FREE shipping on all U.S. orders over $200!

Making Paints for Iris!

I am getting many inquiries about my Iris Painter’s Palette and the paints that are in it. I shall get to that, but first I have a little story to tell.

I remember getting my first list of vocabulary words in elementary school. That week the words seemed to show up everywhere: in conversation, in books I read, wherever I went. I walked into the classroom, gobsmacked, and shared the news with my teacher. Each week brought new lists and new coincidences. Decades later, my life is still filled with this magic. The synchronous deluge doesn’t just happen with words – it happens with so many things, including our falling into the world of geology and paint. 

One cold winter, Peg and Awl was set up at the Chelsea Holiday Market in New York City for a week. After so long in our makeshift shop, I was set free to stretch my legs in the cold, wet, snowy streets of Manhattan. I typed ‘art store’ into Maps and found Kremer Pigments. When I opened the door, it felt like I had traveled back in time. As I stared at the bags of pigments, the connection between them and the paints I so loved hit me like a thunderbolt. I muttered some incomprehensible thing to the shelves and shelves of coloured dust. The pigments that made the paint came from the earth under my feet: malachite, azurite, epidote, garnet. I had fallen into a world of pure magic!

Fast forward to so-called ‘adulthood,’ and like the vocabulary words that were everywhere, the Family Kent were suddenly, literally, swimming in natural history relics that could be transformed into paint! In a river in Vermont, we found rocks embedded with garnet. In Pennsylvania we met a retired science teacher who bought a cabin precisely because of its location atop ochre mines (he gave us red and yellow ochre in a variety of forms). We sifted through the sand at Calvert Cliffs (whilst swimming in the Chesapeake Bay) and found shark teeth, biominerals, and ancient coral. Gobsmacked, over and over again. 

At Peg and Awl, we have bags of treasures to crush and mix and play. 

I feel our jumping into this world is not complete without that story, because understanding where these colours come from was what brought this epic journey into the realm of magic.

There are invisible things all over, and it’s not until we’re able to focus (through direction or discovery) on what has been heretofore concealed, can we see the words and the materials we use every day.

So now, the colours in my palette:

• Magnetite 
• Noir Mineral*
• Azurite
• Celadonite
• Malachite
• Epidote
• Iron Oxide Red
• Burnt Iron Oxide
• Ombre Nature*
• Cote de Azur Violet
• Ocre Havane*
• Ocre Jaune*

    *these are from France, from 40+ years ago, via Belgium. This entire paint adventure includes in insane number of rabbit holes, just look at this: Ochre Quarry in France, via Atlas Obscura.

    If you are up for the challenge of making your own paints, you need some tools to begin. If you wish to circumnavigate the making, I will provide a list below with some glorious paint makers! Like most “that looks easy enough!” processes it is rather complex and expensive to begin. But if you are up for the challenge, it is oh so fun! 

     

    Tools

    I started with the following tools: 

    1. a muller
    2. palette knives
    3. tempered glass palette
    4. mortar and pestle (I have loads from flea markets)
    5. dropper
    6. kremer’s premade medium
    7. palette (our Iris!)
    8. pigments
    9. glass jars (I bought some from Kremer and also use saved spice jars!)

      Paintmakers

      • Kremer, obviously, in NYC and Germany.
      • Case for Making – CFM paints are creamy and delicious and their website is full of beautiful accessories from other makers whose goods they stock. Alexis and crew also introduce the world to artists and workshops and just so. much. magic.
      • Greenleaf & Blueberry – G+B paints are unbelievably prepared. If you try to make paints, you will see the challenge in putting paint into a palette neatly, and without cracks. These guys are the masters at this! Their paint, too, is glorious. And Jess’s newsletters are of the few that I read from beginning to end. 
      • Beam Paints – Anong is the daughter of paint makers and artists in Canada. Her stories, process and ingenuity are ever-so inspiring. Anong makes countless sustainable palettes and presentations for her paints. She shared with me the ancient Egyptian Paint Palette that inspired our Iris!
      • Early Futures (pigment shop) – I found Heidi via instagram and following her journeys is another epic adventure, and her pigments and the stories that accompany them are a complete treasure to transform!

        Other Resources

        • The Kremer Pigmente Recipe Book – beautifully photographed and so informative!
        • Illustoria Magazine – I love this magazine and this month is the Color Issue!

          Suggested Blog Posts

          • We have been compiling the most frequently asked questions about waxed canvas.

             

            Truffle, Old Truffle (used!*), Hickory, Spice, Spice (lightly used)
            *our first Sendak! I’ve been using it since 2016

            All About Our Canvas and Colours!


            Waxed Canvas is a cotton canvas with wax embedded into the fibers. The wax darkens the colour of the textile, and makes it water resistant, giving it protection from the elements. It also shows marks of use, giving it the charming rugged look that we were drawn to fifteen years ago when we started Peg and Awl, and continue to love as we use it throughout the years!

            We have been compiling the most frequently asked questions about waxed canvas. We’ve included photographs to illustrate our answers, especially with colour!


            What Are The Marks On My Bag?

            Waxed canvas looks cozy and worn in from the start, because of the crazing – the creases and marks – that show up with use. Some colours are craze-ier than others! The Coal is the least mark prone, and shows the most dust and pet hair in the beginning, but with use, as with all the colours, the wax works its way into the cotton fibers, protecting it from the elements, including pet hair.

            Can You Make a Sendak In _____?

