Not Without Merit
Urban Biking Handbook
by Merritt Kirkpatrick on 08/05/11
I have the most amazing little brother, I really do. He has like three jobs, runs his own business and volunteers at a really cool place called "The Bicycle Kitchen." As of last week, his latest accomplishment is available to the public. I thought I would take this opportunity to brag (as any big sister would) and to share his awesome new book, that I am sure a lot of you would enjoy! I interviewed him below:
MK: Do you have a day job as well?
CH: Partner in my production company.
CH: My wonderful editor Rochelle Bourgault from Quarry Books got in touch with the bicycle kitchen looking for volunteers who would be interested in writing a DIY/City Culture focused book on bicycling, and I was instantly excited. We talked for several months to develop a solid outline for the book and really got on the same page in terms of what we were looking for.
CH: Well, I think the book is the ideal balance of knowledge about both cycles and city cycling along with technical info and DIY repair stuff. It's not as dry and diagram filled as a traditional repair book and it has more focus on things that can be done at home without a lot of tools, and the kinds of repairs and whatnot that you might run into with a vintage thriftstore bike as opposed to a brand new hybrid.
MK: What do you hope that people gain from the book?
CH: I hope people gain both insight in and enthusiasm for the bicycle as a part of a full life. The bicycle is a world-changing tool and I think that a lot of people who would be more likely to ride, and would ride often, if they knew what simple machines they are.
CH: Not at the moment, but someday.
CH: Craig Robinson! Just kidding, me:)
MK: Thanks, Charles! I am totally giving this as a Christmas gift to all of my bike-loving friends! :)
I. Completely. Failed.
by Merritt Kirkpatrick on 06/27/11I had set out to post a new post every day in June. I failed big time. The past week has been completely insane. HGTV has a new magazine coming out this October and they hired me to several pillows last week. A post about that experience will be appearing closer to the time of publication. The week before that I was in Claremont and Los Angeles visiting my parents and brother. It was also my Dad's retirement party that made me trek that far. While I was there I got to check out the Craft and Folk Art Museum in LA which is pretty amazing. I wrote about it on the Boston Handmade blog here.
Self Interview
by Merritt Kirkpatrick on 06/15/11
So, this came out a few weeks ago, so I think it is okay to share it here. This was a self-interview I did for Boston Handmade, which is an amazing group of fellow artisans and crafters that I just joined last month.
Hi there! I am so honored to be one of the new members of Boston Handmade! This introduction was a lot of fun to do, and I hope it gives you an idea of who I am and what I do. Thanks!
BH:Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff).
Merritt Kirkpatrick: My name is Merritt Kirkpatrick, and I live in Salem with my husband Kris and our two Siberian Huskies Lilly Munster and Damien the Terrible.
BH:What is your background? (family background, education, former/current day jobs)
MK: I grew up all over the place (my mom has a serious case of wanderlust!), but we stayed east of the Mississippi, except for a brief stint in Missouri. My childhood was in the Midwest, my teenage years were in the DC suburbs and my twenties were spent between Baltimore, Philly and Memphis. Kris and I moved to Salem in February of 2008. I have a BFA in Fiber Arts/Textiles from the Maryland Institute College of Art. My MA is in Museum Communication from the University of the Arts in Philly. I currently run two small museums in Peabody.
BH: Apart from creating things, what do you do?
MK: Read, plant things (I am finally having success with keeping them alive!), and work on renovating our giant Victorian-era house. I love a good craft beer and am currently working on brewing at home. Oh, and I am on some arts and history boards.
BH: What is the first thing you can
remember making by hand? How and
why did you make it?
MK: The first thing I remember making is when my grandmother taught me how to crewel when I was seven. I know I made things before then, but that is the first real memory that I have. I have not stopped embroidering since then! Textile work is in my blood it seems, I have a collection of quilts, tatting projects, embroidered pillows, etc. going back several generations from my family (I guess that is how I got into museums!).
BH: What's your favorite color?
MK: Favorite color? Gosh, that is a hard one. I am obsessed with plum lately, as you might notice on my logo. I am also into slate, avocado, eggplant and anything yellow. I am kind of a color nerd, I took color theory three times in art school.
BH: What inspires you?
