Month: October
How-To: Scarf Tying

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Tis’ the scarf season! I am totally obsessed with scarves. Any time style and comfort cross paths I’m there. Birkenstocks: check, Yoga pants (style, trend, whatever): check, oversized knit sweaters: duh.

You can never have too many scarves, and when you come across one that is soft, stylish AND hand-made with love- you just can’t go wrong. On this edition of How-To, imma show you how to tie some of the scarves we carry. From basic to unique, there are so many options and these are just a few. Get ready for a whole bunch of pictures of yours truly.

So when that mood strikes you, and you’ve just got to get cozy, come browse our selection of scarves. We’ve got just the thing.

1| Infinity

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This scarf is a wide rectangle shape. I wasn’t sure how to tie it at first- but turns out you can just make any scarf into an infinity scarf by tying two corners, then twisting once or twice around like you would a full circle. I love this look. Bonus: this scarf by Kitty Knits is my favorite scarf in the shop. It works beautifully as a shawl, too.

2| Preppy Necktie

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This is perfect for long, skinny scarves. Start with the scarf behind your neck, leaving more on one side than the other. Wrap the long side around your neck twice. Grab the two ends and tie a granny knot, “floof” and ta-da!

3| Twisted Necklace

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This one is so EASY and unique! Get equal lengths on either side of your neck, and tie a granny knot roughly as low as you’d like the finished necklace to be. Twist each side back up around itself, and tuck in the little ends. Our Megan Lee Designs scarves are perfect for this one with lots of different colors and patterns to choose from.

4| European Loop

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So this one is pretty straight forward, but I felt I would be remiss if I didn’t include it! Fold your scarf in half, wrap it around your neck, and pull the ends through the loop. Our Woodly scarves are perfect for bundling up with this tie.

5| Magic Trick

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So this is definitely the trickiest of all the knots I have to show you today, but it has a pretty stunning result. Once again, hold the scarf behind you so there is more length on one side than the other. Wrap the long side around once, then pull the short side through to form a loop. Push the end of what used to be the long side through that loop, and floof. Not so hard.

6| Fake Knot

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Aw, yeah. Look at that jaunty finish pose! This tie is so stylish. Tie a granny knot around one of your wrists with one side of the scarf, then pull the other side through. Do some floofing and your done. Also known as the “neck tie,” this silky smooth scarf by Just Liv is just the ticket.

7| The X

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So classy. Cross ends of the scarf back and forth around your neck twice, then pull up the ends through one of the loops. Perfect.

So maybe you’re just not ready to commit to tying a scarf every time you want to wear it. Maybe you’re not the directions-reading type. MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE A GOOD COWL. Well, you’re in luck. Here we have just a selection of what’s available for the once-and-done scarf wearer.

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Now you’re ready! Ready to look good every day of the season because scarves are awesome like that.

Also- P.S.- the awesome hair fork I’m wearing is by kFroet and we have that in the shop too. It’s my 2nd favorite fall accessory (after scarves).

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This Week at the Shop: October 17th

Check your calendar, it’s calendar season! And if your calendar didn’t make you smile every month this year, it’s time you came down to Homespun and perused our selection. We’ve got lots to show you today, and many more to come.

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New from local designers TF Publishing.

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Included: monthly color therapy time. From Amy Rice Art.

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Insta-costume for just $25 bucks. Get one of these eye popping and beautifully crafted paper masks from Questionable Press. Lots of critters to choose from.

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Color Me Indy coloring book by Grant Thomas. Shiny Indiana tee by Decorative Design Works. Pretty little spoons and matching trinket dishes restocked from Sarahmics.

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I don’t even know if these are new but these magnet sets from Exit343 are too awesome not to post. Rappers and the boys from Gilmore Girls (except we need a Luke!).

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Creepy creatures on pillows from DRock Press, temporary tattoos by Lovewild Design, the most adorable little penguin books by Yellow Door Publishing, designed and printed in the USA, and these cute little dishes/ planters are the best! By Sunflower Studios.

Coming Up

Pinot & Paws, Paint Your Pet: Thursday, October 27th, 6-8pm: Pets. They’re the family we choose. If you’re a dog or cat (or any animal, really) person, you understand the important role pets play in our lives. For many of us, our beloved pets are like our children, loving us unconditionally and loyally. Here’s your chance to immortalize your beloved Fido or Whiskers: instructor Deanna Leonard of Arcadian Design will be hosting a “Paint Your Pet” workshop at our store. Students will create a portrait from a favorite photograph with acrylic paint to cherish for years to come. Plus, we’ll have snacks and wine on hand for a full artist experience.

