Michelle Freedman

Design Camp is Over Here!

2011-09-09T21:43:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Michelle from Designcamppdx here. Truth be told, I kinda forgot I had this blog, so please come visit me over where I hang out more often:

Designcamppdx.weebly.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Design Camp 11!

2011-01-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hi All!
I am thinking about dates for design camp and was wondering if there was any interest in a Spring Break camp? I am planning to post summer sessions sometime mid Feb., so leave comments if you have any requests!

Get your Pop-up on!

2010-01-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Get your Pop-up on!

Modern Spool Web Site

2010-01-20T17:04:00.000-08:00

We are moving to a new home on the web! Please come visit Design Camp at
Modern Spool
You will be able to register for camps and classes online! We will be fully up and running on February 1st, and Design Camp Summer Schedule will be posted on Febuary 14th.
We look forward to visiting with you soon!

Become a Fan of Design Camp!

2010-01-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hello out there! Check out Design Camp on Facebook and become a fan! We are putting together a new schedule for classes and camps and we want you to be the first to know!
Click Here to become a fan

VOTE for Fractions!

2009-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

My design made it into the Spoonflower Fabric of the Week FINAL ROUND!!! I am excited to have made finals three contests in a row! It is fun to be in this competition with so many cool designs and designers!
IF you like mine best (which you do, right?) vote for it here:
VOTE

Also, you can now buy my fabrics directly from Spoonflower. I have the three finalist designs, plus two of my personal favorites for sale. You can buy yardage here:
BUY

Spoonflower Numbers Semifinal Round

2009-10-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am number 24 in the group of 40 designers competing in the semifinal round this week at Spoonflower. My design is called Fractions. I used Helvetica to create the original numbers for this design and then broke it into lots of pieces so you could only see indications of the original numbers. I try to imaging yardage when I design: what this print would look like on specific pieces - and I imagined this on an active wear piece like a yoga top.
There are lots of great submissions, so as always, I truely appreciate your vote!
VOTE HERE!

Juna Studio!

2009-10-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like I can announce this now because I finally knuckled down and sent my first collection to my new print reps in NY Juna Studio! I signed on with them at the beginning of September, but I have been so crazy busy that I only just got my first designs out to them. I did a group of women's dress prints and now I am working on some youth designs. It has been great and I am excited and full of ideas to draw.
I will be able to post sneak-peeks of my designs soon.

Vote for Lovin' Spoonful!

2009-10-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

My design made the final round in the Spoonflower contest and now you can VOTE again for me! There are some great designs in the competition, so I really appreciate you vote. Mine is the crazy orange one in the middle - but you all ready knew that, didn't you!
VOTE HERE
Next week there are two contests: numbers and doll panels. I am not sure which one I will enter: I have a ton of designing to do this weekend for Juna studio - my new reps in NYC. I'll post more on that soon, I promise!

Vote for Lovin' Spoonful!

2009-09-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who voted for my fabric last week! I got over 100 votes which was amazing! I was really thrilled! The fabric I linked to in my earlier post designed by Cate Aneveski WON!!! Yay Cate! I am so gonna buy some on the Spoonflower Etsy page! I am in the semi finals this week for the Spoons and Flowers contest. My submission is #45 Lovin' Spoonful. If you like it VOTE NOW for it! There are lots of great ones to chose from!

Vote for Haunted!

2009-09-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

My fabric design made it into the Spoonflower Fabric of the Week Contest! Yay! Now I need your votes. Please vote for me! Click on this link VOTE. My fabric is #16 Haunted. There are so many great ones, I really really appreciate your vote. Now go Vote!!! (Thanks!)

Design Camp at the 100th Monkey this Sept!

2009-09-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Design Camp at the 100th Monkey Studio in September!

Make and Mend for Victory
Bring your pants to hem, buttons to sew on, and rips to repair. A perfect class for beginning sewers. You will learn techniques to fix-up and re-purpose that wardrobe.
For ages 8 and older
Sunday, September 27th from 2-5pm
Cost: $40

Saturday Sewing Club
Saturdays from 2-5pm
Sat. September 12th: Make a handbag out of jeans and a shirt
Sat. September 19th: Make magnetic fabric covered cork boards
For ages 8 and older
Cost: $40 per class

to sign up visit the 100th Monkey Studio website

Haunted

2009-09-06T20:40:00.001-07:00

It feels like October today which inspired me to enter Spoonflower's Halloween Theme fabric design contest. While I drew this print I was thinking of the haunted houses that are in my memories - Disneyland with my cousins when I was too little and really scared, the Enchanted Forest with my daughter when she was too little and too scared...I wanted to capture a feeling of an old damask fabric without being to literal. I hope I make it to the voting stage!

