The Feltmaker’s Bookshelf

by Ava Chan of Sugin Textiles

I recently hosted a Boston Handmade meetup, and gave a lesson in feltmaking. That made me think about the resources out there for learning how to make felt.

I have a number of feltmaking books that I refer to, when I have questions about technique or when I am looking for inspiration. The Boston Public Library has a surprising number of books about felt, though most are in their Reference collection in the Central Library. Many of the authors also teach workshops on feltmaking in the USA and internationally. I have a number of books that I refer to often, each one for different reasons. Some of these have gone through a couple of reprintings, while others are out of print, although finding used copies on the Internets is relatively easy. Here’s how I break out these books:

For diehard felt fans

Sadly, Felt: New Directions for an Ancient Craft (Interweave Press, 1996) by Gunilla Paetau Sjöberg and Patricia Spark is no longer in print, because it’s one of the few books that provides both a comprehensive history of felt, including modern trends for felt as an artistic medium, as well as detailed instructions on many techniques. There’s also information about sheep breeds and comparisons of their wool when made into felt.  

 Learning the basics

Uniquely Felt (Storey Press, 1996) by Christine White is pretty much the Bible of feltmaking. It’s still in print, and is a great first choice for a strong grounding in the fundamentals of making felt. The equipment section describes why some felters prefer one tool or anther, helpful input for your own choices. The projects include detailed explanations of the factors in play in the feltmaking techniques, as well as suggestions for rescuing projects that are going awry, which teaches you a lot about what exactly is going on when you make felt. 

Feltmaking and Wool Magic (Quarry Books, 2006), by Jorie Johnson is another excellent technical book, but is currently available only as an e-book. Originally from Boston, Jorie Johnson has lived and taught feltmaking in Japan for the last 30 years but also offers workshops worldwide. Her chapter on making felt samples from different types of fleece provides helpful guidelines for making felt swatches from the wool you are using in order to measure the result and achieve consistency for future work. 

Combining techniques in feltmaking

The projects in Fabulous Felted Scarves (Lark Books, 2010), by Chad Alice Hagen and Jorie Johnson, show you how to incorporate a variety of three-dimensional textures into scarves and shawls, and take advantage of felt’s properties, such as its resistance to raveling when cut. A number of projects borrow dyeing and shaping techniques from shibori, Japanese resist-dyeing, to add layers of pattern and design. 

Fabulous Felt Hats (Lark Books, 2005), also by Chad Alice Hagen, is, sadly, out of print. It is a great introduction to basic millinery with handmade felt. The projects showcase how to use the malleable quality of felt – how readily it can be shaped as it is being made --  to create simple berets, understated hats with brims, or more theatrical headpieces with greater dimensionality and protuberances. 

Books that generate ideas

How We Felt (Interweave Press, 2007) provides an inspiring gallery of projects and artists and show the possibilities for feltmaking, including rugs, bags, hats, and boots, beads, upholstered furniture, and sculptures. Having prior feltmaking experience is recommended if you want to try these projects; the instructions are rather condensed.

Sheila Smith’s Felt to Stitch (Batsford, 2014) and Lizzie Houghton’s Felting Fashion (Batsford, 2009) are also easier to grasp if you have some felting experience. Both authors are British artists. Both books provide many close-up photos of the surfaces of the finished pieces, in order to highlight the textures you can create when you add fabric to felt, stitch on it, dye it, stretch or cut felt.  Felt to Stitch offers general guidelines for making a nuno felted jacket that are really useful to an experienced felter. 

Doing it old-school

Modern feltmakers, at least in the USA, use pool noodles, bubble wrap, and thin pieces of plastic in their feltmaking process. But if you want to know what the previous  generation of feltmakers used before plastic became ubiquitous, check out How to Make Felt (Search Press Ltd, 1995) by Anne Belgrave, another British feltmaker. Check out the animal masks on her website.

What how-to books have made it onto your own bookshelf?

What I'm Working On

by Abby Bohn

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I wanted to do something to give back. I have a wallet in 2 great Pink Ribbon fabrics and will be donating 25% to finding a cure.

Pink Ribbon Bra Print Wallet

Pink Ribbon Butterfly Wallet

"About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.  In 2014, an estimated 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,570 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.  About 2,360 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2014. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000."  Statistics from Breastcancer.org

Every dollar helps to fight this ugly disease. 

