betz white

Betz White print line 1 [Flickr]

2009-07-11T15:44:53-07:00

betz_white posted a photo:

Yummy Organic Canvas!
Blogged: blog.betzwhite.com/2009/07/coming-together-at-seams.html

Betz White print line 2 [Flickr]

2009-07-11T15:44:52-07:00

betz_white posted a photo:

Yummy Organic Canvas!
Blogged: blog.betzwhite.com/2009/07/coming-together-at-seams.html

Betz White print line 3 [Flickr]

2009-07-11T15:44:51-07:00

betz_white posted a photo:

Yummy Organic Canvas!
Blogged: blog.betzwhite.com/2009/07/coming-together-at-seams.html

coming together at the seams

2009-07-10T20:18:00.006-04:00

Do you know that excited-yet-self-conscious feeling you have when showing off a new haircut you think looks really good on you? That's a little how I feel about my new organic fabric line. After my last sneak peek, you were all so kind, so encouraging. I thought I would give you just a little more of a peek...just because.

I've gotten more strike-offs (test print runs) and have been doing some sewing, seeing how the different prints and colors work together. I so love this process! Playing with trims, mixing and matching...all with my very own fabric designs. Oooh, it's such a thrill. As I've mentioned before, this has been a loooong time aspiration of mine and it is making me very happy.

This week I will be pulling it all together and wrapping up the details before we leave on our annual lakeside vacation. If all goes as planned, I will be back and ready to launch the line last week of July! It will be available for purchase in my etsy shop by staring July 30th.

Until then, I will fill you in on some of the details. There will be five prints available, some in different colorways, printed on a 100% organic cotton and hemp blend. It's a home dec weight canvas suitable for pillows, totes, place mats, hats, etc. The fabric is professionally printed in the USA. In the very near future (September!) I will be offering more prints on different types of fabrics, such as an organic cotton sateen. Let's see, what else? Gosh, there's so much to do! I've got a busy week ahead of me. Plus getting ready for vacation! (Nothing like the feeling of "hurry up so you can relax"!)

Phew...I hope these small insights into my line entice you to come back for the full reveal later this month. And I hope you're as excited about it as I am. :)

the feeling is mutual

2009-07-09T13:15:00.007-04:00

I'm anxious to get my August issue of Family Fun. I love this magazine!

Family Fun mag always has such great project ideas for families. I hang onto my copies forever with little corners folded down in each issue to remind me of all the good stuff in there. I was flattered that they asked to feature my " Super Foamerator" that I came up with to entertain the kids last summer. If you get your hands on a copy, you'll see where they credit the idea to me on page 17 along with a little heart that says "blogs we love"! Aw, shucks. The feeling is mutual. (you can also view the project online.)

I hope you try this bubbly project with your kids! Easy, cheap and fun, what's not to love?

brownie blues

2009-07-06T20:14:00.002-04:00

Last week I finished some knitting. This is a scarf for the men in the house. (We've plenty of scarves, but most of them are pink and orange and girlie.) I love the blue and browns...and I just might wear it on occasion myself. It's wool and silk from Brooks Farm that I picked up at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

Now I'm on to a honeycomb patterned hat and scarf for me. The teal-y yarn is wool and mohair from Kid Hollow Farm, dee-lish! The brown is stash yarn. Lots of brown in the stash for some reason...

The pattern is from Loop-d-loop by Teva Durham, fall Winter 2007. I hope when I am done with mine I look happier than that model wearing it. Maybe she has the brownie blues, too...or just the blues. Not me, though, I'm happy knittin'.

What's on your needles? Anything?

ladybug tape measure and leaf scissor case [Flickr]

2009-07-03T18:41:17-07:00

betz_white posted a photo:

blogged here:
blog.betzwhite.com/2009/07/ladybug-ladybug.html

ladybug ladybug...

