Union Textiles

We Come Bearing Gifts...

2011-12-10T16:12:00.001-05:00

Sooo yes, we've been remiss in our correspondance. Not a one post during the month of November, but I hope that some of you won some great treats from the isobel and cleo advent calendar countdown to Black Friday. I've heard Cara going on about doing a giveaway on her Seaweaver Facebook page. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, feast your eyes on THIS:

There's only one world that can sufficiently and succinctly describe what's going on in this picture...

HOTNESS.

Courtesy of Wolsey Knitwear

We'll be back soon!

x
Cara and Charlotte

Christmas Come Early! the isobel and cleo advent calendar!

2011-10-30T10:30:00.007-04:00

Do you guys like free stuff? I mean GOOOOOOD free stuff? What about FREE stuff from isobel and cleo? Well then, keep reading! The month of November is all about being thankful right? Well I'm thankful for YOU, my fans! SO November is FAN MONTH and we're doing something a little special here. Starting November 1st we're having an advent calendar that counts down to Black Friday. Every day we will release a photo from an isobel and cleo fashion shoot. All you have to do is 'Share' the picture with your Facebook friends and after sharing write, 'I Shared!" in the comments box below the pic. Pics will be posted by 11am and must be shared by 11pm to qualify. Share it on your profile page, your business page, share it with your family, whomever! All sharers will be entered into a drawing and one winner will be selected at random. You can share on the same day more than once to increase your chances of winning!! Prizes and winners will be announced the following day. There is NO LIMIT to how many times you can win BUT, at least 5 people have to share the post for a drawing to happen that day. You MUST share the picture using the 'Share' link button on Facebook and you must do so publicly. Meaning it cannot be in a private message or shared with a private group. This is so we can track your shares! Questions? Leave them in the comment box below and we'll get back to you ASAP! Good luck!!

To Enter:

Go to isobel and cleo's facebook page. If you don't already like it, 'Like' us already!!

Step 1: Select the 'Share' Button. (Make sure you're sharing the right picture for that day!)

Step 2: Choose who you want to Share with. You'll have to repeat this step to share with more than one person, but you've got till 11pm!

Step 3: Select the blue Share button. Repeat if desired!

Step 4: Write an 'I Shared!' message in the comments box below the picture. That's it!

Questions? Leave them in the comments below!!

The Final Pics of the Fall Event at Cisco Brewery!

2011-10-28T09:31:00.000-04:00

Lots more where these came from.

All pictures are by the amazing Nathan Coe.

The Snowball Effect

2011-10-18T07:56:00.000-04:00

The Snowball Affect.

Mohair Stripe Fringe Cardi on Etsy was Tumblr October 11th.

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Pics from last week's show at Cisco Brewery!!

2011-10-15T03:59:00.001-04:00

I cannot BELIEVE that the Cisco Brewery show was only last week! If you missed it (like I did, as I was backstage) here are pics from our event, courtesy of our awesome photographer Nathan Coe. Thanks again to Cisco Brewery, all the models, N Magazine, Nathan Coe, Pete Ahern, Megan Maureen and Bridget from Darya's Salon and Jeff O'Neil. And of course, my lovely assistant Mallory Epping who pulled 2 all nighters with me and went above and beyond!

If you like to buy anything, most things are available on my Etsy shop. Otherwise you can contact me in the comments section for more info!

Charlotte

Damn, Wish I Made That...

2011-10-12T07:21:00.001-04:00

Do you ever see things and think to yourself, I WISH I made that? My quality of life would be infinitely cooler, my friends would be spectacularly more impressed, hot guys would find me slightly more attractive, my bank account would probably still be malnourished, but fifty thousand more people would still be adding me to their circles and treasuries on Etsy. Has that ever happened to you? Well it happens to me frequently, especially in the morning when I wake up and search for things to blog about. Seriously, it's the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. Calling the last 3 days unproductive would be kind so I'm glad I found Jenny Postle Central St. Martin's 2011 Graduate Collection via my friends Lucy and Natasha's blog. Take a look:

Pictures are from catwalking.com via Lucy and Natasha's blog. Maybe I'll make this, I wish I made that a regular little feature on our blog.

x
charlotte

Fashion Show TONIGHT at 5!! Cisco Brewery Nantucket

2011-10-07T11:23:00.000-04:00

Wanna Meet Jonny Lee Miller, the hottie from the 90s film Hackers?

