Challenge

I've decided I'm going to try to focus on one costume for awhile and see if I can't complete it. I seem to get too many projects going and I rarely finish them in short time because I get distracted with something new.
This plan is exciting to me except for one thing....I'm already in the middle of a big project...making Elizabeth Swann's costume from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. I am looking forward to finishing this...I'm just a bit tired of the thing that's been hanging over my head for...how long has it been? Don't answer that.
Yes....the blasted corset....
This is about how I feel about it:

BUT...I am nearly done so I'm going to dig it out and give it a go and see if I can't finish it up in the next few weeks. I'm past the worst of it which is nice.
I could stop there but I already bought the fabric for the dress....so I think while I'm on a role I should keep going and make it too.

The other project that has been tempting me is Will Turner's costume from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. I bought a leather coat from a thrift store ages ago that I'm planning on somehow transforming into his pirate coat.

I also have fabric that will work great for his waistcoat....

And then I can buy fabric for the shirt (or just use muslin) and breeches when I get done with those.

So tempting.....but ONE project at a time. That's my new motto. It's hard. But very much less stressful.

I'm going to try to keep updates and posts on my progress so I will be challenged to actually make progress. ;) Who knows....maybe with focusing on one thing I will actually finish something!

A sneak peek at Maid Marian

I saw the trailer to the new Robin Hood at the theater yesterday...it looks a lot like Gladiator, pretty violent. So I don't think I'll be seeing it in the theater. I can't handle much gore on the big screen, I'll probably wait and watch it when it comes out on DVD. But the costumes do seem pretty awesome! Check out Maid Marian:

I can't wait to see more of her costumes. I think this blue dress is really lovely. It looks quite peasant-ish. I'm curious if she's going to be a peasant or if here she's just dressed that way to blend in. Either way I'm sure her wardrobe will be lovely. :) What do you guys think?

A Pirate's Life for Me

I've been having some fun making sets on Polyvore this morning. This one is my favorite. :)

A Pirate's Life for Me by TheArtofClothes on Polyvore.com

Dollar Sale!

$1 yd fabric and $1 patterns in the SHOP through the end of December. :)

In such a mood...

I've been wanting to watch Little Dorrit so much lately. It's my absolute favorite Dicken's that I have seen so far. I've only seen it twice through. That's not nearly enough, is it? I love everything about this movie though. The acting, the costumes, the score, umm...oh yeah, and the story. :)

I've been so busy lately with work and custom orders I haven't had much time to do fun sewing for myself. I think I'm going to take a break from custom orders pretty soon so I can have some creative free time. I miss pulling out my fabric and making whatever I'm in the mood for. And I do have a pile of fun stuff to make!

Dear me, this is a random post. I'm tired. Well, I hope you all are having a lovely start to your week.
~Anna Kristine

<3

If I didn't already think Amy Adams was the cutest thing ever, I do now.

(photo from: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day)

What I've been up to...

Even though I haven't been blogging about sewing much lately I have been busy with custom orders in my shop. Hop on over to Pemberley Couture to see my latest finished project. :)

And the winner is....

Chrissy from The Sun Kissed Me. Yay! Congratulations Chrissy! I'm glad the bracelet is going into the hands of a true Jacob fan. ;)
Her favorite Twilight Saga quote is: "Does my being half naked bother you?" -Jacob Black

Thanks to all of you who entered! I enjoyed reading all your favorite quotes so much. And don't give up! More giveaways to come in the near future!

Last Day to Enter New Moon Giveaway!

Just leave a comment on THIS post with your favorite Twilight Saga quote and your entered!
I will draw the winner tomorrow.
By the way...to those of you who have already entered, I'm loving the quotes your leaving. Each one makes me smile. :)

Knitting

I think I'm long overdue for a Lord of the Rings marathon. (*hint*hint*Gen-Dais-Aims) I've been obsessivly knitting the past few days and I think it would be so much more cozy if I were watching some hobbits. :) I just found a pattern to knit Pippin's scarf so I might get around to trying that one of these days. Would be a good project to work on during a marathon...yes? :)
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

New Moon Giveaway!

