fashion ethos

Woad Dye

2012-01-26T06:13:00.001-08:00

Just found out about this medieval dye from France being revived and marketed in products by Bleu de Lecture. French blue was in vogue way before the aniline mauve craze of the industrial era. Woad is plant based and looks to be a good alt for indigo (which crocks). This will add to the range of naturally sane blue colored possibilities.

The video from Des Racines et Ailes. is lovely and informative, even if you don't speak French

photo credit: workshops from botanical colors,

Woad Dye and Denise Lambert of Bleu de Lectoure

More on natural dyes at Botanical Colors.

the light goes on

2012-01-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

and on. Check out the latest universal light shows at http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120124.html
This post is to remind us that we are born of Stars (The Living Universe, Elgin) and that we are the light with the power necessary to change the way poor perceptions have misguided life. It is also the year of the dragon, wow all this magick is now!!
photo by BjørnJørgensen/NASA (Grotfjord, Norway - 1/23/12).

Shame on US

2012-01-13T06:21:00.000-08:00

Tris is back, though banned in 1977 for use in children's pajamas, it is now turning up on changing tables, car seats and other foam filled infant products.

banner for occupy seattle (occupy chaplains)

stencilled panel by michael, fabric border finish by djb

Flame retardants are chemicals meant to protect us, but once again the "cure" is might be worse than the disease. The effectiveness of flame reatarding toxins is being questioned but the health consequences of this body of "halogenated flame retardants – those containing bromine or chlorine – can cause endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal and child development and on neurologic function."

Toxic flame retardants found in many foam baby products

By Robert Sanders, Media Relations | May 18, 2011

KOMO television just aired this "news" a few days ago. Washington State legislators are seeking a ban, so this news is about the politics more than the health of children. That is a sad reflection of what our media considers important.

Common Threads Initiative

2012-01-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

Patagonia, has launched an EBay shop for their used gear and garments. With headings : Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle, Reimagine.

According to ecouterre, "Patagonia created a virtual swap meet on Wednesday for buying and selling used Patagonia gear—an unexpected retail model that’s a first for a major brand.......

The Common Threads Initiative addresses a significant part of today’s environmental problem: the footprint of our stuff,” says Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder and owner. “This program first asks customers to not buy something if they don’t need it. If they do need it, we ask that they buy what will last a long time—and to repair what breaks, reuse, or resell whatever they don’t wear any more. And, finally, recycle whatever’s truly worn out.”

Not only will Patagonia be putting used clothes back into circulation, but it also won’t profit from any of the transactions.

The program is groundbreaking for several reasons. Not only will Patagonia be putting used clothes back into circulation, which could cannibalize new sales, but it also won’t profit from any of the transactions. Patagonia, Chouinard adds, is the first company to ask its customers to take a formal pledge to reduce consumption and keep products out of the landfill or incinerator."

Bluebird for Happiness

2011-12-25T15:05:00.001-08:00

Aqua flocked organdy, fiber collage
for my granddaughters.

Welcoming the New Year

Kids Killer Klothes

2011-12-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

"Ask your legislator to support the Toxic-Free Kids Act! The Toxic-Free Kids Act will be introduced in January, but we need to get the word out now. Why? Because we don’t want cancer-causing flame retardants in our children’s products and we need companies to stop replacing one toxic chemical with another in products made for kids.

The Toxic-Free Kids Act will get cancer-causing Tris Flame Retardants out of baby products and encourage companies to switch to safer chemicals that won't harm health, the environment, or their bottom line. Tris flame retardants are especially concerning because they can cause cancer. One was even removed from kids pajamas in the 70s because of health concerns but now it’s back, and we need to get it out of our homes and away from our kids."

This is a message from Washington Toxics Coalition, in the hope that we as a people will start taking back our responsibility for the well being of life on this little planet, we call home.

I am for a "Sanity Act" as there is no rational excuse I can find to not freak at what our "leaders" have allowed. In the name of commerce we as a species have been duped into a suicidal trance of sugars, fats and seductive virtual worlds.

The manmade processed, patented, promoted for profits reality lost it's human purpose. What have we become and why is it so much less than our true possibility.?

possibility

2011-12-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

the chicken stopped to ponder possibilities before crossing the road.
Ballard metal art on 57th and 14th

When faced with an opposition, ask yourself or others what might be another possibility? It is so easy to see the "is" that we fail to realize that it is only an appearance of one of many possible alternatives. What may look to be anger may be pain. What is a rule may have a good way around it. What was useful once, may no longer be applicable.

Broken

2011-12-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

digitally enhanced re-used envelope
collage/marker illustration

"The U.S. chemical regulatory system is broken and fails to protect people, wildlife and the environment from toxic chemical exposures." (Washington Toxics Coalition)

Flame retardants (PBDEs) in clothing and household furnishings, carpet padding, televisions -the list is long make your haven a hazardous site.

"PBDEs are a family of chemicals used as flame retardants in our everyday lives. They accumulate and are long lasting, and we are concerned about them because they have been known interfere with proper thyroid function in laboratory animals, cause problems with brain development, and disrupt learning, memory and behavior.

When there is a fire, seconds are precious and flame retardants can save lives. However, many alternatives are available which are safer. Governments which have passed PBDE bans recognize those alternatives and are choosing to protect fire fighters, children and all citizens from harmful toxic chemicals by encouraging safe alternatives." Safer States

Fashion? Where?

2011-12-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Illustration with marker, re-purposed envelopes
on paper. 2011 djb

I am out of love with fashion.

I have been wondering if it was just me and my jaded vision or if there was more to it. There is more.

Designers are being killed They are dying in the process of business over art, function and aesthetics When business dominates art, it ruins the best of it. Like the goose who laid the golden eggs, when designers are pushed to produce too much, too fast, there is burn out and whole, fully developed, lifecycle potentials are squashed. This is sad all around.

Fashion got boring because sales glut, trend pushing, fast fashion laws of profit have fouled the scene. Chanel designed for lifestyle changes. She created clothing for bobbed, indie women. The clothing followed the cultural changes.

Now designs are made for corporate bottom lines. That speaks to another cultural change. This change destroys more than it needs and gives back as little as possible. It wants volume and is always hungry. This is against the law of nature and is therefore very dangerous.

The antidote is to buy from local independent designers, exchange and swap and/or re-fashion and re-style clothing yourself or hire a pro refashionist. All of this will better support your local economy and that is a good thing.

Occupy is about the abuse. Creating the alternative economies that enhance creativity, diversity and healthy well being can start with your next purchase. Be mindful and we will get through this and into the new dawning.

be well.

Future Fabrics

2011-11-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

waiting for the lightrail in Tacoma

Future Fabrics Expo November 29th and 30th at the London College of Fashion. Attend if you can if you are not heading to UK soon, then keep a look out for sustainable textiles stateside. Take the list in to your fabric store and ask them if they know where you can find these new textiles and why we are not supporting the products that actually tell our young people we care about them and their futures.

"Fabrics shown will include, amongst others

- recycled ‘paper leather’ (PAper No.9)

- coffee waste (SCafe),

- recycled polyester (worrisome what with the breakdown to micro sized particles flushed into the oceans and ending up in food webs)

- waste banana fibre,

- sustainable man made fibres derived from trees and plants.

These will be shown alongside fabrics made with

- sustainably produced natural fabrics which include locally sourced and recycled wool,

- organic and low impact silk,

- a diverse range of woven, ribbed, printed and blended organic cotton

- hemp and linen fabrics

- and dozens of others."

Ask for the world you want and please ask others to ask too!

Seaweed Ink

2011-11-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Seaweed dyes have been used for awhile now but as an alternative to screen print ink, we can thank GreenWear for using it on organic tees

Nice.

