Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Years!

Celebrate this New Year's Eve with Freedom:


Remember, our boxing week sales end on the 31st! 
Most of the dresses and skirts above are on sale for 20-30% off.

Hours:
Saturday, Dec 31st from 11 am to 6 pm
Closed on Sunday, Jan 1st
Regular hours on Monday, Jan 2nd - noon to 7:30 pm.

Happy New Years everybody! 
2011 has been an excellent year and it is all because of your support and love for our the locally handmade goods of our 100+ artists and designers. 
Cheers to a more excellent and successful 2012!

xo, 
karen, jelena and marsya

love us. we were made in  your neighbourhood.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Extended Hours

We've really enjoyed this past year and thank you all for the wonderful support.
We wouldn't be here without you!! :D


This Friday and Saturday Freedom will be open longer for all you last min shoppers. (it's ok we often wait till the last min too!)

Extended Hours
Friday 23rd from 10am to 9pm
Saturday 24th from 10am to 7pm

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Welcome Hana Clothing!

You know those wonderful wrap skirts you have been eying at the store? 

One or our fabulous customers in her new wrap skirt - SO PRETTY!

Koocoo hounds-tooth scarf, Kali Clothing infinity scarf,
Atelier B lyocell cowl neck top and Foundlings Wrap skirt
These skirts are from the label Foundlings, which is undergoing a transformation - for the better, of course. They are launching under a new name, Hana Clothing, a name that is more intimate and special to the designer, Hannah.


Check out her wonderful scarves, totes and the Spring 2012 line HERE. Yes, no worries, you'll see them at Freedom soon enough. Well... in the Spring!


But for now come by the store and see the great selection of one-of-a-kind wrap skirts we have in stock.



They are super flattering and "eating-a-little-bit-extra friendly" which we all need sometimes, especially for the holiday season.  Shhh... I won't tell!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Tonight: Opening of Members Show & Sale Event

We've made your Holiday Shopping easy. And most importantly, it's going to be fun. Holiday shopping is not a chore when you're surrounded by familiar faces and one-of-a-kind items made with love.
Here's a sampling of what we have on the walls. 
Row by row, from the top:
Jacob Rolfe, for the dreamers on your list
Jessica Bartram's watercolour portraits - find a match for your loved ones!
Leah Gold puts wildlife in an urban context, for the city-dwellers who need to reconnect with nature
and 12x12 windows to the wonders of the seas, the air, and the land by Laura Fedynyszyn.
Beautiful, right? Be sure you come early, we only have a couple editions of each print!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Freedom Team Visits One of a Kind

The Freedom team took a field trip to the One of a Kind show to support our artists and designers. It felt a little bit like a reunion - we got to say hi to our out-of-town designers that we barely get to see, catch up with those that have gone MIA in preparations for holiday madness, and check out a wide selection of their goods.
It was inspiring to see the booths that each of them put together. These little habitats shed another light into their creative vision and resourcefulness (of course, upscycled and restyled materials were often used in the building of these nooks).  


Without further ado, here are some quick shots that we took to share with you guys!
atelier b., made in Montreal by Catherine Metivier and Anne-Marie Laflamme. We carry an extensive selection of their extremely well-made, sustainable line. Each of us owns numerous items by them and we're still wanting more!

Jen Kneulman is the power girl behind Freshly Printed: a line of organic tea-towels, aprons, and other kitchen wear. She prints at her Harbourfront studio with all natural dyes, as you might have learned from our blogpost way back when.

Based in Montreal, Cindy Cantin makes incredibly well-made bags from wool felt and leather that she obtains from furniture factories. Learn more about her line by scrolling down or clicking here.

Another fabulous Montreal designer is Noujica. These. Scarves. Are. The. Warmest. And. The. Coolest. Cannot emphasize that more. 

Krystal Speck makes colourful earthenware with imagery from nature. Her pieces bring a bright touch of the outdoors to your kitchen and home. She's based in Toronto, but sometimes scours Ontario farmlands for discarded wood, in this case, she used these remnants for this comfortably rustic booth.

