TAFA Market Focus: Jwrobel

TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.  We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website.   We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and an exhibit and vendors.   These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts.  This blog will feature the works and vendors in the next two weeks.  You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link. 

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

Jwrobel

Visit Jwrobel's Member Profile on TAFA

Organic and Sustainable Baby Accessories by JWrobel

I always thought I would have my own kids, fantasizing about dressing them up with little outfits from around the world or beautiful handmade, natural clothing like this fun green cap.  Probably a good thing it didn't happen as the grown-up kids would probably have ended up in therapy for all my other eccentricities.  Although, I must say: My dogs do like me!

Those who do have a baby or a little one in their lives need to take a look at Jwrobel's beautiful baby clothing and accessories.  Carefully knitted, using sustainable materials like organic, hand dyed wools, alpaca, and silk, the results are soft and luxurious.

Baby Pixie Hat by Jwrobel

Jwrobel, or Jess Wrobel, will have several baby items and adult accessories in our TAFA Market.  She said grandmas are some of her best customers and we all know that there will be plenty of you coming to Paducah who have little ones on the way or recently arrived.  This is your chance to score big points with your child or grandchild!

Jess has been a great asset to TAFA ever since she joined us.  Freely sharing business tips and ideas, I have already learned a lot from her and look forward to continued growth in the future.  All of us have to wear so many hats as we make, design or buy our products, photograph them, get them online and then engage in the often tedious tasks of marketing what we do.  Jess has successfully integrated her products into a sensibility which reflects her commitment to being green and natural.  

Babies are not the only focus at the Jwrobel studio.  Adults have plenty to pick from to accessorize themselves and their homes.  Jess integrates an old world feel, sometimes calling out to Central Asia and the Silk Road and at others harking back to Victorian sensibilities.  She makes beautiful purses, bags, pillows and much more.  A couple examples of what will be at the TAFA Market:

Satin Garden Rose by Jwrobel

Knit Purse by Jwrobel

If you are coming to Paducah, definitely check out our TAFA Market to see Jwrobel's work in person.  Meanwhile, you can check out her shops on Etsy:

TAFA Market Focus: Jwrobel

The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Apparel

Wearable Art by Ariane Mariane

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in February, 2010.  As it has grown, now over 200 members, so have the members who have Etsy shops.  About half of us use Etsy as our retail platform.  We decided to organize as an Etsy Team (a program Etsy has for sellers to organize under themes or locations) and set up a blog where we can talk about what is important to us and where we can show off our shops.  The blog has eight pages of shops, divided into themes and serves as our Team Catalog.  Although many of us sell things that do not fit neatly into those categories, most of us do have a focus.  I am introducing each of those categories here, hoping that this will encourage you to go over there and shop, shop, shop, until you drop!  These eight pages have over 100 shops, filled with wonderful eye candy that will surely delight anyone who appreciates all the many techniques and traditions that are found in the needle and textile arts. 

Today's focus:  Apparel

Organza Jacket by CherScapes

What we wear can give a message to the world about who we are in a larger sense: our religious and social ties, whether we part of a social subgroup, whether we care or not about our appearance.  Every April thousands of women descend on Paducah for the yearly quilt show.  They can be spotted for blocks away by their colorful quilted jackets and bags.  Political movements have been defined by t-shirts with messages on them, websites are dedicated to fashion or ridicule of what is worn (like the ones making fun of what has been seen at Walmart) and all of our social subgroups identify themselves by common dress: punk, bikers, hippies, goth, hunters, and so on.  Name the group and you can picture the dress.  Religious people also identify themselves through clothing: Jews, Mormons, Amish and many others have strict codes of dress.  

Some have provoked huge debate in our social/political circles leading to legislation, like the current ban on burkas in France.  Clothing and what we wear then becomes a matter of freedom.  I ask, if one group is persecuted does that not threaten the freedoms of others to choose what they want to wear?  Whether or not we are offended by how people dress, it seems to me like a free society needs to protect all of our rights to make this choice.

