QUOTIDIAN

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

let it snow



Portland has been buried in snow, like the rest of New England. Today the shop is open and busy with Emily at the sewing machine. She is a student at Central St. Martin in London, a knitwear designer who is practicing her sewing/pattern-making skills while home in Maine. 

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

gift



Friend and customer Fran stopped by the other day with a gift for me/COREY&CO : a much-used, much-loved family sewing machine. This piece of equipment has some miles on it and awaits major rehab. I love its army green hue- reminds me of a Citroen I coveted long ago. It has joined the Rockette line-up of machines on the work table: grey daily workhorse, necessary serger, and Citroen. Thank you Fran.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

NIGHTTOWN





'Just returned from yet another Cleveland trip, narrowly escaping a blizzard. One of my favorite stops while there is NightTown, a been-around-a-long-time bar/restaurant/music venue. Here are a few warm and cozy photos.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

oops


oops, oops, oops. I totally forgot to take photos at the big December 3rd First Friday event. 'Twas a huge party, as crowded at times as a rush-hour subway car. But people managed to try on scarf after scarf to find just the right one. SOUTH STREET LINEN is now launched! There is still a good selection in the shop. check out ://www.southstreetlinen.com

Saturday, November 27, 2010

launch party



Three painters decide to try their collective hands at dyeing, block printing and stitching scarves. The result:  compositions in linen worthy of a gallery showing....and here it is. This coming First Friday Artwalk, we will all be celebrating their new-found passion and business: SOUTH STREET LINEN. I am working on some garments incorporating some of their print work, just to join in the fun. If you are near, please join us. If you are far, watch this blog for the after-photos.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Tuesdays



Tuesdays find Miki of Moondance Wear at the COREY&CO. work table. She is having some fun, which is plain to see in these reconstructed and sometimes tea-dyed shirts. Pants, vests, skirts , cloth jewelry pieces are also in her repertoire. We have very different , but very compatible styles. I am so happy to have Miki part of the "&CO". 

Saturday, November 13, 2010

holey





I find that I am drawn to fabrics with negative space. Holey. In sweater knits, like the tunic, wrapper, and collars shown here- fun to work with and shape into something wearable. In the case of the lace: nightmarish. The black dot garment is a work-in-progress. The more I try to contain it, the more it squirms and spreads. I am giving it a rest, and will have a go at it another day.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

time for color





Here comes the grey of November. I love grey, wear grey, paint walls grey. But color is the energy that makes grey o.k. Here are some daubs of pigment in the forms of Hardboiled Design berets and scarves, d.i.g.s. felt fleurs, Caralina Amato gloves, Tara Handknit beanies, Versa throws and Tina Frey resin jewelry.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

call in the dogs


'Have been crazy-busy with life, the shop, and the battery is dead on the camera today. But, Augie and Harriet to the rescue, in their customary nap position.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

bristles



So satisfying, brushes. Not many people buy them in the shop, but I have them anyway. 

Saturday, October 16, 2010

october



There is a nip in the air and knits on the cutting table. October is my favorite month both for weather and for garment design: chunky sweater pieces in mohair and wool.

Monday, October 11, 2010

welcome modern pixie



'Dashed through a recent Portland crafts fair and met a girl from Cleveland! (my home town). Her Modern Pixie jewelry has been a popular new addition to the shop.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

pop-up print studio





This past Thursday, painter/printmaker/friend Lynn and I played with printing on fabric. It is a project we have been discussing and we need to find our inks of choice. Not so easy, as it turns out. We found the best-of-the-lot, but are still a step or two from production. Suggestions welcome. My end-use will be isolated printing on garment pieces; hers, yardage printing. To be continued...

Saturday, September 25, 2010

eyes full






I have been in New York shopping the markets for the Spring/Summer 2011 season. I quickly found things wonderful and new, and then took to the street....and the gallery, and the museum, cinema, park, restaurant...the better to fill my eyes and revive my weary stitching spirit.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

interview


I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Laura and Nate for Forefront Fashion, a blog keeping tabs on the stylish goings-on in Portland. Take a look at what they found of interest at COREY&CO., aside from my yardstick. www.forefrontfashion.com

Saturday, September 11, 2010

on the road


'Spent some time on buses and airplanes last week. Lots of time for mental sewing.

Friday, September 3, 2010

fabric as friend



Sometimes fabric is your friend. It can let you create shapes, even add its own opinion. Who knows what this wacky, open-weave cotton was originally intended for?Who cares? It let me sculpt. And then again, sometimes fabric is your foe. I have a love/hate pile where I throw the miscreants. A few days apart and we make our peace, usually a 180 degree turn from the design I started with. Perhaps I will expose them in the next post....if they don't shape up.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

through winky's lens


'Had a fun visit from Portland photographer Winky Lewis last week. She loved the shop and I love her images. Here is an eyeful of Corey&Co.   Double it and triple it to catch the details ....see more through her magical lens at www.winkyphoto.com.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

ah,vinalhaven





A few days on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine have cleared my brain of the sticky cobwebs of daily life and let some new ideas breeze in. I had put my fabric-printing plans on the shelf, but everything my eye took in seemed to suggest pattern. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

to market, to market



The trip began with a stroll through Portland's Saturday farmers' market before heading south to New York. It ended with a forage through the wool and cashmere aisles at Mood Fabrics...as savory to me as any row of radishes.

Friday, August 13, 2010

last linen


This is the time of year to put down the linen and start picking up the fall fabrics. It's a hard transition in this heat. So I had a last fling with the lighter weights and produced some whimsical dresses. What better adieu than picnic check?

Saturday, August 7, 2010

the week of the waist




This week I have been sewing waists. Usually I tend toward the blocky and the smocky . In a small shop it is wise to have things that fit a wider spectrum of people... and I personally like to wear voluminous clothing, especially in the steamy summer.But after I did one drawstring, I could not stop.  Here are some samples. ...and I am not done yet.