As my costume study series on New Moon has come to an end and the movie is now in theaters I thought it would be a fun time to have a little giveaway. :)
I'm giving away a replica of Bella's charm bracelet from Jacob that I made:

Even though Jacob doesn't give Bella this bracelet until Eclipse, I thought since New Moon mostly has Jacob in it would be fun anyway. :)

Just leave a comment with your favorite Twilight Saga quote and your entered to win!

I will draw the winner on December 1!

Hooks and Needles

I'm a bit burnt out on sewing lately. I've been working a ton on custom orders which has been fun but can get tiring. Right now I'm really obsessed with yarn and after getting my Free People catologue in the mail yesterday I want to try to make something like the vest above.
But my yarn must wait until these projects are finished.
I have been trying to learn to knit...again. I used to knit when I was about 8 years old. I made baby booties and who knows what else. But I can't knit now for the life of me. I'm determined to get it though. There are some mittens and a hat and...well, endless things I want to make that are knitted. :)

Fabric :)

As I'm cleaning up my sewing room along with parting with a few patterns I'm putting a bit of fabric in my shop as I don't have room or time for everything on my shelves. I only have two pieces in there at the moment but I will be adding a few more over the week.

Go check them out! :)

You Voted :)

The Chronicles of Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader wins first place of most anticipated movie by The Art of Clothes readers.

42 votes (50%)

(official poster not yet released)

The Young Victoria came in second at 26 votes (30%)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon at third with 24 votes (28%)

Alice In Wonderland at fourth with 23 votes (27 %)

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse came in fifth at 13 votes (15%)

(official poster not yet released)

And Me and Orson Welles came in sixth at 6 votes (7%)

Thanks for voting! It was fun to see what movies you guys are most interested in. :) I'm excited to talk more about the costumes in some of these movies as they come out.

The Kincell family awarded me with the "Honest Scrap" award last week! The awarded both this blog as well as my blog Thoughts and Daydreams. Thanks you guys!
I just went ahead and did one post about it over on my other blog...you can read it HERE.

Daydreaming...

About owning a bow and arrows. Shouldn't every girl (and guy) have one? I think so.
Here are a few of my favorite links to look at for bow and arrows. One day I want to get brave and try to make my own.

-How to make a medieval bow and arrows

-Medieval Collectibles

-Elm Wood Archery Bow (on Etsy)

Pemberley Couture Goes to Town

Well, I finally took the plunge and brought my fingerless gloves into town and they are now available in a store! I forgot to take pictures of all the new ones I made over the weekend but I made some really cool ones. And I just stocked up on yarn so there will be more to come!
If you live near Bend, Oregon stop by Rescue Consignment shop, across from Newport Market! It's such a treasure trove and it's your chance to find a Pemberley Couture original. ;) My sister also makes some amazing duck tape wallets that are available there. Not to mention all the other amazing handmade things and amazing second hand clothes.

I've taken all my gloves out of my shop for now as they're all in the town shop but I plan to add more once I make some. :)

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

~Anna Kristine

Maid Marian Paperdoll Giveaway!

Didn't get enough of Maid Marian Fashion Week? Now's your chance to own your own beautiful hand drawn Maid Marian paper doll from Pretty Wit. ENTER HERE.

Check :)

I've already made some progress on that long list I posted of my sewing pile.

~Gray Plaid Wool Coat-FINISHED (pictures to come soon!)

~White muslin emboidered skirt-Finished hem

I just love checking things off. :) Don't you?

What's on some of your sewing lists at the moment?

Interview!

Hello lovelies!
I interviewed Genevieve of Pretty Wit over on Pemberley Couture. Check it out HERE.

Also...there's a few more patterns in the SHOP. Still more to come! :)

Hope your having a lovely weekend!

