rennes

nesting pockets

2012-01-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've been trying out some new ideas the past couple of days. First up are these Nesting Pouches. They are available as a set or separately, though you do save a teeny bit if you buy them together. I remember over the holidays a few people asking me if I had any pouch sets, and then I got to thinking now (a bit late) that it would be a pretty cool idea. They are unlined so perhaps a bit more affordable. Right now they are just available in the black/brown combo, though I'll be adding some natural/black ones as well in the next week.

Needless to say, I also have a dress I made on Monday that I am pretty excited about. I'm trying to decide whether to save it for spring or make them now. Oh decisions, decisions.

2012-01-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to wake up this morning to a little bit of snow on the ground. We had an inch about a week ago, but it lasted all of two hours and then was gone. This morning we have 2-3 inches, hopefully it will at least last the day. I know I know, I should be happy to have a mild winter, but I do love a good snow storm. Also, above : the last two dresses being shipped off today, a Christmas present (I've wanted a small bottle of Philosykos forever), and a re-organized bedroom that could be an ikea ad.

+++

Do you guys have trouble getting ideas? Do you ever feel a bit stuck? I have such an awful time with ideas. At first I kept pushing myself to have new things for the winter. I thought I had ideas, but now time has come and gone, and I must move onto thinking about spring. The truth is a I'm a bit baffled about bags. As I've developed as a designer (if I may be so bold to use that term) naturally I've been working on new skills, getting better at sewing, etc. And it's nice to hold up something you made three years ago and cringe at how badly it's made. I like being able to be critical.

I enjoy making certain bags so much, but in reality I know they aren't the pieces that sell well. So it's become a bit unclear to me where to focus my energy. I might end up working on more clothing for spring than bags, but I'm not sure yet. So I'll just throw this out there, what would you like to see more of?

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

I think we need to stop and talk about Gary Oldman for a second. He's my favorite actor. I can't remember the first movie I saw him in - I know I was probably ten or twelve at the time - so maybe it was Air Force One or Leon The Professional? But damn, this man can do everything. Actors, Hollywood, and all that stuff - I don't really understand celebrity hype, but this man is actually really talented. He's even got steam punk glasses in his jacket pocket. If you're interested, you can see the whole Prada show here. Between watching many WWII & Cold War documentary's and Downton Abbey, I can't help but be reminded of it all when I saw the f/w collection.

2012-01-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

I think he'd be a pretty good president of South Carolina. Just saying. I can't wait until more of these ads come out.

2012-01-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

All the sweaters I've knitted no longer fit in my dresser. So either I'll have to stop knitting or, these sweaters must find new homes! Since it's unlikely that I'll stop knitting, I've posted the first of many (along with a few other things) here.

2012-01-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Making room for new things! Three of the market totes are on sale in the shop now! And one of the back packs too!

Happy weekend!

2012-01-12T06:38:00.000-08:00

I promise not to get in the habit of using these photos all the time. It was nice the other morning to wake up to a little bit of snow on our street - unfortunately it melted right away. This winter is so different from last; in my mind I had prepared for another winter of heavy snowfall and was kind of looking forward to it! In some ways.

2012-01-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

Over the past month I've been trying something new : I've stopped carrying a bag around. Granted I don't need to carry books to school or bring a lunch to work, but when I do go out I've made it a point to go without anything I don't need. Of course, having a winter coat helps with all the pockets, but I like not having that extra weight on my shoulders. Right now I only bring my keys, a tiny card wallet, and my phone. I suppose I've gotten a bit lazy about bringing my camera around because of the lack of a bag, but my phone has, during these cold months, become a good substitute for this. If you'd like, you can follow me at @renneshandmade on instagram. I promise you there will be a lot of pictures of my bird.

1/ One of my favorite spots in Boston, a courtyard in the Boston Public Library.
2/ Muninseok Figures, 17th century at the Peabody Essex Museum.
3/ Playing Chess at Cafe Algiers in Harvard Sq with Orange Mint Hot Chocolate.
4/ Sewing orders last week.
5/ Cocoa hanging out.
6/ New Calendar in our kitchen.

2012-01-06T10:30:00.001-08:00

These two pieces from Pip-Squeak Chapeau are the only things that I haven't been able to shake from my head this winter. I think the dress may have even appeared in my dream last night - that's when I know I'm obsessed with something. (This has always been true with me).

As you might have noticed I've not been keeping up on here as much as usual! In truth I've been running around doing so many things I've barely spent time on the computer. In fact I really should be sewing right now but wanted to stop in and say hi. One exciting thing that's happened is I now have some pouches for sale at Aviary in Jamaica Plain, which is literally around the corner from my house. It's a cute gallery, you should stop in and check it out sometime! I also just sent more totes to Steven Alan in Brooklyn and the one in Venice, CA. Now I just have to catch up on orders from over the holidays...

happy new year

2012-01-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Hope you are all having a super start to January. I've been spending a lot of time over the past two weeks reflecting on all sorts of things, and feel all the better for it. One thing I've enjoyed is going through all my CD's - something I haven't done in a few years. Do you remember Kula Shaker? I used to listen to them all the time. I'm so happy I found their CD's again! They're a little bit different from the other brit pop bands of the time, but I like that.

2011-12-21T13:24:00.001-08:00

I love these calendars over at Anaise. It reminds me of my Sunken Treasure one that I have framed in our living room. It makes me think I have a thing for calendars with moon phases on them.

On a random note, have you guys seen the movie Hugo? I just saw it last week and I'm in love. Everything from the setting, the adorable actor who plays Hugo, the Jules Verne references, and the Melies films - it was just perfect. I can't wait to see it again.

2011-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

I know, lame. Posting the same pictures from a few months ago. For some reason I keep coming back to them.

I can't believe New Years and Christmas are around the corner. Times flies, I'm not really sure where December went. Lately I've been thinking about stuff and our accumulation of stuff, which is why we're not really doing gifts this year. We're doing small little stocking stuffers for fun, and we'll do some cookie giving and eating for certain. I've been practicing 'not wanting', which has been hard for me. I suppose I'm trying to be more like an adult and save for bigger and better things (more on that in a moment) but more over realize my constant purchasing of materials for making objects makes me want less. Does that make any sense?

On top of that I got hit hard with a case of "I went and looked at a little cottage around the corner from our house this weekend and now all I can do is think about making it ours." Suddenly everything else that I thought I needed in my life has been pushed from my mind. (Like a new printer, bed, table, and coat). We had initially thought the price difference would be justified by the larger amount of space for me to work in, alas it's a bit tinier than hoped, but probably the cutest house I've ever seen in Boston. For now the house is just for rent, but I sensed the owner could be interested in selling it in the future, so of course I have my hopes up. I'm really crossing my fingers on this one. Over the past few months I think I've realized a cozy home is one of the most important things to me.

letting go of clothes and shoes, also known as a yard sale update

2011-12-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I'm a bit obsessed with clothes. Like many of you I love a lot of things, but sometimes I need to have a bit of a reality check and learn when it's time to let go. This is the first time I've really made myself edit down things I love and have trouble letting go of. I still really love all these things, (for me clothes seem to have this emotional component I can't ignore) but they haven't made it into circulation in the past 3 months, so to new homes they go! There are also some bags, clothes, etc., that I've made, so you can check those out too! Available here. I'll also be listing some of them on laws of general economy too.

2011-12-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

2011-12-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

These are not my pictures. They are Caitlin's pictures from her trip to Iceland!

I'm sitting on a list of all the amazing things I've come across lately, things long overdue for sharing. These pictures are from Caitlin's recent trip to Scandinavia. Doesn't it look amazing? I've never been but really hope to someday. Actually I've been to the Reykjavik airport for about about six hours, and that was pretty amazing as far as airports go, so I bet Iceland as a whole is even better. Anyways, you can see more of her photos here!

There's something really special about traveling. Refreshing your mind, seeing new things, and then coming home feeling much more settled than when you left. Then again, I always come home convinced that I need to move to the place I just visited!

shop's open!

2011-12-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

The shop's back open with lots of new things! Go and check it out here!

A note one shipping: Most things are in stock and ready to ship. At this point I can't guarantee any delivery dates -sorry! I will try to ship things out as fast as possible! Email me prior to placing an order if you want to switch from Priority shipping to Express overnight shipping. Thank you!

