Club House!

Here's the newest project that I'm working on. I'm starting a clubhouse that has a few different styles of shops in it, and members of the club would be able to drop by and use the equipment. For a few more details on the workings, you can visit its website here: Maker Cave. It, like the project as a whole, is just at the beginning stages and will be continually changing over the next several months.

The first walk through yielded only these shots that looked less-than-disheveled. By the weekend, there should be more pictures after we clean out the building to make it a bit more professional. There's also the likelihood that Dara will be coming up with a sketch of the place, along with dimensions, and maybe even what the inside might look like.

Ever since one of the local maker community hubs shut down in March, a lot of friends have been asking me if I would be interested or willing to set up something that would fill the void. Though a few interesting events, my wife and I are going to be living in a house with a wonderfully large workshop in the back. It was originally used for storage and a garage, but I believe we can turn this into a multi-material work space and design shop.

During the process of coming up for a name for this venture, we were calling it the "Man Cave." Part of it was going to have a very intricate TV/Music/Gaming system, a bar, computers and just a place to sit down and relax. You know, a place where a guy can just sit down, chill out and work on projects.

The idea then morphed into actually having work space in it. Bring in tools to use and people to hang out with while working on various projects. I have a lot of friends in the area who have tools, time and money to work on projects, but are limited by the fact that they live in apartments where their landlords wouldn't take kindly to power tools being used. When I discussed this idea with a few of them, they immediately jumped on it and were willing to help and put equipment to be used in it.

Over the next few months I am going to be investing some better wiring in the shop, and setting it up for bigger tools. I've had a few people say they're willing to donate tools or funding to the shop, and I'm hoping to make it more appealing for them.

A few things I'm looking to do with this are community based. This is going to be a club. Not the same thing as a country club, or a gym, but more of a collective of makers who have invested in something and want to see it flourish. There's not enough space for a vast number of people, but I'm hoping that with monthly dues and some invested capital, this would be a fun space for people to work in.

We're aiming to have weekly meet-ups called Cave Parties. Part grill-out, part build party, all fun. Music, grilling, and generally hanging out. These nights members of the club can show up with potluck style food/drink, enjoy the location and work on a few projects. I'll put more detailed information on the website, but in general the workspace will be available for people of a variety of incomes.

Aside from the Cave Parties, the people who seek to use it more often will be able to come by in the evenings and over the weekends. Basically, when I'm around to keep an eye on the shop and help anyone who may need it.

I'll be adding more information later, but for now this is the introduction. I hope that people will come and join me in the Maker Cave with yours truly, the resident Cave Man.

Adding Art-o-Mat: Phoenix Collection

           I've been meaning to post this for a month, but here's a few behind the scenes look at our new Phoenix Collection for Fall 2013. These are custom orange fire bracelets inspired by the idea of turning death into life. Because we will all fall, the question is if we choose to stay down or get back up. Me? I think there's a wealth of possibility waiting to learn and improve from failure (our own or others). Each one is individually designed and sewn. A lovely piece of art. And hopefully a message worth being inspired by.
           You can find pieces at in local art vending machines across with country with Art-o-mat for $5.00 each. Taking my love of leather and sewing to the next level. May it inspire you to try something new or step outside your comfort zone.
            The past month with Techshop RD's closing on short notice (3 days) and just general fall-out, Nash and I have had a number of occasions to look at each other and be grateful to have each other in the fox hole with us. I'm not going to pretend it's all been easy, but hey a little sharpening of the soul and craft is never a bad thing. Happy July 4th weekend.

PS- Will try and post more of our store and designer collaborations this month. If you're interested in having us produce for your store or private label work, short us an e-mail at: DaraPage@lisashay.com.

The Produce Box: A Local Triangle Treasure!

               So this week, Nash and I finally got to sign-up for this year's Produce Box. We're both struggling with the battle of the bulge and it's been past time to change our lifestyle. What's the point of having great clothes if you're too fat to wear them? As someone who has grown up with this Triangle, NC staple, I thought I would share a local edible treasure with you, my readers that we are putting to use. Neither of us have any excuse for not doing it beforehand except sheer laziness. We know we should eat local, fresh fruits and veggies to keep us healthy, but not all of us have time to shop at the local farmer's market on Sat. Or to be frank will-power. May I suggest the lovely Produce Box if you're trapped for time and money on a budget like us?
                For those of you who aren't familar with the service, it is a local produce delivery service that drops off a weekly variety of fresh fruits, veggies, plus optional add-ons for $18-24 a week. $18 for a single person, $22-24 for a typical family from online orders. Many people I know who are single will order the family box and then can, freeze, or jam the extras for the cold winter months or parties. The Produce Box will come to your work or home provided you live in the area. You can change out foods or add others at will each week for picky eaters and special treats. This is less than HALF any other service I know of and fits even slim college budgets with a wealth of food. It's amazing! It's local! And it's making a difference here, locally in your neighborhood.

