terrariums

i just learned from a secret source how to make my own 'faux' etsy treasuries so here is my first! i have been somewhat obsessed with terrariums on and off since i was a little girl, when i used to have a hermit crab in one. my most distinct memory of that is being told that you can feed a hermit crab ANYTHING (not at all true i'm sure) so i remember putting an Oreo in there. you can imagine what happened... the crab was not interested in the Oreo (!) and it got moldy.

anyway, despite my obsession i've never actually made a terrarium (except for the quickie i whipped up here), but when i find my real home i plan to have lots and lots. compiling these was a fun way to pretend i was actually making my own... aren't they lovely?

two more classes

while i'm in the city next weekend (july 18-19) i'll be teaching two patternmaking classes, both on sunday the 19th. they are separate, independent classes at two different locations, but together they comprise the first half of the 4-week patternmaking class format that i used to teach. in the morning class we'll make a pattern for an A-line skirt, and in the afternoon we'll be making t-shirt patterns. come join me for one or both! we can even walk over the Gowanus canal together in between...

Introduction to Patternmaking Workshop, $50
sunday july 19, 10am-12pm at Brooklyn General (call 718-237-7753 to register)

In this 2-hour class you will learn the basic principles of making your own sewing patterns, and make a pattern for an A-line skirt that fits your own unique body. With this foundation you'll be able to sew the projects you envision!

Supplies:
Paper (at least 3 sheets of 18 x 24" newsprint or drawing paper, or a roll of paper at least 14" wide)
Pencil, eraser, sharpener
See-through 18" ruler
Tape Measure
Scissors (for cutting paper)

Patternmaking 101 Workshop, $50
sunday, july 19, 2-4:30pm at Home Ec (register online here)

If you've always wanted to learn how to make your own patterns, here's your opportunity!
In this 2.5 hour introductory workshop, you will learn to draft the pattern for a T-shirt
that fits YOUR body! This pattern can become the basis for all sorts of styles to augment
your wardrobe. Basic sewing experience is helpful to benefit from this class.

Supplies:
Paper (a pad or roll of newsprint or drawing paper, at least 14" wide)
Pencil and eraser
Ruler (ideally an 18" clear sewing ruler)
Clear tape

free love

the sweet peeps at free people (my alma mater) asked me a few questions over here. it seems like another lifetime that i was a designer there, but they were good times!

new sewing class at lena's

i have been loving teaching at lena's studio in fort greene. her space is lovely and very functional (those cutting tables are a dream!) and the best part is the beautiful vegetarian lunch she prepares for us to eat mid-way through the class. amy's dress turned out great; she went for the simpler elastic neckline. lena took some better photos.

we have a new class lined up for saturday july 18, using this pattern, which is for knits. here are all the details...

sachets

little by little i'm getting it together...

i have always wanted to enclose a little bonus present into the packages i send out for etsy orders. i like the idea of sachets because opening a package and smelling the scent of lavender before you even see what's in there just seems like such a nice treat! so last week i finally started making some and one lucky customer in the UK was the first to get one with her purchase. i had fun playing with the embroidery function on my machine, which i rarely use. from now on some kind of small 'thank you' gift will be tucked into every envelope i send... i have plans for moth-repelling herbs for my woolens, and another kind of surprise for the dog slings.

if they could just stay little...

my little chicken friends have grown so fast! it's been quite amazing to watch them transform. the red ones have lost most of their yellow fuzz (a few little tufts remain) and the little black one is now white and black (that's her in the solo pic above). i've been joking that the speckled one (top left photo) is actually a chicken HAWK because she just doesn't look like a chicken! i have to look up what breed she is. the guinea hens want nothing to do with me and will be released soon to run free and roost in the trees like their older cousins, but the chickens are becoming really friendly with me and seem to enjoy the 'chicken massages' i've been giving them in the mornings. i want them to be as cuddly as these ladies were!

under construction

hello! just a quick note to say that we are going to do some renovating around here, so things may seem a little odd and frequently changing for a few days. please excuse the dust, as they say, it'll all be worth it you'll see...

oh, and i did finally finish the new banner; as soon as i can get the construction crew in, it'll be hanging up in the rafters there, yippee!

who doesn't heart handmade?

i am so woefully slow in posting, but the very fantabulous marichelle of the super-cool crafty blog heart handmade wrote a piece about lil' ol' me about two weeks ago! she said very nice things and asked fun questions and you can see it here. HH is an excellent overview of happenings in the handmade world, and i love to see who and what she discovers every week. some of my favorite series are 'shop and tell' where people show and tell about a handmade item they bought recently, 'the other half' in which she interviews the significant others of handmakers, and of course the 'featured artist'.

belltower market

hey catskills and hudson valley peeps! come check out hodge podge handmade clothes at the new arts & crafts market in rosendale, new york: BELL TOWER MARKET. i'll be there both days hocking my wares, and i'd love to see you! they are still seeking vendors too (this is happening every weekend through the summer) so if you're a maker in the area, get in touch with the organizers at rosendaleartssquad.org. otherwise please help spread the word to anyone you know who lives or weekends in the vicinity! rosendale is one of my favorite little towns around here, and features a fantastic bakery, yummy restaurants, and cute shops.

