Kids Camp Final Week

Last week marked the end of Kid's Summer Sewing Camp at Eddie's Quilting Bee.  While I am happy to get back to creating , I will miss the helping the kids find their own creative outlet.

This week brought a great monster pattern (McCall 5826) that allowed students to "build" their own monster.  It was great for every ability!  In addition we had alphabet letter pillows and uniquely designed stuffed animals!  I helped one student create a cat and dog to add to her menagerie of elephant and turtle.

The flip and stitch quilting technique also was redesigned to include many more fruits beside the basic watermelon from allpeoplequilt.com watermelon table runner .  These included apple, orange and even mango!

As I am putting away and reorganizing, I am planning to complete a few projects and then dive back into Sew Magical Creations including learning quilting, creating new patterns and focusing on a book proposal.

More from Summer Camp

Here are a couple of highlights from Sewing Camp this week.

First, I love the creative push that we get from students.  Last week I modified a watermelon table-runner into a purse when Ruth requested it and now two other people have made one! (I will post the tutorial for the purse in the future but here is the link for the table runner Watermelon Table Runner).

This week Maddie took her skill in making the flip and stitch watermelon table runner and created a turtle!

That was fun!  We are also creating a toddler "tutu" skirt and doing other pattern modifications!

It can get a bit silly when young sewers cannot quite figure out why a step is needed or what the end result will be.  Take for example Nasrine and Shriya ....Shriya is creating a very full gathered skirt, but before the elastic both she and her friend Nasrine can fit into it! (They are wearing vests they made as well)

And finally..for now...we have advanced students doing amazing things that include designer doll cloths and the raincoat shown below.

Keep your eyes peeled for more!

More on Kid's Sewing Camp

It continues to be quite an experience working with kids on their sewing projects.  Last week was clothing production as you can see by the photos.  I am improving in my alteration of pattern skills and my helper Amy has been helping with the quilting - so new skills for both of us!

The other highlight was the Harry Potter themed stuffed elephant.  One student REALLY wanted to have the houses represented so I brought in a light box and fabric pens.  she did all the outlining and coloring and then we fused them to their blanket (pattern at Hoffman fabrics but be warned many steps are missing).

Kids Camp...times flies

Wow, time sure does fly when you are leading Kid's Sewing Camp.  I have been completely amazed, overwhelmed, excited, and pleased with the kids and their projects for the first three weeks of a six week process.  It has kept me creating but exhaustion has kept the blog entries down.

Several kids just come for one session (three hours a day for a week) while others come for a full day or several weeks.  As a result, my assistant Amy and I have to be flexible enough to work on a variety projects with a huge spectrum of abilities.  The best is watching someone progress from a beginner to a real seamstress.

This is also pushing my knowledge of clothing construction and renewing my interest in that type of sewing.  I am having to teach things I have not done in a loooong time.

I have also done research on many free patterns sites so the kids have a greater variety and I am VERY grateful to the many patterns and ideas.  We have created pillows, pillow cases, aprons, book covers, stuffed animals, quilts, totes, purses, dresses, and more.

Below are some photos from the week 3 Show and Tell Fashion Show and class (thank you Molly for helping with photos) as well as some of the links!  I definitely have to remember that the reading glasses on my head do not create a hairstyle!

All Free Sewing
All People Quilt
Fav Crafts
Martha Stewart - crafts/sewing

New IPAD/ Samsung Galaxy Cover

I have completed some samples, tested the pattern (at last week's Kid's Sewing Camp), had a human trial (thank you Talin) and the design works!  My friend and neighbor Talin complained that the Computer tablet cases on the market were 1. boring and 2. did not leave his hands free when required.

I am printing some patterns this Friday and ready for making finished one to sell.  I will price patterns between $6 and $9 depending the copying for the full size pattern.

Finished cases will be $45 for single fabric tops (top photo) and $60 for pieced tops (bottom photo).  I will take orders for themes and colors combination.

Please help spread the word - if you are interested  - email me.

Catching up yet again - new hats

Long break in postings means massive creative production - so many projects that the postings may go for a several days.  

I will start with the huge Inn-spire©/Eddie’s Quilting Shop Hop Magical Kingdom hats.  My dear creative friend Rachel and I took on this fun project to discover how to use these heat flexible and firm interfacings.  Her math and logic skills and my production knowledge produced some really fun hats ….and there are more on the drawings board.  We are working on the patterns and potentially a book proposal. 

We worked for three weeks (with other projects/classes/events in between) on the set that included: king’s crown, queen’s crown, princess tiara, wizard hat with dragon, jester cap and then several serf’s muffin caps.

Here are the pictures:

In addition – I have taken my lovely niece to Pirate Fair.  A wonderful event and great fun in costuming and play. 

Upcoming:  The Goddess Aine collage, Midsummer Fairy Court Costumes and next week – Kid’s Camp starts.