2011-12-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

Hello! We just got back from our trip and apparently the only pictures I took were at the Cloisters. Go figure, I'm a sucker for this stuff. Have you been to this Museum? I really love it. The gardens are quite nice, even in December lots of plants were growing.

While we were there we got to see the Lewis Chessmen, a group of Chess figurines on loan from the British Museum. I'm kind of obsessed with them now, wish I had bought the T-Shirt. The image above is from the Met website, but if you google them you can see all the other ones. The carvings on them are amazing! And their little faces have so much character too.

I got this awesome hat from Annie at the sale! It's so warm! The whole hat is pretty awesome, but the pom-pom is particularly awesome.

I bought some tea with Erica at Dean and Delucas. (Does this count as taking a picture of my food, haha?!) It tastes really good. I'm going to go have a cup right now.

Thanks so much for everyone who came to the sale, it was so fun! Ellen, Ilana, and Alexandra did such a great job making it come together and I was so happy to be a part of it! There will be a big shop update tonight or tomorrow, so stay tuned!

come to the holiday sale this saturday!

2011-12-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

And more available at the sale on Saturday! Been sewing until midnight this past week to get everything ready in time. I don't think I've worked so many non-stop hours for a long time. I'm definitely looking forward to taking some time off from sewing this weekend: the times I've stepped out of the house the past few days have been to go buy orange juice...and pizza. And if you don't live near by, no worries! I'll be adding most of the items above to the shop when I get back. Have a super weekend!

2011-12-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

My branding iron arrived! I'm so excited! A little while ago I mentioned trying to locate a hot stamp machine, but in reality a branding iron was a better choice for my needs. At first I was a little scared to use it because I can be a klutz, but after a while I got the hang of it.

Over time I've had trouble sticking with one font that works online, in person, and on bags & pouches. I know it's good to be consistent, but I'm bad at that because I like too many things. For the iron, I wanted something sleek and clean. I remembered a font Yoshie made a few years ago and decided it would be perfect for the job. It's fun to give things that personal touch! It's like knowing the farmer who grows your vegetables or the spinner who spins your wool, and in this case, the font maker who makes the font.

2011-12-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

I came across Steve Ricks a little while ago via a "tweet" from Rick Steves. Yes, I follow Rick Steves on twitter. What else is twitter for? Hope you enjoy laughing at them as much as I did.

P.S. The Handmade Holiday shop opened today! Check it out!

holiday sale in nyc!

2011-11-29T13:33:00.000-08:00

When I look at this flyer and see Rennes listed I have to do a double take because I'm not sure I'm reading it right! Could my little business really be included with these other amazing people? Anyways, it's really exciting to be a part of this sale happening on Saturday December 10th! Please come stop by and check it out if you're in the area. Over the next week I'll show some items I'll have there. I better start working over time to get ready! There's also a facebook page for the event, but I can't view it because I don't have the facebook, but maybe you do!

2011-11-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a super Thanksgiving, or, for the rest of the world, a wonderful weekend. Sorry I haven't had as much time to post lately - even more lacking is my lack of response to your comments. Please know I appreciate every single note you leave, and I hope to respond to them soon. That's also true with emails as well, I just seem to be behind on everything lately. As I tell my friends, I'm just bad at the internet.

We went to my parents house for the holiday, which was really nice. I forget sometimes how nice it is to have your parents cook for you - something I miss quite a bit. I think I ate about as much stuffing and cranberry sauce as humanly possible. But that's a good thing, no?

I got to go to Webs to stock up on yarn again, lord knows you can never have too much yarn. This time I bought a lot of yarn with intentions of trying to make a few sweaters for the shop. I have no idea if this new idea of mine will happen or not, but it's always fun trying new things. Right now I'm obsessed with split hemlines that extend further in the back, so I hope to make a few like that.

I've also been sewing up a storm getting ready for an event in New York that will be taking place second weekend in December - more on that soon, and perhaps some sneak peaks of what I'll have there. My goal is to have a wide variety of items, and many under $50 which would be good gifts. I'll let you know more soon!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2011-11-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

For today and tomorrow only, please enter "pumpkin" to receive 20% off your order in the shop! Please note that most things are made to order, so there will be about a 2-3 week turnover time before your item ships out. Pouches I usually try to ship out in 1-2 weeks. All items purchased with the discount are final sale. Happy Thanksgiving! Well, I'm one day late on that, but Happy Thanksgiving all the same!

Update: I'm extending this coupon until the end of the day on Monday! Enjoy!

P.S. This is not my hand-turkey.

2011-11-23T06:30:00.001-08:00

I'm really excited to tell you about a the Handmade Holiday pop-up shop! The shop is open for preview right now and all items will be available to purchase from December 1-7, with free shipping! There are so many lovely items from so many lovely makers that I'm sure you'll be able to find something for you and your loved ones!

Lalibela

2011-11-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Until a week ago I had never heard of Lalibela, a town in Ethiopia that contains approximately a dozen monolithic churches carved in the 12th and 13th centuries. I've read about places like Petra and Cappadocia, but haven't seen something quite like Lalibela where the the rock-hewn structures are carved down into the ground. From what I understand, the layout of the complex mimics a miniature Jerusalem. Though the Churches were built on a mountain ridge, due to an underground spring originating at the base of another mountain, engineers were able to channel the water source into wells by the churches.

jackets, jackets

2011-11-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

On the way back from the North Shore the other night we stopped at a mall. I haven't been to a mall in so long! It was kind of overwhelming! We parked outside of a Sears, and then as I was walking through I saw the Land's End Canvas line. The jacket above was my favorite - actually just what I've been looking for in terms of an in between seasons piece that I can layer sweaters under. I said I'd think about it, and then I came home and saw it was half off online, and then found an additional 25% off coupon with free shipping. It's funny these days how all my shopping is done online because I know somewhere out there there's a discount code or coupon. I kind of feel bad for stores because of this, but when it comes to saving more than half of the retail cost of the item, it's kind of worth it. I think I'd feel bad using the same mentality for small shops though.

2011-11-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

I feel relieved and settled.

After a day of reflecting I realized I wanted to expand on this. First I'll add that this post was cut short due to our desktop computer breaking. Luckily I live with a computer genius, and now all computer related activities can commence as usual.

Second, all the above pictures we took at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA. I don't know why I didn't mention this before, probably because I've taken and posted so many pictures from there that it seemed redundant. But, it's such a beautiful place that I can help returning there time and again. I've also been enjoying wearing my new sweater from Hetterson, thanks to another pretty awesome trade with Hannah - she even sent me a book on knitting machines - how cool is that? Now I don't have to email her every few days saying - "now wait, how do I do that?"

Third, I want to apologize for being vague lately. Lately I've adopted the motto "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all," otherwise I know I'd be complaining left and right, so most of the time I try to be positive. A little over three years ago I was diagnosed with an extremely rare type of posterior Uveitis. Uveitis causes inflammation of the retna and choroid, and is believed to be caused by an auto immune disorder. Uveitis causes blurred vision, flashes of light, and punched out blind areas. These blind areas don't usually go away once they are there and damage is permanent. (If you go to Pub Med or Wikipedia or anything don't look at the pictures of inflamed eyes - I don't have anything like that - it's all internal.) Since there isn't a cure for Uveitis, patients are often treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and immune suppressants. I've been on both, with limited success. There are good days and there are bad days, but all and all it's a rather annoying thing to have, and I often become frustrated with myself. There are discussions going on about the risk vs. benefits of the medications I've been on, and at the end of the day I don't know what the right decisions are. Right now in many ways I'm lucky because I haven't had a flare up in my direct central vision, thought it's come close. I've also had some other medical things going on in the background that may or may not be related, so lately I've become quite the hypochondriac - but with good reason I think.

We've also spent the last few weeks thinking about my Mom's surgery. Luckily it went well (thank you so much to everyone for your good wishes on that front!) and she is home resting up and getting better. I'm glad that I was able to take the time off last week and be in the hospital. I'm a bit behind on things now, but hopefully will catch up this week. I'm really excited about a few things coming up in December, and can't wait to share those with you. The shop is closed for the time being, hopefully I'll open it again in a little bit.

and the winner is....

2011-11-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

And the winner to the Cursive Design Giveaway from last week is....drum roll.....

Lucky number 17, Angela Barnes! Congrats Angela!

