New season, new look and new website for Make Your Mark Studio

Get back to making in our new look studio We have been over the summer creating a new look website, refreshing the studio to provide more room for students and creating fun and exciting classes with you in mind. The Dressmaking Bee returns on Wednesdays beginning Sept 18th. Kick your week-ends off with our Friday night Stitch-Ins. We begin at 6pm with a technique workshop. From 7 to 9pm the studio is open for you to work on anything textile related while enjoying the company of other makers. Got a large project that you can't seem to get the time of space to tackle? Join us for a Sewcation Oct 5th and 6th. New this semester are a pattern drafting service and Have a Fit! sessions to help you make the most of your sewing time. And that is just the beginning! New classes are being developed through out the year. Registration buttons are up on the website or if you prefer you can drop by the studio. Studio hours are Tuesday to Friday, noon to 4pm, by appointment or chance. There could be a class or consultation in progress. Please email or call to be sure I'm available. I will be in Wednesday the 11th and Thursday the 19th from 6 to 8pm should you prefer to register in person. I look forward to welcoming you! Your chair is waiting! Alison   Facebook Twitter Website

What's On in July at Make Your Mark Studio

Less than a week until Art on the Street! If you haven't been out to this annual celebration of all that's awesome about downtown Guelph, then this is the year to change that. Bigger than ever, with some 90 booths, it looks to be a great show. Come find me in Booth 67, right on the doorstep of my good friends at All Strung Out on Saturday, July 13, from 10am to 5pm. On display will be my electronic cases (including new sizes for the Kobo Mini and Blackberry Q10 and Z10), three styles of knitting bags, and gorgeous scarf kits in Liberty of London fabric from Bee Modern Fabric and Yarn. My reusable shopping bags and crocheted snack totes will be at Flour Barrel from Monday, July 8, through Saturday, July 13, as part of Art in the Shops. There's still plenty of time to make yourself something fabulous to wear this summer at Make Your Mark Studio. We have the Flat-lined A-line Skirt class on Saturday, July 20, and the Scarf Edging Series Tuesdays July 16, 23 and 30. Samples for both will be on display at Art on the Street. Have a project of your own in mind? There are four weeks of the Dressmaking Bee remaining before we wrap for the summer. Space is still available in both the afternoon and evening groups. Classes will begin again after Labour Day. Sign-up for the newsletter to be the first to hear about what we're planning for fall.

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Make Your Mark Studio at Waterloo Mini Maker Faire - Saturday, June 15th

I am thrilled to be part of the inaugural Waterloo Mini Makers Faire hosted by the amazing folks at Kwartzlab.
 
"It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning. Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community."


And it is right next door (at Kitchener City Hall) a week from Saturday (June 15th, 10am to 6pm). In the booth you will find samples for upcoming classes and my range of special purpose bags and totes. In honour of it being International Knit in Public Day, I'll be launching a new knitting bag design at the show. We are also adding a couple of dates for introductory level classes to the schedule.

Tell your friends! Bring your friends! It's going to be so much fun. Hope to see you there!

New Venture - Come help us celebrate!

Getting back to sewing

Like many of you, I had a busy time preparing for the holiday season and am slowly (very slowly...) recovering from it. A colourful mound of prints arrived over the weekend and have been duly washed, folded and added to my stash. Just today a parcel of Vogue patterns arrived (gotta love those Boxing Week sales!). Time to get busy, I think. The upcoming classes at Triangle Sewing Centre may be just the thing to jump-start your return to sewing.

On Monday 21st we have a Seam Finishes Workshop. This is "old world techniques for the modern sewist." No fancy machine required! If you can sew a straight line, the inside of your garment can look just as good as the outside AND the garment will wear better and last longer. What's not to love about that? Learn how to make french seams, mock french seams, flat-felled seams, Hong Kong finish and bound seams. You will go home with a lovely mat to sit under your machine, protect your table and act as that ever-important memory aid for future projects.

And yes, the machine pictured can do all those seam finishes! Her name is Daisy and Santa Sally kindly arrange for her to come live at my house. Kweeee!!!

The following week, Monday 28th, we have the Bag Techniques Workshop. I've designed a special bag for this workshop to pack as many of the tricks and tips as possible into just one bag. Suitable for toting toiletries to the gym or on vacation, you have a choice of making it in denim with a print lining or using the print on the outside and lining it with canvas. Like all my bags, both versions are machine washable.

As the calendar flips over to February, we have a new session of the Dressmaking Bee, beginning on the 4th. So it's time to pull out those projects you put aside for the holidays and make yourself something fabulous! Contact Triangle Sewing Centre to register.

Rainy weather getting you thinking about holiday projects?

