DIY City is an online magazine that celebrates the independent artist and the DIY spirit. The idea for the mag grew out of a need to find art supplies and resources in New York City. NYC was a natural pick for our first issue as it seems that just about everyone moonlights doing some type of creative work. DIY, or do-it-yourself, has a broad range of meanings. For us it represents the creative spirit of individuals making things in a move away from mass production. Some of the DIYs we’ve met make wares to give or trade with others, while many others make them to sell in the ever growing DIY marketplace.

In our first issue you will find NYC themed products, as well as some of our favorite DIY resources. We will also bring you an inside look at some indie designers living and working in New York. Each issue will highlight a different, exciting DIY city. In the second issue of DIY City mag, we will bring you DIY stories and resources from New Orleans. We will also bring you daily stories of DIYs from around the globe at DIY City. DIY City mag may be coming soon to a city near you. Be sure to join our DIY City community at diycityguides.ning.com to help us build the most comprehensive resource guide for DIY.

Look for the NYC symbol – this will be an indication that the indie designer or shop is located in NYC. We are always looking for contributors and DIY project submissions – e-mail us at diycitymag at gmail.com with your ideas.

We would like to thank all our contributors, designers, shop owners and friends that we have met along the way – without all of you DIY City would not exist.

Deb and Wendy

sylviamay.etsy.com

Sylvia created the artwork for the first issue of DIY City mag. Check out her other art at her Etsy shop - sylviamay.etsy.com.

Sylvia Newton is a doodler. Being a doodler myself, I understand how it is that any scrap of paper can become a target for scribblings. Such was the case with Sylvia when she discovered a new medium for her designs. Sylvia was involved in a very long telephone conversation when she began to doodle with a black felt tip marker in an old novel. When she hung up the phone she realized that what she had drawn was “quite good and the text added to the appeal”. This method has since become one of her favorites.

You may know her work. Yes, it was Sylvia who designed the cover of DIY City’s first issue. Sylvia lives in Newcastle, Australia with her four kids and partner. As you can probably tell from her artwork, she enjoys people watching. Whether it’s a stranger on the street walking by, celebrity, character in a novel, or family member, she says that she can always find something about a person to draw inspiration from. Her pop art style is eye catching and modern.
“I do my best work while listening to music (the White Stripes, the Strokes, David Bowie, Sonic Youth, We Are Scientists).”
She loves the work of Yoshimoto Nara, Warhol, and some of her favorite indie artists are Beci Orpin (beciorpin.com), Lilly Piri (littlegalaxie.com), Audrey Kawasaki (audrey-kawasaki.com), Ali J of Aussie Patches (aussiepatches.etsy.com) and Ashley G (ashleyg.etsy.com).

Sylvia really values her many sketch books and journals as most artists do. And when we asked about her earliest memories of creating she recalled creating something with “a tissue and sticky tape dress for Barbie and a forest scene out of felt piece.”

You can find Sylvia’s work for sell at her Etsy shop: sylviamay.etsy.com

Join us at our DIY City Community to see our growing collection of DIY resources in NYC. You can add your own photos and comments or start a collection of resources for your favorite city. Our community is located at diycityguides.ning.com. You will also find maps to locate these great resources.

thepointnyc.com

The Point - Basic with a Modern Twist

Stepping into The Point Knitting Cafe, you almost feel you’ve just stepped into your best friend’s kitchen for a small get together. Fresh coffee greets you and the staff draw you in. You feel as though you could spend the entire day there, and in fact many do.

I made an appointment to speak with Patty Lyons, and arranged to visit one Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. To my surprise, I got a chance to meet and interview the owner, Helane Blumfield. Helane was eager to chat with me about DIY and knitting.

Helane shared her story of how she came to own a knitting store. Helane was one of many New Yorkers affected by 911. Helane, and her then three year old son, were unable to return to their apartment in Battery Park City. She taught herself to knit with the help of Real Simple Magazine and never stopped. From there her love of knitting blossomed and she opened her own knitting store.

Knitting stores in NYC run the gamut, many are known for less than friendly service, The Point is certainly different. It is considered to have the strongest beginning knitting classes in the city. Beginning knitting classes are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The morning I went there was a full class, there was even a guy in the bunch. Helane sees a growing group of guys knitting these days. The classes are very communal, with students getting to know each other and often meeting up long after the two-session classes are done. Many of the students become part of her customer base. Other advanced classes are available for knitters in technique as well as classes in spinning and yarn dyeing.

