FREESHIPPING123

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Archives: 2014 Trapper Jane All Season Wear

 I've been getting ready for another shoot and going through photos from seasons past.  Here are a few pieces from the 2014 Trapper Jane All Season Wear Collection which are still available for purchase at trapperjane.etsy.com:

Above:  Double Grey Mariner's Top and Charcoal Chambray Cycling Skirt

Long, Low-Back Dress In Hemp/Organic Cotton Denim with Chambray Sash in Hemp/Recycled Polyester/Spandex

 
Pleated Shorts in Hemp/Organic Cotton Denim

Archives: 2013 Trapper Jane All Season Wear

From the archives! It's almost always picnic season here on the West Coast -if you don't mind a good rain shower. Here's a selection of styles from the 2013 All Season Wear Collection -the jeans and the Plaid Picnic Dress are still available over at trapperjane.etsy.com:

High Waisted Skinny Jeans in Dark Denim

 Blue Plaid Picnic Dress

 Black Satin Low Back Dress

High Waisted Wide Leg Jeans in Dark Denim

Surfacing

Perhaps I shouldn't give myself away but this may be my laziest post to date. I started this blog out of a desire to share information that was, way back then, hard to find. Information is everywhere now and still, I can't help sharing even if this post merely cobbles together a selection of links from the first page of my google search. Anyway, I have a couple of friends who might be interested in what I found. Let me explain...

I love seeing people find and explore the process of making things. It's exciting to watch an evolution of discovery especially when you've been wondering what someone would make -not if they could but if they would.  This post is for two friends I've been curious about for a while. They are both creative spirits and well, let's just say surface pattern design has come up in collective conversations. Their lives are busy and full and every now and then they'll share something they've made and leave us wanting more. Maybe I'm being greedy. Oh well. Here is my selfish list of encouragement:


-This link reveals the simplest way to create a repeat pattern using just paper, pens and scissors.

- Here you will find 10 tips for creating pattern designs:  The UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide

-This blog would be really fun to explore. A magazine subscription would be even better: the UPPERCASE blog

-Look! There's even a professional Guild! You could be comrades: Surface Pattern Design Guild

- This book:  "Repeat After Me,"

-How to do it with a computer:  surface pattern design tutorial (& Adobe Illustrator)

-More fun exploring:  Going Home to Roost

xo

A New Year: Fresh Inspiration

Oh, the machines...

Has It Been This Long?

Hello Spring. There are new things for sale at Trapper Jane.

What is She Building in There?

The last year has flown by. I've been too busy making things to post. Here are a few images from the 2011 Trapper Jane All Season Wear Archive:

trapperjane.etsy.com

Lucky x 2

You are lucky if you live in New York because 1. you live in New York, and 2. there's a wholesale fabric show happening in New York specifically for small manufacturers. Low minimums. Go.

Hotel Pennsylvania
New York City
February 6-7, 2012
Hours: 9:30 to 6:00

This information courtesy of Fashion Incubator and more details can be found on the FI Website.

Knit & Weave II

Voila! The second Knit & Weave link list:

-Brutal Knitting -need I say more?

-I look forward to reading this book someday:  Knitted Clothing Technology by Terry Brackenbury

-I've been seeing a lot of trees wearing sweaters lately. Apparently, I'm not the only one. Knit & Purl -International Yarn Bombing Day shows knitwear like you may never have seen it before.

-The last link is on the Poppy Gall Blog which is an interesting blog to visit for insight into another's design inspirations and processes. I found her site via this post on the always amazing Fashion Incubator.

-Sri Threads. Incredible textiles.

-Really excited to have found a post about the Tripod Loom in Sierra Leone from the Adire African Textiles blog. Looking forward to setting up my Grandma's old loom which I mentioned in this post.

Happy clicking!

All Things Considered

So there's a link between skinny jeans and Tar Sands after all. According to an article found over at the Knitting Industry News blog:

"RadiciSpandex Corp., a U.S. RadiciGroup company engaged in the production of RadElast spandex, is developing the world’s first eco-friendly elastane using a 100% renewably sourced material (biopolymer).

“The innovative product line will be the world’s first spandex consisting of 80% biomaterial made from a 100% renewable source (corn), as opposed to propylene, an oil derivative,” a statement from the company said today.

According to RadiciSpandex, not only does the use of biopolymer help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but the production process also emits fewer greenhouse gasses and uses less energy than petroleum-based processes. The company claims its new green elastane fibre will ensure the highest environmental sustainability while providing excellent performance (greater stretch and high-speed spinning) and good quality."