Thanks so much everyone for your lovely comments, we enjoyed reading through them very much! Have a lovely week! xo

shop update

2011-11-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Because I like trying to be Yoshie, here's a small shop update. Two Market totes in Caramel and Deep Blue, one Siduri Backpack in Deep Blue, and one Mini Duffle in Black. What? Julia!? You're being lazy and using the same color scheme and backdrop? Yes, I am. Hey, but at least they match! Expect new exciting color schemes and backdrops coming in December! The main pity with these photos is that they have since torn up the old grey pavement and covered it in new black pavement. And I don't have the mad skills to photoshop it out. You can also just tell it's colder out, or maybe that was just me shivering.

N.B. A note on the caramel leather: this leather is very distressed and has many natural scar marks apparent throughout. While you can't see them from a distance, they are visible up close. I for one like the distressed look, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Just wanted to let you know.

new totes

2011-11-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

images from metrode.

I just sent a new tote style to Caitlin at Metrode and she just put them in her shop! Caitlin contacted me a little while back about doing some unlined totes for her shop and this is what we came up with. They are available in marble grey, espresso, and black. Check it out!

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

image from beatrice valenzuela.

And now for something completely different : shoes. Besides that coat (which I've decided not to get, I'm going to try to make a new coat instead) the only thing I've been thinking about purchase wise are these shoes from Beatrice Valenzuela. This blue is amazing. I know they wouldn't be practical for the New England winter, but they do have a rubber sole unlike most of my other shoes. They're also a little on sale now at Creatures of Comfort but they blue pair they've photographed looks a bit more on the purple side, but maybe it's just my monitor. Decisions, decisions.

2011-11-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

things i'm grateful & hopeful for:

+ having the most caring, amazing, kind, and giving guy who is there for me through ups and downs.

+ having a lot of time with my mom before her brain surgery next week.

+ having friends who love me unconditionally even if i'm slow to answer phone calls, make plans, and talk.

+ having an eye doctor who will help me find a plan C, D, E, and F when plans A and B haven't worked.

+ having amazing opportunities open up for me that three years ago I would have never thought possible.

+ having the friendship of other makers here.

While this fall has been the most challenging I have experienced, thank you friends, you make all of this so worth it.

2011-11-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

images from quiet hare blog.

I love these slippers that Natalie has been knitting! They look so warm and fuzzy, perfect for cuddling up with a good book and a warm fire!

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Since the temperature has dropped so much in the past few weeks my new Primoeza sweater has become my best friend! The wool is plenty warm enough to wear without a coat. Thank you Elizabeth!

On our walk through the Arboretum this weekend we saw lots of interesting little berries. I was surprised by the purple ones because of their unusual color. The color is even a little bit more vibrant in real life, kind of reminded me of purple Nerds on a tree. Oh, and it snowed! How crazy is that? I guess winter is here!

a happy halloween giveaway with cursive design

2011-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm really excited to host my first giveaway today with Sarah from Cursive Design! I first met Sarah at the Renegade Fair in Brooklyn in 2010, we were booth neighbors and had such a fun time hanging out there. Sarah has a really great eye for color and you can see it in all her pieces! In August she contacted me about sourcing leather and whether I had any smaller pieces I was no longer using; I was over the moon about this idea because I have so much leather left after cutting out bags - pieces that would be perfect for jewelry! So I packed up a box of leather and am excited to see what Sarah came up with! The first piece in the collection to feature recycled leather is the Compass Necklace (seen above).

Sarah would like to give away one of her Compass Necklaces from her new fall collection! How rad is that? The winner gets to pick from one of the above colors : blue, peach, and ombre. Just leave a comment to this post with your email address and also what your favorite piece is from her new collection. The giveaway is open to international readers as well so everyone is welcome to enter! A winner will be selected randomly next Monday. Good Luck and Happy Halloween!!

Update: And the winner to the Cursive Design Giveaway from last week is....drum roll.....

Lucky number 17, Angela Barnes! Congrats Angela!

Thanks so much everyone for your lovely comments, we enjoyed reading through them very much! Have a lovely week! xo

2011-10-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

images from worthwhile.

Coats. I know, I'm going to talk about coats - again, but at least it's been a year. So, major bummer. When the cold front moved in over the past few days I found out something that I had been dreading, because I knew it would be true. The APC coat is tight. I can wear it without a sweater underneath okay, but with a sweater? Forget it. Like almost ALL the woven items I own, nothing fits me right now. The days of extra smalls and smalls are long gone, I have graduated to a medium. I hope that in time, my body will go back to normal post-medications; but, that seems unlikely for right now, and since I don't want to sit and pout about the way things are, I might as well take everything in stride.

Case in point : the Isabel Marant Xabi Coat. (Above images from Worthwhile). I tried it on over the weekend and I like the idea of it, but the person who I love to drag in stores informed me it was too slouchy and shapeless. I usually listen to him, but in this case I'm not sure. Right now all I want are slouchy clothes. I love the look of these coats on everyone else, but I'm thinking maybe I'm too short to pull it off. The fabric seems like it's well made (mostly wool and alpaca with only a teeny bit of poly, which is better than the duffle coat) and it seems like it would be warm with plenty of room for layering. For now I'm holding back, and keeping up with the "not buying unnecessary clothing" (something I instituted for myself at the end of the summer - so far so good!). Still, it would be good to have a better coat option for the winter.

2011-10-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

1. Oh hello new couch. I seriously don't want to get off this couch. Also, a nice ceramic lamp from Target and button pillows from Kim. 2. Just picked up a loaf of bread from my favorite bakery around the corner. Yum! 3. Bracelets and necklaces from Stephanie, been wearing them since they arrived. 4. Fabric, piles (and rolls) of fabric. 5. In a little bit I'll be moving my studio into a different room that's a bigger and has more sunlight. 6. Backpacks getting made and ready to be shipped off.

2011-10-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

All we are, is dust in the wind dudes. I think I've watched this movie about five times in the past month, so good!

Working on a lot of exciting things this week. I mentioned that I'd have the shop updated today, but I think for now I'm going to wait until I catch up on some other work. In the meantime, I highly recommend you watch the above movie; it is, most excellent.

2011-10-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I just dropped off a ton of stuff at Nomad in Cambridge (right over the river from Boston for those who may not be familiar with our geography!). I'm excited to have a shop carry some of the duffle bags, they are my favorite bag I've ever made, and each time I look at them I realize how much my sewing has improved since three years ago. I was going through some things in storage the other day and came across one of the first bags I made - an "oxford bag" - but I doubt anyone who reads this now would even remember that! And if you don't, don't go looking for it because I'm ashamed to say I made them! But I think it's a good perspective to have - and plus, we all have to start somewhere.

For those who may be in the area and interested in, Nomad has one large duffle in black, two mini duffles in denim and dinosaur taupe, one backpack in black, two market totes in black and cognac, a new market tote-ish style, 8" pouches, and quite a few 6.5" pen sized pouches - a new size! Oh, and do you see that peachy-pulp color above? It's the best leather ever. When I first saw this leather I thought of the Dieppa shoes I purchased last spring. I had to sell them because the rise in the back was too high for my ankle bones, and have been mourning the loss ever since. Luckily now I have two lambskins hides, which I will call pulp in honor of my favorite shoes I couldn't have, and my favorite band. All these new pouches will also be in my shop this upcoming Monday.

I just got a few new hides in the mail today, including this light grey one. It looks like granite and marble, and has a handle almost reminiscent of paper. Not too thick, not too thin, but just right and it will wear beautifully. I have a feeling I'm going to wish I could get my hands on more than just two hides of it. I also received two hides in navy and plum - both pull-up hides with a waxy finish.

I also got some samples. I can barely pick the ones I want because I love them all. The turquoise on the bottom is a must. What do you think?

2011-10-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Rainy days always make me think of the Tindersticks. I was lucky enough to see them live a few years ago and it was a perfect show. I don't usually pay much attention to voices, but the lead singer, Stuart Staples, has such a good voice.

On the same note, I'm sorry for all the music posts lately! I suppose I'm listening to a lot of music right now to pass the time while working. I'm trying to get a lot done and sometimes I fall short of what I set out to do - I suppose it's a lesson in learning that I'm human and can only do so much - even though I want to do so much more. This season, instead of aiming for a f/w collection, I'm thinking of doing a small winter/holiday collection. Ideally I would love to wait and do a shoot in a big snowstorm, but it's hard to get the timing right with that kind of thing!