Having never really caught on to knitting myself, I watched closely to see if I might like to learn after the holidays. I was hooked, the instructor was very engaging and patient. Everyone picked right up and followed along with her step-by-step instructions. Maybe, it was having the familiar coffee cup sitting next to you that helped, well it would for me anyway. Many of the students had never picked up a needle before, some had experience with crocheting, some had tired to learn from DVDs or the Web, but all seemed to be looking for some 1-1 instruction, which they received in this small group setting.

The cozy shop is located at 37A Bedford St. between Carmine and Downing. You will see the “Eat, knit and be happy” sign in the window. Helane’s background in fashion advertising is evident. Big baskets of colorful, luxurious fiber line a whole wall, she stocks the yarn with an eye to the color forecasting for the current season. She also has a knitting designer on staff who provides free patterns of some versions of the latest styles in hats and other accessories.

The Point is also very intentional about giving back to the knitting community. Each month the shop promotes a different charity. I mentioned to Helane that I was from Louisiana and we spoke somewhat about Katrina - she noted that they stitched squares for blankets for victims of the hurricane. They also participate in Headhunters, Afghans for Afghans, among others.

Of course there are hundreds of yarn shops in New York City, but we thought we would share with you just a few of our favorites. Most cater to those who knit and crochet, but of course yarn can be used for so many great DIY projects.

Downtown Yarns is a lovely yarn shop with a well organized selection of delectable yarns. It is known as a neighborhood store in the East Village - 45 Avenue A. You can take the 6 train to Bleecker Street and walk east to Ave. A. They offer classes including the popular “Knitting Projects” class in which you pick your own project and make it with the teacher’s help. The store offers a wide selection of high end yarns, but you will feel comfortable browsing if you aren’t ready to make up your mind.

Knit-A-Way Brooklyn, located at 398 Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn, looks so inviting on the outside. Take the A or C train to Hoyt and then walk over to Atlantic. Inside you will find one of the largest selection of instructional books for knitters and crocheters in the city. They also offer discounts to members of the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) (crochet.org) and the Big Apple Knitters Guild (BAKG)(bakg.org). Knit-A-Way offers a basic set of classes. If you already know the basics, the Sunday Circle group that meets on Sunday afternoons might be a great crochet/knitting class if you want to work at your own pace on a project of your choice. Also, there are usually some yarns on sale - a plus if you are budget conscious. The store tends to carry a wide selection of basic yarns.
knitaway.com

Others on our list:
Knit New York at 14th St and 2nd Ave. Take the N/R/4/5/6 to Union Square or the L to 1st or 3rd Ave. They have a cafe and if you are super nervous about learning - they have private lessons for knitting and crocheting. And if you really want to DIY it - you can plan a party at The Knit.
knitnewyork.com

Smiley’s Yarn Store is located in Queens at 9206 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven, NY. Smiley’s is known for its big holiday yarn sale. Smiley’s is a giant yarn outlet that is known for low prices. By train, you need to take the J to Woodhaven Blvd.
smileysyarns.com

School Products
The oldest yarn store in Manhattan, it is a favorite for many. We love fiber, so this is one of our fav places to visit. They also have machine knitting and weaving equipment for the hard core DIYs. And the owner, Berta Karapetyan, just published her new book Runway Knits. So head to Midtown and it is at 1201 Broadway Suite 301 between 28th & 29th Streets. Take the R or the W to 28th St. at hop out at Broadway. But don’t look for a storefront - it is located on the 3rd Floor.
schoolproducts.com

Habu Textiles
Kim, at yarnabuse (yarnabuse.com), says walking into Habu is like walking into “yarn church”. At this upscale yarn store you will find more than enough fiber to fondle, okay so you can’t fondle it, but you can buy it and make something gorgeous. You will find it at 135 W 29th St. You can also sign-up for some very interesting classes such as Reading Japanese Patterns. It is a showroom/gallery and a weaving studio. You will find a large selection of imported Japanese and Asian yarns. And it’s open on Saturdays!

If you are in Manhattan and are looking for fabric, you should head to the Garment District, which covers the area from 5th to 9th Avenues and from 35th to 41st streets. Although some of the businesses are closing due to the changing real estate market, there are still many to explore. While fabric prices can be high in many of the stores, there are bargains to be found if you look. Head down 39th and 40th Streets, between 7th and 8th Avenues and you will find most of the stores. The stores exist to supply the fashion industry so many will be closed on the weekends and some only sell wholesale.

Sometimes finding some of the fabric stores can be difficult if you are not familiar with the city. Paron Fabrics West is one of many great fabric stores in the Garment District. It is well organized and what you will love is that you can see the price right away. Like others of its kind, it offers designer remnants. They also carry a full line of patterns. It is located at 206 W 40th St which is between 7th Ave & 8th Ave. And they are open late on Thursdays till 7 pm and they have Saturday hours too. Check their web site for details. paronfabrics.com

Lacestar sells lace fabrics by the yard if that’s what you are looking for. You will find this heavenly place at 215 W. 40th St.

