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22 Feb
Color and Design, dopamine dressing, Fashion, Lifestyle

Wear Happy Color 2022 (The challenge that started before “Dopamine Dressing” was a thing)

Who is Ready for WEAR HAPPY COLOR 2022 on March 1? This March will be the fourth year of Wear Happy Color! This whole movement started as a challenge for the sewing community back in 2019 with Sew Happy Color, and eventually broadened to all crafters and wearers of colorful clothing! To get yourself ready for this year's challenge, take a look at what people did in the past couple of years by browsing the hashtags: #wearhappycolor2021 #wearhappycolor2020 #sewhappycolor #sewhappycolor2021 #sewhappycolor2020 #wearhappycolor Or my previous blog posts: Wear Happy Color 2021 Wear Happy Color 2020 Sew Happy Color 2019 In the pre-COVID...

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04 Feb
Fashion, Lifestyle

What I Learned About Myself on Project Runway

I am a reality star and a fashion designer. I never in a million years thought I would say either of those phrases, much less together! Yet, here I am: Bravo's Project Runway season 19 designer, Katie Kortman. But how did I get here? Sewing, Dancing and Instagram When I was in my 20’s I’d dreamed of being a fashion designer, but they didn’t have that major at my university, so I decided to major in painting. My paintings were often inspired by dresses I was designing in my head. Some of my work even had tiny dresses that I’d made...

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24 Jan
Color and Design, Fashion

Dopamine Dressing – Using Clothing to Boost Your Happiness

Dopamine dressing is the buzz word in the fashion world right now, and a top trend in 2022 according to Pinterest as we begin this new year. But what exactly is it? Let's learn all about it and explore ways to use dopamine dressing in our daily lives. What is dopamine? Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a type of chemical messenger, that your body makes and releases as a reward to your brain, causing feelings of enjoyment, calm and happiness. It can also boost your ability to concentrate and help to provide motivation. Maintaining healthy levels of dopamine is essential to whole...

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23 Feb
Color and Design, Fashion, Uncategorized

Wear Happy Color 2021

A photo from 2019-- the first year of Sew Happy Color! It’s Time for Wear Happy Color!  This will be the 3rd year of Wear Happy Color, which started out as “Sew Happy Color,” but has expanded to include all sorts of making and/or wearing of color. Read below to find out what this is, and how to participate! It runs all March long and there will be different themes and prizes. How to Participate: Wear Happy Color is a chance to revive...

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22 Jan
DIY Sewing, Fashion, Uncategorized

Double Collar Pattern Hack using Katie Kortman Fabric for Nerida Hansen

Nothing better than a simple shift dress in the summer! Unfortunately, it's winter over here so this photoshoot was very cold, and my skin was (is) very very pale! I took Nerida Hansen's simple shift dress pattern and added a few fun elements to spice it up! That pattern is the perfect jumping point for so many hacks! It is also a great beginner pattern, for those learning to sew. To make it even more fun, I used two of the prints from my...

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20 Jan
DIY Sewing, Fashion, Uncategorized

Nerida Hansen Smock Dress Hack

I'm ready for some forest fairy parties in this dress, right? I am in love with this dress that I made using Nerida Hansen's Smock Dress pattern, and today I am going to show you how to make one too! As you can see in this photo, I am wearing three different #katiekortmanfabric prints.... which are now available on their website as well! I'm so excited for this launch! For this Hack you will need: 6" wide by 54" long strip of fabric (I just did the...

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23 May
Fabric Painting and Design, Fashion, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Mixing Prints for the PRINT MIX CHALLENGE!

This month I hosted a challenge on Instagram called the #PRINTMIXCHALLENGE ! It was all about how to mix prints and wear them together. I have a section of my book dedicated to this as well if you'd like your own guidebook to wearing color and prints! Each week Andrea Jones and I gave a different tip and included photos during the week showing how we apply that tip to pairing prints together! The 4 we covered in our IG challenge were:

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22 Apr
Crafting, Fashion, Uncategorized

DIY Padded and Top knot Style Headband Tutorials

Have you been won over yet by the big headband trend happening this past year? As someone who used to have a handmade hair accessories business, I've always been team headbands. I just don't remember to stick them on my head very often. I made a new stack this week though, and I am ready to fix that! I made two styles of headbands for this post-- two styles I've been seeing and wanted to try my hand at copying. The padded headband-- which I love from Lele- Sadoughi...

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03 Mar
DIY Sewing, Fabric Painting and Design, Fashion, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Wear Happy Color / Sew Happy Color 2020

A week ago I came out with my Book "Wear Happy Color: A Guide to a Colorful Wardrobe." I made this book because last year I held the first "Sew Happy Color" challenge and this year I wanted to give everyone something they could use beyond just that month, and without needing Instagram. I have plans for a bigger hardback book, but until then, I hope this guide helps more people explore the color in their closets! This year, I wanted to open the...

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12 Feb
Fashion, Uncategorized

Organza and Leather Cielo Top: Adding Leather Details to a Shirt.

If you're like me, you find a pattern you love, and you make it over and over. This would be my 4th Cielo Top by Closet Case Patterns. I love the boxy body and big sleeves, so why not have a bunch in my closet out of all different fabrics? I have made the Cielo dress and top in linen, the top in boiled wool, and now this -- the fancy schmancy organza version! This floral satin organza brocade is dreamy on...

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