Sweet Encouragement

Okay, I'm a major dork... I'm aware. In so many ways I geek out daily - from the pun-based jokes that I insist are still funny the 18th time, to the ham I am when I get in front of my students. However, stress brings out a whole new level of dork in me.

This week I'm going through a certification to become a trainer of other educators in a method of teaching I strongly believe in (GLAD). Without going into specifics, this is the culmination of a year -or, if you look at it another way, 4 years- of an intense process. So naturally, the puns are flying like fish at Pike Place. My certification partner, Jenny, doesn't read this blog, so I'm comfortable showing the little daily encouragements I have planned for her.

First, I spent way too long in the candy aisle at QFC, searching for candy bars with names that could be turned into notes of support. When I got home I got out my beautiful new wool felt and some scrap craft paper and sewed 5 little tags, with rick-rack ties. On each one I composed a little note of encouragement, and I've started leaving these in places where she'll find them throughout our certification.

I found that I really liked making the labels. I've never tried sewing paper and fabric together before (aside from sewing the labels onto my mail sorter), and it was oddly satisfying.

Here's something else I discovered. All felt is not created equal. Those of you out there more experienced than me are thinking, "duh" right now, but for me this was a revelation. I've only ever used eco-felt before, and while it has its charms, it can't beat wool felt. This stuff is soft, easy to cut, easy to sew, and has such a rich, luxurious look to it that it barely fits in the same category. If you've never indulged before, I highly recommend it.

Organizing the Mail

Alright, be honest now. How many of you, like me, have a mail pit - a place where mail is dropped and forgotten? I get home, my hands are full of groceries, I have to use the bathroom, and everything just sort of gets dumped on the dining room table. Of course I sort through the groceries - after all, food must be refrigerated. But once I've scanned through the mail to see whether there are any packages, paychecks, or birthday cards, I pretty much just leave it there, where it mocks me for the next week or so. Eventually I'll do a quick sort through the pile, recycling junk mail, searching for bills, and shredding credit card applications, but 29 days out of the month the pit is there.

Enter Gina, of Bright and Blithe, and her fabulous mail sorter tutorial. This was a very simple project, and her tutorial even includes the printable labels you see above. Essentially, you are just creating a long pouch, then dividing it into 4 sections with rows of stitches.

Gina used unbleached cotton, which looks the same on both sides, and so her sorter was unlined. I used a cotton print that looks ugly on the back (which would become the insides of the pockets), so I lined mine with a pretty white eyelet cotton that I found at Goodwill.

She also uses a long piece of elastic to turn this into a sort of necklace for a door. I added fabric tabs to mine, so that it can just hang on a wall.

I mounted it on the wall right by the front door, and have notified the husband that there's a new system in place, so here's hoping that I've seen the last of the mail pit!

Kite Paper Window Stars

I am all about color, and in these dark, gray days of January I find that I'm in need of bright spots of color more than ever.

Enter Waldorf window stars. For those of you not in the know, Waldorf education is a philosophy of education that emphasizes creativity and imagination. Personally, I don't have any experience with Waldorf schools and so have no opinion about their efficacy, but I do love so many of the arts and crafts that come out of these classrooms.

I found the tutorial for these stars on Garden Mama, and the kite paper at Palumba. Kite paper is basically colorful waxed paper. I wanted to get the "all colors" kite paper, but Palumba is out of stock for now. Instead I went with the other set, which includes primary colors, green, and white.

I've also been experimenting with cutting the paper down to get smaller stars. I want to put these stars everywhere. The photos don't do them justice at all - in person the colors are more varied and subtle, and the waxiness of the paper makes them shimmer and glow in the window. I highly recommend these stars as an antidote to the January grays!

P.S. Don't worry Chelsea - I didn't forget about you! I still have plenty of paper left, and I'm ordering the "all colors" set as soon as I can. I just couldn't wait to try making these when the paper came in the mail yesterday!

Look What Came in the Mail!!

Okay, okay, this is nothing I made. But it is something yet to be made, so it does belong on this blog.

This afternoon I came home and found that a package had arrived. I opened it, and was greeted by the amazing sight above. 60 felt squares, each a different color. Oh joy! Oh rapture! Oh holy rainbow of subtle shades and tones just waiting to become something wonderful! As a wise man once said, "Taste the rainbow."

Stay tuned to see this felt become many incredible things.

Sweater Owls

Yesterday I posted the adorable oilcloth lunch sacks that Chelsea and I made on our Monday off. Here's another project we completed that day.

The idea actually came from a gift that a co-worker's wife made for Chelsea - a stuffed owl to help out with her class' "Owl-oween" celebration in October. It was so darn cute that we decided we had to learn how. I found a fantastic tutorial on Make It and Love It (really, is there anything that Ashley makes that doesn't inspire me??) for a similar owl stuffie. Chelsea found a great sweater at Goodwill with enough fabric for each of us to make one, we both pulled out our felt stashes, and we got down to business.

Here are some reflections for the next one I make:

-We sewed the wings on last. Really, I think they should be the first thing to be sewed on, before the two sweater body pieces are joined. That way the edges get tucked and sewn into the seams nicely.

-The backs of these are a little plain. It would be cute to sew a panel of the wing felt across the back (again, before the two body pieces are sewn together), to make it look like the wings extend all the way around.

-Chelsea had the cute idea to sew a little heart on. I also think that some rick-rack "breast feathers" would add cool texture.



I haven't decided yet whether this will be a Toy Drop. I'll let you know! :)

A Lovely Lunch Sack

Monday Chelsea and I got together and had a crafty-sewing day at her house. One project we finished was one I had been wanting to work on for a long time - a reusable lunch bag. My Lean Cuisines will be so much more appealing coming out of this sweet, springy little sack.

The wonderful tutorial came from Tumbling Blocks, and you can find it here. I picked up this fun oilcloth at the Pacific Fabrics outlet in SoDo, and I skipped the batting and inner lining called for in the tutorial.



I can't wait for lunch tomorrow!

To see Chelsea's version, check out the photos on her fabulous blog.

Quick Project: Pincushion

This was a super quick and inelegant -yet much-needed- project I did. I'm sharing it because the tutorial I used was kinda brilliant, so I want to share it with you.

I really needed a pincushion, preferably one that I could wear. After losing pins in the carpet while making my living room curtains, I realized I needed a quick solution. Yes, I could have just bought one, but where's the fun in that? Instead, I used Some Art Talk's simple pincushion design, with just a couple of minor modifications.

One thing I did was add a band so that I could wear the pincushion on my wrist. All I did was make a scrunchy with a strip of fabric and some elastic, then sew it on. Obviously, if you are doing this yourself, you'll have to do it before stuffing the pincushion.

The other thing I did was to add a square of plastic inside the pincushion, to act as a shield for my wrist. You can see the outline of it under the fabric in the picture below. I just used scrap plastic from a blister pack that I was throwing away. I put that into my pincushion before stuffing, and it prevents the pins from poking all the way through and stabbing the back of my wrist as I sew.

Like I said - nothing too exciting, but if you are looking to make yourself a pincushion, please check out the link I used. The method is pretty awesome!