Red Thread Studio

Interview with Sewing Diva Georgene, Part Two

Part 2 of my interview with Georgene of The Sewing Divas is posted here. A big thank you to Georgene for giving her valuable time and space to this interview. One thing I want to clarify -- Georgene quotes me as saying that I loathe some junior fashion producers for what I see as their institutionalized objectification of young women, while marketing themselves as sustainable fashion. The quote is correct, but I was referring specifically to one company, and if you e-mail me I'm happy to tell you which one.

We also talked about other things that were cut from the interview, such as sewing education in the schools. I know Georgene had far more material than she could use -- there's a lot to talk about in sewing and fashion today. And I have a lot of opinions! I really appreciate the time and space she gave me, and I hope it's of interest to some of her readers. And her blog is wonderful, so bookmark it and get to know Georgene and her blog partner Mary Beth.

Meanwhile, speaking of fashion, I'm coveting these Peruvian Connection dresses and thinking about how to create some version of them, since they're out of my price range:

 
That's it for now. It's been an exhausting week and it's not quite done yet.

Full Thunder Moon: If the Thunder Don't Get You, the Lightning Will

The full Thunder Moon peaks tonight at about 3:30 a.m. Mountain time. We've had amazing thunderstorms, huge dramatic weather events rolling across the sky, all through June and continuing on into July. Part of my drive home is a stretch of open highway with a beautiful view of the mountains and a panoramic sky. This morning there was a strange fog bank and uncharacteristic haze, and this afternoon you could see storms in every direction. I don't mind a thunderstorm at all, but I don't like driving in them - fortunately the sun was shining on me today.

These are the clouds of Michelangelo
Muscular with gods and sungold
Shine on your witness
In the refuge of the roads.
            -- Joni Mitchell, Refuge of the Roads

This full moon is also an eclipse, and the astrologers say it marks an energetic cycle from the eclipse of July 7, 1991. Do you know where you were then? I do exactly; my father died on July 17 of that year, of cancer, and I was in California, sort of floundering between Santa Cruz and Chico, where he lived.

With the thunder comes lightning. This photograph comes from the Flickr sight of Chris and Lara Pawluk; it's a lightning storm in Alberta, where I was born.

Chris + Lara Pawluk

Thank You, Sewing Diva Georgene (and the almost-200th-post)

Georgene of The Sewing Divas has posted part one of an interview she did with me on Slow Cloth and sustainable fashion. Amazingly, she edited my verbosity and published it while unpacking from a major move and coping with a computer meltdown. Thank you, Georgene, and thanks also to Sewing Diva Mary Beth, who referred Georgene to this blog and to me. Mary Beth also blogs at The Stitchery, and Georgene at MondoMode.

I'm calling this Post #199B, since technically it's #200 but I'm not quite ready for that festive moment yet. Still, in honor of Independence Day and the unofficial Red Thread Studio 200th post, and all my readers, commenters, lurkers and friends since the blog began, here's a big beautiful starburst firework for you. Hope your holiday has been awash in life, liberty and happiness.

Fireworks photo by K2D2vaca

Hidden Things

Look, it's a midweek post! I like that.
The always-wonderful V&A Museum will host a quilt exhibition next year, covering 300 years of quilting in England. Curator Sue Prichard has started Hidden Histories, Untold Stories, a blog to chronicle preparations for the exhibition, and the introductory post promises good things to come and a unique look behind the scenes of museum work:

"This exhibition aims to showcase the skill and creativity involved in making highly complex and decorative quilts and bedcovers from 1700-2010 - we will also reveal some of the extraordinary stories behind some of the most superb examples.  Most importantly this exhibition is about the hand and the heart, the sheer emotional response to objects which are so much part of all of our history, we simply need an opportunity to rediscover them."

I like the reference to untold stories and hidden things; I like secret pockets and furniture with hidden drawers and mysterious locks and false backs. There was an exhibition some time ago about the practice of hiding clothes in walls of buildings; I don't remember what the logic (or illogic) was behind the practice, but -- how interesting.

And here's another morsel - the NY Times has a great story today on their Frugal Traveler blog on the flea markets of Paris. In the end, the author bought a vintage textile. Good choice. As I've said before, I'm much more Paris flea market than clutter-free organization. I like the treasure hunt for those hidden things.

