spring-y announcements

I hope your weekend was rejuvenating. Often times, I feel like I spend Saturday and Sunday catching up on laundry, cleaning, sleep and work. Somehow I managed all of that and still had time for a lot of play. And this morning I woke up to blue skies and a weather forecast that has me singing! Spring is definitely in the air...

Two related and lovely announcements for this new week:

1. Jennifer Ackerman of Craftsanity interviewed me for her podcast series a few weeks back and it's now live.  I shared about the process of creating my second book and revealed it's evolution. I hope it gives some insight into why and how I channeled a huge life challenge into something positive. So with a bit of a vulnerable "gulp"- I invite to grab a cuppa and give a listen.  Here's the podcast. Thanks Jennifer, for a lovely talk!

 2. There are now signed copies of Hope, Make, Heal in my Etsy shop! You can find them here.

And a local reminder that Ellen Abrams and I will be hosting an Equinox workshop on Sunday, March 20th.

All the details are right here.

creative courageous year

This morning I want to introduce you to Stephanie Levy. She is an American artist residing in Germany  who has gift for inspiring others through her work and series of artist interviews and now with her e-course: Creative Courageous Year. In her words:

 "Would you like to experience more beauty and creativity in 2014?

Imagine a year of your life spent making art, exploring nature, preparing delicious fresh foods, reading inspiring books, creating mixed media seasonal journals, connecting with supportive, international friends, and feeling more energized, motivated, and creative than ever before. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

My new Creative Courageous Year e-course will give you energy + inspiration to create all year long. " 

There's plenty of time to sign up still for this season or look forward to the spring. Do check it out. She asked me to be a guest for the winter session and recently interviewed me. So, of course, I asked if could share an excerpt from our Q & A with you:

Q: Work/life balance and time management is a big struggle for me personally. I love that you chose "magic" and "balance" as your two words for 2014 :) How do you balance your family life with your creative and professional work?

 

A: Well, I struggle too. Especially, as I moved through an unexpected and difficult divorce. I often wondered if my creative energy had left me, like my husband. We aren't rational when we are in pain, are we? During so much of the recovery, there was no balance whatsoever. Only my children.

 

Now that I'm returning to a happy and well grounded state, I am reinventing what work/life balance means as a single parent. I really have had to learn that part of balance is acceptance, whether you are going solo or have a partner… the same idea applies. I believe there must be acceptance that there is only one of me, there are only 24 hours in each day, and this day… it only happens once.

Q: Do you have any favorite books, magazines, websites, or other inspirational resources that you'd like to recommend for us? 

 

A: My work window has shortened in the last couple of years, which has abbreviated my ability to surf . In its place is instagram. It's efficient delivery of inspiration and intimate connection to a creative community is available at my fingertips, and I love it! You can join me there… it's quite a  wonderful visual conversation: http://web.stagram.com/n/mayamade

 

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to someone who would like to follow her personal creative dreams but is feeling scared, what would it be?

 

A: Dive in. Don't wait for perfection to arrive… whether that be in timing or skills… just jump in. It's much easier to learn to swim when you're in the water, than when you're sitting on the shore.

****

 I love what a written interview does for my thought process. It organizes my mind and refreshes my perspective. So I thought I'd ask you a few questions too. Whether you choose to answer them in the comment section or in a journal is up to you... but do take a moment to write or type it down. It's the practice of finding the right words to describe our thoughts that offers a dose of clarity. 

SO, HERE ARE SOME FOR YOU MY FRIENDS... PICK ONE OR ALL!

1. What is your most creative time of day, and do you foster space for yourself during it?
2. If Tuesday began right now, what word would you like to guide you... set it as an intention for today, no matter what time it is that you are reading this.
3. If you could go back in time 10 years and speak to your younger self, what would you say?

squam: teacher feature

Hello again- it's just a two post kind of day! I am so honored to be the latest teacher feature on Squam's blog. A deep thank you to Elizabeth who continues to floor me with her love, generosity and insight. So hop on over *here*... there are a few bits about me that you may not know.

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)

baking...

Happy Monday to you! These Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies get a spot on our list each year. I'd love to hear what you've been baking and making! Please consider leaving a link to one of your favorite simple holiday recipes in the comment section. Wouldn't that be fun to see everyone's tried and trues?!

