Sharing her evolution of "ARTS" Nicky Ruxton inspires us all

 
 

Mixed-Media Industrial Artwear - Nicky Ruxton with Ruxton Designs

 

I first saw Ruxton Designs at Cañada College Fashion Department's 22nd Annual Designer Show and Sale:

https://www.facebook.com/ArtistryinFashion The Designer Sale showcases unique hand-crafted jewelry, artisan dyed, woven, painted, and felted textiles. They also show antique, vintage, and re-purposed fashions.  I really enjoyed the event.  This is where local, independent designers and artisans are selling their latest creations.  (Mark your calendar for next year’s show, scheduled for September 28, 2013)


Nicky was exuberant and friendly and excited about what she creates and the people who admire it.  We chatted, enjoying her designs and how fresh her ideas were.  At first glance you see she clearly has a deep mixed media background.  But it wasn’t until she came to speak for our group that you learned about her art background and how these delightful creations came to be.

At the Haute Couture Societe in Stockton on Saturday February 2, Nicky gave a wonderful and enlightening retrospective of her creative background and transformation of her designs. 
 
One might call it a timeline of how her work has evolved, reassuring all of us in the room the we too can embrace our evolving “craft”.   

 


 Immediately one notices Nicky’s large smile and enthusiastic energy as she shared her journey.  We were nodding in agreement as sewers, crafters, mixed media novices - evolving in our own way.

Nicky as a young girl loved drawing & coloring.  It was not a surprise with her the exciting way she told of "Going outside the lines."  Nicky never had art classes growing up. Art was not  celebrated in her home.  She loved to draw and as a teen copied cartoons out of the Sunday paper. This deep love to drawing only grew, and she began her career using those untrained yet highly skilled ideas as a graphic artist. She showed some of her early work, and it was well done and professional.

Next she took her expert line drawings and reinvented them onto fabrics.  But this talk was more than technique and inspiration.  Nicky got personal and deep, talking of "her truth."  She spoke of her work as “weeds scattered out and still growing".
Nicky related back to sewing sharing how she too grew up in a home where her mom sewed.  She laughed as she identified with our world saying she understands the difference in craft scissors and sewing scissors.  This is where she experimented with tools and supplies and later sewing free forms stuffed "pillows"

Nicky was one of the “original” green up-cyclers.  She was always on the lookout for discarded materials she could “save” and use to create something new and “fun”.  She found some discarded cardboard and newspapers that she used to create inventive and whimsical boxes. Cutting out the scraps of cardboard she used gesso and paper Mâché techniques to create these fun free form treasures.

Nicky’s talk was refreshingly funny as she timelines her career and more importantly she shares some thoughts about life. You see Nicky has been learning all about “life” through her fingertips.  Through creating new and interesting designs to share and enjoy.

Next as a “lover of collages" Nicky began rubber stamping, stitching, ripped magazines and found objects to make collages from organic looking brown grocery bags.  Wittle stitching, she used “words” to tell her inner thoughts. In those journals she talked about philosophy and how her journey moved along.

She talked about how nice it is to not be over happy or sad but live in the “middle.”  Words of encouragement and a room full of nods showed many crafters desire this middle ground.

She also crafted “glue books.” Gluebooks” look like a cross between art journals and collage. Collect the paper you love from your daily life, and turn it into art by cutting out pictures, word collage pieces, and textures that you love to cover a journal.

Nicky attributes her feeling of success to “enjoying one’s self.” We looked at her beautiful and interesting “soul collage cards” and talked about dreaming.  

 I best understood SoulCollage^® by visiting the SoulCollage website.  They describe SoulCollage as a creative and satisfying collage process. You make your own deck of cards - each collage card representing one aspect of your personality or Soul. Use the collage cards intuitively to answer life's questions and participate in self-discovery. Joyfully deepen your understanding of the relationships between your personality parts, you and your family/community/world, and you and your dreams, symbols, and Spirit. The book, SoulCollage^® Evolving, tells how to make and use the SoulCollage^® cards individually and in groups.

