Draping Is Fun

What is draping?

It is pattern-making in a 3-dimensional way (not by drafting). You place a piece of cheap muslin on the dress form mannequine, and then do whatever you can to shape it into a dress (or a shirt, or a pant ) that you design. You do folding, cutting, pinning, measuring.......WHATEVER. For example, if you need a dart on your skirt, you have to gather the extra fabric and make adjustment and smooth out until you got the fit that you desire, then you pin the dart and make marks. After you remove the muslin from the dress form, you draw lines according to the pins and marks to guide your sewing. Our teacher said in order to draft a good pattern on paper, you need to have clear concept of draping first. You could also duplicate a favorite piece of garment that you have with ease (without having to rip it apart) if you have enough draping knowledge.

I am not good at this becuase I have a very poor sense of spatial relationship. You really need to be able to shift your mind between 2-D and 3-D quickly in order to do nice draping (and pattern-making I guess). You want to ask me what the hell is spatial relationship? Well, remember the kind of questions in an IQ test that ask you what an odd-shaped box will look like from a different angle? That's it. I got zero point at that part of my IQ test, which is good, becuz I feel I am entitled to be slow and dumb at our draping class. It's stress-free.

To watch that piece of muslin slowly change into a piece of clothing right on the manneqine.......it's totally magic.



The collar & the sleeve.











When you sew the bodice and skirt together, the darts and side seams have to line up.

Can't Wait for Spring to Wear This Dress

When I saw this dress at Mango, I knew I want it right away. I love the fit and the lace on the shoulder. Usually anything more than 1-2 inches above the knee is a no-no for me. But for some reason THIS dress is different. It's like love at first sight and there is very little reason in it.

The Chinese writer Zhang Ai-Ling once said: most women paid more attention to choose a hat than they do to a husband. Yes, wearing a hat that's not for you could be an immediate disaster. And I believe most women can identity their dream garment at a big store right away, but to identify your soul mate? Well........

It's Good for Our Planet, But........

This white dress was bought about 16 years ago, and I am still wearing it--in a different way, though.

To consume less is good for our planet, but it seems to be against the basic logic of capitalism. Now that the economy is so dreary, should we good citizens shop more often? Anyway, to be a guilt-free shopholic isn't that bad.

$25 for a Genuine Shearling Coat?

Yes, that's what I paid for this vintage coat on Ebay.

It's warm and in very good condition. The only thing that I am not happy with is that it's waaaaaaaaaay too tight, even for my skinny body. When I wear it I have to first make sure that there will not be too much movement for me on that particular day. I couldn't even use my hand to show direction when someone offered to drive me home.

In Love with Your Own Shoulder

Donna Karen said: every woman loves her own shoulder.

I think she is right.

Sewing Project 003: Blouse

We did this at our sewing class. The pattern pieces were cut by our teacher so all we did is putting them together. To ease the sleeves (curved and bigger than the armhole) is the most difficult part.

Canadian Geese in Bowne Park

Last night at around 12:30 am, they left.

And they came back this morning at 11:30.

From my bedroom I can hear the noise that they made when they are landing or taking off, just like an aircraft. They look like aircrafts, too, at those moments. When they leave, they will glde forward gracefully upon the lake at first, and then moving slightly upward for a distance, as if following an invisible track that's placed at a small angle against the ground......finally, they shoot off and disappear into the bottomless sky.

Many nights when I sit along in front of the computer I will hear them. I know they are going home. And I know that even though the Twin Towers could vanish in a few minutes like dewdrops, these animals will come back for sure. And that thought makes me feel anchored and safe.

Sunlight Saving Time Resumes

Sunlight saving time resumes early tomorrow morning at 2:00 AM. Clock move ahead one hour.

I like it so much when daytime gets a little bit longer everyday. It means firebugs are coming back very soon, and cherry blossoms. And a walk in the neighborhood after dinner is so plesant when you get to see some evening clouds. Plus.... I could get my bike from the basement and resme my evening biking exercise.

Hello, Spring! Welcome back!

On Psychotherapy

It's kind of like sex.

You want to be explored to the core, and you are scared.

You keep asking yourself: can I really trust this person? What will happen when I completely surrender myself to him?

Will I finally realize that I am not just a lonely wanderer on this planet, that I am capable of joining someone , joining the human community?

and....

Bad therapy is just like bad sex.

You are touched here and there, but never to the right point.

You tried sooooo very hard to open up yourself.

And you feel sorry for that unlucky guy because he seems to be trying very hard, too.

Sometimes you feel something.....just a little bit.....it's very suspicious.

And you tell yourself :" Be patient, have faith.
Maybe things will be different next time. Something magical will happen."