DIY alert: How to sew a child's birthday shirt

by Jessica Burko

This post must begin with a disclaimer: I am not a professional seamstress. Where crafting is concerned I have no idea what I'm doing really, I just wing it. A better description of me is that I'm a creative mom who likes to make special things for her children, especially for their birthdays. I did not grow up in a house with sewing, I do not have any handmade clothes from my grandmother, I have taken one short sewing class ever. I don't have a fancy iron, I use a tiny table top ironing board, my sewing machine is 20+ years old. That all being said, if I can do this little project, so can you.

For me, a big part of this project is getting to reuse and upcycle old clothes. I've been making these birthday number shirts for my kids since my son turned two, and I've always found fabric supplies in our old-clothing bins. With his fifth birthday coming up I found a seldom worn plain gray shirt in his dresser, and a scrap of green patterned fabric on my sewing shelf.

My daughter's third birthday is in a couple of months and since I was sewing anyway, it seemed like a good idea to make her birthday shirt too, and then her shirt took on a life of its own. I was only able to find a blank short-sleeved shirt in my daughter's dresser and with a cold weather birthday she really needed a long-sleeved one, so I added sleeves made from an old pair of her leggings before beginning the main event of adding a number to the shirt front.

How to Sew a Child's Birthday Number Shirt

Level of difficulty:
Low, but it's recommended that you've sewn a few things before this project, like curtains or an apron or something.

Total time to complete project:
Depending on your level of experience it could take from 30 minutes to an hour, but if you have all your materials assembled before beginning I can't imagine it would take longer than that.

Materials:
a plain cotton t-shirt
a small amount of patterned cotton fabric
a piece of fusible interfacing as big as your patterned fabric
a spool of thread
a sewing machine
a few pins
a scissors
a hand-drawn or printed number
an iron
an ironing surface

Optional:
a pair of cotton pants that your child has outgrown

1. Select a blank shirt from your child's existing wardrobe, or purchase one at a used clothing store, or purchase a new one. An all cotton shirt works best. If you want to add sleeves to a t-shirt also procure a pair of soft cotton pants (girls leggings work great). Use any color combo that you like. Make sure all the fabric you use in this project gets washed before beginning the project. If you don't want to add sleeves to your t-shirt, just skip down to the next set of images.

2. Cut off the pants legs at a length that makes sense for your child's arms. Use a long sleeved shirt from their current wardrobe to get a sense of the appropriate length, then add an inch to have room for sewing. You can eyeball it.

3. In this project the pink t-shirt has a cute little ruffle at the edge of the sleeves so I decided to keep that visible and add the long sleeves from the inside, giving it that *very cool* layered look. Slip the widest part of the pant leg into the t-shirt sleeve about an inch and pin all around so it doesn't shift when you're sewing it. The hem of the pants leg will now become the hem at your child's wrist. Slide the shirt onto your machine, choose a stitch pattern that you like (because it will be visible) and sew all around the sleeve edge.

4. Repeat for the other sleeve and then you'll have your blank canvas for adding the birthday child's special number.

5. Create your number template either by printing it from your computer or hand drawing a big bold number. Make sure the paper you select isn't very thick because you want to be able to see the number outline through the other side of the paper. Standard photocopy paper works great. Size your number as you like, using the shirt as your guide. You will be cutting and ironing your number in a reverse position so that the final application to your shirt is in the proper orientation. Yes, you could draw or print your number in the reverse however for those of us who get a little confused about the right side/wrong side of fabric in these types of situations, I find that keeping the template oriented properly allows me to be extra conscious of when I'm using it in reverse.

6. Meet your new best friend, fusible interfacing. Discovering this material completely changed my crafting life. With this simple magic paper you can do all kinds of appliqué without the edges fraying. You can purchase it in small amounts as pictured above or you can buy yards of the stuff on big rolls. Either way, it's great. When you first take it out of the package it is paper on one side and a sort of tacky/sticky surface on the other side. The tacky side is what gets ironed onto fabric, and then the paper side is removed revealing another tacky surface, so it can get ironed on to another piece of fabric or clothing. The photos as we go along will help explain this.

7. Turn your template right side down and pin it to the paper side of the fusible interface. Yes you can pin through paper, and no, it won't harm anything you are working with.

8. Cut through the template paper and the fusible interface, around the outline of your number.

9. Take the pins out and remove the template paper.

10. Iron the tacky side of your fusible interface to the wrong side of your patterned fabric. The number will look backwards, and the right side of your patterned fabric will be face down on your ironing board.

