Evan Biddell and I know one another back from our Victoria days, where he owned a tiny little shop tucked away down a heritage alley, hidden among all the popular Johnson Street stores in the downtown core. You could spot a custom Biddell piece a mile away – and not because Victoria is such a small city, but because Evan’s vision and design is so unique. That hasn’t changed over the years, so of course he went on to win Project Runway Canada, and when he did we met immediately after the episode aired so I could grill him about his experience and what he would be up to next.
Continue reading ‘Evan Biddell: Interview Pt. 1′
Too bad there’s nothing written on the pages within…at least not yet. I had a bunch of scrap paper laying around for some time and decided I would put those sheets to good use and experiment with bookmaking.
After looking online for instructions, I realized I didn’t have all the materials needed. But I went ahead and did it anyway – once I have an idea I need to run with it while I’m still inspired, so I settled for the materials I had at hand. Didn’t turn out too badly, considering my little book doesn’t have outer covers or fabric to reinforce the binding. I cut an old Ikea wall shade in half to use as covers but they are still unattached…I think I will have to drill a hole through the thick pages and tie them on with string. Not exactly your traditional hard-cover masterpiece, but it’ll work as a casual notebook.
I found the following sites really helpful for instructions: tobycraig Photo-Journal instructions for book assembly, and this site for hard cover book making.
Remember, a thimble is your best friend when making a book – pushing that needle and thread through a signature of 10+ sheets of paper will break your bones!
Picked up a nice little assortment of wooden buttons today for all the new alpaca neck warmers I’ve been making. The owner of Button, Button in Gastown was telling me that all of these, except for the smallest ones, are from the 1940′s and she’s been hanging on to them for quite a while. The big dark brown ones are my favourite, they don’t have a glossy coating on them and feel very raw and natural. Apparently they were out on the floor for some time and no one was interested, so they were put away for a while. Ahh, button fans – they are a fickle crowd, indeed.
Now comes the fun part, matching up the buttons with the different coloured neck warmers. Since all of these are spoken for, maybe I’ll let their future owners pick their own buttons. She who comments first, picks first!
I’m taking a two-day photography class through the Vancouver School Board and had my first session this past Saturday. Thought it was time to catch up on all the knowledge that’s abandoned me since I first started out years ago, although I’ve always been amateur at best. We played around with shutter speeds, I learned a few new things about the Canon Rebel XT that I use.
No matter how many years have passed, visiting a secondary school always gives me a weird feeling. They all smell the same. Memories of having to use a locker, the long hallways and bright fluorescent lights, the open desks that are constantly filled with garbage, projectors, balls and sneakers squeaking across a gymnasium floor, and dealing with teachers and principals come flooding through. I think that weird feeling comes from a place where when you walk through those doors again after you’ve long graduated, you feel older and perhaps more mature on the surface – but deep down we all remain juvenile in many ways. Most of us still struggle with friends, relationships, confidence and authority as we did in high school, but as we grow older we develop better ways of coping and masking our fears.
Can’t wait until next Saturday!
Here I go with the 1930′s again…
I spent my weekend catching up on the Indiana Jones trilogy in preparation for the fourth installment coming out this May. These were the movies I watched over and over as a kid (except for Temple of Doom, creepy!), and Elsa in The Last Crusade was always my favourite female lead character. I have a serious want for the lace-up pumps she wears in the church/library scene (below). Other best bets from this decade: pencil skirts to the knee or mid-calf, tilted wide-brimmed hats, immaculately draped fabrics, high-waisted slacks, gloves, and of course the wavy hair.
Continue reading ‘Indiana Jones: Style Revisited’
You know, my mother warned me that knitting was addictive. Last night I was browsing online for vintage patterns, ideas and inspiration, and realized how much I’ve been focusing on this craft lately. Then noticed it was a Saturday night, that I was only on my computer because I needed a break from the knitting, and I may be a bit of a chump.
I love this bulky bat wing sweater from one vintage knitting site, and was amazed by the accessories from my grandmother’s generation; hats, collars, gloves, purses and belts were often knit or crocheted and decorated with beads, pearls and gems. Mind you, some of these vintage knit patterns are hideously ugly by my own personal standards, but that’s why we look to the past for inspiration and not duplication, right?
Continue reading ‘Vintage Knitting Inspiration’
