Holiday Textile Ornaments

Handmade holiday ornaments made from natural papers and textile remnants. These ornaments are in a window display at Picone Fine Food in Dundas, ON, and are for sale. Large: $18; Small: $12

Each one is unique, no two are alike. Here are some images of them below...

Happy Holidays!

Art Gallery of Hamilton's Bijoux Pop-up Shop & Sale

The AGH is having a pop-up shop & sale of 15 regional jewellery and accessories artists in the Jean and Ross Fischer Gallery from November 3- 16, 2011.
I"ll have some new Bling! necklaces and pins as well as Shoreline scarves showcased here.
Come check it out!

Hard Twist Textile Exhibition- Friday, November 25

Hard Twist 6- Obsession

This year's group exhibition, presenting textile and fibre based works, will reflect or explore obsessive ideas, acts, or fixations through medium, technique or concept. 

For this show, I'm making a trio of Bling! bib necklaces in neon colours. I'm quilting a base for the bibs, and have screen printed all the bright gems, and am now stitching them together!

It's a great line up of crafty textile artists, come check it out!

PIECEWORK Art Show and Sale

The annual textile and fibre arts show and sale: PieceWORK  at The Gladstone Hotel (2nd floor) is on Friday, November 25th 2011. I'm working on some new clothes and a few accessories for this show. In addition, I'll have a trio of Bling! necklaces as wall hangings in the the HardTwist Exhibition which is going on concurrently with PieceWORK. My booth/ room number is #202, come by and say hi!
There will be lots of great vendors and just in time for seasonal festivities.

Hive

Using a traditional Japanese technique of coating layers of viscous root starch (konnyaku) to penetrate pliability, resistance, and structure into fragile fibers of handmade paper, this paper dress is an exploration into structure and form with an experimental approach to clothing construction using old world materials.

Employing the honeycomb cell as the central motif, I’m developing a new series of wearable art that is concerned with the worker bee as representation of the obligated and disenchanted proletariat groping through life’s endless chain of soulless and menial work, yet finding the resiliency within to sustain a pilot light of hope to one day realize one’s own true potential.

This piece is currently on exhibition at the Project Space on 126 James Street North until October 9th, 2011 as part of the group exhibition "This Woman's Work" curated by Sally Frater.

This Woman's Work... An Art Exhibition

Hello Friends,

Come and enjoy this exciting new exhibition during Hamilton's Supercrawl Event: This Woman's Work... curated by Sally Frater is a textile and craft exhibition featuring a group of diverse, emerging and established Hamilton artists.

I will install a beehive paper dress for the exhibition, which is hanging up to dry as I write this. It features my virgin experiments with gold leafing!

It would be great to see and chat with you.

Hope to see you there.

H

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Erika DeFreitas, Detail from A Teleplasmic Study with Doillies (A Selection). 2010 - 2011. Digital print

Project Space Presents: This Woman's Work...
Artists: Simone Aziga, Erika DeFreitas, Insoon Ha, Colina Maxwell, Ingrid Mayrhofer, Shelley Niro, Hitoko Okada
Curated by: Sally Frater
September 9 – October 1, 2011 (by appointment)
Opening Reception: Saturday September 10, 2011, 7:00 – 10:00 pm

Given that both craft and what has commonly been thought of as women's work is often defined along gendered lines, this exhibition will address and explore the realm of the "feminine" through the use of textile-based works. Employing materials and methods affiliated with the genre of craft, such as beading, knitting and sewing, the participating artists explore themes related to gender, labour, performance and the body in their respective works.

Project Space
126/128 James St. N
Hamilton, ON
L8P 2Z4

Bling! now featured at Model Citizen Toronto

New Bling! Necklaces are available at Model Citizen in Toronto's Kensington Market. Owned and operated by Julian Finkel- a genuine gentleman, fashion designer and always impeccably styled.
If you haven't checked out Model Citizen before, or haven't been in awhile, come in and feast your eyes on his screen printed and bird appliqued tees, and well curated selection of  jeans. Here you'll find the cross between vintage and contemporary canadian designed clothing and accessories. With Julian's eye, it's always fresh, and don't be shy to ask him for suggestions on styling, he is full of insight!
Here is a sampling of Bling! now featured at Model Citizen...

New Shoreline Ruff

New from the Shoreline Collection with a special gift box...

Growing up on the west coast of British Columbia, I had often turned to the rugged coastline for healing space. From endless beach walks and tidal pool explorations, I saw reflected in the washed up battered oceanic debris, a wounded self that is beautiful, powerful, and narrating one’s own unique story. From this reflexive place of healing and resurrection, the Shoreline Collection emerged.

Beautiful fabrics hand pleated, frayed and distressed like a weathered soul are embellished with a scattering of semi- precious stones, pearls (of wisdom), found objects, and ceramic barnacles (hand made by Grace Lee of eikcam) to create unique garments and accessories that when worn evoke a weathered beauty and express a life of experience- one's own unique journey.

