shapes

style lines for the boiled wool skirt

love the silhouette of the woman in black at the Rome Academy

(from T magazine)

boiled

I've just discovered the joy of working with boiled wool! (yes, the exclamation point is totally justified)!

It's such a great material. So warm, slightly stretchy, with a beautiful drape and hand. I think it is to me like felt to Beuys. For one thing, I have a strong emotional attachment to boiled wool. My grandmother had an impressive collection of boiled wool sweaters in the Geiger style, such as this one:

She wore them Fall, Winter and Spring; usually with knee length wool plaid kilts. So, kind of like this lady:

Unfortunately my grandmother was in similar proportion to the Queen and her beautiful sweaters went to the salvation army instead of my closet. I hope someone out there is wearing them.

As for me, navy boiled wool skirts are in production for the Holiday Collection!

process

working out the triangle motif for holiday collection

process

working out the fit on a new shirt for the winter collection
(intentionally blurred for vanity)

I'm super excited to announce that I will be participating in the 2010 Bust Magazine Craftacular holiday show! Mark your calenders for Dec 12th!

At the show I will debut the SERA holiday/winter collection. Look for blog posts over the next month for peeks of the new goods.

need want now

fair isle tights!

Hue

Hue

Gap

I think the Hue ones are lighter, with a simulated knit motif, whereas the Gap ones appear to actually be fair-isled. I'm usually pretty strict about this but if you're over 5'9" you just go with whichever is longest!

more triangles

a little research for an upcoming project

all from quilting.about.com

sutra by Sidi Larbi

This week I saw Sutra - part of the Lincoln Center white lights festival. If you're in NYC, check it out - it looks to be a really great series. I had previously seen the choreographer, Sidi Larbi, perform in Zero Degrees with Akram Kahn (I'm still not over it; it may have changed me permanently).

This piece is a collaboration with the real Shaolin "warrior" monks from China and the sculptor Antony Gormley. The entire piece is staged in/around/on a series of man-sized wooden boxes. Like a Donald Judd artwork come to life.

This is a rehearsal video. You can google the performance version, but unfinished work always resonates with me just a little bit more ...