The Curious Seamstress

AFK

2012-02-12T15:29:00.002-06:00

Greetings,

it's been a while since I posted and I wanted to catch folks up a little bit with what is happening at Curious Seamstress. In real life, I am in the middle of a move from one long time home to new place. The days are hectic and I do not foresee it ending until March. Because of that, there won't be any releases for the time being. There are still many, many gowns available, both in Second Life at the stores in my picks, or on the Second Life Marketplace. Curious Seamstress isn't leaving!

Once things have settled down a bit, regular releases will happen again, Until then, I wish you all a very happy Valentine's day along with a thought. We should show our love for those who matter to us every day of our lives, not just on one day designated by retailers as appropriate.

Just a thought. I leave you with one of my favorite songs about love.

I wish you all well and hope to see you soon!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Curious Child - The Victorian Child

2011-12-23T13:55:00.000-06:00

Greetings!

In the last month I've been working on a new children's line of clothing, Curious Child. It is Victorian clothing for Victorian children. Eventually I may expand that to other eras, but for this old year, and the soon to be New Year, I will concentrate on Victorian children.

The middle and upper class Victorian child often had a lovely childhood if they survived it. Child mortality could be alarmingly high. But for our purposes in Second Life, I'm focusing on the beloved and nearly mythical, middle or upper class Victorian child. Occasionally I may have outfits for poorer children. That's not to be snobbish, it is just a reality of what I work with. Clothing for poor children never lasted past the ragbag. The surviving Victorian period children's clothing is mostly middle and upper class clothing. Sometimes one can find handmade garments from lower class homes, but that is a rarity.

Now, having said all of this, I'd like to present my first four children's outfits from Curious Child. You will find them at the New Babbage store, which you can find in my picks. In another day you'll be able to find them on Marketplace as well. I hope you enjoy them, and I wish you and yours a lovely, Merry Christmas!

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2011-12-09T10:45:00.001-06:00

Greetings! I have several new releases, from the 1920s to Victorian beauties! So let's get right to it, because baby, it's cold outside and I need to slip into something hot!

Stunning blue sequins on a silvery silk.

How can anyone not love this hot raspberry number?

And for a cool look, shimmering white!

Now for the Victorian beauties . . . Rowena, a stunning coppery silk with black beadwork. I swear the train on this gown looks as if it's on fire!

And finally, Vivian. A dark blue black silk gown with beadwork. The parasol is pure whimsy on my part, I hope you enjoy it!

Those are the offerings for this week! They will be up on Second Life Marketplace in a day or two.

I hope you find something special to warm your holidays!

Cordially yours,

Kembri

Sweet Dreams!

2011-12-09T10:30:00.001-06:00

Greetings! This week I am going to start off with a lovely Victorian nightgown, Sweet Dreams.

A cup of hot cocoa is included with the gown! It is available now in the New Releases vendor at most Curious Seamstress stores. More to come, and there are a couple of other new gowns out in the vendor, but you'll have to take a look to see what they are at this point!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Three stunning new Victorian Gowns!

2011-11-21T18:38:00.001-06:00

Greetings!

First, about the music. When I saw this movie originally I was struck at how they had changed this version of Dracula into a very poignant love story. I have never really understood what the attraction is to vampires, but in this instance I understood. I have recently found a lovely RP sim that I have enjoyed exploring. Yes, vampires are part of it, and that was in part what inspired Drucilla the gown. That kind of dark mysterious attraction. I also find the song hauntingly beautiful.

Now I'm going to brag a tiny bit. I think I've hit it out of the park with these three stunning Victorian gowns. Let's start with my favorite of the trio, Drucilla. She's a scrumptious, slinky vixen of a dress and yes, I had dark desires in mind when I saw this gown and made her. The cleavage dips a bit more than most of my gowns, but in a sexy, seductive way that should have the significant other in your life itch to play with it. Drucilla is all about the swish and slink!

The original gown is by Pingat, by the way. You will find details in the note card that accompanies the gown.

Golden Poppy isn't quite as dark in color or as deeply cut, but it is a beautiful, warm gown. I particularly like the color of it, and the standing lace collar which adds a bit of pizazz.

The original gown was not made by a famous designer. I only knew I loved the richness of the brocade, and so Golden Poppy joined the dance.

Next is Cherise, which is French for cherries, and this gown reminded me of that luscious fruit. It is made of a wonderful velvet and is utterly beautiful as she completes the trio offered this week.

As always, each gown comes with a complete set of period undergarments. The gloves are also included. You can find them at the Curious Seamstress stores in Second Life, or later in the week on Marketplace. I do hope you've enjoyed both the music and the gowns.

I wish you all in the States a Happy Thanksgiving.

Cordially yours,

Kembri

2011-11-15T15:41:00.001-06:00

Greetings!

This week we have an assortment of gowns from the earlier part of the Victorian era. It is often known as the Romantic period, with the larger crinoline and then hooped skirt look. The music is from about the same time period. While I say that these gowns are from the American Civil War era, one has to remember that the style of gown was worn by many women, from royalty to the very poor in one form or another. The music is sweet and slow, and perfect for a local harvest dance, swaying in the arms of some young man you had a crush on!

This week there are five new gowns, four of them from the American Civil War era of the 1860s. The fifth gown is from the late 1870s, is a satin ball gown, and has the beginnings of the distinct bustle shape. Let's start with Effie, a lovely cotton and silk day dress.

Effie comes with a Giribaldi blouse as well as some lace jabots that are not pictured. A Giribaldi blouse was a style of blouse that first became popular in the very early 1860s, perhaps even late 1850s. It was the first time we see women wearing a blouse with a skirt! Of course it never really went out of fashion after that. The blouse had long sleeves, was usually just to the waist, and could be made of different types of cotton materail. From sheer lawn to sturdier versions of cotton fabric.

Tabitha is a stunning ball gown that has a jacket so that it doubles as a some what formal day gown as well. This gown also comes with a Giribaldi blouse, as well as gloves, undergarments, and a hat!

Laura is what I think of as a harvest gown. The fabric has a deep chocolate background and ears of wheat as well as fall leaves and flowers printed on the skirt. This is based on a real period textile, which makes it all the more fun.

Personally, Philomena is probably my favorite out of the four larger gowns. It's a dark black velvet that looks petable, it has wonderful, intricate lace details on the bodices, and also has pagoda style sleeves as well as a Giribaldi blouse. This is another of those gowns that can be used for day or evening use depending on which bodice you use.

Hyacinth is named for the flower, not the color! The use of flower names for women in this time period was very common. Now about this gown, when I first saw it I was quite surprised. It has that lovely silk satin feel to it, and the long soft bustling affect. It really is just a gorgeous gown. I think it could as easily be used for a wedding or commitment ceremony as it could for a ball gown.

There will be some matching veils released in a day or so. These are hair and face veils for women who desire to use such things, and are based on the textures I used in the gowns.

I do hope you'll stop by Curious Seamstress today or check up on Second Life's Marketplace to purchase your gowns!

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen
The Curious Seamstress

New Releases

2011-11-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

This week I released two new gowns, both from the 1930s. One was a request, the other was just a must do for me. First, Miss Bella . . . and she was named for the lady who requested her.

Miss Bella comes with period undergarments, gloves and headpiece.

Morning Star is one of the Satin Dolls series. A lovely white gown with a touch of gold, it really is perfect for dancing the night away!

And last, a Halloween group gift was put out at the main store of Rosewood.

It's been an incredibly busy October for me, though I haven't yet had a chance to put out all that I've done! I've several crinoline gowns, face and head veils, and ballgowns that have not yet made it to the vendors. So please check back often to see what's up next!

Now let's see what November brings!

Cheers!

Kembri
The Curious Seamstress

Fall comes Roaring in!

2011-10-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

This week we have five new 1920s releases. Two of the dresses are day dresses, the other three are evening dresses. Let's get to it, shall we?

Ramona is a soft brown wool and silk day dress. Period undergarments included!

Marcia is from House of Worth.

It is a silk and velvet day dress complete with

hat and undergarments

Isadora is a sexy crimson velvet evening dress, perfect for the holiday season

Jeannette is another House of Worth dress, this time for evening.

Creamy velvet embellished with pastel sequins, this dress is a joy to behold

Mattie is one of those strong visual statements that the 20s were all about!

Black and turquoise with bits of white on black chiffon make an elegant statement when out on the town.

Those are the offering this week. It's a wonderful start to the fall collections at Curious Seamstress. Dresses are available both on Marketplace and in most Curious Seamstress stores inworld. If you have a catalogue, they are there as well!

I do hope you find something you like!

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen
The Curious Seamstress

2011-09-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

There were several releases last weekend, and now it's time to showcase them. First up is a Victorian ball gown, Annabelle.

Next up are three 1930s beauties. I hadn't added to that line in a long while and decided to correct that oversight. My favorite of the three is the first one, Caressa.

The next two are just fun, more innocent types of gowns.

I admit, I just found the fabric patterns fun and they still make me smile to see.

As always, the gowns come with undergarments correct to the period.

I hope you find something you enjoy!

Cordially yours,

Kembri

September 11th, 2011 - I remember . . .

2011-09-11T12:55:00.000-05:00

Hello,

Today I want to pause and talk about something other than fashion and Second Life. It is a special anniversary as most people know. Not a happy anniversary, but a somber one. It is the day that violently marked a change in the United States of America, of which I am a proud citizen. I have rarely spoken of what happened that day. But today, you get Seamstress Unabridged & Uncensored. There is no politically correct in this post, just personal feelings and observations.

I do not assume this is only an American memory, I think it is a world memory for one reason or another. People were either shocked and saddened or grief stricken. Or the harder thought, they may have been jubilant to see that shattering destruction in the heart of New York City. Perhaps they were gleeful to see the death and loss that day, but I think, I hope, that is a minority. I think for that day, and the weeks that followed, the world reached out and took our hand and said, 'We're here too. We grieve with you.' And we wept together.

I remember American planes landing all over the world, suddenly homeless as they were not allowed to fly in our air space. Not until we knew what was happening. I remember Americans in every foreign country being sheltered. I remember our neighbors to the north, Canada, taking in hundreds, giving them food and shelter, holding them safe while we figured out what the hell was happening. It was like that all over the world. And here at home, the skies above were empty, except for birds and the sound of weeping. It was so quiet as the nation stopped and locked down. I have never in my life experienced that. I have seen a few world changing events, but none like this.

We also weren't the only one who lost citizens that day. This was the World Trade center. There were people of many faiths and nationalities. And lest we forget, they were all terrified too, and when they vanished in the collapses, they too, were missed and grieved for. One of the worst things that came out of that day, in my humble opinion, was the sudden suspicion of all things Muslim. That was so unfair, and it still remains an issue. I think we struggle with this every day of our lives now, at least many do, and not just in America. However, my view is there are extremists in nearly every religion, and so I cannot hold an entire faith responsible for a few misguided individuals. I saw a Muslim family in my local Walmart yesterday. The mother and daughter were dressed in the traditional head scarf and robes. I thought, the mother looked tired, and the little girl made me smile. Her head scarf had pink sparkles on it, and my smile was because no matter what religion or nationality, little children always love sparkle, don't they?

I have been thinking about it, about what I was doing that morning a decade ago. I was working on a text RPG game, working as a writer. Yes, gaming was a bit different then. I had a teenage daughter, and her friend was staying with us for a few weeks. The friend's parents were in China on a trip. I had been up late the night before, working, as is my habit. I woke up around 11am, it was a gorgeous day. Blue, warm, and clear, much like today is. The birds were singing outside my living room window and I could sense the first stirrings of fall. I had my coffee, but no radio or tv because I was just enjoying the beauty of the morning. I worked quietly for about an hour, then connected to the internet at around noon. The first thing that happened was a co-worked IM'd me. He said, 'The world is coming to an end'. I thought he was joking and asked what he meant. He said, 'turn on the TV, you'll see.' We did not speak again that day.

I did turn on the TV, and my peaceful, beautiful September morning in the heartland of America turned into one of shocked grief and sorrow. Disbelief hung over me, and the first thing I did once I could breath again was call my husband. He was aware of what was going on, was watching it on TV too. My daughter was at school with her friend and they were safe. But all I could think of as I cried was, I wanted my family home NOW, NOW, so I could hold them and know things would be ok. But really, nothing was ok after that for a very long time.

I think our whole nation stood still that day. We stopped, and we stared with disbelief. How could this happen? How could someone hate us that much? What purpose does it serve to do such uncivilized things? And as the days went by, a growing need to strike back surged in us. I think that people should be honest with themselves, when someone hurts you, it is often a natural impulse to want to strike back and make them hurt in return. A late night comedian said that someone had sucker punched us, and by heaven, that's what it felt like. As a nation we had been doubled over with sudden shock and grief, but we were far from falling to our knees in anything other than prayer.

Toby Keith came out with a song, and it very much expressed what I was feeling at the time. I know that others have gone on to the forgiveness stage, but anger has a way of making people mobilize. I don't think everything that came from that horrid day was good, I'm not a fan of war. But I remember that this song expressed what I felt as the details were revealed and we knew who to blame.

We as a nation were angry, and what happened afterwards might not have been the best thing, but it happened. Flying changed, war happened, eventually the leader of the group who claimed responsibility was caught and killed, though I will be frank and say there was no relief in that. I knew there wouldn't be. What he had put into motion a decade ago was bigger than him. He was just a name. One man, a figurehead who got lucky because we had thought of the world as a mostly friendly place. There will always be someone to take advantage of that. I have to have personal faith that when that leader stood before our Maker, by whatever name you wish to give that Power, he felt the weight of what had been done and did not feel as jubilant then. I will say this as well, I do not hate that man, nor his family. I simply feel pity for him, if I think of it at all. When I weep, as I have done today, it is for those who were frightened, who died unfairly early, who left behind grieving families and nations. Those are the ones I shed tears for.

So today, I will go outside and do some gardening, water plants, play with the dog (and maybe give him a bath) and enjoy the warmth as summer fades away. I will enjoy the peace of the day remembering the tears of a decade ago. I will stand witness and remember that while outside forces sought to bring my country to its knees and destroy it, they failed.

I am an average woman who lives in Minnesota, the very heartland of the United States of America. I am proud to be an American, and today, I remember that I am blessed to live here.

I wish you all a wonderful, happy, and safe day.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Nautical gowns and Steam the Hunt!

2011-09-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Well, here in the States, Labor Day has come and gone, and summer is winding down. But this last weekend I released some nautical outfits. One of the wonderful things about Second Life is your summer does not have to end by the calender, and if you wish it go continue all year long, you can do that! So in that spirit, let me introduce my newest ensembles!

Seastar was issued last week but I had a duh moment and forgot to put her in the vendors. So she's here this week!

Skipper is one of those fun 20s outfits good for shore or sailing!

Marina is another fun 20s outfit, though in a different color scheme.

All the above outfits can also be found on Second Life Marketplace.

Finally, my gift for the Steamhunt is at Seraph City Seamstress in the Carrington. You can find the shop in my picks in my profile.

I do hope you'll stop by and grab a copy. I also wish you a wonderful first week of September!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Sultry Seamstress goodies

2011-08-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

This Monday I'm happy to introduce the Sultry Seamstress line. This line of lingerie has been requested in the past and now I've packaged them for customers. Each package comes with a set of undergarments, stockings, and gloves. That's the standard set. Now there are additions to different sets as far as having an extra pair of stockings or gloves. But really you'll have to buy a set to see what all is in it besides the basics.

Most of these undergarments (or unmentionables as I have called them) have been in released in the past with gowns. However I don't often show the undergarments that go with a dress or gown! So a lot of ladies don't find out about them until they have them. I think this is a nice option for those who just want the lingerie. Having said all that, may I introduce the Sultry Seamstress line in no particular order, though I do have a couple of favorites!

These will be up on Second Life Marketplace in a day or so. In the meantime, you can find them in Second Life at the Rosewood main store, or at the Carrington at Seraph City, or upstairs at New Toulouse. Those are all in the picks in my profile if you need a landmark.

There will be more released in the later genres of the 1920s and 1930s in the weeks to come.

Take care!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Several New Releases!

2011-08-02T16:02:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Curious Seamstress has 6 new releases for the past two weeks. I was lagging a little and didn't post the new releases last Monday. So today, you get all 6 of them. Let's start with the Edwardians, both day suits.

This is based on a Jeanne Paquin day suit. The hat is included and period as well! Ok and it made me giggle to make it!

This is a period yachting or sailor dress. Very nautical!

Next up, the 1920s! Two day dresses . . . one a sailor dress!

For that day time garden party or outing, anything that you wish to use it for! Two hats included, as well as shoes.

Another sailor dress, this time from the 1920s! There are two sets of stockings and the hat and collar are mod. Shoes textured to match the skirt are included as well.

And last but never least, Sea Pearl swimsuits!

1960s A Go-go lime green play suit, bathing suit, and really just all round fun outfit!

A 1940s swimsuit. This one is very pretty in person!

And that's it for this week. Most of these are up on Marketplace now. If the darn thing will co-operate, I should have the rest up very soon. Barring that, you will find these available at the main store of Rosewood or appropriate era stores like the Carrington in Seraph City or New Toulouse or New Chicago or New Berlin or New Babbage . . . yes, the Curious Seamstress does get around!

Until next time, I wish you wonderful mid-summer dreams!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Dog days of summer

2011-07-18T15:19:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

I've been on an unscheduled hiatus due to real life issues since early May. I try not to drag real life into my virtual world, but sometimes they do influence each other. My housing situation had to be attended too, and during that time I could not work on Seamstress items. Now things have settled down somewhat and I can get back to work again! I picked this video mostly because I love the music in it, the rhythm is catchy, and maybe somewhere, the dog days are over. Though in my neck of the woods dog days heat is setting in and doesn't look as if it's going anywhere anytime soon!