Stretch House, at 218 West 37 St., specializes in stretch material, such as spandex. So if you if your DIY project is retro 80s, this might be where you want to start.

And if you are looking for hard-to-find mens fabric you should spend a few hours in Fabric Czar/Beckenstein at 257 W 39th St. This is the legendary top quality/top dollar menswear fabric store and the only fabric store totally dedicated to menswear. FabricCzar.com.

Of course, these days everyone is familiar with Mood due to Project Runway. While some indie designers prefer to buy fabric at other places, you may find what you are looking for on one of the three stories. Check it out at 225 W. 37th St.on the 2nd floor. moodfabric.com

One thing to keep in mind, if you are looking to match fabrics to coordinate a look you should never “swatch” or cut a piece of the fabric on your own. Many of the fabric stores will swatch for you but you must ask a salesperson to cut it for you. If you are budget conscious there are a few tips you should keep in mind. Look for stores going out-of-business, ask for student discounts if you are a student, and if possible buy in volume for the wholesale price. You should also bring cash, many stores operate only in cash or will give you a better deal if you pay in cash. Also, during back-to-school time you can buy fabrics and notions tax-free.

To find more info about fabric stores in the Garment District, check out fashioncenter.com. The Fashion Center is a non-profit corporation that promotes New York City’s apparel industry. The Fashion Center web site offers info about getting around the area plus reviews of many fabric and trim stores.

A favorite fabric source for eco-conscious DIYs are the countless thrift stores in the city. Some offer more high-end merchandise, others have bargain prices but you may have to pick through racks and racks of items.

One of my favorites is Baltic Bazaar, located in Brooklyn Heights. It is a great fabric store for DIYs. You can find an odd assortment of fabric that is generally sold by the pound. While you won’t find everything that you need, you will find good prices. They also offer a variety of sewing classes. They receive donated fabric from about 90 design houses. You will likely find something you need, especially if you are looking for upholstery fabric. They also sell some used clothes and furniture. I love to look through the button boxes.

balticstreet.org/balticbazaar.html

The City Quilter is located in Chelsea and is quite large for a specialty shop in Manhattan. They specialize in fabric for the “urban quilter” - contemporary, exotic, and sophisticated including batiks, and hand-dyed and Japanese fabric. On my last visit, I saw a large variety, and the staff were very helpful. They also carry books, sewing notions and gifts for quilters, sewers, embroiderers, and other fiber artists. There’s always interesting classes being offered too.
Take the 1, C, E, F, or R to 23rd and it is a 5 min. walk. 133 West 25th St.

cityquilter.com

Jonathan’s Embroidery is more than just an embroidery store. They offer multi-colored digital printing on any garment. Jonathan’s Embroidery is located at 256 W 38th St.
jeplus.com

Owners Joelle & Jennifer Hoverson opened the Purl Patchwork in 2006 - it is a quaint fabric shop, just a few doors away from their other yarn store, Purl. It is n the heart of Soho on Sullivan between Prince & Houston Streets. You can find heirloom quality cotton for your quilting projects.
purlsoho.com

Leather Impact Inc. - 256 West 38th St.

Join us at our DIY City Community to see our growing collection of DIY resources in NYC. You can add your own photos and comments or start a collection of resources for your favorite city. Our community is located at diycityguides.ning.com.

Do you have an itch to try some DIY sewing? Sewing is a survival skill you should know, plus who knows, you might want to try out for Project Runway soon. Ok, maybe not, but you still might want to create some kickin’ outfits that don’t look like what everyone else is wearing. Here are some of the places that you can learn to sew in NYC. Or if you are like some of the indies we met recently, you can teach yourself the DIY way.

Baltic Bazaar
Baltic Bazaar in Brooklyn Heights is a great place to start when it comes to affordable sewing lessons. They offer a variety for those just starting out, to more advanced courses.
It is also a great fabric store for DIYs. They receive donated fabric and other sewing supplies from about 90 design houses. You may have to sort through the upholstery fabric, but you can find great fabric here if you look. They also sell some clothes for you to reconstruct.
balticstreet.org/balticbazaar.html

Brooklyn General Store is one place to try. It is located at 128 Union St. in Columbia Terrace. The closest train is the F at Carroll St. Brooklyn General offers yarn as well as fabric and some basic notions. If you are interested in learning to sew, this would be a good place to start - they offer three basic levels of classes as well as a patternmaking class. Plus there are embroidery and appliqué classes. Much of the fabric for sale is vintage, so you may need to look elsewhere if you are looking for material for sewing clothing. They do offer organic cotton batting and other quilting supplies. If you have taken up felting, you will find beautiful wool felt available in a vast assortment of different colors.

