Update

I just edited information given earlier about the participants of the upcoming FELT AMAZING exhibition--and it looks like an old post might have got re-posted.

So a quick update!  Jools Elphick's show is now over, but we have made space for it in the store over the weekend -- This will be the last chance to both see and buy these hats, some of which only arrived on Septembr 28th

I am showing OLEANA blankets at the IDSwest show.  We are a bit hidden by the designs of the stands around us, but the colour and freshness of beautiful OLEANA blankets still attract!

The (corrected) list of participating artists in the Felt Amazing show, opening on Friday, October 7th is as follows

Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid | Tennessee 

Charlotte Buch | Denmark

Claudia Rosillo | Uruguay 

Dagmar Binder | Germany

She Felt | Vancouver

Karin Wagner | Switzerland

Lauri Chambers | Washington

Lisa Klakulak | North Carolina

Marjolein Dallinga | Quebec

Sandra Loeffelman | Washington

Sarah Fox | Oregon 

Torill Haugsvaer Wilberg | Norway

Thanks to Marjolein Dallinga for letting us use her image for the poster.

Busy times

Jools Elphick's exhibition still has almost a week to go, and we still hope to receive the last box of hats, which would add five new styles to the exhibition.  There has been lots of interest, and a number of hats have found a home in Vancouver (and the one pictured went to Toronto).




Next weekend we will be participating in the IDSwest show at the Vancouver conventions centre.  While we are there, the shop will still be open as normal.  I have a number of complimentary tickets for the show, so please drop by if you would like one.  I also have a ticket to the lecture being given at Maiwa by Alison Ellen on Friday Sept. 30th that I would like to give away.

The OLEANA autumn collection has arrived - in part.  And we have received partial delivery from Maria Byman , Pernilla Svenre, more big dot shawls from Oerskov in new colours....we are still hoping for raincoats and dresses from McVerdi, and the list goes on...  small collections from intresting companies - keeping you unique.  I don't stock much Cut loose in the winter, but when I got the message that the popular pinafore dress is being cut again, in corduroy, I put in an order.  Also coming-by popular demand- are cord pants from Cut Loose.

12 Textile Artists FELT AMAZING in Vancouver!

In October 7th, we will open a new exhibition in the store.  Inspired by the events of the Maiwa Symposium, I contacted 13 felt artists whose work I admire, asking if they would like to participate in an exhibition in my shop.  Twelve of the thirteen said they would love to.  Most of the artists are sending extra pieces for sale.  This will be an opportunity to see and buy work in Vancouver that you would otherwise have to travel afar to source.


Here you can see the names and the websites of those participating.

Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid | Tennessee 

Charlotte Buch | Denmark

Claudia Rosillo | Uruguay 

Dagmar Binder | Germany

She Felt | Vancouver

Karin Wagner | Switzerland

Lauri Chambers | Washington

Lisa Klakulak | North Carolina

Marjolein Dallinga | Quebec

Sandra Loeffelman | Washington

Sarah Fox | Oregon 

Torill Haugsvaer Wilberg | Norway

Last chance

Jools Ephlick's exhibition is scheduled to end today.  Yesterday we received the third box, and it contains some super hats, so I will try to keep the show up until mid afternoon tomorrow, September 29th.

We are showing the Oleana blankets at the IDSwest starting Friday morning, September 30th, so all our blankets will be on display in the shop for the weekend.

The opening of the show!

I was biting my nails, as was Jools over in England --  it was opening night and only one of three boxes of hats had arrived.  What to do??  We decided to put out the few hats, open the bubbly, and go for it!!  We had got great press from Maiwa, SDAbc, Marilyn Wilson -- literally thousands of people had been told about the show and that the opening would be on the 15th of September. Members of the weaving guild were dropping in on their way to their meeting.

It turned out to be a great evening as hats were tried, examined, and raved about!  They are made from cotton chenille, so not itchy!  Today another box arrived, so now the show looks complete.  The exhibition of knitted hats by Jools Elphlick continues to September 28th.

Opening the Show

Jools Elphick - knitted hats for the Theatre of Life

We will be exhibiting knitted hats designed and made by British Textile artist Jools Elphick from September 14 - 28th.

You are invited to come to join is on September 15th from 7-8 when we officially open the show.

Inspired by tribal art as much as contemporary culture, Jools creates her amazing hats by a combining hand and machine knitting.


She has exhibited and sold her work widely in Britain and internatonally.


See more at www.urbanity.ca/JoolsElphick.htm

August moving into September

Local artist - Robert Chaplin came into my Gastown store soon after I opened.  Since then he has brought me much delight with his humour and unusual work.  He has just opened a little shop on the corner of Cordova and Carrall street where he is showing his snowflake series www.royalcanadiansnowflake.com where you can sponsor a snowflake!  Give it a name!!! Robert is a frequent visitor on the Fanny Kiefer show on Shaw.  I have always carried Robert's books.  At $20 each these signed editions are a delight for adults and children.

We are on the brink of the Maiwa Symposium where every second year we are given the opportunity of meeting amazing artists, writers, and doers from around the world,  going to workshops, lectures, shows, and events.  It is an extravaganza that goes on for some months!  I have taken the opportunity of having two shows in the store insprired by the Maiwa events.  The first one starting mid-September will show 'contemporary head-dresses' from Jools Elphick who I met when I was staying in Brighton in 2003.  Jools' hats are machine and hand knitted, and explore head-wear inspired by many cultures.

OLEANA blankets will be shown at the end of September at the IDSWest show.  Very exciting!

For the past four months Mieka has been working in URBANITY. She took the helm last week and gave me the opportunity of taking some days to tidy up my house - which looks like a home now instead of a waste-paper basket!  Mieka is a student at UBC and has been given the opportunity of having a role in the Model UN conference being hosted by the University in March 2012.  So, although she will be in for a couple of weekends in September, she has started a new path.

We are being asked when we will begin to have autumn collections in the store.  They are on their way, and I expect that by Jools' exhibition we will have made the transition.  I love it when the woolies take over, though have to admit, this year, I have wanted summer to really play itself out.  We still have some linens that are great for fall transition.

The Award for Design Excellence

I have often been asked about the words on the back of the tag on Oleana products where it says 'Tildelt Merket for God Design - Norwegian Design Award 1993, 1997 & 1999'.  The words basically mean, 'Award for Design Excellence', and now the Norwegian Design Council has created a logo that can be used on products that have been given this award.  You can see more HERE.  An exhibition called 100% Norway organized by the Norwegian Embassy in London highlights products that can boast the logo shown here.

This item has nothing to do with Norway except that I found it in the Norwegian InteriørMagazine, and is exceptional in its design, I think, maybe because I am a magazine hoarder.  If I had seen this I would never have thrown or given away all the wonderful magazines I have collected in the past.  You can see more HERE.

I found another kind of design here in Vancouver on the weekend.  It is a garden project called The Bulkhead Urban Architecture Project and is on the Seawall, just west of the Athletes Village. You can see a film about it HERE.  I have posted many pictures of the garden on my personal facebook page, and here is one of them.  If you are in Vancouver you might enjoy having a look.  

And here in URBANITY we are making plans for the Autumn.  In the meantime, we are happy to see the summer stock going out the door. It is Fall cleaning time (I always prefer to clean house ready for Winter,. than to clean house ready for Summer) and all kinds of items are appearing that bring extra interest to the dwindling summer clothes racks!!