Today I'm back at work in my work shop, busily putting together new outfits for release at the end of this week. I will also be putting gift bags up for sale in a special vendor. The gift bags each hold a gift card good for a certain amount of Seamstress items. The value ranges from $500 lindens to $5000 lindens. They are transferable of course, and the gift bag itself will be modifiable. In this manner you can now give a gift card voucher to a friend or loved one if you wish.

The releases this week will be along the lines of summery items with a few new Sea Pearls swimsuits tossed in for fun. I've a little of everything, as some stuff has been sitting in packages waiting to be trotted out. So it should be an exciting Friday for Seamstress this week.

Thank you to all those who inquired as to where and how I was. You were missed too! Now, let's go have some fun!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Spring time in the 1920s

2011-05-11T10:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

This week I've got three new 1920s releases as well as a 1930s bathing suit!

This lovely Peggy Hoyt gown works for both day or night time wear.

Edward Molyneux inspired this day suit. The flowing lines and pleated skirts are quite elegant. Mink stole and hat as well as the shoes are included.

A blonde mink stole compliments this pretty spring dancing dress. Silver beadwork on mauve silk with a cutout back is an ultra feminine ode to the season!

Finally, Ruby, a fun wool swimsuit from the 1930s. The sunglasses and shoes are included. Yes, the sunglasses are from the 1930s!

All of these items are now up on Marketplace as well as available at the main store of Rosewood.

Cordially yours,

Kembri

The Curious Cobbler presents . . . shoes, glorious 1920s shoes!

2011-05-03T08:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Today Curious Seamstress will be releasing 18 pairs of shoes from the 1920s! I promised a while back that eventually I would do that. I finally made a shoe that satisfies my persnickety side! I did a lot of research into the various styles of that decade for shoes. I was sometimes surprised by the amount of color and styles. From our end of history nearly a hundred years later, we most often tend to view that time period in black and white when nothing could be further from the truth. I found a few colored ads for shoes and what revelations those were! I started with the most common form of shoe, the ankle strap heel. It comes in 18 colors with various textures. Some are original and match dresses I've done recently, most are textures I've had in my files for a long while. Here are half of what will be available today.

For today, the shoes will be released late in the morning in a vendor at the main store of Rosewood. Over the week, they will appear in other stores like the Carrington at Seraph City and Curious Seamstress at New Toulouse. They are $150 lindens a pair.

I hope you enjoy these sweet treats!

cordially yours,
Kembri
The Curious . . . Cobbler!

Lady Hope and the play suits

2011-04-21T01:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings,

this morning I'm giving a sneek peak for a new gown that will be coming out this weekend. Lady Hope is a Charles Worth conversion gown from the mid 1890s. It has both a day and evening bodice, and comes with parasol, hat, gloves, and undergarments. About the only thing you need to provide is the hair, shoes, and jewelry.

Charles Worth gown, "Lady Hope", available at Curious Seamstress stores on Friday, April 22nd.

1950s Play suit, "Lottie". One of the Sea Pearls line now available at Curious Seamstress.

1950s Madras play suit, "Mandy'. Hat and shoes included

The play suits are both part of the Sea Pearls line of period swim and play suits. You'll find everything from Victorian to the 1950s. The line has been expanding for the last two years, and there are several available either on the Second Life Marketplace or inworld at the Curious Seamstress main store. The newer suits aren't yet on Marketplace, and I should mention that others are in the wings awaiting their turn on the boardwalk!

A word about the sunglasses included with the suits, I always use period glasses. Since sunglasses weren't available to the public before 1929, none of the older suits come with such things. However, the newer suits usually come with period sunglasses and hats. It's just one of the fun accessory things I enjoy doing!

I've also released a dozen pair of 1930s peep toe shoes in spring colors. In the interest of keeping this entry a managable length, I won't be showing all those up here! However, you can find them at either Seraph City Seamstress, or at the main store of Rosewood.

I wish you a wonderful Thursday!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Fantasy Faire!

2011-04-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

Today is the first day of the Fantasy Faire. Seamstress has a shop there with five new sets of dancing silks! Here's a peek:

I haven't lost my mind, I swear! These five sets of silks have been in my folders for a little while, but I had never really found a venue to release them in. The Fantasy Faire seemed perfect to me. They're fun bits of flirtiness meant for RP. They have removal scripting in all the prim parts, and the movement of the skirts is just scrumptious! There are two skirts, the longer overskirt style, and then the little more provocative skirt meant for a more sensual style of dance. Because of the removal scripting, these skirts are mod. In that way you can, if you're brave enough, modify the skirts for smaller or larger hips.

I'm not dropping my other favored time periods, just doing a bit of spring cleaning and having fun at the Fantasy Faire! These silks will be available there for the duration of the faire, then will appear on Marketplace and inworld at the main store. For more details about the faire and the amazing merchants there, please check out the link to the right. I've also sent out an inworld message to my group giving them a head's up and an LM to the store.

I wish you a wonderful Saturday!

Kembri

A Jewel of a book!

2011-03-29T13:37:00.003-05:00

Greetings!

Ever wonder what a Seamstress does when she's not making clothing? Well here's your chance to find out! I've just published a book on Amazon.com. It will not be available to the Kindle audiance for another week. If you'd prefer a soft cover copy, then you can get one here https://www.createspace.com/3460248

The title is Jewels of the Kingdoms, Book one: Necklace of Nithica
The book style is what I like to call Dungeon and Dragons . . . with sex and romance! It's a fun and fast paced book, but then I'm biased since I'm the one who wrote it! It will be followed in about a month by a second book, with a third scheduled for late July. No, I haven't given up doing clothing for Second Life! I am just expanding my horizons.
The books are a long time project and just now coming to fruition. I sincerely hope that they will find an audiance who loves fantasy and romance in one package.

I will also have a shop at the Fantasy Fair that starts this coming weekend. More on that later, and I wish you a wonderful Wednesday!

Cordially yours,
Kembri,
the author!

Fashion for Life

2011-03-11T12:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings,

This week I need to discuss the FFL that is opening shortly. It is a wonderful showcase for the clothing designers of Second Life, but this year I have decided that Curious Seamstress will not participate. It is entirely for personal reasons, which I intend to keep that way. :-)

If you have an interest in fashion I would encourage you strip down to a cute pair of shorts and a t-shirt, your least primmy hair (I always use an older ETD ponytail that has an ARC of like, 10), take off your huds, and go walk barefoot through those sims. There's some wonderful merchants, an FFL hunt that runs across all the sims, gatcha machines on every sim, and of course a dazzling array of designers. All funds raised through FFL vendors, the FFL hunt, and the FFL gatcha machines goes to the American Cancer Society. It is a worthy cause and a special time.

Curious Seamstress will be attending another Faire at the beginning of April. I will post more after the FFL has finished, as I wouldn't want to steal any thunder! The opening day for FFL is tomorrow, and I hope that you will take some time in the next week to take a look around!

I wish you a wonderful weekend.

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen

Changes

2011-03-04T08:11:00.000-06:00

Greetings! This is a musical interlude simply because I found the MOST amazing rendition of a favorite song and had to share it with you! I dunno, maybe it's just me that tears up at this video, but I find it a remarkable accomplishment. While you're listening to the video the second time ('cause you really should watch it the first time!), let me tell you about some new things at Curious Seamstress this week.

I've some freebies out for various hunts this week at three different stores. The Carrington at Seraph City and Curious Seamstress at Port Babbage are both part of Steamhunt 4. In those stores you're looking for little copper gears, and I haven't been really mean about hiding them! In New Toulouse, there are two hunts going on, and two separate sets of prizes. Look for gold masks.

In other news, I'll be introducing a line of reduced priced clothing. I look at clothing in terms of seasons, and I don't mean seasonal as in Fall or Winter (though I see those too!) but in terms of years. My aim has always been to eventually reduce the prices on the clothing from the first Seamstress season of 2008-09 to begin with, then eventually the next season of clothing will be moved over, etc. My skill as a seamstress has become refined over time, and while there is nothing at all wrong with these gowns, they are not what I would now consider the best of my art. I continue to work on my techniques as I make and issue new gowns. So for the best of Seamstress, look to the new releases! For golden oldies that may be more affordable for newer players, look towards these older lines of clothing offered at reduced prices.

Over the next day or so a new vendor will appear in the stores for reduced priced clothing ensembles. There will be about a dozen to start with. This isn't something that will be added too all the time, rather this is something that will be added to occasionally. If you're hoping to see the newer gowns in these vendors, you'll be waiting a long while!

Last, I am preparing for Fashion For Life, which is ten days of fashion for the American Cancer Society. In the past it has been called RFL. The Fair opens on March 12th, and Curious Seamstress will be there with a shop. The theme is Beyond Black and White, and promises to be a fun event as always.

And that's it for this morning! I hope your day is a good one, and that we'll see you soon at one of the stores!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Josephine Baker and a Fabulous Freebie!

2011-02-28T16:41:00.000-06:00

This week it is my very great pleasure to introduce a gown inspired by Josephine Baker. This incredible woman was far ahead of her time, and is a joy to hear and watch on Youtube now. Her career started in Paris in the 1920s and spanned five decades. She is so joyfully, beautifully alive, that one cannot help but smile and admire her. This gown is named for her, 'Creole Goddess', which is one of the names she was affectionately called.

The real dress is in a museum collection. I hope that you'll savor the music and learn about, then remember, this very remarkable woman.

Finally, Seamstress is currently part of two Mardi Gras hunts. Look for these prizes at the New Toulouse store. Both are in a single hunt prim.

Yes, these are free for the duration of the hunt!

Next, Steam: The Hunt will be starting tomorrow and two of the Seamstress stores, Seraph City and New Babbage, are involved. Please stay tuned for details!

I wish you a wonderful Monday, and hope to see you soon!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

A spring time Waltz with Rosetta and Coraline

2011-02-24T11:37:00.000-06:00

Spring is near, we all yearn for it I think. This week I have two new gowns out, one Victorian and one Edwardian, both perfect for waltzing. The musical choice, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers. This is such a quintessential piece of Victorian music. As a waltz it is a lushly uplifting piece of music, and it is often lost in the winter I think, since most folks think of Christmas with the Nutcracker ballet. So imagine if you will, waltzing on the Landing, spring flowers all around, and the face of a handsome partner smiling down at you as you glide in his arms. Of course there is nothing more beautiful than a flowing gown that compliments the wearer! To that end, may I introduce Rosetta, an 1898 House of Worth gown.

Made of printed silk, lace shoulder puffs, and a bell shaped skirt, this gown is a glorious ode to spring time. Period undergarments are included.

Next, for a woman who enjoys being the very center of attention, I present you Coraline, a 1905 Doucet ballgown.

Coraline is not for the faint of heart. This is a gown that is bright of color and striking in person. I have chosen to wear it with black accessories, but you could also use white.

Both gowns are made for evening entertainments, and both gowns come with undergarments.

I hope you'll stop by soon, or look for the gowns on Marketplace. They are lovely additions to any woman's spring wardrobe.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Sweetness of the heart

2011-02-14T09:15:00.000-06:00

Greetings!

Valentine's day is here! Today I offer you 'Sweetness', a wonderful pink and silver candy of a 1920s gown. I found the gown a few months ago and dearly loved the soft pink color of it.

The headpiece and shoes come with the dress, as do some pretty undergarments. There are two pairs of stockings, but those aren't shown in the ad. In all this is one of those sweet outfits that can be sexy at the same time. I hope you'll enjoy some 'Sweetness' in your wardrobe today!

The song is one I heard recently, and I had it on repeat as I worked on Valentine's outfits. This song is so romantic, so softly beautiful, and so very expressive of what a relationship should be, that I thought I'd share. I wish you a wonderful Valentine's day.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Georgia on my mind

2011-02-10T10:23:00.000-06:00

Georgia is a beautiful peach velvet Doucet ball gown. It's one of those gowns that is spectacularly feminine in its presentation and feel. Spring like and perfect for your next romantic dance, it reminded me of soft evenings and dreamy encounters with one that we desire. While I cannot promise such things to you, I can promise you'll look like the perfect Georgia peach in this yummy gown.

The undergarments are included, and I hope you enjoy this outfit.

More to come in the next day or so! Until then, I wish you well!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Morning Promenade or Evening Glitz?

2011-01-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

This week we have two new releases; Fern an 1898 Victorian gown, and Glitz, a smokin' hot 20s evening dress!

The video up above is a recording of a very popular Victorian dance hall song. My sister, Ghilayne, found it and I loved this 1940s movie version of it because of the costumes. The song is 'Morning Promenade'. One of the amazing things is to find footage of gowns and how women moved in them. This is a lovely bit showing how this particular woman sang and danced in her Edwardian gown.

Now for my gowns this week! Fern is an amazing Victorian gown as much for the spectacular color as for the amazing embroidary on the front of the gown. It's soft and feminine and stunning in person. You could use this gown for any situation and be well dressed. I really cannot set a time of day for it, as I think it would be as suitable for morning visits as it would be for evening entertainments.

A really lovely gown that should be in every lady's wardrobe.

Next up, a change of pace with 'Glitz'

For there we start wth music from a hot Weimar Republic in Germany . . .

Glitz is a smoking hot 1928 evening dress. It's amazingly sexy and one of those dresses that is stunning on any woman. The accessories can be any color, as gold is the perfect foil for it!

For this dress I've done a couple of things. There are undergarments, but I recommend you not wear the bra with the dress because it shows. I have also used a system skirt for the dress, but you don't see it in the ad pictures. This is one where you can wear the dress either way, and without the system skirt is a lot sleeker and sexier. I think you'll enjoy it, as will anyone you dance with!

Those are the offerings for today. I hope you find something you enjoy!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T19:06:00.001-06:00

Greetings,

I am five days late, but I did wish to express the hope that you and yours have a wonderful 2011! The song is just because I love the Avette Brothers and the song had January in it. I hope you enjoy it!

I have two new stores opening, one in Chicago 1920s RP sim and one in New Berlin on the main square. I also still have stores in other sims which are listed on another page here on the blog.

Again, I wish you and yours a joyous and healthy 2011.

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T12:30:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays from Curious Seamstress!

This week's release is an elegant forest green velvet tea gown which would work wonderfully for any special at home occassion. It is Edwardian and based on a House of Worth design from around 1901.

Anna from Curious Seamstress

Next up is a uniquely beautiful sky blue satin and swansdown evening gown. The slight train and swansdown trim is really amazing in person! May I present, Snow Princess.

Snow Princess for evening entertainments.

Thank you for stopping by. I wish you a warm and wonderful holiday.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Gowns of the Season

2010-12-17T12:22:00.000-06:00

Greetings!

This week there were three new releases. The first is a red velvet Victorian gown from the House of Worth. Elizabeth is a conversion gown, which can be worn either in the evening to a ball, or during the day. There is a jacket and hat for day wear, and a stunning velvet and lace bodice for evening wear.

The next gown is also a House of Worth gown from the 1890s. Done in black velvet with gold applique, this stunning gown is perfect for evening entertainments.

There are also tulle sleeves that have tiny gold sequins on them to add an ethereal touch to this gown.

Finally, we glide forward to the 1930s and a new Satin Doll gown, Joy. This pale champagne colored satin gown is cut low in the back and comes with period undergarments and shoes. The gloves are not included in this ensemble.

Three stunning gowns, two time periods, and one lucky lady to own them all! I hope that you find someone special to dance the Christmas Waltz with while wearing one of these beauties.

Warm regards,
Kembri

Who spiked the egg nog? Bubbles did!

2010-12-04T01:37:00.004-06:00

Greetings!

Bubbles, the newest Seamstress 1920s release, must surely have spiked that egg nog! Maybe? The song makes me smile and laugh, and even though there's nearly a century between this song and the dress, they fit very well together! I hope you'll come by Rosewood and pick up Bubbles for yourself!

Another release this weekend is Sheila, a 1920s day suit. Very proper and very pretty, as well as warm for those cold winter days!

There'll be more, as always, but for tonight I had to sneak in Bubbles and that egg nog song!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Satin Dolls

2010-11-27T08:40:00.004-06:00

Greetings!

This week I've two new releases, both part of the Satin Dolls collection. First up is Bessy, a stunning, lush purple ensemble. Complete with undergarments and not one, but two pairs of shoes. Gloves also come with this outfit.

The music is something I found on Youtube. It's such a sweet sound and song, that I thought it would be wonderful to introduce Miss Annette Hanshaw. She was popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s. I hope you enjoy her song! It may sound a bit familiar.

The second gown this week is Stella. Hot, sizzling, and sexy, this red orange gown is wonderful for those holiday parties.

Two pairs of shoes, gloves, and undergarments come with this outfit.

The gowns are also available on Marketplace.

I do hope that you'll enjoy the new gowns. There's also a new Victorian winter outfit out at the main store of Rosewood and at New Babbage.

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen

Stepping out in 1930s style

2010-11-21T20:11:00.004-06:00

Greetings!

This week I did a rather limited release of 1930s peep toe shoes, which is a brand new line of goods for Curious Seamstress. They are available at the main store of Rosewood, or at Seraph City's Carrington shop. The music is Moonlight Serenade. It was so evocative of slow dancing in the arms of your man on some late evening, that I had to use it. Swirling in a silky satin gown, shod with elegant peep toe shoes, how could a woman feel anything but beautiful?

