printing elbow and much more.....

my elbow is killing me. i can only think that it's from a print job i did for a local church here. 200 shirts in one day all by myself, woe is me (it took me a couple tries to spell woe).

in other news, i'd like to share the process in which i make new screenprints. as you know they are mostly if not 100% inspired by my surroundings and in keeping with that here is the story about building houndstooth:
i really love the houndstooth pattern. i have a pair of flip flops from reef that are houndstooth patterened and they rocked, super rocked. but one of them broke......le sigh.
so i created a new pattern, it's houndstooth but the shape for the pattern is made from this picture of the dayton towers building in my town of rockaway:

so from here i used my trusty computer to create a houndstooth design and cut it out from a spot on the picture:

the next step was to take this and turn it into a pattern:

after that i printed it out on transparency film, and used the film to create a screen, which i used to screenprint this design onto my fabric and then i sewed my fingers to the bone to create bags like these:

and that's that!

rest your pretty little head

i had a lunch meeting with my business manager (aka my bff since kindergarten) complete with arroz con pollo lovingly made by her mom. we decided i need to simplify things a little. taking on too much is making things confusing for me. there are some super women who can work, cook, clean, make stuff, run a small business, etc. without losing it - not to say i've lost it - but i need to maybe be a little less complicated with my offerings for the time being.

as anyone who has been reading this smut may be aware. besides sewing, i also have an affection towards screenprinting, so lets smash the two together to produce some items that are useful and pleasing to look at.

starting with throw pillows, maybe not the most original idea, but too bad cause i like them, so whatev. it's like having a little piece of artwork on your couch.

this is my first attempt, a screenprint of and old school train with the atomsmasher from playland in the background. printed on a handsewn pillowcase i made with unbleached cotton canvas.

stay tuned for more designs and shopping details.

hessler ave bag revamp

i wanted to make a new design for a bag, plus i also wanted to make my mom a christmas present. when i asked her if she wanted a tote bag she was kinda like 'ehhhh' so i took that as my opportunity to make her something a little less utilitarian. she's had enough of those tote bags she lugs around full of yarn, files, lunch, and who the heck knows what else.

so here it is. the hessler ave bag new and improved and cute as a damn button.

it has my signature scribble stitching, a zipper closure, two inner pockets, it's made with used seatbelts, organic cotton, and bamboo fabric. i better send it out christmas is thursday!

i also got her some hemp face cream from the body shop and my dad some hemp foot cream for his feetsies so they are supple and soft like pillows.

handmadecavalcade was GREAT!

it may look like i was bored but that is far from the truth. thanks to the amazing efforts of my truely talented and dedicated teammates of the {newnew} we had so many shoppers at the cavalcade, it was great.

i forgot my table, Kristen from Cakehouse and her bro Ben saved my day! i was still setting up when the shoppers started arriving.

the shoppers came in waves , they were all very nice i have to say. It was so exciting for me to share my love of rockaway with people who don't really know much about it and to also spike people's memories who used to spend summer's there. even better than that was debuing (is that a word?) my new handbags that i have been working so hard on over the past months.

Thank you Lisa of Fubabee for the pic!

maple syrup

this weekend we went to VT.

however i did not remember to get some maple syrup, and i'm running low here in rockaway.

it may have been cause i was busy sewing new handbags. i used some organic twill i ordered and repurposed seatbelts. i really really like the size, the rivets, the feel, they are comfortable to carry too. back to work, well right after i watch kitchen nightmares on bbc.

changes

just woke up from a thanksgiving coma. although i think it was the wine that did me in last night. like that episode of seinfeld where he "doses" this chick with turkey and wine so he can play with her vintage toys.
after dinner we tried to go out to the bar and whoop it up a little. i ended up going home to pass out on the couch.
so needless to say i'm up first and while laying around i realized that i didnt yet post my new bag! i've made changes tot he broome street bag. it's bee a real learning experience.
i'm trying to make my bags as classic as i can while being eco-friendly.
this bag has repurposed seatbelts that i bought from the junkyard near my house. i cleaned them like crazy i can't get over how shiny they are!

workin hard

where should i start? for about 2 months i have been working so hard to come up with a pattern for a bag that i really like, that is simple, that is practical and has a great shape. it was worth the blood sweat & tears i think. its really big - 10" w x 8.5" long with a 4" gusset, 2 deep pockets, and you can open the flap from either side or it is totally removeable. i used really sweet ass heavy duty snaps. i hope you like it!