Featured Collection

Lindsay Keating-Moore is the designer behind KM Stitchery. Her line of 2nd hand tees feature inspirational women printed with hand-cut stencils. Read our interview with her below.

How long have you been crafting and designing?

I have been crafting since my sophomore year in college so about 5 or 6 years now. I remember how I started, one year for Christmas I wanted to make something for my boyfriend at the time, something handmade. I had never really crafted before. I went out and bought some fabric, used my mom’s sewing machine and made him a little stuffed animal. With the left over fabric, I made a bag and that’s how I got started!

How was KM Stitchery born?

I originally started KM Stitchery in 2005. Back then my line was totally different. After making my first bag, I kind of took off from there and eventually I was making applique clutch bags from recycled fabrics. Then in the fall of 2007, I felt like I wanted to make more of a statement with my work. Some of my friends were cutting stencils, and my husband decided to make a stencil of Dylan Thomas and I thought, “Hey, I could do that”. Then I thought about who I’d make a stencil of, I had been reading Emma Goldman at the time so I immediately thought of her. I really surprised myself at how well it came out! I thought it would be cool to print stencils on t-shirts and then I thought about folks I knew who were making t-shirts with Ghandi or Martin Luther King and I thought, “You know, you never really see any revolutionary women on t-shirts”. Hence, KM Stitchery was born!

Describe your line.

I make hand cut stencils of feminists and print them on recycled clothing. Each stencil is cut by me with an x-acto knife and printed onto clothing. My line is mainly about two ideas: feminism and being eco-friendly! I wanted to have a clothing line that exclusively features prints of women. I wanted to make a statement. I have seen lots of screen printing companies that print mainly or entirely men on their shirts. I find that to be really frustrating. Especially when it’s considered normal for women to wear male figures on their shirts but weird for men to wear female figures. That’s why I’m starting to print on men’s clothing too. When I tell people that they seem confused. That’s a double standard I want to break. So no more male figures, just awesome feminist women! Also, it’s really cool to see how excited women get about my clothing. I think it’s empowering for them as women. It’s also important for me to be eco-friendly. I print my designs on recycled clothing. I would rather reuse the tons of clothing that already exists than support the production of new clothing. Another reason why I don’t buy new clothing is because I don’t want to support sweatshops. Other ways that my company is environmentally friendly is that: I use non-toxic water based inks, all my fabric tags are printed on recycled fabric, I make my business cards and hanging tags on the back of cereal boxes, and I also recycle brown paper bags by using them for packaging up orders.

What is your background in feminism?

I was an English major in college but if I could do it all over again I would have double majored in English Literature AND Women’s Studies (or gone to art school!). I didn’t get into feminism until my senior year of college...a late bloomer. The first thing that brought me into awareness was the different beauty standards for men and women that my friends at the time had pointed out to me. Also, in my world literature seminar we were discussing gender roles in the novels we were reading, one example is, “The Passion” by Jeanette Winterson. That got me into reading a bunch of books about feminism and they really opened my eyes. bell hooks was one of the first authors I read. Now I’m at the point where I alternate between reading a feminist non-fiction book and then a novel. I’m always reading feminist books. Feminism is extremely important in my life.

Who are the women in your line and how do you choose them?

The women I currently have stencils cut of are: Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem & Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Victoria Woodhull, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, bell hooks, Susan B Anthony, Frida Kahlo, Audre Lorde, Lucy Stone, and Simone de Beauvoir. I try to have a diversity of women represented, especially race, nationality, periods in time (first wave, second wave etc), sexual orientation etc. The great thing is that I am always cutting new stencils! I cut 1-2 new stencils per month. As I build up my stencils, I would like to have a very diverse selection of women. I started out cutting stencils of women that I knew about and liked, but then my customers/people interested in my line emailed me their suggestions. Now I have a nice long list of women! I try to cut stencils of well known feminists and also women who are not as well known, women who’ve been left out of history. A perfect example of this is Victoria Woodhull. She actually ran for president in 1872, before women had the right to vote! That’s a pretty momentous event....but for some reason it’s been left out of history. I want to give the recognition they should have gotten.

