Carving

      I've been taking a few carvings to market with me these days. Soapstone is one of my first true loves so I thought I'd post of few of my latest here.
      This is my stone heart. It's about the size of a plum.

     This face is about the same size. I really like the rough stone at the back. You don't get that with store bought stones that are cut into cubes. I like that you can tell that this came from a rock that was shaped like a rock.

       I'm planning to go on some excursions to find natural soapstone in Nova Scotia soon. I'll let you know how that turns out. It would be great to get some bigger pieces to work with.

Dopplegangers, Halifax Magazine and CTAG

Dear Halifax and beyond,
        It's been a week full of tampering and little experiments. My latest creation is this little felt doppleganger. I'm custom making these 11 inch dolls by request for $50. You choose the hair, eye and skin colours, clothing and accessories and other details and I'll make a little being for you.

       Nicole Trask was kind enough to feature this little creature (and me) in her latest Halifax Magazine blog post. Check it out: http://halifaxmag.com/2011/10/blog/thoughtful-tampering/
        At the Seaport Market this weekend I will be selling at least one pair of warm, felted maritime wool socks - maybe two if I can get my new sign finished in time to work on them. This maritime wool is in melon green and dusty rose, to add a few winter colours to the autumns I've been working with lately. My fingers are crossed that there will be a table for me this Saturday, but if not I'll see you there on Sunday.
        As I type this, I'm sitting at the Hub where there is a buzz in the air with all of the planning of Halifax's show of art at night, Nocturne (Oct 15th). There will be lots of fun events that night, one of which is DAWNing, a collection of fashions by emerging designers at 2053 Gottingen St from 6 pm until midnight. I know at least one of the designers is a member of CTAG, the Clothing and Textile Action Group that works out of the Ecology Action Center here in Halifax so there should be some great eco-friendly clothes.
        Until next week stay warm.

Fabric! Fabric! Fabric!

      New in the world of Tamper this week is all of the fabric I've been ordering for the fall line. It's very exciting as I envision the clothes.
      This beautiful chocolate brown will become a straight leg trouser for men and women:

      I will also be making a mod style wrap skirt out of it with accents in either this blue folklore print or the khaki below it: (If you think one would work better, leave a comment and let me know.)

    
I'm going to make the same skirt in this crimson with the jacquard print below it as the accent:

      I never wear red but I'm going to make an exception for this skirt.
      All of the above fabrics are certified organic cotton with low impact dyes. The chocolate and the crimson were grown in the USA and the two patterns were grown in China. Here is what my suppliers have to say about their Chinese sources:

"We personally check and confirm that workers operate in a well maintained, healthy and safe environment; they are well trained for their jobs; they are treated with respect; they are paid fairly and have health insurance, sick and maternity leave benefit, no child labor and more."

      I'm excited to say that I'm now able to purchase organic cotton locally through Laura Chenoweth Organic Apparel:       http://laurachenoweth.com/      As you can see from her web page, her clothing is breathtaking. I'm so pleased that she is wholesaling fabric. Laura has visited the mills and the farms where her fabric is made in India, and she has built a relationship with her suppliers there so I feel very confident that the fabric I order through her is ethically sourced. If anyone is looking for a source of fairly traded organic cotton I highly recommend contacting Laura.
      I also have some lovely natural or cream coloured hemp that I'll be making into a plain tunic for men and women, and a more feminine cap sleeved top.
      Now, dear readers, it is time for me to admit that I'm not blogging every week and that I likely won't be able to for a few months yet with all the researching, projecting, networking and planning that's been absorbing my time. So my new goal is a monthly post until further notice. I'll let you know when it's up through facebook and twitter, and if you'd like an email too just let me know.
      That's all for now. With any luck my next post will contain photos of finished garments available for sale...