where I work

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…

hello there

 

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.

designing, making, working

 

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…

autumn weekend

 

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!

new colors, new outlook

 

new orange tights & my grandmother’s navy vintage cashmere sweater 

 I’ve had a tough time sleeping lately.  I think it’s a combination of the full moon, the change of season, and big changes afoot in my work and personal life.  When I can’t sleep, my mind works overtime spinning new hat designs in thin air and fixating on specific color combinations.  Last night it was definitely all about navy and orange.  I used to hate orange, until a few years ago and now I can’t get enough of it.  And navy? I thought twelve years of parochial school uniforms had filled my navy-quota for a lifetime.  And my polyester-quota.  Ditto for plaid and anything with gold buttons.  So the navy definitely came as a surprise, but suddenly I like it, especially paired with orange.  Don’t you think “navy & orange” could be the new “red & aqua”?  Totally.

“But the changes!” you plead, “What changes??”  Oh, OK, you’d rather hear about the changes.  Well my friends, (drumroll please…)  

Bruce and I are moving to Vermont!  

What the???  I KNOW!  Took me completely by surprise as well!!  But Bruce has been offered a fantastic job, and given all the financial doom and gloom of late, let’s just say it is an offer we cannot refuse.  Oh yes, there has been some wailing and gnashing of teeth over the decision, some “but I’m not done with nyc yet!” whining.  Some more “I want to be where the fashion is!” moaning, etc. etc.  Yeah, let’s just say right here that I’m not good with change.  But you probably already guessed that.  Marisa wrote a beautiful post about change that helped me immensely.  That and I’ve learned that in the end, (if I cry and stamp my feet about something long enough), a terrific solution comes to me that seems so simple, so easy, that I wonder what all the crying was about in the first place.  Who was the mad woman?  Shrug.  Beats me.

So here’s the plan:  now that fall has hit and it’s my busiest season, I don’t have much time for searching for new work space, moving my studio, etc.  And let’s face it, what better season does nyc have than fall??  If it was summer, I’d be so outta here!  Like the smart & talented Susan, who moved from nyc to pdx in the middle of a hot & humid summer.  Smarty smart smart.  Soooo, until the end of the year, we’ll keep the nyc apt., I will work like crazy in nyc during the week and spend weekends in lovely Vermont with my love.  Nice, right?  Then in January we’ll pack everything up and off we go to ski & skate all winter and see where our new life takes us.  And if I still can’t bear to tear myself away from nyc completely, we’ll give up the two bedroom apt. and keep a little studio in the city that we can come back to any time.  It’s funny how as soon as I gave myself permission to really feel everything that came up about moving, and got it all out on the table, the answers came, and then I got excited. And I’m sure that as I ease into the peace, quiet and beauty of Vermont, I will be in for many new creative adventures, which is an incredible gift.

Now, can I just pause here and say that I have the kindest, sweetest, most accommodating and understanding husband in the world??  It’s true!  I know I am extremely fortunate to have so many options and such a supportive partner.  For that I am ever so grateful and I highly recommend you get yourself one!

On Sunday we head back up to Vermont for a few days to look at property, go car shopping (yikes!!), check out the arts scene, check out local supply resources, connect with some new friends and enjoy the fall foliage.  Until then, I’m working on more new fall styles for the next shop update, which will be in about two weeks.  Stay tuned.  I’ll also be spending loads of time gathering pictures for the “studio-of-my-dreams-in-Vermont” file.  Any recommendations?

Hope your weekend is dreamy too!  I’ll be back next Thursday with more tales from the bright side.

sweet smell

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!

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*

refreshing

Frozen grapes – my favorite summertime treat!  We always keep some in the freezer and I like to have them as a refreshing snack when I’m in the studio.  Especially when I’m designing new styles and things aren’t going as smoothly as I would like.  But do they ever really?  I’m trying to have more realistic expectations and allow myself the time to work through everything to their best conclusions.

A week or so ago, I was thinking about my design school experience.  My undergraduate degree is in theatre (performance, of all things – what was I thinking?!?!), and after a couple of years I went back to graduate school for fashion design.  The design part of the program was not good for me at all – it was geared toward what I call “career-girl-wear” with no room for other areas like accessories.  To be fair, it was a very tiny program and the women who were running it had no experience outside the “career-girl” sphere, so they didn’t even attempt to guide/teach anyone who had divergent interests.  The technical training was fantastic, however, so I stayed long enough to complete those courses and am happy I did.

