Reconstructing Clothes For Dummies
by Miranda Caroligne Burns
Reconstructing Clothes For Dummies
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax 317-572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007926404
ISBN: 978-0-470-12767-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Author
Miranda Caroligne Burns (San Francisco, CA) has donned a variety of hats in her young years: physical therapist, event producer, community activist, installation artist, author, performance artist, philosopher, and fashion designer. Mentored by her mother, Miranda has been sewing and creating her own clothing since she could hold a needle. Over time she developed a zest for re-use and heartfelt desire for truly unique design. This ethos is masterfully woven together to recall the forms of yesteryear with an otherworldly edge a philosophy she calls neoarchaic.
Mirandas life has been a bi-coastal artistic evolution. She became active in the alternative arts scene in Boston, where she introduced living construction, a live sewing performance piece staged in gallery window fronts.
Relocating to San Francisco in 2005, she quickly emerged as a bright new star in a constellation of provocative artist-designers. Her fashion shows are known for their performance-art quality, embodying political, artistic, and personal statements. These shows include Catwalk on the Wild Side (U.N. World Environment Day Gala Walk the Talk), Love Fest VIP Event (San Francisco City Hall), and Maker Faire (Swaporamarama and Make magazine). She has also had various individual performance art appearances at Supperclub San Francisco, San Jose Museum of Art, and Burningman.
Meander through San Franciscos Mission-Deco Ghetto neighborhood and youll find Miranda reconstructing in the window-front of her boutique, miranda caroligne a living construction boutique (www.mirandacaroligne.com), 485 14 Street @ Guerrero. Youre sure to be delighted by the local art and design, and step forward with the inspiration to do it yourself!
Dedication
This book is dedicated to you. Yes, you! You are a living, breathing work of art in full construction and reconstruction every day. Shed your fear and take off the blinders. Live fully in truth, clarity, and consciousness. Free yourself of waste and find time for your passion in life. Be inspired by the re-use artists and entrepreneurs in this book. Be an inspiration for others.
Authors Acknowledgments
The rebel in me is pulled to write something unusual but I honestly must express immense gratitude to my parents. Not only did they teach me about sewing and textiles, but also how to create a livelihood from hobbies. They never restricted my creativity and exploration of new ideas, even when I cut up my turtlenecks for miniskirts! Still they managed to instill a core ethic of hard work, humanity, and environmental responsibility. Thank you.
Much thanks to the trail of wonderful people who made this book happen: Lindsay Lefevere and Jennifer Connolly, my editors at Wiley Publishing, for your ever-positive spirit, guidance, and advocacy; Wendy Tremayne of Swaporamarama, for sending Lindsay my way; Steven Raspa for introducing me to Wendy (as well as being his inspiring self!); and the folks at Make magazine for supporting the Swap and DIY textile arts at their Maker Faire.
Thank you to my fellow artists for ideas, help in the boutique, signature hair-coloring breaks, coffee, and emergency computer aid: Anastazia Louise of Bad Unkl Sista, Dida Cudrnak of Dida Jewelry, Marc Scheff of Dangermarc, Mariefrance of Madusalon, Rachel Hospodar of Medium Reality, Rebecca Vandersteen of Venus Superstar, and Tammy Tamo Hulva of Greengirl and Wildlife Works. To Del Greger and Honne Heller; you are the divas of graceful play and I am truly humbled to receive your wisdom, brownies, and old clothes.
I owe my eyes to Loren Earle-Cruickshanks for his photographic genius in making the boring projects appealing and the good ones infinitely better. On the other side of the lens, thanks to Tamara Ja, Amy Leblanc, Lauren Borowski, Chris Ray Collins, and Ocean for your strength of character. Much thanks to the following artists for accessorizing the shoots: www.aikojewelry.com, www.didajewelry.com, www.fluidance.com, www.orelafey.com, www.rengaarts.com, www.venussuperstar.com, and www.zacharypryor.com.