If you feel like hearing me ramble on a bit... a quite long bit if you want to know the truth... you can go listen to Craftsanity's latest Podcast... my first recorded interview.

first embroidery, a give-away and an interview

me at around age 4 at the 24th street Bart station in San Francisco

I had the pleasure of answering some very thoughtful questions for Jean, of The Artful Parent. We spoke a bit about my early influences, which inspired me to hunt down some childhood photos to share. In the process, I came across my first embroidery lesson... saved in a scrapbook of all of my early art and writing. I had already prepared a little give-away for Jean's blog based on what we're doing a lot of these days: embroidery. Wonderful!


The above photo is from left to right: my first embroidery, my son's first embroidery, and my daughter's first stitching. My daughter didn't use a hoop until recently, and at this point, she was ready for a little challenge. She asked me to help her make a cat. I created a simple pattern and she "traced" it with thread. I'm not one to encourage coloring books and staying in the lines, but I think there is a window in development when a child has mastered certain skills and wants to "practice" something representational. This hand drawn cat template encouraged each stitch to be placed with care.

It was a sweet exercise... she loved it! I am offering a child's first embroidery kit as a give-away over at The Artful Parent. Please go have a visit... and I hope you enjoy the interview!

Sew Hip issue #11

Yesterday, I went out to the mailbox and discovered the latest copy of Sew Hip (#11). The publishers were kind enough to send me my own copy because...


I'm featured on pages 67 and 68... and even a little on 69! Seeing my words and designs in print is a bit surreal each time. The thrill is hard to describe. I think I floated all the way back into the house to show my family, because I don't really remember walking.
Journalist, Christine Chitnis, contacted me some months ago to ask if I could do a phone interview that would be part of an article that she was working on. Her story is entitled Simple Living, Handmade Touches and highlights four women who embody this. Of course, I wanted to be involved! What an absolute honor to be included with these three other amazing women:
Amanda Blake Soule : soulemama
Michele Simeon: a house called nut
Tif Fussell: dottie angel

Christine did a wonderful job of weaving all four of our inspirations/motivations for a handmade life into one seamless piece. It was my first time being interviewed via phone, rather than just writing down my answers to questions. I won't pretend I wasn't nervous at first, but it felt much more like a warm and friendly conversation than anything else. Thanks so much, Christine! Sew Hip is a UK based sewing magazine that is available in the states at fabric shops. I've even gotten a hold of copies at Barnes and Noble. I'm not sure when this issue will be available, but I'll be on the look out.

Editor's Note: Because it is harder to locate the magazine in the states, Christine has now put the article up on her blog in its entirety for you to enjoy. Go here.

********************************************************************

So, moving right along to the next handmade project... can you guess what these are being prepped for? Yes, it's time for the next rendition of the TP roll count down calendar! I'm quite excited about this year's version. Hoping to unveil it soon. It's totally different from last year's.

Big Blog Family Interview

Apartment Therapy has been very good to me over the last year and a half. All of the editors are always so warm and gracious. My designs have been featured in various places from re-nest to their main site... but Ohdeedoh, their children's segment, is where you'll find me the most. Today, I had the honor of being included in Ohdeedoh's Big Blog Family series. I'm in very good company, as you'll see. You can read my interview right here. Thanks so much, Ohdeedoh!

once upon a dream

Good morning! I spent the last half hour tromping around in what's left of the Queen Anne's Lace meadow that is featured in the new 2010 WhipUp.Net Calendar. It's been mowed down for the season, but I found these dried stragglers remaining on the edge. They seem to hold an echo of summer, and each one contains the promising seeds of a beautiful meadow to come next August. It will look like this again, I'm sure.


For now, the stormy, gray days of November are here. A hot cup of coffee called me to come in out of the cold, but not before I took this shot in the exact same spot my nieces stood for the shoot entitled Summer Dreams . Brrrr...

Why don't you grab a hot cup of something good, too, and come join me over at Whip Up, where I shared some thoughts and answered a few questions.

Press, Interviews and Publications

INTERVIEWS

• HandMadeNews
• Indie Fixx 
• The Artful Parent
• CraftSanity Podcast
• Apartment Therapy's Ohdeedoh
• WhipUp.net
• Etsy: Featured Seller
• Craft Synergy
• Resurrection Fern
• Melissa Loves
• also find my "Art Saves" story at Crescendoh

*****************************************************

 
Contributed to the soon to be released book by Lark Publishing: Craft Hope- Handmade Crafts for a Cause. Due Summer 2010

____________________________________________________________________

maya*made was honored with the title of Best Green Home Design Blog of 2009 by Apartment Therapy! I couldn't feel more proud, nor could I be more grateful to my amazing readers who voted for me.

and recently was one of...

