Makers ~ April Gramolini & Richer Giasson ~ Tiverton
Artist’s name: April Gramolini & Richer Giasson
Shop name: Ape & Bird
Website: www.apenbird.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ApeNBird
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ApeNBird
Instagram: www.instagram.com/apenbird/
Other: www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Yn_Q7Oox6gSeE1kUka0HA
1. Tell us about your work:
Richer and I have been sewing and making stuff for years but currently we cut and sew caps and bum bags. All made from funky prints and USA milled denims and canvas.
2. Is there a story behind the name of your business?
April has always been called ape from way back. Rich got the nickname little bird at words years ago as a house painter. It morphed from little bird, to LB, to finally bird and has just stuck. So when we started making caps together 5 years ago it was the perfect name. A banana and feather make a nice logo too.
3. How did you come to be a professional artist/crafter/designer?
Welp, trial and error and a lot of seam rippers. April got the sewing bug early on and took random jobs working with tailors and dry cleaners, then working for a gal making draperies, cushions and roman shades, after that worked at resails/hooley in Newport RI for a few years. So really just got a lot of hands-on experience and then could pass that along to Richer.
4. Where do you draw your inspiration?
Makers, artists and people that work with their hands that we follow online are a constant source of inspiration. We love to watch how-to videos of all different types of skills and mediums.
5. What’s your favorite item to create?
Currently loving to chainstitch little doodles. We have a 100-year-old hand operated chainstitch machine and its super fun to play around with . It's nice to sew for fun still for us even though we sew for work too. Also have been loving making clothes like hoodies and joggers from scratch. Super rewarding to wear your own clothes!
6. What’s your best seller?
We sell a lot of caps to different tradesmen, carpenters, construction workers, artists, chefs etc so the pencil pocket cap is the top seller right now. We have both been in the carpentry business so was natural to add the pencil holder to the caps. We can add a sharpie holder or a carpenter pencil too instead of a standard size pencil.
7. How long have you been in Rhode Island?
33-35 years. We are both from in Tiverton! We have also lived in Bristol, Warren, Providence and now are currently in Pawtucket …. So for a while now (April is 33 and Richer is 35)
8. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?
Being so close to the ocean and the bay is fantastic. The artist/maker community here is super tight-knit because its such a small state, it's really great for sharing resources and collaborating.
9. Favorite place to take out-of-towners?
AHHH so many spots!
Prospect Park, PVD
Colt State Park, Bristol
AS220 for food / drink / art PVD
Knead donuts, PVD
Hudson Street Deli, PVD
Like No Udder, PVD
Bolt coffee, PVD
India point park, PVD
Fogland Beach, Tiverton
East Bay Bike path, PVD-Bristol
New Harvest Coffee + whiskey at the arcade PVD
Fortnight wine bar, PVD
Red Fez, PVD
Little Compton beaches
Revival Brewery, Cranston
Troop restaurant, PVD
Napolitano's Brooklyn Pizza PVD
Catanzaro’s Pizza, Cranston
10. Any advice for new/wannabe makers?
When you feel scared is when you are usually doing something right. When you are just about to give up is the point to keep going. Nothing comes easy, and for us it's constant practice. You may have to take 100 seams out before you can sew 1000 more.
11. Please include anything else you’d like to add:
Use code IHEARTRI for free shipping on either www.apenbird.com or www.etsy.com/shop/ApeNBird?coupon=IHEARTRI
Shop name: Ape & Bird
Website: www.apenbird.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ApeNBird
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ApeNBird
Instagram: www.instagram.com/apenbird/
Other: www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Yn_Q7Oox6gSeE1kUka0HA
1. Tell us about your work:
Richer and I have been sewing and making stuff for years but currently we cut and sew caps and bum bags. All made from funky prints and USA milled denims and canvas.
2. Is there a story behind the name of your business?
April has always been called ape from way back. Rich got the nickname little bird at words years ago as a house painter. It morphed from little bird, to LB, to finally bird and has just stuck. So when we started making caps together 5 years ago it was the perfect name. A banana and feather make a nice logo too.
3. How did you come to be a professional artist/crafter/designer?
Welp, trial and error and a lot of seam rippers. April got the sewing bug early on and took random jobs working with tailors and dry cleaners, then working for a gal making draperies, cushions and roman shades, after that worked at resails/hooley in Newport RI for a few years. So really just got a lot of hands-on experience and then could pass that along to Richer.
4. Where do you draw your inspiration?
Makers, artists and people that work with their hands that we follow online are a constant source of inspiration. We love to watch how-to videos of all different types of skills and mediums.
5. What’s your favorite item to create?
Currently loving to chainstitch little doodles. We have a 100-year-old hand operated chainstitch machine and its super fun to play around with . It's nice to sew for fun still for us even though we sew for work too. Also have been loving making clothes like hoodies and joggers from scratch. Super rewarding to wear your own clothes!
6. What’s your best seller?
We sell a lot of caps to different tradesmen, carpenters, construction workers, artists, chefs etc so the pencil pocket cap is the top seller right now. We have both been in the carpentry business so was natural to add the pencil holder to the caps. We can add a sharpie holder or a carpenter pencil too instead of a standard size pencil.
7. How long have you been in Rhode Island?
33-35 years. We are both from in Tiverton! We have also lived in Bristol, Warren, Providence and now are currently in Pawtucket …. So for a while now (April is 33 and Richer is 35)
8. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?
Being so close to the ocean and the bay is fantastic. The artist/maker community here is super tight-knit because its such a small state, it's really great for sharing resources and collaborating.
9. Favorite place to take out-of-towners?
AHHH so many spots!
Prospect Park, PVD
Colt State Park, Bristol
AS220 for food / drink / art PVD
Knead donuts, PVD
Hudson Street Deli, PVD
Like No Udder, PVD
Bolt coffee, PVD
India point park, PVD
Fogland Beach, Tiverton
East Bay Bike path, PVD-Bristol
New Harvest Coffee + whiskey at the arcade PVD
Fortnight wine bar, PVD
Red Fez, PVD
Little Compton beaches
Revival Brewery, Cranston
Troop restaurant, PVD
Napolitano's Brooklyn Pizza PVD
Catanzaro’s Pizza, Cranston
10. Any advice for new/wannabe makers?
When you feel scared is when you are usually doing something right. When you are just about to give up is the point to keep going. Nothing comes easy, and for us it's constant practice. You may have to take 100 seams out before you can sew 1000 more.
11. Please include anything else you’d like to add:
Use code IHEARTRI for free shipping on either www.apenbird.com or www.etsy.com/shop/ApeNBird?coupon=IHEARTRI
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