Makeshift Utopia

New Year’s Eve is the one night a year that unlimited,...

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:16:00 -0500

New Year’s Eve is the one night a year that unlimited, over-the-top sparkles are considered acceptable … nay … encouraged. I am taking full advantage.

Most dresses I see are silver / gold / black, though, so the magenta and lime here should make it pop.

A friend got a Keepon for the holidays, this sounds like fun!...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:34:28 -0500

A friend got a Keepon for the holidays, this sounds like fun! Since I took that Shapeways / Google Sketchup class a few months ago I have been looking for something to jump start the creative juices…

shapeways:

MyKeepon Catwoman by alimae on Shapeways

The first entrant in the Shapeways My Keepon Design challenge.

http://www.shapeways.com/contest/mykeepon

Long overdue photoset: Makerfaire, Brooklyn

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:28:00 -0500

Makerbots

Messing with someone's hard work

ATM hooked up to wifi? Great idea!

Me and God of Hardware, Jimmie

Long overdue photoset: Makerfaire, Brooklyn

Ta-Da!

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Ta-Da!

I had so much pink fabric left over, I ended up covering a...

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I had so much pink fabric left over, I ended up covering a dollar store parasol. Since this was for a modeling event, the more props the better. In the end, I think it really made the outfit.

I cut one pilot pattern piece based on sketching the shape of a panel onto the fabric (seriously - no measuring, just rolling the umbrella around on the fabric and marking touchpoints), then cut 8 **exactly** identical panels (so all the stripes would line up at the seams). Some lace around the bottom and hand knotting to the inner umbrella spokes, and voila. The whole thing was done in under 40 minutes.

For the main skirt, I learned my lesson and went straight to a...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

For the main skirt, I learned my lesson and went straight to a dirndle shape to get enough fabric in there to really give it some volume. To determine the circumference of my fabric cylinder, I put on the petticoat and measured the distance around the bottom of the skirt, then doubled it.

When determining the skirt length, I added in some extra inches to account for the fold details, which I think really added an authentic, detail-oriented look to the piece. The bottom ruffle is 1.5x the length around the bottom of the skirt. The waistband is a simple elastic gather.

In retrospect, it would have been nice to attach this to a band as I did the petticoat to eliminate some of the bulk, but there’s so much going on up under that corset at this point that I can’t even tell the difference anymore.

Covering the corset was very time consuming. First, I had to...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Covering the corset was very time consuming. First, I had to make a replica of each panel, and then sew them together to get an exact lay-over fit. Then, I massaged the fabric around very unfriendly curvy pieces while whip-stitching it down. Honestly, time was of the essence here, so it’s not the prettiest couture stitching in the world. But… it worked.

For the back panel, I simply elasticized a square that was big enough so that I could wrap the corset around myself and hook it before tightening. It was by far the easiest solution, and actually mirrors the way the actual dresses normally look.

First, the petticoat. I made a simple circle skirt and attached...

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

First, the petticoat. I made a simple circle skirt and attached a ruffle to it, but it still wasn’t enough bulk. I made a second dirdle skirt that really added a lot of pouf. To keep it from being too bulky around the waist, I attached the dirdle to a slightly dropped waistband. I joined the two skirts together with the same elastic.

Here’s the blouse from Tokyo Rebel and corset from Orchard...

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Here’s the blouse from Tokyo Rebel and corset from Orchard Corsets (they have the *best* stuff and are located dangerously close to my apartment), along with the petticoat. You can see the shape taking form. Apologies for my super classy bathroom mirror shot!

The most important thing in building the petticoat was to achieve a bell shape, rather than a cone shape. The cone reads as very 1950s Americana, where as the bell shape is more Victorian. Adding bloomers and a lot of heft around the top part of the skirt helps achieve this effect, rather than the common net crinolines one finds around today.

So I have a week to turn that into this. :|

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

So I have a week to turn that into this. :|

Sweet Lolita Dress FAQ

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

What is it?

This is a handmade sweet lolita dress I made for a modeling event. While I had initially intended to buy a dress from Japan, the cost and shipping time were prohibitive, so I decided to make it instead.

What materials did you use?

