a heartfelt message from amy butler

Hello My Dear Makerie Friends,

I'm super grateful for this opportunity to connect! I wanted to reach out to you and share some wonderful changes and evolutions with my participation in the upcoming Makerie weekend this April. I'm feeling that this weekend will be full of some seriously fabulous creative mojo, and also will be an opportunity to create community. We'll have lots of time to be with each other and share, and really get to know each other's hearts. I think it's inspiring to learn about our process and paths, how we each navigate our own unique creative experiences and how we navigate our lives. We are all tapping into following our hearts and paying attention to that inner voice that guides us and inspires us to take steps towards our dreams and to take steps that nurture our happiness and joy. To me that's what the spirit of the Makerie is all about, taking care of that spark inside and shining it up with lots of love and creative communion. If I may, I'd love to start the conversation about heart a little early. I've found myself in a place in my life where I've filled a bit too much on my plate and I've been working on simplifying the pieces in my life so I can really focus on my dreams and have enough energy and juice to extend my heart and hand in all the ways that make me happy. The big piece that I am temporarily putting on hold is my IntenSati teaching. I was scheduled to lead a class during my Makerie weekend and I have to let it go.

Prior to this April weekend I would have had to have received my ACE group fitness certification to teach outside of my home based on my teacher training from IntenSati. I had found myself over extended and feeling anxiety about "getting it all in." And I thought, wait a minute, something is not right, IntenSati is something I LOVE, adding it to my life should not be this hard. After taking a deep breath and reevaluating everything I have going on with my studio business, home life and relationships, I realized this may not be the time for me to teach and I came to the understanding that my Sati practice is meant to be shared in different ways and that this is something I can do easily and with love. I decided that I will save my teaching for down the road when it's the right time in my life. Once I made the decision I felt a rush of instant relief and knew that was a sign that my inner voice was pleased with my choices. My heart flew wide open and my breath deepened and I was overwhelmed with a rush of love and inspiration. Score 1 for the home team! It felt good to pay attention to my heart's guidance. I know this is a familiar story for all of us, we're always faced with making choices that supports our gifts and nurtures how we want to feel in our lives.There is so much we each need to care for and make room for in our lives; like our families, our art, our community and our health. Cultivating an inner conversation and awareness can be scary and exhilarating and it's all the sweeter when we can share our experiences among friends and kindred spirits. We are here to support each other and cheer for each other's brilliance, as each of us grows and shines we all grow and shine. And I can't wait to see your sparkle!!

So as one door closes another one opens and I am thrilled to share that Ali asked me to be the opening speaker when we start our magical weekend together! I am so happy I get a chance to share of myself ~ it's not my IntenSati class ~ but it's the right thing fitting into the right time and place.

I can't wait to meet all of you and to continue this conversation. I just know that we will all be expanded by our time together. And Oh man.... we are going to have FUN!
I'll see YOU soon!

Lots and Lots of Love,
Amy

the talented, fabulous liesl!

Liesl Gibson is quite a creative sewing force to be reckoned with. Founder of three beautiful brands ~ Oliver + S, Lisette and Straight Stitch Society, Liesl is always presenting fresh, modern sewing patterns adored by all. With a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and time spent working for Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, she had a wealth of knowledge and fantastic experience under her belt before launching her own companies. She's created quite a niche with her boutique brands and endlessly inspiring creative ideas and we're thrilled to have her teaching a super stylish Smocked Necklace workshop at the inaugural Makerie Sewing. Smocking can be used in so many wonderful ways once students learn the techniques and they will come away from this class armed and ready to add a special smocking flair to any project.

Get to know the lovely Liesl below! 

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What is your favorite food obsession right now? 

Ice cream will always be at the top of my list. I just can’t seem to help my sweet tooth, although it doesn’t really extend to cookies and candy. Just ice cream.

        

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

I always wanted to be an artist, and clothing design was an early obsession for me. A friend and I were designing clothes in a little notebook already in second grade.

What's for breakfast? 

Usually a small bowl of muesli with yogurt, milk, and fruit. But I like variety, too, and New York makes an awfully good bagel.