11. You don't need to iron very much and it will be good and fused. I used a setting for cotton and no steam. Once your number is fused to the fabric cut through the fabric and fusible interfacing around the edges of the number. I used a regular scissors for this project but if you will be doing a lot of sewing projects you might consider purchasing a good pair of scissors that you designate for fabric only so they stay really sharp.

12. Once the number is fully cut out, peel the paper backing off to reveal a second tacky surface.

13. Now (finally!) you are ready to fuse your number to your t-shirt. Decide where you want your number to be located on your shirt and iron it down, right side up, tacky side down, on the front of your t-shirt. Make sure you are happy with the location before you iron because once it's fused, there's no going back.

14. It looks like you're finished! But you're not. Well, you could be if you want, but it will look much better if you stitch around the number with thread. If you use heavy duty fusible interfacing the stitching is purely decorative, but it finishes the piece beautifully. You could hand stitch or machine stitch around the edges of the number.

15. I chose to machine stitch and used the same color thread that I used to attach the sleeves. I used a tight zig-zag pattern that I find works well with this type of project, but if you find an alternate type of stitch that you like that's fine too, just make sure to go around all the edges of the number.

16. Ta da! Now you have your number shirt ready for the birthday celebration! Even if the stitching is wonky, or something is not up to your usual high standards, don't worry, you see the imperfections more than anyone else and most important, your child will love it.

17. Of course I also made the number shirt for our son who is turning five this Sunday.

18. Here are the finished products! I know my kids will love them, imperfections and all.

I encourage everyone interested in sewing to try your own version of this project. It can be adapted to different sizes, and different appliques. It's fun, fast, and makes a great update to any wardrobe!

Why Handmade: Stephanie Cave Studio

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop

Stephanie Cave Studio is located right in the heart of JP Centre/South Main Streets First Thursdays Art Walk. I had the pleasure of holding a trunk show in Stephanie’s studio for September’s First Thursday, along with two other of Boston Handmade’s artists, Chris Lang of Chris Lang Photography, and Melissa Glick of Hacker Junk Creations. It was a lovely night complete with lively conversation, wine, and light refreshments.

First Thursday refreshments

I have long been fascinated with artist workspace, and Stephanie’s is no exception. Located on Green Street, right around the corner from the famous J.P. Licks, it appears a hole in the wall at first, with an attractive green sign that invites you right in. Her studio is bright and well lit, and buzzes with creative energy. Stephanie is very orderly, and her studio is well organized. Bolts of brightly colored textiles stand upright around the room in such a way, one cannot help but want to start color matching and designing with the different available patterns. Spools and bobbins in a myriad of hues of thread are neatly together, ready to stitch the fabrics together to create anything from a stuffed owl to a fan, to a skirt. Quilts in progress are draped in the back, almost ready to keep someone’s bed warm and cozy. I’ll bet you can’t guess what Stephanie’s favorite dog breed!

While sewing may be an art that has been around for centuries, do not doubt Stephanie has embraced the technology of the modern world. You cannot miss the antique Singer sewing machine sitting next to the large monitor of her computer. The combination embraces the domestic arts of the seamstresses of the past with a very modern thinking woman.

While my medium of choice has become metal, I grew up in the fabric stores across Massachusetts. My mother is a seamstress, and I learned how to sew at a young age. During the hours I was present in Stephanie’s studio, I had a mad desire to create something with the beautiful yards of cotton throughout the room. The fact I managed to refrain is a sign of great restraint on my part!

Stephanie Cave and Chris Lang

First Thursdays are continuing! We hope you will stop by, check out Stephanie’s studio, and see what other trunk shows will be showing up in the months to come! I also hope you will take the time to check out the works of Chris Lang Photography and Hacker Junk Creations. Chris has a keen eye for the perfect shot, capturing the beauty of the everyday world around us. Melissa’s work is fun and vibrant. Instead of creating computer digital art, She brings us art made from the actual computer parts. Melissa notes she wasn’t aware how interesting the inner workings of a computer were until someone opened one up and showed her what was inside!

Hacker Junk Creations by Melissa Glick

Stephanie Cave’s Studio can be found at 7 Green Street, Jamaica Plain. Hope I’ll see you there!

An afternoon at Extras For Creative Reuse in Lynn, MA

by Jessica Burko

For the past decade or so I've been very interested in creating artwork from already existing materials. The idea of rescuing what might otherwise be discarded and giving it new life through art deeply inspires me. I recently had the opportunity to gather some materials from a non-profit warehouse full of donated items in Lynn, MA called Extras for Creative Reuse.