I've been working on this shoe project off and on since this summer, wishing to have some truly special evening shoes. I wanted shoes that would match the Satin Doll gowns that will come out shortly. It is sometimes difficult for me to run all over the grid looking for good vintage period shoes, but worse, I rarely found a pair that was the exact color or style I wanted. True, I could find black, white, and maybe red heels that could pass for 1930s heels, but they weren't always very pretty. So I started doing some research. I spent hours reading about shoe styles of that decade, as well as some of the associated jewelry. For instance, the 1930s through the 1940s was the heyday of dress clips as well as shoe clips. Dress clips were gorgeous little baubles, either of real gemstones or costume jewelry, that a stylish woman wore on her gown at the shoulders but in front. You wanted to show off that sparkle! It also helped give gowns that look that we often think of for the 1930s and 1940s. Women also wore the dress clips on their shoes to dress them up in the evenings. Anyway, after much research and looking around, I finally took the leap, made the shoes, named the line, and released them into the wild earlier today.

There are six pairs of shoes, all for 1930s wear, mostly for evening use, though I'm pretty sure no one will call you on it if you go day time with them. The shoes are fun and sweet, and I plan on adding a lot more to that line. They're also inexpensive at $150 lindens a pair. The ads for the shoes are down below. I've plans for many more pairs, since I'll make a pair to go with each new 1930s gown, plus whatever else appeals to me!

I hope you'll drop by one of the two stores and pick up a pair soon!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Horses and habits

2010-11-08T23:03:00.006-06:00

Greetings,

A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and last week I found Amaretto breedable riding horses in Second Life! Can we just say woo hoo? yes I did get some. However, one of the things I noticed right away, being a clothing fiend, was that there weren't any decent Victorian riding habits that I could find. There's some interesting ones that have been around a while, but I wasn't overly impressed with the skirt arrangements. So of course I had to make one!

The habit has more than one skirt so that you can use it either in a sidesaddle position or astride, depending on your horse . . . of course! You won't have skirt prims flying up in your face either, but do be sure and read the instructions that come with the outfit for the best fit.

And speaking a bit more about horses, we now have a herd of gorgeous Appaloosa horses at the main store! Do drop by and see them when you have a moment. Later in the month we'll have some ready to be given away, but until then, we hope you'll enjoy watching the ones in the paddocks.

Take care, and I hope you have a wonderful week.

cordially yours,
Kembri

Frankie and Johnnie . . . A Halloween treat!

2010-10-28T12:22:00.010-05:00

Greetings!

This week there will be several new releases, so let's get right to it, shall we? the first is a lovely black 1920s evening dress, 'Johnnie', inspired by the song in the above panel!

Pistol not included!

Next up is Inez, a saucy little orange number!

Hot stuff! Very much in keeping with the holiday spirit! Next up is Milly, she's enchanting in chartreuse!

Perhaps a tad bit Wicked, but then many Flappers were daring!

Next we switch eras and visit our friends in the Victorian era. First is an elegant dark blue velvet tailored to perfect for an evening dinner or reception, Regina.

A truly stunning gown.

Next we will go a little earlier in Queen Victoria's reign with another gown from the 1860s. Charlotte, a lovely aubergine creation.

With full hooped skirts and a detailed jacket, this gown is perfect for visiting.

Now for a couple of comments! I love doing a variety of gowns as much for the research as to make a wide range of garments available to my clients. I'll be releasing the 1930s Satin Dolls in the near future. There are about half a dozen of those. I've also got some gorgeous Victorian gowns in the wings, and some other 1920s dresses waiting to be let loose.

I've recently changed computers and so it was a little hectic there trying to gather items together. I also had to adjust a lot of my settings for a better CPU and graphics system. I think I'm back on track though!

I wish you all a very happy Halloween.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Victorian eras - There's more than one!

2010-10-19T03:23:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

I've some new releases this week after a bit of a hiatus. There are two new gowns today, as well as a new line of accessories. Gowns first!

This lovely gown is based on a real one, and was great fun to make! I recently opened a store in the Western sim of Nebraska. I had such a wonderful time there. The time period is set in 1867. I didn't have any gowns specifically from that period, having mostly bustle gowns from the 1870s on. So I felt it was time to remedy that situation.

Among those who study and love the Victorian era, it is generally agreed there were three major parts to this time period. One must remember that Queen Victoria was only 18 when she came to her throne, and then she ruled for 67 years. That's three generations, give or take a few years. Most gowns from the 1860s are considered Early Victorian. They are still crinoline gowns, held out with either hoops or lots of petticoats depending on the year. To be realistic, most women probably didn't use much of a hoop in everyday life. That was more for the wealthy who weren't bogged down with the menial tasks involved in living. Or perhaps reserved for special occasions. Still they are lovely gowns and I've started a line of them and will add to the collection over the next year. Yes, year. I don't plan on going anywhere! Now for the other new gown in this batch.

This gown just makes me smile. It's fun and cheerful, and VERY Victorian!

I've also added a line of accessories. These are lace jabots and lace hair ribbons. Each package is $350 lindens. There are several colors, and the hair ribbons are copy, no transfer.

The hair ribbons have a period photo of a young woman wearing such a lace ribbon. You can see it dangling from the back of her chignon.

Lace jabots are a sweet, elegant addition to many outfits.

I've only shown the white one on the ad. There are over a dozen more in various colors.

That's my week so far. I know I'll soon have some other gowns out from different eras. At this point I've 3 1930s gowns waiting to dance out onto the stage, and 3 gorgeous 1920s dresses. Patience though, this is a very busy week for me and it may be another two or three days before everything is out in the vendors. Until then, I wish you a wonderful day.

cordially yours,
Kembri

Steam: The Hunt . . . is on!

2010-09-02T13:01:00.004-05:00

Greetings! This blog is about both about the recently begun Steam hunt and last week's releases.

Curious Seamstress has two prizes out for the hunt this year. One at the Carrington Seraph store and one at New Babbage. They are . . . so far . . .

For the Seraph City Seamstress a 1940s women's suit, Polly Primly

And for New Babbage Seamstress a lovely day dress, Rebecca

Those are my current Steam hunt offerings. The hunt lasts for the month of September, and I reserve the right to put out more fun things sometime during the month. This is the only hunt that Seamtress is involved with all year, so now's the time to get some amazing free outfits! I will state here publicly that the only way to get these outfits after the hunt is over will be at full price in my store vendors.

Now for last week's releases!

First up are the Lady line of gowns. These are gowns picked with certain customers in mind. They are customers who have bought many of Curious Seamstress's gowns. Usually in one genre as they have preferences, don't we all! I was trying to think of a special way to thank such wonderful ladies earleir this year, and came up with the gift of a gown. Not just any gown mind you, but one picked out with them in mind. So I have two new Lady gowns, the first is Lady Gynandra, a long time fan and supporter. It pleases me greatly to offer the gorgeous blue wool day gown, Lady Gynandra.

This gown is more stunning in person. It's petable!

Next up is the Lady Savannah gown. Lady Savannah is fairly new to the Seamstress fold, but oh my gosh, she is an avid supporter and someone I have enjoyed chatting with. The gown is handpainted silk with lots of lace and moire rust ribbon. I do love the colors of it!

The last offering for the week caught my eye with its vibrant color, then caught my heart with its awesome fabric, which is a brocaded silk. The pattern on it is that of fall leaves, and in all it's just a breathtaking gown for those fall dinners or dances. May I present, Bella mia

That's it for the moment. I do hope if you have time you'll swing by and pick up the hunt offerings. The Victorian gown has undergarments and comes with hat and gloves. No stinting on my hunt items! The 1940s suit comes with the hat, and is a designer suit of that period. Now, I'm off to finish this week's releases!

I wish you the joy of the hunt, and a wonderful day!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Summer's end

2010-08-26T11:32:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

I am a baseball fan from childhood. As a little girl on the West coast, summer to me will always be listening to a baseball game, barbecue, and freshly cut grass on a sunny day. I played many a pickup game with my brothers when I was growing up, and yes, it was a much more innocent and slower paced time. I cannot quote stats nor do I wish too, but I can enjoy a good game of baseball! That's why the video for today is one of my favorite baseball songs ever! It is my ode to summer.

Summer is quickly sliding towards the end of the season and I see fall running in this direction! I haven't yet posted last week's releases so I'm going to do that today. I have several new gowns coming out Saturday morning, but for now, let's look at last week's 5 offerings! First up is Sunshine, a 1920s tea gown I've wanted to make since I first saw it.

This gown was created by Ms. Jessie Franklin Turner, a very important and largely forgotten American designer in the 1920s and 1930s. You will see more of her gowns from Curious Seamstress, but this lovely silk ensemble is made for summer time teas.

Next is Rosemarie, a late Victorian tea gown by Doucet. I've spoken about this fantastic French designer before, and hope you'll take some time to look up his history.

It's a delicate, dreamy gown with lots of lace and chiffon.

Next up are two more modern play suits for those still warm days. Princess Lollipop is a pretty pink confection from the 1950s.

It's meant to be very feminine and fun.

Next is Rockabilly Brenda, based on a 1950s play suit, and perfectly suited for playing on the beach or even a quick game of softball at the park!

Sunglasses are included with both suits.

Last is a costume that can be used either as a ballerina outfit or as a costume or even, if you wish, as a modern party dress. I used it at a mask ball and had a lot of fun with it. It is based on a real ballerina costume. May I introduce, Rose Red.

It's great fun, really! These items can all be found on Xstreet.

That's it for last week's releases. As I said, I have some coming out either late Friday or early Saturday. I wish you all a wonderful day!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

OMG! It Came!! OR The Long Journey

2010-08-16T13:36:00.005-05:00

Greetings!

Wondering what all the hollering is about? Well, I have on my desk my book. Yes, MY book! The proofs came today and I have spent the last two hours just petting them and looking at them! The book is a fantasy novel, the first of a four. The others are in various stages of the publishing process. But this first book is going to be up for sale on Amazon.com in a week or so. Both as a large paperback and as an ebook.

Jewels of the Kingdoms: Necklace of Nithica, was written about 13 years ago. I put it away for a long time, and then pulled it out again in January of this year. It has been through four computers, several 3.5 inch disks, a flash drive, and now a netbook. The original book was written as about 60 emails to two dear friends. That turned into a 900 page book. Well, it couldn't stay that long, and so I cut it in half. The first half of that story is now sitting on my desk, smiling up at me. It has been trimmed and polished and rewritten in places, and edited, and polished again. It is a hair away from being set loose in the world, after I go through the proofs.

I keep sniffling and staring and petting it. You have to understand that writing a book is like giving birth to a child. You're never sure what the outcome will be, but you're always proud of the results of that labor of love. It has taken much nurturing to get to this stage, and there were a LOT of people along the way who helped me.

So if you wonder what designers of digital clothing do in their off time, well, at least one of us writes stories.

I did have some gowns I released on Sunday, and I do hope you'll go inworld and see them. However, please forgive me whilst I go and cuddle my newest bookchild for a bit, and tell it how very special it is to me.

cordially yours,
and with a few sniffles,
Kembri

PS. there's a link to the left that will take you to the blog for the book. Since book and clothing business are really not the same beasts, I thought I'd best give it its own blog!

New Releases and a Rezday Party!

2010-07-24T17:02:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

I've been on a short break, but am back and have just released a 1920s wedding gown, as well as a 1920s afternoon dress and a 1940s playsuit! Let's start first with the wedding gown, Miss Gloria.

This is a really stunning gown, quite elegant and sleek. Yes, it IS based on a 1920s wedding gown, but is unlike any other I've seen. When I saw it, I knew it had to become one of the Curious Seamstress wedding gowns. The veil comes with as well as lingerie. A note here, there's two sets of stepin lingerie as I couldn't make up my mind for colors. So one in blue and one in pink.

Next up is a sweet, frothy afternoon gown, perfect for tea or just sitting and reading in the garden. May I present, Miss Flora:

You can wear it without the jacket, but do wear the lingerie or you'll be flashing all the men! The top is a little sheer and so you do need something under it.

Last for today is a 1940s play or swimsuit. Such a fun little flirty outfit! It reminded me of Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, and so that is the name this suit has, Dorothy:

This suit really is quite cute.

Now.. I'm distracted as I consider stuff for tomorrow's party! It is Kem's third Rezday today and we will celebrate wtih a beach party tomorrow, July 25th at noon SLT. Miss Gabrielle Riel will be spinning the tunes for a 1950s 1960s beach party theme! For an LM drop by Blisswood, the mainstore, some time tomorrow before the party. I'll also be sending an invite out to group members.

I wish you all a wonderful Saturday!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Summer time, and the living is easy . . .

2010-07-10T10:15:00.003-05:00

Greetings!

This week's blog is not about fashion, but about summer time in both worlds. This last week I've taken some time off to enjoy the lazy heat of summer. I recently wrote an email to friends, describing one of my mornings. I'm posting an excerpt for you. This is what I see in my real world, and sometimes it's fun to share with others. Fuzzybutt aka Charlie, is my 65 pound black Chow chow. Now, having said that, this is what I wrote last Thursday:

I slept late, and would have slept longer but I knew fuzzybutt needed to walk. We went out at 1ish, walking under the July sun that tapped down on us. I say tapped because it's still cool enough not to beat on you if you don't stay out too long. We walked along the corn road, me squinting and wishing for hat and shades, Charlie running ahead, pausing to sniff deeply and mark as needed. I looked at the corn plants and marveled, some of them are nearly 6 feet tall now. All the rain is soaked way down, and now the sun is doing its business. You can nearly hear the corn stretching up, reaching for that warm sunshine as the leaves grow darker and darker. They are the deep emerald green of summer now, and there is a steaminess that hovers over the fields as the sun bakes away the last of yesterday's rain. It has the smell of sun heated earth, rich and dark with the promise of growth. Clouds of wispy cotton drift through the perfect, glassy blue sky, and the wind ruffles the fields, dancing over the tops of the cornstalks. I think of the song line 'amber waves of grain' and change it in my mind, to emerald ripples of corn. There is a sound in a cornfield, it is the rustling of leaves against each other, a kind of whisper, as if each stalk is leaning to its neighbor to whisper about some delicious piece of gossip from across the field. Later in the year, in the fall when all the green has dried to faded gold, that rustle will take on more of a raspy rattle as winter steals in. But for now, it is summer, and the cornfield gossip tells me it is a good year, a happy, sunshine and rain fat year, and the corn will be sweet. Especially when it is gently boiled in water with a touch of sugar, then drowned in butter with a few dashes of salt.

That is the perfect sweet corn of summer.

And so it is. I live in the middle of several cornfields in Minnesota, but not too far from a major metro area. It's gorgeous up here this time of year. It's not a time to be missed! I'm dabbling with another release for next week, but last week was a slow down and enjoy the summer week. I hope that you too are enjoying this summer, that some place you'll be kicked back and enjoying some lemonade, sunshine, and good company. Whether it is in SL or RL, be well, and see you again soon.

Take care now!

Kembri

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T12:40:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

Happy 4th of July! I hope you'll take a moment to watch this video from the 1940s. You won't regret it! It perhaps explains a tiny bit of what I feel for my country.

I do have a new release this week, '1876 Molly Pitcher'. It's based on a centennial gown from 1876. It comes with undergarments, bonnet and gloves. It's priced lower than most of my gowns in honor of this holiday.

The gown is a bit different than others I've done. It's not haute couture or even couture, but more along the lines of Prairie Couture! I could see this being used in a frontier or very small town in 1876. I really do hope you enjoy it.

Wishing you a happy day, no matter what city or country you live in!

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen

2 new releases from the 20s and 30s

2010-06-28T16:47:00.002-05:00

Greetings!

This is an exciting release because it is number 59 and 60 for Seamstress this year. That's 60 new and unique outfits in the last six months, all stylishly done with great details. If you don't know how I feel about recoloring the same outfit in 12 colors by now, then I should reiterate, I don't do it. 98% of my gowns are based on original garments. I'm trying to do two things, digitally preserve an antique or vintage garment, and then bring them into SL so that they can be used and enjoyed by you, the resident. I can't always do a garment exactly as I found it, but I do try. So for all the wonderful ladies out there who have said, 'I'd buy that, if only it were in another color.', my apologies. It will never happen by my hand. Not to a garment I create. But I hear there's a lot of other dressmakers out there who do that! :-)

The video at the beginning of this post made me laugh, and very much reflects the high-spirited and Roaring 20s I've read about. Three cheers for Youtube, and I hope you enjoy the music and the video!

Now for this week's offerings. I have to gorgeous and fun gowns. The first is a 1930s black satin stunner, Missy.

Gorgeous isn't she? It's one of my Satin Doll gowns. Gosh, I think it'd make a great gown for a club singer! But that's just me. It does come with undergarments, including a lovely black lace strapless bra.

Next, my fun little 20s Flapper dance dress. This dress is a sister dress to Hot Honey Rag and Velma's Jazz. I hope you'll welcome Sheba Shimmie into the family!

I love this dress for both the bright color and the sheer shimmy of the skirts when I'm dancing. I tried it with a salsa, it looked awesome, and then with some other period dances I have. It looked good in any style.

And that's it for me this week! I'm gearing up for the 4th of July releases, and hope you're making plans for next weekend as well! Take care and enjoy these beautiful summer days! And a parting gift from me this week . . . another song! One of my favorites from childhood by Nat King Cole. I hope you enjoy it!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Titanic Edwardian wedding gown and more . . .

2010-06-23T04:51:00.003-05:00

Greetings,

This week we have three new outfits, one being a white satin ballgown that could also be a wedding gown. Another is a Victorian ballgown by Doucet, a famous Parisian designer. The third is a stunning copper satin suit from the 1930s.

