1000 Markets: A Winter Outfit

DreamWoven     $290

Yesterday I wrote a post about winter wear on Etsy.  We've had a terrible cold spell here in Kentucky, so I picked woolen goodies that I could lust after.  There is nothing like wool to keep you warm when those temps hit rock bottom!  I have a store on Etsy and like to support the sellers there whenever possible.  I also have one on 1000 Markets and it didn't seem fair to do a post on Etsy without also doing on on 1000 Markets.  Actually, many of us sell in both places and several of the sellers shown have joined the fiber art/textiles network I started on Ning, The Fiber Focus Group.  Over time, those who are more active online and in social networks start bumping into each other, forming cyber friendships.

Now, to shop on 1000 Markets!  I am looking for an outfit that will keep me warm from head to toe.  Maybe it's a bit too fancy to sit at the computer as I am now, but this is the destination I have in mind.  A cold house with freezing floors.  The water pipes have burst and six inches of water have flooded the whole ground under the house.  Head to toe, I need warmth.

The place to start is the head.  Cover your head when you are cold!  And, why not do it with art for your head?  DreamWoven's hats have been a long time favorite of mine.  Someday I will own one.  "Simone", the hat above is the bestest hat in the whole wide world!  I love it, love it, love it!!!!!  All of the images are hyperlinked to the product in this post and you must click on DreamWoven's hat so that you can see it from all angles.  DreamWoven and I have been cyberfriends for quite awhile now.  We're both Rachels and we both enjoy the role of helping others find larger markets for their work.  She is on staff at 1000 Markets and has always been a great support, encouraging us all to move forward with our work. 

 

TickledPinkKnits    $98

DreamWoven's hat is open at the back, so I will need to keep my neck warm with this beautiful scarflette by Tickled Pink Knits.  The fibers are various soft wools, including alpaca, so it is sure to be luxurious!  I like the frilliness, harking back to Victorian wear mixed with enough ruggedness and texture to fit a Viking like me.

 

Coco and Juan   $45

Coco and Juan specialize in Plus Size wear which is perfect for me.  I like the lines in this top and think it will work just fine with what I've got so far.  Notice how the side panels of the blouse curve in, helping provide at least an illusion of a slender figure.  I know I need all the help I can get!  I would prefer a solid knit and it looks to me like Coco and Juan would probably work with you on your choice of fabric and color.

Modern Era Design makes these custom choices clear upfront.  The brown in these pants isn't going to really work well with what I have picked, but they have color swatches to pick from and there are several other choices that I could go with.  In fact, they will make it to your size, too.

 

Modern Era Design       $52

Comfort was what I was looking for, which I found, with the added benefit that the cotton jersey is organic.  Gotta support those green industries!

I'm thinking that those comfy pants might just not be warm enough, so I'm going to add these custom dyed leggings from Dye Diana Dye.  When I first saw her name, a long time ago now, I just thought it was the most clever play on words!  Her work is impeccable and she has many other dyed garments that are stunningly beautiful.   Keep dyeing, Diana, but live a long, long life!

 

Dye Diana Dye     $36

This photo is a little dark, but I loved these tabi socks by Twiddle Toes.  (Another great name!)  Tabi socks were originally used by the Japanese with their wooden kimono flip flops.  Now, we can also wear them and Twiddle Toes has them in a bunch of different colors!

 

twiddletoes    $32

The tabi socks will need some booties, so I picked a pair made by my friend Catherine at Bazaar Bayar, another of my cyber friends.  She has been knitting up a storm lately and you will have to go look at her other lacey slippers. I thought these slippers were very reasonably priced!

 

Bazaar Bayar   $20

Many of Catherine's knitting designs use complex color and texture patterns and some hearken to her second home, Turkey.  I decided that I really, really wanted one of her hand warmers, too.

 

Bazaar Bayar   $50

Those rusty colors are perfect for me.  I would like the thumb and finger area to be a little longer, down to the first knuckle.  Can you do that, Catherine?  My friend Diane made the one I have on now and the thumb area goes almost all the way to the thumbnail.  I really like that.  Catherine has several other pairs in her store.  Type away and keep your fingers warm!

I'm feeling like my top is not enough.  I shopped around and couldn't find a sweater or vest that I liked on 1,000 Markets.  I wanted something long and roomy.  If you are a knitter, know that there is very little competition with those products right now.  Might be a good niche for you!  But, I did find something else that I really liked:

Marge Rohrer Designs     $300

Isn't this a stunning piece?  Marge calls it a "fling" because you can fling one end over a shoulder.  She was inspired by the Middle Eastern marketplace and used a variety of threads, including bamboo (!!!!), to weave this piece.  Will it match my hat?  I've got a lot of different reds going on here, but I think it will all work.  I am warm and I am beautiful!  All because I shopped on 1000 Markets!  My total bill?  Only $923....  Interesting.  About the same I "spent" on Etsy.  (In my dreams!!!)

How does shopping here compare to Etsy?  Well, one thing is for sure, the search here works.  It is so easier to find things here because they are in defined categories.  The drop down menu is available on every page and is as smooth as butter.

How about the product selection?  I was disappointed to see that some categories were pretty sparse.  1000 Markets is a juried venue so each store has to be approved before it hits the marketplace.  That means that the approval process is much more laborious, but it eliminates all the junky stuff you might see elsewhere.  There is a lot of talent on 1000 Markets and I am sure that if the exact item cannot be found, someone would be willing to make it for you.

Have you visited 1000 Markets?  Shopped there?  I would love to hear of your experience, as a buyer, seller or voyeur....  Stay warm and dress well!

