Happy Holidays!

See you in the New Year!
Cheers!

Halloween Costume Pictures

 Darling,

Remember Halloween? Yep, the night where everyone dresses up and you get candy (if you are lucky). I had posted a sketch of the costume I was planning on making and promised to follow up with a picture of the actual costume. I finally acquired the one and only picture of the said costume and here it is for your enjoyment.

I used an old turtle neck for the main dress and an old t-shirt and tape for the petals. I added a belt because the dress had no shape to it. The stamen crown was made of gold paper circles taped to wire attached to a gold headband. Green tights and boots completed the look - I had no time for grass socks. I'm quite pleased with the results considering I only started working on it the night before (procrastination queen).

My husband dressed up as Batman and my friend was either a specter or the walking dead from another era. She wasn't sure about the specifics, only about the dress. She thrifted the dress from a consignment store in Montreal. She also bought a wig which she styled into a perfect loose low bun. I've never seen someone look so good in a 15$ wig.

We saw many great handmade costumes and a great deal of hand-selected underwear - definitely inappropriate apparel for the weather.

Overall, yet another great nights for ghosts, ghouls and fetishes.

Cheers!

P.S. I am aware it's almost Christmas. I'll post something more festive next.

Love Garden Design is going to a Craft Fair

Come check it out!
Cheers!

Nature's Creations

Darling,

Do you recall the One of a Kind Show and Sale? Need a reminder, click here. During this memorable event, I discovered a wonderful company called Nature's Creations. They create works of art and jewelry by combining natural materials and copper.

Needless to say I fell in love.

Since I believe that they have a wonderful product and wish to spread the word, here are the two pieces I have of theirs. 

 

Acorn Earrings 
For the record, my ears are not pierced. I scour the globe in search of wonderful clip-ons (because I'm slightly obsessed about earrings yet strongly opposed to getting my ears pierced. Hey, we all have our quirks.) In this case, I became enamored with these tiny acorn earrings, which, at the time, were not clip-ons. So I bought some copper screw back earring clips on Etsy and made the switch. 
N.B. If you are going the way of the non-invasive earring, screw backs are the best.

Oak Leaf and Acorn Broach
Although this is a broach, I prefer using it as a hair ornament. I love this piece. If you shake it next to your ear, you can hear the acorn rattle.




Aren't they just the cutest? I can't help wanting more...

Follow this link to visit their website and online store : Nature's Creations
 
Cheers!

Little Black Dress 2

Darlings,

From the same fabric used for first Little Black Dress (click here) came this dress; my take on the bare back. I made this dress for my friend Stephanie. She loves wearing backless dresses but isn't a fan of the sausage effect of skin tight dresses. I must thank her for her patience; I must have made her  put on and take off the dress about a thousand times as I tried to get it to fit just right. I'm happy with the result. I've made her a backless top since then but I didn't get a picture.

Materials:
Black Jersey Knit material

Size: M

Pattern: Love Garden Design Original

Price: Not for sale







While we are on the topic of Little Black Dresses, Real Simple is showcasing 20 Flattering Little Black Dresses for Every Shape, click here to find out more.

Cheers!

Little Black Dress 1

Darlings,

The next couple of posts will be about the Little Black Dress, a wardrobe staple you can find in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

This is my first try at designing a classic. I made it for my husband's graduation from Boot Camp. I bought the fabric at a discount fabric store in Montreal, it felt lovely but I have no idea what it's made off. It's stretchy and falls beautifully. My friend loved the material so much she asked me to make her something two. You'll see it in the next post.

Materials:
Black Jersey Knit material
White faux-cuir belt and shoes

Size: XS

Pattern: Love Garden Design Original

Price: Not for sale


Cheers!

NYC Street Fashion 5

Location: 53rd and 7th Avenue

When: October 9th

Wearing: Off white ruffled tank top layered over a dark grey turtle neck and tucked into a waist-high kilt with red button detail. Black tights and dark brown vintage booties and an oversized watch

Carrying: N/A

Notes: Sketch does not do this outfit justice, I like the contrast of the huge watch and her delicate wrists

Cheers!

V-Neck Sweater Dress a.k.a my young knitters folly

Darlings,

This dress took me absolutely forever to make and I can count the number of times I have worn it on the fingers of one hand. Sigh.

