Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Interview with Colette Palamar, Urban Baby Bonnets

by 3 Comments

Colette lives in Yellow Springs, OH. She says, “It’s a really wonderful, progressive community with a strong arts emphasis and a dedication to being anti-sprawl and pro-diversity. It’s really a wonderful place to live! We’ve been here for almost 8 years. We love it!!”

Colette and her husband, Justin Metcalf, have a daughter, Sabine, who is the model for most of the photographs she uses in her store. “She’s so patient with me following her around with the camera,” Colette says, “She’s just learned to “pose” and has fun with that, too!” Rounding out the family are two dogs, Hayley and Una, and a cat, Mia. Colette says, “All three are rescues—they’re really awesome! We’re planning to add some chickens to the menagerie this spring.”

Colette describers herself as fierce, loyal, passionate, sensitive, driven and creative. She loves chocolate, chocolate, CHOCOLATE, fabric, color, fiction/literature books, soft pretzels, cats, her family, seasoned seaweed, sushi and kimchee.

Her secret? “I have a PhD in Applied Philosophy and used to be a Professor of environmental studies. It seems like such a long time ago! I worked for Antioch College until it closed about 2 years ago. I also have an MFA in ceramics!”

Don’t miss Colette’s wonderful bonnets at Urban Baby Bonnets.

How long have you been sewing?

My mother taught me how to sew when I was a little girl—I don’t remember learning. I know I sewed some of my clothes in high school (no patterns! Nothing ever worked right!), and I know that in middle school I made an apron… but I’ve only REALLY been sewing since I started with the bonnets in April, 2008.

Why did you start making bonnets?

My grandmother-in-law, Ada, comes down to our house to watch Sabine twice a week. One week, she brought a little baby bonnet with her that she’d sewn for Sabine. I was fanatical about NOT putting my little girl in pink and searched all over for simply black and brown clothing… and Ada knew this… and brought me a bonnet made from a vintage black floral fabric. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the bonnet didn’t fit Sabine… and my obsession was born!

I had been collecting fun, modern fabrics for another installation art project and I went into that stash and pulled some things to make hats out of. The very first hat I ever sewed was the Vines and Goldenrod bonnet that Sabine is wearing in the trademark UB2 picture. I fell in love with the hat right away, but had no plans to sell them. Over the next couple of weeks, every single time I took Sabine out in the bonnet (and I mean every single time—it started to get funny!) people were stopping me and asking where I got such an adorable hat. After that happened about 30 times, I figured I needed to make more.

Where do you get your materials?

I literally scour the catalogs of every single fabric manufacturer I can find, order samples, and then begin to match things up.

What craft/sewing materials do you have on hand most the time?

I have boxes with just about every craft supply I have ever used or ever might use. It’s a problem, really. We have no where to store all of these supplies, but I just cant get rid of them because some day I might need them! But mostly, now, I have fabric, fabric & more fabric! There are at least 40 bolts in my studio. And I have a whole cabinet full of short cuts that are samples or just fabrics I could not live without.

Can you tell us a little of your process?

I start by looking at fabrics online and in my local quilt shop (which is AMAZING! It’s called the Fabric Shack, but it’s anything but! I spend HOURS in there! They know me as “The Bonnet Lady”!), and I make folders of images of the fabrics I like. Then I start ordering samples. I can’t really create until I get everything here, so I TRY (it does not work) to wait until all the samples arrive, but when they do arrive I lay them all out and start putting things together. I very, very rarely combine two fabrics from the same line or designer—and that’s one of the things that makes what I do feel like ART. Once I get some potential combinations, I start sewing. I make one hat from each combination since I can’t really tell if I like the fabrics together until I see them in the bonnet, and even then, not until I see them on Sabine. And then I re-match and re-sew until I get combinations I like.

Then I move to the photography part, which usually involves Sabine and/or her friends, although I have worked with a couple of wonderful photographers including Eileen Molony who shot most of the images for the bonnets and dresses that are in my 2010-2011 wholesale line.

Do you have a dedicated work area/room?

Yes! I am lucky enough to have a whole bedroom to myself. We recently refinished the whole room. It’s painted orange, chartreuse, and deep purple and we put in some amazing bamboo floors. There are two big windows, lots of light. It’s a great place to be and I love working in there!

Is this your full-time job? Hobby? Fun?

All of the above! It’s a full time endeavor, but I would sew even if it was not for money. I love creating, and fabric is my medium of choice at the moment. I really love what I do and I am so happy to be able to work from home and make a living!

Where do you get your ideas for new ones?

From looking at fabrics. Sometimes I will have a stack of fabric that just randomly assembles and I’ll see two next to each other that I never considered putting together before and it just “clicks!” And I have a new bonnet!

How did you manage to get your bonnets to the front page of Amazon?

You know, I didn’t know they were there until people started emailing me! I met an Amazon buyer at a recent trade show and she invited me to sell my products to Amazon. I was amazed and SOOO happy. They place ads on their front page as part of how they support manufacturers of the products they purchase.

