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!

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!

birds, trees and toast

The above "indigo" bunting was dyed and hand stitched by a 10 year old who had never sewn before, but had a burning desire to make a bird. Amazing right?! Thread and needle were not going to be part of the first week of camp, but everyone got the itch to work with their beautiful blue fabric. Next week the entire focus is sewing and a bit of weaving. I'm fired up and ready for teaching some brand new projects- like this nature weaving in a Y stick.

I'm also trying to figure out if there is any way we can use parts of the giant white pine that landed on our barn/garage earlier this week in a freak storm. It was quite traumatic, since my daughter and I were standing at the back door watching the rain pour down and the winds pick up when it came crashing down a few feet away. We were extremely lucky, and now are looking for ways to celebrate such a special tree that we looked at each day from our dining room window for the last 14 years. 

An hour after it fell, the sun had returned and the mail carrier drove up with my copy of Pixie Lighthorse's brand new book- Prayers of Honoring. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as there was a blessing called "Honoring the Forces of Nature" on page 33. Pixie's wisdom has been a guiding force in my life since the first day we met and it's wonderful to have a volume of her words to reach for when looking for meaning and ways to recognize important moments in life. 

 And now it's time to start the weekend with my current favorite meal- avocado toast. I love it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I know it's the current urban trend, but there's a reason- perfect deliciousness! There are so many variations- but they all start with a good piece of bread and a ripe avo. This is actually gluten-free- but I am eating wheat again now and then.  I take a sliver of garlic and rub it over the warm toast. A little drizzle of olive oil comes next. Mash avocado directly onto toast and layer it with whatever's on hand. Heirloom tomatoes here, but the other day it was topped with shaved radishes, and goat cheese. Finish it up with coarse salt and fresh pepper.

Have a super weekend, friends!

last week...

Rock*Paper*Scissors was a wonderful first session of Creativity Camp. We immersed ourselves in flowers, leaves, and even a feather or two. Blue was also the color theme- with sun prints and lots of indigo dyeing. Details to come, but right now I'm still lingering over my very sweet birthday weekend. Lots of pics to the right on instagram. Hope your week begins with clear skies, time for creativity and lots of great summer food!

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down by the lake

 We went collecting driftwood, stones and feathers yesterday. This point on our lake has been my sweet spot, my sacred place and my home away from home since moving to the east coast. It's where I've watched my kids grow up, and where I go to soothe the ache of not having the ocean close by. It's the source of many treasures- some that I can gather in a basket and others that happen internally when I get quiet and look out at the expanse and into the depths of an ancient glacier filled body of water. My daughter felt it too. In a different way than the splashing and frolicking that have been part of summer's past. We talked of dreams and deep things. We laughed and painted with lake water. It was the best kind of day.

"live life like a feather"- her words

Medicine was gathered by the shore. And next week we'll share it with other intuitive and strong girls in the first session of summer camp: rock*paper*scissors.

We'll share it with you too!

creativity camp summer 2015

 There may still be snow on the ground, but the birds woke me up this morning… the vernal equinox is upon us, and summer dreams are not far behind. Time for planning some adventures! I am so happy to announce that Creativity Camp is returning this summer in full force! I will be directing three fun filled weeks for local girls 9-12 years old.

 

Each session will have a specific theme, but the focus throughout everyday will be building self-confidence and awareness through self-expression and the learning of new skills. My passion for art will merge with my background in education and psychology to inspire and encourage this magical time in our young girls' development of self and their creativity. 

 Camp will be held in an 1850's country farmhouse, nestled on 5 acres of meadow, creeks, and woods. Visualize improvised studio-space under a canopy of 200-year-old walnut trees with plenty of opportunities for running in the field, dancing in the back meadow or gathering blackcaps by the hedgerow.

 

 July 13-17

rock*paper*scissors will be a week long immersion of inside/outside crafting following the rhythm of each day’s weather forecast. We will use our beautiful meadow to work with natural dyes and paints, "Goldsworthy" art installations, nature costumes, found materials transformed into jewelry and sculptures, miniature shelters for woodland creatures and maybe a fairy or two! When the temperature soars or a summer storm rolls in, we’ll turn to working with the abundance of paper in need of rescuing in everyone's house. Painting, printing, stamping, stitching, gluing, cutting, bookbinding… all will be explored!  We’ll even add some creative writing into the mix. The last day will feature a showcase of everyone's work for parents to enjoy.