2011-10-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

This sweater from All Knitwear is all kinds of fun - it is currently my dream to trick-or-treat in this sweater. Gosh, Halloween is right around the corner and I didn't even realize it!

2011-10-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

A walk in the woods this weekend in CT. Seems like they've already lost most of their leaves, ours have barely started to fall off the trees in Boston.

This week is going to be productive, I can feel it in my bones!

2011-10-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

2011-10-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Good morning. Things have been quiet around here the past week. We had a nice holiday weekend and got to do some hiking and kayaking - I seem to be on a bit of an outdoors kick lately, but knowing me, we'll see how long that lasts.

Our new couch was delivered yesterday, and we spent last night assembling it. We decided to go with the Kivik sofa & chaise after all. We haven't quite got it in the right place in our living room yet (not enough time to reshuffle everything yet) but it already feels so much homier to have a real couch.

Also, just a quick note, I'm behind on my emails. I'm sorry if I've haven't gotten back to you yet - there have been some things that have put work on the back burner, but hopefully in the next week or so things will be back on track. Maybe it's just me, but then again, isn't there something about fall that makes you want to hibernate inside with a cup of tea, knitting, and a good book? Speaking of books, does anyone have any goods books they've read recently? I seem to get stuck in a rut and read lots of historical fiction, but would like to branch out!

rolled hem sweater [&] pattern!

2011-10-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all your encouraging comments about the sweater - here is the finished product! While I hadn't started with the idea of making such a cropped sweater, that's what ended up happening! I usually steer clear away from most cropped things because high-waisted anything is not a look I can pull off. But I'm starting to think I like the look of baggy cropped sweaters - is that weird? They seem really layerable. I ended up doing both a ribbed and rolled neckline (ribbed to give it a little more height and rolled on top of that because that's what I really wanted in the first place. The one thing I'm really bummed about is the armscye. When ever I knit anything I get a really baggy armpit and it drives me crazy. I suppose I just need to keep working on it!

I decided to write up my pattern below, both to share it and also so I don't loose it- as I tend to forget how I did something within about a week of finishing it. I'm writing it up in hand knitting "style" not machine knitting. I apologize in advance if there's any confusion relating to the sides that increases or decreases occur on. This is mainly because on the knitting machine everything is done on the purl side - and in knitting I know these things are usually worked on the knit side, except in sharply decreasing areas where things are worked on both sides. When in doubt, just do what makes most sense to you! On a side note, please note this pattern is for personal use only.

Rolled Hem Sweater Size S/M

Materials:

+ 3 skeins of Lion Brand Fisherman's wool (you will only need a little of the third skein).
+ Pair of Straight needles and circular needles for the neck. I made this pattern for the knitting machine and don't know what size needles you will need - my guess is it would translate to between a 6-8 US needle, but I'm not sure. The gauge I worked with was : 1"= 4.5 st and 1" = 6 rows.
+ Darning needle
+ Sewing Machine - or you can hand sew the flat pieces together.
+ Scissors

Back

Cast on 100 sts. Knit in Stockinette stitch for 2" ending on the wrong side. Dec. 1 st on each side of every 13th rows 6 times. (Or decrease every 2.25"). 88 Sts remain.

Raglan decreases

The next part we played with differently and came up with from scratch without using a knitting calculator. So, it's a bit longer than it has to be, but in short you are going to drop 44 sts over the next 45 rows.

Row 1: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 2: Knit 1 row of St. St.
Row 3: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 4: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 5: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 6: Knit 1 row of St. St.
Row 7: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 8: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 9: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 10: Knit 1 row of St. St.
Row 11: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 12: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 13: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row
Row 14: Knit 1 row of St. St.
Row 15: Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row

Repeat this pattern 2 more times. 22 Sts Remain - Put on stitch holder or cast off - your choice! (You will pick them up later when you do the neckband).

Front

Follow the directions for the back until you have completed 37 rows of the raglan decreases (Rep above pattern 1-15 twice and up to row 7 of the Raglan Dec. pattern - end with Dec 1 St at Beg. and End of each row). 44 Sts. remain. Put 14 middle Sts. on holder.

I worked the left side of the neck first. I refer to the raglan arm side as "A" and the neck side as "B" in the following chart. A + B should be worked at the same time. When I write St. St. that implies no decrease are to be made, just normal Stockinette stitch.

Row	A	B
1	Dec. 1	Dec. 1
2	St. St.	Dec. 1
3	Dec. 1	Dec. 1
4	Dec. 1	Dec. 1
5	Dec. 1	Dec. 2
6	St. St.	Dec. 2
7	Dec. 1	Dec. 2

For the right side, reverse the decreases in A + B. Cast off the last stitches on both sides.

Sleeves

This is where I finally discovered knitting calculators exist, so these directions won't seem as complicated!

Cast on 36 Sts. Inc. 1 St and the beginning and end of each row every 6th row 10 times. (60 rows = 20 increased Sts.) 56 Sts.

Inc. 1 St at the beginning and end of each row every 7th row 6 times. (42 rows = 12 increased Sts.) 68 Sts.

Raglan Decreases

Dec 1 St at the beginning and end of each row for 6 rows (6 rows = 12 Sts. Decreased)

Dec 1 St at the beginning and end of each row every 2nd row 19 times. (38 rows = 38 Sts. Decreased) 18 Sts. remain

Sleeve Cap

There are 8 more rows to be knit (and unfortunately these raglan sleeves are not symmetrical!), the Back side of the Sleeve will be referred to as C and the Front side as D. C + D should be worked at the same time.

Row	C	D
1	Dec. 1	CO 4 St.
2	St. St.	Dec. 1
3	Dec. 1	Dec. 1
4	St. St.	Dec. 1
5	Dec. 1	Dec. 1
6	St. St.	Dec. 2
7	Dec. 1	Dec. 2
8	St. St.	Dec. 2

For the second sleeve, reverse C + D. Cast off the last stitches on both sides.

Seaming

Machine sew or hand sew the sleeve caps of both sleeves to the front and back. Sew up the side seams from the waist to the sleeve cuff.

Neck

Pick up and knit the number of stitches along the neckline with the circular needle (I didn't write down the exact number I used, but it has to be a multiple of 4 so you can make a 2 X 2 rib pattern). Place a marker where you start picking up Sts. You will need to pick up the 22 sts. on the back holder and the 14 Sts. on the front neckline along the way. Once all Sts. have been picked up, proceed to knit in the round in a K2P2 ribbed pattern for about 3/4 of an inch. At St. marker, continue in St. St. for about 1.5". Cast off on larger needles.

Block your new sweater if you wish - I've been to lazy to do that yet, but it's an important step in getting all your stitches to lay smooth and flat! Enjoy wearing throughout the fall and winter!

I'm sure as it keeps getting colder more knitting posts will be inevitable...but so be it.

small wallet shop update

2011-10-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

Envelope wallets in the shop now in four colors. More colors coming in the next few weeks.

I made a few of these a while ago for the look books I was working on. Following that, I received quite a few emails about them so decided to make some for the shop. Enjoy!

P.S. All remaining teal items from the summer (one market tote and two twelve inch pouches) are very much on sale!

2011-10-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Working on my first project on the knitting machine - a raglan sweater. Drafting it was interesting and fun. I've never made my own knitting pattern and enjoyed converting the flat pattern measurements in inches to the number of stitches, rows, increases, and decreases I would need to make in the sweater. I did all the math from scratch at first (and by I, I mean We - as Jesse came in handy for figuring out some formulas) - but later I discovered a few knitting calculators that helped with placing increases and decreases. I felt like I was using a part of my brain that only gets used when I try to learn a foreign language! (Latin, I'm thinking of you!)

For a change, I'm machine sewing the pieces together instead of by hand - I like how it turned out as sometimes seams can get so bulky. Still one more sleeve to knit and a little finishing work to do, but then I'll be done. I'm going to hand knit the neckband - I can't decide whether to do a rolled neck or a ribbed neck. I think I'm leaning towards the rolled neckband. Either way, I'm sure I'll show you in a few days!

2011-10-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

images from christie's and a few other places I can't quite recall.

Recently I've been collecting images of Delft Tiles in hopes when we own a house someday we might do some tiling in the kitchen, or maybe along a fire place. The miniature scenes on the tiles are so delicate and small, and when you have a large panel of them together they are quite stunning.

