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Small Shops - Dig og Mig

We love this unique little shop in the heart of the West Village called Dig og Mig (pronounced Dye o My). Dig og Mig is "a little piece of Denmark in NYC" the home town of owners Iben and Daryl.
The inspiration for their shop is their son, Silas, and Iben's Mom, who is an artist in Denmark. The shop is modeled after the house that Iben grew up in- white walls, light oak furniture and fixtures and a lot of colorful toys!
Iben is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and designed Dig og Mig's first collection for Summer 2009, for boys and girls sizes 3 months to 8 years. The line is selling exclusively in the shop. We can't wait to see the Fall Collection from Dig og Mig - think dark Chambray's and Plums and Grey colored Liberty prints.  Very gorgeous and chic!

Most of the store is 50% off right now including her Summer line, and the prices are great! Please go if you're in NYC- you won't be disappointed!

Dig og Mig
150 7th Avenue south

New York, New York 10011
Phone: 212 675 6112

Reported by our associate editor in New York-  Jasmine Astronomo-Berger.

Small Inspiration 18

Hello, is anybody home? by thesinisterpenguin

Childrens picture book illustration by Karen Cheung

Small Play - Moomah

 

Small went on a field trip last week to visit Moomah in the heart of Tribeca. Moomah is a creative play-scape, nature school and cafe for kids.  As soon as you enter this beautiful place you immediately notice the artwork hanging on the walls, the detailed shadow boxes and the beautiful color palette and most of all the feeling of calm and creativity. It is very unlike the usual play spaces filled with too many primary colors, scary characters and loud music blaring at top volume. Moomah has a serene, calming atmosphere, perfect for both children and adults.

We ordered some pastries for the kiddos and coffee for us and browsed the amazing selection of eco-friendly and handmade clothing, play dough and wooden toys in the shop section.

Then it was time to choose out DIT (do it together) Kits. There about 10 to choose from.  It was a tough choice but Estela (pictured above) chose the Butterfly Collage.  The best part about the craft projects at Moomah is they provide all the supplies needed. So all you have to do is sit down with your little one and create with the help of one of the art makers working there!

All of the artwork displayed on the walls at Moomah are inspired by nature and the animal kingdom and are made to coincide with the classes offered and change each season.  We fell in love with the shadow boxes by Moomah Creative Director, Jacqueline Schmidt, and thought they would fit right in on the pages of Small!

Moomah
161 Hudson Street
New York NY 10013 
212 226 0345

Small Shops - Aggie Hill Shopping Spree

enter here

Small Magazine Issue 11 Out Now!

The newest issue of Small is out now.

Small Projects - finger puppet family

Bess Harding contributed this great finger puppet project for the latest issue of Small. You can see more photos in small projects in this issue of Small magazine. You can also see Bess' work in her Etsy shop here

Finger Puppet Family
I’m going to make a family of mum, dad,brother, baby and pet dog, but you could vary it, maybe adding a grandparent, a different pet (cats and bunny rabbits work well), or forget the humans and do a menagerie of animals (think stripy zebra, lion with a big mane, bear, elephant etc.). Also, mine are made of card but you could follow the same steps with fabric or felt if you like.

1 Use your pencil to draw your basic shape on the thick card, using a finger as a guide but leaving plenty of room around it, then cut out.
2 Fold your medium card in two and draw around your template five times (or however many you like). Now is the time to draw on any ears/manes/tails that might stick out from your basic shape.
3 Cut out, keeping the two sides of each puppet together.
4 Next, sew a plain stitch around the curved side of each puppet, a couple of mm in from the edge, leaving the bottom edge free. If you don’t have a sewing machine you could use a stapler or masking tape around the edges (both quick but a bit ugly).

Now the fun part - decorating your puppets. I’ve used acrylic paint for the faces and clothes, and a thin black marker for the eyes. I’ve kept the faces pretty much the same and varied the hairstyles and clothes to differentiate the little characters. You could draw on some basic arms and hands, or cut out fabric clothes and use PVA glue to stick to the card. It’s up to you whether you continue the clothes onto the back (no-one will see around there anyway!)

All that’s left is to give your puppets names and pop them on your fingers to bring them to life!

Behind the pages 8

Some photos from little mechanics shoot in in the Works MFG shop in the industrial area of Brooklyn over the weekend. We had the children in a metal fabricating shop working with the tools and the motorcycles, which they all loved. It was a cool, rainy day and we were working with natural light. The gloom was perfect for a fall shoot and unexpected on an August day.

Look out for the final story in the Fall issue of Small. You can subscribe here to get every Small in your inbox free as soon as it comes out.

