knits & bloggers project: audrey cantwell for tarantula sisters zine

i can't say enough sweet things about audrey & i am smitten! at the last fall puces pop we traded some knits for a vintage mink fur coat, & audrey modeled & styled this amazing editorial for her second issue of her zine named after her vintage boutique tarantula sisters. audrey is wearing her own limited grey alpaca  markham collar, her own extra-chunky merino lambton cowl in black, her own merino black elora toque & her own chunky merino simcoe braided headband in black.

knits & bloggers project:

audrey cantwell of tarantual sisters

photos: Yuli Sato

model + styling: audrey cantwell for tarantula sisters zine

we have just started a collaboration, she has skillfully added her touch to some of my classic knit pieces, such as reclaimed skunk fur to embellish as pompoms on merino knit toques, as well as black leather tassles on a black thick&thin merino welland sweater, along the batwing arms. i'ii have these in the shop soon & i'ii be bringing the pompom fur toques to city of craft this weekend in toronto.

60s french inspiration: isabelle hayes

my friend isabelle hayes, a designer & vintage online boutique seller from montreal, is just unveiling two new pieces for her winter mini collection, both items heavily inspired by french dressing, including the perfectly named black crushed velvet  "bonjour tristesse dress" & the "Jolie Môme Peter Pan Collar" (as shown w/ the dress).
in izzy's own words: "This mini collection is inspired by Juliette Greco, she was dark and mysterious and had a marvelous sense of style in the 50s and 60s. She is the muse to this mini collection."

four days in montreal: day 3+4

day three (in montreal):
after waking up to enjoying coffee that was made every morning by my wonderful guest, izzy & stephane took me by metro to mount-royal, mostly perfect for strolling & to get gifts to bring back home, like record shopping for luke, japanese inspired toys for enid & magazines for jasonlee.
afterwards went to visit sam at her insanely incredibly charming studio, & it was just the ladies & lots of shop talk, of course. samantha will be down my way  for pinpals vending at the beehive summer fair, can't wait for that.

day four (in montreal)
sad to be leaving my friends in montreal & their wonderful neighborhood the Villeray . while in montreal izzy & i were inseparable. of course i was feeling homesick too, & i'm sure izzy &stephane coudl finally enjoy their abode to themselves again, it was teh perfect stay. i enjoyed being with izzy in her studio on the last morning, & saying bye to her sweet, sweet kitty too.

four days in montreal: days 1+2 (part 1)

day one (nighttime) in montreal: (all the photos in entirety montreal in june)
i left behind jasonlee & enid at the bus terminal in toronto & took my 6.5 hour trip to montreal (which is also roughly almost the equivalent of knitting an entire ascot on smaller needles, w/ a small 20 minute nap in between). i was so excited to greet a smiling & welcoming sarah (the genuis behind the surprise & izzyfest which we'd been keeping secret for a few weeks now, wasn't easy), i even forget to grab my luggage off the bus, i just wanted to be off to surprise izzy (the luggage was still there when we went back).
obviously, the susrspise went off wonderfully, & izzy's face just dropped & we even got her tearing up (me too). then to re-nourish from the trip, we ate some bread, cheese, chocolate, sparkling water & mostly i drank beer, all c/o of sarah. thanks soooo much my dears, to sarah for bringing me all the way & to izzy & her man for putting up w/ me, being the most charming & insanely warm hosts.

day two (daytime) in montreal:
saturday izzy took me to one of her secret vintage shops (friperie renaissance) that is lesser known, early in the day, although, not before stephane took some pics of us in the alleys of her neighborhood of Villeray, these were my favorite photos from the time spent in montreal.  i'm not usually comfortable taking photos styled around what i wore lately, however on this day it wasn't so embarrassing w/ company & of course w/ all the loads of clothes i generously received from izzy & sarah, real nice to have such good friends in the vintage shopping buisness, w/ serious addictions to thrifting. also check out that lace peach scalloped blouse,  one of the new designs from izzy, coming soon. afterwards we visited sarahs impressive studio in Mile End & sneaked in a charming lunch & dinner, all c/o local montreal delis, bakeries, groceries, & the depaneur.

day two (night) in montreal:
went to mile end for izzyfest, hosted by sarah, & the very cool ladies of citizen vintage. i think sarah summed it up perfectly, & please check out what jenny, izzy (aka babe in the lace betsey johnson frock)& citizen vintage's take on the night in photos & their own eloquent words (rather than my own run on sentences....).

pinpals + ye ye! (aka sam & izzy)

izzy in my knits

a girls in my knits post seemed long overdue, & it felt completely obvious to me that izzy should have her very own post!  izzy's blog & shop & tumblr. i love seeing girls (& boys in my knits), so please keep em coming. izzy is wearing her own markham collar in creme, the lambton cowl in stonewash denim & the sold out  simcoe turban headband.
all photos c/o izzy hayes

introducing ye ye! spring collars

of course, on this blog, my friend izzy (aka isabelle hayes) doesn't need anymore introductions. however, what is new is her spring collars, that i'm so pleased to share, a complete sneak peek. all of theses creations are completely sewn & designed all by izzy as part of her montreal based ye ye! collection. i've included photos of her newest collars & also the classic lace & limited printed ones too. you can't even imagine the crazy craftsmanship & detail, she is a genius of a talented seamstress & designer. i've asked izzy to answer those same questions i put to audrey, & soon they'll be others too.
take a peak at izzy's blog, shop & tumbler
all photos c/o isabelle hayes

How are you? What are you up to today?