Microscopic Synthetics at Sea

2011-10-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Microscopic synthetic fibers, especially polyesters and acrylics, are winding up on beaches worldwide. Scientists believe they are being released into the environment via washing machines and sewer lines.

According to the 11/1 issue of Environment Science and Technology, "microplastics" are defined as plastic particles "smaller than 1 nanometer—or one hundred-thousandth the width of a human hair." These particles are raising health and safety concerns as they have been found washed up on shorelines around the world and something that small will invariably end up in the food web.

Super filtered washing machines (product refashion for new greener machines, $$$) might help relieve this problem (a little), however, isn't it time we stopped allowing "the market" to rule our combined destinies? Isn't it time we started going to the source of problems and not just look to the profitable "relief of symptoms?" Isn't it time while we still have time?

Stopping the madness means we stop allowing the manufacture of fibers that are causing who knows what, as they circulate through the natural systems. These are the aliens we need to fear.

The total toxic waste and chemical evidence is alarming and it is ethically intolerable to continue exposing life to things we will not and actually cannot take full responsibility for. Take the money and run is no longer an option, where ya gonna run to?

As for now, consumers can choose natural fibers over synthetics and look to hemp, organic fair trade cotton, some bamboo, ethical silk, eco sane processed wool, more.

Note: The recycled plastic "cure" isn't. Polyester fleeces (the "new" oil byproduct and the recycled plastic bottle "eco " fleeces) "can release up to 180 percent more fibers than other textiles."

Info from Ec0uterre article by Amanda Coen. Faux eco and green wash are everywhere, as old skool capitaization ( new school see Ellen Brown for ideas!!)process tries to maintain its parasitic hold on the planet and its inhabitants.

Urban Self Reliance Series

2011-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Acrylic paint, felt applique on tweed ground
Detail of Tree of Life Skirt

Last night, the Basic Hand Sewing Skills workshop at the Greenwood Public Library, was "sold out." It was hands on sewing - buttons and snaps, hemming, zipper repair, other hints and tips for those little mending chores that clothes wearers either do or give to others to do. I think we learn to do more by learning to do more. This adds to the creativity pool we all have and should always be replenishing. We are not machines, we are amazing. Last night proved it for me.

DIY (do it yourself) saves time and carbons and enhances digital dexterity as in the original digits, fingers.

"wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerA finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation ... English dictionaries describe finger as meaning either one of the five digits ..."

Learning to do a lot of things means you can help and teach others as well. Right now we are in a surge of reconnecting to the real, the tangible and sensual. I mean how much virtual does it take before the ho hum stets in?

Saturday the 22nd from 2-4 I will be teaching a hand sewing applique class at the Wallingford branch of SPL registration is over, but there might be room if you show up. Thank you Seattle Public Library for this great series. Let them know you appreciate this stuff!

Dye Naturally

2011-10-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

Lavendar Sprigs and art by Catherine M Condeff.

A new herbal infused dye proces is profiled at Aura, nice.

And the standards approach to sustainable textiles has a new friend -The Global Organic Textile Standard is on the web.

OK, i am wary here, as in the USA, the certified standards of the organic food industry are so watered down to appease corporate agri biz monsters that ...well, what good are they really?

The shame of nations trapped into thinking the world was built the only way it could be built because that is what is- is ludicrous. However textbooks write it with face saving , heroificating nonsense instead of real honest, though oft nasty facts that actually allow us as a species to learn and grow. Wow talk about a developmental stage glitch in the culture!

"Lies My Teacher Told Me" is current text at TESC. that explains the reason we do not learn from history is because we are given such an edited edition we cannot. This is pathetic. So read up my friends, we have a lot at stake.

SPL.org Self reliance

2011-10-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

marketing for transitions

Seattle Public library is hosting a series of workshops for urbam self reliance. I am doing a few elementary hand sewing "shops" that maxed out audience capacity. This is so nice and I can't wait to help people snag up those pesky falling hems and stabilize the machine sewn buttons that tend to fall off with a thread pull.

Check your library and let them know you want more of this kind of thing. Mushroom hunting pros, how to raise backyard chickens, seismic retrofitting, writing the picture book (i like that one!!) and mine: hand sewing repair DIY (do it yourself)

Check out the spl.org events and calendar page, the series runs through the month.

Wed the 19th
Hand Sewing - Repair DIY (Do It Yourself) at the Greenwood Branch

5:30 – 7:45pm

Where:

Greenwood Branch

Summary:

Learn everyday sewing skills that will save you time and money, from buttons and hand-hemming to zippers and patches. Registration is required; call the branch to sign up.

& Sat the 22nd
Hand Sewn - Upcycle Without a Machine: An Applique And Fancy Stitch Workshop at the Wallingford Branch

2 – 4pm

Where:

Wallingford Branch

Summary:

Make an applique, then learn about reverse applique and other decorative techniques and ideas that will expand your creative repertoire. Registration is required; call the branch to sign up.

Six a magazine

2011-09-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

Myths and Symbols -reclaimed fabric skirts
designed to tell a story,
made in USA by djb
photo from "Species on the Verge & Other Works w/POV

& from across the sea - courtesy of SIX magazine, comes this great video on ethical fashion and London Fashion Week. Hear and see what new design means to several emerging (ethical) designers.

show busy

2011-09-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

repuposed and borrowed

long shot of Species Installation

Donna Lough : wooden, painted sphinx

repurposed, reused, recycouture and womens voices, this show is like a miracle as we are living in the art. The more the give the better the return, playing with the rules of the universe as we balance them against the rules of mankind.

The Universe Rules!!!

Art Walk

2011-09-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

tonight in Wallingford 5-8 at the Wallingford Center (1815 n 45th st) , see the show, say hi.
cheers,
d

show opens tomorrow

2011-08-31T11:06:00.001-07:00

Joe's Jeans

2011-08-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

urban wildlife -the pigeon-
wearing a feather design in a limited palette, and so worth seeing.

I was in Macy's a few days ago. My bus stops outside the door which makes it a convenient 'rest stop.' The ladies bathroom is in a sea of women's wear, but of course! so i look for signs of creative design, something inspired as i walk through the racks . I have been disappointed more times than not, maybe it is just hard to surprise me or maybe because real design has been tanked by "what will sell."

This focus on sales over design changes the dynamic just as the pursuit of profit has resulted in loss of other values. Energy goes the way of the focus and that squashes diversity. This is bad for ecosystem health and design health . Bio mimicry of the disastrous appears a silly patten that we best change.

Ok this in my head along with the cost of production, aka real costs ( human, environmental, health et al) so I went up to a clerk and asked her where the sweatshop free clothing was. She took me over to a rack of Joe's jeans that are supposedly eco friendly though label says made in Mexico and i looked at the company site and saw nothing to validate that idea.

The aha side of this story is that we conversed after she had seen Zeitgeist and was in need of knowing that changemakers are running around in the real world. The moral of this story is: speak up, get out in public and show yourself. This will build our cosmic capacity and sets the change in motion from all points of energy, especially when and where connections spark it forward. This is good for you, me, us and all living things, including the living universe.

Kucinich at Hempfest

2011-08-21T04:57:00.001-07:00

2011 Collector Poster by Cory & Catska Ench.

And so was the mayor, however Metro wasn't. The online bus planner told me that i could catch a #15 and walk 0.2 miles SW to Myrtle Edwards Park. However all the buses have been funneled down 3rd avenue and the stop wasn't just farther away but was in a creepy (to me) industrial part of town) It was ok for the coming but might be dicey on the exit.

