( s e c r e t • l e n t i l )

Managing my brain’s energy is a full time job – but I do try to fit a bit of sewing into my days too – you know, so I can pay my bills. Every once in a while I pull these disparate goals together and do some work that keeps all neurons tidy and focused … at least for a time.

Such is the case, currently, with knee-length skirts. I’m in love with making them. Each one has its own rhythm and shape that wants to emerge – the design unfolds nicely before me as I cut – a problem emerges and I solve it, an idea wants to come through and I sew this way and that, stitching those panels back together and yes – there is the idea, expressed with economy, like a tidy E.B. White paragraph. I wish it was always this way, this murky art ~ craft ~ brain ~ life work that I do.

In honor of riding the current energy stream I’m doing some custom skirts for people. Well, they’re sort of custom-ish – here are the details. I get to pick the colors, so I don’t know who will be adventurous enough to let me play/work for them. My plan is to make these for a short time, until the curiosity is gone and the mojo fades and I feel like skirts are stupid and I should never make one again! Which could be any day now. So if you want one, take the leap.

There just aren’t enough knitting action shots in the world.

But Carina just sent some. Here she is knitting in her very green back yard of which I am eternally jealous. She’s wearing her Secret Lentil hand warmers and holding the glompod clutch which is stuffed full of yarn.

Over on my side of the country we’re getting a big wet nonstop dump of snow today. Schools are closed, the trees are covered. I’m inside sipping hot chai but thinking about boots and shovels and getting to the studio.

I spent so many years trying to get out of things I didn’t want to do – going to school, to other jobs – and just waiting waiting for a snow day or even a sick day to get out of the drudgery.  But this morning I saw my niece’s post on facebook – she was looking forward to talking about a novel in class and working on an art project but she’s snowed in. Oh! I guess not everyone hated that, ha ha.

It’s still new to me to like what I’m doing. To like it in the real deep way where I’m not even secretly hoping for the day off. Where I’m not showing up every day but inside the I Want To Quit clock is ticking and I know this gig won’t last long.  I think I’d like a snow day but then I sit here for a few minutes and my brain gets engaged with what needs to happen today – shipping, listing some new pieces, re-arranging the studio, maybe even sewing a bit – and I’m surprised that I’d rather find some socks and see if I can dig out and get there.

I’m building a theory about how the moment we have an imaginary endgame – pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, winning lottery ticket, prince on white horse, hoping someone pulls the fire alarm so we can stand out in the parking lot instead of working for 20 minutes, etc. – that as soon as we have switched to wishing we were somewhere else we lessen our ability to be engaged with what needs to happen right in front of us. We begin to wait for life instead of living it. No i didn’t invent this idea. But the more I think about it the more I think those imaginary fairy tale distractions hurt us. They cause real immediate harm. I’d love to ramble about it more but I have to go to work. Want to go to work.

It’s done. Here’s The Red Queen sweater, plus a few other things I made while I’ve got red loaded in the serger.  I haven’t finished the threads yet so you’ll see some dangly strings. I like red and gray together, it’s sort of sporty and sort of sexy at the same time.

In the studio today I’m working on The Red Queen sweater  – a super-lush all red sweater with red thread. It’s cotton and velour and will be very full and maybe ruffly, it’s too soon to tell.  I hope whoever gets this will use their power for good not evil.

“Make a remark,” said the Red Queen; “it’s ridiculous to leave all the conversation to the pudding!”

Ethella, Mythical Katamari Cousin tunic, Faux Faux Bois dress, Homage to Doctor Zoidberg sweater.

Three of my pieces have just been published in the book 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew.  I’m thrilled for all obvious reasons, but also because the book is designed really well and my work is in exceptional company! If you click on the link you can browse the pages. It was written and edited by the extremely enthusiastic Garth Johnson of Extreme Craft.

coaxing coat colors

Today’s dreaming … I got to the studio before sun-up today, did a lot of work and now I get to play. I’m going to see if these colors are willing to become a coat. It’s been a while since I made a “Secret Lentil luxe” piece and I’m getting requests. I hope these will cooperate.

new dressing room at Secret Lentil headquarters

Yesterday Mr. Lentil and I finished making the new dressing room in my studio. Come in and try things on! (I’m in The Delavan Center in Syracuse NY. Here’s a map. ) The mister and I are at our best when building things out of nothing. We made this from old weathered wood that we found, a dropcloth that someone left in the grab pile in our warehouse, and the chartreuse ties used to be a tablecloth.

It’s great meeting some of the lovely humans I’ve met over these internet tubes. I’m having a guest in from Toronto next week, a friendstomer I already love though we’ve never met in person. I’m a bit giddy about it, although I don’t know how to tell her that I’ve never finished a Jane Austen novel. *cringing* I hope she’ll forgive my literary transgressions.

You can call me (315…380…9610) or email to set up a time to visit.

a dress from my f.stop series

I love old cameras. When I was kid my dad gave me an old Agfa. It was wonderfully dense, with ridged black sides and a lens that popped out with the press of a button, suspended by matte black accordian-folds. It used square 120 film that I would take down to Fay’s Drugs to get developed, and I still remember the thrill of discovering I could take double exposures if I didn’t advance the film manually.

I liked that cameras mirror our eye functions, I liked how much sense all the settings made, and I desperately wanted to have something in common with my dad – I was getting weary of skeet shooting …

what does it mean to have enough?

Photography is all about letting enough light in for the right amount of time – finding balance while accounting for all the options we have available to us.

So I’ve been thinking this through – what is enough, what has balance, restraint, and about longing for things we can’t have – as I’m making a series of clothes called f.stop. I’ll be listing them here as they’re done, through the next week or two.

moonlight sculpted skirt, worn as a dress

and here is my proof.

Mr. Lentil kept saying “I think people could pull these skirts up and wear them as dresses.”

Then a customer said “Did you know that I can wear this many different ways including two ways as a dress?”

Then another customer said “Great as a skirt or dress or top.”

Okay okay, get off my back. I’ll tell people they work as dresses and tops.