Inventory Spotlight: Fall 2012 Trends

Bright, bold colors and contrasts are at the forefront of trends this Fall. Come check out our Fall 2012 inventory! As always, click on the pic to purchase. :)

Emerald Green

Ring, Fused Dichroic Glass and Sterling Silver/Silver Plated Wire, Size 6, $35 USD.

Dark Garden Wirework Pendant, $14.95.

Earrings with Swarovski Crystal, $9.99

Black and White

Adjustable Upcycled Ring w/Swarovski Crystal, $5.

Go-Go Pendant with Crystal, $8.

Faceted Ice Ring, $8.

Cool Blue

Fused Glass Pendant, $5.

Blue Collage Fused Dichroic Glass Pendant, $15.

Siren Beaded Wirework Ring, Size 7, $15.

Stay tuned for more trends and new arrivals! 

New Arrivals August 28, 2012

Here's a summary of the new items in the DarkFire Designs shop. :) To purchase, click on the pic to go to the Etsy listing. 

More of these rings are on the way! 

From top to bottom: Geometric Bubble Gum(size 9), Absinthe Garden(size 7) and Geometric Sun Rays(size 9) silver plated wirework rings, $9.99 each USD. 

Orbit: Citrine and glass pearl silver-plated wirework ring, size 6, $14.99 USD. 

Shades of Gold: Gold-plated wirework ring, size 6 1/2, $14.95 USD.

Framed Silver-plated wirework pendants, $14.95 each USD. 

Coming Soon:

Gold plated quartz rings

More wire cluster rings

Fall Fashion Spotlight: Black and Gold

Black and Gold have always been a luxurioius combination. Gold's intricate details pop against a noir background. Dark, rich, and elegant, this dynamic duo is back for Fall! 

Bracelet, 12€, L'Atelier De Cerridwen. Purchase here.

Suit, $160 USD, Annie Briggs. Purchase here.

Ring, $70 USD, NYC Jewelry Design. Purchase here.

Studded shorts, $66 USD, The STEEL Age. Purchase here.

Bracelet, $4.50 USD, Jazzy Beading. Purchase here.

Beneficial Minerals Eyeshadow in Gold Mine, $4.99 USD. Purchase here.

A'Dor Nail Polish in Shades, $3.50 USD. Purchase here.

Vintage Dress, $26.99 USD, Rock Candy Vintage. Purchase here.

Shoes, £105.00 GBP(Approx. $171 USD), KezBirdie. Purchase here.

Fall Fashion Spotlight: The Shag Coat

Big, fluffy, shaggy fur coats made a comeback for fall. Alexander McQueen sent a variety of them down the runway in fun shades of pink, fuschia, and white. Michael Kors took a darker route with rich red and fierce black, while Fendi worked in earthy browns, tans, and grays. This fun, funky 70s throwback came full circle this fall, with vintage pieces still packing as much of a punch as the new pieces. If you're not into cotton candy pink or red and black, score one of these lovelies off of Etsy instead.

White crocheted fringe coat, $84 USD, Deja Vu Vintage. Etsy listing.

Vintage 1970s Lambskin Shag Fur Jacket, $175 USD, Cut and Chic Vintage. Etsy listing.

'Sveta' Pink Faux Fur Coat, $59 USD, Paris is a Dance. Etsy listing.

Reversible Lime Green Faux Fur Coat(transforms into backpack), $645, Light Up Coats & The Kings Royal Robes. Etsy listing.

Jewelry Report: Statement Earrings

In the last few years or so we've seen cocktail rings, bib necklaces, loaded, chunky charm bracelets, and thick bangles. Statement jewelry is always hot, and now it's the earrings' turn. Be it chandalier or shoulder duster, statement earrings are it It jewelry of summer, and are a fabulous compliment to strapless tops and tank shirts, a nice way to make your wardrobe pop if you just don't feel like wearing a necklace or loading up your arms with bracelets during the dog days of summer. :) 

Melody Earrings, AMARENOstyle, price upon request. Amareno-Style.com. 

Pulsar Earrings, $27 USD, Uniquely Chic. Etsy listing. 

Capacitor and LED Earrings, $55 USD, Techcycled. Etsy listing. 

Golden Sun Earrings, $32 USD, Kica Bijoux. Etsy listing. 

Diamond Elysia Earrings, $30 USD, Krystal Chains. Etsy listing. 

Art Nouveau Chandalier Earrings, $17 USD, Art of Adornment. Artofadornment.ca. 

Fashion Spotlight: Purple

I'm going to start writing a weekly fashion column over at deviantART, focusing on the latest trends/looks and whatnot, while showcasing all the amazing, talented artisans and designers dA has to offer.

I've kicked off my column this week with a focus on the color purple! I was inspired by Vogue UK's article.

See my post here.

See Vogue UK's article here.

The Triumph of the Denim(aka Epic Repurposed Jeans)

I was perusing though my local Goodwill last week and I found a nice little gem: jeans in my size!!! 

This rarely happens. I'm tall, with long legs, and apparently these are proportions of death in the fashion industry. Anywho, they fit, which is good, because my jeans have pretty much had it, and I was in desperate need of a new pair. I'm also too stubborn at this point to drop $30 on one pair. The money is needed elsewhere, like my gas tank. XD 

The jeans...

At first glance they look fine, but if you flip them over there's some wear...

...but totally fixable. 

I cut off the hems of the jeans. 

I cut them open, measured them, and added seam allowance, in this case 1/2" on all sides. I wanted to make sure they were long enough so I wanted wiggle room to let them out if need be. I drafted a VERY basic pattern out of some tissue paper I had on hand. Ignore the wrinkles. 

I had some scrap denim left over from a cosplay project, and I liked the added contrast of the crossgrain on these scraps. So...I cut them out and serged the edges so they wouldn't fray.

I sewed up the side seams and pressed them open, and went back and serged the cut part of the jeans so they wouldn't fray. 

I hemmed the bottoms of the new pieces first, which made things much easier. I chose matching thread and a wide double needle for a clean, bound hem. 

And now, a digression...

If you can't afford a cover stitcher a double needle is your best friend. You can use them on any sewing machine, you just need an extra spool of thread. I use serger thread with my machine since I work with so many colors/garments, as opposed to spools, so the extra spool isn't a problem. I have my machine very creatively threaded, but cone stands really are the way to go. You can find them in almost any shop that sells sergers and sewing machines. But the double needle gives you a nice bound hem, similar to that of a cover stitcher, and it works much better and looks nicer than just using a straight stitch or a zigzag. They come in especially handy when working with knits, as they sew in such a way that the threads won't break with stretching. Double needles are cheap, less than five dollars most of the time, and can be found at sewing, fabric, and craft stores like JoAnn or Hancock Fabrics. Thread them like a normal sewing needle, except you're threading two needles, and use the straight stitch setting on your machine. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use the zigzag setting. Bad things will happen. Trust me. 

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog entry...

 The new pieces with the hem...

All that's left is to attach them to the jeans and press the seams open...

and ta-daaaaaaaaaa!!!! XD 

(Ignore my foot. I was in a mad rush to shoot the pic and wear them). 

I love them. They are me new favorite pants. The $7 and hour of time I spent on these was so worth it! They're so comfy and they look awesome. Pics of me wearing the pants will follow at some point. ^_^

So...if I have inspired you to salvage some jeans of your own that is fabulous. :) I'm looking forward to the next pair I find, and when I find them I'll probably post it here. :)