This top took me FOREVER to construct. I've known I've wanted to do this sweater since last winter and I discovered the glories of quilted knits. As the sweetest surprise,
Lauren Dahl gifted me a couple yards of this gloriousness from Mood. Yes. You better believe I was beyond giddy to cut into it.
And cut into it I did. But it took me a month to remember to buy sequins and beads whenever I was at the store.
And then another 2 months to sew the darn things on. Chris was a trooper through this project. I had a pile of various sized sequins glittering the floor in our living/dining room for about 6 weeks. I'd sew one or two on before having to get to an email, calm a fussy child or police the troublemaking that Penelope and her neighborhood buddies like to initiate.
I kept telling myself it would be worth it.
The sequins I started with were huge. I didn't like how big they were. So I graduated them to the smaller size toward the bottom of the shirt. I like the subtle depth it adds to the top.
I cut out my regular size
Lane Raglan only to realize I should have gone up a size if I wanted more of a sweater look. As a stroke of genius, I added a ribbed racing stripe down the sides of the arm and bodice to remedy my mistake.
A happy mistake, if you ask me.
Another happy mistake was with the shoulders/elbows. I had initially cut out leather shoulder pieces, but I forgot to sew them in place when I was constructing the top. Instead of unpicking 5 large serged seams, I opted for leather elbow patches instead. I used
Megan Nielsen's elbow patch download instead of drafting my own. That lovely woman is a life-saver.
After I completed the sequins and lined the front panel (to keep the sequins from falling apart), the sweater came together rather quickly.
After I triumphantly completed the sweater, I wore it to my grandparents' house for a dinner we had planned. That night June came down with rotavirus and vomited all over the sequins. Poor girl.
I was confronted with the issue: how do I wash this thing now? It's got hand-sewn sequins and leather patches. It's truly a dry clean only top. I don't like making tops that aren't easily laundered. I don't want to be hesitant to get messy. I'm in a very messy phase of life with 3 littles under the age of 7. They're darling, but disgusting.
As much as I love this top, I don't want them to feel like mommy can't play with them because she's wearing her 'nice clothes'. But I still want to have a couple of nice things. I'm torn.
Speaking of nice things, these pants are my favorite post-partum find. The midrise waist with stretchy denim is fabulous. I've lost some of the pregnancy weight so they're getting looser on me, but they've never felt uncomfortable. And I got them about 10 pounds ago. Lulu*s for the win.
Aaaaand. . . I finally found my leather jacket. I started a pin board of leather jackets to get my mind in the space of what I was looking for. When I was in Vegas hanging with my calligrapals, we went on the hunt and successfully found
the jacket. And when I say
the jacket, I mean the only jacket I'll ever buy for the rest of my life. It was worth all those pennies, though. It fits like it was tailored just for me.
Outfit details:
A couple things I've come to obsess with over the last couple of months:
In the above image I used Jacquard's Lumiere Halo blue gold for the "Local Calligraphy Workshop" lettering. It's one ink and the golds and blue swirl around to create this fun dance with color.
In the envelope below, I did an ombré with dioxazine purple and turquoise blue gouache. It's more obvious in person, but the gradation is fun. And I also used the lettermate for writing guides on that envelope.
You can subtly see the clear glitter gelly roll pen on the above card. It gives things the subtle hint of shimmer. I like to do swirls, but I don't worry if they're perfectly balanced or executed, because you really can't see them that close when you're looking at it in person.
In the 'thank you' I'm using that jacquard lumiere ink. It's got to be diluted with water a fair amount. Mix regularly and apply with a brush, but it's great.
I'm also using little bits of glitter glue for little dots of sparkle. I have one in every color except orange. That needs to change soon. I need ALL the colors!
Here I'm using Jacquard's Pearlex super bronze powder. It's hard to convey through a picture alone how bright the metallic is. It's mirror-like in some lights! I love it! Mix with gum arabic and water to make a useable ink.
I'll be teaching this week in Salt Lake City with the lovely Valarie Williams. We'll be doing a double-header calligraphy workshop! We'll include pointed-pen basics and how to make your work pop with color-blending and flourishing. Dinner and materials are included.
Join us for a fun night out, downtown Salt Lake City and learn how to write calligraphy! 
The following Saturday (March 14th) I will be teaching a calligraphy workshop from my in-law's home near 40th and Shea in Phoenix. In the 3 hour calligraphy workshop, we'll learn pointed-pen basics and how to make your own style. Lunch included.