A New Year, A New...

Happy New Years, fibers friends!

I know I haven't been so up-to date about posting here lately- what with the Burrow Blog's regularity and my Lill St. duties. But that doesn't mean I haven't been making and thinking and pondering on my own. For those of you out there who are listening... I'm going to try to post more. A new year, a new commitment!

But before I share some of the stuff I've been making for myself around the studio, I'd like to highlight some art that's been up in my apartment(s) for the past few years. Recently, I've come to the realization that, in addition to being lovely images that bring beauty to my life, these three tarot cards by Corina Dross have become something of a daily meditation.

Protection From Heartbreak

Goodness knows the last few months haven't been my greatest where the heart is concerned. And despite my preternaturally mushy disposition, I now find myself identifying as a Nervous Romantic in stead of a Hopeless one. Or maybe... a Skittish Romantic. The Protection From Heartbreak card is a reminder to heal and to be open to new possibilities.

Protection From Those Who Love You

Some times it's the people that love you most are the ones who are able to hurt you the most- whether they mean to or not. I think it's something about making yourself vulnerable to the ones you're closest to. Instead of allowing myself to create barriers between myself and the people I love, I use this card to remind myself to be flexible and forgiving. And also to maintain kindness on the flip side of that: to remain mindful of my own ability to wound.

Protection From the Abyss

I would by lying if I didn't say that being unemployed hasn't been extremely hard on my self-confidence. I never thought of myself as the kind of person who identified themselves so heavily with their occupation. But that was until I had to consider the possibility of getting a job that had *shudder* nothing to do with textiles. (And as it turns out, not having any skills that aren't textiles related has prohibited me from getting any other jobs...) I make stuff, I make jokes, I make fun, I make myself happy, I make food, I make plants grow... but somehow I can't make enough money. And it hurts. I think it would be seductively easy to slip into the abyss of depression. This card reminds me to keep hoping.

Mantra, mantra, mantra. But somehow it helps.

Corina, a resident of West Philly, has been been working on creating a whole deck of tarot cards and although I would love to have the entire collection, some how I never saw my way to getting a hold on them. But these three images seemed to choose me. Maybe it's fate? Or maybe I'm just cheezy and sentimental. Either way, I have have become a daily part of my life and for that I am grateful.

Easy Messenger Bag Class at Lill St.

Hi everyone! Nora here; hoping you all had a lovely and relaxing holiday weekend!

Last week marked the end of my first Easy Messenger Bag class, with great success! Even though the class was only three weeks long, the students made some beautiful bags:

Mitzi opted for an upholstery weight flap with a satin exterior and matching fabric handle.

Inside, she has a large pocket on the front and a smaller pocket on the bag. So handy!

Jill got creative with her exterior pockets: each one sized for specific objects and closed with velcro. Her bag is made of corduroy and cotton with a web strap. Beautiful and functional!

I am thinking about proposing an advanced messenger bag class. It would cover basic construction as well as zippers, zip pockets, more velcro, buckles and adjustable straps. Would you guys be interested in that? If you, let me know in the comments or give the Lill St Front Desk a call. Bags from that class might look a little something like this:

(You know you want to make one...)

In the meantime: don't forget to sign up for my Sew Your Own Hooded Sweatshirt class! We'll be learning how to design, pattern and sew your very own hoodie. 'Tis the season for warm layers! See you all there!

Sometimes When I'm Down...

Sometimes life can get pretty rough. I've been a bit mopey lately what with the no job and the therefor having no money thing. But when I get down... there are a few things that I KNOW will make me feel better about the world. And one of them? Is wearing this sweater:

(Ripley also clearly loves this sweater!)

Other places to wear this sweater that make excellent disco sparkles?

The truck!
The studio!
In public!
The movies!

Oh, the list goes on and on.... Thanks, Salvation Army! And thanks to you, sparkly sweater of glory!