From their website, "Extras for Creative Reuse is a unique place where people come to be inspired and find materials to create, invent, explore, and learn. Each week, we divert about 10,000 pounds of materials from the landfills and help get them out into the learning and creative communities... For the past thirty-three years, teachers, artists, educators and parents have come to rely on Extras for our low to no cost materials to supplement their educational and creative arts programs and projects." 

The materials available are wide ranging including very large paper, random office supplies, so many fabric samples and scraps it will make your head spin, architectural samples such as tiles enough for thousands of mosaics, and unidentifiable thingamagigs to create just about anything from sculpture to imaginative functional items. All of these materials are donated from manufacturers, businesses, individuals and institutions from around New England.

I came away with a large stack of rainbow colored felt, a giant roll of white paper, a year's supply of pens and paper clips, several books on crafting with kids, a large bag of wooden train tracks, and a small pile of strange items my son choose including tiny plastic "pirate bottles" and a vintage 1980's handheld Tetris game.

To learn more about this valuable resource visit: http://www.extrasforcreativereuse.org/

Adult Sized Sandbox: Accelerating My Business

by Leanne of Loomination

For years I've been working hard on my line of textiles. I began showing at craft fairs and selling my work at galleries and boutiques in 2010, but it wasn't until the fall of 2012 that I stopped making handbags, fiber jewelry, and knitwear and began to focus exclusively on handweaving. Since then I've been working on putting together a line with a cohesive aesthetic and I've finally gotten to the point where I'm confident with where my work is going.

Booth display from way back in 2010!

I've been trying to take my business full time. I am still doing some part time work, which I enjoy, and which I will probably always continue to do a bit of here and there. One of the major things that has concerned me on this journey is the business side of things. Everything I've been doing has been based on trial and error, instinct, and the advice of other craftspeople. While this is a great way to build a business, I just don't have any way of knowing whether I really am making the best decisions possible. A lot of emotion goes into making handcrafts and as a result, a lot of my business decisions are also based on emotion.

In March, I participated in the Consumer Ideas Pitch Contest at the Merrimack Valley Sandbox, which opened my eyes to a lot of new opportunities. If you're interested in pitches, check out my BH blog post, My First Pitch Contest: Merrimack Valley Sandbox. The next logical step was to apply to the Summer Accelerator Program, also at the Sandbox, which helps early stage businesses through workshops and mentorships. 

Handwoven Scarves

The application, which was due on May 1, was fairly involved. Some of the questions I knew the answers to, like describing my business, my target audience, and what work I've done so far. Some of the others really made me think, like "What impact do you hope to accomplish with this idea?" After applying, I was chosen as a Semi-Finalist and interviewed for a space in the program.

I found out late last week that I got in and am now a Sandbox Accelerator Finalist! I am excited to be spending the summer growing my business and learning new ideas and strategies. I'm not really sure where this program will take me or exactly how it will work - I'm a little nervous right now - but I can't wait to see where this will take my business.

On June 9 and 10, the Merrimack Valley Sandbox is holding their 2014 Sandbox Summit, a two day conference for anyone who's interested in entrepreneurship. The week before my program kicks-off, this will really be the beginning for me. I hope you might be interested in coming along!

The Joy of Dyeing Silk. Part II: Commercial Dyes

by Susanne Guirakhoo of enchantedhue

Commercial fabric or silk dyes give a different dimension than natural dyes. The colors are more vibrant and more stable than some natural dyes, and different techniques can be used.

As with natural dyes (as explained in Part I), patterns can be achieved by different Shibori techniques: binding, stitching, folding, pressing according to ancient Japanese traditions.

The soft texture of silk lends itself to aquarelle painting. Silk paints are thin liquids and will flow and melt into the silk, feathering out gently. To prevent the colors from migrating too far, a hair dryer can be used to quickly dry the paints and stop further flowing.

Another traditional technique is called Serti or gutta resist. Gutta is a rubbery, solvent based resist that is applied with a squeeze bottle. Gutta comes in black, gold, silver, and clear and is used to outline the pattern, which can be very detailed, on the silk. When it is completely dry, silk paints are applied to the outlined areas. Instead of gutta, I prefer to use water-soluble resists, which are easier to use and can be tinted to any color. The finished piece can have a look similar to stained glass.

