Textile Studio, 143 Grand Ave at Beekman, Saratoga Springs NY, 518-583-2129

All in a Day's Work

2012-01-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

Last day of January 2012.... This month we focused on new fabric design and construction. The looms get "dressed" and "undressed" repeatedly as we change warp colors, draws (the order in which yarn is threaded through the heddles on the loom) and sett (how densely or loosely the warp threads are placed together.) Dressing the loom can be very tedious, especially when it's an all day process involving 500 different ends (threads) each threaded through an individual heddle on the loom. Good to have some help or at least some warm fur to keep me company!

Our late winter/early spring shows are coming up soon:

February 22-26 American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore MD

March 23-25 CraftBoston, World Trade Center, Seaport Blvd. Boston MA

April 18-22 Smithsonian Craft Show, National Building Museum, Washington DC

Show Schedule Dec 2011 - April 2012

2011-11-30T08:50:00.001-05:00

Hope to see you soon at a show near you! Click on the show for more info on show's website.

WINTER 2011

December 2-4 Craft Morristown, Western Ave Armory, Morristown NJ

December 9-11 Craft Boston, Cyclorama Art Center, Tremont St. Boston, MA

WINTER/SPRING 2012

Feb 22,23 American Craft Council, Baltimore Conv Ctr, Pratt Street, wholesale to the trade only

Feb 24-26 American Craft Council, Baltimore Conv Ctr, Pratt Street, retail open to the public

March 23-25 CraftBoston, World Trade Center, Seaport Blvd. Boston, MA retail open to the public

April 18-22 Smithsonian, Nat'l Building Museum, 401 F St NW, Washington DC, retail open to the public

We are pleased to be featured in the current issue of Ornament Magazine, an international publication focusing on the "art of personal adornment" including jewelry, costume, and art to wear. Click here to see the online article.

Late Fall at the Studio

2011-11-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Pile of cut scarves ready for hemming. We use a vintage straight stitcher made by Singer in the 60's, not a fancy machine but a real workhorse!

Laundered warps hanging out to dry. We've had a mild winter and the ramp railings provide a good clothesline.

Here is one of our latest scarves- vibrant colors for fall and winter.
This one would look gorgeous on camel, grey, black, or navy coat. Magenta and topaz checks woven with a little bit of citron green.
In soft drapey rayon chenille.

Fall Production

2011-09-21T08:01:00.000-04:00

September is a busy month at Textile Studio...our looms and sewing machines are whirring with activity. We're shipping our scarves and accessories all over the country to shops and galleries carrying our work. Look for the frittelli & LOCKWOOD label at a special store near you!

2011 Fall Show Schedule

2011-08-22T07:38:00.000-04:00

The first crimson fall leaf landed on our patio today and so starts the slow change towards fall, our favorite season.... because it's scarf season! Our fall schedule is set, see below, and of course we welcome you to visit us in our open studio/gallery in Saratoga Springs, NY. We look forward to showing you our cozy handwoven scarves, caps, and clothing for men and women.....

September 2-5 Longs Park Craft Fair Booth 172 Longs Park Harrisburg Pike

Lancaster PA www.longspark.org/art.html

October 22-23 Proctors Fine Craft Show Proctors Theatre

Schenectady NY www.proctors.org/events/northeast-fine-craft-festival-2011

November 17-20 Hudson Mohawk Weavers Guild Pruyn House Old Niskayuna Road

Colonie NY 518-583-2129 for more info

November 19-20 Craft Westport Staples High School on North Ave

Westport CT www.artrider.com/WPT11.html

December 2-4 Craft Morristown Armory on Western Ave

Morristown NJ www.artrider.com/mtownH11.html

December 9-11 Craft Boston Cyclorama at The Boston Center for the Arts

539 Tremont Street Boston MA www.societyofcrafts.org/cbholiday

Happy Summer!

