Not Much To Brog About

the house, in progress!

2012-01-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

OK, i'm just showing off my baby now. Here she is, being SO super happy in the jacket mommy made her. yes, she finally fits! once I set up my sewing room, I'm making more clothes...someday.

June's nursery was the first we really put the effort into decorating, of course, since she's the princess of this household...: ) we love the "silver sage" color for the walls and the yellow that I've been wanting for her little closet! It still needs shelving built into it, but for now, she's gotta use the closet hanging bar for her little dresses/jackets.
the seating has to be figured out still. we grabbed the old wooden chair from the SF house and our living room ottoman will do for now. got rid of the rocker/glider b/c we didn't really care much for it.

here's her little yellow closet : )

her toys in the corner still. don't worry, june will play with you guys when she's old enough!

And now...
on to the kitchen. After our friend Paul removed the cabinets, he pointed out mold all behind the cabinets in the sink area. The sellers were unethical in just covering up the mold. We're thankful that we decided to gut the kitchen, otherwise who would've known what would've caused us to be sick! So evil...: (

Anyway, before the cabinets were installed, we hired our contractor to completely patch up walls and remove tiles so the kitchen team could work. He did a great job.

This color is Behr's "Gentle Rain", which is a grayed lavender (carried over from our SF living room, but much more muted and desaturated b/c it works better for this house). I picked this over a yellow for the family room and the kitchen because it seems very serene. not too much drama or warmth. Also b/c the kitchen I had always pictured a cool white, I wanted the two rooms to flow into one another, so decided to use the same color. I know yellow and white could've worked for a kitchen scheme too, but in my head i just couldn't see it for our house.

Here's a shot of the stairs near the entry.
I chose a light warm gray (Behr's Sandstone Cliff) for the rest of the house: stairwell & hallways, as it is a very pleasant neutral that I think blends seamlessly between rooms...we also had our painter paint the banisters white for us, which made it look a lot more upscale! what a difference paint makes!

playing house : )

2011-12-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

So...the months of hiatus from this blog is inexcusable, but my excuse is we bought a house! It's our first home, and really, we took everything into consideration for our precious baby June. She's solely responsible for this decision--it's a nice quiet house in a cul de sac, and a huge-mongous backyard for her and her little friends to run around in! Not to mention great schools...she's not even talking yet and her future is already set!

It all sounds great, right?! Well, this house was pretty trashed by the previous owner, and then someone bought it for the sole purpose of flipping it to make a huge profit. Poor us, we now are dealing with major renovations such as gutting the kitchen. But it's coming along! Oh, and these are not the initial photos of the house. We had popcorn ceiling already removed and recessed lights put in...so it looks a lot nicer. :)

The paint colors literally took me months to decide, and it tormented me: I kept waking up in the middle of the night and would change the colors in my mind. But it's all turning out so well, and i can't wait to post the before/after photos soon! I'm psyched (well, other than the fact that I've taken the rest of the year off of work to deal with contractors..did i tell you how much i hate dealing with them?) about actually decorating and making this home ours, for the first time in our lives.

Stay tuned for progress photos!
Entry way area, shot from the living room. those banisters must be repainted...should the tile entry stay?

Dining Room: LOVE, LOVE these french doors...too bad we don't have the key to the lock, which has to be replaced...but here, i'm already playing with the right accent wall color to make a silver tree stump dining table base I bought from z gallerie pop (promise I'll have a pic of it soon...it was an impulse buy and I'm anxious to get it into the space...)!

Living room view: the corner is where the baby Grand my dad bought me when I was a kid will sit...i HAVE to figure out a way to do built-in window seating...i've always dreamed of having that...hope this color works...

Family Room shot...thought about doing yellow paint, but decided it was too much.

this USED to be a bar sink...

but my brilliant hubby suggested knocking it down and converting into a pantry, since we have none.

See the swatches of tester colors on the left wall! This was the biggest challenge for some reason. Probably b/c I kind of wish this fireplace didn't exist.

Ta-da!! The "butt-ugly" kitchen. Sorry if you like it...but I personally think it's too busy and makes the already small kitchen even smaller. Plus, everyone who's seen it has said it's the worst job of cabinet installation they've ever seen. We've decided to gut this...stay tuned for IP photos!

Here's our Craigslist gem, Paul, who came to buy the cabinets off of us and did an amazing job demo-ing the kitchen. We felt like we should've paid him for the great job!

Then, contractor came and finished the demo, plus replaced the drywall...

The laundry room, looking into the family room. In the picture the hardwood flooring looks fine, but in actuality there's water damage and sun bleached spots. We're ripping that out too...(are we crazy?)

The downstairs guest room/sewing room/office: I put my dress form in there to figure out the right shade of blue for the walls...the recessed lighting makes a big difference!

follow me UPSTAIRS now...
Baby June's future room. aka our guest room right now...

Oops, this was too quick of a reveal! You can already see our painter Brenden working hard in June's current nursery! I decided to change the color from her nursery in our old house just for a fresh beginning. I'm LOVING the color. (Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware) So much so that we're using it in the living room downstairs.

now the master bedroom--again, didn't post the before...but we LOVE this blue-gray color. Hubby tells me to go with my natural inclination for a color and then take it up a notch in boldness. He was right. I almost settled for a paler version of this color.

And that's all for now! I've been following several blogs for inspiration along the way...so I can't take all the credit for this home makeover. But it's fun (very stressful), and it's coming together!

baby June in mommy's dress

2011-10-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a photo of my baby girl finally able to don the dress I made her before she was born. I am definitely interested in someday making/designing baby dresses to sell...someday, when I have the time! :)
Here's my little sweetie hanging out in my favorite fabric store in SF! Look how happy she is!

jj design swaddles : )

2011-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby posing in mommy's swaddles! Mommy loves you!

After having baby June, my life has been about a few things: feed, change & swaddle baby. After being a mom for 6 weeks now, I realized that my favorite thing for swaddling is a stretchy blanket that she keeps spitting up on, or pooping on...and I have to keep washing it. So I decided to make a few of these to lighten up the laundry duty...I love the fabrics I found and can't wait to use them! I have made a few for sale too.

$25 per blanket. Please email me if you're interested and I can let you know what's available.

announcing the arrival of June

2011-07-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

After scouring different sites for baby announcement cards, I decided to try my hand at making one for June in Photoshop. It was fun, and a challenge to come up with a good design that also utilized photos I liked (which, by the way, were photos my sister took of her when she was only a week old).

dress in the making...

2011-06-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, final project before Baby arrives. I had meant to make this dress to wear my last weeks of pregnancy, and then wear it again after the Baby, but looks like I'm now going to only be able to wear it after she's here. : P I'm hoping to finish soon!

Cover for Feeding Baby

2011-06-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

A dear friend got a nursing cover for Baby and me and I decided to try making one myself. And I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

Autumn Tree

2011-06-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

All in a day's work! I finally finished this piece for a production designer at Pixar who saw my "Orange Tree" piece for Ghana (an art auction to raise money for an orphanage in Ghana) and wanted one for his daughter! He wanted to commission me to make one, but I thought trading artwork would be awesome, and he agreed. :) I hope he likes it, and will still agree to trade with me!

Baby's Room--Unveiled!

2011-05-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

tada! Baby's nursery is finally basically done (still a few pieces of art I'd like to hang, and maybe a rug...but the essentials are there!), and is awaiting her arrival (in a week!)
Hubby and I are so proud of it, as we put countless hours in there, toiling away, realising this vision of mine. :)

Here are some of Baby's friends waiting patiently for her arrival. Hubby insisted on getting her a Totoro, from one of his favorite Japanese directors--Miyazaki, who created "my neighbor Totoro".

