{Fabric Friday} klt:fabric stash peek...

The mailman made me really happy this week. There were many fun fabric deliveries to the klt:studio. I often buy little bits of fabrics here and there without a clue as to what I am going to do with them. These little nuggets of inspiration hang out in stacks in my studio until the perfect project calls out to them. I sometimes just sit and play with the fabrics and dream up what they are going to become. I would say half of my new fabric this week has a set purpose. I have new linen/cotton fabrics, japanese imports, more of the Hope Valley collection, a little Marimekko, and some new organic fleece. I am literally buried in ideas, orders, and new supplies these days.

Today it is absolutely beautiful here in the Northwest. I thought I would leave my stuffy, attic studio and get a little change of scenery and some fresh air. It was a nice opportunity to see my new stash of inspiration in a little different light. So I hold up a bouquet of organic fleece, slug antennae as a happy weekend toast.  Cheers to changing up the scenery every now and then and taking a break. Happy Fabric Friday! 

{Creative Process} How the new klt:mobile was made...

There is a new mobile design at klt:works and I am just thrilled about it. This idea has been kicking around in my brain for quite a while now- so it is very gratifying to finally have a finished product under my belt. This is just one of the many ideas in the works right now. My mind tends to move at a much faster pace than my fingers. Most of my studio time is spent filling orders, but every now and then, I sneak in new stuff to keep me excited. My hope is to offer a list of thread drawing characters to choose from - so a person could  choose their own story in a klt:mobile. I loved the idea of using my thread drawing for the floating images for a number of reasons. But having a mobile that is both high contrast (b&w) and modern in color & shape, is a big one (babies are said to see in b&w until they are 3 months). Maybe it is the art professor in me, but I thought that the creative process of how this mobile came to be might be an interesting thing to share.  So here we go....

Thread Drawing from elSage on Vimeo.

It all starts with drawings in thread. I know that I showed this video before, but it was in my first post and I really think it was just my mom who read it. Besides, it is the best way for me to describe how I draw in thread. This was a demo that I did for hutch studio. Most of the time,  a drawing would take a little longer (and I wouldn't have an audience either), but you get the idea. So this is how I created the squirrel, bird, owl, & nest for the klt:works tees, pillows, & now mobile. 

Once I have the images drawn, I take them to a local screen printer (that is 5 minutes away from my studio) and have them screen print my designs for me. It is Chris (not my husband, Chris) that is printing above- he is the one that has worked on a lot of  klt:works projects in 2010. I have been going to the same place for the last 4 years and consider the three of them, part of the klt:works team.

Then comes another fun part of the process, I get to pick out the fabrics for the back of the critters. You might remember me mentioning my love of Ink & Spindle fabrics in one of my Fabric Friday posts. I knew the minute I saw their fabrics, that I wanted to use them for my woodlands mobile (which I fondly think of as the Northwest mobile). I found this video on the Ink & Spindle blog and loved it. 

The last step is something that I really can't leave out. Chris makes all of the wood mobile structures in his little teeny shop area in the garage. He is literally wedged between piles of stuff & the car, when he works on his various house & klt:projects. He then heads upstairs to the klt:studio and methodically strings all of the critters on the mobiles - weighing them carefully with his gram scale from the ceramic studio. He puts the finishing touches on every single mobile that is made. I must pay tribute to those working hands above. Because without them, the mobiles would never be completed.

And that is how the new klt:mobile was made. Hope you enjoyed your creative process tour!  All in a day, right? 

{Music Monday} Rufus & his mom....

Rufus Wainwright has been a favorite musician in our house since 1999. Chris was the one who introduced me to his music. And funny enough, Chris found out about Rufus due to their physical similarities - which are sometimes quite uncanny. Rufus came from an extremely musical family- he is the son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III & Kate McGarrigle, and brother of Martha Wainwright. His talents range from opera, theater, dance, and film along with rock. Needless to say, whatever Rufus does, it is unforgettable.

Rufus Wainwright Prima Donna - Trailer from George Scott on Vimeo.

It seemed appropriate to feature Rufus for this Music Monday post, being on the heels of Mother's Day. He and his mom Kate, were very close and often performed together.  Kate passed away in January of this year due to a form of cancer that she had been fighting for years. So I thought I would share one of their really sweet duets with you as a way of paying tribute. I love the way she looks at him throughout this performance.

All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu, is Rufus' latest album (it came out a few weeks ago). Here is nice little interview from that release, where he discusses his relationship with the piano. I also want to share one of his first music videos from his album, Poses (to give you some idea of his range). His sister Martha, used to tour with him and is in this video as well. 

Rufus Wainwright | All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu | Interview - The Piano from gary nadeau on Vimeo.

I seriously don't think that I could really do Rufus & his music justice in just one Music Monday post, but hopefully, it gives you an idea of what an incredibly creative musician his is. I was lucky enough to see Rufus in concert (when I was pregnant with Sayer actually) and I highly recommend seeing him live. He is just amazing and puts on quite a show! Happy Music Monday! 

{Happy Mother's Day} A special gift for the ladies...

I am extremely proud of my little family of three. The idea of all of the adventures that we are going to have together makes me smile. Being a mom completes me in a way that I would have never anticipated. It enhances all of my senses and feeds my creativity. There seems to be a bond that I feel with other mothers now (including my own mom)  that is comforting and sweet. 

Thanks to my mom for giving me the foundation to become the mom that I am today. I appreciate your advice, your support, and most of all, the wonderful grandma that you are to Sayer (& the fact that you read every post on this blog). I truly enjoy seeing you through his eyes.