Featured Designer Lee Tracy of WeHeartObama

Politics are in the air. This October we thought it would be appropriate to choose WeHeartObama as our featured designer. We have the line of USA organic tees in all colors and sizes with great designs that speak about Obama's policies on Healthcare, Energy, the Environment, Iraq, and Economics. Lee Tracy is the designer behind the tees. Read our interview with her below.

1. How long have you been designing and printing tees?
Three years now. It is a new medium for me and I am just now starting to grasp the potential of this type of messaging. I am a fine artist and I thought that designing tees was going to be easy. It has taken time for me to begin to feel comfortable inserting my art in this manner. I never sought to settle on a basic concept, my intention is to learn how to push through some barriers and create designs that have meaning; tees that can educate. I also thought long-term about how this collection can continue into the future when the real work begins. With Obama as president he will need the support and energy of American citizens to push his plan through. We all we need to know the issues, the bills that are written, and how to get involved to enact our power to assist in change.


2. How was WeHeartObama born?
From truth. I do heart Obama and I know others that do. I so much needed a real life hero, one that would meet my expectations amidst the current trend of celebrity newsmakers. Before designing the current collection, I downloaded Obama's policies; 35 pages. I had never done this before, I needed to study. I also downloaded McCain's so that I could compare. I read McCains first because it was only 2 pages. Once I finished reading Obama's ideas I was thrilled because he actually has a plan with goals that I desire. Obama has a world in mind where I actually want to live -- with compassion, respect, stewardship, justice, transparency, independence and freedom.
The name "We Heart Obama" has allowed me to find the intense amount of hope that I had when I was younger. The name resonates with a touch of naivete found in a high school crush. Personally, I felt it important that I turn up the volume here to make the point.

3. Describe the tees and how the designs speak about the issues that Obama stands for.
I have a design for Health Care with a red cross over the map of America. This tee is not only about the option of a new health care system but also about the healing of America in general. The issue is that by helping all to be healthy then we will have a healthy nation. Logically, it will save lives and funds at once. My design for the environment depicts wheels that are turning and says "Turn it around." We must turn back the clock on many of the policies that have ignored stewardship of our planet and protection our resources
There is also a broken oil rig that represents the end of our dependence on foreign oil and draws attention to new innovative ideas for energy. And there is a design that uses an old stamp from the 40's that highlights "security, health, education, conservation" and I added "Long Term Thinking."
All the designs have subtle word plays or double meanings.
In light of the current economic crisis my new design is only words; "Obama works for me."

4. What other political endeavors are you involved in?
Before the last election my husband and I went door to door in WI (Madison and Racine.) This year we just hosted a moveon.org party for calling volunteers in the swing states. We plan to do more. My partner, Maryanne Colter, who encouraged this tee shirt project and funded it's startup, went to "Obama Camp." She departed to Missouri for 4 weeks to be a lead captain in organizing volunteer efforts. It is an exciting time for all of us that want to usher in change and I am happy to see that the work force is strong and willing.

5. What other art/design endeavors are you involved in?
I have my fine art. On October 5th I am in a group show at the Evanston Art Center called "Heating up." This exhibit is about global warming and I have a full room installation called Found. In it is an old desk and chairs. The walls are stained as if there was a flood. On the desk I have journals from the future. They are somewhat destroyed, yet the reader can make out some of the entries. In the books I offer clues to a changing world, some remarks are startling (the extinction of the polar bear) while others offer hope (inventions yet to be invented.)
I am also involved in studying the "green movement" and have been exploring organic agricultural, fabric, manufacturing, dyes and inks.

WeHeartObama tees are organic USA cotton from field to tee. My hope is that the USA organic cotton manufacturing will continue to grow and we can find more garments made locally.
The world is changing and so is the role of the artist. I will do my part and continue to experiment with ways to communicate. My hope is to set an example for younger artists and illustrate how creativity can be put to good use outside of the small nucleus of the art world.

Lee Tracy
http://www.leetracy.com/
http://www.worldriversproject.com/

Craft Night is Wednesday Oct 8th

Come to Fasten Wednesday Oct 8th from 6-9pm for some social crafting. Bring in a piece of clothing or a bag to adorn if you'd like to join "Papavier" designer Jessica create hand-made stencils and stamps. Or bring another project from home. See you there.

