Spring is on the Move (in Trunks)

April 23, 2009

BY JO-ANNE HOLMES
Georgi Pearson says she's “a Mom with a serious sewing problem”, a stay-at-home Mom and part-time seamstress with “spring and a little bit of Mother's Day on her mind.”  The budding idea of a Spring Trunk Show came into full bloom with Pearson.
“I got the idea from a woman in Toronto who was doing them [trunk shows] at her fabric shop, “the workroom”.
Behind us, 10 or more colourful trunks – suitcases, in assorted sizes that have seen their fair share of travelling days – are waiting for their big retirement debut in the Spring Trunk Show.  “It hearkens back to the day when travelling salesmen would bring their wares to the shops ... in trunks.  “We're bringing our wares to you,” Pearson says, revealing her excitement in smiles as she chats about it at her dining room table.  The show is a collaboration of six local artists whose wares include “Jewellery, pottery, photography, felt 'lovelies', sewn goods [Pearson pauses thoughtfully] ... oh, and paper craft – little notebooks and paper art for kids' rooms, notecards and that sort of thing.”  The women came up with the idea of a spring venue as, quite often, most people see their art during the Christmas season.  Pearson is bringing a line of women's clothing and accessories. The pieces include belts sewn from whimsical prints (bicycles, polkadots and flowers), patchwork bracelets -- “wristlets” -- accented with vintage buttons (some of which came from her grandmother's collection) and solid-coloured wrap skirts that boast contrasting prints in picnic-basket colours.  Think spring! That's what the artists are thinking.  Pearson says she believes “the whole buy-local, eat-local mindset is catching on” and that “people are paying attention to what they buy” and they are, she says, “perhaps more concerned about quality and working conditions.  “There's always a big market from local-made.” Families down south expect to see “what's made up there”.  But she also says that the Spring Trunk Show is more of a show. “We are kind of showing what's made – and, if we sell some, that's great.”  Pearson has had a lot of help from the other artists. Tara Kolla-Hale and Lara Melnik have been helping her pull it together. And Melnik and Emily Woodruffe are large contributors to the supply of trunks.  Pearson hopes their show will be the first of a series and says, “Look for us in the fall.”  Pearson is a crafter at heart.  She has even started a blog, “a place where I share my crafty endeavours. That's where I get most of my inspiration.” She says local people are looking at it more and more. It's called Georgianna Craft and you can join in the discussion at www.georgiannacraft.blogspot.com. Pearson is posting artist profiles on the site with a fun and quirky question-and-answer blog with the artists.  The Spring Trunk Show will be held on April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Chocolate Claim.