News

2021 Summer ~ Delays Due to Wildfires

I’m sure that many of you are aware that in the past week two significant wildfires have erupted here in the Methow Valley. Our home, and my workshop, is located right between the two fires.

As I write this, homes that are less than two miles away from us have been placed on Level 3 evacuation status. Level 3 means leave immediately. Currently we are preparing to evacuate when it is our time, but the time is uncertain do to the nature of wildfires. There are a lot of things that are uncertain right now in our valley, and that is why I cannot make any promises on how fast I can process and ship your orders right now.

It could be a few weeks, or longer, before things get back to normal here but nobody really knows. I’ll post updates via social media as things progress, but right now I honestly have no idea if I will even have a workshop to return to in a few days. Even if my home survives the wildfire, I may not be allowed to return until the danger has passed.

I appreciate your support in these troubling times, but please respect the situation that we are dealing with here. I do not know if I will have electricity or internet in the coming days. I apologize in advance if I do not reply to your emails, and messages over the next few weeks. 

Thank you for understanding my situation, and I look forward to connecting with you all once the fires have subsided.

Take care and be safe,

Betsy

By Betsy Cassell-Thomas | | Read more

A New Way

This time, last year, an emotion we all felt was Fear. Fear of the unknown as the Corona Virus started to spread, and we were forced into a Lock-Down. Over the past year, Covid has robbed something from all of us.

Yoga Pant Fit Guide

 

Yoga Pant Fit Guide

Now that I am making 4 different styles of Yoga Pants, I wanted to write about the features of each style to help you choose which pair works best for you and your body.

We all know Pants are the hardest thing to fit - even stretchy yoga pants!!

All 4 pairs have this in common: 

1. The Fabric is hand-dyed by myself using low-impact procion dyes. 

2. They are hand-crafted from the 53% Hemp, 43% Organic Cotton, 4% Lycra blend. I choose the heavier weight hemp to sew the pants out of. The weight is 9.5 oz., this weight holds up to the longevity we all know hemp to have. It doesn’t stretch out as much, making it the ideal choice for an active style pant.

3. Sizing & Fit: These pants have a stretchy waistband, it’s best to go off your hip measurement for sizing. If you’re in between sizing - size down. If you want a fitted fit - size down. If you want a regular fit - size normal. Follow this link to our size chart.

 

Salamba Pant - 

My original style of yoga pant for ITD, and what all 4 are based off of. Salamba (supportive in Sanskrit) has a 6” fold-over waistband and a “regular” fit leg. These are the most casual style that I make.

 

Nomad Pant -

The exact same pattern as the Salamba with a couple tweaks to the pattern. First, it has pockets (YAY), 2nd - the waistband is 4” and has ruching on the back. 3rd - the ankle cuffs - this makes them a better “active” style of pant. You can see your ankles when doing things. The leg is “relaxed” just like the Salamba Pant. This is my personal favorite.

 

Inspire Pant - 

I drafted this pattern off of our Salamba Pant, but tightened up the leg, so it would be a better choice for being active in. It’s hard to rock climb in pants when you can’t see your foot very well. It’s also easier for a yoga teacher to correct your body posture when they can see your leg. This style also has a 4” waistband, the leg has a “slim fit” to it.

 

Drishti Pant - 

Drishti means “focused gaze.” These are my yoga pant that fit like a yoga “tight”. The legs are fitted with seams stitched down the side that have a roomy pocket sewn in to the side panel. They have a 4” waistband with ruching on the back. These are ideal for activewear, and layering under tunics/dresses - perfect because you will always have a pocket :)

 

By Betsy Cassell-Thomas | | Read more

Merino Love

SPRING 2023 UPDATE:

I have updated this blog to educate on my new line of Merino Wool. 

I am now crafting with 3 variations, I have labeled each variation with a code to differentiate what I use in each hoodie. You will notice these codes next to colors to show what each colors fiber content is.

OG - The Merino I have been using the past 4 years is 100% Merino & weighs 4.4 oz/150 gsm (grams per square meter)

This merino is produced under what the Textile Exchange calls “Responsible Wool Standard” - RWS farms and ranchers must meet animal welfare, land management, and social requirements.

ZQ -  My brand new 100% Merino weighs 6 oz/200 gsm 

This Merino has a ZQ Premium certification which states - Growers are committed to protecting the environment, as well as the animal welfare.

I added links to the certifications if you care to read more.

*Although this weighs more than my OG, I think it breathes the same.*

The weave is a more open/porous jersey knit, where the OG is a tighter woven material.

I have product tested since last summer.