Made just a few minutes away from Freedom, these mittens by SLO are becoming a common sight all around Toronto. Made from upcycled wool sweaters and lined with fleece for extra comfort and warmth. Check out these new ones for them little guys!
Last but not least is Voyou by Lise-Marie Cayer, who is so sweet she got us free tickets to the show. This whole blogpost would not happen without her generosity, and yet ironically, I forgot to take a photo of her booth. Truth be told, I was too distracted by her new winter coats. (They come in black and red, with tan leather detailing and huge pockets.) Good thing Karen took a photo for tweeting purposes though! 


We also made new friends, because there is no way we can walk right pass pretty handmade items!


1. Maude makes beautiful vases, mugs, espresso cups, and other dishes in Montreal.
2. Fiona Louie makes stunning sterling silver jewelry. Here's a close-up view of a bunny ring, and there's a slug right next to it too.
3. Jenna Rose designs and screen-prints her own fabric to make adorable throws, pillows, and home decor items. Kate Hunyer helps with the production process out of their studio in Hamilton. Sometimes she knits and works at shows too.
4. Adea Chung makes jewelry out of recycled wood in British Columbia. Her line is called billy would.
5. Ashley Coulson designs and screen-prints her own line of stationery and custom wedding invitations under the label Flakes Paperie.
6. Kessa sews the cutest line of children wear called Patouche. She also made an amazing fabric tree for her booth.
7. This adorable owl is by Hilary Cosgrove. It is simply the cutest creature in the whole show! 


The One of a Kind show is still going on for a few more days. It's just a subway ride and $14 admission price away! Of course, if you can't make it, our doors are open every day from noon to 7:3o and we do indeed carry one-of-a-kind, handmade goods from 140 local artists, including those that you see in this post.


Wishing you the best of pre-holiday shopping!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

We present to you a guide, that is by no means complete (trust us!), to the wonderful goodies you could buy your loved ones this holiday season.

Click on the image to make it bigger :)

Big bear hug thank you to Megan Jana for making this beautiful Gift Guide
into a thing of absolute stunning-ness!!
Of course, we also thank YOU, dear readers, for choosing to support local creatives this holiday season. We hope these one-of-a-kind goodies will bring extra warmth to your families and friends.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Reminder: Reception this Friday for Change of Seasons

Just a reminder that the reception for this month's exhibition, Change of Seasons by Geneviève Jodouin is happening this Friday, Nov 25th at 8 pm.



The exhibition consists of a four-metre-long installation piece along the top of our east wall (pictured above) and four framed pieces (see below). Each of the framed pieces represents a season from the installation. While the installation is staying with us until January, the framed works are coming down at the beginning of December. You get to see a lot of the wonderful details of the figures and the floral cityscape through these pieces, so make sure you check them out before it's too late!

Change of Seasons
By Geneviève Jodouin
Nov 11 - Jan 31

Reception: Friday, Nov 25th at 8 pm

Learn more in our original post here.

City of Craft 2011

This year's City of Craft is coming up! Are you excited? We are! We looked through photos of their vendors and Marsya ended up curating a mini show-and-tell of her favourite art prints. Check it out on the City of Craft blog!

It also features two of our designers: 1% Talent (you've seen his monster prints on tees and tote bags at Freedom) and Jacob Rolfe (keep an eye out for his prints and calendar).


City of Craft 2011
Sat, December 10th at 11 - 6
Sun, December 11th at 11 - 5
The Theatre Centre - 1087 Queen St West
Thrush Holmes Empire - 1093 Queen St West
For more info, check out their site!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

C comme ça bags Now Available at Freedom Clothing.

C comme ça is a concept born from the desire to combine 
design, ecology and everyday living. 

With formal training in art and design and also extensive experience with aboriginal communities, Cindy Cantin has made felt, a material used extensively by our ancestors, her material of choice. She discovered that it possesses many remarkable, yet unexpected properties; made of merino wool or recycled fibres, felt is sustainable, durable and water resistant. Her custom-made protective sleeves for laptops, iPhones, iPods and iPads provide a natural protection for today's most modern devices while her storage baskets or desk organizers bring a touch of warmth to contemporary interiors. Cindy combines felt, recycled leather and other diverse materials into clean streamlined designs. Playing with the modern as well as the traditional, she has developed a unique, timeless style; simplicity married with classical, or sometimes even vintage.