What is the UB2 installation art project?

Since I have a background in philosophy, I am always trying to make “sense” of why I am doing what I do. In thinking about why I want to make such colorful hats—and why I want to keep doing it, I realized that it was a way of “painting” the world. A lot of my scholarly work is on the concept of “place” and one of the things I studied is how “place” is disappearing in the face of the homogenization of stores, cities, houses, etc. It seems to me that the splash of color from my bonnets is one way to kind of push us into an awareness of where we are. Awareness is the first step to reclaiming a sense of place.

I keep records of all the places in the world where I’ve sold or sent UB2 bonnets and post as many customer photos as I can get my hands on! I love seeing babies in the world wearing my bonnets! Beyond that, I just LOVE color. I’ve written a formal artist statement, which you can see on my Etsy site. It explains all of this more eloquently.

I have dreams of staging photographs in NYC or another beautiful urban area with lots of babies on the street, all wearing colorful UB2 hats with the grown-ups grayed out and the hats in color. But I don’t really have the skills for that yet!

Do you have a best seller?

There’s not one single one that is best—but several that are most popular: retro birds, little brown birds, Henry’s birds, and vines & goldenrod.

What is your favorite?

My favorite changes, depending on which bonnet I am in love with at the moment. My new favorite is one that I am just about to release. It uses a rare import fabric that had to be shipped here from overseas. I don’t even have a name for it yet. Other than that, I love the vines & goldenrod one, since it was the first one.

Do you do other kinds of crafts?

I do just about everything, although not right now! I can just barely keep up with making bonnets and trying to grow my company.

What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

I would like to have UB2 be big enough that I can have someone run the financial aspects of things while I do the creative end. I’d love to just work on making the fabric combinations and designing dresses.

Have any advice for people trying to start their own handcrafted business?

My advice for folks trying to start their own handcrafted business is “make it more of what it is.”

When I was in graduate school, I took a ceramics class with a professor who ended up being a really instrumental influence in my life. As I was working and trying to refine my own style as a ceramic sculptor (I did not make pottery), he stopped by my work area and said, “that looks great – try making it more of what it is.” I didn’t really understand at first, but eventually, I saw what he was saying. Individuality and authenticity come from finding your voice as an artist and then learning how to speak fluently in that voice. With the bonnets and with all of the other art I’ve done in the past, I have tried to find what it is that I love about what I do and do more of that. It’s a kind of intensification & even transformation that happens. And once you start on the path you can follow the idea of “making it more of what it is” all the way into the tiniest details.

And details—attention to details—are so important. It’s the little things that you think people won’t notice that they actually DO notice, even if they don’t notice that they notice.

Secret Door Projects

by 1 Comment

When I spot a poster of Providence designed by hand and printed by hand, I feel like I live someplace famous.

The subject matter is clearly important to the artist. Jean took the time to study this iconic image of Providence. He learned the lines and slight curves of this cityscape by re-creating these lines on paper. His own interpretation was given to the scene in the form of composition and color. His acts are much more deliberate than a simple photograph.

Jean is passionate about his city, he cares about preserving events. His images allow one to display their celebrations, inviting the community to join in. Once the event is over it still lives on in Jean’s posters. He leaves behind mementos of fond times.

To appreciate this body of work we don’t need to have a relationship to the event. Just an appreciation for the artist’s vision, his interpretation presented in these colorful images. (As an aside, I enjoy how the event’s details are fit ever so snugly into the clapboard on the side of this house in the “Blood From A Turnip” print. It is quite impressive.)

Jean also works with his own agenda. Taking time to make work which will spread his cause, making his vision known.

No matter what the cause of subject matter is Jean is passionate about his city and his process. Speaking of process, there are some great photos of Jean’s prints in progress on his updates page.

Aside from Jean’s posters and prints for sale in his secret store there is a great portfolio of work in the posters and projects section of Secret Door Projects site. I am amazed at the array of work Jean Cozzen has to offer. His body of work ranges from political pieces, advertisements for events to wedding invitations. Take a peek and be impressed.

Greg Stones’ Paintings are Funny as Poop

by 5 Comments

That’s right, artist Greg Stones can make poop into a funny subject matter in his sharp landscape paintings.

Maybe it is because a penguin is pooping? Wouldn’t you have the same reaction if a huge reptilian monster was coming after you from behind the hedges? I think so. This little penguin thought he was just off for a romp in the woods, maybe coming upon a lake to catch some fish for dinner. Then the big green monster appears. What do you think happens next?

It seems we never know what to expect with Greg. He is able to create these quite serious looking landscapes. Ones where you expect to witness some stunning feat of nature. But isn’t bigfoot one of those stunning feats? This scene reminds me of King Kong where the damsel in distress is always trying to flee the man who loves her. Isn’t it sweet that the sheep escapes by a little red balloon. This scene is quite a fairy tale. Or do you see a tale of human loss? A child running for the red balloon he let slip away. The artist may have a sense of humor, but he gets us thinking about the story he is trying to tell.

