Growing up on a commune nestled in the forested mountains of Northern California, Jenny Rinzler learned young that if you wanted something, it was best just to make it yourself. There was a vegetable garden to maintain, meals to be cooked and dolls that desperately needed fashionable outfits. It was clear what had to be done. Jenny had to learn to sew.

Previous sewing experiments include a hippie dress made of butterfly patterned sheets (an ill-fated project that became sewn to the skirt she had on), sleeping bags for dolls to camp in and an apron made for her older sister (who still hasn’t worn it). These early attempts did not quell Jenny’s need to design. But what to design?

This question led Jenny to her first major project, a full-sized quilt made as a wedding gift for her best friend. In most other cities this would be completely manageable. Jenny however, lives in San Francisco. Space is tight. The kitchen floor had to be swept and mopped each time she needed a workspace. Housemates waited patiently for a break in ironing to get by as there isn’t room for both an ironing board and more than one human in the “sewing room”. 

The quilt was finished before Jenny was ready to stop quilting. But the idea of full-sized quilts forever blocking off possible exits and the repeated mopping of the kitchen floor was not appealing. Luckily, Jenny had innovation on her side. You can see where this is going, can’t you? Scale, my friend. Why not make smaller quilts?

There’s something about distilling a concept down to its smallest size that has really brought out the vast design capabilities of ciuccio. From her choice of color and fabrics to the thoughtful and often humorous designs quilted in, ciuccio is modern without being stark and cute without being cutesy.