I have to say, this may be one of the most daunting home improvement projects to date, since as early as January, we decided it would be a good idea to peel off the ancient wallpaper that had been painted over several times. Let's just say, I was 4-5 months preggers when we started the painful process of removing wallpaper with mere credit cards and some scrubbing sponge as our tools (We had bought wallpaper removal tools and those were pretty useless) We discovered not just 1, but 3 layers of wallpaper, some as old as the house (100 yrs old!), some plaster, and a layer of cardboard. On top of that, probably lead paint. Hubby decided to do most of the peeling himself in fear that the lead would be bad for Baby. So...we estimated over 100 man-hours just peeling wallpaper, and then scrubbing down the walls...and finally painting.

Needless to say, after the huge undertaking Baby's room remained bare for the next month and a half, until we gathered enough motivation to finally start furnishing and putting the finishing touches on it.

My vision had been to use the most neutral gray color for the wall and let yellow and cream be the dominant colors, folllowed by green and orange, and other vibrant colors. And it looks like we achieved it!

We both are very happy with how everything turned out, and how organic the process ended up being.

We had the idea to have our friends participate in making some fabric art for Baby--it was supposed to be in the form of a fabric book for Baby, but I thought framing them would be cool--unfortunately we couldn't frame all 14 of them, since we didn't know at the time we would really be framing them and some of the pieces ran all the way to the edge of the squares of fabric so there is no seam allowance for framing...so the rest will be made into a book, or something really cool. I made the bee w/flower, and Hubby made the little Japanese monster at the bottom. My hope is that Baby won't get scared when she sees him. haha.
The dresser was the last to arrive, and while the yellow wasn't what we expected from shopping online, it works fairly nicely with the decor. The rocking chair actually will be replaced in a couple of months, as I had wanted to cover the chair but got cold feet just thinking about it. I didn't think I could do a great job and just rather purchase something that's even more comfortable. I actually now like the pinky mauve color, but it's too late to take back the order...the new chair will be a taupe-beige micro-suede.

Finally, we're still looking at getting a round rug to echo the round motif in the room, but we know it'll get dirty over time, so that's still on hold...like I said, the room is ready for her, but if we do get more time, I'm sure to be putting a bit more artwork in there!

To fully appreciate all the effort that went into this room, here are some horrid "before" pictures of the process...

This was the Chinese red sewing room before the peel began...

'cross the shoulder birdie bag!

2011-05-31T00:07:00.000-07:00

in between working on baby's room and finishing up some pre-existing custom orders, I managed to create a new pattern for a co-worker who wanted the birdie bag that she could carry across the shoulder. I took on the task partly because I had wanted to make a bag just like that, so it seemed worth looking into. I'm glad I did--I now have a pattern that I can use to make other bags with different fabrics (don't know when I can use the fabrics I bought in Paris back in March!)...and even make modifications to improve upon it.

For sale for $50. Comes with an inner patch pocket for those smaller items!

baby quilt square

2011-04-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

Made this baby cow w/a pacifier for a dear friend's baby shower, in which we (several friends of ours and I) came up with the idea to make her a baby quilt. Each person at the shower would make an animal, or whatever they'd like, from felt or other scraps of fabric, and A would stitch the pieces together, since she said she was bored and needed something to do. ;)

Anyway, I'll post a photo of the quilt when I get to it, but here's my contribution. The intricate pieces took a while to stitch together, but the result was super cute and she was happy! And that's all that matters. :)

First-eva 13" Macbook Pro laptop case...

2011-04-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

Dimensions: 14" x 10"; handles each 14.25" long. Front pocket holds the battery pack nice and snug. :) $75

Part of the reason I haven't been blogging is that I've hit a wall with sewing. Perhaps with the baby coming in 2 months' time, my anxiety level has gone way up. Two weekends ago I attempted to cover a plush rocking chair for the nursery, and broke down crying b/c I was so tired, and it seemed like such an undertaking (but who can blame me when rockers/gliders that I like cost at least $500?) But suddenly, last weekend, a surge of energy returned and I was able to tackle some of these custom orders--finally!

Anyway, the idea of making laptop cases came from a dear friend of mine when I showed her my giraffe & elephant clutches a while back. Since the clutches were semi-circle shaped and a fairly large size to be considered a "clutch", she suggested that I make laptop cases. So I actually had been hoping to explore this for quite some time now, and just never got around to it--until another friend of mine asked if I could make one for her sister's 13" macbook pro.

My confession: the process (for some reason) wasn't as easy as it should've been...or could've been. I blame it on my dislike for putting zippers in...and this one was a bit more challenging since I had to put the zipper into essentially 3 layers of fabric (lining, outer fabric, padding), and then have the laptop fit snugly. Probably the part I'd like to figure out how to do better is how to sew the lining in after putting the zipper in...

I have to say, I'm actually very pleased with how it turned out, and hope that IF I were to make new ones, that it'd go a lot faster. This was 2 nights worth of work, which isn't bad, esp. since I was thinking it through in the process. Anyway, hope my friend likes it! =)

Giraffes + Diapers = Giraffe Diaper Bag!

2011-04-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

I received another custom order from a fellow expectant mom, and she wanted the diaper bag with the giraffe print & off-white canvas base...so here it is! I really like how it turned out and hope she likes it!

Actually am in the process of making another for a friend, who also wanted the giraffe print but with the same color scheme as the original elephant diaper bag. I think I'm going to be making one for myself when my baby comes too! :)
For sale for $80. Any customization may be more. Thanks for looking!

Custom Diaper Bag!

2011-03-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Made this for a co-worker whose wife is expecting, and she loves elephants! I took the "Spring Buds Tote" design and made the elephant fabric more sturdy by lining it with the "bubbles" fabric. The bottom and the inner pockets are made with heavy-duty denim, and getting 4 layers of it (for the bottom part) through my serger nearly broke my machine! He really liked it though, so yay!

I can make this custom bag for you too! For sale $85.

Baby's dress!

2011-02-22T17:16:00.001-08:00

I was surprised to find that I have enough fabric left over from Baby's jacket to make her a dress too! This one is for when she's 0-3 months, in the summer months. :) I added the little rosettes as a special touch to the front. Oh oh...I think there's enough for a pair of booties too, to match the jacket! For this dress, I had some teal lining I had bought for myself to make a dress a while ago (which never happened), so I literally didn't have to buy any more materials for this!
I hope I can get new fabrics soon--as much as I like these prints, I'd like to diversify her wardrobe a bit. ;)

for our lil' june bug

2011-02-17T00:04:00.000-08:00

so for those of you who might not know...my hubby and i are expecting in june! :) being the crazy mommy that i am, i already made her a little jacket for when she's 6 months...I had so much fabric left that I already cut out a dress for her too! and maybe a pair of booties....I like the fabric i chose a lot, but can't wait to get new/fresh fabrics too for other baby projects!

another custom order

2011-01-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

Made these for a friend who wanted the whimsical fabric made into clutches for her bridal party. I shopped all over for coordinating fabric and ended up liking the brown/white stripes I used for the doggy tote best. Used the "dottie" orange fabric and found some awesome zippers w/dangling round hardware for that extra coolness. ;) I'm so glad she liked them!

Baby on my mind...

2011-01-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

Made a custom-bag for a dear friend's baby shower, and ended up really falling in love with the new felt appique design on an exterior patch pocket. The little lady-bug took a while to design, but I love how she turned out!

And then...I was so inspired that I took the last of my giraffe fabric and made another bag (for another friend N) :)...all in a day's work!