I made myself a tank top to back pack in for the true test. I didn’t notice a difference - I was carrying a very heavy pack - we were rock climbing, so both that gear and typical backpack gear. It was HOT too.

I really like this new Merino - it’s easier to sew with and the colors are gorgeous.

MN - Merino/Nylon Jersey - 87% Merino Wool 13% Nylon - I am calling it Eco Nylon since it meets all the blue sign certifications and is blended with ZQ Merino.

It weighs 4 oz/150gsm

This versatile fabric is knitted from superfine ZQ merino with nylon core for added performance. The best of both worlds, all the comfort and thermal properties of merino with the strength and lightness of nylon, with the nylon at the core of the yarn and the merino wrapped around so only the merino fibre touches your skin. Nylon core merino gives extra durability, strength and recovery and remains lightweight. The single jersey knit structure gives this fabric mechanical stretch and great drape with a subtle texture due to the naturally occurring slubs throughout. 

I also have been product testing this fabric since the summer. Some of my new Lady TBH’s are mixed with both this fabric and the ZQ.

Say the sleeves are the MN, Bodice ZQ or vice versa. The hoodie I made myself was like this, and I really enjoy it. Some of these fabrics are dead stock, so once they are gone from my studio, I can no longer re-order.

Dead Stock fabric comes from bigger fabric companies that didn’t use the whole production. It’s a great way to purchase fabric, I’m buying the surplus - makes it even more sustainable.

I took one of these tank tops to Mexico, hiked in 80 plus degree weather, it was fabulous.

THANKS for taking your time to read, I appreciate it, & of course please me let know if you need help or have a question. 🧡

Everything written below still stands from my original 2019 Blog Post.

 Merino Love

I’m utterly ecstatic to be offering you all hand-made Merino Wool Clothing. 🤗

For 3 years now, I’ve been making hoodies for myself, Pitkin, and close friends. We absolutely love them for any adventure we go on in the Mountains. I have been wanting to share them with you, but I could never find a sustainable source for the fabric. Just this year, I’ve found a reliable source for Wool and I am happy to be able to finally share my hoodies with you. Stay tuned for more Merino designs coming as well…

 

If you are unfamiliar with Merino Wool, and why it makes such a great layer for outdoor activities, then read on…

~Breathability:

Merino wool breathes and manages moisture better than any other fiber. For those unfamiliar, moisture wicking fabrics pull moisture away from your skin by absorbing it into the fibers. The moisture then moves through the fabric and evaporates through the exterior.

For the same reason merino wool keeps you comfortable by keeping you dry, it also encourages breathability. We’ve found the most breathable articles to be lightweight and thin, which makes sense because air can pass through easily, allowing the fabrics to dry out. 

Merino naturally helps regulate body temperature, therefore, just like hemp, its designed to keep you warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.

My favorite layering system in the mountains is my Trail-Breaker hoodie and a wind jacket - top notch layering system for any adventure.  

~Feel:

Merino turns the notion that wool is itchy and uncomfortable completely on its head. Merino fibers are much finer and softer than standard wool and easy to wear all day. A high-end merino shirt feels softer and lighter than cotton while outperforming it in warmth, moisture wicking, and temperature regulation. As a next to skin, merino wool is hard to beat.

One of the reasons that merino wool is so popular is its warmth relative to weight. The fabric has a natural loft that traps heat very efficiently between the fibers, making it warmer than a synthetic of the same weight. But it’s also good in the heat as merino regulates your body temperature really well. Arguably, it’s just as good of a summertime material as it is winter. My first choice for any active, outdoor activity is Merino Wool.  I particularly love it for trail running, hiking, alpine rock climbing & skiing, mountain biking, and yoga because of its comfort across a range of temperatures. Sleeping in your hoodie is the best as well. 🙃

Another benefit is merino wool’s ability to insulate when wet. If you’re sweating heavily, the Trail-Breaker Hoodie (TBH) will still keep you warm and it dries quickly. If I sweated at all while breaking trail, I put on a layer over my TBH when it’s my turn to go to the back, and it’s dry by the time it’s my turn to break trail again.

~Odor Resistance:

Are you sick of wearing synthetic, activewear clothing that smells horrible after one use? I know I was.

Like Hemp, Wool is a porous fiber and breathes extremely well.

Because of wool’s ability to effectively manage moisture; Odor-causing bacteria don’t have the moist environment they need to thrive. Merino’s ability to absorb moisture without creating an environment to grow smelly bacteria is one of its “miracles.” 

