A few weeks back, when New York was at the blustery beginning of a mid-February snow storm, I made my way down to Kenneth D. King‘s cozy sewing studio near Union Square. Some of you may know Kenneth from his Craftsy Jean-ius! class (as I did), or from his Threads articles, or his many couture sewing classes held around the country. I was visiting Kenneth on this chilly afternoon to chat about the art of fit, a subject in which I have a keen interest, but less-than-perfect skills. Kenneth is an expert, you see, and just finished filming a three-part DVD series  for Threads called “Smart Fitting with Kenneth D. King,” which should be available toward the end of April.

Kenneth is a natural showman, which I knew from watching his Craftsy course, and I was delighted to find that he’s just as funny and engaging in person—and on tape, which makes for a great podcast guest. Kenneth and I discussed everything from sewing for Barbie (where he got his start), to how to perfect fit (practice!  and a sewing “fit” buddy!), to getting the right dress form.

If you’re interested in becoming better at fitting, this is a great episode to catch. And if you’re enjoying these episodes, please throw Thread Cult a bone by giving her a positive rating on iTunes. The podcast is the #1 fashion & beauty podcast this week (yay!), and more good ratings and reviews will help the ‘cast reach more people!

Happy listening!

Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe in iTunes!

Notes:

Dress Design: Draping and Flat Pattern Making, by Marion S. Hillhouse and Evelyn A. Mansfield

The American Sewing Guild

“Fit for Everyone” by Kenneth D. King. Sew removable covers to make your dress form work for multiple figures. Threads, July 2012

Kenneth’s newest creative endeavor, an autobiographical novel, All Grown Up: A Friendship in Three Acts. 

I have a soft spot for Scandinavian textiles, so it’s no surprise that I love the work of the designer Lotta Jansdotter. Since I first spotted one of her screen printed pillows in a San Francisco gift shop in the early aughts, and later her sewing and printing books, I’ve followed her work, sheepishly thinking I should really take one of her workshops. Well, as I’ve mentioned before, Thread Cult is a great excuse for me to track down designers and makers that I admire.

Last week, Lotta and I sat down in her bright, cozy Brooklyn work studio to talk about what’s been inspiring her lately, and she filled me in on several awesome new lines of her products (fabric! rugs! melamine picnic ware!) she has coming out this spring. After spending a good hour in the studio, I wanted to rush home to make my sewing nook just as beautiful as Lotta’s work space. Alas, I think that would be a tall order, as you’ll see in the images below, by the photographer Evi Abeler.

A consistent theme I’ve found in the interviews I’ve done for the show is how creative people can make a life and a living for themselves. I was struck by this talking with Lotta, as well as with Audrey Louise Reynolds for last week’s show, and my guest for next week’s show, the couture sewing expert Kenneth D. King. I find it very inspiring. I hope you do, too.

Happy listening!

Episode #9 Lotta Jansdotter’s Scandinavian Style

Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe in iTunes!

Notes:

Lotta Jansdotter Simple Sewing

Lotta Prints

Lotta Jansdotter Simple Sewing for Baby

Windham Fabrics

QuiltCon

Creativebug

I’m a big fan of natural color, and lately I’ve been trying to learn more about using natural dyes and fibers in my sewing. Perhaps it’s because I’ve got a baby on the way, but using less toxic everything has become more and more important to me. It’s not surprising, then, that when I happened upon a New York Times article last week that mentioned  Audrey Louise Reynolds, a natural fabric dyer based in Red Hook, Brooklyn — who collaborates with the the clothing company Elder Statesman, which recently won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize — I had to know more.

Luckily, Audrey was interested in my nascent podcast, so we set up a blind date. Gulp. Don’t you get nervous meeting people you don’t know? Well, I had nothing to worry about. Audrey is, in a word, Awesome. We met for lunch at her boyfriend’s restaurant (Frankies Spuntino…also very Awesome), then we headed down to her Red Hook house, which is still under renovations after Hurricane Sandy rudely flooded her basement work studio and first floor in October.