2011-09-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

image from evaforeva

Last week I sent my friend Jenya some lambskin in the mail and am so excited to see the bag she made out of it! Sewing leather for the first time can be really intimidating and is challenging because the pressure foot doesn't slide easily along on the machine (too much friction - Jenya solved this problem by using powder!). I think she did a great job - simple totes are so nice and great project! So glad you had fun with it Jenya :)

an essay: a very rough draft of what i might write if i applied to grad school and had to explain what i've been doing the last three years.

2011-09-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

source

A Background

Have you heard the stereotype that men compartmentalize thoughts and feelings and women tend to do the opposite - lumping everything into one ? My failure is that I see the big picture all too often and can't stop thinking about it. When I start to analyze things, I can't help but see everything as one big issue rather than lots of little ones, however unrelated they might seem.

When I first started Rennes three years ago, I was fresh out of undergrad with a fine arts degree in a collapsed economy. In my last two years of school I had started to think about design, sewing, and textiles. Most of what I learned I taught myself. I grew up in a house where making something by hand was an option; in that sense, unlike my grandparents generation where making something by hand was the best and most affordable option. Because of this, I have always had a strong appreciation for the quality, hard work, and love that goes into making something by hand. But at the same time, I have also realized that you can't put a price on handmade, because in today's economy, no one will pay you fair wages for that quilt you hand stitched for a month straight.

Question in Point

Over the past three months I've been reflecting on my business and how it relates to my beliefs. I'm a maker, a seller, and a buyer - but how do these things relate to each other? Is it possible to be non-materialistic but still love to make and acquire beautiful things? And if so, can a shop which by definition sells goods, be non-materialistic?

At what point did a portion of the handmade market place branch off into a platform for exclusive fashion? Large companies are noticing this trend, but can a small one person business fit into the corporate mold successfully without handmade being sacrificed?

Consumerism: Making, Selling, and Buying

I've enjoyed making things for a long time. At some point it occurred to me that I could sell the things I made for fun. Then shortly after it occurred to me I might be able to make a living selling what I made.

I also enjoy buying things. I seem to acquire a lot of stuff. My parents tell me one of the first things I had to have was a pink polka dot dress in a department store when I was two; I screamed and cried until they got it for me. This habit seemed to continue throughout my life - (with less screaming of course) but always maintained a strong sense of life can not go on with this, and most of these items by default seemed to be clothes.

Before we lived where we are now, I lived in a Quaker community of twenty people in downtown Boston. I had more crap than anyone else there. I was super self conscious about it. While I was there I downsized considerably, and even more so where I live now - but I still have a ton of stuff. What has sunken in over the past year is that I don't want any of this stuff - I want things to be simpler than this. I only want a few things - I want them to be simple and well made and last me a really long time. The other night, I filled up a bag of clothes and took it to the goodwill - I didn't even want to try to resell them because I knew someone else needed them more than I needed the fifty dollars I could make off of them. This isn't to say that we are rolling in the money and I can afford to donate everything, far from it, but I think the harsh realities of watching and reading the news everyday makes it sink in slowly.

At What Cost?

On Sunday I spoke with my aunt from Topeka - she is an amazing quilter and quite crafty. Over the past couple of years she started doing fairs around town selling her quilted bags. They are very well made and most of them are in the price range of $15-40. She has a few more expensive items, the highest ones topping at $65. She said a few weeks ago that a lady came up, looked the price tag of the $65 bag and said something along the lines of "Sixty-five dollars for a fucking bag?!"

I'm sure my aunt puts as much time and care into making her bags as I do, if not more! I know there are a lot of factors to be taken into consideration here, but regardless of location, materials, overhead expenses, clientele, etc. - why are we so quick to determine what we think is the best price for a handmade item? That situation is not unique to my aunt, to me, or probably to other makers out there. Is it fair to apply our "getting the best deal" tactic to handmade?

The Best Deal

You may be familiar with a certain Tabi shoe I'm obsessed with. Eventually I bought the beige ones on sale at Totokaelo. Then, after seeing how amazing they were in person, decided it was imperative to get a pair in black, which I tracked down at another shop online, also on sale.

Clearly the full price of $700 was way and I mean way beyond my means, and I was sane enough to know that. Clearly the sale price of $500 was also way and I mean way beyond my means, but I was not sane enough to know that. The funny thing is, unlike other things I own, I've never worn anything so much, or continued to love day in and day out. So the question is, what is the real value of these shoes? Is it the sale price? Is it the full price? Or is it what the buyer is willing to pay?

Ends Justifying the Means

While I ask all these questions, the problem lies in I have no answers to them. We live in hard times where class divisions are becoming more and more visible and we keep hearing that things are looking up, but in my experience we're still looking for the best deal, the best way to get by on a day to day basis. I haven't purchased any fall clothes this year, though I've knocked off a few things I wish I could buy but can't afford too.

The reality is I feel torn about sewing right now. I feel like I want Rennes to be about minimalism - about having that one or two perfect things and that's it - but that's barely a business plan is it?

Thanks so much to a few of you who encouraged me to write a bit more about what I was thinking. I really appreciate it.

2011-09-26T06:48:00.001-07:00

1 + 2

Over the weekend I found a book on Provencal Quilts and would love to try the technique called Boutis. Boutis consists of two layers of fabric which have been sewn together with a small running stitch and then stuffed with cotton yarn in different patterned areas. The antique quilts made with this technique are stunning - I can only begin to imagine all the time that went in to making them.

2011-09-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

"The flower rapidly became a coveted luxury item and a status symbol, and a profusion of varieties followed. They were classified in groups; one-coloured tulips of red, yellow, or white were known as Couleren, but it was the multicoloured Rosen (red or pink on white background), Violetten (purple or lilac on white background), and, to a lesser extent, the Bizarden (red, brown or purple on yellow background) that were the most popular. These spectacular and highly sought-after tulip bulbs would grow flowers with vivid colors, lines, and flames on the petals...

Many individuals grew suddenly rich. A golden bait hung temptingly out before the people, and, one after the other, they rushed to the tulip marts, like flies around a honey-pot. Every one imagined that the passion for tulips would last for ever..."

image and excerpt from here.

2011-09-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Couch shopping, to put it lightly, is a daunting task. Buy too cheap of a couch and it will fall apart, buy a used "nice" couch and you get pet hair and who knows what else, buy a "nice" couch and you blow all your savings - so where may I ask is the middle ground? Where can I find a couch for under $1000 that doesn't feel flimsy and cheap? After four months of a an on and off search, I concluded my best bet was the above Kivik loveseat and chaise couch in Teno Light Gray from Ikea. Don't get me wrong, I love Ikea, but I get nervous about making an expensive purchase from them given how flimsy their hardware and and materials can be. Love their textiles, rugs, small things, but as an owner of one of the Malm beds and an Expedit bookshelf, the contruction is very much "you get what you pay for". But after sitting on the couch in the store I feel hopeful, so, we shall see! In the meantime if you have any couch suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them!

2011-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

It all began when they took me from my home
And put me on Death Row,
A crime for which I am totally innocent, you know.
And I'll say it again, I'm not afraid to die.

I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields,
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup
Those sinister dinner meals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood.

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth.
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth...

+++

Life isn't all peaches and cream, though sometimes I wish it was.

Something is quite wrong with our justice system today. Whenever I think about it I get so worked up and I can't describe how I feel. When I look at events in the news, I see things going in circles with little sign of progress. I hope someday that this will change.

2011-09-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

A custom order for one of my first customers... Chad has one of my Annie bags from when I first started sewing three years ago and still uses it every day! Hearing that made me so happy. When he contacted me about trying to make something similar to the Margiela envelope wallets, I was excited for the challenge. It's kind of like figuring out a puzzle, you know?

2011-09-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to tell you a few select totes are now available at the Steven Alan store in Brooklyn (the one on Atlantic Ave)! If you are in the area, please stop by and have a look.

I've spent most of my time this past month getting a few wholesale orders together - that on top of a few other things, both work and personal, have put me a bit behind schedule. I don't think that I will be putting out a "collection" like this past summer, but hopefully in about a month or so there will be some new bags in the shop. As always, if you are interested in a bag or pouch not in the shop at the moment, email me and I'll see what I can do. Thanks guys, you're the best!