I would like to celebrate the friendships that I have made through my journey as a mom and a small business owner. I have met some pretty amazing women that are mothers & designers of wonderful things for children. Cheers to all of you! What do creative women & moms need more of (other than time)? Eco-friendly totes, that's what!  In honor of just getting a new batch of owl totes printed, I am giving away 5 of them to the first 5 people to comment on this post (make sure I have an email - so I can reach you). Oh, & don't worry if you don't see your post show up right away, it is emailed to me before it posts. :)  Happy Mother's Day! 

{Fabric Friday} Nostalgia & Strawberries...

I think that it is accurate to say that a lot of my design decisions are made with acknowledging my history and embracing nostalgia. I have been gravitating towards fabrics lately that conjure up all sorts of memories. Currently, it has been strawberry fabrics that have caught my eye. It could be that they are on the brink of being in season where I live. Or that my first real paid job (other than babysitting my brother) was working in the strawberry fields. Which I can honestly say, sucked. However, I learned a lot about myself and developed a killer work ethic that molded my way of working today (making plush by hand is a bit like picking berries- hard work & very satisfying). Picking berries for $0.09 per pound for the summer,  makes that one Benetton sweater for back to school, extra special. So, the strawberry is very symbolic. It's local to where I am from and where I live now - and as a bonus, very delicious.

The other reason that I am drawn to strawberry fabric, is that it reminds me of one of my favorite dresses that my mom made me when I was little (she made a lot of my clothes). It was the dress that I chose for my birthday party at Big Scoop and a dress that seemed cheerful and not too frilly. I remember that it made me happy.

Here are some of the strawberry fabrics that I have stumbled upon lately. They really make me smile.These fabrics are Japanese imports that can be found both here & here.

I did buy a few of these fabrics with hopes of a strawberry slug plush or a strawberry bird. Only time will tell what I come up with for klt:works, but I am sure that they will look remarkably similar to my favorite childhood dress. What sort of fabric is nostalgic for you?

{Studio as a Bedroom} A product testing opportunity...

It is sometimes tricky working from home. We recently had a house guest (Chris' dad) for three weeks. Our house is pretty small so it took some creative thinking to figure out where everyone was going to sleep comfortably for that amount of time. Realizing that we are night owls & work after Sayer goes to bed, it seemed natural for us to sleep in the klt:studio while his dad took our bedroom. The cozy little nook that we created for Sayer, was transformed into a bed that took up most of the studio space. Our toes almost touched the sewing machine. 

However, I enjoyed the fact that I was surrounded by all of the things that I love  and encourage my creative thinking. Admittedly, it was a little difficult to turn off my klt:mind when I went to bed. It's not necessarily a good thing to have the klt:order board looming over me as I am trying to sleep. My night owl status hit an all time high and I found it difficult to put things away. The morning sounds of Sayer came really fast!

One of the cool things that I got to experience, is laying under the klt:mobiles every night. There was a rotating gallery of mobiles as the orders were completed and shipped out. I got to enjoy every design- and often, many at a time. I am going to put it out there that mobiles are not just for babies. I loved watching them. It was ideal product testing! I shared some long stares with Ollie & Steve that were very therapeutic and comforting. 

It is just the three of us tonight and our bedroom is vacant. There is definitely part of me that will miss sleeping in the studio. But I have to say, it will be nice for the studio to start functioning strictly as a working studio, rather than the likes of an art school dorm room. And for those of you that received your orders recently, hope I didn't pack my pajamas in your box on accident (I am just kidding, my quality control policies wouldn't have allowed that).

{Music Monday} Why kiddo wears b&w stripes everyday...

I think that in my last few music posts, I may have painted an inaccurate portrait of the music that is in constant play at our house. While mellow, acoustic guitar is a favorite on my ipod, that  probably isn't the most frequently played. I haven't really given you the whole story. So, today the music for Music Monday has been selected by my 2+ year old son, Sayer. Sayer loves his music and really enjoys having family jam sessions. He is quick to gravitate towards any music that is being played, so that he can dance and join in on the fun. But, he favors electric guitar over acoustic - he likes NOISE.  He currently has a favorite song that he is obsessing over these days that I want to share. 

The song is, "123456", by Cornelius and the video is on Yo Gabba Gabba. It has now completely affected Sayer's attire. I can't get him to wear anything but his b&w striped tee. He just wants to wear his "1-2-3" shirt (which is what he calls it) everyday. 

A favorite activity of Sayer's, is to watch the video (multiple times in a row), then go in his room and jam out. He actually studies the band members movements and imitates them, while he is yelling out, 1-2-3-4-5-6. It is not uncommon to see all of us in his room doing it. Sayer usually takes the drums, Chris on guitar, and me on whatever is left. I got myself a tambourine this weekend so I can really rock it out now- the xylophone wasn't cutting it for me. 

I am not sure how long the 1-2-3-4-5-6 song will be Sayer's pick of the day (it has temporarily replaced, All Around the Kitchen by Dan Zanes), but it has been fun. It might just naturally shift into a song by the White Stripes, so he doesn't have to give up the shirt. All I know, is that I need to get him another one, because he is wearing his b&w striped tee out! Sayer also does a really spot on imitation of "Biz's Beat of the Day" with Biz Markie- another frequently played video around here. For that he wears his baseball hat backwards or off to the side. Happy Music Monday! What are some of your kid's favorite jam out tunes?