Vintage Indie

The Farm Chicks Antique Show... is this weekend!

Did you mark your calendar? Are you counting down the days to The Farm Chicks antique show? Well, we have one more vendor to show you before you head to the show this weekend. By the way, if you go to the show we would love to have some photos and guest reporters. Take a couple booth shots, things that you bought and tell us a little about your experience.

We'd like to introduce you to Joy from "Auntie Joy" she's the one in the middle.

How did you get started in the antiques/vintage business?
I started in the antique business almost 10 years ago.  We have a little barn on our property and my husband agreed to turn it into a store for me to sell my vintage treasures.  I set the date and when it was clear he wasn't going to make the deadline, we decide that I would use the front three rooms of our old farm house and the covered porch. I totally enjoyed that but a few years later, after the birth of our "surprise" baby that I had at 45!!, I decided he should get the barn ready so Baby Sam and I could have a place to work. I love having my house back and the commute or daycare is not an issue!! 

I have evolved from having the store open 6 days a week, and doing a few outside shows a year, to having a few sales here and doing several outside shows. This is when I gather my treasures, pack a trailer and go on the road.  I think that is so much fun, meeting lots of different like minded collectors and the fun party atmosphere of an event.

It is difficult to say what my favorite vintage materials to work with are.  I really love it all.  It seems as though I have the most of old fabric, trim, buttons and sewing things. I love quilts, doilies, or for that matter anything made with textiles of any kind. 

What are some of your favorite vintage materials to work with?
I enjoy using vintage fabric to make aprons, patio umbrellas and hand bags.  I try to be diverse as I can and thankfully my husband is very willing to help so I also buy furniture that we paint, fix or re purpose completely.  I have 3 adult boys that often make things for me to sale with vintage materials.  They do potting benches, bird houses, shelves and whatever we can think of, they are all very creative.  My oldest son is screen printing my logo on bags and fabric for me to use  on projects I am making for The Farm Chicks Sale. 

I am very attracted to pastel colors, so I try and stay with that palate so that everything kind of blends together and has some cohesiveness. I feel like part of what I do is inspire people to use everyday things in creative ways. I only buy things that I would like to have in my home.  That works for me because I feel like I can be excited about what I really love and I might just be the only one...
I hate waste and I have a habit of hanging on to just about everything, You just never know when it might come in handy!  I find so much pleasure in being able to do a project and not having to make a trip to the store for supplies.

What can we expect to see at your booth this year at The Farm Chicks Show in June...er this weekend?
I am re purposing tool and tackle boxes with vintage wallpaper, lace, buttons and other vintage items, making aprons with vintage fabric and trim and using paint mostly recycled, to paint used furniture.  I also will be bringing old chandeliers, mannequins, a few pretty dishes, some vintage clothes and lots of quilts and linens.

Thanks so much to Joy and all other other fabulous vendors who gave Vintage Indie an inside look into their booth. We hope you have a fabulous show ladies!    

Designer Profile - Worn Again Vintage Fashion with an Art-titude with designer Bari-ann Bogatov

Vintage Indie would like to welcome you to our latest addition to our online magazine, Designer Profiles. We hope to share with you independent designers who specialize in dealing with vintage materials or an age old tradition of crafting. Today we are getting to know Bari-ann Bogatov of Worn Again Vintage.

Skipping the intro (a.k.a. childhood) also, allowing for a condensed version of the year prior to wORNaGAIN vintage fashion re-design jump starting to life (a.k.a the job (a.k.a the opportunity of a lifetime) @ POSHvintage.com).

The year, a lifelong passion for vintage advanced from spark to raging fire and a previous crafty sort of hobby evolved from passé tie-dye to some wonderful modernized artistic version. With supply funding, inspiration and encouragement from POSH Vintage’s owner, Patti Stoecker (a.k.a. a woman far beyond any simple complimentary words I could try to summarize her with) the almost scientific research lab approach was utilized in the search for a modern twist to a vintage method of re-coloring fabrics. With that came the realization that any vintage could be salvaged & that evolving beyond just dyes allowed for endless possibilities.