            We use two different canvas weights – one for the Sendak and another for our Bags. The Sendak canvas is thinner and lighter because of all of the layers and intricacies of the artist roll. Some limited colours are only available in one weight. This is why we may introduce a colour in Bags that we don’t offer in Sendaks, and vice versa.

            Why is this Canvas Softer that the Others?

            Most of our canvas comes from Fairfield Textile, and the waxiness is fairly consistent, but we love finding new colours and new manufacturers, so there can be variation in the canvases. Sweetshrub, Radish, and Rook are all a little softer and waxier than the others at first, but again, all wax works its way into the fibers with use.

            Why Is The Colour Different?

            The wax reflects lighting differently so the range of tone in the photographs reflects the range of tone you may perceive in life. The colours may vary slightly from batch to batch because they are hand dyed. The wax will fade with use and the colour of the bag will lighten and evolve. We love all of this. Your bags will change through use, giving each one a one-of-a-kind patina with the stories and marks from your life!


            Cool: Fog, Slate, Coal
            Colour Comparison
             

            Warm: Truffle, Spice, Hickory
            Colour Comparison


            Waxed Canvas Swatch Books!


            We use two different canvas weights for our Sendaks and Bags. The Sendak canvas is thinner and lighter. The colours vary between the weights, and sometimes we cannot find the same colour in both, and sometimes, the 'same' colour isn’t the same at all — as in the case of Sweetshrub (Sendak) and Sumac (Bags). They are close, but the canvas weight and wax makes the colour different enough that we decided to give them different names. 

            On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for Peg and Awl bags.

            Bag Canvas
            Classic Colours
            On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for Peg and Awl bags.

            Bag Canvas
            Small Batch Colours
            On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for the Sendak Artist Roll.

            Sendak Canvas
            Classic Colours
            On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for the Sendak Artist Roll.

            Sendak Canvas
            Classic Colours
             

            Sumac (Left) and Sweetshrub (Right)
            Colour Comparison


            Our Leather


            We use black and brown vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett and Craig for our bags and Sendaks. Fog and All Black are paired with black leather and all other colours are paired with brown leather.

            We can do any leather and canvas combination that you wish! Just email us or write your request in your order notes. Please note, these are considered special orders and are not returnable.

            All About Our Canvas and Colours!

              Truffle, Old Truffle (used!*), Hickory, Spice, Spice (lightly us...

            Read The Post

          • Watch the instructions on how to adjust and secure the leather straps on The Franklin Maker’s Apron. The Franklin is available in two sizes, and the suspender-style vegetable tanned leather straps and belt have multiple settings to comfortably fit a variety of statures. Once on, The Franklin Maker’s Apron becomes a part of you, bringing the perfect mix of order, utility, and aesthetics to the creative chaos of a maker’s daily routine!

            Watch the instructions on how to adjust and secure the leather straps on The Franklin Maker’s Apron. 

            The Franklin is available in two sizes, and the suspender-style vegetable tanned leather straps and belt have multiple settings to comfortably fit a variety of statures. Once on, The Franklin Maker’s Apron becomes a part of you, bringing the perfect mix of order, utility, and aesthetics to the creative chaos of a maker’s daily routine!

            How to Adjust the Straps on The Franklin Maker’s Apron

            Watch the instructions on how to adjust and secure the leather straps on The ...

            Read The Post

          • One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!

            *What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.

            Our bags are made with full-grain vegetable-tanned leather*, which is a durable leather that develops a lovely patina over time with continued use. It is thicker than conventional, chrome-tanned leather, which also lends it to be more stiff in the beginning. This video shows how to quickly soften the leather, as well as the proper steps for detaching and attaching the leather shoulder strap and front closure on our Peg and Awl bags.

            One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!

            *What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.

            Step 1: Detaching the Strap
            *The leather is the most stiff when it is new. As you use it and work with it, it will soften.
            • Hold the button stud and pull the leather strap to bring the button stud into the leather slot.
            • Firmly and slowly work the leather over the button stud. Take your time working with the leather as it softens.

            Step 2: Attaching the Shoulder Strap
            • Twist and roll the strap to soften the leather. It does not take long to break in.
            • Press the leather slot over the button stud. Hold the stud and pull the leather strap to bring the stud into the hole.

            Our Leather!

            Our first bag – The Waxed Canvas Tote – which we finished with reclaimed military leather slings found at a flea market. Dusty and dull with years of neglect, the leather was unassuming. But with some hot soapy water, perseverance, and beeswax balm, we removed the layers to find stories told through the markings of days past. We were delighted! The usefulness of the leather sent us on a mission to scour flea markets and military shows for as many old slings as we could find. For years we used these relics to finish our bags – until there were no more to be found.

            And so, a new mission was soon underway: the search for the right new leather. We began in the UK driving along long and winding roads through the English countryside to visit J&FJ Baker, a 500-year-old tannery. This experience and many subsequent conversations enriched our understanding of a leather world we had known nothing about.

            While shipping leather from the UK turned out to be impractical, we left enlightened with the knowledge that there do exist a few companies who produce leather in a sustainable and responsible way. When we returned to America we found Wickett & Craig – only a stone’s throw from our shop in Philadelphia. Their vegetable tanning process is a slow, natural, and eco-friendly process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark. This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures – the very thing we’ve always celebrated! We’ve been using this leather for three years now and love it!

            With the transition from using reclaimed WWII era gun straps for our leather handles to using locally-sourced vegetable-tanned leather, we are reaffirming the fellowship between ourselves and the materials with which we make. By creating beautiful and useful objects out of sustainable and responsibly sourced materials, we strive to change the way that we as individuals make, use, repair and reuse everyday objects. As our new bags leave our Philadelphia workshop and arrive at your doorsteps, what adventures will they see in your hands and how will they transform to become truly yours?