Dyed T-Shirt by Dye Diana Dye

Rest assured that our Team will not provoke much controversial discussion with their clothing.  You will find beautiful pieces which have been lovingly constructed or manipulated by dye, embroidery, felting or sewing.  Some are practical and can be worn anywhere, while others are pieces of wearable art which must be saved for that special occasion where you will want to stand out in the crowd.

And, we even have a growing representation for the wee artist.  A couple of our members specialize in clothing for babies and little ones.

Knit wear for children by JWrobel

Click here to visit our Apparel Page in our TAFA Team Catalog of Shops.

And, while you are there, click on the other tabs to see our other Team member shops.  We aim to be the best in textiles and fiber art on Etsy!

All TAFA Team members are also members of TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List.

Interested in membership?  Click here for more information.

The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Apparel

Winter Wear on Etsy (My Wish List!)

 yellowfield7          $370

Yikes!  Winter!  One of the reasons I moved to Kentucky from Chicago is because I HATE winter.  Looks like I didn't move south enough...  We're having an unusual cold front that is snapping water pipes and causing a state emergency.  I'm in that crowd.  My pipes have been frozen for a week and I have had the luxury of two showers at a friend's house.  Fortunately, I have some cold water, so I can heat it up for minor chores and cooking.

When it's this cold, there is nothing better than wool to keep an old body warm.  My friend, Diane Gerlach, is a knitter and has given me wonderful woolies over the years.  They are my staples during these cold months.  My house here is a shack, full of holes.  I've tried to stop them up as best I can and normally, it's quite livable.  But, when the Arctic winds come swooping down on the South, I just want to shrivel up into a ball and hibernate.

So, I thought I would lust after some wool on Etsy.  I picked myself an outfit that I would actually wear.  The hat at the top of this post is one of many gorgeous sculpted felt hats by yellowfield7.  The buttons make it a bit to fancy for me, so I I would take them off and replace them with something ethnic, something more rugged.  Isn't it something like 80% of your body heat leaves through your head?  So, covering it is essential in the business of staying warm, and you might as well cover it with something beautiful.

 olivebrown           $40

Moving on down, we get to the neck.  Gotta have something nice and thick and warm there.  Olivebrown's neckwarmer is 50% alpaca, so it is bound to be nice and soft.  Itchy wool can be tough on the neck and alpaca would certainly be a good choice for gentle warmth!  Olivebrown is having a sale now, so you better dash over there and see what else is reduced in price!

 

duende74      $49

Then we get to the top.  I wanted something simple because I knew I would be looking for a knubby sweater to go over it.  I was surprised to find that it was hard to find a simple gray top like this one on Etsy.  I liked most of the things I saw on duende74's store.  Simple lines, earthy colors and natural fibers, color choices.  With care, all the way from Tel Aviv!

Ah, the knubby look that I wanted!  London based ileaiye had lots of things I liked.  I love texture and am drawn to the collar and loose look this sweater has.  They are calling it a cardigan...  looks like a sweater to me!

 

 ileaiye           $110

We're skipping underwear in this post, although, when it's this cold, I just must have a pair of long johns or tights on, especially if it is a green product and wool!  Stephanieteague gives you size an color options and she (I'm assuming it's a she...) does the dyeing with low impact dyes.  Oh, yes!

 

stepahnieteague      $145

I'll wear some vintage sailor pants over those organic wool tights,  a great find in ericaoblak's shop.  Still functional after 60 years, these are also wool.  Don't forget to look through the vintage stuff on Etsy when you go shopping there!  That's where a lot of my stuff is, too.  Etsy's search constantly defaults back to handmade, so you will be losing out on wonderful finds like Erica and I work so hard to get to market!

 

erikaoblak     $25

Yep, need those legwarmers!  I thought those sailor pants would work well, too, because I could hide these chunky legwarmers under the bell bottoms.  Keep that cold air out!  Legwarmers are just a great accessory to have in a cold climate, and now that I think about it, I don't have any.  Diaaaannnneeee!!!!!  Can you hear me?  (Hint, hint... )

 

talk2thetrees          $15

I like both the seller's name, talk2thetrees, and how she describes the legwarmers: "They are hand knit with soft gray yarn, they are perfect for dog walking, sheep herding and world saving."  Haven't done any sheep herding lately, but I do try for the dog walking and world saving.  I do wish she had said what kind of wool she used though...