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July 27-31

stitch*craft will focus on basic hand sewing techniques and an intro to sewing machine skills. Projects that have immediate use for the maker are very exciting and inspiring. We will learn how to repurpose favorite clothing and fabric into new items that celebrate each girl’s unique design sense… from bling to au naturel and everything in between. Weaving, embroidery and fabric printing will be incorporated into our week together- culminating in a showcase on the last day for parents.

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August 3-7

stitch*craft 2 is for girls with sewing machine experience, who want to take their skills to the next level. Everyone will choose several projects to complete throughout the week from our extensive craft/sewing library. They will get familiar with reading patterns/instructions while increasing their sewing techniques repertoire. These new skills boost confidence and strengthen passion for their craft. Embroidery, applique and fabric printing will be incorporated into our week together- culminating in a showcase on the last day for parents.

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If this sounds like a good fit for your daughter, please let me know soon so that I can reserve a spot for her and send you more details. mayaluna(at)yahoo(dot)com

 Can't wait for summer to get here!

mini tote/hat diy

I cut off the legs of a pair of yoga pants to make shorts. The cotton jersey with a touch of spandex was the perfect stretchy fabric for making some quick tiny totes for my sewing campers last week. I wanted them to see just how fast and easy some projects are. This was impressive... one quick seam and a tiny snip for a handle and little purse was born. They were delighted... and responded as if I had a magic wand. And then they impressed me... by putting them on their heads! They make fabulous hats! One direction is a great bat (or even cat) hat- the other is a bit elf-like! Keepin' this in mind for Halloween...

 If you have an old pair of yoga pants lying around, you've got the making of a bunch of totes and/or hats! These are so great to stash a couple small items... lip balm and a change purse fit perfectly for my girl. An adult or teen could easily slip in a phone and keys, too. 

Make:

1. Cut off the legs of a pair of stretchy pants.
2. Cut them into sections of at least 8". You'll have a bunch of tubes. 
3. Turn one inside out and sew a seam along the bottom edge.
4. Turn it right side out and fold over the opening to one side. Cut out a tiny half moon at the center of the fold line. That's the handle. Jersey doesn't fray so raw edges are fine!
5. Make some more and give them to friends. 

Have a great weekend!

sunshine blouse

This happy golden top was made by a 9 year old in camp last week! Impressive, no? First she dyed a section of an old bed sheet in a turmeric solution. Then she followed my directions for the pillow case dress here using some improvisation, since it wasn't a pillow case! Next we took a strip of crochet edging that had actually been a part of the sheet originally, and I helped her to add it to the bottom. We dyed it separately and didn't boil it as long, so it faded after a washing. The contrast didn't bother her a bit- she was still so excited! And so she should be. If you're looking for a good first garment for your child to sew, a skirt is a great bet. The second? A pillow case dress or blouse!

sew and tell

Last week was fabulous! I loved this group of girls so much! Their enthusiasm and creativity was fueled by my encouragement to innovate and improvise. I had an agenda at the beginning of the week... a curriculum that was planned for each day. Out the window it went, as I followed their thrill of discovery and their desire for independent making. I am now a firm believer that children should be taught techniques based on their current desire to make. So for instance, someone wanted a tutu for their Breyer Horse (hmmmm wonder whose daughter that was?) so out came the fold-over elastic and learning to switch to zigzag stitch for anything stretchy. Doll pajamas were in high demand and even though I wanted to teach pattern making... they had their own ideas. Trial and error are fabulous teachers! Field trips to Sew Green are now a tradition and total highlight of the week. Once sewing machine familiarity has been established (around mid-week), we go on a (recycled)fabric shopping trip. This time everyone had already made little zipper pouches to carry their spending money in.

 And on the last day we always have a gallery to share with parents all of the amazing items created throughout the week... Sew and Tell.

Here's to girl power! 

(more on these crazy grey purses turned "bat/cat hats" very soon!)