Where Fabric Overflows

by Louise of THE HOLE THING


This week I took a long awaited trip to Zimman's Fabric Store in Lynn, MA. Soon to celebrate their 100th anniversary, I can easily see why they have been in business for so long. Awarded Best Of Boston several times, Zimman's is like an amusement park for any textile lover. The first floor is well stocked with rows upon rows of gorgeous bolts of most every kind of fabric that you can imagine, although, if you are a quilter looking for calico prints this is not the place for you to go.

They have an enormous selection of home decor fabrics as well as trims. The atmosphere reminds me of ABC carpet in NYC, with its opulence and high tin ceilings. The basement at Zimman's is just as wonderful with lots of remnants at greatly discounted prices. The store is a feast for the eyes whether you like fabric or not! The best surprise of all was the 2nd and 3rd floors that beautifully display fine antiques, rugs and other furnishings, some dating as far back as 1780, and many of them reupholstered with Zimman's fine fabrics. Don't miss out on this delightful store easily accessible by Rt 129 which is off of Rt. 128.

Welcome NEW Boston Handmade Members!

We are pleased to announce that two new members have joined Boston Handmade:
Joshua of Joshua Stone and Marla of Sea Glass Things

Joshua is a Boston based designer who's work gives aesthetic structure to the otherwise rugged and utilitarian medium of industrial felt.
Originally from Connecticut, Stone attended Massachusetts College of Art and worked in commercial photography for over ten years. Joshua's work has beauty, humor, and practicality in both his housewares and his wearables.
"Small ideas only grow with support. It used to be in the states we where all about handmade, now not so much. I am doing my part to bring back that balance."

Marla hails from Salem and has been designing sea glass and pottery shard jewelry for over thirteen years.
All of her designs are handmade, original works of art and true heirloom pieces representing a sliver of history that can be passed on to many generations. All pottery and glass pieces collected by Marla have been naturally tumbled by the surf and sand - no artificial means have been used to weather them.
"I have been scouring the beaches for years - picking up baubles and treasures that have washed ashore. I also kayak to islands around the New England coast for our bounty."

Visit these member shops and all Boston Handmade member Etsy shops by clicking on each image in the right-hand column of this blog. Enjoy!

Workspace Wednesday...

...with Angela of Paper Menagerie

I teach full time, and school vacation is a chance for my workspace to get messy. It's gotten so messy, in fact, that this is a folding table next to my usual (and very small) workspace. You can see my two latest card designs inspired by Jane Austen, along with postcards for my friend (and fellow Boston Handmade member) Kris' Etsy shop Relaxation works. Underneath are some envelopes containing gorgeous work from a Gocco swap I participated in. To the right is my experiment of Gocco printing on wood veneer stationery, which came out well. Underneath that is a sewing book I'm using for a personal project that's gone horribly wrong. To the left is an Altoid tin full of butterfly die cuts waiting to be recycled into stickers and some library cards that are part of an order waiting to be shipped out.

How do I sum this up? I'm never bored, that's for sure.

Vacation Inspiration

by Betsy of Stonehouse Studio

There's nothing like a trip to the Yucatan if you want to explore texture, light and contrast. I ambled through the gardens of Hacienda Xcanatun taking pictures of the lush vegetation. I've always been particulary fascinated by the play of the green tropical foliage against the rich reds and yellows typical of Yucatecan structures. When I got back to cold and wintry Boston, I made up a few pendants to try to capture the feeling.

The pendants are done with my illustrated transfer technique on polymer clay, using pictures cut out of home decor catalogs. I then colored and altered the photos to capture the flavor of the Yucatan.

Monday Mosaic - Snowy White

With the recent snowstorm we had everything in Boston is sparkling white and so is our Monday Mosaic! Here is work by:creatively anew
The Hole Thing
Fraske Designs
Stonehouse Studio
Reclaimed To You
thirteenthstory
Elizabeth Brennick Designs
Amy Olson Jewelry
Glamourpuss Creations

Thanks to Mimi K for putting together this Mosaic and please check out the Boston Handmade Flickr group for all our pics!

Printing on the Thinnest of Papers

by, Chris of Christine Marie Art

I thought I'd share the technique I use to prepare very thin emulsion and japanese paper, onto which I print digital pieces. These either become prints in their own right, or become part of a larger collage.

As a base (and for something sturdy that will go through the manual feed on my printer) I use flexible cutting mats that come from the grocery store, and brush on a thin layer of Golden Soft Gel Gloss, spritzed with a bit of water.

Then I layer various thin papers and cover them with a light brushing of gel medium as well.

When this has completely dried, I brush on one or two thin coats of clear InkAid. This is a coating that allows ink from your inkjet printer to adhere nicely to the emulsion. Golden has a new line of digital mixed media products coming out which will work much in the same way InkAid does, so that is an option as well.

Once that has dried completely, I put it through the manual feed slot of my printer, and print my image. When finished, I very carefully peel the emulsion/paper off of the cutting mat. The result is a very thin, translucent piece ready to finish up, or incorporate into a collage.

Chris' art can be purchased through her Etsy shop

Handy Dandy Wrist Pin Cushions

by, Beth of Elizabeth Brennick Designs

I had been selling handmade sewing kits and wanted to add another sewing-related item so I decided to make an updated wrist pin cushion. The wrist pin cushions I found had plastic wrist bands that dug into your skin, and were not very cute, so I wanted to make mine comfortable and fun. I never had much extra space at my work table, and I would always end up with pins all over the floor. Not to mention when I would sew on the sofa. I would forget that I had jabbed spare pins in the cushion and my husband would end up getting poked. Needless to say, I would be my own best customer.
I started designing and making them about a year ago. I love working with felt and had a bunch of colorful vinyl that I wanted to use so I incorporated them both into my designs.

I really enjoy sketching all the different ideas for the wrist pin cushions. I 've added velcro on the vinyl band so it can be adjustable and also added velcro on the felt cushion so you can remove it from the band and place it on a table or sofa. My plan was to make it functional wherever you find yourself sewing.

At first I thought I wouldn't be able to sell them . They're one of my most enjoyable items to make, but I am trying to sell them to other sewers who could just make their own. Wasn't I mistaken! They 're a hit at shows and have done well online. I think people are pleasantly surprised when they see them and realize they are pin cushions. My cupcake WPC has been mentioned on a number of blogs. Two of the more well - known ones are Softies Central and Craftzine

I presently am making wrist pin cushions featuring apples , owls , birds , strawberries , cupcakes , whales , boom box radios , little girls , bunnies , tulips , mod flowers , penguins , and skulls . Future WPC's I'm working on right now are ice cream cones and gumball machines . I also take custom orders.You can choose the color vinyl, felt, and I will create anything you want.

You can find my wrist pin cushions listed for purchase in my Etsy shop.

It's All Their Fault, #2

by Katy of muchacha K


This is the second profile in a series, focusing on the most vital origins of our creative lives.

Dawn of creatively anew's creativity was ingrained by interactions with family and friends. "My parents were a huge influence in my life of creativity. My mom used to do all types of crafts and I was always underfoot, " says Dawn. "My dad was big into model trains. I remember him making a diorama at Christmas time for the trains complete with mountains and a tunnel. When I got older he would include me in the painting of the models and figuring out 'how to' create something by looking at it in detail. My mother's mom, Gram Kimer was always taking us to the five and ten store when we were little. She would always let us pick something out and I would always pick some project craft like making potholders out of the loops, or paint by numbers."

Dawn's work, inspired by the recycling of key materials, can be purchased through her Etsy shop, or seen on her web site or at her blog.