Then there a couple classes coming up that might be just the thing to get you started!

smaller version

This coming Saturday, Nov 3rd from 10:00 until 1:00 (note the time change from the earlier published date!)  I'll be at Greenwood Quiltery guiding students through Amy Butler's Market Tote. Available in two sizes, this open top, square tote is great for lugging all sorts of things around. As with most of Amy's patterns, the proportions and design are awesome, the method of construction well.. less than awesome. So I'll share the changes I made to ensure you are delighted with the finished bag.

Interior

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have another session of the Dressmaking Bee starting on Monday, November 5th at Triangle Sewing Centre. 10 hours of instruction on a project of your choosing over 4 weeks.  Both afternoon 1:00 to 3:30 and evening 6:30 to 9:00 slots are available!

And due to a family emergency we have rescheduled the Zipper Workshop at Triangle for Saturday, Nov 10th 10:00 to 3:00pm. Polished and professional looking zippers can be a challenge for sewists so we have put together an expanded workshop covering five popular zipper insertion methods in five hours. Join us for the classic centered zipper, my favourite the invisible zipper, the very elegant offset zipper, the of the moment exposed zipper (showing up in surprising places in ready to wear but also the workhorse for bags and outerwear) and for those very special projects a hand picked zipper. And rather than a pile of samples we are turning your work into throw pillows. Great for freshening up your decor or for gift giving.

Call the stores to register!
Greenwood Quiltery 519-822-2790
Triangle Sewing Centre 519-822-9910

Bought a tent!

And survived my first outdoor show unscathed so there will be more of those over the summer.  Please check back here for updates.  In the meantime, some photos from the Handmade Market May 12th and 13th in sunny Beamsville.

Long overdue update from sunny Guelph

As most of my followers know, Tom, the cats and I relocated to Guelph this year. (And yes we did acquire a fourth cat during the move.) It has been a very busy time, getting our living space comfortable, setting up our office and studio and learning about our new community. We love it here! The arts community is so supportive and the opportunities that have come my way in the short time we have been here are nothing short of shocking.

I am continuing to teach at Bee Modern Yarn and Fabrics. We have added knitting and crochet to the schedule. Monique and Heide are so much fun to work with, and the shop sooo lovely, that if you have not been to check it out or seen the new yarn room you really must make the trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

I am also teaching at Triangle Sewing Centre here in Guelph. Classes are going well and we are working on the schedule for March through September. Do drop me a note if there is something you would like added to the calendar.

My jewellery and scarves are available at the Guelph Artisans shop in Old Quebec Street mall. I'm typically in the shop on a Thursday afternoon if you wish to see what I've been up to or just drop in for a chat.


And I've been working on a new line of special purpose totes, bags and cases. First out of the gate are cases and cozies for apples of every kind - from MacBook to iPad to Granny Smith.


At a recent show the latter sold so well that I had to resort to a handwritten note.


More of the same will be appearing shortly in a revitalized Etsy shop.

Hope all is well with you and yours and that you find time during this busy season to enjoy each other's company.

Holiday 2010 Show Dates

I've been working on retail orders and getting ready for Holiday Shows. You can see my latest work at:

The Handmade Market
Good Earth Food and Wine Co., Beamsville
Saturday and Sunday, November 27th and 28th

SpeakEasy Holiday Sale
Gladstone Hotel, Queen West, Toronto
Thursday, December 2nd

Movies & Makers
Fox Theatre, The Beaches, Toronto
Saturday, December 4th

All three shows are artisan run so please do help us get the word out. With the wonderful vendors that are participating, I'm looking forward to doing some Christmas shopping myself.

And of course I've had help in the shipping department....

I put fresh tissue in the box before sending it out. I do, however, think lavender is quite fetching on Ms. Samantha.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Now there is a question. And it is a question I get fairly often. Particularly from design students. Particularly when showing my wool pieces. On Saturday I kicked off my 2010/11 wool collection at Art of Fashion during Nuit Blanche and yes I got the question again. This time it caught me off guard so I fumbled about a bit.


Then today I came across this Seth Godin quote on Scoutie Girl's blog (fab blog btw!)
"If you’re managing a project, figure out what the scarce resource is (it’s not usually money). Climbing Everest? It’s warmth and weight you care about, not how much the sleeping bag costs.
 Scarcity creates value." And that got me thinking about what is the scarce resource I am offering through my work. This is what I came up with.

I like colour and I like clean, tidy lines and geometric shapes and I love texture and natural materials. From this starting point, I look at the way women dress today, especially as life gets fuller and busier. I think they need something easy to throw on with classic, quality basics that expresses something about them. I know I do. Something that pleases them and tells others that this is an interesting and vibrant woman at first glance. And I hope that is what I have created - fun, interesting and easy to wear pieces.