2011-06-21T08:02:00.000-04:00

Getting ready for the summer crowds in Saratoga who spend alot of time outdoors in the evening at our fabulous SPAC outdoor ampitheatre or on the patios of our fabulous restaurants. We have the perfect accessory for cool summer evenings- a lacy shawl handwoven of bamboo fiber in a luscious pink and taupe combination. I was pressing it and realized the reason we all love this color so- it reminds us of neapolitan ice cream, where the strawberry and chocolate and vanilla all melt together soft and creamy. Happy Summer everyone!

Arts Fest June 10-12, 2011!

2011-06-08T14:26:00.003-04:00

Crocheted Pears and Felted Tomatoes
almost good enough to eat.... but a little
too high in fiber!

We are part of ARTS FEST this weekend June 10-12 at our shop in the Beekman Street Arts District. An open house/studio, visiting fiber artists, and weaving demonstrations will take place Saturday 10-8 pm and Sunday 12-4 pm. The galleries in our Arts District will display special pieces for ARTS FEAST- handmade functional art in tableware and table coverings. Textile Studio will be adding fun fiber food too- all handmade by American artisans using knit, crochet, and felting techniques.

Spring 2011

2011-03-20T22:07:00.001-04:00

SPRING SHOW SCHEDULE 2011

March 25-27 Craft Boston, World Trade Center, Boston, MA (retail) www.craftboston.org

April 1-3 Craft New York, 7W Building, 34th St & Fifth Ave, New York, NY (retail) www.artrider.com

April 14-15 Invitational Trunk Show, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St NW, 9am-9pm.
https://sites.google.com/site/invitationaltrunkshow

Baltimore Feb 2011- American Craft Council Fair

2011-02-27T12:48:00.005-05:00

Our menswear collection- neckties, scarves, and our new line of asymmetrical pieced vests. We have a small but loyal men's following at this show, artful dressers.

Booth 530, our little corner of the world, among 700 top notch craft artists from across the USA. Here we're showing some new linen/silk jackets for spring along with our bamboo scarves and shawls. This is a well-attended show and it's great to be appreciated by an enthusiastic, buying crowd.

New Year in New York!

2011-02-08T22:16:00.006-05:00

A roll of rayon chenille plaid scarf warp fresh off the loom. After the roll is laundered, it's cut and sewn into several scarves. This one will brighten up a dark winter day!

Three different weaves in three different fibers- merino/tencel, alpaca, and bamboo.

We started our new year designing samples for the New York Gift show which opened the end of January. Jeri, Morgan, and I wove warp after warp, changing fills for each new colorway, experimenting with a new merino/tencel yarn, and playing with pattern formats and sizes. It was a challenge to produce several new scarf lines in a month. Here's one collection at the show featuring parts of 3 different collections all in bamboo fiber.

2010-12-30T08:57:00.001-05:00

Our best to you and yours for a joyful new year... looking forward to seeing you soon at a show or at the shop! 143 Grand Ave at Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs NY. Winter hours are Weds- Sat 10-5. Other times gladly arranged.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T08:37:00.003-05:00

Our looms and weavers are happy to be in design mode this January after a bustling fall production schedule! New accessory and clothing fabrications for spring 2011 are taking shape and our show schedule for the next few months is confirmed:

Jan 29- Feb 2 New York Gift Show, Javits Center, New York, NY (to the trade only)
Feb 24-27 American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Conv Ctr, Baltimore MD (retail)
March 25-27 Craft Boston, World Trade Center, Boston, MA (retail)
April 1-3 Craft New York, 7W Building, 34th St and Fifth Ave, New York, NY (retail)

Our best to you and yours for a joyful new year... looking forward to seeing you soon at a show near you!

2nd Annual Holiday Open House! Sat Dec 4th, 10am - 8 pm

2010-11-30T08:02:00.004-05:00

Please come visit our studio on Saturday, December 4th for our 2nd Annual Holiday Open House! Handwoven clothing and accessories for men, women, & children, fiber art gifts, housewares, and dog coats. Holiday treats and special sales all day..... come in out of the cold and wrap up in something warm and cozy from Frittelli & Lockwood!

