2014 ~ here we come!

It's so very exciting to present our 2014 Makerie retreats ~ the brand new Sweet Paul Makerie, the Makerie & the Makerie Summer on the Farm presented by Whole Foods! We are just thrilled ~ beyond belief ~ with our spectacular teacher teams and the incredible workshops they have so thoughtfully put together for you. Each retreat will be quite special, each with their own magical personality and flair, and in three spectacular settings. 

The Sweet Paul Makerie is the first retreat collaboration we've done and are very honored to be partnering with the Sweet Paul team. This is also the first time we've taken the Makerie outside of Colorado and couldn't be more excited to host a creative gathering in New York City ~ one of my favorite places in the world! Working together with the Sweet Paul team to bring their incredibly inspiring magazine to life has already been more than a dream come true and we can't wait for you to see the awesome things we've got in store! It will honestly be like stepping into the pages of their gorgeous magazine, getting to take classes in person by the fabulous featured artists and sharing meals highlighting the mouth-watering recipes found throughout the various issues. It's the most treasured treat to work with them and I am humbled by this amazing opportunity!

The  Makerie is our original retreat vision and one that's very close to my heart. I love seeing how each deveolops into its own very special feel and our teacher team this year is second to none. Our retreat home, the Colorado Chautauqua, remains one of the most magical places to host a gathering like this and I feel immensely grateful to be able to share such a peaceful, beautiful place with everyone who comes. This year's Makerie will provide the opportunity to take four workshops during the retreat ~ some exciting new ones combined with some of the most popular ones from last year ~ along with all the goodness we always incorporate ~ yoga, hiking, yummy, healthy organic meals and even a few surprises too!

The Makerie Summer on the Farm presented by Whole Foods will be a one day creative retreat held at the most gorgeous, quaint farm ~ the Lyons Farmette, just outside of Boulder. We loved combining two of our very favorite things this past summer ~ modern creative workshops and a fabulous farm dinner ~ and can't wait to do it again. It will surely be one soul and belly filling day! We are still in the planning stages for this retreat and will be launching our registration in early 2014. Stay tuned! 

As for the Makerie Sewing retreat, thank you so much for all the inquiries! We are looking to make this a bi-annual event so please look for this in the spring of 2015. (it will be here before you know it!) We've already talked to a few amazing teachers about it so pencil us in! I really wish I could do it all but being thoughtful about what I choose to take on each year and balancing my family life are top priorities. I'm sure many of you can understand!

There is so much goodness in store for this coming year & we just can't wait to share the wonderful details. Do check back THIS Friday, as we will be launching a new web site, sharing all the retreats details and opening up registration. Creativity is just SO good for the soul and we really hope to see you at one (or maybe a few?) of our retreats. 

Lots of love...

bernina & the sewing slumber party!

We are totally thrilled to have BERNINA as such a special part of our Makerie Sewing event! Not only will they be providing sewing machines for each student in Heather's Improv Patchwork class and several for Tamar's Soft Sculpture workshop, but their beautiful machines will be available for open studio time on Friday night of the retreat. And if that wasn't wonderful enough, BERNINA will also be hosting a Sewing Slumber Party the Saturday night of Makerie Sewing weekend ~ complete with DIY projects, goodies, refreshments and drum roll please... a chance to win your very own BERNINA 215 sewing machine! It's quite an incredible offering! Once you get it home, you can even customize it with your own skin. Isn't that fun? We are grateful for BERNINA's support and are honored to have them as such an essential and marvelous part of the retreat. So pack your favorite pair of PJ's and we'll see you there!

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! 

...................................................................................

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.

...................................................................................

Thanks Liesl!

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!

.............................................................................

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.”

.............................................................................

Thank you Cal!

tamar & her stunning soft sculptures

To have Tamar Mogendorff among our outstanding teacher team at the Makerie Sewing retreat is quite an incredible honor, to say the least. It took me several years (for real!) to reach Tamar and was so excited to finally connect with her last summer when I had the wonderful chance to get to know her in person. I spent some time in her Brooklyn studio, surrounded by her magical bird cages, watchful owls, deer with bashful eyes and long eyelashes, each with a unique charm and European flair. It was fascinating to learn about how she approaches her projects and the wonderful ways she brings her creations to life, something Tamar's students will also learn in her Soft Sculpture workshops in April. Her work has been featured around the world and in gorgeous publications such as Sweet Paul Magazine, Selvedge, and The New York Times just to name a few.

