The Last of Them.......

Laurel Burch died at the end of last year.  Here is a link to who she is:  http://laurelburch.com/about.html  

Several years ago I use to sell some of her bags whenever I would do a 'craft' show.  They were always a good seller.   Now I am de-stashing them.  I believe I have around 9 bags left.  They are great for knitting/fiber bags.... The ones I have are out of production and are now collectors items.  I need them out of the house.  Here is a link to a page with what I have.  http://DreamWoven.com/Burch2A.htm .  If you are interested, please let me know.

Art For Your Head - "Nouveau Riche"

Please meet Art For Your Head "Nouveau Riche".   She is a new ensemble.... hat/wrap along with neckwarmer.  Soft, soft, soft.......wool and alpaca, needlefelted with a gorgeous merino.  She will be available here:  
DreamWoven.Etsy.com 
Please click below for more pictures.
 

I've been working on this.....

Here's my progression on the "Josephine" Top.... I am doing it in an incredible shade of indigo blue. I am using Hempton by "Hemp for Knitting" which is a combination of cotton, hemp and modal. It is soft and the drape on this is going to be beautiful.

and here is a taste of one of my new Art For Your Head hats......................

and here are three patterns i am carrying in the DreamWovenSupplies.etsy.com shop (along with the yarn to make any of them. I think my next one will be the 'all over lace' top.

Where Do You Draw The Line?

Where is do you draw the line between what is embellishment and art in the Handmade world? A musing on this subject, using Etsy as my jumping off point.

In selling on Etsy I've seen some really incredible, artistic items from inspired artists and artisans, as well as some poorly conceived, and even more poorly executed items.

Under Etsy's Selling FAQs, it reads: "What items can I sell on Etsy? You can sell anything that is handmade or, a bit more loosely put, hand-assembled or hand-altered. For example, screen-printed shirts are OK. A custom-built computer is OK, as long as you're making the case and not buying prefab. Furniture is OK as long as it's nothing mass-produced (yes, you can use power tools to build it). If your human hands put some love into the object, odds are you can sell it on Etsy."

I do especially love the line " If your human hands put some love into the object, odds are you can sell it on Etsy."

Talk about nebulous at its finest :) I'm not very concerned about the selling/buying aspect of this on Etsy, but my concern is more regarding the 'idea of handmade' and what actually constitutes 'handmade', which may or may not be what Etsy is about.

If i were to sew a line of sequins or doodads on to an existing t-shirt, or put rivets or grommets or studs or some squigglies made out of yarn on a pre-made t-shirt, this would be considered 'handmade' on Etsy. Under the Etsy FAQs, if I write a letter... it is considered handmade. If I sew a button on something, it is considered handmade.... if i shear a sheep, card the wool, spin it and needlefelt it into a hat, it is considered handmade, if I use oil paints and do a painting, it is considered handmade, if I take a t-shirt and cut the sleeves off or hotglue a bow to a pair of flip flops, under Etsy's FAQs, it is considered handmade.....but.... there is a bit of difference between these things....don't you think?

Everything that is done with your 'hands' can be considered 'handmade' on Etsy. Are there no other distinctions made by Etsy? Where is the line drawn between 'art' and 'embellishment"? Is all embellishment considered handmade 'art'?

If you are creating a drawing which you are then printing on a base (t-shirt), the 'art' or imo, 'handmade' is the drawing. The t-shirt simply becomes the canvas. To me this is very different than sewing a line of sequins on a t-shirt. no??

There are zillions of things you can do with sequins..... and some of those things I would consider 'embellishment' and some of them would definitely fall under the category of 'art'. I would be very hesitant to place the sewing of a line of sequins on a t-shirt in the same category as someone who has designed something and uses sequins in that design on a t-shirt. ... and to then to throw them both into the same category of 'handmade' ...... kind of makes me feel quesy.

There is/has to be a determining point between 'art' and 'decoration'.... which will of course reflect on what is considered 'handmade'. I'm glad I dont have to make that decision on Etsy, tho if i were making that decision, it would be easy for me....personally.

Enjoyable Work By:

A must see artist... YUKO SHIMIZU Currently featured in Communication Arts magazine (May/June 2008 issue).... use the link below and make sure you look at some of her illustrations...quite a few of them have fiber related (yarn especially) themes running through them. A great combination when paired with a good sense of humour and a talent for drawing.

[ Originally created for alphabet book project later published as a large size poster insert for Yen Magazine of Australia (accepted into American Illustration 24) Yuko Shimizu ©2005 all rights reserved]

http://www.yukoart.com/news/index.html

Yesterday a top was started....

So yesterday I started a summer top for myself... yes.... we will try to follow another pattern.  (anyone that has been reading me know that this, 'the following a pattern' , is truly a challenge for me!   I've chosen The Josephine Top by Deborah Newton that appeared in the Interweave Knits Summer 2007 issue.
  Here's what it looks like... 
 I appreciate this style.....loose but fitting.... I am doing it in HEMPTON (30% hemp/30%modal/40%cotton)  by Hemp For Knitting/LanaKnits in an Indigo Blue.....  pretty pretty stuff.  I will keep you appraised.

oh.. .and the Pistachio AND Espresso CASHMEREcanapa yarn sold yesterday.... i have ordered more in Pistachio, Espresso and Cristallo Blue and a couple of patterns.  This will get into the supply shop upon arrival along with some other goodies.

Two Places...........

Two very cool things:

1.  I received an email yesterday morning that I am on someones blog.  Not just any ole someones blog, but someone I admire and who's things i covet   Her writing is incredible, she covers a lot of subjects, she has had an interesting life so far.... anyway.... come see her site....and make sure you check out her previous posts.   RAYELA'S FIBER FOCUS

2.  I received an email this morning that I am on the front page of TalentDataBase.com