A Space I Am Designed For: Small Business Saturday with Kristine Vejar

In honor of Small Business Saturday, we visited A Verb for Keeping Warm, Kristine Vejar’s store, teaching space, and natural dyeing studio and garden in Oakland, California. A peek through Verb’s glass door (tucked between a no-frills cupcake shop and a bicycle-friendly cafe) reveals a lofty, light-filled space packed with yarn, fabric, sewing notions, books, patterns, tools, clothes to make yourself, and signs of life in every corner—but calling this a store visit would barely scratch the surface of what we learned. We found instead a hub of scholarship, activism, and community outreach cloaked in laid-back, Bay Area informality, and a powerful example of a person living by her values.

Read on for a Q&A with Kristine Vejar, the author of The Modern Natural Dyer—along with a deep dive into giving gifts and giving back, a few recommendations, and other thoughts on small business as we head into the holidays.

11:55 AM activity in the retail shop at A Verb for Keeping Warm

For Small Business Saturday, what’s the secret to staying solvent as a small business? Are there any mistakes that you’ve made, or what would you say to someone starting out?

When it comes to Small Business Saturday, and shopping, and what have you, it’s interesting that I have a retail shop because I don’t enjoy putting pressure on people to buy things. It’s been an ongoing challenge to myself to honor what I believe, while also knowing that it is a time for a business to make money and that I do have these lovely employees who deserve to make money—so the question becomes how to bridge this quandary.

Last year we turned a corner, which felt right—we donate a percentage of our profits to a nonprofit called Global Glimpse. They’re based in Oakland but they have programs in the Bay Area, New York and Chicago, and they’ve created study abroad programs in Ecuador and Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. They believe any kid who wants to study abroad should not be held back by socioeconomic constraints. Global Glimpse works on raising money to help fund and create scholarships for high school students to be able to go to those countries. 

My own experience studying abroad has been so impactful on my business—placing equality, women’s rights, diversity, the discovery of textiles and what a role textiles play in those cultures front and center—making Global Glimpse a natural bedfellow for us. It feels really authentic and genuine and I feel good. “Ok, people do want to buy gifts. People are very excited to come out and to support small business, but we get to take a percentage and pay it forward.” It makes it easier for me to deliver a marketing message.

For me and Verb, I desire to earn money and pay it forward, to pay my employees a living wage (especially challenging living in the Bay Area), while also honoring the customer and giving back to them. 

A work station tucked among components for natural dye kits

The current habit is for businesses to offer discounts at this time. As a small business it’s a little hard because you are running on such slim margins, but I also get it. So we also offer discounts as a gift to people. 

What I would say to people starting out in a new business is you really have to be able to honor what your business can afford. Be cautious, because it can be easy to get caught up in what you’re seeing online, and then you start working outside of what is actually affordable for you. Be careful to support your business. Write and think about ways in which you can creatively honor authenticity and what you can afford.

Whole natural dyestuffs (and a place to scour and wash textiles)

Natural dye extracts and mordants, which create a bond between the fiber and dye, for sale in the retail shop

I do have to say that a big key to Verb’s success was doing a number of holiday shows for those first three or four years. It was hectic and crazy, but we did everything from really small shows—from setting up a little table of natural dyed fiber and yarn in someone’s weaving studio—to Bazaar Bizarre, a larger-scale craft fair. At this point there are so many different types of craft fairs that you can choose from as an entrepreneur and business owner, but getting your product out in front of people and seeing their responses and hearing from them, and starting to cultivate relationships and friendships around that—to this day we’re still in touch with those people and they’ve been along for the entire journey with Verb and I consider them very dear friends. I’m honored to have been alongside them and their creativity, and to work with them.

An awe-inspiring range of colors in Kristine’s own lines of naturally dyed yarn, made from California-raised wool 

What are you hoping to get for the holidays? What are you planning to give?

I hope I get to make a homemade meal with ingredients that I feel like have been very thoughtfully grown, and contribute to farms that are working so hard for the environment and for people.

In terms of giving that’s also a really tricky one. I have to say there’s kind of the sense here of the cobbler that has no shoes, where working retail—the saturation level and all of the time we constantly spend marketing—means it’s hard for me to stomach walking into other retail. It’s very intense. I do enjoy going to West Coast Craft. A lot of friends and customers are vendors there. I tend to go and purchase things from them to give either to myself or to others, so I look for opportunities where I can keep “the flow of currency” local and giving to those who have also supported Verb.

But we don’t have any kind of Christmas list—[Adrienne] wants more time to mushroom hunt.

Can you do that here?

Yes. Well, especially when it’s raining she’s dying to go out and I’m like “YOU HAVE TO KEEP WORKING.”

Adrienne: I agree, foraging is one of my favorite pastimes and is priceless, absolutely priceless.

Remember what I got you last year? It’s actually in New York and they’re not open anymore right now, they have a pop-up in Cooper Hewitt. They’re this amazing—I believe they’re a couple—and they travel around the world and they collect small editions of objects and then they write amazing descriptions (like a storytelling type of situation), around the object and who made it, and how they captured it and cultivated it, and then they sell small amounts of it. They had a show at PS1 with this little kind of pop-up. But they had this amazing Scandinavian mushroom knife . . . was that what it was?

Adrienne: Yes. It was made from the local birch and then either reindeer horn as an accent . . . 

Yea, it was beautiful. So that’s like the kind of stuff I look to buy for someone and then . . .

Adrienne: Yea, really choice items that are [too] hard to find.