We can't wait to have her in Boulder & wanted to give you the chance to learn a little more about Tamar too.

....................................................................................

What is your favorite food obsession right now?
not eating gluten, almonds, dry figs with my coffee in the morning, avocado & kotej cheese

What did you want to be when you grew up?
photographer

What's for breakfast?
dry figs, fruits, almonds, lots of coffee

A wish that came true.
living in NY, being creative everyday

What risk are you glad you took?
coming to NY with nothing; I jumped into deep water many times in my life

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

A favorite gift you’ve received.
my cat tulu ~ got him from a friend the day I arrived to NY; and I received lots of art pieces from friends over the years & have a big collection ~ a good one!

A condiment you love.
black paper, cumin, zaatar

What book do you keep on your coffee table?
the 10 books I am in the middle of reading, a variety of literature, poetry & art

What you love most about what you do.
the places and people it has give me the chance to see/meet; being creative everyday; playing in my own playground

The most challenging or difficult part about what you do.
that it is a lot of work

_________ is at the top of my inspiration library.
Inspiration comes to me from everywhere. I don't have a particular book or movie or anything, as it can come while I'm walking around, dreaming or chatting.

Any tricks for finding life balance?
Growing up I guess. Surrounding myself with people I love, who love me & care for me.

Any trade secrets/words of wisdom you’d like to divulge?
ALWAYS BE YOURSELF, UNLESS YOU CAN BE A UNICORN. THEN ALWAYS BE A UNICORN

.....................................................................................

Thank you Tamar!

meet jenny hart, the embroideress behind sublime stitching!

photo by kenneth b gal

We are giddy with excitement to welcome Jenny Hart as a teacher for Makerie Sewing weekend! Jenny is known for her extraordinary artwork in hand embroidery and for her company, Sublime Stitching, that has continually led the way in embroidery patterns, kits, textiles and education. Hand embroidery is fresh and exciting to a new generation of makers and we simply can't get enough of the abundant creativity that Jenny shares with the world. Did you know that she's stitched numerous portraits of famous people and even has a permanent embroidered piece in the Smithsonian American Art Museum? There is something very peaceful and reflective when you take needle and thread (or floss) to a stretched out piece of linen or fabric and bring a printed design to life. Students in Jenny's class, Illuminated Embroidery, are certainly in for a very special treat, as they will be stitching up their favorite sayings or quotes with Jenny's patterns and guidance for hand-lettering. Surely the embroidered creations that will come out of her classes will be wall-hanging worthy and have a permanent place in many homes. 

Meet the sensational Jenny below!

............................................................................

What is your favorite food obsession right now?
Mint chocolate chip ice-cream bars.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
An artist.

What's for breakfast?
Breakfast tacos!

A wish that came true.
Having a solo show in Paris, which I wished for, and having my work in the Smithsonian, which I never dared wish for.

What risk are you glad you took?
Launching Sublime Stitching.

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

A favorite gift you’ve received.
It's a secret.

A condiment you love.
Sweet BBQ Sauce!

What book do you keep on your coffee table?
A collection of Krazy Kat by George Herriman.

What you love most about what you do.
The freedom and independence.

The most challenging or difficult part about what you do.
Too much freedom and independence! It can be overwhelming to prioritize and know what is best.

_________ is at the top of my inspiration library.
The Drawings of Bruno Schulz

Any tricks for finding life balance?
Keep searching and don’t stop because balance always tips.

Any trade secrets/words of wisdom you’d like to divulge?
Anyone who appears to have "made it" is still working ten times harder at continuing their success than you may realize.

............................................................................

Thanks Jenny!

we just turned two!

It's really hard to believe it's been two years since we launched the Makerie! Our second anniversary was last week (November 11) so I'm a little late in sharing this, but didn't want it to slip by without a gigantic thank you to each & every person, organization and entity that has been a part of this journey so far. I am grateful beyond belief for the gifts and growth I continue to gain from this experience, for learning to listen to my heart, and most of all ~ for the beautiful new friends in this incredible creative community I continue to make. At the end of day, it really is the amazing people that have made the Makerie come to life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this dream come true for me which will hopefully inspire many others to go after their dreams too.