classes this week!

i just want to remind you that i am teaching a whole buncha classes while i'm here in brooklyn this week, and there are still some spaces available: crochet is thursday, sew a top or dress saturday, embroider saturday evening, or sew a t-shirt sunday. act now and learn something new!

oh renegade you had it made

woot woot! renegade 2009 was the. best. ever. i shared a tent with my pal jen of raeburn ink and we were a frenzy of activity the entire time.

for five years we have all waited for the weather to cooperate, and this year it finally did! when it is 90 degrees and 500% humidity (as the past four fairs have been, with occasional downpours), NO ONE feels like trying on clothes. but this weekend was in the seventies, with a cool breeze blowing, and it was like a miracle. i sold every short-sleeved smock dress i made, plus most of the long-sleeved ones. thanks mama nature! i knew you were my friend.

and most importantly, THANK YOU to everyone who came out and said hello, and if you bought something from me, you have my undying and infinite gratitude! when you buy from independent makers, it really does mean the world to us.




here i am hand-delivering my favorite linen crochet-yoked smock to the lovely joi of stereoette, who adopted it. i'm so glad it went to a good home! i look a little insane but renegade kind of does that to me...


there's joi with her new dress, and another sweet customer who came back on sunday wearing the one she bought saturday. i love happy customers!


here are two more: emma with the shirt that's been 'waiting' for her, and teeter of 31 corn lane with wiggles in her new sling!

across the way were my buddies siri of treehouse and kayte of love forever's booth. i caught siri and gertie smooching between the tents...

see you there!

last minute

oh yes, you know i will be sewing up to the very last second before i leave for Renegade! i know you haven't forgotten but in case you need reminding, it's this weekend, saturday AND sunday june 6-7 in mccarren park. of course, the new development this year is that i have to pack up my car and drive two hours to brooklyn the day before the fair, which really cuts into my frantic 4am-the-night-before sewing plans. is that good or bad? not sure...

above is a sneak peek of the sundresses, short-sleeved yoke tunics, and new reversible hats i've been working on. please come out and see me and gert, not to mention treehouse, raeburn ink, love forever, 31 corn lane, a.s.i.s., perch, and almost 300 more! the weather report looks promising and as always, anyone who brings me a lemonade or treat gets 15% off any hodge podge purchase.

ok, back to the sewing machine...

mark your calendars, peeps!

i'll be back in town june 6-7 for the FIFTH ANNUAL RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR in McCarren Park in scenic williamsburg, brooklyn. please come and say hello! it's really the craftiest event of the year, and my personal favorite. you won't be disappointed, i promise. i mean, if nothing else, the Treats Truck is there, c'mon!

then i'm staying through the following weekend and teaching FIVE FANTASTIC CLASSES, all in brooklyn. spaces are limited, so sign up now!

skirt patternmaking workshop @ home ec
wednesday june 10 6:30-8:30pm $50
learn how to draft your own pattern for an A-line skirt with darts!

crochet away @ treehouse
thursday june 11 6:30-8:30pm $50 (includes all materials!)
it's a crash course in the basics of crochet, not just for winter anymore...

top/dress sewing workshop @ lena corwin's studio
saturday june 13 11am-4pm $125 (includes lunch!)
we'll use Built by You #3835 (pictured above) in this intermediate sewing intensive.

embroidery workshop @ treehouse
saturday june 13 6-8pm $50
make a sampler of 12 key stitches, and you'll be stitching on everything you own!

t-shirt sewing @ home ec
sunday june 14 11am-2pm $50
make your own t's! i'll show you how to sew with knits; it's not as hard as you think.

for details, full descriptions, supplies needed and to register, click on the links to each individual venue. hope to see y'all in class!

and don't forget: to keep your finger on the pulse of indie, DIY and crafty events all over the country, be sure to peek at the SAPLINGS blog every now and again...

new banner

see xine? it really is almost finished! i am such a slowpoke... it's actually even farther along than this; might be done tonight in fact.

still loving the new studio, and gertie approves too...

at last!

it's been well over a year since i began working on my book, and i am finally allowed to spill the beans on what it's about: PATTERNMAKING. yes! it's called Design-It-Yourself Clothes; Patternmaking Simplified. that's the cover up there, and i am so pleased with everything about the entire experience of writing my first book! most of all though, i am thrilled that it will help people be able to sew exactly what they want to make, and it will fit! pre-made patterns just can't fit every body precisely, just like factory-made clothing can't. the book is arranged by clothing categories: skirts, t-shirts, blouses, dresses and pants, and there are detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make patterns for each. first you make a basic, and then there are spin-offs made using the original pattern. once you've got the basic concepts down, i show you how to stylize them so that you really are designing your own clothes. it will be out in september, but you can pre-order it on amazon now! (sorry for the even-more-than-normal exclamation points, but i just can't contain myself!)