Before going any further though, I would love for you to take a long close look at this video. As a lover of period clothing, I was thrilled to find this clip that shows waltzing in period gowns. The original Edwardian gown that Miss Theodosia was based on would have been right at home in this ballroom. As would the gown that Artemis is based on, which is also a ball gown. I found the waltzing interesting because the ladies hold the trains of their gowns up, and the gentlemen do not hold the ladies in what we could consider the correct waltz stance. They do not hold hands, but the dancing is graceful and just enthralling to see. I have no idea if this was really done this way or not, but it does make sense when one considers the trains on these gowns. Do enjoy this glimpse into another time.

The first gown is our Edwardian gown, Miss Theodosia.

This heavy satin gown is liberally embellished with pearls and lace on the bodice. Period undergarments come with the gown, which also has resizing scripts in the skirts.

Next up is a gorgeous olive green gown by Doucet. Artemis, named after the Goddess of the hunt.

The last outfit this week is a 1930s satin suit good for everything from a power lunch to an evening at the club. Marlene, named for the famed Marlene Dietrich.

The fedora is included and left modifiable.

I do hope you enjoy the video clip! It really is great fun to watch. The outfits here can be found up on Xstreet or in Second Life at any of the Curious Seamstress stores. Also, if you're curious at all about just how many outfits are out in the store, I've put albums up on flikr containing the ads for gowns that are available. You have over 100 different outfits to choose from, and more in the wings. Yes, my dear customers, I have been quite busy! There are also many older gowns at the main store that are still available. Those are not listed on the flikr site. To get there, just click the link to the right.

I wish you a wonderful week.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Blue Skies and Summertime in the 1920s!

2010-06-13T02:18:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

We have four new releases this weekend, all geared towards summer in the 1920s. The recording here is from about 1926 and was what I had in mind for our first dress. This is a sky blue dancing dress, "Blue Skies"

As always, based on a real gown, this sweetly sexy dress comes with undergarments that were part of the actual gown! It has a slip with it that has another row of beadwork at the hem, and so that's part of this gown as well.

Next is a day dress, for church or luncheon with friends, this light weight cotten dress has colorful floral and vine beadwork on it. Perfect for the "Summertime"!

The hat comes with, and some lovely undergarments as well, though no stockings as what modern Millie wanted her legs stuffed into hose on a hot summer day?

After lunch, it's time for an afternoon at the beach! With that in mind we have swimsuits for the jakes and shebas who were ready to frolic in the surf and do a little flirting!

Just Ducky! is based on a real late 20s swimsuit. It's cute, and sexy in its own way!

The men's suit has a straw boater, and of course, he's ready to guard the lovelies on the beach!

I hope you enjoy this week's offerings, and that your Sunday is full of fun and sunshine, no matter what world you're in!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Happy Birthday Breezy! And a new gown...

2010-06-10T16:18:00.004-05:00

First, happy real birthday to my dear friend, Miss Breezy Carver! She's one of those sweet people that everyone should have in their lives some place! She's kind, thoughtful, and always looking out for her friends. I hope that her day today is a special one.

Now for gowns! I have one this week so far, and a man's bathing suit. Let's do the men first this time!

This is a fun Victorian man's bathing costume, complete with straw boater. May I present, Victorian Beefcake! ((avatar beefcakce not included))

The other outfit this week is a woman's gown from the Belle Epoque era. It originally belonged to Mrs JP Morgan jr. The gown is stunning and comes with two skirts. One more formal ball length, and a shorter one for dancing. I hope you'll enjoy, Mrs. Morgan:

The gown is as always based on a real gown that is now in a museum collection and not on view to the public.

Both items are up on Xstreet.

That's it for today. Again, happy birthday Miss Breezy!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Three New Victorian Gowns and a Happy Birthday!

2010-05-29T12:26:00.011-05:00

Greetings!

First, Happy Real Birthday, Ghilayne Andrew! My sister turns ::you hear a thud and a shriek of surprise as Kembri is hit from behind:: ...

Back to our original posting while I ice the lump on my head!

I'm quite pleased to introduce the three newest gowns from Curious Seamstress. They're really gorgeous and I have a hard time choosing which one I love best, though I'm leaning towards the black silk. May I present Monique . . .

This is as always a real gown. I have had it for quite some time in photos (not in real life, I wish!), but the embroidery on it was problematic. Now however, it isn't as my skills have gotten better. The gown is French, about 1885 or so, and meant for receptions, dinners, or even a ball, though probably not a formal ball.

Next up we have a day gown for about town visiting, Sarah Ann . . .

The fringe on the front skirts are blue and a bit of green. It comes with a blouse, undergarments and bonnet. The bonnet is left mod so you can play with it as you wish.

Last is the wedding treat, Miss Letitia.

This nummy 1885 gown was a dream dress for many Victorian women. Made of heavy candlelight satin, crystal bead work, and a touch of lace, it is a stunningly beautiful gown. The veil has several layers of veiling, giving it a very full look.

I also have a new free summer gown in the stores now. At Blisswood the main store, Port Babbage, and New Toulouse you will find "Summer Maiden".

Now, I'm off to finish a special, fun project. Let's just say it involves beefcake, sand, and surf! I wish you a wonderful Memorial day weekend!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

How many gowns?

2010-05-24T14:28:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

Usually I post on the latest releases, but today I'm going to post on something else! My sister Ghilayne mentioned last night that she was commenting on some flickr photos, then she asked if we had a flickr account. Well, golly yes, we do! I just haven't posted to it since this time last year! Yes, I can be that bad about keeping up on some things.

I've spent the morning uploading and organizing the ads for the Curious Seamstress dating back to the 'birth' of the store in fall of 2008 and my first Worth gown.

That was not my very first ever gown I'd made in Second Life, but it was the first one with original textures created by me. I've been in business in Second Life since 2007, so I paid my dues with lots of growing pains, believe me! I've said before and will say it again, I didn't think I'd be able to be really good at this gown making thing until I could use a texture making program. Now I can, and I think I've gotten pretty darn handy with it! It is as much art as it is technical skills. It also helps that I love what I do.

Now days I can do gowns I wasn't able too in 2008 or earlier. It is a matter of practice, practice, and more practice. I would not do that Worth gown the same way now, and who knows, perhaps for our store anniversary I'll do another version of it!

We also have a new garden area at Blisswood. Actually, you have to take the teleporter to the garden area. That teleporter is some place on the north side of the store. It's not hard to find, and the garden is meant to be a place to just relax and chat with friends. I do hope you'll come visit at some point!

The releases this week will be out tomorrow sometime, and then I'll post about those! If you'd like to see all 100, yes, 100 items that are on flickr, just follow the link here. I have more than 100 items, but hey, I confined myself to things that are mostly available on Xstreet or in the stores. That doesn't count things like freebies, hunt items, etc. Eventually I'll add a set of those too, letting you see what's been offered over the years.

OMG, did I say years? That's it, time for some iced coffee!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Three new Victorian gowns and one special lady

2010-05-17T16:55:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

This week I am back home, safe and snug, and presenting you with three new Victorian gowns! One of these gowns is named in honor of a wonderful customer, Lady Willow Jenipe. The real gown is a French silk visiting dress from 1885 or so.

The gown comes with authentic undergarments for the period. The corset is a lovely purple satin, and has been named 'purple prose'. Who knew a lady had that hiding under her gown? The gown is something I hoped will suit Lady Willow in her travels around SL.

Next up we have a chocolate silk day gown with gold fringe, Tessa.

A corset of printed black cotton, drawers with a sweet pink ribbon, and pink stockings accompany this gown.

Last is a really sleek and elegant summer reception gown, Juliette. This gown is made of silk, lace, and black velvet trim.

The gown has an amazing black and gold corset I call bumblebee, as well as black lace drawers and gold stockings.

As always the gowns can be found up on Xstreet, and there are resizing scripts in the skirts.

Now I have one other little announcement. We've started a Spruz site, which is somewhat like Ning. For now it's just a place where I can chat, write articles, and socilize with others who adore vintage and antique clothing in SL. I hope you'll come and join us on http://curious-seamstress.spruz.com/

That's it for today, I hope you are all having a wonderfully sunny spring time wherever you are. And once again, my thanks to Lady Willow Jenipe for her kind and continued support of Curious Seamstress.

Take care!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

3 New releases and Greetings from Texas!

2010-05-10T15:50:00.004-05:00

Greetings my friends!

This last week I traveled down to Texas to celebrate a life milestone for someone dear to me. They graduated college! I have enjoyed my travels and will return to the cooler nothern climes later this week. However, whilst I was down here, I did not forget Curious Seamstress and in fact released three new items on Friday. I hope you enjoy them! Take care and may the special milestones in YOUR life be joyful ones!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

First up is a slinky, sexy bias cut soft gold gown. It's got a draped neckline and is amazing for dancing or singing those hot blues up on stage. May I present, "Baby"!

Undergarments do come with the gown.

Next up is a casual day dress, spiffy and neat, "Lulu" is a wonderful dress for day wear in late 1920s or early 1930s RP sims. It does come with a mod hat as well as gloves and undergarments.

Last is a smoking hot number for the 1950s Glamwear line, Miz Gabi.

This gown is one of those ones that make men stop and stare in real life, and I'm pretty sure it'll have the same effect in Second Life! It comes with undergarments, and is amazingly hot!

All of these are up on Xstreet as well as in the new releases vendors of most stores.

Again, I wish you well. Take care!

Seraph City and a new clothing line

2010-05-04T01:09:00.003-05:00

Greetings!

This week I am pleased to announce a new clothing line from The Curious Seamstress. This line of 1930s era clothing is inspired by the Seraph City sim in general and the Carrington in particular. Miss Breezy Carver approached me about the sim a while back, saying she had an idea for a store. She would provide the setting if I would like to set up shop. I was intrigued and enthusiastic. Breezy has been a good friend and supporter for a long while. She purchased a lot, commissioned a build, and began to build a dream. I was amazed at how quickly she pulled things together. Now for my part, I thought I needed to contribute something new and exciting in the area of clothing.

The idea of starting another clothing line was challenging, and I adore a good challenge! I did a lot of research into the time period, getting a feel for both every day clothing and the glamour clothing. The Depression affected the world economy, it wasn't just in the United States that suffered. Couture fashion Houses also fell during this time. Many of those once rich clients were no longer wealthy enough to afford couture clothing. Another thing that happened is movies became more popular, and Hollywood began to dictate fashion through film. In the every day world, a man might wear overalls until they had patches upon patches, and a farm wife might make dresses from printed feed sack material. Oh, the material was pretty, but it wasn't silk and satin! In the shiny world of Hollywood, it was all slinky, bias cut satin, glittering gems, and happier, wealthier times. And so we come to the new clothing from the Curious Seamstress. The first gown is one that was made especially for Seraph.

Silver lame, long ostrich feather panels, and some of the prettiest undergarments I've done, this is an exceptional outfit. Serph, singular for serphim, this is truly an Angelic gown.

Next is a day dress for those who need something a bit more modest and practical. I'd also say you could wear it in a 1920s sim, as the dress has lines of the late 20s or early 30s. I adored the color of it when I first saw it. It's made of linen and silk. With a sweet Peter Pan collar, may I present, Wendy.

Next up is a classic black and white evening gown with an Art Deco flare, Myrna. Named for Myrna Loy, this lovely gown is elegant and sleek. It is a perfect frame for nearly any jewelry choice.

Next we have another angel in the lineup, but this angel is a Profane one. The name is actually a nickname for Carol Lombard, a famous actress of the 1930s. She was truly a beauty, as is this gown. Made of pink satin with crisscrossing straps on the back, the gown is lovely and flowing. Perfect for dancing the night away in that special jazz club!

Lastly we can finish up our evening with a Hot Toddy! This glorious golden gown was named after Thelma Todd, another classic 1930s actress. A hot toddy is also a hot buttered drink, and so I felt this gown was perfect!

The lush color of the gown really is quite gorgeous in person.

And so my dear friends, this is the opening volley in my 1930s line. There will be others released next weekend as well. I really hope that you'll stop by the Seraph city build, in particular the Carrington, and visit the newest Curious Seamstress shop. I am very proud of it! It is upstairs on the right, over Tres Beau, across from Nymphetamine, and kitty corner from Blakopal Designs. Did I mention I'm keeping some very good company? It's true, Miss Breezy has gathered some amazing designers into the Carrington!

I hope to see you there sometime soon.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

An 1890s Wedding gown & two 1920s releases!

2010-04-22T12:48:00.003-05:00

Greetings!

This week I've three new offerings. The first is a gorgeous 1890s wedding gown & then two 1920s dresses. Wedding gown first! This is 'Miss Dovie', a satin wedding gown from about 1895. If you're getting married in any Victorian period type of ceremony, this is the gown for you!

The outfit comes with the veil, gloves, undergarments, and of course the gown. The bouque is from a wedding store, the LM is in the notecard. This really is a wonderful gown and I'm very pleased with how the satin and ruching came out.

Next is Cookie, a 1927 Day suit by House of Worth. It's amazing, and great fun to wear.

The hat, shoes, and fur are mod so you can fidget with them. Yes, the shoes ARE included with this outfit. It's a fun ensemble and quite special in person. Photos never quite show how any Curious Seamstress garment looks in person, but we try!

Last, Hot Honey Rag. This is the sister dress to Velma's Jazz and also inspired by Chicago. It's a fun dress that comes with its own sequined fedora.

The shoes come with this outfit. Yes, that's kind of new to us, but I was tired of not finding the exact matching shoe for an outfit, and broke down and made some simple 20s shoes. I hope you enjoy them!

That's it for the moment. I'm busy working on some new gowns for the 1930s line that will debute this weekend. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Lady Sapphire and a bit of idle conversation

2010-04-13T12:48:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

I've a lovely offering this week, Lady Sapphire. The gown is attributed to Charles Worth, but there is no proof it was done by his House. However, the gorgeous fabric, intricate details, and stunning overall look of the gown certainly make it a good possibility.

The original gown was auctioned off in 2004. I have no idea where it is now, but it is a favorite color of mine! What's not to love about a deep cobalt blue?

So what is attribute when we're speaking of clothing? Well often in the fashion world of antique clothing, there is no single identifying label on a piece of clothing. Worth was the first to label his clothing, and it eventually caught on with other couture houses. Even then, there are garments that come down to us in which the only way we can tell is to look at the way it is made. The type of material, color, trim, and the design elements, these can all point us at a certain time and in some cases, a designer. It's like identifying a type of car by the body shape! By the way, pirating of clothing isn't any thing new. The major couture houses of the late 1800's went to great lengths to prevent people from seeing designs and stealing the idea before the start of a season. Many of them who had fashion showings made the clients sign contracts promising to buy at least one gown! It was big business as it still is, and theft was rampant. This was before one could claim Intellectual Property rights.

This week at my main store of Blisswood I've been redecorating. Not changing the layout mind you, just refreshing the store's look and adding a few fun things. I've a section of pictures that are period and hanging upstairs for sale. They're not master pieces, but they are bright bits of fun for your home if you should wish it. I've also found some fun stuff at the Home Expo show that's currently happening. Take a close look at the trees at Blisswood the next time you visit! And I do hope you'll visit. I've set out a newer free gown, as well as a sweet and useful blouse. Now and then a woman just needs a good blouse for whatever reason. So that is now out. It is mod copy, so you can change the color by tinting it or the length of the sleeves, whatever you wish.

I'm working on some new projects as always, but I can't say too much more than that at the moment! I hope you all enjoy this week's offering. As always, you'll find it up on Xstreet. I've also issued a catalogue vendor for ordering new releases whenever and wherever you wish. Gift cards are also being set up for purchase in amounts ranging from $500 lindens to $50,000 lindens. Though I have to tell you, if someone bought the last one I would probably fall over in stunned amazement!

I wish you a lovely spring day wherever you are!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Lady Seabreeze and Candy Ribbons

2010-04-03T01:20:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

This week I've two new, very beautiful Victorian day gowns. The first is named after Breezy Carver. The gown, Lady Seabreeze, is a delightful spring creation of sky blue brocade, satin, and white lace. There is a matching hat and of course a bustle skirt since it is based on a fantastic 1878 bustle gown.

The original gown came out of a museum and is now, as far as I know, in a private collection. There are a total of four skirts on this dress, and the movement of it is truly lovely. It's a perfect Easter gown. The rare sky blue color makes it a very special piece. There are undergarments included as well.

Next up is a gown I dubbed Candy Ribbons because it looks like that kind of hard candy. It is a sweet dress, no doubt about it. The most challenging part was the stripes and making sure they worked well. I hope you'll enjoy the new bustle configuration on this as well.

There is just one prim skirt on this gown, and that is the bustled part. I really do enjoy wearing this one because of the look of it. The original is made of cream colored wool with satin ribbons and emerald green fringe. This isn't an exact replica, but it's still a sleekly tailored spring time ensemble. Period undergarments are included.

Both dresses can be found on Xstreet.

Until next time, I wish you a joyful and happy Easter!

Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen
The Curious Seamstress

And all that jazz . . .

2010-03-29T23:14:00.006-05:00

Greetings!

Well here it is, late Monday night and I'm just getting to blogville. It was a busy weekend. I usually plan out what I wish to do a week or more in advance. I do that by looking over what I have out in the stores, looking at the season, and then considering what I need to round out the collections. As I was looking over my 1920's clothing line last week, I realized I did not have a single dress in black! So for my 13th (!) Roaring 20's gown, I made 'Bye Bye Blackbird' in black satin with a crescent moon at the hip. As often happens, a song struck me as fitting with the gown. That's why we have the Blackbird video at the beginning here. I don't think of it as a sad song so much as a reflective one. Something sultry and very fitting for this gown.