Lots of Love~
the Makerie

meet the fantastic french general founder ~ kaari meng

We've long admired the thoughtfully curated French General, their amazing array of gorgeous fabrics and products, and of course its beautiful founder ~ Kaari Meng. Kaari's aesthetic is certainly one we love, inspired by the rural South of France. We feel incredilby honored that she'll be traveling to Boulder in April to teach her uber popular Natural Plant Dyeing workshop at this year's Makerie Sewing. Participants are in for such a treat, learning to create beautiful hand-dyed textiles that can be used in a gazillion ways. 

It was really fun to get to know Kaari through our little interview and loved all of her answers to our questions, especially her trade secret! Read on to get to know the wonderful Kaari.

.......................................................................

What is your favorite food obsession right now?
My favorite food obsession right now is the chopped salad....and what I can put into it...can I put anything into it as long as it is chopped?  It is a constant experiment and I like the challenge.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up - and the funny thing is...I feel like on some level I have become one ~ I teach crafts!

What's for breakfast?
Breakfast is a cup of Earl Grey tea with milk and toast with honey.

A wish that came true.
I also wanted to be a designer when I grew up ~ and that wish came true!

What risk are you glad that you took?
I am glad I took the risk of leaving the jewelry business behind to pursue other creative interests and start French General.

If you could learn a creative skill other than your profession, what would it be?
I would love to weave rugs in New Mexico year round or at least in the Fall every year.

A favorite gift you've received.
One of my favorite gifts I receive on a regular basis are Melograno candles made by Santa Maria Novella from a friend of mine in New York.

A condiment you love.
My favorite condiment is Mrs. Ball's Chutney.

What book do you keep on your coffee table?
I love Twyla Tharp's two books:  The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit ~ both inspire me regularly. On my coffee table right now is: Quilts 1700-2010 Hidden Histories, Untold Stories edited by Sue Pritchard... the book that accompanied the first major exhibit to focus on British patchwork and quilt-making at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

What you love most about what you do.
I love being able to wake up everyday and do something creative. It feeds my soul and makes my heart sing ~ all day long!

The most challenging or difficult part about what you do.
The most challenging part about what I do is to stay focused and finish the task at hand before moving onto another exciting project ~ otherwise I take too much on and don't finish anything!

_________ is at the top of my inspiration library.
Color and fabric are at the top of my inspiration library!

Any tricks for finding life balance?
My secret to finding life balance is to pace myself and not say yes to everything. I try hard to find projects that will help me grow and inspire me and let the other opportunities pass me by without regret.

Any trade secrets/words of wisdom you'd like to divulge?
My only trade secret is do what you love with all of your heart and you will be successful!

.......................................................................

Thank you Kaari!

we heart experiences

We're huge fans of experiential gifts ~ of any kind! As someone who is often overwhelmed by 'stuff', I find it very refreshing and exciting when I am gifted an experience instead of a 'thing'. Whether it's the brand new restaurant in town I've been wanting to try or a voucher for a class I've had my eye on, it feels like such a special treat when someone thinks of you in this thoughtful kind of way. As we approach the holiday season, we wanted to let you know we offer gift certificates to the Makerie too ~ for any amount! Each one is uniquely handmade and packaged in a petite fabric pouch ~ perfect for a stocking stuffer or a last night of Hanukah surprise. If this idea is tugging at the 'ole heart strings, it's as simple as sending an email to play@themakerie.com with a subject heading 'gift certificate' and including the details of what you'd like. We'll take care of the rest. So just in case the Makerie is on your holiday list, all you have to do is give a little hint to the ones you love by emailing the link to this blog post and you never know what the magic of the season may bring!

Here's to the happiest start to your holiday season!

~xo

the 2013 makerie sewing scholarship!

We are absolutely elated to announce our Makerie Sewing Scholarship! The Old Glory Antiques Fair will be generously offering one full Makerie Sewing package (including a travel stipend up to $500) for the 2013 Makerie Sewing event. For the next three weeks, we are accepting scholarship applications via snail mail. We are looking for applicants who embrace the spirit of the Makerie and are deserving of a creative weekend away, but may be unable to make the financial commitment at this time.