A wish that came true. 

I still can’t believe that I get to wake up in the morning and do something I love!

What risk are you glad you took? 

I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started Oliver + S, but I’m so glad that I did.

If you could learn a creative skill other than your profession, what would it be? 

Someday I’d like to have more time for weaving and knitting. I’m pretty much obsessed by all fiber arts, really.

A favorite gift you’ve received. 

Anything that demonstrates that the giver has put thought into the gift makes it meaningful to me.

A condiment you love. 

Vinegar! Balsamic, rice wine, it’s all good.

What book do you keep on your coffee table? 

Right now it’s Alexander McQueen, a book on color trends over the decades, and an out-of-print book of illustrations by Antonio Lopez that my husband scored for me in an ebay bidding war several years ago for Christmas. I adore Antonio’s work and am so excited that his work is currently being re-discovered.

What you love most about what you do. 

I love that I can help other people discover a love of sewing! It’s so rewarding to hear that I’ve helped other people learn to sew and gain confidence in their skills through our patterns. Plus, it’s amazing to see the darling clothes they make for their adorable kids!

The most challenging or difficult part about what you do. 

I find it very challenging to put my work aside at the end of the day. I love what I do, and there’s always something more to be done. I could just keep going if the day was longer.

_________ is at the top of my inspiration library. 

New York, baby!

Any tricks for finding life balance? 

Having a child, actually. She requires me to put aside my work and pay attention to her, and that’s been very healthy for me. There’s nothing like a cute kid to distract you from your work and take your mind off things.

Any trade secrets/words of wisdom you’d like to divulge? 

Sure, I keep learning fearlessness from my daughter. She attacks a blank page of paper with wild abandon, and she works with her mistakes without giving them a second thought. I think that’s a great lesson for the grown-ups.

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Thanks Liesl!

a special new addition to molly hatch's workshop!

Cleveland Institute of Art: Visiting Artist- Molly Hatch from Cleveland Institute of Art on Vimeo.

That Molly is always up to amazing things! She’s a fountain of creative ideas and we just adore working with her. This recently released video gives you a great peek into her world, one that she'll be sharing with all of us at the Makerie. If you follow along her beautiful artistic journey than you surely have seen that her work can be found at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as part of the "New Blue and White" exhibition, a show demonstrating the ways in which today’s artists and designers, working in a variety of media, are making blue-and-white modern. It’s been really special to see Molly’s work celebrated in such a lovely, deserving way and we’re giddy with excitement to have her in Boulder in April. She’ll be teaching her Word Play workshop for the very first time and just added a very cool new bonus element we wanted to share. She’ll be giving each student the opportunity to design and apply a permanent monogram or surface decoration to a juice glass using stencils that will be created in class. This is such a rare chance to work closely with Molly on this process, as she will be sharing her special techniques and product favorites to teach students how to make their own decorated glassware and ceramics. Imagine the possibilities! They stop only where one's own creativity ends. There are a handful of spots so grab 'em before they're gone! 

the brand new makerie summer series presented by whole foods!

We are incredibly excited to announce the brand new Makerie Summer Series presented by Whole Foods, a series of creative day retreats designed for anyone! By gathering our local creative and food communities, we’ll be providing three unique, soul-filled experiences at the Lyons Farmette, a gorgeous farm just outside of Boulder. Each event, centered around a theme, will offer a variety of modern creative and homesteading classes in sewing, photography, letterpress, flower arranging, collage and canning, just to name a few of the fabulous choices. Click below for the outstanding teacher and workshop details within each theme!

June 2 ~ on the farm  ::  July 7 ~ for a gathering  ::  August 4 ~ in the home

Delicious and healthy food is such an important piece of a nurturing experience and an essential part of our summer events. We've put together quite an all-star team that will incorporate garden fresh and organic food into charming, styled boxed lunches and fabulous farm dinners, as local as you can get. Katie of eat Private Chef & Catering co. puts so much passion into her food that you can taste it in every bite, while Dawn of Crust offers a most mouth-watering repertoire straight out of her gorgeous, copper wood fired oven. Whole Foods will be presenting a special, delectable course at each farm dinner,  as well as supplementing our meals with their endlessly inspiring ingredient choices and providing yummy snacks to keep you crafting throughout the day. Menus will be based around the growing season, highlighting healthy, organic produce picked fresh from the farm. To cap off a day of creating, we'll be hosting a Creative Cocktail hour, where Whole Foods will be leading a Crafting Cocktail workshop, inspiring you to think outside the box when it comes to making special and fun summer drinks. If that didn’t sound like a day dream, we even have a few surprises planned on top of all that to be sprinkled into every event!