             In your home. We like to think that better eating and health begin somewhere far away, but really it starts with each and everyone of us. So make a difference in your waistline and life today, sign-up if you haven't already. Nash and I will try to post up pictures and recipes from stuff we get to hopefully help inspire you to improve your health too. 

2 Free Tickets to the Importance of Being Earnest

           Interested in laughing your pants off for an evening with your date? We're back again with another 2 free tickets to give-a-way for The Importance of Being Earnest at Raleigh Little Theater. This is Oscar Wilde's most famous and last play. It deals with social conventions such as marriage and society in general. Please feel to enter our give-a-way by posting one fun dating misadventures of yours over the years in the comments section. As some of you know, our own dating history has been full of adventures and misadventures. When I first met Nash, I let to believe he was a 34 yr. old gay theater technician instead of a 22 yr. old senior college student. An entire comedy of errors ensued when I realized he was 7 years younger instead of 5 years older and straight. But that's a whole other story. If you've ever done something funny or stupid for love, tell us about it. Because love is a fallacy, and we all make dumb mistakes in the name of it.

Your tickets are for April 11th from 8-10:30 pm.

The Give-A-Way is between February 18th-22nd at midnight. We will announce a winner on Monday February 25th.

50% Off Summer Collection for Sparkcon

                Hey guys! Welcome to the blog. This week we are dusting off the tables for SparkCon. We have two really great announcements. The first is that we are putting our Pearls of Wisdom summer collection on sale for 50% off in person this weekend. So if you missed out on getting the perfect hat or scarf this summer, nows your chance to pick up a really great last minute deal of the season.
      Because who doesn't love a sale? Check back tomorrow when we give you a taste of our new fall collection: Beloved which we will be unveiling at SparkCon. I'll give you a hint, lots of leather and lace.

Have a great day one and all.

PS- Please note this sale is only available in person for the show. It is not available online.

Acorn to Oak Handmade September SparkCon and Coursera

         This coming month we have two great events planned for the team on really opposite ends of the spectrum.

September 13th-16th: SparkCon: A number of team members will be at setting up shop at BazaarSpark in downtown Raleigh and showing for the 4 day event which is the largest arts and crafts event all year featuring local creativity and talent in the area. Whoot! So excited! Please come out and enjoy the wealth of beauty. This is the last week to register to be a sidewalk artist if you are interested in making something fun and new we would love to have you. Food, bands, exhibits, acrobats! It's a wealth of beauty. This is one of my favorite local shows. Especially, LLLavender by Lauren Smith for the Fashion Show. She's an awesome designer/group member. I really love her knitwear collections being more of a woven gal myself I like peeking into her mind. Please come have some fun! There's so much to do and try.

September 24th-November 5th: Operations Management on Coursera by Christian Terwiesch: This summer everyone in the team worked on learning various elements of the business or polishing them to brighter shine if they had prior experience. While some people are at the point that they are ready and off to the races or fall shows, other people need more help on the meta skills of managing their business. Since Coursera has started offering many of the top business university courses online for free (not sure how long this will last so please go ahead and sign-up). This will not make you a better artist, craftsman, or designer, but it will help you streamline and cut down on the time you have to spend doing the boring parts of your business. Nash is looking to get his MBA because we struggle with the not art part of the business all the time. Because we all want to spend more time making meaningful connections and works, and less time on paperwork. Hope to see everyone online or in person this month. If anyone is interested in doing a coffee study group for this class let me know. :-)

Have a great day! Looks like an exciting fall.

August 24th: Etsy Night of Craft 7-10 pm

       Yeah, it's time again for the annual Etsy Craft Party! A lot of you had a blast coming last year, we're rockin' it again. Roth is celebrating with $3 drinks (even the good stuff) and we're having a food truck come. Techshop RDU is also hosting so we are throwing out the red carpet! DELICIOUS fun! Based on the two big parties we threw last year, we decided our group prefers free wheeling and dealing with multiple tables set-up with projects for people to jump from one to the other and try or sample. Do what you want! A buffet of treats for the eyes and fingers. Please feel free to come hang out and bring a friend, we will have tons of supplies and projects to give away. You do not have to be a member to come. Children and families welcome.

You can sign-up here on meet-up! Please, please, please, sign-up. The more people we have come, the more free stuff Michaels is sending....so the more the merrier! :-)

Right now, we have the following planned, if you have an idea you want to add or suggest, shoot me an e-mail at: dsmcginn1@lisashay.com. Creativity welcome. :-) At the moment, I have our projects divided up by area, more will be added at we get closer. :-) Some people may recognize some of the awesome projects from last year, if you missed doing something last year, now is your chance to do it this year.  And try your hand at something new.