We need a little extra help to get ready for the holiday rush. MacDuff, here modeling a handwoven tartan dogcoat, does his part. He's excited for the Open House and meeting new friends!

We get an hour of weekend help here and there from our teen assistants.

Street News

2010-11-09T08:40:00.006-05:00

Early in November, the city replaced our century-old water main on Beekman Street. Heavy duty vehicles blocked the main intersection for a couple days. But it was business as usual inside Textile Studio. The clacking looms competed with the hum/roar of the backhoe outside and customers found us, picking their way through the messy crosswalks....

We're pleased to report the construction is done and we have squeaky clean new water pipes! All is well on Beekman Street again.

Early Pumpkin Harvest

2010-09-14T11:44:00.002-04:00

Just "harvested" from Jane MacAlpine's Adirondack studio..... felted from earthy orange, brown, and green roving, these little wool pumpkins are available at Textile Studio now for early fall decorating.

Fall Harvest Colors

2010-09-03T15:42:00.007-04:00

Here's our booth at the Evanston show the end of August. Lots of wonderful customers and great response to our new fall jackets, vests, caps, and scarves. We're back at the studio working on orders and ready for our local customers to visit and try on some new pieces. Welcome, Fall!

Some new colorways in Chenille Scarves- this one is called "harvest" and it's ready for wrapping up in at the first cool nip in the air...

Upcoming Events:
October 23,24 Northeast Fine Crafts Fest, Proctors Theatre, Schenectady NY
October 30,31 Fall Fest in Saratoga Arts District, Beekman St, Saratoga NY
November 18-20 Weavers Guild Show, Pruyn House, Latham NY
December 10-12 CraftBoston, Cyclorama, Tremont St, Boston MA

Ready for Ballet Season!

2010-06-26T10:29:00.005-04:00

We just finished weaving a group of bamboo and linen shawls perfect for the upcoming ballet season here in Saratoga Springs. New York City Ballet is in residence from July 6-17 here at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center.)
The amphitheatre is outdoors in a State Park and the evenings can get a bit chilly. My shawls are handwoven with a lacy leno weave on a cream colored warp and ecru weft so the pattern is subtle and elegant.

Arts Fest 2010

2010-06-17T22:36:00.007-04:00

Saratoga Arts Fest took place on June 10-13 and brought lots of visitors and customers to Beekman Street. Our studio was open all weekend with a small loom for kids to try out. Studios in the Arts District were open to the public and several visiting artists set up displays. We also hosted a Trashion Show with high school students modeling "clothing" made from potato chip bags, playing cards, lamp shades, and duct tape. It was a hit and brought a lot of new people to our street.

Porch Restoration

2010-06-17T22:28:00.005-04:00

In May, the Saratoga Preservation Foundation, honored us with a Preservation Award for our exterior facade at 143 Grand Ave. This encouraged us to continue restoration work on the porches, using the original posts and trims. Our friend Art Baird, and Richard salvaged and refitted the old posts. Over the summer, we'll get to the side porches and finish up the painting.

2010-04-28T08:30:00.002-04:00

Back from the Smithsonian Show. It takes place every year in April at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. A magnificent show, thank you to all our Washington patrons! We will be busy filling your orders for our handwoven jackets and vests all spring.....

Smithsonian Craft Show April 22-25

2010-04-12T19:45:00.004-04:00

Classic black and cream with pewter accent in a glenplaid design woven of 100% bamboo fiber.
See our scarf collection and much more in Booth 404 at the 28th annual Smithsonian Craft Show.
www.smithsoniancraftshow.org
Show hours:
Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington DC

Baltimore Craft Show Feb 23-28

2010-02-21T07:00:00.006-05:00

Richard making a warp for a new stripe fabric in cotton and bamboo for mens shirting.