Merino Wool is a great choice for traveling in environments where laundry is a hard to a find option. It’s also great for multi-day adventures, as your body odor does not absorb into the fiber as well.

4 of my friends did a 3 week trip into the Arrigetch Range in AK this past August. Steph Williams wore her Trail-Breaker Hoodie every single day. She is not only a Mountain Guide, both here in the Methow Valley, and Alaska, Most importantly she’s the women behind the Cascade Wolverine Project. 

This is her quote she made on Instagram about her Hoodie: “I slept in my Betsy merino wool hoodie three weeks straight on a climbing trip in AK last summer. It’s still in great shape. Best layer ever! Thanks for crafting these hoodies Betsy.”

2 summers ago when I was so lucky to spend a month in Chile & Argentina, I brought 2 TBH’s with me, Chile doesn’t have laundromats, only dry-cleaning services. I was never in a town long enough, or had extra clothes to spare to do that. I was so thankful to have my Merino with me, especially since we lived in an extremely small van for a month.

I gave my friend Will Nielson (the male model) a hoodie to test. He grew up in Stehekin, WA, with his father Bob who is a true advocate of wool. I thought Will would make a great test-piece because of this. I gave him the shirt, he wore it everyday for 3 weeks without washing, and still it did not stink. (He must smell like roses too right. 😅)  I think I have Will hooked on the TBH!!!

Are you sold yet 😉

I’ve always said, “The 2 best fibers on the planet are Hemp & Wool - I’m so happy to be able to create high-quality, comfortable clothing out of both these materials.

~WEAR & CARE~

~How to Care for your TBH: 

The Trail-Breaker hoodie is preshrunk - I wash the merino wool in cold water, and put in the dryer on low for a short amount of time to ensure this, before sewing every garment.

I do recommend Machine Wash COLD, Air Dry.

~Fit & Wear:

I am wearing an XS in the photos. Pitkin is wearing a large, Will is wearing an XL. 

I have a small torso, and do like my shirts a little bit more fitted. If you are unsure of what size to order, please email me, and I am more than happy to help. 

As a general rule, if you like fitted, either size down, or order your normal size. If you like a little looser, size up. 

My TBH pattern uses the Raglan sleeve cut which naturally adds extra room to the bodice of the shirt. The diagonal seam of the “raglan” provides more room in the shoulder area giving maximum comfort and performance for the many activities you will find yourself doing in the Trail-Breaker Hoodie.

The only downfall I have found about Merino Wool, is it doesn’t last as long as my other fabrics I’ve been making clothing with for 18 years.

I’ve been sewing myself Merino clothing for 3 years now, and usually towards the end of the first year of HARD wear into my shirt, I’ve seen little holes develop in the fabric. If you’ve worn merino from any brand, you know this is a possibility.

I recommend being gentle when taking on and off, that way you’re not stressing those points of where you grab your shirt to do that - this will help with holes - as that’s where I usually see them develop.

As Always, Thanks for taking your time to read, and your dedicated support to buying hand-made and sustainably made clothing.

Betsy 🧡

 

See Them Here

By Betsy Cassell-Thomas | | Read more

Summer Chill Out

 

Owning your own business is a lot more work than most people realize, it truly consumes your life.  Running my business is a 24 hr. commitment, 7 days a week - it never stops! 

Of course I take days off, but that just means I have even more work to do when I return to work. When you sew everything, and run the business yourself, there’s no one else to get things done.  Don’t get me wrong, being too busy is a wonderful problem to have.  I truly love making clothes for each and every one of my customers, but sometimes a girl just needs a break from the sewing machine.

That is why I am shutting down my store from now until September 16th, 2017 - to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams and go snowboarding in South America! It felt strange to wax my snowboard on a 100* August day yesterday, but it made my dream start to feel more real than ever.

Follow me on Instagram ( @intertwined_designs ) to get updates from my adventure!

Sorry For Any Inconvenience, but don’t worry, I’ll be back mid-September to release my Fall Collection and back to business as usual.

Cheers!

Betsy

 

By Betsy Cassell-Thomas | | Read more

Opt Outside? ...We Always Do!

Opt Outside? … WE always do!

There’s been a lot of talk on Social Media these days about Opt Outside, or more specifically #optoutside. This was REI’s ad campaign to encourage Black Friday Shoppers to spend the day outdoors instead of camping in front of Walmart (or other big stores) waiting for Black Friday bargains. It’s since caught on and spread throughout the internet, seems everyone has jumped on the bandwagon.

We actually find the whole #optoutside thing sort of funny, because after all we always choose to be outdoors - when we can!  …and we think you should too! We’ve been opting outside since the days when the # was called a ‘pound sign’ and not a ‘hashtag’.