2011-09-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

Well, I may not be able to get you him exactly, BUT I can probably get you somewhere close. On Facebook this morning I got the idea for this post from a very unlikely source, but that's neither here nor there. I also saw that my ex finally joined the dark side and got a Facebook account, Yuck. BUT that's also neither here nor there. What is HERE AND THERE is knitting machine hacking. "What?" you may ask? Yes, that's right. Knitting machine hacking!! I just felt like kind of a huge geek right there. seriously, who knew right? Some of you out there may be thinking, I don't even know what a knitting machine is/ how to use one/ where to get one. Allow me. A knitting machine is/ faster than hand knitting / user friendly / and readily available on Ebay. And if you're still scared I do offer lessons... Now that I've got those initial fears out of your way there is nothing left to say but CHECK THIS OUT:

Here are some more links that better describe how to do all this jazz via Craft Magazine.

Hacking Your Electronic Brother Knitting Machine Part 1

Hacking Your Electronic Brother Knitting Machine Part 2

So friends, grab your nearest hottie hacker, someone who can make sense of this the directions at this Wiki link (eek.) or here at the Brother Liberation Front and get to making your own knitted painterly masterpieces. Maybe you two will start the next (and hottest) knitting movement.

Charlotte

I like to count alpacas instead of sheep...

2011-09-14T05:39:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure why it's 5:19 am and I have yet to go to sleep. But as I lay here, surfing the internet, (read: spending way too much $$ I don't have on Etsy) and updating my website, facebook, and twitter, for the umpteenth time (who am I even talking to, everyone's asleep!), I contemplate the past week and think of where all this is headed to in the whole grand ol' scheme of things. My big dream is to one day own a working alpaca farm, knitwear label, and knitting school. It'll be like a knitting holiday retreat, where people can come and learn about knitting from the very beginning of the process, from shearing the wool off the animals to spinning to dyeing to knitting.

Well crap if someone isn't already doing this.
In my perusal of Etsy I came across this listing for a month in Hungary learning how to weave, knit, dye, be green, and just be generally friggin' AWESOME. All for $5000. Sounds pretty steep, but then again:

you get to:
-learn to spin wool AND MILK A COW!
-the price includes 3 meals a day including fresh baked bread, duck eggs, cow's milk, HOMEMADE CHEESE, fruits and veggies from their organic garden.
-learn how to identify and eat plants from the WILD!
-bring another person for the same price, so if you bring a friend it's $2,500 for all the above jazz.
and after all that:

*** After you pay for your stay with us we are happy to send some goodies from the farm such as herbs, spices and dry sourdough yeast, as a gift before your vacation with us!

Clearly these are the nicest people ever. And that's just the start.

So, who's with me? You can check it out at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77159502/a-month-with-the-magyars-september-2012

And this is why I want to move to France...

2011-09-13T14:40:00.003-04:00

because people do things like this...

As If I Ever Needed ANOTHER Excuse to Knit...

2011-09-08T10:23:00.001-04:00

I love knitting and yarn, thank god right, because that's my job. But seriously, Cara and I went into Flock, the only true yarn shop on Nantucket Island, and I totally had to rescue this defenseless ball of angora because of Cara's overwhelming desire to assault it. As you can see, Cara ended up buying it anyway.

Well, in addition to cute little balls of yarn that you want to take home and feed because they look like wee animals, my other love is wooden knitting needles. Sure I got really annoyed that I somehow managed to lose one needle of a pair size 19 massive needles. It reminded me of the time I was flying home from school and I got stuck in Detroit on a layover because Southwest Airlines had "lost our plane." Everyone was like how do you "lose" a plane? This was clearly well before September 11th. So yes I lost one of biggest needles, but upside was that I got to go buy a new set of WOODEN size 19 needles! Very exciting. Not the spending $$ part, but the new needle part.

