Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Best wishes in 2013!

Dear Readers, I can't complain about 2012 too much.  I am alive and well.  Employed and enjoying friends and family.  As I reflect on the year, I realize that I have made some small steps towards building a creative life.  Though I am not where I would like to be, I am so grateful for what I have been able to accomplish and the feedback that I have gotten from so many of you over the year.  With positive intent, I plan to:

1. Simplify, simplify AND Simplify my life style even more.

2. Be creative everyday in all aspects of my life.

3. With the trouble in our world, be the hope and love I want to see in the world around me and beyond.

Three simple things to build my capacity to the best person I can be no matter what life curve balls are sent to me along the way.

If 2012 was a trial and error year, I look forward to 2013 to be the beginning of my creative journey in the direction I wish to travel.  In reflection, I am happiest when I am sewing, drawing or crafting.  I have fought this for years.  Somehow I got it into my head that being an artist means painting or sculpting or photography - that it means being like Monet, Georgia O'Keefe or Rembrandt.  Alas, I finally figured out I was wrong.  Through this community of creative people in blogsphere, discovering resources like Somerset Magazines, Mollie Makes and other magazines that promote creativity in all its forms I have finally owed my love of the stitch, the wash of watercolors, the stamp of ink and the hot glue sticking it all together.  Now, armed with that ownership I hope to:

1.  Build my capacity as an artist through textile and paper mediums.

2.  Be more bold about sharing my work and not be afraid of feedback.

Two very direct and simple things to do to keep my journey going forward.  So, I hope to post more frequently to share and get feedback from you all.  I hope that 2013 is a year of creative wows and thrills for you and yours.

Cheers!  And Happy New Year!

D.I.Y. Project Week - inspired by Mollie Makes Magazine

I am a teacher at a San Francisco high school.  Between the 2 semesters we have an interim course period of about a week where teachers can teach a class to 18 students.  The courses range from Iron Chef, Dorm room cooking, Physics of Sledding and Yoga.  This was my first year doing the program.  Inspired by Mollie Makes Magaine http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com  I created a D.I.Y Project Runway class to teach students how to sew (basic sewing machine use) and make accessories.  We started with a coffee cup cuff, moved on to a wallet - inspired by one one of the articles in Molli Makes.  Then I let them loose to be creative and use a variety of magazines and books I have from Tida Finnager's books to, yes, Mollie Makes magazines, and Altered Couture.  I am so proud of my students.  90% of them have never sewn before in their lives!  I had 15 girls and 3 boys. 

Note:  Because I didn't get permission from their parents to use their images, I am only going to show their products.  Cheers!

Wallets

Coffee cup cuff.

This student took a tank top and used it as a pattern and created this bag.

Clutch with applique.

Drawstring bag all done by hand.

Zippered bag.  Hey, I never showed them how to set a zipper...they figured it out themselves!

There were more things that they made Infinity scraves, messenger bags, belts and all but I wasn't able to get pictures of those.  I had 5 days to teach them to sew and though not everything was done with a 'professional' eye the students learn something and had fun with it.  In the U.S. or at least in California, many schools do not teach home economics anymore.  One funding is not there for it.  Secondly, no one is coming out of college to teach home economics anymore and you have to have credentials to teach it in the public schools.  So, I thought this would be a great way to get young people into something different - thrift it and make it.

This project was done on mostly donations.  I got a lot of the fabric and notions as donations from parents and the community.  Teachers and parents and students lent their sewing machines.  Of all the sewing machines we had one worked the best an old 1960's Singer.  Amazing, right?  All the others kept breaking down and were too sensitive for use. 

Now with that said, I plan to do this next year but get another teacher to help me and we may break it up to more crafting and will include sewing, knitting, embroidery, jewelry making it but the premise will be thrift it then make it.

Cheers.

Finding inspiration

I have been at work finishing up before vacation starts at 4:00 tomorrow.  Yippey Skippey!  I have pretty much completed wrapping up things before I leave.  With that said, I have been...dare I say it?  Surfing the net and finding so many talented and exciting folks!  My goal for doing this?  I want to re-kick start my creative life.  No more putting things on hold.  No more putting my creative life on the back burner.  I am struggling with how self focused that sounds but frankly, I have been a pillar of salt for everyone but me.  So, finding balance is what is I must achieve.  It is my Capricorn nature to be of use to others - my practical nature puts business before pleasure.  However, there is a side to us that is down right mischievous and playful but we often lock it up.  Open the door and throw away the key!  I am out and ready to shout to the world I am a CREATIVE person and I will live it, dance it, sing it, love it and enjoy it.

Okay, who did I discover in my wondering around in the electronic ethers?  Well for starters: http://annekata.blogspot.com This is a great site with tutorials and all but unfortunately she has stopped blogging.  She will be keeping her site up for reference.  If you are into creative handsewing - check her blog out.

Then there is, http://blog.caseybrowndesigns.com/ I love vintage clothes and styling and this blog is loaded with images and ideas.  She provides tutorials for sewers and crafters all with a vintage lens!


Through MollieMakes Magazine http://www.molliemakes.com I found, http://cocorosetextiles.blogspot.com/ What a lovely site - all things bright, sunny and fun. 

I have been inspired by these wonderful people and hope to let the juices ebb and flow naturally.  One thing I am working on is a studio space in my house.  I am all over the map in my house when I am sewing and crafting, baking and drawing.  Too crazy for me when I start tripping over materials, bags, the cat and all.  I like things to be organized and methodical so I am trying to reorganize my house so that I can have a permanent space for being creative.  I checked out: http://www.home-designing.com/2009/05/craft-room-home-studio-setup where I found some other links and ideas.  I have a small 10 x 10 foot square space - my dining room is open to the living room and kitchen.  It has two walls on is all window.  No carpet but hardwood flooring.  Though I have been planning to convert a corner and wall in my living room, I am thinking more and more that the dining room (where I usually end up anyway) has better lighting, no carpet to stain or mess up and space to house furniture, et al.  What will I do for a dining room?  Well, the living room is big enough that I could set up a double drop leaf table that can be whipped out for dining at any time.  I can't seat more than 6 at my table in this small place anyway so dining entertainment is limited.  I hope to post pictures of my pre and post organizing and decorating as I go.

I think good lighting, organized materials and a table surface at least 31" from the ground is the start of a good studio whether sewing, crafting or whatever.  What do you think?