2011-09-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

How beautiful is this dress from Ilana's new collection? The color is perfect and is such a great transition piece from summer to fall, and then into winter! I have one of Ilana's shorter Eibel dresses and I love the fit - so it's a sure bet that the long length would be pretty sweet too. On top of that, the whole collection is well photographed and put together so nicely!

2011-09-16T06:27:00.001-07:00

I bet by now you've all decided which sweater you need to get from the new Hetterson collection! But, it's so hard to pick , I mean, look how all these little sweaters are lined up in her shop! It's impossible to pick just one. So, because you can't get just one, get one striped one to be safe, and a cozy one for the those cool fall nights!

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

In Québec I picked up this book at a used bookstore. The rooms in the houses look like they were taken directly from Vermeer paintings - now I can't stop dreaming about living in a little country home. And painting everything dark cobalt and geranium red.

2011-09-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we drove up to Portland, ME and stopped in Portsmouth, NH on the way home. We hadn't been to either place before and it gave us an excuse to try out the car. (By the way, we bought a car!! Finally!! I'm so happy!)

Of course, Elizabeth's show was also a big incentive to make the trip! It was great to see all her pieces in person - and of course to meet her. Her work is impeccable, detail oriented, and very wearable. It's always great to be able to connect and meet other makers in person. I didn't take many pictures of the show inside, but you can seen better pictures here. There's nothing like beautiful knitwear that makes me excited for the fall!

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

+ Making new hang tags. I was at the point where I was going to spend a lot of money to get some printed. But then, I started wondering if the cutting printer Jesse got me could cut and print tags. After five grueling hours on Photoshop and the software for the cutting printer, I have new hang tags! I should have mentioned this before, but a little while ago Yoshie made these little drawings of my bags, and since then I've been trying to incorporate them anyway I can!

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

There are a few things on my to buy equipment list - it's a rather short list but each item is very expensive, thus I haven't been able to purchase them. It includes:

+ a Bernina sewing machine (just a simple no frills one that I can travel with or use instead of the industrials)

+ a hot stamp machine or custom branding iron

+ a knitting machine

I'm usually picky about the equipment I buy - especially if I know it's something I hope to get a lot of use out of! But if money is tight and it's a hobby I'm just getting into, I think it's okay to start on the low end of the spectrum and work up. I had been wondering if the Ultimate Sweater Machine (First spotted at A.C. Moore) was going to be a piece of crap or not. The $150 price was appealing, even more so when you have one of their 50% off coupons. So after reading a few reviews I decided to go for it. It took me a few hours to get use to it but now it's quite fun, relaxing, and easy. The machine is a bit rickity and the carriage is flimsy, but it does the job A-okay, and for now, that's fine with me. I can't wait to make my first sweater on it! Nothing will replace hand knitting, but being able to go through stockinette that quickly, well, it's amazing.

2011-09-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Check out Ellen's new collection in the Dusen Dusen shop! I want everything!!! Especially that hoodie!

2011-09-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention on Friday that I listed a few new colors of pouches in my Etsy shop. My goal is to eventually have all the pouches available in the web shop, but until that happens you can find them in my old shop.

Still catching up on many emails, and working on a few projects. I hope you are all having a nice weekend, and thanks so much for all your lovely comments about our trip!

québec pt. 3 : the city

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

We saw so much in the city itself it's hard to cover it all! The night we arrived we walked around everywhere and ended up down by the water a few times only to find the only way back up to the top of the city was to climb up a huge set of stairs - Jesse counted and it was a total of eighteen flights - suffice it to say my legs were very sore the next day. I've never been to a city with so many hills - except perhaps San Francisco. Luckily all the walking was quite handy in burning off all the pastry calories.

Some high lights were : Seeing the Ballet Russes exhibit at Fine Art museum, the Rome exhibit at the Museum of Civilization, The Ursuline Convent Museum, riding the Funicular, walking around the city walls and the Plains of Abramham, the architecture, cobble stone streets, Palliard (a pastry shop, not pictured), and the Dufferin Terrace. We also had a few good macaroons along the way.

québec pt. 2 : Île d'Orléans

2011-08-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

I mentioned this yesterday, but outside of Québec City is an island right off the coast in the river, the Île d'Orléans. The island is made up of about five towns that are very tiny and consist mainly of different farms and what we heard referred to as "agro-tourism." It's such a short drive that we went twice - the first time we went around the whole island, the second time we hit up our favorite stops again. In one of the towns, St. Laurent, there was a cute breakfast place with an amazing view - the first time we went there was no one else there and we had the whole place to ourselves - it was probably my favorite part of the whole trip.

One other things we saw there (not pictured) was one of many Econo-museums that exist throughout Québec - the one on the island was a forge. Their purpose is to help preserve trade crafts - essentially one craftsman or a small guild will set up a shop where they can practice and make a living, and also have a portion of it that is a museum explaining their trade open to the public. I really liked this idea because it's hard to find places that teach "trade" crafts as a opposed to "fine" art/crafts.

A few months ago I was talking to cobbler here in Boston about where he learned his trade, and where he thought one could go to learn about shoe making (I've looked for classes before in the general New England area and there is next to nothing) so I thought he might have some ideas. His response was interesting and along the lines of "you young people these days, you are lucky to be able to just pick something up as a hobby because you are interested in it - but me, I've been working at this my whole life and have never made any money. I was taught by my family, and so on and so forth..."

québec pt. 1 : marché du vieux port

2011-08-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

I had never been to Québec City before, and we had a really great time! Spent yesterday and this morning sorting through all the pictures we took - there are so many to go through but I thought I'd start by sharing one of my favorite parts of the city: the market. Every morning fresh produce is brought in from the Île d'Orléans, a small island nestled right in the St. Lawrence river about a fifteen minute drive from the city. I was surprised to see how affordable all the berries and vegetables are - I'm sure many of them are in season now, but it couldn't help make me wish that there was something more like this in Boston. I've definitely come away from the trip with a desire to eat better and cook more.

I think one of the tricky things about working from home is that it's hard to give yourself a break and let go - for instance, lunch for me usually consists of standing while making a PB&J sandwich for two minutes and going back to work - but after the trip I'm promising myself this is going to change - at least a fifteen minute lunch break where I actually sit down!

2011-08-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

I grew up listening to a band called Lo Jai. My Mom had one of their albums on cassette and one or two others on LP. Our family copy of Acrobates et Musiciens has been MIA for the past six years (I am often accused of loosing it, and guilt tripped about it as you can't find their CD's or anything anywhere - google barely seems to know who they are!). I was very surprised to receive it as a birthday gift this past week, so happy to hear all these great songs again. I even started a you tube account so I could share them, I'm such a dork.

Funny enough, Jesse also surprised me with another CD blast from the past, one of my all time favorites: Rockapella. This song is the best. This one is pretty good too. Not ashamed to admit I used to dream about being a contestant on Carmen Sandiego.

2011-08-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

A quick hi and hello from the road. Seeing and doing lots of fun things, eating lots of good food (hello buttery pastries), and overall having a swell time. Right now I'm convinced my future house will be white with a red roof and a red door, but I'll have to talk Jesse into moving into the countryside before that happens. See you soon!

2011-08-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I found the most amazing check linen. It's a really thick linen (almost like a grain sack) and I'm having a lot of fun working with it - I didn't plan on hand sewing it, but after I cut out my project I had a thread crisis - no natural colored thread left - how dreadful! - so blind stitching the hems it was. So far I've made two pillows with it, and I think there's just enough left to make a skirt.

As a side note, tomorrow is the last day to place any orders in shop. After tomorrow items will not be shipped until August 30th. The shop will remain open during this time, but orders will not be processed or shipped until the 30th. (Also, if you order a made to order item, the turn over time starts from August 30th on & will not ship until 1-2 weeks from when I get back). During this time I will have limited access to email so there may be a delay in my getting back to you. I'm very much looking forward to this vacation, I'll see you guys at the end of August! In the meantime I'll be working hard on brushing up on my French....

2011-08-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

Still love their first album the best, but these new songs are really fun too.