My Work Space:
I am proud to have a half-ass, thrown together and disorganized system. My husband and I are in the process of moving and who knows what the new residence will be like. So not being too set in my ways works for me. If I could just road trip for a few years, hit vintage stores at every stop and work out of various rented rooms I’d love it. So i keep a ‘system’ flexible enough to alter as dictated by my surroundings.

Pictured - Bari-ann's Studio 

No longer a simple white vintage slip but a fresh canvas ready to be painted redesigned & recycled.Any item destined for trash, is first evaluated for its possible second life as a ‘tool of the trade. Anything with a possibility of making an interesting print gets a chance. This same theory goes for vintage pieces destined for a landfill grave. If not salvageable there’s always some detail (buttons, lace, tacky adornments) worth snipping to reuse for an upcycle on another article of clothing. It’s now about modernizing and upcycling anything vintage, adding an edgier-urban style.Not a ‘fashion designer’ but a vintage fashion re-designer.

The dye process alone is more involved than people realize. The labor of experimenting with an innovative method, tediously prepping the item for re-color and the final result -- it’s indescribable. Somewhat similar to the (now) "old school" technique of shooting an entire roll of film, crossing your fingers and anxiously reviewing the end result. So many disappointments, but one good shot makes the entire procedure worth the effort as well as the heartache. The upside of dyeing is even the disappointments can go back for another round. I’ve gone through the ‘unveiling’ and unfolded a freshly colored vintage treasure expecting a euphoric result and been crushed. A few of those went through a "last chance" reprocess and resulted in a favorite.

Pictured  - details in the dyeing process.
Beyond the dyeing or painting, there’s some magic that happens when allowed the chance to satisfy the urge to run with my weird obsession with collage -- having a brain that loves piecing things together and the result is a sort of vintage fashion version of Frankenstein’s monster.
 
About my favorite pieces:

Oddly, what gets overlooked is the last minute (accidental) detail. The ‘unfolding’ of a repurposed piece is actually an emotional moment. Did the dye take the way intended or hoped? Almost every piece has areas with such intricate elements -- like studying the clouds and spotting one that resembles an object or animal. That’s not a statement meant as a boastful reflection of my work, that’s where the unexpected happens and comes back like a gift. Of course others see mostly the big picture final result  especially utilizing online channels to showcase or sell. Occasionally I do throw in a close up shot, but doubt it translates as well as I wish it should.

Currently I love my first break away from traditional tie-dyes that was done for POSH Vintage. It helps that the vintage slip itself was breathtaking to begin with.

First non-tie-dye dye work: a 40’s ms. New Yorker slip : photos by Karl Stoecker courtesy of POSH Vintage.)

The full piece of my work is le petite americana. The dye was basic, but the add ons stitched by hand were a late night, sudden inspiration. It came out as edgy elegant, but still easy to wear. The subliminal and unexpected details through dyeing are what continue to floor me.

Visit Bari-ann Bogatov and her amazing line at wORNaGAINvintage Boutique - Fashions with an Art-titude
 

Designer Profile - Cynthia Cioffi of Cync00 Gallery for MANO BELLO & GRAFFITI HAND

Vintage Indie would like to welcome you to our latest addition to our online magazine, Designer Profiles. We hope to share with you independent designers who specialize in dealing with vintage materials or an age old tradition of crafting

Today we would like to introduce you to Cynthia Cioffi, creator of and designer for the labels Mano Bello (Italian for Beautiful Hand) and Grafitti Hand wearable art.

I come from a long line of independent, creative and thrifty women. From my great grandmother who was an actress in England and the USA in the 1800’s, to my own mother, who taught me to sew as she refinished antique furniture, hunted down in thrift stores and church bazaars.

My favorite shops even as a child were those very ones. I collected antique clothing and turned then vintage pieces into cutting edge and couture fashion for my own enjoyment.
Back then, you didn’t advertise it too loudly, but, I’ve acquired my mother’s cherishing of old things, especially when it can be turned into wearable art and chic fashion!