2009-07-03T15:47:00.005-04:00

New, in the shop! Ladybug Tape Measure and Leaf Scissor Case Pattern. Available in a handy PDF that I will happily email to you upon purchase.

The Ladybug is sewn with a retractable tape measure inside. To extend the tape, just give her antennae a little tug. Be gentle! :) The Leaf Scissor Case is sized just right to hold your 4" embroidery scissors. Both can be made with any kind of felt (shown here in recycled sweater felt and wool felt) and can be sewn by hand. Great to make as a gift or to keep for yourself.

Enjoy!

Sewing Green Flickr Group

2009-07-01T10:13:00.003-04:00

1. lounge pants, 2. Bottle Holder for Claire, 3. skirt , 4. Produce bags from Betz White's book Sewing Green, 5. A quickie birthday gift, 6. water bottle sling from Sewing Green, 7. sewing green baby quilt, 8. leaves, 9. sewing green luxe baby toy

Have you seen what you crafty folks are making from Sewing Green? If not, please visit the Sewing Green Flickr Group and have a look-see. You guys rock!

Keep it comin', I love seeing what you're making. :)

auto sunshade from Sewing Green [Flickr]

2009-06-29T05:10:26-07:00

betz_white posted a photo:

Made from discarded mylar juice pouches. Blogged here:
blog.betzwhite.com/2009/06/hot-seat.html

the hot seat

2009-06-28T21:48:00.009-04:00

After a rainy start to summer, things are heating up around here. All it takes is a searing hot car seat to remind me to break out the Auto Sunshade I made from my book Sewing Green. It's made from discarded mylar juice pouches. They are reflective, lightweight, kinda fun to sew, and free! (First photo below by John Gruen.)

I started by collecting empty juice pouches after cub scout events, soccer games, even from a neighbor that saved them for me. (The darn things are non-recyclable, so I do my best not to buy them myself!) Trim the tops, rinse them out, and hoard them until you have about 100.

You'll sew them end to end into long strips, then into an according type construction. Details are on page 110 of Sewing Green.

The resulting shade folds easily to stash in your car.

Before you get out of your car on a hot summer day, unfold the shade, slide it between the dash and the windshield, then flip the visors down to hold it in place.

The shiny silver mylar will reflect those rays and keep your car dramatically cooler and you'll rely less heavily on the A/C. Your car's interior and your posterior will thank you.

If you want to practice sewing juice pouches (or have extras after making the sunshade) try a making a small bag. I made mine by just winging it and used an old jumprope for the handle. I found a tutorial for something similar if you like specifics.

I hope you'll consider making the sunshade and please let me know if you do, I'd love to see it! I also hope you'll consider not buying juice in mylar pouches when you could opt for a drink with more environmentally friendly packaging. (How 'bout mixing up a pitcher of lemonade and carrying it in reusable bottles?) I'd rather make existing trash into a useful item than create more trash, wouldn't you ?

Mugsy speaks

2009-06-25T20:45:00.008-04:00

Good day, my name is Mugsy. Welcome to the home and gardens of my human, Mr. Conway. You know, the one on TV? Apparently he has a show and people are invited here to be filmed making stuff. This week, someone named Betz arrived. She asked if I would like to guest post on her blog to tell you about her visit. I don't really know what a blog is, but I do know that it rhymes with dog, and that's good enough for me. Besides, since I'm really the one in charge here, I should be the one to show you around.

These are the beautiful gardens that are well maintained by my staff. This is often the backdrop for that TV stuff I mentioned. Mostly I like to spend my day trotting about and keeping an eye on the goings-on.

It's been a dreary rainy week here and today was no different. Betz complained a little about the weather affecting her hair, but I thought the shaggy sheep-dog do' was working for her.

