Blinking Light Gallery

I've got some sweet aprons and more for sale at the Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield, Vermont. Stop by when you are in town to eat at Positive Pie, The River Run, or visiting your funky mid-Vermont-dwelling friends.

Someone recently told me these are called "hostess aprons." Well, that does rather go along with comments made by some of the older ladies I meet at outdoor markets that they are "too nice" to use as an apron. Maybe that's why most of them have sold to young women visiting from New York City and Boston. (They never say they are "too nice") This pink gingham one is made from the remains of a sheet I bought to back a quilt many years ago. Vintage green/yellow shirt collar, new designer fabric depicting Mexican folk masks, and a stripe at the bottom and pocket of a wonderful vintage bamboo fabric given to me by my 85-year-old neighbor, Betty. She says is was her mother's curtains, but it must be very high quality, because it doesn't feel nearly that old. I would have guessed circa late 1960s. But I suppose her mother could have still been around then...

Classic cherrys print apron: I cut the skirt fabric on the bias. I often like to do that with plaids or stripes or other vertical prints to give it a bit more energy and interest. Recycled blue/green/turquoise button-down collar, and the waistband is new designer fabric that's a great reproduction (or at least inspired by) of a 1930's kitchen calico. Actually, I bought enough to make my new kitchen curtains out of it. Before that my kitchen curtain where the kittens and fishies on the pillows below, and before that they were the cherrys on yellow/white plaid in this apron.

This black and white fabric was a hippy skirt I got at a thrift shop or rummage sale or something. Can't recall the exact source. I think it sets off this wonderful blue/green vintage watercolor-y floral print very nicely. Orange collar from a linen Anne Taylor sportswear shirt from the early 1990s.
















And here's the gallery. You can see it from Route 2 just over the rise at, what else, the blinking light. There is currently a cool show up of welded steel sculpture and colorful paintings on canvas, plus all the member work. Pictures of my display are below: 4-Way-Entry Bags, HotHolders, and hostess aprons, plus a basket of pillows, all in the fiber section, as you can see.




I think this is one of my best aprons. {I'm sorry the pics are so dark. You won't be able to get the magic color combination unless you see it in person. I think my old digital camera is on it's last legs.} The skirt fabric is a bright red, almost orange, with a China doll-pagoda-carriage-lantern print in black, yellow, blue and pink. I inherited this from my mom's fabric collection. She bought it in the 1980s, I think, and never made anything out of it. I've had it for years, waiting for just the right application. When I started making these aprons, this fabric finally found it's calling. I had enough to make three - the other two have different collars and waistbands. One went to a new home in NYC, one is here at the Blinking Light Gallery, and one was getting a serious eye-balling by my LA cousin, Julie, when she saw it in Maine last month. She bought loads of HotHolders and a 4-Way-Entry Bag instead. The trim on this one is a light turquoise button down collar and some new 1940s style nursery fabric. I got these bubble-headed little gamboling fawns on lavender in a pack of vintage reproduction prints and I had a total aversion to it until I put it in combination with this red skirt and turquoise collar. Somehow it just works and now I like it.

Birds of a Feather show

I have some wall art at the 10th Anniversary Show at the Northeast Kingdom Artisan's Guild (NEKAG) in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Look for the purple awning on Railroad Street. (HotHolders and pillows by Mountain Ash Design are also for sale there.)
The show is up only until October 3rd, which suddenly seems not very far away, especially since we had a good frost last night. As my daughter said when I woke her up for school this morning, "Time to eat some Brussels sprouts." Richard already harvested some a couple of weeks ago, but our friend Carl Demro said he was waiting until after a frost to harvest his. "They just don't taste right to me until after a frost." Tradition? Special frosty sweetness? We shall see.

Anyhow, the creature on the sidewalk above with the lovely blond hair is my 12 year old son. Entire hair coloring industries were developed so women could chemically achieve what he has naturally, and he doesn't even care. (of course) And he has those long boy eye lashes, too. He does care that it's long, only because he doesn't like haircuts, I think. He's totally oblivious about trends, Z-Boys, etc., but definitely knows he's out of the mainstream after the daily feedback he got at school last year. This year my kids go the the Wellspring School in Chelsea, VT and whattya know, there are several boys with long hair there. It's one of the norms. http://www.wellspringwaldorfschool.org/