My Italian grandmother tatted lace into beautiful bedspreads and tablecloths. Touching old lace or doilies always brings me back there, and I still love their daintiness and feminine aura. This is what led me to my love of hand stitching and embroidery. A lot of my clothes have hand stitching or embroidery and cut out work, including hand stitched labels.

Victorian and Old West styles have always been my favorites, whether it’s furniture or fashion.

I had been raised around horses and loved the smell and feel of leathers well worn and softened with  use and care. In high school, my father helped me purchase my first “lot” of leather from Berman Leather Factory in Boston, MA, supporting my desire to begin sewing with leather, which I still especially love. Now, I try to only use recycled leathers, which usually end up being made into small accessories which are so beautiful, like my sculpted roses made into necklaces, and steampunky wrist cuffs! The softest and biggest pieces I love turning into beautiful totally hand stitched purses, like the peachy satchel shoulder bag in my shop, now.

My workshop was an attic bedroom in our old Victorian house with a tower wrapped with bay windows. I started selling to local boutiques in Cambridge and Harvard Square and later on, Portland and Kennebunkport. Later, it was the 35’ long basement below the Kennebunk Inn. Now it is my dining room table, which my grandfather imported from a museum in England in the early 1900’s. My antique Singer sits proudly displayed and working daily, on one end, my Pfaff and Adler collect dust back in my closet!

Throughout the years, my love of fashion, old textiles and creating has only grown stronger. After taking many years off of selling due to an almost deadly exposure to pesticides and the resulting illnesses it incurred, home schooling my only son, and caring for my elderly mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s, I have been fortunate enough to rediscover my craft with renewed support from the entire world for being eco conscious.

I love the female shape and make fashions that compliment it. Simplicity is expounded with detail. Contradictions are fused, like leather and lace, roses and leather, raw edges with structured fit, old textiles and newer finds. My clients must be confident and not followers, as I desire to create uniqueness and tickle courage for the wearer. Shout quietly. Demurely rule. Set an example chicly, through handmade, through recycled textiles, through unique fashion, through purchasing from hands, not corporations.

Visit Cynthia at her shop Cync00 for her gorgeous line of clothing and accessories.

New Column - Designer Profiles - Julie Baumber of Donkey in the Goatshed

Vintage Indie would like to welcome you to our latest addition to our online magazine, Designer Profiles. We hope to share with you independent designers who specialize in dealing with vintage materials or an age old tradition of crafting.

Today, we would like to introduce you to Julie Baumber of Donkey In The Goatshed.
    

My work involves recycling unwanted textiles ( mainly clothing, curtains, tablecloths ) and making it into something more useful. I tend to make bags, corsages, bunting, purses and more recently mp3 player holders. I source my fabrics mainly through charity shops (which is great as my money goes towards a charity). In the summer I go to car boot sales which is a really fun way of tracking down vintage fabrics.
                      

It can be quite a challenge working with recycled fabric as sometimes I have a piece that might need another colour or pattern to be teamed up with. Quite often a piece of fabric will sit on my shelf for a long time and then I will see a similar colour or pattern in a fashion article which will inspire me to work with that fabric.
                      

I got started with my business whilst studying a degree in textile design at Falmouth College of Arts, Cornwall. I majored in recycling within the scope of textile design. My final piece was 3 6ft high lanterns completely knitted out of plastic bags! I experimented a bit with knitting handbags out of plastic carriers but found it far too time consuming. After I graduated I took a bit of time out and had my wonderful daughter ( who is now 4). Last year I decided to pick up my fascination with recycling and apply my knowledge in pattern making and sewing. I reformed 'Donkey in the Goatshed', made a few bags & accessories ,sold them at fairs, exhibitions and shops and had a successful year. This year saw the launch of my website which is still in its infancy but will hopefully have more stock added to in time.
                      
                        

It is a really hands on business as I design, make, market, photograph work, attend fairs to sell my work. In between I somehow find the time to be a mother and domestic goddess but I can really say I enjoy my work especially designing and meeting all the other wonderful people who are involved in the arts and crafts.

Be sure to visit Donkey In The Goatshed for some amazing handbags.