The Airstream Lounge

Oh, who doesn't love an Airstream? The classic lines, the stainless steel wrapped capsule, the history, it's all so nostalgic of that time in american history when road trips and the great outdoors were part of the american dream.
So when I was asked to design the interior of an Airstream for a duo of talented guys I jumped at the opportunity. We met, we discussed, we dreamt about what this iconic object could become. I can't reveal all the details just yet, but the design is well on it's way and I am beyond excited to see this happen!
Until then, here is a little taste of some of the materials we will be using

Vintage Army Blanket-Transformed

It all started with this gorgeous vintage wool army blanket. I found it at a local Salvation Army, deep in a bin filled with odds and ends. The smell of mothballs was so overwhelming I almost stopped looking. But, then, there at the bottom, I saw a sliver of gray/green and perfect triple stipe. I was in love and in a few minutes it was mine. Mothball smell be damned, I was taking this amazing piece of fabric back to the studio.

 I started cutting, stepping away, looking, and cutting some more and pretty soon I knew what it was going to become.

It was the perfect material for an oversized pillow featuring hand painted stencil. 42 21 71 5...can you guess what the numbers mean?

Find the Vintage Army Pillows at Room 68!

But the large pillow was just the beginning. This sturdy material also transformed into a few small lumbar pillows and a tote. I'd love this bag for storing hats and gloves in an entry, or blankets in the living room!

SOWA Holiday Market is December 10th

MAKE.GOOD studio will be at SOWA HOLIDAY MARKET again this year! Don't miss this amazing collection of artists. Hope to see you there.

An interview.

I was recently interviewed by Wentworth Magazine to accompany an article in the upcoming Winter 2012 Issue that will feature my handbags ! It was such a fun experience and I was excited to be doing this for my alma mater. While it was happening, however, I remember feeling a little nervous and hoping that, through the nerves, what I was saying was somehow making sense. 

I hope you enjoy it and perhaps get a bit of insight into my process, the things that inspire me, and a little peak into the MAKE.GOOD studio.

A pillow in a room

You may have spotted images on my Facebook page vaguely resembling a pillow. It's a project I have been working on for a some time. A pillow for the super fabulous Room 68, a furniture and design gallery that recently opened in JP.
If you haven't been there yet, go now! You will find the Comfort/Conform pillow among the many beautiful object for sale in this gallery/shop.

DON'T MISS:  Visit the Room 68 website and see the beautiful video of the opening! It was a great party

Winter 2012 collection

It's here...and I'm glad to be back! Fewww, I thought for a while there I was in a permanent creative dry spell. As it turns out, it was just the break I needed.
I am so in love with the latest collection. It's feminine with an edge. It's super stylish without sacrificing function, and it draws intensely on my architectural background.

They are all in the shop along with many new winter color combinations of the classic designs.
Find there right here!
Which is your favorite?

"Every child begins the world again..."

It's been a busy summer here at MAKE.GOOD. Lots of new projects (which I'm dying to tell you all about) and many hours of work still ahead.
But the past couple of weekends have been all about relaxation and family. One of my favorite moments was the morning Penny and I picked up my niece and nephew at 7:00 am on a Saturday and headed to the beach!
After a slightly bleary eyed start, the kids were ready for anything! They loved watching Penny swim surprised that it came so naturally to her. We searched for sticks to throw in the water and spent the better part of the morning enjoying the lovely breeze, the sunshine and just the sound of each other's laughter!

I'm always so inspired by children. My niece has taken to designing clothes and bags! She even designed a special MAKE.GOOD bag! It blew me away that a 7 year old already has so much talent. My nephew has started racing bicycles. My brother's son, he wants to follow in his father's footsteps and if it means riding a bicycle for hours then that's what he will do.
I returned feeling inspired and energetic about my work. That's the thing about being around children, they help you see the world again. It brings to mind a favorite quote of mine by Henry David Thoreau, "Every child begins the world again..."

Bench-Calling all Corrugated Cardboard

It's hard to say where an idea comes from. Pinpointing the exact moment the little seed is planted in one's brain is nearly impossible. In my experience, it's never just one thing that inspires, but a perfect storm of little things converging over time.

