Preparations are in the final stages for a weekend of vending events for Mountain Ash Design. Get your apron-inspired wrap skirts in Norwich and Boston. Don't forget: Sashes are made from vintage and recycled fabrics, mostly button-down shirts I source from local thrift stores. Trimming below the sash are shirt collars and cuffs. Skirts are made from new designer fabrics. All skirts are one of a kind, just like you.

I've really been enjoying my recent time in the studio and have many new one of a kind skirts to offer this weekend. Locals can find me at the Norwich Farmer Market tomorrow from 10-1 in Tracy Hall.

Bostonians can find me at the Cabin Fever Indie Craft Fair on Sunday.
I'm excited to try out my new super sturdy collapsible racks. Figuring out how to fit it all into my 7' x 7' allocated space at Cabin Fever.


Not sure where my awesome new mirror will fit in. Richard built me a handy easel to hold it at just the right angle and height.

The MAD stall at these shows will include a traveling winter clearance department! Featuring winter weight skirts in three lengths, plus super summery lovelies for your upcoming warm climate vacation. Like the Waldorf-inspired rounded corners on my signs?

Can't make it to Norwich or Boston? Visit my online shop any time of the day or night (find a coupon code on the front page of this here blog). I'm listing new items regularly so check back often.

Shake off those mid-winter blues with a trip to the Cabin Fever Show in Boston on February 13th. I'm planning my sale rack for the show as I write this. You can get a jump on that by visiting the Clearance section of my Etsy shop right now. Get an additional 9% off any item by using the coupon code BLOG09 at check out. Just a little something to say, "Thanks for checking in," to my blog readers. Happy Winter!

sweater chop shop

Greeting from snowy Vermont!

I am here to report on the build-your-own-sweater workshop I took at Crispina's with my friend, Noelle Horsfield, this past Saturday.

At this time of year when production demands have loosened up a bit and skirt and apron making are not keeping me creatively satisfied, I get to explore other mediums during my R&R time. I still seem to be drawn to textiles projects, but I am branching out.

Crispina ffrench walked us through the process of deconstructing several felted wool sweaters and constructing the pieces into a brand new one-of-a-kind unique one. Here's mine, made from parts of five sweaters that were no longer terribly stylish or useful:

I didn't actually finish it until Monday morning. The person in our day-long class of 10 who finished hers first, and before class time was over at that, had never sewn a stitch before in her life. Here she is wearing her finished warm cozy with Crispina in one of hers.

Other than the recycling element which I really dig, one of the aspects of this project that I enjoyed was hand-sewing the entire thing. I love to use line as a design element and I had fun choosing a yarn color that really popped against the subdued wool fabric of the sweater.

During much of the time I was stitching, especially when I was back home, I kept thinking about Wylie Sofia Garcia's work. She's a couture installation and performance artist in Burlington. I love her work and the hand stitching is a big part of what I love about it. She has the most amazing project going on right now involving dresses that evolve daily. Check it out here.

Some other in-progress creations by workshop participants:

This blue one is Noelle's. Visit her website for some wonderful visual treats. She's a cut paper artist with a wonderful way with color and inspiring subject matter.

Next up: Weaving class. I'm going to attempt to make a rag rug stair runner like the one that my grandmother made that ran up the stairs from her kitchen to "the long chamber" upstairs.

Time Out New York

I am starting to catch up on a few things after a busy end of 2011 and a little break thereafter and have some things to report. My trip to New York with Kelly McMahon of May Day Studio for the BUST Craftacular last month garnered some online press (oxymoron?). Time Out New York's online fashion + style correspondents conducted a little interview with me and snapped some pictures. My skirts (okay, and me, my outfit, my no-regrets tattoo, my super cool wrist cuff made from an Iowa license plate by Aaron Stein of Revival Studio, etc.) comprise the last three photos of their rather brief "Street Fashions" slide show. Check it out by clicking here.

Handmade Holiday Festival Part 3: Fiber Arts Junky

Happy New Year to all! I've been saving this post for the eve of my return to Alchemy Initiative, this time for a Crispina ffrench workshop this Saturday. Here's Crispina at the Handmade Holiday Festival, wearing one of her signature sweaters and the MAD skirt she acquired at Twist in November.

