Hand of Bela Peck : Eco-crafting

Eco-crafting

02/13/2013

Tending The Herd

Spring sheep have begun grazing in my studio and I am delighted with the new materials for this year's herd! Mohair blends returns as my usual fave but the thrifting gods have been very very good to me this week, allowing for some new sheep style on the block!

One of my greatest joys is giving new life to old garments- especially vintage coats whose wide collars or boxy silhouettes render them doomed to destruction. Houston is home to a plethora of monstrous thrift stores with pristine offerings! The warmer climate makes coats a mere fashion statement so often they are cast off in mint condition once the fad has passed. Mohair blends, cashmere and leather have been my top picks but I have been on the long search for spotless sherpa and this past weekend I scored!

This 1990 beauty has been a dream fabric! The outside leather is cheesecake soft! Cutting in smooth lines with very little "wool dust" (my term for those wee fibers that permeate the nostrils). It even sailed through the sewing machine like a silent sailboat on a misty morning! The result is a compact, prim perfect sheep! Using "cracked" leather (a new-with-tags leather coat find that I initially felt guilty for hacking- but I got over that quick!) gave this wooly guy the aged expression I wanted.

This weekend's sheep were made from three coats: A vintage mohair blend, a vintage sherpa, and a brand new distressed leather. Each coat cost me $1.50! Using up-cycled goods allows me to use top-o-the-line fabrics and keep my prices at an everyday level. Up-cycling also keeps our landfills a little cleaner and is in keeping with the true primitive tradition.

If you would like a Sherman (sherpa- $35) or Molly (mohair- $25), send me an email at [email protected] or look for them in my Etsy shop later this week.

LOVE & UPCYCLE NATION

Feb 13, 2013 7:51:48 AM | crafting, Eco-crafting, Texas, Thrift, Vintage

02/08/2013

Hendly Market Needfuls

When I moved to the Galveston area last year I found sanctuary in the artsy shops of The Strand. An area rich with history, loaded with ghost stories, and romanticized with horse drawn carriages, The Strand is my reward for having to live in the south suburbia abyss of Houston. Technically I live one mile closer to Galveston than to Houston so I can claim "Galveston area" if it makes me feel better. :) Oh and it does!!

Hendley Market is my one stop shop to pick up Papaya Art cards, lavender soap, and silkworm cocoons hand dyed by Sheep and Hook Fibers. A trip to Hendley Market on a homesick day instantly lifts my spirits. Imagine my elation to now be a part of such an eclectic and marvelous landmark store! I just melt seeing my wee cocoon mice nestled in the beautiful work of Sheep and Hook Fibers! Read more about this fabulous Texas artist here in the Islander Magazine!

I now have my own counter display!

Hendley Market is housed in one of the oldest buildings on the Strand and was used as a Port lookout post during the Civil War. The proprietors of Hendley Market warmly welcome customers' bare feet and dogs while browsing the wide selection of Texas artists, antiques, toys and uniques.

I frequently visit the sewing goodes. Why use my own buttons when I can dip my hands into the chilly earthy relief of presorted mother of pearl lovelies? At 10 cents per button I can entertain myself until the staff kicks me out!

Hendley Market is a trip around the world within four brick walls! Beautifully hand crafted masks, purses, and woolies ensure there is something for everyone! Whether you are shopping for an inexpensive trinket of whimsy, luxurious local yarns or one of a kind Texas artwork, Hendley Market has it!

If you happen to be in the Galveston area stop in and see what's new at Hendley! If you live far away- check out your local area for unique stores that delight the soul!

LOVE & SHOP LOCAL!

Feb 8, 2013 6:44:31 AM | crafting, Eco-crafting, Texas, Vintage

02/07/2013

Peep Show

Ahhhhh spring is just around the corner! Twirly tweets are heard in the trees as the pairing up and nesting festivities begin. The cardinals and blue jays have returned to that overgrown shrubby tree in my neighbor's yard. The mourning doves are publicly displaying their affections on the rooftop much to the dismay of my dog, Harley-Bear, who can't chase them away. And the opportunistic weeds have taken their jump on the growing season. That means peep season is here and my hands have been busy stitching away!

Sweet Peep production is in full swing in the studio. This year I've added primitive grungy and mohair birds. I love working with washed woolens from up-cycled vintage coats. The wool and mohair blend shrinks up to a fluffy, delightfully compact fabric.

Peeps are currently available at Hendley Market on the Strand in Galveston, and in my Etsy shop. This batch will be debuting this weekend in both locations.

LOVE & SPRING PEEPS!

Feb 7, 2013 7:38:05 AM | crafting, Eco-crafting, Primitive , Vintage

02/05/2013

A Forest Fern

Every dilapidated house tells the story of her former glory. Many stand their last ground as tree roots pull them under, ripping at their foundations until crumbling is the only remaining option. Even then, their stories can be read. Chapters are exposed and the main characters greet visitors on weather-worn front porches. It is here I find inspiration for my dolls.

Empty breezeways, dilapidated stairways and outbuildings tell of earlier days when farming was the way of life, self sufficiency was a must, and no scrap went unused.

Under every brush pile spectacular enamelware heaped and tumbled. Some lay still where it was casually tossed decades ago. Some can be seen like submarines breaching the surface. A spectacular blue like the first blue bonnets of Texas spring. With so many buckets- literally a hundred or so- coupled with chewed thread-bare quilts stuffed like insulation in the walls, I can only wonder who the industrious owner was.

I imagine she was a commanding woman who loved deeply and moved about her daily chores with precision and purpose. A woman who made prize winning quilts and sang in the Sunday choir. Living in this wee house in the heart of Louisiana's Kisatchie Forest took a fearless soul ready with a gun or a smile depending on the intruder. I imagine her name would be Fern; soft, natural, resilient.

My general rule is to take nothing as I explore the old forgotten ghosts of late 19th century rural architecture but on this trip I broke that rule. I picked up a scrap of pink and white fabric, some mother of pearl buttons from the sawdusty floorboards, and one random shard of blue spatterware. All of these items will be used in Fern's construction as a tribute to the lady who kept her land in rugged times. She has a long way to go to completion but this is her start.

This spring I hope to make it back to the Kisatchie Forest to find Fern's house and return a quilted flower made of the remnants of her past. I will fill it with birdseed and hang it from the rusted tin roof for all the birds to sing again so lovely as they did back when Fern quilted under the warmth of the early April sun.

LOVE & HONORING THE PAST

Feb 5, 2013 8:41:47 AM | Eco-crafting, ghost tripping, history, Travel, Vintage

02/01/2013

Early Work Mercantile Debut

Elida and Pheobe have made their debut in the Early Work Mercantile! I am so excited to be a part of this group of fabulous primitive arists!

Elida and Pheobe are both one-of-a-kind dolls. I never duplicate my historical dolls or offer the pattern for sale. Every 1st of the month I will have new dolls offered for sale in the Mercantile.

Elida's details were time consuming but oh so worth it! My hand is still cramping from her tiny stitches!

I just love all her undergarments! Living in the Texas sun I can't imagine how early pioneering women didn't pass out in the summer with all of the layers required to be socially presentable!

Pheobe had lots of cheek drama as I tried to get her to look subtly Puritan and not so much red light district clown. But in the end she turned out perfectly scowly and not too bitter.