Here's the barn, the location of today's filming. Right now the film crew is busy bustling about in there setting up lighting, styling the set, testing the sound and a bunch of other boring stuff.
*yawn*

And they say TV is glamorous? This is a shot inside the barn after Betz was done shooting two craft segments. (I didn't really get a good look at the projects, but there was a sewing machine involved.) My job during the filming is to root around under everyone's feet and make snarfling noises. Sometimes if I'm too disruptive, they have to do another take. *sigh*...good times!

Everyone seemed pretty happy with how the filming went. Mostly Betz seemed happy it was over and was allowed to untape the microphone threaded through her blouse. She had a few minutes before leaving so the two of us wandered about to take some photos of the gardens. Oh boy, more flowers!

I don't know what this thing is, but it is po-key!

These are unusual creatures. All I can say is, they better keep their little mouths away from my kibble.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit to my neighborhood, I know Betz sure did. Now, I've a busy day ahead of me so I'll thank you to be on your way.
Your Pal,
Mugsy

Thanks Mugsy, Cindy, Sean and the rest of the crew! I had a great time!

packing bags

2009-06-22T20:07:00.006-04:00

This morning I headed out to the post office to ship some orders. I used my roomie Beach Bag from Sewing Green to corral all of my packages. It's made from a set of 4 placemats I found at the thrift store. This version also uses one of my favorite things for bag handles: Karate belts!

Why do I love karate belts so much? They are cheap, come in lots of colors, they are nicely made and evenly stitched, and they are padded! I find a lot of them at the thrift store for 50 cents to a buck a piece. This one was long enough make both handles and go all the way around the bottom of the bag, about 104" long.

Tonight I am packing another bag: my suitcase. I am flying out tomorrow afternoon to shoot two craft segments for the TV show "Cultivating Life" on WGN America. I'm pretty excited about it because one of the projects I will be showing is made from my new organic fabric! (The teeny tiny bummer: the show doesn't air until next summer!) Meanwhile...I'm trying not to think about the actual TV camera part. Eeeps. Hopefully the whole trip will be one exciting whirlwind and I'll be back to tell you about it later this week!

Speaking of my fabric, thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement! It really means so much to me.

Sneaky McPeeky

2009-06-19T11:21:00.002-04:00

Psst...the beginnings of my new organic print line, a work in progress! I've only gotten sample yardage of one of my designs so far, but I'm so excited about it, I had to share. 100% organic cotton and hemp canvas. Yummy.

Snip snip, saving every scrap. I'm working on a special project with it right now that involves television. Eep. (No, it's not Martha) I'm flying out next week to shoot some craft segments for a show that won't air until next summer!

Luckily my fabric will be available way sooner than that. I'm hoping for a mini-launch late July (fingers crossed) and a big Ta-Da! launch in September.

MYOB: Squam Workshop

2009-06-16T07:09:00.008-04:00

I have taught my MYOB (Make Your Own Bag) Workshops several times now, but it 's always a little different. The goal is re-use, and for that reason a varied assortment of thrifted materials makes for a fresh class every time! For the Squam Art Workshops, I decided to focus on my new obsession: pillowcases.

I spent a lot of time beforehand developing some new bag styles. This one is self lined and uses ever last bit of one standard size pillowcase. No waste! It's a bit of an origami mind bender...

This version is a simpler construction (more of a sling? Not sure what to call the shape) with inverted pleats and bias binding.

The third bag I demonstrated was super simple for folks that were brand new to sewing. Great style for a trip to the library for some summer reading.

So I packed up my little pillowcase bags and headed to Squam. Ahhh...are you tired of hearing about Squam? :)

Dory, shown here working away on her sling shaped bag, had practiced her pillowcase-refashioning skills before coming to Squam using my apron tutorial. She even wore it to class to show me. :) Her striped bag turned out great. I love the finished look of bias binding, so I enjoyed showing people how to apply it to this bag.

Kathy went for the origami brain challenge...which, considering that all of us were exhausted on this last day of classes, is saying a lot. Even the teacher (ahem) who was reading her own notes (yup) had trouble on a couple of steps. Honestly, it's not that hard...and look how cute it turned out!