I fell in love with this pattern from Sexy Little Knits by Ashley Paige. I had to make it. The yarn itself cost me a small fortune and if I count the number of hours I lovingly toiled over this creation, it's simply not affordable. It took me a year to knit it up and put it together. When I was done, I determined that the colours are too pale for my skin tone most of the year and it's a little too big. Oh well, we all have our crazy projects that allow us to grow and learn.

What's yours?





Materials:
Lilac Silk-Cotton Yarn
Beige Silk-Cotton Yarn
Pink Silk-Cotton Yarn

Size: XS

Pattern: Sexy Little Knits by Ashley Paige
V-Neck Sweater Dress


Price: Priceless





Cheers!

One of a Kind Show and Sale - NYC

Darlings,

It is of utmost importance that I inform you of this wonderful event taking place in NYC, I wanted to post something sooner, but I have been knitting up a storm. New York is hosting the One of a Kind Show and Sale. It's a show that features handcrafted items created by talented artists and craftspeople. Oh and yours truly is there, manning a booth along side Twain Rivell, the brilliant and fascinating designer behind Twains Twines. I'm her assistant and proud to be.

The show started last Thursday and will open again this upcoming Thursday until Sunday at 5PM. Let me tell you, there are some amazing craftsmen and women out there. Whether you have money to spend or not, it's worth coming to check it out.



This is Twain Revell. She is proudly showing off her latest creation. It's a gorgeous ribbed mohair coat. She is making them in many different colours. The one shown here is a blend of blue and green that reminds me of the ocean. I got to pick out the buttons, I chose some made from Mother of Pearl shells. It was so much fun to shop for, I love that part of my job.

I am presently working on a blue one. These coats will be featured in her upcoming show for New York Fashion week in February 2011.


 Each coat comes with a matching high quality mohair hood or as Oprah calls them Infinity Scarfs. Twain has many different colours on display all more beautiful than the other. Everyone can find their perfect match.

The white one is my favorite. It's made with hand spun mohair from Africa. I'm in love. Working with amazing materials is also one of the perks of the job.


What sets Twain apart from the rest of the knitters out there is that she spins her own Angora yarn from her Giant Angora rabbit. You'll have to believe me when I tell you its HUGE! There's a picture of her website and I'll try to post one later when I write about my experience spinning yarn. (I get to learn so much!) In the back you can just make out two white pieces - a skirt and a shrug made from Angora yarn. The shrug is another of of my favorite pieces. All around the opening Twain as sewn on shells and pearl, it tinkles magically when you put it on.


 In addition to knitted goods, she also makes a wide variety of items with mudcloth, a handmade Malian cotton fabric traditionally dyed with fermented mud. She is best known for her mudcloth wraps which were showcased in fashion magazines and were distributed as a McCall Pattern for eight months.


 Twain isn't the only seller present. In a completely different category, there's Nature's Creations; Natural Jewelery. It's my coup-de-coeur. They bind copper to real leaves with a special technique and make beautiful jewelery showcasing Nature's talent. They also use flowers, branches and fruits.
To see a sideshow of their work click here.

Do you live in or around New York? If you wish to have free entry passes, contact me.

emiliedwolf{at}gmail{dot}com

Hope to see you there.

Cheers!

NYC Street Fashion 4

Location: 'wichcraft on Broadway near Union Square (great sandwich place by-the-way)

When: Beginning of October


Wearing: Silk lose fitting top with a pocket, skinny blue jean capris, camel boots

Carrying: N/A


Notes: I like the long pendant and side braid

Cheers!

Knitted Purl Necklace

Darlings,

I made this little jem a while back as a present for one of my good friends. I modified a pattern from DomiKnitrix by adding adding beads in the pearls instead of polyester stuffing. This gives the necklace added weight to hang nicely.



Material:
Cream Cotton-Silk yarn
Thrifted wooden beads


Size:
2 feet long

Pattern:
Purl Necklace by DomiKnitrix

Price: Made to Order

If you like knitting and are on the look out for interesting patterns, I suggest you buy this book.

Cheers!

NYC Street Fashion 3

Location: Greenwich village

Wearing: Beige hat, pink cardigan tucked into a straight grey skirt adorned with a grey ribbon tied into a bow in front. Black/charcoal tights and black booties.

Carrying: Camel purse

Notes: Style has no age limit

Cheers!

