February 12, 2013
February’s Desktop of the Month is all about pink (and shades around it). To celebrate the spirit of love, we’ve talked about what the heart symbolizes and what we might want it to mean for 2013: joy, beauty, acceptance, and more. Here, the backstitched reverse appliqué hearts in gray and pink are simply a way to celebrate those sentiments.
Download the Desktop of the Month here.
P.S. Come back Thursday to see our Camisole Dress made in the Hearts pattern.
February 7, 2013
Follow instructions for the Woven Farm Chairs (or Friendship Chairs) on page 95 of Alabama Studio Style to make your own chair with our Hearts stencil.
Read about our Makeshift 2012 Chair Workshop at Partners & Spade and start a conversation in your own community.
January 23, 2013
Red velvet cake is as much a Southern tradition as fried chicken, pot likker, and cornbread. So when the idea for red velvet “Valentine’s Day” cake came up, it was a given that we would be eating the cake at our weekly office lunch.
In our community, this three layer cake is traditionally topped with a cream cheese icing – although I have seen it with buttercream, chocolate, as well as with a combination cream cheese and chocolate icing. I prefer the subtle tang in the cream cheese version, with or without the commonly used addition of chopped pecans or shredded coconut. We’ve added an Alabama Chanin touch of homemade pink sprinkles in our Facets stencil pattern cut to fit perfectly over our cake.
January 21, 2013
It’s the time of the year when the shape of a heart makes its prolific comeback (although with a six-year-old girl at home, the heart shape is a pretty common part of daily life). Graphic symbols often carry with them deep histories (and controversies) over where the shape emerged. This simple shape is no different. Apparently it is found in cave paintings dating as far back as 10,000 B.C.E.
Some believe that the shape was a simplification of the silhouette of the human heart; others believe that it was a sign used for a now-extinct plant called silphium, which was used as a form of birth-control—therefore becoming the sign of love. Still others believe that the inverted heart symbolized the hanging scrotum —perhaps a stretch of the (over-active) imagination.
Wherever your beliefs land, it can’t be denied that the heart is possibly the most (over?) used symbol of our time. But then, why should that stop us?
Here is our version of the heart in stencil form:
Check back this week as we elaborate on all things love (and heart shaped), from Dr. Ruth to DIY Kits, and little girls’ valentines (to themselves). “I love you. I love you. I love you,” she murmured as she gazed in the mirror.
Should we all find such self-love in these next two weeks… and for the rest of our lives.
You can download the Hearts Stencil from our Resource page and sign yourself (and a loved one) up for our One-Day Studio workshop to get in the mood.
Valentine’s Special: Buy a One-Day Studio workshop at full price and get a second one for $295.
P.S.: Heart rocks above were carefully selected from Natalie and Maggie’s collection.
January 10, 2013
No one can find inner peace except by working,
not in a self-centered way, but for the whole human family.
- Peace Pilgrim
There are many ways to make DIY Peace.
Mildred Norman set off on New Year’s Day and began to walk across the country in the name of peace. Changing her name to Peace Pilgrim, she said, “I shall remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace.” Peace Pilgrim continued her journey until her death in July 1981. That’s 28 years of walking for peace.
Others have worked for peace in their own ways. There have been singers for peace, like Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, or Bob Dylan. Many have spent their lives attempting to create peace on a global level: Nelson Mandela, fellow Southerner Jimmy Carter, Elie Wiesel. There are those like Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, who have devoted their lives to prayer and meditation for peace. So many across the world continue to protest and work for peace.
At Alabama Chanin, we only know how to do what we CAN do to promote peace… So, for today, while it may seem trivial, that’s as simple as our Peace Skirt. It’s not earth shattering; it’s a skirt. However, perhaps the time sewing, and/or the time wearing will give us each a little time to reflect, or to work towards peace it in small ways for our own lives.
Make your own or purchase our DIY Peace Skirt Kit (kit comes ready-to-sew and includes all fabric, floss, and thread needed to complete your project).
January 7, 2013
The ancient Greeks believed that the olive branch brought not only food, but deliverance from evil—or that is to say, they believed that the olive branch kept evil away. Since that time (and most likely before), the olive branch or the olive branch in combination with the dove, can be found in all manner of art and design. The incorporation of these images always infers peace. Not inner peace—if I understand it correctly—but the absence of war.
This imagery also found its way into literature with the “offering of the olive branch.” The item itself has been beloved in the kitchen since first tasted, is the base for creating the best oil you can find to eat (in my humble opinion), can be used for creating cleaning supplies, and is now a popular name for little girls my daughter Maggie’s age. Perhaps that comes from the sweet little exhausting mischievous pig Olivia. And, as you know, we also have an Olivia in our studio.
But I diverge…
December 5, 2012
With the publication of our Alabama Studio Book Series, we open sourced our beloved techniques that these living arts might be preserved for future generations. One of the things that we learned along the way is that people who are dedicated to one particular area of craft can also become converts to another area. The art of working with your hands seems to span all disciplines.
We have customers who are woodworkers, potters, scrapbookers, knitters, and crocheters. Particularly, knitters seem to find themselves at home making Alabama Chanin pieces. Perhaps loop-by-loop finds familiarity with our stitch-by-stitch method. Knitters Melanie Falick (my editor) and Mason-Dixon’s Kay Gardiner are now hand-sewing enthusiasts in the Alabama Chanin style.
October 1, 2012
This month’s desktop features our organic cotton jersey fabric with Wet-Paint Stenciling from page 48 of Alabama Studio Style. Using an Angie’s Fall stencil, this distressed, painted version of our Faded Leaves fabric was actually an accident. Often times, the best and most exciting things in life come from accidental meetings, accidental spills, and accidental conversations. This fabric is the same.
This hi-resolution photograph is for use as your computer desktop background and is now available to download from our Resource Downloads.
xoNatalie
August 9, 2012
When working on a new collection, part of the design process involves creating fabric swatches in various colorways and patterns, and using an assortment of embellishment techniques. These “samples” help us quickly and sustainably choose the perfect finish for our garments.
I’ve written before about our Sample Block library and swatches as part of a sustainable design practice. Unfortunately, not all created swatches make their way into the final collection and library. Subtle changes might happen in the design process or a color dropped from the line altogether. However, these swatches are all beautiful in their own right. A stunning way to display them (rather than having them collect on my desk) is to incorporate these swatches into a Sampler Block Shawl, modeled after the Sample Block Quilt.
The 10” x 16” dimension is based on the size of the binders we use to store our fabric blocks. You can use any dimension of fabric block you’d prefer by cutting organic cotton jersey to your desired size.
April 26, 2012
As we continue to explore the design elements that make up Alabama Studio Sewing + Design, we look at the simple, but incredibly beautiful Spiral pattern. This pattern is reminiscent of both our Circle Applique and Kristina’s Rose treatments, but this particular design stands out largely due to its use for an entirely new application- Alabama Fur. It is often said that you have to see and touch our garments to fully appreciate them, and the countless knots and tails that follow this classic curve usually illicit the most response.