Rebecca Schoenecker on Gallery Night

Gallery Night
October 17th 6-9pm
Opening Reception for “Buggin” New Work from Artist Rebecca Schoenecker
At Fasten 2224 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Bayview

Schoenecker returns to Fasten to show a new collection of embroideries, paintings, and fiber artworks from October 13th to November 28th. Uncanny and sometimes cutely morbid characters are embroidered on vintage linens and lace, presenting a very expressive body of work, intriguing by way of the subjects as well as the process and materials.

Rebecca Schoenecker is a Milwaukee native who now lives in Chicago . She commutes back to Milwaukee weekly to teach at MIAD part-time.

Oct and Nov 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, October 22nd, 6-9pm
Tuesday Nov 11th 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 November 19th, 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 October 23rd, 6-9 pm
Thursday November 20th, 6-9pm
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

Featured Designer

Erin is the designer behind howl. handbags and is in the spotlight as our featured designer this month. We carry her line of suede and leather bags, and absolutely adore her quality craftsmanship, attention to details, and her fun style.

How was howl. handbags born?

As silly and mystical as it might sound, howl. sort of always existed somewhere in my consciousness. I've always been frustrated by a seemingly homogeneous landscape of apparel and accessories, and have such always wanted to launch my own line that would meet my needs and aesthetic.The motivation I lacked in getting started actually launching the label finally came when I had to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to find the kind of satisfaction in my day job as I had initially hoped. I had tons of ideas, and though I'd always been a self-taught creator and fixer of things, I knew I lacked the polished skills I needed in order to really get serious about designing. So I did the only sensible thing I could come up with, took a few classes, bought too much pretty fabric, and got started sewing. I quickly discovered the nuances of fit in regards to apparel were a little overwhelming; to be honest, I was crap at making clothes. But what I then discovered is that the geometric world of handbag design fit my passions and abilities just right. Not long thereafter, howl. was born. :)

What materials do you use, and where do you get them?

I LOVE leather. Forgive my controversial enthusiasm, but I can't deny it. For handbags, leather is undeniably the most versatile, durable and rich materials you can use. To keep cost down and resources sustainable, I started using reclaimed materials whenever possible. Many of my pieces come from old coats, pants, skirts, etc. I've found that this is my favorite way to source materials, because, being kind of a literary nerd, I've always loved the stories that might be hidden in these pieces. Some of my favorites have been cut from objects that have colorful travel logs, like used burlap coffee bean sacks and my father-in-law's motorcycle chaps. It's exciting to take something that has a history of its own and then send it out into the world to have completely new adventures.

What in your daily life, or in the art world, influences your design?

Oh, just about everything. I'm constantly absorbing shapes, colors and textures around me and dreaming up relationships between them that excite me. Often, the materials I source inspire their own designs; other times, I draft out a pattern that goes unused for months, until one day it comes to life. I trend toward a very organic (some might say undisciplined... ;) ) method when I work on my designs, and I find that often that results in the best, most unique pieces.

What excites you the most about what you do?

I've always had a need to put things together. This certainly satisfies that need, but what surprises and excites me the most is how joyful the people are who carry my bags and wear my accessories. I understand the inevitable link between a person's appearance and the way they feel, and to see my pieces inspire confidence in someone else just about makes me giddy.

Is there any new howl. project, or other artistic endeavor in the works right now?

I've started expanding howl. to include fashion jewelry and accessories. I still adore handbags, and it's still the label's main focus, but I've found it's helpful for me during the design process to have another outlet in order to keep things fresh. I used to make jewelry when I was in high school and found that I haven't lost my love for poking around with tiny things. Plus, sewing leather can try the hands, eyes, back and patience, so smaller items give me a little breather, while still allowing me to create.

Craft Night

Come on down for Craft Night on Wednesday, September 10th from 6-9pm.

As always, guests are welcome to bring in a project from home to take advantage of our space, social atmosphere, sewing machines, and advice. Or you may opt to come empty-handed, and let us tell you what to do. This month, Madam Chino will lead us in making "trouble-free cuffs for the well-behaved". We'll explore surface design techniques using scrap fabric and water-soluble paper. All supplies will be provided. "Oh snap!"