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Posted at 11:46 AM in Buy Local, Community, EcoSew Workshops, Recycling + Refabrication, Sewing Lessons, Sustainable Sewing, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (1)
Recently one of my favorite custom sewing clients came to me with quite an intriging project. A local musican, who is multi-instrumental, he brought me a well loved Double Bass travel bag that he wanted upcycled into a carrying case for his Tuba. TUBA? yup, Tuba...this cat really enjoys an oversized instrument!
This sewing challenge was a true Upcycle. Utilize existing textiles while improving function, beauty + durability.
This bag had been not only stretched-beyond-its-limits by housing a Tuba, rather than the intended shape, but it had also been exceptionally well loved by some cats... who found it to be a most excellent scratching post.
The first task was to repair and reinforce the bulging seams at the zipper where it meets the round curves of the Tuba. Not to mention repairing the stress points on the shoulder straps and side panels. The "elephant nose", left behind by the Double Bass, was choppped off and given additional girth to comfortably house the Tuba's bell. Additional padding was stitched inside to protect the delicate finger valves. Existing pockets were reinforced while an additional large pocket was placed on the front.
All of the material used for this Upcycle challenge were harvested from The Bobbin's vast selection of sustainable textiles. Chosen for this project were remenants of a burgandy canavas which mingled beautifully with the bag's exisitng black canvas fabric. A heavy-duty black thread was used for all the seams.
My client's Tuba now has a happy new home without the consuption of new raw materials. Instead his bag was created from local, sustainable, already exisitng textiles, utilizing local Vermont Mama labor, resulting in a (zero) waste, low carbon footprint, unique instrument bag.
Mama sez...a stitch in time, really does save nine!
If you have an interesting upcycle challenge or fiber arts restoration, please contact Gyllian at the shop and schedule a consultation 802-862-7417.
Posted at 03:48 PM in Buy Local, Green Alterations, Recycling + Refabrication, Sustainable Sewing, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (1)
Welcome
to September Crafty Friends,
The heat wave has subsided bringing forth chilly nights, changing
leaves and Mama's favorite time, "Back-to-School". The September calendar is live with
sustainably crafty fun for everyone! Unravel the mysteries of the
upper/lower threading systems, learn to draft a pattern of your
measurements and stitch up a sweet A-Line Skirt, or gab it up in
the Craft Lounge while stitching up your very own SadBoy doll. We
keep our class sizes small, so be sure to save your spot
early.
Call 802-862-7417 or email info@thebobbin.com to register for classes,
workshops, private lessons, alterations, or custom design
services.
With the final countdown to STRUT V!
this Saturday, September 11th, the Mamas have been sew, sew,
sewing...All day, Every day. We are super excited about our newest
collection. We are exploring restoration, refabrication and the
re-invention of upcycled Menswear for Women. The toughness of tweed,
wool, leather & plaid paired with light floral prints, swinging hems
and vintage trims.
Saturday,
September 11th
Maltex Building
Pine Street
Burlington, VT 05401
*There will be two runway shows*
7:00pm & 9:00pm
$12 Admission
$7 w/Art Hop button
http://seaba.com
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Spotlight on Local Business: Smitty's Sewing Machine Service
Robert "Smitty" Smith of Essex Junction, Vermont
We Mamas have known Smitty since The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge was in it's infancy.
Learn a new skill this season: Quilting, Patterns, Curtains & sew much more!
Thank you so much for supporting our little Mama-owned, local green business. By taking our classes, purchasing products from our local handmade designers and having your clothing altered on our vintage machines; you are keeping textiles out of the landfills and "...saving the planet, one stitch at a time!"
Learn more about The Bobbin on our Blog:
The Bobbin Mamas Adventures in Eco-Craft
802-862-7417
Posted at 01:37 PM in Buy Local, Classes, Community, Handmade, Recycling + Refabrication, Sewing Lessons, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (0)
State of the Arts
Strut V, Saturday, September 11, 7 and 9 p.m., behind the Maltex Building in Burlington. $12; $5 with Art Hop button. Fashion/Accessory Extravaganza, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 859-9222. www.seaba.com
A dress made completely out of condoms. Clothing sparkling with battery-operated lights. If fashion never struck you as art before, it will after Saturday’s "Strut V," this year’s South End Art Hop catwalk event.
