The Homies

Having the honor of being a finalist in Apartment Therapy's best Green Home Design blog of 2009 contest: The Homies has definitely made for an exciting first week of this new year. Your votes have made me so proud and happy. I love sharing with all of you so much, and this has been a wonderful (and unanticipated) way for me to really feel your support for the energy I put into maya*made last year. If you haven't stopped by at The Homies site... there is still time to cast your vote. You'll also love the long list of other fantastic Green sites to visit. Check it out!

Indian Desert

Your enthusiasm about burlap in India was wonderful! I have a couple of more posts coming up about my mother and sister's trip... I hope today's will transport you completely!

Jaisalmer is called the Golden City because of the sandstone everywhere. The palace and forts look like giant sand castles out in the great Thar Desert. It was from this little jewel of a town, 30 km from the border of Pakistan, that my mother and sister set out on an adventure never to forget: a camel safari! They took a jeep miles away from anywhere and then trekked by camel an hour into the desert. Yes, that's my little sister!
In this remote setting they watched the sun set across the dunes...


...ate mutton stew around a bonfire of burning tumbleweeds, and slept under the stars on red striped mattresses. They awoke to a stunnning sunrise on Christmas morning in the middle of the desert... to the smell of chai brewing on the camp fire and the sound of camels munching their breakfast.

It is so dry in this region that there are barely any trees, and dishes are washed in the sand without water. The villages nearby are fairly nomadic, and the people build with what's on hand... like this ingenious barn made of sticks.




The contrast of the tinkling camel bells with the ringing of cell phones (every camel herder communicated with one!) were the sounds that accompanied them on their ride back.

the home of burlap

I enjoy working with many textiles, but burlap is definitely what I'm known for. Although there are numerous sources (garden supply stores, big box fabric shops like JoAnne 's), I work exclusively with repurposed coffee sacks. It began as an exercise in reinvention, but soon turned into a love affair with this rugged and durable material. Burlap is created from the plant fibers of jute, a rain-fed crop which needs very little fertilizer or pesticides to grow. It's the most economical of all green fabrics- recycling it makes its tiny eco footprint even smaller! Jute has a long history in India and Bangladesh, where almost all burlap comes from today. When my mother and sister embarked on their recent odyssey to India, my one request was for photos of burlap in its homeland! Their adventures were amazing, their photos thrilling. As promised, I'll be sharing some of it with you. I thought we'd begin with some images that of this versatile textile...

Boxes are wrapped with burlap for strength and reinforcement before traveling.
Sacks carrying assorted goods are transported on heads with little burlap cushions to soften and anchor the weight.

Most baskets in market places are lined with it, like the one above filled with roasted pumpkin seeds. Not shown, but my mother was very impressed with how milk cans are wrapped in wet burlap for insulation when they're transported by bicycle. Below are two market totes brought back to the states.

I find printing on burlap both satisfying and challenging. I loved examining the beautiful craftsmanship of these.


My appreciation of burlap grows daily... oh yes!

Happy New Year!

I want to thank you deeply for another phenomenal year! Even while I've stepped away for some holiday time with family, you're still with me... as I jot down ideas and take photos in anticipation of more to come. As I was compiling this photo retrospective of a couple of faves from 2009, I was alerted by Apartment Therapy that I was a finalist in their best Home Design blog of 2009 contest: The Homies (in the green category)! WOW!!!I continue to be amazed and totally humbled by the attention my little blog has received this year. Your love and support inspire and motivate me daily. If you're so inclined, I'd be honored to have you visit over there and cast a vote. What an unexpected and thrilling way to begin The New Year! Here's to 2010!

loved ones

barn chair abandoned to winter

Hello my friends, I'm stopping by to say HELLO... I hadn't expected to be swept away for so long. 2009 was full of surprises, but these final few days of the year are proving to be the richest ever. I am completely surrounded by lots and lots of my family. In fact, this week has turned into a reunion like no other before! Some of the fun stems from my sister and mother's grand return from a trek through India. As they settle in, upload photos, unpack treasures, the stories pour out in excited spurts of memories unfolding. I'm looking forward to sharing some of these with all of you in the next few days. In the mean time, I will be posting some good ol' barn images for your looking pleasure. Below: a beautiful, weathered marionette from Germany reclines in a bed of rag balls. By her side: my favorite old industrial fan. Behind her: a framed vintage collage of paper flower cut-outs. New vignettes pop up around the barn frequently, and right now I'm appreciating the peacefulness of the this one.

