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Showing posts with label reclaimed materials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reclaimed materials. Show all posts

06 May 2015

MEND, DARN, MAKE - THURSDAY AFTERNOONS










   
    FREE FABRIC WORKSHOP
AT CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTER

  CHINDI NATION MENDING,
      DARNING & MAKING 
          AFTERNOONS

JOIN US AND USE THE FREE MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES TO START A PROJECT
OR BRING WHAT YOU ARE WORKING ON

                everybody welcome

every thursday
2:30 to 5:30 pm-ish :)
3rd floor atrium gallery
carnegie community centre
401 main street
vancouver

for more information email karenza@chindi-nation.net
phone: 604 708 6304

thank you to carnegie community centre for providing us with the space and for 
allowing us to use their sewing supplies







04 February 2015

boho curtains

the boost came from pinterest
one of the neatest social media sites ever.  

ever

the fabrics are a skirt i don't wear
any more but couldn't bear to give away

add an old bedspread that got ripped in the dryer, and i couldn't bear to give away,

put them together, and 

ta da ..... my boho style bedroom
curtain.






in all it's glory

08 November 2014

winter festival decorations at carnegie center

we had our first winter workshop at carnegie community center on thursday 6 november 2014.  and i thought to share some of the images with you.  out there.

tried out a slide show, but new things scare living daylights out, you tube, iphoto, imovie.........

we had great fun, lots and lots of laughs, sharing of information, and acceptance.  thank you to the women who joined in and contributed to the spirit of the workshop.  they are, in alphabetical order,

alana - from toronto

anne

cade's stockings

chris desigining

chris' pouch

denise

kelty's heart

mandy - of toronto

martine visiting

ruth ironing

ruth making tree

savannah

savannah's star

serena
cade, chris and a lovely young woman, sara, did not want their photos taken.  i forgot to take a photo of kelty.  and also of teresa v who visited us. 

thanks to lisa who made signs, and hamish who let us into the art room to get our supplies.  and sheila who guided people to where we were.

xo k









16 October 2014

the kindness of the women who donate to chindi workshops


the kindness of the women who have recently donated to chindi nation workshops and clinics shall go down in the history of the downtown eastside.



lookit, this is a sample of the beautiful, gorgeous, amazing astounding cloth donated by a woman whom i know only through the stall she has at the powell street festival.  


how these fabrics got to us is a story in itself. 


muriel, the woman who has donated these cloths had a conversation with her friend, kathy, and said she wanted to unload some of her collection.  kathy mentioned this to kazuho.  kazuho asked me if i wanted fabrics and gleefully i said, yes, yes, yes, please.  of course, the sequence of events is guessing by me, but the conduit of muriel-kathy-kazuho-chindi nation-sewing group stands.



arrangements were made and on two occasions in the summer, kathy arrived with boxes and bags of lovely cloth, and these are only a small portion of the gift we received.

after discussion with some members of the sewing group that meet at carnegie centre (anne, denise, louise, ruth) we decided to make ourselves (yes, i am including myself in this largesse) smashing outfits.  do they still use that expression?  











the fabric that is left over will be then used by the carnegie girl band to make themselves some glittery wear (vests perhaps, and headbands) and the balance will then find it’s way to the thursday sewing group, open to all, for use.

this is only one woman, or chain of women, who have donated fabric and quality clothing for up and re cycling.
the others are, alphabetically:

anne d,
jane k,
maggie rose m via ruth mcg
wen zhu
whom we gratefully thank, and will feature when we decide what we are going to do with their largesse

what do you think?  is this a good allocation of this wealth?

cheers
karenza

03 August 2014

small arts grant opening


after a long, long, break.......i have awoken, again, to the possibilities of a blog.  but, fortunately, it will never be a 'professional' work.

right, the reason for this post.....

please do come to the opening night of smart grant exhibition show.

it is on wednesday, 6th august 2014 at 7 pm.  at the inter urban gallery, corner of hastings and carrall, opposite pigeon park.  a whole slew (oxford dictionary, no 3)  of dtes artisans/artists have their work on display.  me too, but not the one shown.

there will be delicious eats, music and lots of fun.  don't know about bar.

hope you can make it,

xoxoxo

02 January 2013

so, this is the thing.

for the past year or two i have been making these little booklets and distributing them to whomever.

i tear recycled paper into half, then fold it over, and then write on the blank pieces.

it makes for an interesting
'textural' read because there are all sorts of interesting snippets of information on the side that is not blank.  like so

this particular booklet has some pages from northrup's women's bodies, and a page from a notice from our housing coop.

the clean green recipes are hand written, and personally guaranteed - i use these myself.

06 November 2012

allergic to labels show was smashing success, so many friends, old and new, and i forgot to take my camera………………..


not much else i can say. 
it has been a hectic 2 weeks, i have done nothing other than eat, sleep, read this weekend.
will take and post photos of the work.  the only photo i have is this, thank you rosemary.
285612_10151096340326437_10874633_n


25 May 2012

EXHIBITION OPENING AT GALLERY GACHET

it is 4:47 am, friday 25 may 2012, and tonight is the opening of the big exhibit show for the small arts grant recipients.


so, this is my invitation to you, late as it is.  you will be able to see some of the clothing that was in the eco-fashion show in november of last year.  you can check out some of these outfits here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biGpNCX-e1c
for some reason i cannot download this directly to the blog, and right now i'm really punchy from lack of sleep.


there will be mountains of good food, cash bar, entertainment and the company of some of the most exciting people in the downtown eastside.  


have to sleep,
propping my eyelids open with toothpicks.
xo
karenza


oh right, the video is a preview.

