elsie marley

I’m sure you know what a tangram is but didn’t know it was called a tangram (when I looked it up, I think I might have typed, “that clever triangle-y puzzle thing”). If you’ve never even seen one, well then: it’s sort of a puzzle and sort of a game that involves five triangles, one square, and one parallelogram.  The objective is to figure out how to make a given shape, which is shown only in silhouette, using the pieces and not overlapping any.  My kids and I had a blast just playing around with the shapes and seeing what we could make. I thought you might like to make some too:

Materials:

• balsa wood (or sturdy cardboard, foam core, or actual wood wood, but you will need different tools for cutting the wood)
• a sharp pencil
• ruler
• exact-o knife
• fine grit sandpaper
• paint brush and paint (optional)

Directions:

1. Use an exact-o knife to cut the balsa wood into a 4 inch square.  The piece of balsa wood I got at Michael’s Crafts was 4 inches wide already, so I only needed to cut it once to make a square.

2. Next you need to draw a 1 inch grid on the square very, very lightly. Draw a line one inch from the edge, then another one inch from that, one more and then turn the square 90 degrees and do it again. If you press down on the balsa wood at all it will make an indentation that won’t come out, so keep the pencil marks very, very faint.

3. Now we are going to draw 5 lines. I think it would be more confusing for me to explain where all the lines are drawn, so you can just follow the series of lines I drew above. Use the grid as a guide: draw through the corners, or on the lines, whichever is indicated by the picture. The first picture is the grid and the next five show the sequence of lines to draw.
4. Lightly erase the grid.
5. Take your exact-o knife and ruler and cut on the lines. Cut the shapes out in generally the same order you drew the lines. If you have a sharp blade it should take 3 or 4 passes along the line to cut through the balsa wood. It helps if you start a little above where you are cutting, instead of starting right on the line. Go slow and try to keep the blade perpendicular to the wood.

6. Lightly sand the pieces.

7. Paint (if you like). It’s nice to have both sides painted–especially the parallelogram–because it makes it easier to make more pictures with your tangrams, but I think they are equally beautiful not painted at all.  It’s up to you.

You can even make a little cute box for your new tangram set to go in. The box I got was a little too small for the pieces to fit just right–oh well.  Now go play: you can make animals, letters, quilts,  cookies even and this book looks lovely too. Watch out though, you might get carried away:

I was sick of the stupid bathroom towel always ending up on the floor. So I whipped up this bad boy in the spirit of those awesome old fashioned public bathroom continuous towel thing-a-ma-jigs (which I can seem to find on the internet; have they ceased to exist?).  All it took was a little patchwork bias tape to cover the raw edges and velcro to join the ends.  You could use buttons or snaps, but I could not because my monkey of a son would then use it as his personal bathroom swing.

The towel fabric is a waffle weave muslin that I found when I was looking for fabric for the kids’ summer towels or summer robes. I only bought a quarter of a yard so I could see if it would soften when I washed it. And it did, nicely too. Then I went to get some more, only this time I went to Joann’s instead of the fancy fabric shop, and when I washed the three yards of it I got, it came out super thick and shrunk up (see above).  Does Joann’s just carry inferior everything, or did I wash it wrong? Has anyone worked with waffle weave muslin before and have some insight?  Because I really like how the bathroom towel turned out and had visions of making kitchen towels for everyone for christmas out of this stuff

Wouldn’t it be great in the kitchen? I suppose linen or terry cloth would work just as well.  I’m going to have to use the shrunk up stuff to make the kids’ robes; I just hope they don’t make them look like little sumo wrestlers.

A while back when it was raining nonstop we made these very sweet rain paintings, but now that it’s extra hot I was thinking I’d turn on the sprinkler and make sprinkler paintings instead. I found the project at the crafty crow– where you can find every kid’s art project ever thought up–and you can find the original post about it here.  To make rain paintings  you crush up watercolor paints (we put them in plastic bags and banged on them with a rolling pin), sprinkle them on some paper and put it out in the rain.

It’s such a simple and quick project, but every part of it was exciting for the kids (and me): whacking the paints with the rolling pin, using the paints we “made” and standing out in the rain waiting to see what would happen.

After you decide the picture is done and pick it up, all the paint will run (and your sidewalk will turn bright blue). I was kind of disappointed when this happened, but my kids squealed with joy.  We hung them up in the window to dry and they were so beautiful with the sun shining through them. The whole porch was bright and glowing even though it was still raining outside.

The pictures do fade when they dry, but then you can take a pen and turn your rain painting into a beautiful rain garden.