I've had this image of what I think is an Indonesian bench around for some time. I had saved it because, if I can remember back that far, I likes the form of the curving seat. It struck me as elegant. I also seem to recall loving that the seat was make up of a few large pieces of vertical standing wood sandwiched together.
More recently, I began thinking about designing a my own bench. As I talked with my Landscape and Site Planning students during the summer semester I was struck by all the beautiful topography models they create using such a pedestrian material as corrugated cardboard.
I suddenly remembered that Indonesian bench.

What does this all have to do with corrugated cardboard? Let's just say the details are not quite all worked out yet. As always with any design, it takes time, patience and a lot of testing. You can't rush an idea and it must come in it's own time. So, for now, I'll leave you with the sketches above and your imagination.

On the horizon...

I took this photo a few weeks ago at Jamaica Pond by where I live. The scene struck me as odd. There it was a disembodied branch hanging from fishing line. I pulled out my iPhone and snapped this photo not wanting to forget the strangeness of the encounter.
Today, resolved to sit and write, and not having a clue what to write about, (I haven't written a word here for months) that strange image popped into my mind.
So, today I'm writing about the future, or better yet, what is on the horizon for me and MAKE.GOOD studio. I like to think of myself as that branch hanging in mid air waiting to plunge into the pool of water below me. It's a half-frightening, half-invigorating thought. Like when you were a kid and you wanted to jump in the pool but the knowledge of how cold that water would feel on your skin upon impact kept you at bay for what seemed like a lifetime. Until, that is, you went for it. It was just a moment of pain, the rest was all bliss!
I'm not entirely sure what the horizon holds just yet, but I'm ready to take the plunge!
I want to know, what one thing have you been waiting to take the plunge on...?

New seat cushions for VeeVee!

My favorite place to eat in JP is VeeVee. Literally, down the street from my apartment, it's a lovely neighborhood spot always filled with friends and amazing food.
I recently was asked by the lovely owners to make new seat cushions for the tables that occupy the bay windows of the restaurant. Today, I wheels the striped cushions down the street and set them in place!
I love how the striped fabric transforms the space. What do you think?

Summer is finally here.

It's hot outside. Just writing those words makes me smile.
The hot days lead to warm balmy evenings. Each is an opportunity to spend time outdoors. One of my favorite summer activities is an impromptu picnic.
Just grab:
a checkered table cloth (mine was a gift from my Aunt Maria...it has little roosters on it!!)
a baguette
some good stinky cheese
a book (about Paris, of course)
a sundress
and of course
a pair of aviators.

It's almost like being in Paris...
Where is your favorite picnic spot? I'd love to hear!

Create something everyday.

It's not as easy as it sounds.
However loosely the word "create" is interpreted, it's still a challenge to accomplish. Most days I look around and there is in fact something made, invented, produced that wasn't there the day before. On other days...well, the day has just slipped by. Luckily, I get another chance tomorrow...

You know it's been a hectic morning when...

...your freshly ironed white linen ends up playing with the colored pencils.

One pair of jeans.

It's your favorite pair.
It's the pair you thought you would have forever.
It's the pair that always helps you remember.
It's the pair that never lets you forget.

The Bernina

I have been dreaming of owning a Bernina sewing machine since I came to know what a Bernina sewing machine was. Sadly, that wasn't only about a year ago. Thankfully, I now own one!

My journey to the Bernina began a week ago. After breaking another sub-standard, retail grade machine, I decided on a whim to look on Craig's List for the elusive Bernina. To my surprise, there she was in Greenfield, MA, owned by a lovely sounding woman named Shirley. So, off I went on a two hour drive with my dog in the back seat to get her.

Doesn't look like much, right? Looks aren't everything. It's all about what's on the inside with this one.

A lovely Bride and her Maids.

Wedding season is upon us!
On any given saturday from now until September, you will undoubtedly stumble upon a bride in the Garden, or a groom holding a white train and bouquet crossing Commonwealth Avenue. There is nothing more joyful than seeing two people in love tie the knot... in style, of course.
You may also run across the soon-to-be married girl with her maids in tow, fawning over her dress and smiling from ear to ear.
It's every girl's right of passage; to be a maid at her friend's wedding. Long gone are the days of wearing big, strangely colored dresses and matching"headpieces" made of crystal flowers.
Today's brides want modern maids wearing pretty short dresses and fabulous custom clutches!
That's where I come in! A little clutch, specially made for each girl with her initial stenciled on the inside...and for the bride, the perfect pink on her little handbag. Now, that's style!