litho

state 2 with chine collé

I'm getting ready to go out of state for a week, so--busy as always. But a few people requested a look at the print on the skirt, so here it is. This one is on paper (obviously) and has chine collé, which is an easy way of adding color to a print without worrying too much about registration.

The shop is closed for shipping right now, so any orders that come in will go out on the 4th of January, when I get home. That day I'll also be updating the shop with all kinds of new things, including prints like the one above.

Happy New Year!

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peace

second skirt for printmaking ballet

handprinted synthetic with cotton and vintage synthetic underlayers
vintage ribbon tie, hidden back zipper; 26" waist

This is 1/3 of what's been keeping me busy and out of my sewing room lately: another skirt of the printmaking ballet. Another printmaker and I performed a sketch of it (no pun intended) on Tuesday, which went well execept for one part where, um, the tympan was a bit off the stone and I set the running marks wrong. But nothing broke, so all's well that ends well, and I got an A, so all's excellent, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm proud of this skirt for several reasons: first, I made it, start to finish, including printing the fabric, in four hours. FOUR HOURS. Second, I made it completely without a pattern (which is just the way I work; I make my own patterns if I need them). Third, it not only has a hidden zipper (which I learned to do this summer), it has a hidden zipper AND A LINING. The lining itself is quite pretty. I should have gotten a photo.

The two skirts will be in my shop and then at the Design Collective (see sidebar for URLs) after New Year's.

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I also pulled a bunch of etchings and did some chine collé experiments with litho. Those will be around once I have the energy to take pictures.

mittens

fig.1

mitten ornaments

I just had my last final today at 8 a.m., and now all that remains is grading, which I'm planning to do tomorrow during the day. Christmas shopping tonight. I made these at my parents' house the other night when I went over there to help them decorate the tree. My brother and I also made a huge long paper chain to hang on my tree (fig. 2).

fig.2

A kid in the printshop was getting rid of some proofs on good paper, so I tore them down and made little strips of them. And now they are on my tree.

How to make a print (intaglio)

ink, knives, tarlatan-------------grinding ink------------

carding ink---------------- wiping plate--dirty tarlatan-------------

paper wiping-------------workspace

plate on press-------------first peek-------------

finished prints on racks------------------ cleanup

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(So this is another thing that's really kept me busy the last few days--I'll be pulling litho[graph]s on Monday and maybe I'll document that, too. It is my favorite print medium, lithography.)

room with a view

When I looked out of the window of the place I was living in Venice, this is half of what I saw. The woman who ran this fruit stand was always crabby and, because this campo is a passageway for tourists on their way to San Marco, the fruit was overpriced. Two euro for a peach!

The last day I was there, it rained from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

I haven't had a lot of time for making things--and my workroom is in an uproar--so that's why I'm putting up photos of maybe-dull things, like a rainy day in Venice and my dinner.

eating

Curry for dinner Monday night. And should have had it for lunch today but I am feeling kind of off my feed. One of those weird winter things. Didn't put in enough curry paste, so it was a little bland. When I reheat it, I'll add salt + paste. Two small cans of coconut milk, one of water. Next time, I'll cook the potatos first. I sautéd the other vegetable (onions, broccoli, peppers, peapods) in olive oil before adding them.

Trying to cook at home more, which can be hard on my grad-school schedule. Tonight's dinner, significantly less glamorous: cottage cheese, bean burrito, pickled jalapeños, two clementines, raw broccoli.

キャロット

Five inches of snow and counting: winter weather alert all night last night, all day today, and into tomorrow. Finally, a winter that looks like a winter here! It's been about six years since we've had snow like this this early.

Inside: cleaning, making bed with clean sheets, figuring out alpaca, rearranging workroom, dishwashing, writing poems, music music music, wishing for a piano, preparing applications.

Above: carrot pincushion.

To you: happy day.

my kitchen at night

It's nice to have time (strange, thought, at this point in the semester) to actually cook and sit down to eat. I made red curry and rice for dinner last night. This is my kitchen--at least the clean part.

fruit, trims, trades

Bits of package fruit and flowers I've been gathering up. Was going to use them for packaging services at the No-Coast, but it was too busy to wrap in anything other than newsprint. I just like the old fake fruit and flowers people would put on hats and presents. My mom thinks it is weird.

This is a tiny sweater ornament from Blair--traded for two little apple ornaments. I love the snowman! I will most likely get a tree this week (well, provided I can clean up my house in time) and I'm looking forward to putting it up. Just a little one this year--my apartment is too small (and the landlords too strict) for a big one.

kokeshi + fiber

Some of the new ones, with flowers on their heads and a loop of cord for hanging.

Haven't really had much time to be making--which is just as well, as all the craftywork was getting to be a stress, rather than a pleasure, at the end--except in the printshop, where my (overly ambitious?) final project is due in about a week. Of course I haven't gone in all weekend--went Christmas shopping with a brother yesterday, today is Millerville. Ah, well.

Shop closes 12/15/05 and reopens 1/4/06. At that point, new things will abound. I'm already developing my spring line, but winter things are on deck--think sparkle, fuzz, vintage paper...

Oh, and things made from this:

From Lisa (shop and flickr). It is the most beautiful roving and yarn ever. So soft, so fine. I cannot wait to knit with the yarn (or even wind it!) and make felt of the fleece. Thank you, Lisa!!!!

site update

I've updated the site--new look, new shop, new links, new information--
and things are flying startlingly rapidly off the shelves.
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The shop will close on Wednesday 12/15/05,
and will remain closed until Tuesday 1/3/06.

Orders received during that time will be processed upon reopening.
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Thank you for your business!

2679

...is the final count for attendence at the No-Coast yesterday. It was amazing: at about 8:55 the room flooded and it was packed all day. Literally. People couldn't move quickly for the sheer numbers. The planning committee had hoped for 750-1000, with 500 as the "okay, we're happy with this" number.

There were only two times when I had no customers, and they lasted approximately 30-60 seconds. Otherwise there tended to be 8-12 people at the booth at all times. I was expecting something like the MCBA sale--which, while profitable, is not crammed. I can usually get work done there.

Well, yesterday I didn't even have time to restock things as they sold out. I had to call my mom and get her to come help.

Thanks to all of you who showed up!

happy apples

Little vintage apples. I drew faces on them, added ribbon, flowers, bells & hooks (ha! bell hooks!) and now they are ornaments for the No-Coast. I am just finishing everything up now.