I found out this stupid was the symptom of a bigger stupid, the tunnel. Tunnels on fault zones are a bad idea- humans cannot control the movements of Earth and we apparently disconnect old ideas of "progress" with new fangled "global warming." It is time that the wealth making of the few is exposed for the charlatan it is. Ever promoted as public good actions, they have instead led to fiscal imbalance, fraud and other economic ills that tie into all other health and welfare issues. Which leads back to the Hempfest. (medical marijuana, prison populations, fiber crops that use pesticides, synthetic fertilizers & herbicides harm all of us eventually)

Hemp is a fast growing, water friendly, pest lacking weed that makes for eco sane fibers These fibers can be woven and knit into clothing that makes sense. Like solar and wind power, some things have more plusses and fewer side effects than others, that is where technology can add to the benefits while spending less energy on mitigating the fall out. The focus and aim is better from the get. That is smart, however a lot of money still rides on the old agenda which is why some of us are feeling like Alice in Blunderland.

Line Drying is Simply better

2011-08-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Line Drying is an easy to accommodate, better choice than machine drying.

Fresh air dried clothing is a healthier, saves energy ie watchces personal and family carbs (carbons), is sun sanitized and scented by nature. It is widely acknowledged throughout the world that line drying clothing is far gentler and wiser than tumbling them around in metal drums .

This photo was taken at last Sunday at the Sustainable NE Seattle Festival. It was a small but cheerful event that was patterned much like others before it. These local sustainable festivals lack a sophisticated urban edge that i appreciate. I do not hold that a return to farming need be everyone's cup of tea. I endorse fresh, local, organic farm produce but would rather find an urban farmer to till my backyard then do it myself. That way we both win and if the garden is prolific, so will others.

As for livestock, the goats, ducks and chickens are cute from a distance but my grandparents had a farm and there is a lot more to it than meets the novice urban eye. I appreciate them for their natural services and pet-ability but have other plots to tend, thank you very much,...really.

connections and patterns

2011-07-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

Seattle bus stop

Connections and patterns, once you see them, you will not be the same.

Consider the ocean food web and the way species support and enable each other's lives in a dance of life and death. This harmony is disrupted when a species prevails and dominates the territory. This causes eco system unbalance that can become disastrous for the species that out-thrived its system

At a certain point it hits a max population and then it starts to decline as illness from the environmental damage of overpopulation, disrupts the food webs and things start falling like dominoes. This is part of the evolution picture, the point where a species adapts to new circumstances, ie moves on in skills or place or both, or bids the planet adieu.

Humans are not immune.

New Showtimes

2011-07-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

On With the Show

2011-07-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Pop in guests and partners for next years "Title TBA" big talent show off, are showing up for the "Species on the Verge and Other Works w/POV"and dress forms are coming in the door, i am in psyche mode. This is like the best high that creates energy in self as it creates energy in the actions that create this awesome cycle. Like biotic/abiotic cycles it is perhaps a real tapping into the beauty and wonder of this universe. Driven from the heart, constantly refueled with information and support from the energy it attracts it is Wow!

palmistry

2011-07-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

This small wall hanging reminds me of my short stint as a palm reader, my day as a carnival mystic in a backyard of Beacon Hill. This is an embroidered piece with a hand worked motif and machine stitched script. (part of Amulets and Talismans collection for "Species on the Verge and other Works w/POV")

What is an education for, anyway?

2011-06-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

This top documentary is a pretty good answer to the USA dilemma where grade competition and test scores have left our children full of need.

"Children Full of Life" should be a staple of teacher education, is it? Please take a few minutes out of your day to view this very moving and informative work that applies to anyone who has ever been a child or who plans on bringing one into the world.

"Mr. Kanamori, a teacher of a 4th grade class, teaches his students not only how to be students, but how to live. He gives them lessons on teamwork, community, the importance of openness, how to cope, and the harm caused by bullying." (from the Top Documentary website, retrieved 6/19/11)

Thank you Robin, for bringing this to my attention.

Urban Wildlife

2011-06-18T04:46:00.000-07:00

We share the planet with other living things. Living things provide valuable services that maintain life throughout ecosystems, big and small. As our species has gone on a resource grabbing binge enabled by policies and practices developed from myopic elitism, materialism and ego imbalance, we are in a sense "eating ourselves to death." We are told this creates jobs and economic growth. And yes, this provides jobs and pushes consumerism, but is it really the best we can do. Is this the highest goal of humankind?

I think not!

Adjusting "Family Values" or Phoenix Rising

2011-06-08T04:52:00.000-07:00

In the book, The People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn (2003) there are many passages that highlight women in civic and social movements throughout the nation’s history. The laundry workers marches for better pay, the infamous sweat shop fire that brought attention to the inhumane treatment of thousands, the women involved in the civil rights movement, more. Many of these women had children and families that they were either helping to support or they were the sole support. In this history of bonding and uniting to make changes in systems bent on usury, they stood together. And as the military, industrial (corporate), government complex pushes for more power; women are coming together to question and counter these forces once again. Is this a new kind of feminism, a new movement or a radical change in paradigm?

After several decades of shifting family values, women are adjusting to the changes and speaking up in new ways. Acknowledging that what was won through the Women’s Liberation movement of the 1960’s was less satisfying than expected; there is a questioning of goals and values. In the gap, attempts to reestablish conservative more traditional expectations and roles, cloaked as a return to “family values” are being launched in the media by various groups seeking to stabilize their institutions. (Churches, far right conservatives etc.) This may appeal to some but others are seeking to go forward, into new territory.

In this shuffle, a new feminine archetype is emerging. With a sense of purpose and urgency, women are seeking to take the lessons learned from the past and combining them as a means to inform a new balance between the individual and the cultural psyche.

More at "Sustainable Fashion-the Papers"

Fiberorganics YES!

2011-05-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

Blossom-organic cotton

wren-hemp

Beautiful prints are available at the Fiberorganics online store. I am so glad to see this!!!
Also they carry a nice range of solids in hemp, cotton and bamboo (a product that can be produced without the possibility of caustic chemical calamity ..I learned this at Green Fast last Sunday as there are currently 4 production methods out there- 2 good & 2 that need improvement, lots of improvement. (Will get into this later!)

Anyway, check out the great hand screen prints on hemp and the SwankySwell prints on organic cotton.

Note: Organic cotton has been a factor in food scarcity as land devoted to production for export is a root cause of global hunger. When small farmers are booted off or "forced: to sell their land (12 Myths of Hunger, Moore, M.) they lose their ability to feed their families. The world loses crop diversity- aka priced out of survival.-

This is a down side of the industrial model going green, we need to consider the whole cycle of production and the sideline ramifications. I was assured at Green Fest that this is being considered by current importers, however I have not looked into it enough to do other than hope it is true.

Labor Behind the Label

2011-05-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Killer Jeans

Labor Behind the Label is now following me on Twitter. I usually check to see who new followers are and thank the ones that appear genuinely active in paradigm shift work. I found out that LB the L is behind the "Clean Clothes Campaign" and that sand blasted jeans are exposing workers to a practice that jeopardizes lung health.

I want to go into a tirade about corporate bully tactics "pushed" by "shareholders" and/or other "stakeholders" in the capitalist blame game that minimizes guilt..."if we don't do it someone else will" NICE, as spreading of the guilt allows bad practices to multiply, but I will stop here.

The truth is, we can take the phrase and make it our own. If we don't awaken and say no to the bad karma and the energy of distress that our consumer economic lifestyles generate, we will barely see the light of our unique and our collective true potentials. Saying no to goods that are made cheap by exploiting humans, animals and natural resources weakens the fabric of life and that rots the thread of existence.

FrPrjct

2011-05-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

its Time to Balance the business of life. Check out the raison d'etre for the FrPrjkt experimental business.

Vintage and Handmade

2011-04-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

More is going on in Detroit than those most excellent urban gardeners, the recliamers of post industrial land. Dolly Rocker's Vintage and Handmade fashion and accessories deserve some spot in the Detroit headlights, too.

