Holly’s Blog
3 Cruzianas: Winter Painting
The group is getting distilled. From eleven to five to three. And the three are passionate painters. Because they have already been en studio, there was an idea of what was possible. Sharon brought a packet of images to be made into silk screens she had designed. Each...
Why the last Acqua?
The Sewing Workshop of San Francisco stopped offering their annual holiday shows in the 90s. To fill the need for selling samples and one offs, Catherine Bacon, Susan Green, Ann McKenna and Lea Ditson organized the original Acqua shows. As an offshoot, Braeda Horan...
Yemi & The Photoshoot
It had been a long time since I organized a photo shoot. It’s difficult to find a model who would resonate with my clothing, a photographer who has a feel for the clothing along with an eye for design.
Cracked Open in Taos / DOL 2015
A year ago Diane Ericson asked me to be a guest teacher in Taos for her Design Outside the Lines workshop series. I immediately said yes. Why wouldn’t I want to be at Mabel Dodge Luhan House sharing what I know best with 20 women I had never met? The excitement...
Diane Ericson and Me: Meeting of the Minds
Passing through Ashland in August I had the opportunity to find Diane in her studio. More like school/showroom/office, plus creative space. I was grungy from camping and her space was clean yet full of energetic goings on. Since she asked me to co-teach with her in...
Cruzianas au studio!
A painting with thickened dye workshop-handouts, masks, gloves lined up and ready for the Cruzianas to come paint their hearts out. 5 women came, so I moved some tables around to make room and washed off the formica skins. We had 3 days. The first to get oriented and...
Summer Cleaning:
You know when you can't get anything done, can't find parts for your projects, that it's time to take matters in hand. Stashes start to multiply like loaves. When first you had one solid wall of snap-on boxes, now the fabric is spilling out making another wall and a...
Springtime at the Acqua…
It was a muted day. In keeping with the mystery that is a show. Who will show up? What will sell? We had two new designers: Francesca Lewis Kennedy and Jan Badgley. Francesca, a jeweler, plays with her metal and has fun. You can tell. There is...
Love Fest In Santa Cruz
Okay—I don’t think I have ever taught 11 women, and schlepped all my scraps, sewing machine, artworks and clothing anywhere. But when I was invited to work with this close knit group of artist/sewers I jumped on the opportunity. I love to teach. It is such a perfect...
J & J Tapestry
My friends, John and Judy have been long time supporters of my work. Judy has loved my clothing and gets pieces specially made for herself . But John has only admired the work from afar. It takes a man with a certain gumption to want to actually wear something I...
Welcome to the New Year!
In keeping the creativity in the family, my daughter Tamara and I spent a child free day at the studio dyeing onesies. It was a smooth day, though I am terrible giving oral directions as I tried also to get something done. But after 37 years of trying to interpret her...
Studio 64 Pop and Sale
Last weekend was a gathering of “makers” hosted by a woman I met through my jeweler friend Francesca, whose is also named Fran. The space is exciting because it is still raw. Fran is an architect and her partner at the studio is an interior designer. Their spaces are...
Fall Colors in the Basket
Okay—there is this basket. It contains projects all cut out from last year. The gem colors- garnet, amethyst, and citrine dupioni are cut into the 1910 tunic shape with some Cecille tops thrown in. The time is now to finish, embellish and stitch those puppies....
Mad Re-do Production
Racing to finish some new re-dos for my goddess-trunk-show-traveler Pat Henderson. She wanted more fall colors. Did I say I love shopping for men’s shirts? I love the quality and color of the fabrics, the boxy cut. I love cutting them up to re-invent them and making...
What I did in New York!
A good excuse to clean and organize one’s studio is to have invited 45 women to come over! Back in April at the Style ’16 Show, Mary Ann Behrens asked if her group, the Haute Couture Societiè, could come for a studio visit. Yes! Of course. And after we would go to the...
Sunday in the Studio with Francesca
In the spirit of keeping the creative force going I signed on for a mid summer show with my longtime friend Francesca Lewis Kennedy. When I first met Francesca it was in the Design Network days ( mid ’80s) and she had a business making hip leather clothing. I was...