And then there are less precise techniques that yield more organic patterns.

Commercial silk paints can be manipulated in a number of ways while still wet. Salt, grains of rice, or small beans soak up some of the paint and give starburst-like patterns. Alcohol drops lighten the color. Water sprays dilute and give the appearance of soft waves.

Snow dyeing is one of my favorite dyeing methods. The serendipity of the outcome is truly fascinating. A piece of wet silk is put on top of a grate set on a container, piled high with snow, and dye is generously drizzled on top of the snow. The snow slowly melts, letting the dye hit the fabric at different times and concentrations. Rate of melting, temperature, amount, solution, and even color of dye influence the pattern. My most surprising piece was achieved with only the color black. During the melting process, the black was fragmented into its individual pigments, resulting in muted reds, blues, and browns.

The next technique to experiment with? Sugar syrup resist!

The Joy of Dyeing Silk. Part I: Natural Dyes

by Susanne Guirakhoo of enchantedhue

While I am experimenting with yet another new technique to coax color and pattern out of plant material onto silk, I am reminded how very versatile and fascinating this medium is. In this Part I, I will talk about natural dyes. Part II will be about commercial dyes and ways to manipulate them.

In the beginning, I decocted dyes from coffee, tea, onion skins, turmeric. Predictable and easy, yet with interesting results.

Next I discovered berries, which are bit more fickle. Then black beans. Then came plants, roots, bark, berries, flowers, nuts, and leaves found on walks or in our garden. Whatever I thought holds potential for yielding color made its way into the dye pot.

The patterns were achieved by different Shibori techniques: binding, stitching, folding, pressing according to ancient Japanese traditions.

My research brought me to Kimberly Baxter Packwood’s blog. She is a mixed media artist specializing in surface design using natural dyes, rust, and wax. From her, I learned how to dye with rust and compost (well, the compost one went a bit wrong in the beginning. Kimberly lives in the desert, she leaves her fabric bundles in the compost pile for months. Doing the same in New England humidity results in complete disintegration and decomposition of the fabric. Not a thread was left after 3 months!). These techniques leave unpredictable patterns and colors, a surprise every time a bundle is opened.

Another one of my favorite fiber artists is India Flint. She describes herself as 'maker of marks, forest wanderer & tumbleweed, stargazer & stitcher, botanical alchemist & string twiner, working traveller, dreamer, writer and the original discoverer of the eucalyptus ecoprint'. Her approaches to dyeing with natural materials and achieving stunning patterns are unique and very inspiring. Her work touches me as being very poetic, as fragile and grounded at the same time. I have tried a few of her techniques with more or less satisfying results. And this newest one I am experimenting with has also been inspired by her.

So what is the new technique? Canning! Yes, canning! Stuffing a piece of silk with plant material, rolling it up and tyeing it tightly, putting it in a glass jar filled with boiled water which may or may not have been infused with other dye material, closing the jar air tight and letting it steep for weeks.

Can’t wait for the outcome!

Why Handmade: The 2013 Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery, Textiles!

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop

I finally got to see the Boston Handmade Holiday Gallery this week, and let me tell you, you don’t want to miss it. There are fantastic gifts for all ages and tastes. Whether you are looking for a small token for the people you work with, or something personal for someone you love, there is a gift here for you. Handcrafted gifts are extra special and thoughtful.

Maybe you are looking for ways to keep the people you love warm and cozy? Stray Notions has delightfully warm, fingerless gloves (I have my eyes on this olive green pair…) and Lady Dye has brightly colored, warm scarves. Perhaps you are one to knit your own, or know a knitter. Lady Dye also has hand spun, hand dyed yarn available.

Walls are bedecked with wonderful stuffed animals from KittyKat Crafts and Stephanie Cave Design Studio, as well as darling baby shoes from Kaya’s Kloset. (There are sparkly ruby red slippers that just might have my daughter’s name on them if they are the right size!) If you know someone who will be delivering the holiday gift in the near future, there are hip and fun maternity shirts from Discobelly.

Maybe you are looking for a hand painted silk scarf? Enchanted Hue has beautiful ones certain to make your mother, wife, sister, aunt, or friend feel positively elegant. You can complete the look with accessories from Abigail Leigh’s Handbags. She sells more than handbags, too, with fun e-reader pillows, and more. 