Now I was on Twitter this morning, and what do you know that I found? COLORED WOODEN KNITTING NEEDLES. I didn't even realize that wooode needlses coudl ... get EVEN better!?!?! See I was so excited, I missplet all those words. I left them there intact so you could see the affect that colored wooden needles have on me. I have scoured the internet (a cursory glance really, as I am SO BUSY) to bring you my top 3 favorite kinds of novelty woodel neesdles.

NUMBER THREE:

So these aren't technically colored, they are just different types of natural woods, but the added rosebud at the ends made me love them all the more. You can find them at Winter Rose Needles.

NUMBER TWO:

Harmony Wooden Needles come in straight, double pointed and circular and look like gelato heaven on a stick!

NUMBER ONE:

This etsy seller, Tikimau, makes vintage needles into jewelry, but sometimes she sells the uncut variety. I bet if you asked her nicely she'd make a pair for you. She just seems like that kind of lady.

Honorable Mention:

These are actually mini shawl pins I found on Etsy, but if they were standard sized needles, they'd be AWESOME!!!

Happy Knitting!

charlotte

The life of a shameless knitter.

2011-09-07T21:16:00.018-04:00

I went camping with my family.

My poor clan is no match for the knitting monster into which I inevitably transform.... even on the vacation I took AWAY from knitting. It's an illness. You would have thought that camping in the great woods of New Hampshire would ease me of my ailment. But, no. In fact, it is in situations like this very one that the beast is strongest.

Appointments? None.

Responsibilities? None.

Bathing? Optional.

And not much else to do but blissfully sit, and stoke the fire.... or not.

Jeeeeeezzzz... what is a textile Jezebel to do, I ask you???? oh ya, good thing I packed my portable WORK!!!! Hope my husband doesnt mind...

Canoeing? Nah.

Rope swing? Nah.

Hiking? Thats ok, I'll just sit here and knit.

This is a fingerless glove that I knit while neglecting my family. But, the problem with gloves, is that you have to make two and I was totally ready to move on after I finished it... but hopefully, when I go camping next year, I'll make the other one.

We had to go to the grocery store a few times, about 30 minutes away from our paradise in the woods. On the way back, we stumbled upon this unforgettable farm, and needless to say, my favorite part of the whole trip.

Charlotte and I often fantasize about owning and operating an Alpaca farm and retreat where we will host crazed wool fanatics, much like ourselves, and sheer, spin, knit, and weave ourselves silly... every day. And just think of the unrealized possibilities for side business! Could you imagine a better conversation starter??? This poo farm is the ticket. I really hope your all with me on this one.

Its not that I wasnt in the spirit of camping. I just had found such euphoria in the notion that I literally had all the time in the world to park my butt in that folding chair, and MAKE STUFF. And nothing satisfied me more than feeding that beast.

However, it was pointed out several times that I may be spending too much time with my yarn, and not quite enough time with my..... marshmallow.

Yes. That is a knitting needle.

Well, I guess I did spend a little time with my family after all. I taught my Mumsie to knit! See how happy she is?

And even though my hands were in a constant state of knit, purl, knit, purl, I was able to still enjoy the sound of tall trees, the crystal clear lake lapping at my toes, wood smoke, and the company I keep. As for the knitting beast? Well, she is curled away for now and patiently waiting for the next time I find myself on a relaxing vacation.

I will leave you now with the words of Charlotte,

"knit fast, die warm."

~Cara

Can you use Quid Pro Quo in a Sentence?

2011-09-01T07:07:00.002-04:00

Like this Wrap-round? The person who comes up with the best and most correct use of the phrase "quid pro quo" in a sentence wins it! And we're not giving it to any sub par entries! It's gotta be good people!!! You have till Sunday, winners announced Monday. Post your answers at Charlotte's label's Facebook page.
x,
Charlotte

N Magazine Photo Shoot Sneak Preview!!