Location (Forge):

Blacksmithing (Nash Page): Watch traditional metal armour being crafted. Nash is the blacksmith instructor at Techshop RDU and Dream Coach. He will be giving away several small projects as well as generally just having fun. You are welcome to hang out with him and watch the process.

Sand Metal Casting(Evan Daniels): One of the great instructors at Techshop, Evan is going to be hanging out with Nash demonstrating metal pouring techniques. If you are interested in casting in metal, please drop by. You are welcome to bring a piece you would like done before hand, flat shapes that can rendered in two dimensions work best. Please contact Evan if you have specific questions about what you want to bring.

Location (Roth Brewing):

Wire Twisted Jewelry: Come try your hand in the bar with traditional wire twisting and bead-work. We will be inside at the bar making drop earrings and necklaces. Free free to try your hand at making a new look for back to school.

Friendship Bracelets: Try your hand at this classic. Because somethings are too fun not to do.

Leather and Wood Block Painting: From ancient times, the oldest paintings in many cultures are wood because of it's durability and beauty. Acrylic paints were designed to specifically speed up this process for WW II by making fast drying oil paints. Acrylic paints work wonderfully on leather and wood. Right now, you're seeing nail polish shoes on runways everywhere. This is a great way to make art your own. Come try your hand painting your own pair of shoes or the wood blocks we will have available for people to take home. A great way to breath life into well-loved shoes. Check-out these amazing shoes done by Nicole. I love this trend right now.

Knitting Circle: Bring your current or new project to knit or crochet on comfy leather chairs. A great way to pass an evening in comfort with delicious beer. Yarn and tools will be available if you have never tried it before, this is a great time to start.


Location (Techshop Kitchen):

Potato Stamps: For those of us who like working with knives and paint, this project is for you. Many people don't realize that your kitchen is a great place to make quick and easy stamps with stuff you have lying around. Potatos make a great medium for custom stamps that can be done quickly and easily to create one of a kind cards and looks. Martha Stewart loves doing this favorite for custom Halloween gift bags, I'm sure you can dream up your own creation.

Custom Paper(Shannon): Microwaves are awesome if you like paper crafts, you can make your own design, dry it, and then apply potato stamps to the final product. Lacquer makes the entire look permanent. A great way to quickly design works of beauty.

Location (Techshop Conference Room):

Craft Swap: Bring a supply, take a supply. This is a great way to clean out space in your closet and look forward to starting a new project. We will have supplies available for people to take home and also keep any left-over supplies for future meetings. :-)

Apron Art (Dara): Where would the perfect project be without a fabulous apron to complete it? Make your own apron and decorate it with glitter, rhinestones, and other art. Now, you know you can dress for the occasion. Because art is fun!

Wood Carving: Try your hand at creating custom works of art in wood. You can do wood carving with a hot iron or knife. The results are unique creations.

More to Follow! Have a great day everyone and look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.

Yawy: We Will Be At SparkCon!

                          I just heard back from SparkCon and we will be at the BazaarSpark September 13th-16th. Come see us then at the Triangle's large talent call for artists and designers. I can't wait to see you then.

                           This is one of my favorite events to go to as you can really feel the sheer joy and enthusiasm from the crowd. The musical talent is particularly over the top awesome!

                          Yeah! Now to get back to work sewing fun product for the show. :-) Can't wait to surprise everyone in a couple of weeks.

Recap: Animazement 2012

             Thanks everyone who came out to Animazement this weekend we raised over $600 for the Red Cross which was twice last year and had a really awesome time. For anyone that missed out, we plan to hold more classes next year. :-) I loved all the cool designs people made with different silk painting techniques. I am in the process of posting pictures to facebook now.