There's a great country song that Kelly Willis recorded years ago -- I don't know who wrote it, but here are the lyrics:

I don't need a man to flatter me with praises
I don't need to wear big diamond rings
All I ever need is an honest guy to hold me
Someone who can show me hidden things

Now all across this world I have been a constant traveler
I have sat with presidents and kings
I have sat on stairs with men who have delivered
And I have come to know some hidden things

I don't need to live in a mansion on a hillside
And watch the colored birds as they sing
All I ever want is an honest eye that sparkles
That surely will reveal some hidden things

So if you find someone who says he loves you truly
Make sure that you take a look within
For a handsome face can fade and passion soon grows colder
And all that will remain are hidden things

photo of hidden courtyard by AnnieInBeziers. Some rights reserved.

Jackson, Japan, and MissElaineous Things

Okay . . . another week has gone by without a new post. I am really trying not to say "I'm overwhelmed," and instead say, "I'm managing everything in my wonderful life with ease and joy," but I'm still in a quandary over which activities and commitments to release and which to keep. This blog, as much as I love it and want to make much MORE of it, not less, is on the bubble, as those Hollywood types say.

Back at the ranch, a lot happened this week. Days ago, I bookmarked this great interview at All The Rage with Deborah Landis, the new holder of the David C. Copley chair for the study of costume design at UCLA. She has very interesting things to say about the difference between costume design and fashion design, and the presence of narrative and stories in what we wear. Landis's chair is being endowed with a $6 million grant to develop costume design studies at the university.

Tangential but interesting, at the time that I read it: Landis designed Michael Jackson's iconic red Thriller jacket. A week ago I would have written, "remember that jacket?" and now, of course, we've all been reminded of it.

So the week was an interesting example of how the media oversaturate us at times like this (you could almost hear them say, great, we don't have to do any hard analysis to unanswerable questions about things like Iran and health care reform for at least three days). Still, this blog is about art, craft, cloth and culture, and all of these are referenced in Jackson's story. This, by fashion writer Guy Trebay, is a fascinating look at his ability to create an image and the ways that image intersected with pop culture.

Elsewhere -- for those who think about selling or monetizing a sewing or craft business, Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion Incubator has a very interesting series of posts on this, including definitions of handmade and manufactured as they apply to a commercial enterprise. There are telling comments as well; some people actually daring to call attention to the poor quality of some of the "handmade nation/DIY" frenzy. Yay.

Finally, links for the artists and lovers of Japanese textiles,. First, and I think Jude has mentioned this as well, Sri Threads has an amazing series on botanical dyer Sometsukasa Yoshioka. Stephen is up to Post #9, on the color red. These are a must-read if you love color and the Japanese aesthetic. Most people probably think of indigo when word-associating color and Japan, but there's much more to it -- a masterful legacy of natural dyeing and fluency in the language of color. This is from Post #8, on the color pink:

Yoshioka talks about the importance of color in the Heian Period, and here is why:  courtly dress at this time was codified and was tied to the seasons: as the seasons changed, so must one’s costume, and a lady at court was meant to dress to reflect the season, and her reflection of the season had to be both personal and poetic.  She did this using layers of colored robes, from 12 to 20 of them: the way she layered the colored robes and they way the layers were displayed at her costume’s sleeves told a color story and showed how the lady was interpreting the season.

Here’s the thing: in Heian Japan, there were four seasons, then there were 24 sub-seasons, then there were 72 sub-sub seasons, so every five days the courtly lady needed to change her costume so she embodied the natural changes around her!

I also discovered The Ardent Thread, a new-to-me blog by an expert on Japanese textiles, surface design and stitching techniques. Author Carol also sells vintage Japanese fabrics at KimonoMomo.com (sales are made through an Etsy shop). Here's one of her vintage fabric packages:

As for me, I'm working on some machine sewing, still painting my Persian floral designs, and still working on handstitching a big shisha/beads/stitching piece, which does have some vintage kimono fabric in it, shown below. This is proving to be a very slow cloth - but it's always good to have some handstitching available -- for example, for times when you're mesmerized by CNN's wall-to-wall coverage of a celebrity death, and thinking about the time you turned on the TV and saw that electrifying moonwalk for the first time, and all the years that have gone by since then.