It Was Better On The Hellmouth

We watch a lot of tv here in The Burrow and the fortuitous mash up of this past weeks tv lineup had some enlightening comparisons. So, if you'd allow a little ranting from this angry nerd I'd like to take a moment to juxtapose two of my favorite shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Glee, and how they dealt with similar issues across the span of 12 years. In fact- there was a single episode of each show that so strikingly mirrored the other that I was PHYSICALLY UNABLE to not rant. (The episodes in question are Buffy's 2nd season's Phases and Glee's 2nd season's Never Been Kissed. *** SPOILER ALERT FOR BOTH SHOWS!***)

I'm not an academic but I am a queer person who loves pop culture and has been wishing and hoping for a show that has as many gay themes as Glee has. I was ecstatic with Kurt's first season coming out episode- especially with the way they are writing his father. As the second season progresses, however, I seem to find myself getting angrier and angrier after each episode.

But somehow I never leave Buffy feeling the same sense of betrayal and disappointment. Let's take a look at the episodes in question and the themes they share.

1.) Closeted Gay Bullies

Both shows feature bullies who, it turns out, are only acting out aggressively to cover their own closeted homosexuality. Both bullies eventually get confronted and end up outing themselves in different ways. Let's take a look:

(Yup, folks, that's a Thumbs Up.)

(Rape Kisssss!!!!! Not Okay!!!!)

Buffy's bully pulls this 24hr 180. The next time we see him he's picking up a girl's dropped schoolbooks and thanking Xander for helping him come to terms with the truth. Ok, so Xander's homophobia is kind of an issue but over all the episode has a positive message. Glee's bully freaks the fuck out, violates poor Kurt and continues being a jerk. Awesome.

2.) Inappropriate Kissing and How to Handle It

Willow wants to kiss Oz- secretly to make Xander jealous- but when she comes on to Oz, he turns her down. Articulately. In Glee? Neither Kurt or coach Beist has been kissed by someone they like. When they confide in Blaine and Mr. Schu respectively, the characters get different responses.

(Willow's face reads: "Wow, I'm so impressed with your able to articulate your feelings."*)

(Kurt's face reads: "Damnit, Blaine, I don't want a sandwich, you jerk. I want you to kiss me already.")

(Mr. Schu's face reads: "I'm gonna have to kiss this woman in order to keep her from quitting and leaving me terribly guilt ridden.")

Oz tells Willow that he wants their first kiss to be perfect- and he says it in a way that diffuses the situation and makes her feel wanted. I think Glee's images speak for themselves.

(*Okay, technically this scene is from the episode "Innocence" but still.)

3.) The Fight for Feminine Identity/Strength

Each show also highlights a female character who's femininity/strength is questioned. Glee's butch football coach, Beist, is made into an anti-sex symbol while Buffy is confronted by an uber-masculine hunter who vocally doubts her ability to defeat a roaming werewolf. (Yeah, the shows are a little different- but the comparisons hold!)

(Buffy beats the hunter's evil shotgun. Superman style.)

(Beist get's a hug. All better!)

After safely capturing the werewolf and proving her abilities, Buffy even gets a chance to show off her strength. Beist gets her femininity (and her JOB) handed back to her by an uncomfortably awkward Mr. Schu and a handful of jacket-clad, pop singing and dancing highschool boys. Uuuuuugh.

In the midst of the "It Get's Better Movement" we are calling on pop culture to help us provide queer youth with alternative images of sexuality and to give them hope for the future. But tv is not getting better. From what we have seen here, it's getting worse. We are too rushed to acclaim anything gay on tv that we often miss what's really going on. Yes, we have more gay characters on television than were available in Buffy's hayday. We had Ellen, we had Will and Grace and yes, we have Kurt. BUT- We need to be having new conversations- not worse and less nuanced versions of the conversations we were having more than 10 years ago. Was the Hellmouth in 1999 really that much better than Ohio is in 2010? Ouch.

10 Things You Can't Sew Without!

Hi Friends! Here's another blog post I did for the Lill St Textiles blog last week. Enjoy!

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There are a few things that, obviously, you can't sew without: fabric, a sewing machine, thread... But there are a few other tools and tricks that make a home sewing studio oh so much more functional. Here are my top 10 (additional) things you can't sew without:

1. Scissors

I have three pairs of scissors: Fabric Scissors, Craft/Paper scissors and snips. It might seem excessive to have so many but... I promise you, they're each useful for different actions.

