for bad measure

not everyday is a good day in the studio - some days I forget the most basic things.



this is a lino block that was carved to print my paper gift bags for the holiday shows, but to get a lino to print the right way, you have to carve it backwards. a bit embarrassing, as I didn't notice until I'd done a test print.



yesterday was another one of those days - I pinned fabric to print yardage, taped and put my measurements on the table, only to print, and find out my measurements were wrong! off by a centimetre - see that gap in the ladies?

repeat products

i'm working on products for repeat - incorporating a few of the patterns into a teatowel. I haven't done piecing in a long time, so nice to be thinking about fabrics that way again.

new dress

new dress for spring - this one took quite a bit of working out, and still needs a little tweaking in the back to make the sewing a little smoother. I've been trying to work out my designs to include more natural, undyed cloth, for a number of reasons - one is that I found a gorgeous organic linen that I just love, and two is that all the dying I used to do just isn't possible for me anymore, as we were in a small car accident that injured my back. I love the drape of the linen in the skirt, it involved several different pleats as well as gathers - the structure it gives the skirt is lovely.
oh - it's reversible - this is the same dress, turned inside out.

some wallets going up in my etsy shop today - loving the new camera.

we've been nominated

repeat is nominated in the Poppies! if you have a minute, we'd love your vote over on the poppytalk blog in the handmade textiles category.

gorgeous walnut picnic tote and clutches by teal & gold from Kelowna - found via loveitalot. i hope they decide to produce the clutches, i'm coveting one.

psst!

there's a bit of a sale happening in the repeat etsy shop - this is the last time you'll see these prints or colourways.

letterpress!

I had a great visit with arounna, john and family at the beginning of the week. after a day of planning and remnant bag making, arounna had some sewing to do and so she showed me how to use her new press. it was the most exciting thing, and i think i could have done it all night. what a satisfying process, I think I might be hooked!

i was unprepared, and so she gave me some paper she had precut, with a wonderful deckle edge, and a bog of shipping tags. I did up some tags to attach to valentine's goodies for friends and family, and some tags for both ted & I. it's very hard to photograph the nice deep impression. arounna teaches workshops on her lovely press, which you can find information about here.

amanda fullerton

my friend amanda fullerton has finally opened up an etsy shop. she is the most detailed person that i know, and a perfectionist in the best sense of the word. all of her work it meticulous and charming. above is a tiny bunting banner, made of paper and silk.


a new product that she had at the christmas halifax crafters show were these lovely birthday ribbons - her colours are so sophisticated, and they use her collection of vintage notions.

the first thing i knew that she made when i met her about 5 years ago were these stunning headpieces - thought i think she'd been making them for a few years before that. they use wire, feathers and crystals, and the perfect geometry and balance is just wonderful. you can see more on her website, here.

remnant bags are available again - arounna and i will be making them on monday and they will be ready to post on tuesday. these are so much fun to make up, i hope i remember to take some photos this time!

one day a week

one of the blogs that i often read belongs to Heather of Skinny LaMinx. she is a textile designer and papercutter from south africa, and i own a few of her lovely tea towels. she reserves a day in her studio for 'Making Friday', a day where she works on a project not always business related, or tries something new. i didn't think much about it until i was once again in full production mode in the lead-up to the holiday show run - but when was the last time i'd made something for myself? even just taking the time to come up with a new design for either bespoke uprising or repeat often gets pushed to the back of the pile of things to do [taxes, anyone?]. so i've decided to follow her lead, and have declared Making Friday tomorrow.


now i just have to decide what to make. i know that somewhere in the floor-to-ceiling stack of large rubbermaid bins in the furthest corner of the studio is a bin of lovely fabrics i've been hoarding for the past few years, 2-3 metres of each, in the hopes of making a dress or two for myself. currently coveting this simple, versatile dress from modaspia. actually, coveting just about everything in her shop.

teatowel swap

I'm participating in my first ever swap - i've always wanted to do one, but only ever seemed t find them after they were finished any everyone was posting their loot. you can find out more info about the swap here, and can sign up to be a part of it until Jan 15th - this friday.

i've been busy learning about my new camera - one of the things that is very different is that it does not have 'live view', meaning that you can't see the shot on the LCD screen on the back, you actually have to look through the viewfinder like a tradition SLR. i was a bit bummed [and confused, I'll admit to pushing all the buttons in trying to get it to' turn on'!], but i'm used to it now.

above is an orchid that was given to me in the summer - i successfully got it to bloom again, and it is much healthier than my last orchid, which bloomed successfully at first, but the leaves quickly shriveled and most of the buds dropped off, and then the whole plant went. they always seem to be happiest when i'm neglecting them, the flower spike happens during the holiday craft show season, when i'm too busy/tired to care for them.

giveaways

two giveaways that can be found on friends' blogs:

jenna is doing one for the suite of charcoal items above - i love the tone on tone quality of the print on the bag

becky over at the sweetie pie press has a series of neckwarmers to choose from - this one is my favorite

there is a fun award nomination process going on over on poppytalk - nominate your favorite crafters

after yesterday's post about the lost camera, i had a nap. when i woke up, I knew where my camera was - it was in a clutch i had taken to a friend's holiday party. i was a little bummed, as i'd spent the afternoon researching a new digital camera, with help and advice from arounna, and had decided on a nice Nikon SLR, which also happened to be on sale.


i decided to go for the Nikon anyway, as I really need a better camera for product shots, and by this point i was excited and more than a little invested. it is busily charging away, so the above pile of scraps i'm amassing to be made into repeat remnant bags was taken with the lost-and-now-found Canon powershot.
I'm excited about the new camera, and can't wait for it to finish charging to that i can try it out.

well, there has been a definite lack of posts from me lately - and it's due to my seemingly lost digital camera. i just can't find it anywhere, and can't even remember the last time I saw it. Halifax, maybe?

so, I am maybe in the market for a new camera, I had a Canon Powershot that I was relatively happy with, but would appreciate any suggestions that you might have, in the moderate [I don't know, 500 or less] price range.

and then i can take photos of all the new work i've done, and my newly-efficient studio space.