And that life-changing next time never really came.

The Smell of Love

The wonderful night has come to an end. In the chilly morninig I wake up and realize that my bedroom is empty once again.

While brushing my teeth mechanilcally in front of the mirror, my nose suddenly detects something that's very, very sweet.

That's the smell of her hair that still clings to my hand.

Desperately, I try to lock in that smell, to not let it go.

But how could that be possible? Could I stop breathing?

Breathe out one more time, and the smell will be gone.....
And then you breathe in, and behold ! the whole intrusive world is coming:

the smell of soap and dirty laundry, of morning newspaper that dutifully informs
you about every boming on Gaza strip, of a cup of coffee that maybe tasteful or tasteless, of subway train (and of course all sorts of deodorants)........

The smell of the powerful, gigantic, mundane world........

The Awakening of Insects

Today is 驚螫 in the Chinese Lunar Calender, the day when all insects are awakened by the coming of Spring. (There are 24 such seasonal periods in every year.) The kids were coughing and sneezing. It is believed that older or sick people, or the very young ones, have to be especially careful on those 24 days, because the energy of the whole universe are chaging rapidly and it's difficult for them to cope with.

Indeed today is warm. Just 3 days ago we had a bad snow storm that the school had to be closed. After a long and cold winter, spring seems to have finally arrived. Very slowly, though........

Sewing Project 002: Chair Makeorver

The sofa slipcover has several holes made by our cat Smarty, so I use it to make covers for the ten-year-old kitchen chairs to give them a facelift.

Everything $15 website

I got the cropped cardigan from this website for $15:

http://15dollarstore.com/s/home/1526954481

I took off the removable faux fur collar so that the look seems cleaner.

a Kimono style vest

When I pair it with a black t-shirt, I look like a Taikwando player.

Does it look better this way?

price: around $20 to $30 , from T.J. Max.

Sewing Project 001: Pencil Case

I made this pencil case for Cheryl to practice my sewing skill.

It looks awful but it's just my first try.........I should forgive myself.

The materials were collected from old clothings that are too small for Cheryl now: Jeans, T-shirt, and short.

So totally not me

This dress is so totally not me.

The color is not me.
The bold print is not me.
The ruffle at the hem is not me.
The voluminous shape is overwhelming for my skinny body.

But becuz it's 100% silk and it only cost $7.00, my girl friends insist that I need to break the mold to wear it.

I put on a belt so that the dress could have some structure.

It's all her fault !

I wouldn't have spent around $35-$40 on the lace top if I were not shopping with Ming. When I put it on for a trial, she was literally screaming by my side and saying "oh it's sooooo pretty and elegant and........blah, blah, blah."

So, it's all her fault.

Proud to be a frugal fashionista

The velvet top is another piece of garment that was digged out at the vintage shop that sold everything at $3.00/pound.

vintage top: $3.00
vintage shoes/scarf: free
legging: less than $10

This is the "HC Bag"!

Ming designed this bag for ME ! Someday when she becomes a famous designer, people will say oh this is the HC (Hsiao-Ching) bag, just like the Hermes Kelly bag !! Oh I am so positive-thinking. Guess my therapy starts to work.


The vest: Jones New York. can't remember the price. I think is 20 something?

Whch shoes look better?

I prefer the blue one. It makes the lower body looks longer.

The cardigan is from H&M, around $10?

A minimalist look

Everything is simple and clean so even with the fishnet stocking, the whole look doesn't seem too loud.


The satin belt should be at the back of the dress, but I like it so I wear it at the front.

The dress cost between $25- $30 after discound at Macy's.

Do I smell French?

My friend Vanna said with a cigaratte in hand and enough attitude,
I will look like a neurotic French woman writer that suffers greatly from sleep disorder.

The dress: a hand-me-down from my sister.
bomber jacket: around $30.

Cotton Dress with Silk Sleeves

$12.00, bought at Century 21.

The neckline is kind of low so I pile 3 necklaces to complete the look.

The Horror Box

My love
is like a horror box that has been locked
in 37 different ways.

Discarded on the street corner,

It contains:

A mask that has poison applied all over,
A pair of tender-looking handcuffs,
Blood-stained sexy lingerie,
A calendar where the year never ends,
Some dark poems written in reverse,
A rotten and atrophic heart,
and
Lots of mud that used to be a pink rose bouquet--so badly trampled.

The city cop said:
"After a security check, this box has been proved
to have nothing to do with terrorism.
Just go ahead and destroy it. "

In the waste-burning furnace,
Everything was turned into a pile of ashes.
But even in the 995 degree Fahrenheit heat.
A sigh lingers.