Comfortably seated at her kitchen table, her labrador Sadie shuffling behind us, Audrey opened up about collaborating with designers, working in high fashion, styling movies, her recent performance piece/show at the New Museum, and, of course, creating dyes from the raw stuff Mother Nature gave us. Her company, ALR Dyeing, will soon come out with a new product line of kid-friendly crayons, dyes, and molding clay (all made with natural, even edible, ingredients), so I’m thinking I need to grab some for when ‘lil Thunder Baby is ready to play.

If you also have the natural dye bug, make sure and listen to the Thread Cult episode on starting a natural dye garden.

Below are a few snapshots of our afternoon, along with some images of Audrey’s recent collaborations.

Happy Listening!

 Frozen dye batch in Audrey’s Red Hook backyard.

A stack of inspiration.

Photos of dresses by Cheryl Dunn. Courtesy of Wendy Nichol.

Audrey collaborated with Wendy Nichol for these dresses and leather tote. Clockwise from top left: Audrey used roses, teas, and earths to achieve the mauve tone of the floor-length coat, and charcoal, mica, flowers, and indigo for the floor-length dress. For the leather tote, Audrey did an ocean imprint by coating the bottom of the bag with indigo, then laying the bag on the shoreline and allowing a wave to spread the dye. The blue dress, at bottom, was dyed with indigo. Items available at Wendy Nichol.

Photo courtesy of Elder Statesman.

In this collaboration with Elder Statesman, Audrey dip dyed  a cashmere sweater (already knitted with black palm trees) in a dye made from indigo and charcoal (for the top) and another of carbon and charcoal (for the bottom). (Some of Audrey’s newest work with Elder Statesman will help kick off Fashion Week tomorrow.)

Episode #8: Color Wizardry with Audrey Louise Reynolds

Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe in iTunes!

Notes:

Frankies Spuntino

No. 6 Store

Jack and Diane

Dyes in History and Archeology, by Jo Kirby

Indigo in the Arab World, by Jenny Balfour-Paul

Fruits

Kiss of the Damned

She’s Crafty show at The New Museum

Daniel McMahon (photographer; great series at Audrey’s Red Hook house)

Unified Field Collective

Audrey’s hand-dyed bags for Unified Field Collective

Venus of Willendorf 

Kremer Pigments

Thread Cult episode on the Sewing Seeds Project

Textile Arts Center

Reiki

One of the fun parts about doing this podcast is that it gives me a license to ask a lot of questions, and to seek out subjects and people I’ve been curious about. This week was no exception, as I chatted with Sarah Spies, director of vendor relations for the Renegade Craft Fair. I happening upon the first Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn back in 2005, and since then it seems the indie craft movement has exploded with artists and designers utilizing Etsy and craft fairs across the country to start small businesses.

As someone who’s toyed with the idea of taking my hobby to the next level, I’m always curious about how other people make it work. (And not like Fred Armisen making jewelry on Portlandia…if you haven’t watched this sketch, you must!) In this episode, Sarah and I chat about the growth of the indie craft movement (it’s gotten so big now that the likes of Anthropologie and West Elm troll craft booths for wholesale orders), starting a crafts business, and tips for getting into Renegade (hints: a sleek website and proven sales record).

So, if you’re also curious about getting a crafts business started (or toying with the idea of selling at craft fairs), this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Renegade will be posting their lineup of application deadlines for upcoming spring and summer fairs, and I’ll post that when it’s up (probably tomorrow).

Happy listening!

Episode #7: She’s Crafty! Inside the Renegade Craft Fair

Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe in iTunes!

Outro: Jardins du Luxembourg, by Jahzzar

Photoshopped quilt sketch

A few weeks back, Mr. Fish and I did a studio visit with an artist friend of ours. I’m not an artist (or, at least, not a fine arts/visual artist…that’s Mr. Fish’s department), and I haven’t done many studio visits. At first, I was really nervous about having something to say about the art (was I going to sound stupid with my lack of art history knowledge?), but once I got to our friend’s studio, I found that I couldn’t shut up. One of the reasons for this—the ice breaker, if you will—is that along with her fine art, this friend happens to be a very skilled textile artist (an artform I feel more at ease talking about).

