{ARE YOUR EARS RINGING?}

The perfect balance of shapes and textures for optimal sound absorption and deflection contribute to an incomparable quality of auditory life. Also a great excuse if anyone tells you that you only hear what you want to.

Save for the bling, muted colors in found patterns and tassles arrive with loud shapes for the best balance of bold and breathtaking. Both sides of the acrylic coated magazine print on recycled pabst carton shapes are collaged with matching patterns, hand-punched and peiced with fool's gold jumprings and grey-green t-shirt fabric cut along the rib. Each set comes with backstoppers!










BELABOR YOURSELVES? rather than purchasing a pair for $10.00, give it a shot:

YOU-torial:
1. Trace out rectangles larger than your shape in a transparency and use it for a tracing tool
2. Collect 4 themed images and two cardboard shapes per set of earrings, with your rectangle transparency
3. Using a spray booth and the pages of newsprint, 3m super 77 sprayglue images to both sides in rounds
4. Create your actual shape from another transparency,
5. Cut around your images on a self-healing matte board
6. Back at the spray booth: String them up with wire or string and spray with acrylic coating for water resistancy.
6. Use an all purpose punch, such that punches through leather to create the holes
8. Add jumprings and tassles!

Available at Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK! and soon on etsy... at which time i will post the link here!

xoxox, madamchino!

{POSTULATING} for posterity

Billpaying commonfolk who know whats up, send letters to family and friends to lighten the mood of that two hour sitdown at the desk where we balance books. Postcards in particular make ease of hucking a hutch of bills and parking tickets into the mouth of that hungry blue box, because the friendly and unenveloped images stare back at us, waving toodle-doo as a reminder of how and who we love.









PENNY $PENCER postcards are available at Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK and also soon on ETSY in 4-packs or Mix-in-Match-Packs.

xoxox,
madam chino

{HOW TO} de-fuzz

Being a clotheshorse {giddy-up!} and fibers artist since before i was born, it's hardly believable that i only discovered this one year ago, in which time i have utilized it for EVERYTHING {except my legs}.

WORTHY of MENTION:
a} Many clothes are reviveable through this method, avoiding major waste
b} Many of the mall brands like "forever21" and soforth, allure people because of their amazing prints, but are practically unwashable without getting ruinous fuzzballs.
c} Most people have razors, and if not, they probably don't care about fuzzballs anyway.




**Be careful that the surface is flat and there are no folds on the bottom layer of fabric, which could cause the razor to cut into the top fabric.

xoxox,
madam chino

{now WEAR was I?} HI, thigh!

yo shorty, go long.



I'm talking elongate the lines of legs here. Thrifted classic legwarmers only stay up if you wear them over jeans or tights. No better way to keep summer on your skin in the dead of winter.

xoxox, madamchino

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{CARD-iology} take it to heart

I always include a cute little hand-drawn thank you note when i pay my rent, because although slightly begrudgingly relinquished is my sweaty, bloody cash; i know that not that many people probably show appreciation to those who sometimes feel like they are sucking your future into their abyssal pockets, but at the same time house your livelyhood.



Ever had a breakup, and feel like your world has been turned inside-out? If ever literally "down in the dumps" (because i got dumped) depressed, i feel like my skin isn't working. It isn't hiding anything about the way i look on the inside. And it probably isn't. This card is an expression of that momentary change when someone in your life who makes all the difference, isn't there.



Brought to you by PENNY $PENCER available now at Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK!


xoxo, madam chino

{HEY SWEATER DRESS!} get on my body

SWEATERDRESSES! You are the love of my neverending afternoon! Madam Chino has repurposed these sweater swaths for your flattery. Soon to be on etsy, you can find these at the look nook starting tomorrow. Special thanks to RACHEL at MERE TRIFLES for the photoshoot. WELL DONE!








