A Wellness Practice of Creating Space Within

October 22, 2014 by Heather Filed Under: Home, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Systems & Techniques, Wellness & Mindset

To be driven by our appetites alone is slavery, while to obey a law that we have imposed on ourselves is freedom.– Jean-Jacques Rosseau

Last week I began a simple practice of fasting for one day of the week inspired by a conversation I had with a girlfriend I was visiting in Maine-who is an amazing cook and we had the best time cooking together! I’ve read several opinions on this subject and decided I’m simply doing this because it feels right and good for my body.

We are often a slave to our appetites so fasting one day a week is about creating a Practice to allow space for me to fill my life with other meaningful things.

Since I was away on vacation in Maine for the early part of October I did as many of you might, I over-indulged in wonderful foods, a bit too much alcohol and although I loved every nourishing, delicious bite and sip on my return flight last Tuesday night I felt full. I don’t just mean the normal fullness of a meal but so full of all the experiences, interactions, stimulus and indulgences that I wanted a day of emptiness to process everything. So I began my one day fast last week and this week it continues. I may cheat and have an apple, or some tea or coffee and it’s not about a strict detox for health purposes (that’s another subject and you can read about it here).

For me this one day a week fast is more about not being a slave to my appetite. Allowing space within so that I can process everything and digest it in a slower, more mindful manner.

One of our Feasts in Maine-Softshell Lobster, Raw oysters, fresh green beans, delicious garlic bread and a bit of southern indulgence-Squash Casserole

Do you fast or have a practice of internal-physical clearing? If so what space have you discovered or created both internally and externally?

Maybe you have noticed that I recently changed my tag line to “Cultivating Creative Space”, this is because I believe we all need to practice the art of cultivating space in our lives. This can be done in so many ways and over the course of the next year or so I plan to explore this more in depth, in my own life, with my clients and in the content I share with you here (and newsletters soon to come!).

I had the Blues…The Rebellious Blues (II of II)

September 24, 2014 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Photography, Textiles & Pattern

I’ll continue to weave tale of Sea Island Blues here with this past weekend’s Indigo Retreat in Charleston at Rebellion Farms. I’m calling this event the Rebellious Blues workshop! This event marked the launch of Sea Island Indigo workshops and retreats in Charleston and the surrounding low country area (& maybe further!).

Here’s our swag bag which included a variety of fabrics, yarns and trim in both cellulose and protein fibers for each of us to dye. There were additional yarns and fabrics for sale and attendee’s also brought their own goodies.

The first day included a (brief) history of Indigo in the southeast US, a visit to the Charleston Museum and a demonstration from The Gullah Lady, Sharon Cooper Murray who showed us all the traditional technique of Rag Quilting.

On our second day of the workshop we all (around 20 of us total) gathered out at Rebellion Farms, just outside of Charleston. This farm is a special place where Donna has been nurturing a crop of Indigo just for this workshop. So we all headed out to the field to see the beautiful Indigo growing and to begin to gather leaves to learn the technique of Fresh Leaf Vats.

We had not one but Two incredible instructors for this workshop, Donna Hardy of Sea Island Indigo and Kathy Hattori of Botanical Colors (Seattle WA).

Above, Kathy collects leaves from the indigo growing on the farm. Below, the fresh leaf vat process begins with water.

We are all as excited as Donna to see this transformation from leaf to dye material. Below, the blue is starting to show in the water surrounding the indigo leaves.

Finally after a couple of hours the fresh leaf vat has developed the beautiful coppery sheen on the surface that tells us the vat is ready to be used for dyeing.

While we waited we stitched, bound and clamped our fabrics using various shibori techniques.

The blue that came from the fresh leaf vat was a remarkable vivid almost turquoise blue. Each type of Indigo and vat yields subtle variations in the colors hue and saturation.

Saturday was the final day of the workshop and we had several vats all going at once including the 1-2-3 Fructose vat and a couple vats each for dyeing cellulose and protein fibers.

The farm pigs kept us company…but since there was a hog roasting right next to us we didn’t get too attached.

And we stitched…

And we ohhhed and ahhed over the beauty of the vats…

We witnessed Sharon Cooper Murray create her indigo rope babies…

And we dyed so much fabric and yarn that we covered just about every available surface!

Finally it was time to wrap things up and begin to transform this make shift dye shed into a farm dinner extravaganza!

Within a couple hours we re-set the tables and adorned them with indigo dyed linens and farm cut wild flowers and indigo sprigs. Every place you looked there were indigo dyed textiles draped on tables, lines and more. It was truly a beautiful and magical setting!

