Look – it’s snowing!

In between filling holiday orders, I whipped up a cozy new style: the Fine & Dandy.  I think it’s what would result if a newsboy, a slouch hat, a crusher and a beret all got together and had a love-child. 

fine & dandy in black italian wool

fine & dandy in black italian wool

fine & dandy in black italian wool

fine & dandy in black italian wool

fine & dandy in black italian wool

The fabric is super soft & plush, and super warm to boot!  Available here.  There are some new Capricious, Fedorable, Sweetheart & Confidante hats in the shop too.

I hope that everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving and that you are enjoying this lovely season!

Good morning and welcome to my studio!  My studio is the spare bedroom of our two-bedroom apartment where I live with my husband in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, NYC.  It is in the back of the apartment, with two windows overlooking the “courtyard” (a nice way of saying that I can look into my neighbors’ apartments across the entranceway – I always wave!).  It’s small, (about 10′ x 12′), quiet, warm and gets a bit of sunlight for a few hours a day – my little slice of heaven.

The door with the “hats” decal on it is the entrance door; the other two doors are to two shallow closets, which are perfect for me.  In the left one hangs all of my patterns, and in the right closet are shelves with bolts of fabric.  The decals are left over from a tradeshow that I did a while ago – I found them recently during a clearout and thought I’d put them to good use.  The shelves in between the closets house lots of my reference books, as well as stacks of tissue paper and hatboxes for packaging finished hats.  Behind the “hats” door is my little packing area with a small table, and stacks of shipping boxes.  

A bit of my work table in the foreground, and my iron which sits on an ironing board just in front of it.  This is where I do all of my pattern drafting and fabric cutting.  I use all the mirrors when I’m designing and need to check a hat from different angles on myself.  In the corner are more bolts of fabric and rolls of pattern paper and oaktag; fancy hat and wig carriers; and on the shelves are vintage hat blocks and display heads. 

My little workhorse of a sewing machine where I sit for many hours.  From that vantage point I can gaze out the window, or watch a movie on my computer while I do my handsewing.  To the right in the picture are shelves with lots of supplies; and in the corner is my little photo snapping area.  The boxes stacked up on top of the shelves contain my inventory and samples – the stars are post-its that list what’s in each box.  The photo strip hanging between the windows, just over my sewing machine, is of my grandmother and my father in about 1930 when he was about 3 years old, taken in a photo booth in Atlantic City.  My grandmother is elegant as always, wearing a beautiful cloche.  I love that they watch over me as I work. Here’s a close-up:

The last picture is my desk and inspiration board above it.  The desk is just a frosted glass tabletop that I got on clearance at Ikea for $9.99, and it sits atop two red file cabinets.  Perfect size and height.  My inspiration board is separated into four sections, one for a calendar, and then a section each for spring/summer, fall, and winter/holiday.  I used to change out the whole thing regularly, but then was always coming across things or ideas that I wanted to hold on to and explore for a different season than what I was currently working on, so I broke it up this way.  It also helps me to see themes or arcs for the entire year.

I’ve got post-its all around my computer with reminders, positive messages, my UPS guy’s cell #, etc.  The “sassy” sign is a gift from a dear friend and acts as a prop for little gifts and finds that remind me of dear ones and lovely times.  Add a cup of tea, a little music or NPR, and let the fun begin!

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!  I hope your day is happy and peaceful…

winter

And how are you?  I know it it’s been days and days since I’ve written but I’m here, keepin’ on keepin’ on. Feeling very quiet.  Life seems to have sped up and slowed down, all at the same time.  Does it seem that way to you?  I’ve been sticking pretty close to home, head down, working away.  Experimenting really, with how I work.  It’s a fun adventure and I’m so grateful for the time and space that I have right now.  Money is tight and sales are slow, but that’s to be expected.  It’s fine really and quite freeing, in it’s own way.  The extra time has allowed me to focus on designing and trying things that may lead me somewhere wonderful or nowhere at all. Just joyful creating. And we’re staying in NYC for the time being.  Bruce has decided to not continue with the new job in Vermont.  It just wasn’t the right fit, and though it’s not the best of times to turn down financial security, it’s always the right time to follow your instincts and I’m proud of him for that.  I think we’ll end up in Vermont eventually as we do love it there, but we want to go with full and happy hearts.

So in between working, I’m making holiday cards and gifts and I have a couple of loved ones with birthdays this time of year too.  My friend Mark’s birthday was yesterday, and the image above is from the book I gave him to celebrate.  Mark is a very talented musician and the book was an old children’s songbook, published in 1900.  All the songs are about nature and how to care for it – very au courant – and there are lovely illustrations throughout.  So beautiful, and I think Mark really liked it. 

Beginning tomorrow, I thought I’d share more of my process, both designing and making.  I’ll start with some pictures of my little studio, where I’ve been spending so much time.  Until then, I’ve been making weekly shop updates and there are a few new hats there, including more Fedorables, for which I’ve had some requests.

Be well, stay warm, and thanks for stopping by.

