Ledger

5/16/13

Meet our Intern: Laura

 
Hi there! I’m Laura and I will be here in Brooklyn interning with Lotta for the next two months.  I am from Canada and am completing the final part of my degree, majoring in clothing and textiles.
 
I have only been here for a week and I am already feeling super inspired by being in the studio and experiencing all that goes on here.  There is so much to look at - it’s a feast for the eyes.  I love the creativity, colours and textures and of course it is a privilege to learn all that I can from everyone here.  And speaking of being inspired… every day in New York feels like an adventure.  So many great shops and restaurants, flea markets, friendly people, and exciting sights to see! 
 
Are you in the area?  Why not come by the shop on one of our open studio days (May 18 and June 8) and say hello.  We would love to meet you! - Laura
 
Here are some great photos Laura snapped this week as she explored New York City... stay tuned for more!
 
Tulips in Central Park

The view from the Staten Island Ferry
 
The Mast Brother's chocolates (Williamsburg)- incredible!

The Tinsel Trading Company (in the Garment District)
 
Some vintage drawers at the Brooklyn Art Library

 

5/9/13

Simple Mother's Day Gifts from the LJ Team


It's almost Mother's Day and, silly us, we're a bit behind on our holiday preparations! So, today in the studio we decided to band together and make a few simple, but still very special, projects that you can easily finish between now and Sunday.

Laura Wunderli is our fantastic new intern, hailing from Canada (more from her soon!). She made a fabric covered card with the Tove pattern from Lotta's new Glimma collection. It can be put together in minutes and packs a sweet punch.
 
 

 
Fabric Covered Card
You'll need:
1 piece of card stock
Lotta Jansdotter fabric
Fabric shears
Multi-purpose adhesive spray or glue
 
Directions:
1. Cut a piece of card stock to your desired size and fold in half.
2. Cut a piece of your favorite Lotta Jansdotter fabric slightly larger than your card stock.
3. Spray multi-purpose adhesive on your card stock and lay the fabric on top. Press down firmly and smooth.
4. Using fabric shears trim the edges of the fabric. Inside write a special note and hand off to Mom!
 
 
Studio Manager Laura Cooke and Social Media Manager Silka Glanzman tried their hands at stenciling some designs from Lotta's Stencil pack. Using Pebeo Inks, they transferred the designs onto store-bought dishtowels and napkins and ended up with functional, no-sew gifts.
 
 
 
Stenciled Kitchen Linens
You'll need:
Dishtowels or napkins from any home goods store. We used linens from Ikea and West Elm
A short-haired paintbrush or a kitchen sponge
An iron
 
Directions:
1. Using masking tape, secure the corners of your chosen stencil to the fabric wherever you'd like the design to be.
2. Pour some of your ink onto a paper plate or palette. Dip your brush or sponge into the paint, soaking up just a little bit. (If you get too much on your brush or sponge, globs will sneak under the edges of the stencil.)
3. Using a light, tapping motion, paint over the stencil onto the fabric. If needed, untape the stencil and move it to the side to create a repeat. Let try for 20 minutes and lightly iron the front and back of the fabric with a dry iron on the cotton setting. Go over it a few times to make sure all the ink has been exposed to the heat.
4. Wash your stenciled items according to the fabric's directions before use.

P.S. Silka took two napkins and sewed them together for a super easy pillow case.
 
 



We hope these projects will give you a bit of last-minute inspiration! No matter how behind you are, there's always time to give something from the heart.

 

4/29/13

New York Happenings

 
For all of you New Yorkers out there, we are really excited to share a few great events coming up in the next week or two.
 

First off, our good friend Michele of Elephant Props is opening her amazing collection of stuff - Eames Shell Chairs, Bitossi Pottery, Shaker Baskets, Vintage Oil Paintings, John Robshaw coverlets, just to name a few! - to the public! We'll be there Tuesday evening, selling our wares and enjoying the opening buzz... and who are we kidding, we'll probably be back the next day as well!
 
