New Logo for RickRack Upcycled

I've been wanting to update my logo for a while and head towards

 a little re-branding as I tweak my business a bit, hopefully having a line of ready-made but still sustainable clothing.

 I'm using the first image for my business cards and

the second one for tags.I'm liking them a lot.

Refashion Co-op: Refashioned Miniskirt to Bag by RickRack Upcycled

I found this miniskirt that reminded me so much of my teenaged wardrobe. I'm no longer a miniskirt wearer, but I wanted to do something with this. I started with the skirt, a belt and some scrap from a knit shirt.

 

It needed something more and so I printed it with a linoleum  block that I had previously cut and added circles cut from my scrap piece as applique. It needed a bit more color which I supplied with a new ribbon for the lacing. Then it was just a matter of turning it inside out and cutting the shape to where I liked it. A bit of stitching and I had my bag. I eventually lined it as well to make a nicer finish. And very cool, 4 outside pockets!

Happy inventing, Suzanne

The Fall round-up of events is just beginning. I'll be presenting at River Tree Arts' PechaKucha. Very excited to be discussing upcycling with a new audience

My oldest son is a fashion guy. Great style all his life. Recently he and his girlfriend were off to a wedding and he wanted a new jacket. He asked if I might give it a try. Men's clothing is not my refashion standard by any means. He had some specifics, double vent back, fitted, dressy... and so I found a jacket just a bit too big for him and here is the result of my efforts.The collar became the cross piece and so to cover the interfacing around the neck, I used all the scrap.Not a single piece of fabric left. I'm pretty proud of that.

Why I've been Blogging less

Okay, so I'm not the world's best blogger. It's no secret.
But this time I have a very good excuse. I had my thumb joint rebuilt in September:. Apparently my days as a felter left my hands in a state of ruin. I was told you shouldn't squeeze out 30 pounds of wet wool with your hands. Who knew?

These are Gelatin prints made with actual gelatin. It's a cool process. You make extra solid gelatin about 3/4 to an inch thick. Pop it out of the pan. Ink it and put leaves, string or any flat object on it. Then place your paper face down and smooth out with your hands. I was able to do it with just one hand. I used both paper and cloth with acrylic paint.

And felt...

 It's all big deal for someone who makes things every day. Writing has been difficult both physically and emotionally. I knew this would take time and didn't want to post until I was feeling a bit more calm. Well, I have a cast until December and it's making me crazy! There's no fear for my recovery. I trust the whole process and have a great doctor. The question is whether I can stay steady without my work and with way too much empty time. I can only read articles about better blogging for just so long.
  So I'm exhibiting the evil cast for you and then I'm going to show you what I've managed to make despite it all and finally maybe a pic or two of the felt that started me on this path. at least I can say I wrote in my blog
 

Pecha Kucha
This is a Pecha Kucha presentation I did last year about upcycling. A little embarassing for me. I hate the video thing, Still, it was my first real presentation ever.

Pecha Kucha's are a 20 slide/ 20seconds a slide way to tell what creative thing you do. They are amazingly fun to watch. Lots of fascinating speakers and some not as fascinating, but as you are told in the beginning of each one" We're all able to withstand 6 minutes and 40 seconds of something that doesn't interest us, especially when the next one might be our favorite".
Hope you find a Pecha Kucha near you.

Pechakucha portland,me feb 2011 Suzanne Parrott

We celebrated our last First Friday Artwalk of the Summer and bid farewell to Monument Square for another year. No doubt, June will be here too soon and the mad dash will resume. The Flash Fashion shows for 2012 have been received again with great enthusiasm and support. And once again I have had a wonderful group of models. Many, many thanks to them all.

Elizabeth Dye: Can rick-rack be high fashion?

Elizabeth Dye: Can rick-rack be high fashion?: Yes, these are the things I ruminate about. I love rick-rack's Frenchy, jaunty zigzags, but it does have a little bit of that homespun, cuti...

Last time for this Summer.

 Don't miss it !! 

 (or you'll have to wait til next June)

But.

 do watch for Winter shows in the meantime