Santa is on His Way

All of the snow has definitely melted. It's raining. If it wasn't for the wind, the weather would almost feel warm. The photo below may be the closest I get to a snowflake. 

Oh well. 

White, or not, there are more important aspects of Christmas than the weather.

So I would like to take this moment to wish everyone the happiest of holidays...ever.

I hope you are with the ones you love, or lovin' the ones you're with.

I hope you're drinking Egg Nog, eating Gingerbread Cookies, playing a Board Game, singing Carols, and cooking a Big Dinner; all at the same time. It's not Christmas if you don't go overboard.

Much Love.

And Happiness.

So Special

This is a scarf I just recently made for a friend. I thought it was so lovely, and delicate, that I wanted to share it. It is an upcycled clothing neck warmer. She provided both of the pieces. One was an angora sweater that she couldn't wear anymore because the sleeves were disfigured. The embroidered fabric is from an old shirt of her dad's from the Philipines. Her dad had passed away a while ago and she always kept the shirt in her closet. She finally thought it could be put to better use somehow. So I combined the two and turned them into a scarflette with sentimental value. I really enjoy when I have the opportunity to do things like this for other people.

This project reminds me of how, a couple of years ago, I made four hoodie hats for my aunt-in-law and her grandchildren. She had me use all of her old sweaters.

These sort of projects are so fun.

If this inspires you to desire a Flo Sca Special Order, I'd be more than happy to complete the request.

You can contact me at scgeraci@yahoo.com

or through my Etsy Shop www.floridascarf.etsy.com



Nora Is Still B.A.

If there is one thing Florida Scarf is NOT known for, it's a "legacy of brutality." So when my friend Nora told me she wanted a MISFITS hoodie I was at a bit of a loss. Despite the lack of gory print fabric in my studio I decided to take the challenge. It is, after all, her thirtieth birthday and I felt the need to recognize the young punk still inside her. 
I love Special Orders. They are a great way for me to expand my creativity and supplies. It's the best excuse to shop. On a normal special order I make the customer five or six to choose from. Due to my extreme lack of MISFITS supplies I figured I was going to be lucky if I could put together one for Nora. The town where I'm living in Alabama isn't exactly a punk-rock shoppers dream so I had to resort to online shopping. I went straight to Ebay. YIKES. That website is crazy. Maybe I'm crazy because I had never tried it until a couple of weeks ago. I got out bid on every old t-shirt I tried to buy for four bucks. Go figure. I didn't want to learn how to compete on Ebay for one logo so I got creative. I decided to make my own logo and MISFITS illustration for the hoods. It worked out great. And I was able to come up with two! And she liked them both! I think her sister got one, score Rosie. The main components of the hoods were soft and cozy, black, white, and red fabric. (very punk rock) I then added some of my own personal touches like cool buttons, handmade patches, a bit of neon animal print, and a touch of camo. I was super stoked on the results.

This one had a super rad collar that I handmade and sewed in the middle. It can covers your face if need be. But it adds a lot of style I think.

See? The collar is camo on the reverse side. Killer, huh?

Isn't it so cute how the logo looks bloody? I'm sure this is her mother's favorite part.

This is the second hoodie. It's a bit more school girl prep-punk. (like those ninjas in Kill Bill II)

This one looks great in reverse with the fur on the outside.

Nora works all the time. So I had to mail the hoods to her job. She was pretty pumped when she got them, so she took a few shots of Florida Scarf on the job. I would have preffered a portrait with the water cooler, but a cubicle with two computer screens will do. She is such a Nerd!
Happy 30th Birthday Nora! You always were way more punk than me.


Sent from Nora's iphone. I gotta get one of those.



Available at Earthtones

 

Florida Scarf fans in Southern New Jersey get pumped. This is what will be available at Earthtones. This retail location is at 19 N. Centre St, Merchantville, NJ. The number is 856-488-1830. Aside from these fabulous scarves and hoods, Betsy stocks great pottery, jewelry, and gift ideas. Merchantville is a great place to hang out and have lunch, or coffee, and shop.

Savage Dorothy

For every single piece I make there is inspiration. For this particular hood I really started to daydream...

What if, when Dorothy got knocked unconcious she didn't go to Oz? What if she went somewhere more exotic? Instead of ruby slippers she would wear this hood. It may be slightly less glamorous, but it is much more practicle. It helps her to blend in with her new environment. The inside bears the gingham of her former clothing, as well as a magenta leaf print to help her assimilate into the new culture. The brown sweatshirt keeps her warm. Since this wild, new world is mostly dirt and trees the color acts as a camoflage also. Pulling the hood up over her head hides her lovely feminine features. She must remain as hidden as possible for fear of being held prisoner. She will pull the drawstring tight. Not only does her hood have two buttons for secure fastening, but it also has mini nuts and berries that she can use as a food source. Eventually her adventure will wind down and Dorothy will be ready to go home. All she will have to do is wear her hood in the reverse. In doing this, the brown will be on the inside and her bright prints will be on the outside. Once the savages realize her identity she can teach them about both worlds through the fabric. She will be freed through the sharing of knowledge.

 "One should never underestimate the inspiration of eccentricity." 

I appologize for not knowing who said this line. But i am using it to end this post today since I feel a bit silly for what I have written. I had fun doing it though, and I hope you had fun reading it. If you love this hood it is for sale.

http://www.scgeraci.etsy.com/

Kids Vintage

This is a photo of some of my favorite retro cookbooks. I rarely cook from them, but I love them. Actually, I draw more inspiration for painting or sewing from these pieces than for food. The next shot is one of my favorite pictures.

