Valerie Williams - Try Handmade

JZ Bags

January 7, 2020 by Valerie Williams 4 Comments

Please welcome another columnist with ambitious column plans. The second in the ‘In My Town’ series, Valerie Williams is focusing on the Washington DC Metro area. A former lobbyist and crafter – check out her handbags – she has jumped right in with zeal and enthusiasm! If you know the area she’s writing about, please let her know in the comments if you have any tips about places for her to visit.

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Erika

Jean Zakotnik is a woman after my own heart. She loves handbags, bright colors, and the soothing power of making things with your hands. She is also the owner, designer, and head knitter of JZ Bags, the home of a colorful and playful line of hand knit and felted wool handbags. I had a chance to visit her Potomac, Maryland studio to talk with her about what inspires her, and to learn more about the process of making her one-of-a-kind handbags.

I love the look and feel of felted wool, but it’s not a craft I have ever tried, so I was excited to catch Jean while she was literally in the middle of felting a batch of small bags in a lovely dark charcoal gray. I knew the general principle of felting: hot water, along with a little soap and agitation, causes the fibers to bond together to form a thick, dense fabric. What I didn’t know was that creating a three dimensional, functional object like a handbag takes much more than just a toss into the washing machine.

Constant vigilance is required to prevent the knitted bags from becoming mangled and unusable during the felting process. While we chatted, Jean repeatedly removed the bags from the hot, soapy water and manipulated the wool by hand, deciding on the fly how each bag should look in shape and texture.

I knew that hand knitted wool would shrink significantly when felted, but I had no idea by how much! I was amazed to see the before and after of two of Jean’s most popular styles, the flagship “Bag JZ” which is a large hobo style, and a smaller shoulder bag with a flap.

An incredible amount of hand labor goes into the creation of each handbag. Jean knits her handbags by hand, without a pattern. Although she has developed a few favorite shapes and styles over the years, there is no set “line” of JZ Bags. Each one starts out with just her size 15 knitting needles and inspiration, and she decides as she goes what colors to use and what shapes to make.

Jean calls each of her handbags a “felix culpa,” or happy mistake, because there is no way of knowing how each will turn out, and she makes no effort to predict the end result. Each handbag is its own novel experience and creative adventure.

Even after the bags are completely felted and dry, there are still design decisions to make. Jean has lovely collection of vintage and handmade buttons (made for her by her father), and has also recently experimented with needle felting and fringe embellishments.

What I loved most about Jean’s story was that when she first had the idea to make what would become the first JZ Bag, she had absolutely no idea how to felt! She was already an experienced knitter, but had grown weary of churning out scarves and sweaters. It was the time of the “It” bag, but the styles on sale at the mall with four-digit price tags left her cold. She had a vision of a big, soft bag that was all about color and texture, something that hundreds of other women in the DC area wouldn’t have. She knew she could make this unique bag, and simply started knitting and felting and hoped that what came out would match the picture in her head.

Although she calls her first attempt “a disaster,” the failure did not deter her, and only led her to embrace the “felix culpa” approach to making her handbags.

Just as each handbag is its own surprise, Jean is constantly surprising herself as she lives the adventure of knitting, felting, and running a handcrafted business. “You learn so much about yourself during this process,” she says, referring not only to running the business but also the specific tasks of creating something by hand.

Jean has discovered she has an eye for color. Her favorite part of handbag production is looking through her yarn stash and creating unexpected color combinations.

She’s discovered she can still challenge herself. After many years in the information technology business, not much about that world was difficult or trying anymore. She would give presentations in front of thousands of stockholders without breaking a sweat. Her first craft show, however? “I was a nervous wreck,” she says. “I was so personally invested in every single bag…how people reacted to them mattered more than I thought it would.”

Finally, what she calls a “very cool and unexpected bonus” is that JZ Bags offers her the opportunity to employ local women who might have few other options. Whether it’s help with the knitting or filing legal paperwork, Jean has had a chance to offer temporary employment to women who are homebound by illness or with children.

Her handbag business may have started out as a way to relax and create the perfect fashion accessory, but it has turned into so much more. You can find Jean’s bags at www.jzbags.com, and at juried fine art and craft shows in the DC area.

