MADAM CHINO

Eco-Friendly USA-Made Garments | "Wear it out!"

[madamchino]

CALIF // i found this gorgeous unfinished proddy rag rug at an estate, made by the womans aunt. i actually didnt get it at first, bc it was unfinished and seemed silly to haul it knowing id never finish it. but i thought about it alot after that. the thing has a vibe, do you agree?! i went back the next week to help this woman bring some things to a local charity bc i have a van, and this was in the pile of things, which of course.... i finally tacked it to the wall and its bringing me so much joy, unfinished and all. the proddy tool is a guaged wooden tool that allows you to make a hole into the burlap and shove scraps fabrics down into the grid of the burlap from the back side. im not sure what the words say in the middle, can you solve the mystery? . . . #rug #proddy #ragrug #scraprug #zerowaste #calif #tapestry #wallart #unfinished #burlap (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQhxjlPn3ix/?utm_medium=tumblr

[madamchino]

RACKET // rebuilding a business in a new location while working on the day to day tasks of keeping it going is a long slow process! (i am so grateful for all the friends who have come through so far to see it, support it, and be patient with me!) the goal to have these shelves up before having a grand opening has been prolonged. every sunday night after classes i sit down at my planner and set new weekly goals to keep it on my radar. today, after weeks of other things, i picked up my drills and miter saw. the cost of wood has me mending my short wood with brackets and recutting it down. i chopped my saw cord in half tonight and figured out how to mend it with a wire stripper and electrical tape. the ceilings are slanted so these tension shelves need to be precisely measured which is no easy task on a ladder with a wobbly tape. these center racks dont look like much but im really proud!! the plan is to attack a set per week and get these clothes up on them. expect updates! cant wait to have a party with you at it. . . . #tensionshelves #interiordesign #racks #clothingracks #display #recycledwood #palletwood #independent #womanowned #smallbusiness #local #milwaukee #westallis #eastallis #handmade (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQZ2E6dHmxz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[madamchino]

POSTER CHILD // theres a new poster out for MC classes you will be seeing around town! come sew at MC! i love having you here, helping you with your projects, showing you the easy way all my hard-earned tricks, cheering you on, letting you use my industrial machines, hosting your party, and helping you learn and master the sewing machine! . . . #sewingiscool #cool #fun #sewingclass #sewingparty #allages #milwaukee #westallis #institches (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQZUVbHHXp8/?utm_medium=tumblr

[madamchino]

POSTER CHILD // theres a new poster out for MC classes you might be seeing around town! come sew at MC! id love to have you here, help you with your projects, show you the easy way to all my hard-earned tricks, let you use my industrial machines and giant tables, cheer you on, host your party, or help you learn the machine! . . . #sew #institches #posterchild #sewingclasses #events #madamchino #milwaukee #westallis #custom #sewingparty (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQZSeaeHMKa/?utm_medium=tumblr

[madamchino]

SEASIDE SLIPPERS // LOLing at the cuteness of this final weeks projects for Beach Babe Sew, designed out of recycled sailboat sails and fabric markers!! this weeks class is sold out! head to www.madamchino.com/classes to see whats new and different each week for classes at MC! 🌊🏖️🏝️🌞 . . . #cobbling #sewnshoes #slippers #showershoes #slides #visor #sails #recycle #textilerecycling #institches #madamchino #beachbabesew (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQHWm7oH9OQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[madamchino]

SEW BASIC // reprints of the 32 page MC written, illustrated, self-published Basic Sew zine went out today to @perennialhomestead and there are a few extras in stock at MC headquarters for you!! want a copy? dm ur addy and venmo $8 to @madamchino and ill get it out asaps! Learn about machine vocabs, threading, bobbins, machine feet, textiles, and a whole slew of info to get anyone started on sewing in no time! . . . #basicsewing #sew #sewing #sewingmachines #howto #diy #handdrawn #drawing #illustration #zines #zine #selfpublished #pennyspencer #madamchino (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP--z66nh67/?utm_medium=tumblr

[madamchino]