Stones has a great formula here. He describes his process as: “I start with a basic landscape or figure-study sketched in pencil. Then I add a light wash of watercolor. And then I try to think what would make the painting especially awesome. In most cases, this means creating a frozen, transient moment where either something has just happened, or something is about to happen. A few hours and many layers of paint later, a new piece is ready to be framed and sent out into the world like a bat out of hell. (I don’t know what that means, exactly, but it sounds cool.)” I am grateful Greg started to add some humor to our lives. ‘Zombies Hate Clowns’ has become a classic in our little state, my husband has this one hanging in his office. We need smiles brought to our mundane work days.

I thought the flashers were my favorite series, until I saw the new work posted on Greg’s site. Now I am in love with the sock monkeys. Who do you think wins, the sock monkey or the reaper? My money is on the sock monkey. They seem like survivors to me.

I am glad Greg Stones found his voice in his paintings. As most educated artists stumble trying to make something they love and something that sells, Greg did the same: “When I first started out, I painted lonely self-portraits, landscapes, and animals. I was strictly a nostalgic and technical artist. Not to mention an isolated artist who rarely did anything more exciting than watch cartoons and nap. And possibly eat pasta.

At some point along the way, I remembered that I had wanted to be a cartoonist when I was in college, and I started tossing a little humor into the paintings. Flying people? Hungry sharks? Nude blue alien women getting picked up by UFOs? You bet. And for reasons that I cannot explain, meeting the stunning woman who would become my wife somehow led to the addition of penguins, robots, zombies, flashers, and poop. In fact, these elements have become such a dominant part of my work that people are actually shocked and horrified when I resort to my old ways and create a landscape where no pooping penguins are killed by topless robotic zombies. It’s pretty cool.” I would like to thank Greg for imposing his sense of humor on us. We all need to remember to be less serious and have some fun.

For more prints, paintings, books and notecards visit Greg Stones’ site. Try not to laugh too hard.

Sistersequins

by Leave a Comment

This single piece of artwork is what I would like to share with you today. I noted this piece back in February and I am drawn to it every time I am rifling through my favorites. It is a collage entailing fabric, thread and a vintage paper doll parts.

From what I can tell in the pictures and the artist description, the fabric has been stretched over a canvas and the artist has sewn circles of cut fabric onto the piece to resemble flowers. This detailed rich touch has me mesmerized.

The color choice is also dreamy. The blend of mustards, sepia tones and light olives is entirely too perfect. There is an heaviness to this piece which seams contradictory to it’s light floral background.

Do you remember Sophia Coppola’s film “The Virgin Suicides”? I get the same beautifully eerie feeling looking at this piece as I did watching that film.

I tracked down the artists blog and am trying to decipher the mysterious, thick lushness of her style.

I am somewhat taken by this piece as you can probably tell. It is not usual for me to highlight only one piece of art but I felt it deserved a spotlight. It is an original piece and available here… race you to it!

Usagi Rabbit

by 1 Comment

When I first came across this shop, I immediately was reminded of the Japanese animated film My Neighbor Totoro. So it should come as no surprise that Jacqueline, the artist behind UsagiRabbit is infatuated with Japanese culture. A student slowly working her way toward a college degree in linguistics, one of her goals is to learn to read Japanese. These whimsical bunny creatures are part Totoro and part Care Bear and so cute! Some are just for loving and cuddling, while others are put to work protecting your small electronic devices.

Jacqueline got her start in handmade when she couldn’t find the things she wanted in the stores. Though her shop has only been open since May she’s been creating art since she was old enough to pick up a coloring book – from making clothes for her dolls to patching up her jeans.

I used to knit scarves and a friend suggested I try selling some of them at a small local craft fair. I took the plunge and it was a blast! I loved meeting all those other crafters and artisans. Artists are some of the nicest people you can be around. Finding Etsy really got me thinking that I could make a go of this. It’s full of so many inspiring stories and helpful fellow sellers. I really want to try my best!

Her skills have been honed over the years with help from her mother (a lifelong seamstress) and various friends and teachers along the way. Isn’t it wonderful how the creative community came together to help this artist learn the skills to realize her vision?

There’s something about the feeling of the wool in my hands and the slight hum the thread makes that fills me with satisfaction.

Jacqueline first starts planning her creatures with a drawing and some key concepts.When she’s inspired a piece can come together very quickly; sometimes the process can take days or weeks. Once a design is decided on, she chooses colors and felts and cut out the pieces. The most time consuming part of the process is sewing the pieces because it takes a long time and the stitches have to be just right! Lastly, her creation is stuffed with pure cotton and sewn shut. Thus is born the latest addition to the UsagiRabbit family!

Well, I love all my finished creations (even though some of them can be quite beastly during the making) but if I had to choose just one I guess my favorite would be the orange rabbit with a yellow flower on its belly. It makes me smile when I see it.

Born and raised in New Jersey this Texas transplant is inspired by her travel and experiences of other cultures. She has no sales so far, so let’s get her started – shall we?