Tuesday, March 16, 2010

{SWEATHOODS!} new shots

My friend Ryan Cardarella helped shoot the first of this set... part of an ongoing creative endeavor to save the planet and make people look good! Soon to be up on ETSY, the rest of this set can be viewed on FLICKR.

The SweatHOODs in this collection feature SOCKETS(tm) and awesome wristsocks creating full use of the sock, save for a tiny sliver of the heal.

{TANTARA HOOD}


{GEODOME HOOD}



{OUR GUILE HOOD}


{SNOW COOL HOOD}


XOXO,
MADAM CHINO

Thursday, March 4, 2010

{Now WEAR was I?} in the BLACKground

Wearing black isn't just for funerals and goths, it's for ninjas and elegant ladies




Wednesday, March 3, 2010

{NO-SWEAT SEWING!} calling all, last call

ONE SPOT LEFT! NO-SWEAT SEWING AT THE CRAFT CENTRE!

GRAB YOUR SCISSORS,

WE'VE GOTTA RUN WITH IT!

PLEASE CALL! NOW!


WHAT's the WORD? RECYCADELIC!

"No-Sweat Sewing!"

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.

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 Earth Week in the UWM Union.

Instructor: Vanessa Andrew

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

The Studio Arts and Craft Centre is located on the street level
of the UWM Student Union, Room EG30.

229-5535


LOVE LOVE

Vanessa!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

{ZIPFLIPS} shirt-dresses!

THIS is about INDOOR AIR. It's too hot in winter, and too cold in summer. SO, this design that is breathable warmness and shortsleeve. Perfect for layering, great with high waisted tubeskirts, or stovepipe pants (aka "skinny jeans"). Available in my ETSY or at the LOOK NOOK on Saturdays
See the full shoot on my FLICKR
and a special thanks to my very awesome co-worker Symone for the photoshoot.



Sunday, February 28, 2010

{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!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

{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

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

{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

Saturday, February 20, 2010

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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

Friday, February 19, 2010

{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

Thursday, February 18, 2010

{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!