But this blog is supposed to be about my art. Okay, got a little sidetracked there. So I make a little wall art every now and then. These two pieces are currently at NEKAG in the Birds of a Feather member show celebrating the Guild's tenth anniversary. The top one is called "Plains Riders" and is about 18 inches square and features a piece of this wonderful western vintage barkcloth that I've had for almost 20 years. I used some of it for HotHolders last year and they immediately sold out. The colors are so rich, as is the texture and the images are great. I only have smaller pieces left, so I'm going to have to do more of these fabric collages to get it out in the world for others to enjoy. I made this in August while on vacation in Maine. (sound insane, bringing my sewing machine on vacation? Well, I had a lot of sewing to do. Don't worry, I had plenty of relaxing and came back looking "well vacated," as my sister-in-law, Gail, remarked.)
The piece on the bottom here is titled "In houses." It's 44" x 55". It also includes some of the vintage western barkcloth, and some other choice vintage and more recently recycled jems of fabric. I actually pieced it about 10 years ago and had it machine quilted by Barnyard Quilting in West Fairlee, VT. http://www.barnyardquilting.com/ Sharon does a wonderful job, outlining the picture elements at times. She just hiked the Appalachian trail solo, too, and I think she might be over 50. I'm impressed.

Grandma Ben's apron

I guess it probably seems like I'm very influenced by comic strips. It's not really true, but I do have a few favorites. I wanted to post these from Bone because of the full aprons.



This one features a little green leaf-hopper as one of the characters. We have these creatures around where I live. Now, whenever I see one, I think, "Ted!"

The Bone graphic novels by Jeff Smith were my son's first independent reading project, so as the mother of a reluctant reader, I can't help but to be fond of them. But they are a wonderful read regardless; full of humor, friendship, adventure, great characters, and are beautifully drawn and colored. I hope you can read the pages here and then go out and read the books. Jeff Smith started writing them in the early 90's when Riot Grrls were catching the interest of the mainstream. That is, pre- Brittney, Paris, Olsen twins and the like. ("Train wreck girls" - isn't that what they call them now?) Anyway, his female characters are awesome, maybe speaking to the attitudes of the era in which he developed them. They have so much strength and interesting personalities, also mysterious histories. Raising my kids I've been sensitive as to how the genders are portrayed in the media they ingest. I fully approve of Bone for boys and girls.

When I first started selling half aprons people began asking for full ones and Grandma Ben here, on these pages, was my inspiration. She never takes that thing off, and other characters of all kinds don the full apron throughout the story. Gotta love the levitating shoulder straps. I wasn't able to manage that with mine. In fact, I couldn't make the whole straps-down-the-back-meeting-the-waist-tie thing without putting them all the way out of many people's price range. Anyway, Grandma Ben is sweet, old, white-haired (like me), runs a farm, has super-human strength and speed, likes to beat up rat creatures and is in charge. Turns out she is the warrior queen of her kingdom and has been hiding out for 15 years - for good reason. (Sorry to spoil -I won't give any more away!)

Stay tuned - Full aprons by Mountain Ash Design to follow in another post.

More HH

Hello! There is so much going on here. I've been thinking about all the things I want to blog about: full aprons insipred by Grandma Ben from Bone, my wall art at the Birds of a Feather show at NEKAG, new aprons made from gorgeous vintage fabrics, the Blinking Light Gallery, the scene at the Market on the Green in Woodstock, tote bags I'll be making with a "pocket handyman." I have been so busy and recently in inspired apron production that I haven't had time to take good photos or download the ones I have. Soon, though. I'm going to NEKAG for the show opening tomorrow and will take some pix to post and Grandma Ben will have a post dedicated to her soon.

Until then, I hope you enjoy these HotHolders. Many of them have found homes.

I just put some dark turquoise thread in my machine and am off to finish another half apron made from some wonderful vintage fabric I got at the Big Chicken Barn in Ellesworth, Maine last month.

Apron Day

Apron day at the Norwich Farmer's Market yesterday. Here are a few lovely ladies sporting their kitchen finery.

The latest HotHolders

The results of my latest photo shoot and spurt of HotHolder production.

Enjoy!

Here are some pix of HotHolders I've made recently. They are going out into the world via their new venue, the Blinking Light Gallery in Plainfield, VT. Get your pillows, 4-Way-Entry Bags (great for clothespins, don'cha know) and half-aprons there, too next time you are in Central Vermont.





Also come and get 'em (or similar - can't ever promise an exact duplicate unless we set that up) at the Norwich Craft Sundays, Farmers Market, and the Woodstock Market on the Green (see my previous post).

racks, shelves and other units

Some recent photos.


Half-aprons by the window on a rack I made from an old screen door insert.

More goods on diplay structures.

Norwich Craft Sundays

Here I am in my stall at the Norwich Farmers Market Craft Sundays. These pictures were taken at the first one - July the First. But there are three more not to miss: August 5, September 2, and October 7.

It was cold that day! See, I'm wearing a sweater.
I put that blue tarp up all by myself. It looks like I am going to have to get another one for potentially rainy days. This was before the arrival of my lovely assistant, Rowan Sherwood, seen here sporting a Day of the Dead half-apron by Mountain Ash Design (that's me).