Candle Maker Pop-Up & Mass Ave Midnight Shopper: Friday, November 18th, 5pm-12am: Tonight’s the perfect night to get a jump start on your holiday shopping! Many Mass Ave merchants will be open until midnight to allow prudent patrons a chance to enjoy all of Indy’s best shops and boutiques. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to give back to the community during the season of giving! Here at Homespun we dedicate a significant portion of our donation efforts to Coburn Place Save Haven and Project Home Indy, two local non-profits dear to our hearts. Bring in needed items for Coburn Place and/or Project Home Indy and receive 10% off your entire purchase!

Small Business Saturday: Saturday, November 26th, 9am-9pm: The holiday shopping season is officially upon us, and shopping small means big support for independently-owned shops like ours (and for our community!). Homespun: Modern Handmade will be opening early today (9am) to give our fantastic customers early access to our brimming-with-holiday-inventory sales floor. In fact, the first ten customers will receive Swag Bags, one of which will be a SUPER Swag Bag with a high-dollar item from a participating Mass Ave store.

Giving Tuesday: Tuesday, November 29th, 10am-8pm: Make a difference with your shopping today at Homespun. Bring in items from the lists below and receive 10% off your store purchase today. Donated goods will benefit Coburn Place of Indianapolis, a transitional program to help survivors of domestic abuse and Project Home Indy, a local non-profit program aiming to break the cycle of poverty by serving up to five teen mothers and their children, helping them reach the path to self-sufficiency.

Yelp Bazaar: Thursday, December 11th, 6-10pm: Homespun is once again part of Yelp’s annual pop up shopping party with more than 120 local businesses! Check-in on the Yelp app for your Yelp Shop Local tote because this hefty list of local businesses is certain to fill your hands!

See ya next week, friends!

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Meet Your Maker: Zooguu

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This is Jen Gubicza, maker behind the Zooguu menagerie. She designs all the patterns and does all the sewing to bring to life each of these unique and surprisingly cheerful plushies. This line of roly-poly dinosaurs and animals are brightly colored and expertly crafted. They are the perfect toy for the child in your life. Learn more about Jen and her passion on this edition of Meet Your Maker.

1| How do you describe your work to people who don’t know anything about crafting/art?

I always describe myself as a maker of things. I make toys & faux taxidermy home decor. I talk about how I design the sewing patterns & everything starts from scratch with raw materials: fabric, thread, fiberfill & wood.

2| Why do you make/design things?

I’ve always had a passion for making things. It’s really not even a choice at this point. I even have a bag filled with some portable sewing project these days that I carry around everywhere.

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3| What do you love about your job?

I love that I get to create things that I would like to see out there in the world. There’s freedom in being able to design a new product on the fly and test it out immediately. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

4| Was being a working artist always your plan or was there an “aha” moment?

I have always wanted to be a working artist. Before I was a full time maker, I was a full time graphic designer, and I went to college for design.

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5| How do you work, and where?

I currently rent studio space on the lovely island of Nahant, MA. I typically arrive in the morning and work until I get tired, take a break for lunch, work some more, take a break for dinner, and then go home. I have an assistant that comes to the studio a few times a week and that help is invaluable. The great part about being a working artist is the flexibility I have. If there’s an event I want to go to, or I’m teaching a class one evening, I can plan for that and take time off when I need to. I also get to do a lot of traveling for craft shows, which is nice.

6| How often do you add a new creature to your collection?

I’m adding new things all of the time. Not all of them make it to the website as often as I’d like, but since I do markets every weekend I’m always adding new things.

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7| How do you choose your fabrics?

Fabrics are chosen for durability, washability & color selection.

8| Do you have best seller?

Narwhals, dinosaurs & unicorns are all top sellers.

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9| If you could swap lives with another artist, who would that person be?

I don’t know about swapping lives, exactly, but there are plenty of artists that I admire: Mimi Kirchner, Diane Koss, Leeanna Butcher, Jonathan Reincke, Eling Chang, Greg Stones, Elizabeth Benotti, Nathan William Murrell, Sara Villari, Valency Genis, Jeff Campana, Mister Hope, Chelsea Bloxom, Horrible Adorables, Yetis & Friends, Jon Wye, Carrie Wagner, Mei-Ling Uliasz, just to name a few…

10| What makes a handmade object valuable?

Handmade objects are unique, high quality, and you can see the artist’s hand in the work.

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11| Using that definition, what’s the most valuable object you own?

That’s a tough question. I try to fill my life with handmade objects that all inspire me every day. Probably an original painting by Jonathan Reincke. His skill and color sense are gorgeous.

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12| Tell us one true thing about yourself that people don’t believe when you tell them.

I was an all star field hockey goalie in high school & I turned down a college athletic scholarship to go to art school.

13| Give us three more non-crafting-related details about you or your life.