2011-08-30T22:40:00.000-04:00

I've been packing up what feels like the entire Union Textiles studio for our first ever photo shoot held on location in the "Serengeti"* of Nantucket Island for N Magazine. While the shoot is mostly going to use pieces from my Fall 2011 isobel and cleo collection, there will also be a couple Seaweaver pieces and one collaborative Union Textiles garment in the shoot. I personally would have liked to get some more Seaweaver and Union Textiles pieces in the line up but unfortunately a good chunk of our collection is stuck in Charleston awaiting the announcement of the new date for the Music Loves Fashion event. I hope that it comes soon and that all our friends down South weren't badly affected by the hurricane. Here on Nantucket, it was just very windy with slight drizzles here and there that lasted all of 5 minutes. Everyone abandoned the island in fear and those who stayed boarded up their property. In the end it was way safer here than the rest of the East Coast. Several of my friends even went to the beach, where the waves to be fair, were massive and awe-mazing. Forgive me, I'm babbling! I have a cold in AUGUST and I'm a bit verbally discombobulated right now.

Anyway, I've totally gone off topic. N Magazine. Right. Check out some of the styling and looks that are inspiring the editor and photographer Nathan Coe:

Hot right?! It's going to be a sizzling photo shoot tomorrow morning, but I better get some sleep as our call time is 7am and I have to pick up Cara and the make up artist! Make sure to follow all the action tomorrow on Facebook and Twitter!

x

charlotte

*will explain that later

It's a small world after all...

2011-08-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

I've decided it must be National Small World Week. On Sunday morning a friend of a friend that I let couch surf with me in Scotland 3 YEARS AGO and haven't seen since was on Nantucket Island. Of all the places he could have eaten breakfast at on his one day on island, he ate at my restaurant. Then today at dinner, I got to talking to a girl who ended up working for Teach of America. When I told her my college roommate also worked for them, we unearthed that she is good friends with my ex-roommate's current roommate, a TFA star. But that's not all. Before meeting the TFA teacher, I was in the Union Textiles Studio. I had received a package of clothing that I'm showing at the Music Loves Fashion event next Saturday in Charleston, SC. Well, I couldn't put the looks together without trying it on a model so my friend and neighbor across the hall, Ben from Lucky Dog Vodka suggested I go grab a girl off the street. Which I did. And who would've guessed the first girl I grabbed was the girlfriend of one of my old Nantucket friends from three summers ago, who haven't seen since and who had been on the island for days but was leaving in a few hours! Small world right?!

While I marvel at the small world moments that have occurred this week (there were TWO others I'm not mentioning), here is a (**makeshift**) glimpse at the isobel and cleo collection for Music Loves Fashion, modeled at the spur of the moment by the lovely Skylar:

x
charlotte

My pants, Cara's cashmere top.

Whole lotta hand knitting going on!

2011-08-15T18:26:00.000-04:00

New colors of our Massive Plait Necklaces are in store now!

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made...

2011-08-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, New York. Everyone sings about it, from Jay Z to Frank Sinatra. So with such illustrious figures paying homage to the city that apparently never sleeps, who are we NOT to go there and see what it has to offer?

We arrived in New York on 28th and 7th Ave, right smack in the Fashion District, on the steps of FIT. Has there ever been another sign so telling and appropriate? Immediately upon our arrival we set off to work. A wee bit of shopping in Soho. Now this isn't fun, regular shopping, no it was work shopping, an entirely different breed of monster. Our task was to gather ideas and get inspired by what we saw in the stores. We hit Free People, Top Shop, and All Saints (one of my favorite British stores that has now crossed over to the US). Needless to say Cara loved my favorite store, All Saints (not sure if you knew this but we've come to realize in the past couple of months that we are indeed, the same person), and we got some great ideas to build on for our own collection.

The next day we hit the Met to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit, Savage Beauty. The lines were hellish and after waiting outside of the museum before it opened and waiting again inside in the admissions line, the entry into the exhibit itself was still another 2 and 1/2 hour line. We ended buying a Met membership to skip the queue! Mr. McQueen never one to disappoint, was amazing. It sounds like such an understatement to say that, but I've been sitting here for l5 minutes trying to think of a word to describe it other than, awesome, amazing, fantastic, etc. The rest of the day consisted of Cara and I running around the city to our various yarn appointments. But let me stop yapping and let the pictures below do the talking!

To see all our pictures check out charlotte's label's page at facebook.com/isobelandcleo.