             Nash and I had a booth in the dealer's room which was AWESOME! Thanks so much everyone who came out and saw us. It was a first and you all made it special. We loved seeing you. Can't wait for next year. While Nash manned the booth, I got to do something rare for me which was kick back and relax going to different panels and guest speakers. It's so nice to see the enthusiasm for sewing at these events and the general fearlessness people approach the craft. A small time to stop and dork out.
             My two favorite speakers were of course different master category designers: Jennifer Barclay and Catherine Jones. Both people create costume and custom designs, but from very different perspectives. One thing I like about large events is how you get to see people from different walks of life. As a designer, there's an almost infinite possibility for creation and it's fun to see what other people create for themselves. Because people are interesting and unique. After teaching a lot of art and sewing classes, I've really come to believe that everyone has their own flavor or perspective worth hearing to bring to the table. Ironically, both these ladies are out of Atlanta, GA.
              First, Jennifer Barclay who runs the website Idle Ambition. She is a master class cosplayer who besides being quite beautiful, also enjoys the esoteric and rare. The more difficult the costume, the weirder the materials used, the better. This is probably fair as Jennifer works for a modern sleek ad agency called Moxie Pulse. Both of them like unconventional answers. You can tool around the company site if you like. My favorite is the blog which crunches great every day information and spits it out. Very cutting edge, very interesting, very trend following. Her Saturday panel I attended was called "Costumes from Start to Finish" where she reviewed a beautiful Tali costume she had done from Mass Effects. It was pretty educational in terms of looking at flawlessly matching the appearance on paper to a final product. I tend to worry about the guts first and the outside last so it's good to meet designers who remind us to work in the opposite direction. Cosplay is also disposable fashion so there's not the expectations that it will last 20-60 years of my typical customer. I look forward to seeing what else she creates and maybe attending more of her panels in the future. She had this really great piping down the front of her costume that I was tempted to go up and touch to see how she did it as it looked so clean, but I refrained myself admirably. I love touching fabric and clothing to see how it's constructed and always have to do a quick reminder not to offend the person wearing their fabulous creation. Overall, very clean designs, very interesting product, wonderful talk.
            My other favorite speaker was Catherine Jones who runs a small custom cosplay shop called God Save The Queen Fashion in Atlanta, Georgia. She's a fearless patternmaker who I loved seeing her process and talked both about patternmaking in general and specifically leather making. Favorite speaker overall because we all know I'm a sucker for patternmakers. The piece work on her jacket construction was FLAWLESS in LEATHER. Talk about glutton for punishment. A lot of the basic building blocks of pattern drafting are the same, each designer adds their own flavor to the mix. She did some great math on the fly in both panels I attended which was very respectable. There was incredible substance to Catherine's designs and pattern construction. I've seen masters with 20 years experience in the industry who have sloppier lines and less attention to detail than she did. Very detail oriented. In the good way. I think she's late 20s, early 30s so I look forward to seeing her evolve and grow into her style now. I'll reserve the whole "master" title for when she's 20 years in, not because I think most people wouldn't give it to her, but because I look forward to seeing how high she'll fly. The great thing about designers is they get better with age. She's made so many costumes, I had a hard time figuring out how to show off her talents so I'm linking you to her flickr. The best part about all her stuff is how much better it looks in person and she takes unusual body types. Both irregular and plus-sized. In an industry that ignores 3/4 of it's population for being irregular, her perspective was a breath of fresh air. I look forward to seeing what else she creates. What lovely, lovely pieces of art and women.
              Thank you ladies! And to everyone who came out and supported us! Thank you too! Have a great Memorial Weekend!

Review from Woodworking Night at Todd's Studio

            Thanks everyone who came out last night to make birdhouses, spinning tops, and generally have fun in Todd's woodshop learning to turn. It was most exciting. I had a great time making my first spinning top and never knew woodworking could be that fun. No one in the group had ever turned before so it was exciting to see people mastering the basics. It was also very humbling to see a master at work. Todd does some incredible one-off projects and unique pieces of beauty.
             It's really wonderful that his shop is so close to ours and I know a number of people are excited to head back in a few days. My head is still spinning, literally from all I learned last night. Some of the cooler things I learned was about aging and seasoning word for years to dry it out and how most wood is turned in stages to prevent it from cracking. Most pieces you see are actually what is called "twice turned" where it is turned in a rough form, allowed to dry for a year or two, and then turned again gently to bring out the inner beauty. While you can turn objects on a lathe very quickly, the actual process of making wooden pieces of art takes years beginning from the selection, cutting, and drying process.
             I'm definitely looking forward to going back and trying my hand at doing more pieces. While it seems abitious, I would like to try making a wooden bowl in the future. Hopefully some of the other group members will get to have fun hanging out with Todd this summer too. Have a great day everyone and look forward to seeing you at the next Etsy Tuesday night meeting in a few weeks.

Recap: Part 2 of the 3D Printer Workshop

     Welcome back from another fun Acorn to Oak meeting on 3D printing. I am so excited to see this technology take off.  Last week everyone put together the electronics, this week everyone put together the outside frame to their 3D printers. One of the neat things about this event is there is almost nothing I can actually name in terms of parts going into these classes. It's a treasure hunt each week in identifying and being exposed to this wonderful world I had never thought about before. While there were a lot of cool things, the two neatest things in my mind for the evening was learning how shrink wrap tubing works and assembling the base. You can see Evan working on a neat stepper motor on the right.

           Once you finish your work, you wrap it in this loose plastic that when exposed to heat...suddenly shrinks. It's pretty neat stuff. While there's a lot of little tricks to assembling the outside, it's impressive when the last piece is installed or the y-axis. You can see Kevin hard at work here.

        I will post more pictures on facebook after I get a chance to look through them. It's so cool to see this all come together. Can't wait to show you all more next week. It's hard to think in 2 weeks all these machines will be up and printing.

