An Interview with Kendal McGillycuddy of McGillycuddy's Naturals

Deb and Kendal (left) McGillycuddy

web site:http://www.soapus.com/

What are you bringing to the Albany Holiday Studio Sale?
Kendal McGillycuddy: We have a variety of new molds for our Milk Soaps that we are excited to bring this year. Some of the new soap designs include Sleeping Cat, Dog Bone, "Thank You", as well as several new holiday designs. We will also be bringing a wide variety of natural bath products including Lotion, Lip Balm, Bath Salt, Facial Products, Men's Products, and much more!

To help get everyone in the holiday mood we will have a plenty of holiday gift baskets and gift sets that are perfect for easy and unique gift giving!

What is your process and/or inspiration?
Kendal McGillycuddy: Everything we offer is hand made locally in Sharon Springs, New York using all natural ingredients. Our inspiration for the products we create comes from all over - herbs that are in season, suggestions that our customers make, and most often out of necessity (like something for sunburn relief or chapped skin). We enjoy every aspect of our business, from creating the products, to designing the packaging, and finally knowing that we are able to offer quality hand-made products to our customers!

What else would you like us to know about yourself?
Kendal McGillycuddy: We recently moved our store in beautiful downtown Sharon Springs, New York. We are now located at 209 Main Street. We would love for you to stop by and visit us at our great new location. There are several other wonderful businesses you can also stop by while in the area.

An interview with Cherry Schacher

web site: www.cherryschacherquilts.com

What are you bringing to the Albany Holiday Studio Sale?
Cherry Schacher: I'm currently working on some more hats and scarves to go into the winter with - the Snowball hats are fleece with fabric accents, as are the hat/scarf/glove combination - this is as yet unnamed! But they are warm. I'm also working on some vests and new jackets, branching out from using cotton fabrics into silks, ultrasuedes and anything that seems neat and interesting. Quilt/wallhanging side of things, I'm finally going to do some wall hangings using men's ties - I've been doing them off and on for years as custom orders - it's time to bring them into the booth! And, as usual, I will have several large size bed quilts, including a new Fractured Crystals one in shades of soft beiges and browns. And plenty of placemats, napkins and pot holders for more Christmas gifts.

What is your process and/or inspiration?
Cherry Schacher: Normally I say that my inspiration comes from traveling to Europe - cathedral floors, colors on buildings and in cobblestone streets, the scenery I see, trails I've hiked on, etc., but my most recent inspiration was a jacket I saw at London airport last week - it was made out of a jersey fabric, but by the time my plane was ready to leave, I had redesigned it for a silk fabric I was bringing back from Ireland! You never know where an idea will strike.

Cutting things very, very exactly is the key, and ironing more than I ever want to. The sewing is fairly straightforward - I use an old industrial Singer machine 99% of the time, finishing is always done by hand, usually watching late night tv with a glass of wine, or finishing coffee in the morning - it depends on what colors I'm working with - darker ones need morning light.

What else would you like us to know about yourself?
Cherry Schacher: George and I have been married for 32 years, we have a daughter Darcy, who is 15 and sings beautifully, and I have a son who is in the Navy, a great Spanish daughter-in-law and 3 great grandkids. We also play music in a couple of bands - Aged in the Hills and Coosheen (check out the website www.Agedinthehills.com).
The other big part of our life is the house we inherited from my father in Ireland - it is in a little village called Schull, in West Cork, right on the water facing the harbor. We spend as much time as possible there, but it's getting harder with Darcy's school, plus we rent it out so that it can pay for itself, so that's a problem, too. If you're interested in staying there, speak to me at the show!

Work by Ben Rauch

Albany Holiday Studio Sale artist Ben Rauch

An Interview with Wendy Costa

web site: www.wendycosta.com

What are you bringing to the Albany Holiday Studio Sale?
Wendy Costa: will be bringing a lot of makeup bags, handbags and ceramic tile trivets all handmade in my studio and featuring fabrics we make from my mixed media paintings..

What is your process and/or inspiration?
Wendy Costa: I begin with a painting on board using casein then the work is digitally transformed, patterns are made and items are sewn here using only materials and suppliers that are from the US..(My website has a pic of me painting under the ABOUT button)

What else would you like us to know about yourself?
Wendy Costa: As you know I am restoring a gothic church and parsonage in Cooperstown NY. The property was built in 1829 and is a perfect setting for my studio and home. We hope to have open studio days next year and to share our gardens and process with the public. I also just signed a 3 year contract to license my designs onto needlepoint kits by a company in San Francisco.

An Interview with Cecilia Lockwood of Frittelli and Lockwood

web site: www.frittelli-lockwood.com

What are you bringing to the Albany Holiday Studio Sale?
Cecilia Lockwood: I'm bringing a fabulous collection of handwoven scarves in silky bamboo, luscious chenille, and warm and fuzzy alpaca. Also, for the men in your life, I'll have a collection of neckties in serious and playful patterns. Caps, hats, and handbags pieced from my handwoven fabrics round out the line.

What is your process and/or inspiration?
Cecilia Lockwood: I love textiles, fiber, and texture. Starting with yarn on cones, I design the warp, dress the loom, and weave yardage using multiple shuttles and intricate color and weave effect.

What else would you like us to know about yourself?
Cecilia Lockwood: Over the summer, my husband and I relocated our weaving studio and opened a gallery in the Arts District in Saratoga Springs. You can visit our shop and watch our looms in action Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 and till 7 on Fridays. We have a clothing line for men and women and can tailor our jackets, shirts, and vests for a custom fit.

Link to the Saratogian newspaper article on our opening:
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/07/15/news/doc4a5d29f264a2c235589207.txt

Work by Wendy Costa

Albany Holiday Studio Sale artist Wendy Costa

Quote from The Crafts Report magazine on the Albany Holiday Studio Sale

From the article "Bloom Town: Celebrated festivals and a rich history make Albany County an area worth discovering":

"...The Albany Holiday Studio Sale, is held at The Woman’s Club on Madison Avenue. The November sale features fiber, jewelry and ceramics in the intimate setting of an 1895 mansion. “It’s an opportunity to shop for gifts by local artists,...There’s a movement in our area to buy food from local growers, and buying from local craftspeople contributes to the effort to buy things that are locally made.”