This bright and wonderful bag was constructed in a completely different way and uses extra scrap material that was donated to the class. I love it when participants make it their own!

Another origami+ extras...love the combo! (I apologize for spacing on your names! :( )

Here's the dining hall "gallery", showing an assortment of pillowcase bags, plus a few T-shirt bags that we started off with at the beginning of class. Ali made that teeny weeny pink one out of her daughter's outgrown onesie! How cute is that?

And a few more from the day. I think everyone enjoyed their bag making, I sure did. Thanks to everyone that attended! Your creativity and enthusiasm made teaching a delight.

And one more heartfelt thank you to the lovey women of the Nirvana cabin. I miss our late night chats, camaraderie and giggles. Hold on to that feeling until next year! (watch this video if you'd like a little of that feeling for yourself!)

Oh, and one more thing, I hope to make the above set of bag designs one of the first patterns available in my Make New or Make Do™ sewing pattern line. Hopefully this summer!

I forget

2009-06-14T14:22:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I forget about my old friend, the cupcake pincushion. Last weekend when I showed my work at the Squam Art Fair, I was reminded once again about my tried and true...

I forget that some people have never seen a cupcake pincushion made from recycled sweaters...
I forget that not everyone knows my first book, Warm Fuzzies, or has seen them on the cover...
I forget that these little cuties were the thing that caught the attention of a producer at the Martha Stewart Show 2+ years ago...
I forget that when I want to make something pleasing and familiar, the cupcake pincushion is just the thing...

I've come a long way since making my first cupcake pincushion 4 years ago. Sometimes in the rush to move ahead, it's easy to forget where you started. When I came home from Squam, I was full of new ideas and rarin' to go. Instead of charging ahead I took some time to sort through my thoughts. I picked up some wool and rolled and pinned and sewed. You'd think I'd have had enough of them by now...but making these is almost therapeutic for me.

So, for those of you that have been missing the cupcake pincushions in my shop and for those of you who are just discovering me and my ol' standby...I have updated my shop with a fresh batch! I hope they bring you happiness the way they do for me.

the workshops

2009-06-11T11:21:00.009-04:00

Yes, indeed, SAW was more than just a pretty place. There were workshops and plenty of them! First I'll share with you my Recycled Felting workshops. Each session we spent all day creating with felted wool sweaters. I taught the basics of felting (truly "fulling") second hand wooly finds into dense rich material. We experimented with seaming techniques, and embellishment that included applique, making rosettes and needle-felting.

Erica's working on her pillow front using my favorite wavy seam technique! She combined 3 different sweaters in lovely blues and greys.

Amal had NEVER used a sewing machine before and made this adorable tea cozy with needle felted polka-dots. She also made a coaster and learned how to do blanket stitch.

Donna made this sweet mini messenger bag utilizing the embroidered neckline from a former "Tweeds" sweater. (do you remember Tweeds?) Very clever!
Mary finished her bag (sorry, no photo! Please send it along if you can, Mary) and had time to make a few extra goodies, such as this headband!

Another Mary had fun completely transforming a manly argyle sweater into a feminine tote and pouch complete with rosettes and needle felted leaves. Love!
I could not keep Marianne away. Her daughter, Christine, took my class the day before and Marianne had to get in on the action. :) Marianne made this sweet duet. (Christine, send me a photo of your bag!)
At the end of each workshop, participants were encouraged to bring their projects to the dining hall gallery. It was great fun to get a look inside what other creative endeavors were happening all over camp. I wished I could have taken some of the classes as well!

Next post I'll share the other workshop I taught, called MYOB: Make Your Own Bag. In the comments a few posts ago someone asked where I'm teaching next. My answer: right here! Among the other things on my To Do List this summer, I am planning on offering some online workshops. Who's in? :)

in the shop

2009-06-10T14:17:00.003-04:00

I knew that my trip to Squam would result in some beautiful memories. For the occasion I put together some small photo books to sell at last Saturday's art fair. I came home with just a few and they are available to you now in my etsy shop. They are the perfect little place to tuck photos of your favorite person, place or thing.