Designing at the loom. As we weave, it's important to record the layout- warp and weft formats, how many ends and picks per inch, all that technical stuff. So that we can repeat it if the scarf becomes a best-seller.

New designs for our upcoming shows (see "spring" schedule below) These are scarves woven from recycled cotton with an overlay of soy wool fiber which also becomes a selvedge fringe when cut and finished. You'll have to come to the show to see the finished product- very fun and funky!

Feb 23-24 American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center,

Baltimore MD Booth 900 wholesale to the trade (2 days) www.craftcouncil.org

Feb 25-28 American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center,

Baltimore MD Booth 900 retail/ general admission (4 days) www.craftcouncil.org

March 5-7 Germantown Friends Show, Friends School, 31 Coulter St, Philadelphia PA

www.germantownfriends.org 215-951-2300

April 21-25 Smithsonian Craft Show, National Building Museum, 401 F St NW,

Washington DC www.smithsoniancraftshow.org

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-15T16:15:00.003-05:00

Upcoming Events:

Feb 6, 10am - 1pm Felt Workshop with Linda Van Alstyne. Learn how to make felted soaps, using wool roving to form a built-in washcloth... Naturally exfoliating, and good clean felting fun!

Feb 23-24 Booth 900 American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center,

Baltimore MD wholesale to the trade (2 days) www.craftcouncil.org

Feb 25-28 Booth 900 American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center,

Baltimore MD retail/ general admission (4 days) www.craftcouncil.org

March 5-7 Germantown Friends Show, Friends School, 31 Coulter St, Philadelphia PA

www.germantownfriends.org 215-951-2300

April 21-25 Smithsonian Craft Show, National Building Museum, 401 F St NW,

Washington DC www.smithsoniancraftshow.org

Christmas on Beekman Street

2009-12-22T18:34:00.004-05:00

Our first holiday season on Beekman Street is a lot of fun.... Neighbors and friends stop in to see our handwoven scarves and ties, bags and caps; perfect accessories for the special people in your life! We are open through Dec 23, then closed for a few days, and open again on Weds. Dec 3o to get ready for First Nite which happens of course, Dec 31. We'll be open then 10 am till 9 pm with kids crafts, weaving demos, and lots of hot cocoa and cookies to warm you up. Come join us!January 2nd is First Saturday and we'll be open late again, serving wine and cheese and showing off our latest creations. Winter hours starting in the New Year will be Wednesdays through Saturdays 10- 5. Hope to see you soon! Happy New Year!

Studio Visitors- Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T18:07:00.004-05:00

Nieces and nephew visiting from Virginia, modeling our newest creations....Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

Our nephew John Gabe comes to visit from Virginia, he's a natural weaver!

1st Annual Holiday Open House Dec 5-6 2009

2009-11-23T08:02:00.005-05:00

Please join us for our 1st Annual Holiday Open House
Saturday and Sunday December 5 and 6, 2009.
Hours: Saturday 12/5: 10am-8pm and Sunday 12/6: 12pm -4pm.
We're celebrating our first holiday season as part of the Beekman Street Arts District!
Come join us for wassail and cookies, weaving demonstrations, and special sales on our handwoven clothing and accessories, perfect for gift-giving.
Hope to see you soon! Happy Holidays from frittelli & LOCKWOOD at Textile Studio!
www.frittelli-lockwood.com

Great Gift Idea for that special woman in your life.... a handwoven bamboo scarf from frittelli & LOCKWOOD at Textile Studio, 143 Grand Ave at Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs NY

Great Gift Idea for that special man in your life..... a handwoven shirt in cotton and bamboo fiber, handwoven scarf in silk and chenille. Come see our collection at Textile Studio, 143 Grand Ave at Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs NY.

FALL UPDATE: Looms with a View

2009-09-18T07:58:00.009-04:00

Getting closer to a good "After" shot.... still have the porches to finish. We want to face the posts and add the period details- still have the originals in the basement. Hope to get to that project this fall... meanwhile we're busy prepping for our upcoming shows both near and far:

Sept 26,27 Washington County Fairgrounds Greenwich NY
http://www.washingtoncountyfair.com/ I'll be weaving on a floor loom using alpaca yarns and displaying a collection of our handwoven clothing and accessories.