Hanging in the back of her studio was a beautiful quilt in progress, which she’d been commissioned to make. In fact, she called it a “bed painting.” The quilt was made of hundreds of thin rectangles set in a jagged, abstract pattern, reminiscent of a cityscape. It immediately reminded me of the Gee’s Bend quilts, which I’ve lusted after for a few years, and when I mentioned this to our friend, she pointed out a book of Gee’s Bend quilts sitting on her desk. These quilts were made with whatever the women of this community had on hand— old clothes, old bedding, and other scraps—and they’re absolutely stunning.

Lately, I’ve felt a little restricted making anything for ‘lil Thunder baby, because we’re not finding out the gender. But looking at our friend’s quilt, and the Gee’s Bend book, I decided I could make my own little bed painting—which, by definition, would be gender neutral. I mean, just because you use pink in a painting, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a female painting, right?

This weekend, I dug out 4-year’s worth of scraps I’ve been hoarding and arranged them in a color wheel.

Since most of these scraps are from clothes I’ve made for myself, there are a lot of florals, reds, oranges, and some denim. I started ironing the pieces, and pulled out the ones that attracted me most.

Hum…overwhelmingly red, orange, purple, cream, and….girly? Whatever. As long as I keep the design abstract, I think I can make it work. I started trolling the web for inspiration, collecting a  Pinterest board of images of abstract, modern-looking quilts by the Gee’s Bend ladies and Denyse Schmidt, and I’ve even been dipping  into some of the work of  Anni Albers, a textile artist I wasn’t familiar with until our artist friend mentioned her at the aforementioned studio visit.

I was going to sketch out my design ideas on paper, but then decided Photoshop seemed like a nice option, as Mr. Fish can help me actually insert images of fabrics into the virtual quilt blocks.

Of course, now I’m kind of falling in love with the idea of just having big black or solid-colored quilt blocks on a white background, but maybe that’s just because of my Photoshop sketches. At any rate, sketching my ideas out electronically has been fun, and now I’m eager to insert some images of my fabrics into the “quilt blocks” to get a hint of how my little one’s bed painting might work.

For you quilters out there, have you ever made a baby quilt when you didn’t know the gender? Any advice? And how do you go about planning out your quilt blocks? I’m also curious if anyone has good suggestions for the best batting. I’ve used cotton batting from Purl Soho before, which was lovely, but would love to know if there are other good sources.

Susan showing her fine work at Mood’s lace class in October.

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with Susan Khalje. Some of you may know her from her Craftsy course, or her couture sewing school in Baltimore, or her Threads articles, or her books on sewing bridalwear and linen. Ater taking a class on sewing lace with Susan at Mood, I knew I wanted to interview her for Thread Cult. Not only is she a wealth of information about couture sewing techniques, but she’s just a lovely, elegant person with a great sense of humor and I knew she’d be great on tape (or should I say MP3? Somehow, that doesn’t have the same ring!).

Little did I know that the timing for this interview would coincide with an exciting new venture for Susan: A new series of web-based sewing classes for all of us gals (and guys?) who want the nitty gritty on couture techniques. (I won’t reveal too much here, but can you say “Hello cocktail dress class!?”)

Beyond these new classes, we had a great time chatting about everything from sewing women’s dreams (yes, bridal gowns!) to learning some of Madame Grès’s sculptural folding techniques straight from one of the last living employees of the iconic designer’s Parisian workroom.

Susan and I chatted via Skype, which I’ve been learning is a little glitchy. So apologies for the slightly “tinny” quality of the recording (and for any rough sounding edits). Otherwise, the interview is chock-full of interesting tidbits that I think any seamstress, sewist, or sewer will enjoy.

Happily, Thread Cult is creeping up the Beauty & Fashion podcast chart on iTunes. If you like the show, please subscribe on iTunes and give ‘er a rating! It will help the show reach more sewing pepes:)

Happy listening!