The street up urbanscape creatives that are ecosystem recyclers and innovators are the design masters of this era. We are the post industrial, beyond additive techno actionaries that understand humans need real sensory contact with other humans, real food enhanced by nature not patented chemical pretenders and clothing that is re-appreciated or made new by the hand of someone who cares. That is about the energy of the whole, not just the "product."

We are made of stars, lets act accordingly! .

Ode to Seattle

2011-04-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

fiber work, starring an old watch face, beads and a remarkable part of a print

that called out to be a space needle- on re-use wool

Its about a sense of place, home, and though it can let you down and does.. a lot.....for some reason the memories and hope are here, unless i leave the whole USA. Then that would let the bullies own the playground and that is principally, environmentally and all around ..unsound!

2011-04-11T04:38:00.000-07:00

"Whether you choose to manufacture and source abroad or here in the UK, both options have the potential to nurture sustainability in the fashion industry. Consumers are increasingly demanding more information on where products are from and how they are made, meaning companies who are able to provide it are capitalising on a longterm trend. FRANK AND FAITH and PEOPLE TREE speak to the SOURCE Magazine to give us insider advice on the benefits and opportunities of working globally vs locally - as well as the associated challenges. "

(Capitalize - the word needs an upgrade as well as the system. Much like religion, its been abused by self interest lurking in the guise)

The USA is still miles behind, but no matter. We are where we are. Anyone who reads this please go forth and tell others that wearing garments that jeopardize the health of the biosphere, the wearer, worker and the dharma of life/energy is -----foul.

Celebrate Beingness

2011-04-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

Open Heart/Open Mind

amulet: fabric, costume jewelry, hair and embroidery on wool.

In a materialist vision we have forgotten to live. Seduced by e-distractions and corn syruppy glucose spikes, we are abetting our own physical, emotional and spiritual suicides. Why?

Awake 2012

2011-03-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

I made this amulet with hair snippets from my baby's first haircut and some of my own. The art stems from the same need to create personal ritual that i had when i decided to get my first tattoo.

After my child was born I decided the culture lacked meaningfulness, so i commemorated his birth with a tat on the nape of my neck. This was over 35 years ago, and it was only sailors and bikers in the USA that were sporting ink at the time. Though tattoos were big in other cultures, it was considered a primitive form of machismo -a low class, tacky thing. I thought it was the perfect blend of street art, spirit and stoic acceptance of pain -an initiation into motherhood.

With the nearing of 2012 and awakening, my need to honor spirit has taken up with another antique idea reimagined for today. This, like the black rose on my neck, just feels right.

American Dream Inc.

2011-03-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

canvas bag with stenciled design, made for AgitProp class at TESC Tacoma

The American Dream is a USA ethos 'in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. This was first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Now back in 1886 the Supreme Court supposedly ruled to call corporations 'human' and gave them the rights of said humans. However according to The Straight Dope, this clause was snuck into the books by a former railroad president. If true, it could be used to topple the recent Supreme Court ruling that gave multinational corporations the right of "free speech," earlier this year.

If you saw Inside Job you know how banks, Lehman Bros. and AIG used this bit of 'humanism' as they escaped liability because they were only giving 'opinions.' No doubt the Supremists of Crt were just making sure that this became a legal option for all future shenanigans.

Long story short, the corporations stole the individuals idea of the American Dream and overloaded the deck with super power capacity. They don't die automatically after 100 years, they haven't an underlying consciousness of right or wrong, no guilt, no socialization built into their psyches. Nope, they are free to exploit by very definition, hiring CEOs (elitist henchman) to grow their power and profits. ( an allusion to the Dreams 'right to prosper' which has been used to sue individuals, cities and now countries) They are free to become self defined sociopathic 'beings' wired to grow. Like a cancer they are destroying the very things that 'feed' them. Super suicidal psychopathic monsters are running the show, scary monsters indeed.

As today is the first day of Spring (Vernal Equinox) and many are hearing Nature's call to evolve, this can have a beautiful next chapter. However we can't wait for patriarchal permission ....we must reach out and act to change the destiny of our species and others. Life is in our hands and hearts.

2012 is nigh

2011-03-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

"...Classical Maya of Mexico and Guatemala. Brilliant astronomers and pyramid builders, the Maya looked toward December 21, 2012, as the end of a 5,125 year "Long Count" that ends with the reunion of First Father, the sun, and Cosmic Mother, the galactic centre, at precisely 11:11am GMT. This once-every 26,000 year astronomical conjunction meant, for them, the end of one World Age and the beginning of the next - a time of destruction, purification, regeneration and new creation."
Daniel Pinchbeck from article in Dazed Digital.

So "species on the verge" and gives me a moment of calm... the evolved are showing up.

Street fashion

2011-02-23T07:04:00.001-08:00

great style ...elder chic in Ballard.

Fashion Magazines

2011-02-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

pencil drawing inspired by a vintage ad

I was a fashion magazine junkie. I have a huge collection of old Vogues, Elles, Bazaar (local and international) and sold tons at the sell off during the summer of 2009.

I did keep some favorite pages, ads, design ideas, great photographs and articles on specific designers and history. I can recall the Helmut Newtons of the 70s and 80s -the hard core looks that sold punk attitude and the bold glut of glitz. The cool effects of the 90s prints as tech altered photos were degraded and otherwise played with are also keepers.

I don't know if I am bored now, jaded or what? But lately the fashion pages in all the mainstream fashion media have been occupied by dull.

Are we tired of fashion designed for the $ which can't really satisfy the heart for the art of fashion and so photographers are like 'whatever' and it shows in the shoot? Is it all so throw away minded that we feel less inclined to be great because why bother? This is sad.

I really don't know what it's all about, do you?

Vested Interests

2011-02-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

Vests are interesting. They were added to British fashionable attire in 1666 as a smote to the French fashion industry and were copied from the Persians. Design and art were always crossing borders, as ideas grow when fed. This idea was good as it added an extra layer for warmth.

Now I am playing with old oversized jackets that are too boxy for todays oversize and turning some into vests eliminates the hassle of sleeve resizing.

I am thinking this a great way to be suited up with billowy sleeved shirts. I have finished the vest but want to wait and reveal the whole ensemble ....so in the meantime a meanswear look of the late 40s.

Migrant People

2011-02-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

Mushrooms grow out from their mycellum web

-an ever expanding circle -migrant populations are natural

Reading the book, Illegal People by David Bacon (2008) for class at TESC is an eye opener. I have been nibbling on the economic theories and practices for awhile now, over 10 years. When Zootsuit started to wither gracefully on the vine despite a brisk business, i knew there was more going on than the 'obvious' media addressed. My costs could not compete with overseas sweatshop prices and i wanted real answers. I wanted to know how this was good for 'us?'

Books at that time were all about DO What You Love the Money Will Follow and the like. However when I tracked the money paths in the books, they were sketchy and unrealistic for most entrepreneurs. Sole proprietors are ok but are the first to feel the crunch of the no buffer zone that aids big business. Another long story....later.

Anyway, Zootsuit was closed, a victim of the outsourcers rush towards cheap labor as EPA and minimum wage "obstructions" in the USA were barriers to 'economic growth'' At the same time government subsidies allowed for big businesses to go global actually working against the American public and small business as never before. I knew what i saw and i read the price drop propaganda and saw WTO stomp on protest, so i went back to school to understand what i was really up against and to change my career path.

Well, as in the Species on the Verge (of Extinction) from the fashionRIP Project, the phoenix is stretchiing her wings. She is bolder and braver than i ever thought possible and she has feathers sprouting daily. She is the archetype feminine and won't let the children stand in the muck of industrial decay or leave them to fix it (shame on us!!)...also she hates a mess and wow if this isn't clean up time, what is?