            Vegetable tanned leather is made with a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.
            The more you use your bags and journals, the softer the leather will become.
            This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures! Here, you can see the leather on Walter's Tote and Scout.
            As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver.
            We took out Hunter's out on an Amethyst dig! they got pretty dirty, so we turned the bags inside out, tapped out the dirt and wiped the inside with a sponge and put them in the sun to dry.
            Our Finch is my favourite bag - I carry mine nearly everyday. It holds my books, journal, water bottle, and other bits comfortably. 

            Adjusting the Leather Straps on our Waxed Canvas Bags

            Our bags are made with full-grain vegetable-tanned leather*, which is a dura...

            Read The Post

          • Happy New Year!
            “Turn it and turn it,
            for everything is in it.”
            –Ben Bag Bag

            Growing and flourishing are not always analogous.

            Join us for a quick wander through 2023, the year we smallened Peg and Awl, and moved out of Philadelphia. Also the year where we found ourselves finding ourselves again. The ‘smallening’, as I’ve been calling it, is a bit vague. I’m an open book when it comes to most things, and would love to engage in conversation on the topic, but mostly, I know neither where to begin, nor how to distill it. The simplest version is this: Peg and Awl was a thriving small business with twenty-five people at our height, reaching sales numbers we’d never imagined nor planned for. But the joy of having a small business, being curious, and exploring this weird world with family and friends, became secondary as our responsibilities to maintain this monster perpetuated. Somehow growing and flourishing are not always analogous.

            And here we are in 2024, returning, already, to what matters most! We’ve ventured south for a little warmth and a lot of biking, I went north for a mini retreat in the snow. We’ve been working on new Peg and Awl treasures, building our barn storefront and workshop, and working on the land.

            We cannot wait to share our progress – there are so many stories to tell!

            Our 14th Anniversary was January 10th!
            Søren and Silas made me a bunch of Specimen Cards of the Five Acre Wood for Christmas!
            I continue to fill sketchbooks and journals, and am designing some new books and journals that will be available soon!


            One of the most thrilling parts of 2023 was finally launching our long-in-the-works Solvitur Ambulando ring – and with much success! We appreciate all of your shared stories. Thanks to Claire of Warwick Furnace Farm for modeling for me!

             
            We opened up our barn shop which we look forward to stocking with Peg and Awl treasures and more. We are heading to New Orleans for the NAMTA show in March!
            We made new treasures out of Sendak scraps, and small batch colours, a puzzle of a kind!

            We spent a week on a cargo ship during a storm on the North Sea – there were two visible twisters at one point! By the fourth day a calm settled over the sky, and the water, and the few floating birds, and we jumped into the cold sea. (no showers on board!) 

            So often I wish to jump back in, to return to the cold depths in that utter post-storm quiet. We went from thinking we’d made a big mistake in booking this trip, to longing to do something like this again – such a harrowing and magical adventure!
            Here in Whitby England, where we wandered in the glorious and misty rain.
            Before the storm and the reality of our upcoming adventure, Walter painted and Søren drew. ps: Walter began to work on a larger Scout!

            We discontinued 3/4 of our catalog – both daunting and freeing! Inevitably, once we sell out, the inquiries start pouring in. We still have some Rogues and Weekenders and more available in our Last Chance! section.
            (Here, in Amsterdam on gigantic rented bikes!)
            Søren, Silas, Pearl, and I moved our studios back into the cozy Springhouse! 
            We opened our barn for the Chester County open studio tour. Come visit us May 18 and 19!



            We traveled! Here we are, on the other side of our wild cargo boat trip after wandering down the coast of England. We spent a quick couple of days in London!
            We cold plunged in Virginia when it was 29 degrees outside and were tingling and spectacularly warm when we climbed out onto the previously cold rock to shake off. 
            Walter bringing flowers over to the barn to brighten the wet and wintry gloom.

            Solviture Ambulando (It is solved by walking)! A Christmas Eve post dinner walk and view of the Peg and Awl Barn from the street.
            I started 2024 with a retreat with my friend, Deb, in CT during a snowstorm! Making progress of a kind on a project. I share bits on my Substack and @beingmargauxkent
            We did a few shows – here we are at Wintherthur, which we shall partake in again in 2024!

            One of our last family photographs in our Philadelphia workshop!

            * * *

            Everywhere, Astonishments!

            I was working on this newsletter at Lentil & Co, and this song came on. It comes and goes as songs do, but this one every time, crawls into that place where only certain songs crawl.

            No Hard Feelings by The Avett Brothers

            When my body won't hold me anymoreAnd it finally lets me freeWill I be ready?When my feet won't walk another mileAnd my lips give their last kiss goodbyeWill my hands be steady when I lay down my fears, my hopes, and my doubts?The rings on my fingers, and the keys to my houseWith no hard feelings.

            This paired well with the essay Who Will Mourn Them When They Are Gone? from Margaret Renkl’s new book, The Comfort of Crows.
             
            Also reading Planting in a Post-Wild World which is a really hopeful and process heavy take on regeneration!
            Planting in a Post-Wild World
            The Comfort of Crows

            Our Year (2024) in Photographs and Words!

            Happy New Year!“Turn it and turn it,for everything is in it.”–Ben Bag Bag Gr...

            Read The Post
          • portrait of family standing in a creek

            HOME, AGAIN.

            portrait of family standing in a creek

            HOME, AGAIN.

