monday making

I just made a couple of more leather scrap inspired items. Buckets! Steadily, a small line of lovingly crafted items are accumulating for my shop. The making of them is pure pleasure. Is it the slow and deliberate way I'm creating? I often make things in assembly line fashion, but these are one at a time... evolving as they go. Perhaps it's the act of transforming old favorites into something with a new twist. Who knows...

Inspired by function and beautiful materials, their simplicity just works for me. I'm happy to start my week at my sewing machine. I've found that if I commit to something on a Monday, I often make an effort to keep it up throughout the week. This potentially works for everything- from exercise to creativity. Something about fresh starts that just keep me going! Crossing my fingers that I'll get a "run" in today! Hope you have a productive Monday, too! 

p.s. There's a new post up at Honoring Hope if you missed it last week...

winter workshop at ithacamade!

WINTER WORKSHOP 

where: ithacamade, state st. next door to Mimi's Attic 

when: Sunday, December 2

time: 1-3pm

The wool trivet and coasters from Reinvention are the perfect handmade gift for the holidays. They're simple, satisfying and can be made in multiples for teachers, grandparents, and friends. I'll be giving a demo on just how fast they whip up on a sewing machine and share some great variations for hand-sewers and children. There will be plenty of rescued wool and supplies for you to get started on your own. At my side will be friend and fellow maker, Jan Norman from Silk Oak and Ithacamade (and multiple other amazing projects!).

If you're in the neighborhood (downtown Ithaca, NY) on Sunday afternoon, I do hope you'll come by for some holiday crafting! I'd love to see you and children are always very welcome!

Jan will have a stack of my books on hand and is generously offering $5 off the regular price just for this gathering. And of course, I'll be excited to sign any copies that are put in my hands!

See you Sunday!

natural window cleaner (new and improved)

Happy April! Who's ready for some spring cleaning? I've been attacking one big cleaning project after another. Yesterday my dirty windows were calling. I always use a little water and vinegar in a spray bottle, but I made up a new recipe that I'm excited to share with you. After hearing that a smidge of cornstarch kept the streaks away, I thought I'd add a little to my usual mixture. In order to dissolve the cornstarch, I used hot water. I had never cleaned windows with anything but cold water, and I was super impressed with the difference the temperature made on getting the job done. So here's my natural recipe for sparkling windows...

Window Cleaner

1. Pour hot tap water and white vinegar directly into a spray bottle with a ratio of 2:1 (hot h20/vinegar)
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch.
3. Shake.
4. Spray while water is still warm if possible. Use lint free rags for the first few swipes across the glass and then finish off with a crumpled piece of newspaper.

Here's to seeing with total clarity... and clean windows, too!

wool experiments

I've been playing with a new to me kind of wool. It feels like both a luxury and a necessity to take some time to experiment.  I had tea with my friend Kate a few weeks ago... you know Woolen Moss Kate, and she showed me the most amazing slippers that she had made out of the wool felt from her very own sheep. I was so impressed and said she must make them an offering in her shop.(And she did... and they're right here!) I was also curious if she had more wool felt that I could see and touch. One thing led to another, and I went home with a sheet of gorgeous natural organic wool felt... from sheep around my freakin' corner! Yay for shepherdesses! I've been oggling it for days. I just couldn't cut into it until I knew what it would be. Well, enough of that! I finally cut out two squares for playing.We all need to work on that  "too precious to cut" stuff that holds us back.

I just had to see how it felt on my machine and in my hands and with a rotary cutter. I loved the contrast of red that Kate's slippers had. I love splashes of red with all of my neutrals. I cut up a few triangles from an old red suit and played with pin tucks.

I don't quite know where it's going. And that's the point.

 Experimenting- it really is a necessity!

Infini-Tee: how to

I'm always looking for new ways to reinvent the alarming amount of t-shirts piling up at our Salvation Army. Remember that new pattern I mentioned a few weeks ago? I designed this simple scarf way back in May, and have been patiently waiting for the cooler months to arrive to share it with you. Now that the temperatures have dropped and the wood stove is kicking in, I'm excited to bring out my Infini-Tee! This two-toned, double layered ring couldn't be easier to make, but you'll be surprised at how versatile it is to wear... I've even been keeping one in the car to toss on for warmth or as last minute new look... including the perfect "hide the bad hair day hoodie"!