Don't forget!  December 7, Susanne Guirakhoo from Enchanted Hue will be holding a workshop on making gingerbread ornaments from 12 to 2 pm. Don't forget to check out our other workshops!

This only scrapes the surface of the wonderful textiles I saw. You just have to go see it for yourself. I know you already want to go, so what are you waiting for? Head on in, or you'll have to wait until next week when I tell you about more if the fabulous vendors!

The Many Hats of Online Sellers

By Susanne of enchantedhue

As I delete yet another batch of product photos gone horribly wrong from my camera, I realize something:

I am a fiber artist.

I am not a photographer. Neither am I a copy writer nor an SEO specialist nor a PR professional. I certainly am not a market analyst or a book keeper. Not a product stylist or a shipping agent. Not a website designer. Not a customer service representative. No degree in Marketing or Advertising hanging on my walls.

"Many Hats" by Laura from LULU Art

Yet as the owners of online shops, we need to be all of the above. We have to learn by experience. By trial and error. Many errors! By communicating with other members of the community. By sharing advice and comparing techniques. By joining teams and associations where we can learn more and find support.

Having an online shop is not a cute hobby or an easy way to make money. It is hard work, has a steep learning curve, and takes lots of patience and even more time.

But in what other job do you get to wear so many different hats? What other job takes you out of your comfort zone and area of expertise on a daily basis? It certainly never gets boring. Frustrating sometimes, yes, but never boring.

Still, I am not a photographer! And I have the fuzzy pictures to prove it!

(please note that the background, however, is perfectly sharp!)

Product Debut: iPad and E-reader Pillow Stand

by Abby Bohn of Abigail Leigh Handbags  

My latest items in the shop are iPad and E-reader pillow stands.  The case I have for my iPad is supposed to "stand up" but it doesn't.  I found this pattern for a pillow stand for my iPad and thought it was perfect and of course I wanted to share them with everyone.  I mostly use this to sit my iPad up to watch movies or if I'm spending the day sewing I just prop it up with the radio on.

 

Check out my Etsy shop for more fabrics.

Workspace Wednesday: Enchanted Hue

"Workspace Wednesday" is a feature on the Boston Handmade blog where we get a rare glimpse into the creative space of artists and craftspeople. This week, the workspace of enchantedhue...

"I work mainly in my kitchen for preparing dyes and applying them to silk. It is a bit of a messy process, and I need running water and lots of space. Sometimes I move from counter top to floor when preparing a piece."

"The pot on the left is reserved for extracting dyes from plant material. It is just the right size and non-reactive, which is important. At the moment, it holds a good amount of onion skins that are almost done soaking before I can start straining the skins and boiling the dye... The bowl on the right holds chopped up red cabbage. I just set it up this morning and it will have to soak for a few days until it yields the right shade of purple I am hoping to achieve... My elder son said to a friend once: 'There is always something cooking in my mom's kitchen - but rarely is it food' "


To see Susanne's finished silk scarves and home accessories visit her Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/enchantedhue

Why Handmade: Special Family Edition, An Interview with Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop

Our families and our upbringing can have great impact on who we are as artists as well as the future artists we may create and inspire. Every once in a while I plan to interview an artist regarding art in their family, both current and growing up, to shed light on the different places artists come from.

Recently I had the pleasure of cyber interviewing Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue, and one of our very own Boston Handmade members. She creates exquisite dyed silks in colors that are truly enchanting. Upon meeting Susanne a few weeks ago, I can tell you she is as elegant in person as her beautifully dyed fabrics. However, she also has a wonderful sense of humor that is thoroughly enjoyable! I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I have.

Would you describe your family to be creative/handmade/artistic?

Definitely! My mother was always baking (I include baking here because her pastries and cakes were true pieces of art), sewing, painting, doing one handicraft or the other. My father also painted. I had a great-aunt who sewed the most adorable stuffed animals. My favorite was a blue floppy dog-kind of thing. It was called ‘Schlappi’ (‘Floppy’ in English). I lost him on a ski lift. Remember the trauma to this day!

Gingerbread Mansion by Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

Was there a particular family member who inspired you to pursue your craft based upon their craft?

Seeing their parents being creative naturally rubs off on the children. My brother and I were encouraged to use our imagination. I remember winning a Lego kitchen in a contest where you had to draw your dream house. This was back in the early 70s, and Legos were still quite simple. My mother shared her Fimo dough with me (she was working on some decorations), and I made elaborate, tiny cakes, breads, vegetables, fruit, plates, cups, and other things out of it and decorated them with seed beads.