YOU-torial:
1st} cut off the sleeves and set them as the bodice (ie. the neckline is the old wrists)
2nd} cut off the bodice and flip the hem so it is the new empire waist
3rd} trim out the shoulders and reset them as the sleeves
4th} serge all loose ends
5th} put in a zipper at the neckline if the knit isn't stretchy enough for easy in and out!
xoxo, madam chino

{CLASSES!} NO-SWEAT SEWING! with MADAM CHINO

The UWM Studio Arts and Craft Centre presents...

{NO-SWEAT SEWING!} with Madam Chino of Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK!

An affordable weekend class that runs Saturdays, March 6 – April 17 from 12:30pm – 2:30pm * This class is 5 weeks. The SACC is closed March 20 and March 27 for Spring Break

Basic Sewing! Reconstruction! Pattern-making! Ornamentation! Fashion show!

{Unique uniforms and uncommon costume, made-to-measure! Learn to sew, No-Sweat! Produce personalized patterns (both busts and bottoms) to suit silhouettes with fresh fabrics or appropriate preexisting apparel. Texturize your textiles with surface structure. Originate your own ornamental opulence and focus on favorite features! Distinctive designer duds will be displayed on the Recycadelic Runway during Earthweek in the UWM Union.}

Instructor: Vanessa Andrew
UWM Students: $80 Faculty, staff, alumni: $90 Community members: $100

SIGN UP HERE!

{now WEAR was I?} 2nd Edition: OUT of ORDER!

{YOU ACTIN' OUTTA ORDER!} well, cool
One of the best parts about being an artist is that placing things 'out of order' is never a bad thing: it's part of the process of seeing things in a new way! This week i'm super into the idea of wearing tanks, usually worn as undershirts OVER button up shirts. This way, you maintain your silhouette while staying warm!

on the {LOOK OUT!} at 88.9 Radio Milwaukee for CREATIVE MILWAUKEEANS!

Check out the Madam Chino's LOOK NOOK Radio Milwaukee Interview!

Milwaukee has a lot to look forward to! Spring is just around the corner (dare I say!) and we can all finally come out of our cubbies. In the mean time, 88.9 Radio Milwaukee sent out scouts Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl to find us in our workspaces!

Thanks for all the support! The interview turned out to be better than my little worried forehead thought.

{Let's PATCH things up}

i'm really sorry. i didn't mean to be mean if you know what i mean. and even if there isn't a gaping hole in your heart, or sleeve, or pocket, or knee, or hutch; sometimes its just a good idea to put something over it preventatively.

{HOW TO} Turn 1 Sweater into 2 Hoodscarves!

You can feel all warm and fuzzy about saving the planet! It is easy to make a set of hoodscarves from a sweater! A Madam Chino Original: The basic pattern is applied to an upside down sweater: one sleeve opens up to become the scarf and 1/2 of the bodice forms the hoodie.

MATERIALS:
a nice big sweater, sewing scissors, a sheet for lining, a serger.

PROCEDURE:
A} Cut the sweater down the center and create curved shapes deeper in the center that curve out to either end of the side seams.
B} Trim out the collar.
C} Splice it open on both the side seams and the open the shoulders all the way through the cuffs on either side.

D} Flip the fabric so that the "good sides face together" and serge the the back of the hoodie closed
E} Trace the entire shape of the hood and sleeves onto a 2ply set of fabric, placing the back of the hoodie along the fold of fabric to reduce the amount of sewing necessary. Close up the top of the liner hood with the serger

F} Set the liner into the sweater hoodie, good sides facing together, pin if desired or just "wing it!"
G} Serge the hood and liner together starting at the top and center in order to distribute any stretch and slack equally out. Do the same on the bottom seam. Only serge one sleeve closed.

H} Flip the hoods rightside out through the one open sleeve, fold a hem and topstitch closed!
J} Whip that puppy on!
K} Feel awesome:)
L} Repeat with the other half of the sweater!



xox,
madam chino