Death Wears a Hair Bow or, The Beast Awakens

[Poppy Fields]

Preamble (and I do mean “amble”, with an “r”): For your consideration, I've *** the meat of this, 'cos Mamma likes to train-of-thought it like a dirty hippie when she's exhausted. Although you'll miss all the bits where I cuss and pick a fight and make sexual advances on your sister. So your loss. Whutevs.
When you hear the ::TING:: turn the page.

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I've been a busy little beaver.
So busy, in fact, that winona's big brown is the only thing not getting any action! (Thank you, folks, I'll be here all week.)
I nevertheless have an RSI to show for it. Make of that what you will ;)

Okay. Perhaps fair warning is due: I was awake 'til 3 this morning and awake again at 7:30, so to say I'm a “little punchy” is a gross understatement of Risk of Injury, to persons (myself) or sensibilities (yours. Why you got to be so sensitive anyway? Geez.) Blame iTunes. It thinks I need a lot more Primus and Monster Magnet in my life.

A very sweet little zombie girl said that whenever I'm away for an extended period, I come back with something awesome and I think I can deliver on that one.

Do you want me to torture you with all the background information about my quite inconsequential childhood spent locked in a closet in Bruges, or should I cut to the good s***?
To be completely honest, I'll probably fall asleep halfway through the boring stuff, so here's the good s***:

***I'm launching my own clothing line.

Can I get a w00t-w00t w00tie-flakes?

But I forgot something important.
It should be: I'm launching my own clothing line finally.
This is something I've wanted since I was only a little-bitty Poppy with stars in her hair and rage in her eyes.
I went to school for this, people. Twice. (Oh s***, three times if you count the correspondence course...) And like all good Gen-Why-Bother-ers, I've so far done nothing with it. Sweet f***-all. Thanks, Mom and Dad for spending all that money on me, now I'll go be an Admin. Asst for the rest of my life until I have another nervous breakdown – the one that nearly kills me – and the writing on the wall does not so much magically appear, as punch me in the head until I wake up and realise it's now or never.

Well, it's now or never.

I'm not doing cut-and-sew (not yet, at least) even though pattern drafting is a deeply soothing activity, but then again, I'm not really selling clothing.
***I'm selling my designs. My art. Mi alma.

When I got tired of being punched in the head, I decided to make the plunge into self-employment, or as we crazy people who picked the beginning of a recession panic meltdown OMGTHEWORLDISENDING to start our businesses like to refer to it: entrepreneurship.
The Man works for a company that sells commercial embroidery machines and it was a natural fit for me.
I love textiles.
I love embroidery.
I love textiles & embroidery.
Hey, guess what? Have we got the business for you!

Everyone told me it was a brilliant idea and such a good business to be in and [insert boring stuff about the reality it has been. Naaah.]

One of the reasons machine embroidery appeals to me is that it's a lot like vector/digital art. I think of hand embroidery as oil painting, where you can play with levels and layers and get all organic and freeform it. Machine embroidery is more about precision and colour-blocking and figuring out how to get a certain effect with minimal thread/colours/etc. It is by no means limiting – I've seen show pieces that take 56 HOURS to stitch out because there's so much going on. 56 hours on a commercial machine, no less. Those babies do 1,00-1,200 stitches a minute. - it's just different. And as I've only recently discovered the Joy of Vector after years of ogling the pretty pretty design wank pictures, I like the translation.

***So to cut a potentially dangerously long, meandering side-trip into my raison d'etre – foooocussssss – short, I am selling embroidered garments and accessories, the art for which is all Poppy Fields original brain spooge. (This post brought to you by sexual not-so-innuendo. Here, have a Kleenex.)
Starting with women's pieces, only because I ran out of pesos and time to include men's, but they're very much part of the plan. I'm selling at the Calgary Tattoo Arts Festival, August 14-16 and sfphotojournal, I fully expect you to be there ;D

The picture at the top of this post is my logo; there's a website in development too (I'll be selling through there soon as well.) and it's all very pink. So much pink! As a woman with a substantial Hello Kitty collection (and proud of it. Ask me what I did for my 30th. Go on.) I really shouldn't be shocked. It just... happens. It's like I enter a weird, Japanese Princess fugue state and when I surface, the dog's wearing a bonnet and I suddenly have 3 different shades of blue eye shadow. (True story. The eye shadow bit. The dog only wears his Darth Vader helmet and then only very, very reluctantly.)

But never fear, my heart is still black as night and twice as juicy. I am the Dark Lady, after all (out of the mouths of babes...).

So there are skulls. Lots of skulls. Lovely, lovely skulls! Weeeee!

The concept started as sexy pinup skull ladies, but after w(h)ining-and-dining and eventually flogging that idea for A MONTH and getting nowhere, the “heads” idea was able to force its way out and I've been unstoppable since. 18-hour days (eating and personal hygiene is for the weak) and constant pain in my right arm and shoulder from mousing and tabletting and you know what?
I've .NEVER. felt .BETTER.