Click here to see a print from Portland designer Cate Anevski that I saw while I was browsing - I really love it and am excited about the possibility of being in this competition with her.

Back to School with Design Camp!

2009-09-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

The studio has been quiet since the last camp ended a week ago, but I have been busy putting together a fall workshop schedule that I am super excited about. Stay tuned for posts about that in the next week or two. There are lots of exciting ideas brewing.

Maide Sale Tomorrow!

2009-08-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Check out our fresh batch of Womptas! These are all made by kids ages 11-12 in our One Week Boutique Design Camp this week. Pretty impressive if you ask me! These will be for sale for $12 each at our sale tomorrow

Come early - items will sell out!
Noon-3pm
1801 NW Upshur, Suite 260 in sunny Portland Oregon

Maide Sale Preview!

2009-08-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of some of the amazing designers and their products that will be for sale in our Maide Boutique this Friday

Maide! One Week Boutique Sale

2009-08-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Design Camp One Week Boutique presents:

Maide
Unique handmade gifts made by kids
One Day Only!
the Friday, August 28th, 2009
Noon - 3pm
@
the Design Camp Studio
1801 NW Upshur Suite 260| Portland OR |97209

Handbags, walletts, jewelry, softies, cards, accessories, and beyond!
Most materials used are re-purposed, re-cycled, and re-made!

Cash only
Get there early, items will sell out!

check our blog for product preview photos!
michellefreedman.blogspot.com

in partnership with
the 100th Monkey Studio
www.the100thmonkeystudio.com

Design Camp 09!

2009-03-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

New Hanna Andersson Designs!

2009-03-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

I checked the site this morning and all the designs I did for Hanna Andersson Boys Graphic Ts are available now! I am so excited! The other two from my previous post are also still available.

Spring Break + Summer Camps Registration Now Open!

2009-02-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

Registration is Now Open!
We have Partnered with the 100th Monkey Studio for our camps and classes.
All camp registration is through the 100th Monkey Studio: All camps will be held at my studio in NW.
Click Here for information
We are super excited about our camps this year and look forward to hanging out with you!

Design Camp Summer 09 Sneak Preview!

2009-02-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have gotten lots of requests recently about my summer Design Camp schedule and while I'm not quite ready to officially post it, I will post my proposed schedule. I will be happy to start a waiting list but I am not quite ready to take your money (go figure!) It is going to be a great summer!
Camp Weeks (Monday - Friday, 9-3)
July 13th - Fashion Design Camp (ages 10 and up)

July 20th - One Week boutique (ages 7 and up)

July 27th - 18" Doll camp (ages 8 and up)

Aug 10th - DIY Design Camp (ages 7 and up)

Aug 24th - One Week Boutique (ages 10 and up)

Aug 31st- DIY Days (ages 7 and up)
These are different workshops each day - you can sign up for all week or individual days.

Session Descriptions:

July 13th - Fashion Design Camp (ages 10 and up)
Campers will design and make an outfit based on direction from a Local Designer. The theme is a surprise on the first day of camp.

July 20th - One Week boutique (ages 7 and up)
Campers will spend the week making crafts and then we set up a boutique on the last day where they will sell them. Inspired by our holiday sale. Each kid decides what their product will be and how they will make it.

July 27th - 18" Doll camp (ages 8 and up)
For girls + their 18" dolls! We will make clothing, accessories, write & perform a play with the dolls.

Aug 10th - DIY Design Camp (ages 7 and up)
We will make a skirt out of jeans, re-design t'shirts, pillowcase fashions, freezer paper stencils, and more!

Aug 24th - One Week Boutique (ages 10 and up)
same as July 20th but for older kids

Aug 31st - DIY Days (ages 7 and up)
Plushies, Softies, & Monsters
Sew What? Tuesday (Bring a project to finish or start a new one)
Recycle, Reuse, Re-sew (T'shirt re-design)
Make + Mend for Victory (Cat Blankets)
Surprise Day (TBD)

I still have space in up and coming no-school days and in Spring Break Camp - so please sign up for those too!

