we plucked, we fluffed

do these faces look happy? we were all exhausted by this point, but only in the best possible way! thanks, lexi for an incredibly inspiring and energizing weekend of mad spinning fun!

here are about a million pics (editing is not a skill i possess) and i'll try my best to explain what's happening in each:

this is the 'sharing table', stocked by lexi and augmented by generous classmates. all kinds of treasures (doll parts, peacock feathers, paper flowers, tiny bananas) could be found here and spun into our yarns... on the right is pam (resident spinning teacher at Brooklyn General, where the workshop took place) and her beautiful wheel.

we learned how to make 'crazy batts' by repeatedly sandwiching five or more assorted fibers into the drum carder...

we learned how to spin our own homemade felted nublets (technical term) into our yarn...

mary made us all jealous with her brand-spankin' new country spinner. the size of the bobbin promptly inspired anne to name it jeff stryker, and jokes about mary's huge 'orifice' (technical term! swear!) ensued for the entire weekend...

lexi's demonstrations defied every rule of traditional spinning...

...she showed us how to incorporate bits and bobs of ribbon, lace, sequined fabric...

there was talk of spinning gertie into a yarn...

tiny vintage paper flowers were one of my favorite add-ins...




...but the fantastic needle-felted heart, mouse, and bear from FeltStudio UK were definitely the biggest crowd-pleasers!





i think we were all amazed by the yarn we produced!

if you feel awed and inspired, a new session of beginner spinning begins february 4 @ brooklyn general. you'll have to get your basics down before you can take one of lexi's workshops, but she had so much fun here in nyc, she's already planning her next trip! get yourself on the BG e-mail list to stay in the loop, or if you're not in the nyc area, keep an eye on lexi's blog.

new date & time for patternmaking

we've added a new session of patternmaking at the Etsy Labs, as the weekday time slot didn't work for too many people. if you've been wanting to learn to make your own sewing patterns, here's your chance:

date: Fridays in February 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, & 2/22 (4 weekly classes)
time: 6:00-8:00 each class
location: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

if you love to sew, but are frustrated by the patterns you find in stores, this is the class for you. here you will learn the basic principles of flat patternmaking, and start having fun designing the clothes you picture in your mind! you will draft patterns for a t-shirt and an A-line skirt based on your own measurements. then we will manipulate these patterns into other style variations. we will also cover how to 'rub off' a pattern from a pre-existing garment. basic sewing experience is helpful to benefit from this class.

students are required to bring the following materials to the class:

* a roll or pad of newsprint, drawing paper or patternmaking paper, at least 14" wide
* see-through 18" ruler
* tape measure
* pencil and sharpener (or mechanical pencil)
* eraser
* scissors (for paper)
* 1 yard of muslin or similar inexpensive woven fabric
* 1 and a 1/2 yds of t-shirt jersey or similar knit

class fee is $180.00.

don't replace, repair!

in early december i was contacted by a woman who'd been given one of my hats last winter. she said that it was her favorite hat, but her dog had chewed a hole in it and she wondered if i could fix it...

i was thrilled to get such a request! in our disposable culture, too many people would have just tossed the hat in the trash; i am so proud that it was important enough to her to track me down and see what i could do. i told her i'd have to see it, and when i did, i was relieved that the hole wasn't too huge and the hat was made of a mix of yarns so it was fairly easy to find something that would blend in for the repair stitches.

i think my fix is pretty well camouflaged, don't you?

camp pluckyfluff in brooklyn!

shortly after learning to spin, i discovered the fantasmical lexi aka pluckyfluff. she brings spinning yarn into a whole new dimension, as you can see in these pics. well, for years i have dreamed of attending one of her camps, and this weekend that dream comes true! she is coming to nyc to teach at brooklyn general for a 2-day intensive workshop. there may be a space or two left if you're interested, but you must already know how to spin and bring your own wheel. i'll take lots of pics and report back next week...

new in the hodge podge shop

i've been pretty steadily posting items to my shop since it was born in november, and i am thrilled to report that i have sold 10 pieces! i'm going to post shop updates here regularly so y'all don't miss anything...
right now there are lots of cozy fleece sweatshirt tunics with crochet trim, perfect for this time of year. here in nyc, winter has barely even begun; we've only had a handful of days under 32 degrees. but i know we've got a few more cold months ahead before spring!

framed

every time i go home to ohio, i love looking at all of the family photos my mom has on the wall along the stairs. i have boxes and boxes of my own photos that i've been meaning to sort through, so that i can create my own photo wall. maybe it will finally happen this year?

Etsy shop of the week: Vegan Honey

a few months ago i was visiting my lovely friend hanna's gallery, little cakes, when she offered me a special treat: a TWINKIE dipped in chocolate! only, it wasn't a 'real' twinkie (which i would probably turn down if i thought about it for more than a second), it was way better: a Fauxstess Twinkie from Vegan Honey, a local Brooklyn baker who sells her goods through Etsy! i'm not a vegan (more like an ovo-lacto-pescetarian to be exact) but this little cake was a totally convincing, way healthier replica of one of my favorite childhood indulgences, right down to the three little holes on the bottom. upon returning home i immediately checked out the Vegan Honey shop and ordered the Baker's Choice Mix, a sampler of about 10 different sweets. a few days later, i received a box full of goodies: a twinkie, a chocodyle, a pumpkin whoopie pie, a black-and-white cookie, a chocolate cupcake, an apple pie, a cinnamon sticky bomb, several kinds of cookies, and more! most of it went into the freezer and over the next few weeks i kept sampling and LOVED every single bite!


i think one of my favorites was the cinnamon sticky bomb, which i had for breakfast with a nice cup of earl grey... mmmmm!

kymberlie is always baking up new treats, so the assortment changes frequently. check out the list and see what tickles your fancy! vegan or not, you won't be disappointed...