Knitted Chimp

Darlings,

One of my favorite projects to make. It takes very little time and produces incredible cuteness. For scientific accuracy, it's made without a tail but one can be added if requested.

Materials:
Black Acrylic Yarn
Beige Silk-Cotton Yarn
Black All-purpose Thread

Size: 4" high, 2" wide

Pattern: N/A

Price: 15$, Made to order

Cheers!

NYC Street Fashion 2

Location: Broadway in Soho in front of Crate and Barrel

Wearing: Altered Pink Hoodie, black skin tight top, multi-toned pink hotpants, pink hightops.

Carrying: Purse/Dog Carrier, Yapping tiny dog with a pink collar and leash


Notes: Had black and neon green hair




Cheers!


P.S. Sorry this wasn't up at 8:00 AM, the scheduling failed. 

I Love Sanchez Jets Mittens

Darlings,

I made these cozy mitts as my sister-in-law's birthday present. You might have guessed, she is a HUGE Mark Sanchez (#6) fan, and she likes the NY Jets too. For those who do not have the IMMENSE pleasure of having a football fan as a husband, the Jets are one of the two New York football teams (the other being the Giants) and Mark Sanchez is their good looking Quaterback.
I have to make a pair for my man too now; he wanted to steal his sister's. I refused, however, to contribute to his man crush by making his pair identical to these. Sigh, you gotta love football, right? 1 match game = 1 new mitten.

Materials:
1 skein of Red Heart Forest Green Acrylic Wool
1 skein of Red Heart White Acrylic Wool


Size:
M Woman (also available in Men sizes)


Pattern:
Classic Mittens by Free Vintage Knitting
Letters by Love Garden Design


Price: Coming soon on Etsy

Cheers!

Halloween Costume

 Darlings,

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

I was thinking of going as a flower. Mainly because it requires very little material and little time to make but I haven't gotten there yet.

This is my preliminary sketch, still playing around with the concept. I'll post the official picture of my costume after Halloween.

So what are you wearing?

Cheers!


[Update : You can see the real thing by clicking here]

NYC Street Fashion 1

Darling,

Direct, unaltered scan from my notebook. Sorry about the messy look, its a fast sketch done with ball point pen. I know some can do great things under the same circumstances but I'm not there yet. I added a bit of colour with crayons when I got home. Haven't touched it since.
I saw this girl and her outfit in the 3-train heading uptown on October 5th. She looked so comfortable in her moss green sweater dress and purple tights. I like how she layered a black vest over her shall neck dress. Her vintage looking black booties gave her a unique look.

What do you think?

Cheers!

Love Garden Flower Cap

Darling,

This adorable two toned hat with flower is the newest addition to my, very modest, Winter 2010 collection. The rocking colour combination comes courtesy of my good friend and now Love Garden Design Model, Valérie Bertone.




 Materials:

1skein of Red wool

1 skein of Plum acrylic wool

1 skein of Pink cotton

Size: 50 to 54"  head width

Pattern: Love Garden Design, inspired by Prince St, NY vendors and SIRDAR - California Girls Soft Cotton hat with flower pattern. 

Price: $25 on Etsy

Cheers!

Day 1 in the Fashion Blogosphere

Darling,

Fashion like yoga, and science allows to capture the interests of all kinds of people; everyone can find his or her perfect blend.
I've been blogging for almost a year now, starting off with a Nature Blog (Purple Carrots and Fairy Smoke) and then a Yoga Blog (Wolf Yoga). Both these blogs were started and are maintained mainly to encourage my continuing education and enlightenment; they represent two facets of my life. To complete the picture, I needed to add fashion into the mix. I knit, I sew, I crochet, I dabble at jewelry making, and I compulsively jot down sketches of great outfits I see and think up in a day dream.

After a great deal of thought, here is the first step into the World Wide Web of Love Garden Design.

Here's what's on the menu :

Fashion Sketches

Personal Projects

Love Garden Designs

Tutorials

I hope that this blog will inspire you to exercise your creativity and  rethink your wardrobe. As for me, it will surely do much to improve my sketching style and speed, and hopefully project completion percentage.

P.S. To my readers of Purple Carrots and Fairy Smoke and Wolf Yoga that have followed me to this new adventure, thank you, I hope you enjoy!

Cheers!