new.semester.2

The Spring semester of my Architecture +Technology Studio is two weeks along and the class has already produced amazing work.
Their first investigation was a study, documentation, and building exercise on light.
Ahh, light! How do we perceive light in the world? And, more importantly for architecture students, how do we understand, control, manipulate, and use light to make space.

In the image above, two students unknowingly reveal their personalities through their work. I am struck by the way the tones in the clothes they choose are the same as their examination of light. Subconscious probably, but on some level the self is a part of everything we do.

new.semester

A new semester of teaching began last week and with it comes not only incredible excitement, but also a complete redirect of focus for me. My energies are for the students and suddenly most other things in life go neglected... including this blog.
Ugh.
But I'm still here and I look forward to settling in to my new schedule and returning to regular posting.

This image may give you a taste of why I love teaching. These abstract study models where done by my group last semester... beautiful, inspiring!

away.away

Sometimes you just need to escape the chaos of city life and go someplace quiet.
For me Nantucket is that place.
For years I only came here in the summer. A group of us friends would pack up our city cars, drive to Hyannis, board the ferry and emerge an hour later on this island. We buzzed past the hustle and bustle of the center of town and darted for our little hideaway at Madaket beach.
The Duck Inn was our salt box and for a whole week we gladly left the world behind to just be with the ocean and with each other.
I hadn't been back to Madaket until today. It looks different in January. The wind is blowing hard, something my nose and fingertips don't appreciate much. But the magic of this place is still here, it's soul unchanged.
I do come to Nantucket as often as I can, and have come to appreciate it's quiet state of hibernation between the months of October and May.  My friend Kate lives here. (that's her in the last photo) When I'm here we congregate at the corner talking for hours in the sun with other year round island residents, go listen to the ocean, and gaze endlessly at the sky that is still as blue as it gets.
There is a peace here in the winter that calms the soul and mind of any restless city dweller. It certainly does mine.

type.love

I'm a Cooper Black Italic....

WHAT TYPE ARE YOU?

If you have ever asked yourself this question as it relates to a font, then you must see this.
Genius fun.
The password is:character












(image from wikipedia)

sketch.book

My sketchbook goes with me everywhere...well almost everywhere. Truth is, I sometimes forget it, and forget to sketch. I carry a lot of ideas in my head, but inevitably they do end up in my little black book even if it takes them a while to get there.

I thought it would be fun to share a few random selections with you. Some of the sketches are related to specific products I'm designing. Example: The top image is an idea for an "ink blot" print on a handbag.
And some are random trains of thought or doodles.
Example: The birds flying...I just wanted to fly that day what else can I say.

Click on the image for a closer look.
Enjoy!

yes.handbags.2

It all started with a handbag.

A couple of years ago I started making clutches for girlfriends and girlfriends of girlfriends. It started with a happy accident. A stencil, a little paint on fabric, some interesting color combinations, a few stitches and voila, the MALA handbag was born!  Soon the orders were coming in. It was all about word of mouth and having the product out there. My girlfriends wore their MALA bags around town, people asked, and there you go.

I still make the occasional clutch. I have even ventured into new designs, to varying degrees of success.

This weekend the need to make another clutch was "clutching" at me. So I gave in and created this beauty. I challenged myself to a new technique and shape. I uses a "raw" fabric edge and a square shape.

So here it is! Tell me what you think?

inspired.fashion.2

A couple of days ago I fell in love with this look. I set out to recreate it using pieces I already had in my own closet. I was surprised at how easy it was. Most of us are drawn to styles because they fit within a range of things we already wear.

And the pieces are: Gray Wool sweater/jacket, Black Wool Textured Leggings, Vintage crochet beige coat (this was my grandmother's), Light White knit top, Gray Tank.

The key to this outfit is the scarf. I tried three different versions, but the Milan girl had it right. The black scarf ties in beautifully with the tights pulling the look together.

The final touch is the loose bun. Just pile hair high at the back of your head, and pin in place.
Voila, Milan girl in Boston!

inspired.fashion

I fell instantly in love when I saw this Milan girl's outfit on the Refinery 29 site.
Comfortable, warm and still totally fashionable. Perfect for frigid Boston winters.
(Photo by Tamu McPherson via Refinery 29)

Getting dressed in the morning is such a creative outlet. Choosing what to pair with what, how to wrap the scarf, and if the hair gets pined up or left down is such a personal design process. There is color, shape and texture to consider, among other things. One of the most important is how I'm feeling that day, brave, elegant, girlie, pissed off...
And the best part is, I get to do it all over again the next day, and the day after that.
Come back tomorrow and see how this look inspires my outfit using items from my own closet!

seeing.dots

Ah, dots!
My obsession began toward the end of last year with this and this experiment. Simple dots, all in a row. There is something so beautiful about that simple graphic gesture that it surprises me every time.
But, never satisfied, I wanted to see where this simple beginning could go.
I usually find inspiration in the object, tools, scraps around me, just lying there on my work table. I pick something up and see what happens.

In this case, the orange/red dots reminded me of berry branches. I took the edge of my circle template, rolled on a bit of gray paint with my finger, pressed down on the fabric and voila. A branch is made. The plastic template allowed for a natural curve and human "error" made the charming little skip in the paint. You just can't get that from something manufactured.

And the final product! Berry Branch Hemstitch Linen Dinner Napkin

new.year

It's a NEW YEAR and a NEW DECADE! (Like you needed reminding)
I want to kick it off by saying Thank You. A blog is nothing without it's readers, and as a designer I am nothing without an audience to appreciate the things I make....and remind me that some of the things that come out of MAKE.GOOD are crap.
So, thank you, audience, friends, relatives, newcomers and future followers for reading, and for being critics. You are the reason I do what I do and strive to be better, more innovative, and to keep pushing the envelope of design. Whether it's architecture, graphics, products, art, or any one of the many areas I dabble in, I will keep it coming in 2010. So please keep reading.

...and away we go into 2010!

The end of last year brought me what is proving to be the best gift a blogging design girl can get...a new camera. Oh yes, the images in 2010 will be better, brighter, hopefully always in focus (although user ignorance is never the poor camera's fault) and all around more exciting.
And here I am (my feet anyway) with my new baby...Lumix LX3.

Those spots you see are, again, not the camera's fault...dust on the mirror. It looks like it's snowing indoors...all the more reason to be wearing leg warmers. Aren't they adorable? Who doesn't love leg warmers in the winter. I think every girl should own at least one pair. I own 4. He he.

Isn't she pretty...my new camera? Yes, I think we are going to have a very happy future together.