London/UK Olympics--- Ready Set GO!

I admit I would love to head "cross the pond" and take in some of the London Olympics.  Having lived in Atlanta during our turn in 1996, I know it's a fun 17 days! So as I went about looking for something with the Union Jack on it to make me feel a wee bit more involved, I found nothing more than a pair of anklet socks.  Not nearly enough inspiration! Time to get busy and make one of my own!

With a gently-used grey and red hoodie that I had found when thrifting, I began my experiment.  Could I make my own Union Jack and put it on one side of a hoodie bolero?  Using a XXL navy blue velvet top (also warehoused for thrifting but waiting to be cut for trim), I started making my own flag on the navy blue background using strips from a white baby rib tee and some of the matching red of the hood that I had removed before starting.  Before long, my flag was taking shape, but I hit more than a few glitches.  At one point, I was even tempted to trash the whole idea, but gave myself 5 more minutes to work on it.  Lo and behold, it started to have that handmade charm.




Before too much longer, it was ready for some of the same blue trim (edged with a zigzag for extra pop). I pleated it around the perimeter and then perused the sleeves For that final panache, I decided to add bubble cuffs (think merry old England) and whipped some up from the navy velvet shirt scraps.






Done at last! I may not be able to visit England this time, but I will be watching the opening ceremonies in my Union Jack bolero.  This one is just too near to my heart to sell.


If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to subscribe to my twitter feed found @braitzatl and check out my upcycled creations at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com.

Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Hoodie --Boo!!

In case you didn't know, Halloween is only 134 days away.  So, it seemed totally natural to me- a major Halloween lover (ck out my Pinterest board on Halloween!)--to create a Halloween Hoodie at the beach.  With the use of a ton of scrap fabric and ribbon in my studio, I was able to craft a hoodie I am super excited to present.

Made from a black Danskin cardigan hoodie base, I removed the zipper and hood and cut it to a more flattering shape.  With the remainder of a giant plush Halloween pumpkin pillow my daughter mutilated for her cell project in life science, I added a huge Jack-o-lantern grin to one side of the new shorter bolero.

Then, the fun began.  With a myriad of minky, corduroy, knit and other fabrics, I started assembling the hood. (It's a version of the ones I made last year with some Katwise twists----she's the upcycled coat guru on Etsy- thrown in.)

One more admission- I love luscious bubble cuffs.  It was only natural that I add some in a wonderful orange minky that I had in the studio. A giant shoestring and some trim around the perimeter complete my fun look.  A giant button can hold the hood closed in position if desired.



So fun. Now, it's time to consider making some great witch feet for my table. Stay tuned.

If you enjoyed this blog post, I humbly invite you to visit my website- www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com to see more upcycled creations or to follow me on Twitter @braitzatl.

Go Team USA!

Last year, I made a couple of hoodies with very long hoods-just for fun.  I had seen an artist on Etsy named Katwise who made wonderful coats with long hoods from recycled sweaters.  The two that I made both sold to boutiques almost immediately, but  I had to move on to spring sweaters and didn't make any more.

The idea kept coming up  in the back of my mind until I decided to do a few more.  The first inspiration was the upcoming Olympics in London and Team USA.  Wouldn't it be marvelous if a US athlete wore my hoodie in the closing ceremonies?

With that thought in mind, I began crafting it from a navy Danskin hoodie.  I searched the studio high and low for great leftover or recycled materials, and then began cutting a more flattering style held closed by a giant shoestring. Fun ruffled navy and white trim soon found it's way around the perimeter, and I also added luscious red polka dotted minky cuffs.

The result can be seen in the pictures.  Not only would this look smashing on a member or supporter of Team USA, but also would rock on anyone who wants to wear their team colors proudly.  I've listed it on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/100711573/ladies-usa-medium-upcycled-cotton-fairy so that my  dream of seeing it at the Olympics has a chance to come true.

If you would like to see more Echo creations, I humbly invite you to my website at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com.  You can also keep up with us on twitter- @braitzatl.

