hand block printed textiles by galbraith & paul

We couldn't stay away. Beth & I made the trek again into Manayunk, PA for Galbraith and Paul's annual sample sale on Saturday. I swore I'd never come back to Manayunk after getting 2 parking tickets in one day last time, but I was so bummed-out that my camera didn't work then, that I was able to be persuaded. I just am so heartened to see a handmade business thriving right here in the USA and on this scale. People fly in for this sale. The fabric is highly sought-after. I'm sure they've felt the pressure to get the price down by taking production off-shore, but so far the fabrics are all made here.

It was the usual feeding frenzy with the piles of pillows and the "by the pound" scrap table seeing a lot of action. I was tempted to start a new decorating project, but I only just finished the padded headboard  using the smokebush printed linen I bought here last year.

Originally, Galbraith & Paul were known for their handmade paper lampshades. Now the lampshades are fabric. Room and Board carries the pillows & lampshades. They have also ventured into rugs and wallpaper.

 So mod- so fab!

A complicated pattern like this takes either multiple blocks and/or requires hand painting more than one color on a block. It requires skilled artisans to execute.

These are some of the "blocks".

The ink is applied with these little rollers.

Just like at the paint store!

My friend Beth's new best friend: Liz Galbraith. Mr Paul was working the register. Even Liz's little boys were helping customers.

A glimpse of future designs on the pin-up board in Liz's studio. The loveliness continues...

order in the chirp & bloom studio!

I just completed a major deep cleaning of the studio! I just can't think when there's too much chaos, and I need order with the busy fall I have ahead... I just was notified that I am showing at the Clover Market in Ardmore, PA three dates this fall: September 18, October 16, & November 6. And I'm waiting to hear from an additional show somewhere else in October. I'd also like to do a show or two for the holidays. That means a lot of sewing & new designs ahead. I also have the finishing touches to put on our attic guest room renovation which has been dragging on forever and a flower girl dress to make for a family wedding in September. A clean studio is essential.

My fabric piles are the first to get out of hand.

I'm trying something new: using a folding board. The kids actually thought it was fun and wanted to help. For regular yardage, the procedure is to first fold the fabric lengthwise, selvedges together. Then fold the other way until you have an easily manageable piece roughly the size above.

My board is just a scrap of foam core that happened to be 1/3 the width of my fabric shelves, so it makes pieces that fit 3 stacks per shelf perfectly. I also have a smaller board for fat quarters and small scraps. Now all you do is fold the fabric over the board, and pull it out.

 

Fold the piece back on itself one last time and that forms a nice clean edge that will face out on the shelf.

Voilà!

And while I'm at it, it just feels satisfying to put my bobbins and thread in color order.

And why not the embroidery floss? There's just something about rainbows...

What the heck, here's a tour of the rest of the studio... Newly unearthed, a place for a friend to sit, visit, and peruse back issues of Marie Claire Idées and Domino

I've added a dedicated shipping station, so everything I need to send packages is in one spot. It can get crazy around the holidays and I'm determined to stay on top of it.

Individual bins for projects in progress keep things orderly. Each bin holds all the elements for one item, so labels & trims stay with the right piece. If I have more than 6 projects going at once, I know I'm in trouble.

Finally, a clean sewing station. I learned my lesson about the importance of a clean sewing area the hard way. It only takes one dirty smudge on an almost finished garment. I just don't have time for that!

galbraith & paul sample sale

This past Saturday, the 4th, was Galbraith and Paul's famous annual sample sale. Galbraith and Paul produce the most gorgeous hand block-printed fabrics in a lovely old factory building just off Main Street in Manayunk, PA. I first admired their work in the Room and Board catalog but didn't realize they were nearby.

My Friend Beth is fan enough to own one of their large drum pendant lamps in the "smokebush" pattern, so of course we were going, along with my friend Liz, who is always game for this sort of thing. The sale is held right there in their light-filled work space which was so inspirational to see with its high ceilings, tall windows, brick walls, rows of long printing tables, and all the printing plates and inks out too see. Mounds of pretty pillows were heaped tables. Lampshades, rolls of printed yardage, rugs, and scraps by the pound were all for sale at nice discounts.