I was always a school geek.  I loved school and most everything about it – loved learning, loved books, loved the opportunities to expand my horizons.  I loved most every subject (yes, even math!).  I counted down the days of summer vacation because I couldn’t wait to go back in the fall.  Heck, I even loved taking tests.  I loved the challenge of tests and the opportunity to show both myself and my teacher what I had learned.  I have been thinking about the tests that we had in design school, and yup, I loved them too.  We were told what tools we would need, the students showed up and claimed a work table.  Then we were given a design problem to solve, and would have 2-3 hours to make a finished piece.  Stressful but fun!  

In an effort to free myself up and work a bit faster, I been starting my days in the studio for the past week or so with what I now call the “Two-Hour Challenge”.  I’m loving it!  I haven’t actually had a finished piece in those two hours, but boy, I have certainly learned a lot and moved much closer to a resolution then I would have normally in that period of time.  It’s really fun, has helped enormously with my concentration, and I can easily get some quality design time in, even on the days when I work at my part-time gig.  I feel refreshed!!  

I’m making sure to document my process with pictures and notes.  As soon as I have a finished piece, I’ll share the entire journey with you.

 

some like it hot

But not me! It’s been so ridiculously hot in NYC the past few days – like “too hot even for August” hot. Yikes – I hope this is not a foreshadowing of the summer to come!! I really just do not perform well in weather like this. But because it’s so hot & humid (oh yeah, don’t forget the humidity!) that even I can’t stand to put a hat on right now, I’m working on some headband-type goodies for the shop, which I hope to debut later this week.

Hope it’s cool wherever you are…

listening

As you may have noticed, I’ve been feeling very quiet lately. I am a classic introvert by nature, so this is not all that surprising, but I guess I should explain a bit. I had a birthday recently, which always makes me a bit contemplative. Every year just before my birthday, I like to take some time to review the past year, celebrate my accomplishments, forgive myself for being human, and set some goals for the coming year. In that spirit, I’ve been making some changes, and have been paying really close attention to see how these changes affect me, so in the meantime, I haven’t felt like talking much – just listening. Here’s a little list of a few things I’ve been working on (in no particular order):

• In an effort to cut down on the incredible amount of stimuli I encounter on a daily basis, I’ve let my magazine subscriptions lapse (yes, even Vogue!). I’ve also decreased the number of blogs I read on a daily basis, cut my tv time down to almost nothing, and actually have moments when I turn off the radio & music, both when I’m running and in the studio. I can say that I sleep better and feel calmer because of it.

• I’ve been experimenting with my diet. I’ve been a vegetarian most of my life (since I was 13), but Bruce and I have decided to have some vegan days thrown into the mix. I’ve never liked milk, so soy milk has been a staple for a long time. And I gave up eggs over a year ago, after the “there’s-a-partially-formed-leg-in-the-organic-egg-I-just-cracked” incident. But I’ve held onto dairy products (i.e. cheese and yogurt). I love dairy products and they are easy protein to grab, but the truth is, I feel better when I don’t eat it. Cheese has been out for few weeks, other than a weekly slice of pizza, which I’m still working on. And yogurt, you’re days are numbered. Next up, tackling my sugar and caffeine addictions again. Sigh…

• I’ve started running again. Well, to be more specific, I’ve started training for another half-marathon. I’m finally fully recovered from my injury last fall (knock on wood) and am slowly building up mileage for the NYC half at the end of July. Last year when I was training, I listened to many “experts” instead of listening to my own instincts about what my body was telling me. Not this time. Yoga & ballet have been added to the training regime, with excellent results so far.

• I gave my notice at my part-time job. Yes, it is 3 months notice (I leave at the end of August), but I have a lot of responsibility there and no one else on staff has the skills to take it over, so I felt it was only fair to give them time to find someone and me time to train them. That and the summer is a very slow sales time for hats, so it covers me financially until things pick up in the fall. Win-win.

• I started wholesaling my hats again. A happy development for me, as I had just decided I was ready when I was approached by a lovely shop – exactly the kind I had been visualizing. Nice to know that stuff really works!

I promise to write more often. What have you been up to?