purple hoodies and grey dresses

new in shop. purple hoodies and tubeshirts (sizes small and medium for both.)  grey tall neck dresses, sizes small, medium, and large.

purple

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objects

lately I’ve been thinking and talking to people about the differences between small-scale manufacturing and one of a kind pieces. mostly as relates to clothing, of course, but it translates into other objects.

in considering this, I looked back over some objects I made in college.  they are beautiful things, three books and two dolls, all layered with meaning and personal depth…each photograph or collage in the books recalls a state of being for me.  the dolls were made before the books, and using techniques I no longer totally recall how to do-  they are a combination of paperclay (an air-dry clay) fabric, and paint.  for the face and hands the fabric has been smoothly glued onto the sculpted clay using a miniature heated iron.  the bodies are stuffed over a wire armature, and the shoes and hair are sculpted clay.  the clothes were sewn onto the figures so they would drape perfectly.

the books and the dolls are related.   they speak of a way of working when the process was so important, so involved with the doing, that it’s exhibited in every fold and stroke.

now I mostly make things that are reproduced-  even on the small scales that they are, they need to carry an idea more than a sense of process.

it’s a different kind of thing…where the idea, the design, is more important than the object, and it has to show through the object even when it’s no longer the only.

set

*************************

I don’t buy art-  my walls are bare, and paintings I have made live elsewhere.

Sometimes I buy design, but infrequently.  teapots, a chair, apple products.

but if I were to buy art, it would be things reminiscent of vemeer…beautiful, labor-intensive small objects, unreproducible things.obje

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sunny monday

It feels like my friday. and it’s beautiful and warm.
weekly wrap-up:

sewn:

I’m a little obsessed with the winter coat right now. Check out the button holes! The first version I made is slightly too large for me, and thus for sale here:
yellow coat

I’ll be working on another iteration this week.
I’ve also just ordered a bunch more organic wool jersey, in black, chocolate, and charcoal….so more tubeshirts and asymmetrical multi-color shirts coming soon.

designed:

hmm.  see above.

discovered:

☛ italian style nail-polish- leave the edges unpainted.  (thanks Alex!)

nails

☛ local animal refuge ASPCA ratings.  personality profiling for cats. such as:

Personal Assistant

You’re working on the computer? Let me press the keys. Reading the paper? I’ll hold the pages down for you. Watching TV? I’ll just plop in your lap so you can pet me. I love an orderly household, don’t you? I’ll help you with all your chores, and I’ll help you relax when we’re done. You’ll wonder how you ever managed without me.

or

Private Investigator

I’m working undercover to keep an eye on you and your household. You may not even know you’re under surveillance. I can vanish into thin air if anyone or anything interferes with my investigation. If you need a cat who knows how to stay out of trouble and will always keep your secrets, I just might take your case.

awesome.  so cute.

I’ve been considering getting a cat, since my earlier strategy of coercing my friends into getting cats that I could play with hasn’t worked out yet.

☛ elderberry juice from Maine Medicinals. This stuff works.

elderberry

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on color

I’ve been making a ‘jolie laide’ winter coat, from some old mustard yellow wool I have had stashed for years.  Rather than test the new pattern in the expensive organic wool, I’m working through the details in the mustard.

Making the coat has made me so happy…it’s as if staring at the yellow shade seeps into my emotional state, bringing a lighter sensibility to the day.

yellow is not even a preferred color for me. but working with it is a lovely experience.

yellow-coat

sometimes I’ll admire another designer’s collection, or a painting, and typically, one thing hold true-  they use a monochromatic theme…i.e. a low range of colors.

I’ve never been able to stay away from colors, and prefer if we have some of each point on the spectrum available.  but that’s not actually what I consider beautiful or, for that matter, what sells.

most people buy gray.  gray is my best selling “color”.  I keep red, cream, orange, black, and purple in stock right now, but gray always outsells everything, including black.

yellow-coatbackyellowcoat

I’m probably going to sell this coat as one-of-a-kind.  It’s got awesome pockets, a beautiful silk lining, and high neck.  fits a 36-38 bust measurement…stop by if you want to try it on :)

Kevin, in his new role as merchandiser, rearranged my store.  it hurts my eyes, but it’s easier to track inventory, and customers do appear to find it preferable to navigate.

store-rainyday

after a day of sewing gray, I feel blah.  after a day of sewing yellow, I feel energized.  I don’t even like red, but I’d rather sew red than black.

an aside note:  for those fabric remnants you don’t know how to identify?  a burn test works. I’m not an expert, so what I do is compare a fabric whose content I know to the unknown piece.  In this photo, I compared the burn signature of the gray organic wool jersey (100% wool) which I use frequently to the unknown yellow fabric.  My suspicion, after ironing the yellow, was the it was a totally natural fiber (anything with synthetic has a distinctive, unpleasant smell when ironed.)

the yellow fabric produced the same smell as the wool touched to a flame, and also beaded in the same way, so I’m confident it’s all wool.

burntest

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stability

yes, that’s been the lesson the week. stability, and how much more productive I am when it’s around.

of course, it’s a state of mind. my life is stable- I live in small, peaceful city in a lovely home and go to work and walk around and buy organic food. but sometimes it feels unstable when I lose perspective.

and then, the best I can do is romanticize the feeling. I read this article in the wsj last week called “In Praise of the Crack-Up” (gatekept, sorry.)  but the premise is familiar:  many creative people are not happy, or swing wildly between elation and despair.