As always period undergarments come with. In this case it's a blush colored silk stepin. That's a one piece undergarment that you literally stepped into.

After this slinky little number, I went all hot and bothered with Chicago's opening dance number, 'All that jazz'. I love the movie, and of course the outfits. This one isn't the same as what's worn in the movie, but it's just as sexy and based on a real garment.

Can you imagine wearing the real thing and going out dancing? There's some serious sexy in that dress! And with 'Velma's Jazz' I can now present you 14 different 1920's dresses! It's not the end, there will be more, and in a few weeks I'll be introducing another line of dresses for a different time period.

Later this week, I'll have two new Victorian gowns out, as well as a 1950's gold satin ballgown. I'm trying a little different style with the Victorian gowns so I hope it's something the ladies will like. Until then, I'll leave you with a bit of fun and the video from the opening scenes of Chicago!

As always, these gowns will also be up on Xstreet in the next day or so.

Take care.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Spring's Offerings - Goddesses in the World

2010-03-20T14:16:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

The first day of Spring is today, and I have three lovely new offerings for you all. The first is named for Demeter, a Greek goddess and mother of Persephone. This gown is from House of Worth and dates to about 1903.

The headpiece and undergarments come with the gown. The pattern is quite beautiful, and the original gown is made of velvet.

The next gown we have is Demeter's daughter, the goddess Persephone.

Made of heavy blue satin, the gown is based on an original 1903 or so Liberty of London gown. Much like the earlier gown, Harmonia, this gown has cut outs on the sleeves, a small train, and flowing skirts. It would do well for any evening event where a lady might wish to look like a Goddess!

Last for the week is a 1920's era gown. This is a day dress, meant for whatever day time activities you wish to do that don't involve flapping! The gossamer dagged sleeves and ethereal skirt are really very pretty.

A small hat comes with this outfit, as well as two sets of undergarments. I couldn't make up my mind, so you get them both!

All gowns can be found at my Blisswood store. If you're not sure where that is, just come inworld and check my picks, or look up on Xstreet, as all the gowns are also there.

I hope your first day of Spring is beautiful, wherever you may be!

Cordially yours,
Kembri
The Curious Seamtress

Five Majestic New Releases . . .

2010-03-13T11:55:00.005-06:00

There's a lot happening at Seamstress this week. It has been a very LONG week of work! Fabric is flying, and we're putting out some of our very best for the RFL Clothing Fair. I won't do a huge long blog this week, just show you the five new gowns that are out and where you can get them. The song, Lara's Theme, is for one of the new gowns that I love. Really, truly love and can see all kinds of story attached to it. Some people see just cloth and beads, but I see a woman in a gown and a story. Perhaps that story is yours? Anyway, Lara's Theme is hauntingly fitting for the very last gown on this list, as I am saving the most beautiful gown for last.

Onwards!

This gown is available at the RFL Clothing fair shop. The Curious Seamstress is on the Paris sim! How exciting is that? Home of Worth! This gown is on special for the length of the fair with a price of $500 lindens. After the fair she will join her Majestic sisters.

Next up at the fair:

Aurora is a ballerina costume, but could as easily be used as a gown in a more modern venue. Her price is $500 lindens and she will be available at the Paris Seamstress store until the end of the RFL fair.

Shepherdess is a very special gown. She comes with a musical trunk that plays the theme to "Somewhere in Time". She is a beautiful lace and pink satin confection, with a sexy cut out neckline that makes a man eye that bodice! There are two bustles, and of course undergarments. This gown was originaly made last Spring, but was bought and auctioned off for RFL in New Babbage. The buyer contacted me and kindly gave permission to reissue the gown. So you can find this gown only in the RFL vendors of the Fair, for $895. All proceeds go to RFL for the duration of the fair. Ladies, if you love pink and lace, this is your chance to pick up a bargin, because after that fair IF the gown is issued it will not be at such a low cost again.

Now for the final two gowns for this week. These are amazing gowns, based on museum pieces, and quite stunning in person.

Le Reine, the Queen, and the first in the Majestic line of gowns. Made by House of Worth sometime in about 1898, rumored to be based on the Effiel Tower ironwork, very Avante Garde, and very beautiful.

Now for the best of them all. This gown is one I have waited and waited to make. I have traced it around the net for over a year, and found some amazing pictures tucked in odd corners. I hope that you to someday find a gown that calls to you as sweetly and strongly as this one has to me.

May I present, "Tzarina".

Made for a Russian Princess, now made for you in Second Life.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you in Paris!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Little Egypt comes to Second Life . . .

2010-03-08T09:48:00.007-06:00

Greetings Dear Readers!

First, I hope you'll listen to this music from Youtube. I have it on my private Ipod and listened to it a LOT when I was making up these silks. If it doesn't get your heart beating faster, your eyes a narrowed down a little more seductively, and your hips flicking in quick rhythm, then you're not hearing the same song I am!
Ice Queen is a gorgeous acoustical song and very fitting for these new silks.

So let's talk about silks. There are slave silks in the world of Second Life. Fewer of the just straight belly dancing silks are available, but they do exist. I own some from Sparkle Skye. They're gorgeous and realistic. Even belly dancing outfits have history and reasoning behind them, and they're not just strips of silks dangling off the tips of body parts!

I was less than a couple days old in 2007 when I found my first silk sets in Vienna. I was thrilled, they were amazing to my newbie eyes, and I still have those original sets in homage to the first silk makers. I picked up many sets over the years, and loved many of them. I didn't RP anyplace where I could actually wear them, but I had fun with them. Beautiful Sin, Solange, and Annalise were three of my favorites, and as I mentioned, Sparkle Skye has gorgeous sets as well. Anyone who has bought silks knows who I'm talking about. There are also a ton of other silkmakers out there. Some great, some so so, all of them inspired by the beauty of silk fabric draped around a woman's (or man's) body.

When I started working on Victorian and Edwardian clothing almost exclusively, I kind of put the silks away, then found out more about Little Egypt. As mentioned on Miss Breezy's blog, these silks are somewhat inspired by Little Egypt, but not all by her. Mostly, I'm having fun with sexy drapes that hint at the skin underneath, but don't always show it. If you were to wear nothing but the smallest skirt and the prim top, you would still be totally covered, at least the important bits! It took a lot of dancing around and playing with these items to make sure that was so. I was also hesitant to release them. After all, making silks is not my primary obsession in SL. However, we will again tap Miss Breezy and say that she very kindly explained to me that I should stop hoarding things in folders! Yes, they've been in my folders for a long time. Now however, I hope you will enjoy them and put them to good use.

Now let's take a look at the dancing silks.

Mother Isis, who was actually the Daughter of Nuit! Isis is Goddess of Magic and Mystery... and called Star of the Sea. Part of the reason I chose blue for her silks.

Nuit, Goddes of the night skies, wife to Geb, Mother of Isis and four other gods.

There are several pieces to these sets. If you buy a set and have a problem fitting it, drop me a notecard! The salwar and top come in different styles. In the Mother Isis set I have a short sleeved and long sleeved top, one is sheer and the other isn't. There are the pant like salwar, sheer and opaque, but no 'panties'. Really, these can be as modest or provocative as the wearer decides! In the Sister Nuit set both tops are long sleeved, but one is sheer.

One last little fun thing, I have a new freebie out at the stores. Clockwork Beauty is a ballerina costume, but also makes just a very pretty little gown. What you do with it is always up to you! I'd show a picture but the dratted computer has other ideas, so do stop by a store and pick up your copy!

Now, I'm off to work. We're in the Paris sim for RFL (it's STUNNING!) and I have a TON of work to do! Curious Seamstress will be presenting Worth and House of Worth court presentation gowns, and some other amazing surprises at our store during RFL. I do hope you'll stop by and take a peek!

For anyone wanting to find the new dance silks, they're in the New Release vendors at all the stores and will soon be up on SLex with the other Curious Seamstress goods.

Take care!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Victorian through the 1920's - A little something for everyone!

2010-02-28T15:05:00.004-06:00

Greetings my friends!

It has been a very busy time around here as we gear up for March's RFL madness. But before we dive into the Clothing Fair on the 13th of March, I have been trying to complete a variety of garments and periods. So let's get right to our latest half a dozen offerings!

First one up, a favorite for me, Harmonia. This is a gown inspired by a really fantastic golden satin gown from about 1910 and Liberty of London. Liberty of London wasn't so much one desiger as it was a style of clothing. Elegant, not overly eleborate, but done in excellent materials, Liberty of London gowns are really lovely. Some are even outstanding, as with Harmonia. The gown, by the way, is named after the Goddess Harmonia. The neckline on this gown is awesome for framing that perfect necklace!

Continuing in our Goddess theme, we have Aphrodite Risen, a Fortuny inspired gown. Now I do go on about Mariano Fortuny in the card that comes with the gown. His gowns were less 'fashion' and more works of art. He made these gowns over a time span of some 40 years, and unless you have provenance, it's hard to tell when each gown was made. These gowns, if you can find one at auction, tend to go for the thousands of dollars, depending on condition. Now, a word here. There is NO prim skirt with this gown. It was never meant to have one. For examples please go to my Xstreet page for this gown and look at the additional images. I will be doing more Fortuny inspired gowns in the future, they're just that gorgeous. I hope you'll enjoy them if you should purchase one! The back drape is a flexi and based on Indian sari material. The headpiece that comes with this gown moves as if it were really dozens of beads hanging about your hair and face.

Next is a costume offering. This pretty little costume was done for an avatar sized music box done by Miss Canolli Capalini of Capalini Fine Furnishings. The music box came out a year ago, and I just recently decided to start releasing costumes I've done in the past. There is also a plate tutu for this gown. It can be worn either as a regular costume or as a ballet costume, and it is in Mardi Gras colors! So it covers a LOT of ground here! I love outfits like that! Eventually I have other ballet costumes in the wings that I will also release. Until then, I offer you, Harlequin.

Next we have a really unusual Victorian reception gown. Now as far as I know, this gown was not made by any well known designer. But the really brilliant use of gray satin and black velvet along with white embroidery just make this a very unique and unusual gown. I made it for my cousin Olli for Breezy Carver's Black and White ball. Now I offer it to you for your next regal affair! The name Lucrezia comes from the gown's current home, which is in a private European collection. That and can't you just see a Borgia woman wearing something this elegant and dramatic?

Next up are my two 1920's beauties. First is Roxie. A sassy, sexy little gown with hip swags that bring peoples eyes to your hips when you move. This gown, when worn with gloves and the right shoes, is really a show stopper in any era. I have to say, the velvet looks petable! There is a set of undergarments with this gown and two head pieces. The head pieces have a resizing script in them, and the script is deletable.

Now for the newest and last offering. When doing the 1920's line the one thing I find really difficult is finding good day dresses. There are literally thousands of 1920's evening gowns available for sale around the world, but there's darn few regular day to day dresses around. This gown is one I would date towards the end of the 1920's because the look is a little longer, a little softer, and the original gown was more figure hugging than many early 20's gowns. It was such a fun, cheerful dress that I had to make it! I really hope if you have any kind of 1920's yearnings that you'll eventually pick up this dress. It's very feminine and I had great fun wearing it out on a Sunday afternoon!

Now a few other words. First please do remember that about 99% of my gowns are based on real gowns and sometimes there can be color variatons within the gown itself. I do add my own touches, like trying to make sure the color is even and seams match. But occasionally, as with the Betty dress, there's just a shade more color in one part that I cannot change without totally changing the dress. You all know how I feel about that! I do not retouch the photos in my ads either, as I wish you to have a very good idea of what you're purchasing.

Next Item. If you have ever bought a gown from me on Xstreet, I would ask that you go back and review or rate it or both. Good or bad, some folks do pay attention to such ratings. So if you are in a position to comment, please do!

That's all for this post. I've picked half a dozen Worth or House of Worth gowns for the next few releases. Most of the gowns are rather involved and so there shouldn't be a huge flood of releases, but one never knows! I wish you a wonderful beginning to your March!

Take care!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Callot Soeurs - Two New Gowns with classical elegance

2010-02-10T15:30:00.002-06:00

Greetings again!

This week I've got two new Callot Soeur inspired gowns from the 1920's. One is Evening Primrose, a gorgeous pink satin ensemble. The other is Peonies, a lush green velvet dress that is a wonderful example of Orientalism at its finest. Both gowns come with lingerie and hair pieces. I hope you will enjoy them!

This will be a short entry because this week is 'computer issue' week for me! Take care, and I hope you can visit Blisswood very soon. Once I'm back in SL, I've two new swimsuits to add to the list as well!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

A lovely Valentine's day offering, and it's up on SLex!

I do adore the color on this gown!

Murder, Mayhem, & Miss Otis Regrets in New Toulouse

2010-02-04T12:52:00.005-06:00

Greetings!

This gown is out as a prize in the New Toulouse Murder Mystery Hunt. No, you won't find the gown in my shop. You will find it at the prize center, and to get there, you'll have to follow the clues! If you go to the Curious Seamstress in New Toulouse, you will find a poster for the hunt.

Now, there is a hud that goes with this hunt. It's not your typical 'find the prize, snatch and run', kind of hunt. You'll be looking for clues to solve a mystery! The hud records the clues, and I believe you have to collect them all to get to the prize center.

The poster at my shop has a notecard that tells you were to start. It involves a walking tour over two sims, and you'll get to have some fun, learn about a new area if you've never been, and in the end collect some fabulous prizes! You get to choose by the way, as they're on shelves in the prize center where the hunt ends. I did not create this hunt, but volunteered as soon as I saw it pop up!

The gown, Miss Otis Regrets, is a brown velvet 1920's Flapper evening gown. It comes complete with everything but shoes and jewelry. The gloves are by my most talented sister and partner, Mrs. Ghilayne Andrew. This has all the quality of any gown I sell, including some new undergarments. Yes ladies, this is YOUR chance to get a brand spanking new free gown from me! I will also be putting out a 1920's man's suit to pair with this dress.

Other New Toulouse shopowners have also contributed prizes and there's some nifty things in the prize center.

The hunt runs through February 28th.

To find New Toulouse, either look it up in Search, or check my picks in SL!

I hope you'll come join us in New Toulouse for some fun, murder and mayhem!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

The Flowers of Worth and Callot Soeurs

2010-01-30T12:33:00.010-06:00

Greetings!

This week there are three new releases and for some reason they all ended up with flower names, though it really wasn't on purpose. I think I may have a touch of spring fever! Two of the gowns are inspired by the House of Worth, and one is inspired by the House of Callot Soeurs.

By now you should know that the House of Worth was established by Charles F. Worth in the 1870's. The House of Callot Soeurs was established by four sisters in Paris and was considered a contemporary of the House of Worth. The Callot Soeurs were very popular for their lingerie first, then later they expanded into evening gowns of heavy satin, Chinese silks, rubberized gabardine, and exquisite workmanship. In the 1920's they made evening gowns that were revolutionary in materials and design. The House survived into 1948, but finally closed down then. Most surviving examples of their work resides in museums and considered works of art.

For this week, we first look at the Worth inspired gowns. Both are from House of Worth, run by Jean-Phillipe Worth after his father passed away. The first gown, Lillie Desired, is what I consider a cusp gown, as it is beginning to show signs of the Edwardian Age. The gown has a black on black cut velvet pattern and comes with undergarments. It is named in honor of Lillie Langtry. There is more about her in the note card that accompanies the gown. It is a fantastic gown that flows beautifully even in the worst of lags.

The next Worth inspired gown is 'Cupid's Rose'. Now this gown is Edwardian, and gorgeous. The color is simply stunning in person, and the skirt flows and ripples beautifully. It is the epitome of elegance, and I expect that it would delight any woman to own it. Especially if they love this particular color. The under bust corset comes in two versions, with and without camisole. This is one of my favorite gowns. I think as much for the color as the lines, and perfect for Valentine's Day!

The last gown is also Edwardian. This gown struck me as something I would love to wear the first time I saw it. I think the combination of gossamer fuchsia material and black satin was what caught my attention. The resulting evening gown is truly graceful and refined, perfect for dancing the night away in!

That is the offering for this week. I hope you enjoy these ensembles.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Blue Moon Magic and other fun things

2010-01-18T10:45:00.005-06:00

Greetings my friends!

It was a very busy weekend around the Curious Seamstress. Fabric was flying, sewing machines were humming, and the new boxes were being packed with the latest gowns! We have two new offerings, and both have a story.

First up is Blue Moon Magic. This beautiful gown is truly breathtaking. It's styled on a real 1929-1930 gown. It is what I would call 'on the cusp' because it shows a bit of styling from both eras. The cut of the gown, the flow of the skirt, and the fantastic color all make for an amazing evening gown. There are two layers, a top chiffon layer, and a lower, heavier layer. This gown was made for dancing! I know, I spent a couple of hours dancing in it. Just to test it out, you understand!

The undergarments come with it. It really is a gorgeous gown and I hope you'll drop by Blisswood and pick up yours!

The next gown has a bit of a special story. Miss Wilhemina McGillivary contacted me a while back. She is a lovely lady who works and lives in some magical sims. (Miss Willie role plays in the Harry Potter (tm) sims). She had visited Blisswood, purchased some gowns, spoken to me, and I had recommended a few other places to shop. Yes people, if you want to know other great designers, ask your favorite who she likes! I have a very short list of other designers whose gowns I love for one reason or another. But back to Miss Willie. She told me she had been wearing a hat from the Steam Punkin' outfit, and someone asked her what she fed it. I admit to nearly spitting my coffee at that statement! I thought it was extremely funny. You see my dear reader, I don't consider myself a great milliner at all. In fact, as much as I love hats, I don't consider that mine are the top of the hat scale. They're not my focus and passion, though I have studied them to make sure when I do make one it at least comes close to looking like it should. But back to Miss Willie and her hat. She has a family tartan, and she wished a gown based along the same lines as the New Babbage tartan gowns. After speaking with her for a bit, this gown came to mind, and so I made it. The hat is very special, and should you happen to purchase this gown, I would urge you to take a close look at the hat and jabot.