Economics is the motherlode so that is where this phoenix needs to concentrate. Move over Wall Street, momma has issues with your gambling problem.

Create Demand

2011-01-28T04:30:00.001-08:00

Cardi from Dolly Rocker outta Detroit showin at Etsy

Am having a great time inventing a plot for the middle layer of "Made in Detroit"

The title of this entry relates to fast fashion's relentless onslaught to make us feel inadequate and hopelessly out of 'style.' When one realizes that the best designers become known via their personal aesthetique which then gets trumped by the need to design for a bottomline on the corporation's ledgers (like Gucci Group), one might experience enlightenment. Ok a bit over the top, but really the two goals are so different. To sell ever more product shows growth which translates to success therefore selling for mass appeal outweighs personal vision.

So talent is squeezed dry. That leaves a bad taste.

All around there appears to be an amazing acceptance of bad taste, for how can it be tasteful, chic or fashionable to run amuck through resources for no rational reason other than fear of being out of fashion?

Draining resources to feed a system that doesn't seem to get that it will eventually have nothing left to feed upon means eventually we are ALL out! Welcome to the Moderne Daymare.

The healthy alt version is to buy vintage, seccond round, used garb and to reFashion and repurpose what is already here. When new is necessary go to someone designing with sustainable fabrics, honoring Fair Trade win/win/win agendas and the like. be responsible and take charge of your destiny and please support local, eco sane, indy designers, clothiers and re-use merchants..

Fashion Propaganda

2011-01-25T04:57:00.000-08:00

Vintage Buttons
Fashion history is full of a certain kind of propaganda. I am not talking advertisement and free (?) market idea proliferation or real designerly desire to fill a need (sportswear, warm coats)or a perceived need for something fresh, fun or shocking. That is juicy enough for another day.

No this is more along the lines of government interference like button laws (The Book of Buttons by Joyce Whittemore) and fabric color rules. With business and government holding hands for so long we have accepted or normed many things by the way they happened as if there is no other way for them to have come about.

As inventions have appeared almost simultaneously in different parts of the world without any special agenda other than the curious motivation of the inventor, I suspect we would be capable of wondrous things without this track. In fact an open systems approach would probably foster more brilliancy, not less.

Simplicity 1971

2011-01-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

This Western look with great drapey sleeves is pattern number 1971. I can't find the date it was printed but the directions were lithographed in the USA and the Simplicity headquarters were located on Madison Ave., New York, NY.

Local production meant local workers. I am wondering about the working conditions as I suspect this is a late 40s look. Everything these days is becoming a question of economics as it is the control central of many systems that are in failure mode. A lot of alarms are ringing and covering our ears won't help.

Picture Tales

2011-01-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

This 1947 pattern from McCalls says quite a bit. The wide shoulders might be considered symbolic masculinity, as women were called upon to work in the shipyards and the factories; to generally replace the men who had gone to war.

This cover was 2 years after the war while the women were being pushed back into their homes.

The tiny waists and soft hair suggests the look of the 50s when Dior brought back the full billowy super feminine skirt and barbie doll bustlines entered the scene.

Is it premeditated design or just a kickback from one extreme to another or what?

reClaimed suit

2011-01-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

The original suit was too big shouldered and the rayon made for wimpy pants. I restyled the jacket and used part of the pant leg to add to the sleeves. Next up a skirt to wear with.

AirDye

2011-01-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

samples of new tech process for no water contaminating, dye on demand fabrics. Synthetics can be sustainably viable when the dye techniques are factored into the full processing equation. Right now going forward with technology that improves the status quo is a plus.

Visit AirDye direct and learn more, good for the New Year spirit of change now!

Anna Herman Winter 2010

2011-01-02T06:23:00.000-08:00

Anna's home grown collection was shown recently in Montana at the Finlen Hotel.

When we buy products made in the USA by small independent businesses we help creativity thrive. I don't know about you, but going across the US to find a replicated shopping environment screams boring to me!! The industrialization of life is a bad plan!! It doesn't create satisfying lives of quality, it seems to actually be making us very unhappy, unhealthy and stupid.

Money that is spent in local, independent markets tends to stay and circulate within those communities and that strengthens the local economic scene. This should inspire more start ups & create better investing policies; policies that see interactions and connections within systems. This then opens the limiting construct we have today, where the very few control too much for their own ( and the majorities) good!

When we all matter and are appreciated for what we can do, are nurtured to become the best we can be, are enabled to grow our wings, we will probably fly past this billious scene of power under idiocy of profits alone.

Now that is worth living for, dare you in 2011!

Favorite Things

2011-01-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

my bright eyed girl

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the hearts' affections and the truth of imagination - what the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth whether it existed before or not."- John Keats

"They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourselves." Andy Warhol

Muse the full lyrics to Uprising.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."- Eleanor Roosevelt

"The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature." Joseph Campbell

Here's to a happier New Year, dare to be your best and let's see what unfolds.

the family tribe

2010-12-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

plaid circle skirt, cute!
This photo is of my Mom's family. I can't look at it without thinking what my grandmother might have been in other circumstances. She was a crafting wizard. She knit, crocheted, sewed, made paper mache Christmas scultures, planted succulents in Grandpas old boots, painted ceramics, baked bread, canned vegetables and fruits, cooked for farmhands and family, raided eggs from the chickens and what all..... all the while raising 10 kids.

I figure large families were a blessing to this era of farmers. Their small, fairly organic farms (less added chemicals, more composting) However my grandmothers life was no doubt hampered by all those pregnancies and I am extremely appreciative of better birth control and more opportunities available to me and my granddaughter.

The stamina and talent she showed is right up there with super heroes...kudos Grandma W, i love and miss you. You were a Grande Dame.

Happy Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

Fiber art work with scrap applique and free stitching on black satin

Eclipsed Totally, and the Winter Solstice too....6:38 pm pt tomorrow the 21st...MagicKal 2011 is nigh.

With the Radio On...

2010-12-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

....Refuzor style in the 80s

Punk rock defiance in fashion, music and lifestyle - reactionism to Cold War nuclear threat.

Another ethical fashion nonprofit on Positive World Radio Now has started to inform and be a source for the risk takers who actually try to diversify the economic construct so that it creates sustainable work for other than non profits who rely on donations from for profits ...This looks to be a spiral that is winding down as the for profits have gotten huge, unwieldy and have narrowed the field with false boundaries & regulations, subsidies etc. This can not continue into a good story.

Isn't it possible to be rewarded outright for work that actually exhibits the new paradigm, grows it and experiments within the realm of todays knowledge, respects resources and is the change we talk about? Can't we build the economic sector to function within the raison d'etre that suits the new human mindset?

The source people like Global Action Through Fashion are all good -it is just that the startups need more than advice. They need the funds, the buildings and the social connections that real time, real space encounters within actual communities can embrace. Interactive communications generate new information. With more small businesses there will be more diversity which will enhance communication and therefore generate more information to further expand opportunities. It is a better spiral winding open, and that is a story worth writing!

Many windows of possibility will open in this dynamic construct. This is a 'next process' that will keep us lively while the old construct crumbles.

I saw a miracle in real time while setting up the space for "Species on the Verge" i have watched London eco designers take off because they were supported and worked collectively, I know we can do it here in Seattle and CONNECTED act one, will be the catalyst. If interested contact Anna, Mark or me and thank you.

Craftery in Hooverville

2010-12-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

One of a kind Christmas shopping with vintage findings, custom arts n crafts, clothing and kitsch. 1721 1st Ave S. at the Hooverville Bar 11-5pm Sunday Dec. 12th

Urban Craft Uprising

2010-12-05T08:09:00.001-08:00

I went yesterday and thank you Seattle. People were at the Urban Craft Uprising in droves.

