felt sew good

I have not had much time these days for my own creative pursuits, but have have felt so fulfilled helping the girls in my sewing classes create wonderful holiday items both by hand and by machine. I was surprised yesterday when I was handed a slew of fabulous felt ornaments after they had gotten together for a sewing date without me. Watching their evolution and total joy as they create things on their own has been one of the best things ever! Pretty impressive pajamas, mittens and pouches have been accomplished, but I must admit that their favorite time is spent whipping up felty stuffed things without any patterns. And so these ornaments (and one personalized pillow) are my favorites too!

I might be partial to this pom pom adorned "mama" one- but who could blame me. The  little "Marry Christmas" one also stole my heart. The maker is so smitten with her new machine and it's embroidering capabilities, but was crushed when she realized her typo. She was quickly persuaded to give it anyways... that I would still love it. Good advice- I love it even more!

No matter your sewing skill level- felt is always a winner!

pajama pants

Hi friends! I've missed you and my creative time the last few weeks. Life has a way of spinning into a busy flurry this time of year, but I'm back and gearing up for the winter ahead! Our dining room table has seen a lot of sewing and girls recently, as I hosted a Holiday Stitch series for my advanced sewers. One of our most exciting projects involved flannel. I make a pair of pajama pants for my daughter every winter, but this year I thought she and her friends were up to the task on their own. I drafted patterns with them from other bottoms, and then they got to work cutting, sewing and threading elastic through waist bands. Not too complicated for this crafty bunch, but still a challenge.

 These two finished together… what a sweet reward to snuggle into them and start lounging. Soft and roomy- perfect for dancing and getting silly!

This kind of garment sewing is super forgiving, which makes it a great advanced beginner project and fun for gift-giving too! Pinterest has plenty of tutorials if you do a quick search. 

Here's to the cozy season ahead!

handmade heirlooms

New mittens- made by my 10 year old! She has forecasted many more. She used the pattern for "Easy Going Mittens" from Jennifer Casa's brand new book Handmade Heirlooms. Several of her sewing buddies came over with their machines and each of them whipped out a pair. They were simple and satisfying with just the right amount of challenge (sewing stretched elastic can be tricky). This is just the right combo for making gifts in multiple- something many of us are thinking about at this time of year. There are 24 projects to sew, knit, crochet, craft and repurpose. That about covers all of us- right? The premiss and subtitle: "crafting with intention" is my favorite way to make stuff. Thank you Jennifer, for creating this lovely book!

You can find Handmade Heirlooms, produced by my favorite publishers (yay Roost!), and read more about it right here.

 Although we haven't had any real snow yet, mitten season has begun- and this sweet one is proud of her new pair!

circle skirt

There's always some excitement about what to wear on the first day back to school. For my daughter, at least. It was really about planning and anticipating the return to routine more than fashion when she was little,  but that seems to have shifted as she's grown. There was a very specific idea for this year. She is certainly not opposed to store bought clothes, but she didn't want to walk into class looking like anyone other than herself. In her words "In 5th grade, I want to be unique." Well, ok then. Anyone who is familiar with preteen girls knows that just thinking that way is unique in itself. Since she's turned into quite the seamstress, a hand-made wardrobe was a great way to have a one of a kind outfit for yesterday's return to school. This was here idea! Wahoo!

My daughter's BFF is a constant sewing inspiration, and has even begun designing her own patterns. This pillow case top and circle skirt are both based on her very own patterns- so she deserves a lot of credit. I helped- but not much.

The skirt is rather ingenious… it's a donut folded in half. The center becomes the curved waist, attached by a button. A little bias tape helps finish it, but the bottom hem is left raw. It's double layered and cut on the bias so all that's needed are to pull a few loose threads. Shorts or leggings are necessary underneath since it's a wrap style. I can see trying this in my size too. Linen has an especially nice drape, but she also made one in jersey. 

Hope your return to September routines is running smoothly!

so much sewing

The sound of the sewing machine is a constant in our house. These days, it's not just me! My daughter has FINALLY been bitten by the sewing bug. Foxes, kitties, pouches, bags, backpacks, owls… the list goes on. Every day there are several new projects completed. Above is the teeniest smattering of her prolific-ness. 

I've been teaching her friends to sew for years, while my daughter has reluctantly followed along. Her heart has never been in it,  she just wanted to make her friends happy. She's a good egg. But something happened last week in Stitch*Craft, and that girl may never be the same. She sees the potential in every piece of fabric, sliver of ribbon, awaiting button. Over the years, she's been tucking away mad stitching skills and neither of us even knew it. I'm trying to contain my excitement, in case her new passion is fleeting. But as you can imagine, this mama sewer is quite thrilled! I set up a space in the sunroom with her own machine, and she sits there for hours. She even had to sew her chair a little cushion… or butt pillow, as she calls it. Oh, to be ten again! I'm organizing my thoughts around a blog post on sewing with the 9-12 year olds. I've learned so much! 

Today we are heading to my mother's sewing studio at her barn. Grandma has just arrived and my girl has her first date on the machine that I learned to sew on… with my first sewing teacher. Oh- it's all so good!