         Yeah! Check in tomorrow for a really awesome surprise and the last of our 3 part series in how to build a wardrobe that saves you money.

Opening A New Door

         "There is a time for everything." -King Solomon Ecclesiastes

          Thanks everyone who came out to the photoshoot this weekend. It was fun to have you all. I've been spending the weekend relaxing and enjoying the weather. I love sharing the beauty of this area with others.
            Moving out to our new location has been amazing in terms of feeling as if it's also a positive parallel shift for both the company and myself personally. It's forced me to take a hard look at our personal and professional habits. Some of which need to change. Like personally drinking more water and taking lunch breaks to work-out, the company seems due to a similar tune-up. One of the great things about getting a new space is it shakes out the cobwebs of habit.
              Some of these have been obvious to me, I just hestitated to make the change. One is a desire to stop teaching beginning classes on a regular basis and cut back on my responsibilities that do not directly involve our company mission statement. I love the occasional moonlighting for a girl friend or guest invitation, but I've always felt happier working with my hands than giving lectures. There's something very real about making something people wear everyday with my hands that makes the smiles seem more real to me. Anyways, I hope to do more fun clothing this year. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve for spring and some new textiles I hope you enjoy. To a new exciting season and fun looks. Have a great day.

Booth Babes and Trade Shows- Allegra and April

       Today we are visiting with 2 of my favorite models for tradeshows: Allegra and Apil. Both of these women have great personalities for doing events/new product releases. Allegra's tradename is more commonly know as the Chainmail Chick. April is wicked good with custom make-up for events. If you need to hire someone to help you market a new product or try out a concept, I highly recommend both these ladies.

Don't worry, they will be making more presentations on the blog as the spring season progresses. Especially as Animazement rolls around. We need more spunky little fire pixies. Both of these girls are very thin and petite so they are ideal for accessories and catalog. If you are doing American sizing...that's a 00. I find accessories do really great on them, especially hats.

Have a great day and see you back tomorrow when we explore the theater.

PS- For any Acorn to Oak Group Members if you are local in the area, these young ladies have very reasonable event rates if you plan to do any major events this spring, be sure to stop and talk with them. You won't be disappointed.

Textile Friday: 3D Printer Class in March

        Today I am pleased to bring you a guest blogger, Rye Gewalt, who some of you may remember from the summer Hello Etsy Event. This past Saturday Rye and Luis hunkered down over a bunch of parts and built a fun 3D printer in a few hours from scratch that you can currently see by the front desk and will be available for members to try out during our weekly meetings this month. Like many fellow artists in the area, I have been interested in rapid prototyping for a while, but lacked the knowledge or engineer bent to work one of these wonders. Now...I am fixing that oversight in March. :-) Like a happy little kid in a candy store. I hope you get the chance to take advantage of this opportunity too.

   As some of you know, our March meetings are rather ambitious and these two guys wanted to go through and test the series to make sure everything worked. I am pleased to say the model was a smashing success and is sitting by the front door at Techshop RDU if you would like to check it out.

So who is Luis Freeman and why in the world is he teaching this event?

"Luis Freeman’s day job is at IBM where he is involved in engineering and supply management chains.   He has been building and designing 3D printers as a hobby since 2007 when hobby 3D printers were more a matter of conjecture than hands on reality. He has has built several dozen machines of increasing complexity and currently has six operational machines that will be used to make parts for the class machines..  His printers utilize proven techniques from the Mendel and Openscad technology. The photo below shows Luis with his Mendel Prusa based machine which is considered an ideal machine for beginners due to it desktop size and large 8” x 8” x 8” product capacity. It is easy for even less nimble fingers to work with putting parts together without being so clunky that smaller frames have difficulty putting it together.   

This class provides an opportunity to build your own fully functional turnkey 3D printer in a group environment with a the help of knowledgeable hands-on instructor and the collective experience of classmates with similar interests.  Reinventing the wheel is seldom fun, but figuring things out with friends can be quite rewarding.

Each student in the class will build their own fully functional machine, starting with assembling the Arduino based electronics and finishing with the final checkout and test of their full system.  The build process takes place during five classes spaced over a four week period starting on March 6^th  as detailed below.  

Week One (March 6th from 5-10 pm): You start with your basic kit and go over the basics. There are generally 50-200 separate parts that need to be soldered to your ardunio card as shown here such as stepper motors, capacitors, and hook-up connectors. This generally takes 2-3 hrs. depending on your prior experience soldering and doing electronics. No prior experience is necessary, but it is helpful if you have taken beginning soldering with Dr. Britton at Techshop RDU or have prior soldering experience.

Week Two (March 13th from 5-10 pm): You go to work on assembling the outside frame of the machine from wood. This part can be easy replicated with a 3D printer. Next you start filling in the gears and assembly that will house the extruder head and flat base you print on. You will use a combination of 3D printed parts and ball bearings. All the pieces have to come together cleanly and smoothly to function in real time. Extra steel wool will be provided for sanding and smoothing the parts.You will finish assembling the inside of the machine in the next class so focus on smoothing parts here is important.