This information came from: http://www.soulcollage.com/about-soulcollage

Last she showed her "self portrait" sharing how she reads the cards, questions a question and how to interpret them.
I'd love to make a collage on some notebooks so I'll keep you posted on an upcoming post.

Friday I'll write about the work shop, so check back!

Enjoy your Tuesday!  Jonelle'

Designer Linda Lee and her "Sewing Workshop"

Meet Linda Lee of the Sewing Workshop 

 Topeka, Kansas 

I have always admired sewing guru  Linda Lee and her many talents.  She is well known in sewing circles for her wonderful patterns, and the place women gather to be creative and share their love of haute couture at "The sewing workshop" It was there many came for inspiration and classes.  The San Francisco store was home to many now famous sewers.  Most all who took classes there enjoyed the quality teaching and materials there.  The store was loved by many in the bay area before it was sold and she moved to Topeka.  Not only is she an author of nearly a dozen quality sewing books, she is also a teacher who travels the country teaching fine sewing techniques, and creative inspiration.  Linda is available for special classes, lectures and sharing her love of sewing for the home and creative clothing. 

Linda's books include:

• Sewing Beautiful Pillows
• Scarves to Make
• Sewing Stylish Home Projects
• Sewing Edges and Corners
• Mastering Miters
• Sew Sensational Pillows
• Designer Home Sewing
• Sew Easy
• Sew Easy Bags
• Sew Easy Scarves

Here Linda is showing us how a pattern is made.  Kathy is putting her last few updates on this pattern that is about to be released.   It is a wonder anyone goes into the pattern making business when you hear how long the process takes and what is involved.

Off the beaten path in the town of Topeka Kansas The Sewing Workshop is tucked inside this antique brick two story building occupying the entire 1st floor (and basement for storage)  Her store is full of beautiful fabrics and notions and garments that provide inspiration and opportunity for creating some distinctive garments. In the front of the store there are sewing machines along one long wall, set up and ready for sewing classes.  were    

 In the front of the Sewing Workshop there is an area set aside for teaching

This is Erin, she is behind the scenes at The Sewing Workshop.  I loved her fresh ideas and sunny take on everything.  She submits articles to magazines and teaches some of the classes.

Here Linda Lee shares a new pattern that they are in the throws of finishing.  We really liked the skirt pattern and it has arrived to market faster than my posting this blog.  http://sewingworkshop.com/shop/new-products?page=shop.browse&category_id=52

This is the Eureka top and skirt.  I am looking at fabric to make this in.  My Mom gets all of Linda's patterns shipped automatically so we got this pattern right away.

I really enjoyed how Linda and company enthusiastically bubbled on about the new patterns they had coming out.  They showed us some inspirational pieces they used when gathering ideas for a new pattern. Linda took us on a tour of her facility where we saw her video's, fabrics, notions, accessories, and racks of made to perfection samples, many which were going out in the mail to stores carrying her patterns as samples.

I really enjoy reading Linda's blog http://sewingworkshop.com/blogs there I find her patterns made up by class attendees and samples by Linda, Erin and Kathy. 

Some of Linda's older patterns were discontinued, and now are offered by a down loadable e pattern.  Kathy talked to us about E patterns and how they work.  They are doing well for those sewers who desire  patterns quickly. 

To download Linda Lee's patterns:

Downloading Sewing Patterns can be fast, easy and convenient. Linda's article offers great tips and tricks to make the downloading process a little easier!
DOWNLOAD -- PRINT -- SEW!
Every pattern company is different. Curious how our ePatterns work? Download our instructions: ePATTERNS-downloadinstructions.pdf.

There are advantages and disadvantages to consider before downloading a sewing pattern. The cost of a pattern download is less than buying a printed pattern. But the best part is the instant gratification: Buy it now and wear it tomorrow. I had to look into this a bit.  This article from Sew News was helpful

http://www.sewnews.com/articles/online_sewing_patterns

-Kathy was working out the latest pattern.  We got a sneak look at the samples – can’t wait until the pattern comes out this month – just my style

Back of store has beautiful fabrics that she collects for inspiration and to make samples of her patterns. These fabrics are for sale on her website too
http://sewingworkshop.com/shop
(Lucky for us!)