Did you know that this week is National Design Week?  A project of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum here in NY, there are special events in NYC, online, and in cities all over the country.  You can even cast your vote for your favorite in the competition for the 2008 People’s Design Award.  Voting ends at 6pm EST today, so hurry!  If you are in NYC, the Cooper-Hewitt has free admission all week and some great events.  Tonight I’ll be attending National Design Awards Winners’ Panel discussion.  It’s always a thought provoking evening, with designers from different disciplines, all at the top of their game, weighing in on a variety of topics.  I’m especially excited to hear the winner of the award for fashion, Ralph Rucci.

Since I’ll be going to such a design-y event, I really want to wear something beautiful, something that I made, and something that has become sort of a signature for me: the Sweetheart.

Sweetheart in blue wool & cashmere herringbone

Sweetheart in blue wool & cashmere herringbone

Sweetheart in blue wool & cashmere herringbone

Sweetheart in blue wool & cashmere herringbone

Sweetheart in blue wool & cashmere herringbone

available here, here and here

Because I want the color to really pop, I’ll stick to mostly black for clothing and other accessories, though everything will have lovely details.  

thrifted coat, vintage purse, very old but comfy Charles David boots

And yes, the zippers on the coat are completely functional!

Have a terrific design-y Tuesday!!

sewing

Hello there!  I’ve been working on new designs, sewing, and tackling various other business-related projects.  Hope all is well where you are.  I should be back in a few days with some new “hats of the day”.  In the meantime, may I suggest you pop over to Design for Mankind and read the latest issue of Mankind Mag?  And have you seen this studio?  It is now a permanent fixture of my dreams…

vermont forest, early autumn

Happy Friday! It’s raining like crazy here in New York (rain hats, must make rain hats…) so it must be autumn.  It’s chilly too, so I started the day off by making a big batch of granola.  Homemade granola has become our breakfast of choice, and I love changing it up a bit each time.   Today I added extra almonds and ginger and now the apartment smells fantastic!

It’s a good day to stay safely tucked in my studio catching up on orders and doing some planning for the next few months.   This weekend, I have a few projects I’ll be tackling, and then Bruce and I are headed to this opening, which I’m very excited about.  

Have a lovely weekend!

third birthday beret

The super of our building, Semmy, has two gorgeous children and the eldest, Selma, turns three years old today.  She loves nothing better than standing outside the building with her daddy and greeting everyone as they come in and out.  Miss Personality Plus.  No one can ignore her and it doesn’t hurt that she has a smile that lights up the entire neighborhood, and long dark curly hair.  Beautiful!  Bruce is completely in love with her, so in our home, she’s known as his girlfriend.  When she stands outside at around the same time everyday, she will frequently call up to our window for him to poke his head out and say hello to her.  So sweet.  I thought she should have a special present from her boyfriend for her birthday, and she loves pink (what three-year-old doesn’t??), so this morning I whipped up a mini-version of the Ballon, in a very soft bright pink wool boucle, with a pale pink silk lining.  Her boyfriend is now busy making a special card for her.  Update: we caught her just before her nap, but I think she likes it!

happy birthday girl

vintage doily & perfume bottles

Had a very busy day today…worked at my part-time gig (only two months to go!), and then in the studio planning and designing for fall, and a little bit for right now.

I wanted to pop in and congratulate the lovely Erin of Design for Mankind on the smashing success of issue #1 of Mankind Mag!  It is so beautiful, inspiring and a really great read.  Erin is an amazing gal, and such an incredibly supportive presence in the blogosphere.  I highly recommend taking a gander, if you haven’t already.  Click here to preview, download or purchase.

Hope you had a terrific Tuesday! 

Happy Friday!  It’s hot and sticky in NYC, so instead of sweating it out on the beach, I am happily ensconced in the studio, with the a/c set at an eco-friendly 78 degrees, great music on the radio, and lots of lovely lightweight fabrics kindly telling me what they want to become.

There will be a shop update on Monday, July 7th, so I’ll be sewing and photographing all weekend.  And I’ve been thinking a lot about Yves Saint Laurent since his passing, so while I do some hand sewing, I’ll be re-watching this DVD.   It’s a double feature: an incredible portrait of how he came to be such an amazing designer, and a behind-the-scenes peek at the creation of his final collection.  I highly recommend it. 

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

*Terry*

Happy summer!  The spring just seemed to fly right by, but I am glad that summer is here.  I love the longer days, the bevy of fresh fruits and vegetables, and wearing softer, more feminine clothing.

To celebrate the first day of summer last Friday, I got my hair cut super-short!  Since I’m adverse to having my picture taken, even by me, here’s just a little peek:

Previously, my hair was an almost-shoulder length layered bob.  It’s still a bit shocking every time I catch sight of myself in the mirror (who is that girl??), but I really like it.  Incredibly liberating.  And did I mention how easy it is to take care of?  Just wash and go.  I’ve been making a lot of changes lately, to shake myself out of complacency, and this sure was the biggest ticket!  Not only do I look different, I find I am carrying myself differently, I need to dress and accessorize differently (like with these earrings which I was lucky enough to score!), and most importantly, absolutely every hat I have looks completely different on me now.  It’s like having a new model to dress and learning for the first time what shapes and silhouettes compliment her. A very special custom client.  Exciting and so stimulating!  To cut it all off was a decision I made on a whim, but then again, sometimes those turn out to be the decisions ever made!