Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
Ashley Berthiaume (@GoFollowRabbits) can usually be found at a whirring sewing machine—with Doctor Who playing in the background and a dogearedcopy of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” at her side. She’s the owner of GoFollowRabbits, an Etsy store full of geek chic skirts designed and sewn by this Lady Geek.
Our favorites? The (pink!) Delorean skirt, the sweet as can be Snow White inspired skirt, the trompe l'oeil Alice in Wonderland skirt (check out the back detail), and the swishy skirt fashioned with nebula photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
We fully condone visiting GoFollowRabbits and buying yourself a holiday present. While you’re waiting for your stylish package to arrive, check out Berthiaume’s interview with BGC!
Q: How did you discover your passion for sewing geek chic skirts?
A: When I started creating the skirts, there really wasn’t much out there besides t-shirts for girly geek girls like myself. I started with the concept of using geek quilting fabric for the skirts but soon moved into designing my own prints. I soon learned so many more girls like myself appreciated these fun and flirty items and knew I had to make more!
Q: The name of your shop is GoFollowRabbits. How are you inspired by the adventures of Alice?
A: For some reason, every point in my life has included this story, so the natural move was to use this in my brand name. I’ve always related to Alice and her crazy adventures she found herself in.
Q: If you could take any character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: This is a hard one, I’m a huge history buff and am highly influenced by strong women who have overcome the odds. I would love to take Mae West out for a drink just to hear her wild stories, you can’t get that many great quotes without living a full life right? I would probably drink something hard like bourbon or whiskey, as i imagine she could drink me under the table.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: “It does get better"…no seriously, I would tell myself to stop caring so hard about what others think and that the "big” problems in my life and how I acted at that time would help define what kind of person I would be.
Q: What’s the title of your memoir?
A: “The more I see, the less I know for sure.” It’s a John Lennon quote, but it really applies to me.
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Mindy Tomlin is a cosplay rockstar who puts her stitch where her mouth is. You can find her blogging about her latest creations of needle and thread over at The Geeky Seamstress. She’s resourceful, spunky, and she loves, loves, loves her wigs. Want a play-by-play? Follow Tomlin on Instagram.
Some of our favorite costumes include her sassy rendition of Rogue, her pin-up girl Bombshell Wonder Woman, and her quirky-cute Pokemon Trainer Serena getup. Inspired yet?
Dive in to Tomlin’s interview with Being Geek Chic to discover which fictional character she’d share a drink with, the catalyst for discovering her passion, and how she infuses geek chic style into her everyday wardrobe.
Q: How did you discover your passion for sewing your own cosplay costumes?
A: I discovered cosplay through some friends at a previous job. They invited me to A-Kon in 2012 and asked me to make some costumes with them. I made a humanized Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony by cobbling together pieces from my closet and eBay. I also made Book 1 Korra from Avatar: The Legend of Korra. That was my very first sewing project. It was so, so bad, but it quickly lead to an obsession. I was so amazed by all the costumes I saw at A-Kon and the level of detail and creativity. It didn’t take long to develop a ridiculously long cosplay wishlist!
After the con, I bought my own sewing machine and looked up every YouTube video I could find on sewing techniques. My stepmom used to make wedding dresses, so she taught me the basics of shopping for patterns, how to cut and read them, and how to sew everything together. She’s largely responsible for several of my early costumes, including my first Rogue.
One of my favorite parts of making my own costumes is the learning process. I’m constantly researching how to handle fabric, how to perfect the fit of a garment, how to build prop pieces, and how to style wigs. There’s always something new to discover with every costume build.
Q: How do you integrate geek chic style into your everyday look?
A: I work in higher education, so I unfortunately have to adhere to a business casual dress code. However, I have a lot of geek-friendly pieces in my wardrobe and I try to slide those in anytime I have a chance. One of my favorite pieces is my Game of Thrones House Targaryen cardigan. You have to look really close to recognize the symbol, so it’s a fun easter egg. It’s also fun to wear geeky jewelry and see how many students recognize the fandoms.
I wear a lot of geeky pieces when I’m not at work. Geeky t-shirts and my Wonder Woman Converse are my go-to items. I also love making geeky dresses, like my Star Wars and Captain Marvel dresses.
Q: When did you learn that you were “geeky”?
A: I’ve always been geeky. My dad introduced me to Star Wars as a kid (I think he still has the VHS tapes), and it’s a tradition in our family to watch every one of the original films over the holidays. Being a 90s kid, I loved the old Marvel cartoons on Fox. X-Men the Animated Series was my jam! I watched a lot of Sailor Moon as well. Cosplay has only strengthened my love of all things geeky.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: Ooh, tough choice. There’s so many! I think right now I’d have to pick Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk. She’s such a brilliant mix of brains and brawn. I’d probably drink my go-to cocktail: a rum and coke.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: Embrace your passions. Life’s too short to worry about what other people think. And learn to love your body. It’s the only one you have!
Image credit: Aperture Ashley.
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
I’ve been trying to find the “perfect” Sherlock Holmes-inspired pillow for my home for months and months. I’ve been failing desperately though. If I’m being honest, it’s me, not the internet. There’s a ton of options, but I have been looking for something subtle and Google Search Results for “Subtle Sherlock Holmes pillows” does not actually locate much of anything.
Then I thought I found the answer. It was like the internet angels sung it out to me. AHHHHH OOOOH, it’s Spoonflower.
Ugh. Not that easy internet. Not that easy. Y U Got to Go and Trick Me Like That?