I hope you are enjoying these last few days of the year! My presence on-line will be a bit sporadic for a wee bit, as I focus on the most important people in my life (that I sadly only get to see on rare occasions.) In other words, if you are waiting on an e-mail, I appreciate your patience and feel free to try again... I may need some nudging. Love to you all!
~Maya

May your days be filled with magic, love, and laughter!

An interview with Meg McElwee of Sew Liberated

I'm so delighted to be one of the stops on the tour of the newly published Sew Liberated 20 Stylish Projects for the Modern Sewist by Author/Designer Meg McElwee. After three years of teaching Montessori in rural Mexico, she and her husband returned to the states to focus on her pattern business and begin a family. I have watched this past year, with pleasure, as she gracefully transitioned into motherhood and now a published author. Meg and I share many loves: early childhood education, sewing, Mexico, apple galettes, burlap buckets, strong black tea... the list goes on. As a peer and friend, I've been curious about how she has been keeping up with it all. So please go grab your cup of whatever makes you happy and let's begin!

Maya: How do you find balance in your daily life with an infant, while still blogging, creating & releasing new patterns, and writing books? I'm exhausted just writing the question!

Meg: Oh Maya, sometimes it's a real struggle to keep all of these balls in the air! There are days and weeks when I feel pretty confident in my ability to get things done and get them done well, and there are days and weeks when I don't get much done at all. I have a little mantra that I repeat to myself often: “One person can only do what one person can do.” I try to let the rest slide off my shoulders and enjoy the plentiful moments of peace and laughter peppered throughout any given day. But let me focus on the laughter – this, above all else, keeps my family happy. I'm fortunate to have married a very funny man, and our son seems to be following in his footsteps!

There's more to my partner than wit, though – he also is a full time co-parent and spends half of each day caring for our son while I get work done. Later in the evening, when I'm going through the bedtime routine with Finn, he is busy packing and shipping patterns and keeping up with the accounting and web site maintenance. I could never accomplish all of this flying solo – the secret behind my productivity is teamwork.

Maya: Has your creative process changed since your son was born?

Meg: Definitely. I used to work uninterrupted for hours, sometimes even forgetting to eat lunch or dinner, while bringing to life a vision in my head. Now? Now my life is actually more balanced than it was before my son was born. His presence in my life makes my priorities clear – spend time to be with and enjoy every stage of his life. Expressing myself creatively is important for me as a person and as a mother, but the time that I have in which to be creative with fabric is certainly less than before. I might be in the middle of a designing epiphany and the baby needs to nurse just then … no later. This has been an adjustment for me, certainly. It's a letting go of the old way of doing things, and a subsequent embracing of this little person, his needs, and his wonderful presence in my life. On a practical level, this has taken the form of “work boundaries”: during the half day when I am the primary caregiver for Finn, as well as after dinner and before his bedtime, I do not do any work. I don't check my email, I don't answer my phone, I don't sew, blog, or write pattern instructions. I'm simply present with my child. (Although I often knit or do other handwork in his presence, which is certainly not work for me!)

Maya: In Sew Liberated's introduction, you spoke about your mother's love for fabric. How did fabric and sewing play a role in your early years? As a mother/sewist, what memories would you hope to give to Finn?

Meg: My Mom is a talented seamstress who got her start sewing her own clothing while in high school. She is intrepid when it comes to learning new skills, from sewing bathing suits

(like the pink one in the photo)

to learning calligraphy and Chinese cooking. When I was young, she was always taking classes. She was undaunted in the face of creative challenges, especially when it came to Halloween costumes. From the Pink Panther to Princess, she never said to me “No, I can't make that” or “That's too hard.”

With my Mom, everything was possible. I'd like to think that she passed on this attitude to me, and I would love to pass it on to my own children.

