uk-online-fabric.html  . I love the content and the style of your articles. We were wondering if you would write a blog for us to be posted on your great site?

We were thinking the topic could be:

·         The right blinds to suit your home design

·         Types of blinds for your home

·         3 Reasons why you may want to install blinds

Or you could pick your own topic. And we just need a link back to our website in this.

Not a promotional piece just a general piece like the ones you've been writing.

Hope to hear back from you soon!

Obviously I skedaddled straight over to Facebook to elicit your collective outrage at such a cheeky request.  And then fell prey to (only minimal) pressure to email her back with a request of my own.

Hi Melbourne,  thanks for your email.  I clicked through to your site, I like your aesthetic and information on blinds.  Normally I don't take unsolicitated requests for blog posts to be written, particularly for non-UK companies and without any incentive or relevancy to my readers, but maybe we can work something out.  In exchange for me spending time writing a promotional post for you, I was thinking you could add some of my product images to the gallery on your great site?   You could add a picture of:

• Clothes
• Fabric
• Patterns

Or you could pick a picture from my blog; there's quite a few of me for example.  And all I'd need was a link back to my shop (http://www.kitschycoo.bigcartel.com/).  Like you, I can't offer any promotional incentive for featuring my business but if this is how PR works then sign me up.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Amanda 

I haven't heard back yet but will keep you updated.