At her stall full of sweaters, xmas stockings, potholder rugs and wool scrap wreaths, Crispina's sister, Sofie, inspects the skirt. I had to buy one of those wreaths. Every year I am always late getting an evergreen wreath on my door. Problem solved. And the trees whose branches I'm not going to be cutting off in future - well, I think I solved their problem, too.

Let's get a better look at what Sophie is wearing. It is a Crispina sweater - a hand sewn composite of parts of various felted wool sweaters that were no longer very useful or appealing on their own. I don't know if Crispina made it for her or if Sophie made it herself under Crispina's instruction. Either way, it's cool! And suits her so well. It is just such a sweater-making instructional event I am attending on Saturday. I'm very excited.

More handmade attire. The folks at Alchemy Initiative came up with a brilliant way to repurpose t-shirts into useful aprons. Just right for those people who want something soft and fun, but not too "pretty" to freely wipe their hands on. I watched the truffle-maker whose stall was next to mine buy this Elmo apron right off of this volunteer.

Another Alchemy Initiative t-shirt apron worn by co-founder and painter Diane Firtell, who created the trademark image of the bell tower for AI. Her studio is in the church basement and I hope to see her again when I'm there for the workshop.

I am such a fiber arts junky. At the HHF I kept going to visit Christine Fromm's booth three down from mine (pictured here wearing her own creation), which was also full of repurposed sweaters. She makes the most beautifully finished skirts, dresses, hats, capes and more. They are stunning. This photo does not do justice to her work.

Hey, speaking of what people are wearing, here's Suzi Banks Baum of Fe-Mail wearing her MAD skirt. I loaned her my grandmother's red petticoat for the day to keep the skirt from sticking to her black jeans. I have found it's good to have such things on hand at a show.


No group of posts about the HHF would be complete without my home-state pals Moe and Matt of Recycle Moe. We spent a lot of off hours together when in Pittsfield for this show, enjoying food together, comparing consumer xmas philosophies and sharing stories of thrift store scores. In keeping with the fiber arts theme of this post, I would like to tell you that Moe makes those cute birds from recycled sweaters (there are plenty to go around, folks) and Matt crocheted his hat. In fact, I can't think of when I have ever seen the top of his head. Stay warm, everyone!

Handmade Holiday Festival, Part 2: The Wares

Here are some up-close photos of some of the wonderful and unique products that were for offer at last weekend's Handmade Holiday Festival at Alchemy Initiative in Pittsfield. Above, hand stitched dolls by Claire Fox.


Imagine my happy surprise when I found my own Richard's paper in the work of my new pal, Suzi Banks Baum and her creative partner, Karen Arp-Sandel of Fe-Mail.

Knives are not usually my thing but these were right across from my stall. Amazing materials and craftsmanship.

These great little paper collages are so much like quilts and so much like fish scales. They were made by Ellie Kreischer, (below, on the right) of Winged Rabbit Designs.

Ellie was one of my close neighbors at the show and I bought good from her right away (shhh - stocking stuffers). She and her friends Alison and Emily were such great company, during the show and after hours at the Red Lion Inn ("the Den"?).

Birch bark and twisted, burly wood lamps by Warren at Roots and Rust.


These hand dyes, spun, & knit hats by Linda Clayton of Lulu Knits were even more amazing live and in 3D.

Doria Polinger of BiscuitsBones had these cute rag dolls and and animals at her stall and also a variety of truffles that satisfied by chocolate needs on Saturday afternoon.

Text is necessarily rather brief on this post. I'm taking a short break from finishing up skirts for Thursday's Upcycled Fashion Show at ECHO in Burlington. I'll try to come back later and add the links.

Handmade Holiday Festival, Part I: Scarves

Every new show is an adventure for me. This weekend I was in Pittsfield, MA for the amazing Handmade Holiday Festival. As I kept telling the locals who rolled their eyes when I said I felt like Suzi Muppet from the farm visiting Sesame Street, I have to drive many hours to reach this much pavement!

