Yelena Dressmaking & Accessories

 I often dress like I’m out to a party, I’m told.  Why not?  The life is short. It’s not a fact that I will outlive my coat, My skirts, my dresses, jackets, sweaters, blouses… And once I am done with earthly trifles, Someone will check my overflowing wardrobe  Exclaiming, “ Oh! Why did she not  wear all these clothes? She had the time, the body and the style… Now, what are WE to do with all this stuff?” Thus— while I can— I better outfit myself  For the exciting party of the present.  This lyrical intro by yours truly should put us in a mood of discussing the longevity of garments. All clothes are not created equally, some deteriorate and others pass the test of time; some clothes we might want to keep forever, while others serve their purpose in one day and are no longer needed; some are worn constantly and others rarely leave the closet. There are a few factors to consider when choosing a wearable item.  1.First of all, the material—usually fabr...

 Most people have a closet full of assets, yet declare to have nothing to wear. Let’s try to fix that. Here is a challenge: try wearing different outfits every day for a week — to start. The idea is, you can wear the same items, just style them differently each time. For example if on Monday you wore a white shirt with grey pants (skirt), you can put on the same shirt on, say, on Thursday (after the laundry?) but this time with green pants (skirt), as an option, layer it under a jacket, sweater or vest. If it’s a dress, pair it with different shoes and accessories each time, wear it over a button down shirt or light sweater, or under a cardigan or jacket. If you wear a uniform for work, spread this exercise just to your time off duty. To keep track of what you wore, take a picture of your chosen clothes right before putting them on, or of yourself before undressing in the evening. If at the end of the week you feel accomplished and still embracing the challenge, go for another week...

Much is written on how to pack for a trip. Here is my take based on personal experience and work with my clients. Let’s pretend I’m packing with you. First step in planning is determining a few details: • length of your trip; • number of travelers; • location of your trip (city, country, beach, park, combination); • size of your luggage; • season of the trip (might be different from the season in the zone where you live); • any appropriate wear/dress code requiring events or visits, such as to places of worship, business meetings, formal occasions; • level of physical activity and any applicable special equipment; • size of your train case, including hair care, and medicine; • access to the laundry facility during the trip; • plans for shopping on the trip. Next, let’s start from the bottom of the list.  If you would like to buy certain wearable items (a location t-shirt? A hand-embroidered blouse?) or toiletries (sunscreen?) on your trip and have the budget of time and money for t...

  This depiction of my front door in style of Henri Rousseau’s paintings  https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/henri-rousseau.html#slide_9   is about a yard at its widest part. The flowers and plants are inspired by lavender, black-eyed Susans, Japanese maple, juniper, lambs ears, and sedum that grow in my garden. Materials: acrylic yarn, cotton embroidery floss, cotton corduroy and percale for the base, wooden and metal buttons. Bonus point: find hidden cats 😸

 Crochet is a great therapy: repetitive motions and counting can clear one’s mind and channel jumping thoughts into productivity. Another benefit of crochet is that it requires minimal skill for many great projects and the only tool you really need is the properly sized crochet hook. You would, of course, need yarn - but that’s a given. The final benefit I found for myself, that when I’m stressed and use crochet as a calming activity, it leaves me afterwards with a nice unique handmade item that I can either keep, sale, or give away.  The range of crocheted items is wide: from everyday clothes and accessories (vests, scarfs, hats) to toys and Christmas/decor ornaments; from wearable art (jabots, collars, elaborate shawls) to home accents (pillow cases, plant holders); from bags and purses to key chains; and don’t forget the pet accessories and toys.

  These “feathered friends” were made amass (10?) as presents to graduating university students — participants of a music ensemble. Since most music they performed was either Russian or played on traditionally Russian instruments (like balalaika), I picked a fabric pattern that resembled Russian traditional designs of Khohloma (painted and lacquered wooden dishes and figurines). This fabric came from JoAnn Fabrics as Premium cotton Folk Floral, lately discontinued. The stuffing is cotton balls. The pattern was adapted and modified from a quilting book bought at Barnes&Noble. The practical use of these birds might surprise you: beside making a colourful Christmas tree or home decor ornament, they could become a cat toy, a worry relief (if squeezed in one’s hand), a purse adornment, or a good addition to a baby mobile. These birds were created from the same piece of cloth, but it’s not a rule set in stone. Each part of a bird could be made of various fabrics and patterns, similar...

 Growing up, I didn’t know Christmas. A holiday with a decorated tree and presents under it was New Year. Even the tree was called "New Year's fir". The jolly old elf who brought presents was not Santa Claus or St. Nicholas. He was (still is) called Дед Мороз, Grandfather Frost. My vision of Grandfather Frost, made of silk, reclaimed fur purchased from Alaska indigenous people, beads, wire, and cotton yarn was created for a Christmas ornament contest in the Town of Herndon. After the exhibition, the ornament returned to me and now decorates my Christmas tree year after year.