            A joyous new-place photograph that you’ve seen if you’ve been with us for any amount of time. Every year we promise ourselves a new family portrait, but the year ends and I find myself reaching for this one again.
            This shall be a kind of public self-nudge!

            14th Anniversary Pondering, a Power Outage,
             and a Coffee Shop Pause


            Walter and I started Peg and Awl on the 10th of January, 2010. My journal – which was blank – suggests nothing miraculous. Last night’s power outage from yesterday’s deluge means a coffee shop in-between which rouses the unexpected, always. As I walked and wrote in my new journal*, the in-between felt grounding, as each footfall, each letter, and the sun warming despite the cold, settled me. 

            I was thinking that we should share a timeline of Peg and Awl successes, but it occurred to me as I walked, to share bits of the in-between days instead.

            Thank you for being here!

            As we do our best to plan for this coming year (I am notoriously spontaneous, but appreciate the need for a weaving), I look forward to so much. So here, a little looking forward to 2024:
              • Our Shop! We recently opened it up to visitors for a few days with great success – we met so many wonderful people, which reinforces how lucky we are to connect, through Peg and Awl, to such humans. 2024 will see our shop filled with new treasures from us along with treasures made by others. We are heading to NAMTA in New Orleans in March, on the hunt for art materials.

              • Journals and Kits and Tutorials! We’ve been working on some unusual new designs and look forward to sharing them.

             
            Time Traveling Through the In-Betweens...
            Handmade Library Necklace with Leather-Bound Mini Journal Pendants
            2009
             
            Before starting Peg and Awl, I had a little slow and steady business called The Black Spot Books. I made journals and jewelry and a gathering of my favourite scraps lead me to make the tiniest books, which I eventually strung together into the Library necklace. Boing Boing featured it, making it my first experience with spiraling, viraling.

            2010

            We started out making treasures for our Philadelphia Row Home, including our Tub Caddy out of reclaimed wood and materials gathered from nearby construction sites. At that point, people were thrilled that we were rescuing the materials from them or the deconstruction sites, saving them time and money with trips to the dump.
            Reclaimed Wood Project for Handmade Products
            2011
             

            Now with two boys and a business, and needing a diaper bag that wasn’t paislied, flowered, or pre-gendered, we decided to make a bag that would suit all of us. Thus, the first Peg and Awl bag – The Tote – came to life! This may be when we realised we could keep making things first for ourselves, and then for others. 
            2014
             

            The Black Spot Books and the early days of Peg and Awl treasures were mostly comprised of reclaimed and found materials. As our business evolved, we started using new materials for a variety of reasons, primarily as a shortage of reclaimed materials arose. In our first couple years, we decided to officially launch our Of a Kind collections which harkened back to those early days.
            2016
             

            I went to Spain for Picture Camp, a picture book workshop with my art supplies in various pouches and bags. On the way home, realizing i needed something more conducive to traveling, I started to design an artist roll unlike any artist rolls I could find at the time — one that would hold a variety of art materials, could hold small necessities in a zip pouch, as well as small notebooks. Thus, our most popular treasure to date — The Sendak — was born!
             
             
            2019
             
            Walter, feeling compelled to find his way back to making art as well, went to a painting workshop lead by Jeremy Mann and Nadezda in Tuscany, Italy. On the supply list was a plein air box. Not knowing what this was, Walter ignored it and found himself taping his canvas to his hand to paint. Thus began his developing of the Peg and Awl Scout Plein Air Box!
             
             
            2023
             

            Growing weary of Philadelphia and the business success story of growinggrowinggrowing, we sold our Philadelphia workshop and moved everything to our land in West Chester, rebuilt the dilapidated barn, set up shop, and are now enjoying our new adventure!
             
             
            2024
             
            Journals! I am always eager for change and currently working on new journals*, tutorials, and kits for Peg and Awl. If you’ve been following along, I started this unusual creature a few years ago, and they are nearly ready for take off! This one I made for my friend Deb, using her Pinocchio illustrations on the cover.
             
             

            Just Yesterday

            When the power went out, we found a box of unused Hannukah candles, sunk them into decade old organic black rice and farro, and lit our way through a few rounds of one of our favourite games, reminiscent of The New York Times’ Connections, Code Names! Søren and I started out strong with Roadtrips for 5.
             
             

            Workspace:

            I moved around a lot in 2023 and started this year the same! We’ve already found our way to Savannah, GA and I meandered up to snowy Canaan, CT.
            I’ve been moving around The 5 Acre Wood looking for spot that is just right.
             Sophie Blackall’s, Milkwood in New York, Photograph by Sophie.
             Our Cabin in CT, photograph by Deborah Stein.

            A salvaged flat file turned standing desk! A beloved new corner of my studio. 

             


            Everywhere, Astonishments!

            The Flynn Effect and “kids these days...”

            I don’t know about you, but I hear a lot of mischief about kids these days and see a lot of memes that don’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

            This morning in Turk’s Head Coffee Shop in West Chester, Penna, there was a young person – he must have been 5 – who sat near us and lit up upon seeing a gigantic book of maps on the table and immediately asked “Where is Israel? Where is Japan?” as he navigated the book’s systems. “Mommy, I want to go to Japan.” She considers then realizes he means Japan in the book. Pages turn. “Where is Taiwan. What is this island? Georgian Bay, Ontario. Lake Superior. Where is Minnesota?”

            He reads and pronounces places I am still learning, and goes on to explain what makes 75 an interstate.