Both the Ladybug and giraffe bags are for sale for $60. Please email me if you're interested! Supplies limited. Thanks for looking! =)

2010 Annual Pixar Crafts Fair

2011-01-04T19:10:00.000-08:00

So it came and went...just like that! The Pixar Crafts Fair that I had been trying to prepare for for so long--finally all came together a few weeks ago. I still wish I had made a few variations more of some of the bags, but I must be happy with what I've accomplished.

I didn't have a fancy booth set up to boast of, but my friend fr work took some incredible shots for me. Of course, it always helps that he's an artist with a good eye--his photography skills made my booth look a lot nicer than it probably was! Thanks D!

Baby Chloe--finally made it online!

2010-12-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

I actually sold quite a few of these at the Pixar crafts fair last December, but never got around to posting them. SO cute!

$85
fabric supplies running low...but a couple more bags left!

JJ Fall/Winter 2010 Collection: Chloe Totes

2010-12-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a peek at the new "Chloe". I have been dreaming of making wool bags for over 10 years now...don't know why it took me this long! Actually, when I first started designing bags last year, this was what I had in mind to work towards, and it's finally here! It's definitely a labor of love.

It's 100% luxurious Italian wool and lined with soft cotton. Completely hand washable, but lay flat to dry. Hot ironing is fine. :)
For sale for $90.

$5 off JJ Design Bags!

2010-12-01T18:22:00.001-08:00

Yes, for the first time ever, this is a deal you wouldn't want to miss! Applies to any single purchase. Offer expires 12/12/10. If you contact me via email, simply mention the coupon code. Otherwise if you are coming to the Pixar Crafts Fair, simply print it out and hand the coupon to me in person. Thanks everyone!

Doggy Tote!

2010-11-30T22:09:00.000-08:00

Made a bunch of these puppies and am loving them! Planning on making some small "doggy bags" too, for the crafts fair next week! Time's running out!

These are for sale for $55 each. Thanks for looking! More to come...I promise. :) Wool totes are coming next!!!

Orange Tree

2010-10-19T13:39:00.001-07:00

This was a piece I created for the Picture Book Project (http://picturebookproject.com/PBP/home.html), under Art Blocks for Ghana. The theme of this project is "Home".

I was honored to have been asked by a friend of mine from work (also an art director) to participate. Nervous, but excited, I tried out a couple other things before finally settling on this idea--creating an orange tree from my childhood memories of picking oranges with my family, entirely out of buttons and fabrics. In fact, I thought I had finished the project prior to leaving for my vacation last week to NYC, but while there, I woke up one morning and decided that I wanted to sew hundreds of buttons on for an orange tree. The sketch was developed on my way to NJ on the train, and as soon as I got back, I started on my project and finished in one weekend. :)

Of course, I found out that the deadline had been extended another 2 weeks, but I'm just glad to be done, and am happy with it. Perhaps this will be the beginning of some fabric art!

More girly garments: Gold-embroidered cotton dress!

2010-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's finally finished! My new dress that I'll get to wear to my first Broadway show with K this Saturday! : )

I started cutting out this dress on Sunday, and last night (Wed) I put the finishing touches on it. It was a struggle b/c I used a Simplicity pattern as a base but I ended up modifying a lot of it, since the design wasn't to my liking. I also found brushed brass buttons that were lying around the house from grandma's sewing drawers, and vintage covered elastic that's beautifully crafted for the button loops.

I am very happy with how it turned out, b/c I'm in love with this gold thread embroidered cotton fabric I found a couple months back. I knew that if I didn't start something in the next couple of months the fabric would never see the light of day. Very happy--wish I could've bought these gold ballet flats that I fell in love with a while back but didn't purchase.

Spring Buds & White Elephants!

2010-09-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

$65
$70
I've been wanting to develop new bag designs for a while now, but having to keep making the same bags to fulfill orders has kept me from creating more styles. These took me forever to develop...my challenge was to figure out how to set in deep compartments on the inside to hold more things (yes, I'm well on my way to develop a diaper bag concept), and also to create something still a bit cuter than the average canvas tote. I decided I couldn't leave the pleats out (probably my favorite elements in a lot of my bags), at least not for this line! I really LOVE how they turned out...I had to empty out the first one to shoot photos with it b/c I immediately started toting it around after completing it. These are made out of sturdy canvas that are doubled at the base, which makes these totes able to stand up on their own (another pro for the diaper bag design!)
The only thing I wish I could've shown in my pictures is how the handles are connected to the rest of the body. It's well-constructed and I'm really proud of it! Kind of was playing around with different ideas and decided this was the best approach. So far, 2 totes and 1 messenger bag! All in one weekend!

"Not-Just-Another-White-Elephant" tote. Comes in different colors--please inquire about what's available! $55

the elephant in the room...

2010-09-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

...is that there's now an Elephant bag! : ) I'm so excited about these! They are for sale. Please contact me for available zipper colors, and also for specifics on what the back fabric looks like. Some have elephants, some are the fun circle designs. $30
Larger totes in progress too!

Nomadic Giraffes...

2010-08-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

I just love this fabric that I purchased in Portland on my vacay back in May. Only got limited quantity, but am still exploring different designs with it. Here's the deep shoulder tote, which is a JJ Design bestselling style since last year!
Price drop: $55

JJ's New Design: Clutches

2010-08-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

These are SO adorable that I'm not sure I can sell them!!! Just made these from the leftover pieces cut from my pleated tote (I hate wasting any fabric), and I absolutely adore them! Will definitely be making many more of these.

$30

An exciting package has arrived!

2010-08-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

At last!!--my new JJ Design labels that I had professionally made, came into the mail last weekend! I didn't want to set my expectations too high, since it was my first time getting labels made, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package. The only slight glitch was that the "red" accents turned out to be rose pink, but I think it's actually works better. I can't wait to have them sewn into my new bag designs!

Back to Bags...

2010-08-10T23:19:00.001-07:00

(SOLD OUT for now)
Finally made some headway in my Fall 2010 collection. Some of these designs were brewing way back when, but now they are finally realized. Most of these are onesies, since fabric supply is limited! Hope you enjoy the beginning of the JJ Design Fall Collection!
(SOLD OUT!)
Here's my new favorite, amongst other favorites (hehe I think it's hard while creating these to not love each one that comes out...they are all so precious!)
$30
a note about the zippered Taro tote: I hate zippers. I love them and hate them. I love how they work, but really do not like sewing them on. This is my first attempt at putting zippers in my bags...I spent many hours figuring out how I wanted to put it in and design-wise what would look best...and ta-da! Here it is. It's my only one so far! Will keep workin' on them...
$80

Still part of the fall collection...

2010-08-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

$55
Wanted to let everyone know that I'm still making these bags! These were the original pieces for my fall 2010 collection, so I didn't want them to get left out. ; )
$40 (one left!)

a "Onesie" for my adult friend

2010-08-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, K, asked to have a "onesie" made for her some time ago. I was a bit surprised at the time, and thought, "Do adults wear onesie's?" Sure enough, we found a pattern in the store! I kept putting it off though b/c the pattern looked complex...but I finally decided to just press through and surprise her with it for her b-day. The fabric was hard to cut due to the thickness, but ended up being a breeze to sew (no serging required)! The pattern instructions were poorly written, and since I don't like to follow instructions (another reason I can't bake), it took me a while to figure what I was supposed to do. Now that I have done one though, the next (if there is a next) should be easy!

