The Fault In Our Stars & San Diego Comic Con!

Last week I read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I wasn’t sure if it would be wise to read it but I was too curious and after reading the first page I couldn’t put it down. It's heavy and made me cry most of the way through but I'm glad I read it. It didn't exactly leave me feeling wonderful, it's about dying after all. But it left me feeling hopeful in a way and I wish it hadn't ended. I’m not like Hazel and our stories are very different. However there were some parts that I could relate to and particularly the beginning of chapter 7 stunned me a little.

Exchange the word ‘brain’ for ‘abdomen’ and you have a scene from my life circa late December. Just one of many trips to A&E and every time being sure that I couldn't possibly live through the pain. But you deal because you have to, there’s not really another option. Until they pump you full of narcotics, then you can cope just fine - until next time!

I’ve thought a lot about this book, and about the last year and about life in general. Things are still a bit fuzzy around the edges but the human body is incredible how quickly it mends itself. I couldn’t have imagined ever feeling well again in February of this year. But here I am minus a portion of my large intestine, running around London (literally), singing in concerts (ever so slightly Bambi-like still, but I’ll get there) and preparing to take myself on an epic vacation to San Diego Comic Con (and Los Angeles and San Francisco). Huh?! Mind boggling, I know.

San Diego… Yes! I’m geeking it up and getting on a plane to Nerd Central and it’s going to be AWESOME! As it turns out, life’s too short. Earlier this year James Eatock (writer, publisher, illustrator and all round professional geek) asked me if I’d fancy going along to the Comic Con as mascot of his magazine Cereal:Geek and I will wander around pimping his magazine to all and sundry boosting the sales sky high. I’ve even made a cameo appearance on the official He-Man YouTube Channel (blink and you'll miss me around 20 seconds in...) and a few weeks ago I enjoyed a day of filming various He-Man/geek themed shenanigans for use in the coming months. Watch this space! Mr. Eatock also has a He-Man/She-Ra Blog which you should also check out here!

Anyway, I thought at first this trip to the US of A would never happen. But it turns out, it is! And I’m more excited than words!

But not just this, we’re going to be living it up in San Francisco and Los Angeles too! But at the Comic Con, it would only be in true Marianne style to don some fancy dress and in fact make it myself. So I’m going to be Jem and Sweet Bee. As one of my active days I met up with Mr. Eatock to hunt down the appropriate fabric to make myself the aforementioned costumes! I already have my Jem wig at the ready! I have also spotted some comic strip fabric in a shop in town that I’ve had my eye on forever so I might even make some comic themed bow ties/ties to really get in the mood!

On the bow tie front here is another for the Green collection! I present a schmancy silk dupion bow tie – no patterns this time but it has the slubs adding texture and interest, and it sure is nice fabric! There’s more where that came from!

As for other things already sold to happy customers, here is the Glenmorangie bow tie being modelled by its stylish new owner - guitarist, teacher, music shop owner and blogger - Adie Lawson!

Green

Term time is quietening down and so I'm making more time for sewing! YAY!

A couple of months ago I went for a photoshoot with my dear friend Amelia (a late Christmas present) and I decided I would take along a playsuit that I made last summer from vintage material given to me by Grandma Wright...

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to make from it but because of it being vintage, I had originally thought some kind of vintage style dress but eventually I settled on adapting the pattern I'd began to cut and creating a 1950's style playsuit as my holiday to Spain was imminent (I actually finished stitching the playsuit at about 3am the night before I was due to fly at 9am - as is often the case when I plan to sew something!).

Adapting a pattern to fit yourself is tricky as I'm not exactly a standard shape and it's not stretchy so it was quite important to get it right! I also made a matching head tie for it but may still create a 1950's head scarf to go with it... or is that overkill? So, I wore this in Spain on the day that I lost a Go Kart race against the boys in Oriheuela - but they kindly let me stand at the top of the podium to make me feel better. Here is the finished product!

 

Poser.

In preparation for my Easter trip to Spain with Amelia, I made a v-neck tea dress from some vintage polka dot cotton. Since Spain is hotter than the sun it was the perfect light weight & loose holiday outfit! Again, I finished it about 5 minutes before heading out the door to get on a plane.

More recently I've been making bow ties! I had a request from a friend for a bow tie as a present for someone who liked green. Lucky that, since green is my favourite colour, I happen to have lots of it so I've been on a bit of a green mission to make as many green bow ties as I can... I've managed two so far... :S The bright green was originally the requested fabric for the bow tie in question but I'm not convinced. Love the print but the fabric was quite thick to tie so I think it would suit someone who suits/likes larger bow ties and wants to make a statement.

So, I went about making a completely different one from similar fabric to the Glenmorangie bow tie in my post This is from Matilda. Sadly, no Glenmorangie was consumed during the creation of this one. This one was created partly to the soundtrack of Milhaud's 6 Chansons de Theatre... Which I am learning. And are great.

I have decided to put this day aside to sewing more green things (and practicing and doing something active)... but mostly sewing green things.

Watch this space!

:)

This is from Matilda...

Last night between sourcing some costumes for Riverside Opera's upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet and a wee dram of Glenmorangie I decided to adapt my bow tie pattern a teensy bit and play with some fabric I bought in Spain a couple of weeks ago. This isn't vintage fabric but it does have a vintage print which jumped off the shelf and right into my basket before you could say "Gracias". The fabric itself was actually pretty awkward to work with because it's rather delicate... perhaps would make a better (skinny?) tie... Market research to ensue on this matter! Awkward fabric aside, I'm still pretty pleased with the outcome. I also couldn't find my interfacing anywhere so I have used non fusible interfacing which actually worked really well to soften it up a bit and give it more body.

Working to a soundtrack of Alt-J, John Smith and The Staves which is also quite fitting I think for the look of the bow tie I started cutting and pinning. I had a mild heart attack when I realised for some reason my sewing machine was jammed but apparently nothing a good whack wouldn't sort after I took it half to pieces. Phew! I probably have enough of this colour to make more bow ties/ties and also I have the same pattern in dark green, red and purple. Orders welcome!

Et Voila!

Going back in time a few weeks... When I was ill earlier this year I received a gift from my aunt and uncle, since I don't have a TV this was the closest I'd come to The Great British Sewing Bee. It's probably closer actually as it has all the patterns and ideas right there in one book. Some styles I've made before and some I haven't. I'd been meaning to get cracking with bow ties for a while and on opening this fabulous gift I no longer had an excuse to procrastinate. I offered my friend a lucky dip of fabric and he dived straight in for the gorgeous floral cotton from my previous post 'The Shirt'. What a stylish man. 

The Shirt

I suppose I should post some of my creations! Here's a start. I thought about going chronologically when I had this blog in mind but this was one of the challenging projects that sprung to mind first. About 7 years ago I scoured eBay for some fabric to make a shirt for my then beau's birthday present. I found enough material to upholster the Queen's living room and made the shirt, then a dress - in my tiny bedroom in halls of residence which was premiered at my first year vocal recital - and more recently of course a BOW TIE. There might even be enough left for ONE more bow tie you lucky people. 

Luke has gone on to have a very varied and exciting career encompassing modelling, acting, music and also working for the Nottingham designer Paul Smith in his flagship store. I'm pretty stoked that my shirt features on his website so do check it out: http://www.lukewilliamhicks.com/ 

With no further ado *drumroll please* here is said shirt with said beau inside it.