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Lady Violette

The Romantic Lifestyle

Archive for April, 2011

Lady Violettes Sewing & Photography “Studio” in the Corner of the Kitchen! The Dress Form Trying On the Necklace!

Monday, April 25th, 2011

KItchen Studio

Lady Violette's Sewing & Photography "Studio" in the Corner of the Kitchen ~ Trying on the Necklace!

Every now and then I am producing something in my little work space and I look at the ‘moment of making’ that I’m in the middle of and think, “This scene might make a good photograph!”So, I have been stopping, now and then, to take a picture and preserve the experience in my creative process in this environment that caught my attention. They are usually messy, interesting work in progress moments, and that’s what makes them appeal to me.

I posted one last week, when I was working on Princess Wow’s concert dress. Here is another, from the same day. I was photographing the two long dresses I had just finished making before I sent them off for her to wear in her upcoming NYC concert.

In this one I was dressing the mannequin in the second one, a bright colored sleeveless gown, and trying out a multi-strand amethyst, garnet, silver, and art glass necklace to see how it would look with the dress. I had just arranged the necklace on the mannequin and turned around to reach for a pair of scissors. When I turned back to work on the next detail of preparation, this interesting scene of the half clothed dress form trying on the necklace caught my eye!

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One of Lady Violette’s Favorite Violet Quotes from H.D. (Hilda Dolittle)

Monday, April 25th, 2011

"Ah, could they know how violets throw strange fire, red, and purple and gold, how they glow gold and purple and red." H.D. (Hilda Dolittle)

Ah, could they know how violets throw strange fire,

red and purple and gold, how they glow gold and purple and red

~ H.D. (Hilda Dolittle) ~

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Scarf Styling for Long Oblong Scarves ~ Two Ways Lady Violette Likes to Wear an Oblong Scarf ~ Simply Looped and Draped & in a Dramatic Double Side Wrap Style for a Long Scarf

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Step #1) Begin with Oblong Scarf Simply Draped -

I have a 96″ long crinkly green silk scarf with beaded fringe on both ends. Here Tricia James, International Scarf  Stylist, shows us one way she wraps and ties such a scarf It is lovely as is and can be worn in a simple elegant drape looped around the neck with both ends hanging down as shown in the first photo and Step #1 ~ You can wear the scarf simply looped just like this or begin with this drape as the first step of the dramatic double side wrap style.

With all the fancy scarf tying and embellishing experiments of late I still think the simple drapes are sometimes the most modern and sophisticated ways of wearing and showing off  beautiful scarf shapes and textiles. I like both elegantly simple and ornate ways of styling scarves and shawls. I want to wear them in different ways at different times. I like having both options and the skills for styling both of them.

This scarf is particularly long ~ eight feet long to be exact! It was given to me by someone who thought it was too long and awkward for her to handle! I was delighted to receive  it! It is silk, permanently pleated, and embellished with seed beads on both ends.

Because it is so very very long it is perfect for wrapping. Here is how to do this dramatic double wrap style ~ done the same way Tricia demonstrated on one side in the earlier post titled ~ How to Tie the Orange Pashima ~ but done on both sides to create this lovely style.

Step #2) Wrap End on Left Side Under & Around

Step #2) Begin with the Left side. All you do is wrap the end on one side under and pull it through…

Step #3) Pull it Through

Step #3) Then wrap it around again, repeating under and around and through…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step #4) Wrap Fabric Around & Around Until You Reach the Bottom of the Front Draped Loop

Step #4) Continuing until you have wrapped the fabric around enough times to get to the bottom of your front drape loop.

Step #5) Repeat the Wrapping Process on the Right Side of the Scarf

Step #5) Repeat the exact same wrapping process on the Right side of the scarf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step #6) Voila! The beautiful finished Dramatic Double Side Wrap Style for an Oblong Scarf! Once again demonstrating that tying and wearing a scarf beautifully is definitely one of the foremost Feminine Arts! Thank you Tricia for demonstrating this beautiful style! You can visit Tricia James at ScarfGenie.com.

Step #6) The finished Dramatic Double Side Wrap Style for an Oblong Scarf!

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How to Tie and Wear a Scarf on a Purse or Bag from Lady Violette! You Can Style and “Pursonalize” Your Spring and Summer Bags and Baskets with Bright Scarves Tied to Decorate the Rings or Handles!

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

Plain Basket Purse Pretty But Boring!

Scarf Tied Basket! For a Summery "Pursonal" Effect!

An attractive bag can be made even prettier with the addition of a silky colorful scarf tied to the handle. This one is a chiffon square folded in half in a triangle, then the triangle point folded into the center, then folded in half again to make a long skinny rectangle. The folded scarf is then looped through the handle or ring of your basket, handbag or purse and tied into one soft knot or a floppy bow for an easy to do, ultra feminine scarf tie decorating your bag and making it very “pursonal.” I call it “pursonalized!”

