Featured Designer: Emily Frances

Meet Emily. She's the designer and seamstress behind her label "Emily Frances". We have a great collection of her women's tops, as well as some adorable children's jumpers and booties. Her work is very well made and she uses especially beautiful fabrics in every piece. Read our interview below, and then check out her etsy shop.

Describe in your own words what you design and create.
I am currently creating a collection of women's and children's wear that is grounded in the ideas of simplicity of form and timelessness of style. All aspects of design and creation are done by me, by hand, in the most low-tech way possible. For instance, the prints found in my work all come from original stencils that I cut by hand and then paint one at a time. This results in a uniqueness and history for each piece not possible through more mass-production techniques.

What are your favorite materials?

I love to work with natural fibers, especially cotton, bamboo, and wool. These have a quality and richness that synthetic fibers can never quite match. I also love the hunt for fabric, and the feeling of discovery and inspiration when I find a fantastic piece. Some of my favorite fabrics have come from Japan and Sweden, but I have made great finds even at the local fabric store. I usually save a piece of fabric, sometimes for years, until I have the perfect idea for it.

What is the most important feature in your designs?

I would say a hallmark of my designs is a very simple form, executed in fabulous fabrics with a meticulous attention to detail. I love making practical art that will become a part of people's lives and experiences. We live in our clothes, we use them to express who we are, and they shape others' perceptions of us. I am so honored when a piece of mine goes home to someone's closet to become a part of their wardrobe and a part of their life.

Is there anything in art, design, or fashion that you really look forward to accomplishing in the coming months or years?

My goal is always to make my collection a little bit bigger and better each season. I look forward to participating in even more local fashion events, and forming partnerships with other local artists. Someday it would be lovely to design and print my own textiles. And of course the ultimate goal is to support myself by living my creative dream.

"Orla, TX" Photos by Nicole Tappa

"Orla, Tx", from Milwaukee artist, Nicole Tappa will be on the walls August 15th through mid September. The collection is an eerie story of a lonesome ghost town textured by decay and vast blue skies. Join us for an opening reception August 22nd from 6-9pm.




Nicole Tappa graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2005 with a BFA in photography. She then traveled onto Chicago. After completing one year at Columbia College Chicago's MFA program in photography she has returned. Chicago taught her one thing, that if she goes any further away, she'll start coming back.


About Orla

It's a long way to anywhere from Orla, Texas. Orla is on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line, U.S. Highway 285, and Farm Road 652, five miles southeast of Red Bluff in northwestern Reeves County. The name is Spanish for "border" and refers to the countryside around the settlement. Orla was established as a section house on the Pecos River Railroad in 1890. A post office was opened there in 1906. By 1933 Orla reported the post office, a business, and a population of ten. Its population remained at ten until after World War II, but the number of businesses increased to two in 1943. The town grew between the late 1940s and the 1950s, the population to forty and then to sixty, and the number of businesses to three. In the mid-1960s Orla became a rural oil supply center. By the end of the decade its population had reached 250, and it had twelve businesses. From 1970 through 2000 its population was reported at 183, and it had variously anywhere from one to sixteen businesses. In 1990 Orla still supplied equipment for production in nearby Permian Basin oilfields. In 2005, its population stood at 2.

Craft Night!

Wed August 13th 6-9pm
At FASTEN
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave

Come once again to our monthly craft night. Fun times are had by all. Bring your own project from home (sewing machines and advice is available) or make something with the group. This month, our group project is tote bags! Little Ocean designer, Janelle, will show us how to stitch up some easy bags and even embellish them too. Bring a snack or drink to share.

August Classes

To sign up for a class, please call 414-747-9229.
Or mail a check along with your name, phone#, and the class date to:
Fasten Collective
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207

Basic Sewing
Wednesday, August 27th 6-9pm
Fee: $20
One day workshop for all those with an interest in garment making or repairing with little or no experience. Students will learn how to use their machines and with guided practice become comfortable with basic seams and hems. We will also discuss the basics of garment construction. Materials: Your machine and it’s manual. All other supplies provided.

Intermediate Sewing
Wednesday September 24th, 6-9pm
Fee: $20
One day workshop. A follow up for students who have taken the basic sewing class, or for those with some experience. Students bring their own machines, and should already know how to use them well. The focus in this class is garment construction. Types of fabrics, notions, and tools are discussed. Design techniques such as draping, swiping, and pattern-making are also discussed. Students will complete one garment. Materials: Sewing machine, 2 yards of stretch-knit fabric.

DIY Screen-Printing
Thursday August 14th, 6-9 pm
Fee: $20
One day workshop. Learn the best tools and techniques for in-home screen-printing. Through demonstrations explore stretching screens, image prep, drawing and photo emulsion, exposing screens and the printing process. Supplies: all provided.


GENERAL WORKSHOP INFORMATION

-All workshops will be held at Fasten in Bay View

-Students are expected to bring their own machines, however, there is a house machine available for a $5 usage fee.

-Students receive a 40% discount on supplies purchased at Fasten during the month of class.

-Students must sign up at least one week before the class date.

-Call 414-747-9229 to pay by credit card, Or mail a check with your name, address, phone number, and the class title to
Fasten Collective
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave.
Milwaukee WI 53207

Craft Night

Tuesday July 22nd

6-9pm

Stop into Fasten on the 22nd and enjoy the company of crafty friends in a craft atmosphere. Bring a project! Expert sewing advice, and extra tools and supplies are available. Or join in on a "Treat Tree" building project hosted this month by V-Gear's designer Vonn. The project will be a colorful blossoming candy topiary; all supplies are provided. The fun starts at 6pm and continues til 9pm. Share a snack or drink if you can.