I love visiting with animals.

I love drinking whiskey with friends.

I love playing D&D.

Pop into Homespun if you’ve got to have one of these cuties, and check out Zooguu online, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Thanks Jen!

 

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This Week at the Shop: October 10th

We’re over here soaking in the beautiful autumn sunlight while admiring the new handmade items that come through our door every day. Take a look and don’t forget to experience them in person- the feels and the smells are just as good.

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New vendor Yentunde Rodriguez Design brings us these beautiful patterns, block printed on soft linen fabric. I also just had to throw in this unique item from 407 Botanicals. A face mask sounds so luxurious right now!

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We have some beautiful new macrame pieces in from artist Savannah Norris and we are all stocked up with Frittle. And- it’s leg warmer season. We have so many cute designs on the shelves from Nicole’s Threads.

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This cute little bug caught my eye today- a little ceramic bud vase from Linnea Campbell Ceramic Art. Also, we’ve got a bunch of new candles from Karmalit and they seriously smell amazing.  Plus a percentage of their sales help fund classroom needs – helping teachers and their students. The perfect excuse to buy more than one.

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Wait until you see all the awesome things we got from Lovewild Design!

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The most brilliant decision making dice, amazing organic teas and more. Fun, useful, and beautifully packaged!

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And they make cards, too! With seeds inside, of course.

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Rumor has it we’ll have more Tinker Coffee on the shelves tomorrow.

Coming Up

Cottage Home Block Party: Saturday, October 15th, 5-11pm: We’ll be reppin’ Homespun goodies at this fun event! Come get yourself some delicious good and drink and shop, too.

Pinot & Paws, Paint Your Pet: Thursday, October 27th, 6-8pm: Pets. They’re the family we choose. If you’re a dog or cat (or any animal, really) person, you understand the important role pets play in our lives. For many of us, our beloved pets are like our children, loving us unconditionally and loyally. Here’s your chance to immortalize your beloved Fido or Whiskers: instructor Deanna Leonard of Arcadian Design will be hosting a “Paint Your Pet” workshop at our store. Students will create a portrait from a favorite photograph with acrylic paint to cherish for years to come. Plus, we’ll have snacks and wine on hand for a full artist experience.

Candle Maker Pop-Up & Mass Ave Midnight Shopper: Friday, November 18th, 5pm-12am: Tonight’s the perfect night to get a jump start on your holiday shopping! Many Mass Ave merchants will be open until midnight to allow prudent patrons a chance to enjoy all of Indy’s best shops and boutiques. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to give back to the community during the season of giving! Here at Homespun we dedicate a significant portion of our donation efforts to Coburn Place Save Haven and Project Home Indy, two local non-profits dear to our hearts. Bring in needed items for Coburn Place and/or Project Home Indy and receive 10% off your entire purchase!

Small Business Saturday: Saturday, November 26th, 9am-9pm: The holiday shopping season is officially upon us, and shopping small means big support for independently-owned shops like ours (and for our community!). Homespun: Modern Handmade will be opening early today (9am) to give our fantastic customers early access to our brimming-with-holiday-inventory sales floor. In fact, the first ten customers will receive Swag Bags, one of which will be a SUPER Swag Bag with a high-dollar item from a participating Mass Ave store.

Giving Tuesday: Tuesday, November 29th, 10am-8pm: Make a difference with your shopping today at Homespun. Bring in items from the lists below and receive 10% off your store purchase today. Donated goods will benefit Coburn Place of Indianapolis, a transitional program to help survivors of domestic abuse and Project Home Indy, a local non-profit program aiming to break the cycle of poverty by serving up to five teen mothers and their children, helping them reach the path to self-sufficiency.

Yelp Bazaar: Thursday, December 11th, 6-10pm: Homespun is once again part of Yelp’s annual pop up shopping party with more than 120 local businesses! Check-in on the Yelp app for your Yelp Shop Local tote because this hefty list of local businesses is certain to fill your hands!

See ya next week, friends!

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This Week at the Shop: October 3rd

We’ve got a huge restock from Decorative Design Works to share with you this week and a few other lovelies as well. Be sure to peek our events list at the end of this post and join us for A Homespun Halloween this Friday!

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Flasks and coaters and t-shirts, oh my! All these goodies and more on the floor now from Decorative Design Works.

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These beauties may not be completely new, but they jumped right off the shelves today in hopes of appearing on the blog, so I had to acquiesce. Brought to us by Haven Paperie.

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Intricately detailed with a historic aesthetic, this map of Indiana is marked with all the best spots. By Keep Indy Indie.

