• bloesem design

« it's Jenny from LMNOP | Main | it's Beth from Ses Petites Mains »

it's Kristin from Mette

Monday, 24 November 2008 by Irene Hoofs

Kristen_banner
You probably have seen Kristin Rasmussen's work before on B:Kids and it was very nice for me to hear that she accepted my invitation for an Open House Tour. Krisitin's home is based in Vancouver, Canada and she is a stay-at-home-mom with a great talent for creating children's clothing and especially, little girl dresses. Her label is called Mette and I love the way Krisitin uses simple but very elegant lines for her designs ... please enjoy this tour through her lovely house ...
 Kristen_Officestudio
{Studio with shelves, crowns and clothes}
1.) Can you tell us a bit about your background, why you started your own label and it is to work from home?
i have been sewing since i was in my teens – altering vintage clothes or making my own.  i was employed as a legal secretary before hadley was born and sewing was my hobby.  i took the leap from my ‘regular job’ while on maternity-leave and never went back.  working from home is incredibly rewarding as it allows me to spend every day with my daughter!  it also has its challenges – which involve prioritizing my time and responsibilities.  i am very fortunate to have a supportive partner who can take over household duties when I need to work.

Kristen_sewingmachine

{Studio and sewing machine}
2.) Do you make everything yourself also the patterns and where do you find your fabrics?
i have a storage closet full of fabric – purchased online, local shops, vintage shops, thrifting, or given to me by friends and family (my grandma sews – she recently gave me her husqvarna which i look forward to trying out soon).  i make everything myself.  many of my designs are based on vintage patterns or clothes.  i am currently obsessing over a 1965 pattern book borrowed from a friend.

Kristen_kitchen

{Kitchen}
3.) In what kind of house and area do you live and with who? Is you environment inspirational enough for you to design your new clothes or do you go somewhere else to be inspired?
i live in vancouver, bc, canada with my boyfriend, chris, and our daughter, hadley (2).  we recently moved into the main floor of this 1920’s house - two bedrooms + my studio – very bright and lots of storage.  i don’t drive – so having a park across the street, a grocery shop around the corner, and being centrally located to all major transit routes is fantastic.  having a home that is comfortable and organized allows me to get inspired and be motivated to get work done. i can find inspiration in many places – internet, movies, magazines, art, thrift finds – just about anywhere.

Kristen_chinesedolls

{Chinese dolls on shelves}
4.) Are the little dolls vintage and do you collect them… what is the story behind them?
the dolls are vintage nodders (some have magnets in their mouth so they kiss one another) – I fell in love with one and then started buying them on ebay.  long ago, chris and i were collecting vintage records, record players, books, jewelry, clothes, kitchenware … we must have overloaded – because we had a massive garage sale and sold nearly everything.  we are very selective in our collecting now!

Kristen_shelves

{Shelves in dining room}
5.) Many interesting pieces on your shelves … can you tell us a bit more and I see a laptop … is the internet an important tool for you and what sites do your really like to visit?
we keep the rest of the apartment uncluttered, so this is where we display our collection of vintage curios – dogwood pieces from bc ceramics.  wooden cocktail trays.  porcelain vases.  i have started collecting vintage frames for family photos.  the internet is definitely an important tool - for inspiration, sourcing materials, shopping, news, etc. – it is also a great tool for procrastinating!  i like to visit sites of like-minded individuals, moms and designers.   i like to see what everyone is up to and the productivity of others is inspiring. 

Kristen_daughterbedroom

{Daughter’s bedroom}
6.) Such a beautiful bed, where did you buy it and I love the curtains, please let us know where you find them?
the bed is by oeuf.  the tall dresser and low drawers are IKEA – and match her bed perfectly.  we found the vintage curtains in a shop in the heritage district of new westminster – also where chick pea children’s boutique (where my line is available locally) is located.

Kristen_daughterplay_light

{Daughter playing}
7.) You keep your girl’s room so light, open and uncluttered, I really like that … have you done this on purpose … what are her favorite toys and what is her favorite activity?
i did clean up before i took the photo – but hadley’s room is light and open and very pretty – even with her books and toys everywhere.  the IKEA furniture makes putting away the toys very easy!  at any time, there can be upward to 20 dolls + rabbits + dogs + bears on hadley’s bed.  i  sneak in after she has fallen asleep to remove the ‘not soft’ toys – tea party dishes, cardboard slide, books – that she has brought to bed with her. the artwork is a silkscreen entitled ‘peek-a-boo’ by my friend, artist sonja ahlers.  her bookshelf is filled to capacity and she loves them all.  her favourite toys of late have been strawberry shortcake + friends (my sister’s childhood dolls) and fisher price little people.

Kristen_livingroom

{Living room with tv on cabinet}
8.) How would you describe your style, what kind of furniture pieces are you really attracted to and where do you find them … do you still have a pick-up?
i would describe my style as eclectic – preferring vintage and unusual modern pieces.  our furniture + art have been collected thru auctions, craigslist, friends, thrift shops – and they all seem to work together.  i really like the william morris quote “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” – it helps to keep things simple.  the print is ‘red queen’ by joel smith (1967).

Kristen_livingroom_white

{Living room with white couch}
9.) I love the whole look of this corner, can you tell us a bit more about the cabinet with black balls on the end?
it is a stereo cabinet - clairtone project g.  it was an incredible find on craigslist – it had been listed for 23 days before we came across it – having only one previous owner, the stereo is in flawless condition.  it is my favourite piece of furniture and we use it every day. 

Kristen_specialchair

{Living room with special chair and artwork}
10.) This chair must be an one-of-kind piece, who made it and did the same person made the beautiful artwork too or is did you combine the two together … what do you like about it?
the chair is one of a few that were custom made for a local café.  it is an unusual chair - cold and metal.  hadley likes it because she can slide down it!  unfortunately, all i know about the painting is that it was done by an art student named, paul.  i love both pieces - they are so well-suited - they could have been made by the same artist!

Kristen_bedroom

{Bedroom}
11.) Again a light and bright bedroom, but there is a print on the wall that I really would like to know who made it? Are you an evening person or do you work better in the early morning?
this is another piece by sonja ahlers – a giclee print called ‘howling hex’.  most of my work while hadley is sleeping – during her nap or evenings.  i am useless in the morning – until I have had my coffee (the coffee maker is programmed the night before)!  i often work from 9pm to midnight – listening to old radio programs (‘agatha christie’ or ‘the shadow’ mysteries).  my studio is very small – 6’x6’ – but has two windows looking out to the trees in the backyard.

Kristen_garden_stairs

{Garden and daughter walking outside stairs}
12.) ;… and finally what is your magic tip to start something for yourself, work from home and combine this with being a mom?
“do what you love” + “don’t procrastinate”!  as a mom, it is also important not to set unreal expectations for yourself and your work – with a child, anything can happen! 

..Mette..

..Mette online shop..

..Kristin Rasmussen..

  • SHARE it
  • PIN it
2 Bloesem loves comments

The comments to this entry are closed.