My mother was an accomplished seamstress. She never taught me how to sew, but the idea that you can make whatever garment you imagine was always in my head. In my late teens, I was into sewing for a while, but I didn’t pursue it further.

Was there someone outside your family who introduced you to crafting? If so, how?

My sons’ friends’ mother is a jewelry maker. While the boys were on a play date once, she showed me her work space and how to string beads, attach clasps, use crimp beads, etc. I found that fascinating and read a few articles on that topic.

One of my best friends and her husband are very interested in gemstones and their properties, and I learned quite a bit from them. I combined these two interests and started designing gemstone jewelry, at first with gemstone properties in mind.

I am from Vienna, Austria, and painting on silk was very popular there in the 80s. I don’t remember how it first started and who introduced me to it, but I found myself somehow with a frame (which I still use today) and a few pieces of silk and lots of dyes. My technique changed over the years and I learned others, from the traditional, precise outlining to snow dyeing, compost dyeing, Shibori, and natural dyes. That’s what I love about it so much: the great versatility.

Self Portrait Scarf by Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

I stumbled upon Kimberly Baxter Packwood’s website. She is a textile artist specializing in natural dyes. The results she achieved with plant matter and her unique methods were fascinating to me, and I started researching more and experimenting with it. This is the craft that held my concentration the longest. Not that I get bored, but I like things that give serendipitous results and turn out differently, even if going through the exact same process. This is also where Shibori comes in. It is predictable up to a point, but there are still surprises every time I unwrap a piece.

I have the ‘problem’ that I can pick up any craft very easily. I am intrigued by color and shape and the beauty found in nature. I will try anything and be fairly proficient at it in a short time. Pottery, stained glass, knitting, crocheting, stitching, collage, mosaic, oil and water color, baked creations (from gingerbread houses and other 3-dimensional creations to theme and fantasy cakes), furniture restoration and repurposing (I mostly rescue pieces from other people’s trash) – I have tried them all. Drives my husband crazy, because he never knows what he will come home to next, and what piece of ‘trash’ will clutter the garage.

How do you feel your family influence has affected your work? Has it been a jumping stone into something new? Or do you delight in a family tradition?

Like I mentioned, my mother was an accomplished seamstress. And I tried sewing. However, straight lines and exact measuring are not my forte, so I did not pursue that further.

Gingerbread People by Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

She was also a wonderful baker. Her pastries were always perfect and delicate and little pieces of art, too pretty to eat sometimes. This is something I seem to have inherited. E.g. I don’t like chocolate chip or other drop cookies, because they look sloppy. I love making cut-out sugar dough or gingerbread cookies in different shapes, depending on occasion and season. I custom mix the colors for the frosting and use different techniques of applying it. Christmas is one of my favorite seasons, because I get to make elaborate gingerbread mansions and other three dimensional creations.

Both my parents always painted the most beautiful, delicate, intricate Easter eggs. This is a tradition I continue with my boys. It’s a ceremony when we paint our eggs!

And both my parents knew how to transform an ordinary piece into something new and beautiful with a few brush strokes or gluing a piece of paper onto it or sanding it down. Imagination and seeing beyond the primary use of a piece are two of the things that have been handed down to me.

Susanne Guirakhoo's parents, and of course Susanne in the middle!

Do you feel it is our responsibility as artists to pass along our skills and knowledge to future generations? If so, how?

It is important to pass that along. Some artists are hesitant to share their techniques and materials and sources, but I think that is shooting ourselves in the foot. Everybody has a different talent, a different view, and even if we use the same materials and methods, no two pieces are alike. It is important to share and learn from each other.

One of the most valuable lessons we can give our children is open up their minds and give them tools and let them be creative in their own way.

Not everybody is good at writing blog posts or books or tutorials, at shooting instructional videos or leading workshops. All of those are great tools to share knowledge. But sometimes even watching somebody do their craft or talking about it can spark interest and might lead them to pursue that particular craft further.

How do you pass along the love of what you do to other people?

Mostly by talking about it and sharing my passion. Many times I had to explaining to my neighbors why I’m crawling through their yard collecting particular pieces of bark, why I’m sitting on their curb shoveling the last of the snow into a bucket, why there are disgusting smells coming from my kitchen, why I am burying suspicious bundles in my compost pile, or why my fingers are a particular color de jour. They are used to it by now (I think), but it always sparks a conversation.

Susanne Guirakhoo caught foraging!