 

pawfelts            $50

Feet!  The worst part of cold in my house is at the floor.  When it gets really bad, it feels like the fridge was left open up to my knees.   I layer on the socks and slippers.  I love everything pawfelts has and have lusted for her slippers forever, so I get to have two pairs of her sock/slippers in this post.  I'll layer them and wear them every day until spring.

 

pawfelts      $45

I need something warm around my hands while I am sitting at the computer.  A cup of tea will work here and there, but the best solution is to have a good pair of handwarmers or fingerless gloves.  Gotta be able to keep on typing!  KitMit's designs are fun and you can even buy the pattern to make your own!  I would feel like the Jetsons with one of these on.  Unfortunately, she is offering these in acrylic yarn, which I do not like at all.  It feels like plastic to me.  If she will do a pair in wool, I'll take it.  I picked the long arm version because I am so cold, but the short ones are cute, too.

KitMits     $35

Warm enough?  Sigh....  No, not really.  I need a blanket or something....  A poncho!  Yes!  That will work perfectly!

 

dirtybirdiesvintage     $79

Dirtiebirdiesvintage (cute name!!!) calls this a cape, but it looks like a poncho to me.  I think it would look great with the rest of my outfit, don't you?  I spent one semester in college in Colombia (the country) and they called these "ruanas" there.  Everybody wore them, even men in suits.  They could be hippie looking or of the most elegant wools.  Totally makes sense to wrap yourself in a wearable blanket when it is cold.

I've got my purchases.  Total, please...  Hmmm... let's see..  add it up....  mumble, mumble, calculate.  Eeeee, gads!!!!   $963!!!!!!!  Yikes!  Mama Mia!  Must have good taste, eh?  Well, I guess dreaming was fun....  Oh, wait a minute....  my birthday is coming up!  There we go!  Now I have a wish list all made out.  XL in everything, please!

Now, I hadn't been "shopping" on Etsy in awhile.  I'm on there a lot to stock up my store, but I don't often have enough time to just browse around.  I must say that although it was fun to put this outfit together, I was pretty shocked at how much the quality has gone down from the last time I was there.  There was a lot more of what I consider to be junky stuff and terrible photos.  I know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but at least put some effort to make the junk look good.  Hum it in your mind...  "It's beginning to look a lot like eBay...."  Which is fine.  I sell on eBay, too, and there are a lot of good people there, but then just don't have any illusions about Etsy being a high quality site of hand crafted goods.  There are wonderful things there and lots of gorgeous, expertly crafted clothing, jewelry, art, and everything else.  I love being there, it's a great community, BUT....  (you finish the sentence!)

And, the search system is still crappy in my book.  I know that this is because sellers don't know how to do it right, but if after all this time, people still don't know how to tag things properly, then guess what?  It doesn't work.

Have you been shopping on Etsy lately?  I have a lot of friends who are sellers there and we would all love to hear more about the buyer's perspective.  So, whether you have actually made the purchase or just longed for it, like I do, let us know what you think of being there as either buyer, seller or both.

See a similar post I did on 1000 Markets.

Winter Wear on Etsy (My Wish List!)

Ecological Arts by Rebecca Burgess

"The role of Ecological Arts is to create art in order to understand and revitalize natural systems. Founder Rebecca Burgess has been a teacher and artist for many years."

As an environmental educator and textile artist, I am consistently looking for ways to engage students and the public in hands-on textile arts techniques that move us one step closer to living in greater harmony with the planet.

Ecological Arts offers a series of workshops
on using natural dyes and weaving.

I created EcologicalArts in 2004 as a way to house the sustainable textile arts processes that I was both creating and learning from other artisans around the world. Inspired initially by villages like Pejeng, Bali, and Sukhonakon, Thailand, places where women grow and spin organic cotton, raise and ferment indigo, and work cooperatively to produce beautiful finished goods. These villages illuminated sustainable textile production for me. Upon returning home, I felt the calling to start my own tradition.

California Fleuristic Province, home of Ecological Arts.