And F*** ME if I am not 100% satisfied with what I've done. This is not a feeling stereotypically “creative types” get to experience very often. I am f****** delighted with myself. And now I will stop saying F*** because I am a serious business person and it is neither professional, nor becoming, unless one is actually in the business of f******. (Which I might be, if this doesn't work out. Whoops! Cash flow! Anyone interested in a mid-'76 model with low mileage and spotless interior? HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!)

Wait, where was I?

***Calla y Vera. My baby!
I know this place is filled with awesome cool smart like-minded people, so a bunch of you have probably figured it out to be a play on the Spanich <- Spanich. Spinach from South America? - Spanish word for “skull”, calavera. This word in particular is often used to refer to the sugar skulls peculiar to Dios de los Muertos.
Vera is a women's name, as could be Calla. It's the name of a lily, after all. A lily known to be poisonous and commonly associated with funerals, as it is also a symbol of rebirth.
My name means “spirit of rebirth”.
“Calla” is Greek for “beauty” and “vera” is latin for truth. “Beauty & Truth”; two of my core personal values. F***Gosh darn. I love it!
I adore Frida Kahlo (she and my grandmother are kindred spirits), I adore Mexican embroidery – ohhhhh the colours - and wouldn't ya know it, I have a raging heart-on for Meso-American culture (Blood! Human Sacrifice! Pissed-off gods! And a truly fascinating calendar.)

When I deconstruct it like this, it's all a little bit obvious.

It's a little bit goth, a little bit rockabilly, a little bit Mexican folk art (there's an additional “little bit” I didn't have time or skills to incorporate, but it's coming. And it's going to be phenomenal. Embroidery was made for it.) and just the right amount of existential contemplation over a long, smooth drink. Plus I get to indulge my love of tattoo art and make subversive allusions to ancient religions and mysticism.
There's plenty of room to grow and expand on themes (I love themes!!!). I haven't given up the pinup idea (2 designs already in process) and I have a line of designs perfect for children's wear. The cute will melt your face. off.
And really, is death going to go out of fashion anytime soon? It is the one Great Truth of life. Veritably.

***That there teaser trailer at the bottom is the design I'm most excited to see sewn out. It's going on the back of a women's swing-coat. Delightful cuffed ¾ sleeves, cute constructed Peter Pan collar, wonderful style lines, fully lined – very retro-modern. Lovely tight weave cotton. Black, of course.
There will be only 3: 1 each in S, M and L (no XL available BOO!) That's another CyV brand aesthetic: limited and OOAK only (until you wave that 8-figure cheque under my nose ;D).
Can't you just see it?
Those colours, on black, all textural and dimensional and light and shade with gold and symbolism and I need a clean pair of panties.

Ummmmm. Yeeeeeeah. Train-of-though-derailment moment.
Oh! I'll put pictures in my PL gallery when they're ready and there'll be a gallery on the website. And stuff.
But for now, I think I've earned some (motherfuckingassgrabbingcocksuckingdickmunchingcuntplunderingpussypounding) sleep.

Thank you, and good night! [EXEUNT Stage right doing that sideways Vaudeville dance thingy and grinning like a madman.]

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Apologies to:

1. Anyone who has commented on my blog/wall, sent me a DM or responded to a forum post. I always make a point of replying personally to all and it knots my stomach to have been so neglectful.
2. Anyone who comments on this post and doesn't get a prompt reply from me. Trust me, I will be reading! Next two weeks are going to be dominated by non-stop embroidery beavers. Beavers. Beeeaaaaverrrrrrsssssss.
3. Everyone else on PL who makes my time here so fuc... gosh-darned enjoyable. I have been neglectful and I accept my shunning, should it be your Will.

[Syd Valentine]

God. i LOVE you.

[heykelley]

Poppy... OHMYGOD. Have I told you you're my hero. I f****** love this. All of it. Every single thread. Your name and logo are f****** brilliant and perfect. I cannot WAAAAAAAAAIT to see more! Holy s***, I'm so excited and I have nothing to do with it! Why must I live so far from Calgary?! Congratulations, darling, because this is amazing and might I say that it's about time! Love. LOVE!

Kelley

[Tiddleywink Vintage]

I love you. Have I told you how much I love you? Because I love you. And I just realized that I'm writing this from my other account, not my Winky account, but so be it. You're smart and will figure it out. And also? I had just taken a break from OHMYGODISTILLHAVETHREEMOREPATTERNPIECESTODRAFTANDIWANTTOBEDONEDONEDONE when I came in and read this and now I'm feeling, well, not refreshed but at least a little guilty and so off I toddle to go finish that bodice. The pattern for the bodice, anyway.

You are awesomesocks.

[Hell In A Handbag]

Love Love Love everything about it. I cannot wait to see (and own a piece of) the goods!