"Fashion and art go hand in hand," says fashion-show consultant Bradley Jordan. The 25-year-old Maryland native should know. Even planning a runway exhibition is a fine craft. "Timing is everything in the show," he explains. "It can make or break what you’re trying to do with the audience."
Jordan, who studied fashion design and marketing at the Art Institute of York, Pa., is no stranger to running the runway. Though he’s new to "Strut," he coordinated five fashion shows during college, showed his own designs in last year’s Montpelier Fashion Show, and helped organize and emcee the inaugural Church Street Marketplace Fashion Show, which took place last Saturday. He’s having a busy week.
"There’s always been one [person] who has taken up the ... wrangling of the designers," says Art Hop coordinator Bob Bolyard, "and that’s Bradley’s position this year." Bolyard met Jordan at Salaam North in Burlington, where Jordan works as a sales associate. Jordan has also collaborated with Salaam "a Vermont-based manufacturer and retailer of dresses and separates", as a pattern maker in Plainfield, and he currently works on his own threads in the Church Street shop’s basement studio.
Nature and snowboarding are the main influences on his work, says Jordan, who came to Vermont partly for the snow and moved to Burlington from Warren last May. "I’m very in tune with the Earth," he explains, describing his duds as "edgy and pushing the envelope." For the women’s collection he’ll show at "Strut," Jordan collaborated with graphic artist Tony Willette. Motor oil figures into a line of monochromatic muslin frocks in a reactionary statement to the Gulf oil crisis.
You won’t find those pieces in stores (yet), nor most of the other independent designs hitting the runway this weekend. Other local costumers include Margaurite LeMay of the House of LeMay, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (ahem, condom dress!), 11-year-old wunderkind Zymora Davinchi and the Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge.
"We’re cranking out pieces like crazy," says Bobbin co-owner Gyllian Rae Svensson with a laugh. The Old North End crafters are producing upcycled, vintage and handmade pieces with an early ’90s sensibility. "We’ll have a lot of sweet little ivory beaded tops and dresses," Svensson says.
Also running with the recycled theme is Shelburne resident Carolyn Phelps Little, manager of Battery Street Jeans. "I like to incorporate vintage fabrics and remnants," she says. Little will work them into a lineup of women’s dresses for the show. Fourteen-year-old Lucy Leith will display dresses, too; the young Burlington designer’s garments are inspired by the work of Japanese film director and animator Hayao Miyazaki. Using conductive thread and tiny LED lights, Leith has created dresses that will light up to the beat of the runway music.
Jordan is doling out strutting advice to some 50 to 80 models, and working with the emcees and deejay to make sure things run smoothly.
"What we’re looking at here is people being very artistic," says Jordan, who’s currently landing sponsors to launch his own line, Jordan & Twill. "People always want to be noticed, and this is a great way for people to showcase their artwork and wear it."
Posted at 05:18 PM in Buy Local, Recycling + Refabrication, Sustainable Sewing, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (0)
Last year The Mamas participated for the first time in SEABA's (South End Arts & Business Association) Fashion Show Event: STRUT IV! Showcasing our upcycled, vintage & handmade fashions on a real, LIVE, Runway. Our theme for Strut IV was "Eco-Pirate Radio" celebrating life from infancy, childhood, tween-dom and beyond. Red Velvet, Black Silk, White Lace, Vintage Fabrics w/Rick-Rack & Applique provided the color backdrop of our collection.
With the final countdown to STRUT V! this Saturday, September 11th, the Mamas have been sew, sew, sewing...All day, Every day. We are super excited about our newest collection. We are exploring restoration, refabrication and the re-invention of upcycled Menswear for Women. The toughness of tweed, wool, leather & plaid paired with light floral prints, swinging hems and vintage trims.
Mama sez...Don't miss this show!
Saturday, September 11
Behind the Maltex Building,
431 Pine Street Burlington, Vermont
7:00PM AND 9:00PM
$12 admission,
$5 with Art Hop Hero button.