She looked SO adorable in it, and it fit perfectly! (I won't embarrass her here though w/a pic of her) I chose a ridiculously looking pink polar fleece with badminton rackets printed all over with flowers, since we used to play the team sport together. I also sewed the first JJ Design label onto it, with her initials embroidered! I liked it so much that I think I might make one for myself in time for the cold winter here in SF. So there WILL be a next...

It's time for clean linen(skirt)!

2010-07-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

After spending almost the entire 4th of July weekend away from sewing, I was itching to get back to it. I had spotted this beautiful "seagull" linen material and the ivory crochet trim at my favorite fabric store briefly on Saturday, and envisioned making a summer linen skirt on the spot.

I designed, cut, and sewed it last night. It took me a lot longer than I anticipated b/c of the nature of linen (kind of has a mind of its own : P), and of course, matching up the seams with the zipper seems to always take 2 tries, but I'm really happy with how it turned out, and now I have a linen skirt in my favorite color for my summer wardrobe! It's so light and airy, and super comfy.

I'm selling a garment for the first time through my JJ Design shop--custom orders, so please let me know your waist size and length of skirt you'd like, and please know that it'll take 4~6weeks. : ) While fabric supplies last.

"3" is for Toy Story 3...

2010-06-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought, some chalkboard drawing I did for Toy Story 3 trailer "3" reference would have been chosen to appear as a feature art installation piece in the pixar gallery, and then made it to apparel! I actually didn't even know they used my design for the clothing until I saw it in the store today...it's nice to feel like I've contributed visually to an animation feature.

eyelets and ruffles

2010-06-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Finally took a break from bag-making (filling orders and designing my fall collection, which has yet to happen...) and decided to venture into the "long black dress" that I think should be a staple for the summer. I actually saw a similar dress at jcrew but it was just plain black cotton--very simple, almost too simple (no bells or whistles: no pockets, no zipper, no lining). But I fell in love with the silhouette, and decided to make the dress and improve upon the design!

Here it is. I bought this beautiful eyelet fabric (it has a basket-weaving pattern which you can't really see in the picture, but so nice in person) from Jo-Ann's (thanks to cousin J for the gift card!), and a luxurious sateen thin cotton for lining (bought from a HUGE fabric depot in portland a few weeks back). I really wanted it to be strapless, so I put some elastic in the back, plus an invisible zipper and hook & eye closure. It's hard to see the ruffles on this duster length dress, but I love how it moves when I walk. Also I made sure the ruffles part weren't lined so you can see through the eyelet. I'm definitely ready for summer now!

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and it only took 3 weeknights & a Sunday afternoon (to draft the pattern). I basically reused the strapless bodice from the bridesmaid's dress I made last summer (see entry for silk dupioni dress), and by far this is my favorite bodice--just fits perfectly, and I can add straps or not).

Now on to filling my bag orders! =)

Meet "Taro"...

2010-05-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

Made this for a client/friend, who wanted the original Canvas Tote with a twist, but in a color that's not going to get dirty as easily. Knowing that red was what she gravitated towards, I decided to change up a few of the design elements.

I call this new tote "Taro" b/c it is one of my favorite colors and desserts! The taro color is hard to describe, and the root itself is also a flavor that's hard to place, but I love both the color and the taste! Hope you do too. =)
Limited supply (fabric running out), for sale: $50

Also, just an updated Flower Applique tote, made 2 of these for a couple of friends. I had been wanting to try the applique in this pattern, and I'm so glad I did! I like this flower pattern a lot--so elegant and refreshing. This fabric is running out too...I think I can only make 1 or 2 more at most!
$60 (w/o magnetic snaps), $65 (w/magnetic snaps)

On a whim...

2010-04-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

"A little birdie tote me" is based off of the the first sample bag I had ever made. I have been carrying the muslin sample bag everyday for just about everything, and I decided I wanted to make one just like it but with this cute print I found. For sale for $45.

I finally added the finishing touch to the blossom bag with the wooden buttons that I found on ebay. :) The bag was made a month ago, and I can't believe I finally just got around to finishing it! $55

New bag collection starts...NOW!

2010-02-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

I was so exhausted from making the yellow coat for the contest (see earlier entry) that I didn't think I had any more in me to make something else...but here it is! I just bought this fabric for an office couch that I inherited from a friend at work. It's pretty stained, so it definitely needed covering. Then I realized I bought 3 yards too many! But never fear...I love this fabric so much, that I thought it would be perfect for a new collection. Here's the bestselling design that I have from last December, made with this bold new pattern and color choice. The orange button is photoshopped in for now b/c I haven't gone to the store yet!

This bag comes with an inner pocket for wallets/keys/cell phone, just like the original Deep Shoulder Tote. It is for sale for $55. I hope to keep making more with the fabric I have left! Thanks for looking. :)

Becoming a Bag lady...

2010-02-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

I had been on a creative hiatus, and recently got inspired to design/make totes for a crafts fair. It's been a lot of fun, and I hope I continue to get inspired to create more!

These do take a lot of time--from conceiving a design, patterning, cutting, to sewing...the process could take hours! Also, I was making each bag different, b/c I felt like it was more fun to design each one as I went, even though they ended up taking longer to create. Well, that is what art is about, isn't it? ;)

Special thanks to my friend A who graciously offered to help me design my logo based on my rough ideas--I love it! I never could have churned it out so quickly. Thanks A! Now I need to figure out a website for my "product". Here's a product page with the specs for the bags. Some fabrics are limited edition so bags cannot be reproduced, but others I still have fabric for. I am also working on more patterns too. Please feel free to let me know which you like and I can custom make one just for you!

In the next few months, I'll be working on a new collection of materials. Please check back!

Latest update 12/21/09: Blue/Gold fabric all out. Sorry! : (

Newest to the collection:
Deep Shoulder Tote in Tropical (SOLD OUT)

1. Reversible rectangular tote ($65 SOLD OUT currently)

2. Reversible tote with applique (SOLD OUT)

3. Petite knick-knack sac $30
in Tropical:

in Festive (NEW!):

4. Shoulder tote with magnetic snap $70 (only 1 left!)

5. Soft shopper bag with vintage button (SOLD OUT)

6. Fully lined shoulder tote with vintage button (SOLD OUT)

7. Soft wide tote w/inner pockets (SOLD OUT)

8. Soft petite knick-knack sacs! $15 (SOLD OUT!)

9. Canvas tote w/a twist $60
in Crimson:

or in Guacomole:

10. Bouquet tote: sturdy construction and roomy (sold out)

11. Deep soft canvas tote--especially roomy, with inner pockets $60 (JJ DESIGN BESTSELLER!)

Mustard yellow coat...

2010-02-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Before getting back into bag-designing/making, I decided to take a little creative detour and make a coat to enter into a coat design competition at a local fabric store. I put in about 40 hours in 2 weeks, on top of normal work hours, and so far spent close to $180 for the materials, but it's been amazing. I am *almost* done with the coat, and I can't wait to find out if I can win something...the grand prize is a Bernina Activa 200 (I think it's called). Anyway, still some more work to do, but wanted to post a few pics here. Perhaps a tutorial to come...if I can find the time!

I'm very very happy with how the back pleats came out with this boiled wool--the material lends itself to the design. The only problem is with the front, where there's facing and it's been stiffened with interfacing...anyway, working out the kinks tonight on that part.

The bad news is, my coat did not win! But here are the pics of the winners...if only I had known what style they were going for! oh well...

3rd batch of Portrait Paintings

2010-02-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

I think I'm making improvement, but must keep painting. These were from my 3rd class with Randy Sexton, through Pixar University. I like that it's challenging me to see the different temperatures and values on the human face. Looking forward to painting more with my co-workers here!