Knit & Weave I

I propose a link chase. Below you'll find a small handful of sites and pages that might be of interest to anyone wanting to learn a little more about textile production. This is Part I...

The articles and links on this website could easily eat up a few hours of any workday so watch out for this gem: Knitting Industry News.

This lesson in woven suiting is very informative: 'Sharkskin, Herringbone, and Houndstooth' via Department of Textilesmithing

These links speak for themselves:

Textile Technologist
Textile Source Blog
Textile/Weaving Library

Always fun to look at...An Ambitious Project Collapsing

The Footprint of a Bra

Ever wondered what it would be? The Knitting Industry News Blog has an answer for you. Apparently, Marks and Spencer has come out with a carbon neutral bra. I like that companies are adopting environmentally and socially ethical practices in the production of their wares. It's good business. What I wonder about are the convoluted, marketing-driven formulas that beg and borrow credits to make their products and manufacturing processes appear environmentally benign.

If I were to reverse-spin the carbon credit logic and take out the green-wash, it might look as if some companies are granting themselves permission to pollute and then making it a selling point. Are you buying it?

Embellishment

Really, this post is more of a meandering treasure hunt. I'll post a video or two and a few links and you can take it from there -just follow the bread crumbs if you're hoping to learn more. 

First, I will channel the most famous, French Master of Embroidery, Jean Francois Lesage, via Youtube :

Next, to the Jean Francois Lesage website for a lesson on the History of Embroidery. See also the Lesage Embroidery School where one may enroll in full or part-time Embroidery programs.

What. Can't get to Paris? How about a DIY tambour beading video or a couple of internet pages with hand stitching diagrams:

-Victorian Embroidery and Crafts
-reference chart for hand stitching


Finally, for those in need of a refreshingly different take on embellishment, Alabama Chanin will not disappoint. This link will take you to a video about the designer and company (scroll half way down the page).

Good hunting.

How Much Polyester Would a Pop Bottle Make?

According to the video below on "Recycling Plastic Water Bottles", it takes 19 bottles to make enough polyester for an extra-large t-shirt and the same to make 1 square foot of carpet, 63 bottles to make enough for a sweater and 114 bottles to make enough fiber fill for a single sleeping bag.

I've often wondered what the reclaiming process for bottles is like and how difficult it is to make usable fabric from the remains. The following video is informative -if you have ever been curious about the process check this out:

Aha!

I look forward to reading this someday: Making Sustainable Fashion:Changing the Way We Make and Use Clothes, edited by Allison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen.

Making Things Interesting

There are so many companies making jeans. I like discovering those who inhabit interesting workspaces, use clever machinery and have a well-considered process. Enter Roy and Tender Co.  I'll let the video below speak to the amazingness of Roy's set-up and Tender Co.'s website is worth clicking around to learn more about how they add local value to their product.

(Mind your ears, delicate flowers, this is real life.)

There's another video on Roy's website that shows off the vintage machinery a little better but I can't seem to upload it so just click *here* to see it instead.

Internships

How about an internship?  Here's one at Zac Posen. I'm not in New York but I like reading through the job descriptions and daydreaming. Ahh, for a bigger city and for that city in particular...

Inspiration

If you have 15 minutes, watch this video. It tells the story of Imogene + Willie: how a couple of 'grandkids' grew a denim company in Nashville. They have an amazing workshop and store and produce in-house with 11 employees.  All that awesome and their jeans look fantastic -they custom tailor their finished jeans to fit each customer.


(Thanks for the link, Sarah and Ben. You send such great inspiration!)

Yes: Thread Usage Formulas and Needle/Thread/Fabric Weight Charts

I absolutely adore truly helpful and intelligent customer service. There's a simple kindness implicit in making things easy for customers. Who wants to be scolded for not following proper ordering protocol? To that end, here's a post from Seth Godin's marketing blog titled, ''The Shell Game of Delight'.

Perhaps today's blog entry could be filed under 'things I could have learned in school had I only taken Fashion Design and not something else,' but it's really more about companies making helpful information easily available to potential customers. As such, I was impressed by, and thankful for the information I found under the 'Technical Tools' tab at the American & Efird website. There I found all things relevant to thread purchasing: thread consumption formulas,  a fabric weight/typical thread sizes/typical needle sizes chart,  and a thread size comparison chart.

Did you know there were approximately 250 yards of thread in a pair of women's jeans?

Seam Classes

I've been daydreaming about different production possibilities and wanting to brush up on technical sewing knowledge. I can see this table of seam classes from American & Efird (found via Fashion Incubator) coming in handy!