Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A Little Jewel...

I am traveling to San Francisco tomorrow to deliver the JoeysCoat silent auction donation for PAWS Petchitecture SEVENTEEN…I was able to get a few quick snaps between raindrops of Dana’s magnificent creation…so proud, so honored, so delighted to help…as a dear friend recently wrote to me, “dogs save lives”…




Gratefully yours…

Monday, March 5, 2012

Local Sewing and Stitchery Expo Yields Hidden Treasures...



Clockwise beginning at the top:

Vintage Japanese Bingata Katazome Kimono Sleeve - Katazome (stencil-picture-dyeing) is a very old and traditional form of dyeing images on fabric believed to have originated in Okinawa where it is called bingata..

Vintage Japanese Kimono Silk Remnant - the russet leaf of the Japanese Maple is a popular pattern typically worn in Autumn.

Vintage Millinery Grosgrain Ribbon - Corded ribbon of cotton/rayon with edges that allow it to be swirled in a circle in hat-making; also called belting when used in garments.

Buttons and Buckle made of:

Bakelite - Recognized as the world's first synthetic plastic.
Catalin - Heavy, hard as brass plastic with Bakelite qualities.
Casein - Another form of early plastic also used in paint, glue and fiber products.
Celluloid - Referred to as French Ivory (table tennis balls are made from Celluloid).

Vintage Soutache Braid - A soutache is narrow flat decorative braid.

Vintage French Silk Velvet Ribbon with Cluny Lace - Cluny lace, inspired by lace samples originally worked during the 16th century and made popular during the mid-nineteenth century, is made from coarse linen threads.



Imagine the beautiful coats Dana will design with these extraordinary materials…



Sunday, March 4, 2012

Baby on a Bearskin Rug….

Fiona simply cannot decide what to wear to Petchitecture SEVENTEEN…will it be classic and sophisticated or silky and exotic?  

I suspect there will be many trips to the “dressing room” before she selects just the right look she is going for…


Wool blend pinstripe coat and tab.  Antique linen belt and cotton crochet trim and belt-loops.
 Lucite buckle and Hard Plastic buttons.


Silk brocade coat with chenille brocade belt and tab.
Cotton crochet lace and plaid silk bias and belt-loops.
Hard Plastic buckle and Bakelite buttons. 

Long Beach Antique Flea Market

During a recent visit to Southern California, my brother and I made the drive from San Diego to Long Beach to check out the Flea.  I have made a number of visits to the Alameda and Rose Bowl flea markets; this was my first to Long Beach.

The weather was beautiful, the vendors had much to offer, and I discovered a bounty of JoeysCoat treasures to bring home to Dana for inspiration.

One vendor in particular I would like to mention is Patty Yuele of Bumblebee Vintage.  I was immediately drawn to her booth, mesmerized by the brilliant spectrum of colors from her Bakelite and Celluloid button, buckle and jewelry display…her collection is remarkable. 

Dana is fast at work creating one-of-a-kind JoeysCoat art with the treasures I found.

Thank you to all the wonderful Long Beach collectors I met…