Ode to the Puff Sleeve Jacket

Oh, puff sleeve jacket, how I love you...

I have been making puff sleeve jackets for the past two years and I have been loving it!  It all began with this very sloppy Pedro Albizu Campos jacket I made back in 2008. The neck edge was raw and made with only one layer of fabric. It also had no waistband but people really liked it. I, however, did not feel lead to reproduce it. There are certain items I do just for fun, for me.

The original puff sleeve jacket, 2008

But  when people on my facebook fan page started to ask me if I could make them one, I thought, "why should I have all the fun?"  So, I decide to custom make them in 2010.   Using the purple one as a base, I decided to create this one. A cropped version with puffier sleeves, a waistband and a nice two layer neck collar.

Angela Davis Puff Sleeve Jacket

I made a total of 6 in various color combinatins and icons. Here are some pictures I took before I sent them out and pictures I received from happy customers.  

Nina Simone and Frida Kahlo Puff Sleeve Jackets



Billie Holiday Puff Sleeve Jacket 



The Brothers Johnson Puff Sleeve Jacket

These are so much fun to make! But I do have to take a break from them to start on my Spring/Summer line, so you will see them again in my shop in September. My next post will showcase the new improved puff sleeve jacket that I unveiled in 2011.  What do you think of these?

Happy New Year! I'm Back! and with a Nelesc Designs Sale!

Hi ya'll! I've missed blogging so much but decided that I needed to focus on my shop if I was going to make it work which is what I have been doing since July and am happy with the results.

But I really missed blogging and decided that if I was going to do both (the shop and this blog), I had to have a clear blogging direction. So this coming year, I want to concentrate on sewing tutorials and shop news. Everything after that is gravy.

So to start off the new year, I am once again offering my BUY TWO GET ONE FREE sale. I am also offering free shipping with the sale. Here are a couple of new tops up in the shop now. I am going to continue adding new t shirts/tops here and there until I unveil my Spring/Summer collection.

So have fun looking and let me know what you think!

FAN LOVE: Shannon Garcia

Hello! Here is my second installment of what I like to call Fan Love where I post pictures of people wearing their Nelesc Designs duds and tell you a little bit about them.


This is Shannon Garcia seen here rockin her Nina Simone rust grey tank top from my Spring/Summer 2011 collection. Doesn't she look great? Shannon also has a shop on Etsy where she makes the most incredible jewelry. I especially like her custom spiral gauges. I don't have piercings that big but if I did, I would definitely buy these. So read on. Shannon is multi-talented as she also paints, writes teaches..., well, I'll just let her tell you about herself.

1) How did you find out about Nelesc Designs?

Stumbled upon when browsing through Etsy shops.

2) Why did you choose this top/icon? Ms. Nina Simone is hands down one of the greatest musicians I have ever heard. I remember the first time I saw a video of her performing "I Ain't Got No, I Got Life," I had it on repeat for days. She had such incredible presence, talent, and personality. I have a magical connection with her music and I wanted to have a little piece of her with me.

3) Tell me about yourself.

I am a student, a teacher, scribe, artist--just a lady looking to get up on some extra cash for school books and start up community projects. I believe in having an active conscious and that everything can have a purpose when applied creatively. That's what I try to do. So far, I have put my creative energy into spoken word, painting, and jewelry. I lend my artistic abilities towards challenging myself, inspiring my niece and nephew, enriching communities, and aiding grassroots movements around the world. You can view my work here. You can find my shop here.


4)What would you like to see more of at Nelesc Designs?

More cuffs! And just keep creating beautiful things as you are.

5) What are you reading or listening to nowadays?

Currently reading: The BFG by Roald Dahl, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Versos Sencillos by Jose Marti, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
Currently listening: Songs Out Here by That Ghost and Post No Dreams by Brad Hamers aka Phlegm.

Okay, I've made a mental note: more cuffs! Thank you for sharing and for being an inspiration Shannon!

Another Etsy treasury

I am catching up here on some shop news. So here is another treasury from September in which a Nelesc item was chosen. RoseofLinden chose my purple Nina Simone top for her theme, Antartic Traveler. I think she was mostly interested in the color of my top than Nina, but that's okay. I am just happy she chose it!




Here's a close up.

The items in this treasury all have a tinge of purple in them. Very beautiful. RoseofLinden makes really cute jewelry. Check out her shop here.

I Love Ruffles!

That's right. I love ruffles, always have. I am so glad they are so in right now. From J Crew to Anthropologie, there are so many textured tops to choose from. Here are a couple of ruffly things I've been working on myself.

My Mother's day dress. I used a ruffled top of mine that I love and attached it to a skirt via an elastic waistband. I know it's hard to see the ruffles, I'll post better pics of my process soon.

Reconstructed t-shirt. I used Tea Rose Home's tutorial for this. You can find it here. (I'll post more pics of this transformation).

Ruffle detail I added to a dress I made (more pics to come).

I've been trying to find ways to add more texture to my clothing line. I know that eventually I will go a new direction but I am still not ready to stop printing my cultural icons. "How can I marry ruffles and other texture with printmaking without it looking too busy?", I thought. This is what I came up with. I love it! So much that I decided to keep this Nina Simone. Not to worry though, I made two more, which I will list tomorrow. I'll continue making them if people like them. Let me know what you think.

New to Nelesc Designs

Here are two new top styles added to the shop. The first is a semi sheer purple v-neck top available in S,M,L, and XL and the second is a semi sheer raglan sleeve top available in pink, grey and blue (check the shop for sizes). These are great for this in between crazy weather we are having in New York. One day it's 40 degrees and the next day it's 70 degrees. Crazy! Because they are semi sheer they are wonderful for layering. I am wearing them here with a black tank top. They are also great for those of you who don't like to show your arms even in the hot weather. I know a couple of people like that. Their sheeriness makes them comfortable to wear when it's warm.

Here, you'll see my usual icons. I did make a new screen for a new face but I need to tweak it a bit. I am hoping to finish it this week and unveil it next week. Stay tuned and tell me what you think! I love feedback.