Thursday, August 31st, 2006
I love the subtle texture of this lamp, which comes from the process of spinning polypropelene into a thin, cone shaped shell. I have been experimenting with ways of making fabric textured like this, but it has been difficult to get the same subtlety.
I also love the texture on this Jonathan Adler pillow. And the color! There are many shades of gold all blending together. Super thick yarn in oversized loops. This kind of knit texture might be a good candidate for combining w/ a sewn garment.
Wednesday, August 30th, 2006
I have bad associations with garments that combine sewn areas with knitting. I think it brings up memories of strange, shapeless shirts and jackets from the 70’s with tight knit cuffs and bottom bands - something not really attractive on any age or body type. Maybe it comes from growing up in the 70’s - when I mentioned this to Eireann she didn’t feel this way at all. (Her bad associations had more to do with 80’s tie neck blouses, but that’s another story…..)
Lately though, I have been thinking about this combination quite a bit. There is a strange attraction that I think comes partly from the challenge of overcoming the stereotype in my head and partly from loving all of the possibilities of construction and texture that combining knitting and sewing alludes to.
This is my first attempt and it is successful for me in that it allows me to see many other ways of moving forward with this idea. I really love the process of making, seeing, and making again.
Monday, August 28th, 2006
I am going to be participating in an End of Season Sale with some other Minneapolis designers. The plan is that this gathering, called +/- , will happen periodically (maybe 4 times per year) and that the participants will vary in style. Here are the details:
plusminus: an occasional gathering of local designers,
including UNIFORM Studio, Labrador, and bara.
this fall: thursday 14 september, 6-10 p.m.
1000 university ave se, #18
minneapolis
parking along 11th ave
I will have the t-shirts and bags pictured above, as well as smaller bags, tunics, vests, dresses and skirts. And if all goes well, maybe a preview of the new fall collection.
Hope to see you there.
Thursday, August 24th, 2006
I think about texture alot. And material and light. And what makes things beautiful to me. I like seeing how things are made, and how their form takes shape through the making. There is a simple beauty to things where the making process is integral to the form as opposed to a form that is embellished with a printed pattern.
It’s like the difference between a sweater and a sweatshirt. The sweater is formed by the linking of stitches -it’s shape and pattern come from the structure of the garment. If the stitches are taken away there is no form. A sweatshirt has a pattern or logo printed onto it. The pattern has no relationship to the shape of the garment - if you remove it the sweatshirt remains intact.
The sweater is much more complex in its making than the sweatshirt, but has a more simple beauty. When I look around, this type of simple beauty is what inspires me.
Process, making and inspiration.
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006