What would you recommend from A Verb for Keeping Warm as a gift for the beginning natural dyer?

In the world of crafting, the way that I—and I think a lot of my peers—have viewed it is that knitting is the gateway drug to [other fiber arts]. Not sewing necessarily, sewing is like its own little world, but in terms of yarn-related crafts like knitting or crochet, people learn this first, and from there you have people who go into spinning, and who go into natural dyeing. That has been steadfast in my mind. And so when I did my book I was thinking well, I’m going to be very explicit about fiber types and treat people as if they’re just learning for the first time, but really I'm thinking that you’ve come to the table with these other things under your belt and you’re going be able to hang with me pretty fast about what I’m talking about, when really—and I think what [editor Melanie Falick] was trying to push me towards—was that natural dyeing could possibly be someone’s first fiber-related craft. Which I found mind-blowing! And that has actually been the case.

A long table hosts classes in natural dyeing, knitting, sewing, spinning, and weaving, surrounded by natural dye shade cards, lavender, and whole dyestuffs

I wanted The Modern Natural Dyer to be as beautiful as possible so it would inspire people—everyone from the armchair dyer who just wants to learn more about natural dyeing, to those who are ready to dive in, to those who are practiced natural dyers and want to learn and practice my style of dyeing.  

The Modern Natural Dyer, with kits created to accompany a handful of the 20 projects in the book 

Here are a few kits we created to accompany The Modern Natural Dyer:

• For a knitter, The Northwoods Hat Kit
• For a sewer (a little sewing kit that you can sew yourself), the Flowers at My Fingertips Kit
• For someone who doesn’t know how to knit or sew, the Sock Hop Kit

Here are a few kits great for knitters who would like to work with naturally-dyed yarn:

• As long as you know how to join in the round, and you know a knit and a purl stitch, the Verb x Quince Northwoods Cowl Kit
• Again, super easy, as long as you know how to knit and purl, and knit in the round, the Evening Fog Cowl Kit
• As long as you know how to increase and decrease, all knit and purl, Simpatico Wrap Kits
• With designer Thea Colman, a sweet little introduction to faire isle, for someone who wants to try it, the Anchor Steam Hat Kit

A rack of finished projects gives would-be Modern Natural dyers an example of the finished product. Sewn up examples of patterns created by Tasa Gleason and Alabama Chanin provide the same assistance to sewists. 

How about some gifts that are very unique to Verb?

Adrienne and I recently visited Oaxaca and we brought home some goodies to share: natural dyes like cochineal, pericon, and indigo. Cacao trees grow there, and they grind the chocolate right there in front of you and make hot chocolate. So we had to bring home Oaxacan drinking chocolate. And we brought home special hand-carved whisks—the same ones they use to make the hot chocolate with. We made three variations of kits called A Love Letter from Oaxaca. 

• Different and so cute, and rather inexpensive, A Love Letter from Oaxaca Kit

A display of gifts and kits from Oaxaca

• The Stowe Bag Kit, features fabric made from US organic cotton—bred by a farmer close to our heart and local to Verb, Sally Fox, and a sewing pattern for a project bag by Fringe Association and Grainline Studio.

We indigo dyed some of the fabric and, taking hints and inspiration from the traditional Japanese techniques of boro and sashiko, created this kit. This is a fun way to work with naturally dyed materials and make something truly unique.

• The Dye-It-Yourself Eco-Printing Kit: Table Linens is easy to make (especially with kids) and is a fun way to add a bit of nature to your table.  

This kit would make a great gift in its own right—or dye the linens and give those as gifts! 

A section for fabric and sewing notions

Cleo has the run of both the private and public-facing areas of Verb

“It’s been a long learning curve with being a leader, and having a business, and needing to stand in that space—but it’s a space I am designed for, more or less. I just need to walk into it and accept it for what it is.”

An outdoor studio and dye garden is used primarily for education and research, but Verb has ventured into farming in nearby Capay Valley, as of summer 2015

Butane stoves for dyeing outdoors—which Kristine recommends particularly when using indigo

We wouldn’t think twice about sending Bay Area crafters to A Verb for Keeping Warm, as evinced by the minor spree that happened here. For directions, visit the Brick & Mortar tab on their website. 

For more information about Kristine’s book, The Modern Natural Dyer—which was lauded as “sophisticated and detailed” by Library Journal, and both “scientific and creative, as approachable as it is beautiful” by Design*Sponge—click through the slideshow below. 

A Year of Quiet and Important Moments

Today’s big news is not what this post is about, but it does serve as a bit of a reminder, whether comforting or not, that headlines and sound bites are not the bulk of our lives. 

On a December morning almost exactly a decade ago, Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes each posted a still life on the then-new photo-sharing site, Flickr. Though the two women had never met, they were struck by the way the photos seemed to echo each other, and the friendship that followed grew into a year-long photo collaboration, a blog with a worldwide readership, and today, a new book.

We are celebrating with a Q&A with Maria (MAV) and Stephanie (SCB).

One of our favorite things about A Year Between Friends is the seasonality of your projects and recipes, and how your very different environments affected your tastes. Can you tell us a little about your lives as makers? What are you working on now as the holidays approach?

MAV: I live very much in tune with the seasons and I love seeing Stephanie’s life pace along similarly. I know I will see her paper snowflakes coming out after Thanksgiving and her tabletop Christmas tree shortly thereafter. It’s a comfort to me to see these traditions in her life 3,191 miles away. Right now, I am preparing to host Thanksgiving (for 15 adults and 10 children!) and thinking about what I want to make Luna Rose, my baby, and my friends or family for Christmas. My making usually centers around photographs (photo books, framed images), food (cookies or granola in a beautiful jar) or naturally dyed goods (a set of cloth napkins or towels). I don’t work too far ahead and will take each holiday one at a time.