I live in the California Fleuristic Province, it is among the 25 most bio-diverse places on the planet. I felt there must be species here, in my homeland, that I can use for color- and thus avoid the carbon footprint incurred from ordering all of my dyes from overseas, or even out of state. In the process, I have become a natural dye harvester, restoration gardener, and an unintentional steward. I prune, I weed, I replant, and I seed- it's all a part of the harmonious and reciprocal process. Stewardship and dye work are now hand-in-hand activities for me. My garden is both a restoration site for native and useful dye plants, and an experimentation zone of Indigo, prairie wildflowers, and pokeberry.

From plant life to yarn color, dyes by Ecological Arts.

While there are still dyes such as cochineal, and logwood, whose colors I have not found sustainably harvested substitutes for, I was able to find and create recipes for every color of my hearts desire. And, there is still a lifetime of experimentation left in the fields and hillsides of my homeland.


As a canvas for these natural colors- I connected with the local sheep ranchers, angora producers and organic cotton farmers. These relationships have given me the opportunity to economically support local fiber producers. They create some of the highest quality raw materials in the world, and yet their origins are at most 70 miles from my home!


These processes I undertake are nothing new in history, they are in fact quite ancient, and yet- I feel that every moment of creating with nature’s raw materials is a novel experience. The permutations and possibilities for what a textile artist can do with the resources within his or her community is truly stunning.

Yarns by Ecological Arts.

Rebecca Burgess graduated from UC Davis in Art History, and while in the central valley spent time studying at DQ Native American University. Searching for art outside the academic canon, she found a Native American basket weaver. The artistry, ecology, and function of the native baskets became her inspiration. While traveling throughout the United States, and Asia she found remnants of ecologically focused textile art traditions.
Through each investigation she became increasingly inspired to begin a local tradition within her own bio-region. Ecologicalarts was born in 2004. An organization dedicated to creating, reviving, and teaching, art forms that utilize resources to promote thriving eco-systems.

Rebecca is a member of the Fiber Focus Group, has a blog, website and sells on Etsy.



Find more photos like this on Fiber Focus

Ecological Arts by Rebecca Burgess

Craft Talk: A Knitting Video

A friend posted this on Facebook and I thought it was pretty fun. Enjoy!

Craft Talk: A Knitting Video

Obama and McCain: Two Puppets Seeking Attention!

Crocheted Obama and McCain Finger Puppets

Right around election time, I got a package in the mail from my dear friend Diane, the Yin-Yang Knitter. "Hmmmm....." I says to myself, "What's this?" Opening it up, I find these two guys, political finger puppets, one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time! "Oh, Diane... You are something else!"

Backside of the puppets.

Note the detail of McCain's bald spot:

(Cackles like an old hag....)

Diane got the patterns for free through Lion Brand Yarn Studio. They rate the pattern as easy, although to me they look anything but easy!


I kept forgetting to photograph them, but finally got my act together. So, what to do with these guys? I guess you are supposed to play with them... For your entertainment, here is a little fun with the puppets:

McCain and Obama present their pedigrees to the world.

McCain and Obama pledge to run a clean campaign...


The candidates pontificate, debate, and repeat their key phrases
over and over and over and...


Obama wins!

But, McCain is still around, waiting for his turn...

Diane sent a couple of other links to projects she thought looked like fun. She is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus (Past articles). Click on the photos to visit the sites:

We can poke fun and roll our eyes, but finally, we must remember that people have died for this right and continue to fight around the world today for a voice in how their countries are run. Let us just hope that our elected officials take to heart the trust they have been given by their positions of power and leadership.

(And, FIX this broken mess!)

Obama and McCain: Two Puppets Seeking Attention!

U.S. Border Patrol Keeps Subversive Knitters Out

Do you knit? Crochet? Make a political statement out of your doilies?

Well, beware if you are American and leave the country for a vacation. Border Patrol just might not let you back in. Stephen Colbert covered one such case in this exclusive report:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nailed 'Em - Radical Knitting

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

U.S. Border Patrol Keeps Subversive Knitters Out

New Arrivals: Knit Mukluks and Mittens from Afghanistan!