Drop in, Hang out, and Sew!
Michelle

New Lucy Designs!

2009-01-29T17:02:00.001-08:00

Some textile designs I worked on for Lucy are hitting the stores + the web!

Make + Mend for Victory #1

2009-01-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

Sunday we held our first Make + Mend for Victory event at the studio. 8 of us made 30 blankets for the cats at the Oregon Humane Society. We had two patterns - one no sew, inspired by a post I found on curbly by blogger DIY maven and the other was one I invented. My friend & I spent about $8 each at the bins on fleece blankets and sweatshirts and we had a bunch of donations, too.
It was a ton of fun and I can't wait to invent something to do in March! (Feel free to post ideas for a project!)

Nike Women's Prints

2009-01-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Last year I had an opportunity to work on some prints for the Nike women's collection. They are in the stores now - and I am so excited! Mainly what I did was take their artwork and put it into repeat for the textile mills to print. The diagonal triangles were quite challenging, as was the "shattered glass" print on the windrunner hoodie.

First designs for Hanna Andersson!

2009-01-18T17:19:00.001-08:00

A while back I had the amazing opportunity to design some boys graphics for Hanna Andersson, a company I always wanted to work for! Now the first of the t's I worked on are online and I couldn't be more excited about it! There are a few more over spring and summer 09 that I am looking forward to seeing.

Winter Spring Design Camp Classes!

2008-12-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

Made-by-Kids Holiday Sale!

2008-11-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Fall and Winter Design Camp

2008-08-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Camp Prescott for Dolls!

2008-08-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

This may be the first ever sleep-away camp for dolls!
Two of the campers that attended my 18" doll camp put this wonderful camp together (they are under the ages of 13 by the way!) I think this is one of the best ideas I've ever seen - kids or adults! Of course dolls need time away from their human families and a little R & R - we have two going from our house hold.
They have great activities planned - cooking, horseback riding, kayaking, crafts - and a bus with specially designed safety seats that will pick them up and bring them to camp. The camp is five days and four nights for the most excellent price of $12 (if you have a second doll it is discounted at $10)
I can't wait to see the photos!

Designs for Lucy Activewear

2008-07-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

The first print designs I drew for Lucy are in the stores now! I am really excited about how they came out. I can't wait to see the other stuff I worked on. Here are a few of pieces shown on their website

Design Camp Back to School Collection!

2008-07-21T12:50:00.001-07:00

Three of the young designers wearing their designs!

A group shot after our fashion show last Friday!

What a fun camp! Monday we were briefed by the Apparel Trend Director of Fred Meyer Stores on the trends for Back to School. She told us the trends that were "in" were babydoll tops with vests and leggings, big buttons, and bright colors. She made us some great trend boards, and after she left, the kids designed their outfits, took their measurements and chose their fabrics.
The rest of the week was dedicated to creating the outfits - all the kids made at least two garments, some made three, and everyone had an outfit to wear at the fashion show on Friday!
All the campers agreed that making clothes from a piece of fabric was a new and exciting experience.

Design Camp Session 5 added!

2008-07-15T01:39:00.001-07:00

OPEN HOUSE!

2008-07-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Doll Camp a Success!

2008-07-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Making doll clothes this week was so much fun! All the campers finished a skirt, kerchiefs, pants, and a top for their dolls and then wrote and performed plays with their fashionable designs on the last day.
I had so much fun working out the formulas for the patterns that I am inspired to draw them and post them here.
We are off to see the new Kit movie to celebrate.

Doll Camp Day 1

2008-06-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

My campers had no idea that Doll Camp was actually going to be Math Camp! All my campers learned how to use a measuring tape today and figure out the measurements for their dolls. Then they calculated those measurements for tiered skirts and made patterns. Whew! It was a day of patience and concentration. I am so proud of them!

DIY Camp Denim Etc. Projects

2008-06-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last day of camp was today. We spent the last two days working on denim projects, cutting up jeans and pants and making them into skirts and bags. The creative juices were flowing! We worked on embellishing our designs after we finished them. Bob did a cool demo - he drew with the tailor's wax as a resist and then used the fabric spray paint to create cool images. The kids dug it and he drew pictures for all of them.
The last day I challenged them to use all the scraps in the scrap baskets to make monsters. I told them any scraps left I would sew onto their clothes. A few of them weren't sure if I was kidding or not!
It was a great week. Up next, 18" doll clothes camp. Meanwhile I will be drawing like mad to finish up some projects I have in the works.