Close up of the inside- natural sheer cotton hand pleated and frayed, and hand stitched with a grosgrain spine and a screen printed label.

Guest Blog on LIVING IN A GREEN ROOM

Hello friends,
From story teller, illustrator, milliner, puppet master and talent extraordinaire that is Amanda Farquharson, delivers  Living in a Green Room- illustrated stories told from a hilarious life lived. She has featured one of my own stories in a guest blog. Come and share some laughs with us!

New! Shoreline Armband

Featuring a new addition to the Shoreline collection- a one of a kind hand crafted armband.

This piece was created with layers of textiles, natural found materials, ceramic barnacles made by Grace Lee of eikcam, hand dyed silk netting, and a stitched- in blessing type on rice paper. 

This piece also involves a crafted experience of discovery with its multi- layered packaging. Enjoy!

Right side is the underside of the box lid where a screen printed card of thanks is fastened with linen ribbons; Left side is where the armband lays underneath a sheet of gauzy rice paper.

The Armband embellished with grosgrain, organza, plant fibres, natural dyed silk netting, ceramic barnacles made by Grace Lee, fresh water pearls, and bone.

Typed on fibrous rice paper reads: love healing compassion joy

Open for Sale at Etsy!

I'm happy to announce that you can now make safe and secure purchases from me through my on-line cash register at Etsy! Here are a few necklaces that are available- for further image details and information, please check them out at my new Etsy Store!

 

Mini Bling! : $69.00

Fresh Bling! for Summer 2011

Here's a look at some new styles and colour ways I'm working with this season.
Fresh Bling! skirts and tank tops are now available at Distill in Toronto- sizes ranging from small to x-large in charcoal bamboo jersey, and in lavender tencel.
Also, featured here are new necklace styles available at Made You Look in Toronto. Perfect for summer.

Bling! at Made You Look, Toronto, ON

A collection of Bling! necklaces are available at Toronto's Made You Look accessories shop (South Side). Come and check it out!

South Side - Made You Look Accessories

This bursting boutique is full of conversation starters and it is where adding to your collection never ends…
Made You Look Accessories - 1273 Queen Street West, Toronto, M6K 1L6, 416-516-9595
Store Hours : Mon 10-6 • Tues 10-6 • Wed 10-6 • Thurs 10-9 • Fri 10-9 • Sat 10-6 • Sun 12-5

The Design Group Winter Sale 2010

Please visit my booth At The Design Show Winter Sale on Sunday, December 5th from 10-4 at Neo Hairstyling 199 Locke Street South in Hamilton. I will have some new designs of Bling! necklaces and clothing; Shoreline scarves in black, navy, natural and red; silk fortune cookies with type-written fortunes and affirmations.

NOT JUST A LABEL- HITOKOO

Hitokoo is now profiled on-line at Not Just A Label- a global business directory and on-line store where fashion and art meet. On-line purchases for Hitokoo one of a kind wearables at Not Just A Label coming soon! 

Art Exhibition: Pattern & Form

I'm happy to introduce a paired exhibition titiled Pattern and Form featuring a wall installation and collage works by Arounna Khounnoraj and photogravure etchings with paper clothing by Emma Nishimura, curated by Hitoko Okada for The Print Studio in Hamilton.

the print studio
akimbo
stephanie vegh blog 2010 top 5

Shoreline Collection

The neck accessories are made from a double layer of irregular hand pleated, fringed and distressed silk satin, bamboo or other natural fibres. Each piece is embellished with Mokuba ribbons and scattered gem stones, fresh water pearls, bone, vintage beads or other findings. 


The collar below was exhibited in a group show titled: neckLACE curated by Marina Dempster at the Department Gallery in Toronto. 
neckLACE show 2009

Bling!

Bling! is a playful irony of our culture of excess and acquisitions for status and luxury. This collection was launched as a self-titled exhibition at the Print Studio Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario in 2009. New pieces to the collection are added every year, and are sold at Made You Look and Distill, in Toronto, ON.

Each piece is handmade and one of a kind from stuffed, screen printed gems mounted on felt, and suspended on resin rings, aluminum links and Mokuba ribbons.

http://www.nowtoronto.com/lifestyle/story.cfm?content=174417
http://www.akimbo.ca/exhibitions/?id=17152
http://heremag.ca/events/amelia-jiménez-process-and-outcome

Urban Farmer Series

This collection includes light cotton t-shirts and linen wrap skirts with screen printed images inspired by urban farming.





model: Sharon

Cnidarian Series

This collection was inspired by organic forms of jellyfish and other cnidarian species. The collection featured soft billowing hemlines; fringed and ribbon-tasselled tentacle adornments with structured and surface textured fabrics. 





photos by Yasmin Dar http://www.mygoodeye.ca/
make-up by Sanae Okada http://www.sanae.ca/