Shopping List:
Free People
All Saints
Top Shop
The Met: Savage Beauty Exhibit
The Yarn Company
Tender Buttons
Silk City Fibers
Karabella
Habu Textiles
Lion Brand Studio
Shareen Vintage

Downtown Yarns
String
Beads of Paradise

x
charlotte

a piece from the McQueen exhibit

the Yarn Co, on the upper west side. this was a favorite new yarn store discovery

Tender Buttons. Amazing store, there is also one in Chicago across from Barneys

silk city fibers, a yarn company that we use alot

Cara pontificating over yarns in Habu

yarn at habu. I love how they package it!

Charlotte became so overwhelmed she just had to lay over all the yarns

at lion brand yarns

Knitwear Designers and the Pursuit of Happiness

2011-08-01T08:29:00.000-04:00

There was a really awesome blog post from a few days ago by Design Catwalk. It was entitled, Are Knitwear Designers Happier than Others? Now, I love that question especially because it's one that I've joked about in the past. I guess it really depends on the person, but in my case I LOVE TO KNIT, even though I am consistently stressed out because it takes so much longer than you think to make anything! Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, I love yarn, I love buying yarn, I love putting tons of yarn into my cart at Yarn.com, and then taking it all out again, I love texture, I love sculpting texture with yarn, I love knitting with my hands, I love knitting with my machines. I love traveling to see knits in muesems, in stores, in NYC, in Paris, in New Zealand, in Scotland. I love that you're still here reading this love fest. And now you shall be rewarded with pictures. For more pics and to read the article yourselves visit Design Catwalk.

x
charlotte

Happy Accidents Make Sweet New Designs!

2011-07-27T07:04:00.003-04:00

There I was last week, knitting away on my Brother knitting machine, and I was livid. I mean I was in a really foul mood. My crush was doing my head in as per usual, I mean, does he like me or not, what gives? I thought all that vacillation ended in high school. Then I came into the studio only to find that somehow overnight my knitting machine had stopped working. Which, unfortunately is still the case, but luckily I have 6, so I just popped a new one on the table and kept working. I was DETERMINED not to let ANYTHING get in my way. I had come to knit all day and nothing was going to stop me. Except for running out of yarn. Oh yes. Even seasoned knitters like myself, inevitably have a project where the yarn we ordered just isn't enough. It happened to me so much in the past that I had gotten to the point where I was overestimating too much. At one point I returned over $500 bucks of yarn back to Webs. I preceded this return with a apologetic "heads up" email to their customer service department. Well, unfortunately the yarn I was using for this particular project that I was doing was a from a remnant order and I had no chance in hell of getting more of it. What was a girl to do? I decided to bind off and this was what I was left with:

a happy accident

This accident was so happy I decided to make another one in a tape yarn that I got at Silk City Fibers warehouse sale (see blog post below for more info on that). And now we've got a new style over here at Union Textiles: The Float Capelet. Both style are available to buy on Etsy, just click the pictures for the links.

x
charlotte

I've got the money, You got the STUFF?

2011-07-26T15:58:00.000-04:00

So. I have a problem. Anyone is knows me KNOWS I have an addiction. And even though Cara isn't around right now to confirm this about herself, I don't think that she'd be upset if I told you she's got a little problem too.

We have a LOT of yarn. We could probably start our own yarn shop. It'd be a place that sold remnants, like the remnant section at the fabric shop. Hmm. Maybe we should do that? Anyway. I thought if I'd tell you about my favorite dealers AND why I buy from them.

See what I mean. That's mostly my yarn. Cara's doesn't even fit in the studio.

So without further ado here is the list. And this is not exhaustive nor final. This list changes ALOT (see earlier blog post about my ADHD).

1. flock, nantucket island, massachusetts
why I love it:
- the owner Shelia, is freaking HILARIOUS. Worth going in just to talk to her alone.
- For such a small space, Shelia has a beautiful selection of yarns. My favorites? Check out the hand painted mohairs and the chunky thick/thin novelty yarns (see pic below).

an awesome novelty yarn at Flock

2. downtown yarns, nyc
this place is literally crammed from floor to ceiling with yarn. and in a place where good space is hard and expensive to come by, there's no surprise why. the staff here are really helpful and even went so far as to ship my favorite yarn to me in Nantucket, even though they don't have a mail order or e-commerce business. favorite yarns: best bet for recycled sari silks.

