give-away :: LOVE

Remember the HOPE I grew? It bloomed and turned into LOVE! Amazing how that happens. I wanted to give my LOVE away with some seeds so that you could plant your own. As a little Valentine's Day present, I will randomly choose one reader to receive a box filled with four cans covered in these burlap "slip covers" spelling out the word LOVE. The box will also contain grass seeds for planting your own winter greenery. Last year I planted buckets and buckets of grass, and I can attest to the happiness growing something green can bring. I'll tuck in a couple of handmade Valentine's for you to give or keep.


So, if you'd like to have a chance to be sent a heart-filled box, please leave a comment about something or someone you love. This is not a test... you will not be graded (nor judged) on your answer... whether it be greasy fried onion rings or a Shakespearean sonnet... share something that you love. I'll close the give-away at Midnight EST on this Tuesday and announce the receiver on Wednesday morning. I'm happy to send LOVE anywhere in the world, so no worries about international shipping! I'll get us started... I love how good it feels to share (and I do love onion rings, too!)

Tuesday at Midnight: Thank so much for sharing! I will post the winner in the morning.

woven hearts: modernizing a classic

Woven heart baskets are a classic Valentine craft. You probably made them when you were little. There is a reason for their longevity: they're super easy,really fun, and can be made with whatever you have on hand. I needed a refresher course and found it in my classic craft book from my Grandmother's nursery school.

Yes, this is a vintage craft with a twist. I wove an assortment of unexpected materials together... you're welcome to stick with standard red and pink construction paper, but I bet you can come up with some fabulous and innovative ideas. Here is a little gallery to click on, followed by an easy tutorial.

1. painted newspaper/unpainted newspaper
2. painted newspaper/brown paper (bag or Kraft)
3. plain newspaper
4. muslin/red ticking*
5. muslin/burlap*
6. semi vintage map
* For fabric: iron to freezer paper before you cut out. This adds structure and reduces fraying from the pretty raw edges.

There are so many possibilities: music sheets of your favorite love song, menus from the restaurant from your first date, extra wedding invitations, birth announcements, vintage childrens coloring books, sentimental fabric, felt...

woven hearts: how to

Don't be scared of the template. You can eyeball it. The most important measurements are of the two pieces to be woven: they must be identical.

Begin by choosing and cutting your materials. I liked having a lot cut at once so that I could mix and match as I made them.

1. Fold rounded rectangle in half and mark where you will make your three cuts.
2. Cut.
3. Weave in and out of the loops. Open the loops to feed the alternate side through and vise versa. Once you are doing it, it should make perfect sense. Let me know if you'd like more of an explanation, if after trying it you're still not certain.
4. Glue or tape a coordinating strip of paper (I used twill tape for the fabric ones) for hanging.


Don't for get the best part: these can be filled with messages and treats. This would be sweet hanging by a bedside for a morning surprise! The message in this one: "You mean the world to me!"

Here's a little sneak peek at something I'm working on for next week.


Please stop by this weekend for a little Valentine's Day give-away...

can't buy me love

As Valentine's Day approaches, I will be sharing a series of craft projects that don't cost a thing... or very little. Let's spread a little free love during these frugal times. I will be gathering supplies from around the house and thought you might want to start collecting materials also. I have some very well planned ideas and a few that I'll be making up as I go along. Here are some things we might be using:


In reds, whites, and pinks of course:
buttons, felted sweaters, newspaper, brown paper, old dictionary pages, rick rack, ribbons, pipe cleaners, craft paint, a potato or two...

Of all the holidays to make a handmade gift, what better one than the day we celebrate love?

burlap and buckets...

Have any of you been wondering what happened to the burlap buckets... or where is that shop update? I've been having so much fun making elf slippers and baking pretzels, that I've let January slip right by! Well, that's not quite true. I've been spending a lot of behind the scenes time working on new burlap designs and revamping my old patterns, so that I can make the most of each coffee sack. I created my original pattern with the loose weave of burlap as my guide. Now that I really understand this sturdy and unique material, I'm much more confident as I create patterns that will make the most of every inch of a coffee sack. You know how I loathe waste. I've held onto each scrap for future projects, but I'm excited to incorporate my "waste not, want not" mantra into each new bucket. I'll unveil the new and improved bucket later on this week. My shop update will include some original buckets, some new buckets, pin cushions, cork boards, and a few little surprises to be shared, as soon as they're ready. I think of my coffee sack cork board as my launching pad for working with burlap. It's still getting some attention, three months later.


I've refined the process by giving them a nicely finished back with mounting hardware already installed, perfect for hanging in your studio or office. These two were custom orders.

back view

Soon, I'll have some smaller ones ready for designs maya*made. Perfect for shipping!