Career Collage for Girls

For years, when I meet new people, they eventually get around to asking what I do for a living.  I typically begin to list the jobs I've had--- accountant, acquisitions coordinator, analyst, asset manager, author, now artist and apparel designer/upcycler-- and conclude by telling them I haven't yet made it out of the "A's".  So, it seems a natural evolution that I've had an epiphany as I have been talking to my daughter about what careers she might choose someday.  With a variety of interests and abilities, who says she has to pick just one?  As I began brainstorming, my Serendipity series flashed in my mind and blended right into the mix.  Why couldn't I write a book, illustrated with my Paper Doll series, that offered suggestions to savvy girls about what they might consider? Over the span of a week, my kids and I started writing down all the careers/callings we could think of alphabetically and the idea started to come to life.

To take the concept "out for a spin",  I started with Gigi (on left), one of my initial Serendipity pieces, now pictured as a costume designer.  With photoshop, I removed a little of this and that and then started adding words to the piece-- in varying fonts.  I love the fun of reading them all the choices and think they must be defined- maybe in a glossary.  Perhaps some may even used in a poem for opposite pages.  The idea is still percolating in my mind.  Your thoughts are welcome.

If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl.  You can see other art pieces at www.bridgetteraitz.etsy.com, and the real fashions at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

One-of-a-Kind Reprised

Several years ago, I found a wonderful sweater base in grey and black stripes.  It was unusual, interestingly made and had some elements I could accentuate as I upcycled it.  By restyling it from a boring pullover and adding some hot lime green trim, I called it the Zoe.

It was very well-received and helped me be accepted into an American Craft Council show in GA as one of 10 up and coming Indie designers to watch.  As you can imagine, I was excited and even more thrilled when they chose it to appear in the show's program.

The Zoe sold quickly, and I have often been asked to make another.  Unfortunately, I had not found a base that was slightly off the shoulders and unique like the original Zoe was made from....until now.








This past week while thrifting, I came upon a pristine cotton blend top that had very interesting elements.  It was nearly off the shoulder, had similar stripes and very interesting sleeves.  Long black cuffs reached almost to the elbow and a vertical stripe ran down the sleeves.  To top it off?  A perfect t-shirt in a great chartreuse shade was also there.


Home I went and cleaned, re-cut and created the Zoe 2 (with help from Debra!). It's not the same, but one-of-a-kind things never are. The sleeves are very unique- you can push them up, leave them down or even turn the cuffs up.  I love the updated look --it pays homage to the Zoe, but is a tad edgier. Mission accomplished at last!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to keep up with what we are producing at Echo or the art we are musing about, I humbly invite you to follow me at braitzatl on Twitter or visit us at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

A New Take on the Old Hoodie Classic

Hoodies have been around for years.  Recently, you can even see them cropped and sleeveless.  So it was when I found two---both in pristine condition- with great design elements.  As an upcycler, I like to pay homage to the original designer by complementing and advancing the best elements of a garment.  In the first instance, I was honored to be playing around with an Ed Hardy sleeveless hoodie.  It was super soft and had a great print.  So, in order to put my spin on it, I added plaid shoe string ties to allow the wearer to close it but not zip it, so that what they chose to wear underneath would show.  I also added a complimentary button on the back so that the wearer could keep the hood up, displaying the cool print on it.




The second hoodie was short-sleeved and had a great pink camo print.  The original designer had put great  navy accents on it so I left them undisturbed.  Instead, I added oversized skater shoestrings to tie it shut---once again eliminating the need for the zipper, and another hood button.  Now both are updated and will allow the unique wearer to feel like they the one-of-a-kind creation they truly are.













If you enjoyed this post or want to see more designs, I humbly invite you to follow me at braitzatl (on Twitter) or visit www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

It's a Pink Kind of Day!

In one of my favorite books, My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, there is a line that says:


"But when my days are Happy Pink

it's great to jump and just not think."

And so it was when I began my latest three upcycled sweaters- a happy day with three great sweater bases- barely used.  Ahhhhhhhhh. So much potential.  With help from the a superior seamstress named Debra, look what they became!

From a nice hot pink pullover to........Spring Dot!

From a demure pale pink cardigan to ...... Pink Frosting!

And finally, from a frumpy pullover to... Asian Blossom. 

Hopefully, they are much improved.  Just like me after my enchanted Pink Day.


If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl and on facebook as Echo Clothing Company.

Meet Phoebe-Time for Daydreaming

I'm sure I am not alone when I say I wish I had more time for daydreaming.  Sitting on the curb in the summer dreaming up adventures, lounging in the tub, or staring at the clouds and seeing fun shapes seems like a luxury out of my reach.  As I get older, it seems some of the time to just "percolate" evaporates.  But not for Phoebe, my latest creation.