Thread Cult, Episode #6: Susan Khalje Dreams of Couture

Subscribe in a reader

Notes from Episode #6:

Fitting and Pattern Alteration: A Multi-Method Approach to the Art of Style Selection, Fitting, and Alteration

Mendel Goldberg

B & J Fabrics

Mood Fabrics

Bretix Fabrics

A Fabric Place

Soooo……

I’ve got some big news. That’s right, big news right there in my lower belly. For some reason, I’ve been a little shy about posting about my pregnancy. I guess I wanted to make sure everything was going well before, you know, releasing that info into the wild. Thankfully, everything is going just peachy and I’m over halfway to my due date in early June. Mr. Fish and I are psyched, in awe, and a little bit frightened of this little being we have started calling Thunder Baby, because of his or her (we’re leaving it a surprise!) thunderous little heartbeat.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I thought I’d be all about sewing maternity clothing, but between moving in August, booking some good freelance gigs, and the inevitable fatigue of growing another human, most of my free, energetic time has been devoted to starting my podcast. I did, however, sew this jersey grey-and-white animal print skirt/dress with my growing belly in mind. It’s based off of this lovely number. It can be worn as a skirt, with a wide folded band (like up top), or as a dress (and, in my case, as a nightgown).

Basically, it’s just a wide gathered skirt, with a big band for the waist/bodice. I can’t seem to get enough of it. It’s my version of a mou mou, and has saved me from that dangerous slide into wearing sweatpants nonstop. It’s an evil truth that sweats are just a step away from Mom Jeans. As my sister likes to quote, “You’re not a woman anymore, you’re a mom!”

On that note, me and my big belly are off to edit the most recent episode of Thread Cult, a great interview with couture sewing expert Susan Khalje. She gave me the skinny on sewing women’s dreams (bridal gowns!),  fabric shopping in Paris, and an exciting new venture she’s got brewing for all of us who want to sharpen our couture skills at home. Stay tuned.

I’ve never considered myself a hard-core fashionista, nor much of a follower of specific designers, but when it comes to looking at pretty dresses I’m a certified geek. Like most sewers out there, I could spend far too much time examining a well-made garment, trying to learn the secrets of its construction. This was partially why I was excited to visit  the Museum at FIT‘s newest show, Fashion and Technology, up through May 8th, which includes a number of beautiful garments from famous designers. The other reason is that I’m a science and science fiction nerd, and the beautiful, futuristic creations in this exhibit—particularly the more recent clothes—appeal to that part of my brain.

Last week, I got to sit down with the curators of the show, Emma McClendon and Ariele Elia, two young and whip-smart fashion historians. We chatted about how fashion and clothing construction have changed since the industrial revolution, and how new inventions—such as 3D printing, wired clothes, and fabric made from bacteria (um, how sci-fi is that?)—might change what we wear in the future. You can hear our interview on episode #5 of Thread Cult, linked below and also available on iTunes.

Speaking of iTunes, this week Thread Cult was listed as a New & Notable podcast under both the Arts and Fashion & Beauty sections of iTunes! I don’t usually shamelessly promote, but I guess there’s always a time and place. If you like the show, it’d be great if you would rate or give it a review on iTunes, which will help more listeners find it!

Happy listening!

Thread Cult, Episode #5: Fashion and Technology

Subscribe in a reader

Some of my favorite garments from the show:

Simon Thorogood designed this duchess satin dress in 1997, inspired by the look of pilotless aircrafts (drones). I love the hood and the white cut-out in the front. I could easily see myself lounging in a knit version, although the silk is stunning.

In the mid 80′s, Marc Audibet collaborated with Dupont to develop a fabric made from Lycra and silk. The result? Essentially jersey knit. I love Audibet’s elegant use of jersey here. It reminds me of something out of the middle ages, but I could also see a bride wearing it in white.

This little round circuit board on the left was one of my surprise favorites of the show. It’s called a LilyPad Arduino, which essentially allows you to wire your clothing to do different tasks (power lights, play music, etc.). It was developed by Leah Buechley, a professor at M.I.T., and only costs $21. You can hear more about what you can do with it on the podcast!