Here are two other buckets I've made recently. Both in cotton. This one was a hand stenciled birthday gift for a very dear and close friend. Read her kind and generous words about it, here. (While you're over there, read her previous amazing post, too. No one writes like this brilliant woman!)


This next bucket is reversible with pockets in Amy Butler fabric ( a special request).


So that's the scoop! Mark your calendars for a shop update on Friday, February 6th. I'll give you a couple of reminders as the day approaches. I'd really love to take more special requests/custom orders, but I've learned that a limited schedule to craft/sew dictates my priorities. My biggest priority for maya*made is this blog. I absolutely love sharing my adventures in creative living. You make it so rewarding. Without this blog, I'd probably still be growing sprouts... but how fun to know lots of friends are joining in, too! What a wonderful community!

a jar of spring... in january

Come January, I'm aching for fresh vegetables from my garden. The only green thing growing around here is ME... with envy for my blogging friends around the world who are experiencing summer right now. I came up with a solution last week. Sprouts! We've grown them in previous winters, but somehow it had slipped my mind until I saw this handy device at my co-op (health food store). It's a stainless steel mesh disc that fits into the ring of a mason jar. Ingenious in it's simplicity. In the past I've used cheesecloth or an old (clean, of course) stocking with a rubber band. This is messy. I love my disc and found an on-line supplier for you. Click here. I liked the sound of their name: Sprout People. I also loved their vast experience... in ten years they grew over 200 tons of sprouts! They have a great selection of organic seeds and wonderful tips for growing. I'm planning on trying sunflower seeds next. Here's what I did with broccoli sprouts:

Add a few teaspoons of seeds to the jar. Give them a soak over night in one cup of water.


I had to share this picture of the dark and cold winter day we started our sprouts. Those are our icicles outside our sun room window. Now, you can see why I needed a little bit of spring!


The following morning, drain seeds and rinse them. Set them upturned in a dish drain or bowl until the next morning, when you repeat the process. In two days you will see little sweet tails growing!

We had so much fun watching our sprouts grow big, and everyone wanted a turn rinsing them with our easy drain disc. On the final day (day six), our jar was full, our sprouts were almost ready. We put them in a window to catch a little sun and then harvested them for a huge salad. They've been our topper to everything these past few days. Just what we needed!
So much fun... oh yeah, they're good for you, too!

valentine pretzels

Have you ever baked your own soft and chewy pretzels? They smell so good coming out of the oven... they're also fun and easy. This was our activity on Saturday morning, when the temperature plummeted outside, and we needed something exciting to keep us from getting cabin fever. After we shaped the last one, I had a light bulb moment... heart shaped pretzels! What a great new twist for Valentine's Day. I went back and re-shaped mine... the children had worked far too hard on theirs for me to touch them. I'm loving the idea of making another batch to give out on Valentine's Day. There is so much chocolate and sugar this time of year. I'm happy to have figured out an alternative. My entire family flipped out over these. Hurray!

Soft Pretzels

Makes 12-14 pretzels

Combine:
1 cup of warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons of active yeast
let sit for 5 minutes and them add:
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
mix for 3 minutes and then add
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Knead until the dough loses its stickiness. Let in rise in a covered and oiled bowl until doubled in sized. Punch down and divide into 12-14 pieces.


Roll into 18 inch snakes with tapered ends. Loop into traditional shapes, or hearts, letters, numbers... the possibilities are endless.


Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise until almost doubled in size again. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Here comes another exciting step. Bring a pot filled with 4 cups of water to a boil. Carefully add 5 teaspoons of baking soda. We loved watching each spoonful fizz as it went in. Don't use an aluminum pan for this step. Carefully lower the pretzels into the water for one minute or until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake until golden. These pretzels are incredible hot out of the oven, but should keep well for several days in an airtight container. I figured on having snack time covered for a couple of days... but this batch is almost gone!

elf slippers: a tutorial

I've wanted a pair of elf slippers ever since I can remember. When I missed my window, I thought I would make some for my son. Missed that window, too! He says "no way" to elf feet at ten years old. Can't blame him. When I made my daughter's toadstool slippers last month, they seemed to fall into that gnome/fairy category... but not quite elf. Maybe I made them too small subconsciously? Not sure, but I couldn't wait to make my own pattern, this time. I wanted that quintessential curled up toe look.

We love them!

When you make your own patterns, it's always nice to do a trial run through with an inexpensive fabric... just to check your fit. With clothing, I've used muslin. For these slippers, I tried a scrap of cotton batting. It behaves exactly like felt and helped me make the perfect size and shape!!