Where does the time go

Wow just realized that almost two weeks have passed without a post and it seems like just the other day!  Of course, I have been creating.  The deadlines and projects seem to move the clock hands faster and faster.

The Bella Roma class quilts are slowly coming together...interrupted by samples for kids camp, designing hat patterns for Eddie's Quilting Bee event next week, making long overdue shirts for a friends, piecing together a pirate costume for this weekend and fairy costume for the next weekend....not to mention the Goddess collage due in a week and then Cloth Paper Scissor contest I would like enter by July 1st.

Whew....I need a nap just thinking about it.  Instead I will support my niece's creativity by attending the dance recital tonight and then taking her to the Nor Cal Pirate Fest in Vallejo!

Sunday I will update pictures and soon share pictures of our (my friend Rachel and I) new hat designs with a great a new product Inn-spire!

Opening up Creativity - Zentangles and doodling

I am always looking a way to open up my creativity and get away from perfection.  Early in my creative life, I did not think I had any artistic ability.  I thought that artists either needed to portray the exact image as if a photograph or convey the idea in just a few strokes of the pen.  I was extremely tough on myself.

When I took over my ceramics studio, I suddenly had to allow myself to not only be creative but help other people to find their creative voice.

I have come a long way and yet sometimes making that original item or seeing things differently takes some effort and practice.  So how does an artist "practice" besides creating art pieces.  Well, one technique came from Sandy Teen Bartholomew by way of Cloth Paper Scissors.  This has been around a few years and has an official website.  There are a few ritual steps to starting that help get you going and they have some structured doodles for you to learn, but like most artists each one finds their own rules.  They use just 3 1/2 paper squares where I am using a larger journal so mine do take longer.  Also I seem to have more going on...words etc.

Here are my rules:
1.  I cannot tear out or start over (this teaches me to let go and to find creative solutions)
2.  Try to do at least two week (I thought I would do one a day but mine often take a few hours).
3.  It is OK to leave them partially done and return later (see the reason above!)
4.  I can use color
5.  I can have a theme, question or affirmation
6.  Each time is new so let go and let the ink flow!

One of my favorite techniques is writing words in cursive one direction and then another word the other direction.  It creates a pattern that is not readable but the intentions are there.

I am really enjoying the thoughts that it opens as well as the meditation that seems to come from just escaping computers, production, to do lists.....and just creating.  In addition, it makes lines go faster and the waiting room is almost a pleasure.

I even noticed the Quilting Arts Magazine April/May 2011 edition has an article on turning these into art quilts! So that seems to be my next step.

For more information try these:

Sandy's blog:  beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com
Zentangles
Quilting Arts April/May 2011
Craft Paper Scissors Art-Journaling eBook

My "Zentangles" so far...

Maker's Fair Project - Tami Jo Designs Photo books

I love make and takes and this was the one I decided to do at Maker's Faire this year.  It is clever and quick!  I can already think of way to meld fabric and paper.

The instruction were easy to follow and several kids were making them as well.  I think it will make a great sentimental gift for Christmas or Yule so don't tell my family (hehehehe).

The link to her site Tami Jo Studios is where you can get the instructions as well as kits.  I definitely recommend starting with the precut kits since she has great color sense and fun ideas.  It is always easier to learn the technique and then move on to doing it all yourself.  Of course she has finished ones as well so all you need to add are the photos and words you want.

Maker's Faire 2011 recap

Wow, I had a great time at Maker's Fair - Incredible crowd so I hope they make wider aisles next time....also need better sound systems so presenters can be heard, but those are minor issues compared to the amazing, inspiring, strange, creative, mind-blowing and just plain fun stuff!

I love seeing fabric printing and wool carding next to NASA and robots.  The fire art always moves me and the neon floor shark makes me laugh.  Low to high tech this place has it all!

I did I mention the costumes.  There was cyberpunk, steam-punk and transformers.  I went steam-punkish.....I need to finish the costume I have in mind for next year (yes, I know I thought that last year but I really mean it this time!).  There also seems to be a underground competition for the wittiest geek T-shirt.  It was a challenge to read shirts in the crowd while watching the demos.  I bought a DIY or Die shirt to at least fit in.

Next year my goal is be a presenter or have a booth!  I plan to work with MAKE magazine offshoot Craftzine, get either C&T publishing or Eddie's Quilting Bee to come or .....do my own booth.  Any thoughts?

Here are my photos - tomorrow I will post a project I did there  - so stay tuned.

Maker's Faire San Mateo

This incredible event is almost unexplainable....I will post photos later but if you can make it, real life is MUCH better.  Mythbusters Adam at noon!

http://makerfaire.com/

French Braid Class May

Just finished a three week class in French Braid Color theory - This was a great one since the students get to select the style and three picked ones I had never taught before.  There was appliqué, stained glass and reverse braids.  It was a blast and many great designs!