3. silk city fibers, paterson, new jersey
This place is a godsend. I thought I had died and gone to yarn heaven. Albeit a cold and large warehouse heaven, but I didn't care. The majority of these yarns are on cones for machine knitters and weavers, which is so hard to find (see my plea below). Anyway, I left Philadelphia at 4 am and took a taxi and a train to NYC, where I then walked to the Port Authority bus station. I then took 2 buses to get to New Jersey where the hold their monthly warehouse sale. This place is just that good. I nearly dropped $900 and obviously had to reign it in to a more reasonable amount. Like $600. And the owner gave me and my rolling duffle bag which I thankfully decided to bring, a ride all the way back into NYC. Clearly great customer service!

4. fabulous yarns, tivoli, ny
This place is on here because of their FABULOUS discounts. Sure, they may not have the flashest website, or the the most streamlined e-shop, but for a struggling knitwear designer like myself, I'm much more concerned with finding a good deal and awesome yarn. They over free shipping on orders over $100. The automatically DEDUCT 10% off EVERY ORDER. And then they offer a 5% off code, which when used with their volume discounts can save you 20-30% depending on how much you spend. 30% off? That's a better deal than I got as a retail employee off my own store merchandise!

5. a quarter stitch, the french quarter, new orleans, la
i just LOVE the shop. I think it may be near perfect. The staff is ridiculously nice and friendly. The yarn is all amazing, most of it is hard to find novelty, which I love blending with other everyday yarns to get awesome texture and combinations. I also love how it's set up. It's not organized within an inch of it's life. It has personality. The yarns sit in baskets all over the store, and it's lovely to rummage through them all. And it's in the french quarter in new orleans, need I say more?

through the window at A Quarter Stitch.

6. webs, northampton, ma
this may not be the biggest revelation on the list of my favorite yarn shops, but webs carries yarns on cones, which is oh-so-nice for us machine knitters. They also do good novelty yarns and have their own label, Vally Yarns which is sold at very reasonable prices. Webs also offers volume discounts on orders over $60, but no free shipping.

Those are some of my favorite places, but if you have any to share, please add them in the comments! I would love to know where I can get more yarn on cones!

x,
charlotte

"Not to be like Me Me Me Me Me, but really, Me."

2011-07-19T00:41:00.006-04:00

One day, in my junior year of college, a group of us were talking in our dorm when all of a sudden a girl who had been dominating our conversation said the above.

I will repeat for emphasis:
"Not to be like me me me me me, but really ME."

For some reason this has stuck in my head ever since. In an effort to NOT be like this nameless girl, we here at Union Textiles don't just want to talk about ourselves on this blog! We want to share with you things that we find out in the world, on the internet, things that people say, anything at all that you might think is cool or interesting!

First up is an awesome online retail shop that I discovered last week called Fabricly. The people behind the site scour the internet looking for hottie (stylistically speaking, not phenotypically) unknown fashion designers. Once found they give them the support they need to get a wee collection off the ground which they then feature on their site. It'd probably be better if I let them do the talking:

" Fabricly is here to hand-pick talented emerging designers and incredible existing lines, provide them with everything they need to execute a collection from start to finish (sample-making, sourcing, production, etc.), and then feature them in a tightly-curated collection of entirely exclusive goods for you to pick and shop from. "

Pretty awesome correct? Yes, you say. My favorite piece which is unfortunately sold out, is this hot little number:

nate and carly skirt

$142!! $142!! A steal for something so awesome.

So anyway. Not to be all like me me me me me, but really me: we've emailed Fabricly in the hopes that they'll like how we do what we do and invite us to hang out with them. But in the meantime drop by the site for some great and reasonably priced finds.

charlotte

The Opening Party Pics!

2011-07-12T23:31:00.000-04:00

As promised, pics from the opening party:

to see more, click here.

Door Prize Winners!

2011-07-12T16:41:00.002-04:00

As promised, here are the winners of the door prizes from Studio Night...

The winner of the "Learn To Knit" course is... Claudia Butler!

and

The winner of the Travel Throw is... Kari Hess!

Keep a look out for your textile friends making deliveries this week! Congratulations! And stop in again soon!!!!

Cara

Learn to Machine Knit!!

