Inspiration: TLC

Have you ever just gotten into a groove of doing things so well that it was hard to pull yourself out of it to complete another task?  I find this happens to me a lot.  I like to think it's my artistic temperament shining through.  I mean, famous artists had "periods" all the time.  Most of them were associated with color.  Like Picasso's "Blue Period."  But not me.  Mine are texture periods.  I have been heavily into a "woven textile" period lately which means I just want to stay chained to the sewing machine.  It matters not that there are people waiting on graphically designed items.  I can't think in that mode because I'm all about the pin. 

It's been so much about the pin, that I can't even seem to get myself to a computer to write about most of the things I've been making!  Part of my posting tardiness comes from the fact that I started a new job about 2.5 weeks ago at a print shop, so I guess most of my "ink" needs are being currently fed by playing every day with copiers and plotters and the ancient, behemouth, industrial paper cutter.  But rest assured that I have been super busy making this and that, trying to come up with my own patterns for things so that you can buy the stuff you see here and so that all the crafty goodness will leave me alone and let me sleep at night instead of dancing around giving me dreams of fabric swatches and the ways that I should construct things.

I want to share with you right now a little inspiration that I have picked up from my mindless television watching.  Can I just tell you how confused I am by what has happened to The Learning Channel?  It used to be wedding story, baby story and shows about the body - sort of a "Discovery Channel Lite."  I'm pretty sure these days, though, that "TLC" stands for "THAT LOOKS CRAZY!"  People who eat cornstartch and foam padding?  What???  People who are enormously fat and in love???  People who have huge "members"!!?!?!?  Hoarders!!  Little People!!!!  Washed Out Having Too Many Kids!!!!!!  Big Brides!  Little Brides! Lots of Brides and One Husband!!! Hoochie Babies!!!!

Whose reality is this channel portraying, anyway??? 

And I say all this yet I can NOT stop watching.  It is like all the best train wrecks all on one channel.  Seriously - if Bravo would give TLC the Housewives franchise, I'd be all set to watch that one channel for all my "At least I'm not them!" needs!

But my latest favorite has GOT to be the UK import show, "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding."

Because hoochie babies and dramatic brides were awesome separately, so they MUST be gonna rock together!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, thank your lucky stars or go immediately and hit up Google for the 411.  Because it is taking a toll on the way I look at fashion, and I'm already formulating some great ideas that I hope you'll see here soon based on the images this show produces.  For example:

This reminds me of my favorite Elton John song: "Hold me close now, Tiny Stripper..."

 

Ruffles and a bedazzled heart, anyone?

I do love to see hats making a comeback, but maybe not the ones from "Moulin Rouge." 

Someone just couldn't pick a favorite color with these dresses.

And finally, the ever classy corseted back with big bow on the bustle.  Which we actually have seen in more recent fashion!!!  And of all these color combos, the black and pink is fairly classy.  Go figure.

So what on earth - you must be wondering - is my inspiration from these things?  Am I seriously about to start dressing my toddler in a stripper suit and bedazzling 1980's era prom gowns?

I'm seriously not into stripper toddlers, BUT I am into some of the shapes.  The ruffles.  The bows.  The extraneous details that take the dresses from being ridiculous to "straight up redonkulous."  Everyone likes to have something that is just a little bit "too much" sometimes, right?  And let's all face it:  These chicks are all dressed like at least one of your Barbie dolls from 1983.  Right?  See??

  We're conditioned to love this type of absurd showy style. 

So I'm going to channel my inner gypsy/Barbie-lover and see what happens.  I'm kind of excited. 

And maybe a little scared.

If anyone sees the toddler in a stripper suit...take me down.