QUOTIDIAN

Thursday, December 24, 2009

festivus


It is a sunny and beautiful day-before-Christmas here in Portland. I am in the shop until 3 o'clock with a plate of cookies, the occasional last-minute shopper and Harriet, the Reluctant Elf. 'A wish for peaceful holidays to you all.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

hardboiled designs


Corey&Co. is pleased to welcome a new craftsperson. People have been telling me about the work of Jody Meredith, and I finally got to see it. The scarves in the photo are for sale in the shop (or contact me). Her materials are merino wool, cashmere, silk and lots of skilled and meticulous labor. I think the painterly color choices and graphic compositions would make them stunning wall hangings.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

illume



' Time to light up Pleasant Street. I kept it simple- gold bulbs will glow warm against the chilly nights to come.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

4 SQUARE WALLS

A lovely family stopped into the shop last Saturday....and this is the result. Thanks to Kate and her lively blog for the rave review.  www.4squarewalls.com

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

aren't they beautiful?

Years ago I bought a big jarful of mis-matched wooden knitting needles at Building 19. They were no doubt from an old yarn shop, closed after many years. Some of the needles bear traces of having had work left on them in the sunlight for a LONG time. Building 19 is a much-loved institution in the R.I/Ma./N.H. area. It's a filthy clutter of job-lot junk where one can find the occasional gem, like these needles. 

Friday, November 6, 2009

first friday NOVEMBER

The paintings of LYNN KRAUSS be on display tonight at Corey&Co. The dot is the vehicle Lynn has used to explore color contrast both in high contrast and very close value and hue. She embeds patterns within multiple color fields, constantly deciding how much to reveal and how much to hide. I am thrilled to be showing this work here at the shop/studio/gallery. In person, the paintings really sing. 'Should be a great evening.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

tools of the trade

One corner of COREY&CO. is the studio/workshop. Chalkboard, cutting table, patterns, fabric, iron, sewing machine, serger, laptop.....ready to start the day.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

storefront


After a couple of blogging months, I have realized an omission. I don't think I have ever put a photo of the shop-front on the blog. Pleasant Street ,Portland is a quiet little neighborhood, steps from the more tourist-visited Old Port. It has been named the "studio district", home to artists and architects. There are just a few storefront buildings, and I am lucky to have rented one. 'Not sure why I love storefronts so much; 'guess its something about the color, the display of goods and the old-school way of doing business. Anyway, here's mine....

Monday, October 19, 2009

work in progress

I love to knit. I love both the process and the result. But as knitters know, it is rarely possible to be compensated (monetarily) for all the time and attention it takes to make a knitted garment. So when I find a wonderful sweater-worthy fabric I am ecstatic. This grey yardage from Mood is actually an open weave with a crazy fuzzy selvedge. My plan is to attach the collar to the body with chunky yarn stitches. Here goes...

Thursday, October 8, 2009

smocks, smocks

I am smock-smitten. I am drawn to clothing with an occupational look, and smocks have that over and over. Baker, cheesemaker, painter, Cornish fisherman and French schoolchild- smock-wearers all. This one, my work for today, is grey tweedy wool with deep pockets...and it will have sleeves by day's end. Probably I will gently wash it to relax the wool a bit. And then it's off to find its own occupation.

Monday, October 5, 2009

fabric love

I was enchanted with this fabric while shopping at Mood in New York for winter woolies. It has a wonderful dun-color, lovely negative spaces and a raggedy,ravelled selvedge edge. It wasn't inexpensive. I didn't get much. But this is what I made with it.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Felted jacket

It's back to work after New York, and although the weather is not crisp, wool must be cut. I love making these signature 'B.Corey' jackets. I pre-wash the felt for texture and then just CUT with no real plan. It satisfies the sculptor in me. If some part does not please....lop it off and try a different shape. What's more- there is no seam finishing. How freeing!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

ah, courduroy

What is it about this fabric that brings back the memory of a red plaid lunchbox and the smell of new shoes? The all-business feel of courduroy and the heft of a substantial zipper recall the crisp mornings of childhood.This particular courduroy is already soft and slouchy and was a pleasure to sew into some friendly fall garments.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

scraps

The scraps and leavings of the day form an unwitting assemblage.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Harriet


Harriet is the other shop-dog. She had been banned for shrill and excessive barking. She now is the reluctant wearer of a citranella-spray collar and is a shop-dog again! Welcome back, Harriet.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Amsterdam


A woman was carrying this bag in the shop and I went ga-ga over it. She bought it in Amsterdam. It reminds me of a quiver...and,as a matter of fact, a leather quiver will be coming my way when leather craftsman Glen Veervaert delivers some bags -soon, I hope.

Friday, August 21, 2009

khaki

I am working in khaki as summer heads toward fall.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Home

From the blistering sidewalks of New York to the cool sand of Portland's East End beach in the space of a day.                                                    
                                                     


          

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

New York

'Have been in New York for a few days, hunting and gathering for the shop, always hoping  to be surprised (left the shop in good hands). The fabric hunt was for wools,knits and anything luscious...I could easily have bought a thousand yards. 

Saturday, August 15, 2009

goodbye

This is a painting of mine which will now reside on Peak's Island, an island off the Portland shore. It was a favorite of mine, painted from a sketch done at a life- drawing session. The model was stretching in an adjacent room during a break.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Felt

I really admire people who have the patience to make felt. It can be so luxurious and an end in itself. I do not do this. I purchase a commercially made felt (wool and rayon blend) and wash and dry it to "full" it. That is when my creativity kicks in- the assemblage of felt shapes into a garment. It is almost like clay slab-building...cut, attatch, trim into a wearable sculpture.