2011-07-12T07:07:00.003-04:00

So many people have been wanting to learn how to machine knit and have been asking me when I can do it, WHEN CAN I LEARN!! Now!! Now is the time!! There are two courses starting NEXT WEEK!! If these times do not suit, don't hesitate to contact me for private lessons (at the same cost). Bring a friend and get a 10% discount on the total course cost. Email info@isobelandcleo.com to sign up or request more information.

Learn to Machine Knit!

Union Textiles Studio

2 Union St

Winner of the 2011 Emerging Designer competition at Charleston Fashion Week, former sweater designer for Free People and designer of isobel and cleo knitwear, Charlotte Hess, is offering machine knitting classes in a convenient downtown location!

Learn innovative striping techniques, jacquards and patterns, lace stiches, hand manipulated stiches and incorporate them in your own sweater designs! Pattern making skills are also included in the course.

Materials included.

Fee $295

Course Dates

Mondays & Wednesdays

July 18^th August 24^th

6:00PM-9:00PM

Saturdays

July 23^rd-August 27^th

10:00AM-4:30PM

Private instruction available, with flexible hours and locations.

Space is limited, sign up now!

info@isobelandcleo.com

www.isobelandcleo.com

AND THE WINNER IS.....

2011-07-11T13:53:00.006-04:00

First of all, what a great turn out at our Studio Night!!! Thank you to everyone who came and made it so wildly successful! Charlotte and I could not have been more pleased. And, we want to extend special thanks to our friends at The Green, and Lucky Dog Vodka, for their contributions to the evenings festivities. Thank you!!

So, on to the matter at hand...

The Giveaway!!!

The exact number of times I throw my shuttle to create one scarf is 960. So the winner of the Alpaca and Silk Scarf is (drumroll please)....

Jonathan Thayer! Congratulations, for your superior powers of deduction, and your guess of 980 being the closest!!!

We hope you all had as much fun as we did at our little gathering, and don't worry, the Door Prize winners will be named tomorrow!

Until then,

Cara and Charlotte

Tonight, Toooooniiiight, won't be just any night.....

2011-07-09T11:46:00.000-04:00

"...The day, the minutes seem like hours, the hours go so slowly, and still the sky is bright.
Oh moon grow briiight and make this endless day, endless night!!"

TONIGHT!!!!

UNION TEXTILES STUDIO PARTY!

2 Union Street

Nantucket

6-9 pm

Door Prizes!

Workshops and Classes!

Refreshments Served!

See you here!

Is Weaving Aerobically Effective? Charlotte Reports.

2011-07-08T08:07:00.000-04:00

SO we've been remiss in the blog posting this week. After the celebration of the birth of of nation we've been getting revved up for this weekend's open studio extravaganza! Natalie, our event planner and personal assistant extraordinaire, has flown in especially from Charleston, South Carolina to lend her expertise and non ADD frazzled mind. Natalie actually has ADD, but somehow manages to lead a normal life, full of deadlines, checklists, goals, etc, unlike Cara and myself. We NEED someone of Natalie's caliber. You would be AMAZED what the three of us have accomplished today with her help! But we'll save those treats for Saturday night.

In the meantime, check out this action video of Cara in the process of making some fantastic wares to sell at the Sustainable Nantucket Farmers Market. If you're on island, it's really a great place to go every Saturday morning to meet and support local craft artists and also gardeners. AND!!! GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

If you can guess approximately how many times Cara throws her shuttle (that wooden object she tosses back and forth), while making one alpaca scarf, you'll win one!

Cara's alpaca scarf on Etsy!

The person with the closest guess wins.

GOOD LUCK!

YES. Weaving IS aerobically effective.

x

charlotte

Charlotte's Sweaters out at Free People!

2011-07-03T07:24:00.005-04:00

As some of you may know, I used to work on the sweater design team at Free People. Well, I'm super excited because the sweaters I worked on are FINALLY coming out in stores. Many of you may not know that when you design at big fashion companies, you're usually designing a range of clothing to be sold in stores up to a year later. Some of these sweaters were designed in October of last year! Crazy huh?!

All these are available on at Free People website. But if you're on the island, come to the Union Textiles Studio and see what Cara and I have in store for you there! Don't forget the opening next Saturday from 6-9 upstairs at 2 Union Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts.
x,

Charlotte

It's WHAT time? Are you serious?!

