Then I collapsed.

Then I rested.

That was all good.

But then, just when my 5-year-old, Eamon, was scheduled to go back to school, there was a water main break in front of his school. That knocked out the heater. That knocked out school for over a week. So for the better part of a month it was Mom and Eamon time. Then there were some other delays, the MLK holiday, then–just when I thought he’d be back to school and I’d be back to work–he got sick. Of course.

So basically I haven’t been working on making much in the way of upcycled lovelies lately. What I did decide to do was make bread. Really really bad bread. The World’s Worst Bread, in fact.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t set out to make the World’s Worst Bread. It seems I just have a talent for it (and you thought I could only make clothes. Peshah!).

Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof.

Eamon modeling World's Worst Bread

Just look at that fluffy goodness.

The Bottom is Even BETTER than the Top!

That expression says it all

I was so inspired by this experience that I decided to sponsor a contest: Can you make worse bread than me? (only foodstuffs allowed). Grand Prize: Bread (of course)

Honestly, I think a box of tacks would have improved not just the overall texture of this bread, but the flavor as well. Not that you could eat it. Eamon tried to take a bite (see reaction at left).

But lest you think this bread was totally inedible. I made the mistake of leaving the bread on a plate on the stove in the kitchen, then went away without shutting the kitchen door. When I returned, I found this:

Bread only a dog could love

It took me awhile to understand that the dog was able to get up on the stove and nibble at this (rock hard-n-nasty) bread. Though that doesn’t really count as an endorsement for the taste. I’ve seen this dog eat her own vomit (and worse). And really, to be prudent, we should wait a good 24 hours before we declare her “survived”.

I will be at the first every Handmade Mart in Downtown Silver Spring. Come on down for some awesome handcrafted indie items and rockin’ live music.

Here’s the blurb: The Handmade Mart in Downtown Silver Spring will bring together more than 50 independent artisans and crafters for a one-day show and sale of handmade goods. With hands-on workshops and demos, as well as live entertainment all day long on the music stage, the Handmade Mart promises fun for folks of all ages! As part of the ever-growing arts scene in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Handmade Mart is proud to be working in conjunction with the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center.

Find me in booth #44

See you there!

When I have had a moment to work in these last two months, I’ve been really into the red/turquoise/aqua thing. I made this fantastic cashmere skirt, which I’m calling my “Dragon Scales” skirt because… well, it reminded me of stories about dragons.

To go with this I created this fantastic (if I may say so myself) neck wrap in the same cashmere.

 
I love this thing, not just because I think the colors are fantastic, but because it’s so soft that once you put it on, you never want to take it off. I cut little teardrop shaped holes in this, then surrounded them with red thread.

I call this my “Dragon Tears” neck wrap. I really wanted to keep this for myself. Alas, I put it on a mannequin at the Torpedo Factory and it sold almost instantly.
  

Here’s the whole outfit:

I made one other, in two shades of Turquoise (also with “Tears”), and it sold immediately as well.

Making things I love and sending them out into the world (no matter how badly I want to hold onto them) is part of what I do, and why I love to do it.
 

 
But before you think that sounds impressive, I’ll come clean and tell you that I also made a couple of hats. I made this one:

And loved it so much I REALLY wanted to keep it. It was really my favorite hat that I’d ever made. Of course it sold immediately, so I set about making a sister hat.

That’s when I made this one:

 Now I’ll admit to you that I am keeping this one. In fact, I’ve been wearing it around for a couple of weeks now. My feeling was that it was far too weird for anyone to like it (much less want to buy it). But to my surprise, I have people complimenting it and asking about it all the time. The really fab thing is, it’s light cashmere, so I can keep on wearing it for a least another month, maybe two.

I guess that’s all a long way to tell you that I have a new hat.

So this week I finally managed to get all the information together for the up-cycling class I will be teaching at TranquiliT in Dupont Circle this spring. The challenge was to come up with a project that could be made in two hours that did NOT use a sewing machine (their challenge to me–since they don’t have machines at their facility) that still managed to be cute and interesting (my challenge to myself).

I think I managed to make up a sweet little project that will be really fun for people who want an introduction to the Upcycling and updating their clothes, that can not only easily be done, but has infinite possibilities and variations.

Here’s two examples, one sweet, one a little more punk-rock.

Sweet

Jagged

What I love about this little design is that not only can it be hand-sewn (though I goes much more quickly with a machine), but it’s such an easy way to update–and make fun and funky–something plain that’s just sittin’ in your closet. It can be applied to all sorts of garments: shirts, dresses, camis, even skirts. Another thing I love is that it gives you the opportunity to USE some of those fun and funky vintage prints or pieces you’ve picked up and don’t know what to do with. Or you can use a piece of clothing that you’ve loved literally to death: it’s got holes, is falling apart, but you still can’t bear feed it to the trash.

One thing I love to do when I’m upcycling is use some loud or even ultra-feminine print that is really WAY too much when you see it spread all over a dress or shirt, but looks fantastic when you take a little bit of it (as in this project) and add it to spice up something plain. With this project, you could use the “sacraficial pieces” to spruce up several different garments, trying all sorts of variations.