I'd also urge you to feed the hat at least every now and then.

So what's coming up? Well we have a few events in the works. I will be working on mostly Worth ballgowns and reception gowns. Also at least two that are court gowns. Why? Well, the RFL Clothing Fair is coming up in March, and The Curious Seamstress will be in the Paris sim! I'm so excited that I really did shout with joy when I found out! Paris, home of Charles Frederick Worth, the man many consider the Father of Haute Couture. His gowns are amazingly, stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful. His career spans decades, starting in the 1860's designing for Empress Eugenie of France. He was the first to do many things in the fashion industry, such as having live models. Yes I know I'm raving! If you ever had the chance to see a Worth gown and examine it in detail, you would be astonished at the workmanship and detail.

Now I'll take a deep breath, step back, and tell you that from now until the RFL fair, I will be concentrating on doing Worth and House of Worth gowns. Charles died in 1895, but his sons continued the business into the 1950's. I'm looking at gowns, and have picked out 6-8 that will be coming out. I have been collecting examples for over a year and found some that are not commonly seen. I don't want to say which ones, but they are all stunning, beautiful gowns. No recolors, ladies. Any designer who recolors an existing Worth gown should be smacked and told why it's a BAD thing to do. That's really like recoloring the Mona Lisa because you prefer blonds. This clothing is artwork. But back to the gowns. I have tried to pick a range of colors so that there is at least one for every hair/skin type. Most of them can be worn by anyone. Because these gowns are very time intensive to do, and because I'm such a stickler for details and making them look their best, you'll probably just see one every 7 to 10 days. One never knows though, some may come more quickly.

So that is what is up in the Seamstress shops for this week. Do stop by Blisswood. We have a new winter freebie of hat, scarf, gloves AND mittens out. They're gray, what can I say? It's winter! But that hint of spring is in the air! Take care.

Cordially yours,
Kembri
--
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. ~Isak Dinesen

Golden Goddess, Golden Sands

2010-01-11T00:40:00.006-06:00

Greetings!

The bright and lovely blue moon has come and gone, leaving a new year and a new decade in its wake. This last week I've had a few releases and now it's time to let you all know about them.

As the sunlight glitters off the icicles outside my office windows, I find myself longing for warm climes, sandy beaches, and sunshine. I grew up in California and am now far from those beautiful Pacific shores. Because the weather has been so frigid all across the country I think that January has us all longing for sun and sand, thus my newest releases! To get us into the mood, one of my favorite memory songs. I love the picture montage that was used for this song as well.

A couple of tidbits about Miss Monroe, who is shown in the video. She was a size 14 and considered very sexy, and started life as a brunette! The Glamwear dress would have been perfect for her. Now, onto the rest of the post!

First up we have the new Glamwear gown, "Goddess in Gold". I really love both the dress and the ad, which came out quite well!

The dress is based on a 1950's dress made in Hollywood. It's got just a very little bit of prim skirt in the front. This is a wiggle dress and perfect for either a night out dancing or a black tie event. I wore it with black bowtie pearls from the Ambrosia set by Alienbear Gupte, black Tuxedo pumps from Shiny Things, and a lovely updo from ETD. My undergarments consisted of ebony hose from 1-800 Bettie's, and one or two other things! The Glamwear line will not be priced quite as high as the Edwardian and Victorian lines. I have my reasons, and if anyone reaaaally wants to know, drop me a notecard and I'll explain!

Next up is my newest Sea Pearls Vintage Swimsuit, French Picnic. It's a fun little number that I enjoy wearing quite often.

The sunglasses do come with as well as the hat. The shoes are from 1-800 Bettie's again. Red 40's pumps. The sunglasses are not fancy many primed wonders. Since I'm going for low lag here for sailing, the sunglasses are all of one prim. You'll have to take a look at them when you get a chance!

Now, for the guys, I haven't forgotten you! This week is the release of the first men's bathing trunks, "Blue Hawaii". I know it's not the most original name in the world, but the trunks are fun! Circa 1950's and on two layers, they're great for going out and sailing or surfing, or just lounging with that lady you admire so.

I have several other things in the pipeline, no surfing pun intended! I've been revamping the look of our ads to go with the new year. My sister is helping me, and we just recently settled on the new background for some upcoming releases. I hope to have those out by the end of this week. I'm trying to clean out a lot of nearly finished projects in preperation for RFL in March. The Curious Seamstress and GreenWood Designs will be attending this year, and so I'm already looking at what to do for that very special week.

I haven't given up on Victorian or Edwardian gowns. I'm just bopping around in Eras right now. I hope that you'll find something appealing! All the items are at the Blisswood store. Some things, like the Sea Pearls, can only be found at Blisswood or at the store in Nantucket. Yes, we have a new store! Also, there is a vendor at the Starboard Yacht Club in Hollywood that sells the Sea Pearls.

That's it for this posting. I hope that wherever you are, you are warm and safe!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

A Most Rare Blue Moon Sale and New Releases

2009-12-30T12:16:00.004-06:00

Greetings!

A Blue Moon is rare, but a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve only happens once every 19 years or so! This Thursday half the world will greet a new year and a new decade under a Blue Moon. How mystical, how magical, and how very special. I've been humming this song all morning, which is one of my favorites.

I don't do sales but once a year. The last time I held one was in October of 2008. So it is time for a very rare Blue Moon Sale. Every vendor at Blisswood, the main store, has been set to give a 25% discount. That's on all vendors, old and new releases. This is your once in a Blue Moon chance to get GreenWood Design items at such a discount. The sale will end at midnight on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010.

I make no promises about the next sale, because I don't believe in holding them constantly! So do take advantage while you can!

Now one more thing. I've started a new line of clothing. Sea Pearls Vintage bathing suits! The suits are whatever I find pretty from 1920's to 1960's swim and play suits! So far I have two 1950's style suits. I've a few others in mind, and a third suit will be out this afternoon. Yes, I'm having great fun with this! These are not butt flossers, Ladies. These are modest but sexy suits. Our grandmothers knew what they were doing. A recent study said that men prefer to see no more than about 40% of a woman's body revealed by a swimsuit. See? Rita Hayworth, Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, these women knew that sometimes revealing all isn't nearly as sensual.

So, we have "Mango Honey" and "Sex Kitten" available, but only at Blisswood! I hope you'll take a look, they're upstairs in their own little vendor.

So sexy! You wouldn't believe how pretty these are in person. I did them because I've recently taken up sailing in SL and couldn't find anything sexy AND low lag that didn't leave my virtual fanny hanging out in the wind! So of course, I had to make it! I hope you enjoy them too!

And that's it for this . . . year! This decade even! Thank you ALL, each and every one of you, for supporting me this year. I've enjoyed talking to some of you in person, though I will warn you I do tend to be a little shy in person. Yes, I really do. :) I hope you'll come visit Blisswood, and I wish you ALL a Blessed and Magical New Year.

I hope you have someone special to be with under the most Enchanted of Blue Moons.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Two New Releases . . . One for Men!

2009-12-09T15:12:00.012-06:00

Greetings Gentle Reader!

I have two new offerings for you today. One is a gorgeous, stunning, wowza scarlet 1920's evening gown! Holly Berry is based on a real 1925 evening gown and quite sexy for those upcoming holiday dances! I really do love this gown, and picked it for both its beautiful color and its intricate beadwork. It comes with a resizable head piece, period bra and tap panties, as well as black stockings, but not with gloves or shoes.

I explain where the gloves come from in the notecard that accompanies the gown, and have listed landmarks for the store that carries them. Sometimes I feel it's better to support other SL merchants and buy what I want to use. In this manner, I hope to encourage you, the client, to also purchase gloves from the designer who made them. She's most talented! No I do not know her, but I know I appreciate her work.

The next offering is for the men out there. It is the New Babbage Greatcoat! A Victorian Greatcoat based on a real 1890's garment made of curly lamb's wool. The toggle and braid work on the front is awesome, and the collar and cuffs are prim and adjustable.

This greatcoat is Mod/No Copy/Trans and costs $350 lindens at any of the Curious Seamstress stores. Or you could visit us at Blisswood and snag one there. Ladies, since it is transfer, you can buy it for your man as a warm holiday gift! It can also, as always, be purchased on SLex.

Now, I have some other items in the works. One is a gorgeous Bonbon Rococo style gown, Kindness, which will be out later this evening. I can give you a little peek here . . .

Kindness is one of the 7 Virtues series of gowns. This is probably one of the more prim intricate designs I've ever made. There's lots of bows, flowers, ruffles, even on the back drape, but they are all true to the period. This is not an exact replica of a specific gown, but rather my own creation using the Rococo ideals as a guide. Though the stays and drawers included in the undergarments are real enough!

The other pre-peek I'll let you see is a brand new line of items from me. This is the "Little Egypt Victorian Dance Finery" line. For now I have two debute outfits, with as always, more in the wings. Please do remember this is what I consider a draft picture. The outfits are nearly ready to go and should be out by Friday. I'll only show one for now, but the other outfit, Sister Nuit, is in black, gold and red.

The first up is 'Mother Isis', done in tribute to the Egyptian Mother Goddess Isis. A card with her story will come with the silks. I do consider these dancing silks. There's several layers. When all are worn together you have a very modest dancing outfit. But you can take away layers and have a more risque outfit. These silks will not have strip scripting, but rather resizing scripting so that they can be fitted to the dancer.

Mother Isis -

This is a mock up ad, and there is some change that may happen to the final product. I can tell you that there is a heavily beaded headdress that matches the outfit, that the long draping scarves come off with one of the prim tops. There are two prim tops. One has fabric tassels that hang down to cover a good deal of the mid-drift, while the other tassled chest piece is topless and could be used if you were in an Adult Egyptian sim and playing a dancer. By the way, there are two skirts. One is long, the other is very short and just barely covers what it should! Both can be worn together, and if you look closely at the picture, you'll see the shorter, darker blue panels. Overall, this is a very detailed outfit and one that I am quite happy to offer.

This is also another outfit that's been lingering in my folders for well over a year now. Miss Breezy Carver told me to stop being so protective and let the little dears fly free, and so I am. I hope when you finally have them in YOUR closet, you cherish them and have fun with them!

That's all for the moment. Please remember "Kindness" and "Mother Isis" are not yet released, but will be soon!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Four Recent Releases . . .

2009-12-02T20:08:00.010-06:00

Greetings!

Yes, I've been busier than I can believe lately, and totally spaced blogging about the newer releases. So I'll slap those dears up right now. Please forgive any fuzziness in the pictures. I'm having to stretch them to odd shapes because the blog is giving me tiny little fits and I'm too tired to play with it more tonight! Now, without further caveats or whimpers, here are the four newest offerings from The Curious Seamstress!

First is this gorgeous gown by John Redfern's Maison Redfern. This black wool gown, named "Redfern in Black Wool", is Edwardian and dates from about 1907. I believe it is now in a private collection, but I wish it was one I had in my real closet! This is a sleekly tailored, elegant day suit and I personally enjoy wearing it quite often in Second Life. It comes with period undergarments as always, and the hat pictured. However, this outfit could go with just about any hat you chose to use.

Next up we have a gown made for those of a nautical mind, "Deep Sea Blues". This blue wool gown and its jaunty, natural straw boater is perfect for a fall or winter visit to the shore. It was made for New Bababage's Fleet Week and is based on an 1890 era woolen gown. It really is quite a lovely gown.

After that, and continuing in the theme of blue here, I have an earlier Victorian period gown named "Blue Belle". Based in the Romantic Victorian Period of about 1856, this crinoline ballgown is perfect for any upcoming winter party. There is a long sleeved modesty blouse for anyone so inclined to wear one, though it is not part of the original gown. Undergarments include a period corset and pantaloons. However, you may wish to take the corset off as the lace peeks over the edge of the bodice. If that doesn't bother you, then enjoy! There are also two head pieces, both with resizing scripts. One is blue daylilies and ribbons, the other is white roses and blue ribbons. Black lace work edges the gown, and a black lace overskirt is also part of the ensemble. Period length white silk gloves complete the outfit.

A word about the Romantic Period, there are actually three periods in the long Victorian Era. The earliest with its crinolines is usually refered to as the Romantic period. The middle period, after the crinoline collapsed, is usually dubbed High Victorian, and the last couple of decades as Late Victorian. Who knew? I learn something new every day and that's almost always great fun! Onwards!

Last we have a boudoir robe, "Night Fires". This special gown is the first one I've put out in about a year. There is a rhinstone studded panties and top, as well as a prim top. It has specially written scripted messaging for all the prims except the sexy little hip scarves. Since that silken rope needs to fit any pair of lovely hips, it has a resizing script in it instead of a messaging script. You'll just have to wing it on your own! I think by the time you and your significant other get to that point, you'll be fine!

This is also an awesome outfit to dance in for your lover. I would recommend Animazoo bellydances for some really smokin' hot moves that can set a heart afire. This outfit is a treat when you're whirling and dancing in it with those seductive moves.

That's the four offerings that came out over the weekend before Thanksgiving. I have a few amazing winter garments coming out shortly. One is for the men, and the other two are for the ladies. But I've a few extras that I'm working on as well. I've also got another two Bonbon Rococo gowns in the wings. One is called 'Kindness' and is part of the 7 Virtue's set, and the other is called 'Grace'. Those will be out in another week or so. Then, I have one more very special treat. It's a gown that I never thought would be released to the public, but I have been given permission to so do. That gown will be out next weekend.

Until then, take care!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Creative Conversations 2 - Perms and Coloring

2009-11-24T23:11:00.007-06:00

Greetings,

No, this isn't a hair blog! The perms and coloring I'm talking about are the permissions given on SL items, and ladies asking me to recolor gowns I've made.

I thought about a lot of topics to blog on this week. It seems to me there are a variety of them concerning Second Life and fashion, as well as the business end of fashion. This time I'm going to talk a bit about recoloring items and the use of permissions.

Permissions are those things that a designer assigns a product defining the usage available to the next person, usually a client. There are heated debates among designers and buyers as to what are the best permissions to issue. I personally think it depends to a great extent on what you're giving permission on. For example, I do some limited amount of men's clothing. On them, and only on them, I allow mod (modification) rights on the pants. Men often need to lengthen or shorten the pants depending on what shoe they will be wearing. Let's face it ladies, we rarely have that issue with gowns, since our shoes are most usually ankle or lower. The men may wear knee high boots or low cut shoes, either way they need a choice. So that is one reason to offer mod rights.

I do not offer mod rights in general because they're not needed if resizing scripts are in the prim pieces. Those scripts can be deleted once you've set the item to the size you wish. there's not one good reason on this pixel earth for you to be adjusting any other texture. There just isn't. If you did not like the length of the sleeves or depth of neckline to begin with, then don't buy the outfit. It's pretty simple.

Another, more personal reason for my stance on mod perms. I was about a year into designing when I offered a newly finished gown to a friend of mine. At that time I had mod/copy/no trans. She took the gown, and then came back the next day, having totally changed every texture on that gown. She then happily showed me how she'd improved it. I was stunned and hurt, though I said not a word to her about my feelings. Why bother to take a gown I made and change it into something you made? Make your own. That was my thought then and now. At that point, I decided no more mod gowns ever again, because that person now had a gown with my name as creator, and not one bit of the work was mine any longer except for the prims. And so it goes.

Let's talk about copy. Why? No really, why? Every outfit I sell is a completed gown. If you need to resize a piece, then it probably has a resizing script in it. If it doesn't, contact me! I had a lady recently contact me, expressing a need for larger head pieces on the 20's gowns she had bought. I happily gave her new head pieces with resizing scripts in them, AND changed them out on stock that would go out in the future. Because of her expressed desire, a lot of other customers will benefit. There really is no reason to have copy in an outfit.

Now, transfer or trans. Why, oh why, did I make the majority of my gowns no mod/no copy/trans? Well, after two years of shopping in SL, I got sick to death of not being able to transfer copies of gowns out of my nearly 80k inventory. Yes it is that high, yes I do try to prune often. But I'm a designer and I have all my stock in my inventory. Not everything I have made makes it to a server to be distributed. But let us not digress, back to why I use trans. Basically, I've wasted real money on gowns because I do not wish to wear them any longer, but they still clutter up my inventory. So what choices do I have? I can delete them or keep them if they are no trans. I gotta tell you, after two years of shopping, that's a LOT of gowns. That is also a lot of real life wasted money, since I cannot resell a gown nor can I give it away. To me that's just idiocy. Also, there is the lost sales chances. There are many times my sister and I have gone out shopping, only to spot some gorgeous outfit we'd like to gift someone we know. But it's no trans. So then we have a choice, try to find out how that particular merchant gifts stuff, or give linden to the person and have them go buy it. Those are just not good options in my opinion. I like knowing the reaction of the person I'm giving a gift too!

So when sitting down to decide on a final set of perms for all my garments, I decided that no copy (you do not need five copies of a bodice!), no mod (you do not need to resew that bodice!), trans (pass it on if you're tired of it!) was the way to go! Now you know my feelings and reasons behind the perms I give. I won't change it. I see no reason too.