Plus, they have a great blog - brooklyngeneral.com/blog - and an e-mail list so you can find out about upcoming classes, special workshops, and of course everyone’s favorites - sales.
brooklyngeneral.com

If you like to learn even more before you go - read this excellent review at the Knitter’s Review (knittersreview.com). Lela Nargi gives you all the history.

If you are really wanting to dive in and learn to fashion your own wardrobe, then you should certainly check out the courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.). Many of the indies we’ve met have taken classes here. You can enroll for a whole degree program, or take some of their continuing education courses - either way you will surely benefit. fitnyc.edu

Flirt, an indie boutique in Brooklyn, has also expanded to offer sewing classes. The classes are not at their Smith St. location, instead they are at 303 Third Ave. in Brooklyn at their new Home Ec Studio. The owners offer Home Ec is patternmaking, knitting, and sewing classes. They also offer open studio time for using their sewing machines. Check the Web site for the latest details.
flirt-brooklyn.com/classes.html

Etsy also offers sewing classes. You can find out more at their Web site - EtsyLabs.etsy.com. Etsy Labs is Etsy’s studio space, located at 325 Gold Street 6th Floor in Brooklyn. Etsy Labs just had it’s first birthday.

If you live in Queens you might want to check out Sew Time in Bayside. They are located at 78-35B Springfield Blvd, Bayside. They have a large selection of classes, including classes on serging and quilting. Plus they offer a basic class that is open to teens. sewtime.com

Button and Trim Stores
The best button and trim stores are still located in Manhattan in the Garment District. Check out some of these on your next trip in.

Daytona Braids & Trimming
Daytona Trimming, located at 251 West 39th in the Garment District, is a popular store for affordable trim including lace, woven braids and ribbon. This is a great store to explore and find vintage designer buttons. This is the trim store I head to first - the prices are great and the service is good as well.

Tinsel Trading
Tinsel Trading is really irresistible if you like color and texture. It is a great trim store located at 47 W 38th St. in the Garment District. You will find vintage trim as well as reproductions. The store has a wonderful history - the idea that they still have spools of metal thread from France in the basement is extraordinary. And if you can’t find enough for your projects at Tinsel Trading, visit their other store “The Store Across the Street” for great ribbons. They also have a steady stream of workshops for creating a variety of things with trims and ribbons. If you want to read more about this neat store, see Laurie Davis’ review at: iamadiva.com
tinseltrading.com

M&J Trimmings at 1008 6th Avenue (between 37th and 38th) is a mammoth store. Just standing outside you can be mesmerized by the colors and patterns. The store has every type of trim imaginable from ribbons and buckles to buttons and sequins - you can even find rhinestones of all things. You can also buy other notions and supplies for your DIY crafting projects. Be prepared to spend hours, and bring your pocketbook. On my last visit, I overheard a customer calling her husband to bring the credit card - you can spend the money quickly in a store this size. Floor to ceiling trimming overload - have fun!
mjtrim.com

Wm. N. Ginsburg Co. sells a collection of braids and decorative trims. Ginsburg has been around for over 70 years in the Garment Center. They are located at 242 W. 38th St. You can see some of their collection online. They mainly cater to wholesale buyers, but like many similar businesses today, now also sell retail. ginstrim.com

Lou Lou Button is a small but delightful button shop located at 69 West 38th St. Buttons are so unique and can really add pizzaz to an outfit. In this small shop, you will find the buttons organized and labeled and the staff are helpful.

Tender Buttons
Tender Buttons is a must stop. They have every imaginable kind of button, some old and some new. Some are worth fortunes - imagine for such little items that we lose from our clothing everyday. Of course, the rarity of some of their stock is what makes them so precious. I just like to go to look. Buttons from bygone days seemed to be so much more detailed. It is located at 143 East 62nd St. To get there take the N, R, or W train and get off at Lexington Ave or the 4, 5, 6 and get off at at 59th St.