Oct 24,25 Proctors Northeast Fine Craft show. www.proctors.org/events/5055
432 State Street, Schenectady NY

Oct 30-Nov 1 Smithsonian Trunk Show at the National Building Museum, Washington DC http://www.craft2wear.smithsonian.org/

November 6-7, 4th Annual Albany Holiday Studio Sale
Friday 5pm - 9pm Saturday 10am - 5pm 725 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY
A Splendid Show and Sale of Art & Craft held in a gracious 1895 mansion near Washington Park, the 4th Annual Albany Holiday Studio Sale benefits the programs of The Woman's Club of Albany. Part of Albany's 1st Friday. Admission and parking are free, and the artisan-themed Spotted Dog Cafe will serve refreshments and light fare and desserts. More info and artist interviews:
http://www.albanyholidaystudiosale.blogspot.com

Nov 20-22 Marlboro, MA Paradise City Arts Festival, Royal Plaza Trade Ctr, Marlboro MA http://www.paradisecityarts.com/

Dec 11-13 CraftBoston at the Cyclorama, Tremont St, Boston, MA
http://www.craftboston.org/

Here is the front of the gallery with some of our menswear and womens' jackets. We're still playing with display trying to balance comfortable retail space with work space.

Here's a loom with a view! This is the end of a black bamboo warp that I wove shawls on. Next warp will be cream bamboo for shawl orders that I took at the Evanston IL show late summer (http://www.americancraftexpo.org/)

Here's how we've set up our gallery and weaving space in the front part of the building. This is an old button attacher that works well with our necktie display. We're hoping a visitor will recognize this machine and show us how to use it

Amejo Amyot (http://www.beekmanartists.com/) got us all going to install bike racks at various businesses along the Arts District. She designed a basic structure to which we each add an element that relates to our business. We attached an industrial shuttle to the top- our "Flying Shuttle."
I LOVE riding my bike to work these glorious fall days- I stuff the panniers with my paperwork, lunch, and weaving slippers and off I go.

Well, it's about time to add a new post!
We've been open for a couple months now. Last Saturday, we joined in the festivities of the WEST SIDE CELEBRATION. Artists and musicians filled the streets of the Arts District and food vendors served sausage and pepper rolls and cannoli's. We put a tent of sample sale items outside and Claire served lemonade and hot chocolate. Our county supervisor, Joanne Yepsen (http://www.joanneyepsen.com/) started her fall campaign so we agreed to advertise a bit for her. She has done a great deal for the West Side and the Arts District in particular. Thank you, Joanne, we'll be rooting for you!

We're Open!

2009-07-08T20:59:00.003-04:00

We are officially OPEN! The city has approved our space and we get a C.O. on July 8, 2009 exactly 1 year and 8 months from when we purchased the building in November 2007. It has been a long haul and we are so thankful to be here!

Richard proudly displays the first yardage woven in our new studio.

We have Visitors

2009-07-08T20:39:00.007-04:00

Not really a visitor... daughter Claire plays dress up in our accessories and poses at our new entrance way.

Our friend Dorothy Price, a retired clothing designer from New York gives us lots of encouragement.

My college friend Marsha Pritchard visits from Colorado. She's looking for land in Washington County. As a kitchen and bath designer, she's seen it all and is very helpful with advice about how to work with a shall-we-say difficult contractor.

Peter Harrison, a furniture designer from Galway, checks in on our progress. You can see his gorgeous pieces at http://www.lavassa.com/

Final Stages

2009-07-08T20:24:00.008-04:00

Mitch and Darrell finish up the pipe railings, seems like there are miles of them. The rainy weather is not helping finish up this job!

We have a sign made up with our new "dba" name. Love the font on this and it will read well from the street.