Thanksgiving weekend, for us, has always been about getting outside with friends, and family. It’s a great time to take a break and connect with loved ones, after all, isn’t that the best thing about the Holidays?

 We usually have our fingers crossed for fresh snow, of course, because nothing gives you a heartier appetite for TG Dinner than a day in the backcountry. November snow isn’t always guaranteed, so when we have it, we feel blessed. This year’s forecast is looking very promising for some holiday turns.

So, you might ask, what’s all this have to do with Black Friday? Well, we are going to do our part to make Holiday Shopping easier for YOU, and have a week long sale on our website

So get outside, see your family, and have FUN. Then shop at your leisure, you know -when you get a free moment. 

Take your time, all week long we are going to have a nice selection of our handmade garments on SALE for 20% OFF, and to sweeten the deal FREE SHIPPING -on orders over $100.

Our Sale runs from Tuesday 11/22 - 11/30/2016, items will be priced as marked, and FREE Shipping will be applied at checkout on orders over $100.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Cheers,

Betsy & Pitkin

By pitkin thomas | | Read more

It's Been Awhile...

It's Been Awhile...

It certainly has been awhile since we've posted a Blog, that's because sometimes life just gets overwhelming.

We are finally getting a chance to catch our breath after an extremely busy Summer of working hard, traveling, and visiting friends & family.

It all started with the Oregon Country Fair, back in July. We love the OCF, but there's no denying that it requires an immense amount of work and dedication to make the trip a success -year, after year. OCF is only a 3 day festival, but when you factor in packing, driving, set-up, and clean-up it ends up being a solid week of work, not to mention the months of sewing Betsy must do to create enough inventory for the booth. To say the least, it is a huge effort for us to make it happen. This year rain created an additional obstacle, that extended the cleaning well into the following week. We arrived home in mid-July, to prepare for a busy month of visitors.

Betsy counted 18 different people that stayed at our house throughout the month of July! It was a fun month seeing family, and friends, but all the energy we spent hosting guests didn't leave us much time to prepare for the Anacortes Arts Festival.

We had an excellent time in Anacortes this year, as usual it was great to see some of our westside friends, soak up the coastal air, eat great food, and immerse ourselves in the amazing art that is present at the festival year, after year.

After the AAF, Betsy was absolutely exhausted and in desperate need of a break. We decided to pack up the truck and head to Canada.

We had big plans to climb lots of mountains, but the relentless rain and other unforeseen events deflated our dreams. Somehow we managed to salvage the trip, and got a fair bit of climbing in between storms. We got to check out some major tourist attractions, such as Lake Louise, along the way and narrowly missed an encounter with a Grizzly Bear.

We returned home in early September to catch up on work, and prepare for Winter. Betsy was busily catching up on orders that came while we were away, and Pitkin focused on building the giant woodshed we've been needing for years. Once the shed was complete he cut, split, and stacked 10 cord of wood to fill the new structure, just before we left for our next trip, a family wedding in Maryland.

We had a good time seeing Pitkin's family in Md., we attended the Grakin Wedding, and got lots of quality time with everybody, especially our nephews! We coordinated our trip with our semi-annual trip to the City of Rocks National Reserve in Almo, Id.

The City of Rocks is, without a doubt, our favorite climbing destination. It has some of the highest quality granite we've ever touched, and the best camping anywhere. We've never been disappointed by any of our trips to the City.

This trip was especially awesome because we had a crew of old friends from Whatcom co, and most of them had never been to the City! It was great to share some of our favorite spots with them, and explore new areas as well.

Now we are back home, and hunkering down for the winter. There's already snow in the mountains, and we are looking forward to sticking around our Valley and focusing on work for the next few months... and hopefully do some skiing too!

 

Cheers,

Betsy & Pitkin

In the Studio

About Us:

Intertwined Designs has been growing, and evolving, since 2001. This year, 2016, is no exception. 

Throughout the past year we have been working on improving our home based studio, and planning on some future expansions. The improved studio space has been proving it’s value, as things get busier for us.

By this Spring, the remodeling should be complete, and we will begin equipping the added space with the Screen Printing equipment that we have been coveting for the last few years.

Our long time customers will remember some of our Screen printed clothing from several years ago. It featured original art work by Pitkin, but was printed out of house.

By the end of 2016, we hope to be producing our own original designs, printed in-house, on our handmade clothing. This should be the beginning of an exciting new era for Intertwined Designs, as Betsy and Pitkin, will truly be Intertwining their skills to produce some amazing new Designs.