Small weekends - photo project 11

Nicki Bosch: This my daughter Jovi in her own world, digging for shells, Long Beach Island, NJ - August 8th.
Olivia Pintos-Lopez: A boy playing on a very hot day in the water, Fort Greene Brooklyn  - August 15

Small inspiration 17

Myoung Ho Lee Tree #2
Gordon Matta Clark Splitting 1974

Museum of Childhood

 The Museum of Childhood is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK. It is a wonderful collection of artifacts and modern works on childhood (and also has some fun projects and ideas for kids to do at home.) Currently they are exhibiting work by Bettina von Zwehl. One year-old babies are captured on profile in an instant of alertness and total concentration. Depicted three times larger than life size, they appear almost monumental.

Check out their collections of antique toys and clothes too- we love the dolls houses.

Behind the pages 7

Picking up clothes for the tomboy shoot coming up in the machine shop. First some gorgeous knitted legwarmers, sweaters, hats and scarves from Ouef's studio near the Gowanus Canal in industrial Brooklyn. Its is in an old textile factory and had gorgeous light and high ceilings. Then back on the train and onto Williamsburg. Sweet William is a perfectly arranged space with interesting tableaux everywhere you look. The owner, Bronagh selects beautiful independent lines. It was hard to choose but eventually we left with things from Nico Nico, Dagmar Daley, Finger in the Nose and Talc. Sweet William has an online store so you can shop there from anywhere.
Next we went to the city to pick up denim jeans and jackets from Earnest Sewn's Litl Earnie kids range. Thier shop is just next to the new highline park designed by my favorite architects, Diller+Scofidio. The park was once an elevated train line and it winds through Chelsea like a strip of prarie, under and next to all kinds of great buildings. It is fun to wander it or just to sit and watch the parade.

Small photo - not your typical school photos!

New York photographer Dennis Kleiman has a new business called Stomping Ground which is much needed reinvention of the traditional school portrait. When he and his wife were planning the annual photos for his daughters co-operative nursery school he decided to take the time to talk to the class about portraits and let each child express them selves in front of the camera.The result are beautiful images of each child which really capture their individual spirits.

Small weekend photo project 10

Grant Cornett: 4th of July weekend upstate New York
Nicki Granata Bosch: A moment shared between my two daughters Jovi & Rainey. This was taken on our front lawn, late afternoon, in Ridgewood, NJ.

Small inspiration 16

Bill Henson: Paris Opera Project (when commissioned to photograph the Paris Opera he chose to photograph the audience.)
Rachel Papo  Backstage: St. Petersburg, Russia

Small Threads - School Bags

Clockwise from left:
Checkered Bag illustrated by Virgo by Coq en Pâte -  Coq en Pâte
Red Giraffe Bag by Kissycake  - Mahar Dry Goods
Yes We Green Bag illustrated by Virgo by Coq en Pâte  - Lapin and Me
Cotton Cloth School Bag by Les Petites Emplettes - Annaka Bazaar
Cheeky Squirel Kinder Bag by Cocoon Couture -  Arte Bebe
Red Leather Bag by Coq en Pâte  - Little Fashion Gallery

Small Finds - Bubble New York 2

Acme World Zoo - The animal shaped lights in this line are inspired by 1950 dye cuts. The crayon and candy collections are colorful, bold and very very modern.

Wovenplay - If you read Small you know we are a bit obsessed with Wovenplay.  Our dream is to have a big ol' vintage trunk filled with everything Katherine makes. Oh, and in our size please!  Her new collection was inspired by Bauhaus, geometry and decadence.

Winter Water Factory -  The new collection is inspired by what kids would want to wear. Think tees, tops and dresses adorned with hedgehogs, mushrooms and tools in bright candy colors.

Shirin Kids - Hand silk screened puff printed tees with graphics in neutral colors mixed with gold inspired by nature. The collection is organic and we love the whimsical detailing on each tee like the raw edge flutter sleeves.

Ses Petites Mains - Beth Miles created her recent collection paying homage to her mother. She was totally inspired by the 1940's.  Classic silhouettes trimmed with ruffles, muted tones of browns mixed with yellows and oranges in skirts and dresses perfect for twirling.

Astulabee & Ses Petites Mains - Also spotted in the Ses Petites Mains booth - Astulabee soft sculptures dressed in Ses Petites Mains finest Spring 2010 fabrics. Such a great collaboration from Nicole Licht & Beth Miles.

Benny and Moon- Simply inspired by the classic childhood outfits from the 1950's and 1960's. Dresses with peter pan collars and boy's short-sleeve button-up shirts with tacking detail in tones of lavender.

Sarah Noelle - We fell in love with this new collection inspired first by the prints selected. Feminine cuts in bright and beautiful prints as well as dresses covered in silver circles topped with a big flower at the neckline.

Chase 'n Sky - Walking into this booth you are surrounded by blues, whites and pinks mimicking the sky, clouds and shells found on the island of Hawaii which inspires this collection and where the designer is based. Beautifully crafted linen plantation style dresses and breezy cotton baby rompers.