Since code requires we have a smooth walk from sidewalk to ADA ramp, we decide to have other concrete walks as well to front entrance and from driveway

to Beekman porch entrance. More dirt piles....

Settling In

2009-06-16T22:16:00.002-04:00

I'm weaving in our new space! Feels good to treadle a loom
again even though we're still in unpacking mode. Where did I pack
the tape measures??

Schuyler walks over from the High School after Regents exams to
help unpack yarns and wash windows. What a good son!
Notice the rainbow effect of the yarn shelf...

2009-06-06T15:18:00.011-04:00

Trying to get a good "After" shot, not quite there yet till the porch gets finished up. But we're making progress. The final stages just seem to crawl....we're so ready to be done with this project and get back to work!!

Here's our finished ramp- waiting now for another concrete pour for steps, then metal railings will be installed. It was nice to have the ramp for the load-in with 500 lb. looms on dollies.

We've Moved!! By June 1st, all the heavy looms, sewing machines, and equipment gets moved in. Richard and I and many van/trailer loads finish the job 3 days later. How did we ever accumulate so much stuff in 8 short years?!?

Gary finishes up the wood trim end of May. We love the accent blocks at the corner with contrast grain. This is the front gallery space which will feature our clothing and accessories. We'll display some knockout pieces in the triple window for all the diners at The Local across the street to notice!

Wainscotting in the back cutting room, salvaged wood from 19th century buildings. We'll put a light coat of poly sealer on it. I think this is going to be my favorite room because of the north light and all the windows....

"I could have danced all night!"

2009-05-16T12:55:00.006-04:00

A corner of the front gallery space. It absolutely glows!

Nick and Gary are finishing up the flooring in the back room which will house our cutting table.
We only wish that we didn't have to cover any square footage with equipment. This floor is meant for dancing!!

Gary arrives to install the gorgeous floor boards he salvages
from old Pennsylvania barn beams. He fabricates tongue and groove lengths from these strips,
then finishes them with 3 coats of poly before installing them. We love his artistry as much as his 200 year old reclaimed flooring.

An Exciting Day at 143 Grand!

2009-05-04T20:14:00.005-04:00

Sam has been doing a fabulous job on both interior and

exterior painting. As you can see, there is some fussy

detail on our trim. We are making good progress with

good painting weather this spring... let's hope it continues.

We've been waiting for Jeff to be available for the pour.

He's been working non-stop on a hotel in Lake George set

to open May 1st with 400 guests booked for the first night!

Cement truck arrives onsite to pour the ramp.

Siding and Trim

2009-04-27T21:54:00.004-04:00

Starting to look like something! We're happy with the

soft teal siding and mustard trim. It's going to get complicated

when we get to the frieze boards and dentils high above.

We're playing with color samples now trying to stay one step ahead of the painter...

Some neighbors and friends....

2009-04-11T12:19:00.005-04:00

This is Michelle LaLonde, owner of Mimosa Gallery at 70C
Beekman Street. She has fabulous taste and we asked her
to help us with color selection for the interior walls. We are going
with different shades of light yellowish to blueish greens, from spring willow
to pistachio. You can see her lovely collection of objects for home at
www.mimosagallery.com Thank you, Michelle!!

This is Amejo Amyot sitting in the front gallery of her
79 Beekman Street studio. We call her the "Diva of Beekman Street"
because she started this whole movement of local artists
renovating run-down buildings in the area and using them
for live and work spaces. We credit her with inspiring us to undertake
this project many years ago....You can see her work and upcoming
events at http://www.beekmanartists.com Thank you, Amejo!!

Front facade facing Grand Ave. Need to add another
shed roof portion on the right to balance. Metal roof to match
original is ordered and on it's way.

2009-03-31T21:50:00.000-04:00

Mud Season!

2009-03-31T21:44:00.005-04:00

Front porch and entry way starting to take shape.

Front stoop poured and back filled. Will we ever
find the front yard again?!