            I could have sat and listened all day, but I had to go fetch my own two creatures, full of wonder, curiosity, and magic. I wanted to leave my name and number, to connect this 5 year old map lover to my 13 and 15 year old map lovers. But maybe they aren’t unusual, these curious young people. Maybe they are everywhere.

            Leave us a comment!
            –Margaux

            ✨ This Year, We Celebrate 14 Years of Peg and Awl!

            HOME, AGAIN. A joyous new-place photograph that you’ve seen if you’ve been w...

            Read The Post

          • Our Barn Shop is Open, Now by Appointment!

            Come Visit Our Shop!
            Come say hey and pick up a treasure if you are in the area. Email us to make an appointment.
            Morning Light!
            Cozy Corner and Our Bags!

            Vignettes of our Actual Messies!
            Walter Hanging Photographs
            Silas Setting Up Track Lighting

            Walter’s Original Oil Paintings
            Scout Pochade Box
            Handmade Ink!

            Our Bookbinding Kits
            Vintage Pencils and Dip Pens!
            Bioplastic Pans from Poems About You that fit our palettes!

            Of a Kind Book Necklaces Along with Our Classics.


            Everywhere, Astonishments!

            Søren, Silas, and I went to Philosophical Hall in Philadelphia with Katie to hear Catherine McNeur talk about her new book Mischievous Creatures. The title was enough to draw back to the city – and my homeschoolers are up for most adventures. Catherine, Margaretta, and Elizabeth’s stories were full of magic and wonder, local history and mischievous creatures! The erasure of these two women scientists came undone through Catherine's excavation, as one unexpected finding after another revealed their story.
            Mischievous Creatures by Catherine McNeur on my desk!
            Catherine’s Desk Caddy from Peg and Awl, which she’s had for a decade(!), on her desk.

             

            Come Visit Our Barn Shop!

            Come Visit Our Shop!Come say hey and pick up a treasure if you are in the ar...

            Read The Post

          Suggested Blog Posts

          We have been compiling the most frequently asked questions about waxed canvas.

           

          Truffle, Old Truffle (used!*), Hickory, Spice, Spice (lightly used)
          *our first Sendak! I’ve been using it since 2016

          All About Our Canvas and Colours!


          Waxed Canvas is a cotton canvas with wax embedded into the fibers. The wax darkens the colour of the textile, and makes it water resistant, giving it protection from the elements. It also shows marks of use, giving it the charming rugged look that we were drawn to fifteen years ago when we started Peg and Awl, and continue to love as we use it throughout the years!

          We have been compiling the most frequently asked questions about waxed canvas. We’ve included photographs to illustrate our answers, especially with colour!


          What Are The Marks On My Bag?

          Waxed canvas looks cozy and worn in from the start, because of the crazing – the creases and marks – that show up with use. Some colours are craze-ier than others! The Coal is the least mark prone, and shows the most dust and pet hair in the beginning, but with use, as with all the colours, the wax works its way into the cotton fibers, protecting it from the elements, including pet hair.

          Can You Make a Sendak In _____?

          We use two different canvas weights – one for the Sendak and another for our Bags. The Sendak canvas is thinner and lighter because of all of the layers and intricacies of the artist roll. Some limited colours are only available in one weight. This is why we may introduce a colour in Bags that we don’t offer in Sendaks, and vice versa.

          Why is this Canvas Softer that the Others?

          Most of our canvas comes from Fairfield Textile, and the waxiness is fairly consistent, but we love finding new colours and new manufacturers, so there can be variation in the canvases. Sweetshrub, Radish, and Rook are all a little softer and waxier than the others at first, but again, all wax works its way into the fibers with use.

          Why Is The Colour Different?

          The wax reflects lighting differently so the range of tone in the photographs reflects the range of tone you may perceive in life. The colours may vary slightly from batch to batch because they are hand dyed. The wax will fade with use and the colour of the bag will lighten and evolve. We love all of this. Your bags will change through use, giving each one a one-of-a-kind patina with the stories and marks from your life!


          Cool: Fog, Slate, Coal
          Colour Comparison
           

          Warm: Truffle, Spice, Hickory
          Colour Comparison


          Waxed Canvas Swatch Books!


          We use two different canvas weights for our Sendaks and Bags. The Sendak canvas is thinner and lighter. The colours vary between the weights, and sometimes we cannot find the same colour in both, and sometimes, the 'same' colour isn’t the same at all — as in the case of Sweetshrub (Sendak) and Sumac (Bags). They are close, but the canvas weight and wax makes the colour different enough that we decided to give them different names. 

          On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for Peg and Awl bags.

          Bag Canvas
          Classic Colours
          On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for Peg and Awl bags.

          Bag Canvas
          Small Batch Colours
          On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for the Sendak Artist Roll.

          Sendak Canvas
          Classic Colours
          On a worn wooden surface, a waxed canvas sample book containing a range of colored waxed canvas swatches for the Sendak Artist Roll.

          Sendak Canvas
          Classic Colours
           

          Sumac (Left) and Sweetshrub (Right)
          Colour Comparison


          Our Leather


          We use black and brown vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett and Craig for our bags and Sendaks. Fog and All Black are paired with black leather and all other colours are paired with brown leather.

          We can do any leather and canvas combination that you wish! Just email us or write your request in your order notes. Please note, these are considered special orders and are not returnable.

          All About Our Canvas and Colours!

            Truffle, Old Truffle (used!*), Hickory, Spice, Spice (lightly us...