In continuing my series on Craft Fair Couture I had fun snapping photos of vending artists. This is Michael Vincent Bushy, MVB Printmaker and bookbinder.

One of the clear style trends of the weekend was artfully worn wraps to keep necks warm in this inspiring and unique venue. The festival took place at Alchemy Initiative, which is housed in an old church in downtown Pittsfield. It looks like this post is going to have a duel focus: scarves on artists and church as craft fair venue.


There were a few young couples running booths together at the festival. This is Molly and Aurel of Moho Designs. Note the stained glass windows behind them. Their women's line is quite elegant, and their underwear would bring anyone a chuckle and get the localvores nodding and smiling.

The show started on Saturday morning with a silent auction to raise money to help restore the church's beautiful windows and other Alchemy Initiative projects. Pews can be purchased to support the same ends. To get one call 413-236-9600 or contact them online.

Wendy Akroyd of Artemesia staying warm in her boot cut leg warmers (great over clogs) and similar what-you-need for your arms & hands. All her beautifully crafted goods are repurposed from cast off sweaters.

The view directly in front of my booth. I did not get their card but their work was lovely in a Martha Stewart kind of way. I managed to score a little pot of paperwhite bulbs with catkins twigs and moss packed around the base before they sold out. I always need to have these around during the holidays. They bring back fond memories from my childhood. Each year my dad had a secret project in his basement workshop of planting a pot or two of paperwhites in wide shallow bowls. They would appear under the tree on Christmas morning and were always a delightful and a surprise.

Pretty cute, huh? This is Stephanie Iverson before her jewelry display (Sundance would love her work). She knows how to rock plaid against black. In fact, even after a few friends tried to steer her towards prints, she bought a solid black MAD skirt with red plaid sash.

There's the view from the stage facing the back of the church, with my racks of skirts and aprons and Winged Rabbit (to be included in an upcoming post) up front. A big thank you to all of my new customers, all the very welcoming AI people and friendly vendors, to Crispina and Suzi for wearing their MAD skirts (stay tuned for pics), and to Moe and Matt for being my family for the weekend. I hope to return soon for more Alchemy Initiative adventures!

Stuck in Vermont

I got Stuck in Vermont at the Women's Festival of Crafts! Check out the resulting video by VT State Treasure, videographer Eva Sollberger. If you watch all the way to the end you can hear me talking about my grandmother (by biggest influence) during the closing credits.

Click here to watch the video (it's only 5 minutes long). Or possibly here.

Also, this just in: I got a call today to come join the team of artisans at the Handmade Holiday Festival at Alchemy Initiative in Pittsfield, MA this weekend. I am so excited to be part of an event produced by this inspiring collective.

Craft Fair Couture: Women's Fest O' Crafts

Inspired by the creatively dressed artists at my last show, I present the first of what might be a regular series, Craft Fair Couture: artist in their creative attire in front of their vending displays.


Whatcha got in yer boot pocket, Claudia? She made the hoodie tunic, cool obi and little sweater cape that she's wearing via Claudia Venon Designs.



Our fearless leader, Megan Humphrey of Sweet Basil Cards wrapped in a beautiful teal shawl.

Kacey Grasso-Freel of Subsixstudios in lovely layers, including hat by Red Thread, cargo apron by Mountain Ash Design plus necklaces and earrings by Subsixstudios.

Rachel Laundon in her one of a kind appliqued jeans.

Terry Zigmund of Burlington Community Glass Studio. This outfit is all about the shoes. ...but that picture didn't turn out so... Actually, it's also all about this rad shirt and necklace.

Upcycled Fashions star designer of central Vermont: Janice Lloyd of Red Thread Studio. She made that skirt - and more below!

Genius painter Jess Graham in her Red Thread hat. Last year it seemed like half the vendors bought them.

The always attractively attired Jennifer Kahn. Dig the belt.

Fellow seamstress Emily Riesenfeld of Red Clover Handmade in her Red Thread skirt with hennaed hand by Rebecca Freedner of Heartfire Henna.

This outfit is also all about the shoes. Joanne Kalisz of Happy Fantastic Designs.

Susan Luce of Luce Creations rocks her vintage crocheted sweater.