Walls for the Basement entry doors are set.

More Drywall, More Taping

2009-03-20T07:16:00.007-04:00

Back room downstairs facing the interior of the building

Pretty purple drywall in the bathroom

Taping upstairs on its way

Old stairway needs a lot of TLC!

Pouring Walls

2009-03-20T07:11:00.001-04:00

Ramp on the West Side

Bilco door basement entry walls

Here comes the Drywall...

2009-03-11T07:33:00.003-04:00

Upstairs front room facing west.

Downstairs back room facing north.

The Big Dig

2009-03-11T07:21:00.005-04:00

Without parked cars lining the street, it really is a
Grand Avenue! We are making a mess with the
backhoe to lay down footings for the ramp, bilco door
and front porch.

Forms to pour footings for ADA Ramp.

Forms to pour footings for Bilco Door Steps

Some Neighborhood Buildings

2009-03-05T07:23:00.010-05:00

Here's a photo from our West Side Festival which takes place every September. The red building is 70 Beekman St which was completely renovated early this decade and houses an Art Gallery and a very special shop called Mimosa owned by Michelle and Michael LaLonde. One part of the shop specializes in fine craft accessories for home and wear, the other is a painting and art furniture gallery. It is a must-stop on Beekman Street. www.mimosagallery.com

Our next door neighbor on Grand Ave. Needs some TLC, nice Victorian details...

Beekman Artists Co-op at 79 Beekman St.
This building houses clay artists on the first floor and painters on the second floor.
Beautiful outdoor sculpture garden, perfect for pleine air events in the spring and summer. http://www.beekmanartists.com

As requested from one of our followers, here are some other buildings in the neighborhood.

You can see they range from mid 1800's federal style to Victorian to 21st century! It is an eclectic mix which is what we love about the West Side...

Here is the home of Phinney Architects www.phinneydesign.com (built in 2004), Feast Gallery, and on the bottom floor, The Local Pub and Teahouse. http://www.feastgallery.com/thelocal2 142 Grand Ave across the street from us.

2009-03-04T15:11:00.002-05:00

Nick works the backhoe to prepare for ramp footings. It's frozen about 2 feet down but he digs a hole about 6' deep along the west side of the building for the ramp footings.

2,4,6,8 Now it's time to Insulate!

2009-03-04T14:57:00.005-05:00

Next big step; Drywall.

It has been an entire month since my last post (busy with design work for our trade show in Baltimore.) The wintery month of February has come and gone but the intrepid crew at 143 Grand springs forward...Rough electrics, plumbing, and heating were completed, inspected, and approved. Framing to accomodate the insulation and drywall was finished up.

2009-03-04T14:44:00.002-05:00

My Mom and Dad visit from Skaneateles. Having been through old house reconstruction themselves they are very encouraging and supportive of our project... They have already volunteered to help paint trim and plant gardens this spring!

Windows Are In!

2009-01-31T11:48:00.004-05:00

Starting to come together, almost all the windows are installed. The crew took advantage of some 30 degree days to finish up this stage. We'll wait for the 70 degree days to test out the screens!

More Windows Installed....

2009-01-25T16:40:00.001-05:00

Let the Sun Shine In!

2009-01-22T08:17:00.002-05:00

What a difference light and a view make! One down, 42 to go!!

2009-01-22T08:14:00.003-05:00

The first windows are installed. Classic doublehung, 2 over 2, beige clad, 43 windows in all.

2009-01-20T08:07:00.002-05:00

Schuyler helps with the shoveling before taking off for a Nordic ski race in the afternoon. Good warmup for strong pole planting! Go Blue Streaks!

The windows are here!

2009-01-20T07:57:00.004-05:00

Out with the Old, In with the New....

We load up the old doublehungs in the van and take them down to the

Architectural Warehouse in Albany, a treasure trove of salvaged materials. Check it out at

http://www.historic-albany.org/warehous.html Mark the manager there was happy to accept our donation and thought he would be able to find a good home for them. We plan to return later on to find some exterior doors, and maybe a big old kitchen utility sink I had my eye on.....