We were practically drooling over the smell of the Ossabaw hog that had been roasting right next to our vats all day. This beautiful hog was donated by Holy City Hogs and roasted to perfection by Jeff Allen of Rebellion and his friends. We finally came to feast with farm and fiber friends on southern favorites like okra stew, cornbread, Carolina gold rice (from Anson Mills), butter beans and hash while celebrating old traditions brought back to life.

The evening closed with one last sunset visit to the field and the debut screening of Cotton Road, a movie about the global supply chain of cotton. We were mesmerized, filled and satisfied in our souls with everything we came together to experience for this workshop and this feast in celebration of some of the incredibly rich southern traditions that are worth preserving.

I left (& hope others did too) feeling sparked with curiosity and the desire to secure another string of our Southern American heritage. These are traditions that have brought farmers and artists together over centuries. They continue to teach us and inspire us through friendship and gatherings like this one-touched by a rainbow, magically blessed and hopefully containing seeds of both our roots and our future that will sail the winds and be planted and cultivated by many! I’m certain there will be many more great Sea Island Indigo events to come but this was the first and it was very special indeed!

I had the Blues…The Sea Island Blues (I of II)

September 23, 2014 by Heather Filed Under: Handmade, Inspiration & Education, Textiles & Pattern

I had the blues but in the BEST way! The Sea Island Blues! Two weeks ago I went down to Ossabaw Island with Donna Hard to help with a 2 day Indigo retreat out on this magical Island.

I have wanted to go to Ossabaw since I was in school at SCAD and I finally got the opportunity for which I am so grateful for. You can’t just go out there for any old reason, you practically have to be invited to go…or chance upon the beach by way of boat but while I was on this island and never saw the beach or really even the ocean because it’s wild and there are no paved roads. There was so much to see though that I really didn’t miss it but maybe another trip, another day…

It is a remarkably beautiful place, kind of frozen in time but not exactly. Cut off from the mainland and protected through partnerships between the State of GA and the Ossabaw Foundation. I highly recommend checking out their website and reading up on it. I predict that you will be hearing more about this special place in years to come. It’s already quite well know in “these parts” for the wild Ossabaw Hogs, which I did not encounter on the island during my sunrise walks, thank god! But I did come by them this past weekend, more on that to come…there’s a thread to be woven here so please be patient while I continue to weave.

Upon this Island you may stumble upon oyster shell middens, graceful water birds such as egrets and heron’s, deer, wild indigo, loggerhead sea turtles, Indigo eating feral donkey’s-who can’t stay out of the action, ancient pottery shards, racoons, Tabby Ruins, Slave houses, a once active pottery kiln-part of the former Genesis Project, more Spanish moss than I’ve ever seen in one place and a resident sharp shooter for those Wild Ossabaw hogs. But since I had the blues we got down to mixing blue…Indigo blue which has roots on this island that was at one point an Indigo Plantation. Once we had some vats prepared the workshop participants arrived and learned all about the Island and using natural Indigo as a sustainable solution for making textiles more beautiful.

This workshop was open to all levels of experience and they came, learned and created some exceptional pieces. Some of the folks who came knew a thing or two about fibers and natural dye and others were totally new to the experience, like the donkey’s who didn’t so much care about the indigo or textiles and were mostly looking for handouts of other sorts.

I’m pretty sure everyone had a lot of fun too, despite about a million love bugs pestering us while we worked. We had several of the resident DNR folks join in the fun, Indigo can be addictive and there are several on Ossabaw who’ve been bitten:) not by the love bug but by the blue bug.

We had a very special visit from Mrs. West who is now 101 and loves this island so much she lives here still, with a caretaker or two. She didn’t feel the same when she arrived at age 10 and welcomed the island by spitting on it. She came to love this land though and had the vision to donate the island as a Heritage preserve. Mrs. West wanted us to help her dye a bit of her hair or perhaps one of her dog’s tails, instead we convinced her an Ossabaw tee shirt would be a safer and more long lasting choice.

Ossabaw is a very special place for many reasons and for Donna, that reason is all about the Indigo. The Indigo led her here and will hopefully continue to lead her and many others here to learn about the art of natural dyeing with this remarkable plant that yields it’s beautiful array of blues…the ocean and the sky are ever present when you witness a piece of cloth that’s been dyed with the artful hands of a skilled indigo dyer.

Here’s the happy group of workshop participants from Saturday’s workshop sharing some of their beautiful creations…Now you can understand why I had the Blues! In part two I’ll share last weekend’s blues…not just 1 day of dyeing but a whole long weekend retreat with two master natural dyers.