I had grand plans to do project after project with my kids this summer, but there has been more lazing around than anything else. This project, though, is right up my alley: simple, quick, bright, and all about the process. Anyone got any good preschool age art projects to recommend that have been a success? I’m thinking marble painting is next.

image by Eric Fisher via (sc)

Jenny over at wisktenmade said a while back that she collected images from the internet that inspired her or just struck her fancy and stuck them in a folder, then over time she could see themes come out: a certain color, or shade of a color, specific details, things that you so obviously like, but somehow tend to forget. I do tear pages out of magazines, but then get lazy when it comes time to put them somewhere (and then of course they are everywhere). It’s easier to collect images and links on the internet of course, but I wasn’t putting them in a place where I could step back and see them as a whole.  Then I found tumblr, a site that hosts mini blogs, and it was made for this kind of thing.  You can find me here on tumblr; let’s hang out.

So tumblr works really well to collect all the images you find inspiring, but then there is this sort of ridiculous site called rumblr, where you pit two tumblr sites against one another. It looks pointless in that “hot or not” kind of way, but it actually makes some beautiful diptychs that are inspiring in their own right. The one above and the one below are from mociun’s and the brick house’s tumblrs.

And these next two are a mash up of molly irwin‘s tumbler and and one of nat‘s awesome tumblr collections:

aren’t they wonderful?

And speaking of great photography, the lovely ladies at habit are featuring submissions from their readers all month. The only guidelines are to take an unstaged picture that represents your day in some way and post it the day it was taken.  I think that habit is a fantastic photography project that lets you stop fussing with what you are taking a picture of and just enjoy taking the picture.  It’s wonderful that they are letting their readers play along. I’ll be there and you can too.

I started this skirt right before Easter I think. It sounds like it took a ridiculous amount of time, but there would be weeks that I didn’t even pick it up. I think this skirt is more like a knitting project than a sewing one (not as if I know anything about knitting), but it’s a slow going, watching tv kind of project like knitting is. Sometime the slow rhythm of the stitching would be comforting, but other times it would become tedious as hell.

It’s horrible working on something for so long and not knowing if it will fit at all, much less fit and be flattering. To make this skirt (the swing skirt from the Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin) you have to paint the design on the skirt, then hand stitch around each leaf, then cut out the leaf from the top fabric, then only after all of that can you sew the panels together and see if it fits. Whatever expectations I had about this skirt in the beginning were made even more unattainable by what the author tells you to do when you are preparing your thread for stitching:

“Loving” your thread infuses the work with kind intentions, but it’s also a very practical step that removes excess thread tension and prevents pesky knotting…Hold the doubled thread between your thumb and index finger, and run your fingers along it from the needle to the end of the loose tails while saying, “This thread is going to sew the most beautiful garment ever made.  The person who wears this garment…will bear it in health and happiness; it will bring joy and laughter.”

So there is much hope and good intention in my stitches, but it is not the most beautiful garment ever made. Though I feel a little bad saying that, as if I am hurting the skirt’s feelings, because well, I told her she would be the most beautiful garment ever made about a thousand times over as I threaded my needle and began to stitch. Look at that! talking to a skirt! going a little crazy over here. Maybe this skirt is the most beautiful garment in the world, but it’s only the skirt that knows it.

As I see it, the skirt is a little big. But maybe I’ll take it apart someday and take it in a little, but for now it’s fine–not the best thing in my closet, but the only one I’ve ever had a conversation with.

I’m ashamed to say how long ago I started this shirt. I think it was supposed to be for Rae’s spring top week, which was in April. Well, it is very much summer here now and it’s finally done. Too late for one contest, but just in time for another. ha! The shirt started out as this ridiculously large muumuu swim suit cover up from h&m. I had been looking for a stripey shirt for summer, but couldn’t find one that was just right.  I saw this gigantic number and liked the stripes, so I spent all of 5 bucks for it.  I thought with that much fabric I could probably screw up and still come out with a shirt.

I used a 70s knit shirt pattern I had squirreled away and it worked out ok. I lent the pattern to a friend so I can’t show you the pattern picture, but it’s a v-neck, raglan sleeve shirt with a little bit of gathers at the point of the V.  I’ve had shirts like this before and they have always been flattering.  I didn’t gather it as much as the pattern wanted me too because it made the V neck too high up and I wanted a  deeper V, so next time I’ll try to figure out how to make the pattern do both those things at the same time. It also came out a little boxy and a little short, but I think I can fix that next time.

I have no idea how the pattern wanted me to finish the neckline, which is why this shirt has been sitting around unfinished since April. Finally I just slapped a half ass binding on it and called it done. And I’m happy to say I actually wear the sucker. Out of the house even.

When I first saw the actual mociun tie front dress I think I was pregnant and it looked like some sort of godsend. A dress that is stylish and functional through pregnancy nursing and beyond? I mean that doesn’t ever happen. Then I saw it on cakies last year and she was pregnant and obviously thinking the same thing. Her post led me to Anna’s blog, wildflower::pretty, and she told me how to make it. Of course it took a year for me to actually get up the courage to start.