Also, my Wrap Sheets, reusable gift bags made from vintage linens, are available in my etsy shop as well.

I've got to keep this post short. I'm without internet this week (gah!) so I am sitting on my neighbor's porch using her WiFi! She was eager to share but her poor dog seems to be quite distraught about it. More about the workshops soon, I promise. It's a bad week to be without internet, I've so much to tell!

home from heaven

2009-06-08T11:21:00.005-04:00

I'm home again after an amazing adventure in beauty, creativity and friendship: The Squam Art Workshops in NH. It's going to take me some time to process the experience, and I will be sharing it with you in the posts to come.

It started with kindred spirits. My roommate Marisa of Creative Thursday, and I couldn't have been better matched. I mean, just look at our feet. We stayed in the cabin aptly named Nirvana. Lemme tell ya, it was the place to be.

Throughout the week we were treated to the fantastic music and sparkling personality of Jonatha Brooke.

There were delicious meals (no grocery shopping, cooking or dishes to do!) served with great company.

There was sewing and creativity flowing with the lake forever by our side. This shot is from one of my workshops. I placed all of the sewing machines right up next to the windows for optimum vista intake. :) I was continually astounded by this gathering of creative souls and their no-fear attitudes toward creating. They came from all over the US, plus Canada and the UK!

Each day was filled with fresh air, sunshine and natural beauty. Every evening my cabin-mates and I gathered around for the most wonderful chats late into the night/early mornings. I'll share more soon about the talented artists I had the honor of spending time with. Lakeside in Nirvana. It doesn't get any better.

wrap. give. repeat.

2009-05-31T20:02:00.005-04:00

This weekend I prepped for my workshops and art fair coming up. I was playing around with my vintage sheet stash, serger, and my sewing machine's new hemmer foot when I had a brainstorm. Reusable gift bags! I'm pretty sure you've heard me talk about furoshiki before as an eco-friendly gift wrap. (if not, take a peek here!) I love the idea of furoshiki (the Japanese word for traditional wrapping cloths) but sometimes have trouble making the wraps and knots look as put-together as I would like.

So I made the simplest little bags possible: cut rectangle, hem, fold, serge/seam! When you get to the side seam, pop a folded length of ribbon in there for a tie. It's easier and faster than a drawcord. You can even skip the hemming step if you're able to cut the rectangle along the existing hem of a sheet.

Cute! I'm making these as gift bags for my cupcake pincushions I'm selling next weekend. I also whipped up sets of 3 bags for sale: small, medium and large. If I have any left over after the show, I'll be sure to offer them in my shop next week.

she's campy and crafty

2009-05-28T23:34:00.006-04:00

Attention Campers! Saturday June 6th is the Squam Art Fair with a Ravelry Party and Marketplace! Even if you are not attending the workshops, you can come be social, hob-nob with the crafty sorts and enjoy the beauty of New Hampshire, lakeside! The fair is held at Rockywold-Deephaven Camps in Holderness, NH. See directions here. I'll be leaving next week to head up myself as I am teaching recycled felting and bag making. It's almost time!

Let's see, what else? Oh yes...Cut Out + Keep has given me the honor of being their "Crafty Super Star" this week. :) They posted a little survey I filled out plus each day reveal one of my project tutorials. If you like free tutorials, go pay them a visit. They've got thousands! Not only that, there's an online magazine, forums, a podcast and a blog. Too fun, check it out.

happy weekend...

:: blushing ::

2009-05-27T21:15:00.008-04:00

Aw shucks, you guys, I'm blushing. Your comments last post were SO sweet, I read and savored each and every one! Here's a pretty fleur for you to show my appreciation. (My husband took this photo on our rainy morning walk yesterday. Click on it if you like dew drops!)

