Seattle's Child: Closet Nursery for One, Please

Side job! When I'm not busy with new Assemble projects, I landed a sweet side-job as a contributing editor at Seattle's Child magazine, writing their brand new Making Home section! First order of business, to show off the closet nursery that my husband and I have put together for our brand new baby Powers, coming late this Fall.

If you have a chance, definitely grab an issue at a newsstand around town or skip over to their website to read the article online. Bonus! Our friend Blair Stocker also has a sweet write-up in this issue, about her new book, Wise Craft. Don't miss it!

Favorite Friend: Blair Stocker of Wise Craft Handmade

How is it possible that we haven't featured Blair Stocker on our Favorite Friends series?? Blair has been an Assemble role model and pal since the very beginning! A quilter and handmade guru by trade, Blair's blog and new book, Wise Craft: Turning Thrift Store Finds, Fabric Scraps, and Natural Objects Into Stuff You Love are a great source for projects that any level crafter can accomplish. Plus, she's one of the nicest ladies we know! We adore her and we know that you will too:

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You have been a craft blogger for quite a while and have recently added "author" to your resume! Tell us about your new book, Wise Craft: Turning Thrift Store Finds, Fabric Scraps, and Natural Objects Into Stuff You Love.
Wise Craft is all about telling your family's story throughout your home with all kinds of handmade projects. There are 60 projects in the book, divided by four seasonal chapters, spanning hand crafts like quilting, crochet, knitting, and other unexpected ways to DIY your home. My hope in writing this book is that those who don't necessarily feel crafty, or aren't sure where to start will find color and project inspiration inside the pages. The book shows how I use repurposed, thrifted materials to make entirely new, beautiful things for the home.

Was there anything about the publishing process that surprised you? Did you enjoy it?
I loved the publishing process. It was challenging, no doubt, and there was so much to learn along the way, but I had an agent and editor who were incredibly helpful and supportive. The timeline allowed me to keep focused in my studio (I can tend to wander creatively) and really dig deep into what I love to do, make things!

What is your favorite project in the book?
There are so many favorites! I love the quilt projects at the end of each chapter. Quilt making is a passion of mine. But I also love the projects that peaked the interest of my husband, Peter, and son, Ian, like the leather-wrapped rocks.

Do you have any new projects coming up?
I may have started a new book proposal, I am also teaching projects from my book in Seattle and Portland. I will be teaching a class at Schoolhouse Craft Conference in September on writing a book proposal. I am also a regular contributor to the Creativebug blog.

What is your favorite aspect of the work that you do?
I love the actual creating and sewing part of my job. There is really nothing more satisfying than having a whole work day ahead of me to sew, or create something new.

What would you change if you could?
As great as it is to be your own boss, it can be incredibly frustrating. I'd love to hire out all the business-related tasks.

What is your dream job besides what you are doing now?
Actually I think I'm doing my dream job! I truly love what I do, making things with my hands will always be a passion. Working from home, I have the flexibility to be with my kids often. I love the ability to do what I love, and be present with the people that I love, at the same time.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Cake. Any kind. Every day.

Dream vacation?
Japan with my husband. He and I both love traveling there, but have never been there together.

And finally, who are your role models in business?
My business role model is Denyse Schmidt. She has a focused aesthetic, a wonderfully keen sense of color, and is well respected for what she does. She has made a living creating beautiful quilts and fabric.

In life?
I think my role model in life is more of a combination of important people I've known and the qualities they have.

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Thank you, Blair! Visit Blair's website, Wise Craft Handmade, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook or sign up for her newsletter.

Photos courtesy Blair Stocker of Wise Craft.

Fun Event: Wise Craft Book Launch at Drygoods Design!

One of our very good friends, Blair Stocker, is releasing her first book this weekend at Drygoods Design! This Saturday, the 8th of March, at 6pm--meet Emily and I in the Drygoods Studio where we'll be grabbing a copy of the book, getting it signed by Blair, having treats and drinks, plus learning fun projects from the book! We hope to see you there!

Drygoods Design
5308 Ballard Avenue NW,
Studio One Seattle, WA 98107
(through the Anchored Ship coffee shop and up the little flight of stairs to the left).

Class Is In Session! // 3 Warm-Weather Workshops

Get your pencils and your books! A bunch of our friends are hosting some fun classes for the spring and summer that will help you get up the courage to focus on what you really want out of your career and life. We are even participating in a few of them.

First up, some self promotion--there's only a few more days to sign up for my From Scratch to Success: Starting Your Own Creative Small Business class, which starts next Monday, the 6th. Work at your own pace, plus one student will win a $500 grant from Go Mighty + a free business consultation from me. **Use the code "MIGHTY" to get 20% off of the regular $20 price.