My Letter to the Mayor about the Makers Movement in Charleston

September 17, 2014 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, Handmade, Inspiration & Education

I came across an upcoming event for American Craft Week this morning and decided to write to Charleston’s Mayor, Joe Riley, about crafts and the makers movement here in our community. I think it’s important enough to make sure that our Mayor sees these talented folks!

Dear Mayor Riley,

As a designer, artist, teacher and maker I want to be sure that you have your eye on the talent that is being nurtured here in Charleston through the “Makers Movement” via local craft galleries (like new gallery Surface, charlestoncrafts.org) and maker spaces like Spacecraft Studio, Cone 10, Rock Paper Scissors, Redux and more. These are places where people can learn new crafts make beautiful things and find a healthy personal creative outlet while meeting other like minded folks in their community.

Did you know that the first week in October (3^rd – 12^th) is American Craft week? http://americancraftweek.com/ Many mayor’s across the country are planning events to celebrate this movement, including this one that I saw upcoming in Asheville; http://americancraftweek.com/wnc.

Charleston’s makers movement is on the rise with some amazing, creative people who are working hard to find ways to make sustainable and local handmade items. I’m sure you know some of these talented people already, people like Mary Edna Fraser and Jocelyn Chateauvert, whose work is world renowned. This list is expanding to include newcomers like Donna Hardy who is working to revive natural Indigo (growing, processing and dyeing), Kris Westerson, a paper maker who is launching “Street Pulp”, Heather Rose Johnson of Charleston Garment Manufactory (Did you know that there is a “Slow Fiber & Fashion movement?), Susan Hull Walker who has started the Ibu Movement and will open a shop on King Street next month, Charleston Supported Art where you can “subscribe” to seasons of one of a kind art and crafts made by local artists and Spacecraft Studio where you can “Meet people Make Stuff” including using their 3–D printer! I hope you will take the time to look at some of these new small creative business’ and see the potential in them.

I know you have many important matters on your hands but I think know how important it is to stop and celebrate the fun, creative, exciting things going on and encourage them to be nurtured and celebrated! Those of us who are makers would love to hear that you offer your support and appreciation for how crafts and the makers movement are beginning to contribute to our local economy and provide us with an avenue for personal self expression.

Cheers, Heather

In the Studio with Dee Clements Of Herron Clothier

July 24, 2014 by Heather Filed Under: Art, In the Studio, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Systems & Techniques

Welcome back to another sneak peek into a Fab Fiber Artist studio, Dee Clements of Herron Clothier. I’m so thrilled to be sharing her work with ya’ll because I’m very proud of Dee! She and I met (as roomies) back at Penland in 2011 when she was there for a weaving workshop and I was there for a textile exploration class with Jason Pollen. Dee and I have stayed in touch via the interwebs…mainly facebook and now instagram. Why am I so proud of Dee? Well, she’s a super sweet, hard working and talented weaver and since we met she has mastered the art of moving (to Maine, back to Chicago and a bit of a pit stop elsewhere if I recall) and more important her own art of weaving! Dee’s textiles have been picked up by several national brands and you can learn more about that over on her blog and her work has outgrown her small studio space. I am truly grateful she’s invited us in to see and learn more about her organizing triumphs and challenges, especially as she’s about to move studio again! If we are lucky maybe we will get invited back into her new space but for now I’m happy to share her un-staged, real working weaving studio!

HKPS::What age did you suspect or know you were an artist?

DC::When I was a kid, I was always drawing or making up some craft project for myself. I was a bit of a latchkey kid so I learned how to keep myself entertained and I could sit for hours with an art project or just drawing pictures with crayons and be perfectly content. I am still like that and I still love crayons! I have some things in a box from my elementary school days and there is this packet from my first grade class that we had to fill in answers to. One of the questions was what do you want to be when you grow up? And I wrote in my first grader check scrawl, an artist or a veterinarian.

HKPS::What mediums do you work with?
DC::I’m a weaver. I like to use natural fibers, nothing that is chemically processed. All of the fibers I use in my woven work are from small US farms.

HKPS:: Where do you make your art, how big is your studio and how long have you been in this space?
DC::I have a space behind my home that I use for my studio. I have three large floor looms an industrial sewing machine, an overlock machine and a cutting table along with shelves of yarn. I am beginning to outgrow my space, as my business grows, I am at the point that I am looking to move to a commercial studio space. This is both very exciting and a little scary.

HKPS::When you began working in this space did you plan any systems for the overall set up or did you let things evolve organically? How did past studio spaces or systems influence this space?