          Read The Post

          Watch the instructions on how to adjust and secure the leather straps on The Franklin Maker’s Apron. The Franklin is available in two sizes, and the suspender-style vegetable tanned leather straps and belt have multiple settings to comfortably fit a variety of statures. Once on, The Franklin Maker’s Apron becomes a part of you, bringing the perfect mix of order, utility, and aesthetics to the creative chaos of a maker’s daily routine!

          Watch the instructions on how to adjust and secure the leather straps on The Franklin Maker’s Apron. 

          The Franklin is available in two sizes, and the suspender-style vegetable tanned leather straps and belt have multiple settings to comfortably fit a variety of statures. Once on, The Franklin Maker’s Apron becomes a part of you, bringing the perfect mix of order, utility, and aesthetics to the creative chaos of a maker’s daily routine!

          How to Adjust the Straps on The Franklin Maker’s Apron

          Watch the instructions on how to adjust and secure the leather straps on The ...

          Read The Post

          One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!

          *What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.

          Our bags are made with full-grain vegetable-tanned leather*, which is a durable leather that develops a lovely patina over time with continued use. It is thicker than conventional, chrome-tanned leather, which also lends it to be more stiff in the beginning. This video shows how to quickly soften the leather, as well as the proper steps for detaching and attaching the leather shoulder strap and front closure on our Peg and Awl bags.

          One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!

          *What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.

          Step 1: Detaching the Strap
          *The leather is the most stiff when it is new. As you use it and work with it, it will soften.
          • Hold the button stud and pull the leather strap to bring the button stud into the leather slot.
          • Firmly and slowly work the leather over the button stud. Take your time working with the leather as it softens.

          Step 2: Attaching the Shoulder Strap
          • Twist and roll the strap to soften the leather. It does not take long to break in.
          • Press the leather slot over the button stud. Hold the stud and pull the leather strap to bring the stud into the hole.

          Our Leather!

          Our first bag – The Waxed Canvas Tote – which we finished with reclaimed military leather slings found at a flea market. Dusty and dull with years of neglect, the leather was unassuming. But with some hot soapy water, perseverance, and beeswax balm, we removed the layers to find stories told through the markings of days past. We were delighted! The usefulness of the leather sent us on a mission to scour flea markets and military shows for as many old slings as we could find. For years we used these relics to finish our bags – until there were no more to be found.

          And so, a new mission was soon underway: the search for the right new leather. We began in the UK driving along long and winding roads through the English countryside to visit J&FJ Baker, a 500-year-old tannery. This experience and many subsequent conversations enriched our understanding of a leather world we had known nothing about.

          While shipping leather from the UK turned out to be impractical, we left enlightened with the knowledge that there do exist a few companies who produce leather in a sustainable and responsible way. When we returned to America we found Wickett & Craig – only a stone’s throw from our shop in Philadelphia. Their vegetable tanning process is a slow, natural, and eco-friendly process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark. This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures – the very thing we’ve always celebrated! We’ve been using this leather for three years now and love it!

          With the transition from using reclaimed WWII era gun straps for our leather handles to using locally-sourced vegetable-tanned leather, we are reaffirming the fellowship between ourselves and the materials with which we make. By creating beautiful and useful objects out of sustainable and responsibly sourced materials, we strive to change the way that we as individuals make, use, repair and reuse everyday objects. As our new bags leave our Philadelphia workshop and arrive at your doorsteps, what adventures will they see in your hands and how will they transform to become truly yours?

          Vegetable tanned leather is made with a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.
          The more you use your bags and journals, the softer the leather will become.
          This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures! Here, you can see the leather on Walter's Tote and Scout.
          As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver.
          We took out Hunter's out on an Amethyst dig! they got pretty dirty, so we turned the bags inside out, tapped out the dirt and wiped the inside with a sponge and put them in the sun to dry.
          Our Finch is my favourite bag - I carry mine nearly everyday. It holds my books, journal, water bottle, and other bits comfortably. 

          Adjusting the Leather Straps on our Waxed Canvas Bags

          Our bags are made with full-grain vegetable-tanned leather*, which is a dura...

          Read The Post

          Happy New Year!
          “Turn it and turn it,
          for everything is in it.”
          –Ben Bag Bag

          Growing and flourishing are not always analogous.

          Join us for a quick wander through 2023, the year we smallened Peg and Awl, and moved out of Philadelphia. Also the year where we found ourselves finding ourselves again. The ‘smallening’, as I’ve been calling it, is a bit vague. I’m an open book when it comes to most things, and would love to engage in conversation on the topic, but mostly, I know neither where to begin, nor how to distill it. The simplest version is this: Peg and Awl was a thriving small business with twenty-five people at our height, reaching sales numbers we’d never imagined nor planned for. But the joy of having a small business, being curious, and exploring this weird world with family and friends, became secondary as our responsibilities to maintain this monster perpetuated. Somehow growing and flourishing are not always analogous.

          And here we are in 2024, returning, already, to what matters most! We’ve ventured south for a little warmth and a lot of biking, I went north for a mini retreat in the snow. We’ve been working on new Peg and Awl treasures, building our barn storefront and workshop, and working on the land.

          We cannot wait to share our progress – there are so many stories to tell!

          Our 14th Anniversary was January 10th!
          Søren and Silas made me a bunch of Specimen Cards of the Five Acre Wood for Christmas!
          I continue to fill sketchbooks and journals, and am designing some new books and journals that will be available soon!


          One of the most thrilling parts of 2023 was finally launching our long-in-the-works Solvitur Ambulando ring – and with much success! We appreciate all of your shared stories. Thanks to Claire of Warwick Furnace Farm for modeling for me!

