byrd & belle {studio notes}

so far, my favorite view of the new studio.

Gert came to visit today.  She's slowly learning that hammering, sawing and ladder-climbing is over and she's a little more willing to sit and keep me company.  Best dog ever.

 

New Workshop

 

Exciting news for me to share today.... I've moved into my new workshop.

This is the part where you say, "New workshop?  I don't remember hearing anything about a new workshop?  Did I miss a blog post or tweet that would have prepared me for such exciting news? "

No, you didn't.  I kept this one pretty well underwraps.  In part because I've never been good at talking about things in progress but also because the domino of things that had to happen to get here was longer than I wanted to explain mid-stream.  In a nutshell, byrd & belle out-grew our previous live/work space on Nicollet Island; it was no longer something that could be lived alongside.  We needed a new situation and we found what seems to have been the perfect situation a little farther up river in northeast Minneapolis:  a house with good bones, a big yard for our big dog and a new (but unfinished) space for byrd & belle.

Construction took 6 months of nights and weekends starting in January which is likely the least fun time to start a project in an unheated space in Minnesota.  My brother Scott and my Dad were very generous with their time, their advice and their tools.  I got to do things I'd drawn a million times when I used to work in architecture but hadn't actaully done (like electrical wiring... my inspector said I did a very good job for my first time).  And there is still more to be done.  I have plans to add more storage so I can bring in all my non-essential tools and materials but for now, I'm just happy to be here and I'm grateful to have had the oppurtunity to do this.  I feel very connected the space and I suppose it feels appropriate that as a maker, I also made the space I work in. 

 

Ok, I've got to get to work but follow me on twitter if you'd like to see more of the new space.

Hello!

Just a quick note to let you know I'll be on the road and away through the Memorial Day holiday.  All orders needing to ship have already left the studio.  I'll be reading new email but likely not responding unless it's a felt/leather emergency.  I'll be tweeting from the road though... you can follow me here:  @byrdandbelle

I'm also very excited to share some big news (maybe) next week.  Thanks for a busy, busy few months!  Glad to have connected with so many great new friends and fans.

Girl from Ipanema

When I was teenager, my parents bought a computer for the family as a Christmas gift.  I remember little about it now likely because I cared little about it then.  It was a pre-windows pc; my brother says it was a 286 but all I know is black screen and green letters/numbers. 

What I do remember is that along with the computer came a pair of headphones and a sample cd which included a variety of music... classical, jazz, likely some pop.. music that having grown up on a farm in Iowa with one radio station and 2 1/2 television channels was totally, totally new for me. 

Track #7 was 'The Girl from Ipanema' and I listened to that song a million times.  I would sit in front of that beige computer with my hands in my lap doing nothing else but listening over and over again through those earphones with the thin silver band over my head and those itchy black foam ear pieces.  It was the most beautiful, sweet/sad, other-worldly thing I had ever heard; the most sophisticated thing that had ever entered my brain.

Today I addressed a package and sent off something lovely to an actual girl that actually lives in Impanema.  The world is such a small place.

Pioneer Press

 Some nice words were published about me today.  Read the article here. 

(Photo by Pioneer Press: John Doman)

Thanks to Frank Chimero (@fchimero) for this lovely little layout of his gear that included a trio of byrd & belle cases.  Frank is kind of awesome and you can find the write-up that accompanied this photo and much more at blog.frankchimero.com

Find the cases in my shop at byrdandbelle.com

 

If any of you are Finnish, feel free to tell me more  about this vintage Christmas card but from what I understand, the top of the card reads something akin to "Merry Christmas".  The pig represents good luck.  In fact, in looking through a series of vintage cards, I found a ton of pigs... dancing pigs, ice skating pigs, pigs dressed up like husband and wife.  I like thinking of the pig as symbol of good luck.  And I think that like this card portrays, sometimes you have to hustle to catch the good luck.

So, I wish you all a happy holiday and new year filled with a little bit of hustle and a little bit of good luck.  I very much look forward to doing some hustling of my own and I can't wait to get my 2011 started. 

Have a happy and safe weekend!

quick shop update

Yo.  The last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy.  Just wanted to drop a line to say that due to a (nearly) overwhelming number of sales in the last few days, I'm extending my wait list to 7-10 days.  This will make Christmas delivery fairly unlikely for those who have not placed an order yet.  But fear not my fellow procrastinators, I am offereing gift certificates in amounts of $30, $50 and $75 so you can still give the gift of handmade awesomeness.

Find them at www.byrdandbelle.com

 

Also just a quick thanks you to everyone who has brought their business or sent some business my way.  You've helped my 2010 blow my 2009 out of the water and because of that there are very exciting things ahead that I just can't wait to tell you about... but I will... cause I've got sewing to do!

Happy, happy holidays to all my dear friends around the world.

learning to sew

Sending "Happy Birthday" wishes out into the universe today to my Aunt Donna in Iowa who first taught me how to sew. Here is a photo of her holding my father at their childhood home which is also, incidentally now the site of my childhood home.

I have no idea how old I was, likely 6 or 7 but we sat in the back room of her house and made a purple fleece house coat which was something like a robe with a turleneck that you put on over head.  Killer.

I am forever grateful to all the women in my life who have taught me how to sew and stitch and knit and crochet and quilt and craft.  Thank you Mom, Aunt Donna, Aunt Annette, Aunt Pam, Aunt Colleen, Donna Lincoln and Grandma and to all the other ladies along the way who taught me when I was little and continue to support me today.