Meanwhile, back on Grand Ave, installation of the new doublehungs should begin this week; the snow has subsided enough for the time being to work on the exterior.

2009-01-12T20:02:00.001-05:00

This is the little back porch also getting a major makeover. We'll have lots of stoops to watch the scene on Beekman Street this summer!

2009-01-12T20:01:00.001-05:00

Gas line, hot and cold water lines, and waste water drain pipe installed upstairs and downstairs, nearly complete.

2009-01-12T19:58:00.002-05:00

Porch floor is down! I'm trying to imagine spending time out here on a lunch break this summer.

2009-01-12T19:56:00.001-05:00

We've had a couple feet of new snow. We try to keep a path clear for all our neighborhood dogwalkers...

2009-01-12T19:50:00.002-05:00

Side Porch facing Beekman. Cement piers support framework for new porch floor.

2009-01-05T07:24:00.002-05:00

We like this soft greenish teal for the clapboard. The metal roof is the olive brown shade on the right. We're thinking trim colors will be beige and terracotta tones. the terracotta for a little punch.

2009-01-05T07:20:00.002-05:00

Time to choose color of the siding. We are going with cement board siding which is low maintenance but has the appearance of old-fashioned clapboard. It will blend in with the original clapboard areas that we can salvage from the back part of the house.

2008-12-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

Snow has arrived for Winter Solstice. This was just the first storm, about 8". Two storms later, we're a bit more buried. School is out for Christmas break... good thing Schuyler and Claire are available to do some shoveling.

2008-12-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Here's our new furnace, modern compact, forced air, natural gas. Baby, it's cold inside!

2008-12-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

Ductwork for the heating system ready to be installed.

2008-12-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

Back in the basement: the floor is poured December 12th, starting to look like a usable space.

2008-12-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

Here is Nick working on the exterior of the window framing. This was in mid-December before the major snowfall, but a plenty cold job site, none-the-less....

2008-12-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the windows we've removed, a few have the original old glass panes. We plan to donate them to the Architectural Parts Warehouse in Albany.
http://www.historic-albany.org/warehous.html

2008-12-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

Sub floor upstairs being shimmed and prepped for floor sheathing.

Late December Update

2008-12-22T10:41:00.001-05:00

Floor boards on 2nd floor being removed

2008-12-07T07:53:00.000-05:00

Future home of cutting/layout table facing north.

Interior Framing

2008-12-06T15:03:00.000-05:00

It will be an open floor plan both upstairs and downstairs with some delineation between the front gallery display area, the loom room, and the sewing/cutting area in the back. The image with the blue wheelbarrow in it is the North end of the building which will house our huge cutting table. We are very pleased with the raised ceiling and wrap around windows in this space- part of it was once an enclosed porch which we opened up to let all that great North light in....

The mahogany banister and stairway is staying put, just needs a little TLC.

2008-12-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

Once the house was jacked up to level it, most of the clapboard siding which we were hoping to reclaim, cracked and split. There was no siding (!) between the old clapboard and the brick piles inside the framing which served as insulation (!) for the last 150 years. So at least we will be warm and cozy...

2008-12-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

Richard had surgery on his Achilles tendon in early December since our show schedule is winding down for the holidays. Is HE winding down? No way, he has to check out the sheathing on the east side....

2008-12-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

Here's the building permit where it actually belongs. Amazing how a flimsy little piece of paper kept our project on hold for so many months....

Start with a Foundation

2008-11-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

Concrete Piers and Posts

More Posts

An old baking oven unearthed in the dirt floor basement. Gotta get some French bread recipes.

We got the Building Permit!

2008-11-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

October 24, 2008. After months of waiting, we are finally issued our building permit. Work may now begin on our building. First step is to button it up for the winter. We are eager to join the vibrant arts community that is the Arts District on Beekman in Saratoga Springs, NY.