I have used 18″ square scarves on these two bags, but any shape will work. You can tie an oblong scarf into a bow for a slightly different look. A larger square can be folded the same way to start and made into a bigger bow as well.

This is a cute casual look for a beach basket, or a dressy look on a leather bag. You can get a lot of variety out of a single bag by using different scarves for decoration. Now that I have started doing it I never want to use the two bags I’ve used for this demonstration without a scarf again! They are so much more fun with the extra color and softness of the scarf addition! I have even seen this done on luggage at the airport to mark a suitcase and distinguish it from similar ones in the baggage claim. Don’t use your best scarves for that purpose though! They are likely to receive rough treatment! A bandana or inexpensive cotton scarf will work on luggage. The point is to make it look unique so you can find your suitcase in a crowd. I recommend as colorful a scarf as possible tied to the handle of your suitcase or travel bag. Your goal is to “pursonalize” your luggage. And have fun!

I like to make fall and winter bags, like the purple leather one below, look more summery by tying on a bright contemporary scarf or a flowered vintage scarf. It cheers me up and gives me more variety and mileage out of my bags. Some purses or baskets I have are open on the top and I tie a scarf on both handles as a way to hold them together and keep the bag closed for added security. It is often handy to have that scarf along for unexpected reasons too! Like needing to tie your hair back in a ponytail or getting caught in a rainstorm and needing a head covering. Look at all the style variations I have for the bag below! It is almost like having four different purses! When I am busy or rushed I often find it easier to change the scarf I’ve tied onto my purse for a new look than to switch out the contents to an entirely different bag. Try doing this! I “Pursonally” guarantee it’s fun!

Next week I will explain how to wrap the handle of a designer purse with a scarf like they are doing in Paris! You can do it on regular purses and make them look like designer purses too! It’s a beautiful technique and it protects the handles on your bag as well! And it’s one more pretty way to wear a scarf on a purse to “Pursonalize” it!

You Can Wear the Plain Purple Purse with Gold Hardware!

or You Can Tie a Silk Chiffon Square into a Soft Feminine Bow Tied Scarf !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or Try the Purple Purse "Pursonalized" with A Darling Vintage Floral Scarf!

or Go For a Contemporary Look with a Geometric Print Ellen Tracy Scarf!

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Lady Violette’s Vintage Purse of the Week is a Darling Golden Picnic Basket Topped with Pink Silk Roses & Lined in Yellow Satin That You Can Make Yourself!

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Lady Violette's Darling Golden Picnic Basket Basket Purse Topped With Pink Silk Roses Lined in Yellow Satin!

Spring is hopefully going to come! So I’m getting ready! I”ve been sorting out my purses making the change from winter to spring/summer appropriate bags.

I’ve emptied out my entire closet and the bags are all spread out. I’ve quite a witty assortment! And I’ve never really looked at them all at once before. A friend told me there is a blog site called The Purse Forum and I should register. It’s a place where handbag enthusiasts can show off their bags and share their collections with other purse fanatics. So I went over there to take a look. It is interesting but there is no section for my type of vintage purses! They focus on designer name brands rather than artsy interesting and unusual pieces such as the ones I collect and sometimes make myself. I do have some of those, but I do not decide to collect a bag just because it is produced by a certain design house. I choose to acquire and use bags that I like. Period! Often they are from unknown artists or obscure origins and I like that.

I did register on The Purse Forum and will return to check it out further, but it focuses on a different area of bag collecting than I do. So, I have decided to photograph and post some of my personal favorites from my own collection on my own blog so that people who like these sorts of bags can see them. The great thing about some of these is that they are gorgeous and they are affordable. Sometimes you can even make one yourself. The purses I show will give you lots of good ideas for collecting or embellishing or making unique artistic bags. You will see that it is not necessary to spend a fortune to acquire a great collection of fun bags.

This one is a little straw and wood picnic basket purse probably made in the 1960’s. It was natural colored straw and plywood when I acquired it for $2.98 at a thrift store. I carefully removed the gold faux leather buckle tab and the plastic tube handles which are screwed on. Then I spray painted the bag gold! The inside was rough and not very attractive, so I made a simple drawstring bag out of some left over yellow satin lining fabric and a yellow ribbon and put it inside the basket as an interior lining. I reattached the handles and buckle tab and, as a finishing touch, glued four pink silk roses with buds and green leaves on the lid! I already had the artificial roses. That’s all there is to it! And the total cost was less than $15. Basket purses such as I used are easy to find at Japanese dime stores and often show up at thrift shops. I think it is one of the cutest bags ever! I love the fact that it is easy to make yourself! It’s absolutely perfect for spring and summer! And I get lots of compliments whenever I carry it!

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