byrd & belle {studio notes}

leaving on a jet plane

D left today on a two-month journey to Espana.  He will be missed but his absence will be filled by non-stop stitching/sewing/designing/marketing/posting.  We will miss you D....send photos and be well.

Emily Lincoln

Above is "Granny & Red" by Emily Lincoln, a talented artist and long-time friend who now lives in Chicago.  Em recently opened up shop on Etsy and has a few of her original art pieces along with some cozy hats and scarves.  Check out her shop here.

gertrude

To make up for a missed Photo Friday, I'm posting this great photo of Gertrude that was taken by D this week.  Such a talented photographer...I can't wait to see what he brings home from Spain.

This blue rug sits behind my chair in the studio and Gertrude can be found on it almost every time I turn around.  Slightly annoying that she is always underfoot but with a face like this.....

Put my stamp on it.

Hot off the sewing machine are these 30 labels which will grace the inside of the upcoming Kitchen Series from Byrd and Belle.  I have to say that investing in a sewing machine that also does a little embroidery was a good thing.  Although I will probably never use the embroidery feature for much more than this, it is well worth it.  They are stitched on white linen using regular thread...I prefer it over the shiny embroidery thread (at least for this series) because it feels a bit warmer against the linen.

This photo was also shot with my new cameral lens.  A used Tamron which will serve me well as my beloved D is leaving for Barcelona in a few day to photograph and is taking most of his lenses along.  It's a very flexible lens and I can't wait to try it out with my soon to be constructed light tent.

There's been a definite lull in the action today so I'm going to post something from yesterday.

I'm working this week on a series of kitchen things and this loveliness has since been made into a cozy for a press.  I had a post completed (and posted) yesterday about how I had fallen in love with the unfinished back-ness of the piece above and how I was going to make the back the new front.  (Hooray for creative insight and seeing things for what they really are and freeing ones mind from the expected, right?)  

I have since recanted, gathered my editing capabilities and finished the piece as planned (almost).

It brings into harsh light the ability to self-edit.  I have read much about the process of designers and critics and people of the like and how it is the recognizing the cues from within your body that leads you in the right directions.  I was given two clues and chose the more polished of the two.  For balance's sake, I see something completely irrational and messy in my future.

It really is a fascinating subject to read about though, especially for young architects, artists, designers.  Check out Malcolm Gladwell's 'Blink' for more information on thinking without thinking.

ashamed of myself

Oh friends.  I'm so ashamed.  I ventured out tonight with the intent to find insul-bright somewhere in the Minneapolis metro area.  I ended up at a big-box-chain fabric store.  Mind you I had already tried several stores including 3 independently owned, under 2000 sf. shops.  I tried Crafty Planet, Cia's, and my favorite Mom & Pop shop and I have way too may ants in my pants to order online.  I ended up at....well, let's just call it Store H.

I found my insul-bright but then I blacked out.  I think all that fluorescent lighting may have blinded me.  By the time I was through, I had a dirty little bag of color.  I quell my shame by pointing out that I did find some organic buttons made a mere 15 miles from the small town in which I grew up.  I also found some fabric from a respectable designer (who I will not mention because you may be disappointed to find out they retail with Store H....trust me, I'm doing you a favor).

It's a sad truth that I was lured by their deep discounts and the only redeeming quality of Shop H was the nice check-out clerk with the super cute platinum blonde short hair.  I apologize to all of you.  Next time, I will show more restraint and remember the importance of shopping locally.  I will do better.

wyeth

Andrew Wyeth passed away last night at the age of 91.  Above is 'Wind from the Sea".  For more information on Wyeth and his work, the Wyeth Foundation website can be found here.  

Pie!

Until an hour ago, my Friday was shaping up to be little more than a trip to the Posty to send off an order.  Then there was pie.

I make pies.  Ok, that's a complete exaggeration that was born out of a weekend of pie-making during a visit to Santa Barbara TWO SUMMERS AGO.  Since then, I've made zero pies but the label stuck.  Today, I've decided to dust off my pie skills and make a lovely bit of pie-shaped heaven.  As I type, my hands still smell of cinnamonny goodness.  A special thanks to D who had the uncanny foresight to buy vanilla bean ice cream yesterday. 