There are plenty of great tutorials on their site and a few Google searches pulled up some interesting tips, but after struggling with this thing for hours, I thought I’d share some of my observations with you. If for no other reason than you can hopefully save yourself an hour or two. (Once my swatches show up, I’ll share those too.)
Here’s five tips for avoiding disaster and designing wonderful textiles on Spoonflower:
1. It’s easier to create the single design and then let Spoonflower do the work of repeating the pattern. Take my “Where’s My Deerstalker?” graphic above. I had originally tried to create a brick pattern on my own, but after struggling with it for hours and uploading literally 11 different versions, I gave up on my own concept of the layout and let Spoonflower do the hard part for me. If you have never had to make a pattern before, it is a lot harder than you think. I learned that lesson the hard way.
2. If you upload a JPG, expect the colors to change. I had no trouble with PNGs, AI, PDF or EPS files. I am not sure if a compression would have helped, but since we’re printing high resolutions, I didn’t want to take that chance.
3. Let Spoonflower do the scaling for you too. A handy little trick within the interface is the ability to make the print larger or smaller with the rulers giving you a guide for scale. If you start with a relatively large design, you should be able to get it to the right proportions.
4. Don’t forget to adjust the image on your test swatch. This fabric isn’t cheap. Skip the fat quarter and get the test swatch for $5. You can adjust the crop of the swatch as well, so be sure you are getting a visual of what you really want.
5. Think about using the service for small projects too. I get some of my best ideas from trolling the awesome work of others. I loved this concept from blogger Armommy, who came up with a design that would make 8 hand warmers and then used Spoonflower to make the project available to her readers complete with printed instructions included on the fabric.
Have any of you used Spoonflower before? Have you been happy with the results?
Sophie of Sweetcheeks Stitches (on Etsy, Facebook, and @sweetcheeksshop on Twitter) is our Lady Geek of the Week! Sophie fashions pretty tops, skirts, and dresses in unexpected fabrics, giving us all a chance to be Geek Chic.
Sophie graciously took the time to respond to a few questions I asked her about her geekiness. Check it out!
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: I’ve been into sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandma used to take care of me while my mum was at work, and she was always on the sewing machine, so I learned a lot from her. I moved to London from my hometown a few years ago, just as my son was starting school. I wanted to be able to take him and pick him up myself, so needed a job that fit round his hours. I took several courses on dressmaking, and last year was given an award at the end of one, and featured in a fashion show. This, along with compliments on items I had made for myself, gave me the confidence to take the plunge and open SweetCheeks Stitches.
Q: What inspires you in the world?
A: Mainly my 6 yr old son, he’s my biggest supporter! He’s a huge geek as well, and loves helping me choose which fabrics to get for the shop.
Q: When is the first time you realized you were “geeky?”
A: I was 10, and it was the final day of term at school. As it was the last day, all the kids were allowed to bring in a toy to play with. People brought games, and balls, all kinds of things, but I took my Walkman. The tape inside? The Wrestlemania album. I still know all the words to Never Been a Right Time to Say Goodbye by Bret Hart.
Q: “I admit it—I’ve never seen/read/experienced: ____”
A: Harry Potter. Never read any of the books, or seen any of the films. I only started selling Harry Potter things in the shop after making a dress for my friend who loves them. Anything I know about it comes from her!
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: Don’t believe anyone that tells you ‘Your school days are the best days of your life’. Being an adult rules. You’ll probably never be a 'grown up’ though.
Do you know someone worthy of Lady Geek of the Week? Send her name and her website (or blog or Twitter account) to [email protected].
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. On twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Hi, I’m Liz and I’m addicted to my cameras.
Over the years, I’ve acquired quite the collection of cameras. Vintage cameras, 90s cameras, new model Canons. I’ve even been known to save a disposable camera that has a case design that I find charming.
Here’s the thing: I hate camera straps. The whole wearing the camera over my neck always seems uncomfortable and essentially turns your chest into a camera shelf. However, I love wristlets. So, the camera wristlet was born.
It’s super easy and cheap to make. Here’s the step-by-step:
1. Get 1/8 a yard of fabric. Cut the fabric to 4 inches wide by 12 inches long. Cut a piece of medium weight fusible to 2 inches wide by 12 inches long. (Pro tip: if you don’t have enough fusible, you can use scrap pieces and fuse two pieces together.)
2. Iron the fusible to the center of the fabric. Fold in the sides and iron. Fold the entire strap in half and iron again, so you have an singular, folded up strap that’s 1 inches wide by 12 inches long. Pin the long side.
3. Sew the edge. Do not back-stitch, because you’ll need the raw edges for the next step.
4. Turn one raw edge inward on each side to create a triangular (or 45 degree angle) edge. Put your swivel hook on through the edge. Then, put the other raw edge INTO your triangular edge. Stitch the triangular side.
5. Pull the swivel hook up to your seam. Pull it tight into the hoop and stitch in place.
6. Attach to your camera. I bought a small triangular jump ring at the craft store, which I attached to the cameras hooks where the strap would normally go. This just gives you a little bit looser attachment, so you can get more movement.
You need:
1/8 yard fabric
1/8 yard medium fusible
One swivel hook
Thread
Sewing machine
Scissors
One small jump ring (not required)
45 minutes
Total cost: I used leftover materials, but if you had to buy everything new, you could do it for as little as $3 to $5. A small swivel hook costs about $1.50, a single jump ring is .50, and 1/8 yard of fusible shouldn’t be more than $1. Spend as much as you want on the fabric!