And on to the winner of the Sewing Green book give-away! Randy the Random number generating robot chose SweetT. Congratulations! Please email me your address this week to claim your prize.

Your comments really helped me learn what you are interested in seeing here on the blog. Most of you like things as they are and just want me to post 3 times a day. (See? I told you they were sweet comments.) Folks would like more tutorials (because 24 just isn't enough apparently!), more photos and behind the scenes process/inspiration type posts. Got it. Love the refashioning, both felted wool and beyond. Check. The occasional family antic. Noted. The good new is, I am happy to do all of those things. I better get myself organized. Perhaps I'll have some kind of loose schedule of regular features. Must ponder that.

So...I mentioned a few new BIG projects in work, and I think you will be excited to hear about them! Of course I can't show you anything yet, but I can start yammering about them.

For one thing, I am going to be producing my own print line on organic cotton! Now, those of you that followed along on my blog tour probably read mentions of this along the way. This has been on my "must do" list forever and I'm so fired up about using organic cotton! (It's just sooo much better for our health and that of the environment.) I'm going out on a limb and stating that my print line will be launching early Fall '09! Don't worry, you'll get some sneaky peeks before then. :) At first I will sell direct and hope to wholesale down the line if I get a good response.

Next up in my bag of tricks is my new sewing pattern line. I'm totally diggin' this idea! The patterns will be designed so that each project can be made either with new fabric (organic prints, anyone?) or repurposed materials, much like the projects in Sewing Green. It's my Make New or Make Do™ philosophy! As with my prints, I'll start by selling direct and hopefully be able to offer them on a larger wholesale scale eventually.

Ok, friends, on with the day. Thank you again for your kind words and frequent visits. You mean so much to me!

Blog Years

2009-05-25T21:33:00.004-04:00

Are blog years something like dog years? My blog is 3 years old...is that like a toddler or a 21 dog-year old dog? My 3 year blogiversary was May 1st. Sorry Dear Blog, I forgot. Maybe instead of thinking of the blog as a human or an animal, I should think of it as a relationship.

I suppose I should pause and reflect on the 378 posts and the 24 tutorials created during these 3 years. (24 tutorials people! Holy schmoly, go check them out in the sidebar for pete's sake.) But it's not about all that, it's about you guys. You are the blog! You are the ones I think of when I come here to share a photo, a project, a story. You are the ones that inspire me with your comments and kind words.

So, how 'bout a little show of appreciation, eh? In honor of the Big Three, I'm giving away a signed copy of my newest book, Sewing Green! To win, please comment on this post by midnight EST Wednesday 5/27/09. In your comment, tell me what kinds of things you enjoy seeing here on my blog. More of something? Less of something? Now's your chance to speak up! I will randomly select a winner. Flattery will get you no where, but no need to hold back. :) Please leave your email or a way for me to contact you if your name is chosen.

In the meantime, I've been doing a little housekeeping, like refreshing my blog header. What do you think? (Those sweet little nests are popping up all over. I think they are just the ticket for teacher gifts this year!) Hopefully you will be seeing more refreshing changes around here soon. Aside from an upcoming blog and website redesign (thank you hubby) I am working on two new big exciting projects! Details coming soon...

(5/28/09: Comments now closed, thank you!)

Shirred Pillowcase Summer Top Tutorial

2009-05-21T17:43:00.005-04:00

I'm the first to admit I am a temperature wimp! I HATE being hot. Every year I am on a mission to find cool and comfy tops to get me through the long hot summer. Personally, a close fitting knit tank top is not the solution for me.

Since I am obsessed with pillowcases lately, I've decided to refashion them into this summer's way to beat the heat. I love this soft green pillowcase with the border. It's pretty sheer so I think I may designate it as a jammie top for those hot summer nights.
You can find my full tutorial for this top over at Craftzine. Let me know if you make one or have any questions along the way!