The idea for the Summer Series has been in our heart for over a year now and was inspired by the need to celebrate and focus on our local creative and food communities, highlighting the incredible people and small businesses that are doing fantastic things. Having them share their knowledge through leading workshops in an intimate setting creates a wonderful connection within our communities and the farm dinner element adds a special opportunity to sit down together, pull our chairs close and share a beautiful, farm fresh meal under the stars. After creating weekend long retreats, we felt the need for a new offering that was only one day and filled with the same amount of magic and love as our current creative getaways. We can't wait to combine two of our very favorite things ~ creative workshops and farm dinners ~ which naturally go hand and hand for these summer celebrations. In our hearts, we believe the combination of creativity intertwined with local, organic meals shared in community around a table will make for one soul-filling experience. So pencil us in and come see for yourself! We'd absolutely love to have you. 

Love,
the Makerie Summer Series team 

p.s. In case you wanted to get a jump on your summer plans, we're offering an early bird special through May 1!

*images by Casie Zalud, Mia Semingson, Elke Bergeron, Allison Bozeman & MM Local

meet the wonderful cal patch!

Cal Patch loves making things and teaching people to make. She sews, crochets, spins, embroiders, knits, prints, makes patterns, dyes… hence the name of her label: hodge podge. Cal has taught all of these subjects for the past twelve years and loves showing people new skills. She now teaches online classes for Creativebug in addition to traveling to shops and retreats around North America. After seventeen years of being a New York City dweller, Cal recently relocated to the Catskills where she is becoming a crafty farmer. A true lover and advocate of handmade, Cal is working toward wearing clothing she's made herself or other handmakers she loves. (Wouldn't we love a peek into her closet?) She sells her homegrown dresses through her Etsy shop, as well as her first beautiful book, Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified. We're thrilled to have Cal teaching a wonderful pattern making workshop on Designing your Own Clothes so you can create your own wardrobe too. Meet the sweet, adorable Cal below!

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What is your favorite food obsession right now?
We have a local chocolatier who uses seasonal organic ingredients in the most amazing combos, like figs and fennel, or smoked corn and sage, in her chocolates. They rule my world! She’s called Lagusta’s Luscious should you want to try some!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I went through lots of phases: zookeeper, dancer, horse trainer, photographer, artist...

What's for breakfast?
Oatmeal, with fruit, nuts, honey and yogurt on top.

A wish that came true.
To teach at the 2011 Sock Summit. It was quite a phenomenal! I was thrilled to even attend something called a Sock Summit..

What risk are you glad you took?
Telling my now-boyfriend on our FIRST date that I wanted to move to the country and have chickens and goats, and that if he wasn’t into that, we shouldn’t have a second date!

If you could learn a creative skill other than your profession, what would it be?
Pottery. I have a hankering to make organically shaped planters with drainage holes, which they never seem to have! I’d also love to become a Master Gardener.

A condiment you love.
The homemade ketchup at our local café, Market Market.

What book do you keep on your coffee table?
All three of Natalie Chanin’s books.

What you love most about what you do.
I make my own schedule. I choose my projects. And my studio is a huge sky lit room with windows on three sides, surrounded by woods and my yard so I see my chickens, as well as deer, hummingbirds and other assorted wildlife as I work.

The most challenging or difficult part about what you do.
Time management. Having a free form schedule isn’t always easy for me.

Any trade secrets/words of wisdom you’d like to divulge?
Do what you love, and find your own definition of “success.”

