handmade & eco-friendly gifts, jewelry, accessories by indie artists, Miss Malaprop - New Orleans
indie finds for your uncommon life
These remind me of candy! They were a lot of fun to make, and I sort of want to keep about half of them for myself. These bright & colorful flower barrettes are available in my shop, along with lots of other handmade hair accessories made by me & other artists!
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This post comes to you from Anne-Marie of The Succulent Wife, part of the Gift Giving Advisory Board. For more great gift ideas, check out our Hostess Gift Guide and Holiday Gift Guide!
Beatrice Holiday has the cutest bike accessories for the biking fashionista and the bicycle commuter.
We love the matching seat covers and handlebar bikebags that will have you stylin’ and wheelin’. The unique handlebar bag also converts into a beautiful and functional shoulder bag, to keep all your valuables safe, on and off the bike. All are made with vintage upholstery fabrics that suits the look of a beach cruiser, but would also fit on the handlebar of a Baby Stroller, making this also a great gift for new moms.
Are you going to a party and know that the host/hostess is also a cyclist? Why not hang one of Beatrice Holiday Bike Chain Star Ornament on a bottle of wine. The ornament hangs from a recycled bike inner tube string and would definitely add some flair to any tree.
Everything is made right here in the USA and is Eco and Animal Friendly. Use code HOLIDAYBEA at checkout for 15% off at Beatrice Holiday.
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My friend Liz of Wickedly Chic is just as passionate about indie businesses as I am, and she always does a great job of discovering and promoting some of the best. She just sent me a list of some of her current faves, which I thought were too fun not to share with you!
A handcrafted tote bag, made just for you in your choice of fabrics, by Seat of my Pants.
All natural, sulfate-free and paraben-free bath and body products by Beecology, plus organic aromatherapy bath gels, body lotions and more by Golden Earth.
More styles of hoop earrings and other jewelry than you can shake a stick at, all crafted by a variety of U.S. and Canadian artists, available at Happi Hoops.
Ridiculously fun t-shirts and accessories, for guys, girls, kids and pets, created by Crywolf Clothing.
Handcrafted jewelry designed by June Beach of Beach Haus Designs.
Custom monogrammed spa robes, perfect for bridesmaid gifts, made by TRN Designs.
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fancy handmade embroidered nametag – made by me!
pinstripe vest – H&M
tanktop – Mossimo
skirt – gathered mini skirt by Trashy Diva
tights – Origei
boots – Doc Martens
I was recently approached by textile artist Niyati of Origei, who offered to send me a pair of her artfully dyed, one of a kind stockings for review. Who was I to refuse a pair of rockin’ tights? As you’ll notice above, I wore the tights she sent me for their first outing at the Rising Tide 6 conference this past weekend. I got a few compliments on them along the way and they were lots of fun to wear.
I was interested in Niyati’s story (she splits her time between India, where she’s from, and Washington DC, where her husband lives), and her aim is to help bring Asian textile art, including the Japanese and Indian resist dye techniques she utilizes, into the West. I chatted with her to find out more about her work and inspirations.
Tell me a little about yourself and your work.
Picture a stately turtle, quiet and unassuming… with fireworks in its head. That’s me! I’m a little dramatic. I read. A lot. I studied fashion but love textiles more. I’m lucky to live in and work from a remote green no-where place in Northern India far from the bustle of big cities. My one true love lives in a much greener place in the US, so I get to hug trees everywhere in whirlwind spins across continents.
Origei is my manifesto against the onslaught of industrialized textiles. I create art to wear, one of a kind articles that are meticulously handcrafted. Origei, in many ways, also pays homage to the philosophy of Mingei, the Japanese folk art movement celebrating the anonymous artisan.
How did you get started making things?
After design school I joined a famous ethnic textile company (FabIndia) and then a French embroidery atelier with Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Balenciaga as clients. It was challenging and exhilarating at first but I didn’t like workplace politics and the extreme ego (self) cultivation required to be a “successful designer” in the Indian fashion community at the time. So I went back home one cold winter day in late 2005 and spent three months unlearning quite a few things. I made a makeshift studio in our garden shed and thought with my hands… wove, embellished, painted, stitched and dyed. What you now see as Origei came into being then.