SCB: Since childhood, making things has been a part of my daily life, but the process of documenting my life for A Year Between Friends helped me see how my activity and focus flows with the seasons. After a summer spent out in the world—traveling, exploring, gathering inspiration and supplies, now I am settling in for the shorter days when I spend more time indoors at home. Making a little time every day for craft is essential to me whether I am learning a new skill or chipping away at a long-term project. I am doing a lot of mending, both with wool (as shown in our book) and some simple patchwork on favorite garments. As the holidays approach, I am starting a few hand-sewn projects as gifts for close friends and family, including something special for MAV’s daughter.

You both started blogging in 2005, which if we look back is a time period that produced game changers in more fields than one (the advent of Dooce, and Gawker, Julie Powell, and Deb Perelman). What is it like to be part of the group of first bloggers? How have things changed, how have they stayed the same, and what do you think will happen to the medium in the future?

MAV: It’s interesting to see you categorize us next to names like Dooce and Gawker. While we did start blogging around the same time as many bloggers who are now “internet famous,” I think of us so differently. We are not better or worse, just different. The plain fact is, we are just not as popular as the rest. We never took on sponsors, we don’t spill our guts or publish tons of photographs from our personal lives. We have been doing this for a decade in a rather low-key fashion and I think we prefer it this way. I think we have changed with the times, somewhat, but we still value our space at 3191 Miles Apart. We still try to cultivate a home there where we can share quiet and important moments. The medium of sharing has gotten faster, quicker, more immediate. People don’t want to read a long, wordy post (or I should say, most people?). They want something quick; a snippet. They can find that at 3191 Miles Apart, and in our books, through the photographs. That feels good to us. But we will always want to offer a space, through the web and our books, where people can take a bit more time to themselves, or time to share with a friend. We still see what we do as a whole as creating a place of pause, something a bit deeper than a snippet. Or, at least I hope people see that. I think it would be hard for us to get on the fast track like many other bloggers from our time have. I guess we are a bit old-fashioned.

A milder weekend escape with SCB, to Oregon’s Mount Hood.

SCB: I think we benefitted from the boom in the popularity of blogs back then, but agree with MAV that we have always been a bit set apart. We chose to not ride the tide of sponsorships and advertising and have forged our own path. Our project has always been about our friendship and having an outlet for our creativity, and thanks to the supportive community surrounding 3191 Miles Apart, we make it work. The advent of smart phones has definitely changed how bloggers share in the last ten years. Some of that change has been hard for us to adjust to, but other aspects have been welcome—we love the simplicity and immediacy of Instagram, for example. Back when we started with A Year of Mornings, taking a picture of your breakfast was an odd thing to do, now it’s the norm!

MAV, you write in A Year Between Friends that for this book, “It would have been easier to just share the photographs but this time around, we wanted to give more.” How did it feel to share some of these life events? Was there anything that was too close to heart, or anything to be afraid of? What did you enjoy the most?

March diptych

MAV: I was not afraid of sharing as much as I was afraid of exposing. I think there is a difference. I am a private person but I also have a lot to say and am not afraid to say it. We decided to share our lives from a full year (2015) but certainly we didn’t share everything. I did have to share some big things because I wanted to, not because I felt forced to. That felt really good to me. I’m honored to have an audience to share in this part of my life and my friendship with Stephanie. As the year went on and I grasped what I was going to have to share, I knew Stephanie would be there to have my back. She cheered me on all year and I did the same for her. Working on the book together was an incredible touchstone for me. I enjoyed the commitment. I enjoyed showing up each month to do the work. I loved the rhythm of the whole process. I am a huge fan of marking a full year so our “Year Of” concepts have been thrilling for me no matter what happens during that year.

SCB: When we committed to documenting the year, I worried a bit that we were inviting disaster, and life did throw us some curveballs. MAV and I are both private people, but also very open to new experiences and connections. We never would have met and started collaborating ten years ago without that exact openness and vulnerability, so I am always able to see the benefit of sharing. That said, I value my relationships and the trust that friends and family place in me, so that is always foremost in my mind. The gift of this book for me was being able to explore my feelings surrounding parenting teens and the changing role tradition and rituals play in our family as I prepare for them to leave the nest. I was also just so moved by MAV’s strength and resilience over the course of the year and her ability to share that experience with me, and ultimately, all the readers of the book.

At some point in early adulthood, it suddenly seemed like a lot of people were telling us it would be hard to make real friends after X point, or that the friendships wouldn’t be the same (this article stuck, in particular). We don’t think that’s true, necessarily, but your friendship story seems particularly miraculous—you met on Flickr and have never lived in the same state! What makes your very real friendship work despite the physical distance between you?

July diptych

MAV: I think our friendship comes down to one word: trust. We built trust over a shared visual language. We did not over-think it. There was not a moment where we could stop and say, “is this person my real friend?” because we were already involved in a year-long project and then another one. We were committed to each other because we respected and adored each other’s photographs. From there, there were visits and getting to know each other more. Each of us let our guard down over time. Even now I always tell people that Stephanie is very private and I feel honored that she shares with me. I always feel that I am standing a bit taller after we talk on the phone and she gives me her sage advice or tells me a story from her life. Her friendship is one of the most important of my life yet it’s one that I put the least amount of time into, if that makes sense. I know, however, that I could call her at any moment and share anything with her. I love that feeling. I also know that she understands my photographs, which are incredibly important to me, just as much as I do. I think we both have an eye for seeing things in each others images that others don’t have. Trust is why our friendship is so dear. We do not share the every day through words, we share it through photographs, making, cooking, caring. It’s simpler. It feels like home, like an extension of myself and what is important to me.