Isn't that a riot? Something about the late 50's/early 60's is so appealing to me, a 21st century girl. I love using themes and trends from time past to create a lot of my hoods and scarves. The trick is taking theses characteristics and using them ever so slightly to add vintage flair to a modern piece. Sometimes I start with the button, but in this case I've found some killer fabric.

This red mini-floral reminds me of cherry pie and cola in a bottle. The red, white, and blue is also very Americana.

I found this plaid print in the bottom of my gram's sewing closet. That is about as legit-vintage as it gets. I can't help pairing plaid with another repetitive print. I need contrast.

So I've got my materials and I'm ready to sew the pieces. But I'm thinking to myself, "What is more cute than a retro hoodie hat?"

"Duh, a kid's retro hoodie hat."

Anything in a tiny version makes me melt. So what this adventure of inspiratrion turned into was a pair of kids hoods. I couldn't imagine anyone in 1961 actually wearing one of these, but it makes sense now.

 

Thanks for checking in with Florida Scarf.

Inspiration From Paradise Lost

Every piece that I create is one of a kind. Because of this I will often get special requests for hoodies, or scarves with very specific themes. The piece featured above is a perfect example of that. I recently created it for a friend who marvels in American Tiki. He is a man quite sensitive toward this lost culture and I had a lot of fun delving deep in its roots to make my first Tiki Man Hoodie.

My first step was to start combing thrift stores and yard sales. The goal was to find a remnant that once helped to shape urban polynesian style. Fortunately I didn't have to go any further than my nearest thrift store. There I found the perfect shirt, straight from Hawaii itself. As you can see I took the liberty of adding the tag to the design as proof of authenticity.

In looking for further inspiration for the hoodie's composition I came across interesting facts about the lost culture. For instance, it used to be that every major city in America had a Polynesian Palace. In the 20's and 30's primitive art was adored by artists of the avantegarde. The God Tiki was their muse. Even Picasso himself owned a Marquesan Tiki. The style of modern primitivism found mass appeal to the middle class after WWII. The whimsy and bohemian personality of the sub-culture really started to catch. So where did the suburban savage go? Apparently he turned into a "Parrot-Head." The 70's and Jimmy Buffet are attributed with the "watering down" of Polynesian style. The Tiki Bar started to get knocked by culture critics as an embarassing fad. And by the 80's it was over. Geez, what didn't the 80's kill?

So that's what I learned about Tiki, in a nutshell. Thanks to Seth for the incentive to do this.

"Suburban Savage"...has a great ring to it. Don't you think?

New Season New Faces

Somehow August just doesn't feel as hot as July did. I'm thinking it's because I know Fall is that much closer. Please don't misunderstand me. I love summer and all it has too offer. But more than any one season I love the change of seasons. I find it quite refreshing and energizing. I've spent most of the summer sewing inventory for Fall and Winter and I am nearing a time where I'll be able to put it to good use. I'll be switching gears from production to marketing and distribution!

Florida Scarf itself is also going through its own metamorphosis this next season. In the past, the company has only showcased my work. This next season I'll be sharing this creative outlet with a few of my friends, Lauren, Michelle, Stacey, and Cassandra. These ladies will also be creating one of a kind scarves for our customers. With five people sewing one-of-a-kind pieces we'll have five times the ingenuity and influence on our mission. The new designer-specific scarves will be showcased and available for purchase through the website. It will all be up and running, ready for you, by September. In the coming weeks I will be introducing the new artists here. Stay tuned!

P.S.  Tonight I will be making peach ice cream in honor of the fact that it is still summer.

Artistic Inspiration

I read this great book a while back. Actually, there were more pictures in the book than words, so I should say I "enjoyed" a book. It is called A Year In Japan by Kate T. Williamson. She is an artist that lived in Japan once, just to experience it. The book was adorable. Her illustrations in it were so precious I have never been able to forget them. While I was putting together my most recent batch of hoodie hats the book popped into my mind and inspired me to create this new piece. I get so excited when I make a piece that has such an enormous inspiration behind it. Imagine, Kate had to go all the way to Japan, stay there for a year, write a book of illustrations about it, publish the book, wait three years for me to find the book in the library, then buy the book, then become inspired by the book's imagery six months later, and finally make a hoodie about it. (phheww!) These kinds of connections in the universe amaze me. There are two parts of the book in particular that this piece brings to mind. The first is a peeled mango on a stick. These can apparently be purchased from vendors in Japan. I think that's lovely. And what a genious way to eat a mango. The second inspiration comes from her pages about how beautiful she found the night sky to be. I wish I could remember her exact words. At least the imagery stuck with me enough to bring about another one-of-a-kind creation.

                 Picture by Kate

If you are intrigued at all about Kate her website is http://www.katetwilliamson.com/.

Coffee and Cherries

My new thing is recycling old wool sweaters for hoodies. It's been really fun. They make me sad that it is only summer. I love winter, but only when it snows. I don't think I'm going to get much satisfaction out of an Alabama winter. None the less, it is only June and there is plenty to be thankful for in June. Most importantly there is a ton of great produce. I got crazy-inspired by a certain fruit last week, the rainier cherry. Don't you love it? Not only is it refreshing with just the right sweet/tart balance, but it has great color too. For anyone that isn't familiar the cherry is covered in pink and yellow hues. The two colors blend together and seperate, and the surface of the cherry is so adorable. Drinking dark roast coffee (with a touch of Ovaltine) and snacking on some cherries makes me happy. In my delight I was inspired to create this hoodie.