I struggled with my motivation and drive to work on creative pursuits this summer, but eventually was able to find a good-ish groove towards the latter part of the season. I’ve been slowly gearing up for the art market I have signed up for in October, and have created a few new embroidery pieces for that. I plan to also bring some of my older beaded jewelry to the market, and may end up adding a few new designs (or new takes on old designs).

If you will excuse the tangent, let’s talk a little bit about the business side of things; it’s something I don’t enjoy and rarely talk about, but probably something I should spend more time thinking about when events like this are on the agenda. As I haven’t done any other markets this year, it’s hard to know what will sell and what won’t; I am focusing on embroidery hoops because I will be the only vendor in that category. I am also cognizant of current economic realities, and I wonder how that impacts the art/craft market and how I should account for it in my pricing. The cost of my materials has gone up, of course (and, for a while, there was a shortage of embroidery floss, of all things!). I want to find a balance between creating art that is financially accessible and getting fair compensation for my work … and it’s not as easy as it might seem. If you are also a creator grappling with these issues, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Okay, let’s have a look at what I’ve been making:

I decided to revisit an old favourite theme — the “evil” eye motif — and create a series of three smaller hoops based on a design I created a few years ago. I made a blue eye, a green eye, and a brown eye, each with a unique rainbow array of colours I felt would be most complementary:

I also decided to give Picasso-esque portraits another try, and created 2 new designs:

Last but not least, I did something a little bit different (and a little bit the same) by upcycling a fabric tote I thrifted using a handmade beaded applique of, what else, an evil eye:

Depending how the rest of this month goes, I may have one more hoop to add to my market line-up — something abstract and floral, I think. After the market, it will be time to regroup and see where the inspiration strikes next. With winter in the not-too-distant future, I will be spending more time indoors and may be ready to tackle some more ambitious creative projects.

Details: Kaliyanna top, Cartonnier pants, Barbara Barbieri shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I’ve started thinking of green and purple as my “villain colours” — a colour combo that makes me feel bada** and ready for some world domination. I am actually a mouse-who-loves-hiding-at-home-eating-cheese kind of personality, not the evil mastermind type, but it’s fun to play dress-up sometimes. In tough situations, clothes do really act as an armour. Anyway, this was a simple outfit (top, pants, accessories) but I felt more comfortable and effortless in it.

Details: Max Studio dress, Suttles & Seawinds vest, Esprit belt (all thrifted), Old Navy shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I love this vest a lot and it’s a great match, vibe-wise, for this prairie chic maxi dress. I think the dark colours are complementary as well. Vests have been one of my go-tos this summer, and I am continuing to add to my collection. They are actually quite elusive these days at the thrifts. But the right one can really make an outfit. Come fall, they will be great for layering with blazers and jackets as well.

Details: Vero Moda tunic (swap), Liz Claiborne dress, BR belt, J. Crew shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: The only thing I don’t like about this dress is the spaghetti straps, so I usually try to come up with clever (I hope!) ways to avoid dealing with them. This split tunic is a neat option. I added a belt in a similar colour to emphasize the waist without interrupting the vertical line of the tunic.

Details: homemade jacket, Old Navy tank top, Babaton skirt, Napoleoni shoes (all thrifted), selfmade necklace

Thoughts: Fall is slowly starting to creep in; this was a cooler/rainy day fit, and it made me excited to be reunited with my cold weather clothes. This was not my usual colour palette, but I decided to take inspiration from the jacket and stick to (mostly) warm tones.

Details: Pilcro tank, Roper shirt, AG jeans, Chelsea Crew shoes (all thrifted), Brave belt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Apparently, Roper is a legit Western wear brand. I am not a cowgirl, but I was drawn to the subtle pattern and the whiskey colour — it’s my favorite shade of brown. I chose some matchy accessories, but also this chunky necklace I recently thrifted (and am obsessed with) to keept things from becoming too … well, cowgirlish.

Details: Jessie vest, Josef belt (both thrifted), no name tank (swap), Lucca Couture skirt, turquoise necklace (both Poshmark), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I love this skirt and have been trying it out with various vests, because is a formula I’m really enjoying. It doesn’t add too much bulk (important for the still-warm days) but it makes the outfit feel a bit more visually interesting.

Details: Tahari shirt (thrifted), Topshop skirt (swap), Rafael Alfandary necklace (ebay), J. Crew Factory shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I think I mentioned this before, but when I originally picked this skirt at the clothing swap, I wasn’t entirely sure about it. I liked the style and colour, but the pattern was a bit too close to animal print (which isn’t something I tend to wear). With the benefit of hindsight, I’m glad I got it because I have enjoyed wearing it. It’s very light and floaty, which is nice for summer. And the pattern doesn’t bother me; the colour compensates for it, and works nicely with other stuff in my closet … like this chambray shirt.  

Details: Gap dress (Poshmark), Tabitha jacket (thrifted), BR belt (thrifted), sun necklace (thrifted), Napoleoni shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: Not much to say about this one except that I always enjoy wearing this dress. Still one of my faves!

Details: Jessica jumpsuit (thrifted), Oak & Fort top (Poshmark), silver tone necklace (thrifted), Manolo Blahnik shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I’ve only started exploring the layering possibilities of this pinafore jumpsuit, and we have another winner here. I think a few more options will present themselves comes fall – can you picture this with a black turtleneck, for example? You will soon 😉

Details: Only &Sons shirt (thrifted), Babaton skirt (consignment), vintage belt (thrifted), BR necklace (thrifted), Fluevog shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: This is a shirt I picked from the men’s rack by lucky chance; it was hanging at the end of the rack and the interesting pattern caught my eye. And it fit me perfectly! I thought I would be wearing it mostly with jeans or other pants, but then I had the idea to try something different. And that is how we ended up with this Prairie Goth moment. I like it very much.

Details: Old Navy tank (thrifted), AG jeans (thrifted), Nocona belt (thrifted), Denim & Supply jacket (thrifted), turquoise necklace (Poshmark), turquoise pendant (swap), Old Navy shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: A peak summer aesthetic moment that also happens to be a very easy, comfortable option for running errands and the like (aka my version of “casual dressing”). I’m slowly building up my collection of turquoise jewelry, which gives me more options for incorporating my favourite colour into my outfits. Luckily, turquoise seems to go with everything.

Details: Twik tee (Poshmark), Max & Co skirt (thrifted), YSL belt (thrifted), J. Crew shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: Next to turquoise, this saturated magenta has become my other favourite colour. (Spoiler alert: the two of them also work together really well – bonus!) And this skirt is right up there on the favourites lists too. This is an outfit formula I haven’t used a lot this summer (graphic tee + skirt) but it’s a classic that never fails me. Pink on pink is always a happy moment.

Details: April Cornell dress (thrifted), En Saison top (thrifted), pearl necklace (thrifted), Kurt Geiger bag (retail), J. Crew Factory shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I picked up this wrap-style chambray shirt primarily for the sleeves – I love the romantic details – but I have struggled with how to style it for precisely the same reason. The sleeves are quite voluminous and with some of the outfits I had tried, they seem to be overpowering. Here, I feel like the dress and top don’t “battle” each other too much, and in fact, play harmoniously together. I couldn’t resist adding the bag because the colour of the eye is such a good match and also because it’s brand new and I’m obsessed with it. It’s the first clothing item I purchased at retail this whole year (although it was technically a birthday present).