Sandy

I was not at all nervous about Sandy. I've learned a little more about Mimi and her lack of growth. It is appearing that she has some kind of dwarfism. It could be pituitary...in which she could be aided by growth hormone. But maybe it's not...I'm a bit stunned. She is so gorgeous and precious. Always the researcher, I have discovered that the Little People of America National Conference 2013 is in D.C.!
Let's see if she grows till then...and what the doctors say. My love.
Anyway, back to the storm...I tidied the house and made chili, jello, cookies, and hard cooked eggs.

I toured the outside of the house and took pictures. We've secured things. We put lots in the garage. We cleaned out the gutters - put covers on the chairs. Every neighbor around me still has their normal stuff out.

I'm feeling like anxiety Girl Scout. But then watch the news and the news reporters are SO SERIOUS. Then I get a little panic in my chest.

I am nervous about the big trees in the front yards of my house and my neighbors. I parked my car elsewhere, not in the driveway.

I have upped my typical storm plan. I now know to hide in the basement bathroom if the wind is dangerously insane (which would be super fun with two kids considering how narrow the bathroom is). I found a little sterno stove. We have a fancy radio light thing. Wondering what Max would do without Jake and Neverland Pirates, and Mimi without Peppa Pig. and no heat...that's not very nice is it?

well here we go...let's see what happens...!

Izzy Lane won! The 2012 RSPCA Good Business Awards

2012 Winners:

Fashion Awards

George at Asda: Winner, Large Company
Izzy Lane: Winner, Small Company, Clothing
ASOS: Winner, Innovation Award
Rapanui: Highly commended, Small company

Food Awards

Eco cuisine:Winner, Caterers
Lussmanns Fish & Grill Restaurants: Winner, Independent Restaurants
Cafe spice namaste Highly commended, Independent restaurants
The British Larder: Winner, Independent Pubs
The Navigation Inn: Highly Commended, Independent Pubs
Edge & Son: Winner, Independent Retailers
Abel & Cole: Highly Commended, Independent Retailers
The Bath Pig Company Highly Commended, Independent Retailers
Sainsbury's: Retailer of the year, Supermarkets
Sainsbury's: Engagement award, Supermarkets
The Co-Operative: Hot Topic Award, Supermarkets



My heartfelt Congratulations go out to Isobel, Ernest, Lorraine, the Sheep, and all at Izzy Lane!!!

Time to Make the Headbands

There is a fresh supply of tweed on the way from the Izzy Lane offices. And Mommalicious on Queen Street Lancaster has restocked with many of my headbands this week.
So it's time to organize the existing cuts and see what I can design with the pieces I have left while I await the parcel. I need a nice long snippet to make a headband, and I must be able to cut across on the bias. I love a good challenge, being resourceful often turns out the best pieces.
Mimi decided that the offcuts would be perfect blankets for her doll, Willow. I'm a bit of a control freak with the pieces always stowing them away quickly. But she loved feeling how soft they are and tucking her baby in under them.

While we organized I hummed the tune to the Annie song:

"Cotton blankets,'Steada of wool! Empty Bellies,'Steada of full!"

As I plan to sponsor another tweed ride (!) I'm thinking historically of when wool was depended on for warmth in clothing and bedding. People were so stylish running to town for errands, and warm under their simple and tidy wool blankets at night.
It really wasn't so long ago.

xx

Going for a Spin at the 4th Annual Fall Tweed Ride Minneapolis

I first learned about tweed rides a year ago when I stumbled upon a blog with pictures of the Minneapolis, Minnesota Fall Tweed Ride. It really was the coolest concept, and I soon found myself watching videos of tweed rides around the world. I thought this would be the perfect avenue (clever) for my pieces. I could try out new ideas, making one offs for riders, and even sponsor a ride perhaps!

This past Saturday I was able to provide the riders of that original ride I learned about, 45 Izzy Lane tweed accessories, as well as pieces for the best dressed.

It was great to meet through email Tim Navarro of Tim+Thom, twin designers and tailors who specialize in tweed designs and work out of the You and Me shop at 2114B Lyndale Ave S Mpls, MN 55405.

I put together a package for them, and off they went. An assortment of tweed accessories, made from ethical Izzy Lane British tweed.
I attached them to little cards that pictured my British bike on one side,

and a little tweedy cycle message on the other:

It was so exciting to see the images of the ride appear on Facebook. Hip folks I've never met, all sporting my pieces- paired with their lovely tweed and vintage clothing, and neat bikes.

I loved that the boys used some of the hair clips and the Honour bobby pins on their lapels (named after Original Maids of Honour cakes in Richmond, England- also where the tweed is from.)

This is my favorite photo, below - to the left the pretty girl is wearing one of my flowers, on the table is a bobby pin, and the cute girl in the hat to the right is wearing a felted bow pin made from super soft Izzy Lane sanctuary Wensleydale wool.

I love that they are all in tweed, but the mobiles are out, as they are probably checking the route and the whereabouts of fellow cyclists.

This was an evening ride, many of them are set late morning. I'm sure it was fun and extra dreamy to ride in the cool night air and stop at area establishments for some tweedy socializing.

