Vendor Profile #11 : Little Love Birds

 Tell us about your creative work and what we can expect to see at Handmade Hamilton. 

I take vintage and thrifted fabrics and notions (buttons, trim etc) and turn them into timeless children’s goods. This year I will be bringing children’s coats made from classic wool blankets, holiday and cozy winter outfits made from reclaimed fabrics, and vintage inspired jumpers, pants and vests made from 100% wool suiting materials sourced from antique vendors and tailors. 

What does your creative process look like?

I spend a lot of time searching vintage/thrift stores and Etsy for vintage children’s patterns to get inspiration .  Then I let my fabric finds and the seasons dictate where I go from there. In the summer I had light floral dresses, bloomers and reversible rompers. For the fall I transformed vintage flannel and wool blankets into cozy bonnets, pants, and coats. Currently I’m creating holiday dresses with accents of vintage lace, and wool separates from a cache of suiting materials that were reclaimed from a tailor. I do all my sewing on industrial machines in my home studio while my 3 kids (aged 4.5, 2 and 2) are sleeping.

What inspires you to create the work that you do?

As a lover of all things vintage I’ve always been inspired by the well made, tailored pieces that stand the test of time. I want to create heirloom clothing that will be passed on to friends and family members for ages. By using reclaimed fabrics we can divert textile waste from landfills as well as reduce the heavy burden that creating new textiles have on the environment. 

What are some of your favourite podcasts or music to listen to when you create?

I find podcasts and most music too distracting to listen to while working, so I will often have Netflix playing in the background. Usually something that I’ve watched a million times, like The Office or Star Trek. 

What are your favourite books?

I’m a big fan of classic science fiction and fantasy novels like Dune, but since I have 3 small children at home I’m currently reading a lot of Dr. Seuss.

What are your favourite films?

I love campy classic movies and musicals. White Christmas and Meet Me in St. Louis are in heavy rotation right now!

Do you have a quote that keeps you going when you get discouraged?

My favourite quote is a lyric from Astrud Gilberto’s classic Samba hit Stay: “For time is running, take everything life can give you. You know it's there so take it, even fake it 'til it comes true.”

If you have any advice for any emerging artisans what would it be?

Soak up every piece of advice you can, don’t let your ego get in your own way, plan for your successes, and take your failures in stride.

www.littlelovebirds.ca

www.instagram.com/littlelovebirdsCA

www.facebook.com/littlelovebirdsCA

Vendor Profile #13 - Pikelet Workshop

Pikelet Workshop

Tell us about your work and what we can expect to see at this years Handmade Hamilton?

I design and create one of a kind plush characters, children's accessories and decor items. I also make sewing kits and teach kids to sew throughout the summer. As an Australian living in Canada I hope to bring my unique sense of design and colour to a new audience. 

I will be bringing a range of toys to the show, some Christmas ornaments and my DIY ornament sewing kits. My best selling Tooth Fairy Poppet will certainly be coming along too.

What does your process look like?

I start with a sketch and then turn an illustration into a paper pattern. Sometimes the pattern turns out perfectly and other times it needs tweaking. Then I spend a ridiculous amount of time sifting through my fabric to find just the right combination for each particular character. 

I spend a lot of time making custom dolls for people including Elvis, scuba divers and the main characters from Murdoch Mysteries. I really love working with people to bring an idea to life. The entire cutting, stitching and finishing process is done by me in my workshop at home, often supervised by a couple of naughty black cats and my 11 year old daughter.  She is also a pretty good product tester, when her eyes light up I know I am on to something.

What are your inspirations?

My IPod is my best friend (apologies husband). I have two classic IPods full of so many things, mostly audiobooks (shout out to Audible.com for the best money I spend each month) and podcasts. So many.

I'll list a few faves which cover the variety I listen to.

The Broad Experience - a great feminist podcast about women in the workplace but it just applies to life as a woman in general. 

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History - hours and hours and hours of historical battles. Amazing stuff.

Dear Handmade Life - great interviews and chat about small creative business life. These girls also host the Craftcation conference in California each year and I'm super excited that a bunch of us gals from Makeology are going next Spring. California and Craft!!

Stuff You Should Know - just the best podcast by a couple of adorable guys, we've seen them live and love them. 

Kermode and Mayo's Film Review - a BBC show about film. The critic is super geeky about film and they are also pretty funny. They bicker like and old married couple.

Sword and Scale - a true crime podcast. Warning, this is not for the faint hearted. Some episodes are very graphic.

The Infinite Monkey Cage - a great British science podcast. Funny and super informative with lots of interesting guests.

WTF with Marc Maron - comedian who shoots the breeze with all sorts of people. His Obama chat is a must listen.

And probably 20 more. There are lots of little niche comedy podcasts I like and more science and history ones and loads of crafty ones. 

It's a problem, but I never have time to read anymore so this keeps my brain active. 

Vendor Profile: Laura Konyndyk

Hi! I'm Laura, and I'm an illustrator based in Hamilton. My work is inspired by many things: woodland creatures, nature, word play, the city I live in, people, sweaters, scarves, children's books, and fabrics! (It's a list that's always growing.) 

I've just launched a line of cards and am often busy dreaming about the next print I'm going to make. Over the last few years my style has been informed by my growing love for watercolour--a medium that invites me to embrace happy accidents and experiment with fresh colour combinations. I feel very lucky to be a part of Hamilton's vibrant arts community and I'm excited to continue honing my artistic voice as I create and sell paper goods!

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LauraKonyndyk

Vendor Profile: Delia Lane

I've been sewing and selling online for five years, mostly cute vintage-style things.  I have a heart for vintage fabric, which I source anywhere and everywhere. I love the thrill of the hunt for the perfect materials for a project. I've recently picked up hand-embroidery and have enjoyed creating my own patterns there too. You can find my work at delialane.etsy.com and on Instagram under the handle @shopsewrobyn. I'm very excited to participate in this event with so many other talented artists!

delialane.etsy.com