Special Occasion Dresses

Some of my other custom wear includes special occasion dresses. It's extremely fun to build a party dress for a lovely lady. They are all gorgeous to me!


This little black dress is made for a birthday girl who will be celebrating her 25th tonight. I'm sure that Ms. Nicole will be the belle of the ball, dancing the night away. She looks just like a Hollywood princess in this satin and chiffon gown. I wish her a very happy birthday and many more.



I built this custom wedding dress back in June for my friend Mirnela. She and her beau had two weddings--one in Arkansas and one in Albania. The dress is a cream matte satin with overlays of sparkle organza and chiffon. It has lace appliques along the hemlines and bodice. Over 1000 rhinestones give the gown that extra sparkle. Talk about a fairy tale gown...

Custom Applique's

Appliques help personalize a custom western. I create the images out of fabrics that have been glued together with Wonder Under and top-stitched on the machine. For an extra fancy touch, rhinestone studs can be added for that special sparkle!


This western was created for Justin Brown with his favorite guitars as an applique'. Justin is a local St. Louis musician who plays with the Dock Ellis band, and, along with other local musicians, is a host of the Chippewa Chapel held Wednesday nights at Off Broadway.


The little kitty-cat pictured above is on a baby-blue 50's circle skirt. I've sold a few of these skirts to the local rock-a-billy crowd. Along with the roller derby gals, these ladies have a fun sense of fashion.


This shirt was sold at the Rock and Roll Craft Show 4 held here in St. Louis featuring local crafters working in a non-traditional style. Great event to get your Holiday shopping done. This year, it was held on December 8th and 9th and was very well attended. A mob, I'd say!! The craft show was held at Mad Art, an alternative space that hosts art and music and can be rented out for any event.

Please check out these sites:
www.myspace.com/sixstringsamurai
www.myspace.com/thedockellisband
www.myspace.com/chippewachapel
www.myspace.com/newoffbroadway
www.archrivalrollergirls.com
www.rocknrollcraftshow.com
www.madart.com

BadFolk

Whooo!! What a weekend! I have TWO bands, not just MaidRite. The other is called Bad Folk, and that is self-explanatory. We are a roots inspired group that mixes it up with lack of knowledge and pure inspiration. Some, who do not understand the basic origins of traditional music, will give us the comparison of Uncle Tupelo...the honest truth is that both bands do the same thing--listen to the traditions.

Punk inspired Rock--well if you don't get the message you might be into fashion and top-40 radio play. Punk is a real genre that existed (OhMyGod!) 30 years ago, and everything else since then is just fashion. Like, how did grunge with their ripped up jeans and squatter accommodations become a multi-million dollar business??!! A real part of America becoming a commodity. I bet those kids in Seattle didn't make as much money as the record companies or clothing manufacturers.
So this is one of BadFolk's D.I.Y. projects. Yeah, we released it this past Saturday. It is a split single 45 record with another local band called the Rats and People. They really rock! Their side of the 45 is called 'I Sang to Heather Nethereye'. Folks in St. Louis don't understand the huge amount of talent that is right under their nose. I've lived in this city for over 20 years, and the majority of the population is looking elsewhere for talent and new ideas, and they are missing the big picture...

Please check out:
www.myspace.com/badfolk
www.myspace.com/ratsandpeople

Maid*Rite Music

I have two bands. This one, Maid*Rite, has just released our first EP. It is a six song CD that we had recorded back in January with Jason Hutto at his studio, Smoking Baby. At the time, we had a lovely fiddle player, Catherine Cathers. Since then she has left us for the warmer weather of Florida. Replacing her, is Jennifer McDaniel who plays clarinet, recorder, and our Maid Rite washboard.
Here we are playing at Mangia on South Grand in St. Louis. I wish I knew what the hell we were cracking up about...Anastasia Swan took this photo of us.

Instead of the usual band t-shirts, I've been making some of my Rodeo Revival wear for the band. The yoke is both decorated on the front and back--the back having the Maid*Rite name.

It's great fun to have folks come out to our shows decked in these one-of-a-kind shirts. For me, it is like seeing an old friend who's come to visit.

Cool links to check out: www.myspace.com/maidrite
www.myspace.com/anastasiaswan
www.myspace.com/mangiaitaliano

Up at Fifi's

Looking at these images reminds me that I should give Kelly at Fifi's a visit to see how things are doing. The kids at WU are back with Daddy's credit card in their pocket...

Rodeo Revival

I get sick just thinking about how many garments are out in the world and how many new garments will be made this season. There are plenty of 'gently used' articles of clothing floating around the thrift stores. Granted, some are quite boring, but they beg to be altered, made new, or turned into an art piece.

I got the idea to revive common garments into western fashion after doing a few custom westerns from scratch. I do love creating the one-of-a-kind customs, but that can hurt the pocketbook. A ready-made and gently used button front can bring the cost down quite a bit.

Check out Fifi's on Delmar for some of my Rodeo Revival westerns. www.fifis.biz

Custom Western Shirts

I make cool stuff. I mean, I make some fantastic western shirts. They are all custom fitted and designed. Most have the decorated yokes and 'smile' pockets. It takes time, but I don't agree with the China/Walmart way that things are going. Get something good and unique that is going to last you for the rest of your life. Invest in a piece of art. Support us folk that need to create.

This is a shirt that I created for Jesse Irwin. He entertains us here in St. Louis and will soon be heading your way. I've done a few shirts for this boy, and he is one of my biggest fans. I owe him a free custom shirt due to all the wearing of my creations that he does. Thank you, Jesse. www.myspace.com/jesseirwin