Cotton dress for summer!

2009-12-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

This post is overdue--this was the last dress I made actually almost overnight--I saw the fabric the day before leaving for Asia in August, and just had to make something out of it. I ended up wearing it a lot on the trip, so it was well worth it! The only thing I would do differently if I ever use this pattern again is not use muslin as my lining material--it tends to be a little thick and wrinkles easily.

flower cascades

2009-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of making this necklace for a wedding. The client wanted cascading magenta flowers, so I found these cute bellflower shaped czech beads for her. Can't wait to see how they all turn out!

hint: Raspberry chiffon...not a cake!

2009-07-31T23:02:00.001-07:00

Made this to wear for my sister's wedding in Sept. :) After reading on sewing forums and such about how difficult chiffon is to work with, I was pretty petrified and put this project on hold for about a week. But then I decided to just do it and see...I'm super excited because I finished within 4 days (after work daily) and actually it wasn't bad at all! Now I can say I can sew chiffon!

My very first Silk Dupioni Dress!

2009-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

finished product first

This is the first of the tutorial that I'm starting.
I spent an entire week last week working on this dress. A bit obsessive--but I like how it's turning out so far! I'll be posting chronological photos of the process as a kind of "tutorial" for my friends that have been asking me how to sew. It's definitely a lot more complicated to make a pattern from scratch, but the general idea is similar.

next sewing project

2009-06-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

Attempting to make a dress for K & A's wedding as I'm in the party. This is the mock-up. Long story short, but I already did make a dress but decided I don't like it after all. I'm much more excited about this fabric and style. :) I'll post the old dress soon...

Digital Painting assignments fr D

2009-05-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Week 1
D, a friend and an amazing art director from work, has graciously offered to give me a "crash course" to help me become a better painter (in photoshop)...Weeks 1 and 2 have been copies from Master painters. First is from Sargent. He promised he would be tough, but so far he's been really nice about his comments. hee hee. :) hope I can get better. I'm supposed to be on Week 3's painting, but that hasn't started...
Week 2

figure sculpture class

2009-03-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

these were from last week's model--first time we did a full figure (previous 2 weeks just playing w/clay) on an armature. Can't wait to see how to improve!

New Figure Paintings

2009-02-24T16:50:00.001-08:00

I attended Randy Sexton's painting workshop early in January. It was great b/c I used Pixar's educational stipend for it! :) Hope to get some feedback from some co-workers still, but overall it was a challenge for me, and will continue to be. With the exception of the first 2 paintings, all of these were quick 20-min exercises, posted in order of latest to earliest. Considering the landscape class right now, but not sure yet...

new winter coat

2009-02-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

My winter break project was to build a coat from this beautiful teal wool that I purchased from B.Black & Sons while in grad school. It was on super clearance...I vaguely remember paying no more than $20 for all 2 1/3 yds of this amazing wool. Anyway, 5 years later, I finally decided to make use of this material and test my coat-making skills once again...

It turned out beautifully--a lot better than I ever expected. My goal was to finish the coat in a week, which I ended up almost doing, except the button holes proved (once again, same thing with my first coat in school) a PAIN. My sewing machine wouldn't take the thick wool, so I ended up trying it for 2 days, and seam-ripping everything out, and doing it by hand. It looks okay, and no one can really tell.

These are pics of the process, final coat pic to come. The only thing I didn't document was the mock-up that I had to do the first day, since I re-designed the pattern and had to change a lot of things about the coat in order for there to be enough fabric. Then it was a couple hours of laying out the pattern and cutting. The pictures probably are from Day 2.

Congrats to D & A! :)

2008-12-25T00:02:00.001-08:00

As I've been getting to explore more digital painting on my own, I find that I want to paint whenever possible. So I got on a roll this weekend and painted this for D & A's wedding. I'll be printing it out and framing it for them. Their wedding color was a muted green, so I thought I'd use that for the background. Also, the clothing wasn't as detailed so I decided to blur it on photoshop, so the focus could be on their faces. As I was finishing, I also played with the composition, and decided that I liked them on the left side of the frame.

Anyway, it was fun and I'll be doing more exploratory paintings...

D & A, we wish you the best and congratulations on your recent marriage! =)

Happy Anniversary...to us. :)

2008-12-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

I painted this on photoshop from a picture of me & craig for our 4th year anniversary...it's my first digital painting so I struggled a lot with it. Took me almost a week (or was it 2?) working at nights. I think I learned a lot from it. Hopefully it'll get a little bit easier as I keep doing this. He doesn't ever check my blog so I think it's safe to post it today...:)

first figure paintings

2008-11-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

This was the last painting I did from the painting class

It's been ages since I've done any blogging...well, aside from the figure drawing classes that I have been attending religiously, I also started a figure painting class with Randy Sexton, an artist who has taught a lot of my co-workers at Pixar. He's a brilliant painter, and a great teacher too. I was a little embarrassed to post my paintings, but now that the 8 weeks of classes are done (we didn't get to paint every week, so there aren't 8 paintings), I felt like it's worth sharing. I see improvement in my work, and although I'm far from where I want to be, I'm proud that I took the first step in taking this class.

Hope to continue with this in the Long pose nights...
week 1

week 2

week 3

week 4

seeing double

2008-10-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

it's been a while--I've been busy sewing actually :)
So I finally DID finish the dress I started posting/blogging about for the last 2 months. Then I had enough leftover fabric to make a top! I actually like wearing it b/c it fits me well and i didn't pay for it!

forgotten sketch

2008-10-03T09:50:00.001-07:00

I think this was from last month...keep forgetting to date my drawings. Honestly, lately I've been throwing a lot of my sketches away out of frustration. But I took a shot of this one a while back, and just got it uploaded. It's ok...for now. : \

dress update

2008-10-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

I finally put the zipper in the dress that I've been making for many months now...I guess now that summer's pretty much over I don't feel too motivated to finish it...but the zipper took a little while to set in b/c I'm used to the invisible zipper, and this one required a different technique. Well, I'm just out of practice, if you really want to know the truth..

There's not really much left on the dress! Just hemming it up and putting in a hook and eye...why is it taking me so long?!

A new month!

2008-09-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

Did a bit better yesterday--still feeling like my drawings aren't improving much--or just getting tired of the same poses and models...don't know. But it's still good to keep at it! These are all 1-minute poses that felt like 30 seconds in reality. : P

The Doodling Continues...

2008-09-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy that I haven't been able to post my latest drawings...that and I haven't really been feeling that good about drawing. I guess I go through phases...but here are some of the ones I've done that are decent. Consider this a recap of the month of August. :)

not-so-new project

2008-09-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

I started making this dress maybe 2 months ago, but ever since I ran into a slight problem (the front gathering made me look pregnant, so I have to change it somehow), I have abandoned the project. But I wanted to post the process so that one day when it's done I can see how far I've come.
I got the fabric from Clement street in SF, and it's actually the same fabric that one of the anthropologie tops is made out of! (Anthro is my fav store in the world, except I can't afford any of it...so I try to make things that look like they're from Anthro. hehe)

What's in a name?

2008-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Just learned some new things in Photoshop, such as making a stamp pattern...so I was eager to try it out! This is a stamp pattern I made with my name.

A lovely wedding

2008-07-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

My good friend Ceci just got married last Saturday! It was one of the most beautiful weddings I have been to--here's to Ceci & Wayne!

Costume design nomination!