DIY Camp Pillowcase Projects

2008-06-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have the best summer job ever -- teaching kids how to make clothes! This week has been a blast! Tuesday we re-purposed pillowcases into tops, skirts, bags, and a baby dress. The kids got to sew by hand and on a machine, some for the first time... They learned how to make a casing with elastic pulled through it, measure an outseam, and best of all they got to experience what it feels like to wear something they made themselves. Pretty cool!

I took my daughter to the drug store to get ponytail holders so she could show me the idea she had for making straps for her tube top. Her actual idea was even better than I initially described: I though she meant to use hair bands, when she intended to loop hair ties together to make the straps. If you look closely you can see that she sewed buttons on her top so they would be removable. Brilliant!

DIY Design Camp Day 1

2008-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

What a great day! Camp was so fun! The kids were amazing and creative and enthusiastic - I feel really lucky to get to do this.
My 9 year old daughter can't fall asleep tonight because she is thinking about how to remake her clothes! She just came up to me and told me an idea for taking her fabric head bands and making them into shoulder straps for a top. Go for it!
We made garments out of a pile of random t'shirts I had. One of my favorite moments today (there were so many!) was when one camper decided to drape her design on a mannequin instead of drawing it, and when a 7-year old boy got to use the "machine with a knife!" It was also fantastic to see the kids develop their ideas and create them. I can't wait until tomorrow...

Obsessed with Lions!

2008-06-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Design Camp Starts on Monday - I am super excited! The studio is almost all rearranged for Session 1, DIY camp. After a few trips to the bins, I think I have plenty of supplies. Scored a ton of cute 60's sheets and pillowcases, lots of ts and jeans, and a few bed skirts and curtains. We are going to have so much fun!
My volunteer next week is the illustrious Bob Smith (I know he has a blog, but I can't find it!) He teaches art workshops at Glencoe Elementary and is a great graphic designer. I worked with him at Nike ages ago, so it will be super fun to hang out again.

Lions are latest inspiration obsession. Here are a few lions that make me happy:

Birdcage on Apartment Therapy!

2008-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

It is nice when your friends like the stuff you make. It is even nicer when they post it on Apartment Therapy! Margaret, editor of Thereby Hangs a Tale sent in this photo of frames her dad made for her and you can see one of the birdcages Tanya & I made in the corner.

Thanks Margaret!

Repeat after me...

2008-06-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Just happened upon Spoonflower - a little co over East that is printing digital yardage for those of us who need to have our own designs to make stuff. I am so excited about this resource, but you have to be invited right now while they are getting up and running. I really hope I make it on the list. I have a show in July and my printer here is not able to do it right now.

Amy Ruppel also told me about a great tutorial that Julia Rothman gave recently on how to make a textile repeat the old fashioned way. I found it on Design*sponge if you want to check it out. You can also do this in photoshop using the offset filter (for those of us who also do computer design)

I decided to work on some designs for Clothkits as my first project with my new Adobe CS3 software that the team over at Fred Meyer gave me. Here is one of the designs I submitted for the Clothkit contest. I was inspired by good old fashioned calligraphy. I can't wait to do more designs like these! Maybe I will go in this direction for the July Show at Garnish.

Clothkits are Cool

2008-05-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Do I really need another reason to wish I was British? I LOVE Clothkits! Again, while I may be late on "discovery" I am thrilled to have come across this on the Angry Chicken blog.
Here is an exerpt about Rob Ryan's skirt design Hold Me for Clothkits:
The wonderfully talented Mister Rob creates his magical shadow illustrations by snipping and cutting away. Hours and hours of painstaking work to make something that is just exquisite. This unique design has been created exclusively for Clothkits. Hand silkscreen printed in London.

Clothkits, based in Sussex, was originally set up in 1968 by Anne Kennedy.
Here is the best news of all! They are having a contest for a new design and the deadline for entry is August 1st.
Gentlemen - start your engines!

Artisan Quilts

2008-05-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

I may be late to discover Mahar Drygoods, but better late than never! I was doing a search for something else and came across these two amazing artisan quilts they had featured in their gallery on their website. I am inspired!