STRUT V 2010 DESIGNERS:
Zymora Davinchi
Flashbags
Dave Kaczynski/Khaos DesignsLucy Leith
Davis Studio-Teen Fashion Design Students
Carolyn Little/Fig Dreams
Nicole’s Thread’s
Tom Baginski
Gyllian Rae Svensson & Rachel Hooper-The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge
Jewelry By Travis
Sew-Fly Jeans
The House of LeMay
Elisabeth Kaldor
integraTees by Ally Nadeau
Melissa Vizvaire
Athina Abelrhman/Diamondeye Fashion
Salaam
hi guys! by Lauren Stutzman
Tineke Russell
Jordan & Twill
Joanne Kalisz (Happy Fantastic Designs) +Adrienne Goulette (Burlington Zombie Walk) with special appearances by the Burlington Bombers Roller Derby
Staff, Patients & Supporters
of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Posted at 10:38 PM in Classes, Community, Handmade, Mamas, Recycling + Refabrication, Sustainable Sewing, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Posted at 12:22 PM in Buy Local, Classes, Community, Recycling + Refabrication, Social Media, Sustainable Sewing, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (0)
This past July found the shop in a frenzy of sewing & design during our annual EcoKids: Fashion Camp! Intended for beginning seamsters who have basic knowledge of sewing and have completed our Intro2Sew or Beginner Sew Camp. We had such a super fun week of sustainable sewing, upcycling and basic fashion design/sketching. During their week at Fashion Camp, the girls made tote bags, upcycled t-shirts, learned basic block-printing on fabrics, and spent two days sketching, pattern-drafting and stitching up their very own Wrap-A-Round skirts.
This Video- taken during the last day of camp- is Mama's favorite Media piece from the whole week. Their quiet concentration and complete focus on their sewing is remarkable.
We enjoyed this camp sew much that we have decided to add more EcoKids camps to our calendar throughout the school year. Look for a camp focused on eco-friendly gift giving this fall and will be offering Fashion Camp again during springtime school breaks. Also be sure to let your crafty teens & tweens know about our EcoSew workshops encouraging multi-generational crafting. Take a class with your kid/grandparent/sibling/cousin and share the love!
Posted at 11:34 PM in Classes, Community, EcoSew Workshops, Recycling + Refabrication, Sewing Lessons, Sustainable Sewing | Permalink | Comments (1)
When the first signs of Spring began to peek up out from under the snow, our dear friend and loyal Bobbinier, Neth, came to us with a very fun upcycled quilting project. He has owned a tie-dyed Mushroom blanket for many years and wished to turn this thin cotton fabric into a sturdy 3 layer quilt perfect for picnics, or lazy days at the beach.
Neth is an artist's "dream-come-true" client in that he gave Gyllian free artistic license to take this Quilt in whatever creative direction Mama saw fit. After an extensive search through the fabric stash, we settled on a luscious purple plaid corduroy for the bottom of the blanket and utilized a shrunken vintage wool blanket for the inner stuffing.
Once the 3 layers were ironed, pined & basted together it was time to begin the vertical grid of cross stitching.
The use of a long-armed quilting sewing machine would have been sweet, but a good rolling & a wrangle did the trick just fine for staying in line. Once the vertical grid lines were in place it was time to free sew the top stitched mushroom design. The stitching begins in the center 'round the mushroom and spirals out all around and around the quilt.
Quite the happy camper, Neth can be seen in parks about Vermont picnicking with his one-of-a-kind upcycled memory Mushroom Quilt made from 100% local sustainable fabrics. Thanks sew much Neth for your continued support of local Mama labor.
Mama sez...Buy Local! Buy Handmade!
What Can A Bobbin Mama Make 4 U?
Posted at 05:02 PM in Handmade, Recycling + Refabrication, Sustainable Sewing, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (1)
Rebecca Mack "...loves making new things from old things." Learn more about Becca and her crafty ways on her blog flyinghenstudio.blogspot or her facebook fan page
We recently had Becca over at the shop to answer a few questions about herself and her work:
What do you create?
caps, mixed tapes, collections of found sound recordings, collages, quilts and franken-garments.
Why do you create?
i love making new things from old things.
What are your favorite materials?
favorite tools: scissors, sewing machine, turntables.
favorite materials: old clothes, paper, vinyl recordings + found sound
What would you like us to know about you?
i'm a mama, a healthcare worker and a student.
The Bobbin Sew Bar +
Craft Lounge is pleased to offer a wide variety of green, vintage,
upcycled and eco-friendly sewing, knitting + crafting supplies. We are
also the only spot to purchase one-of-a-kind upcycled caps.
Stop on by Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm
Posted at 03:39 PM in Buy Local, Classes, Green Alterations, Mamas, Recycling + Refabrication, UpCycling | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Posted at 09:13 AM in Bobbin Products, Buy Local, Classes, EcoSew Workshops, Recycling + Refabrication, Sewing Lessons | Permalink | Comments (0)