AlterNation

Just read this article on the new rise of thrift stores in a depressed economy. See? Mom was right. (Well, my mom, anyway). You don’t need to pay retail for quality fashion.

Coming soon — photos of Xan’s fantastic creations for an opera company here in Cleveland.

In February 2007 I interviewed Kerrie Allman of Sew Hip. (You can read that post here).

In a few days from now, they’re launching a print edition of the online magazine and you can see previews here. The magazine’s blog, here, has info about this issue’s contributors.

Way to go, Kerrie, Lou and Manda! Congrats!

(And if you’re a knitter, don’t miss Yarn Forward, their knitting mag).

(via CRAFTzine)

(From my favorite website, nataliedee.com)

Here’s a fun new pattern from Xan for a Men’s Tie Purse — these were incredibly popular at the shows we’ve done this year — now you can make your own! $6, downloadable multipage PDF with full color photo illustrations for how-to.

Check out this list of online resources if you don’t have a fabric store near you that stocks eco-chic-friendly fabrics. I have to say that knit bamboo jersey is just about my favorite lightweight fabric these days in shirts and dresses — drape-y, soft, easy to wear. It even wicks heat away from your body, which is a total plus when it’s humid like today.

And speaking of knit + bamboo, my latest book, Alt Fiber, which deals with soy, bamboo and all kinds of other cool plant-based yarns, just came out. If you’re interested in how these fibers are made and where they come from, you might want to check it out.

AlterNation was mentioned in a lengthy (and interesting) article on AlterNet recently. I particularly enjoyed this quote:

The DIY movement wants you to make stuff. The DIY movement is huge, and sometimes it’s charming and sometimes it’s annoying and it is an anti-mass-production insurrection, a cuddly-soft revolt whose arsenal is crochet hooks, needles and glue guns. It is active in an all-too-passive age. It is a revolution against dehumanization in a programmed, processed world, and Doing It Yourself declares the self.

Xan came out to visit the high school apprentices I’ve been teaching for the past six weeks and we had a brilliant time (photos to come soon) — she showed off some of her work, we talked about artistic influences, about the thrift store design challenge my apprentices had completed — all really interesting stuff. It’s so exciting to see how quickly they took to the design possibilities inherent in renovating existing pieces.

Yay! Congrats to Xan on a fantastic piece in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (our hometown paper) — In AlterNation Shannon Okey and Alexandra Underhill share their creative secrets. Scans to come — of course my mother came and raided my newspapers the day this came out!

With both Xan and Shannon selling on Etsy.com, you never know what we’ll post. Xan’s got the corset skirt from the cover image for sale right now… click the photo to be taken to its page. Also, see the Shop page for more from both of us.

My Fat Quarters Yukata Jacket is in CRAFT magazine issue 7, on page 68. If you’re a digital subscriber, you can find it at that link.

That’s my friend Arabella modeling. If you show up needing a photo taken of your latest painting on a day I have my camera and also need of a model, chances are good I’m going to make you put on whatever it is!

The jacket is made of a base grey/black layer and then several fat quarters of various black and white fabrics are used on the trim, including an elastic band across the back and a looped fabric chain closure. It’s great for using up all kinds of different fabric scraps you may have stashed away — you could even make the base yukata patchwork style, that would be very cool.

Also, spotted online, some good news for Texas stitchers — check out the latest stitch lounge on the scene: Sew Crafty Houston!