I made a muslin and thank god I did, because my first try turned out ridiculously poofy. I had to alter it a few times before it fit at least kind of right, but I forgot to alter the pattern I made, so then I had to take the whole muslin apart and use it as a pattern for the real dress. Then I was so nervous about actually making it that I cut it a little bigger than I should have. When I’m nervous I make things bigger, which isn’t so much of a problem with kid’s clothes, but I don’t want to bank on getting bigger to fit into my own clothes.  So I had to take it in a bunch, which fucked up the arm holes and left me with no extra fabric for pockets. And this dress really needs pockets.  I made it a little longers than Anna’s, which might make it a little dowdy, but I’m not big on knees.

But even with all of that I still really like it. It is the perfect dress for summertime and yes, for nursing too. I am definitely going to make another one, but I think I need some fabric help. I used a really lightweight shirting for this dress and it’s ok, but it’s doesn’t hang quite right–it’s a little stiff. I just noticed the original is silk crepe. Man, I know nothing about garment fabrics. All I know is that I like natural materials and I don’t like ironing. Can I have both or was polyester invented because ironing sucks?  Where do you go to buy fabric for clothes (no saying Mood you spoiled new yorkers)? There is a nice little fabric store in my neighborhood where the fabrics themselves are nice, but the prints tend towards the old lady end of the spectrum. How do you buy fabric online if you don’t know what it feels like? Any advice at all would be super duper appreciated.

I feel like I have to say something about ripping this design off, because I so obviously stole it. I love the clothes at mociun and have bought clothes from them before, but can’t really afford to do so. And I could have never afforded this dress, on sale or not.  Is that enough? I support small designers and I’m not copying their designs for profit, so why do I still feel crappy about it?  Imitation blah blah blah flattery, right?

Sorry. I didn’t mean to be gone for an entire month!  Honestly, it’s a little hard to get back on the horse. But better just to jump right back into it (or onto it, if we are still in the horse metaphor), so here goes.

These linen pants were inspired by a fantastic pair little boy pants that popped up on flickr during kids clothes week (see below). I was working on a couple patterns from Carefree Clothes for Girls during kids clothes week and I thought those pants translated that aesthetic–rough around the edges, but still chic; old timey, but modern at the same time–perfectly.  They are made by little bird designs, who also makes some super cute things and sells them on etsy.

I made my pants, well my son’s pants, out of this nice striped linen from Joann’s that I had been saving for another project that just never happened. There was only about a yard, so I had to cut the cuffs against the grain, which actually turned out to be a nice detail.  I did an elastic waist, but I do think that big drawstring on the other pants is more Huck Finn.

Of course right after I washed them my iron broke, which is why they are a mess in the picture–who am I kidding? they probably would be have been a mess regardless.  So are there any good iron recomendations out there? because I can barely sew without one! And I need to get a new one quick, because I’ve been eyeing that same linen fabric in brown for this pattern I picked up:

Granted I have no idea if I can sew this, but we’ll see (it’s V1175, if you feel like sewing along with me). I actually have a few things I sewed for myself I want to show you, but I haven’t figured out how to take a decent photo of myself in them.

And just like that I’m back on the horse.

I’m going to take a little break from this space, but I will come back soon.  Photo by Thomas Hawk

There is a fantastic store in my neighborhood that hosts an art swap twice a year in their backyard. It’s just what it sounds like: you bring some art making stuff you don’t want and take some things you do. There are rug hooking kits and mat board and broken lamps and weird little rusty bits and bobs. This year we even scored some pool noodles. I love it because it is so random and so neighborly.  We always get enough paper and markers to last us until the next swap. I was excited to find some dot matrix printer paper (nerd!) for making banners. Remember how many banners we used to make with that stuff with the letters made out of lots of little letters? If you don’t know what I’m talking about you are far too young.

My daughter found that odd wooden bear along with many, many little treasures. And I found a nice stack of knits. After kids clothes week I’m feeling more confident working with them, so I’m sure there will be even more 90 minute shirts and leggings in our future. Anyone know of any good kids clothes patterns for knits (I don’t have enough fabric for anything for me)? I also found this cardboard tub with a metal rim that reminds me of ice cream in the summertime and though it’s sure to get broken in this house I brought it home anyway (along with some snazzy sewing patterns).

I’m really trying not to bring more shit into the house, but I think art supplies should really be an exception–for the kids and for me. And I’m happy to say I brought more things to the swap than I took away, so we are still have less total.  I did find two Taro Gomi coloring books at the thrift store yesterday that I bought. I have been coveting them for quite a while now and I never expected to find them at a secondhand shop. They were a couple bucks each with only a little bit of coloring in one. I think I’ve used up my thrift mojo for while with these.

Speaking of swaps, Melissa over at tigerlily tinkering started a crafty barter marketplace that I think it a fantastic idea. You post about what you want to make, look around to see what other people are interested in making and then see if they would like to trade.  It’s fun to sew little things, but really how many hot water bottle covers does one person need?