All of these unique items were handmade in Montreal.
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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Tonight is WORN Fashion Journal's Black Cat Ball

As always, Freedom is your one stop shop for all you need to be the belle of the ball!


Saturday, Nov 12th at the Dovercourt House (five minutes away from Freedom!). Doors open at nine. Learn more about the event here.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

November Exhibition: Change of Seasons by Geneviève Jodouin


Change of Seasons
By Geneviève Jodouin
Nov 11 - Jan 31

Reception: Friday, Nov 25th at 8 pm

Geneviève has taken on the changing of the seasons as her subject matter. As time passes in her piece, the 175 figures she has illustrated walk through a floral cityscape while adding and then removing layers of clothing to reflect the temperature outside. The simple actions of taking a walk and dressing become a four-metre long narrative that takes the viewer through one year in the city.



The relationships between people and the spaces they live in is a recurring theme in Jodouin's work. In these prints, she focuses on the streets that she travels to and from work every day. The city becomes a secondary character in this piece, dressed up in her trademark floral patterning. It is a whimsical background to the quiet solitude of the figure, walking alone as the colours around her are turning.



Geneviève Jodouin was born and raised in Northern Ontario, she now lives and works in Toronto. She holds a BFA from the Ontario College of Art and Design, from which she graduated in 2006. She prints and teaches at Open Studio and works at The Japanese Paper Place. She is represented at LE gallery where she has been exhibiting for the past 7 years.


Learn more:
www.genevievejodouin.ca 
www. le-gallery.ca

Monday, November 7, 2011

Meet and Greet with Priya Means Love!

We are hosting a meet-and-greet with Priya of Priya Means Love next Saturday, Nov 12th at 2 to 5 pm. Can't wait till then? Thank goodness for Francie of Sister Valentine who interviewed Priya for us as a prelude to the event!
With the days getting increasingly colder here in Southern Ontario, we're all beginning to remember the little pet peeves that are expected every year: your hair is a frizzy mess, your hands feel like sandpaper, and your chapped lips are begging for relief. Priya Means Love natural and organic products are just what your skin and hair will be asking for! 
They are made from all-natural ingredients like organic herbs, clays, cold-pressed organic oils, local beeswax, and organic essential oils. The natural smells of these products alone will surely invite you to try them.
Made from scratch by Priya herself, these products are not at all like what you would find in malls or department stores. “Sometimes when I’m going about my day, I smell something that triggers an idea. I get a visual olfactory in my head that I want to create,” said Priya.  “I do the whole process, from start to finish, myself: I formulate my concoctions, craft them by infusing, melting, and blending my ingredients in just the right way, and I package and write the labels myself.”
Priya believes there is a certain energy from truly handcrafted goods and hopes that this quality shows through in her line. “It’s especially exciting when I’ve created  a product that not only works, but also one that people say to be impossible to make without using synthetics (haircare is a good example) – and yet I’ve made it without compromising one bit of my personal policy of only using whole ingredients.  That’s the best feeling!”
When first starting to craft skin care products, Priya made sure to bring her personal values to the things she made, such as eating good food that has been locally and sustainably grown. Though it can be chancy and tricky to work this way, Priya says the bonus is that every ingredient has an origin you can be proud of and is the best in its effect on the skin.
“Combine these ingredients in the right way and, just as with food, the result is deeply nourishing and is sensually pleasurable in a way that no synthetic can touch.” said Priya. “There’s a ton of trial and error, of course, but it’s so satisfying when I’m able to turn the vision I had into a full-bodied reality.”