Elephant Props
Tuesday, April 30th, 6pm - 9pm
Wednesday, May 1st, 11 am - 3pm
 
307 Seventh Ave, Room 1103
New York, NY 10001
212.488.6030
 

With warmer weather blowing in, how nice does a sunny gallery-hopping Saturday sound? The Passport to the Arts gallery walk will be held May 4th from 11 - 6pm and we're thrilled to be included. Lotta will be screen printing at Eileen Fisher throughout the day (from 12 - 5pm), available for questions and conversation. It's going to be a blast!

Eileen Fisher
Saturday, May 4th
12 - 5pm

395 West Broadway, NY, NY 10012
(Between Spring St. And Broome St.)

 

4/25/13

Spring Totes Now On Sale

All of us here in the Brooklyn studio are pining over our potential springtime wardrobe additions. Lotta can't get enough of these Bryr clogs, Laura is in love with the Mabel Dress from Curator, and Silka is dying for the entire Kate Spade "Saturday" collection.
 
And of course, we're all crazy about OUR 100% linen, hand-screened Lotta totes that are simply so perfect for spring in fun polka dots or the cheerful stripes. Which ones your favorite? We're so happy to make these adorable totes available to you for only $28 each. Quantities are real limited, so please make sure you order yours fast!
 
 
ABOUT SHIPPING: There is a flat Shipping & Handling fee of $8 for all shipments within the Continental US. We ship Priority Mail with the US Postal Service.

Recently the shipping rates with the US Postal Service have gone up a great deal, especially for international shipping. Actually, it is REAL expensive to ship abroad and we are very sorry about that.
If you do order a bag from overseas (even from Canada) it will cost you $26 to ship, and there will be NO tracking available for the package. If a package happens to get lost in transit we cannot be responsible for it and we cannot replace the goods. It may sound harsh, but it is simply too complicated for us to work around the US Postal System. I wish we could find a better, safer and more cost effective way to ship abroad.

Click here to order the Yellow Tote--SOLD OUT

Click here to order the Blue Tote
 
And by the way, if you'd like to stop by our Brooklyn shop (131 8th Street) this spring to say hello, we'll have open studio hours on the following days:
Sunday, May 5 from 10am - 2pm
Saturday, May 18 from 12 - 4pm
Saturday, June 8 from 12-4pm
 
Happy Spring!
Lotta
 

 

4/25/13

April in Brooklyn

 
Hej på er kära vänner.
 
It has been a rather nutty past few months here in my Brooklyn studio. I have been juggling so many different projects at the same time, I sometimes feel like I might go bonkers. I cannot find the print-outs I just made, or I misplace my Pantone book under piles of paper samples, and then I make a cup of tea that I quickly forget about and rediscover, cold, 3 hours later... you know... things like that. But in the end it's all good, a really creative process and a chaos I seem to thrive in.
 
Currently my studio is completely over run with hand-tufted wool rug samples in all kinds of colors and patterns. I am making some slight adjustments of scale to a few designs, but over all I am rather proud of and happy about this beautiful collection. Such wonderful materials and gorgeous colors! This is a collaboration with the company Surya and we are so excited to launch the collection come fall 2013.
 
 
I am also designing canvas bags... finally! I have spent many years making totes out of gorgeous linen, with all kinds of patterns and colors, and I will probably always keep making those. But working with heavy duty canvas simply allows for cooler and more useful bag shapes. At the moment I am deciding patterns and colors, and in August I will introduce them to you!
 
 
So many of you have asked for Lotta Jansdotter sewing patterns and I am happy to let you know that they are indeed on the way. I have teamed up with Amy at "Indygo Junction" and in October 2013 we will introduce them in Houston. Most of the patterns are for apparel but we all really love bags, so you will find some patterns for them too!
 
 
And yes, Bespoke Letterpress printed wedding invitations are also on their way! They will be available this spring and I could not be happier about it! I will share lots more details about that in a couple of weeks.
 
Have a most brilliant weekend!

Lotta