Here's more of the piece, which has grown and taken on a life of its own that I no longer seem to be in control of (much like my own life; let's conclude that control is overrated):

That's all for now. See you soon.

The Dying Art of the Sari

The Dying Art of the Sari. "As the popularity of the traditional Indian garb has plummeted in India's cities, so has work for the tens of thousands of weavers who make them." This is a TIME magazine story that has a familiar ring; women are trading in their saris for contemporary clothing. I understand the desire to wear modern clothing, but the sari, like the kimono, has lasted for centuries because it's a functional, beautiful, elegant design that provides a canvas for endlessly varied designs. Instead of becoming museum artifacts, I hope this textile legacy can remain alive and thriving.

Here's another one -- Earthly Hands, Heavenly Designs is a new documentary about the dying traditions of Persian rugmaking. These photos of rugs on the sands of the desert are dramatic and poignant. Fibercopia has Iranian textiles on her mind too.

Summer Solstice, and Mind Like a Sieve

My mind feels a bit sieve-like these days. A huge amount of interesting stuff flows through it every day but I don't seem to be capturing much, let alone getting it down on blog. Everything is okay, but the adjustment to out-of-house gainful employment is taking most of the energy I have right now; I don't know what to let go of or where all of my other projects and ideas and plans are going now.

But links, I've got links!

• The cool people at Contemporary Cloth have launched a new shop and blog called Modern Marks. The new site sells original works on paper and fabric, including original textiles by Jane Dunnewold. 
• I came across Elin Noble's beautiful work and Web site last week. It looks as if there will be threads and fabric for sale soon, and more gallery images. 
• Garment sewers will appreciate The Luxurious Vagabond's blog.
• And you'll also like the online collection at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum.
• Do you live in a city or town that could use some revitalization and more space for artists? Artspace USA is a real estate developer for artists' spaces. They can do site assessments for communities interested in renovating or developing buildings as studios, and they have a downloadable report on the ways that art and culture can stimulate state economic development. 
• Beautiful handprinted fabrics at Publisher Textiles:

The news from Iran has been intense. I have an old Dover book of Persian designs and motifs that I've just rediscovered; I don't know why I bought it, or where, but it's been on my shelf a long time. Persia/Iran is an ancient and beautiful culture, and the people there deserve freedom and safety, especially the women. I've heard wonderful reviews of Reading Lolita in Tehran, so I'm going to read it soon. Here's a little watercolor I painted this afternoon from a Persian floral pattern from the Safavid era, 1502-1736. I used the paints I had on hand, but I'm dying to buy a whole new set of acrylic inks  . . . see? My mind is all over the place.

This week we've got a new moon, summer solstice, venus and mars in a beautiful tango in the skies . . . let's see what the week brings. Onward we go.

Project 3/50 and Project 95

I've been meaning to note a couple of interesting local-economy initiatives. I think a lot of the "buy local" talk is oversimplified -- trade has been going on since humans began, and international trade is not new. But massive multinational corporations at the scale of Wal-Mart and Pepsi and many others takes us beyond trade to a frightening level of control and ownership, and that's why it's smart to return to an awareness of supporting local businesses.

I like the 3/50 Project, which asks participants to spend $50 each at 3 locally-owned brick-and-mortar businesses each month. If you can't spend $50, well, whatever you can; I think consciousness is the point. This came naturally last month; I supported my beloved auto care shop,woman-owned and locally-owned Hoshi Motors; my hair salon, owned by a very nice man named Paul; and a local store with a phenomenal inventory of ribbons, beads and some very fancy fabric. Not bad, considering that I have been doing very little shopping for quite some time now.

Then there's Project 95, subtitled Fabric Shoppers Unite. According to their totally unattributed statistic (really, it's so much more meaningful when we know where the numbers come from), 95 percent of fabric purchases are made at chain stores -- Joann's, Hancock, Michael's and Hobby Lobby, I presume, are the leaders.