Dave Kapell won Most Dapper and rode away with my first bow tie! And Megan McGuire(above) took the prize for Most Fetching Lass.

I would certainly love to sponsor another ride.

Thank you so much to Dave Kapell and Sveta Kovalchuk who graciously allowed me to use their photos of the ride on my blog. Check out their route from Facebook:

Today is the Day!!! Check in is 5:45 & riding out promptly at 6:15.

5:45 - 6:15
#1: MPLS ROSE GARDEN : 4124 Roseway Rd MPLS, MN 55409
**Group Photo**

6:30 -7:00
#2: THE MALT SHOP : 50th St at Bryant Ave So MPLS, MN 55419
** Most Dapper Gent (nominate & vote)**

7:20 - 7:50
#3: NORTHBOUND Smokehouse Brewpub : 2716 E 38th st. MPLS, MN 55406
**Most Fetching Lass (nominate & vote)**

8:15 - 8:45
#4: PAT"S TAP : 3510 Nicollet Ave MPLS, MN 55408
**Special: Tall Grass 8bit - $2, Helmets = $2 Hams

9:15 - 9:45
#5: DEVIL'S ADVOCATE : 89 S 10th St. MPLS, MN 55402
**Special: $3 House wine & Rail drinks

10:00 - 10:20
#6: STONE ARCH BRIDGE MPLS, MN
**Group Photo**

10:30 - 11
#7: ERTE : 323 13th Ave NE MPLS, MN 55413

11:30 - 12:00
#8: ELI'S EAST : 815 E Hennepin Ave MPLS, MN 55413

12:15 - Close
#9: GINGER HOP : 201 E Hennepin Ave MPLS, MN 55414
**Special: $5 Jamison anythings & Dance the night away!

Sponsored by YOU & ME & MUSA MN

When It Rains It Pours

From Henri Bendel on Twitter, a photo of the line at Open See today.

A few days after my interview for the Lancaster newspaper, the reporter emailed me to ask if I'd be re-attending Open See at Henri Bendel on 5th Avenue, NYC on October 19.

I had attended the March Open See this year. It was a gorgeous day. The buyer quickly reviewed my pieces and noted they are for fall. I left my Look Book with the buyer and headed out the Art Deco doors into the sunshine with my LL BEAN tote bag full of headbands made from Izzy Lane Shetland tweed from the dreamy Yorkshire Dales.

Today came and went and I just remembered that today was fall Open See. Oh there was a pang in my heart. I could have went. This time though I'd have gone with a lighter heart. In mid October maybe they'd be interested in my luxuriously soft British wool accessory line, now sporting the black with gold lettering Maggie French for IZZY LANE label.

The big question on my mind tonight is:

Did they see any tweed?!

xx

Good Morning Tweed Fans

I was in the paper this morning. I was able to read it online last night, but when I saw the hard copy this morning I was surprised by how nice the layout was. I love the Izzy Lane green herringbone bow in the corner of the article- "Oh look at the Bow!" that was my first reaction.

Thank you to Claudia for the writeup and Marty for the pics! and Isobel for the lovely quotes! You can Check it out here:
 
Lancaster designer supplied with wool from rescued sheep


xx

It's Showtime

I left the house, and took the accessory collection on the road.

We enjoyed our day at the Schreiber Pediatric Center 1st Annual Fall Craft show on September 29. We felt right at home, as we had spent two evenings a week there last year. I was happy to support a cause close to my heart.
A picture of my table is above and here is my facebook event picture...I was in my garden in socks, as I had this clever idea to put the pieces IN my boots...but it meant for wet socks, as I had to take the boots off. Amelia Bedelia moment, but apparently lots of folks love Hunter wellies or the tweed and wool things in them as the picture got a lot of "likes".

Our days have been filled with watching Caillou and Peppa Pig. We rush Max off to school and then play dollhouse. We have a tea party and pour water all over the hardwood floor. I cook probably seven mini meals a day, and wash it all by hand - no dishwasher, just me.
We got Mimi seen at the Hershey Pediatric Endocrine doctor. He met us, and carried Mimi's own clipboard down the hall, and one of our bags, as Mimi toddled into the exam room only wearing a diaper.
He took her history asking questions like, "when did she walk? say Mama?" "who is concerned, you or her doctor?" "does she have breathing problems?" and "has she not grown in height?" He did a double take of her head and face. then stared at our heads and faces. and announced her forehead protrudes and then measured it. He said he likes her name and that she was the first Mimi he's seen all day.

He wrote out blood orders for growth hormone deficiency levels and a thyroid check and another test.
The next day, Mimi and I went to the LGH health campus and did the blood work, her screaming, with her tiny veins very hard to access.
We came home, I took a tent down that was in the basement. I tidied up my studio. Went upstairs, made dinner, fed the kids and tidied up. I put on a clean cotton shirt and welcomed the photographer from the newspaper. I held up my bows in my basement. I worked on a headband. He snapped pictures, I said thank you!
I went upstairs, changed back into my yoga pants, put on another episode of Caillou, and settled in for a snuggle.