Jewelry that Pops from Poppi

January 1, 2020 by Valerie Williams Leave a Comment

Jewelry artist Dawn Benedetto calls her colorful line of jewelry her “fun and clever alter ego.” The petal ring, the signature Poppi product, is made from glass and sterling silver, and is literally a burst of color that refuses to be ignored. Poppi rings are sure to turn any wallflower into the belle of the ball.

In addition to the explosive petal rings, Dawn uses the same technique to create bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Whether you choose the rounded, “roe” beads or the sharper, “flake” beads that make the petal rings, your Poppi jewelry is definitely going to pop.

Dawn began her life as a jewelry artist at the tender age of fourteen. Although she ironically does not wear much jewelry, it has been the focal point of her creative endeavors. Her portfolio that got her into college was mostly jewelry. Even though she also studied ceramics, sculpture, crafts, art history, and a host of other topics that intrigued her, most of her time in school was spent on jewelry. Her first job out of school was teaching other people how to make jewelry…you might say she’s an expert!

Although the brightly colored glass rings are now her most popular items, Dawn still works with her first love, silver and gold metal work. She began her career as a metalsmith, and still creates one-of-a-kind rings in gold and silver, as well as teaches metalworking classes.

The splashy and colorful Poppi line was born in 2000, when Dawn came up with the design for the petal ring, which instantly became a hit. Customers love them not only because of the enticing color and eye-catching design, but also because they miraculously fit pretty much anybody.

The Poppi line has since expanded to include vintage lucite jewelry, which is just as colorful and fun as the original petal rings, but with a slightly more retro feel to them. These are perfect for collectors, since production on this type of lucite was halted in the 1980s.

Dawn has been making jewelry for most of her life, and she still loves every bit of the process. From the design stage down to each minute phase of production, she’s unable to choose a favorite part, because she loves all of it!

Although her business has expanded to the point of needing several staff members to help with production and business management, you can still find Dawn in her studio making pretty things nearly every day.

Visit Dawn in her Torpedo Factory studio to see her at work, or find her jewelry in a number of local and national retail locations. Her colorful glass and lucite work is also available online at www.poppishop.com.

Combining Jewelry and Culture

December 7, 2019 by Valerie Williams 10 Comments

Season Smith-Wesley began her journey towards becoming a professional maker the way so many have…she started out making jewelry as a hobby. After taking a class on a whim at a local craft store, she found making pretty necklaces to wear to be a great outlet in more than one way. It helped clear her mind and relieve stress after her young son was diagnosed with autism, but it also turned out to be a wonderful way to express her creativity, which didn’t get much attention at her office job.

Season followed the family tradition and went in to the criminal justice field upon completing college. Her father was a sheriff, and her sister was a corrections officer. Although she really enjoyed her job, she had always harbored an interest in fashion, and once she started making jewelry for fun, it quickly became an obsession.

Her family and friends were very impressed with her early efforts, and encouraged her to try and sell her work. Upon giving her handmade jewelry as gifts, she regularly heard that phrase that so many crafters get: the incredulous and impressed “you made this!?”

After several years of this kind of exchange, finally a friend helped create her website and convinced her to sell her work online, and AdAl Jewelry Designs was born. After a year in another location, Season opened her current brick-and-mortar storefront in Alexandria, Virginia in June of 2010. She knew Old Town was the perfect environment for her handmade jewelry. Not only is the neighborhood known for independent shops, but there wasn’t anything quite like her jewelry available there.

Season creates bold, colorful necklaces and bracelets that she acknowledges are not for everyone. Her best customers are ladies who “don’t like to play it safe,” she says. “They want to make a bold statement.”

Every necklace and bracelet from AdAl Jewelry Designs is handmade by Season, and always in limited editions. Many are one-of-a-kind. Preserving the connection between a customer and a unique piece of jewelry is very important to her, and AdAl Jewelry will never be mass produced.

She is inspired by the colors, textures, and details of traditional African clothing. Growing up in her Liberian-American family, she always loved and was attracted to traditional African fabrics, but never wanted to wear them. Now, her jewelry creations are a wonderful way to translate her cultural background into wearable art.

Season loves to do custom work, especially for brides and their attendants. After meeting and talking with a client, Season creates three one-of-a-kind options for the client to choose from. Usually one of those options is exactly what the client asked for, and the other two are slightly wilder alternatives. Season has found that her clients almost always pick one of the alternatives! She finds translating her client’s personal style into unique jewelry to be incredibly rewarding.