SCB: MAV expresses my feelings surrounding our friendship so well! It is absolutely about trust. Sometimes it takes years to build trust with a friend, but we were thrown into this creative partnership where we had to show up every day and share a little bit of our lives, so that trust was built quite quickly. It is very unique relationship in that way! As I meet new people and form new face-to-face friendships, I sometimes wish I could jump-start them in the same way!

November diptych

SCB, you write that doing this project “creates a heightened awareness of the passing of time.” How does the process of documenting your daily life affect your daily life? Do you ever struggle to find the time, or are there any rituals or habits that help? What would you recommend for someone hoping to create a similar kind of document?

SCB: Documenting my life in a structured way has been such a gift to me, as an artist and as a human. I do believe in the ritual of time-based projects whether it be photographing your morning, keeping a gratitude journal, or having a weekly craft goal. An essential part of the process is sharing that work with someone else. I often struggle to find the time or just feel that my work is not good enough, but the trust and commitment that I have with MAV, as well as the community of people that follow 3191 Miles Apart, propels me forward. It is important to show up. The advice I give is that it is all about the showing up. The work you do is secondary to the showing up, but you will see benefits in your work over time. You don’t have to document it all in a book or even share it online—a commitment between two friends can be enough! 

We might be a little biased, but we promise this conversation has barely scratched the surface of this generous, beautiful book. Learn more, or order your copy of A Year Between Friends here. 

All photographs in this post © 2016 Stephanie Barnes and Maria Vettese. 

Behind the Scenes on The Shape of Knitting Photo Shoot (plus Interview with photographer Thayer Gowdy)

Thayer (right) and stylist Karen Schaupeter on the photo set for The Shape of Knitting

Thayer Gowdy is a superstar at STC Craft. She’s an incredibly talented photographer who has shot a whopping 11 of our books, including Knitting Nature, The Repurposed Library, Printing By Hand, Reversible Knitting, and many more. I recently got to interview Thayer after she sent us some fabulous behind-the-scenes shots from Lynne Barr’s upcoming book, The Shape of Knitting (to be published on our Spring 2013 list). Read on for Thayer’s take on working on craft books, spontaneity on set, and incorporating confetti (lots of it!) into your life.

What was the theme of The Shape of Knitting shoot and how did you decide on it? Did the fact that you shot Lynne Barr's previous book--Reversible Knitting--affect any of your choices?

The theme was fun and chic and colorful, but also very clean. I’ve also been addicted to confetti lately, so that was a huge part of it! We had so much confetti; it was crazy. Reversible Knitting was a bit quiet and we shot it in a studio so it was very clean. I wanted to keep that thread for The Shape of Knitting, so we shot it in a studio again for a sophisticated look, but I also wanted to make it more colorful and playful.

You've shot quite a number of craft books for STC Craft/Abrams. What do you like best about these projects? What are some of your favorite memories from these shoots?

I love the creativity involved. Melanie gives us a lot of freedom and says “go for it.” I also love working as a team with stylist Karen Schaupeter. We come up with a vision, do research, and work together on the imagery. It’s all about creativity.

One of my favorite memories is when we shot the book The Repurposed Library. We shot the book in real homes that belonged to people I found online. One snowy day we ended up in the home of a retired writer and his wife, a children’s book illustrator. They made us a huge feast for lunch, including homemade soup. It was so welcoming. Most of my favorite memories come from people we meet along the way like that.

You seem to capture so many spontaneous moments. How do you encourage that spontaneity on set?

You have to leave room for things to happen. I like to keep the energy fun and playful, so people feel they can be spontaneous. It’s important to leave room for curiosity rather than trying to control things too much.

You shoot all over the world. What are some of your favorite places? 

Bali is my favorite place to shoot. It’s a melding of cultures, and it’s so visual. But it’s all the smells, the scents, the sights. Everything combines to create a beautiful sensory experience.

What do you like to do when you're not shooting?

I love to surf, and I’m about to plant a vegetable garden, which is really exciting. I love to travel; I can’t get enough of seeing new places. My boyfriend and I just got back from Mexico, and we’re excited to try making piñatas.

Which means you can use more confetti!

Exactly! I won’t be done with confetti any time soon.

UPPERCASE Magazine (with Subscription Giveaway!)

UPPERCASE Magazine is a stunning publication to behold. Published for "the creative and curious," UPPERCASE, now in its 13th issue, explores facets of craft, fashion, and design. And it's a bit of an enigma in a world of digital publications. The hefty quarterly publication is printed on lovely stock and is filled with inspiration and visual treats. There are very few ads, and the ones included (like STC Craft favorite Purl Soho) are as gorgeous as the magazine itself. You can find UPPERCASE in bookstores, but also in luxe shops like Anthropologie.

The journal is the vision of Janine Vangool, the publisher, editor, and designer. We're thrilled to have had a chance to ask Janine a few questions about UPPERCASE.

STC: How would you describe the philosophy of UPPERCASE? 

The tagline for UPPERCASE magazine is "for the creative and curious" and this really is the somewhat loose guideline to content appearing in the magazine. Though the content is based in graphic design, illustration,  and crafting as its starting points, with such a broad statement the articles can be quite eclectic. I think it is this curious bent that makes the magazine unique and hopefully surprising with each new issue.

