They like me, they really like me!

Forgive me for chanelling Sally Field for a moment, but I'm have my own Academy moment. In the past two weeks, I've won two awards for my work: the Juror's Choice award for Best Body of Work at the Uncommon Threads runway show (my first runway show ever!) and First Place at Fall into the Arts in Bloomington!

As a primarily self-taught person, this is so gratifying and makes me feel like I'm gaining "street cred" in the art/fashion world. The funny this is, I have so many other designs in my head that I didn't have have time to make--designs that I thought would be cooler than what I did make. Hopefully, this means that I won't be a one-trick pony.

Back at the studio, I'm plodding along to keep up: filling orders and replenishing my inventory for the Fine Art of Fiber, which takes place next weekend.

Sneak Preview

Here are two of my designs that will be on the runway at Uncommon Threads this weekend. The photos are compliments of Mary, who takes amazing shots of her kids and scenes in Chicago. And a very good friend who always makes me laugh.

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The top piece was really a challenge and took forever to make. The bottom piece was much more fun to do--it has merino wool that I hand-dyed and silk organza that I got during my trip to the NY garment district.

Art in the Barn this Weekend!

This weekend is the Art in the Barn show up in Barrington. As the photo will attest, my booth is indeed in a barn (former, and without animals).

The show runs both Saturday and Sunday and is on the campus of Good Shephard Hospital off of Route 22. I'm working furiously to finish everything up--I think my hands are permanently wrinkled from all the felting.

(UPDATE: Just got back from setting up my booth tonight and I have the same space as last year: A-5 in the lower barn.)

I actually have two deadlines this weekend: one for the show and the other is for Uncommon Threads in October--the runway items are due tomorrow!

A BIG thank you to Mary for doing the photo shoot this afternoon of my runway pieces! If only the "model" were better looking....

It's Official

This is the year of the Flamenco scarf (and maybe shawls, too!). They were flying off the rack and I wish I had made more! And to my joy, the taupe and black shawl sold before the show even opened!

The Uncommon Threads show was a lot of fun--the people at the Fine Line are such good folks. And the quality of pieces in the show were truly inspirational.

To keep up with my inspiration, I just signed up for a workshop this weekend with Deb Menz at the Fine Line, to learn color theory, fiber dying and carding. I can't wait! As an added plus, I'm carpooling with Dagmar Klos, who is an expert dyer herself, and a very cool person to boot.

In other news, I have a Halloween party to go to this weekend--any costume suggestions?

Runway Ready

A few more shawls--I'm really having fun with this! I love the idea that all of them are reversible--I'm so not into getting dressed up, so I think that this appeases my inner voice. This one was made right after the taupe/black one in the last post, with a little more shaping and a shirred silk collar. I also added ruffled edges like the flamenco scarves.

I love the feel of this one--the fiber is 80/20 merino silk and so, so soft. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the shawl has a subtle tone-on-tone swirl design.

I dropped off three wraps for the fashion show at the Fine Art of Fiber next month. This weekend is the Uncommon Threads show and I will be in the boutique, but not the runway (maybe next year I'll try!) I'm trying to get a few more wraps done for the boutique, so that I can get an idea of people's reactions to them.

New Directions

Sometimes I just need to be nudged. I've been shying away from larger pieces like shawls and wraps thinking that they would be too cumbersome to make, that I wouldn't be able to come up with any interesting designs, etc. Needing to make some for a fashion show was just the push that I needed. Yes, they are more cumbersome to make, but I'm getting the hang of it and really having fun. I've made 4 wraps and have many more designs marinating in my mind. Being the practical gal that I am, I have made them all to be reversible.

I was finally brave enough to use some gorgeous silk that I bought several years ago and I'm really happy with the result. This is the first wrap I made:

Now I just need a name for it--any suggestions?

Here is the second wrap:

I'm thinking of calling this the Honeycomb Wrap. Thoughts?

More photos tomorrow!