Season donates a portion of her proceeds annually to Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding the science of autism, and advocacy on behalf of families affected by the condition. She also creates a special line of awareness jewelry every October to raise funds for the cause.

Season’s jewelry can be purchased at her Old Town storefront at 1003 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia and online at www.adaljdesigns.com.

Clay Crazy Pottery

November 12, 2019 by Valerie Williams 1 Comment

Judy Frederick is a potter who started out in a field that couldn’t possibly be more different than shaping clay by hand: computer science. As a computer programmer and systems analyst, she enjoyed a profession that was challenging and rewarding in its own way, but still left her wanting more.

In 1998, Judy started experimenting with clay as a way to express her more creative side, the side that got little attention while she was immersed in the high-tech world. Her first efforts in clay were hand-built, and were focused on figurative forms.

Wanting to explore more of her creative side, Judy took classes in all of the studio arts, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and ceramics. She enjoyed working with all the different types of media, but was continually drawn to three-dimensional work, particularly ceramics.

As her work progressed and matured, she was led to create functional, utilitarian pieces that could serve people in their every day lives. She found that focusing on the functional did not hinder her creativity at all; the clay would still speak to her, telling her what it should become, whether a teapot, a flower vase, or a serving plate.

Not all of Judy’s work is purely utilitarian. Some of it is just for fun, including jewelry, holiday and seasonal ornaments, piggy banks, and decorative vases and other vessels.

Her style and technique continues to evolve, as she is always experimenting with new decorative glazes and new shapes, including surface decorations like cut outs, relief, ceramic applique, and creative handles.

All of Judy’s work is one-of-a-kind and completely handcrafted from a lump of clay. She only uses lead free and food safe glazes, and all of her work is oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. She can even do work in custom sizes and colors, just contact her for details.

You can see her work in person at the Potter’s Guild of Baltimore in Hamden, Maryland, and you can also purchase her work from her online shop.

African Style, American Tees

November 8, 2019 by Valerie Williams 4 Comments

Bernos is a Washington, DC based t-shirt company founded by a group of friends with African roots and American addresses. Like so many creative souls, they were all enjoying their careers, but had the urge to do something different. Something inspiring, and something to make their lives more artful. One day, the four of them were talking about how it would be great to have t-shirts – that simple, classic, quintessentially American staple – that expressed and reflected the rich culture of the African continent.

They realized of course, that there was nothing of the kind out there, and they would have to take matters into their own hands. And in the Spring of 2006, that’s exactly what they did.

The creative forces behind Bernos came together like a classic comic book superhero team: every member had their specialty, and and a burning desire to fight their common enemy. But in this case, the enemy wasn’t a super-villain, but rather boring, poorly made t-shirts, without any sense of culture or style.

Dawit Kahsai is the entrepreneur. Mekdem Petros is the head of operations. Beshou Gedamu is the model, muse, and spiritual center of the group, as well as an accomplished photographer. And Nolawi Petros is the graphic designer and team blogger. Bernos is a way for all four friends to translate their pride in their African origins into wearable art. It’s also a way for them to express their creativity, not to mention introduce a little culture and style to the general t-shirt wearing public!

The creative process starts with a group brainstorm, with the goal of presenting Africa, its culture, and its people in a simple and creative way. All of the team members have different approaches and concepts on how to best accomplish this, so the evolution of new designs is always an interesting experience. Only Nolawi has formal training in the arts, but they all share a passion for art and fashion, and of course for their diverse cultural backgrounds.

New designs come out about three times a year. Currently, the “Made in Africa” t-shirt is one of the most popular designs, especially after recording artist K’naan wore one in his “T.I.A.” music video. The other most popular design is the “ET Alien” design, which the team knew would be a winner, as soon as it came together during a brainstorm session. The Bernos line has something for everyone, with designs ranging from the abstract and irreverent, to the simple and elegant.

Although all of the Bernos team members have day jobs, expressing themselves creatively is a priority. In addition to collaborating on creating t-shirts inspired by their cultural backgrounds, each enjoys individual creative pursuits as well.

Right now, the team is focused on planning their fourth anniversary celebration, starring the critically acclaimed Ethiopian-American artist Meklit Hadero.

Bernos designs are printed on American-made and sweatshop-free American Apparel t-shirts, and are available online at Bernos.org and at Dekka at 1338 U Street NW, Washington, DC. Stay tuned, as new designs are always in the works!