You're My Only Home

This was a two year anniversary gift for my husband that I made. It's hard to believe it's been two years (of marriage) already!

Painting With Yarn: Etsy Update

I love using a knitting technique called intarsia to make pictures and designs. (It is similar to fair isle knitting which I love to).
To do this, I start by making a design and drawing or tracing it onto graft paper and then I plot it out and decide which color goes where. This is my chart that I follow when I knit.
I've made a number of sweaters and bags using intarsia.

The Eraser Head Felted Multi-purpose Bag


















For the Indie Free Spirits Team Challenge (to make a piece inspired by an indie film). I chose, Eraser Head by David Lynch. After I knitted this bag I felted it by washing it in the washing machine with plenty of soap and on HOT HOT. Some times this happens by accident to our sweaters if we forget to wash them on 'delicate' that's why they shrink.

Female Trouble Felted Make-up Bag



























This bag has also been felted using the 'washing machine' technique described above.


Two Cats Purse
















I wanted a felted bag with cats on it (because I love cats) so I made it! This bag is what started my idea of making felted bags and purses. This bag is not for sale but you can email me penelope.reichley@gmail.com or convo me on etsy to arrange to have one like this custom made. You can also purchase the PDF of this pattern if you email or convo me.



















This bag was inspired by this painting.

Unicorn Sweater


















The fist sweater I ever made (the unicorn was a little too small, live and learn).

Buffalo Sweater


















Matterials:
















100% hand spun wool, great for felting!












100% Peruvian wool, great for felting!

For costume made knit wear or to purchase the PDF of any of the pattern above visit my shop and convo me.

Theatre Music for Human Beings First Album

My husband, Simone Secci, who is the main brain and hands behind Theatre Music for Human Beings recently asked me to design the artwork for his first e.p. and he also asked me to make 5 rocket cat pins to give away with the first 5 copies.

Here are pictures of the wonderful result! Produced by Upside Down Records.













I designed and drew the outlines of the front and back covers.













Then Cristiano Carosi from Upside Down Records filled it in.













We wanted the album to look like a vintage illustrated children's book like this...

Etsy Update

Rocket Cats




























One eyed Octopus:




































Pyramid, Molar Teeth, Tape Cassette and One-eyed Octopus Earrings














Process














Materials:






For costume made pins and earrings visit my shop and convo me.

Etsy Update: Lessons in Geography; Map Necklaces

Hand-stitched map necklaces each of a different country showing all it's regions or states.
Find them at Il Gatto Selvatico





















































































Process:
















Inspiration:

Bjork Joga



To get a necklace of your country costume made visit my shop and convo me.

Prudent Vatican City Tour Guide Outfits

Last Summer I was working as a Vatican Museums and City Tour Guide and the dress code was very strict. Every thing from shoulders to knees had to be covered and if you had a tattoo that had to be covered as well. Since I have a mid sleeve tattoo that had to be covered so I designed a prudent Vatican City tour guide dress with pockets for myself. It covers everything that needs to be covered and has a 1960's inspired look with a slightly bubbled skirt, but since it has to be long enough to cover the knees it is a bit hard to walk in...you waddle like a penguin, so I'm considering shortening it now that I'm not a tour guide any more.


















I also designed for myself a shoulder shrug that covers my tattoo so that I could throw this on on top of a chemise when I arrived at that Vatican City. However it is made of merino wool so it is too hot for summer but it works for fall and spring. It is 40's/ 50's inspired and the pattern is a mixture of a leaf pattern and the nosegay pattern.
The yarn is very special because it is hand-spun by my mother, Lucinda Reichley, who is a very talented yarn maker and knitter.

































To purchase the PDF of this shoulder shrug pattern or to order a custom made knit wear visit
Il Gatto Selvatico and convo me, or email me penelope.reichley@gmail.com, I'll be happy to do it.

I love Victorian Fashion

...and that is why I love to wear fashion that looks Victorian.

















little house of the prairie dress and granny booties
Under Garments
The corset




























This elastic harness by iheartnorwegianwood.etsy.com looks a little like an under bust corset.

The hoop skirt



































Cage skirt. It really looks like a hoop skirt.


















Leather cage skirt by iheartnorwegianwood.etsy.com.

Footwear

The boot



































Victorian 1980's granny boots.
This particular pair comes from Savage Spider they are sold, but you can find other fantastic vintage thing there.

Optics

The spectacles











Classic round spectacles.










Jamie Lee Curtis in A Fish Called Wanda wearing round glasses.











These round 80's glasses come from elksme where you can buy vintage glasses similar to these.

Monica Vitti and Cindy Sherman

Two great women!!!
Very Inspirational.


A few weekends ago I went to see Donna. Avanguardia femminista negli anni '70 dalla Sammlung Verbund di Vienna at the Galleria Nazionale D'Arte Moderna and it was great! There was a lot of great stuff and artists like Cindy Sherman, Francesca Woodman, Birgit Jürgenssen, and many others. The show continues until May 16.


Cindy Sherman's film stills are inspired by some of her favorite directors like Hitchcock and Antonioni. I was impressed by these and how successfully the feeling that she was conveying came through. She was trying to make generic film stills that could belong to a number of film genres from the 60's, film noir, neo-realism and Hitchcock-esque thillers. I think that in many of these photos she gives the viewer the feeling of alienation and aloofness that Monica Vitti and Antonioni brought us.


They also both posed as black people...Cindy Sherman in her amazing photo series Bus Riders and Monica Vitti in L'Eclise, shown below.

Monica Vitti in L'Eclise by Michelangelo Antonioni. In this scene Monica Vitti has just gone to visit a friend who lived in Kenya. There is a moment of fantastical make believe/ dress up which is broken abruptly when her friend says that's enough playing at being African.

4 Foot Wear Fusions that I don't understand

1. If a men's dress shoe and a sneaker had a baby this is what it would look like...
Luis Vuitton Explorer Sneakers
(this is actually kind of awesome because they are masked so well, and I beat they are more comfortable than dress shoes)

2. Logans Run meets Clash of the Titans. Metallic Sneakers. These Givenchy sneakers are
also actually kind of awesome. They look like space boots.
3.High heels + Sneakers=

High Heel Gucci Micheal Jordan VI Sneakers=
ridiculously over the top!

5.The offspring of a pair of boots and a pair of sandals is...

Cut out Versace Platforms
(I just don't know what to say about this...I really don't get the sandal boot/ cutaway/ cut out sandal. Is it a boot or a sandal, it looks like it needs to make up it's mind.