2011-08-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

Before Erica moved, we hung out one more time - we walked around downtown, sat on the on the make way for ducklings ducks, and also went to Stel's. I tried on the above pair of Surface to Air jeans (ironically Erica had the exact same ones on that day - ha!) and I fell in love with the fit. I didn't want to spend money at the time but kept them in mind and finally caved in and decided to order them. (This is actually the first time I've purchased something in two months - okay, there was one slip up and I bought one sale item, but other than that, I've been really good, and figure, hey I'm turning the big 2-5 in a week, an early b-day present). Looking forward to wearing them, I can sense fall is right around the corner with all the cool breezes coming in the window! I don't think I'd have the guts to wear them with shoes like this though, flats all the way for me, or I'll be falling over before I know it.

international shipping - some thoughts

2011-08-11T06:51:00.001-07:00

Right now I'm torn about shipping my pouches internationally. Up until the past two months I have had no trouble with packages arriving at their locations in a reasonable amount of time. But then, out of the blue, there have been a few orders that have not arrived after a month and a half, which is way too long in my opinion - if you have experienced this I'm so sorry! It's usually just things being held up in customs, and those things are so unpredictable.

How I ship now internationally:

+ All bags, 12" pouches, and clothes are shipped via priority mail with insurance. This does not include tracking but it includes insurance so you are covered for loss or damage. Depending on the country this will cost anywhere between $32-45. I have never had a problem with these items arriving at their destination. USPS gives an estimate of a 6-10 day arrival, and I have found that that is generally accurate, but I have seen it take a month before.

+ All pouches (5" & 8") are shipped in a priority flate rate envelope. This does not include insurance or tracking and costs between $14-16. I would add insurance to these but USPS does not allow you to insure flat rate envelopes. USPS gives an estimate of a 6-10 day arrival. I have found sometimes packages arrive in 4 days (wow!) and then sometimes a month and a half. I've never had anything not arrive (still crossing my fingers for a few MIA ones!) but it just takes too long.

I used to ship parcel post for international packages, but that took even longer and seemed less reliable, which is why I switched to priority in the first place. I think priority still works fine for the larger items since they can be insured, but I have no idea what to do about the pouches. My only other option is to ship them in an express flate rate envelope which I can insure - but that costs as much as the pouch, and I know I would never pay as much for shipping as the item I'm buying, and I doubt others would either. It's crossed my mind to only ship the pouches domestically, but I hate to turn away international customers!

As a side note, I have considered switching to UPS (already have an account) as I know they are a more reliable service, but I'm still such a small business that I'm not certain it makes sense for me. Plus, the regular PO is just a few blocks away from me, so with no car it would be a pain to drop off at a UPS location - I know they do pick up, but, again, my shipping schedule is too random for this. (And if anything I assume UPS international shipping costs are more than USPS....)

Anways, if you have any thoughts or suggestions on the matter I would very much appreciate it!

2011-08-10T19:23:00.001-07:00

Is it okay to still wear band t-shirts? I haven't in about 10 years, but I might need to make an exception.

2011-08-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

So excited to have come across a whole hide of mint cowhide today. I made the last batch of mint pouches from a remainder I found (around 8sq. ft.) and found this hide at a different location, so it was total luck. I can't recall ever receiving so many emails about one item, I've never had to say "no" and "sorry I'm out and can't get anymore" so many times!

So, available now in the shop, five inch mint pouches!

p.s. - I've changed my URL to this blog: it is now blog.renneshandmade.com - if you still have the old link it should automatically redirect, but just an fyi!

2011-08-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

Marblehead, MA.

2011-08-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

Caitlin just sent me a link to these bags at Building Block. It was love at first sight. Don't know how many times I can say it, but simplicity = perfection.

+ p.s. - working on changing the blog around today, so things might be all over the place for a bit!

yard sale update

2011-08-03T07:48:00.001-07:00

Studio & closet cleaning! New items listed on the yard sale page, check it out!

pie + traveling + more enkidu dress sizes

2011-08-01T05:38:00.000-07:00

Second attempt at making an apple pie, crust recipe from here and pie recipe from here. Got the lattice crust down a bit better this time, but had trouble with the filling (not pictured - I took these before we poured the filling on top). For some reason the sugar wasn't dissolving as well when we cooked it, so a lot of the caramel stayed on top and didn't soak into the pie. This didn't happen the first time, but in the end, it really only mattered that it tasted amazing.

Plus: two random things:

+ We are in the process of planning a trip to Québec City at the end of the month! I'm really excited, can't remember the last time that we were able to take a little vacation together that was just a vacation. If you have any recommendations of things to see / do, I'd love to hear them! I've never been before so I've had my head immersed in travel guides all weekend.

+ The Enkidu dress is now back in stock in the shop and now available in a medium (size 6)and large (size 8)!! Thanks for your patience about this. Please click on the link to see more about the new sizes/measurements.

2011-07-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Working on a new dress pattern. I've always loved racer-back tanks and dresses, and have had trouble getting the fit of them right in the past. This time I worked on it a little longer and it turned out okay.

The fabric is a light weight cotton ikat which is perfect for this hot weather. And the best thing is it barely wrinkles either. Now I just have to decide what to do with the remaining nine yards - a hard decision.

market totes on sale

2011-07-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend! For this weekend only, the few remaining market totes in the shop are 20% off. Enjoy!

2011-07-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Making little look books the past few days. At first I thought I'd punch holes and tie them together with strings, but I enjoyed being able to flip through the cards so much individually that I made a leather envelopes to put them in instead.

where i talk about stripes one more time

2011-07-22T19:35:00.002-07:00

all images/products from le vestiaire de clé / jeanne. if i was going to be obsessed with one company for the rest of my life this would be it, no contest.

Guilty as charged: totally obsessed with hunting down the perfect black and white/natural 1" stripe fabric. Been on the look out for something like this for the past I can't remember how long. Let me know if you come across something similar...I have so many sketches in my head and on paper that involve this fabric. Would love to make the enkidu dress out of this for fall (and if this was the case, yes, there would definitely be more sizes!)....plus about twenty other things. Heck, I'd probably cover a whole room in the stuff given the chance!

are we there yet

2011-07-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

wagon image from here.

"Are we there yet?" is something I said all the time growing up. Between multiple car trips back and forth to the mid west, loaded up on mad libs, cassette tapes, and other games, nothing seemed to make those long drives go quick enough, and almost every hour came the question, "are we there yet?" or "is this our exit?"

Now I find myself posing the same question - but not about a car trip. For some reason I can't help but wonder things like am I at the right place in life and do I have the right job and should I be doing more and so and so is doing x, should I be doing x too - essentially, am I there yet? I know these questions are normal to ask no matter where you are and what you are doing, no matter the ups and downs, the successes or failures, everyone is asking themselves the same things.

We have a friend who is working right now at a bio lab and people ask him "so, aren't you applying to grad programs? If you aren't now, when are you going to have time to publish and research?" To these questions he responds he isn't in a rush, and he's just taking things as they come to him. And good for him I say, why rush? Why are we in such a rush to do better and go faster? It will be a great thing if one day we wake up and are proud of ourselves for being just as we are right now.

2011-07-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

We painted our dining room over the weekend. Before it was a beige/cream color - which isn't a bad color in and of itself, it just didn't work in the room because 1. it was glossy, yes, the walls were glossy, and 2. the room is dark for most of the day. Therefore, a nice white seemed like a good option (just like our living room). We did the whole room in one day except for the china cabinet because it's a big project by itself and would be easier to tackle later.

I got this book last March when I was in New York. I really love all the hand stitching leather work. I keep wanting to give it a go but then I never have the time. Also been on the hunt for some perfect red leather, a search that's proving somewhat difficult.

Another book I got as well, with some different clothing designs in it. I want to make a light weight fall jacket with a perfect linen/wool tweed. I think I might use the pattern on the right as a base for it. I wanted something with a loose fit, and this seems like a good place to start, sans those black panels - not a big fan of those.

Things might be quiet on here the next week or so as I'm trying to get something exciting together, hopefully I'll be able to share that with you soon!

2011-07-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from The Internet is a Playground by David Thorne ( I think I told you guys I had purchased this book a little while ago - I pick it up once in a while and had to share this small excerpt):

On Blogging:

I read a blog once by someone who had bought a scarf, and he went on for about three hundred paragraphs about his scarf and where he bought it and how it made him feel. The last time I bought a scarf, I wore it. End of story. I didn't write a novel about it.

Haha! I hope you are all having a nice weekend!