~Anna Kristine

Pattern De-Stash

I went through my patterns today and found a pile that I either have duplicates of or don't think I'll ever get around to making. I've listed a few in the SHOP. More to come over the next few days!
~Anna Kristine

Kreativ Blogger Award :)

Costume Queen of 'Aria of an Amateur' awarded me this blog award. :) Thanks so much!
Here's what she said about my blog:
Anna Kristine for her blog, The Art of Clothes
She always has a lot of projects going - and I love watching her progress through each costume! This continuous stream of dress diaries and project pictures, as well as her movie reviews and fashion notes, earns her the Kreativ Blogger award.


The Rules
1. Copy the Kreativ Blogger picture and post it on your page
2. Thank the person who gave it to you and link back to their blog
3. Write seven things about you that we don't know
4. Choose seven other bloggers that you would like to give the award to
5. Link to the bloggers that you choose
6. Let the winners know that they have the lovely award.

Seven things you don't know about me? This is going to be hard...some of you may already know these things!

1. I'm really obsessed with post-it notes.

2. I love eating grapefruit and avocado together.

3. I like to crochet maybe even more than sewing.

4. I don't like the movie Anne of Green Gables...I know, this is a sin right? I try sooo hard to like it. But I just don't. I love the book though.

5. The first song I learned on the piano was Michael Jackson's 'Like a River'. I picked it out by ear. That's what made my parents get me piano lessons.

6. I don't like dark chocolate.

7. I once lived 2 months with out a washer or dryer and did all my laundry by hand. It wasn't that bad. :)

And I pass this blog award onto:

Genevieve, Margaurite, and Aimee for their blog Pretty Wit
These are three dear friends of mine, their blog is companion to their fantastic Etsy Shop. I love seeing what creative things pop out of their heads and I enjoy reading their witty entries as well as their fun giveaways and more.

AnnaMae for her blog Confessions of a Costume Addict
A good friend of mine, a kindred spirit and lover of historic costumes! She's currently working on an Alice in Wonderland costume. I love reading her blog and seeing the process of her projects.

Heidi for her blog The Garret Corner
Another good friend. :) Heidi is an amazing seamstress and is always inspiring me! I love seeing what she's up to and what will come out of her sewing box next.

Chrissy for her blog The Sun Kissed Me
I found Chrissy's blog about a year ago and I think if we ever met we might be kindred spirits. I love seeing her amazing artwork and reading her clever posts. She always makes me laugh...or sigh. Because I seem to always understand just what she's talking about.

Lissawi for her blog A Fair Prospect
I'm always so inspired by the beautiful sewing Lissawi does for her family and their fun times reenacting.

Samantha for her blog My Heart Is With The Sea
My dear friend over the pond, I love being able to follow along with what she's been up to and be encouraged and inspired by her posts on life, faith, and her adventurous life. Love you Sam!

Janice for her blog May Farm Cottage
My mum. :) My mom is always busy canning, sewing, tea parties, crafting, I owe all my creativity to her. She started it. :)

Sewing "To Do" List

Alright...here is my list of already started projects and what needs done to them. I'm hoping making this list will motivate me to finish these things. Then I'm going to try not to get so many projects going at one time!

Sewing Projects: (started)
-What needs done

~Elizabeth Swann Corset

-Binding and Eyelets

~Embroidered Muslin Skirt

-Hem, Wastband, Zipper

~Wool Plaid Coat

-Hem

~White Medieval Dress

-Everything! One sleeve done.

~Orange Plaid Skirt

-Construction (only cut out)

~Striped Summer Dress

-Skirt, straps, Zipper

~Embroidered Satin Doll Corset

-Lining, Binding, Eyelets

~Elizabeth Swann Camisole

-Finish Embroidery, Eyelets, Peplum

~Lucy Pevensie Doll

-Finish Dress

~Pink Regency Stays

-Eyelets

~Green Civil War Dress

-Skirt, Sleeves, Trim

~Maid Marian Gown

-Finish cutting out, Construction, Beading

~Titanic 'Jump Dress' Trim

-Finish :)

So there's my list. Some of these things are nearly done, if I could just finish them up my list would be shortened in no time. :)

There are a couple things on this list I might change into something other than what it was originally supposed to be. But it sure helps to have it all written down. :)

The organization of my life has begun. :)

Updates :)

I'm afraid I haven't been the most consistent blogger lately. I started a costume study on Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' awhile back and promised the second half the next week. Where has it gone? Well, to be honest...I lost the photos I had saved because they were inside a file inside another file...silly me. But...I'm found them now so you can look forward to that coming soon!