Linda recommended stitch magazine.  She showed us the jacket that is featured in the latest Winter 2012 magazine on p.49 sewdaily.com the features rectangle coat  byLinda Lee  Also Fall 2012 featured sewing with knits byLinda Lee
Secrets for mastering this versatile fabric
PLUS: Bonus T-shirt Project!

The three of us went to lunch at noon driving to her favorite Mexican food place.  We have known each other for nearly 20 years so we spent lunch reminiscing about our past projects and people and the good old days of "The Sewing Workshop" when she was in San Francisco.  It was nice to catch up from our last visit when Linda was a speaker at a trunk show in Sacramento.  We hope to see her again in February when we attend the The Sewing and Stitchery Expo is the largest consumer sewing show in America. The 2013 dates are: February 28, March 1-3, 2013, at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center in Puyallup, Washington.  http://www.sewexpo.com/about-expo.htm

Tour of ACCI Gallery, Berkley, CA

A trip to Berkley is not complete

without popping into ACCI Gallery

 

ACCI Gallery is an Arts and Crafts Cooperative that was established in 1957 and is known as one of  the oldest Arts and Crafts Cooperatives on the West Coast.   They sit on the corner of the popular street Shattuck Avenue.  They have a lot of windows letting in great natural light to view the magnitude of outstanding arts and crafts within.  In this gallery you will find unique, one of a kind, handcrafted work of the highest quality and design.

























They feature fine art, and quality crafts including works of ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, metal, textiles, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and fiber art pieces.  These are photos I took that day of items I’d love in my own home.

ACCI Gallery

1652 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94709

(510) 843-2527

Hours
Monday – Saturday, 11- 6
Sunday, 12 - 5

"Map and Directions"




 


Berkeley California has always been known for their wackiness.  But there is a softer more sophisticated side to this city and nowhere is it more pronounced than at ACCI Galley on Shattuck Avenue. 

Like their Facebook page and follow to see more of what they have to offer:
https://www.facebook.com/ACCIgallery



















Remember a few weeks ago when I talked about Melissa Arnold, textile artist and and inventive creator that taught our scarf felting workshop?  At this gallery where some wonderful felt scarfs, made by another designer that we were able to take a closer look at.  It was nice as my mom and friend Roberta also took the class so we talked about techniques and color and how well made these scarfs were.

 

 

 Tom Chen is by far one of the most creative artisan in the Gallery on this trip.  I loved these clever and very creative paper mache sculptures of dinosaurs, and  imaginary creatures.  There is a lot of work put into each piece and they are also boxes that open up for a special something.  The prices ranges from 145.00 for the small ones to 265.00 for the one I'd love to get Richard. 






You can see some of Tom Chen's work at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Critters-Tom-Chen/

Or his website Website	http://www.curiousdinosaurs.com



hisis the one get Ri

Tennessee Music Highway - Tennessee USA

Memphis in December

"From Elvis and Tina Turner to Carl Perkins and The Kings of Leon, the Tennessee Music Highway is the most important geographical location of musical influence on the planet."  http://tnmusichighway.com/  This was the stretch of road for me today.

First thing I noticed when I walked off the plane was how polite everyone is. The moment you step off the plane there are senior greeters, there to say welcome to Memphios and give you direction to your next gate, the baggage claim or a quick stop for food or shopping.  I also noticed that most everyone  was reffering to me as  "Mam" and in a completely positive, well manored way.  And never mind that it made me feel a bit "old"

I rented my car (Budget, and yes it was a "budget" especially for a one way rental) and hit the road for my first three appointments.

With an afternoon free we shopped at Worlds Away www.worlds-away.com.   We went there to see interior furnishings and accessories that are sold in the larger and finer department stores.