Week Three (March 20th from 5-10 pm) Install and check all the parts you spend last week double-checking to create 2 platforms: 1 for the print head and the other for the print platform. You must check the that x and y axis move smoothly for when the extruder is finally installed. You will also practice printing parts on some extra printers Luis has on hand so you understand quality control when you need to replicate or replace parts on the machine. 

Week Four (March 27th from 5-10 pm and March 29th from 5-10 pm extra time for programming): On Tuesday you will finally install the extruder and wire all the parts you have been working on the past few weeks together. This includes wiring the printer cards, brackets, endstop brackets, and spool holder. You should be printing off your printer at this point. Thursday is available as time overflow in case you need to catch up. Luis will be going over using Openscad to do CAD design on your 3D printer and printing test parts. This time is for you to fine-tune and better understand how to use, fix, and work with your machine. This is what your Mendal Prusa will look like without the wooden frame around it. The wooden frame serves to stabilize the design and cause your pieces to printer with finer quality details." 

by Rye Dewalt

Happy Friday Everyone. I hope this post has been helpful about the next big leap forward in design innovation. And thank you Rye for all the photos and help. Neither of us could have done it without you.

If you have not already signed up, we have 2 slots left for the class on Skillshare: http://www.skillshare.com/How-to-Make-A-3D-Printer-Class-with-Louis-Freeman/1324082886

New Visitor: Mobile Convience Store

Need fuel to that late night art project? We had a lovely visitor over this past week, the new Mobil Mini-mart is coming to Roth complete with tasty snacks, chocolate, and deliciousness. You can check them out on facebook, twitter, or their webpage. Their website has a gps tracker so you can figure out exactly where it is down to the ft. I'm so excited to have this new tasty addition to our location and hope to have them drop by for some Tuesday night get togethers.

Plus, they carry miso soup along with the normal hot dogs, tacos, and snack food. A place after my own heart.

Check them out on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mobile-Mini-Mart/232470686814464

Can't wait to have them back again.

February Acorn to Oak Etsy Team Meet-ups

          Hey Everyone, so excited about the new space. This coming month we will be splitting our time between our normal Techshop RDU and our new expanded space team studio as we get ready for our 3D printing class in March. We will also have one class at the Durham Scrap Exchange on Feb 18th. I am so excited about this, great people one and all.
           I really think that 3D replication is where the industry is headed as a whole in the next 40 yrs. and Luis Freeman is coming for 4 weeks in March to teach us to build, replicate, and program 3D printers. 3D printers allow for rapid prototyping, especially of metal. Nash and I can't wait to make our own and we hope that some of our other fellow artists can do the same. I've wanted to be able to print my own custom buttons, zippers, and hardware for my clothing. WHICH is awesome! Ok, I'm getting sidetracked in my excitement.I'm just so happy about our cool classes this spring. Note, I have decided to not hold a meeting for Valentine's Week so everyone can have fun eating chocolate and being with people they love.


Locations: 

Acorn to Oak Handmade Etsy Team Studio
5825 Triangle Drive
Raleigh, NC 27617


Techshop RDU
5900 Triangle Drive
Raleigh, NC 27617


 Feb 7th from 7-10 pm: New Studio

7-8 pm Finishing Quilting from the Linus Foundation: Come finish our quilts for the Linus Foundation blanket day on Feb 25th. I have 5 quilts that have been sewn together and simply need to be hand sewn at 4 inch intervals to complete them. You can also bring back any quilts you finished to put in loft and backs. We will be hanging out in the lobby of our new space and putting them together over coffee and dessert.

8-10 pm Making Origami Jewelry for Valentines: This week we will be making jewelry from the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. There are two really good books that cover this topic that I like which you can get off Amazon (the book cover pictures come from there). The first is more traditional paper jewelry making by Ayako Brodek and the second is the popular metal silver clay origami which is folded and then fired in a kiln by Sarah Cole. They will run you $10-15 each and are great investments for people into paper crafting. I will have lots of paper and jewelry findings available which have been donated so you can make your loved one something special for Valentines. Paper jewelry is often sprayed with a lacquer finish to give it strength in regular wear.
Cost: Free and Open to the Public 
Register on Skillshare: http://www.skillshare.com/Origami-Jewelry-Making-Class-for-Valentines/1009706890 

Feb 18th: Sock Monkey Making Class- Durham Scrap Exchange

For anyone who enjoyed out sock monkey making class in the fall, we will be having it again at the Durham Scrap Exchange this spring. You can check it out on their website here: http://www.scrapexchange.org/programs/classes.htm. Use EventBrite to register. There is a $10 cost which goes directly to support this wonderful institution.