I've been busy organizing my sewing room for the past few...well, months actually. But it's finally wrapping itself up...I'm *nearly* done. I look forward to sharing pictures soon.
Whenever I get tired of organizing I look at this picture for inspiration:
Sadly, my sewing room will look nothing like this and it's waaay smaller. But it still does inspire. :)

Another thing...Robin Hood Season 2 costume studies! I know I've said I'm working on them for the past several months...I really am going to keep at it but I'm not going to promise them too soon. Just because I know how I am. :) But you can look forward to more Merry Men costume discussion one day in *lets hope* the not to far future.

Aaaand...for any of you who are Twilight fans...I have a little series I'm working on for the month of November which is the month of the release of 'New Moon'. I hope you'll enjoy it, even if your not a Twilight fan. I haven't done much study on costumes in modern films as they always seemed pretty ordinary. But I think you'll be surprised at how much thought and detail goes into each piece and how they help to tell the story. And you may be surprised by a few historic costumes that are making their way into this one! Fun stuff! :)

Alright...I'm off to do some sorting and sewing. I'm thinking about posting a list of my sewing projects so I can be more motivated to sew them. Once people know how big a pile I have, I'll be so embarrassed I'll be motivated to finish them right?

Oh, and if any of you haven't already seen it, my friend Genevieve did a photo shoot of my Red Regency Dress a couple weeks ago. Check them out HERE.

RED QUEEN UPDATE: The Queen of Hearts costume for my sister has been postponed as she's decided to be something else for Halloween. I *might* still be making it for her to wear to the movie though.

Alright...I really am off this time. :) Hope you all are having a great week!

~Anna Kristine

Maid Marian Fashion Weekend

This totally snuck up on me so I don't have my dresses done though I do have plans to make them. So you shall just have to wait awhile for my Maid Marian photo shoots. But in the meantime, go check out what's going on at Amanda Beth Online. Fun photo shoots! A giveaway and more. :)

Such a fun event! I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing what everyone has been pulling together.

Elizabeth Swann Fabric

Once I finish my Elizabeth Swann stays and also make some panniers I wanted to one day make this dress. I always thought it would have to be way into the future when I had $100 or more to spend on fabric.

Well, this weekend I found some fabric! It's not a perfect match, not as gold as hers...it's more cream and buttery. But it's close enough for me and I got all of it for just $22.50!

So...now I just have to keep my eyes open for fabric for the underskirt.
Don't you just love it when you find things like that? :)

The Young Victoria New Trailer

Here is the new trailer for The Young Victoria...it has a lot more footage. Goodness, I can hardly wait! This looks amazing! It gives me chills. :)

Bright Star

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

Yesterday I went to the theater to see 'Bright Star' the new film about John Keats and Fanny Brawne. If you love beautiful clothes, hand stitching, and poetry...this is the film for you. I left the theater so inspired, and slightly gloomy. Do take a handkerchief with you as it will be needed!

Ben Wishaw did an incredible job as John Keats. One couldn't help falling in love with him.

And despite all the gorgeous costumes in this film, Keat's frock coat was my favorite:

Abbie Cornish was amazing as Fanny Brawne, and her costumes are stunning:

She designs and sews everything she wears so there is a lot of detail that we don't normally get to see in costume dramas. My friends and I were in awe over this sweater that is made of what looks like really tiny granny squares:

I am in love with her striped spencer:

Her little sister 'Toots' had some of the most adorable little dresses I've ever seen. Now I want to make children's Regency clothes. :)

Overall the film was brilliant. Beautiful cinematography, excellent acting, intricate clothing, wonderful soundtrack, and as if that wasn't enough...it's filled with the beautiful poetry and letters of John Keats.