Baltic Bazaar
Baltic Bazaar in Brooklyn Heights is a great fabric store for DIYs. They receive donated fabric and other sewing supplies from about 90 design houses. You will likely find something you need, especially if you are looking for upholstery fabric. I love to look through the button boxes, you never know what ones you will find that will complete that DIY project you are working on.
balticstreet.org/balticbazaar.html

Others we like:
M & S Schmalberg
M & S Schmalberg makes custom fabric flowers. This store is a real treat if you are looking for special flowers to accent a design you are making. Located in the Garment District at 242 W 36th St. on the 7th floor. The store has passed through three generations and has managed to survive and flourish. This store is really about flower design - they design for the fashion industry, but they also will design something for you with your material or theirs.
customfabricflowers.com

Hyman Hendler & Sons, located at 21 West 38th St, is also a charming trim store. It has been around since 1900. Their yarn dyed grosgrain “Beauvais” can be dyed any color if you are ordering 600 yards. Okay, so for your usual DIY project you probably won’t be ordering 600 yards, but it is fun to know the possibilities. If you are looking for vintage ribbon they have a large selection including jacquards from France, dating back 200 years. hymanhendler.com

Manny’s Millinery (mannys-millinery.com) is going out of business later this year. This is really sad news to small businesses in the hat making business. Manny’s has been in business since 1948 as a wholesaler selling hat bodies. Milliners in NYC have formed a Milliners Guild to work toward ways of sustaining their businesses despite the loss of Manny’s.

3rdwardbrooklyn.org

3rd Ward in Brooklyn is a facility for creative professionals. DIY City had a chance to check out 3rd Ward’s facilities during the Handmade Holiday Craft Fair and Open House that they sponsored along with Etsy.

The craft fair was held in the gallery space. The space is open and airy, setting the stage for the cross-disciplinary work that founders Jason Goodman and Jeremy Lovitt envisioned would occur when they first dreamed of the idea in 2004. “Community is definitely at the heart of 3rd Ward,” says Goodman. After moving to Brooklyn in 2004, they set up a shared studio space for local artists. But because their work was cross-disciplinary it was a natural next step to start sharing resources. The business partners thought that by sharing space and equipment they could “establish an affordable way to create art”.

The 20,000 sq ft. facility offers a gallery, photo studio, wood shop, metal shop, music recording studio, digital media lab, and large shared office space. 3rd Ward also offers private office spaces. 3rd Ward doesn’t currently offer tools for such crafts as jewelry metalsmithing, but does rent out desk space so jewelers can set up a office, where they can run their businesses and make jewelry at their desks.

3rd Ward had a vision as it built its facilities. Now that the facilities are up and running, it seems that 3rd Ward has become more than just a facility for artists in the community. Not only can artists work, play, and create, but also they have access to affordable health insurance. This collaboration has allowed for sharing not only facilities, but also ideas and solutions to problems.

3rd Ward targets independent creative professionals. What is probably unique about their business model is that they aim to bring artists the benefits of working for a company. They offer their members such benefits as high-end facilities, access to health insurance, and educational opportunities set in the midst of a creative environment. Toss that in with 3rd Ward’s sense of community and at little cost and with out a boss you may well have a model that may set the tone for today’s rising creative class.

The concept for 3rd Ward, created by a pair of artists for artists, is reflective of similar models in today’s creative cultures. Etsy (etsy.com), a two-year old Brooklyn-based company, offers similar community features for the indie and DIY community at Etsy Labs. It has a studio with sewing machines, metalworking supplies, silk screening, computers and a mailing station. You will also find a kitchen and lounge that is used for various DIY events such as Etsy’s trunk shows. Etsy is known world-wide for its online store where members buy and sell handmade goods. Etsy Labs is a model that Etsy plans to bring to other cities in the future.

Brooklyn isn’t the only city to benefit from such models. San Francisco’s Techshop (techshop.ws) offers members a similar open-access workshop and creative environment with monthly and/or yearly memberships. Techshop’s focus is slightly different, but both Techshop and 3rd Ward seem to be havens for creatives and modern do-it-yourselfers (DIYs). Techshop has plans to expand this summer into nine cities including Seattle, Portland, Austin, Orlando, and Durham as well several others in California. The model of a member-supported artist community could work for other communities such as New Orleans. Many of the artists living and working there feel that creatives will be pivotal in the city making its comeback.

3rd Ward has a variety of membership offers. They offer unlimited free classes for those signing up as an “I heart Brooklyn” member. This membership includes all of the regular membership benefits, but allows unlimited access to the Photography Studio and Wood and Metal Shops at one flat rate. They also still offer a Trial Membership at $60 per month and a Yearly Membership at $30 month.

“Along with offering tools and space 3rd Ward is home to an ever-growing continuing art education program. The classes cover everything from web design and furniture building to circuit bending and screen printing and are taught by a unique set of professors. Also in the coming months we’ll be collaborating with Harvest Works and LEMUR to provide new classes in multi-disciplinary media arts.” - Mike Rugnetta, Education Coordinator.