Feb  21st from 7-10 pm: Techshop RDU Conference

7-8 pm: Clark Whittington with Artomat: I am really excited about this partnership with established graphic artist and designer out of Winston-Salem. He does vending art all around the country that allows local artists to reach people in everyday venues. Clark is a lot of fun and I hope this will help our artists gain more exposure in the marketplace. With over 700 artists, I feel we need to work on growing sales as a group. You can listen to him on youtube. I love this quirky fun concept and can't wait to part of it. Starting in April, 1 meeting a month will be for making art to feature in his machines. Hopefully this will help the group in many ways and be a great partnership for everyone.

8-10 pm: Using Bamboo As A Natural Wood to make Beer Mugs: Tonight we will be using the rotary turner on the laser to show people how to make cool, one of a kind products from naturally grown local bamboo donated by Mike Shaperio. Thank you Mike! Everyone is welcome to bring a design or lineart to put on their own bamboo pieces. We will also discuss other things you can make with bamboo such as rain sticks, planters, audio sound systems, vases, planters, etc. There is lots of bamboo that has been cut so please feel free to come and take some. All left-over bamboo will be available through the 28th for artists to come and get as much as you want. I can't wait to see what everyone makes.

Cost: Free and Open to the Public
Register on Skillshare: http://www.skillshare.com/Bamboo-Beermaking-Glasses/1954327458

Textile Friday: The Race For Convertible Footwear

              I love shoes. I mean REALLY love shoes. I've made some, probably will make more, but won't claim to be an expert. There's a lot that standard, and a lot that's open to interpretation and personal style. One of the quiet revolutions that people are fighting for in this down market since Sheila's Heels in 2005 (some would argue earlier) is convertible 2-in-1 (or more) shoes that can function as multiple looks or most popularly as both heels and flats. Ironically this trend came out of the car insurance industry to improve female driving behind the wheel. Go figure. There are a number of companies failing at this concept and 2 that I think are doing a great job out of Chicago and Germany.
              The latest failure is made by Night2Day which features 5 different heel heights for office to work. This is one of several companies that has tried to launch this idea in the last 2-3 years and while the funding levels vary, I remain skeptical of the viability of the overall project. Every woman loves the idea of being able to switch in and out of those killing high arches at will. The major problem I see at this point is referred to as the 1/2 inch rule that most actual cobblers use. This states that for every 1 inch of heel height a woman increases her foot, there is a corresponding 1/2 shrink in the foot sole print. That's why many women drop shoe sizes as the heel height increases, you need a snugger fit or the shoe will fall off. You'll also see your foot literally come out of the shoe if you do not have strap on top. I have yet to see any major shoe company peddling the flat'n'heels idea address this specific problem that a shoe sole needs to shrink with heel height to some extent to remain comfortable. Until that I will be passing up buying a pair for $150 on their website: http://www.convertible-heels.com/Day2Night.html. No offense to the lovely ladies involved.
              In case you think I'm doom in gloom here, there are several other companies that have successfully bridged the gap of offering multiple shoes for 1 price. Their success is awesome and worth talking about as they've taken unusual solutions and should be rewarded in my mind for their creativity, beauty, and inventiveness. It's also a testament to their hard work in the face of a graveyard of companies who have not been able to do what these handful have accomplished. Their prices are reasonable and often affordable for a fashionista.
              My first favorite is the local US company, Mohop. They're an amazing Chicago company that makes convertible sandals using CNC and computer modeling technology! I really can not say enough good things about this company. I love companies that are using their brains to make a difference. They use sustainable local woods to create bases that can be custom finished with bands of fabric woven into different patterns and colors across the foot. Best of all, when you get tired of one look, a few pulls or new fabric and voila...a new you is born. Check-out the youtube video for further drool factor. Yum, yum, yum....These average between $70-170 range with new colored strings and accessories being $3-10. A totally affordable, ecofriendly shoe! If I only had enough money to buy 1 pair of shoes this year...these would be it!

               The second major company is more urban hip hop than my taste (read great brand, but a little too young for me in my opinion). It's a Munich company called Nat-2 and they're currently winning a bunch of awards. Their product is fairly easy to understand in which they use zippers to allow you to attach different uppers to your shoe sole. You have probably already seen them in several popular movies such as Transformers, etc. Their current 4-in-1 shoe is my favorite.They're a little pricey, but not over the top. Check out their website. The Nat-2 is more versatile, but more prone to failure as zipper teeth fail more easily than static loops do.

                I could easily mention a couple other shoe companies that are riffing on this idea of the year, but I won't because I have yet to see any of them indicate they're actually going to be successful vs. these 2 are worth investing in. You're seeing a lot of this 1 object/ multiple ways to wear it this year and it's a lovely trend despite it's limitations. A great way to stretch your dollars further in this recovering economy. Donna Karen did an awesome little black dress of this for her Christmas 2011 Collection and it's simply amazing. We'll also discuss the 6 inch rule next Fri which is why objects like this despite their popularity during down economies often do not have staying power as the overall economy recovers. Mostly, it gets down to fit.
               