Apartment Therapy's: 10 crafty blogs we love


Around the web

I'm incredibly grateful to the many blogs that have been enthusiastic about my work and designs! Huge thanks to these sites for their frequent features:

Craft
The Crafty Crow
Whip Up
One Pretty Thing
Ohdeedoh
Bloesem Kids
Apartment Therapy
Sew, Mama, Sew!

and a special thanks to these wonderful sites, too:

Design*Sponge
Three Potato Four
Poppytalk
Bloesem
Modish
Bliss
Betz White
The Long Thread
Knack
Melissa Loves
Craft Gossip
Sew Liberated
Soule Mama

For a full list of features and links please email me at mayaluna{at}yahoo{dot}com.

E-zines

Petite Purls spring 2010


PUBLICATIONS

Where Women Create summer 2010 
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Sew Hip volume #12 2010

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GreenCraft volume 2 March 2010
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Sew Hip Issue #11 2009

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WhipUp.Net 2010 Calendar: August
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Premier issue of GreenCraft Magazine August 2009
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Artful Blogging summer 2009
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Country Living May 2009
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small magazine winter 2008
diy contributer


Contests

Green T Reuse Design Contest: Grand Prize Winner

Ohdeedoh and Cookie Magazine's "Now You See It, Now You Don't" Contest 2008:

Winner in the clothing category

Design*Sponge DIY Contest 2008:Finalist

This page was last updated on
-May, 2010

an interview at Crafty Synergy

I love the excitement of a new season... the transition into autumn has me singing! Singing what? Oh, I don't know... just happily humming along! I think I'm in an especially good mood, because a little dream came true. You'll find me at Crafty Synergy today ... a place I've always hoped to go. Thank you so much, Patricia, for graciously inviting me to take part in your inspiring interview series. Please grab a cup of something good and go on over for a visit. If this is the first time you're hearing about it, you're in for such a treat. Patricia has been interviewing artists since 2006! You'll find endless inspiration pouring through the archives.
my Crafty Synergy interview
Crafty Synergy
Patricia of A Little Hut

Note about the above photo: I spent yesterday printing with those beautiful antique wood blocks from India. I'm incorporating them into linen pillow slips and a new line of fall scarves. I'm so excited about these scarves! Printed linen on one side and a little surprise on the other... here's an in progress glimpse.

in the studio with Laura Nelkin

Laura wearing: Tower of Flames

I'm so happy to introduce you to one of my favorite women in the world. Don't you love meeting new friends? Well, go grab a cup (or a wineglass) of something good and settle in for a little chat with Laura Nelkin, an incredibly accomplished knitwear designer who lives down the road from me. Laura's distinct designs have earned her quite a following, and although she remains quiet and humble about her success... I'm her best friend so I get to toot her horn! Laura's incredible creativity, mixed with a keen sense of business, makes her my go-to person for all questions regarding my current projects. It doesn't hurt that she's a sweet, lovely and totally fun person to be with, too. So I'd love to let to share her with you!

-What led you to knitwear design and why is it the perfect medium for your creativity?
I’ve always been a crafter and entrepreneur. My Mom likes to talk about how she sold my woven ribbon barrettes with beads (like these) at her hair dressers when I was 8. After spending my teens, sewing crafting, and working with glass, I ended up going to Cornell University and gained an extensive background in Apparel Design and Textile Science. I hardly ever sew or weave anymore, but when I do, I realize how much knowledge I have stashed away in the recesses of my mind that isn’t being used (right now anyway, but I have plans!) I worked in the apparel industry for a bit and then had my own textile design company. Then my daughter was born, and I starting attending A LOT of play dates. Another mom taught me how to knit and I was hooked, I had found a way to be creative, AND be able to take my “work” with me wherever I went. Oh, and it turns out that designing knitwear is a ginourmous brain twister that exercises my math brain, and I LOVE MATH! Then I discovered that an awesome handpainted yarn company was 6 miles away from my house on country roads. I knocked on their door, and now I am their design director (it’s a dream job.) Knitting: it’s portable, it feels good , it can make your brain hurt (in a good way) and it’s social… perfect for me!-You are considered the lace bead guru/expert... what inspires you about this combination?
Hmm, I wouldn’t consider myself that AT ALL, I feel like such a newbie sometimes… I am constantly learning , and keep realizing just how much I don’t know yet. I am REALLY drawn to texture in my work, the addition of beads with yarn adds another dimension that allows me to stretch the boundaries of texture more than with just yarn. I do, though, try to make sure all of my designs work without beads, as I know bling isn’t for everybody.