Now about recolors. I've had a few clients approach me and say, 'if only you'd recolor this gown in screaming taupe, I'd buy it!" I can't do that. Recoloring simply does not work well in most cases. I've seen 'five lovely shades' of the same original gown. It was sad. That's just Photo Shop or GIMP doing a recolor. That doesn't do the gown any justice. It changes the shading of lace and cloth and the whole tone and feel of the gown.

You see, when I'm working with an original piece, I think of the designers. Whether it's a Worth gown, or a gown with no known designer, someone went to a boat load of trouble to create that specific gown in that manner. They picked those fabrics, with those colors and textures and that particular trim or sets of trim. They didn't think, 'wow, ok now let's do this exact same thing in ten other shades!' No, they were creating a piece of artwork for an individual client.

Couture is ARTwork. Haute Couture is a garment made for ONE person, by others. Literally, at this time in history, there are about 300 women in the world who can afford real haute couture garments. They will tell you, haute couture is art in fabric form. We're speaking of gowns that cost upwards of $100,000 for one evening gown. In the middle to late 1800's, when Worth was reinventing fashion, a very wealthy woman might go spend a million 1890 era dollars on her wardrobe for a season. The cost today would be much greater than that. Worth and his peers made gowns for royalty. When I work with a Worth gown and bring it to you in SL, you're getting a chance to wear a version of a haute couture gown. A real one, not one hyped to be one. I do use other designers as well, and am constantly learning of other period designers who have done amazing work.

You do not recolor a Rembrandt or a Monet . . . or a Worth. I have seen a lovely Worth gown recolored into five or six other shades. It made me cringe, because they did not look nearly as good as the original. I was also frankly surprised that some person some place with a computer program thought they could do better than the original designer. I don't know if it was arrogance or ignorance or greed, but the gowns were not appealing.

I will not recolor any gown I have done that is based on an original piece. Don't ask, and don't be offended if I say the same thing in person. Just get a gown that suits you and your style and coloring. If you don't like the coloring on the gown, than change your avatar. What, is that more outrageous? This is Second Life, don't get stuck in a rut! If you really love a gown and want to wear it, then figure out a complimentary look and go for it. I venture into blonde territory now and then. I go between red head and brunette and raven black hair as well. The real beauty of SL is all about having the ability to look any way we wish at almost any given moment.

Now to clear up one or two things before anyone screams offended. If a designer makes a garment from scratch, and then wants to offer 20 colors of it, go them. I've done that recently with the Devil's Cloth gowns. It's the first time I've issued five colors of one style of gown, and chances are it won't happen again any time soon! Savor it while you can ladies!

It's now rather early, and I need to work on some other things. There were four new releases over the past weekend. I'll blog on those tomorrow most probably. In the meantime, I wish you all a lovely Thanksgiving. I hope you make it home to your families, but if you don't, then I hope you spend the day with friends and folks you enjoy.

Many bright blessings on you and yours.

Cordially,
Kembri

Creative conversations

2009-11-16T06:06:00.017-06:00

Greetings again!

I was talking to my dear friend, Miss Breezy Carver, about a commission gone wrong last week. She suggested perhaps I should tell the world at large what it's like being a creative genius in SL. All right maybe not genius, but at least brilliantly talented, awesomely modest digital seamstress. No? Well, let us speak about design then, and what it takes to bring a gown to life in Second Life.

I am going into my third year of designing in Second Life. I started out with a hunger to make gowns that didn't look like overturned Tupperware bowls that flapped in the wind. Omar the Tent maker would have been proud of some the very ghastly things I saw in the summer of 2007. Add to that blingy stilettos, and it made me cringe. Try as I might, I could not find virtual clothing that suited my own personal style and taste. So I set out to make my own.

My very first gown was called, 'Dark Fires'. It was made with a full perm skirt and freebie textures. Even then I tended towards strong, contrasting colors in the warm hues. The skirt texture was a glass texture, and in using it, I felt the first sharp pull of what it meant to be a creator in SL.

My personal real life background includes over 30 years of sewing experience, as well as all the little skills that go with that. Bead work, embroidery, needlepoint, painting on fabrics, making costumes, and more. I have made Ren faire and Halloween costumes for family and friends, as well as strangers who emailed me measurements! The upshot of that is I know how all kinds of cloth moves and flows in the real world.

Then I found SL. The first year was spent learning the skills needed to make gowns. I wanted my gowns to move like real cloth, not flapping in the 'wind' or standing stiffly. Then there was the matter of design. It's not just a matter of slapping pretty textures on prims. I once heard another person say she'd spent the weekend making 200 gowns. That is not a typo. The gowns were all the same, but with different textures. That to me is not designing gowns. That is a desperate attempt to wring lindens from folks with no sense of style. She no longer sells gowns or anything else, having moved on out of SL. This is not a get rich quick way to make money.

But back to how to do what I do. I went to every building class I could find. Out of the two or three hundred classes I've done over the years, only about six were clothing. But what I was learning to do was manipulate prims. Making a house or a set of furniture or a necklace all teach different things. So I did that, and made gowns. Mostly my gowns were made in appearance and were what I still call slider clothing. That's because of the slider you use to move the lengths around. I finally made my own skirts, first with looprez, then on my own. It is all a matter of practice and focus. Oh and passion!

My skills grew, but I had one major stumbling block. I knew I would never reach the next level of design until I could make my own textures. Specifically, I needed to be able to make bodices, corsets, glitch skirts, and better textures for skirts. In short, I needed to be able to manufacture the textures to my standards.

I learned GIMP. It sucked. It took me three months to do the classes, which were a gift from my sister, Ghilayne. Did I mention it sucked? I had all these ideas in my head, but I couldn't get them from head to SL! Then I had a falling off the fence learning moment and suddenly GIMP made sense! I started making things! They were clumsy at first, then my sister gifted me with the second great gift. For Christmas she gave me a Wacom pad. Now if you don't know what that is, it is a pen tablet that hooks up to your computer. By using that I could do even more detailed work in GIMP on textures. I suddenly found out what I wanted to do in SL, reproduce historical gowns.

My first gown was inspired by Charles F. Worth. Here is the original gown, which took my breath away when I saw it the first time!

from that, came this:

That, from the moment I found the pictures and made the textures, until the product was boxed, the ad made, and everything set out, took about a week. I've had lots of practice since that first Worth gown, which came out a year ago this month. But it can still take up to a full week for a gown, depending on details and prim work that might be needed.

Now, let's return to dear Miss Breezy and the commission gone wrong. The lady I was to do the gown for asked for a dance hall girl's gown in pink with low cut bodice and under bust corset. Can do! I set a price for her, then told her I thought I could have it ready the next evening. Now usually I don't move that quickly on a commission, but this seemed simple enough. I spent several hours on the gown, finding the cloth textures, working up the main textures and then doing the prim work to complete the gown. In total there was about 8-9 hours into it. From that effort came this:

Lovely isn't it? She didn't want it. It wasn't deeply enough cut in the cleavage, it wasn't her style, but she did find the corset stunning and offered to buy that.

My temper flared, my blood pressure shot up, but I said nothing. Instead I just thanked her and closed out the IM. Then I started taking deep breaths to calm down. I had just spent 8 hours on a commission just to be told 'nah, not really my style, but I'll take the corset'. I try to cut people slack, they have no clue what's on my side of the screen, the work involved with making even the simplest textures. But it is thoughtless and rude to commission a gown and then not pay for it. I don't really care if it was her style or not. I had pointed out the gowns on the shop walls around us and asked her if she was sure she wished me to do a gown. This was when she first approached me about it. She said yes, she was sure. What she really wanted though was a copy of the gown she was wearing, but in pink. I'm convinced it was a man, playing a female, playing a lady of the evening in a Western sim. Why? Because her bosom was hanging out like a cow begging to be milked. What she wanted was a gown that had nothing between the hanging mounds of flesh on her chest. I did point out that the black lace on the gown is transparent, and that the cloth part edges the nipple, but it still wasn't what she wanted.

I'm ranting again, poor Breezy, she had to listen to me the first time! So did my sister, who just shook her head, patted my clenched fist, and pointed out that I could now sell the gown on the open market. That cheered me a little bit, but really after a while I just had to laugh and move on. The gown now sits on the open market, and I will make more in that line so that the dance hall girls of the Western sims have something to wear!

I am not the only designer this kind of commission fiasco has ever happened too, and it is because of things like that that most designers reach a point where they refuse any more commission work.

In conclusion, don't commission a gown and then not pay for it. Be aware that the person making that gown is doing some fairly serious work. Textures don't just fall off the internet and onto an avatar. There are many time consuming steps between point A and YOU.

If you want to do this kind of thing, if you want to be a clothing designer in SL, be prepared to practice, practice, practice. Again, textures do not just fall out of thin air. You must put time, effort, thought and WORK into designing good clothing in SL. To design magnificently detailed clothing, you really must work your tush off. There is no free ride, except for copybots and that ilk. I cannot infuse you with knowledge. I can only tell you my journey to this point in time has taken two years of long hours and obsessive attention to detail. I study clothing of the era, I've learned about designers like Worth, Redfern, Paquin, Lucille, Felix, and others. I've spent hours reading and researching, buying real books to add to a growing reference library on period fashions. I also try to stretch myself creatively. That might mean taking jaunts off into unexpected design directions, and only in that way can I find what makes me smile.

I am following my Bliss. Because of that my life has gone in unexpected directions on occasion. I hope that you, too, will find and follow your own Bliss. It is a very worthwhile journey, believe me!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Devil's Cloth and Halloween

2009-11-02T17:20:00.006-06:00

Greetings!

yes, I know I'm late in posting for Halloween! I was so busy designing and such that I forgot to post this last weekend. I'll admit, blogging isn't always at the top of my to-do list! I've so many projects right now, ones I want to start, some that I have started, others that need to be finished or started ... or ... or ... yes. THAT is my life most days. One would think that there would be enough hours in the day, but more often than not, I end up falling into bed with less finished than I had hoped!

A couple of things to comment on, tonight is the Hunter's Moon. How cool is that? Full moons are always magical times. The other thing is about the silks I spoke of last time. I've been working on them, but the freak perfectionist in me wants a few changes before I release them. So it'll be a wee bit longer. However, I will have some new boudoir robes out at the end of the week. Also, a group gift for those who are members of the GWD Hippogroup. This will be a first, but I hope not a last. I've a few future gifts in mind, so we'll see!

So let us move on and discuss a little fashion history.

There are five new releases this week. I'm cleaning out my folders and finding many things that I did and then put away for one reason or another. The Devil's Cloth gowns are a good example of items put by for another time. When I created the first one over a year ago, it was for fun. When I pulled that gown out a week ago, I thought it was cute, but needed a little help. So into GIMP I went to create a new bodice for it. For anyone that wants to design clothing, let me tell ya that 'just one more little bit' usually turns into a whole new outfit! And so it was with these gowns. One more little bit turned into five new gowns.

The name, Devil's Cloth, refers to stripes and a fantastic book my sister told me about. It might not interest most folks, but in case you're interested, it is "The Devil's Cloth: A History of Stripes and Striped Fabric" by Michel Pastoureau.

Did I mention my sister, Ghilayne, is a textile and history geek like me? Well, she is! Anyway, after telling me about that, I finally had a name for the new gowns released on Sunday morning. Below are the ads for all five gowns. Yes, it's been a very long time since I released one gown in multiple colors. As I said, I'm cleaning out folders so you all may see all kinds of things over the next month!

That's about it for now. I do have some fun things coming out. I hope you'll stop by Blisswood on Northern Lights to check it out. I also hope you take a moment and step outside to enjoy the beautiful skies!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

More New Stuff!

2009-10-22T18:33:00.008-05:00

Greetings!

Well, yes, I did it again, there's more gowns out gracing the vendors. One new gown is based on a real world 1907 gown, that's 'Moon Shadow'. It's really a gorgeous ensemble! I love the lace and the hints of Art Deco design with the black velvet strips. It was difficult to do, I have to tell you. However, it was well worth the time and effort involved.

The next gown out is what I considered a created gown. That is some bits of it are taken from the real world, like the bodice, shirt, and undergarments. However the skirt and other textures are created. Black Roses is a mourning gown from the Victorian period and I have to say, I really love the textures! I also admit to adoring the stand up collar on this one. It's very lacy and pretty.

So those two gowns were made to go with the October theme. However, I was on a roll and cleaning out folders! After completing those two gowns, we have *FIVE* costume gowns! Yes, I know, you're totally blown away right? Right?! Ok, maybe not, but they're fun and inexpensive!

I started making the Bonbon Rococo gowns in June of 2008, did a slew, then tucked them away. I loved them but wasn't really looking to break into the 18th century market. Now the thing about most designers is we have idea gowns we've made and then put away as perhaps not quite up to our standards. I can also tell you that any designer who's been around for a while usually has insanely high standards. My sister, Ghilayne, has smacked me upside the head more than once, telling me to stop being so fussy about gowns and release a few more! This time I actually listened to her and released the five Bonbons and will have a sixth out shortly. Eventually I'll add a few more as well. These gowns are really for masked balls, Carnival, Mardi Gras, that kind of thing. I enjoy making them as they're kind of fast and fun to do. Kind of! They do not have undergarments, they do not have extensively detailed bodices and such, but they are great fun to wear. They are just bits of fluffy fun!
Here are the five current Bonbons.

A steampunky version of a gown! The lace is actually a rusty grating texture, among other things. My sister, Ghilayne Andrew, made the mask that is with this gown! She actually had it out for Steam:The Hunt. But it went so well with this outfit that it's part of the package now. If I can talk her into it, she'll make more masks in the future!

Sweet Cherry... lots of pink and fuscia and girly fun!

Lemon Drop candies have been some of my very favorite since I was a kid. This gown is based on those, yellow on the outside, white and sweet on the inside!

Another little trip down memory lane for candy, my grandmother used to make a candy called divinity every Christmas and send us a batch of it. It was always a sweet treat, and so is this fluffy, lacy gown.

Last is Black Licorice. Yes, another favorite candy of mine! There are no safe black jelly beans in my house around Easter! This gown is a sinful little treat of sexy black lace, sequins, and satin, with a red satin underskirt. I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as well!

Now, each Bonbon has a card in it listing where the mask, hair ornament, and hair came from. Be sure to read the cards!

I do have other things coming out shortly, among them, some silks that have been hiding in folders for well over a year. I do want to make a disclaimer here, I do not focus solely on making silks as some designers do. I just wanted some dancing silks that were actually good for dancing and not just tiny strips of fabric stuck in impossible places! :) There are other gowns planned as well. It will be a very busy fall and holiday season!

I hope you have a Happy Halloween! Oh, and one of my favorite songs, one I listened to while creating "Moon Shadow". Enjoy!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Updates and fun stuff

2009-09-29T06:13:00.006-05:00

Greetings again!

Yes, I have new releases! Of course! This time there's two that are very pretty. The first is a Victorian Day gown named 'Daisy'. It's all lawn and lace, with a standing collar which I adore. I'm not sure why such things look so elegant to me, but they do. When I saw this gown I decided that was a main factor in making it.

See? It really is very pretty, and the back has a secret quality, you can just see the corset under the lacy openings! Yes, yes that WAS done on purpose. Though you do have to look closely to see it.

The next gown is a 1920 evening gown in orange velvet and gold lame lace. It is simply a stunning gown and took me a while to finish. After I got the initial gown done, I realized I needed a head piece. Well, that put me off for a week while I thought about what I wanted and how I'd do it. Next came the hand fan, and the realization that I didn't want just any old fan. Though between the two, the head piece was a lot harder! It has a resizing script because it's tough to tell what hair an avatar will be wearing.

I know the color might be a bit startling, but I swear it really is gorgeous and fantastic in person.

So, how do I pick a project? I spend hours going through pictures and websites, I've been all over the world online looking at clothing. I've several files, and probably about 500 seperate files worth of gowns. I seperate by season and then by other criteria, then I work on them in stages. Some I have in the 'yes I want to do that some day' stage. Some are in the cleaning stage where I'm readying the texture for use. Some are uploaded to SL already and awaiting prim work. That can be as time consuming as the texture work out of SL. After all that is done and I'm satisfied with the final gown and its accessories, then comes the photo shoot. I do my own, and I do not ever use outside models. I tried that once, I wanted to kill them off. So I figured in order to save the life of other hapless and waaay too skinny avatars, I would do it myself. After the photos poses are taken, those are saved to my hard drive and I go back to GIMP and do the ads. After that, it's back into SL to uplaod the ads, package the gown and ad, then write a note to go with said gown, then deposit all that into a server to be uploaded to the vendors. But wait! I'm not done yet! After that I have to enter it into the website, boxed gown and ad, then set it into the appropriate vendors. Then, I send you all notecards in the group, send out more notecards to other fashion groups, then, then...... I start working on the next set of gowns. :-) I try to put out two gowns at a time.

And that, my dear flock, is the week in the life of this SL clothing designer.

Someone once asked me if I really put in 40 hours on a gown. Well, from concept to the time you get to slip into it, yup! Some take even longer, depending on the details. Now, I've been working through the night on a new Edwardian evening gown which I absolutely adore, and I'm sure you will too, in about a week. But until then I think it's time to go get some rest and dream about new projects.

Take care!

Kembri

About last month . . .

2009-09-11T02:18:00.006-05:00

Greetings!

Well, I was gone for nearly three weeks until about the middle of August. Once I got home I hugged my computer, whispered sweet nothings to my Wacom pad, and started working again. I found on my journey that I adore designing clothing for Second Life. I love finding uniquely beautiful gowns to bring to life in our virtual world. I should probably get a 'real' job at some point, but the fact of the matter is that I consider designing digital clothing my 'real' job. It speaks to my heart and soul, it is my passion and my bliss. Because of that, I will continue working on this things for as long as I'm able too!