Because little girls roll down hills,

they need special occasion dresses that are hard wearing and allow little girls to be little girls. So, I've created three styles of party dresses that are, pretty, age-appropriate and (moms are you listening?) machine washable. What could be better for a flower girl? These dresses made from 100% cotton are comfortable to wear and easy to care for. All three styles have a bow and are just waiting to be twirled in. Available through About a Bride in Niagara-on-the-Lake, they will be on display at the upcoming Niagara Bridal Show, September 12th, noon to 5:00 at Club Italia, Niagara Falls.


Rose is the classic little girl dress, with a trim bodice, full skirt and short sleeves. It buttons at the back and has a wide waist sash. To make the experience of being in your wedding party all the more special for the flower girl, she can choose the contrast trim for the dress.

The dress is fully lined and features french seams and bias finished edges.

Daisy is a racer-back dress, with a raised waist and A-line skirt. Again the contrast edging can be chosen by the bride or the flower girl.

Fully lined, it closes with an invisible zip and snap at the side seam.

Flora is a sleeveless shift dress with extra fullness in the back. In eyelet with a contrast lining, it has a vintage feel.

The keyhole closure features a button and fabric loop.

The dresses are available in white, cream and soft pastels. A fitting is included in the price of the dress. These dresses will delight bride, flower girl and mom since they are feminine and sensible, just as we hope the wearer grows up to be.

How I spent my summer

Notice I didn't call it a summer holiday? It has been a very busy summer to say the least. From our first show under the "Who Knew?" banner in late April through to the dog days of August, I've been stitching up a storm. My necklaces and bracelets have been selling well at the Angie Strauss Gallery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Dressmaking clients have been keeping me busy with pretty summer dresses and stunning (if I do say so myself) evening gowns. And I've been working on a new bridal collection. Ellen Steen of About a Bride in Niagara-on-the-Lake is carrying these exclusive designs, including jewellery, wraps and flower girl dresses. The bridal collection will be on view at the Niagara Bridal Show, September 12 at Club Italia in Niagara Falls. Expect to hear and see more of these collections here as we move into the prime wedding planning seasons of fall and winter.

Much to my relief, the trees in Niagara are showing a hint of autumn. Wahoo! Those of you who know me well know that my ability to be polite about being really uncomfortably hot runs out just as ragweed season begins. Bring on the frost! With that in mind, I'm taking out the wool felt again. My helper and I had a photo session yesterday in the backyard, so expect to see new listings on Etsy in the coming weeks!

That Little Something Necklaces

Okay, hands up everyone with a solid colour wardrobe. You are not alone. Many of us have pushed prints to the back of the closet or left them on the sales rack in an effort to look professional, elegant and modern. And now, many women have no idea how to put colours together. I see and hear about this often when doing wardrobe consultations. So, while our mothers and grandmothers could pull all the colours for an ensemble from a print, that isn't an option for many women today. And you want to look pulled together and interesting. So what do you do? Well these necklaces are just the thing to get you started.

Designed to sit just inside the collar or neck edge of your shirt they add colour and interest. As for what colour you should have - if you like it - buy it. Odds are it will go with what you have on. It really is that simple!


Retailing at $50 these necklaces make a lovely gift for Mother's Day.


Available in bright, muted and neutral colourways, these easy to wear necklaces close with a sterling silver toggle clasp. The feature beads are glass, stone or ceramic. Plus sizes are available and custom requests are welcome.

And in the run-up to Mother's Day I've made a made a few for little girls - scaled to fit and with a magnetic closure. Because every woman regardless of age likes to feel special and pretty!

Light as Air Felt Necklaces

When summer comes along, I know I often get dressed and think "well, that is boring" yet can't bring myself to put on a statement piece of jewellery because I'm just too hot and the jewellery is too heavy. These necklaces have been designed to address that very situation.

They are lightweight yet have visual presence. They are completely metal free and slide easily over your head. The motifs are cut by hand. The glass, shell and pottery beads and felt are securely stitched with a strong silk thread.

Available in three motifs at present (circles, diamonds and flowers) they come in a variety of colours. They are just the thing to give jeans and a t-shirt that little bit of polish to show you made an effort.







Versatile enough to be worn year round, they retail for $45. They do co-ordinate with my line of scarves and wraps. Custom sets and sizing are available.

Bonus post for today!

Thought you might all enjoy seeing my studio and my 'helper'. Meet Oscar - climber of desks and bookcases, batter of beads and pens, chewer of plastic bags and wires and the most enthusiastic chaser of an etsy button you are ever likely to meet!

Bracelets for those who get dressed alone

Putting on a bracelet can be a very frustrating experience if you don't have anyone to help you. Not a problem with these lovely pieces! The closure is a freakishly strong magnet. While not recommended for anyone that has a pacemaker, the magnetic closure is slim, discreet, secure and so easy to manage.






Just wrap the bracelet around your wrist and click - you are good to go!

These bracelets co-ordinate with the tassel necklaces. They retail for $42 making a lovely set for $90. Custom sizing is available, although very small bracelets may require some design changes.