I can't believe they gave me such a nice space! All the built-ins are perfect for my products. There is a wonderful feng-shui like flow in the space. The lay out is quite inviting approached from any direction. I even had people coming in through the back where my truck is parked. And my wares look good from anywhere in the booth, too.


This is the first time I have had the opportunity to sell my wares at these events in Norwich. All of the other vendors were so friendly and welcoming. Steph was bringing around samples of her nutty granola with yogurt to all of the vendors as we were setting up. http://www.nuttystephs.com/ She has a fun negative-as-positive slogan, too: "It doesn't get any nuttier than this."
You can try on an apron in the back and there is a perfect place for the mirror I brought. If you look at the bottom of the mirror in this photo and to the right you can see that there are actually flowers growing right in the stall. How idyllic-country-fair-like is that?

Upcoming Fairs and Markets

Please visit me at my sustainably handmade housewares stall at the following country fairs and markets this summer. The first one is in Norwich, Vermont, this Sunday!

Schedule:
The Norwich Farmer's Market Craft Fair Sundays

Norwich, Vermont
Sundays 10am-3pm
July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7
http://www.norwichfarmersmarket.org/stories/storyReader$10

Woodstock Market on the Green
Woodstock, Vermont
Wednesdays 3pm-6pm
August 8, 22, 29

and September 5, 12, 19
http://www.nofavt.org/markets-list.php

Norwich Farmer's Market
Norwich, Vermont Saturdays 9am-1pm
August 25, September 15
http://www.norwichfarmersmarket.org/

Vermont North By Hand Open Studio Tours
Topsham, Vermont - at my place!
Saturday and Sunday 10am - 5pm
September 29-30, December 8-9

This message was brought to you courtesy of the half-aprons I have been having so much fun making. I was describing them to my friend, Squirrel, and I was making gestures to illustrate the waistband and tieing it up in back and holding out the imaginary skirt and giving a little curtsy and she said, "You mean like Lucille Ball used to wear?" "Exactly!" What better role model could I have for the sense of fun and humor I am trying to convey here? Not to mention good old-fashioned if-we-are-going-to-have-to-do-these-domestic-chores-we-might-as-well-dress-up-a-little-and-use-some-pretty-tools-and-make-it-as-pleasant-as-possible. Is that an old fashioned attitude or am I just romanticizing the past or what? I really don't know. I just have this sense that in the past women (certainly) accepted those domestic chores and did things to make them more aesthetic and enjoyable. Maybe I have this romantic view because I have done my share or resisting (and resenting, I admit it) the housework that I have to do. I really am a very modern gal in many ways. No one who knows me would mistake me for a women's-place-is-in-the-home advocate. But I do realize that most people do live in homes and have home lives that involve domestic chores. Why not make the chores more pleasant by using beautiful, cheerful tools? By the way, notice I switched to "people" when I started using the present tense. Men as well as women are welcome and encouraged to use lovely tools when doing housework. In fact, I'd love to see men wearing my aprons so send along some photos if you catch them at it!

Kittens and Cowboys

Well hello again. It feels like it's been a while. I've been busy making pillows and getting ready for several upcoming fairs and markets - stay tuned for details and schedule in a future post. I recently bought some nice cowboy-themed fabrics - the colorful smooth "sheeting" in the pillows above and the golden yellow bark cloth in the pillows below. And I am still so inspired by this kitten fabric from Japan. The fruit with the kittens here (apples? peaches?) is from a garden party type dress I got at the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District Semi-Annual Clothing Drop and Swap. http://www.norwich.edu/about/news/2005/dropnswap.html The two fabrics I paired them with are from my friend Betty Brown and have been really fun to sew with. Especially the classic Sturbridge Village curtain fabric on the left hand pillow. After seeing my exhibit at the Blake Memorial Library, Betty invited me over to go through her fabric stash and help myself. I love these kinds of invitations. There was a wonderful variety as Betty has been decorating for many many years. I acquired fabrics I just don't see around and have made some wonderful projects with them. In a future post I'll put up pix of the spring green bamboo print aprons and the black/green harlequin print dress I'm going to finish and wear to a wedding in August. And I love how these pillows turned out. Many thanks, Betty!

