Showing posts with label lisa solomon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lisa solomon. Show all posts

Thursday, February 04, 2010

d.i.y. valentines robot

robot_fromabove
wont you be mine?

i never cared
much
for
valentines day.
just another one
of those holidays
to
convince you
that you
need
to buy
something
for
someone.

those long lines
at the drugstore
of men buying
last minute
stuffed animals
and candy
on valentines day
depress me.
but then again
how sweet
is it to
get
a handmade card
or
homemade edibles
from a
friend
unexpectedly...

bears
and bunnies
are nice
but robots
are so much better,
don't you think?

robot_wooden1

wouldn't it
be nice
to make
a robot pillow
for someone you love?

this robot
is made completely
out of felted
sweaters.
thin cashmere
sweaters
work the best
but any old sweater
will do...
it's a good time
of year to
get rid of
that favorite sweater
with moth holes
or that doesn't fit
right.
or hit your
local thrift store
and get a couple.
my advice is
to get men's sweaters-
they always are cheaper
and bigger.
bigger means
more felt- woohoo!
remember that
the sweater has
to be 100% wool or
cashmere, or
other
animal fiber.

DIYRobot_whatyouneed

so here we go!

DIYrobot1

first,
put on this song
to get you in the robot mood.

then,
felt all your sweaters
(read instructions here).

robot_felt

make sure to cut
the arms & legs
out of
the sleeves:
DIYRobot_sleeve

now you are
ready for these
easy steps:

DIYRobot_1-4

remember,
you can use
a machine
or sew by hand.
i did mine
by hand using
mostly
blanket stitch.

robot_layout_front
robot_layout_back
robot_layout_zipper

DIYRobot_5-11

you can
decorate your
robot
any way you'd
like...
use real buttons
i used a small
fabric button maker.
i got at
the sewing store
for $3.
you can make
your own fabric
buttons
using
this guide.

Robot_couch

i got
some ideas
from
jes hutch's knitted robots.

robots:  thrifted wooden

let me know
if you
have any
questions!

try not
to fall
in love
with your
new robot.

i did.
it's breaking
my heart
to mail
him off
to his
new
sweetheart
.

robot_square

xo

{cross-posted
on
sew green blog}

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

3: underbug

three: underbug

lately
i have
been
obsessed
with
t h r e e
.

this week:
a series
of
threes.

underbug
tees
and tanks
a
collaboration
with
the amazing
lisa
of
underdog inc.

underbug: seafoam tank

underdog inc
+
bugheart
=
underbug

. . . . .

available
tomorrow
in the
underbug shop.

underbug on me

herbivory tees
available
here.

another
3
tomorrow.
xo

Thursday, December 20, 2007

buttons & heath



today
i am off
to seattle...
i am so excited
to see
my family,
old pals
and
i get to see
ash
too.
she is moving
away from seattle
and this makes
me sad
because it
was a highlight
of my
trips
home to see her.
but now
i can visit her
in a new place.

as
lisa s
mentioned,
we did not just
work on my
visit to sf.
we went to 2
places
i have been
wanting to go to
since
i heard about them...
the famous
{and secret}
button store
and
the
heath factory.
2 things
for which
i have,
as amy put it,
an unnatural love.

. . . . .



i have
a button lady
here in dc
who is wonderful
and i love
getting buttons
and chatting
with her
but
this
was button mecca.
i was overwhelmed.
i bought
many buttons
(but not as many
as i wanted)
and
i fear that
i barely
scraped the surface
of what she had.
she was a lovely
old lady
and i loved
listening
to her chat
with lisa
as i looked through
the drawers....



i didn't know
that
there was
a heath factory store.
i learned about
heath
when grub
and i started dating.
he had some old
heath from his aunt
and i was quite
smitten with it.

i bought
just a few items
as presents
(so i can't show them)
but here's
some of
my bowl/button booty.



not as well
coordinated
as
lisa's buttons.