Now i am not a big shopping fan but this made my heart flutter with good tidings. People are perking up to buy from the artists, designers, artisans and crafters who make wondrous things to wear, cuddle, play with or hang on the wall. I am especially drawn to the locals that use sustainable materials.

Hmm, if they are selling goods in Seattle are they local? Yes, why not!

If you have a chance to go, please do so. 11-5 today at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.

Revival Friday

2010-12-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

This in from the Ethical Fashion Forum. Sanyukta Shrestha has a fresh website and a culturally diverse design aesthetique.

This could be your recipe if your taste has been jaded by overtly marketable reruns that look like they are trying way too hard thus losing their spontaneity and spice.

........................................

The "too much becomes boring" onslaught of the fast fashion, designer rotation machine with all its hyper redux, lacks heart, & soul. Sustainable designers are bringing back real style for the discriminating palate. This is a good thing. Go tell aunt martha..

....................................

On that note please also consider the energy of thought, the power of being in the moment and the power of not wearing anothers grief. Sweatshop made, fast fashion is saturated with the energy of pain and that is not good for anyones health, environment or character.

Thanksgiving Reflections

2010-11-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

man covered with blue blanket on sidewalk

I opted out this year. I am grateful for the level of comfort and security i have but am too aware of the practices and policies that are keeping some in the lap of luxury while others are trashed.

Diversity and incentive aid true progress yet progress narrowly defined by those with the power to do so, is not open to a full spectrum of creative innovation. This definition has actually killed early adapters. DC current wasn’t Einstein, electric cars at the turn of the 20th century lost to Fords industrialist methods. I once had a light bulb that burned for years.

Planned obsolescence is a manipulated “necessity” in a consumer based economy. That practice leads to turning commodities into waste as fast as possible. This has been measured as economic growth. The commodities mindset now includes food and human beings. This sucks when it comes to sustainability.

I had to say "NO." I will not play this game. I will not swallow industrial modified turkeys nor GMO soy vegen alternatives. I will not chew on the myths of progress and civilization as defined by narrow and ignorant standards.

I will focus on CONNECTED and try to understand why it is so hard to get people to grasp the sustainable economic power that will enable better governance and lifestyles. We (the united, collaborative, vested we) really can upset this waxed apple cart!

1000 natural print Dresses

2010-11-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

The garden inspired dresses at 1000 dresses are ethereal and fairytaled yet contemporary.

Tempted to try this flower hammering technique on silk to see how many natural dye colors can be heat set. That's just me!

I encourage you dear reader to check out this 'green plus' artist who can really dress up the walls.

New Anna Herman

2010-11-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

Eco vintage syle from Anna Herman Designs makes great holiday wear.

Nate from Idaho

2010-11-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Nate and I had a great conversation last September about Greyhound stations. According to Nate who has been traveling awhile, Seattle has one of the least maintained stations he has vistited so far.

Why is that?

Seattle brags all green savvy and yet when it comes to real active promoting like getting public transportation attractive ie user friendly....hmmm

It appears we are talkers and not really doers, unless its in the best interest of the few....& they know who they are.

CONNECTED is about the action stay tuned.

Travel Style

2010-11-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

entertainment center, the retro pinball (left) ....

could be a draw!

edible processed food stuffs and pinball,

stray to the right - at least here, my dear!

Seattle: Nice art deco ticket counter, carpet is cool,

but a little work on the rest would be nice.

A mural on the wall would be a good project.

I went to Vancouver Eco Fashion Week via Greyhound. It was between the train and the bus because one can't go to an eco show and do it in a carbon heavy, single driver and vehicle way -because that is just wrong!

However if "we" want to actually get more public onto public transportation then we need to take a look at the stations.

As a public service and because I like to make the most of waiting, I shot some photos and video about this form of travel.

How can a community embrace its own local ready made modes of public transportation? Now your turn, take the answer and run with it...you matter, you can make change ....you are brilliant... accept the challenge.

Wedding Party '86

2010-10-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

A long time ago there was a place called Seattle, where culture thrived with style diversity and it didn't come "off the rack" Clothing was pieced together to announce personal style and attitude. This photo was taken at my wedding reception back around 1986. That's my Uncle Ted peeking through from behind, he was the family mountain man who taught school in Circle Alaska and canoed the Yukon. good times!

Just Say No

2010-10-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

Great Sign....vintage Vogue

Waste Not at the Vancouver Art Museum.

Saying no to fast fashion's need to turn your wardrobe into a dated lot of trash as fast as possible doesn't make good sense or cents. This is not good for the designers, resources or the health of ecosystems.

Designers aren't machines - the industrial production model should not apply, it is an archaic model based in archaic visions of the world, human beings and what it means to be a success.

It is unhealthy for our collective emotional needs to tie up that much energy in something that is made to be discarded, there is such disrespect in the entire model that i cannot believe it can fool itself and the populace much longer.

Walk on BY industrial mass produced, chemically dependent, new garments made in sweat shops. ...the illusions won't get you where you need/want to be and the after effects may kill us all.

Window Dressing

2010-10-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Vancouver BC windows were enchanting.

Window Shop

2010-10-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

I love a good window display. Vancouver BC was the queen of scene last September. This Burberry meets Sex Pistols aka McLarens homage was jaz.

You Wear it Well

2010-10-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Eco Fashion Week....between shows. Street up -boogee woogee

sewing arts

2010-10-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

anonymous

posted on 46th and Fremont

2010-10-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

I know nothing about this except that i saw it on my way to the bus about a week ago.

Seattle Road Show

2010-10-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Goodwill truck with clothing diorama.....what is it about? Great to see it, broke up the usual road scene quite nicely.

AirDye

2010-10-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

the amazing panelists of VEF 2010

The panelist discussion at the Vancouver Eco Fashion trade show was a real treat. I love learning about the advance of Eco and these are the pioneers that are making it all come to fruition. I am not sure if i am sparked more by good design or good science...tie!!!

I love the 2 faced quality in fabric, which goes to prove that there is good in everything. I didn't snap a photo of the AirDye samples (another lesson learned as the new line isn't online) but the black and white print with the small check back stands out; design possibilities start crowding my "mind's eye" and overrules my discipline.

AirDye is a sweet company that has a no water contamination dye process (huge breakthrough) and is an on demand process that eliminates the waste model of classic old school manufacturing equated with economies of scale. This is truly something to cheer about.

This creates precedence for a fine on excess; wouldn't that be a dandy little evener of the field. Allow for a little error in demand but stop the overstock industry of wastemaking -now that is a landfill solutions winner.

Warning Signs

2010-10-03T12:01:00.001-07:00

if you would like to post this sign in your local hospital gift shop or anyhere baby clothing is sold, please email me @ debbarnesusa at hotmail dot com, for a pdf copy to print.
(put sign as the subject, thanx)

I am taking one to Swedish Hospital in Seattle tomorrow. See the fashionRIP Project entry for the story. Baby steps into awareness are ok, it's the direction that counts.

Cotton Kills

2010-09-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Cotton is a great fiber for clothing if grown without chemical intervention, GMO (GM or Bt)modifications and where water is not an issue.

However that is a small part of this industries yield and instead the GM horror stories are mounting. (Because pesticides and fertilizers are "yesterdays papers" and the water thing is in an issue in throes of major denial)

"Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants"

WHY?

"Before the FDA decided to allow GMOs into food without labeling, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored." More at the Instute for Responsible Technology.