20 April 2012

make a medicine bag–an eco friendly fabric and embroidery workshop–26 april 2012



spotted pouchthe workshop will be at carnegie community center, 401 main street, in the basement studio from 1 to 4 pm
haisla, karenza, norman & unknown manit is part of the aboriginal artisan program funded by the city of vancouver’s great beginnings program.  haisla collins, coordinator of this program, asked me to facilitate an environmentally friendly, eco-workshop, making fabric medicine pouches.

09 March 2012

chindi nation interview on vancouver co-op radio

hey, monday 5 march, the first interview by myself on behalf of chindi nation.  co-op radio, 102.7fm 


i was on eastside stories with host ayisha faruk, activist, poet, mother - powerful woman. 


thank you to mary bennett of cacv who sent me the link - have never been able to get cfro online before.  


it's been a while since i posted, and have a lot of catching up to do with news for this blog.  some of the activities go back as far as november 2011.  i know.  they include chindi nation's first ever eco fashion show, using reclaimed clothing, an article in ming pao, chinese language news sheet, i know.  and an introduction to bharbara gudmundson, photographer, writer, leather worker.


happy listening, :) - love, karenza

17 January 2012

the black water dragon's tail


LUNAR NEW YEAR 2012

MAKING THE DRAGON’S TAIL

FREE WORKSHOPS






SAT 21 JAN 2012                                                      MON 23 JAN 2012
10 AM TO 12 NOON                                                  2:30 TO 4:30 PM
OPPENHEIMER PARK                                               EWMA STUDIO
CORDOVA & JACKSON                                            52/54 E. CORDOVA ST.

CHILDREN MORE THAN WELCOME


THIS IS A COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL OF VANCOUVER PROJECT,
IN COLLABORATION WITH CHINDI NATION, OPPENHEIMER PARK& EWMA


WORKSHOP FACILITATOR: KARENZA T. WALL OF CHINDI NATION, CHINDI REVOLUTION





14 December 2011

winter workshop - handmade gifts

saved - on the brink of being chucked to become landfill, these sample books were donated to the ewma studio.
  
(thunder, lightening, eerie noises).....
read on to find out what happens next



07 December 2011

hand made gifts for winter festivals

winter festivals coming up, a lot of people give gifts.  i am having a special workshop.  join us and make a small pouch (medicine bag, cell phone pouch) or a simple hat, or...........


the workshop is on thursday, 5th december 2011, at the ewma studio, located at 52-54 east cordova street, starting at 1:30 and ending at 4:30.  


as always, the fabrics are remnants or reclaimed. the skill level required is from beginners to ultra experienced.

27 September 2011

wearable art not costume, using reclaimed and remants

right now is a very exciting time.  and for me, it is also a healing time.  why?


everybody in the downtown eastside (dtes) knows the heart of the city festival.  a weekend of celebration of fine and applied arts.  music, theatre, art work, workshops.


so, this year, i will be having a wearable art show at W2 cafe, in the new woodwards atrium.  there will be models, food - anglo indian food - and beautiful women, representative of the women of the dtes modelling clothing.

08 July 2011

pouches & headband at aboriginal day fair

21st june is aboriginal day in canada.  and as always, well for many years, the downtown eastside of vancouver had a fair in oppenheimer park.


it was a great day to be out in the sunshine, many friends to greet, and a lot of "new" people to meet.  the workshop tables were set up under little tent things.  we call them shamiyanas in hindi.  they have a roof, and no sides.



and the chindi (rags/scraps) always draw people who want to know what is happening.  


forgot to take photographs of everybody, but did get some.  and my friend elsa was there to help, which was a great help.





17 June 2011

salish sun days - 28 may 2011

my dear friend, sandra pronteau, bead jeweller, story teller, community activist, mother, among other things asked me to be part of the salish sun festival 2011.


there was a call out for volunteers, and so i thought to workshop a "making something quick and easy using textile scraps" and came up with small pouches.  
you will not see the faces of people in any workshop by me; this is as a courtesy so they retain their privacy.


the pouches were small, no larger than 3 or 4 inches, and as is usual with chindi design projects, the fabrics were scraps.

29 May 2011

logo no-logo anti-logo workshop no. 1 at oppenheimer park

 this "socially responsible graffiti" has been added to a number of buildings on cordova street, and will continue to be added during the coming weeks.  why this label, you may well ask.  well this busyness looking/dressed man asked what i was doing, and that was my reply.  "socially responsible graffiti, sir, it's in chalk".  "good for you" he said and went his merry way.
the following pics are the first in a series of 3 textile workshops where those who identify themselves as downtown eastsiders design and make a logo that represents for each what the dtes means to them.  does that make sense?
click on read more to see more news on this event

20 May 2011

door weaving at ewma 18 may 2011

a bright sunny day was wednesday.  perfect weather for an outdoor activity.  a total of 10 people joined in the weaving, some were ewma members, some were friends, and some were passers by who wanted to join in.  the door looks awesome, you can see for yourself.  view digital story on this project on youtube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVEcI5wwAgs



end of first session

14 May 2011

weaving shadows weaving hope - public art community beautification project


join ewma artisans/artists and your neighbours in weaving a decorative panel for the protective grating in front of our street entrance door.  a lot of weaving materials (fabric, paper, twine, yarn, threads, found objects) will be provided.  but, if you want, you can bring something with you to weave into the panel.

dates: 18 & 25 may, and 1 and 8 june
time:  1:30 to 4:30 pm

coffee, teas, juices & lots of water to rehydrate.

this is a joint event, sponsored by atira, ewma and facilitated by myself, karenza t. wall, of chindi nation

04 May 2011

chindi workshops

cindy, salima, teresa




the first in a series of textile workshops, held at the ewma rice block store front.