Altered Statement specializes in unique one of a kind
hand dyed hemp fabrics and clothing.

Who knew Hemp could be so comfortable, beautiful, and sustainable!

Monday, March 24, 2008

~*New Items*~ at Altered Statement



Here's the first couple pieces ready to go. Both are apron tops done in our low impact hand dyed hemp / tencel blend with ruffle/tiered skirts of light weight muslin in our low immersion marinades. We're trying to think spring and summer given the stock of fabrics we have on hand. The beautiful hempcel is a medium weight with great flow and drape, while the light muslin gives it that hot weather to come touch.
Ian did a beautiful job hand dyeing the hempcel. The sunburst set is of a marigold and golden brown, while the vines set is a dark eggplant and light eggplant. I then paired it with a marinade which I dyed a dark brown for the sunburst set and an army green for the vines set. I love to see how the marinades separate in color and bring out the highs and lows within a color. Some colors work better than others in this process. I really like how the army green turned out... almost glowing in some places. The dark brown was a new color for us to marinade and although I like how it turned out, the colors don't pop as some do. In both the marinades you will also see some dye spots in blue and yellow (on the army green) and a bit of red (on the dark brown). At times this is apparent in marinades due to the fact the fabric is not being stirred and therefor dye particles sit. At the same time I will say these spots are not our desired look and effect and I have discounted these items to reflect that. There are only a few spots and not consistent, I in no way think that this detracts from the items beauty or statement. These dye particles can be minimized by stirring the dye water more completely and straining (we use a nylon stocking and strainer) before applying to the fabric (just in case you're trying to dye on your own).

Measurements:
Sunburst Set $195
bust 38-44"
length of top 35 1/2"
hip for skirt up to 48"
length of skirt 36"

Vines Set $215
bust 32-36"
length of top 38 1/2"
hip for skirt up to 46"
length of skirt 36"

Both are unhemmed, so hemming to your length on the skirt will be free. All other alterations will depend on request.

I do have to say that the High Sierra Music Festival logo help inspire the colors of this sunburst set, but this is a long time favorite design of ours and can also be found in our gallery in some of our first ever hemp creations! If you would like me to add some music note appliqués that can be arranged.
Please email me if you are interested in making a purchase. *I will be out of town 3/24-3/27 and all orders/requests will be filled in the order they are received* All items will be shipped on 3/28/08.
I will have another posting on Sunday 3/30/08 including eggplant, light eggplant, and golden brown hempcel wrap skirts (in the theme of these two sets) as well as a lavender and purple wrap dress set. We hope to have more than that, but we'll see how far I can get stitchin' through spring break.
~peace~
Ang

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Spring Break!

As some one who works on a school calendar I get to enjoy a week off for spring break! As a teacher... I need (and or deserve) it! The reality is all it means is now I have time to catch up on my 'other' work. What I'm really waiting for is having the summer off! I'm hoping to work on the website and all my projects, hopefully vend at High Sierra, and get more inventory up and available.
A week will go by so fast! And there's so much to do... or at least I have a ton planned that I hope gets done.
I will have a new collection of clothing uploaded to the website on Monday 3/24/08. I'm on a new little kick with ruffles and wraps... I wish I could put this entire collection together, take more professional pictures, and then unveil it... but the reality of business is sales. I'll have hopefully 5 or 6 new pieces available in this first batch coming Monday, including two apron top and ruffle/tiered skirt sets (hemcpel and light weight muslin), three short wraps (hempcel), and hopefully a wrap dress and ruffle/tiered skirt set (muslin and light muslin).
We'll continue to work over the next week to upload another batch to this collection including some jersey wrap hoodies, a 'changes' hip belt and pouches, and more hempcel skirts for Sunday 3/30/08. We're also working on some guys clothes, coming early summer.

Friday, March 14, 2008

One step forward, two steps... to the side

So we found out that we are not part of this year's Portland Mercury's spring fashion show... this actually relieves me a bit. I read the story online, and realized we weren't accepted... I was bummed, sure, but with so much going on it also feels good that I don't have to rush with my alter ego day job already stressing me out. I did later get our samples returned with a form letter (maybe next year).

We've also applied to High Sierra Music Festival for early July and I still hope we get that. It would be our only vending for the year. We have tons of friends going and it would be cool to do that with them there. I'll still have to work my tail off to get my inventory up and in the right season (someday I'll just catch it on the next go round), but it could be so worth it. Here's to having summers off!

I do have motivation now to step it up and try to get ahead of the seasons... starting April 1st you will find Altered Statement clothing and designs in Nourish a boutique in Athens, GA. and it's already shorts weather there! This will be the first time we've offered our products in a local boutique (ok it's not local to us, but its local to Athens). Consignment can have some draw backs to a designer, such as high fees. But there are also some great benefits, such as offering that tactile experience with our fabrics and clothing to customers, to see the beautiful detail to our work up close. So if you're in Athens go down to Nourish and say hello to Lylou!