I can't believe what a wonderful resource it is. I'm loving batting for all of its unexpected uses.
Here's a tutorial for making your own wool slippers from repurposed felted sweaters:

Creating the pattern is the first step. I'm not including a pdf, but will gladly make one if I get enough requests. Instead, I will give you the measurements for a 4-6 year old and instructions for how to make any size. That's right, I could still make myself a pair. You'll be the first to know if I do!

Pattern

Draw measurements onto an 8x11 sheet of paper. Use my numbers as guides. Make the sole by tracing your child's foot. If your child's foot is smaller, you'll need to reduce the length of the slipper sides by subtracting from the heel side. The opposite advice for a larger foot. The important thing to remember is that each side must ease around the sole and match evenly at the center of the toe and heel. You can check the sizing by sewing up a quick sample out of batting and trying it on. They should be a bit roomy because the actual slipper is made out of two layers of thick wool.

Materials

felted wool sweaters or blankets
cotton batting
thread
scissors
pins
paper
pencil
ruler

Make

- Cut out pattern
-Pin pattern to sweater and cut out pieces to get the most of your sweater. I tried different placements until I found just the right spots for cutting.

- You will need a total of 8 sides and 4 soles to make a pair of slippers. Try to cut with all pieces having the weave of the sweater going in the same direction.


-Pin all of your pieces together right side in, wrong side facing out. If you click on this next photo you'll see that the sweater pieces look inside out.

Assembling the slipper sounds far more complicated than it really is. It goes rather quickly, you'll be surprised. Use the numbers on the photo for reference and sew the outside and liner at the same time. They are identical with the exception of 3b. Use a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

1. sew up the top front seam.
2. sew up the toe seam.
3a. determine which side will be the outside and sew up the heel seam.
3b. sew up the heel of the liner keeping 1 1/2 inches unstitched in the center for "turning". See photo above.
4. Attach sole to slipper sides making sure that the front and back seams stay centered at toe and heel. I would recommend pinning at this stage, but it's not necessary if you're fairly brave and have measured accurately. Remember to keep all of the right sides facing in.

Now, it's starting to look like something!

-Sew together around the open top of the slipper. That's right, sew them closed! It should look like this:

-Now, all that's left is the turning of your slipper to the right side. Gently pull both slipper pieces through the opening in the heel. Poke the pointy toes out and into shape with a pencil eraser. Arrange the liner inside the slipper and sew up the opening with needle and thread.


I embellished these with little dots cut from a contrasting sweater. You can add your own touch with needle felting, embroidery, buttons, etc.

These are so soft and warm, but slippery too. I plan on putting some anti-skid dots on the bottom. I might try some recycled suede. If you want to make them more secure on wild dancing feet, simply slit holes through both layers around the ankle and weave a ribbon through for a tie... like these. Felted wool won't fray, so this is easy. Please, let me know if you have any questions. I'd also love to see yours, if you make a pair.

how to: grow hope

I've been trying to include my children in my excitement and anticipation about this Inauguration Day. We've had lots of discussions about hope and new opportunities. We decided to do a little project in honor of this significant day in U.S. history. This is a symbolic reminder of the power of planting seeds, caring for them, and watching them grow. It's also an easy activity for any age.
-For instructions on how to grow paper whites in recycled soup cans, please review this December post.
-Choose a word you would like to grow and plant a bulb for each letter.
-Stamp, embroider, or glue your letters to the front of each can.
-Nurture your word and watch it grow!

peartroshkas!

Happy Pear day! Last month I shared a delicious pear print from Lollychops. Remember it from the gift wrapping post? Well, Lolly went and printed it at Spoonflower! When she received her lovely fabric, she decided to ask her readers what they would make if they had a little piece of it. She chose her favorite answers and then GAVE a fat quarter to the lucky winners! What a creative way to have a give-away and share her pears! I was fortunate enough to have an idea Lolly enjoyed: pear shaped Matryoshka dolls. Here they are... the pear gals!

Thanks Lolly, your print is lovely and sewing with Spoonflower fabric is delightful! I'm hoping to design my own swatch one day soon. Inspiration is contagious. Click here for the other winning projects, so fun!
p.s. I bet you can guess how much my daughter loves these, especially that baby pear!

A quick update since I posted this: my brilliant son just said... so why didn't you call them Peartroshkas? Why? Because I'm not half as quick as he is! I'm off to edit the title... oh, and my daughter wants one more baby... with closed eyes. You can never have too many babies, I mean pears!

lovelies

The above photo is one last little bit of loveliness I forgot to share. The pendent (a vintage shop light) above my mother's bed needed some softening. Amazing what a little organza apron can do!