My recommendation is to give yourself plenty of time to go through the store.  There is so much to see and it's a little un-organized.  (See picture below)

What we discovered is that they carry seconds and returns, all priced to sell, off their retail floor. Many items are damaged with deeper discounts that reflect it.

World's Away also has showrooms in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.  This one in Memphis is their public outlet. Worlds Apart is located right next to the Liberty Bowl.

Designers can shop wholesale at Worlds Away, and anyone can browse the stock.  Their items are manufactured abroad and sold to high end store and through catalogs.  They carry small furniture, light fixtures, home decor and fabric from the company's collections catalog.  (TI went online and ordered their catalog when I returned home.)  If your in Memphis I say "Check it out!"

http://www.worlds-away.com/
Contact:
HOME OFFICE:
WORLDS AWAY
322 SOUTH HOLLYWOOD
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE 38104
(901)529-0844
(901)527-3406
PLEASE CALL FOR APPOINTMENT TO OUR
SALES MANAGER, NEAL EDWARDS

I found it!

The "ah ha" moment of the day was discovering the most delightful shoes.  Yes delightful and shoes in the same sentance.  These comfortable smart looking shoes were for sale in the back of the showroom.  These shoes are hand made by the Charleston Shoe Company and the owner of this showroom is the mother of the developer of these fantastic fabric shoes.

Www.CharlestonShoeCo.com

We loved the colors, simplicity and contemporary style. I decided to try on a few and they were indeed comfortable.  They are made of elasticated fabric, and they can be machine washed in cold water on the gental cycle.  (I saw directions on YouTube.com) I fell in love with the wedge bootie ( in black) and the flat brown suede pair.  I went online to see what else they offered and will be ordering the boots soon.  I'll keep you posted when I get a list of locations that sell these shoes and a review when mine arrive as to how they fit.

We had a long drive ahead the next morning, and bad weather to boot so I turned on my GPS and drove East on the Tennessee Interstate freeway. Highway 40 traverses the entirety of the state from west to east, running from the Mississippi River at the Arkansas border. We drove the stretch of land between Memphis and Nashville also known as the “Music Highway”  Driving across the state we noticed the landscape was beautiful and getting ready for winter. The trees barren of leaves now were thick and lined all the rivers and creeks.  More on my trip tomorrow

Jonelle'

 

 

Christopher Collins a favorite from Project Runway

Christopher Collins American Fashion Designer

Christopher Collins – After Project Runway

 September is the month we think of fashion.  Nearly every fashion magazine is bulging with inspiration and the latest in color, fabrics and fashions.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to hear from Christopher Collins, California fashion designer and celebrity who participated in Project Runway, Season 8.  He was charming, knowledgable and shared so much with our group.

Christopher Collins, in gray vest and jeans, contestant on Project Runway Season 8

It was a Saturday morning, Christopher Collins was the guest lecture at the Haute Couture Society meeting in Stockton CA.  This nonprofit organization is designed to celebrate the creative arts, design, and fashion. Christopher gave a power point presentation showing his upcoming fall line and his philosophy around design.  He also took us on a look back at his experience with Project Runway Season 8 where he was a contestant.

 

They came the "eye candy"  He showed his power point with pictures from his Fall line of clothering:

 





 

Prior to national recognition as a Season 8 Project Runway contestant, Christopher Collins was already gain­ing recognition as an emerging designer that multiple publications noted as “someone to watch.” As a Gen Art honoree and a "Resident Talent" for Lucky Magazine, Christopher Collins is an unstoppable force in fashion. Made in California his designs are created with European and Japanese textiles, each garment demonstrates quality, luxury, high fashion and femininity with great fit too. He is also a popular instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco (FIDM).
Christopher shared his thoughts on design with our group:
“Look at an object and not what it is literally but what it could be.”

Growing up he talked enthusiastically about his mother and how creatively she lived.  He talked about how she sewed children's books, aprons, and child development specialties.   She used scraps to complete many projects.  She collected sewing trims, scraps and buttons into a box throwing in  craft items, she would get this box out and let the kids dig through and “play.”  It was that creative encouragement that sparked Christopher’s own creativity.