So now our challenge is to design and produce spring and summer clothing with the fabrics we have on hand. I've been holding onto a stash of fabrics, but they are all darker fall colors. I'm really excited about the designs (spring? ehh, it may be stretching it, but they are still oh so amazing!). I should have two apron and skirt sets along with 3 skirts available this coming Sunday/Monday with another batch of clothing the following Monday... thank goodness it's almost Spring Break!! After that we should have another order of hemp / organic cotton fabrics coming in that we can get hand dyed in to summer colors!

Join our mailinglist through our website for notice when new items come out, special sneak peaks, and mailinglist only discounts! www.alteredstatement.com


Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Endless possibilities in eco-chic!

I'm personally proud of this next series of dresses. I can't say exactly what the inspiration was for the original design, but at times I even amaze myself. I love everything about it; how the h/oc (hemp/organic cotton) jersey contrasts with the h/oc corduroy; how beautiful the v cut bodice reflects how the jersey ruffles at the shoulders and down the back; how the jersey drawstring waist slims down the aline cut skirt portion down to the flowing jersey ruffle; the hip belt and pouch; and the endless possibilities in how to wear it! And of course I love Ian's beautiful hand dyed fabrics, even though he's always hated my color combination of this original.

One of the unique parts to this dress was the new (to us) appliqué technique of straight stitching on the jersey in far enough to let the edge roll and flutter and then stitching again further in, giving quilting the appliqué. I love the effect this gives and how it compliments the ruffles in the bodice straps and at the bottom.

I can't say enough how much I love this dress, and how proud it makes me.

I'm proud of the detail I put in to this and how much it was worth it. So here it is....



3/12/08
The Teal Tribal Butterfly Dress is available for $262 and the Dusty Rose Dove Dress is $212, both with free shipping. Customizing alterations available (hemming is $10 and taking it in to a smaller size $25). More pictures will be coming soon.
The Black and White Spiral Crop Circle Dress is available for $265, but I need to redo the bodice so if you need this taken in to a smaller size there will be no charge for customizing alterations (free shipping also applies).

For more pictures please check out our online portfolio: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alteredstatement/

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Bringing color and funk to eco-friendly fashions



Color and our own hand dyed fabrics are often the inspiration and drive of Altered Statement designs. When we started 5 years ago we knew then that hemp choices were limited and usually only came in it's natural raw form. On select fabrics colors were limited to a few basic colors. It was important for us to find the freedom to work with the hemp fabrics in everything we did, so we started hand dyeing our own fabric with low impact, fiber reactive dyes. Over the years, tears, and lessons we are proud to say that we have created and used such beautiful, progressive and sustainable specialty fabrics.
With the hard work of our supplier Envirotextile we can offer such amazing hemp blends with organic cotton, tencel, silk, and recycled polyester for new generation fabrics like eco-friendly hemp stretch velour. I am inspired all the time by the variety of fabrics available in all our beautiful hand dyed colors, stack like jewels on my shelves... waiting to be created into all the visions in my head.
I hope to focus on the colors and contrasts in my designs and step out side the box of eco-friendly fashions as being drab and stereotyped. When they see my work and creations I want people to think, "wow, that's hemp?!". Between the fabrics themselves and design, I want to change people's perspectives of what hemp fabrics and fashions are.

I was inspired by this photo by Brian Latta with Megzz in our RockStar outfit as the concept for our submission into the Portland Mercury's spring fashion show. With the help and talent of our lovely friends Megzz and Matt spinning LED flow toys and PSI hoops... color changing, spinning, flowing while they dance in hot hemp Altered Statement fashions as our art installation if accepted into the Portland Mercury's spring fashion show (so send some vibes our way). I want to work off of color and the energy through Megzz and Matt and reflect that in our runway collection. Or at least that's what I'm envisioning ...

more designs and visuals in my process to come as this collection develops (whether or not we see the runway).

Inspiration in a cup o' joe





I was inspired to do a coffee themed skirt ever since seeing the latta art of Tabasco so when this beautiful ecru/brazil nut mariande and light brazil nut muslin came through Ian's dye rotations I snagged it and paired it with a dark brazil nut jersey.

I did a google image search for latta art and was inspired by this picture:
(sorry, no direct link).
With the fabrics I had available and Ian's help in drawing the applique I created this:







As always the skirt is much better in person than pictures, there's much more detail and richness to the colors and designs. Over all I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, although I might have done the applique a bit different and I think it's missing a pocket.
For better pictures or to purchase click here

I'm not sure if this does it for me... satisfies my need to create my vision of coffee wearable art. I might need to try again...