I got 6 yards of white broadcloth and 4 yards of the floral fabric. The petticoats took 5 of the white yards and the bloomers just 1 yard. I was expecting to need more floral for the skirt, but I ended up with so much extra that I covered a whole parasol. O_o I got 14 yards of lace trim and 6 yards of pink lacing for the corset. Everything all together cost me under $50. By comparison, ordering the same things would have been well over $300.

The blouse is from Baby The Stars Shine Bright, which I purchased from Tokyo Rebel in the East Village.

I signed up for this SkillShare class on using Google Sketchup...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

I signed up for this SkillShare class on using Google Sketchup to create models for printing via Shapeways. Shapeways is a really interesting idea… they offer 3D printing in a variety of materials, in form factors larger than MakerBots. You can set up an Etsy type store, and even print in metals. The jewelry making ideas are endless…

Come learn things with me!

Well, here is something that’s infuriating… The pin...

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Well, here is something that’s infuriating…

The pin layout in the LilyPad USB adapter I already own is not the same pin order as the MiniPro. Therefore, I had to rig up this adapter to get the board talking to my computer. Such a small thing, but a total waste of a few hours figuring it out. :|

Grrrr.

Digitized Eyeshadow Replaces Makeup With Wearable LEDs This is...

Tue, 31 May 2011 17:19:00 -0400

Digitized Eyeshadow Replaces Makeup With Wearable LEDs

This is why people think makers are retarded.

Info on BlinkyShoes v2.0 coming soon. :)

New Toys! The second iteration of BlinkyShoes is underway. This...

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

New Toys!

The second iteration of BlinkyShoes is underway. This time I’m abandoning the adorable LilyPad arduinos for smaller form factor MiniPros. Also… accelerometers! With the smaller boards and more compact battery hookup, everything should be able to fit inside the shoe cavity. Running wires all over the place to fit the LilyPad was its own nerdy fashion statement, but was ultimately not very wearable.

So yes, BlinkyShoes happened in Vegas, but no, they...

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 11:25:00 -0500

So yes, BlinkyShoes happened in Vegas, but no, they weren’t completely done on time. Today I’m officially cannibalizing the prototype (1 of 2 pairs) for an event this evening.

And also yes, another iteration is planned. With accelerometers. O_o

Completely changed the tonality of the skin on the body, and...

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:18:12 -0400

Completely changed the tonality of the skin on the body, and began the underpainting on the face. This is going to take forever. Sigh.

I am inadvertently in a Laughing Squid photo! Life Dream:...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:18:22 -0400

I am inadvertently in a Laughing Squid photo! Life Dream: Realized!

His full set is on Flickr.

Building BlinkyShoes in the hardware hacking village at The Next...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:25:38 -0400

Building BlinkyShoes in the hardware hacking village at The Next HOPE.

I didn’t end up finishing the shoes, but I managed to encounter and solve several problems. I need to simplify some things in order to get these done on time, so Morse mode might get put on hold for Crazy Party mode, eliminating the need to switch between them on the fly. General consensus is that these NEED to have an accelerometer (I wholeheartedly agree), so v2.0 is going to have all the bells and whistles.

Huge, huge, HUGE thanks to Jimmie Rodgers, Travis Goodspeed, and Josh for helping me sort things out.

PS … Josh I-Didn’t-Get-Your-Contact-Info guy … I have your multimeter. Message me. ;)

Looks like The Next HOPE is my only hope...

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:52:00 -0400

Looks like The Next HOPE is my only hope...:

As usual, stupid life and its stupid demands have gotten in the way of me finishing a project in a timely fashion. While the code for BlinkyShoes is completed, the hardware has yet to be mounted and all the parts are gathering dust in a box on my floor. (sadface…)

I’d like to go over to NYCResistor this Thursday and make some headway, but my company has thoughtfully scheduled a MANDATORY TEAM BUILDING DINNER that evening. Thus, you are invited to find me in the hardware hacking village at The Next HOPE this weekend, furiously drilling and soldering between the [admittedly few] talks that look interesting to me.

I have very close to zero time available before leaving for BH / DC the following week, so come hell or high water, these things will be up and running (hah, see what I did there?) by conference close.

Stop by and say hi, encouragement and beverages readily accepted. :)