My inclination was for the jagged, more punk version with the striped-strips hanging down. To me, it’s like you get the femininity of the ruffles, but then it sort of deconstructs or explodes at the end (and on the back). This is really me. If things are too fem, I get nervous. So whenever I do something that looks very feminine, I always find myself wanting to balance that with something a little more edgy and jagged (like gorgeous high-heels crushing broken glass). I just like the tension of that juxtaposition.

I made the sweeter version for people who don’t mind being fem. all the way and don’t want or need the jagged-edges. A safer and sweeter variation on the same theme. Either way, I started out with plain t-shirts and just added the thrill-frills.

So, here’s the link and here’s info. for the class:

Upcycle: Remake your Old Clothes

Apr. 4, 2009, 10am-noon, TranquiliT Showroom

Do you stare into your closet and feel that it’s just all so boring? Or, alternately, do you have clothing that you’ve loved and worn so much that it’s falling apart–but you still can’t bring yourself to throw it away? This workshop can help you. Tamara will introduce you to some simple ways to update your wardrobe and re-use / re-envision some of those favorite pieces you just can’t bear to part with. Why spend a ton of money on new clothes when you can up-cycled what you already have? $5 materials fee due in class.

Supplies List: One shirt (preferably scoop-neck or V-neck) that fits you (or whoever will be wearing the shirt), one or two other garments (can bring more for more choices) that you’re willing to cut up (here’s your chance to choose fun and funky prints or fabrics), sharp scissors.

Maybe I’ll see you there!

Well, it’s finally here! My Caterpillar Girl Sweater Coat is featured in the January/February issue of Belle Armoire magazine. In case you’ve never seen this gorgeously produced magazine, it’s dedicated to “showcasing the best of contemporary art-to-wear designers” and is available at most places with a decent-sized magazine selection (Barnes & Noble etc.) and many sewing and craft stores.

And you can check out a link to an on-line teaser (sorry the whole issue is not available online) here.

Below is a “grab” of the PDF file sent from the publisher, so it’s a bit blurry (sorry), just to give you an idea of what it looks like. If you’re interested in actually reading the article, I hope you’ll go find the magazine, or you can ask me for a copy of the text. The odd thing is, I actually wrote the article myself (and they PAID me for it!). The way it went down was like this, they said I could have an editor interview me, or I could take a stab at writing about this particular coat myself. I figured, what the hey, I have a master’s degree in writing. Might as well put it to some use, heh? So I did. The article is really aimed at makers and others who maybe want to be makers. It’s meant to inspire more than inform about actual processes or even about me as an artist. Does that makes sense? I didn’t particularly like writing about myself or my work. I don’t love blabbing on and on about me (which explains why these blog posts are so few and far between). Plus, I only know and see what I know and see about my work, and for me it’s always more interesting to hear what others see and say about what I’m doing and what I’ve made. But for what it’s worth, here’s the article

I’ll be making new pieces each week, so be sure to look me up. 

ONLINE: Thedevilmademedoitclothing.com

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria Virginia.

You can find my work in studio 14, Fiber Works, on the ground floor.

Gallery hours are 10am – 5pm (sometimes until 6pm) Mon-Sat & 12noon – 5pm Sun.

Come by and see my work (and maybe even see me making it!)

Torpedo Factory Art Center
Holiday Open House

Thursday,December 4
Free event from 6-9pm

Join us for our annual holiday extravaganza.
Browse studios and galleries for one-of-a-kind
gifts while enjoying live music, wine, and horsd’oeuvres. Bring a non-perishable food item
for our Holiday Food Drive, benefiting United
Community Ministries.
82 Artists Studios-6 Galleries-On the Waterfront
Open Daily 10am-6pm and Thursdays ’til 9pm

***Come by and see my work in Studio 14, Fiber works!***

Juried SHOWS:

Bazaart @ The American Visionary Art Museum

Where: 800 Key Highway; Baltimore, MD 21230
Preview Party and Sale
When: Friday, Nov. 28 (sneak preview reception)
Time: 5:30-8pm ($20/$10 for members-food & beverages)

Holiday Shopping
When: Saturday, Nov. 28, 2008 FREE & open to public
Time: 10am – 5pm
Email: bazaart@avam.org  American Visionary Art Museum Events of the Visionary Kind

Out of Hand craft show
When: Sunday, Dec. 7
Time: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Where: Baltimore, MD

Knights of Coumbus – 201 Homeland Ave.

Directions: Knights of Columbus -201 Homeland Ave. (off York Road & Woodbourne or Charles Street behind Notre Dame). Take 83 to Coldspring East, turn left on Charles Street. Go 4 blocks, turn right on Homeland Ave.

For more information, please contact Anita at aklein@mica.edu (410.225.2382)

Downtown Holiday Market

When: Friday, December 12 &

Sunday, December 21

Time: 12 noon – 8pm

Where: Gallery Place China Town Washington DC. F Street, NW between Seventh and Ninth Streets. Gallery Place Metro / Parking nearby.

Check out the website: www.downtownholidaymarket.com

Hope to See You There!

And this one from Fiberlines about my show Rococo Revolution

Ahhhh the web. It’s a wonderful place innit?

Anyway, thanks again. XOXO

Deb and Wendy, the awesome editors of DIY City Mag have put together a fab and well researched issue about the ins and outs of the Washington DC DIY scene. Check out the spotlight on The Devil Made Me Do It here, and use the arrows to browse the rest of this fantastic issue.