Shame on you, corporate bullies! Like what about your own children....what are you thinking? What is up with humans?

green neighbors

2010-09-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Motion Picture Company is right down the street from me. Full of vintage cameras and film equipment they are a little museum. They turn outdated films and videos into digital formats for todays machines but will rent or sell film cameras for those wanted an analog experience. Seeing the big reels makes me think of doing a great re-purpose, don't have it yet but they are so cool!

Symbols in Dress

2010-09-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

Wearing talismans and symbolic accessories is an ancient practice that really flourishes today.

Thinking of this makes me wonder at how we identify and or create our reality with assigned meanings given to perfectly, unextraordinary things. Cone hats are for the KKK, witches, dunces and clowns. Rings can signify cult orientation, marriage or intent and status. Logos are designed to be identified as powerful symbols that act to proclaim brands. Colors are assigned meanings.

The peace sign was designed specifically for disarmament and that is the best part of shorthand symbolism; how it can say so much so simply. I wonder if the peace sign is as globally recognizable as the nike swirl or the coca cola symbol ?

(words are actually just symbols too, right?)

My tatoos are symbolic. The black rose on the nape of my neck signified the birth of my son and the death of my singular space...after all being a mother changes many things. Humans and symbols, a manifestation of the spark, nice!

Certifiable

2010-09-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Is certification a boon or a bust for sustainable fashion?

Certification implies a guarentee, a way for consumers to spend wisely. It implies standards on the ways and means of a product. However the very big downside is that this will add to the cost of the label. Once again the small start up, pioneer designer who is the most ethical of the ethical can be doomed by their inability to pay for the licensing process.

This has happened in the organic food industry, where many small, local organic farms cannot afford certification. Farmer's markets are a blessing here as the relationship between farmer and purchaser can develop and the truth beyond labeling may bloom and all may thrive. However the unfair advantage of the large agri biz now going organic because of the market swing, becomes the winner in what was started, driven and nurtured by the very (small) farmers who are now at a disadvantage.

Tain't right!

changes

2010-09-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

With October around the corner, this works. That's my niece with the clown make up ready for trick or treat.

The green pants are now cut apart- the wide legs were just too much fabric. They were wool and maybe heavy or just too fashiony MUCH. I don't really know why, but I only wore them a few times.

The reFashion shots will be online soon. Oh right, I made the originals. The blouse was trimmed out in remnants from a sari custom re-do for a client. I don't know what happened to that blouse, but i still have some sari bits about; but then don't we all? :)

Montana Style

2010-09-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

What can you do with odd pieces of fabric from a 3rd tier donation? The skirt in the photo was made from knit remnants donated by Goods for the Planet . This store is where Sew Up Seattle meets and in true 'pass it on' fashion was picked up by Montana's mom for her daughter's sewing class. This is where I enter the scene as the sewing guide and after several hours of cutting, pinning, fusing and sewing, Montana has a fabulous one of a kind, custom fit skirt for school.

The remnants were two of several pieces. Montana chose the fabric combination and as the pattern was not made for a beginner, she really had to do some sewing. This is why I teach! Yay Montana!

(ps Montana is 13, she started sewing last year but this is the first human garment she has made)

Fremont Abbey Art 4 Kids

2010-09-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

anon but not lost...yet!

Bumbershoot was different this year.

I volunteered for the Fremont Abbey Community Arts gig for kids which was enjoyable but brought up ?s. The paint was applied to fake wood panels and was painted over as the day wore on. One child asked to keep his work and this was honored. (once in my 4 hour shift)

Message +

things change

collaboration

inspiration from others

sharing of resources

your art has no value beyond the experience

Message -

what you do doesn't really matter

(then who you are & how you show up ......?)

paint is a resource without much value

your art has no value beyond the experience

Bumbershoot Party Hats

2010-09-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

best of show

Disco ball repurposed

Yvonne

Ms Donna

yours truly

Linda

Steelheadz from steelheadz .com

Last Wednesday(9/1) Teatro Zinzanni hosted a birthday party hat contest for Bumbershoot insiders. Bumbershoot is 40 years old this year.

Well I can't afford a Teatro ticket, but I can whip up a hat or two; so I did and this got me and a friend into a dress rehearsal for TZs newest show, Hearts of Fire. Go if you get the chance, so fun, impressive and tingly.

I wish I had put more time and effort into the hats I made (humble designer moment); then again, being an underachiever made it easy to glory in the spectacular head displays of others

Do sign up on the Bumberfan email list for next year- it's a really great way to participate in one of Seattle's iconic events of summer.

dyed au naturel

2010-09-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

Interest in natural dyes is advancing.

A new book by India Flint, an Australian artist, writer and sheep farmer was featured in Quilting Arts magazine's e letter last week.

Like many i have used teas and coffee to color cottons and I saved the the stamen powder from lillies once (that yellow colors hands, tablecloths and everything it touches!) but it molded before i had enough to "brew."

For a great info/interview check out the "Go wild! Dye textiles naturally- Q&A with India Flint at the Quilting Arts blog.

Fair Trade

2010-08-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

chi chi triangle tote from Ukush
A local company Ukush, has a good definition of "fair trade" on their website.

I met the owner at a local meeting of the Good Business Network in Wallingford a few weeks ago.
The discussion on whether products need to be made or grown local as opposed to the business being locally owned, is an interesting new topic. The hundred mile diet makes some nutrient and energy relevancy and yet it is not a good measure for other goods.

Raising a new local economy needs vision, support, communication and a lot of inclusivity.

The vast amount of unknowns is stimulating, as there is something for everyone to get excited about. The questions we do not know to ask have immense and global impacts. We need to consider great masses of information and yet we need to start with the information we have now. Time is relevant.

Daunting ? Yes and no...it takes effort and willingness to alter beliefs rapidly, but it is very do-able and fun..if you like roller coasters.

2010-08-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

troll watch 1

"Cotton and similar fabrics are less expensive and take less energy to manufacture than synthetic fibers like polyester. But over its lifetime, a cotton T-shirt requires more than twice as much energy than is necessary to manufacture and maintain a polyester tee. The main difference is that polyester garments can be washed at a lower temperature, can hang dry and do not require ironing." (Boardroom Eco Apparel )

hmm.... i never iron tee shirts, i wash in cold water and when line drying, a good shake to eliminate wrinkles, works for me. The process of cutting the plastic bottles into little flakes and then melting them down to make the recycled poly textiles sounds problematical. Melting plastic is a toxic release and this all smacks of a justification trip to "greener" pastures; plastic use needs minimalizing. Period. (most plastic is from petroleum and petroleum is a problem)

Nix to Venus and Mars

2010-08-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Get your "accessories" on Route 66

Accessories! as in women want to be noticed and praised for how they LOOK. In the PBS show for Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice, Dr John Gray advised men to compliment their wives on their accessories. That gave women the brain glow (endorphin rush) that they need to feel appreciated. What!!!

Ok, a compliment is good but what about being noticed for what they really do. I rather be noticed for my skill, talent and brain power than a pretty little bracelet I happen to be wearing. Now if I had made that bracelet, then cool, however the idea that only men want to be appreciated for what they do is not working for me;
& besides, men like a "you look good,"once in awhile too.

The sexual divide may often be more about the roles we bought into, than the truth of full range possibility. Culture creates itself in its own image and that image is narrow and full of mistaken beliefs. Let us not continue the mythology of the past, it sucked, which is why change is constant.
On with the show we will go!!!!

Wasted

2010-08-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

"Fashion is the second largest industry producer of waste next to agriculture in the USA"
Jerah Lena Coviello

Justification: the waste industry creates jobs as reused, repurposed and recycled garments are now woven into the economic spins of many countries.

Truth: It is resource and energy arrogance to believe that the secondary market offsets true resource costs. Implementing the slow economy is counter to many "known" principles of capitalism, yet is infinitely more rational under todays understanding of the connected whole.