We like to support the creative endeavours of our readership and therefore much of the written content, photography, and illustration is commissioned from our subscribers, open calls for submissions, and through connections made in our social media circles. I strongly believe that the magazine is a collaborative effort with its readership.

 

STC: How do you come up with a theme for each issue?

I categorize and archive all the submissions and suggestions that come my way, as well as favourite blog posts, Flickr images, Etsy shops, tweets... When you're looking at so many things, you start to see common threads and emerging themes. So an issue's themes are a combination of these discoveries and topics of interest to me personally.

STC: What are the benefits to publishing a paper magazine in a "digital age"?

The physical format of UPPERCASE magazine is part of its appeal—it is something that you hold, carry, collect, and keep. I always strive to make each issue an object that is well-crafted and has attention to detail in in its paper stock, special print processes, or formats... these are the things that make print so special. Unlike digital magazines, which I think promote attention deficit, when you're reading a paper magazine you have more commitment and a more intimate experience!

Though the expense to produce a paper magazine is considerable, I think my readership feels the same way I do and are willing to invest in a long-term relationship.

Obviously, what UPPERCASE is doing is very much in the line of how we think here at STC Craft! So we're thrilled that Janine generously offered a subscription giveaway to one lucky reader. To enter, just leave a comment here by April 30 at 1PM EST. One lucky winner will be chosen at random.

To read more about UPPERCASE, visit their blog and don't forget to subscribe!

Click here for full official rules.

Q + A with Denyse Schmidt

Denyse at work in her studio in Bridgeport, CT

One of the best parts of my job is meeting fabolously creative people and then having the opportunity to work with them (pretty much a dream come true!). I was thrilled to meet quilter Denyse Schmidt a few years ago (introduced by our mutual friend and another STC Craft author Heather Ross). I am even more thrilled and proud today to announce that we have just published Denyse's new book, Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots. Denyse is one of the hardest-working and most passionate people I know. When I think back on the year and a half she spent working on this book, the phrase blood, sweat, and tears comes to mind, though I'm not sure she literally put blood into it (she never mentioned any slips with the scissors). However, I can say with full confidence that she put love (for the quilts of the past and the new ones she created), sweat (over the hard work), and tears (because she wanted it to be perfect) into it. And the result is, well, as perfect as a book can be. Recently, both of us feeling a little more relaxed than we were a few months ago, sat down for this Q&A:

 Describe your book in 3 or so adjectives.

Beautiful, inspiring, a tribute to the quilters whose creations sparked my career.

What do you want people to take from your book?

I want them to feel inspired and to learn something. I want them to feel confident that they can take on something a bit more challenging than they have taken on before.

What was your favorite part of the bookmaking process?

I loved doing the research, going back through my files and old books and revisiting the quilts that were made a century ago, the ones that made me want to start my business in the first place. I feel driven to help people think about quilting in different ways, to see how quilts can be really modern, and to wipe away any musty, dusty stereotypes.

What was your favorite part of designing the quilts for the book?

I loved the early part of design phase when I felt like I had time to think a lot about what each quilt could look like, when I considered different fabrics, weighed all of the possibilities, and then narrowed down the choices and started making decisions.

I've been to your studio and know that you don't usually display finished quilts; I've only seen works in progress on your design wall. Why is that?

We don’t have a lot of room in the studio and I like to keep the walls clean except for the task at hand so I can really see what I’m working on. I usually don’t have the luxury of time to celebrate each accomplishment, and this is compounded by my tendency to always be focused on what’s next. So, finished work doesn’t have much of a chance to linger!

Do you display or use any of your quilts at home?

Right now I have two special-edition quilts on my beds at home: Tangerine Poppy in my room and Bone Snow in the guest room. I’ve been pretty attached to these for a while, but I’d like to start rotating in some new quilts.

I remember you telling me that you hand-stitched the Postage Stamp quilt and really enjoyed the process. What did you enjoy about making it?

I’ve always envied knitters because they can sit anywhere and knit and talk to people. If you use a sewing machine, you’re sort of tied to it. My machine is in the studio, so any sewing I do on it feels like “work.” It’s also a bit loud. Hand-sewing feels more reflective and quiet. Most of the quilts I do are quite large, but the Postage Stamp quilt is small and I could easily hand-piece it at home while watching a favorite PBS series. The blocks that make up Postage Stamp are tiny–each one is comprised of nine 1-inch squares–so I felt a sense of accomplishment as I went along and it didn’t take long to finish. A “scrappy” quilt like this is so much fun because you get to include tons of fabrics from your stash. Like most quilters out there, I have an extensive collection of prints, and I really enjoyed getting to use so many of them in this little quilt! 

Denyse's beautiful book. To see images of some of the quilts in it, including Postage Stamp, click here.

Introducing Craftcation--A New Conference for Indie, Crafty Business Owners

The internet offers us all sorts of information, resources, and even community, but here at STC Craft we're still big fans of a good, old-fashioned meetups. Whether we're hanging out with our friends and knitting at a coffee shop, taking a class at a local craft store, or attending a more formal event like VK Live or Alt Design Summit, we're just crazy about that face-to-face interaction with creative people. So, we were thrilled to hear about Craftcation, a new event happening March 22-23 in Ventura, California. The brainchild of Nicole Stevenson and Delilah Snell, Craftcation is a sure-to-be-inspiring conference for indie craft business owners who want to grow and maintain their businesses while building new skills. Tending to both the right and left sides of the brain, events on the schedule include business lectures and panels on marketing, social media, legal issues, and accounting, as well as hands-on workshops in subjects like sewing, canning and preserving, cooking, paper arts, and embroidery.