Storybook Silhouettes a collaboration by Joyce Nichols and Eli Bailey

The Bohemian Forest, a collaboration by Stephanie Dosreis and Eli Bailey

Design Camp 08!

2008-05-20T03:26:00.001-07:00

Register now for summer camps!
I am excited to announce we will have design camp at our studio this summer! These camps are open to kids ages 8-14 and there will be 4 sessions. There will be two sessions of DIY design/clothing re-dos, one session of designing for 18" dolls, and one session where you will design and make a garment ala project runway.
Click on the flyer above to get all the details.

Sunbonnet Sue

2008-05-20T02:03:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to design an entire new fabric collection and my put together some ideas for a quilt pattern today. I am not a quilter - yet...but I am inspired from the show this past weekend and know I can come up with some cool designs!
Here is what inspires me right now: Sunbonnet Sue, Churn Dash, and the illustrations of Bertha Corbett Melcher. Enjoy!

Tall Textile Designers!

2008-05-18T22:22:00.001-07:00

Gee Wiz - these fabric designers are tall! I'm pretty tall, but standing next to Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, and Joel Dewberry I felt like a little kid! Those guys are stuperstars - and so nice! It is cool that they are all here in Portland

Violet from Kung fu Bambini sent me a blog post that Anna Maria Horner the designer of Garden Party wanted a tour of Nike. I introduced myself to her and told her I could work that out for her. Her husband is a runner and really wants to see the grounds. They were super sweet. We talked about Nashville, where they live and they know Katy K from Ranch Dressing.

Star Struck at Fabric 2.0 Party

2008-05-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Its Quilt market here in PDX. Designers from all over the country are here showing there new collections for Freespirit, Michael Miller, Moda...I went to a "meet-n-greet" with Violet from Kung Fu Bambini at Oba in the Pearl Last night and met the coolest designers! When they asked me what I did I told them I was a "wanna-be" I've designed textiles for 15 years, but I've never had a line of fabrics with my name on it. I am telling the universe now - that is what I want!!!

Here is a sneak peak from a new Freespirit Designer Melissa Averinos www.yummygoods.com She had the best business card - it is printed canvas with a totally cute design to make something with. So fun!

I'm off to market now and will post about it tonight.

Star stuck for now...
m

Splashy Florals

2008-05-18T22:20:00.002-07:00

One of my lastest obsessions are 1950's polished cotton splashy floral prints. These are so beautiful and lavish looking. I would blow them up to a huge repeat to make them look modern, and not too retro. These make me want to get out my brushes and paint.

Henny Penny Birdcages

2008-05-18T22:20:00.001-07:00

My friend Tayna had an idea.
"Lets make birdcages out of tree branches and we can make the bases out of the tree that fell in my yard last year and felt mushrooms and squirrels and owls and birds!"
oh my!
Here are the fruits of our labours which were displayed as centerpieces at an auction and in the store windows at Henny Penny, Tanya's children's clothing store in the Pearl District in NW Portland
www.hennypennykids.com

My First Amy Ruppel!

2008-05-18T22:19:00.001-07:00

OMG, I did it! I bought an Amy! I have a big design crush on her - well, so does everyone I know around here!

I met her at the design sponge event at DWR in the Pearl that Violet from Kung Fu Bambini and I went to. I asked Amy to donate a painting for an auction I was working on for Juvenile Diabetes and I vowed that I would save up my money to buy an original.

She said her next thing is to create fabrics. Her background is in screen printing, so I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

Check out her awesome designs on her website here
http://amyruppel.com/

Laundry Studio Prints

2008-05-18T22:18:00.001-07:00

They create the most amazing prints at Laundry Design Studio! I was lucky enough to get to work with them on a collection of prints they premiered at PV. They are cutting edge and super talented. Here are some of the prints they feature on their website (none of these are mine though!)

Hula Mula Girls collection

2008-05-18T22:17:00.001-07:00

We Love Hula Mula!!! It is the girls collection from the hip design team at Knuckleheads. I designed some cool vintagey prints for them including this mod houndstooth and cute anchor print

baby star debuts little dipper collection

2008-05-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

The little dipper apparel line from babystar debuted today on their website. I collaborated with them on these modern designs and am really excited about this new collection.

Check out their collection here
www.babystar.com