Jerah posted the film Pepe (Secodhand) on Facebook and it is a great peek into Haiti and the traveling pants.

photo edit

2010-08-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like something in 3d and yet when I take the photo I do not. This scrap patch border is fun and am-a-liking, however am now questioning that straying rebel patch. Should it stay or should it go?

I guess this is relevant to designs posted at Etsy and on websites. The photo reality is the sell, so is that now more important than the garment on the hanger or the runway?

A Good Outfit

2010-08-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Cara Lundgren aka Detroit Dolly posted to the Face a few pics of her newest favorite Good Look.

Deborah: the power of fashion, look good, feel good, do good...even eco fashion is FASHION!

Cara: True Deborah... I believe eco fashion is even MORE fashion because one uses their own creativity even more to combine eras, styles etc... with there own individuality!

d: thank-you...got something for todays blog...aww -ok to quote you right?

C: OMG, of course!!

Plaid-itude

2010-08-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Great plaid mix and the red bandana, I loved her look. She has a fresh senior citizen style that really works.

School Dazed

2010-08-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

In the plethora of choices for the back to school crowd, EWG has a little advisory list with good why & why not comments that fire up the understanding. Doing right takes a whole lot of information and gathering it in bits and pieces on a daily basis really does add up well. From grassroots beginnings to eco wisdom starship is very do-able. If just starting out or even well on your way, this is still a lifetime learning adventure. After all, changing major paradigms shuffles the whole of the deck!!!!

Bumbershoot

2010-08-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

djb 8/15/10 (c)

held a Green Bag design contest, then the entry form was pulled 12 hours early. Its Sunday and the machines are in charge answering phones, replying to emails and generally ignoring the error messages from frustrated humans.

After notifying One Reel, I sent my design to the info url. The Machine blockade is so unreasonable; well right, machines don't reason or adapt....putting them in charge can be annoying and at times dangerous. Machine efficiency without human override is ultimately inefficient.

So posting my design here, just in case.

recyCouture at Green Film Festival

2010-08-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

at the San Francisco Green Film Festival. Does this mean the city is rising from the ashes of Haight. Is San Francisco the Phoenix?

Sent in the "Species on the Verge" because they want footage about animals, bio-diversity, human relativity, sustainability, eco system queries, all that lot which validates the fashionRIP Project.

This feels like something the universe ordered..or nature or god or maia or critical mass ............and i know nothing and yet everything i need to know is available. It must be Evolution calling.

Ageless Fashion

2010-08-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

vintage artic wear at British Historical Museum

Teeth, bone bits, shells and the like were strung or 'sewn' onto clothing over 30,000 years ago and are indicative to the spark that made us human.

It is now part of the archeological record that early modern humans applied these ornaments and/or symbolic bits to their clothing and these 'beads' are never found at the sites of our cousins, the Neandrathals. It appears that though the Neandrathals survived they didn't progress nor adapt to changes.

Modern humans are what we are today because of our appreciation of symbolic statements in art and fashion and our ability to embrace and grow with the changes!!!

Makes a pretty good case for the new paradigm; me thinks.

Certified Ethical

2010-08-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

Restored Carousel Horse

Seattle Center

-a boon or a bust?

This has happened in the organic food industry, where many small, local organic farms cannot afford certification. Farmer's markets are a blessing here as the relationship between farmer and purchaser can develop and the truth beyond labeling may bloom and all may thrive. However the unfair advantage of the large agri biz now going organic because of the market swing, now wins in this game that was started, driven and nurtured by the very people who are now held at a disadvantage.

Tain't right! So around and around we go!

Reverse Graffiti

2010-08-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

reverse applique as stain remover

The beauty of Reverse Graffiti is that it is about what is taken away. Called reverse applique in textiles; the reverse technique is the art of subtraction. To cut out, erace or otherwise take off the top layer to reveal that which is underneath takes exposure to the next level.

Do you remember writing "wash me" in the dust of a car's fender ? I do! I want to think it was when a neighbor kid and i decided to wash cars for extra $ over summer vacation. I mean what a clever promo......however i was about 11 or 12 at the time and cannot recall hitching them together.

Now this technique is working as an environmental piece d' resistance; as natural reveals by talented folks have captured attention.

Who knew cleaning was such an art?

FIT, NYC ECO

2010-08-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Viva la evolucion: ethical, eco fashion & recyCouture

The current exhibit at the Museum of FIT is Eco-Fashion, Going Green. They tout it as the most compelling topic in fashion today. In their own words:

" Although the roots of eco-consciousness are often linked to the environmentalist movement and hippie styles of the 1960s, fashion’s environmental and ethical accountability prior to the mid-twentieth century is rarely considered. Eco-Fashion: Going Green explores fashion’s complex and multi-faceted relationship with the environment, discussing both bad and good ecological practices of the past 250 years. "

Bravo FIT.

Toxic Beauty

2010-08-05T04:38:00.000-07:00

hummingbird spirit guide 8/1/10

A few weeks ago I wrote about the unregulated, sometimes dangerous chemicals used in the beauty and cosmetic industry.

We live in a chemical world. Both natural and synthetic chemicals can be benign or dangerous. "It's natural, its better" simplifies the subject; arsenic and lead are natural chemical elements and yet both pose human and environmental health risks.

"We" are just beginning to validate concerns and finance the research into long term risks, exposure levels and time periods, the what and how toxic combos affect life. As it is our species disrupting most of the balance of natural systems, it is up to us to be more responsible, careful and compassionate in our lifestyles. When the bottom line is profit, we all lose. Our systems, as ourselves, need to adapt to the bigger reality.

What we ingest, use and shower off or flush and dump matters on the individual and on the collecive levels. Eventually what comes from the organic world, returns to it and how , where and what is released can be beneficial and nurturing or toxic and deadly. We all choose daily, please choose wisely as often as possible.

"Please take a few minutes and watch The Story of Cosmetics and then take action to support the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010.
Thanks again for helping spread the word and proving once again just how awesome this community is!
Sincerely,
Annie, Michael, Renee, Christina, and Allison
The Story of Stuff Project Team"

Beyond Fashion

2010-08-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

"Clothes make the man" is an old Latin Proverb; later Twain gave it a shot with "If clothes make the man, does that mean naked people have little or no influence on society? " and most recent the song "The Clothes Don't Make the Man" by Keith Anderson all make for a word picture about changes in the realm of social justice.

Problem:

Then does this mean that the well tailored cons and hustlers who climbed to the top of many biz and social ladders are examples of our inability to adapt to our own beliefs....like are we retaining archaic info that usurps new knowledge?

Weird.

As is the gender....When did women become the major consumers of "dress?"

Cosmetics Bill in Congress

2010-07-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

scissor head

Bellevue Arts Fair 2010

The 2010 Safe Cosmetics Act would empower the FDA to screen cosmetics for super toxins, many already banned in Europe and Japan. However the FDA is barely able to keep tabs on the food and drug industries.

Go to the Environmental Workers Group to check out your own cosmetics.

Socially conscious

2010-07-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

jewelry from the Andean Collection...new bold necklaces and more colors.

"NEW YORK, NY - The Andean Collection (AC) today unveiled its latest line of chic, ethical, and natural jewelry. The AC's new line introduces rich new materials and elegant statement pieces, all handmade by artisans in Ecuador, into its collection."

Good collection, good business model....enjoy.

tee redux

2010-07-26T11:07:00.001-07:00

Take one xtra large tee shirt and modify for dolman sleeve 80s revival look. Add sleeve length from remains of another ee shirt. Play with collar - be careful it is easy to misjudge the opening. Paint, applique and reverse applique is featured on these 2 shirts. Ading buttons, trims whatever is the fun part. Easy sewing so the detailing time is maximized.