I see a night of pie and stitching in my future.  What could be better on a cold Minnesota night?

 

We're all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. 

With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

How to Get Involved -- it only takes 5 minutes of your time!

-Find your congress person and senators and write a letter like the sample here.Particularly if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or theHouse Committee on Small Business.

-Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923

-Vote for amending the law on Change.org, digg style: We are currently one of 90 finalists, and if it makes the top ten proposals, it will be presented to President Obama in January!

-Place the Save Handmade! button on your blog or website to help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about protecting the little guy and preserving beautiful items made with love for our children.

Although we've barely reached above-zero temperatures this week, I am very thankful for the sunny days that have put a noticeable dent in my cabin fever.  As you may well know, my studio is heated by a small wood stove.  Now, you would think that I would tightly bundle up once a week and bring in an adequate supply of chunks & kindling.  No.  Instead, I choose to fetch the wood as I need it...once every 2 hours.  Nothing says 'good morning' like a brisk trip outside in your pajamas pants and winter boots.  

I am happy to report that my fire-starting skills have improved ten-fold during these past years and I have been able to keep the studio temp in the upper 50's.  I live in layers.  I know tomorrow is Photo Friday but I wanted to share this image with you now.

zippered pouches

It's in the bag....the zippered bag.  I've created a few zippered bags that are great catch-alls for every little thing.  They will posted on Etsy tomorrow....

photo Friday

A little Friday fruit to remind us all that soon, it will be warm again.  This photo was taken at the Minnesota State Fair and if I remember correctly, it was a sweltering day.  Ahh....above freezing temperatures.

Also today, I got a surprise from my favorite sister-in-law, Gretchen.  She dropped of a proto-type for a cat bed/house.  Gretch took up the project and came up with a very much appreciated Cat-Cocoon (*Beta version).

Note:  This was dropped off around 3 pm and Fatty was immediately asked to test it out.  It is now 6-ish and Fatty is still inside.  As you can see, Ralph is patiently awaiting his turn.  Thank you, Gretchen!   

Walk in the Park Coaster Series

I broke free from my sewing machine today to crank out a few things I've been mulling for quite awhile.  This 'Walk in the Park' coaster series is made up of five 4" x 4" coaster and when arranged, form a complete map of Central Park.  

The tops are made of 1/8" thick plex and it has a full cork bottom.  A tip for anyone who attempts this same project...have the plex cut by someone else.  For those of you in the Minneapolis-St.Paul area, I used A-1 Acrylics in Osseo.  They were very competitive with their pricing and they were able to turn around my 100 piece order in about 24 hours (and there's a nice little dog named Ginger that greets you at the front door).  

If you'd like to see more images of the coasters, they can be found here...in my Etsy Shop.

How hard can a zippered pouch possibly be to make?  That's what I thought until I started thinking through the process yesterday.  Luckily, I found my fellow Minneapolis-ite Anna, over at twelve22.org has posted well-photographed and easy to pick up instructions on her blog.  Find them here. Thank you!

where have you been

I've been working fairly non-stop the last 30 hours (minus a few for sleep and snacks) on data entry for a new website for my favorite Mom and Pop fabric store. As a matter of full disclosure I should probably tell you that it's my favorite Mom and Pop because it belongs to my ACTUAL Mom and Pop.  It is an endless (but not thankless) task of entering in item numbers, sizes, images, etc. to all our favorite fabrics.  So far I'm through the A's and B's, which are big ones considering Benartex falls in there.  I will have reached a point of substantial completion after I get through Moda.

As a sign of appreciation, my Mom sent me home with a stack of fat-quarters to play with.  They are the newest designs from Amy Butler, Micheal Miller and a few others.

They call to me....quietly.  And the one with the Eiffel Tower on it...it calls to me in French.

I'm keeping them on the table beside me and every once and a while, I reach over and touch them and sigh.  

Perhaps tomorrow, I will break away from this computer and indulge myself in some creativity.