            

Textile Friday: Perspective: The Value of Age

             "Respect the old while searching for the new." -Morimoto (Iron Chef)


           I've been catching up on my New Year's resolution for reading and wanted to talk today not about the future, but the past. This is the hardest lesson I have had to learn as an adult. That I do not know it all. To be a good designer, you must know your tools. To be an extraordinary designer, you must know the past. Many people forget in the face of our rapid technological increases, the value of old wisdom. There's a lot of experience that living imparts that can not be replicated or stolen. A machine run according to a manual that does not assume failure results in a hunk of broken metal. Real expertise comes not from expecting a perfect system, but knowing all systems are opening to failure and allowing for it. The harder part comes in being willing to fix them. And having the knowledge to do so.
            A beginner sits at a sewing machine and sews for an hour only to think that they have mastered the concept by completing the class. An master knows that a pattern must be drafted, corrected, redrafted, cut, recut, ironed, sewn, ironed again, and finally tested. Many master crastmen do all of this with 40 years experience at a speed that is both humbling and mind-blowing. Really getting a skill is the work of years not minutes. Sketching a concept may be the work of minutes or an hour, it takes longer to create the real thing. Add to that raw materials must be bought and costs figured. Machines must be oiled and maintained. The final product must be tested in the marketplace. That's why real commercial patterns that have been tested over time have such value, because of all the built in failures of the master you are not required to make to reach their conclusions. Or why established design shop equipment is so valuable.
           You should respect a master craftsmen for the time and effort he has put into learning his craft. This is a real skill and this is why design shops consider skilled labor of all types to be preferential. Be warned, you will limit yourself if you allow this sense of accomplishment to get in the way of your common sense. Skill rests upon the value of your equipment.  And equipment can always be improved. Your hands, feet, mind, soul, and body are part of that equipment set.
           A wise man prizes his tools for this reason and has several sets at his disposal. He also knows that tools tend to, like skills, get better over time. Right now the price of robotics is going down significantly. In another 5 years it will likely be 3D pattern drafting. Watching the industry as a whole as seeing where it is going is important. And this is the second part of this proverb by one of my favorite chefs, that the new always exists right beyond our grasp ready to surprise, delight, and frustrate us with it's unguessed beauty. Thanks Morimoto.


Have a great weekend everyone. May you grow in wisdom and may your workshop find new tools in it soon.
           

Jan 10th: Linus Foundation from 7-10 pm

Location: Conference Room of Techshop RDU
               5905 Triangle Drive Raleigh, NC 27617
Time: 7-10 pm

Hey Everyone from the Acorn to Oak Handmade group, this coming week we will making quilts to donate to the Linus foundation for the children at Wake Med Hospital, Duke, and children of soldiers who need blankets during deployment. We will have lots of fabric and quilts in various sizes to finish. The three sizes we will be making are:

Baby 30" by 36"
Child 40" by 60"
Teen 45" by 72"

No prior experience is necessary. You are welcome to take home any quilts you do not finish and bring them back by Febuary 7th completed if you would like to finish extra details. We will be taking the first hour of that meeting to handsew together any remaining quilts that need it. We will be monogramming the names of everyone who works on each quilt in the bottom before giving them to Susie Holmes so the kids can know who gave them this gift. We will be focusing on making the larger blankets, specifically for boys and teens with cars, animals, and other applique motifs.

Please feel free to bring a portable sewing machine from home if you have one. We will be doing 2 primary things during the event.

1. Hand-sewing some of the blankets that have already been cut and sewn at 4 inch intervals so the blankets will hold up to repeated washing. This is important for parents and hospitals who have sick children, the blankets need regular care.
2. Taking fabric that has been pre-cut and making it into blocks that we can sew together into children's blankets. Given the huge need for boy's blankets, I will be trying to focus on things like xbox controllers, popular sports, videogames, travel, etc.

A warm thanks in advance to everyone who participates. We are accepting extra fabric/yarn or batting donations for anyone who would like bring their extra stashes from home.

Check out the local chapter website here: http://projectlinusraleigh.blogspot.com/

New Year, New Fun

Welcome back from the holidays, we are happy to be starting a new year. We will be continuing our textile Fridays and working to start a Acorn to Oak Handmade Posts on Mondays to invite you to come to the upcoming event on the following Tuesday nights. This hopefully will give everyone time to make plans, blog, and invite friends. In addition, we will be finishing up our 30 days of design for the winter and starting on spring. I hope that you will enjoy the concepts before you and look forward to seeing where everything leads.