Entemology: Laura's extremely popular new pattern. Free at Knitty.

-Do you have a favorite time of day to create?
That's a two-pronged answer. I typically come up with ideas while doing random nothings like taking a shower or washing the dishes, but my best design/work time is when I am ALONE, typically after 10 at night. (This can be really fun in the moment, but a super big bummer the next morning when we have to get up for work/school).

-What are the keys to keeping a balance between your work and family?
I am trying to learn how to “stop” and be aware of myself in each moment. For example, I recently moved my computer out of the kitchen and into a separate room so I have to intentionally walk there to go to work. I still automatically gravitate towards it, but I'm working on making sure I am making the decision to go to it, not just blindly seeking the glow of my screen. I'm also really aware this summer that I am being a “good mother” when I ditch work and go ride our bikes for ice cream, go to the lake on a whim, or catch a play. I am (we are) having a REALLY good time embracing the “good mother” in me!

-What is your favorite tool of your trade?
For work I am torn between my lightweight .25 cent garage sale metal swift, that I use often for winding yarn, and my computer. I have a healthy respect for my computer and in no way want to offend it by forgetting to mention it here!

Laura wearing the Jamie Lee

-Favorite season?
What I really love about seasons is the change, particularly the color. From winter to spring I have these favorite days where everything is this wet, rusty red-brown and you can just tell it wants to explode. All of a sudden, almost hour by hour, little bits of green emerge and in less than a week the grey and brown world we were living in is GREEN... it never ceases to amaze me. But to answer the question, winter. It just feels right to curl up and knit on the couch! Even though knitting is my work, I haven’t gotten over this guilty feeling when I sit down in the middle of the day to knit. In the winter I don’t feel the guilt as much as I do when it's a gorgeous spring day.

-Favorite food?
I love my carbs, but also REALLY love Greek yogurt with peaches or watermelon in it.

-Fave drink?
Coffee (decaf) and red wine, it’s a tie!

Fave article of clothing?
-My jeans… I wear jeans whenever I can!

-Summer reading?
Now:
*The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn (for Bookgroup)
*The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman (for Bookgroup)
Soon:
*Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson
*The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows

I’ll admit that I already read the whole Twilight series this winter (fondly known at my house as vampire crack.)

-Summer listening?
Music- Jonatha Brooke – ready for our road trip to NYC next week to see her? (my 40th birthday present from Laura)
Grassroots is this weekend and I am really excited to see Oumou Sangare with Bela Fleck, and 39 other great bands!
I also decided to listen to the archives of This American Life while I work on a secret design for the Year of Lace Club.

-Two random things most people don't know about you?
1. When I was 18 I toured around the country to see A LOT of Grateful Dead shows (it’s still funny to me that I never met you or my husband, though you two were doing the same thing at the same time!) (yes, I was a dead head!)
2. If I am ever stumped about something I head straight for the shower, 90% of the time I am clear and ready with a solution when I emerge.

Sweet giraffe print by Creative Thursday

Thanks Laura, we're all so lucky to have you as a special guest today. If you've got something on your needles right now... in other words, you knit... head over to check out Nelkin Designs for a full selection of patterns, some new beading tutorials, and a regular dose of Laura at her blog.

simple gifts # 3

Who doesn't enjoy new stationery? Here's a simple way to give a personalized and useful gift with very little effort, but lots of thoughtfulness.

I love using brown paper bags and /or brown craft paper.
1. Cut brown paper to the same size as standard printing paper. A paper-cutter is handy for straight lines.
2. Iron it lightly to take out any wrinkles or rolls.
3. Choose a font and your choice of names or words. Holiday "thank you" notes will be a gift that really gets used. I set up a template for four sections per page and pushed the print button.
4. Cut your note cards to size and tie a ribbon around them. Done! That was quick and don't they look ready for gifting?
Two variations would be to stamp your paper prior to printing (remember to let it dry thoroughly)

or use some clip art that is significant to the recipient.

I plan on making my own envelopes from recycled calendars... here is a great template I'll be using.
Hope you enjoy!

If you'd like to join me in a cup of tea this morning, Melissa of the wonderful Melissa Loves, is doing a little interview with me right here. Have a great day!