It's been a whirlwind of preparations these past few weeks, but I am finally excited to announce that I will be participating in the Broughton Exchange Pop Up Shop. For the whole month of December, actually starting this weekend Nov. 28th (yep, that's Black Friday) and running through Dec. 21st, my printed tees will be hanging out on Broughton Street at the awesome Broughton Exchange Pop Up Shop alongside products by other local talented makers, artists, and small businesses. Ever since ReCreate Savannah closed last winter, I've been looking for ways to get more involved in the community. I miss the connection with customers, getting feedback on my designs, and having a local spot to share my products and art. I am so happy to be getting my wish for a whole entire month and, if you're local, I really hope you'll stop by to take a look around. We'll be in the former Gaucho storefront at 18 East Broughton. I'll have all of my bestselling tshirt designs plus a bunch of last year's leftovers that will be discounted due to limited sizes, and - this is a big one - my Bicycle Wrap Skirt sample, so that you can see it for yourself and learn how it works. :)
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Meet Katie - Pattern Maker/Designer Extraordinaire
I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to my uber talented friend, Katie J Mattern, the creator of Waypost Craft a handmade leather goods brand and the pattern maker for the first Bicycle Wrap Skirt. She has put a lot of hours into the Bicycle Wrap Skirt project with me, and has been instrumental in the development of the prototype and the first sample skirt, for which I am oh so grateful. Katie just launched her website a few weeks ago, which you really must check out, and is preparing for the Porter Flea market in Nashville in December. When I'm not monopolizing her time (just kidding!), she can be found making beautiful handcrafted leather bags, journals, and other items. She studied Fibers at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) and is heavily influenced by southwestern colors, patterns, weavings, and traditional methods of craftsmanship.
I've asked Katie a few questions so that you can get to know her a little bit better. Here are her answers in her own words.
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Migration Makes Sense
It's that time of year again: October is over; the time has changed; and the cold fronts are rolling through with greater frequency. After living in the South my whole life, I can safely say that I am not a cold weather girl. I love the sun, a warm breeze, light clothing, and being able to leave the windows and doors open. After spending three years aboard our sailboat Illusion (through 12 seasons) without heating or AC, it's natural that I feel a strong urge to get a move on and "fly" south when the weather gets cold.
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The Evolution of a Design
Sometimes new designs come easy to me and seem to take no time at all. Other times designs need lots of tweaking - a little change here, a little change there - before they solidify. As an artist, this reminds me a lot of how I paint. There is always a give and take around the edges. Objects are almost never sharp and crystal clear in the beginning, a little light shines through in places or the color changes as an object recedes from view. It's these nuances that can give an object greater depth and it's the same with design. Good design is efficient and efficiency means paring down anything that isn't essential to an item. Like editing a poem, or a book, or blocking out colors in a painting - you start with big ideas and generalizations and slowly trim them down into a concise, focused, detailed finished product.
This is where I'm at in regards to my wrap skirt design.
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