DC::I have a general idea usually of how I like to set up my studio. I need to have all things set up so I can just move from sewing machine to loom to table easily and organically.

HKPS:: Do you consider yourself to be an organized person?
DC::Yes and no. Organization is a thing I am constantly working on and trying to improve. I am not organized by nature but I strive hard to be. I have systems in place that work for me. I have learned how to use spread sheets and folders, that is helping me a lot. I organize my yarns by fiber and color and size so that I am not searching for something when I need it quick. It’s still a work in progress though, my organizational skills.
HKPS::Have you ever worked with another artist or gallery? If so did you learn any systems for organizing?
DC::Yes, I have worked with lots of artists and galleries. Organization is not really the first thing that comes to mind when working with them though.
HKPS::How or where else have you learn your organizing habits and systems ?
DC::It’s nice to visit other people’s studios and see their systems, especially ones that work well. I have also learned really good tools for organization from past employment.
HKPS::What types of schedules, systems, tools or processes do you use to help maintain organization in your studio? Would you like to share any tips?
DC::Hmmm, systems. Well I use a lot of file folders and shelves. Shelves for finished products, shelves for yarn and file folders for invoices, paid invoices and my reciepts and expenses. I keep good records in a n excel spreadsheet for my business stuff and I like to use old coffee cans to hold my tools. Organization is something I am constantly working on and teaching myself. I am messy by nature. As my studio grows and expands, it will be important to keep things labeled and make sure everything has a place that it lives. My studio is an organization work-in-progress.

HKPS::What kinds of materials/tools do you find challenging to keep organized or locate when you need to use them?
DC::When I start working I use things and put them down where ever I am, I am a messy worker in my studio. I usually get into a flow so I lose things all the time when I am working. Mainly small tools like bobbins or my snips or my pen. I keep detailed notes while I weave and I am always losing my pen!
HKPS::How many projects are you usually working on at once? Is this due to space constraints, creative process, organizing systems or other influences?
DC::Anywhere between 3-9 projects. I have projects booked through next Spring and it is a matter of prioritizing by deadline. I am moving into a new commercial studio at the end of the summer that is 700sq ft as opposed to my tiny 200 sq ft right now. I am really looking forward to spreading out a little and feeling the delight of having actual space to move around in. right now, I have a lot of shelving and things in jars and folders to try and keep organized. But I am definitely busting at the seams.

HKPS::How often do you purge, clean or de-clutter your supply stash and space due to space or other constraints?
DC::After every project I complete I usually do a big clean up. I like to freshen the space for the next project. I try to use everything because I hate waste. That said, it has to be necessary to be in my studio and it has to be utterly useless for me to get rid of it.

HKPS::Please describe how creative cycles of organization or dis-organization affect your creative process? Are there certain phases of projects that are more or less organized?
DC::Large scale commissions are usually messier for me than my production weaving projects. For my wholesale accounts, I keep very organized. I have to for my clients. I work in a very systematic organized way when I am production weaving and making products. For my tapestry pieces, those are more art based and my process is more free. I let myself deviate from my weave plans and I like to get messy. Because those are essentially my “art” and one of a kind, the chaos of messiness with them helps me creatively.

HKPS::How much thought do you give to your artistic body of work in terms of historic value and the overall legacy you will leave behind? How do you store/archive your work or records?
DC::I give a lot of thought to this. I keep a very detailed archive of all my work and I keep detailed notes and sketchbooks of all my pieces and the processes of making them. I use high quality fibers, I work with small us fiber farms, I never use synthetic fibers. My work is heirloom quality and I am a perfectionist about that. I want my work to live on after I am gone.

My greatest wish is that through seeing how other artist work we can learn from one another. There is no ONE correct system or way of organizing. There are as many creative systems as their creative makers! My aim is to highlight these unique makers in each interview. A HUGE thank you Dee for inviting us into her studio (despite being in the preparations for moving) and sharing her small working space through her photo’s, her personal systems and how organizing affects her creative process. Please check out her work over at her website and learn more about where her work is available now and in the near future (CB2 etc…)!

* Inside the Studio was my brainchild in 2011. There are a lot of popular studio features on the web and in magazines but I’m specifically interested in showing how organizational process influences the artists studio work. These photo’s are not styled and are typical of how the artists working studio looks. I request that each artist leave their space as it would be on a daily basis (just like I ask my clients). This series is meant to highlight how artist REALLY work rather than showing STYLED shots (popular in home and organizing magazines and blogs). I’m sure just like me, you are fascinated by the “behind the scenes” sneak peek into these artists working lives!