           
          We opened up our barn shop which we look forward to stocking with Peg and Awl treasures and more. We are heading to New Orleans for the NAMTA show in March!
          We made new treasures out of Sendak scraps, and small batch colours, a puzzle of a kind!

          We spent a week on a cargo ship during a storm on the North Sea – there were two visible twisters at one point! By the fourth day a calm settled over the sky, and the water, and the few floating birds, and we jumped into the cold sea. (no showers on board!) 

          So often I wish to jump back in, to return to the cold depths in that utter post-storm quiet. We went from thinking we’d made a big mistake in booking this trip, to longing to do something like this again – such a harrowing and magical adventure!
          Here in Whitby England, where we wandered in the glorious and misty rain.
          Before the storm and the reality of our upcoming adventure, Walter painted and Søren drew. ps: Walter began to work on a larger Scout!

          We discontinued 3/4 of our catalog – both daunting and freeing! Inevitably, once we sell out, the inquiries start pouring in. We still have some Rogues and Weekenders and more available in our Last Chance! section.
          (Here, in Amsterdam on gigantic rented bikes!)
          Søren, Silas, Pearl, and I moved our studios back into the cozy Springhouse! 
          We opened our barn for the Chester County open studio tour. Come visit us May 18 and 19!



          We traveled! Here we are, on the other side of our wild cargo boat trip after wandering down the coast of England. We spent a quick couple of days in London!
          We cold plunged in Virginia when it was 29 degrees outside and were tingling and spectacularly warm when we climbed out onto the previously cold rock to shake off. 
          Walter bringing flowers over to the barn to brighten the wet and wintry gloom.

          Solviture Ambulando (It is solved by walking)! A Christmas Eve post dinner walk and view of the Peg and Awl Barn from the street.
          I started 2024 with a retreat with my friend, Deb, in CT during a snowstorm! Making progress of a kind on a project. I share bits on my Substack and @beingmargauxkent
          We did a few shows – here we are at Wintherthur, which we shall partake in again in 2024!

          One of our last family photographs in our Philadelphia workshop!

          * * *

          Everywhere, Astonishments!

          I was working on this newsletter at Lentil & Co, and this song came on. It comes and goes as songs do, but this one every time, crawls into that place where only certain songs crawl.

          No Hard Feelings by The Avett Brothers

          When my body won't hold me anymoreAnd it finally lets me freeWill I be ready?When my feet won't walk another mileAnd my lips give their last kiss goodbyeWill my hands be steady when I lay down my fears, my hopes, and my doubts?The rings on my fingers, and the keys to my houseWith no hard feelings.

          This paired well with the essay Who Will Mourn Them When They Are Gone? from Margaret Renkl’s new book, The Comfort of Crows.
           
          Also reading Planting in a Post-Wild World which is a really hopeful and process heavy take on regeneration!
          Planting in a Post-Wild World
          The Comfort of Crows

          Our Year (2024) in Photographs and Words!

          Happy New Year!“Turn it and turn it,for everything is in it.”–Ben Bag Bag Gr...

          Read The Post
          portrait of family standing in a creek

          HOME, AGAIN.

          portrait of family standing in a creek

          HOME, AGAIN.

          A joyous new-place photograph that you’ve seen if you’ve been with us for any amount of time. Every year we promise ourselves a new family portrait, but the year ends and I find myself reaching for this one again.
          This shall be a kind of public self-nudge!

          14th Anniversary Pondering, a Power Outage,
           and a Coffee Shop Pause


          Walter and I started Peg and Awl on the 10th of January, 2010. My journal – which was blank – suggests nothing miraculous. Last night’s power outage from yesterday’s deluge means a coffee shop in-between which rouses the unexpected, always. As I walked and wrote in my new journal*, the in-between felt grounding, as each footfall, each letter, and the sun warming despite the cold, settled me. 

          I was thinking that we should share a timeline of Peg and Awl successes, but it occurred to me as I walked, to share bits of the in-between days instead.

          Thank you for being here!

          As we do our best to plan for this coming year (I am notoriously spontaneous, but appreciate the need for a weaving), I look forward to so much. So here, a little looking forward to 2024:
            • Our Shop! We recently opened it up to visitors for a few days with great success – we met so many wonderful people, which reinforces how lucky we are to connect, through Peg and Awl, to such humans. 2024 will see our shop filled with new treasures from us along with treasures made by others. We are heading to NAMTA in New Orleans in March, on the hunt for art materials.

            • Journals and Kits and Tutorials! We’ve been working on some unusual new designs and look forward to sharing them.

           
          Time Traveling Through the In-Betweens...
          Handmade Library Necklace with Leather-Bound Mini Journal Pendants
          2009
           
          Before starting Peg and Awl, I had a little slow and steady business called The Black Spot Books. I made journals and jewelry and a gathering of my favourite scraps lead me to make the tiniest books, which I eventually strung together into the Library necklace. Boing Boing featured it, making it my first experience with spiraling, viraling.