It works for all ages, as my nieces have proved. They're always happy to play dress up, but they totally humored me by donning sweaters in August for this shoot. Thank you girls! They took their job very seriously... or maybe it was just the heat.

Here are some ways we discovered to wear these cozy layers of soft jersey... that stretch and twist to form multiple accessories- all with warmth and style. Loop it twice for a scarf, wrap around your shoulders, nestle at your neck with a kerchief style hood, or pull up for a traditional hoodie…

It also transforms into a cozy wrap to wear over jeans or leggings. Just add a little pin to hold it in place.

The same wrapping idea can turn it into a capelet, as well. We didn't use a pin here, just fold and a tuck- but a brooch would hold it securley.

Here are the easy instructions. Go rescue some t-shirts this weekend!  Make one for yourself and one for a friend.

Infini-Tee

Need:

• 2 XL (or larger) men’s tee shirts-longer and wider the better
• button thread and needle
• scissors

Make:

1. Cut off the bottom hems of both shirts. 
2. Cut a straight  line across the body of each shirt, directly underneath the sleeves.
3. Cut one side open of each shirt. If it is a seamed shirt (not all tee’s are), cut along the seam.
4. Open each shirt into a long rectangle and lay on top of each other right side to right side. Trim to be equal in size. Sew a seam along each length to create one long  tube with one shirt on top and the other on bottom. If using a machine use a mock overlock stitch or any stretch stitch. If sewing by hand use sturdy button thread.
5. Turn the tube right side out.
6. Join both open ends together by matching up the long seams you've just sewn. Pin at the seam on the wrong side. Continue pinning the wrong side for several inches. Sew shut the tube opening where the pins are... continue to stitch around the opening on the wrong side (even thought the rest of the tube is right side out) by twisting the fabric until it simply won't turn anymore. Remove from  machine. Straighten out tube and hand stitch the small opening closed. (see final illustration)Done!

 

 Note: If you'd like to add a personal touch:  print, stencil or embroidery on one of the sides. Perhaps, adorn a seam with a ribbon of lace. These are perfectly wonderful kept simple, but they do make great  blank canvases for embellishments.

See, they're not always so serious... and can you spot the little stripy summer sundress peeking out of that wool sweater... they were such good sports!

Rhinebeck

Rhinebeck is such a huge and vast festival, but it felt almost cozy being surrounded by so many blissed out people, all happily dressed in their hand knit woolens. My experience was completely shaped by my company. I hadn't had any time with My Laura in so long, plus I got the gift of deepening my connection with her incredible friend, Caitlin. Don't you love when friends share friends!?  Spending 36 uninterrupted hours with lovely women: new friends, old friends, virtual-friends-now-made-real-friends...it's food for the soul. An added treat was a pub evening with lots of fun fiber women including my Squammie sisters: Jill and Cal. Big thanks to Julibeth and Peter, the most gracious hosts ever!
And then there were the sweet and delightful creatures...

The wool inspiration was wonderful, as you can imagine. There were thousands of dazzling and beautiful jewel-toned skeins of yarn as far as the eye could see. However, my lens was utterly faithful to the constant palette of undyed and plant dyed fibers that I find so delicious.

Two of the booths that whispered to me the most insistently were the above: Fiber Craft Studio and Fromm.Christine Fromm (below) is hands down one of the most skilled, clever and artful refashioners I have ever met. She has an absolute gift! Each of her one of a kind pieces is stunning. I didn't take any photos of them, just lovely Christine! But you must check out her incredible capes/shrugs, dresses, and hats on the top left portion of her site. She uses the details of deconstructed sweaters in the most brilliant way. Be prepared to have your breath taken away.

Thanks Rhinebeck... dreaming of next year!

Squam: Reinvention 1 and 2

Power, wisdom, and insight abound when women gather... there are often tears and always wild belly laughs. Most of all, there is potential for deep connection... a witnessing and truly seeing one another. Oh, Squam Art Workshops you are so much more than just a creative retreat, and I feel grateful to have spent another week where time stood still on the shores of your lake. The forests, boulders, and shoreline are not just a backdrop, but a breathtaking stage for the truly transformational work to be done. My classes were filled with brilliant creatives who took some amazing risks and stepped out of their comfort zones. I believe that we all learned a great deal together about courage and play.