Small Finds - Bubble New York 1

We caught up with our favorite designers (and some new ones!) at Bubble New York last week and asked each designer -  "What inspired your Spring/Summer Collection?"
Here's what they said:

Green Baby London - Green parenting is what inspires Jill Barkers collection. This is the original organic and fair trade children's clothing line.  She started 10 years ago! Beautiful colors mixed with simple cuts - perfect for active kids.

Mija Jewelry - The new collection by this beautiful jewelry line is inspired by life. Each charm is very nostalgic but modern. Look for Mija Jewelry in the next issue of Small!

Mini Rotation - The designer of this fun and unusual graphic tee and knit collection was inspired by his dad, who back in the 70's owned a tee shirt iron-on and airbrush company. So this collection is truly vintage inspired!

Pluto Tees - Here at Small we love the cool, playful graphics that adorn the tees of the Pluto collection. This was the first time they were showing at Bubble and we were loving the new additions to the line.

Jake and Maya - This a a new label from the UK. The inspiration behind this collection is occasional clothing for children that is funky yet functional and traditional.

Patouche - Peter Pan and the trip to Neverland inspired Patouche's Spring & Summer collection. Lots of pink and green patterns filled their booth. The stand out piece was the boy's shorts with the sword. Look for Patouche in the next issue of Small.

Little Linens -  Victorian aesthetics inspired this collection from across the pond.  Boys and girls clothing in pastel colors, rich fabrics and classic shapes. 

Nui Organics - Fact: New Zealand has 60 million sheep. That's the inspiration behind Nui organics. Crafted from wool that is so extremely soft and organic even in the color palette,  which is completely un-dyed but rich in browns, grays and creams. 

Nellystella - It's simple - 'I make things I would wear' -words from the designer of this brilliant new collection from Taiwan. And that is exactly how we felt. We wanted each one in our size. The colors, prints and silhouettes are very modern but playful.

More to come from our coverage of Bubble New York! Stay tuned...

Small weekend photo project 9

Shannon Cook: My daughter Mackenzie with her grandpa learning how to play piano on a recent weekend vacation on Hornby Island, BC, Canada
Michelle Young: a photo I took of my niece. Sarasota Florida

Small inspiration 15

silhouettes...

Tim Walker
Robert Ryan

a Brooklyn day

Christine and I first met almost 15 years ago when we both first moved to Williamsburg. Christine owned the first boutique on Bedford Avenue, Max and Roebling, and I worked in the L cafe next door. We became friends immediatly and shared an apartment down the street.
Today we had some time to walk around the area. There are always new places to discover but today we were looking for the old places we knew. We had lunch at Diner and has always had one of my favorite restaurant interiors ever. Grant Cornett who regulary photographs for each issue of Small also works on the Diner Journal a beautiful independent journal published by the owners. After lunch we had time to drop by and visit an old friend Stella who has opened up a craft shop and class space on the Southside called SpaceCraft. It is a great spot for kids to make and create. Further up Bedford Avenue we went in to Spoonbill and Sugartown our all time favorite bookshop for art and design inspiration. Finally we walked past the shop and cafe we spent so many hours in when we first met - it looked very different, but then I guess so did we!

Small photo shoots - location scouting 3

Found the space we were looking for the next shoot at Works MFG custom manufacturing workshop.

Small Finds - the New York trade shows 1

We spent the weekend at the New York kids trade shows, ENK Children's Club and Bubble. ENK is vast and very eclectic but we saw some lines, both new and old, that we are excited to feature in shoots next year. Here are some of our favorites from ENK.
 
Tooby doo: fresh, clean designs with a preppy outdoorsy feel
Munster: One of our favorite Australian lines. A little punky and very street.
Luck Wang: Asian inspired and always stylish.
Hazel: Delicate designs with a fairytale feel.
Claesens USA: The underwear and swim-wear line for Holland. Sweet, simple and suitable.
Golden: Discreet tailoring, subtle finishing and a really lovely palette.
Ilovegorgeous: Charming dresses and play clothes from they UK. Perfect for all the girly girls.
Ryder and James: A new line for boys and girls. We loved their un-fussy plaid shirts and boyish style.
Le Big: Great tights, leggings and socks.
Rooster NYC: Lovely fabrics and sophisticated yet wearable designs. Great for tweens as well as younger kids. 
Rock Baby Rock: Fun, punky designs and cute, cool prints.
Stun: Wonderboys designers have come out with Stun for girls. Gorgeous fabrics and color palette with the same sophisticated yet easy style you find at Wonderboy.
Bloch Ballet Slippers: Our favorite little girl shoes ever. Candy and metallic colors you would love in your own wardrobe. Look for them soon at Little Bean!
Ferd: A beautiful collection in grays, blues and lavenders all with an amazing attention to detail and fabrics.

weekend photo project 8

Jenna of Sweet Fine Day Mia and Claudine in Prospect Park Brooklyn New York July 2009
Maureen Callahan-Wing: my six-year-old holding a rolled up bug he found in a local gorge - Ithaca, NY July 2009