She began in a relatively elaborate setting-- compared to her other buds in the Serendipity series.  I designed a wrought iron chair in front of a wallpapered wall---perhaps too ambitious a feat in paint and paper.  But when color inspiration struck and I wanted her her chair to be blue, my layering was suddenly all wrong.  Joyfully, mixed media is a medium that allows for major renovations with creativity and a dash of daring.

Phoebe has finally emerged----sitting pretty in her chair with giant bun feet.  She is quite adored by all of her bird friends as she daydreams the time away........

If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to follow my feed on twitter (braitzatl) or visit my website at www.echcolothingcompany.etsy.com to see other creations.

Latest Paper Doll? Meet Casey in the Aspens

I am going to confess.  I love aspen trees- especially as they turn yellow and "twinkle" in the fall.  It's a magical combination against a western sky---and nothing along the East coast, except maybe for a flaming red maple, comes close.  So, as I continued my Serendipity series of grown-up paper dolls, I added Casey in the Aspens.

Working on this piece allowed me to literally peel the paper bark off the trees and put it back on again using various archival handmade papers from my flat file.  So fun!  And Casey watches it all, in her boots with skirt, hair and bow blowing in the breeze. (Gave me a momentary memory of Marlo Thomas in That Girl throwing her hat up in the air.) So much fun.  Can't wait to start another and really wish I could just snap my fingers and borrow that skirt tomorrow......

I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl

Hoodies Don't Kill People, Guns Do

I'm sure that by now Geraldo Rivera regrets his off-the-cuff comments that Trayvon Martin's hoodie was just as responsible for his death as the bullet that killed him.  However, the comment lingered with me and I tried to express my thoughts in ways most artists do best---in their art.  For me, that was with- no surprise-..a black hoodie.  In both my regular upcycling and also when I had collegiate licensing for GA and Georgia Tech, I loved using hoodies.  So, I grabbed a plain black hoodie and went to work with some thoughts on the situation.

Regardless of the facts of the case, a teenager is dead who didn't deserve to die walking down a street in America with tea and skittles.  So, isn't it time we started to break decades-old stereotypes and stop the hate so that innocent kids aren't misconstrued for being anything other than what they are---- a fellow human being loved by God?  Using various pieces of other tee shirts in the studio, I have mapped out a strategy on my hoodie.  If just one person takes it to heart--- including me-- it was worth the effort.

Taking a jacket and tee from fun to fabulous

Most of my fashion ingenuity is focused on upcycling sweaters into new creations better than ever before.  But occasionally I come across a jacket, skirt or tee that just calls to me with possibilities.  Two such garments grabbed me this week, and I decided to share them as I hibernate from the pollen haze that has attacked the ATL.  (I put my life-and sinuses-in jeopardy just by dashing outside to snap some quick photos.)




The first was a cute tee shirt that reminded me of an English Garden.  What made it so cool was that the back, sleeves and front were all out of different, but complimentary, patterns. It was also made of a heavier weight t-shirt material that might make a better bolero.












So, with a quick cut of the trusty sewing shears, I had a better shape.  Some fun pinky-purple striped trim (from another tshirt cut up long ago) was just what it needed to take it from English frump to British funk.














The second took some courage to cut as it was quite cute before I started.  I began with a lined  t-shirt blazer that was a cute blackish-navy and cream stripe.  Great basic pieces with tons of potential.  Drawing on my reservoir of courage, I cut the lower 1/2 of it off and started rummaging around the studio for something to take it from good to great.  Enter some black and cream polka dotted material- very soft and pliable.  By doubling a row of it, I was able to pleat it around the bottom to create a new, fresh take on the original jacket.  A row of red rayon trim- stitched on the edge to give it a slight curl- made it nearly complete.  Finally, a fun polka dotted rosette (stolen from my daugher- don't tell!) completes my new look.  It's called Peppy and will be rocking my Etsy site shortly. (www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com)

A Better Mousetrap?

Sometimes, I come across a great piece at a store that is almost perfect.  Key word? Almost.  Maybe it's the fit, the color, the styling, but it just needs a little something.   This past week, I stumbled upon a sweater at Anthropologie, one of my favorite stores- not only for their clothes, but because of their great displays.  The store inspires me, plain and simple.  So, when I saw a small striped sweater on clearance, I danced right to the checkout with it.

