Sewing with Bare Cloth: How to Sew with Handwoven Fabric
How to sew, design, and create with Bare Cloth: Bare Cloth fabric is handwoven in the northern woods of Minnesota. It is designed to be...
top of page
BARE TALK: For the Maker in You
Whether you identify as a maker or are an admirer of the handmade life, this space is for you. Here we explore the creative process, some honest questions, our hopes and joys (sometimes with a dash of sarcasm), and the uncomfortable messy parts of creativity while making space for the raw, real, and authentic in each of us.
Search
Keila McCracken
Jul 176 min read
The Weaver's Skirt - A Bare Cloth Original Design
The weaver's skirt was inspired by the fabric. I started weaving the dark wool weft with the cream warp and I instantly knew this was...
Keila McCracken
Jul 168 min read
3 Surprising Things That Have Inspired Daily Creativity and Joy - By Default!
A current personal goal has been building a daily routine where creativity is inspired naturally. H ow can I build habits, set up my...
Keila McCracken
Apr 56 min read
10 Things to Know Before You Make the Cut: How to Sew, Design, and Create with Bare Cloth Fabric
We've made it! This blog has been well over six years in the making! Bare Cloth has been a soul project filled with serendipity,...
Keila McCracken
Feb 297 min read
Is it Time for 'The Artist's Way'? - 3 Reasons it's Time, 3 Reasons it's Not
The Artist Way. Yep, I finally did it. Have you?? I never heard about this until only a few months ago. None of y’all told me about...
Keila McCracken
Jan 305 min read
'Into the Unknown' and the Creative Process, Will You Ever Be the Same?
I have been wondering what it means to be a creative and am starting to think that the sole defining benchmark is whether or not we are...
Keila McCracken
Jan 271 min read
Soil to Spirit - A Haiku
Soil to Spirit Have you paused to feel That natural, grounding pull Of gravity, earth? It's always present Continuously calling Soil to...
Keila McCracken
Dec 30, 20237 min read
What's Sticking With You From 2023 That You're Bringing Into 2024?
As this year comes to a close and we dive into a fresh 2024, I have been reflecting on the past 12 months… Specifically, what a year can...
Keila McCracken
Apr 8, 20231 min read
The Boujie Bog Woman - A Haiku
Timeless silhouettes Carnivorous in fashion Pitcher plants aplenty Accessories. Beetles, twigs, stones set in moss Timeless luxuries....
Keila McCracken
Apr 2, 20234 min read
Why I've Been Away and the Official Story of the Great Knee Injury of 2022
The quick story of why I've been away from the loom: It's simple. While on a beautiful hike in Sedona, Arizona at the very end of the...
Keila McCracken
Apr 1, 202211 min read
Artisan Fartisan DIY Marketan, Small Arts Business Marketing Made Easy
I think marketing can be overwhelming, overcomplicated, and overdramatic (I really just like the rule of threes, feel free to dismiss...
Keila McCracken
Feb 18, 20223 min read
What's WELCOME in Your Creative Work?
I once attended a Compassionate Communication (NVC) training with a welcome that has stuck with me for years. This greeting is also what...
Keila McCracken
Feb 12, 20221 min read
An Artist Statement in Haikus
If you are like me, you freeze, bulge your eyes while twitching, and slowly exit the room when ever someone asks you for an artist...
Keila McCracken
Sep 6, 20214 min read
Keeping Creative Spaces Creative: Advice That Forever Changed the Way I Think About Creativity and Space
My studio has finally returned to being used for weaving, creating, and running a small arts business. For the past year and a half, I...
Keila McCracken
Apr 27, 20173 min read
I Love My Clothes, But I Do Not Love Clothing.
People often think I like to shop. People often think I love clothing. I get it, I went to fashion design school, I still stay up to date...
Kim Addonizio
Apr 25, 20171 min read
What Do Women Want? - Kim Addonizio
I want a red dress. I want it flimsy and cheap, I want it too tight, I want to wear it until someone tears it off me. I want it...
Keila McCracken
Apr 20, 20175 min read
POWER Pants!
Can we talk about jeans for a little bit? This past September I bought my first pair of jeans in seven years from Imogene and Willie. I...
Keila McCracken
Mar 4, 20172 min read
The Best Reads for Sustainable Fashion
If you love to read, like myself, you probably have a few good books you can always turn to when a friend is looking for a...
Keila McCracken
Feb 25, 20171 min read
The Wardrobe Wisdom Playlist, Inspired by #whomademyclothes
1) The Power, SNAP! 2) Everyday People, Sly & The Family Stone 3) White Flag, Joseph 4) Change, Christina Aguilera 5) Money, Money,...
Keila McCracken
Sep 11, 20161 min read
Inspirational Quotes for Every Closet
Buy less, choose well, make it last. Vivienne Westwood Mending is Minding Local Wisdom Clothes aren't going to change the world, the...
Keila McCracken
Sep 8, 20163 min read
A Meditation on Shopping
Consumption is a highly subjective subject and practice. Each person has their own process of coming to the conclusion that they need to...
Keila McCracken
Sep 6, 20162 min read
So, you're thinking about buying something...
SO YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT BUYING SOMETHING… What to look for and consider after you have decided to buy: 1) Quality over quantity. This is...
Keila McCracken
Sep 6, 20162 min read
A Quick Guide to Minimizing Your Wardrobe
A Simple Guide to Minimizing your Wardrobe. You already have the clothes you need for a minimalist wardrobe. Start by getting rid of half...
Keila McCracken
Oct 26, 20151 min read
THE FIRST PROJECT!!!
Wow, what a month! I started out the month with the delivery of the loom, by the 17th I had a team putting together designs for the...
bottom of page