A few days ago we had the chance to ask Nicole (above right) some questions about her conference " baby" and here's what she had to say:

What inspired you to host Craftcation? How long have you been working on it?

When I started my own handmade business Random Nicole, eleven years ago in Los Angeles The Handmade Movement didn’t exist the way it does now. There were lots of people creating things in makeshift kitchen or dining room home ‘studios.’ Indie craft shows hadn’t surfaced yet. When I would meet a fellow maker at a farmer’s market, flea market, or church craft show where we were selling we would frantically exchange information on suppliers, places to sell, and the business side of crafting.

I started Patchwork Indie Arts & Crafts Festival in 2007 with my aunt and business partner Delilah Snell to provide a venue for emerging makers to showcase their goods. At our Patchwork shows Delilah and I noticed that same frenetic information-sharing between crafters that I’d engaged in when I began Random Nicole. We saw a need for an event bringing makers together to connect and share information.

Delilah and I were in Ventura last August scouting future Patchwork locations. We both realized that Ventura was the perfect spot for our dream event, an indie business and DIY conference and Craftcation was born. Since August, Craftcation has pretty much taken over our lives.

 Why do you think so many people are interested in developing craft-related businesses right now?

People are moving towards a more conscious way of living. We’re more aware of the impact our individual choices make on the world around us. We’re asking questions previous generations didn’t ask. How does buying a product made overseas affect our local economy? What materials are used to make the things we purchase and are those materials harmful for us or our environment? How is our food sourced and grown? Every single thing we spend our dollars on reflects our personal philosophies. Although we are in a recession many people don’t mind paying a little more for something if it’s organic or local. We’re beginning to live with less waste, which means maybe we don’t want to spend $40 on 3 T-shirts made overseas that may not stand the test of time but do want to spend $40 on ONE T-shirt that is made from sustainable bamboo, screen-printed with soy ink. and sewn by someone who lives in our town. Value is returning to handmade goods as well as to our time.

Technology has not only made the world ‘smaller’ but also made business more accessible. Anyone can go online and order business cards, open up a shop on Etsy, create a website or blog or learn how to sew. The internet has made it so simple for anyone to gain skills and put themselves out there.

The return to handmade things stems from this new way of living consciously coupled with convenient access to the tools people need to make, buy and sell things.

How did you choose the people who are speaking and teaching classes?

I connected with so many inspiring makers in my eleven years on the craft show circuit and through teaching classes at the brick and mortar studio/shop the craft kitchen that I owned. Delilah forged relationships through her eco-shop The Road Less Traveled, teaching workshops and her involvement in the Southern California food scene. Our seven years producing Patchwork also led to some lasting connections. We put together a list of everyone who we wanted to share their expertise with attendees at Craftcation and began sending emails.   

 Response from these craftelbrities was overwhelming and we’re proud to have industry leaders like Jenny Hart (Sublime Sticthing), Kathy Cano-Murillo (Crafty Chica), Cathy Callahan (Cathy of California), Evan Kleiman (KCRW’s Good Food), Aida Mollenkamp (host on The Food Network and The Cooking Channel) and 30+ more presenters.

What do you most hope attendees will get out the experience?

I want attendees to gain a better understanding of the business aspects of what they do and be able to implement what they learn into starting or growing their indie businesses. Garnering a sense of community with their peers and making lasting connections is also important. Building upon skills they already hold and learning new things in the hands-on craft workshops is fundamental to the Craftcation experience. Running your own business usually means working twice as hard for less money than if you worked for someone else, so I also hope attendees unwind and have fun at our community events like the BBQ Social, Happy Hour Meet & Greet, morning yoga, and '80s Dance Party.

How do you suggest that Craftcation attendees prepare themselves in advance so that they'll be able to get the most out of the experience?

Bring lots of business cards, a sample of your work, and be ready to take tons of notes. Research the presenters beforehand and prepare questions to ask them. This is an amazing opportunity to connect with leading industry professionals. Think about areas where you need help and outline what you want to learn so you can pick which workshops fit your needs. Bring clothes for cool nights and warm days, a banana clip and some leg warmers for the '80s dance party, and a bathing suit (the hotel is steps from the beach).

For more information about Craftcation visit  www.craftcationconference.com and get Craftcation updates on Facebook and Twitter.

An Interview with Alison Reid, Author of Stitch Magic

We wrapped up our Stitch Magic Stitch-Along last week and I'd say it was a rousing success. I now have several new skills under my belt to incorporate into my sewing projects, like smocking, pintucks, and cording. But the most inspiring thing for me was following Stitch Magic author Alison Reid's experimentations with fabric. I love her non-fussy, freeform techniques. I was lucky enough to do an interview with Alison and ask her some of my burning questions. I hope you enjoy it--and I very much hope you enjoyed the stitch-along!

What is your process like when developing your techniques? I imagine a lot of experimentation is involved.

 
I start by buying fabric, often it’s fabric that might be slightly unusual-looking. As I wrote in my book I live with it for a while and handle it. By doing this the fabric almost dictates what can be done with it. I never just launch myself in, I always have to appreciate the fabric first. Once I get going it’s just a matter of experimenting. Once I hit on an idea another one will follow. In other words, one thing informs the next.

How would you describe your philosophy when it comes to sewing and fabric manipulation?