In theory I support this 100 percent. In practice, the only local fabric store that remains within 25 miles of me seems to have an institutional policy of condescension and rudeness to customers that has simply exhausted my good intentions over the years. I rarely go there, and I rarely buy garment-sewing fabric anymore -- online buying is challenging. And when it comes to notions and patterns, no question, I go where the bargains are. For fabric, I would definitely spend money at the local store if it were a pleasant place to go. And sadly, my lovely local quilt shop closed a few months ago.

Beyond the nice round numbers and sound-bite missions, can these projects make a difference? Well, yes they can. Grassroots movements are incredibly powerful. As noted, though, they only work if there are alternatives to chain stores, and in the fabric world, we haven't really made those alternatives viable. I have a dear friend who created and owned one of the world's best fabric shops here back in the early 1990s; she worked hard at it but couldn't make a living. When she had her going-out-of-business sale, the vultures descended, of course. Today, more sophisticated in our understanding of marketing and trends, we might say she was undercapitalized, or her timing was off, or whatever --  but it was a big loss to the creative community here. And to me.

Where do you shop? I know many of my readers use unique ethnic textiles or repurposed fabrics, or are lucky to live near a great fabric shop. We are only as good as our tools and supplies, but we also do find ways to be resourceful.

Disturbing but not surprising: Rob Walker notes in his Murketing column that Americans average 20 square feet of retail space per person, versus European countries that top out at 3 per person.

Hand/Eye Magazine for Global Textile Explorers, Navajo Rugs, and Restful Stitches

Hand/Eye is a very exciting new magazine about global textile explorations, sustainable textiles and craft, and the relationship between culture and craft -- the same topics covered here. Yes, I certainly do plan to submit story ideas! I'm not sure if there is a print edition, but the online edition looks very rich. I discovered it through email from L'Aviva Home.

Also in today's discoveries, a wonderful slideshow with audio on Navajo weaving from the New York Times.

I apologize for the delay in new posts -- I started this post days ago -- I'm adjusting to an intense new schedule. I'm lucky to be working in a job where I'm immersed in at least some aspect of textiles and crafts all day. Still, my diet is off, my yoga is off, I'm trying to rebalance and it's taking a lot of energy. Yet my creative urges are stronger than ever -- to sew, stitch, paint, write, design, and explore. I just need to find the energy. I feel off track somehow, like I'm not doing anything well.

Some days I can't get enough of the most complex surfaces, with layers, embellishment, printing, beads, transferred images, coins, many colors and textures, whatever it may be. Other days I want to rest my eyes on the most elemental structures -- a beautiful fabric with a line of stitching.

Kirsten Hecktermann's earthy, restful work (and go to her site and check out the amazing spoons and bright clothes, too):

 

 

From Sally Campbell Home Textiles (via Fibercopia):

 

Though it's hard to know if the producers of imported textiles are fairly paid, Sally Campbell says that all her products are handmade; here is her statement: "I travel to many remote communities, working closely with the artisans. Different areas in India specialise in different crafts. I work with women who create exquisite applique work in the desert near Pakistan, natural dye block printers in Rajasthan, village weavers in Bengal and Hyderabad, and women who do intricate hand embroidery in Lucknow. Like other Western designers working in India, I am hoping to keep these ancient crafts alive as we compete with the manic rush to modernisation."

These textiles are produced for commercial sale, but of course if you want the most real, soulful, one-of-a-kind stitching, you look to the artists; Jude's work always comes to mind first, and today, she too writes about a simple line of quilting. It must be in the air.

I'm going to go rest my eyes with actual stitching. Really sorry for the slow posting and the crankiness  -- it's a good thing I don't Twitter, or any followers would have been subjected to a rant of irritation for days now --  I'll try to keep it to a minimum on the blog!

Full Rose Moon

It seems as if I just did a full moon post . . . life is going fast these days. The moon is full today at about noon Mountain time; this moon is called the Strawberry Moon by the Algonquin tribe, the Rose Moon in Europe, and the Lotus Moon in China, according to the Farmer's Almanac -- everywhere, in the northern hemisphere at least, we celebrate nature's gifts in bloom in this moment of very late spring/early summer. Here it's green and lovely; we've had a lot of rain (for Colorado) and the nights are still cool.

 
strawberry photo by mbgrigby
lotus flower by ddsnet
rose photo by artlight
All photos