What inspires your work?
I’m a maker of things quite simply. I get inspired by form, textures, patterns that accost our eyes every day. I’m thrilled and grateful that my work involves thinking them anew and translating into tangible things – home textiles, sculpture, clothes, and more.
Outside of your creative business, what are your other hobbies and interests?
I love paper and the million things you can do with it. I make light screens and take pictures. I draw with pen and ink (see my logo as an example). For the past year I’ve painted, sanded, scrubbed, hammered, glued and crossed my fingers while renovating my house all by myself.
Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve made?
There’s so much magic and whimsy in the shibori pieces I make for Origei everyday that its hard to pin down one. I love the kinetic patterns and colors that ebb and flow in my art to wear. In the past I particularly loved my wedding dress and the first light screen I made.
Where do you see your company in 2 years?
Making a variety of more things. Being accessible and retailing art (to wear, sit on, live with) across the globe to all those incredible people who mix things together to reveal themselves. Origei will never be a flashy brand name. We would have acquired attention and affection with things that make you look and feel great, without reflecting moolah.
What advice would you give to someone just getting started in pursuing their creative dreams?
Don’t doubt your vision. Work hard, push yourself to do more than you think you can or dare to. The world opens doors of possibilities that you can’t see when you start out. Make lists every day. Do research. Get out, meet and interact with people on craft and design forums. Network even if your artistic soul squeals at that pain! And be happy no matter what.
Thank you so much Niyati! To check out more of her work, you can visit her Etsy shop or Cargoh storefront, or be a Facebook fan!
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Today’s tutorial is a guest post by textile artist Bobbi Lewin. Here she shows us how to make a super cute headband out of scraps of fabric. A perfect way to use up all of those tiny pieces left over from other projects! (Hint: she has another great new tutorial up at her own blog just posted this week on an Autumn Leaves DIY.)
I went to pick up my fresh, local, pastured chickens one night, and the chicken lady was wearing the cutest headband. Try as I might to just let my hair be free, if I need to concentrate at all, I need it tied back. So, I thought I would try to recreate the headband. I used only scraps of fabric that I already had.
So, go to your fabric scrap bag, or use those shirts you were going to send to the thrift store. You need a length that will go around your head and leave room for tying. If you don’t have anything that long, you can piece it together.
Measure it around your head, like you would wear a headband or scarf, and mark it with pins about where it will land behind your ears. Next, cut a shape that is wider in the middle, and tapers out to make the ties. Pinking shears are good for this, because you’re going to leave the edges raw. If it helps, mark the shape with a fabric marker before you cut it. This is the base of your headband.
Now grab your fabric scraps, and using the pinking shears, cut a bunch of random shapes and sizes. If you have some ribbon and lace bits, get those too.
Now, arrange the cut fabric pieces on top of the base piece. Just place the pieces between where you have the pins marked. (You’re right! My base did change color!) Pin all the pieces down. Use lots of pins to keep it all in place. It’s ok if some pieces hang over the edge, because you can come back and trim it all with the scissors or pinking shears.
With the machine, using either a straight stitch or zig zag, sew around the outside edges of the entire area where you have fabric pieces pinned. Then, go back and forth, in circles, zig zags, and curvy lines to sew down all the scraps. Be sure to hold the fabric flat so it doesn’t bunch up.
Sew on some bits of ribbon and lace if you want.
Make a bunch!
Ta da!! What do you think? Now isn’t that a cute headband for you, your daughter, your grand daughter, your niece, the girl down the street…….?
About the author: Bobbi Lewin is a mixed-media and fiber artist, living and creating in Salt Lake City. She loves creating in any form, whether she is crocheting, cooking, gardening or painting. Follow her creative adventures on her blog Bobbi’s Art.
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Now here’s a knitwear company with a twist: founded on the idea that no one knows more about knitting than grannies, Grannies Inc. offers up handmade, ethically produced ready to wear or custom designed knitwear. You can check out their range of 100% British spun merino wool offerings, which includes pieces for kids and adults, or work with the grannies to customize your own design.
My favorite part of their site is the About Our Team page, where you can get up close and personal with the grannies. Find out more or shop online at Grannies Inc.
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