This is where the story gets sad. I very conscientiously remembered to put a newly charged battery in the camera for this sure-to-be-blog-worthy event. When I took my camera out to start shooting, it was dead! I was flabbergasted! (Miraculously, it worked at home later when I tried to show my husband the problem). Beth gave me hope by producing her iphone which I proceeded to NOT take about 50 photos with. Apparently I was pressing the wrong button the whole time and got not a single shot! We didn't catch the goof until the next day at which point it was too late to remedy the situation. So, because I am an idiot, you will not be seeing any cool eye-candy shots of the studio (the above picture is from their website), just shots of what we bought. Excuse me a minute while I get a new tissue *sniff*.

Each color in these prints are inked on the block by a real human for every repeat of the pattern. This takes skill, patience and time, therefor retail prices of the fabric are over $100/yard. The sample sale price was $65/yard.

The versatile smokebush pattern. I bought a few yards in gold on linen to make a padded headboard for my guest room renovation project which I will share later.

After the feeding frenzy of a sale, we worked up an appetite and headed back to the car to repark near a restaurant. TICKET! This is what I hate about Manayaunk. The parking is impossible. There isn't enough of it and the meters are not well maintained. This one was broken and so was the next one we fed all our quarters to. The side streets have one hour parking which isn't enough if you want to sit down in a restaurant, especially Le Bus which has painfully slow service every time. Not wanting to receive another ticket, I left the restaurant in the middle of our meal to move the car. I circled the block and nabbed another spot apparently not far enough from my old spot to avoid another ticket. Basically my tickets for the day ate up the money I saved by buying fabric at the sample sale instead of retail!

So the day ended with a bad feeling for Manayunk, but a good feeling for handmade business and good design.

a whiff of fall

Before our vacation about a month ago, I forced myself to clean the studio and get organized. I refolded and stacked all my fabrics and shirts by color. I must say, since getting back I've been quite productive making new patterns and prototyping accessories. I'm determined not to let it turn into a mess again.

Yesterday, the weather suddenly turned crisp and I started feeling really excited for fall. It'll be sweltering again soon enough, but I should've been working on fall by now anyway. With my fabrics all nicely stacked, I couldn't resist tearing the piles apart again and grouping together some story ideas.

I am mixing vintage fabric with thrift store shirtings, old but not quite vintage early '90's fabric from when I worked for an apparel company, and a few new pieces. There will be some patchworking happening.

There will definitely be some corduroy involved this fall. I am almost done perfecting a jumper to be made in corduroy. I had it on my little size 5 fit model from up the block last night. Even though I have the size 5 dress form, I like to see things on a real body that moves.

For some reason, teal looks really fresh to me right now. I've hated it ever since the '80's, but I like it again, especially with avocado and and mushroom. And I can't stop thinking about MUSHROOMS! I feel the appliqué urge coming on...

seating for the studio

I've had some studio visits lately and it's made me take another look at the studio from an aesthetic and functional point of view. It's functioning great as a sewing studio. But if people are going to visit, it really is necessary to have someplace for them to sit and it would be nice if the place was spiffier overall. If the space is going to represent me to customers, I think I need to step it up some.

Klippan loveseat by IKEA

My first idea for seating was this smaller scale couch from IKEA. I thought it would work for the basement because of the metal legs and vinyl upholstery. I liked the cheerful color and the price was doable at $399. Then I got to thinking... it's made largely of polyurethane and vinyl. That's gonna off-gas like crazy, and will a cheap sofa like that last? I try to be ecologically responsible whenever possible, so I came up with a new idea.

I received a set of four "Anne-me-down" chairs from my friend Anne last year and hadn't done anything with them yet. Judging from the avocado and gold upholstery, I think they are from the 1970's. They're not designer originals or anything, but I like their style. Not only were they free, but chairs probably make more sense than a sofa for my purposes because they can be easily rearranged. Plus, I like the idea of saving them from the landfill and giving them new life.

