My good friend, and tango partner, Alaric Rocha recently made this totally rockin little promotional video for us.  It's part of a deal where he gets paid, but we get the video for nothing.  Pretty cool.  So if you're a business (or artist!) that would love a little extra promotional tool, you should drop him an email. (Emily)

For some reason, I find that I have accidentally set up my Fridays to be free of any real responsibility.  I don't have any kids today, and the only work I really HAVE to do is on my own schedule, so Fridays can be used as I like.

Today I like to sit in the living room in front of a fire with my wife.  We are having a date, of sorts--one that involves a warm fire and a lot of computer work.  We're calling it a listing date, and we're spending the morning on Etsy, listing new merchandise.

I, as usual, will be listing a bunch of new patches at my shop, and Em has a slew of hats to list at her shop.  Of course, we're doing other things first.  Em is trying her hardest to connect Quicken to our banking site (MY GOD!  SHE JUST DID IT!) and I'm writing this blog entry as a warm up for the Etsy work.

Here's one of the new patches now!

Oddly, the warming up in combination with the roaring fire has just made me sleepy.  I hope I get to list some things before my eyes close (by accident) for a while...(ADAM)

Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the 2010 St. Paul Craftstravaganza is shaping up to be the best it's ever been.  There are tons of new vendors, as well as some old favorites (MoeSewCo included), and after looking through the list, I've got to say we're in some pretty impressive company.

Click HERE to go to the vendor list for the 2010 Craftstravaganza!

On a side note, this show is really special to me.  It was the first show I ever did, and MoeSewCo has been there every year since it began.  Not only that, but Faith Levine was also at the first show shooting film for her recently released documentary, Handmade Nation.  It was cool to see that happening, and when we finally got to see a copy of the film, I actually made the cut.  There is a short shot of me toward the end of the film, embroidering away.

Anyway, we'll be there selling my embroidered madness and Em's fab-tastic hattery.  Come by and see us! (ADAM)

During the wild frenzy that was October and November that all led up to the One of a Kind Show, somehow I got it together to do an actual photoshoot. 

aside: Isn't it amazing that when you are super insanely under the gun, just how much you can get done?  Those two months, I was a LASER focused entirely on hats.  Except that I didn't burn holes in them.  I just got massively organized.  For one moment in time, I was organized.  Everything was done....  how did that time last?  How can I get back the motivation?  Ah, Lady Entropy.  You really are inevitable!

So anyway, yea, I found a wonderful photographer friend Gabriella Ramirez.  At first I was fixated on getting actual models.  I placed an ad on Craig's List and got nothing but angry mail, and was eventually flagged because I said I couldn't pay.  (Argh!)  I knew there were other ways, and one of these days I really will get on Model Mayhem, but it was just too much for me to handle during that time.  Fortunately, I was hit by inspiration. 

Our neighborhood is actually known for its Hot Moms.  They've been mentioned in publications.  And I gotta say, it's true.  The women of this neighborhood are amazingly beautiful, and since I'm the local piano teacher I know lots of them.  I collected a little group, kept their wineglasses full, and forced them into makeup (I thought every house has one drawer full of make-up and one drippy box of food coloring at the back of the pantry.  Both of these beliefs have lately been proved wrong). 

We had children running all over the place.  Adam sat in an armchair in the middle of the kitchen.  Periodically the swarm of children would pile all over him, or he'd keep the laughs going in the shoot. 

I thought it was great fun, and I feel like I got some really great pictures of my hats on real women.  Here are some of my favorite:

Bowlette available at MoeSewCoMillinery on Etsy

Sarah Putrim, photo by Gaby Ramirez

Chevalier de Maison Rouge is currently sold out!

Sarah Putrim, photo by Gaby Ramirez

Twiggy Hat is currently sold out!

Sarah Putrim, photo by Gaby Ramirez

Steeplechase Hat is available from MoeSewCoMillinery on etsy!

Sarah Putrim, photo by Gaby Ramirez

The Huntress is available from MoeSewCoMillinery on etsy

Eileen Schnepff, photo by Gaby Ramirez

Fire Fascinator is currently sold out!

Eileen Schnepff, photo by Gaby Ramirez

Myrna is available from MoeSewCoMillinery on etsy

Eileen Schnepff, photo by Gaby Ramirez

This photo is in The Fashionista Gift Guide on etsy!

Miss Tumnus is available from MoeSewCoMillinery on etsy.

Donna Schober, photo by Gaby Ramirez

The Chevalier de Maison Rouge looks lovely on lots of people!

Donna Schober, photo by Gaby Ramirez

That Girl

Donna Schober, photo by Gaby Ramirez

so far Untitled has not yet made it onto etsy

Donna Smith, photo by Gaby Ramirez

(Emily)

I have always been fascinated by art that combines two or more techniques.  I love it when people put things together that don't normally go together -- like pottery and embroidery or metal sculpture and clothing design.  Or chocolate and peanut butter, for that matter.

Today, I want to introduce you to two artists who think "beyond the canvas" when creating their work.  Of course, as an embroiderer, my picks are heavy of the textiles.  I make no apologies, and submit that those who think of textile arts in three dimensions are the best example of what I'm talking about.  When an art form is typically thought of in two dimensions, such as needlepoint or embroidery, adding a third dimension takes an artist who is willing to take chances and learn new skills.

If they are very talented, they might even create a recognizable style.  Take Mary's Granddaughter, for example.  Her seemingly simple pieces have become quite recognizable in recent months because her style is so unique.  She combines simple but beautiful embroidery with antique porcelain doll parts to create pieces of art that don't just hang on the wall.  They reach out to you and connect with the world (and each other) in a way that no two-dimensional pieces really can.

I especially like the multi-hoop pieces she creates.  The hoops are generally connected to each other, usually with floss or thread, making the separate pieces into one larger piece.  Because of those connections, her work becomes more than embroidery.  It becomes an artistic statement about the connectedness of everything around us, and sometimes, as with the piece shown here, about the creative process itself.

Visit her Etsy shop HERE, and take a look at what she can do with a few simple stitches and a lot of imagination.

I also like this piece by Etsy artist Shoofly.  It's the first time I've seen a piece that combines painting and knitting, and I think it does so flawlessly.  Imagine a piece like this without the added dimension of the actual knitted shawl or scarf.  It's just another painting, right?  But this work draws the viewer into those hands and what they are doing.  It makes what could be a passive painting into an active, engaging work, and I really like it.

The cooperation of two sets of hands knitting one garment is a great image, and everything from the drape of the fabric to the way the yarn has been attached to the canvas is, in my estimation, perfect.  Take a few minutes to check out her Etsy shop HERE, and if you click on the profile information, there is a long list of shows and links to more of her work. (ADAM)