MK: The houses in Salem are my current obsession. I love just walking around my neighborhood with my camera. I love the little architectural details on each house, like how brackets on stoops seem to be like snowflakes, I have yet to see two just the same. Houses used to be made so beautifully, with such craftsmanship, and I find that to be really inspiring. There are local two house/history blogs that always have an interesting perspective. The House Enthusiast and Streets of Salem. Of course there are a ton of other blogs I read, but those two are very inspirational as far as the topic of houses.
BH: What do you love most about what you make?
MK: I like the reaction from people. True, I love the hours spent drawing, printing and sewing, but what really excites me is seeing the expression on someone’s face when I give them their new pillow! A good friend in grad school screamed in the middle of the street when I gave her a pillow with her beloved Lionel Richie embroidered on it. I will never, ever forget that joy!
BH: Are there other mediums you’re not working in that interest you?
MK: I am so interested in ceramics right now. We just opened a ceramics studio in Peabody, and I am so excited about getting to do some work there. It was the only medium in art school that I completely failed in trying. I am so envious of ceramic artists!
BH: How do you promote your work?
MK: I think word-of-mouth is the best thing for me, so far. The history community has been good to me, with custom orders coming from fellow board members and other museum folks. Luckily, I have good connections to local newspapers, because of my current day-job, so that has been helpful too—The Salem News just wrote a story on Not Without Merit, Inc, here. I tried twitter, but I am so terrible at it—I don’t really get the format of tweets. Facebook is much better for me, but I have to remember to update it.
BH: Why should people buy handmade?
MK: Oh, wow! This is something I talk about almost every day. One thing, you are supporting an individual, and not some big corporation (I will stop there with that one, no need to get into my political beliefs!). Two, handmade is almost always better made than store-bought--there are a few exceptions, though. Three, you are supporting someone in your community, whether that is your local community, or online community. If it is in your local community, your tax dollar stays in that local community, which is great if you want your streets fixed and good schools.
BH: Name your top five books and musical groups
MK: Books- Shadow of the Wind, The Historian, The Peabody Sisters, House of Leaves and Heart-Shaped Box.
Music- Tom
Waits, Sigur Ròs, The Pixies, Laura Marling, and Neutral Milk Hotel.
BH: If you are a tree- what kind of tree are you?
MK: I would totally be a manzanita. I had no idea what one was until I went to Southern California to visit my parent’s new condo. They are everywhere! They have this beautiful smooth plum-colored bark. My little brother lives on Manzanita Street in LA, and I love it whenever I send him a package and I get to write his address—he makes movies and I make a pillow based on each script he writes!
BH: What’s your favorite way to spend a Sunday morning?
MK: Driving up the coast to Maine with my husband, Kris. We usually end up at this great little bagel shop in York, and then wander around some beach.
BH: Is there anything about you that would surprise people to know?
MK: I have a terrible fear of publicly speaking in front of people I know. People I don’t know, I am completely fine with, though! Kind of backwards, right?
BH: In ten years I'd like to be...
MK: living on the coast, making pillows and designing fabric full-time.
I will be participating in the 4th Annual Boston Handmade Marketplace, and have five dates at Sowa, so I hope to meet you all this summer! -M.
Salem Patch Interview
by Merritt Kirkpatrick on 06/06/11
I recently started writing a blog for the Salem Patch. For those of you who don't know, a Patch is a community-specific news and information platform that focuses on individual towns and communities. I think it is a great idea, and it is a great way to get exposure for the local crafters in Salem! As it is the Salem Patch, I will only be able to cover crafters here in town, but if any of you out-of-towners are going to be participating in an event in Salem, let me know and we can do an interview, too!
This week features my new friend, Megan Carroll. We met through the Salem Etsy Team. For the blog post please click here. Thanks, and see you soon!
The lovely Megan Carroll of A Kitschy Kitchen!
Windows From Framingham
by Merritt Kirkpatrick on 06/05/11
Kris and I spent last Saturday going to Framingham to pick up some windows and doors that were listed on Craiglist's free section (love it!). 
On the way home, while I was busy crocheting our new rag rug for the living room, Kris told me he was going to make a greenhouse out of some of the windows--the rest would go on his new shed. I thought it would be a cabinet of sorts that was up against the house. Boy, was I wrong. It is five-feet tall and about four-feet wide. It is perfect for all the peppers I am growing for our BBQ sauce and all of the other plants I have not killed!