I don’t work particularly well at either end of the spectrum, and if I did I’d probably seek it out.  I’m productive when the emotional life is in the neutral realm, or fourth gear and humming at 55 mph.

here’s what helps-  friends who reassure me that everything is ok and I’m handling things phenomenally.  from the internal perspective, I see days and months frittered away to my moods…but monday being one of those days, i called up a friend who tells me “you seem so calm, like I’d never know anything was wrong.”

it cheered me up.

sometimes just an outside reality adjustment is all we need.

ok, on to the week.  yes, this posting is two days late, because I frittered away sunday and monday.

sewn

I was mostly filling orders this past week…nothing of new novelty except the purple leopard spotted paws I made for a little girl at the Space Costume Clinic on sunday. which came out adorably.

looking forward to seeing “where the wild things are”-  as everyone is, I guess.

designed

The weather, per Maine typisch, has been all over the place. It snowed. It was 62 degrees. In the space of 48 hours.
But, I’m recognizing the need for a winter coat and some nice wool gloves- both of which I want to make, just need to carve out a little availability on the time/space continuum.

the jacket I need:  lots of pockets, some zippered.  organic wool melton exterior. silk lining.  zippered front, maybe asymmetrical.  high neck.  loose enough to wear over two sweaters (i can’t stand being cold.)

after much experimentation, I know that wool is the warmest thing to wear. Now I would just love to find more sources for a variety of weights of organic wool jersey…

I made the gloves pattern last week, and just need to make myself a pair.

oh, did you know what glomitts are? me neither till last week.  I am impressed that there even is a word.

discovered

☛  the man who reads the electrical meters just told me there are trolls in the basement. but they weren’t hungry today, they’d just eaten their porridge.  good to know.

☛  found this lovely article in the portland arts guide. the photoshoot was back in the summer, so it felt like a nice surprise:

☛  pandora stations this week: portishead and Erik Satie.

☛  new obsession: Machinarium. I’m not even a video game player, but this game just makes me happy.  it’s all puzzles, no requirements for hand-eye coordination.  and the main character is this adorable little robot.  it’s actually a robot love story.  the soundtrack is soothing.

parrot_1280x800

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costume making clinic at Space


tomorrow afternoon-  come by and make halloween costumes with us. 
SPACE Gallery

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patterns & gift cards

new at the store and online:  pretty gift cards in little boxes.  variable amounts, packaged with a bow, ready to ship.  :)

also:  doesn’t this pattern for some winter gloves look pretty cool?

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wordpress updated

i was going to write a new post of substance today but instead spent the time updating blogging technology.  A process I find rewarding and soothing (of course, everything went smoothly. let me know if anything broken is encountered.)

this morning I started writing about success. and bad choices. but the topic was too complicated and fixing the blog was easier.

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recently added…

since Mondays are the day before my mid-week weekend (i.e. my friday) -  it seems apropos to do a weekly wrap-up-  things sewn, designed, and discovered…

by the way…  I am finding that mid-week weekends are not very restful, because other people like to schedule meetings ;-)   and I’m inclined to go into the studio and make stuff anyway.

sewn:

this week was focused on getting more inventory in the store, designing gift cards (coming soon), making new shopping bags, and updating the website.

now, when I write “getting more inventory in the store”  that means-  I cut and sew a pile of things. :)

it was mostly black items, with a few red-  added many XS sizes as well.  on the left of the photo-  new leggings!  my favorite garment these cold days.  I wear them day and night-  under skirts and to sleep in.

other favorite-  the wool tubeshirts.  see the new gray XS in the center of the photo?  I wear my wool tubeshirts almost everyday.  warm, functional, flattering.

designed:

the open sign below inspired the new shopping bags- which are, yes, all individually painted. but it’s enjoyable, meditative work, and something I’ll probably replace with printing…maybe.  it was thanks to Kevin’s persistent vision that these got painted at all :-)

beyond the physical objects (my favorite, as I need to do handwork to feel sane)- I did website updates (still ongoing.) the online store is back, and mens items can be ordered through the website..

discovered:

I read a lot of personal development blogs, as I’ve mentioned before, and like the exercise of mentally generating an “ideal place”, a sanctuary of sorts.  mine is, ironically and surprising even to me, filled with sewing machines.  It’s a beautiful ocean-facing semi-open house, with a large selection of industrial machines and mannequins…button hole machines, zigzag machines, different types of overlocks…basically, if I wanted to own a few tons of machines, they’d all be in this ideal environment.  Plus, dressforms of all sizes, male ones too and the ones with legs.  A little sitting area with an ever-changing array of couches, chairs, and small tables.  tea and coffee.

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shop online is back…:)

I’ve updated the clothing shop & men’s stuff is back.

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