Considering a return to something left behind...

Thinking about some past work that I have left behind and picking it up again with fresh eyes. 

I started as a milliner accidentally and followed the path for a bit. After the second child, and a move, I let this drop off. At RISD, a teacher once said, if you feel uninspired to create something new, then do something you've already done. Keep working, if you can't invent, reinvent. Right now, I don't know what my next step should be. Time to turn around, repeat, and see where I go. I'm kind of excited.

Beautiful Day at SOWA

At SOWA again this past Sunday. We had a great time. The weather was perfect-and my mom was in town to help with the kids, so set up and take down were a breeze. Having a babysitter must have saved us about two hours! Saw a couple familiar vendors, Pier 43, Holly Land Treasures, and met a new vendor, Sweetest Hue. One of my favorite parts of doing these shows is meeting the other vendors and hearing how they do this. What shows to they go to, what shops do they sell in-does Etsy work for them? What kind of generator are they plugging their sewing machine in to so they can sew and sell in their booths? Just standard industry information.

Looking forward to being back in September. I have started making new winter items-featuring camel hair, wool, and velvet, and pulled out some favorite crochet/felted styles. More of these will be on my table in September, as it will be autumn!!! My little boy's head is getting so big-he needs a new hat too! And hopefully he will be my muse for some winter boy styles~and maybe some menswear as well.

A Day at SOWA

Our second time at SOWA open market this summer-a great place to go for food and shopping Sundays in Boston. This time, it was not only was it a family affair-with Adrian, Mira & Max offering an extraordinary amount of help- it was a friendly affair as well! Thanks to everyone who came to visit us-it made the day! I especially appreciate all the little babies that came to visit on what turned out to be a pretty hot day. (I thought it was going to be pleasantly mild, and dressed Max in a layered look, only to strip him down to a T-shirt and diaper by 11am.)

I brought out some new Sun Hats, Children Aviator Hats, and a couple of old classics. The cotton helmet style hats are still a favorite of mine. I changed up my tent set up to give Amira a little more room to play-may not seem like a great business decision, but worked very well. Saw a few familiar vendors: Pier43, Nancy's Gone Green, Edie & Fin. Ate at Clover food truck. Cut our breakdown time in half. All and all, a good day out.

And now I am going to shift gears to fall items. I have so many ideas-its just a matter of getting them done! Just have to do it!

Getting Ready for a Sale

Making sun hats in and with a variety of bold prints.

 Pulling together a few of my favorite baby hats.  

And taking advantage of the nice weather to do a tent set up practice run.

This last activity was a family affair, as I required my husbands help. (Which means he did almost all of the set up.) Upon waking from her nap Amira joined us, and Max is always near by.

Thank you family for spending your nice day doing the same!

Let's have fun at SOWA next weekend!

Getting back into it!

So now there are two!
This spring has been all about family-with the addition of Max.

But he makes it pretty easy. Just cooing & sleeping. A new experience for us!

Amira on the other hand appears to have become a teenager overnight! Put down that phone!
Really though, she is still our little girl. We did our first Easter egg hunt this spring-another holiday filled with candy-lucky her!

And I am starting to make some summer hats, to compliment my winter ones.
I am also working on a better boy line, having a son now-I have a better sense of what works. (Not the pict below.)

But I get easily distracted these days.  Maybe I can pull it together. I will be in the SOWA markets this summer & fall. I am thinking of Benjamin Franklin as I use my time. And like him, I am not doing too much housework these days:)

Something New

I have been working to come up with a new product, one that is not quite so seasonal-but still works with what I have been doing. So I am expanding the hat pattern into a purse or clutch pattern. A few proto types have come through, but the above pairing feels the most successful so far. I have always liked the idea of a hat and bag match-though I have never actually had one.

I am also playing with the idea of some granny pattern change purses. Still working on construction and hardware-but I have to say I am having fun with these new patterns. I have a bunch of ideas in my head-and wish I just had all the time to see them through! Hopefully more to come soon!

A Few Samples

Felting

So, I am back in hat season. Once I start, I just keep going!

I have started experimenting more with pattern and felting.

At the beginning of the season, I was designing very graphic looks. But in the course of just a few weeks, I feel like I have done a 180.

Meanwhile, we are also busy making Amira's Halloween costume. At least we didn't wait until the night before. We plan to trick or treat for the first time. Adrian and I will just have to try to leave work a little early so we have time to go around the neighborhood.

And now off to bed for me!