In the Studio:

Step into our home-based studio, where Betsy has been hard at work creating new designs for 2016.

From the raw fabric, to designing patterns, and finally creating the finished product, every garment continues to be handmade, just as it has for the last 15 years.

Having an improved workspace has been a blessing for our business. For many years the business was taking up most of our living space in the house, finally over the past year Betsy has gained some breathing room to create!

So stay tuned for lots of great things from Intertwined Designs this year.

A Gift from Us:

Have you ever wondered what it is like to get a package from Intertwined Designs?

Well, it is like giving yourself a present!

Once your handmade garments have been specially sewn - just for you, we then carefully hand-package your clothing with love. We wrap your order in tissue paper, created from 100% recycled materials, and tie it together with Hemp twine. We always include a handwritten card to let you know how much we care, and appreciate your business. We want you to know that we are sending this to you, with care, in hopes that our clothing brings you pure joy.

The personal connection to our customers is important to us. We are not a huge faceless company, we are normal people just trying to create good things in the world.

We thank-you for supporting our small business, and taking the time to visit our website.

 

Cheers,

Betsy + Pitkin

 

Mid-Winter 2016

Above: Our Valley, can you see why we can't leave?

It just occurred to us the other day, that we haven’t left our valley in over two months! That must be a sign that we like it here in Mazama.

The winter has been cold, and relentless. Many extra hours have been spent snow blowing, and shoveling -only to do it all over again, and again. The funny thing is, we’ve been happier than ever in our ‘snow cave’ of a home. 

We thought we had an unexpected visitor at our door the other day, when we heard a strange rumble on the porch. Only to find out it was our roof-top glacier collapsing, and crashing (literally) through the front door. See More Here 

Betsy can’t see out of her studio anymore, now that the snow has covered most of the windows. Pitkin had to exhume our reserve firewood from under a blanket of snow and ice four feet thick.

Above: Betsy making the Commute 

We had to chuckle a bit when we realized that we’ve put more miles on our snowmobiles, than our cars in the past few months. That’s a first for us! We have some of the most fuel efficient snowmobiles available, and they use considerably less gas than a car. Not to mention they are much more fun to drive than most cars.

Above: Our Friend Doug threading the needle

The one thing that makes all this winter hardship worth it, is the fantastic skiing we’ve been doing this year! A great run in the backcountry can keep you smiling for days! 

Obviously, all this snow has been pretty distracting, but we’ve been making a conscious effort to keep things at Intertwined Designs moving along. Betsy has been busy designing some great new things for the upcoming year, and we are getting excited to finish the new screen printing studio this spring.

We also have released a NEW item on our website, the Men’s Hemp Backcountry Hoodie. It is a comfortable, and durable Mens Hooded Shirt, that is going to be very popular. See It Here

12days of Christmas

12days of Christmas

12days of Christmas

We are planning our biggest giveaway ever for this Holiday Season!

We started our Instagram account a year ago, and have really enjoyed sharing our photos with the world. We have also enjoyed connecting with a whole new community of people that we might never have crossed paths with otherwise.

As a 'Thank You' to our IG followers, we are having a 12 day giveaway event starting Dec. 13th. We have a nice selection of prizes that are ready to go for 12 lucky recipients. So follow us: @intertwined_designs for your chance to win.

The contest rules are simple:

1. Follow us on Instagram @intertwined_designs

2. When we share each of our '12 days posts', re-post them daily

3. Tag us, in your re-post: @intertwined_designs, #HandmadeInMazama , #ITD_12days  -each day

We will post each morning from Dec.13th-Dec.24th, and then select a random follower each evening. You must meet the above criteria to be eligible to win.

So best of luck to you all! ...stay tuned.

 

Thanks,

Betsy, and Pitkin

 

 

 

Learn More | Stay in Touch

Questions?

We'd love to here from you. Email: betsy@intertwineddesigns.com

Latest Posts

  • 2021 Summer ~ Delays Due to Wildfires

    I’m sure that many of you are aware that in the past week two significant wildfires have erupted here in the Methow Valley. Our home, and my workshop, is located right between the two fires. As I write this, homes... read more

  • A New Way

    This time, last year, an emotion we all felt was Fear. Fear of the unknown as the Corona Virus started to spread, and we were forced into a Lock-Down. Over the past year, Covid has robbed something from all of... read more

  • Yoga Pant Fit Guide

      Yoga Pant Fit Guide Now that I am making 4 different styles of Yoga Pants, I wanted to write about the features of each style to help you choose which pair works best for you and your body. We... read more