2011-07-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Every time I hear this song I think of summer : a day just like today. I first heard it in early high school when my friend Alex put it on a mixed tape. I miss those tapes!

2011-07-14T04:25:00.000-07:00

What I've been wearing lately, when I leave the house, which doesn't happen that often : A button up dress (sewn last weekend), a black pouch, and the most exciting new addition and sale splurge: tabi flats.

2011-07-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we made an apple pie. It was delicious, I can't stop eating it. Whether this is a bad thing, or a good thing, is yet to be determined. I can't believe the recipe called for three sticks of butter!! I try to forget that when I'm having a slice. Good thing it's almost gone!

You can also see my lame attempt at doing a lattice top crust. I tried for about a half hour to successfully weave the pieces, then I gave up and just laid them on top of one another.

2011-07-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

It's always so fun packing things up to ship. In fact, sometimes I have more fun packing then I do sewing. Just kidding, I have a lot of fun sewing too.

Just a note, I only have enough fabric left for one more Enkidu dress, and one more Enlil shirt. If there's enough interest after that I can see if I'm able to locate more of the fabric. I had purchased it last fall in New York, but maybe I can get some more when I go down later this month.

2011-07-08T15:01:00.001-07:00

I've just ventured into the realm of baby booties, and I have to say, tiny projects are quite satisfying. My friend just had a baby and I thought it seemed like a great excuse to try knitting a pair. (Well, so far, just one, but the second is in the works for this weekend!) I used this pattern and it was pretty straight forward. It says they fit a newborn to three months, but this first one turned out kind of big. Even checked my gauge first too! Oh well, you have to assume they'll fit at some point down the road!

sample bag / bags

2011-07-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hey remember this? Well I didn't end up including this style in the summer collection. I'm going to do something similar for fall, but have had this lovely sample sitting around and thought someone might be interested in it. The Details:

Coffee brown lambskin 'kirsten' bag. Solid brass hardware, leather is very soft and supple. Zipper closure with long leather toggle. This bag is a sample because the zipper should have been about 1.5" longer than it is, but don't worry, it's still totally functional- there's just small gap on one end, but not big enough for any contents to fall out. Lined with a cream linen, no interior pockets.

Dimensions:
Strap, including the brass swivel snap: 36"
Width: 12"
Height: 10"

~~$60 + $10 for shipping in the US.~~ SOLD! Happy to ship internationally as well, but I only ship priority mail which tends to be between $26-38 depending on your location. Drop me an email at julia@renneshandmade.com if you are interested! I also have the same bag, a non-sample, in a crinkled coral leather with a chambray lining. Was going to keep it for myself, greedy me, but I don't need another bag. Pictures of that one available on request, the price would be $200.

Add on : Whoops! I also just realized I still have this bag too! A kelly green gables satchel with an ikat cotton lining. Spring cleaning , or should we say, summer cleaning? $80 + $10 for shipping in the US!

2011-07-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

photos from vain & vapid.

How awesome is this dress? Buttons, check, collar, check, navy, check, ikat print, check, cut out shoulders, check - what more could you ask for? Well...you could also ask for this triangle dress too.

2011-07-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a nice holiday weekend. We went for a hike yesterday, ate far too many french fries, and bought a mini grill! Though we have yet to grill anything on it yet - but soon! We skipped out this year on fireworks on the esplanade, and instead enjoyed a cozy, air conditioned night in with crepe making. The last time I tried to make crepes I failed miserably, but this time they actually turned out okay. I'm not that good at cooking, but I try, and maybe someday I'll be mediocre at it.

2011-07-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Megan I am now the proud owner of the best pencils ever. These days my love of Rick Steves is undying as ever, and nothing beats a hard days work like settling down to a good episode so I can travel with Rick through fjords, alps, and the little hill towns of Europe.

perfect summer jewelry

2011-06-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

images from the dores shop.

I love the color palette that Stephanie used for her most recent shop update! Even just seeing pictures of them makes me feel like I'm on holiday where everything is coral and teal! I could totally go for that kind of holiday right now too, so sign me up!

arts and science & universal utility

2011-06-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

photos from Arts & Science.

Lately the only kinds of clothes I have wanted to wear are loose fitting - I think depending on the fabric, draping, and styling, loose clothing can be so much more flattering than more fitted styles. Over the past few weeks I can't stop going back and looking at two different companies - first Arts & Science, a Japanese company. So far I've seen their items for sale at both Creatures of Comfort and Worthwhile, and they have a website as well, but no online shop.

photos from envoy of belfast.

Then the other day I stumbled upon a British company called Universal Utility - though I can't find anything about them anywhere online. The only reason I found them was through the shop Envoy of Belfast in Northern Ireland. (This shop also carries many other great lines- and their shipping is so fast - I'll give you one chance to guess what sale item I ordered!) I love the light weight linen and effortless look to both brands - easy transition pieces from season to season.

new pouches at metrode!

2011-06-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

images by Caitlin.

I recently sent Caitlin some large pouches for Metrode. She just put them in her shop, and you can check them out here. You should also check out the giveaway she's having on her blog for a really pretty antler necklace - her jewelry is great - I have one of her bracelets and wear it all the time!

2011-06-27T11:36:00.001-07:00

Hi guys! Thank you so much for all your amazing feedback about the new collection. I'm totally pumped about how well it's gone over. Thank you also to all the amazing people who have blogged, tumblr-ed (sp?), or tweeted about it over the past week - I don't know what I would do without you guys, because in all honesty, spreading the word about Rennes is one thing I'm really bad at - heck it takes a lot of courage for me to even hand someone a business card, ha! (Never put me in charge of PR! But hey, I'm working on it!) It's been really fun sewing and packing up orders, so, so far so good! Due to interest, I'm contemplating drafting a few more sizes in the Enkidu dress - most likely a 6 & 8 - so if you would be interested in that, let me know!

On other fronts, I'm excited that summer has finally have arrived here in New England, so I hope to spend a lot of time outside in the next week. I've also been reading this really funny book called The Internet is a Playground by David Thorne. Not usually a book I would pick up, but we were in Borders and Jesse showed me a story about the narrator trying to pay his chiropractor bill with a drawing of a spider, and well, I was hooked! You can actually read a few of the stories in the book on his website, but I'm still glad I got the book - good train reading!

So that's all for now, hope you guys all had a great weekend!

rennes summer 2011

2011-06-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Model: Yoshie Hozumi
Photos: Me

More of the new collection can be seen here, and even more images in the new shop, which is open!

It was hard narrowing down from the photos from this past weekend, but these are some of my favorites. Yoshie did such an amazing job modeling - I was happy to be able to work with her - we've known each other since 8th grade so it was very special to me to be able to do this, as she lives in NYC now and we only see each other a few times a year. I'm really happy with how it all turned out and am glad to finally be able to share it with you!

Oh, and didn't I mention? I have a new website! A while ago I contacted Kate about re-making my site, and I couldn't be more happy with what she came up with. She was such an great person to work with on the project and I would really recommend her! Jesse also helped with some of the coding the layout in the shop; as while I try to understand html and css, he's much better at it than me!

Additional information about the shop:

+Most items are in stock and ready to ship out, some are made to order. I'm hoping I can shorten my made to order turn around time to 1 week instead of the usual 2-3 weeks. After you place an order I will contact you for a better estimate.

+For the first time in a while I am selling two pieces of clothing - the Enkidu dress and Enlil shirt - two things you may have seen before. Due to my wearing many hats in running this little business, these items are only available in one size. I'm sorry about that, I wish I had had more time to make more sizes, but for now that's all I have. So if you are a size 4 or a small 6, and have been wanting one - yay! These items are made to order and are final sale, so check your measurements carefully against the listed ones. Bags and accessories are available for exchange as per normal.

Feel free to email me with any questions, and hope you all have a great week!

*Edit - I realize in my haste to get everything up yesterday, that there was some information I forgot to post! A few of you have asked about different items in the shoot - haha, yes! The shoes are all Dieppa's. This honestly did not occur to me until after the fact - I was just grabbing all the shoes I had that looked summery and matched! After this it occurred to me that I have quite the shoe addiction. Oh well - live and learn. The skirt I also made as a remake of a long skirt I made back in 2008, it's worn with a Souchi knit tank. The light jeans are from Madewell from about a year ago. I also made the short sleeve linen pocket dress. Other than that I think that's all the other items in the shoot! *