1000 Markets: A Winter Outfit

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

Chiapas: A Revolution, Some Sheep, and Centuries of Weaving

From Arthur Frederick Community Builders, an organization dedicated to small-scale community development. They have projects in Chiapas.


A decade ago, Chiapas was in the news alot. Not for the abundance of craft production that goes on there, but because of the charismatic leader, El Subcomandante Marcos, the masked poet revolutionary who speaks for the poor in Mexico's most neglected state. I hadn't heard anything in a long time from that part of the world, so I decided to do some internet surfing. Sure, there is plenty, but much of it is over two years old, has broken links, or focuses on coffee production. Chiapas borders Guatemala and the Mayan descendants who live there are experts in many craft techniques. I focus in on the textiles because that is what I do: look for threads! The lack of current information surprised me, but given that other parts of the world are in even more desperate blood baths, perhaps interest has dwindled recently.

To put you in the fiber context, here are a couple of examples of traditional Mayan huipils (woven blouses) from Sna Jolobil, a non-profit working with indigenous women in Chiapas for over thirty years:

Galley image from Sna Jolobil, woven brocade huipil.

Galley image from Sna Jolobil, embroidered brocade huipil.

If you are familiar with Guatemalan textiles, you will see how close they are in style. Although Chiapas has many different non-Spanish speaking Indigenous groups, most descend from the Maya and thus have similar customs.

Map by Jenna Hall for Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation.

The largest of these groups is Tzotzil, agrarian and sheep herders by tradition. Unesco has an extensive description of the importance of sheep to these people. Wool products account for 36% of the family's income, completely in the domain of the women. The wool from this area is thick, long and rich, easily recognizable once you have seen it and felt it. Sheep are not eaten, in fact, they are considered sacred, as soul mates. Here is a snippet from Grain which carried an interesting article about the importance of these sheep:

"First of all, sheep are part of the culture of the Tzotzils; since they are sacred animals protected by the local religion, it is forbidden to hurt, to kill or to eat them. Secondly, they are also the exclusive responsibility of women, who take every decision over any issue related to these animals and also keep and manage any money derived from their sheep. The Tzotzils believe that every person has an ‘animal companion’ who suffers the same fate as his or her soul mate. When a person is ill or dies so does his or her animal companion. Even when most animal companions are wild animals, it is recognised that sheep can be the secondary soul mates of shamans and healers, and this is the reason for not hurting or killing them. However, it is only sheep that are sacred, and cows, horses or pigs are just domestic animals for the Tzotzils, who raise them, kill them, eat them, or sell them as needed.

The importance of sheep is related to the traditional clothing of the Tzotzils. Clothes for ceremonial or daily use are made out of wool and any visitor to the villages or to the local markets will find men in their heavy black coats or their sleeveless white jackets. Women wear their black woollen skirts and their richly embroidered brown blouses, and they cover themselves with black shawls. Children’s clothes, blankets and bedspreads are woven to blend fleeces of different colours, to create an infinite number of grey and brown shades. These woollen clothes are quite heavy and a hairy finish is highly regarded; they are also waterproof and last a very long time: two or three years of daily use."

Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation update on weavers and their sheep in Chiapas.

Unfortunately, even though Chiapas is one of the wealthiest states in Mexico in terms of natural resources, the people who live there see little benefit. Hydroelectric power generated in Chiapas powers much of Mexico City. Instead, they are among the poorest of the poor in Mexico. Chris Arsenault wrote an essay in 2005, reflecting on the then ten-year old resistance movement that had sprung up in Chiapas:

"70 percent of Chiapas's dwellings are overcrowded, 51 percent have earthen floors and more than 35 percent lack drainage or electricity, even though Chiapas produces 60 percent of the hydro electric power used in Mexico City. These objective realities, along with 500 years of cultural destruction and humiliation for Mexico's (and Canada's) indigenous, created the conditions for rebellion."

The revolt was led by El Subcomandante Marcos, a figure who, like Che Guevara, has captured the romantic dreams of the oppressed and turned them into poetic action. Although we never see his face, he speaks with a directness that is infectuous. How can he not be the most beautiful man under that mask?



Wikipedia has an interesting story on who this Marcos might be, so hop on over if you want to know more (AFTER you finish with my story!!!!)

A member of Mujures por la dignidad (women for dignity) a 1,000 member Zapatista cooperative, weaving art-crafts.
Photo: James Daria

In the same article, Arsenault attributes the growth of women's textile cooperatives to the rebellion without mentioning that many other non-governmental and non-profit organizations have been in the area for decades. I did not see any clear evidence in my surfing that the handsome masked man has greatly improved the conditions of the poor in Chiapas. Instead, I did see that Lucia and Ernestina, in the photo on the left, and others like them, have benefitted from these other organizations who have helped them improve their farming techniques, given them access to larger markets and to financial opportunity through micro-credit approaches. The video below is one such example:



I consider myself a pacifist (or, maybe I am just a coward). I have absolutely no idea if I would remain such if I had been born into a society where my life chances were so minimal, but I like to think that economic development is a much better way to go than through violence. And, I also will support any effort where communities can engage in handicraft and textile production in order to better their lives. This, I will do to the end of my days. With some access to credit, a hard working woman can buy some land. She can feed her children and have her sheep soul mates. Clinics and schools and infrastructure will come as they pool their resources. Above all, she will have her dignity.

Visit my other blog, Artezano Links for more resources on the handicrafts in Chiapas.

Chiapas: A Revolution, Some Sheep, and Centuries of Weaving