I Choose to Stay in My Garden

I choose to stay
When all the roses have withered away;

I choose to stay
Whereas in this garden winter never ends.

My garden, ah--
How beautiful I thought it would be,
When I first planted those flower seeds.

Now, it's a wasteland.
The only living creature here is a robin chick
That sings for me every morning on my windowsill.

"My wings are not fledged yet,
And I could not fly on my own,
But they say in that far-off place,
Things are different---
So why don't you go?" questions the little bird.

"You've brought me so much joy of life," I reply softly.
"Therefore I choose to stay,
To be with you, my dear birdie,
Though the air supply is getting scarce here,
And death only steps away."

A super great buy from Lord and Taylor Clearance Center

This Walter jacket was priced around $250 at Saks Fifth Avenue...

And I got it for $15.

The 4 inches high leather sandals were from Old Nayy, $7.00.

I told my beloved friend Joan that if I manage to walk on it successfully, I could probably go get a job at Big Apple Circus. Beth insists that I have to practice walking on it at home for 15 minutes a day before actually wearing it on the streets.

Cropped pants + heels elongate legs visually. I think I look at least 2 inches taller than my real height.

Staying pretty on a shoe string

A 100% wool blazer from a Vintage shop that sells everything at $3 per pounds,
so the cost? Mayber around $2.00.

The embroidered scarf is free---from my shopholic girl friend Beth's closet. She lives in a small apartment and needs to get rid of old stuff every now and then.

The bag is handmade by Ming, my talented designer friend.

My first fashion design class project

Yuzhi and I worked together to create the first paragraph.
Then I wrote the rest of it and she fixed my grammer.

***************************************************************************
This Valentino midi-dress is sleeveless with a fitted bodice cinched in by a silver-toned buckle. The top half of the bodice is sheer with a bib-shaped ruffle front and a tie at the center of the neckline. The skirt is pleated at the waist with a slight flare and a fuzzy overlay that falls several inches above the hem.
I like this dress because while the tailored bodice, the ruffled-front and the tie convey demure elegance, the sheer part of the top, partially covered by the ruffled-bib and the tie, makes the whole garment look subtly sexy. The fuzzy overlay also adds a bit of edge that helps to create an even more interesting look.
If I were to redesign this dress, I would keep the basic fitted-and-flare silhouette. The overlay of the skirt, the ruffled bib and the tie can stay, too. The major change in shape would be a fuller skirt to make the contrast between the upper and lower body more dramatic. Three-quarter length sheer Chiffon sleeves will be added so that the dress is less revealing but still sexy as well as sophisticated. Other revisions include adding colors and patterns and bringing in different kinds of fabrics to make the overall look more eclectic and patchwork-like.
The features of the new dress are as follows:

• *More pleats at waistline and a fuller skirt made of brown pin-striped cotton.

• *An overlay that’s the same size as the original but made of purple sheer Chiffon.

• *Three-quarter length sleeves made of purple sheer Chiffon and embroidered with small eyelet flowers. The cuffs will be purple, too, and in the same fuzzy material that was used for the overlay of the original dress.

• *The neck and waistline covered by a band of dark red jewel-toned velvet, which will also be used to make the neck tie.

• *The silver buckle replaced by a small rectangular piece of black suede with sequins on it.

• *The original bodice that consists of upper/lower parts to be replaced by one made of a whole piece of light grey satin. The same material will be used to make the ruffled-bib.

An elegant skirt

I hate going shopping with my designer friend Ming because she has such a good taste so I will just buy whatever she says is good.

The elegant skirt is what she found for me at a Vintage shop. Around 10 or 15 bucks.

The cardigan is $9 from Century21.

The shoes are vintage, too, from my Harvardee friend Yuan.

The faux suede bag is from Payless Shoes, around $14.

Kenzo skirt from a flea market

bought new, around $15.


The shoes are from Payless, around $15.00

Life is beautiful......

.....when you can buy a brand-new 100% silk dress at $10.

I like the semi-sheer sleeves and the ribbon details at the cuff.

A pearl necklace was fixed onto the cheap bag to make it look dressier.

Prairie skirt + Corduroy jacket + Knee-high boots

The skirt is from a vintage shop, around $15.

I spend some time to think about what top/jacket would go with this skirt that's very flowy and voluminous then I found....

The jacket at national wholesale liquidator, around $15.

The Ann Taylor boots is another item that my friend Beth wanted to get rid of. Worn only once.

I love the slouchy bag since the design is good and it looks and feels like real leather but it's so very light. I bought it from a Manhattan street vendor for around $15 or $20.

Jeans and Flats and a sexy top

The top is just sexy enough for my string-bean body shape. It covers everything that need to be covered.