Maya: In which ways has your Montessori background influenced your designs for children?

Meg: My training as a Montessori teacher has hugely impacted my designs (and my life!) Sewing for my students is what started me on this road as a sewing pattern designer. But more than that, my Montessori background makes me a child-focused as opposed to adult-focused when I am coming up with patterns for children. There are many lovely patterns on the market that are made to appeal to an adult aesthetic (lots of frills, clothing made out of fabric that isn't comfortable) rather than a growing child's needs. When I come up with a design for children, I think of three things: it needs to be comfortable, conducive to unrestricted movement, and able to be put on and taken off by the child (or adult, in the case of babies) with little frustration. For example, all of my child's apron patterns are front-closing instead of tying in the back, and my clothing designs are simple and comfortable, putting the emphasis on the beauty of the child, not the frills surrounding the child.

Maya: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Meg: My inspiration is a many-headed fountain. My tastes are (and have always been) somewhat eclectic. I am moved by a more reserved palette and simple lines of European clothing design, but I am also completely at home with rustic/folk elements. My home reflects this duality, mixing modern thrifted elements with very homey, elaborately embroidered and appliqued details.

p. 26 of Sew Liberated

Maya: You've been very busy and have another book on the way, can you share a little bit about it?

Meg: I'm so very excited to be writing my second book, which is tentatively titled Growing Up Sew Liberated: Over 30 Sewing Projects for the Daily Rhythm of Childhood. This book is so close to my heart, as I get to pour myself into every page – from sewist to mama to passionate educator. Each chapter will represent a time of day: morning, sharing food and keeping the home, inside play, outside play, and bedtime. Each sewing project is accompanied by a suggested activity, all keeping in mind my Montessori background and my newly discovered interest in Waldorf educational methods. The resource section alone is a joy to write, and I hope that this book is something that will be useful to all parents, even those who might not have considered sewing for their children.

Maya: It sounds absolutely wonderful! Although you probably don't have much time for blog reading these days, could you share a few of your favorite sites for sewing, parenting, or crafting. We all love new links to follow!

Meg: Checking my favorite blogs is something that I could never give up – they give me creative fuel as well as mothering support. I'm currently the most drawn to blogs which combine parenting and sewing/crafting topics. At least once a week I catch up on the following blogs (among many others, which are just too numerous to list here!)

-www.soulemama.typepad.com

-www.uncommongrace.typepad.com

-www.frontierdreams.blogspot.com

-www.jchandmade.typepad.com

-www.blueyonder.typepad.com

Thanks so much for your thoughtful answers, Meg! I'm really looking forward to diving into some more projects from your book. If you missed yesterday's post, please see my daughter's blossom blouse from p.81 right here.

You may like to read some reviews and check out previous interviews along the tour (each one is totally different from another):

Friday, Dec. 11: TrueUp.net (interview)

Sunday, Dec. 13: “In the Studio with Cate” (studio tour)

Thursday, Dec. 17: Grosgrain Fabulous (book review and giveaway)

Friday, Dec. 18 Living Life as Art (interview, review, and project)

Saturday, Dec. 19: CraftyPod.com (book review)

Monday, Dec. 21: Craftsanity (podcast interview)

birthday bird blossom blouse

My daughter turns five in a matter of days, and I wanted to create something very sweet and special for her.

This blouse came together because of two very special women. You see, months ago, the lovely and generous Michelle, of Cloud9 Fabric, asked me if I could use any of her left over organic fabric from the Quilt Market? What an amazing question to be asked! She knows I love organic and recycled... this bird fabric, Flock, had already been used on display (as a curtain) in her booth and fit both those categories. This print got so much adoration from my daughter that it was clearly going to turn into something for her.