2008-07-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Wow--I feel really honored--I just received a letter saying that I have been nominated for a Hillbarn Theatre Subscriber Choice Award for my designs on "A Thousand Clowns"! The results should be in on Aug 10, at the awards ceremony. I'm not sure if I can go that day, but I hope to...just something to smile about. :)

Hot Asian Model

2008-07-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Haha, that got your attention! ;)
I just can't think of anything creative to title my entries these days. But honestly, the model Isabelle is really fit--believe she is/was a dancer--she has the elegance of a ballet dancer. Such great form and posture. Anyway, she was fun to draw, but I didn't really have a great drawing day. Here are just a few...

blah! The rest of it was a struggle--so I cut out this one...I liked the pose.

lovely model

2008-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

LOVED the model from last week--co-worker T said after the session: "she was pretty...", to which R & I quickly responded, "Yah! She was pretty good wasn't she?" T followed: "No, I mean she was pretty." hehe. Just some fun costumes and it really helped me to draw better.

A few more!

The one above has the famous Tom Gately (teacher)'s correction next to it (gives it so much more attitude! That's what gesture is about)...and the guy's just brilliant!

photo collage for my sister...

2008-06-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

My sis graduated with her MBA from UCI yesterday. I've been inspired by her photography, and wanted to do something similarly beautiful. Equipped with a less than powerful tool though (the Cannon poweshot A95), I couldn't get any good shots of her during the ceremony...but I think this will be sufficient in helping us to remember the wonderful event.

"Chinese Dumplings" short film

2008-06-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is LONG overdue. I finally found the film that I costume-designed for: Chinese Dumplings. I worked with Michelle Hung (writer & director) & Quyen Tran (Cinematographer), and the film won the UCLA Spotlight in 2006 and Best Cinematography! It has since been featured in various venues. I also made the "stunt dumplings" featured on this film, with the help of Reina. Special thanks though must be given to my friend Christina Chao for her labor on helping me sew little laces onto Grace's socks, and the headband for Lucy. Lucy's costumes had to be basically made from scratch--her top I created from a t-shirt and a knit halter I found thrift. Her skirt was thrift women's size 14, and had to be made to fit her. The mom's clothes were mainly vintage, and her slippers were mine. :)

here's a link to the film on youtube.com

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LzH0ZOc1x8g&feature=related

best to you Michelle on the film--hope it gets made into a feature!

"Black Book"-PSA film at Paramount

2008-06-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

This is the short film I co-designed costumes for over 2 years ago, and I finally just found a "making-of" clip from it! The film was a public service announcement that won a screenwriting award and then produced by professionals from Paramount Studios. We had a trailer full of costumes! It was insane.

To see the making-of video, click here:

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?vid=121873

or here!

if you look closely, I'm wearing pink, towards the beginning of the film, helping an actor with her clothes. You really only see my pony tail and three-quarter view of my face. It's not an all glamorous job!

Gesture drawing 6/10/2008

2008-06-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

These are from yesterday's gesture drawing class. Yes, I take both gesture and figure drawing classes at Pixar!

So it's frankly hard for me to tell if I am doing well in gesture drawing, b/c it is so different from figure drawing. But Nick S., the instructor/friend from the class kept saying, "These are awesome, what happened?" Which seems to say I used to suck a lot more, and I was like, "Wow, even though I feel like I can't draw right now, you think these are good? I guess that's the key to being able to do gesture drawings..." So you be the judge. I have no idea.

"A few good wo-men"...

2008-06-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

sorry i couldn't just put "More drawings" for my title--had to TRY to be clever. hehe.
But here are some results from today's figure drawing session at work. I felt pretty loose, after my recent vacation to China...so I think my drawings are a bit more free.
I believe these were 1-2 min-poses. There is prob one on each sheet that I like, but decided to just put the whole thing on. :)

go figure...

2008-05-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

I've been really thrilled about being able to take figure and gesture drawing classes during lunchtime at Pixar. It's an amazing perk of working here. I try to document my progress by taking pictures of my sketches so I can have digital copies of them--and I toss most of the hard copies. I have a long way to go, esp seeing how crazy awesome the artists here can draw...
Here are a few from back in February (2/26)...

And a few from March (3/4):

(Yeah I know, what's up with the half-completed heads?...I'm slow I know...)

one in May (5/7)--might be a 5 minutes pose:

This one I'm a bit embarrassed to put up b/c the model had such a great pose, but I failed to work fast enough to capture it all...this is really just the skeleton:

a friendly gesture...

2008-05-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, enough of me trying to have clever titles...hehe. I'm kind of cheesy like that. So Gesture drawing has been a challenge for me, b/c even back in college when I took gesture drawing, it was all about the figure. But here at Pixar, I'm learning you're supposed to make up a story about what the figure is conveying. So to say the least, it's been a struggle, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to draw regardless. I'm just really rusty at this. The one above dates 5/7/08, the ones below from today! I think I'm getting it a little bit more...

diggin' into the past...

2008-05-19T10:31:00.001-07:00

I made this dress for my Barbie when I was 4 or 5. I remember I was really young, b/c I hadn't started my last year of kindergarten yet.
I recently remembered the collection of dresses and dug into some boxes and found only this one! I need to find the evening gown, the ballet dress, and others still. But this one was made from a sock I had which had holes in it, so it got converted into a dress.

I put it on a Barbie I found at work...just to see what it looks like on. But the decolletage is all stretched out now from the elastic losing its stretch...:(

Jewelry creations!

2008-05-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Now that I don't do as much designing, my creative outlet has been making things with my hands--and this is one of them (sorry these pics are such bad quality--that's another challenge--learning to take good shots of jewelry!)

"The Fence" short film won "Spotlight"!

2008-05-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

I just found out our film won UCLA "Spotlight"!!! It is quite prestigious as so many films get submitted and only 5 live action films are chosen, and 2 animated. Q won best cinematography for it! Congrats Q, Matt, and all the hardworking cast and crew! It's the second film Q and I have worked on that has won for "Spotlight". I guess we have quite a good record goin! Can't wait to see it go through festivals in the future--and maybe we can make it feature-length, Matt? ;)

"Driving Miss Daisy"

2007-09-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Shot of well-known Ms. Michael Learned ("The Waltons" in the '70s) playing "Daisy", and Mr. Lance Nichols as "Hoke", the chauffeur.

This is a show I designed concurrently with "A Thousand Clowns", but thankfully "Clowns" wrapped up first. I started designing Daisy, and am going for a paper-doll design concept, which basically means the characters do not change their basic first costume, but instead, would be changing accessories. So this sketch is Daisy's only dress that she will wear throughout the play, and I will post the accessory changes later.

To show Brian the sketches though, I have tracing paper laid over the original "doll" to show the progression of the changes.
Here are the sets of sketches for Daisy:

And some nice production shots!

Sketches for Hoke (including the basic costume):

Last but not least, the beautiful set by John:

Another really nice review from Steven Stanley of LaStageScene.com:

"A Thousand Clowns"

2007-09-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is one of the shows that I have been working on since "Sylvia" ended. The story takes place in the early 60s. Here's a brief synopsis found on the theater site (Hillbarntheatre.org) :

"Murray Burns, a bachelor uncle with a non-conformist approach to life, is raising his precocious 12 year old nephew. Tired of writing cheap comedy for children's television, he finds himself unemployed and wandering through the streets of New York City, observing life. Social Services drops in to ensure that the nephew is receiving a proper upbringing. Murray, threatened with loosing his nephew, comes to terms with his life, his work, and a significant Social Worker, all the while maintaining his ideals." (play written by Herb Gardner)

I actually really enjoyed the story, and felt that it taught me a lot about even my own life.