Also, starting on May 6th, be sure to check out our good friend Melanie's brand new online workshop: Start Your Spark//Creative Writing! This one is $75 for a six week program, and looks like a great way to initiate your writing brain power to wake up and get that pen moving!


And for all you bloggers out there, don't miss the School House Craft's Summer Blogging Camp! On June 14th, we'll be speaking on a panel with other bloggers like Megan Reardon of Not Martha, Blair Stocker of Wisecraft, and Arianne Foulks of Aeolidia. For $45, the camp includes two panels with Q&A roundtables, plus a healthy lunch buffet that will include vegan, omni, and gluten-free options. Yipee!!


See you at school, kids!

Point + Shoot: 12 Tips to Shoot a Great House Tour

I'm no professional photographer, but I have learned quite a few tricks of the trade while working for Apartment Therapy and our ongoing work on Assemble. Here are a few of my favorite tips for shooting a great house tour!


Photo of me shooting via our Instagram
1. Turn off the lights. If you don't have lots of amazing lighting equipment, an odd lamp on here and there will sometimes inhibit your editing capabilities due to the contrast. If the room is pitch black, obviously a light is necessary, but try on and off and then see what you come up with.

2. Don't be afraid to get into weird positions. I always ask the home's occupants if I can sit on their furniture, lay down on their bed, or squish into a corner to get the best shot possible.

3. Take some candid shots. Not everyone is a professional model, so sometimes staged photos can prove to be dull or rigid--candids can save you! Capture them in their element, working or chatting. (Not eating--that's just not fair!)

4. Take wide shots of each room from several angles and lots and lots of detail shots. People want to see the "lay of the land" so to speak, but really enjoy seeing the tiny details that make a house a home.


A wide shot of a Chika Eustace's lovely kitchen in one of
my upcoming House Tours for Apartment Therapy
5. Watch for shadows and reflections! These can take the viewer out of the experience.

6. Don't be afraid to fix things. Cat walked on the bed? Straighten the bedspread. Make the space look as wonderful as it can.

7. Try to capture the homeowner's personality. Are the worker bees? Fun-lovers? Take photos that illustrate those traits. Collections can truly set the stage--what are they reading? What tools are in their offices?


A lovely handmade and unique pillow collection in Jean Lee's adorable living room in one of
my upcoming House Tours for Apartment Therapy
8. If a photo doesn't work (sometimes bathrooms are impossible with amateur equipment) throw it out. Don't publish photos that don't work.

9. Use Lightroom (my recommendation) or Photoshop to make sure the White Balance and shadows are under control. If one of these doesn't look right, the photo is immediately subpar.

10. If you aren't sure how to use the photo-editing programs you have, watch Youtube or Vimeos to learn tricks of the trade. There's always room for learning!

11. Slow down. The slower you are, the better the photos are, and you won't miss anything! It feels intrusive to take your time in someone's home, but they want it to look great as much as you do (if not even more!)

12. Check and recheck your photos and camera settings. I learned this lesson the hard way on poor Blair Stocker's home tour. I shot the whole tour on a bad setting and had to reshoot. Be careful!

Images by Andie Powers for Apartment Therapy

Special Neatloaf Repost! Guest Post: How Some of my Favorite Creative People Live [with Blair Stocker]

This is a repost of a lovely entry from our former blog, Neatloaf, by the incredibly lovely and talented, Blair Stocker of wisecraft. We loved it so much that we wanted to repost it here! Enjoy!



Images from Molly Makes

The images above are of Lisa Stickley's apartment in a recent issue of Molly Makes. So sweet! Lisa's style has been referred to as "Tomboy Pretty" and I think its perfect. I have one of Lisa's porcelain teacup and saucers that I drink tea from when I'm working in my studio. It reminds me that other creative people are everywhere, working and creating beautiful things and it inspires me every time I use it.

I love seeing how my favorite creative people live. Not decorators, but people who are passionate about design and creativity and who want (probably need) their space to reflect their point of view. Nobody is really worried about scale, balance, and the hot prints or colors of the season, or the practicalities of decorating per se, but just thinking about how much they love this or that, and wanting to see it every day.

Another of my favorite homes is Denyse Schmidt's home in Connecticut, as seen in previous issue of ReadyMade. Just look at all the "quilty" goodness in that room.


Images from ReadyMade

When I was growing up, it was quite common to move into a home, decorate it once, and that was it. Done. You too? As an adult with my own space, things that don't change on occasion can make me feel creatively sad and stifled. And I don't mean just pulling out the yearly Christmas decorations, although now that I think of it that way, maybe changing up the decor during the holidays helped it feel so magical. My home is the one place I can express who I am, and I quite literally feel like a can't breathe in a space that never changes a bit. I cited these two creative women in the Apartment Therapy tour of my home that Andie shot, as influences on how I decorate. Andie did such a wonderful job capturing the real life that goes on in our home. Thank you, Andie!

-Blair

Thank YOU, Blair!