Unable to chose just one must-have product for this winter, Priya pinned it down to two.
The Lavanilla Body Butter is great for after a shower to lock in moisture. Its buttery rich mixture of wild lavender and organic Tahitian vanilla makes it almost impossible to have dry, damaged skin. Organic mango butter, olive oil, and sunflower oil moisturizes the skin, reduces inflammation, and regenerates damaged cells.
The runner up product is the Herbal Lip Therapy. Priya suggests slathering on a coat at night and behold the healing, softening power! “I’ve made a lot of lip balm and am still experimenting with different formulas but nothing else seems to compare,” said Priya. Her natural and organic Herbal Lip Therapy comes in both stick and tin that are packed with ingredients like rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, and calendula - a flower plant that has anti-inflammatory, calming and soothing qualities. All these make an excellent balm for sensitive, environmentally damaged lips.
Intrigued to learn more?
Of course you are! That's why we're inviting her to talk to you personally about her products. Priya will have a table set up at Freedom on Saturday November 12th from 2-5pm to answer any questions. She may even offer some exclusive samples of her new products  - all made with only what Mother Nature gave us, of course. “I'll try to début a couple of new products for the very first time! I’m so excited to finally release the Face Cream I’ve been working on for months, and I should have my new, super-rich Nail & Cuticle Balsam as well!”


See you then!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

November 2011 Newsletter


To receive a higher resolution version and subscribe to our newsletter, please e-mail us at freedom.clothing[at]gmail.com. 

Monday, October 31, 2011

From Toronto to Calgary in Three Days

If someone told me a month ago that I will find myself on the road driving across the country, I would not have though it possible. But it did happen and I am so grateful and appreciative for the opportunity. A friend of mine that I have met through work many years ago has decided to move home to Alberta. Since she has just purchased a car, the only way to get there was on wheels, and who wants to drive alone. It really did not take long to convince me to join in for the fun and before I knew it the plans were confirmed and the return flight from Calgary booked. We left Toronto on a rainy Wednesday morning right on time to get stuck in the rush-hour traffic. Normally, this traffic situation would be stressing me out, but since were were already giddy and laughing hard, the time went by quickly, and one and a half hour later we found ourselves on the open road headed North.
The plan was to reach Thunder Bay before nightfall as, as soon as the sun goes down, the roads belong to the wild life and there is the danger of running into a deer or a moose. Needless to say, that plan was a bit ambitions and with sunset we landed in Wawa, which meant even more ours spent in the car the next day. We set out from Wawa at around 6:45 the next day with the goal of reaching Winnipeg. The road led us past beautiful lakes, forests and through Indian reserves with souvenir shops and trading posts at each major intersection. At one of those we acquired the little hedgehog trinket for the dashboard and named him Lil' Chief Algoma after the region where the trading post was located.
We reached Winnipeg at around 9PM, completely exhausted and dreading the next day's drive which was to take us through Manitoba and Saskatchewan since everyone kept warning us about the boring drive through the Prairies. Granted, it was flat and long, but beautiful nevertheless and worth every minute of the 11 hours that it took us to reach Alberta at sunset.
Our final destination was Canmore, just one hour West of Calgary. As soon as we entered Tara's new apartment, we were ready for bed. When we left the condo the next morning to go for breakfast and a hike in the Banff area I could not have expected better views. This was nature at its best for sure, lakes were reflecting snow covered peaks of the mountains surrounding us. The air was fresh and crisp and Elks were mingling with people at street intersections.
One last thing before my departure on Sunday was to check out the turquoise waters of Lake Louise. It was early morning and it had just started snowing so, unfortunately, turquoise was not meant to be. What was there instead was a beautifully calm lake with fog that has just started lifting revealing the steep cliffs of the Rockies
Back in Toronto, sitting in front of my computer, I can't but think of the natural wealth this county has to offer and am thankful to may dear friend that I got to share it with.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Slashpile Designs is turning 3!

Join us at Freedom Clothing and help us celebrate another year of conversation-starting jewellery. 


Join us for afternoon tea, coffee and snacks.
Come and take advantage of some great deals on unique and clever holiday gifts!

Hope to see you there!

Tara & Courtney
Slashpile Designs

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Monday, October 17, 2011

New at Freedom This Week




It is only Monday friends, and we already have some new goodness to share with you. Over the weekend we got some new swanky furniture and and some paper mache boats to adorn your abodes. Come to the store to check them out first hand, you won't regret it.