2. Rulers/ Measuring Tools

Measuring tape: good for measuring the body and fabric that is longer than a normal ruler. Great for measuring anything flexible! Tailors ruler: good to keep by your sewing machine to measure small things like seam allowance. Large clear plastic ruler: Awesome for measuring on a grid and marking with a straight edge.

3. Self Healing Mat/ Rotary Blade

If you're ever sewing anything with straight edges, it's worth investing in one of these! Protects your tables and helps measure your fabric!

4. Fabric Markers

Pencils, Tailors Chalk, Marks-B-Gone... anything that let's you mark up your project in a non-permanent way.

5. Iron/Water

You can't sew without an iron and you can't iron without water!! Irons make everything you're working on look more professional and behave better.

6. Pins/ Needles

Lots of pins. I prefer the "quilting pin" (long body with a yellow plastic top) because they are super long and easy to grip. But any sewing pins will do. I also highly suggest keeping some hand needles around for detail or basting emergencies.

7. Seam Ripper

ESSENTIAL! Being able to take out seams and sew them again takes a lot of the unnecessary stress out of sewing.

8. Sketchbook/ Drawing Tools

Taking notes, drawing plans, remembering ideas for future projects.... Having a sketchbook handy is always a good idea.

9. Q-Tips

Cleaning your machine on a regular basis will help keep it running smoothly. Q-tips are the perfect tool for getting into those dusty little spaces behind your bobbin case, etc.

10. Music!

Because having fun in the studio is the most important part!

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Ok, so I wanted to keep the entry (fairly) short but the last two things I would suggest having in a studio are:

Extra Bobbins (keep them filled with standard colors for quick thread changes!)

Hand Sewing Needles (great for basting, finishing and tricky spots!)

Yay! Hope you all enjoyed my rambling... more housekeeping stuff on it's way, I promise!

(ps. also love how sometimes blogger only lets me type in italics. You really want me to mean this stuff, don't you, blogger? Grrrrrowl.)

Squiddy Squid vs. Sharky Shark

(This is a repost of a blog entry I did for the Lill St Textiles blog! Which you should probably read because the faculty members there are all awesome! Anyway- enjoy!)

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Halloween is right around the corner and, it being the high holy days of our home studio (The Burrow), my roommate and I have been hard at work creating our costumes!

I decided to multi-task and also prep for my upcoming Hoodie Class (look for it in the Early Winter schedule- available soon!), so the costumes are based on a basic pattern for a hooded sweatshirt. Loosely based:

Lucy's going to be a squid!


(People seem to really like how it turned out. Check out the squid costume on the web! On BoingBoing, Super Punch, and Lucy's flickr stream.)

I am going to be a Hammerhead Shark! My costume is based on the same sweatshirt pattern: with a few alterations...

Fins!

Oh man- these costumes are so cozy to wear! They're basically a hybrid between comfy sweatshirts and giant stuffed animals!

Sewing is awesome. Are any of you working on stellar halloween costumes? Let's see 'em!

Reflectivity is Magic!

New Products Up On My Etsy!

In what little time I've had in the studio I've been playing around with new designs and materials. Even though my sewing machine is less than stellar, having my own print table and the ability to burn screens at almost a moment's notice has changed the way I design bags. My newest material muse?

REFLECTIVE FABRIC!

Ohmygoodness it is so satisfying. Check out these new bag designs!

Bike Spoke Hip Zip

The hip zips are similar to my past hip zip designs but the front pocket is made of the reflective fabric... making the bag not only beautiful and functional but a safety device, too!

Fish Scale Hip Zip

The hang on your belt. They can be worn as a wristlet, they hold everything you need for a night on the town.

Lace Hip Zip

And, gosh-darnit, they just so pretty!

I even have a new shape: a cell phone case that hangs on your belt and is only big enough for your phone, id, credit card and a few bucks cash. Super streamline!

Bike Spoke Cell Phone Case

With my (unbelievably expensive) application to the Renegade Craft Fair officially filed, the next two months are going to be a balancing act between money making and crafting. (Not to mention trying to have a social life or making capital-A Art! And seriously?! When will I have time to finish Battlestar Gallactica?!) But I have to admit... I kind of love this kind of pressure.

Wish me luck! And buy my stuff so I can afford to make more of it!