I'm so happy that we could all enjoy the barn together this week! Both my mother and I thank you deeply for your generous and kind words. I was quite shy about publishing the Grandma Bunny post and was totally taken by surprise by how much it touched so many of you. I think we are all yearning for more magic, little surprises, things that make us sigh. I found that feeling last night when I watched this video by the lovely and talented Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She is a very gifted and prolific children's book author who tapped into our collective desire for extra-ordinary moments. I had heard the title of her mini documentary bouncing around the blogosphere, but hadn't checked it out until Kathreen of Whip Up mentioned it for the second time. I admire and respect anything that she promotes, so off I went. Now I'm sending you. This little You Tube video is about making spontaneous art, and strangers coming together to create the unexpected... it is about loveliness. Please view it and consider how you might make something... anything lovely this weekend.

The Beckoning of Lovely

Amy is preparing to do a full length film about all things lovely. She has put out an invitation to YOU, and January 20th is the final day for submissions. Check here and scroll about half way down for info on submitting your own lovelies. I will be sending her Grandma Bunny's tale for consideration in the Real Story category... just for fun!

Grandma Bunny

Yesterday, I promised to share my mother's first sewing project in the barn... it's actually more of a story. So, please go grab a cup of something good, for this is a tale of enchantment... about real life magic that happens when you least expect it. My mother had not planned to be at the barn during Christmas and my daughter's birthday. She was supposed to be overseas, and had sent her holiday gifts in the mail. How she wound up in her very own sewing corner (with her life long collection of supplies) on the day her youngest grandchild turned four is a wild story in itself... maybe to be told another day. My mother had no choice but to whip up something before the snowplows cleared the roads and we came to get her for cake and ice cream. She wanted to make my daughter a doll, but knew that I had plans for that sometime soon. She took out a very special piece of cream colored organic flannel. It was the last piece she had left from the Moses basket she had lined for my son a decade earlier. What could it be? Who would it be? All morning she worked on her very first softie. No pattern, no tutorial, no internet... just letting this sweet soft bunny evolve in her hands... She sewed her a skirt and a beautiful velvet shawl. Grandma Bunny was born at the barn, but she was already a Grandma, wise and full of stories to tell. When she puts her shawl in her lap it transforms into a "story blanket". My mother is a master at telling tales... she can pull any aged child in and keep them completely engaged. You should hear the stories she taught Grandma Bunny to share. So, of course my daughter loved her instantly.

There's more. This is where the magic happened... the very next day, my mother and I were showing our good friend, Pat, the sewing room. There was a little jumble of antique cloth on the floor. Nothing out of the ordinary for the barn studio. "What's this, Mom?" I asked almost tripping over the little mound. "It was in a box of stuff from a sale, years ago. I don't even know and haven't had a chance to go through it yet," said my mom... or at least something like that. The three of us immediately went to examine the pile. When I remember this moment, I can hear fairy bells ringing, but I tend to be a romantic loon! So glad Pat was there to be our witness! Each little scrap of cloth turned out to be a piece of exquisite doll clothing from who knows how long ago. When my mother picked up the teeny, tiny white apron she gasped. She realized each piece was exactly Grandma Bunny's size! *Goose bumps* How do these things happen? She set about sewing on tiny buttons where they were missing and doing a little mending. Now, that Grandma has the most stylish, vintage wardrobe any bunny has ever had! Here are a few of my favorites, but there are others...

Would you like a little fashion show?

Grandma Bunny admiring her dressing gown...

Getting ready to cook up something in her little white apron...

Now where is that Carrot Soup recipe? (the lace peeking out from under the apron is from a pair of pantaloons!


Waiting for my daughter in her white shift...

It's time for a story... when my mother isn't here to help tell stories, Grandma Bunny enjoys this book of American Indian Fairy Tales. This book was my grandfather's when he was a boy in the 20's. He read it to my mother when she was small. Now, I help Grandma Bunny read it to my children. We really are a crazy, sentimental family! Much too romantic! We're not all sugary and sweet, just love the past and keeping it alive is pure pleasure.



All ready for bed in her union suit pajamas...


Since this post is already over the top... way over the top with magical nonsense, I must include one last picture. I don't have a choice... this is Grandma Bunny's daughter, the first softie I ever made when I was a little girl. My mother saved her all of these years, and I rediscovered her last summer at the barn. Her little ears are threadbare, but she's loved all the same.

I wonder if my daughter will make a white bunny, too! Traditions... sometimes they happen without your awareness that they are even taking root.

Congratulations if you made it through this epic post. I'll be back with my usual fare soon!