Reporting from Design Outside the Lines Taos

In Taos, we just finished Design Outside the Lines workshop, playing with a magnificent group of women.  Here at Mabel Dodge Luhan House, one of my favorite places on the planet, rich with history,  where we gather for a gourmet breakfast each morning, then spend the days immersed in creativity, learning and exploring the joy of making.  In our group were lawyers, techies, fiber artists, retired executives, a therapist, pilot, teachers, and each of us are passionate makers.  All played well together, and I learned from each one.

The photos in this post give a taste of the retreat  

Diane Ericson and I have been leading Design Outside the Lines together for 14 years.  My own creative work blossoms with each event...here we are on day 1, setting up our workshop studio, teaching area and school store.

The Everyday Fashion Show

From Day 1, one of the sweet pleasures of being in our group is seeing the clothes worn by workshop participants.  (The staff at Mabel Dodge appreciates it too.)  We admire, touch, share patterns, ideas etc.  Here are just some of the great garments people wore.  

Joanne used a cozy wool for the Sewing Workshop Liberty Shirt.  Really a lovely piece, unlined it is like a cross between a shirt and sweater.  She looked great in it and wore it a lot...perfect for the cool Taos fall mornings. 

Lindsay, a fiber artist who lives in Florida in a linen Louise Cutting pattern. 

Peggy in Vogue 8709 in a French cotton print.

Susan in the same pattern, made in a Japanese cotton (she tweaked the back peplum, eliminating the pleat).  An inspiring fiber artist, her blog is Fanciful Threads

Gwen was our angel-assistant during the retreat.  One of her many skills is that she makes shoes! 

Gwen's interpretation of the Little Black Dress...a version of The Sewing Workshop's Alice and Olivia T shirt, which she tweaked and lengthened into a dress in a black knit.

She made her own stripes using a pinking shears.

Love love love godets!  This one is just right with the dress.

Peggy wearing her version of Katherine Tilton's tunic, Vogue 8817

Joan models one of Diane's fabulous shirts.

The shirt is made using Diane's Bicycle Apron kit, the image printed on cotton linen blend  and includes snap tapes and instructions for an apron, but as you can see, it could also become a shirt!  Right now, the kit is available directly from Diane.  


Workshop Photos

...our studio is so intriguing to passers by that we post a do not disturb sign!

Gwen and Anne confer.

Anne's felted scarves.

Laura fitting Emily's felted vest.

 Joanne re-worked a garment she previously made and it came together in a magical way, the gray, silver and acid green combo are just right!

Narra sews prolifically!

Peggy's dignified Armani-esque jacket, just the thing to wear in court.

...but on the inside lining, dragonflies and flowers.

Ute on the right, and on the left, Sharon, aka Shams of the fabulous blog Communing With Fabric sharing a moment in the studio

Susan did some quick dyeing...things dry fast here in the high desert.

Surface design experiments decorate the walls of the studio.

Emily's vest in progress.

Joan muses over stenciling at the surface design table.

Peggy's  silk screened Taos T

Laura was so inspired by Diane's re-fashioned shirts that she started her own...it is coming together beautifully!

Designing an out of the box collar!

All good things must end...we have packed up the supplies and school store to send back home.
With happy waves from Diane, Kate and Gwen.

Mabel's kitchen window looks out onto a vast expanse of pueblo land.  We'll be back next year.   Our Taos Design Outside the Lines retreat is always at the end of September.  We would love to have you join us in 2013.