. . . . .

before i go,
here's one more
skirt
i finished
sewing tanks on...
this is my 2nd favorite
(but i have
a soft spot
for yellow).





i hope that you
all have
a wonderful
holiday...
i may occasionally post
if i can
but otherwise
i am back on the 30th.

happy
happy
holidays
to all of you.
xo

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

tank girls


{lisa's guest room}

not really sure
where december
went...
can't believe it's
been so long
since i posted.
sorry.

much has
happened
in the interim.

first,
flew
to san diego
for a meeting.
met some
hot shot
caterpillar people
(but i was too shy)
gave a talk
(it went fine)

then,
i flew
to san francisco
to
hang out with
lisa s
and meet up
with
lisa c
& diana
(i guess that
that night
diana and i
were
the cult jam).

lisa c and i
thrift-shopped
and
she took me
to all
the most stylish
stores in town,
including
rare device.
they have
a fascinating
show there
this month
by
kate bingaman-burt.
she offers
so much
to refect upon.

we had
a tasty
pasta dinner
at farina
and then
met up with
diana fayt.
i adore her work
and she is
just as complex,
intricate,
and
beautiful
as her art.

it was
wonderful
to here
about the transitions
in lisa c's life.
i am so excited
for her
and what
she has ahead.
she is amazing
in that
she is so
open to what
is before her
and
her creativity
and energy
are infectious.
she is
headed
for something
big
and the
evolution
will be
fantastic
to watch.

.. .. .. .. ..

i spent
a lot of time
with lisa s.
which
is always
wonderful.
she was
very busy,
so we spent
most of the time
just hanging out
and
grading
and
working
on projects.


{lisa's kitty mcnulty}

sometimes
that is
the best quality time
with friends.
it's nice
to just
get things
done
together.

she graded, i graded...
she sorted papers, i knitted...
she sewed, i sewed...
she graded, i sewed....


{lisa working
on new pieces
for this show}

we
had to have
some
tiki drinks
(grub's current obsession):




and
we collaborated
on a
felt tank project.
here are
a few
skirts
we made
(i love her
sewing machine):








vintage skirts
with tanks
from
her installations
(which have been
featured in
art in america-
congrats to
lisa!).

there will be
more skirts
and purses
to come.

it was
so quickly
over
and
here i am
back in dc.

a few days
home,
then back
to the
west coast
for the holidays.

hope you
all are well...

more
before i leave.
until then,
xo

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

running on empty



sorry
to have been
MIA
this past week...
it wasn't
a planned absence...
i have just
been
running
running
running
on
empty.



research
projects
to be finished,
orders to get out,
and
then there's
everything else...

i am always
running behind.
i am
{shamefully}
the
kind of person
that is
starting
when i should be
finishing,
leaving
when i should
be arriving...
this is
something i am
trying to change...
putting much less
on my plate
.
i wonder...
will i ever
be able
to change
after so
many years?

. . . . .

in the last week...

1.
blogging time
was taken up
by updating
my brother's artsite.
i love that
he sends me
polaroids

so i can
make sure
to get
his paintings
right side up
{the perils
of being an
abstract painter}...

2.
an amazing
and
unexpected
package from
sweet lisa

with the
long-awaited
jess hutch
pattern book
{robots here i come}!
thank you
so so much
lisa!

3.
more
purses
almost the last)
going out the door
as presents
and
orders.
yet another
little factory
in the "loft"

and some almost
completed ones

i am just
not happy
with the pear

so i am redoing
the leaf & button...

4.

some collages
that will be in
my etsy shop
soon
and i may
print some
polaroids
as well...

5.
my brother
johnny
arrives on saturday
and i plan
to rope him
into helping me
with
making birds
before
he leaves
to penland
for a 2 month course
in ironworking...
i am so so
excited
that my brother
is moving
to
the east coast!!!
he will move
to NYC
after penland
and
i will get to see
him all the time.
i am thrilled.
really.

6.
i am back in
the genetics lab
trying
desperately
to gather some data
for a talk in a few weeks.
last minute of course-
long story.

7.
i hope to show you
the finished purses
that are off to
velouria
(the other ones
sold out-hooray!),
a few weekend drawings
and
polaroids
of course.

hope all is well
with all of you...
xo