AFTERMATH.

It's hard to stomach... but I'm totally down for electing a unicorn next time round.

And on that note - here's hoping in said future elections, that the voter turn out will be more than 50%. This way we won't have a mayor supported by only a 1/4 of the city, and the suburbs at that (and I'm from Etobicoke). I would argue that Rob Ford as our mayor, is the result of apathy - he's too much of gong show to make sense of it otherwise. But for now (the next four years), let's all play the hand we've been dealt, and make our city what we know it can be, and not what's being forced upon us. Because, I still think that Toronto is one of the best cities in the world - no matter who claims to be running the show.

And, I'm glad to call this lovely lady one of my wonderful roommates & friend to the Nightshades. To hear more of her fantastic music go HERE!

BIKE SEAT COVERS!

For me my bike is like an extension of my body. So the more personalized i can make it the better ...and now you can do the same!

Get your own one-of-a-kind seat cover, made by yours truly via The Gild. Check out our etsy shop right HERE!

Locally produced using recycled materials and love. Each cover includes a removable foam insert for comfortable riding - while a shaped overhang, elastic cording and toggle at the base ensures a snug fit. This durable cover also doubles as a carrying case, to keep your lights, gloves & bike keys all in one place when you lock up. And if you're anything like me, I lose all the of above in the depths of my bag every single day.

Custom designs available upon request. Contact: the.gildhouse at gmail.com

Post-Modern Sewing goes National!

About a week ago, I had the pleasure of sewing for an afternoon with the lovely and very literate Alison Broverman of the National Post. Alison writes a column for the Post called Standing Engagement that covers anything and everything awesome in Toronto - from the Brickworks to indoor volleyball to home canning classes at Good Egg. So I was really stoked to have her at The Make Den for a few hours for a Halloween Sewing Class! We stitched up my favorite beginner pattern, my Lady Gaga jacket with huge pleated sleeves (which never fail to make me laugh when they get sewn up, by the way). I love showing beginners how to sew up that jacket because it looks totally unlike anything you'd expect to see in an intro to sewing class. Here's a quote from the article:

"After just a few hours in The Make Den, unlikely things occur. Sewing machine phobia melts away. Oven-mitt liner is transformed into a wild glam-rock blazer. Hemming is much simpler than you remember it.

The Make Den is seamstress, designer and teacher Irene Stickney’s Bloor West sewing studio, a sunny room above clothing store 69 Vintage near Bloor and Dufferin. The studio’s large windows look out on to a greenery-draped deck, and the shelves and cupboards are crammed with fabric, accessories and clothes-in-progress. A row of sewing machines against the wall gleam with sartorial promise."

You can read the rest here.

CLOTHED MATTERS.

This friday, I'm teaching an open-to-all fashion illustration workshop at Freedom Gallery - held in conjunction with my October exhibition CLOTHED MATTERS.

There will be some awesome drawing activities to start & life drawing to follow - featuring models & clothing from us Nightshades. After the workshop, an opening reception for the exhibit begins.

So come by early to make some friends & brush up on your drawing skills, or later to take in some art & have a drink.

FREEDOM CC GALLERY

Friday October 15th, 2010

939 Bloor St W.

illustration workshop: 8-10pm (PWYC)

opening reception: 10pm - midnight (FREE!)

Frock and Roll!

I'm SO excited about this class - it's gonna kick start some serious sewing love in whoever takes it... inspired by girls who love to rock out with their frocks out! Make yourself the perfect little studded vest, cupcake tutu and a wool military jacket with a stand up collar, set-in sleeves and MJ closures! Class starts on Oct 30th at The Make Den and runs from 1-5pm for 8 weeks. Class fee is $350~ plus $75~ materials fee (which includes HST, all notions, use of sewing machines, fabric studs and trim and tonnes of tulle and take-home patterns for all garments). Email themakeden at hotmail.com to register

Hey Look! The Gap is trying!

I just got a poop-storm of emails from various newsletters and groups about this. Good job GAP PR team!

So you could win like, 200 bucks in only gift certificates winning this. Yeah... sorry, I don't want to be critical or negative, but this is a crap competition and effort by a very large company that could do more.

And it doesn't make up for the fact GAP got busted a few years ago for child labour in India. There was a video that used to be online that was taken by a journalist that showed the children making Christmas Children's clothes, but the link no longer works to it, and I can't find it anywhere on line. Hmmm.

To cover that mistake and to pay penitence they could at least make a REAL sustainable design project with a real prize.

To all the newsletters I am on that thought this was actual news, you really disappointed me. I hope at least they paid you a crap load of money, and you're going to Robin Hood that by doing the smaller promo pushes for actual change-makers. To all the companies out there doing things to really make a change, BRAVO! We'll keep spending our money with you.

Momentum Magazine Fashion Show!

Hey All! Last night Momentum threw a street fashion show, our last lag of the Canadian BikeStyle Tour!

Nightshade Namtron modeled for Momentum, and the streets were filled with music, cheering, and general loving of fashion, bikes, rad people, and Greenways.

Momentum fashion show, ( on bikes. ) from gordon mccann on Vimeo.

There was this old man who came around, then whipped out a million dollar hand held and started filming. His name is Gordon Mccann and he is awesome. xo

Deadly Night Lite Brite!

NUIT BLANCHE & THE LAST GALLERY SPIN!

Tonight's the night! NUIT BLANCHE & THE LAST GALLERY SPIN OF THE YEAR!

Meet us at the gates to Trinity Bellwoods at 6:30 for an amazing gallery tour ON BIKES of some of the best nuit blanche installations in the west end, led by amazing cyclist/artist Cheryl Rondeau! We'll be wrapping things up at the Drake around 9 with their The Space Between exhibit...then take that bike of yours and keep pedaling til dawn. You better believe that's what we'll be doing.

It may look a little like this. Except at night. With more mayhem & costumes.