2011-07-01T15:50:00.000-04:00

This is a phrase that Cara and I utter almost everyday. We get up here and work work work work, knit knit knit knit, and weave weave weave. Before we know it, it's almost the end of the afternoon! But we're so excited about all the awesome (if I do say so myself) stuff we've been making today alone. I just had to gush about it. Take a look!

Cara's placemats.

Charlotte's necklace paired with Cara's wrap.

Charlotte's shrug.

Can't wait to finish these pieces and show you the end results! Also, I heard a rumour that there was going to be a giveaway or something on here? Did you here that? Keep checking back guys!!

charlotte!

Want to know how you can get FREE stuff from Union Textiles? Read on.

2011-06-30T09:13:00.002-04:00

Hey guys,

The Union Textiles blog isn't the only way you can keep up with our comings and goings! Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and never miss an event, sale, or better still a GIVEAWAY (see what the last giveaway winner won below)! For Charlotte's knitwear label, isobel and cleo's facebook page click here. For the isobel and cleo Twitter account click here. For Cara's weaving label Seaweaver, click here. '

If computer illiteracy is how you roll (like myself, this blog post will probably take me a whole 3 hours) and socializing over drinks is more your speed, then come along to our first event of the summer/ever! Next Saturday, July 9 from 6-9 we will be hosting a wee gathering for friends and textiles enthusiasts at the Union Textiles workroom. Come shop, drink, and be merry while learning about our work and practice. You can even talk to us about our textile classes! I'm thinking about giving an academia inspired textile related talk, I do so miss my college days.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

x
Charlotte

The winner of our last giveaway won this awesome $150 isobel and cleo breastplate!

Weave of the week.

2011-06-29T22:32:00.008-04:00

Another busy day in the studio produces a magnificent sampling in the most luxurious fiber of all time... have a look at this weeks weave, a cashmere body wrapper available in two colors;

Rusty Red Bronco, macrame fringe (pictured) and Terracotta, raw fringe.

~Cara

This Week's Hours!!

2011-06-28T07:31:00.001-04:00

We're working on our set hours, in the meantime, check the blog to get the hours for the current week.

Tuesday June 28th to Tuesday July 5th:

tues: 10-6

wed: 10-6

thurs: 10-6

fri: 10-4

sat: 3-6

sun: 3-6

mon: 3-6

tues: 10-6

Knit of the Week:
Mesh Bamboo Wrap-round Scarf
Available in Purple, Royal, and Tangerine

Mesh Bamboo Wrap-round Scarf

Want to learn how to knit or weave?

2011-06-27T22:23:00.002-04:00

Question:

How many of you have seen a fabulous MUST HAVE garment in a store only to look at the price tag and feel stomach churning disappointment? How quickly something turns from must have to can't have in a million years. Well, maybe you'd be interested in our textile workshops! Learn to make your own must haves and the season's it garments or treasured classics that you'll wear year after year. Charlotte offers machine knitting classes at the Union Textiles Studio to fit any schedule. Contact her for more information! Cara will be offering one on one weaving sessions in the Fall. Stay tuned for for more info or contact her to be put on the waiting list. As always, you're more than welcome to stop by the studio where you can commission work, purchase from a small selection of stock, arrange personal instruction, or just drop in for a wee chat!

Looking forward to seeing you upstairs at 2 Union St!

x,
charlotte

a new collaboration on nantucket island...

2011-06-23T22:40:00.003-04:00

an introduction to union textiles:

cara at her loom

charlotte fixes her knitting on the machine

welcome to union textiles! We are a new textile collaboration that combines the talents of weaver cara deheart and knitwear designer charlotte hess. Both are alumna of Nantucket Looms, a local weaving institution started in the 1960s. We're based on nantucket island off cape cod, ma. if you find yourself on the island, stop by our open studio at 2 union st. we welcome curious passer-bys and visitor commissions! we will have set hours starting in July, but until then feel free to knock on the doors and see if we're in. in the meantime, check out my and cara's websites for more glimpses of our work!

Special thanks to the excessively talented Robert Krivicich and his wonderful partner in crime Shelly for taking lovely pics of our work and studio!

charlotte