 
I don’t actually have a philosophy. This creates boundaries and takes control. I have no rules; it’s all about how you feel and see things. It’s important to be creative and to be experimental. I am an art teacher as well as an author. One thing I always tell the children in my class is never be afraid to take risks. Be experimental, try new things, and never be afraid to make a mistakes. Mistakes do happen, but I find that often something great can happen out of a mistake.

What's your sewing background? Do you have traditional sewing training?

I attended art school in the 1980s and studied fashion and textiles. I specialized in woven textiles and my focus was weaving fabrics for interiors. The weaving process taught me a lot about patience and concentration. Dressing and setting up a loom could take days; you really had to be patient during that process. After finishing my own studies I taught for 20 years and it was during that time that I was sent to train in sewing at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Do you have any advice for readers looking to incorporate your techniques into garment sewing?

I love the idea of incorporating the techniques into garments. Garments are blank canvases for many of the techniques in the book. I have pattern-cutting and garment-making skills and I suppose if I was to give one piece of advice it would be to make a toile prior to using your chosen fabric. A lot of the techniques are folded, tucked, etc, so youreally need to work out how much fabric the technique needs.

What are you working on now? Can we look forward to more books from you?

Yes, I am working on some other things right now. I am not allowed to say what they are at the moment but, yes, you will see more books by me.

Thanks, Alison! And thanks to all the readers and stitchers who joined our stitch-along!

I'm Feeling Lucky

Do you know about Petite Purls? It's a really nice online magazine devoted to publishing patterns for modern, stylish projects for babies and children, plus related articles and book and product reviews.  For their blog, they run a feature called Renaissance Moms in which they interview working mothers. And I'm the subject of today's post. Click here to check out the blog and the magazine and to read a short Q&A in which I answer questions about my background and my daily life as a working mom. When I see the words and photos together, I'm reminded of how lucky I am. Even though I struggle like everyone with day-to-day challenges, when I take a wider view, I see that I have a pretty good life.

SSSQ Quilt-Along with Kaffe--A Q&A with Kaffe and Liza

The SSSQ Quilt-Along with Kaffe Fassett is in full swing. Click here for full details, plus a free pattern from Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts to get you started. Join the SSSQ Quilt-Along group on Facebook here. 

Authors Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy are on board to provide inspiration, encouragement, and advice. Visit our blog the first Tuesday of every month for a special post from these superstar quilters. If you can't wait that long, check in on their blog tour for near-daily inspiration!

Today's post from Kaffe and Liza takes on the beginning stages of a project. Absorb their words of wisdom--then swap some of your own tips in the SSSQ Quilt-Along group forum.

Were any of your quilts inspired by something/somewhere interesting or unusual?

We are primarily inspired by traditional quilts. We don’t do reproductions but rather put a contemporary spin on old patterns. Some of our quilts are inspired by textiles that are not quilts: African wovens such as Kente cloth, Suzani textiles from the Central Asia, Kantha embroideries from India and Bangladesh.

The Haze Kilim quilt in Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts is a good example of what happens when we are inspired. Kaffe bought a simple kilim rug for his house in the late '70s. His first book on knitting included a design for a coat inspired by the rug, which was the first of Kaffe’s designs Liza knitted. Many years later, when she first proposed doing a quilt book with Kaffe, she attempted to make a version of the coat but failed, mostly because the fabrics available just didn’t work. Three books later she was still stubbornly holding onto the idea of doing that pattern. With Kaffe’s fabrics expanding in palette, it became possible. The pattern went from woven rug, to knitted coat, to quilt.

What is your favorite part of beginning a new quilt?

Color is always the most exciting part. Once we chose a pattern to try, usually a traditional one, going to the stash and beginning to build the palette is thrilling. It gets even better when we start to cut the fabric and place the cut pieces on a design wall to see how or if the color harmonizes.

What should beginners keep in mind when starting their first quilts? What might they find intimidating and how can they overcome that feeling?

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to cut well ironed fabric using a sharp blade and good rulers. We are not sticklers about perfect points and matching corners, but cutting well makes it possible to get very good piecing results. Practice rotary cutting until it becomes second nature!

When choosing a palette, beginners often choose too many different colors. Stick to just two colors to begin with and then expand from there. For example, choose red and green to make a quilt, then for reds, choose from the red family going to purple and almost orange; from green, do the same, going from teals to chartreuses. A good example of this would be the Floral Snowball quilt from Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts(image at right).

One absolute must is a design wall. We mock up everything on our design walls. We arrange and edit and rearrange a pattern for days until it is as perfect as we can make it. Using a reducing glass to view the composition is essential.

How do you record your inspiration for future quilts (i.e. photos, drawings, written notes, etc.)?

We toss ideas to develop in the future into a big plastic sleeve. The sleeve is full of pictures, sketches, and comments. Inspiration is everywhere.

To find out more about Kaffe Fassett's Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts, click here. For more inspiration, watch this thought- and, hopefully, quilt-provoking book trailer. For even more words of wisdom, reviews and show-and-tells from crafty bloggers, check out the blog tour.

Natalie Chanin Interviews BurdaStyle / Alabama Studio Style Contest Winner

We began the Alabama Studio Style blog tour with the launch of the Alabama Studio Style Inspiration Challenge over at BurdaStyle. We conclude with Natalie Chanin's interview with the grand-prize winner of the contest, Gina Sekelsky.