The yellow-gold fabric in the pillows to the left here is a nice lightweight bark cloth (making it still a heavier fabric than most of the woven cotton I use, but it's lighter than traditional/ vintage bark cloth). It has a nice texture to go with the rich colors. Most of the other fabrics I used on the cowboy pillows came from button-down shirts I got at an excellent thrift store run by the Bridgewater Sustainable Earth Foundation. It's on the third floor of the Mill building in Bridgewater, Vermont. http://www.thebridgewatermill.com/pages/mill1.html I highly recommend

stopping to browse through the Mill if you are ever going by on Route 4. It is full of a lovely collection of shops including Whisper Hill Soap http://www.whisperhill.com/ where I bought some lavender infused laundry powder which has been making my laundry smell heavenly; Umbley's bakery where they make the best croissants and curry chicken pot pies I've ever had (and I have lived in the city and tasted some good ones, you know); bookstore; craft galleries; other interesting establishments to get recycled goods - from the fancy (Sustainable Antiques) to those in need of refurbishing by you (Hillbilly Recycling on the ground floor. I got a nice bamboo shelving unit there I am fixing up for my display at fairs - to hold these pillows actually). Anyway, there are other wonderful things going on at the Mill in terms of local economic development and training people in skills to set up cottage industries that I can't even begin to explain. Find Adriana Curutchet at Sustainable Antiques or the Thrift Store and she will tell you all about it. That woman has a vision.

Some of the other fabrics I've used for these kitten pillows are also acquisitions from friends. At some point people realize that they won't be making any projects with the yardage they've accumulated. I have rarely had this type of feeling, and I have been collecting for over 15 years. Maybe I have pack rat tendencies, but I feel like I'm giving every bit I acquire a chance to speak to me at some point - even if that time is years from now. There have been fabrics that I finally found interesting, or found the perfect project for, after hanging on to them for years and years.

The orange and green fabrics with the kittens above come from Lois Jackson. Thank you, Lois!

http://www.ahtspot.com/Ahtists/Ahtists/LoisJackson/default.htm Lois has been very responsive and supportive of my work from the start. She has also been instrumental in moving our open studio tour group, Vermont North By Hand (VNBH), forward in an organized and productive way. VNBH: http://www.1-800-vermont.com/TravelPlanner/ItemDetail.aspx?aoutsideLink=false&spID=23348

Thanks to Lois, and the rest of the executive committee and members, you can stop by and watch me sew while you puruse my wares on the last weekend in September (the 29th and 30th) as well as on December 8th and 9th.

Well, here I am running out of visuals. I'm going to leave anything else I have to say for another post. Coming up: where to find me and my sustainably handmade housewares stall this summer!

Patrick McDonnell

This is a little scene on the wall of my workroom. I am posting this in honor of Patrick McDonnell, the creator of of my favorite comic strip, Mutts. http://muttscomics.com/ The picture in the right center of this collage is a rendition of his character Millie as Gertrude Stein by Picasso. McDonnell has often paid homage to other artists of all kinds in this way in the intro panel of his Sunday strip. If you are not familiar with the strip it is about companion animals - dogs and cats mostly. You also get to know their owners (Millie belongs to Mooch the cat, here seen peeking over the back of her chair), the local butcher, vet, neighborhood kid and squirrels and more.

I simply love Mutts (and Patrick McDonnell as a consequence). I have almost all the books and I've raised my kids on them. There is such warmth, sharp humor, wholesome cultural references, especially in the first 10 years of his work on Mutts. I've been so glad to be able to raise my kids on this strip. So many wonderful values come across. Not just the obvious ones like don't put pesticides on your lawn - bad for doggies and kitties, and if you want a pet go to the Humane Society, but also wonderful embedded messages about friendship, community, love of and connection to nature - even if you live in the Jersey suburbs where the strip takes place. (He has single-handedly changed my image of New Jersey.) They have been very comforting books when I have the blues.

On the right: Mooch the cat and Earl the dog napping together in yin/yang. Below them is a contemplative kingfisher on a flowering tree branch. Below: they hang in my workroom with Georgia O'Keeffe, Walt Whitman, some old quilts and a folk drawing depicting a Siberian fishing village scene.

So last Saturday I had the very rare opportunity to meet one of my favorite artists. Patrick McDonnell was giving the commencement address to the inaugural class at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction (see my previous post). His speech was warm, humble and wise. I got to meet him at the reception afterwards in the midst of the wonderful eclectic creative work of the graduating class (link). I readily admit I was quite star struck. I was glad to get to tell him how much I appreciate his work and the values that come across, "..like, it's good to be friends with eccentric people." At least I got a laugh out of him and his wife with that one. I was really gushing. It was kind of embarrassing but not something I was able to control at the moment. He and his wife were very gracious and though I was not really capable of much normal conversation, we did get through how was your drive? are you from the area? are you staying at the Hotel Coolidge? http://www.hotelcoolidge.com Eventually he said, "Do you have a piece of paper? I could make you a drawing." I am sure he was thinking, I've got to put this woman out of her misery. I pulled out the notebook that I keep all my ideas and notes for my business and found a blank page and this is the result. He said, "You can color in the leaves green if you want." *Swoon*