Sew Green field trip

 This week's stitchers have all been with me for numerous summers. They each now have their own  machines and all are quite passionate about sewing. Taking our annual field trip to Sew Green was high on all of our priority lists.  I love how my eager young crew is always welcomed in with enthusiasm. They carry and wear in bags, purses, and clothing they've made in past years and are always so proud when asked about them. All of their purchases were tidily bundled in a fabric scrap- just tempting them to do a happy balancing act as we left, ready to grab our thread and get to work.

But wait! We forgot about the stuff a sack bins- we almost missed the opportunity for foraging for fabric treasures in odd sizes and assortments. So much fun! If you're ever in Ithaca you must visit  Sew Green.

 Sew Good!

weavers

 

Last week was filled with lots of needles and thread, but my favorite part of camp was watching these girls weave with t-shirt scraps. I had been wanting to try a hula hoop rug project (spotted many of them on Pinterest) for such a long time. The original tutorial is impossible to access, so I used this one from my buddy Anne over at Flax and Twine. She used her son's finger knitting for a gorgeous result! However we stuck with recycled-'shirts cut into long strips for weaving and loops for creating the "spokes". 

 The cutting was their least favorite part, but they did love the leftover t-shirt parts… discarded hems morphed into necklaces, sleeves into kerchiefs and the upper torso became vests! By week's end I found myself helping to do lots of the strip cutting so they could get on with the weaving. 

The colors and patterns that they chose were such perfect representations of each of them. This was the ongoing work that they would come back to in between other projects, but I also would reserve a some time for just weaving to music. Jazz, piano solos or my daughter's Colbie Calliet pandora station were all in rotation depending on what mood I hoped to foster at any given moment.

 

They went home with the skills to complete their rugs, and I can't wait to show you at least that middle one, when my daughter is done. We need to make another trip this week to the thrift store. About a dozen t-shirts are needed for this project. So worth it too… look at how stunning they are already!

I plan on making one for myself, now! It's a great project to take to the lake. I even think it would make for wonderful work in the winter while watching movies or sitting by the fire… but let's not go there yet. August has only just begun!

our art show

Every year I help my daughter's Montessori school set up for their annual art show. There are two wonderful teachers who having been working all year with our children, and this is the first time we get to see what they've been up to. It's always amazing.  This is just an iPhone taste from the installation over the weekend… tonight I will bring my good camera to the show!

Bet you can guess who did the hedgehog scratchboard!

This year there were more textiles and fiber arts then ever. I was in heaven!

These slab clay looms used student dyed and spun wool for the center weaving!

 Lots of needle felting for the little ones…

 How cool is this idea… drop spindles made out of old cds?

 And there will be a student demonstration of how to use the back strap loom tonight. Can't wait! These were made out of pvc pipe and popsicle sticks- clever again!

 And basket making! Did you hear me? Baskets!! Coiled baskets to be exact. Bound Grass traditionals and yarn covered rope ones, too. So good! 

 Below is my daughter's… makes a mama basket maker proud! 

 Hanging all of these indigo dyed shibori samplers had me dreaming… I've avoided it because it felt too trendy lately. But I might have been bitten this weekend.

 Have a creative start to your week!

hedgehogs!

 For three months we've been immersed in all things hedgehog. For my daughter's annual research paper she chose the pet of her dreams (in hopes I might give in, perhaps!). She spent months writing up and organizing several hundred notecards, which were used to create an extremely informative and very well written paper. I love her Montessori school and how they celebrate the completion of this huge body of work. Each child creates a board on their research topic and memorizes a thorough presentation. 

All of the parents are then invited to a research fair where these brilliant young experts are ready and waiting to give one-on-one lectures about their topic. 

 Of course, a hedgehog accessory was necessary! We made a hedgie rubber stamp (see first pic) and printed it onto linen for a headband just right for the occasion.

 If you have any hedgehog related questions (besides if I will be granting her wish for one!), this lovely girl most likely has a very articulate answer!

Have a great weekend!

yoga, bags and blogiversaries

The significant adults in my daughter's world all do yoga. She was inspired by our many conversations about how transformative it has been for us- and decided to join in.

Of course, yoga is  a wonderful tool for any age and gender, but I believe that tween girls in our culture can especially gain so much from learning how to tune into their bodies and minds in a non judgmental way. After several months, she's hooked. And will even get up in the morning and do a few poses if there's a mat open and waiting for her. 

And so I've assisted in making three yoga mat bags for my new little yogi and her two friends who all take a weekly yoga class for 9-12 year olds.

The key to making a bag that works for this age (or anyone not wanting struggle!) is to make it roomy enough for a loosely rolled mat. Who needs the challenge of stuffing a mat into a tiny package at the end of an expansive hour? These bags also have a drawstring that cinches into the handles to eliminate tying and fussing.

The girls each selected fabric from a stash of batiks my mother had brought back from a trip to Bali many years ago. These fabrics have been tucked into a back corner of my studio for so long, it's been fun to see them being put to use again.

One of the first times those batiks made an appearance on this blog was 7 years ago in my first month of posting (right here). Look at that little 3 year old munchkin! Oh my!

 In fact, it's  been seven full years this week since I began maya*made! Can't believe how fast it's flown. Life keeps evolving. Children keep growing. Time does not stop. But this online home records frozen moments of beauty and discovery that I find so sweet to revisit. It's also been a steady landing spot for me during this journey, and I'm super grateful for all of you who have joined me along the way! Thank you!!!