Gina Clarke Style : )

The Facts
Fabric
: Printed denim from stash, at least 10 years old!
Pattern: Vogue 2442
Notions: A zipper, one jean button and 4 rivets
Year: 1977/8
Time to complete
: 4 hours
First worn: February 2013
Wear again? Absolutely! Maybe for Valentines day

Total Cost: $6.30

Finally! My ode to Gina Clarke : )

I have two looks for this outfit, but first notice the skinny jeans. Then you’ll notice the pink hair. My ABSOLUTE favorite post of Gina’s last year was the “Mad Fun” post she did for the Children’s Literature challenge at Sew Weekly. Notable were her skinny pants, pink wig and hat-made-from-fencing-material.

I didn’t do a hat but I used a piece of AMAZING printed denim that reminds me of the fun and fantasy Gina brought to this challenge. I tried pairing the pants with a sequined 50’s inspired cardigan and cute sequined collar but felt it was a little “off” for my tastes.

I do love this leg where you can see the roses, and then the eye watches you from behind my knee…

Then I changed things up a bit and pulled on a white denim jean jacket I forgot I had until I pulled out my shoes! Complete with rhinestone buttons I also threw on my very large rhinestone necklace and earrings and remembered why I never wear this jacket. I cannot stand the sleeves! Too long to be cute, they remind me of something my grandmother’s friends might wear. Don’t get me wrong, I admire my grandmother and her friends, I just don’t want to be there yet! I don’t have arm issues so these will be getting shortened soon : )

So I’m doing my best “Gina” pose here, trying for that contemporary fashionista thing. I have to say that I LOVE these pants! They fit really well, are comfy and the print makes me laugh whenever I look down.

My one criticism is the zipper – I don’t know if I had a brain fart when I put it in or just read the directions and did it as they say. It needs to be moved a little to the left. I’m also thinking I should have reinforced the front fly with a piece of woven non-fusible interfacing to mitigate the stretch. Ah well, I still like the pants and no, it may not be worth the frustration to take out 5 rows of stitching. Viva la zip!

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My daughter tried to get me doing some “fashion” poses but they were dorky so this pic is for Vickie. Gina has that whole “I’m too cool for school” thing down : )

Here’s a close-up of the print. We’ve got lips, eyes, HUGE pearl and rhinestone jewelry, and roses…

We took these pics at the local Peace Garden. Gina embodies a soul seeking peace in a harsh world and this place is a little hamlet of quiet and solitude. The Peace Center is nearby and the path I’m standing on in the above photo leads to a labyrinth. I know Gina’s spirituality is very important to her and this place emobodies that to me. Parts of the area are certified Nature areas where deer and wild turkeys roam daily. The local community gardens are down below, where Chloe and I walk everyday. If you follow me on twitter or Intstagram you’ll see I’ve been taking a picture of a certain Oak tree everyday, and will continue to do so for the rest of the year. At the end of the year we’ll compile all the photos into a “movie” to see how the seasons ebb and flow.

So Gina, I dedicate this to you. Thank you for the inspiration not only creatively but spiritually, for showing us the ups and downs and day-to-day journey that is you : )

And now….another take on Gina!! Look what Liz made –

NOT only did she made a cutie of a dress but she made her own WIG! We both channeled Gina’s pink hairdo in completely different ways!! Check out her blog for all the fabulous details : )

Isn’t she amazing?

I also re-discovered my opinion that A) I don’t want short hair again and B) the whole crayon-colored hair thing isn’t my style. My daughter was every color of the rainbow at some point, it’s just not me.

Cute photo of the week:

Max “I’m King of the World” !

I came in from the backyard and found Max on the headboard, surveying the sleeping cat colony on my bed. You can’t see Olivia under the covers but Max found her as soon as he hopped down.

Phew!! I feel like I’ve climbed some huge mountain. I took a couple weeks off from sewing and blogging and am rusty! I’ve got stacks of projects in the sewing room, oodles of ideas and a fabulous weekend planned. The sun has shifted enough to hit the crystal in the window of my kitchen so early spring is here, the creative sap is rising : )

I’m heading into Stone Mountian Daughter on Saturday for their anniversary sale. I don’t know if I’ll be able to snap pics but I’ll try. On my list is Kazz-inspired fabric for the Kazz challenge. I’ve got a 25% off coupon so there may be some serious purchases in the works… They are also my source for decent stretch fabrics and I NEED new underwear. While that may sound a little TMI I’ve got a new vintage-inspired pattern to try that looks like fun and why put off the fun?

I was also going to try to make it to the Hand Made Book Fesitval on Sunday. My daughter did a class on bookmaking not long ago and I thought she’d love it. I was really wanting to meet some of the type-press people but sadly my poor daughter eneded up in the ER last night with a horrible cough and chest pain. She’s ok but is staying in bed for the forseeable future so no book fair : (  Instead I may try to head to the Academy of Sciences in the city to see my friend Ruth, the Smile Lady. She’ll be talking about the science behind smiling and happiness and maybe sign copies of her book (I hope!) She’s getting ready for a trip to Paraguay with Operation Smile, which helps kids with facial deficiencies get the surgery they need. This dark and dreary time of year I can always use a reason to smile : ) Sew on!

TWO quick side notes:
1) Someone asked if they could send me fabric to work with as part of a challenge. ABSOLUTELY!! Email me for my address and I would LOVE to incorporate your “finds” into a creation.
2) I was asked what makes the Not Your Daughters jeans “lift your butt”. I only have a suspicion of the answer SO I’m going to do my best to find out why : ) Stay tuned…

For all my east coast friends I hope the storm heading your way isn’t too bad, please stay safe.

3 thoughts on “Gina Clarke Style : )

  1. Thank you Loran! I am so touched. I love that you get who I am and the things that are important to me. I love that you even thought about what the perfect location would be.

    Life has been busy and I am exhausted. What you and Lee have done for me helps me to pause for a moment and be nourished.

    Thank you so much!

    Oh-I love the pants too-very cool!

  2. What awesome jeans! The placement of the eyes is fabulous – coming and going. I think you’ve channeled Gina and kept your own style very well. I prefer the denim jacket over the cardigan and have always loved rhinestones with denim. I had no idea rivets and jean buttons were so easy. I also enjoyed the pictures from the Wakefield Hotel – what an interesting process. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Awesome, awesome pants! I just love them and the link to the Jean maker site with the step by step pictures was fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

    I haven’t been sewing or blogging much either. Seems like work and family are taking a lot of my energy these days. I’m doing smaller projects with t-shirt yarn. I can work on them here and there between everything else.

    By the way, I’m terrible honored that you have included me as an inspiration for sewing coats in November. Thank you, it makes me feel very special and appreciated for our common interests in the world of sewing our own fashions.

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