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I’ll be sharing lots more Halloween goodies with you later this month, but I just couldn’t wait to share this awesome activity book by Jean Elise Toys. There are so many fun things for youngsters to do in here, I’m just about to buy one for myself. I love getting in the spirit!

Window Display

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Our new raven themed display is spooky, creepy and totally handmade. Nice work, team.

What We’re Wearing

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We look SO cute (duh) and so ready for fall (duh). On the left we’re wearing a buffalo plaid cowl by Nicole’s Threads and long sleeve tee by Megan Lee Designs with a leather bag by LM Designs. On the right we’re wearing another Nicole’s Threads cowl, a fleece Cloque by Simple and Pretty and a gorgeous crescent necklace by Grey Theory Mill.

Coming Up

A Homespun Halloween: Friday, October 7th, 5-9pm. There’s no hiding it: here at Homespun, we LOVE Halloween, and we could not resist putting together a night of spirited fun. Join us Friday October 7th from 5pm – 9pm for terrific tricks and treats! Sample spooky snacks and imbibe bewitching beverages while Savannah Norris and Rana Salame Striedinger, our staff sages, offer tarot card, palm, and crystal readings (tips to our witches are appreciated and recommended). It wouldn’t be a truly Homespun Halloween without something handmade. Rana will also be on the floor offering new crystal styles in her jewelry line and Savannah will have small textile weavings for sale! It’s going to be a bewitching good time!

First Friday Gallery Exhibition: Jake Lee: Friday, October 7th, 6-9pm: To say Jake Lee is a man of many talents wouldn’t be an understatement or an overstatement, it would simply be accurate. Jake is a designer, curator, entrepreneur, and mixed media artist based in Indianapolis, Indiana. This series “Sucker Punch” explores the world of mass media and the imagery it chooses to display. Jake constructs his work by using type, imagery and iconic images. He enjoys the process of building layers from a variety of different mediums such as collaging, drawing, painting, image transfers and silk screening on wood blocks. Jake says he tries to convey a narrative story to the viewer that illustrates his feelings and his struggle with how media and advertising are used to shape society’s concepts of beauty, life, and passion.
Jake also curates a gallery called The Attic in the Murphy Building in Fountain Square, Indianapolis. It is open to the public every First Friday during the IDADA Art Walks. Jake also operates his own t-shirt venture called Made In The Square which harnesses the distinct attitude of Fountain Square, Indiana. His work will be showing at Homespun September – October 2016.

Pinot & Paws, Paint Your Pet: Thursday, October 27th, 6-8pm: Pets. They’re the family we choose. If you’re a dog or cat (or any animal, really) person, you understand the important role pets play in our lives. For many of us, our beloved pets are like our children, loving us unconditionally and loyally. Here’s your chance to immortalize your beloved Fido or Whiskers: instructor Deanna Leonard of Arcadian Design will be hosting a “Paint Your Pet” workshop at our store. Students will create a portrait from a favorite photograph with acrylic paint to cherish for years to come. Plus, we’ll have snacks and wine on hand for a full artist experience.

Candle Maker Pop-Up & Mass Ave Midnight Shopper: Friday, November 18th, 5pm-12am: Tonight’s the perfect night to get a jump start on your holiday shopping! Many Mass Ave merchants will be open until midnight to allow prudent patrons a chance to enjoy all of Indy’s best shops and boutiques. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to give back to the community during the season of giving! Here at Homespun we dedicate a significant portion of our donation efforts to Coburn Place Save Haven and Project Home Indy, two local non-profits dear to our hearts. Bring in needed items for Coburn Place and/or Project Home Indy and receive 10% off your entire purchase!

Small Business Saturday: Saturday, November 26th, 9am-9pm: The holiday shopping season is officially upon us, and shopping small means big support for independently-owned shops like ours (and for our community!). Homespun: Modern Handmade will be opening early today (9am) to give our fantastic customers early access to our brimming-with-holiday-inventory sales floor. In fact, the first ten customers will receive Swag Bags, one of which will be a SUPER Swag Bag with a high-dollar item from a participating Mass Ave store.

Giving Tuesday: Tuesday, November 29th, 10am-8pm: Make a difference with your shopping today at Homespun. Bring in items from the lists below and receive 10% off your store purchase today. Donated goods will benefit Coburn Place of Indianapolis, a transitional program to help survivors of domestic abuse and Project Home Indy, a local non-profit program aiming to break the cycle of poverty by serving up to five teen mothers and their children, helping them reach the path to self-sufficiency.

Yelp Bazaar: Thursday, December 11th, 6-10pm: Homespun is once again part of Yelp’s annual pop up shopping party with more than 120 local businesses! Check-in on the Yelp app for your Yelp Shop Local tote because this hefty list of local businesses is certain to fill your hands!

See ya next week, friends!

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