New PELO BUENO (GOOD HAIR) T-Shirts at Nelesc Designs

Inspired by my natural kinky hair, I bring you my take on the natural hair t-shirt. We all need an icon that will proclaim that all hair is PELO BUENO (GOOD HAIR)!


This was a crew neck t shirt that I reconstructed. The neck is scooped out and the sleeves are shorter. Can be worn off the shoulder. All seams are professionally hemmed. Check them out at my shop.


As a kid, I believed the lie that I had pelo malo (bad hair) and tortured my hair with relaxers and bonnet dryers. I still straighten it in the winter as I love to experiment with different looks, but I am here to proclaim that my curly, kinky hair is indeed PELO BUENO!

Also available in GREY, BROWN, AND RED in S, M, L, XL. Only available in BLUE AND BROWN in XXL. NO MORE XL IN BROWN.

Here it is in red

Tell me what you think!

Romper-Redo #2

Here's another romper/jumpsuit re-do. I did the same thing I discussed in this post; took the top from a dress and attached it to pants.



This was a dress I sold in my shop with Frida Kahlo screenprinted on it.
I had another one just like it so I cut it up.

The pants I made from scratch but never used them alone so they were the perfect candidate for this project. I also cut the cape sleeves a bit to show off my arms more. I love it! Its so comfy and can be dressed up or down. Two pieces that I hardly wore, I wear all the time, now that they are sewn together.  I love when that happens.



I wore it to a reunion not too long ago





More Romper Love: A Semi-tutorial

Two years ago, I wrote about my love affair with rompers/jumpsuits and made about three; this one, this one and this one. I finally got the fit I wanted by the last one. 

This year, the love affair continued and I found a cool way not to have to sew them from scratch. I thought to myself, "why don't I just sew two pieces together, a top and a pair of pants? This was a great way to take another look at my wardrobe and see what I could recycle into a jumpsuit. This is what I came up with:

The left was a dress I cut into tunic length thinking I would actually wear it more with skinny jeans. I didn't. On the right, are harem-like pants that I like and wear a lot but didn't mind using for this experiment sine I have another pair just like it.  



I put the tunic on and measured where, on my waist, I wanted to attach the pants. I marked it and then cut. 



 



The pants band was a bit too high so I cut it as well.

Finished product!

I loved the way it came out! I liken the jumpsuit to a super hero uniform, if you will.  It's easy, you put it on in one swift pull over each leg and then shoulders, and you're ready to run to the post office, do grocery shopping, and pick up the kids in a single bound. You can even squeeze a sensory play session in there if you're really feeling adventurous!  

Rocker Mom T-Shirt Reconstruction

This is a t-shirt reconstruction I made a couple years ago from an Old Navy shirt.

When you are a mother to special needs kids, you need to feel like a rocker mom ever so often, lol.

It's All Good, and It's all Me

I know it has been a while. I go through these cycles where I either work on my blog or work on my shop. I am trying to find the balance so that I can do both. I think that I have a formula for this and hope that I can do both simultaneously as I do love writing and sharing my creations with you as well as  managing my shop, Nelesc Designs.

In that last couple months, since my last post, I have been doing some serious thinking about my blog and my shop, who I am in these endeavors and what these activities say about me. Lately, I have been feeling lead to share the journey that was the catalyst for Nelesc Designs and this blog, The Reconstructed Life.

The title, The Reconstructed Life, does not solely refer to my sewing projects of wardrobe transformations and t-shirt reconstructions. I had to literally reconstruct my life after I had children, two children with autism. Its not like I never mentioned this. I did not hide it from my readers as you can see from several of my previous posts, this one being one of them. But I never really wanted to put this fact at the forefront of my blog. I meant it as a "by the way" type of thing. I didn't want this to be another autism mommy blog. I felt incredibly overwhelmed with my new found special needs mommyhood. I had inadvertingly become the poster child for The Autism Mom in many of my circles and I resented this. I was losing myself and who I was a a person, an artist, a designer, a creative, intelligent being. I wanted this blog and my shop to give me a voice. The voice of a woman, an activist, a lover of fashion, a creative being, a designer, a mom. But not an autism mom.

I love this ad because it so beautifully captures how my fashion and autism life have merged. It also drives home a very important point. 

I have been living this autism mom journey for 10 years and I feel I have learned some really good lessons. Lessons I want to share with you as I continue blogging. My creative endeavors do not happen in a vacuum. My life with autism has informed my choices, from career to wardrobe. Fashion, sewing, art, these have empowered me. I hope I can be of service and empower you and also gain more insight from my readers
.  

So...coming up, you will see more posts about my wardrobe transformations, more tutorials, new items in my shop, posts about meanigful fashion, and yes... my journey, the journey of a Puerto Rican, fashion loving, Christian, Bronx-born and bred woman, living with two boys on the spectrum. Because it's all me and it's all good.

Celebrating Puerto Rican Women: Today, Tomorrow and Always! Saturday, March 10, 4-8PM

I am so honored to be one of the artisans featured at this event, tomorrow, March 10 from 4-8. I will be selling my tops and totes. Come by if you can!

INTERNATIONAL WORKING WOMEN’S DAY

Celebrating Puerto Rican Women: Today, Tomorrow and Always!

Paying Tribute to Melinda Gonzalez, Alice Cardona (posthumously) and Yolanda Sanchez with the Adelfa Vera Award

Saturday, March 10th from 4-­8pm

... @ CASABE SENIOR HOUSES

150 East 121st Street @ Lexington Avenue First Floor Community Room. Directions: #4, 5, 6 Trains to East 125th Street

Suggested Donation $10.

Performances by Mariposa and Bombayo. Artisans and vendors will also be featured.

Please bring a picture of a loved one who has passed to place on the communal altar. Refreshments will be served. Wheelchair accessible.

For more information contact the Committee to Honor Puerto Rican Women on IWWD Day at (347) 267-0115

International Working Women’s Day (March 8th), a Socialist political event celebrated by women’s organizations, the global labor movement and progressive countries around the world. A day we pay homage to the tremendous contributions that women workers have made in the fight for a just society. A day we reaffirm women’s place of honour at the head of our families, communities and movements. More than anything else, it is a day that all workers, whatever their gender, colour, or creed, remind those who seek to divide us that we know that our struggle, our enemy, and our goal, is one and the same.

Sponsors: Casabe Houses, CemiUnderground, Circa 95, the Latino Educational Media Center, ProLibertad, La Reina del Barrio Productions, Virtual Boricua.

Nelesc Designs Giveaway hosted by Hair with Purpose

Hair with Purpose is hosting a Nelesc Designs Giveaway! You can win a gift certificate for $20.00 to my shop with shipping included! Go here to get all the information.

Hair with Purpose is a wonderful blog about natural hair care so it's definitely worth taking a look around. As a curly head myself  I really enjoyed reading about all the natural hair care products out there. I think it's time I changed up my hair care routine!


I am so excited!!!  Here is a pic of beautiful Jamilah (daughter of Hair with Purpose owner) wearing one of my Angela Davis tops. Doesn't she look great! Thanks again Hair with Purpose and I hope you all avail yourself of this opportunity!