Our big hearted sponsor of this scholarship, the Old Glory Antiques Fair, is making this all possible. The theme of the 2013 Fair will be "authentic beauty... with a story to tell." Old Glory will be celebrating the art of handmade with a special tribute to a treasured art form, the American quilt. The quilt reflects authentic beauty in every stitch, simply and lovingly telling the stories of the people who created them. To weave in the time honored tradition of quilting, we are adding a handmade element to the scholarship application process this year, as you’ll see detailed below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eligibility & Application Process:

:: financial need (we will work off the honor system here)

:: write us a letter (handwritten or typed) under 500 words detailing why you would be a beautiful fit for the scholarship and what attending the Makerie Sewing would mean to you. This can also be a nomination letter, as long as you have your nominee make the quilt block, as detailed below. You don't even have to tell them why they're doing it ~ which is so much fun! Be sure to include your contact information & please be assured that all entries will be kept confidential.

:: create a “paper quilt block” in the spirit of Celebrating the Art of Handmade: The American Quilt at the Old Glory Antiques Fair.

Please include the quilt block according to the following guidelines with your mailed letter.
~ size: 4” x 4” paper (feel free to get creative with paper stock)
~ flat & mailable within an A4 (4-1/4”x6-1/4”) envelope
     *we recommend starting out with a piece of paper cut to the correct size
~any medium (fabric scraps, color pencils, pen, collage, etc. – just needs to remain flat & mailable)
     *French General is offering to mail you paper & fabric scraps!
~create your quilt block to represent yourself – use words, color, pictures, whatever your creative heart desires!

We will be using all submitted quilt blocks in an installation at the Makerie Sewing and the Old Glory Antiques Fair. We can’t wait to see what you make!

...............................

Scholarship Application Process:

** new extended deadline **

Mon, Oct 15 through Tue, Jan 15  Mail in your letter & quilt block to:

The Makerie
PO Box 4810
Boulder, CO 80306-4810

Tue, Jan 15                                         LAST DAY for post-marked applications to be sent in!

Thurs, Jan 31                                     Scholarship winner notified here on the blog!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awarding a Makerie Sewing scholarship means the world to us and one of my personally most cherished parts of our event. I just can’t thank Old Glory Antiques Fair enough for their incredibly kind generosity in making this all possible.

We would be grateful if you would pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested in applying or nominating someone they love, as we truly cherish each and every applicant.

~xo

a special sneak peek!

We can officially say we are kicking off registration on Monday, September 24 (yes ~ this coming Monday!) and thought a little sneak peek of what we've got in store would be a fun way to send you into the weekend. We are beyond elated to announce that we are doing two retreats this year ~ our original Makerie and a brand new event ~ the Makerie Sewing ~ April 18 - 21, 2013.

The original Makerie is just chock full of goodness and we'll wait until Monday to reveal the details. After all, we do love surprises and can't wait for you to see the wonderful workshop offerings! But in the meantime, we wanted to share a bit about this super exciting new event focused on sewing and textiles. To give you a little background, Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S, who taught for us last year, planted a seed at the 2012 Makerie when she asked if we had ever thought about doing a sewing-specific Makerie and well... here we are! Liesl and I have been working all summer to put together an amazing team of teachers and fabulous workshops, as well as an entirely new event design for this one-time very special sewing event. Not only will you get to choose four classes with four different teachers, but each class will be four hours long, giving you two full days (16 hours total) of incredible instruction. In case you want more time to play, we will also be offering studio time to work on whatever you'd like.

So without further ado... here is who will be teaching at the Makerie Sewing!

Amy Butler

...

Cal Patch

...

Heather Jones

...

Jenny Hart

...

Liesl Gibson

...

Kaari Meng

...

Tamar Mogendorff

This team of teachers is really beyond our wildest dreams (still pinching ourselves over here!) and we are incredibly honored to have them come to Boulder in April. The Makerie Sewing will be limited to an intimate group of participants and we have so much more in store that we can't wait to tell you. So mark your calendars for Monday when all will be revealed and registration will be open!

Here's to a fabulous weekend filled with sunshine, leaf peeping, and of course, lots of happy making. See you on Monday!

~xo