Now onto what's new! Around Blisswood, the big store, are several treasure chests with clothing items in them that are free. Though you are limited to one. Among the items are a pink boudoir robe, a Bejeweled gown in emerald, a Bejeweled gown in Onyx, and uhm, a modern little flirty thing. So, visit Blisswood on Northern Lights, hunt around the store and outside, and you'll find the treats. It's reallly just for fun and they're not tiny motes of sand. The chests should be fairly easy to find. Also, STEAM: The Hunt, has started. There's a gear hidden around Blisswood as well as the two Curious Seamstress stores. Each has a different prize, and one of them is a set of mens clothing. Now about that set of mens clothing, it is made so that a woman can wear it too. There's a cute little top hat, two for the ladies and one for the men, and there's a skirt for the ladies. A very sleek glitch type skirt. Just pop by the Port Babbage Curious Seamstress store and find the gear. You'll see what I'm talking about!

Now, for the last few items that went out recently, I do have pictures!

This first is a sweet 1920's summer dress. No, our great-grandmothers did not all run around in flapping boots and beads all day! I loved the color of this dress, and that's why I've added it to the collection.

The second is a gorgeous Edwardian military cut walking dress, complete as always with period undergarments.

It also has a resizable hat. I'm quite pleased with this gown, and if I didn't have to be working on the next one, I'd be wearing this one!

Butterflies is such a summer treat, I know. It's based on a real Edwardian gown, and was so crisp and delicate looking that I had to make it. I've also got my first parasol here. I don't totally care for the fact that the animation doesn't override all AO's, but if you're standing around chatting, it works just fine!

This is a request piece. Or pieces as it were. New Babbage has many folks that were intersted in wearing their tartan while working. I think these can be worn by anyone really, and would do well in an urban Victorian setting. Or a cow town if you were really brave!

There are a couple of other gowns that should be out today, heaven willing and I manage to get everything done fast enough! I also have several, yes, that is several, gowns on the planning board. Or in my case, in the folders. You see, I sort gowns according to month/season/holiday period. I've already got several gowns waiting to be worked on, it's just a matter of getting to them!

I hope that you all have had a lovely summer. If you have children, I hope you're loving the back to school time! I am happily looking forward to the holidays and my personal favorite, Halloween! I ADORE that holiday for many reasons. Not the least of which is it kicks off the holiday season in my mind!

I wish you all bright blessings and much laughter.
Cordially yours,
Kembri

New July Releases!

2009-07-08T20:40:00.005-05:00

Greetings all!

So first some news. I had intended to take a long leave of absence starting on July 11th, but the world did not see it in the same light, and so I will be postponing my trip for 2 weeks or so. That works just as well for me because it gives me time to do more gowns!

Next, my sister, Ghilayne Andrew, is now acting CEO for GreenWood Designs and The Curious Seamstress branches. This means she's taking care of the business side of things while I concentrate on trims and fabrics. If anyone wishes to offer stalls, market spaces, stores, shops, fashion shows, or anything else in that vein, please contact Ghilayne Andrew in Second Life. Drop a card to her if you please, as there's a lot going on in her life and an IM would get lost!

Now, my offerings for July are four in number so far, though I do have four more in the wings. There are two Edwardian gowns and two Victorian. Let's start with the Victorian gowns.

This gown is Redfern in Rust, based on a John Redfern gown. He was quite popular with wealthy Victorian women from about 1890 to 1920. It's a lovely gown and quite stylish.

This gown is all about being stylish by the seashore for a summer holiday!

Next our Edwardian gems. The first is a sassy little black and white number called "Peep's Pride":

Last is the gem of the bunch in my opinion. It is such a beautiful gown that I enjoy wearing it often. There are find points you cannot see in the ad, like some lovely prim roses and other details.

The Curious Seamstress now has a third branch in the New Toulouse sim. It is a fantastic New Orleans flavored sim, complete with the occasional zombie or crocodile! I hope you'll drop by at some point and visit. I've got the LM in my picks.

Now, I've some free time and I have another sweet summer gown to finish! Take care, and I hope the summer days where you are, are idyllic in every way!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Primgraph Article and new clothing

2009-06-10T03:37:00.007-05:00

Greetings!

Yes, real life has been insanely busy for me! I hope the first days of summer find you all well and happy.

I have recently written and had published an article on Victorian clothing. It was in issue 6 of the Primgraph. I'm putting it here for anyone to read who might wish too. It is at the end of this post.

There's also some new clothing on the way that I want to tell you all about. One is a gown called "Shepherdess". It is gorgeous, and it is a one of a kind gown. It has been purchased by a long time customer for an RFL auction. The odd thing to me was the timing, she caught me literally 2 hours before I was releasing the gown for public sale. I do hope you will all take a moment to look at it and consider bidding. All proceeds will go to RFL, and the gown comes packed in a special musical dress trunk, which plays the theme from 'Somewhere in Time'. The gown will be auctioned off on June 20th at the Illusions Grand Tour ball at Piedmont Landing. For more details please check for signs at The Curious Seamstress in New Babbage or Blisswood.

This is a very informal shot of the top of the gown! Yes, that is my home behind me.

Next is a new RFL gown done by request. It is done using the New Babbage dress tartan. I have it out for sale at Blisswood and The Curious Seamstress in New Babbage.

It can be worn several ways, and has resizing scripts in the hard bustle part of the gown.

Then I heard a great new (to me) song, 'Say Hey I love you' by Michael Franti and Spearhead. It was such a cheerful and fun summery song that I put this little outfit together!

Now that one was fun, and I highly recommend it for those nights out dancing!

Finally, I'm working on two other outfits that will be out shortly. The first is a Victorian Walking gown, the second is a man's outfit with New Babbage dress tartan. I will put those pictures up the next time I wander over this way.

I hope you all enjoy the article!

Bright blessings,
Kem

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A Lady's Dressing Room – The Wardrobe
By Lady Kembri Tomsen

Greetings, Dear Reader!

Today we shall speak of a Lady's wardrobe and some of the types of dress worn during a typical day. Now the ladies of high fashion and deep pockets have been known to change up to eight times in a day. With such a plethora of gowns, one begins to wonder what to wear and when. This little bit of article is meant to help a Lady with such choices so that she is always dressed to suit the occasion. You would not wish to wear an Evening Gown to an afternoon tea, or a Ball gown to a breakfast! Therefore, let us begin at the beginning with which garment is appropriate at what time of day.

In the morning when you are still at home, you may wish to put on a house dress. This dress is meant to be seen only by the servants and family and is fairly simple. In this gown a woman would take her breakfast and tend to her household chores. Later in the morning one might wish to change into a more formal Toilette de Reception. Such an elaborate gown as the one pictured below would more probably be worn by a wealthy woman in case visitors should drop in.

An Elaborate Morning Gown

Some ladies change instead into the Toilette de Visite or Visiting Dress to make the rounds of morning visits. For this ensemble a Lady should dress with refined elegance so as not to overshadow her hostess. Hats and short gloves are a must, and the gown is usually done in various patterns and colors which reflect the season. Sleeves should be long and the neckline high. As a polite aside, no visit should last more than twenty minutes, no matter how well you know your hostess!
An 1875 Visiting Dress

After a Lady finishes with her visits, she might return home and change again. Should she be in the city and wish to take an afternoon walk, she would change again into a Walking Dress , also known as a Promenade Dress or her Toilette de Promenade. This gown is shorter for ease of walking, and very much reflects the season in which it is worn. A winter promenade dress would be of heavier materials with such things as a coat or mantilla as part of the design for warmth. However, a summer walking gown would be of lighter fabrics and meant to be seen without such outwear. A parasol would be a must in the summer time, and a hat or bonnet should be worn in any season. A Lady never leaves the house with bare head or hands!

Tea Gowns are a whole subject unto themselves. However, for the sake of brevity, a tea gown is usually worn uncorseted and most often at home around family and close friends. It is highly elaborate, very romantic with soft lines and colors, lots of ribbons and lace, and a very feminine feel. This gown is truly a confection, meant to be a feast for the eyes! No hat or gloves are needed if one is inside. However, if one is out in the garden, then of course a hat and gloves are needed.

Next we shall speak about traveling dresses. The Carriage Dress or Traveling Dress, sometimes also known as Toilette de Voyage, this outfit is meant to stand up to the rigors of traveling. It is again seasonal to some extent, reflecting the weather one will be traveling in. The garment should be sturdy and practical. This is not the time for excessive bows and lace. Colors should be such that they do not easily show dirt or stains, and fabrics should be those which are easily cleaned. Hats or bonnets are always worn, sometimes with veiling so as to protect the complexion from dirt and dust. Again, gloves are a must as well for much the same reason.

Instead of walking or traveling, a Lady might wish to take a ride. In that case a Riding Habit or Equestrian Dress would be the gown of choice. Such garments are usually made of sturdy wools so they are not easily torn. Colors are usually forest colors, dark blues, grays or blacks, and reds are favored. Occasionally a Lady may decide on a bright fuchsia or pink riding habit. The dress itself is unstructured as a bustle would be silly when sitting a horse! Breeches are usually worn beneath for modesty. Boots, a crop, riding gloves, and a jaunty top hat complete such an ensemble. A military cut is quite common for this style of dress.

In the afternoon, a Lady might change into an Afternoon Gown. This garment would be more refined and elegant than the Morning gown or Visiting dress. This gown didn't really appear until about 1910. Before that a Lady would have stayed in her Visiting dress or perhaps changed into a less formal garment to do afternoon chores at home.

As the day winds down to dinner, a Lady would change again in the very late afternoon for dinners in public. The Reception gown would be very formal and elegant, showing off the wearer's wealth and the seamstress's skill. The neckline on this gown could be lower than day time gowns, but not too low. Sometimes short sleeves were worn in order to show a softly rounded arm. Gloves were a must, if going outdoors, but no hat or bonnet is worn. Hair ornaments would be acceptable however.

For more formal evenings, one would wear an Evening Dress or Toilette de Soiree. This gown is one of high elegance, emphasizing the Lady's beauty, wealth and taste. It would have a low neckline, perhaps short sleeves and possibly off the shoulder, lots of decoration, and perhaps a train, depending on the gown and what you would wish to do. This type of gown is worn to evening events such as operas, dinners, concerts, theatre parties and the like.

If a Lady has the obligation to attend a ball, then she will want her best gown for the occasion. It is meant to show off her beauty, wealth, and to attract possible matches if the Lady is unmarried. There would be a low neckline, short or no sleeves, lots of decoration, and a tight bodice. This gown is the setting for the jewel, and should reflect such with the best that one can afford. Gloves are always worn with a ball gown or dress. Depending on the outfit, the glove can be either shorter, wrist length or in some cases all the way to the top of the upper arm. Hair decorations are as fashionable as one can afford, with jewels, feathers, ribbons or bows. In short, this is the time to show off one's best finery!

One last gown needs to be discussed. The Wedding Gown. This most important of gowns is usually a Lady's best gown, but never a ball gown. It should have a higher neckline and long sleeves, and can have a train as well. The very wealthy often dress in white, but really any color or pattern is acceptable as long as it is your best gown. If a Lady should decide on a white wedding gown, the cut and style need not be anything different than the fashionable style of the day. After all, one can wear this gown again on other occasions!

Well, dear Reader, we have reached the end of this conversation! There are other types of garments we have not yet discussed, but perhaps we can discuss them at another time. Remember, no matter the time of day or year, your clothing should be neat, clean, and appropriate to you and your needs and status. If you feel lovely in a gown, then it is the gown for you. A true Lady defines her own style and taste within the boundaries of the current fashions. A kind heart, charity to the less fortunate, and a gracious demeanor can outshine any couture outfit in the lands.

I wish you a lovely day.

Cordially yours,
Lady Kembri Tomsen
The Curious Seamstress
of New Babbage

Spring Fever

2009-04-14T15:20:00.002-05:00

Greetings!

I have been MIA lately in Second Life. Call it Spring Fever with a vengence! I live in a Northern state that is under snow 8 months of the year, sometimes more. We're really only promised three months a year with no snow. This winter was especially long, hard, and cold. But now the snow has melted and I find myself outside as much as possible! A sunny 60 degree day here is a dreamy treat after windchills in the sub-zero ranges, believe me. I'm using this time to rejuvenate and recharge a bit. I'll have more designs out soon, but until then, I'm enjoying my time with family and the glorious days of spring! I hope you are all well, and I wish you a gorgeous day!

Cordially yours,
Kembri

Lust and Charity and RFL, Oh My!

2009-03-23T17:18:00.004-05:00

Well greetings again!

The RFL Clothing Fair is done for this year. It was a tremendous effort by, and for, all involved. I had the great privilege of listening to some of the reasons other designers participate just this morning as we chatted about the events of the last week. I won't use names, as I think privacy is paramount, but I can tell you a couple of stories. There's the designer who, like myself, is watching her sister-in-law struggle with cancer. Only that designer has watched it for five years, much longer than I have. Another designer watches her father fight breast cancer, yes it does happen to men, though it is much rarer. Another designer has lost family members and friends. This horrid disease takes many forms. Some folks survive to live long, productive lives. Others don't. Designers talking this morning all had stories about how cancer has touched their lives in one way or another. I have to mention that my own mother had breast cancer, and is a survivor of over five years now. It can be beaten. Cancer isn't always the death sentence that it was 10 years ago. Research is the key to a cure, and funding that research is part of what RFL is all about. I do not know the totals for this year just yet. Fund raising efforts will continue until July 19th, 2009. This was just the opening volley for this year. If you wish to donate, there are kiosks in many stores, including my store of Blisswood.

Now on to other things! There were two new releases during the Fair besides "Mary's Grace". One was "Charity", which you all have already seen. The other one was Vice's "Lust". The first in a new line of men's clothing. I am not the first designer to do men's clothing. I have always thought they were a bit boring, truth be told. However, I decided to go for the historical men's clothing that is more colorful. So... without too much more verbage, let me present, "Lust".

As I said, the first in a line of men's clothing, it is based on the Vices. I know I'll do six more outfits, however I do not know if I will do more after that. A lot will depend on the reception of this batch!

The tails of the coat have a resizing script to make fitting easier. The flow and movement of the tails had to be adjusted as we don't want them flitting around like a ladies skirt! There is also another set of tails set onto the skirt layer for a smoother, no flap at all, fit. In the case of the men's clothing line, modify will be one of the permissions for most of the parts. The exception will be the tails as those have the sizing script.

It has been a very long, busy day for me so far. You will also see the "Charity" dress in SL's Vain, Inc. magazine in April! One of the editors saw it at the RFL Fair and asked to use it in her article.

In May the SL magazine 'Primgraph' will have an article written by myself about types of Victorian gowns. It will be a busy few months as things continue to happen for Greenwood Designs and myself. I hope you all will join me on the journey, and that you enjoy the clothing that will be coming out in the months to come!

Take care, and may your day be one filled with little moments of unexpected joy.

Cordially yours,
Kembri

RFL Fair!

2009-03-18T14:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

and oh good heavens! I'm really bad about blogging, but I'll try to get better I swear! Right now the Relay for a Life Clothing Fair is going on. I'm so excited and busy it's just amazing to me. Really! I've got some new items out, I'll put the ads here for you all to see. I've been expanding my lines of clothing into areas that interest me, and there are times when I just do not have enough hours in the day or night combined!

The ad above is for the gown, 'Mary's Grace'. If you do not know, my sister-in-law, Mary Ann, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last fall. She is just finishing some very aggressive chemo, hopefully to be done by the end of April. To let you know just how aggressive the treatment is, most people only make it through one or two of the six. She's on number six. She has been my friend and family member for near 25 years. I admire her courage and strength more than I can say. I designed the gown with her in mind, though she really doesn't have any idea what Second Life is! All proceeds for this gown will go to RFL and the American Cancer Society. The gown is only available right now at the RFL Clothing Fair, at the GreenWood Designs Store on Sim #2, The Caspian Sea sim. If you buy nothing else from me, please buy this gown to support RFL and people like my sister-in-law.

This second gown is a gorgeous, gorgeous Flapper gown! It is the first in a new line of gowns I'll be doing. This gown has a real life twin, and it is the kind of gown I would love to own and wear myself. Just look at the back on it! This is such a sexy gown in person and the pictures really can't do it justice!

When I found out some designers were tackling the 7 Deadly Sins for one of a kind gowns for RFL, I started thinking, what could I do? I decided that the females should be Virtues, and sexy, and went to work on it. The males would be the Vices, after all when these first came to the public view several hundred years ago, both Virtures and Vices were depicted as male!

"Charity" is first out the gate, followed soon not only by more female gowns or dresses, but also by a new line of men's clothing! Ok, I say that and kind of shudder a little bit! Men's clothing, to my eye and mind, is rather drab and dull, so I have gone back in time to the 18th century for inspiration! The clothing, as always, is mostly based on real pieces. I adore the coat jackets and vests from that century and so expect to see some offerings from that era for our gentlemen friends!

All right, enough babbling for today! I have the Edwardian gown "Temperance" to finish up and put out there! There's also a Rococo style gown, "Kindness" that should see the light this evening! I hope you enjoy the Fair, and as always, I wish you all well!

Bright blessings!
Kembri

Under Construction

2009-02-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

For some reason my other blog got borked so that I could not see it. I'll be putting this one up over the next day or so. Until then the gown above is the newest addition to GWD's Edwardian line of gowns.

Cordially,
Kembri Tomsen