deep discussion about spools of thread

previewing

oops, blinked again!

Back in November a photographer came out to shoot some of my bags, and me in my workspace, for an article due to be out soon. I will say more once it’s out. I have been meaning to share a few behind the scenes photos from that day. I am not usually very comfortable in front of the camera (and it turns out the photographer isn’t either), and I’m not sure if having this shoot in our (humble project of a) home helped ease my nerves or not, but the photographer did a great job of making me feel relatively at ease. During a period where I was waiting for him to change up the lights, my boyfriend actually caught a short video – unbeknownst to us. It was hilarious for me to later watch, and see my little nervous behaviors.

A few photos from lately. The snow came just before the big wind and rain storm we had. It didn’t last long, but it was sure beautiful.

The sewing studio is a constant evolution these days. We haven’t quite got the layout right yet, but I think we’re getting close. That handsome guy up there is the one who helps keep it all flowing. He is the thoughtful strategist that usually initiates the changes to make life and work easier and more functional. We make a great team.

I have been too busy to blog much these days and I have been missing this space a bit! I hope to be back sooner than later…  Have a great weekend everyone.

Hello from a coffee shop… We have been in a big storm here on the central Oregon coast and have had no power for 2 days now. We were hoping to have power restored this afternoon, but so far no such luck. There is major flooding in parts of our local area, and lots and lots more rain in the forecast. Some of the wind gusts in the last couple days have been as high as 90 miles per hour and there is damage of various kinds throughout our town. On the way into town today we saw many trees snapped or fallen, a power line down, a business that had been hit by a fallen tree, and many patched roofs. Grateful our house is fine and dry, but we have had some mishaps in the yard. A newly built section of fence was blown to bits, a planter box was blown off the wall, and cold frame glass has been blown out all over the place. It seems like the winds are calming down at this point. Sure hoping so.

Obviously this puts a hamper on production in studio a la infusion. It’s hard not to be able to get any sewing done right now. We’ve been making the most of this time though, cleaning and rearranging the studio, cleaning house, early to bed… And with a camp stove and a little inverter we have been able to make coffee in the morning (big deal here! : ) and have warm dinners by the fireplace. Hope to be back up and running soon.

Update…Here is a video we found, taken just a few miles inland from us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiRAQQgeA2w&feature=endscreen&NR=1 We have friends that live out this way. Really gives a sense of how major this storm has been.

It’s not quite up and running yet, but I think we’re getting close to having the first machine assembled. The studio is in shambles and there is still a lot of moving around to do, but the goal is to get one machine up and running so I can get back to work asap. It’s unnerving to have my work space in such a state when there is so much work to be done!We started yesterday in the early evening, and worked until almost 3am. The biggest challenge? No instructions on assembly… Were we naive to think there would be? I am lucky to have such a smart dude in my life. He has a way of figuring things out and can put together anything.

If you have emailed me or sent me a message through etsy recently, and haven’t heard back from me yet, I will get there. It’s just been really busy here. Feel free to send me a reminder if you need.

I’m on instagram now @ in_fusion // abby meadow – if you want to follow along with spontaneous updates.

Some old skool Black Eyed Peas, with Macy Gray. Just you wait – this year I’m gonna learn to break dance!

There are a few new bags available in the shop. Here, here and here. The tote will be limited – maybe 6 of them total, with this particular tweed.

Over the past year or so, I have received so many requests for weather resistant options on my bags. I have hesitated to bring waxed canvas into my line, due to what I had learned about the toxicity of some of the original waxing processes, and I am obviously not a fan of synthetic materials. With a bit of research though, I am excited to have found a waxed canvas that I feel comfortable working with, and confident offering to my customers. It is a beautiful material, has such a sturdy feel, and really holds it’s own. I have really enjoyed working with this material over the last couple months. It took a bit of getting used to! It cuts and sews like a dream, and the finish is ever-changing with handling, giving every bag it’s own unique appearance.

Waxed canvas is a tightly woven cotton fabric that is impregnated with wax, making it weather resistant, while still maintaining breathability – unlike a lot of modern day synthetic outdoor gear. Waxed canvas has a sturdy feel, and ‘stands up’ in a way that the same material, in it’s unwaxed state, does not. The finishes used on this canvas are free of the hazardous solvents commonly used in the application of wax finishes. It is environmentally friendly and made right here in the US, from a family owned company that has been waxing canvas since the 1800s. Cleaning waxed canvas is easy, by simply wiping with a damp cloth or hosing off with cold water. It is not recommended to machine wash or dry clean waxed fabrics, as detergents and chemicals will break down the protective wax coating.

Currently, I have 2 colors offered in the shop, on 3 bag styles – graphite gray and raw cocoa brown – on the Rucksack, the Small Satchel and the tweed and waxed canvas tote. A third color, which s similar to my cinnamon brown canvas, will soon be appearing as well. If you have a request for colors not yet available, or a different bag not yet being offered in waxed canvas, feel free to ask.

It has been a really busy couple months here. The holidays were heavy for infusion – quite awesome I must say! Thank you!! I have been a bit behind schedule from my original production time estimates, and this past week or so my machine has been acting up. It’s been intermittent, so there are stretches of time where it’s doing just fine, but it has definitely slowed me down a bit. Of course it seems super untimely, but the exciting news is that a couple new machines are due to arrive this week – machines that my boyfriend and I spent weeks and weeks researching down. Sometimes an inconvenience is just the thing to instigate that much needed upgrade.

I have some new bags to share, which is another thing that has been waiting in the queue for quite a while, but everything in it’s time right? Hopefully I’ll be back with those within the next couple days. I’ve been really enjoying working with the waxed canvas, and will talk more about that as well.

Hope you all had a great weekend. It’s been so mild and beautiful here. It felt like spring today.

Wishing you all the most amazing start to a fresh new year! I am excited about so much right now – life, love, my growing business… We have determined that 2012 will be “the year of expression!” Freely, creatively, honestly and uninhibitedly expressing ones self is a freedom all of it’s own.

Cheers, to a season (and beyond) full of beauty and joyful expression!

Now in the shop. This one was made back in the summer, when the days were warm and soft.

Today is pretty warm, and quite soft. We even sat out on the porch for a while, stripped off all of our sweaters and sleeves, and soaked up some sunshine. It’s amazing how nurturing and healing a little bit of sunshine can be.