MOVE OVER // the past 2 months have been an amazing and difficult journey. Milwaukee you came to support MC over the holidays and through this displacement, making the coming road lighter; thank you from the bottom of my heart. Starting December 26th i packed and loaded up to 4 loads a day in my astro van to clean and clear the entire 2000sq ft of floornto ceiling handmade and vintage retail, service counter, fabric and supply store, production sewing floor, classroom and warehouse. 120 trips to storage, 16 trips to Uhaul for boxes and dollies and trucks and over 2K in expenses; 1 month and 1 week later MC is fully extracted from Brewers Hill. The current news is that MC bare bones alteration services currently reside in a temporary office storefront alongside of my kind friends at @guise_clothing & @hedwigshairsalon at 901 e. wright street in Riverwest and open Saturday noon to 5pm :D yesterday day was my first full day in the new space, and im thrilled to say that home is where the sewing machines are. MC also received an incredible grant for a sewing school and am currently working on new late spring/early summer programming (id love to hear what you are interested in seeing!), and there is other exciting news on the horizon for a more permanent home where MC can resume fully functionally with retail, classes, custom and production in a larger space to call MCs! Please stay tuned and visit me for sewing service in River West by appt or sat noon to 5 :D . . . #damn #loveyou #thankyou #sewnup #homeiswherethesewingmachineis #moving #sewingschool #usamade #newstarts #nextepisode #brewershill #threeleafdevelopment #gentrification #milwaukeebucks #patconnaughton (at Brewer's Hill) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKy8ocCnM7R/?igshid=158ovyls7c1ad

[madamchino]

GET MOVING // Thank you MKE for being an awesome place to live, grow, serve & thrive. Madam Chino is 18 years old & developed into the sustainable clothing construction, repair, and education hub it has become today from $100 in 2002. Bootstrapping isnt just determination: the small businesses that survive are a reflection of symbiosis & the love a community breathes into them. Despite a pandemic, bcoming homeless, losing my mps work & service industry job, MC had its best year yet providing services to my Brewers Hill community and beyond. Unfortunately for me, the shop is being forced to close on Saturday December 20th thanks to free agent "Milwaukee Buck" @PatConnaughton & his out of town development company @threeleafdevelopment who plan to rip down this beautiful cream city brick piece of milwaukee history built in 1906 that houses 6 small women and minority owned businesses all serving local community; in the middle of winter & a pandemic to build a 4 story luxury condominium. MC operations is uniquely diversified & materials-based, & in a virtual world, finding an affordable place to house this whole material process has become impossible anywhere in the area. I am grateful for the time ive had in this space to present my best self, all in one place, & showcase what is possible to myself, the public, and on my taxes. MC is in the process of buying a small affordable warehouse building on the Northside, so that i can house my operations. I will stop marketing t-shirt reconstructed clothing made to order & will not have a retail location, but want to continue to offer alterations & custom services from a mobile location, create unique clothing from reuse fibers to present virtually & am looking for local shops to team up with to consign, do custom products, classes, & alterations in & out while i transition in a difficult time to find an affordable centrally located office/retail location. MC is open Saturdays noon to 5pm. fight monoculture!! diversity is our strength!! please support small, handmade, and local in general, and at MC in this location while you can! Vintage clothing is 50% off through December 20th! 📸: @marijoanna2 (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH470BinrLQ/?igshid=1o8pb7pvnevqh

[madamchino]

DOG-DANAS // the best part about chainstitching is the thoughtful people (and pups!) a gift from @milklady2 's pup Lucy to her cousin @clairegillick 's pup Champ! . . . #bffs #chainstitch #cousins #chainstitchembroidery #dogdana #bandana (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHaoQCAn3__/?igshid=8hk4tskwq182

[madamchino]

PRODUCE THE GOODS // destroy a plastic habit by using or gifting sets of these MC-made all natural cotton muslin 12"x15" produce bags: sets of 2 for $10, 2 sets for $18, or get 6 sets for $50! will ship to you for $5, or order local pick-up and snag from the MC mailbox anytime of day, simply dm me on IG to order anytime, or head to madamchino.com! . . . #plasticfree #plasticwaste #producebags #zerowaste #muslin #produce #farmstand #bulkfood #freshproduce #buylocal #smallbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #usamade (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2yyMUH7Pa/?igshid=uwch0k9v491d

[madamchino]

CUTIE DOLLS // love making fun and adorable dolls from these great books by Jane Bull and @aranziaronzo_inc its amazing what putting a face on an object can do to bring it to life!! Book a family sew group or 4 person party and make and decorate any amazing cutie dolls in 3 hours using machine and hand sewing and embroidery techniques with plenty of fun fabric, felt, and floss options to choose from, totally customizable with fabric markers and googly eyes, all materials and tools provided, no age limit! And before you sew it up, give it a tiny ❤️ heart inside! Use code 4CLASS for $5 off per person any 4th sunday for hook a party! got an idea for a fun theme to sew with a small group? share it and let'smake it happen! (this sunday is open sew and theres still spots!) . . #sewing #cutedolls #dollmaking #toys #stuffedanimals #sewingparty #sewingclass #birthday #family #familyfun (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGZxWXHnPuK/?igshid=etwf6f1wgfmh