 

Christopher smiled as he openly admitted that he was fearless in his 20's. His fashion career really started when he worked as a visual merchandiser for Neiman Marcus where he gained insight into the luxury market. Christopher earned his degree in fashion design at San Francisco State University. Christopher then moved to Los Angeles to design for two well-known evening wear fashion designers—Tadashi and Dina Bar-el.

The mission of the Christopher Collins brand is to empower women through fashion.
The Christopher Collins brand represents quality and creating Beauty - making women look Beautiful.

 

He tried a few of his pieces on an attendee.  They look so nice on.  I looked at them more closly (from the first row) and saw they were very well made.  You can see on the screen the ensomble.

A highlight of his careen was the Project Runway opportunity.  It opened the doors to the possibility of his 2010 collection to be picked up in New York.  His collection was shown during New York fashion week. His customer is the fashion conscious, powerful woman who wants ease and chic.  He wants his customer to feel beautiful and strong when wearing his line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently he was asked to dress actress Andie MacDowell who plays a lead character on the new series: Jane by Design”   In the upcoming ABC Family original series Jane By Design, Andie MacDowell plays a “glamorous fashion executive who travels the world in search of the next big style trend. “  In other words, we can’t wait to see what trends Christopher will be introducing.  I’m defiantly going to DVR this one. http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/jane-by-design Watch ALL NEW episodes Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC Family! Follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/abcfjane

Other high profile projects Christopher Collin’s has designed recently include:  A dress for the “Glamorama” a fashion show and concert sponsored annually by Macy’s and benefitting Children’s Cancer Research

Another design project Christopher Collins talked about was a bottle he designed for Absolute Vodca.  Christopher LOVES San Francisco, so was honored when they alsked him to design the destionations bottle.  If the city of San Francisco were to be bottled, it would taste of grape, dragon fruit and papaya — exotic flavors that capture the unique mix of cultures, ethnicities and culinary heritage of a thriving, colorful city. At least, that’s what one vodka maker thinks. In the latest edition to a city-series ‘sonic ambassador,’ fashion designer Christopher Collins was asked to design the bottle. Now he is branching out into other types of design.

Christopher talked in detail about how one can search for inspiration. He said he is inspired by historical fashion, especially the Elizabethan fashion and Rococo fashions  of the 18th century.   He talked of the silks, taffeta, and needlework. Textures create romance & mood.

He shared his insights on looking at architecture.  If you design something Victorian then stand and get a photo In front of a Victorian home. Look at the Transamerica building then design something modern and streamline. This is why he loves living in San Francisco as there is so much inspiration around him.

He encouraged us to go to creative places.  Nature is another place for inspiration. He loved the outdoors, the harmony, smells, sounds, and freedom it represents.  Deserts are so mysterious; take Sedona’s red rocks, beaches course sand, a roaring river.

He suggested getting out and experiencing other cultures.  Look at crossing different cultures with other backgrounds their authentic costumes of a culture, jewelry, arts, and accessories. You can find color inspiration and quality in their techniques and what they have made.

Take a look at people. We inspire each other, from Opera Winfrey to Lance Armstrong, from the young royal couple, to the Olympic contenders, from Marilyn Monroe to Gandhi.

Literature inspires him; music inspires him.  Music is also a great inspiration for fashion.   From Lady Gaga to the classics of the rat pack - music provokes different feelings.  He suggested you play music while creating.  Try inspirational music that reflects what you have in mind for the style; have it playing in the background while you create.

"Fashion is an epic moment."

Christopher suggested that one use a story board to display your ideas, using swatches of fabric and pictures that evoke an image you are trying to achieve.  This will help you to get your arms around the look and feeling of the inspiration.  Take this energy, these images, and you will craft the “look” in no time. 

 

Tomorrow I will talk about the workshop the Haute Couture Society hosted.  Christopher Collins led the workshop, sharing inspiration and ideas with those attending.