I am great, just at home today, blogging, sewing new Spring collars and sipping on coffee and you?

What do you do? What are you currently working on?

I am an independent designer and seamstress by day part-time. I am currently working on a line of Spring detachable collars in eyelet fabrics and plaids. I am also playing around with lace scallop bias and liberty printed fabrics.

What kind of girl do you imagine you are designing for?

The girl I design for is a girl who loves color  and history, she lives her life care free and loves vanilla milkshakes and listening to old records.

Do you design for yourself?

Yes, I make stuff that I know I will have a hard time parting with but I am sure they will go to a nice home. 

Can you talk about what is inspiring you right now?

Right now I am inspired by liberty prints, lace, romantic girlie things,vintage lingerie, movies I watch and music.

Do you have a favorite source of inspiration?

I recently discovered Tumblr and there are loads of inspirations on there. I look to the internet and blogs for inspiration now.

Have you always been creative?

Yes, Ive been playing with clothing and drawing since I was a little girl.

Do you remember some of your first creative childhood pursuits?

I remember drawing princesses with three heads and castles for them. Sometimes I would not want to finish my drawings and my mother would make me finish them.

What makes you feel most like yourself?

When I am thrifting.

What do you wish for?

Peace of mind.

How do you enjoy spending your down time?

Listening to records, baking, and watching old monster movies.

audrey cantwell

i met Audrey Cantwell, a Montreal based designer, on her own turf, in Montreal at winter puces pop, & immediately i was crushing on this doll of a girl whose booth was just across from mine. its hard not be enamored, & her designs are just as captivating, & truly haunting. so here's another installment to the gals of Montreal posts. seriously, as just an anglo outsider, i have to say i'm really very inspired by all the creativity & wonderful people i met in Montreal!
please check out my  posts of montreal gals:  samantha purdy &  isabelle hayes & katie dutton & amber albrecht

hi Audrey? It was a pleasure to meet you at Puces Pop. How are you today?
It was so nice meeting you too! Im doing great, just got back from the studio and about to make some French onion soup!

What kind of girl do you imagine you are designing for?
Do you design for yourself?
I  really imagine all kinds of different girls when I design, I suppose I often imagine mystical, mysterious, carefree girls with a slight penchant for dark and moody things. Girls who like history, fantasy and believe in some form of magic. I think I design clothing I wish I wore every day, but I think my personal style is a bit more grunge-y and laid back most days, although I do love dressing up like a witch quite a bit, and wearing strange furs a lot too.

How do you like living & designing in Montreal?
I love Montreal! I moved here from a small Eastern Quebec town 4 years ago to attend college, and its such a vibrant and creative city. I also love how small it can feel, and still being able to be 'a regular' at my favourite bars and cafes, at the post office and corner store. I also love designing in this city and have formed relationships with my fabric suppliers, my leather guy and fur guy, my zipper lady, and they know me and my brand and we give eachother christmas cards. I also love being friends with a lot of other designers here, the indie fashion industry is a little community here, its great!

Have you always been creative?
Do you remember some of your first creative childhood pursuits?
I have always been a major crafter, as a child I even had my own 'craft room' in my parents home, I would do anything from papier-mache to clay to collage. I still do! My father and grandfather are both carpenters and are very artistic and crafty, Im sure I get it from them. I used to hang out with my dad in his woodshop and just glue pieces of wood together and make furniture for my dolls.

Can you talk about what is inspiring you right now?
As always, history, nature and fantasy. Right now, I particularly am inspired by vikings, Scandinavia, isolated landscapes, winter, birch trees, loneliness, hunting...

What makes you feel most like yourself?
Having a few pints at the bar with my friends.

What do you wish for?
I wish for calm and peaceful thoughts.

How do you enjoy spending your down time?
I mostly like staying in and listening to records and making dinner with my boyfriend, reading with my cats on the couch, thrifting (!), and sometimes going out to see a show or  just have some beers with friends and talk about nothing in particular.

part two: montreal & the last day of puces pop winter 2010

i spent a second day  in my belleville shawl, it was still so cold, & also proving here that puces pop & coffee go together very well indeed. i really do regret that i took so very few images to share of my own, of course as mentioned wonderful friends Isabelle & Sarah too, both more than made up for it for me.

i am proud that i finally worked up the nerve to take a pic of the beautiful designer audrey cartwell, as pictured below, amongst her lovely items, i came home with a few of my own too.