THINGS I HAVE BUILT LATELY

I started this project awhile ago, and finished it awhile ago too, but I thought I'd share it here now.

I try to stay out of my studio on weekends if I can help it. Working from home and basically being here all the time means it's really important to have a distinct divide between work time/space and home. Still, I'm hardly idle most weekends and lately R and I have found ourselves continuing work on our home which ever slowly comes together, piece by piece. Just after Christmas we caught a serious building bug and started making a lot of the furniture we'd been needing, and never finding, since we moved here. R built a multi-functional desk, a bookshelf and a wall shelf for his little studio and I started planning a kitchen table, something I've been wanting for months now.

I don't know that this is my dream table - I think only a huge mid-century wood & metal industrial piece would fit that bill - however I'm very happy with the results of the table we made and pleased too with the construction which uses only drill holes and dowling pegs. I wanted something light and delicate, modern but still kindof shabby chic and I wanted it to seat 6 (not that we have 6 chairs). I fake-limed the whole thing with a thinned down pale grey acrylic and topped it with with a layer of butchers block oil. I still struggle with whether to paint the base and legs black but for the time being I think I'm going to leave it as is. We decided to finish it off with these Tobias chairs from Ikea just to keep the whole thing feeling weightless and airy.

Speaking of Ikea, we also decided to purchase a little wooden island to replace the ugly monster counter you can see here that existed when we moved in. It's really helped to open up the kitchen and make the whole space more inviting.

Still high on my list of priorities are sewing some slip covers for furniture (I'm gonna buy a cowhide!), inventing some sort of livingroom lighting solution and getting more of our art out of storage and into frames.

Slowly, slowly it is becoming a home we love.

BRAIDS

I've been braiding a lot lately, in my down time. I find it meditative and satisfying; it keeps my hands busy and I like creating something kindof beautiful out of something so simple. Something from nothing. I like the near infinite variation of style and process and I like doing something that doesn't make me think too hard.

I'm not sure yet what these will turn into but I do know that the next set of items I put in my shop (late February *I hope*) will feature braids in one form or another. I already have one project in mind.

PROGRESS...

....Of a sort, arguably. Bodice is now up to 45 pattern pieces and I'm about to embark on what I hope is the last mock-up before my final sample. Witness also my love of scotch tape, seriously, these people should be sponsoring me.

What a mess.

JANUARY 18

WILDTHING

Bodice as tribal mask? Why not.

Sometimes I want to make art again.

SUCKER FOR PUNISHMENT

.....'Cause who wouldn't want to sew a bodice with 34 pattern pieces??

For anyone who knows what I'm talking about, this is a very good example of 'minding your notches'.

MORE PHOTOS OF THINGS THAT ARE EXCITING ONLY TO ME

I bought some fabric last week. I'd kindof been hemming and hawing over the decision since before Christmas but I was feeling in high spirits this past Friday and decided to just go ahead and do it. Not quite an impulse buy then....right?

Anyway, the fabric arrived this week and I now have these two beautiful bolts sitting in my studio just waiting for a finished pattern. On the left is a beeeeeeautiful Italian wool/cotton blend I fell in love with the moment I saw. The right is a Spanish knit that has the feel and appearance of angora sheepskin....gorgeous.

Both will become coats for my Fall 2011 collection, I'm so excited.

SUEDE, SUEDE, LEATHER, SUEDE ETC.

Leather is quickly becoming my favorite material to work with. It's so forgiving, and inspiring, and interesting to play around with. Before I know it I'll have a whole new wardrobe filled entirely with leather garments - which is going to suck during hot Montreal summers.

Why did it take me so long to embrace the beauty of this fantastic material? It's all I want in life.

So, yeah, I went leather shopping yesterday and (in addition to a heavy black cowhide for Fall samples) came away with two beautiful new suede skins, a dark, desaturated indigo and a pale, muted blue-grey. I simply couldn't pass them up. Then in the afternoon I cut scarves, one of my favorite things to do because it takes a lot of time, but not a lot of thought, leaving me free to watch Top Chef while I work (oh, the hardships of the self-employed).

I've just added the finished pieces to Etsy too, how's THAT for fast fashion?

That's all for today.

THE LAST TABARD

Ok! I've just posted my very last wool tabard up on Etsy. This one is made from a different wool than the previous grey and navy versions. This fabric is a slightly finer weave with a smoother texture and it's darker in colour too, more of a charcoal grey. The fabric falls slightly heavier as well so the drape is marginally different.

Like I said, this is the last tabard of the season, though I still hope to make some up in silk for Spring. If you just happened to want a grey wool one though, now is your *last* chance.

....AND I'M BACK!

Better late than never, right?

So basically this is what happened...Puces Pop was good, busy, crazy, then I hopped a plane back home to visit with family and friends for the holidays. Ate endlessly, saw only about half the people I'd hoped to, and discovered a distinct fondness for boggle - seriously, what an awesome game. Hopped a red-eye back to "new" home, walked in the door and collapsed for two days. Ate a lot and bought a leopard skin coat. Accidentally slept through New Year's eve and missed the party I'd planned on going to. Also missed the chance to show off my new coat. Watched the new Star Trek movie and slowly worked my way through the Judd Apatow repertoire. Re-read Lord of the Rings (in progress). Generally flexed my nerd muscle.

Then, this past Monday, I got back to work. Cleaned up the studio and made some calls. Organized my patterns, sent off some packages and started thinking about all the stuff I have to do, which in turn kept me up all night. But now I'm starting to feel in the swing of things again and the next two days are going to be fantastically productive, so I tell myself.

Anyway, I just posted a couple more items on etsy today: two scarves, a bag and a pair of special order gloves. I'm also hoping to post my very last tabard online later this evening - It's like I'm actually working!! So if you're looking for a little diversion tonight, go check out my shop, because your diversion is my livelihood, which keeps me from slacking, and that's what makes the world go round, or something.

Suede Fringed Scarves, $40 each (I want to make more of these so if you have a special request by all means let me know)

Calfskin Bucket Tote Sample, $65