[madamchino]

PATCHPLAY // 3 years ago, @kim_romenesko referred a friend to MC to use this 3rd gen hand-me-down wool from an old rug maker. it was 8 giant garbage bags but i had no room in the studio for it, so we put it in my car and pulled it out on a tarp to color sort it over the next week and vaccuum store it in bags under my table. each winter when MC takes 2 weeks off to clean studio, i find some time to sew it. i spend 6 hours a few days a week to create a single 4ftx9ft panel from the wool. ive made 6 panels since that day. these 3 lined circle cut raglan sleeve patchwork coats were freestyle patterned from one panel each. they are for sale for $800 and on display to try on at the Seams show at @portraitsocietygallery filled with the amazing fiber art work of 14 amazing fiber artists! Go there thursday through sunday noon to 5 through November. . . . #improv #improvquilting #patchwork #coats #fallcoat #wintercoat #usamade #handmade #coatmaker #sewing #sew #handmadecoat #quiltedcoat (at Portrait Society Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGDJX8xnvw9/?igshid=el3mmbxxoltr

[madamchino]

PATCHPLAY // 3 years ago, @kim_romenesko referred a friend to MC to use this 3rd gen hand-me-down wool from an old rug maker. it was 8 giant garbage bags but i had no room in the studio for it, so we put it in my car and pulled it out on a tarp to color sort it over the next week and vaccuum store it in bags under my table. each winter when MC takes 2 weeks off to clean studio, i find some time to sew it. i spend 6 hours a few days a week to create a single 4ftx9ft panel from the wool. ive made 6 panels since that day. these 3 lined circle cut raglan sleeve patchwork coats were freestyle patterned from one panel each. they are for sale for $800 and on display to try on at the Seams show at @portraitsocietygallery filled with the amazing fiber art work of 14 amazing fiber artists! Go there thursday through sunday noon to 5 through November. . . . #improv #improvquilting #patchwork #coats #fallcoat #wintercoat #usamade #handmade #coatmaker #sewing #sew #handmadecoat #quiltedcoat (at Portrait Society Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGDJX8xnvw9/?igshid=el3mmbxxoltr

[madamchino]

HOVERCRAFT GOES CYBER // Connecting local makers to audiences in cyberspace this holiday season 🛸👽 no fees, no loading, just us; beaming you up! fill out the online form now until October 31st at our new website! book mark and share it! www.hovercraftmke.com . . . #hovercraftmke #milwaukee #414 #handmade #diy #makermarket #craftfair2020 #cyberspace #giftshop (at CYBER SPACE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF_QVMgn7Ya/?igshid=1p9jupcef9h9d

[madamchino]

SEW-A-MASK // join MC this coming Sunday September 27th in shop from 5-8pm to sew as many cotton reversible earloop masks as possible, no sewing experience required! (with that super soft elastic that comes on the blue disposable kinds) $40 for 3 hours of instruction/sew time, all materials and tools included, use coupon 1STCLASS or RETURNING for $5 off, or 2CLASS, 3CLASS, 4CLASS for $5 off each person when signing up multiples at checkout! classes in shop are limited to 4 people, with separate work stations and tools, air purifiers and fans running. . . . #sewing #sewingclass #class #mask #sewingmasks #milwaukee (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFafwDXHza6/?igshid=tjw5hizy5xvs

[madamchino]

DROP OF A HAT // test ran these fun/funky/functional party hats in wacky sewing class yesterday, and im in love! theyre super unique and sure to make a birthday buddy feel mega special! these 6 are in shop now for $16 a pop or I'll send a random one to your birthday friend for $20 with a special note and stitch their name in it! OR, come make yourself a set at the wacky sewing 2nd sundays at MC, where you build textural fabrics and turn them into utilitarian art objects, and you learn to free-motion embroider custom words into them! Next one is on Sunday October 11th 1pm-4pm and use code: WACKYSEWER for $5 off this 3 hour $40 class! . . . #partyhat #wackysew #sew #handmade #homemade #hat #hats #hatsoff #millinery (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFIBeVXH6sQ/?igshid=1im6943rp6as3

[madamchino]

BUTTON DOWN // many of many more regal little extra button envelopes in a donation tin to madam chino. wonder where their parent clothing items are today. . . . #sew #extrabuttons #button #lostbuttons #extra #wastenotwantnot (at Madam Chino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE-qTkOnUy3/?igshid=cj8gbc4ezztx