Show notes:

Hussein Chalayan

Claire McCardell

Andre Courrege

Louise Grey

Mandy Coon

Marc Audibet

Cute Circuit

Twitter Dress

The Fifth Element opera singer

Simon Thorogood

MoMA show, Inventing Abstraction

Susan Lee’s bacteria fabric

LilyPad Arduino

Leah Buechley

Sparkfun

FIT Design Membership

Intro:  fordhahm_nonnanonna, written and recorded by FakeShamus

Outro: Human Technology, by UV Protection

A little over a year ago, I ran across the website for Spoonflower, a North Carolina-based company that’ll print anything you want on fabric. In some ways, this discovery was a minor dream come true for me, as I’ve lusted after so many vintage textiles over the years that I’ve longed to recreate for my own projects (not that I would steal someone else’s design…just, you know, modify!). Mr. Fish and I collaborated on the apron up top , a bear-skull-and-palm-tree camo print he designed from one of his pictures, and that I had made into fabric at Spoonflower and sewed into an apron (which I later sold on Etsy).

When I knew I was going to start my podcast, I thought immediately of interviewing Stephen Fraser, the co-founder of Spoonflower, who I’d met at a BurdaStyle party last year. Not only was I interested in how Spoonflower started, but I wanted to know how Stephen and his team run a small textile manufacturing business domestically in a time when most textiles (and everything else!) are produced across the globe.

In this episode of Thread Cult, Stephen and I chat about all of the above, including Spoonflower’s newest venture into making custom wallpaper and wall decals. I’ve seen some of this decor popping up around the internet lately. I particularly love  Heather Ross’s prints for kids’ rooms, examples of which you can see on her blog.

Also, you can now subscribe to Thread Cult on iTunes! So if you want these ‘casts delivered straight to your devices, subscribe:)

Hope you enjoy!

Episode #4: The Story Behind Spoonflower

Subscribe in a reader

Links:

Lulu

North Carolina State College of Textiles

Sammyk’s shop on Spoonflower

Timeless Treasures Fabrics

Salt Labs

Ponoko (3-D printing)

Shapeways (3-D printing)

Intro:  fordhahm_nonnanonna, written and recorded by FakeShamus

Outro: Trompe, written and recorded by The Accommodators 

Christmas has come and gone, and another year passes without me completing a single sewing project for my husband. Sound familiar? Perhaps you too struggle with a similar, nagging guilt over not stitching your sweetie something fabulous. (Or, maybe you’re one of those bionic people who can whip out a perfect button-up in no time, in which case I congratulate (*hate*) you!)

For this third episode of Thread Cult, I teamed up with the fabulous Oonaballoona to explore the elusive question of why it’s so dang hard to sew for our significant others. We took a tour of Mood Fabrics with the knowledgeable and immensely likeable Josh (burning a swatch up top), who schooled us on men’s shirting fabrics and how to tell a poly from a rayon.

Oona gets the inside scoop on all things jersey.

In the span of an hour, Oona went from sewing her man a pimpin’ 70′s button-up to a Banana Republic-worthy jersey pullover to an exotic guayabera, and I finally figured out why I like Japanese cotton sooooo much.

Josh, our Mood salesman, also sells men’s shirts on Etsy, under the name Pseuphoric—a nice cheat for us ladies who might want to skip the heartache of stitching for our men. I like the cuffs and placket details on this one.

Hope you’re having a marvelous holiday.

Happy listening!

Episode #3: Sewing for Your Sweetie

 Subscribe in a reader

Notes from episode #3:

Mood Fabrics

Mood Sewing Network

Twill

Cotton sateen

Japanese cotton

Chambray

Light linen

Italian shirting

Belgian linen

Put this On [episode about how a shirt should fit]

[Put this On podcast on how a shirt should fit]

Clio & Phineas

Puu’s Door of Time

Intro:  fordhahm_nonnanonna, written and recorded by FakeShamus

Outro: Mama’s Gonna Give You Love, by Emily Wells