8/30/2011

What I'm planning to wear in fall

This picture pretty much features everything that I'm looking forward to wear in fall. Crossroads definitely knows what good style is.

My fabric purchases so far have already been with this in mind and I can't wait to transform the fabrics into garments. What are you planning to wear in fall ?

From orthopedic to fashionable

I found these clogs in a supermarket for only 4 € and immediately saw the potential to prettify them. All I needed was some paint and in no time I coverted them from boring white clogs to colourful art objects. I don't know yet if they'll withstand rain or other elements but it's worth trying.


8/29/2011

Weekend in Berlin

On Thursday I took a bus to Berlin to spend some days with an old friend of mine. Since I knew that Katharina lives in Berlin as well, I contacted her and we managed to go fabric shopping together on Friday. First we checked out Hüco-Stoffe, which is basically a wholesale company that has also a direct sale. Wow, they had a big selection. The prices were okay, not as cheap as Zanderino but in a range between 10 and 20 €. I guess if you had a specific garment in mind and were looking for the fabric, you could definitely find it there. As I had no real plan on what to buy, I was a bit overwhelmed by the selection. In the end I bought a Gabardine with a bit of Elasthane in a snake print, that I will turn into a skirt.
Next we headed to the Humana Shop at Frankfurter Tor. This is a second-hand store with 4 levels. We were very lucky because they had a special summer sale going on, selling every item for a maximum of 1,50€. It was very crowded and I guess the best bits were already gone, but we found some great stuff anyway. I bought an orange Blazer which is 100% wool, which will be great for fall and a silk skirt with a lovely A-line shape.

In the shop we met my friend and together we then went to the Maybachufer where every Friday a turkish market takes place and besides vegetables and bric-a-brac they also sell fabric. Most of it is 2 to 5 € per metre and so it's a great place to fill your stash. I got three fabrics,one plain black jersey, one fun shoe print chiffon-type and a polyester with blue dots. In total I paid for 5 m fabric 11,50 €.

After all the exhausting shopping we did in the heat ( it was around 30°C on that day), we stopped at a small cafe and had some cool drinks.
After saying good-bye to Kathrina, my friend and I went back home and then drove to Schlachtensee to go swimming there and have a picnic. It was a very nice evening. On Saturday we explored Berlin, went to the fleamarket on Straße des 17.Juni, checked out Hackesche Höfe and in the evening there was the Lange Nacht der Museen and we visited a Planetarium, Fotografie-Museum and a Freemasons hall. On Sunday we went to Potsdam and went for a walk in the garden of Sanssouci.

8/22/2011

LA vs SF

Some of you might have noticed my absence in the past weeks. Now I finally find the time to tell you about the reason for my absence. I travelled to California to do a little roadtrip along the coast, from SF to LA and back. We flew from Germany to San Francisco airport and there we got a rental car, a very new Ford Focus. For a couple of days we stayed in SF and then we slowly made our way to LA stopping in Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. It's been my second time to travel to the USA and therefore I wasn't that "impressed" anymore. It's difficult to explain, but I just haven't been that overwhelmed like the first time I've been there and I saw many things through European eyes and had to find out that not everything is heaven there. So, since Katharina asked me what I thought about LA, I wanted to write a short little post about both cities.
best view we got of the bridge

What I liked about SF:
  • the different "climate" zones, seems odd, but I really liked it that it can be cold and cloudy in one part of the city and in the next area there is bright sunshine. You have to take that into account when you get dressed in the morning, but it feels quite nice actually.
  • it is so "small" , we mostly spend time in the touristy areas and they were very close to each other,one day we even walked from Powel to Fishermans wharf
  • the different quarters had totally different vibes
  • Mels Diner, the apple salad, so yummy with a very tasty dressing
  • public transport, it runs very punctual and the three day pass is really cheap
cute street in SF

What I didn't like about SF:
  • it is so European and less American that other cities, that you barely notice you're in the US ( well it's a bit exaggerated, but you get the point). While for Americans it is very progressive, for me as a well travelled European it's not that big of a deal
  • people dressing like it was winter, come on there is no need for a beanie when it's 25°C outside
backyard on Melrose Av

What I liked about LA:
  • the sun and the beaches, an evening at Venice Beach boardwalk and you feel like you stepped into a cool movie scene
  • the people we met ( and who kindly offered us shelter via couchsurfing, everything was organized rather spontaneously but they made our stay in the city memorable)
  • Long Beach, a cool city with an interesting street ( 4th ) and lovely vintage shops like La Bomba ( check ou their tumblr to see when the next pile sale is)
What I didn't like about LA:
  • can you call this really a city ? it's more like an aggolmeration of different cities that spreads out enormously ( since I live in a city which is sort of  similar to that, I'm used to it, but I also know that it's not that good for the people who live there)
  • the city without a car ? forget it. I love to ride my bike and in LA this love would probably come to an end.
So, what are your impressions of the two cities ? You want to know more about my trip ? Just ask and I will add some more of my travel memories.

8/16/2011

Trip along the coast

Hi guys,
sorry for the long absence but I took a little break from studying and escaped to the wonderful country called the USA. My brother and me took a roadtrip from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back. All in 2 and a half weeks. We had an amazing time and now that I'm back in Germany I'll try to post every now and then again.
The trip inspired me so much that I have a million ideas on what to sew and make. Soon I'll return to my sewing workshop again and of course I'll present you my new garments. Now I have a lot of blog reading to catch up with. For a start I'll present you one of the dresses that I made prior to our departure. I drafted the pattern by myself by converting a simple top into a dress. Hope you like.

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