Inspired by Natalie's work, Gina created the amazing skirt shown here. Here's Gina's description: 

This is a simple A-line skirt, cut on the bias, from two layers of cotton knit: a putty color over black. I freehand painted a favorite quotation on the skirt, then used the techniques in Alabama Stitch Book for the reverse applique. I love to combine my handlettering with garment design—an experiment in embracing imperfection (especially when I sneezed on the skirt moments before taking the photos. Did you hear me screaming?).

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” --Howard Thurman

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest and the blog tour. Here's the interview:

Natalie: Gina, I love how seamlessly you incorporated your work with words and font styles into the piece that reflects our work at Alabama Chanin.  While the techniques are (in a way) simple, the final piece is very rich and complex.  I also enjoyed the story on your blog about how you ran out of thread and switched colors and then decided to switch back again.  What were you thinking about when you started the project?

Gina: Last fall I spent a Saturday with a very dear friend cutting out some sewing projects to work on in the future.  We both love sewing, and like to have a stockpile of projects ready to roll.  I guess that’s our version of a quilting bee–pinning, cutting, asking advice of each other.  I’d been wanting to combine my lettering with your reverse appliqué techniques for awhile, and was planning to try it on one of the skirts I cut out that day, but felt compelled to wait until the “right” words came along.  I spend a little too much time dwelling on why I’ve been given my specific set of gifts, and how I can use those gifts thoughtfully.  Dr. Thurman’s idea that being passionate, being alive is the best way to honor life really speaks to me.  I also think about how much time I have to create (aren’t we all pressed for time?), and I really want the things I make to be worthy of the time given to them. 

Natalie: I, too, am a great lover of fonts and words.  When did you start paying attention to them?

Gina: I like to credit Mrs. Larson, my 5^th-grade teacher.  I was a bit of a chatterbox in elementary school, and the punishment for talking out of turn was to write out our spelling words fifty times each.  I probably had that punishment just about every week!  I got bored with just writing the words as a list, so I used to draw outlines on the page and fill them in with the words–flowers, peace signs, typical 70s motifs. 

I grew up in a small  town in the Midwest and thought I had to choose a career with a name–teacher, doctor, lawyer.  When I moved to Minneapolis after college, I met my husband, Peter (an architect), and he introduced me to the design disciplines.  I spent some time studying architecture and interior design, but couldn’t find my groove.  When we decided to get married, I hand-lettered our wedding invitation.  Since then, I’ve put my hand lettering on just about anything that will stand still: walls, furniture, and a whole lot of paper [visit Gina's etsy shop here].  I am constantly inspired by other artists, and am so thankful that I can continue to generate ideas and create my art.

Natalie: My daughter LOVES rubberstamps and I would love to make some of her drawings into stamps.  Do you have any suggestions about how to do this?

Gina: Technology makes this so easy!  Black and white artwork translates the best, so you’re better off choosing art that doesn’t have shading or gray areas.  I use a wonderful company in nearby Iowa for my traditional red rubber stamps called Rubberstamps.net.  It is simply a matter of choosing from the many sizes available, scanning your artwork, and uploading it to their site.  I would be happy to help you!

Natalie: I really like your blog and especially adore this project:  42 Things About Me.  I wish that I had done something like this my whole life.  I feel like I know you through your writings but would you mind sharing 10 things that you think we should know about you that don’t come across in your blog?

Gina:

1.    I can’t answer a question without dishing up an anecdote on the side.

2.    My nickname at home is “the kitty.”  I label all my handmade clothes with “meow.”

3.    I am a morning person.

4.    I am thankful for every day I get to do this work I love.

5.    I hope I can keep doing it for a lot longer.

6.    “I invent nothing; I rediscover.”  Auguste Rodin

7.    I like ordinary days the best, when we’re holding hands around the dinner table and saying grace together.

8.    I feel content when my cupboards are full and the laundry is put away.

9.    Tomorrow I will think of ten different things I wish I’d written.

10. I am lucky to have had mentors.  I wonder how many people consider you a mentor?  (I do.)

Natalie: Is there something in particular that you would like to work on at our Weekend Workshop?

Gina: Have you heard of the book Style Statement?  It is a series of questions to help give your life some focus.  On the Fashion page, you’re asked to complete the following statement:  “If money were no object I would go out today and shop for…”  I remember quite clearly that I wrote “Alabama Chanin fall coat.” (Perhaps #11 above should be, “My eyes are bigger than my stomach.”)  Should I choose something small that would allow me to relax and enjoy others’ company?  Should I start a big project I can finish later?  Should I let someone else choose?  Do you have any favorites that were made at a Weekend Workshop?

Natalie: Everyone’s eyes are always bigger than their stomachs at our studio…the pitfall of the job– smile.  No worries, we will figure it out when you get there! Is there anything new coming up that we should know about?

Gina:I love sharing what I’ve learned.  I’ve taught handwriting locally, and have been working on a class for all the friends I’ve made online–actually two classes, one for those who want to improve their handwriting and one for those who want to embellish their handwriting.

Natalie: Thanks for sharing Gina. I'm looking forward to meeting you in Alabama!

Meet KnitKnit Author Sabrina Gschwandtner

The first time I met Sabrina Gschwandtner, the author of KnitKnit: Profiles and Projects from Knitting's New Wave and the founder of the zine KnitKnit, I was impressed by her intelligence, artistry, energy, and poise (and that she was wearing a pair of shoes from one of my favorite designers -- Cydwoq). She is currently touring in the United States and England (possibly in those shoes) and I hope you will go to meet her if she will be in your area. Click here to see her schedule, here to read her blog about the tour on MySpace, here to see a small gallery of photos from the book, and here to read a Q&A with her about the making of KnitKnit.