What I loved about it was the back.  The front is a relatively simple crew with two cute pockets.  But the back---wow.  Only two buttons at the very top, then totally open.  I thought of it over a long white tank, and mused---great potential. Yet, it needed a little something---perhaps in the way of color--- to tie it into my black pants or make it a smidge more interesting.














Enter some red sheer polka dotted material from my studio and a leftover black and white bottom from a sweater that had been made into a bolero.  By attaching them to the interior edges of the back and letting them drape, I created a more interesting back---- which still pays homage to the open idea, but without the hassle of pulling it together over my tank.

With the back complete, I needed to add clue on the front.  So, by attaching a leftover ruffle that could be tied on one side to the interior top of one pocket, I introduced just a little pop of color and maybe a curiousity of what you might find on the back.















Finally, I attached two buttons--- different sizes, but complimentary.  Not only did they complete the look, but helped hold the pocket upright as well. Different, unique and colorful---just what I had envisioned.



When I was finished, I realized what had inspired me. I had inadvertently created a simpler, backwards version of one of my favorite designs from 2011- a turnstyle (see Smoke Flowers below).  Perhaps my upcycled sweater was a slightly better mousetrap (for me at least), but it's nearly impossible to improve on Anthropologie.......

Smoke Flowers

Tee Toppers Are Born

If you live in a warm place like Atlanta during the summer, you are constantly bombarded by hot and cold, hot and cold.  It's hot as blazes outside, so you are comfortable in a sleeveless top.  You walk into Willy's, the movies, Yogli Mogli, Target, (fill in your own blank here), and it's oh so cold. Enter my idea for "tee toppers", named for the perfect little shrug to throw over a tee.

In my post as designer for Echo Clothing, I am constantly grabbing up gently used tees and cutting them into shreds for trim.  Sometimes, it pains me to do this because they are cute and beg to be left whole.  As luck would have it, I started to come across good as new tees at my favorite thrift haunts, as well as super-reduced tees at regular stores ($3-4).  An idea was born.  Why not take them, recut them just like our bolero sweaters, and trim them with strips from other tees?


 







Not only would they be lighter than ordinary sweaters that might be too hot in the south in the summer, but they would be "green", original and a great way to transition between hot and cold. As an extra bonus, they could be washed in the washing machine, hung to dry----unlike some sweaters that have to be dry cleaned.  Even better!








Just like with sweaters, where we can alter a pullover, cardigan or crop into another shape, I decided to let the sweater lead the way (which I guess makes me a "sweater whisperer.") If it has a regular scoop, it typically gets a hook and eye (hidden of course) at the top.  If it scoops lower or is a v-neck, it may just be a standard bolero with no tie or hook.  Check them out. They are as unique, different and fun as the women whom I am hoping will enjoy them.

If you want to see what inventory we currently have available, check out the new on-line arm of Echo Clothing- www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com. We keep posting as we make them.

Holy Innocents' "A Heart for the Arts"

A wonderful event is about to happen here in Atlanta.  Holy Innocents' Episcopal School is presenting "A Heart for the Arts-Celebrating the Style of Giving" on  February 24, 2012. It's a great fundraiser for the school and should showcase some really fun art.  Along with a number of artists and artisans, I will be participating, and wanted to share some of my art that will be there:

This piece is called "Corset" and is made with pattern pieces, archival paper, tea stained cheese cloth and oil crayon.  All on gallery wrapped board- 12" x 24" x 3".

Corset has a companion piece called "Camisole"- same size and same medium.
 

(There are two other pieces- Hat and Purse- for those looking for great 10"  x 10" pieces)















In the same vein, there is Tea Stained Dress No. 3, a framed piece measuring 16" x 20" before the frame.

 Slightly more zippy is another piece, Blue Bug 2, that will hopefully vroom, vroom right out of there! (12" x 24" on gallery wrapped board)

And finally, in case anyone has spring fever, you will also find "Festivity" (124" x 24" on gallery wrap canvas)


Can't wait for the show next week.  With a little luck and alot of work, hopefully this great school will have an amazing event. For more information, http://www.hies.org/artandfashionshow