Enter my sweet friend, Meg, who just published her first book Sew Liberated: 2o Stylish Projects for the Modern Sewist, and invited me to be a part of her book blog tour.
Her publisher's at Interweave sent me a copy over the weekend. (Yes, I feel extremely grateful to be leading this life!) I read through it twice and loved it. There are many book reviews along the tour if you'd like specific details. Enjoying pretty photographs and unique designs are very important (and Meg's book is full of them), but trying out a pattern is my true test... because I am not always keen on following them. I'll take a little inspiration here, a nice twist there, but rarely do I want to follow a pattern. I WANTED the blossom blouse on P.81 for my daughter's birthday at very first glance! I was even stitching it in my dreams on Saturday night. I cut on Sunday night. I sewed on Monday night. It was straightforward. It was a pleasure. In fact, the combination of Meg's clear and simple instructions matched with the deliciously soft feel and drape of Michelle's fabric have made this my favorite project in recent memory. I love simple peasant blouses and the unique gather of the bell sleeves is so sweet.

Yes, it's gush time! Thank you M & M! I can't wait for more time in the new year to make another... in my size. The blossom blouse is a mother/daughter pattern! Here's a photo of it in a grown-up size with the beautiful applique that this book is filled with.


So tomorrow's tour stop is right here. I'll be talking to Meg about her book, inspiration, motherhood and more. See you then... bring a cup of something warm and good and we'll all visit together!

gift bags from boxes

I have a bunch of little gifts I'm finishing up, but I already know that I won't complete everything on my list. There's always next year! What I do get done will be so much fun to wrap. I bet you can guess how much I love wrapping up handmade gifts in creative, repurposed packaging. Remember the art storage/display I made out of a turned-inside-out priority mail box? I used the same technique with cereal and cracker boxes to make "gift bags"! I punched holes in the sides and used selvedge , ribbons, or twine for handles. A glue gun was the easiest way to re-consruct each box.

For a substitute to tissue paper, I enjoy using old patterns (that I'd never use for sewing) found while thrifting. I love how you can customize these bags/boxes for each recipient. This one is for our music teacher. Vintage sheet music came from this lovely friend.


Happy packaging!

winter celebrations

My family flows from one celebration to another in December. I'm always curious about how other families build their traditions. I thought I'd share a tiny bit about ours. For us, Chanukah's emphasis is on the magic of lighting the candles with prayer and then singing festive songs. About five years ago we spontaneously choreographed a little dance to Sevivon. We've done this dance (while singing) each of the eight nights ever since. It's a silly one, and we all love it. It's our special family dance, not that we haven't shared it with others, but it feels like our unique tradition. We do open gifts, but it isn't the focus and I'm grateful for that.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the Winter Solstice, Yule: the shortest day of the year and the slow return of the sun. One of the ways we honor this day is by lighting a candle to signify the light and warmth of the sun and by singing our favorite sun songs... as you can see, we really like to light candles and sing. Next, we peel an orange for it's wonderful symbolism. We pass it around, taking a section and sharing our favorite memory of the sun over the past year. Then the person sharing eats their slice... tasting a bit of sunshine in each bite. We go around a couple of times. Our candle is by a local company, Sunbeam, that uses solar power to create their wares. Perfect. My son is an accomplished pianist and this year he will play a wonderful version of Here Come the Sun, while he and his sister sing along. I'm so looking forward to it!

These are not elaborate traditions, but they are meaningful and memorable to us. Happy Winter!

embroidering with children

Embroidery has reentered my life with gusto. It started with a lesson for my daughter last month and has only grown in momentum. On Monday and Tuesday, Laura and I introduced the joys of embroidery to over FIFTY 9-12 year olds. Teaching a 4 or 5 year old is vastly different. I'll talk a little about each today, but my focus will be on the young child. With this age group my goal is always to emphasize personal satisfaction and fun, rather than technique. My embroidery basket was such a hit on The Artful Parent''s giveaway and numerous parents asked me how to make one of their own. This post is for you.

How ironic that the greatest material for beginning stitching is burlap... I think I might have some of that lying around! The loose weave makes it very desirable, but if you have a hard time getting your hands on some, any loosely woven fabric will do.
A little starter bucket or basket should include:

• scraps of loosely woven fabric, as well as some tighter fabric (like cotton)
• tapestry needles with a blunt edge
• scissors
• pin cushion that is user friendly to blunt needles (such as one made out of burlap)
• embroidery floss/thread in assorted colors
• small embroidery hoop
  

Let's get started! To ensure success, thread your needle with about thirty inches of floss. Knot both ends together so that you have approximately 15 inches to work with. Any longer increases the chances of tangled threads.