The show will open on Jan. 25th, 2008 at Hillbarn in Foster City, CA. But I am aiming to have everything done by 12/15--next weekend!

Well, here are some sketches I have been meaning to put up.
LATEST update: I was nominated for Audience Choice award for best costume design!

Leo Herman, who plays "Chuckles the Chipmunk" in the tv show, appears on stage with a hat that has a chipmunk inside. I designed it to look like a tree trunk. Gail is building the hat for me, so we'll see how that turns out!

I wanted Murray in a pineapple print Hawaiian shirt b/c later on in the story he carries a pineapple to his brother Arnold, who actually usually is the one to bring fruit to him daily b/c he's obsessed with fruits...anyway, I'm excited about the shirt I got from ebay!

"The Fence"-short film

2007-09-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

One word: Copperopolis. This was a remote town located about 2.5 hours NE of San Francisco. The weather was a consistent 110 degrees everyday, except for nights, but I was with the most amazing group of people on set, so it made it all fun! I had the privilege of working with Matt Silas, who now works for Pixar, and Quyen Tran, the DP, who I had worked with twice before this, but who I was excited to spend 4 1/2 days straight with. Of course, there was the beautiful children of the cast, Lizzie & Lexi, their lovely moms, and Trey McCurly...whose stories from Oklahoma (or was it Alabama?...) we were all fascinated with.

There are simply too many people to name and too much to say--so I'll sum it up with one word (again): "Copperopolis". I miss it so much.

Photo credits: Q, and myself. More to come soon!
shoot days I was there for: Aug 31~Sept 4/2007

note: Since this is my professional site, I don't normally post pictures of people I work with, but this was the BEST picture from Copperopolis! You couldn't have gotten people to make those faces even if you tried! I'm usually pretty shy so to have a shocked look on my face captured on film is a bit...well, embarrassing. But I won't tell you which one is me! ;)

The scenario: There were 2 cameras going at once, and as it turned out the first camera was precariously placed on the back of the truck, and started to fall off the platform! (we're talking a camera worth a few thousand $!). So the second camera (also placed on the same truck, but much more stable) went off right then and captured the moment. :) Good job everyone!

"Sylvia"

2007-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect example of how costumes truly do evolve throughout the production process. Unbeknownst to the general public, most costume designs are done sometimes weeks prior to the casting of actors. So I could be designing for a completely different body type, skin tone, hair color, & even height. Then when the actors are cast, I work with them to figure out how to maintain my designs (approved by the director first, of course), while making them happy and comfortable. It is all about helping them to feel the character, so I always try my hardest to make them happy. After all, they are the ones that have to wear the same costumes show after show!

I showed Joel the designs for Sylvia and he actually loved them! The concept is combining textured, nubbly sweater looped material mixed with small strips of faux-fur to create the "dog" costume. The first one shows ripped up jeans with faux-fur coming out of the holes.
But it turned out, Cathy hated ponchos, b/c she is very petite, and felt like it would overwhelm her. We went shopping together and found styles that she felt best in. This is how that fisrt costume evolved:

P.S. Unfortunately the sweater Cathy's wearing shrank a little during the dye & distress process, so it was snug on her. But cutting some holes in the sweater helped to ease the tension, so it was fine. :)

Then, Greg takes Sylvia for a beauty treatment. Sylvia's donned the girly costume that is so unlike her to try to please Kate. After Kate shuns her, Sylvia returns to her normal self (see side sketch). This time, she's in a patchwork pullover of fur and sweater materials, and corduroys w/rips in them:

This, again, shows how the pink fur costume did not work out (the fur just was too stiff), and Joel decided he liked her to evoke "French Poodle" after all (he did not want this at first), so I had less than 24 hours to find a dress & add/subtract things to make it work!

As for the patchwork sweater she changes into--I'm very proud of it, as I ended up constructing it myself. The only thing I hated about it was having to cut up a dozen of new sweaters to make it. I know I know, I should be ashamed of myself, being an environmental advocate, but there was simply no time to go thrift on this one!

Anyway, this is a costume showing Sylvia in heat, in the height of her "womanhood"...sadly she gets spayed just right after this. This, too, evolved, as Cathy actually hated wearing fur. Here are photos of the before & after she gets with another dog Bowser!

I don't have a sketch of the last costume, but I was inspired by the new Prada coat, Fall collection. I see Sylvia as the fully domesticated dog that also has a bit of class about her. This coat was built by Karen Curry, and it turned out so well!

Some other production photos, including the famous roles of the upper-east side Phyllis, manly Tom, and the androgynous therapist Leslie (all played by the same man):

*I was thrilled to be working with the well-known Olympic gymnast, Cathy Rigby, who happens to be the wife of Tom McCoy, the man responsible for keeping me working at La Mirada Theater! (Thanks Tom!) In the world of theater, Cathy is perhaps best known for her role as "Peter Pan". Cathy plays Sylvia, the stray dog that main character Greg finds in the park one day. Greg and his wife Kate live in East Side NY, and they are in the midst of their mid-life crises. Having Sylvia complicates things for the couple even more...(play written by A.R. Gurney)

Joel Bishoff was the wonderful director of this play, and the set and lighting were designed by Neil Jampolis, an amazing designer who also happens to be UCLA faculty.

The show opened November 2nd, 2007, at La Mirada Theater, CA.

Los Angeles Theatre Reviews:
Sylvia
November 15, 2007
By Melinda Schupmann

"Costumes by Judy Jou are notable, as Sylvia changes from a scruffy, jeans-clad mongrel to a post-grooming, pink-ruffled poodle. Adding to the whimsy is set designer Neil Peter Jampolis' New York colorful skyline and modern apartment."

Another review:

"Marat/Sade"

2007-09-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

What a show this was--this would mark the end of my MFA career at UCLA. It was certainly a challenge for me to work as I go, w/o designing everything in full detail, like I normally like to go about things...and I think it turned out really wonderfully.

Since the story takes place during the French Revolution and is set in an insane asylum, my concept was to have the costumes look like they were done by the patients themsevles, when given only gauze strips and leather pieces. I sewed lots of buckles & leather straps, as well as knotted & twisted, dyed & distressed the yards and yards of cotton gauze. It was fun!
Set was done by my favorite Francois-Pierre Couture, a good friend of mine from UCLA. Gotta love that guy for giving me a wonderful backdrop to the costumes! Good collaboration indeed!
some production photos (photos by FP):

some sketches:

"The Trash Sisters" band

2007-04-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Fun project made up by my professor Alan. I enjoyed eating snacks to provide trash for my artwork. : P I liked using an old paper bag as my backdrop too. Yes, I am environmentally-conscious too!

"From Dust Thou Art"

2007-04-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

This was my first design assignment at UCLA, based on a compilation of many writings from the Dust Bowl era. So the characters in the play said things that were written by different people who went through the westward migration during the Dust Bowl. Set in the 30s, the experiences of these people were far from glamorous--they underwent harsh conditions to follow their dreams to make a better life in California.

Because of this shared experience, my design concept was that all of these characters would share similar fabrics that would be made into their clothes. I very much enjoyed the details of the wear and tear of their clothes. Hope you enjoy them too. Perhaps one day this play could be realised.

"King Lear"

2007-04-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

This was one of my last projects at UCLA, and my 2 classmates and I had the privilege of consulting with Brian Kite, a fine director at UCLA, to create our unique designs for the play. It was difficult for me to get into the story at first, so finally, after much thought to the story, I decided to go back to my roots and place King Lear in the Qing Dynasty, since Lear reminded me so much of the fierce Shihuangdi (Qing Emperor), whose stories I grew up hearing, and fearing. This take afforded me the opportunity to learn so much about Chinese history, since I hadn't taken any classes prior to this. Also, my mom got excited about my project and found a handful of historical figures from the same time period who somehow had similar personalities or relationships to each other--I ended up using their names for the other players in the story.