 I invite you to peek into my two Reinvention classes. They were based on the clever re-use of recycled materials and the satisfaction of resourcefulness.

Each day a dozen women walked out to the edge of camp, where LONGHOUSE stood perched above the lake with wrap around porches and walls of windows. They came ready to reinvent simple and forgotten fabrics into items of use, beauty, and sometimes quite significant meaning.

They were greeted by work tables facing the lake and a brand new Singer sewing machine! That's right... Singer generously donated a total of 20 new machines to SAW. 20!! We blessed them with burlap, linen, and gratitude! Thank you Singer!

I created a large cutting station in front of the hearth and kept it blazing during the cool mornings. Many of these lovely women did not believe they were sewers as they arrived, but through a morning of linen "sampler scarves"  their confidence grew as they saw what they were truly capable of creating through stitching.
 
This opening project was intended as an opportunity to make friends with their machine and practice some basic techniques and de/reconstruction. It also provided an avenue for me to demonstrate my style of sewing and teaching- which is playful and exploratory. One insightful new sewer asked me if we were "baking" or "cooking". Oh, definitely COOKING! Baking is a science with very clear steps and measurements, and I wanted them to feel liberated to sew without a recipe... or "right way" to do things. This is not to say that there weren't new skills to learn, but it was shared with the idea that each sewer should experiment to find her own style. As the mornings flew by, those scarves grew and grew into gorgeous, artful and wearable collages. It was quite thrilling to watch.





Now as accomplished sewers, the afternoon was spent focusing on burlap buckets or t-shirt skirts. My personal heaven. As you can see, I'm not the only one that finds t-shirts exciting and burlap inspiring.




I missed getting a class picture on Thursday before everyone departed, so apologies to those of you not included in the below group shot... you were all quite loved!

Here's Reinvention on Friday when the sun decided to come out!

Huge thanks to both of my Reinvention crews... I was quite fortunate to have so many amazing women share their hearts and creativity with me.

For more insight into another teacher's experience, give Pixie Campbell a visit, she was my wonderful Squamie roommate and my love and admiration for her runs deep and strong. Squam's home page will also have a growing list of links to various blog posts of teachers and attendees.

more yarn balls and pouches

The main inspiration for my yarn stamps was my favorite knitter. The above pouch was a gift for her and was just waiting for the stamp to be carved. I'm very pleased with how this little ball printed on linen.So, I'm making more!

In fact, I'm trying to make one every couple of days for the next few weeks. Each one is different in size, fabric selection and even prints.

It all depends on what scraps need to be used and my mood at the end of the night (when I've been whipping them up). This Indigo bunting Burlap one features the selvedge of the linen. I use a lot of deconstructed linen clothing for sewing, so I don't always have selvedge to work with. When I do, it feels like a treat, and I don't want it to go to waste.

Here's the back...


All of my zippers are vintage or recycled. Their color often dictates the direction of the pouch. It's an interesting way to approach these mini projects and really encourages me to explore my fabric stash in new ways.

sponsor giveaway: Green Rainbow Shop

Good morning! The sun is shining and it's a lovely day to shout HAPPY SPRING! Long time sponsor, Green Rainbow Shop, is here to celebrate with us. Their shop is filled with something special for everyone. Each item has been selected with earth/eco awareness so you can feel great about your choices. I had so much fun coming up with these collages... there were so many wonderful choices for Easter/spring baskets and plenty for freshening up your nest or adding to your spring wardrobe. Go have a peek right here.

Green Rainbow Shop is generously offering four $25 gift certificates! How wonderful! Leave your name (and e-mail if it's not available through blogger) here before Tuesday at 8pm EST. I'll announce the four random winners on Wednesday morning. Good luck!

Oh yes, in addition: they will give a 20% discount to readers who enter the code EASTER (valid through 04/20/11). Thanks Green Rainbow! So glad you're here!

Green Rainbow Shop