          2010

          We started out making treasures for our Philadelphia Row Home, including our Tub Caddy out of reclaimed wood and materials gathered from nearby construction sites. At that point, people were thrilled that we were rescuing the materials from them or the deconstruction sites, saving them time and money with trips to the dump.
          Reclaimed Wood Project for Handmade Products
          2011
           

          Now with two boys and a business, and needing a diaper bag that wasn’t paislied, flowered, or pre-gendered, we decided to make a bag that would suit all of us. Thus, the first Peg and Awl bag – The Tote – came to life! This may be when we realised we could keep making things first for ourselves, and then for others. 
          2014
           

          The Black Spot Books and the early days of Peg and Awl treasures were mostly comprised of reclaimed and found materials. As our business evolved, we started using new materials for a variety of reasons, primarily as a shortage of reclaimed materials arose. In our first couple years, we decided to officially launch our Of a Kind collections which harkened back to those early days.
          2016
           

          I went to Spain for Picture Camp, a picture book workshop with my art supplies in various pouches and bags. On the way home, realizing i needed something more conducive to traveling, I started to design an artist roll unlike any artist rolls I could find at the time — one that would hold a variety of art materials, could hold small necessities in a zip pouch, as well as small notebooks. Thus, our most popular treasure to date — The Sendak — was born!
           
           
          2019
           
          Walter, feeling compelled to find his way back to making art as well, went to a painting workshop lead by Jeremy Mann and Nadezda in Tuscany, Italy. On the supply list was a plein air box. Not knowing what this was, Walter ignored it and found himself taping his canvas to his hand to paint. Thus began his developing of the Peg and Awl Scout Plein Air Box!
           
           
          2023
           

          Growing weary of Philadelphia and the business success story of growinggrowinggrowing, we sold our Philadelphia workshop and moved everything to our land in West Chester, rebuilt the dilapidated barn, set up shop, and are now enjoying our new adventure!
           
           
          2024
           
          Journals! I am always eager for change and currently working on new journals*, tutorials, and kits for Peg and Awl. If you’ve been following along, I started this unusual creature a few years ago, and they are nearly ready for take off! This one I made for my friend Deb, using her Pinocchio illustrations on the cover.
           
           

          Just Yesterday

          When the power went out, we found a box of unused Hannukah candles, sunk them into decade old organic black rice and farro, and lit our way through a few rounds of one of our favourite games, reminiscent of The New York Times’ Connections, Code Names! Søren and I started out strong with Roadtrips for 5.
           
           

          Workspace:

          I moved around a lot in 2023 and started this year the same! We’ve already found our way to Savannah, GA and I meandered up to snowy Canaan, CT.
          I’ve been moving around The 5 Acre Wood looking for spot that is just right.
           Sophie Blackall’s, Milkwood in New York, Photograph by Sophie.
           Our Cabin in CT, photograph by Deborah Stein.

          A salvaged flat file turned standing desk! A beloved new corner of my studio. 

           


          Everywhere, Astonishments!

          The Flynn Effect and “kids these days...”

          I don’t know about you, but I hear a lot of mischief about kids these days and see a lot of memes that don’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

          This morning in Turk’s Head Coffee Shop in West Chester, Penna, there was a young person – he must have been 5 – who sat near us and lit up upon seeing a gigantic book of maps on the table and immediately asked “Where is Israel? Where is Japan?” as he navigated the book’s systems. “Mommy, I want to go to Japan.” She considers then realizes he means Japan in the book. Pages turn. “Where is Taiwan. What is this island? Georgian Bay, Ontario. Lake Superior. Where is Minnesota?”

          He reads and pronounces places I am still learning, and goes on to explain what makes 75 an interstate.

          I could have sat and listened all day, but I had to go fetch my own two creatures, full of wonder, curiosity, and magic. I wanted to leave my name and number, to connect this 5 year old map lover to my 13 and 15 year old map lovers. But maybe they aren’t unusual, these curious young people. Maybe they are everywhere.

          Leave us a comment!
          –Margaux

          ✨ This Year, We Celebrate 14 Years of Peg and Awl!

          HOME, AGAIN. A joyous new-place photograph that you’ve seen if you’ve been w...

          Read The Post

          Our Barn Shop is Open, Now by Appointment!

          Come Visit Our Shop!
          Come say hey and pick up a treasure if you are in the area. Email us to make an appointment.
          Morning Light!
          Cozy Corner and Our Bags!

          Vignettes of our Actual Messies!
          Walter Hanging Photographs
          Silas Setting Up Track Lighting

          Walter’s Original Oil Paintings
          Scout Pochade Box
          Handmade Ink!

          Our Bookbinding Kits
          Vintage Pencils and Dip Pens!
          Bioplastic Pans from Poems About You that fit our palettes!

          Of a Kind Book Necklaces Along with Our Classics.


          Everywhere, Astonishments!

          Søren, Silas, and I went to Philosophical Hall in Philadelphia with Katie to hear Catherine McNeur talk about her new book Mischievous Creatures. The title was enough to draw back to the city – and my homeschoolers are up for most adventures. Catherine, Margaretta, and Elizabeth’s stories were full of magic and wonder, local history and mischievous creatures! The erasure of these two women scientists came undone through Catherine's excavation, as one unexpected finding after another revealed their story.
          Mischievous Creatures by Catherine McNeur on my desk!
          Catherine’s Desk Caddy from Peg and Awl, which she’s had for a decade(!), on her desk.

           

          Come Visit Our Barn Shop!

          Come Visit Our Shop!Come say hey and pick up a treasure if you are in the ar...

          Read The Post

          Comments

          Leave a Comment
          Add A Comments Cancel Comment
          Leave a Comment
          Margaux Kent
          December 21, 2019

          Linda – I am so happy this helps!

          Linda
          December 19, 2019

          Love & appreciate this SO MUCH!! Sometimes feel overwhelmed at where to start & this is so helpful.
          Thanks for creating & sharing Margaux 👍🏼💜😃

          //pegandawlbuilt.com/cdn/shop/t/35/assets/dummy-image.webp?v=151254802051773435431695651725