My best sellers on eBay: Mukluks!

I live in these all Fall, Winter and Spring. Mukluks keep your feet warm, are comfortable and soft. Dancers love them, too!

Knit Mukluks from Pakistan and Afghanistan

I get the mukluks, mittens and gloves from my former gallery partner, Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts, who imports them directly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hand-knit out of recycled sweaters, refugees from Afghanistan began making these for the Western market in the 1970's. Today, knitting remains a vital source of income for many low income families and women.

Mukluks are available with leather soles and without.

I get two kinds of mukluks from Abdul, with and without leather. The leather soled ones will be selling on eBay for $18 and the ones without for $16. The photos here are pretty representative of the colors and quality of most of the mukluks. I haven't started photographing the new ones and am hoping that some of you out there will want to buy them sight unseen. This will save me a lot of time, effort and cost (eBay fees just keep going up!).

So, here is the deal:

Order in quantities and get the following discounts:

• 1-5 pairs, 10% off

• 6-10 pairs, 15% off

• 11 pairs +, 20% off

Tell me what your color preferences are and I will get as close as possible. Most of the mukluks come in two colors, usually a light and a dark one. You can say blues, reds, pink, black, or be more general like pastels, earthy, bold or bright. I bought a shoe sizer, so this year I will have an easier time at that, too.

Same thing goes for the mittens and gloves, which are $7.50 a pair. The mittens are traditional and run on the larger side, fitting most adults.

The gloves are fingerless with an attached cap. The photos below show an average pair:

Fingerless Knit gloves from Afghanistan and Pakistan

If interested, either leave a comment or use the contact me link at the top right hand corner of the blog. Purchases of these help support Abdul's business and all these wonderful knitters! Afghanistan's infrastructure is a mess, so any income the women can make through their handicrafts is definitely needed income! These make great Christmas gifts, too, so hopefully the discounts will encourage you to buy in quantity.

New Arrivals: Knit Mukluks and Mittens from Afghanistan!

Election Day, Patriotic Fervor, Red White and Blue by the Yin-Yang Knitter

Crocheted American Flag Afghan

Amidst the patriotic fervor of Election Day [although what with early voting it’s really been Election Month], I wanted to share some of my favorite red, white, and blue-themed projects seen on knitting blogs and websites. As a charity knitter, I’m an enthusiast for patterns like these which designers offer for free. (Click on the photos to visit the source sites.)

The flag-style afghan above is crocheted, but I’m flexible. I think it’s beautiful, and it looks great draped on the couch, but somehow wrapping my cold feet in it just wouldn’t feel right to me. Oops. Sorry about the pun.

How about a ”hackysack” for the kids? That’s a great crocheted star.

Stars and Stripes Hackey Sack

I’ve limited myself to five photos, but I did like these:

Felted Patriotic Hot Pads

Get cozy in a flag decorated sweater.

Flag Sweater, Pattern Available

I can’t resist including a picture of me wearing a sweater I made 30+ years ago for my brother. I have no idea what happened to the pattern for this, but I asked for it back with the intention of “reverse-engineering” it sometime. It was made in 70’s acrylics or it might look better than it does…but then who know how my brother might have mistreated it had it been wool. It IS hard to kill acrylics. Wish I’d thought to wear it when I voted early!

Diane Gerlach, the Yin-Yang Knitter in her very own flag sweater
(OK, so she gave it to her brother...)

For your feet, some colorful socks:

Patriotism on your feet...

And my favorite things to knit, hats:

USA Knit Hat

The troops for whom I frequently knit as part of The Ships Project are very fond of patriotic-themed hats. These are some of hats I’ve sent:

Hats Knit by Diane Gerlach for the Ships Project

Get out and vote if you haven’t already. However it turns out, we all own it for the next four years, so it’s important that we each do our part to push things in the direction we want it to go. A few years ago, my city of about 90,000 people elected a mayor by just ONE VOTE, and that was with a recount, reminding us all here that each of our votes does indeed count.

Citizens of the United States of America:
Vote!

Election Day, Patriotic Fervor, Red White and Blue by the Yin-Yang Knitter