The project enabled me to get back into Chinese brush-painting, but I hadn't really painted people before--I only knew how to do the brush writing in 1st & 2nd grade back in Taiwan. Anyway, it was challenging but I'm pleased with the results.

Here are a few paintings I did on authentic rice paper (very different from watercolor paper, esp with the Chinese watercolor I used, the renderings came out very much muted).

"Beaux' Stratagem"

2007-04-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

This was my second show at UCLA, and my first 18th century production. Set in the early 18th century (1707), and written by George Farquar, this was a really fun piece. Joe Olivieri, the director, actually liked the silhouette of the later 18th century, so ended up pushing it back to circa 1760s. We ended up recutting a lot of pre-existing supposedly 18th century gowns to make the period look absolutely correct. Thanks to Maxwell Barr at UCLA, who practically builds 18th c. gowns for museums, the result was breathtaking.

I did a lot of research and learned a great deal about the mannerisms of that period. It was a little stressful though, because I was planning for my wedding at that time, and was literally juggling alterations on my gown and alterations on the show! Not to mention I got rear-ended on the freeway in the midst of all this...talk about stress! Well, if anything, I learned that if I can survive planning a wedding and doing a full-on period show while getting my accident taken care of, I can handle anything!

Some sketches:
Dorinda

Archer

Mrs. Sullen

The Thieves, Bagshot and Hounslow

Mr. Sullen

This is an example of a "Color Plot" that I usually put together to show the director the overall palette for the entire show, esp when the cast is large. I also bring copies of the color plot with me to swatch for fabrics.

Life Drawing with Marker

2007-04-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

I took a life drawing class at UCLA my last quarter with Jacquline Wazir, and fell in love with marker rendering. It's so fast, esp b/c you can't really go back and fix anything you don't like. Once you put the marker down on paper, that's it!
note: Probably my favorite model--Jackie always said curvy models are the best to draw. It's true! This one was probably a 10 minute pose.

This was my homework assignment--finding a photo in a magazine and sketching it out. It was intimidating at first b/c I didn't know if I would be able to capture the photo quite right, but I think it turned out well. :)

"The Matchmaker"

2007-04-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

This is a beautifully written story that the famous musical "Hello Dolly" was based on. I loved doing the research on the 1880s, where the silhouettes changed so much. I also loved the texture of all the fabrics I found for the costumes.

"The Last Mass at St. Casimir's"

2007-04-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is the last production I designed costumes for. I love the story--it is beautifully written by Tom Dudzick, with a lot of humor as well as depth. Set in 1977 during the blizzard in Buffalo, NY, "Last Mass" tells the story of the Pazinski family who find themselves stuck in the house together during the storm. It is directed by Glenn Casale. The show opened on June 1st, 2007, at La Mirada Theater, CA.
Production Photos are finally in!

This is the color palette that I painstakingly rendered using Photoshop, which I'm still an amateur at (should have studied graphic arts as well).

Rough sketches for some of the characters, including research inspiration collages.

"Proof"

2007-04-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to have gotten the opportunity to design "Proof" with Brian Kite, one of my favorite directors. I also have a personal attachment to the story b/c the story is based in Evanston, IL, and the leading lady Catherine goes to Northwestern Univ, where I got my bachelor's from! In fact, this was the first design project I received while at NU. It was a blast, and the cast was incredible.

This show ran from October 13th~29th, 2006, at La Mirada Theater, CA, and received rave reviews in the L.A. Times. Way to go gang!
Some Production Photos:

Some quick marker renderings:

Oh, and this is what I usually make for a show that has many costume changes. It's called a "Color Plot". It's a tool for me to communicate to the director my ideas of color progression throughout, as well as see how each character's colors work with other ones on stage at the same time. It's just quickly painted 4" thumbnails of my designs, taped onto an illustration board. But this one prob got tossed out at the fitting room area! : 0 Ah well...at least I got a picture of it.

"The Balcony"

2007-04-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

"The Balcony" by Jean Genet was the first production I worked on at UCLA, as a first year MFA student. The research aspect was actually frustrating because it seemed like whatever key word from the show I typed into Google, I would get sent into a porn site. I guess it was pretty close, since I was designing people in the brothel. But all in all it was a lot of fun because most of the costumes had to be built from scratch on a low budget. Thanks to the awesome drapers and seamstresses at UCLA who helped me realize my designs!

The "Judge", "Executioner", and the "Thief" (brothel client, brothel's pimp, and prostitute)

The "General" and the "Horse" (brothel client & prostitute)

The Revolutionaries & their icon (the girl)

sketch of the Revolutionaries:

more sketches to come soon!

"Glimmer"--short film

2007-04-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

This was a short film I worked on with director Ken Kokka in 2006. Some production shots:

UCLA design showcase

2007-04-01T23:00:00.001-07:00

At the conclusion of my MFA program for costume design at UCLA, I participated in a showcase that would allow people from the entertainment industry to come look at my work. It spanned over two days, and if anything, I was inspired by the talent there.

This is a 1940s-inspired coat that I designed, draped, and constructed at UCLA. Strangely enough, I finished the coat in time for the finals, but didn't put in buttons & button holes until a couple years later! It is finally a done deal. The best part is that the materials only cost me $60!

"Farmhouse" feature

2007-04-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

I recently applied to be Costume Designer for a film called "Farmhouse". So since last Tuesday, I have been hard at work on these designs of 4 demons. With very little info given on them or the plot of the story, other than their names and that they are humans throughout most of the movie, I came up with these:

A redo of the "Dark One"...after some input from Jason at Alliance Group Entertainment.

Well, I met with George the director today, and basically he already knew what he wanted for these demonic beings. Long story short, he said he liked capes and vampire-like things...so my ideas went out the window, sadly. At least I like them, maybe for another production!

Anyway, it's definitely not what people expect me to design, but I think it is very me actually. :) Sorry all my buddies who still think I'm too sweet/innocent. hehehe...can't wait to hear my former professor from UCLA-- Alan's reaction, since he was always teasing me about having my first job out of grad school doing a horror genre film. I guess he thinks I'm too innocent to do a horror film. Well, hope I will prove him wrong. But honestly, I think it's just about being creative; it has little to do with your personality--I think.

So the outcome of all this hard work? Well, I happily took another job at The Actor's Gang since the job offer was waiting for me, and I couldn't resist working with an old friend and brilliant set designer FP. Plus I actually never heard back from AGE...

"The Unadorned"

2007-04-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is a very low-budget production that I designed costumes for at a box-theater called The Hollywood Fight Club. The budget was so low that I ended up constructing all of the WWI nurse uniforms. It took a lot of time, but I managed to save the director a lot of money. And the experience showed me that I actually am able to build costumes (usually I design for other people to build) and enjoy the process a lot. Here is one photo I managed to snap during rehearsal--not as professional as I would like them to be, but it will suffice.

My Resume

2007-04-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

My Self-Portrait (litho print)

2007-04-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

This was a color litho print I made in college as an art major. There are only 4 prints of this in the world! :) I really really love printmaking, b/c the results are so unpredictable and the process is pretty challenging. There are just so many steps to making the print, including grinding down limestone, staining it, washing it over and over, etc. Also, I had to think about what colors (cyan, magenta, yellow) to put down first to create the picture--and do that 3 times to produce each print. Definitely miss printmaking.