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Thank you Cal!

our makerie goodie bag design

As you know, we ran a contest in the Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design e-course to design our Makerie Sewing bags. Well the entires were so fabulous that we decided to award another winner for the Makerie goodie bags! We are honored to have Chloe Wood's design featured on our bags this year and asked her to share a bit about her talented self. 

"Having grown up in the Cornish/Devon countryside in England, I have always been inspired by the natural world in particular Flora and Fauna. I love to take my ideas, sketch and create patterns & designs. For the Makerie goodie bag brief I had the idea of designing something which captured what the Makerie brand is all about. So I decided to incorporate the tree of life into the design as being at one with nature allows you to release your inner creativity. This was something I learnt about myself on my travels around India. 

Since I embarked on The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design Course I have been able to push my dreams and design ideas further. I intend to start developing my designs onto products for fabrics, homewares, stationary and gadgets. I am over the moon to have my design featured on the Makerie goodie bag."

We're thrilled to be part of Chloe's budding design career and can't wait to see her design printed on our bags. A hearfelt thanks again to Beth & Rachael for supporting this fabulous, fun design challenge! 

the magnificent molly hatch!

That Molly Hatch insignia is becoming a household icon. Each time I stroll through Anthropolgie and pick up a dish or bowl I love, nine times out of ten it's one of Molly's pieces. An artist-designer from Northampton, MA, she began her career as a studio potter and grew to using her love of drawing and painting to design everything from fabric patterns, glassware, furniture, rugs, lamps, in addition to her primary love of working with clay. (You've seen her product line for Anthropologie, yes?) Her work is heavily inspired by historic trends in fabric, font, ceramics, print and furniture, often combining history and the contemporary with a witty use of scale, palette and a sense of humor. She is clearly a multi-talented, world renown lady and it is the most special treat that she'll be joining us in Boulder in just a few months. We are thrilled to be the host for her debut workshop ~ Word Play ~ and can't wait for her lucky students to soak up every bit of incredible insight she'll be sharing. Molly's beautiful creative energy is contagious and it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take her workshop. We have no doubt that her students will come away more inspired than ever! 

Meet the magnificent Molly below. 

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What is your favorite food obsession right now? 

I am actually falling in love with tea for the first time! I have always been a coffee drinker and I recently took a shine to Tea Guys Vanilla Chai—it’s a tiny little company local to me and they hand-blend all of their flavors in 50lb batches. The ingredients they use are gorgeous and the flavors are strong, which I LOVE!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I always knew I was going to be a maker of some kind—I am pretty much what I wanted to be!

What's for breakfast? 
Usually, peanut butter and my husband’s homemade jam on toast. We have an amazing bakery called Bread Euphoria down the street from us—I am always missing their bread when I travel.

A wish that came true.

I got a baby girl...

What risk are you glad you took?

It might not seem like a risk, but it felt like one to me—working with Anthropologie was one of the largest risks I ever took in my career and I don’t regret it for one minute.

If you could learn a creative skill other than your profession, what would it be?

I would LOVE to learn to sew better. I have always wanted to make my own clothes. I think it would be an incredible thing to be able to make what I want to wear.

A favorite gift you’ve received.

My potter’s wheel was a gift from my parents on graduation from art school. Still using it 15 years later!

A condiment you love.

I am a HUGE ketchup fan. Can't live without it.

What book do you keep on your coffee table?

I don’t have a coffee table!

What you love most about what you do.

I love that I get to work with so many different kinds of materials and processes, that people can afford what I design and that I get to decide what I do and don’t do. I love that I can make things but not have to repeat myself. I am good at coming up with new ideas and my job is the BEST kind of job for someone like me.

The most challenging or difficult part about what you do.

It is hard to come up with creative solutions and new things all the time. I find it challenging to meet demands and not have as much personal time as I would like. I miss knitting.

_______ is at the top of my inspiration library.

fabric patterning from the 18^th century.

Any tricks for finding life balance?

What is that? Actually, my kid keeps me in check. She is pretty amazing.

Any trade secrets/words of wisdom you’d like to divulge?

Make things for yourself. Chances are if you want the thing you are making in your life, then someone else will too!

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Thanks Molly!