First, though, they need regluing and repegging. On closer inspection, one of them might just be too far gone, but I will try. By "I" in this case, I mean my husband. He's handier with the carpentry.

before

The wood is a bit scuffed and beat-up. To tell the truth, I've been procrastinating fixing up these chairs because I thought I'd have to strip and restain them. Then the lady at JPT caning recommended this refinishing stuff called Howard's Restore-A-Finish and the wheels started to turn in my mind. I bought it from them in "dark walnut" for about $8.

after

The directions on the can say to wipe on with 0000 steel wool, following the grain, then quickly wipe off. And voilà! The wood looks amazing and it took less than 15 minutes to do the whole chair! Nasty fumes, though. Don't attempt this indoors.

I happened to have this happy orange cotton floral fabric on hand that I got at *gasp* JoAnne's. It's a casual canvas uphostery by Better Homes and Gardens. What can I say? It caught my eye. I pried off the old upholtery using a screw driver and pliers on the stapes. Using the old cover as a template, I cut the same shape out of the new fabric and staple-gunned it on.

I'm completely satisfied with the results! Only 3 more to go...

up and running in the studio

The studio is still a work in progress, but it's up and running.

I bought two 8-foot x 30" folding tables from Office Max to use for laying out and cutting. They can be folded up and stashed to make the basement back into a roller rink if I want to. It sure beats the dining table where I kept having to shift my fabric around and was continually bumping my head on the chandelier. The rug is a plastic outdoor floor mat by KOKO that I got online at Outora. If it floods, no worries!

Meet "Lucy", my sweet new child size 5 professional dressform. I lucked out and snagged her on ebay for $50! It's got a cast iron base and linen body. I keep pinching myself because these things cost 7 times that new! We had her in the dining room for a while which was a little disconcerting, since she is headless and all. Now she lives in the studio. I'm on the hunt for a mom-size one now.

This is where I plan to spend the winter. I am loving being able to keep my machines out and ready for action. On the right is my trusty 1970's Singer Touch and Sew 750, and on the left is my new serger, another ebay find. It's a used Husquvarna Viking Huskylock 936 (that's a mouthful). I was afraid to touch it for the first month I had it. Then I attempted to absorb the manual and my brain almost exploded. Finally, I broke down and got lessons which turned out to be a time-saver in the end. I'll do a review on the machine after I fool with it a little longer.

For earlier studio pics, click here and here.

rosemary's amazing studio

Today I am featuring the studio of Rosemay Luckett, a fine artist in the Washington DC area.  She also happens to be my mom, but I am not biased at all! I was there this past weekend to attend the Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair with her (see previous post) and took these snaps of her amazing space.

What artist wouldn't love a two story, light-filled converted garage to spread out in?  Downstairs houses a wood shop, print making equipment, and a painting area.  Upstairs is for drawing, collage, and contemplation. Looking down from above...

Rosemary teaches a popular class called "Sculpture from Scrap" and several collage classes at the Art League in Alexandria, VA.

Masks and icons.

Just a fraction of the book collection. 

A glimpse of recent drawings.

This is not a pristine, p-touched, plastic-encased place, and that is the beauty of it. The space reflects the nature of Rosemary's thoughtful and varied mixed media work while feeding her creativity.

in love with mexican oilcloth

In the basement clean-out process, this forgotten cupboard that was full of ancient paint cans, cobwebs, and mold of course, was unearthed. 

It got the royal anti-mold scrub-down, paint, and new Mexican oilcloth to cover the old  shelves. Now it is the ultimate sewing supply cupboard. Note that everything is flood-safe, encased in plastic and off the floor. You can't be too careful!

I ordered the oilcloth from Hart's Fabric in Santa Cruz, California, one of my new favorite retail fabric sources.  My friend Patrice, in Santa Rosa, first introduced me to Mexican oilcloth's charms.  It's a California thing.  It's still made in Mexico. Something about it is so much more appealing than regular tablecloth vinyl. It has criss-crossing fibers in it that give it strength and texture, but what really sets it apart is the many vintage-style patterns it comes in, some of which are re-prints from engravings dating back to the 1930's.  I went safe with orange gingham for the cupboard (it comes in many shades in the gingham), but I'm in love with the splashier patterns. I need to think of some other projects to use then for that would really show them off... any ideas?

"Lucy, I'm home!"