Tips to teach (might be obvious to us, but not to them):

• always begin at the back
• the needle goes in on the same side it just came out
• pull the thread taut each time
• stop stitching well before you get to the very end of your thread

In the beginning, stitches will be wildly random. Encourage this freedom by having lots of colors available. You'll miss this expressive exploration when they move to the next stage.Trust me. I found that my daughter wanted to jump right into stitching along a pattern. So much, for wild abandon. Use a sharpie to draw a simple shape, such as a square or triangle, directly onto your burlap. Next they may want a more complicated pattern, such as an animal face or simple design. When your child is ready for a bigger challenge, switch to a slightly sharper needle and more delicate floss. Every strand of floss contains 6 threads wound together. Divide into strands of 3 for your advanced beginner. Using a light colored cotton or linen, have your child draw their picture directly onto the fabric with a pencil. Stitch as before.

If you begin embroidery with an older child, the steps and tips remain fairly similar, but you can start with a sharp embroidery needle, three strands of floss, and tightly woven fabric. Ask your child to draw a simple design on paper and then transfer to desired location on fabric. There are many schools of thought around the right way to embroider. I am in no way an expert. As in everything I do... I just find the way that works best for me. I did, however, enjoy teaching with Laura who learned to embroider in a college class (she has a degree in textile design)! She never knots her thread and teaches how to weave in tails of thread into the back of work. I liked this version with older children, as both sides stays tidy. We taught the children the back stitch as a good first stitch. I can't begin to tell you how enthusiastic they were. They couldn't stop!
Kid's Embroidery is a wonderful book I've taken out of the library several times... and is now on our wish list. Doodle Stitching is another fresh and fun book for beginners.

Embroidery makes the most heartfelt gifts! If you are looking to encourage your child to make something special for a loved one, this could be just the answer. From an elaborately designed picture to wild free stitches, embroidery makes a gorgeous keepsake. Frame it directly in the hoop by trimming away excess fabric and gluing the raw edges to the back.My son was one of those 50 big kids, and he's taken to embroidering every surface. He came home from school the other day with his black ski hat embellished with cartoon faces in thread! Both children have the embroidery bug, simultaneously! I can't tell you how amazing that is for me. Each afternoon this week they worked, side by side, quitely stitching their own surprises for their Dad's birthday, Shh... that''s all I can safely say for now, although he was told not to read today's post... yet.

One last bit of embroidery history... I fell in love with that sweet Birthday Daddy, when he embroidered one of his shirts with a moon and flowers for me 17 years ago. And on the collar, where only I could see... a little stitched heart. I really do equate embroidery with love. Happy Friday!

winter in the country

Yesterday morning, I slipped on my Mucks, threw a coat on over my night gown, and ran out into a world gone white. I wanted to capture dawn in my back yard... for you.
The sun illuminated the fresh fallen snow with all of the magic you might imagine.

Only an hour later, I would be driving into town... past fairy forests and

sleeping corn fields...

When you live in the country you pick and choose the roads you travel on very carefully in the winter. At days end, I realized that this maybe my last evening turning down a our short cut until spring, so I snapped this familiar little woodland creek , too.

This utter beauty makes it easy for me to embrace the thoughts of the long, cold months ahead.

cranberries...

Do you know about the simple magic of cranberries and wire? I certainly didn't until my good friend, Kathrin, told me about the little ornaments she was making with just those two materials. We had to try it. My daughter whipped up a little heart, and said "this is easy!" in that confident, happy way that an almost 5 year old speaks. Each cranberry glides on, and the wire is stiffer than the traditional thread and needle.
The combination of the rigidity and flexibility of the wire is what makes this so interesting even after the stringing is done... you can make hearts, rings, initials, etc.

Wire ends are sharp... fabulous for piercing berries, but care should be taken if done with young children.

p.s. Did you check out the delicious recipes in Monday's comment section? Mmmmm!