Newbies

Well, not so much any more as one of them sold and will soon be on it's way to Oakland, CA. My basement however hides a few treasures at the moment that I hope to be able to share with you really, really soon.

Team Work Did This

Freedom Reconstructed from Freedom Clothing Collective on Vimeo.


Team work at Freedom CC created this. Some of the clocks are no available in our newly opened Etsy store.

Before & After - A's Wardrobe

This wardrobe was in my client A's family for many decades and for the last number of years it was stored in her uncle's basement, almost forgotten. With A's vision and my rollers and brushes, we have managed to turn this old lady into a piece that A will love for many years to come.

Newest Poppy - Little Turquoise Desk

Newest from my workshop is this cute turquoise desk. To be honest, when I first bought it I had a bit of a buyer's remorse as I wasn't sure that much could become of it. Unfortunately there is no before photo to share with you. I always think about this very important step when I am half way into the refinishing process. All doubt aside, I think it turned out quite cute, and is now posted in my Etsy shop and stored at Freedom Clothing Collective waiting to be snatched away and loved by the new owner.

Lampshade DIY

I  have wanted to learn to make a lamp shade for a long time, I have followed blogs, online tutorials, talked to people who are really good at it, but every time I got to it, something went wrong and I ended up abandoning the project. As a spirited crafter I found it really annoying that there was  a seemingly easy project out there that I was not able to master. So I started looking for ways to make a lampshade and that will guarantee success. And I found it. I armed myself with a pair of scissors, jute twine, and old lampshade and lot of patience.

To start I removed the fabric from the shade and tied a knot at the top of the structure where one of the vertical bars connected with the top ring and started wrapping it with twine as tightly as possible making sure that the metal ring was not showing through. And then continued on to the body. As I reached each one of the spokes I wrapped the twine once around it and proceeded to the next. This way I made sure that each of the spokes was neatly wrapped and that the twine was secure in place without worrying that it will start sliding down.

I was quite happy with the outcome, but thought that some decor would be a welcome addition. So I asked Karen for some left-over fabric and buttons from her sewing projects and little abstract flowers/starbursts were created. The only remaining thing was to pair the shade up with an equally quirky lamp base.

And there you have it. The lamp is available for purchase at  our store or online via Etsy.

If you find this entry inspiring enough to attempt to make your own shade, send me some photos of your work, I will be delighted to share it on the blog.

Trinkets and Treasures

I love browsing through AAnthropologie catalogues and looking for inspirations. These guys do things so well. So, browsing through the most recent catalogue I came across these gorgeous candle holders named Trinkets and Treasures, but at the sticker price of $398 per stick you better treasure them for life.

As a maker of things, I studied the picture a bit and decided to make my own version of these lovelies so I headed out and sourced all the goodness that I could find to make an awesome candle stick. I decided that starting off with an old lamp base would be a good way to go, as the middle rod that would normally house the electric cord would offer good support for the body and would allow me to turn it into a lamp should I choose to do so.

I, of course, bought more trinkets than I could use, but building a stand like this is a creative process that takes time, each one of them went through several iterations before I landed on the final concept. Having a few extras helps as drilling through some of them is a tedious task, and they do tend to break from time to time.

So here is the end result - three candle sticks that I am quite proud off and some left over material for the next one. They may not look exactly like the starting point, but that was never the goal. The idea was to give them my own spin and make them unique in their own way. Oh, and the fact that they are made from locally sourced goodness makes them a bit extra special in my mind too. Let me know what you think, would love to hear from you!!

Freedom CC Team Visits the One of a Kind Show

The Freedom team took a field trip to the One of a Kind show to support our artists and designers. It felt a little bit like a reunion - we got to say hi to our out-of-town designers that we barely get to see, catch up with those that have gone MIA in preparations for holiday madness, and check out a wide selection of their goods. It was inspiring to see the booths that each of them put together. These little habitats shed another light into their creative vision and resourcefulness (of course, upscycled and restyled materials were often used in the building of these nooks). Without further ado, here are some quick shots that we took to share with you guys!

atelier b., made in Montreal by Catherine Metivier and Anne-Marie Laflamme. We carry an extensive selection of their extremely well-made, sustainable line. Each of us owns numerous items by them and we're still wanting more!

Jen Kneulman is the power girl behind Freshly Printed: a line of organic tea-towels, aprons, and other kitchen wear. She prints at her Harbourfront studio with all natural dyes

Based in Montreal, Cindy Cantin makes incredibly well-made bags from wool felt and leather that she obtains from furniture factories. Learn more about her line by clicking here.

Another fabulous Montreal designer is Noujica. These. Scarves. Are. The. Warmest. And. The. Coolest. Cannot emphasize that more.

Krystal Speck makes colourful earthenware with imagery from nature. Her pieces bring a bright touch of the outdoors to your kitchen and home. She's based in Toronto, but sometimes scours Ontario farmlands for discarded wood, in this case, she used these remnants for this comfortably rustic booth.

Made just a few minutes away from Freedom, these mittens by SLO are becoming a common sight all around Toronto. Made from upcycled wool sweaters and lined with fleece for extra comfort and warmth. Check out these new ones for them little guys!

Julie Sinden boiled hats are almost like a collector item. It's too hard to choose just one, the colours and styles are just adorable and you can find one to match any winter coat. The best part, your head still breaths, no one likes a sweaty hat head!

Last but not least is Voyou by Lise-Marie Cayer, who is so sweet she got us free tickets to the show. This whole blogpost would not happen without her generosity, and yet ironically, Marsya forgot to take a photo of her booth. Truth be told, she was too distracted by her new winter coats. (They come in black and red, with tan leather detailing and huge pockets.) Good thing Karen snapped a photo while Marsya wasn't looking.