Gallery Night is July 25th

Join us Friday July 25th from 6-9pm for a reception for "Stitched, Painted and Put on Display: Drama Rama" work by Leah Kwarciany.


This Southeastern Wisconsin native has won several scholarships and awards for her multi-media work, and has shown in several exhibitons, including the current show in the Schneider Gallery in UW Stevens Point, where she currently studies.



Artist Statement

"My current work is all about combinations. I’ve come to realize after doing a bit of self-reflecting that I find myself and so many other women to be complicated combinations of traditional femininity and abrasive modernity. What I am working through is getting these opposing ideas to visually come together by combining soft, elegant feminine details and ragged heavy-handedness into one entity, because goddamnit I don’t need anything from anybody but would you like some cookies while you’re waiting?"

"I’m very interested in details, contrast and design. I love a good strong line…and also a crazy, unpredictable one now that I think about it. I also really enjoy bright, synthetic, melt-your-retinas color. I enjoy working with mixed media because it allows me to expand my visual ideas into what I like to envision as a jewelry box of colors, patterns, and textures. Organized chaos in primaries and shiny secondaries, if you will."

"Honestly, I’ve got some pretty special artistic relationships going on right now with glittery stuff, overused iconic imagery (that’s right--farm animals and kitchen utensils), bad caricatures and ugly fabrics. Really I just strive to make work that has the charisma of a candy store with neon signs and a dedicated owner."

Featured Designer

Becky Tesch is the designer behind the bike-part earrings, bracelets, and cuffs that we carry under the label My Mish Mosh. She is a recyling wonderwoman, and can turn almost any discarded item into art or fashion. Inspired as we are, we decided to interview her as our featured designer this month.

How did MyMishMosh get started?
Well, I have always made stuff and I've been repuropsing things since I was a little kid. I always hated throwing things away. I Loved "The Littles" on Sesame street, I thought thier car with button wheels was so great, and thier trash can was a toothpaste cap! I loved it! I studied and made art all through high school and college. I moved to AZ in October of 01, after graduating. I still kinda thought MKE was a boring town back then, so I went out into the world looking for adventure. I came back for a visit and saw a call for artists for the first Art Vs Craft. I also saw an early ad for Kunzelmann-esser lofts, and I couldn't belive that was happening in Milwaukee without me! I started looking at Indie craft stuff on line and thought: "Holy shit, when did this start?!?!?!?!? That's it! that's my thang, that's my ship! I better not miss it! so I looked at all the stuff I had been making, and thought about what I could do to recycle, get suplies for cheap or for free, and be a part of the inde, DIY craft wave. After about 3 years of small town desert life, we moved back to MKE, and I jumped in with all kinds of good stuff I had dreamed up while living in the desert. I got a sellers permit, put up a website, opened and Etsy store, adn started applying to shows!

My fiance and I are also bicycle people. We especially LOVE mountain biking. We commute to work and run errands and go out at night by bike here in town every chance we get. I ride my bike to work every day I possibly can, inclding a lot of winter days.

So, I had been making jewelry and thinking about design, and riding bikes for years and had all these bike parts laying around. I looked at some of the bike parts one day and thought "hey, those could be beads..." The bike part jewelry was born.

The duct tape stuff came to me in high school. my memory isn't really clear anymore on how that all happened, but I started making wallets, and the purses were the next logical step. And of course I make lots of other things too... Picture frames and keyholders and sculptures and furniture and stuff. All of it just comes out of fidgety hands, the pack rat instinct, and some happy madness in my head.

What materials do you use, and where do you get them?
Mostly spent bicycle parts, which I get from Crank Daddy's Bicycle Works. They have a little box in the service department with a sign on it that says to save junk for me, and they do! I have more than I can use most of the time. The junk I use for sculptures and other things is just found on the street usually. You see a lot more stuff when you're on a bike than in a car, and I stop and pick it up. I order Duct Tape on line. (I'm sure I'm on a government list somewhere for ordering copious amounts of duct tape... ) I also have a running offer for cyclists of all stripes: Anyone who donates a used chain to me gets a free bracelet out of thier own chain!

Are you inspired by a particular asthetic or culture?

Definitly inspired by the DIY stuff, Make mag, Readymade mag, Stuff on ETSY, folk art, art history, I love the Dada people... And I'm super cheap. I like the idea of making stuff out of garbage. "Materials can be free" a wise old professor told me that once, and I've never forgotten it. also, america is sucha wealthy and wasteful place. One can do quite well with that kind of trash! I love stuff that I find at rummage sales and thrift stores.

What do you get the most enjoyment from creating?
That's a tough one. I think I most enjoy the moment when I come up with something new, like the new bike tube cuffs I've been making. I had always wanted to make cuffs, and then thought of using the popped bike inner tubes. The moment where I figured out how to make laces and attach ribbon was so great! I got realy excited adn couldn't even make them fast enough.

Will you be at any craft shows in the coming months?

Yes, I will be very busy!!!
I will be at the South shore Froliks on July 13th,
in Chicago at the Pitchfork Music Festival July 18-20. this music festival has a craft section run by the people who put on the DEPART-ment shows in Chicago. That's going to be amazing!
Sputnikfest in Manitowoc September 5 & 6th

I'll also be at Vital Surce on Gallery Night and Day July 25th and 26th.

Hopefully I'll be at the Discovery World market in August and December.

And you can see some of my handi-work in the Insurgent Theatre's productions at the Alchemist Theatre. Performances are the second, third, and fourth weekends in July. I made some sweet props.