I give jewelry or scarves or pillow covers as presents to my friends, and I know that they treasure them and that somewhere in Lyon or Gothenburg or Vienna a friend of theirs is asking about them and learn how they have been created.

Do you feel it is more important to pass along your specific skill set? Or a respect for craft/art in general? How can either be achieved?

I think it is more important to pass along a general respect for crafts and art. Everybody will find their own way eventually, but the more you are exposed to different areas, the more likely you are to find your particular passion. And it is always good to try new things.

I feel that I am still not at the point where I am an expert. I probably never will be. There are too many variables. But it gives me pleasure when I see a friend experiment with a simple compost dyeing project, or when my son picks up some fabric and dye and yarn and makes his own fiber art.

Workspace Wednesday: Abigail Leigh Handbags

"Workspace Wednesday" is a semi-weekly feature on the Boston Handmade blog where we get a rare glimpse into the creative space of artists and craftspeople...

"Here is a shot of my sewing space in my apartment. It's where I cut the fabric, pin the pieces together and sew all of my handbags and accessories. I set up my ironing board when needed and am able to see the TV while doing it all. It's the perfect set up for me until I can have an actual sewing room. Go to www.abigailleigh.etsy.com to see my handmade handbags and accessories."

To check out past articles featuring the workspaces of our group members visit: http://bostonhandmade.blogspot.com/search/label/workspace.

Why Handmade: Made with Love

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella's Workshop

As a professional artist, I am usually focused on how to make my art appeal to paying customers. I have a family that needs food and a roof over their heads; however, from time to time I do like to make something special for a loved one. It is a different experience when you know the person, and you are planning something extra special just for them. The current fad need not apply unless your loved one is into the latest trend. The creation is as much about the love you have for that person as the love you have for your craft. This is a particularly potent topic to me this week, with Mother’s Day around the corner.

My mother is an engineer with a degree in physics. She was in the first class of women at Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI), for which I am very proud. We have joked my whole life regarding how funny it is that her daughter is an artist who despises numbers. However, my mother is also an artist when it comes to sewing. She creates beautiful practical little girl’s clothing in such a way that you would think sewing was a piece of cake. My mother makes dresses that make you feel like a pink little girl who can climb a tree to see the world with no worries that she is showing off her underpants. She is a woman who thought she could be anything she wanted and still be feminine, and this is reflected in the clothes she makes for my daughter today.

Though very practical, my mother has no interest in making a business with her sewing ability. She sews for the people that she loves, stating that it’s too hard to put a price tag on the work she has put into her creations. When she sews for my daughter, she can make what she wants, and customize it to my daughter’s face. My mother equates it to having her very own living moving breathing doll. The colors of the fabrics she chooses brings out my daughter’s bright blue eyes, rosy pink skin and golden hair to perfection, so that my baby becomes a piece of art in and of herself.

The relationship between mothers and daughters is particularly special in that your daughter may some day know the same joy of motherhood. In a way, my daughter is a joint project in that she will learn from her mother and her grandmothers what she needs to know to be a strong capable woman. Recently, my mother and I took on a joint project in which I created turtle brooches loosely based upon ancient Viking turtle shell brooches, and my mother designed the Viking apron dress that would have been worn with them. While we worked separately, a few towns apart, the finished product was indeed perfect.

I do not know yet whether my daughter is going to like turtles when she obtains the language skills necessary to tell me. I know that making the brooches was an act of love, as I imagined her wearing them for the first time. I made a brass prototype through a technique known as chasing and repousse, in which metal is secured in a bowl of pitch, and then hammered with various shaped punches and dies until I had a turtle. This was then cast into bronze, and cleaned up for the perfect master. Several turtles were then cast and hardware was attached underneath the turtle shell.  Duplicates are a limited run item for sale at my Etsy shop.

Bronze Viking Turtle Brooches by Prunella's Workshop

The dress was made from red cotton corduroy and off white linen. My mother drafted the pattern utilizing other patterns for sizing and shape. The embroidered turtles on the dress and the embroidery on the off white shift are machine done to give the entire outfit durability. The entire dress is 100% washable and one of a kind.  

Due to the success of this project, as well as so many others, we are discussing other handmade projects to do together. My mother recently made a fused glass cabochon that I am turning into a pendant. I am creating a fabric design that we will have printed, and my mother will sew the final product. Our scathingly brilliant plans are endless.

What do you like to create with your mother?