FROM THE CLOSET OF JULIANN WILDING : LUNDSTROM JUMPER

People often ask me where I find my garments as though I have a specific source. My only secret is that I will look anywhere and everywhere, turning over dirt and stone to reveal that hidden gem. 

This one-piece cotton jumpsuit is a perfect example. When I travel I will stop by any thrift store I find. It is always small towns that contain the best fashion mysteries. The Canadian west coast is a gold mine of retired Europeans getting rid of their entire wardrobes. I like to go off the mainland, to the small towns of the Vancouver Isles. I spied this tiny nook called The Hospice Shoppe in an unexpected corridor in Nanaimo, and this gorgeous garment was waiting for me like a beacon. 

It has everything I love going for it: it is black yet the thin cotton is completely sheer; it is sexy and sexless; it is super strange and yet somehow, fantastic. It is also enormous, made from a huge expanse of fabric, which is finally gathered at the ankle into elasticized cuffs, with optional cotton ties at the waist and sleeves. The label reads Linda Lundstrom Canada. 

On paper, this garment breaks a lot of my rules. Elasticized cuffs? Retiree wear? Full fabric coverage for almost the entire body? Yet in shape it is also reminiscent of the Harlequin clown, that French/Italian/African character for whom I feel such an affinity.  

The price for this garment at The Hospice Shoppe was 50 cents. When I revealed it to my husband back at the cabin he was somewhat skeptical of it as a fashionable item, due to its huge size and its obvious purpose as a garment for a permanently relaxed, mature woman. However I've worn it several times over the last few months... with only a strapless bra and panties beneath... to great positive response from a range of onlookers. 

-JW

 

 

BROTHERS GRIMM

The stories of the Brothers Grimm hold fascination and insights for all ages.  Reading their tales as an adult, I see the depicted flaws and triumphs of human nature repeating in the world today.    This human thread links us to the ancient folklore that the Brothers mined as the raw material for their fairytales.  My interest in learning more on the subject compelled me to visit an exhibit at the German Consulate.

The travelling display seemed designed for children but felt like a PowerPoint presentation gone wrong.  All the magic of the stories and illustrations was lost in a bleak forest of plywood trees, pop-culture analogies, and a poorly-completed installation.  The view from the 25th floor of 2 Bloor St. East, however, was beautiful and the drawings that children had made in response to the exhibit carried a spark of what I was looking for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KATIE REED

Katie Reed is a cobbler and the owner of Sole Survivor, located at 16 Kensington Avenue, where she repairs shoes and other leather goods.   We appreciate her obvious enjoyment of her trade.  She seems to relish the construction of a well made shoe, describing an item made with care and of quality material to be "more poetic" to repair than a plastic and pressed-paper Payless special.  

Finding someone to teach her the trade was difficult, and she feels lucky to have apprenticed in Hamilton with Bijan Mirzagaah, with additional training from Robert Land in Guelph (who incidentally makes lovely shoes for historical reenactments).  Katie chooses to repair rather than create new leather goods, explaining that the world is cluttered enough and her aim is to give a second life to otherwise useless items.    We may be romanticizing Katie's life, but we're pretty envious of the road she has chosen.  

SPADINA HOUSE PART 1

I was given the opportunity to intern with the city's museum collections late last year. I especially enjoyed my time spent working on the Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens project. Built in 1866, it is one of 10 historic museums operated by the City of Toronto. Several additions were constructed during 1913 which influenced the recent 1920s-style restoration of the home.  One of the additions included a 3rd floor extension for the gentlemen of the Austin family.  I spent a lovely morning in one of the unfinished rooms sewing accession numbers onto linen artifacts. The images here show the raw lathe and plaster, the walls having never been painted or wallpapered.

The history of the family and the restoration process is fascinating.  I learned a lot about the investigation, research, and production that goes into keeping an estate museum historically accurate.  This is the first part of four posts featuring Spadina House.  We will focus on the restored interiors, the beautiful gardens, and the process of reproducing early 20th century wallpaper.

 

 

 

 

A DARK AFTERNOON IN ANCASTER

I had high hopes when the idea of attending a cat show in Ancaster was conceived by my family.  Held by the Hamilton Cat Fanciers, this show inspired visions of "comical-crazy" similar to the wacky characters seen in the film Best In Show (2000).  I immediately realized, as I entered one of the fairgrounds buildings, that my experience would go sideways from funny to disturbing.  Themed for St. Patrick's Day, the atmosphere was less than festive with green tinsel casting lurid reflections on the caged animals.  Promptly after taking a turn around the tense room,  I had to relieve my anxiety by stepping outside for air.  I am passionate about cats, but have sworn to never go down this road.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEXTURE AT WOODSTOCK ANTIQUES MALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ART TEACHER BACK FROM SABBATICAL