Have fun and stay cooool.

green and serene

2009-05-19T16:43:00.003-04:00

My editor, Melanie Falick, has posted a few alternate cover concepts for Sewing Green over on her blog. Don't you wish your sewing space was al fresco, such as this one? Complete with a tall glass of lemonade and bowl of fresh berries. Ahhh...

While you're visiting Melanie's site, check out my Q&A and discover fascinating facts, like why the neighbors glance at me sideways and what I aspire to be when I grow up. :)

10 minute pillowcase apron

2009-05-18T07:40:00.001-04:00

TEN minutes to make this...no kidding. All you need is a pillowcase, about 2 yards of ribbon and your sewing machine.

Step 1: Lay out your pillowcase. Fold up the bottom edge 8". Top stitch along the folded edge at 1/4". (The stitched edge will become the top edge of the pockets.)

Step 2: Turn the pillowcase over and fold the bottom up another 8". There will be 3 layers of pillowcase.

Step 3: Pin the layers together and top stitch around the sides and bottom edges. Mark a line down the middle of the front pocket, pin and stitch.

Step 4: Lay about 60" of 1" wide ribbon across the top edge of the apron centering it on the length of the ribbon. Pin in place. Topstitch ribbon at the top edge, bottom edge and across ribbon at sides of apron.

Step 5: Tie it on, use it, put stuff in the pockets, look cute...you know the drill. :)

Aren't pillowcases a blast? Coming up later this week I've got ANOTHER pillowcase project for you to be posted over on Craftzine. I'll give you a shout when it's up!

Meanwhile, I love this pillowcase tote I stumbled across over at polkanuts. There's also two pillowcase projects in Sewing Green, the Easy Breezy Skirt and the Girl's Easy Breezy Sundress. There's even a whole book on pillowcase projects called Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase. I haven't seen it in person, but I read a nice review of it by Diane of Craftypod.

inspiring me

2009-05-14T13:17:00.001-04:00

Not laundry, sillies...pillowcases!

I've been collecting them at the thrift shops and have loads of ideas for fun stuff to make out of them. I'm working on a tutorial right now. It should be ready for you sometime next week!

(p.s. thanks for the work out ideas, you guys rock! See comments in the last post if you need some ideas for yourself.)

leaf turning

2009-05-12T19:31:00.003-04:00

This morning the weather was beautiful. I went for a long walk and came across these gorgeous pink azaleas. What a color!

I'm making a concerted effort this week to get back into a regular exercise routine. I'm not inclined to exercise if I don't have to. But like so many of us on the slippery side of 40...we have to. I don't know why it seems so hard to stick to it! I've got plenty of motivation. Like all of my spring clothes I want to wear but can't get into. Ahem. There have been a few times in my life where I found a routine that just clicked and I could make it part of my week. I have not been able to find that groove again for a long time.

My new plan involves getting up early before the kids wake up. Now, I know me enough to know that actually working out at 6am is never going to happen! So my goal is to get in a good 60-90 min of work time before I switch into breakfast/lunch-packing/bus stop mode. Then after the kids are off to school, I can squeeze in a workout without feeling like the morning is slipping away from me. I think I can do this! It's Tuesday and I'm 2 for 2.

I guess I wouldn't call this morning's walk with my camera a "work out"...more of a brisk stroll with the occasional pause for nature appreciation. Look, I found this funny little pod thing that had fallen off of a tree. I don't know what the heck it is, do you? It has the look of a lilly pad flower...

So, there it is. My declaration of turning over a new leaf. A leaf that has been turned over many times, but at least I keep trying!

What tricks do you have for getting regular exercise?

treat and retreat

2009-05-10T21:36:00.010-04:00

Close your eyes. Think of summer camp and bonfires. Imagine a lake surrounded by pine trees under a glorious sky. Picture yourself hanging out with other creative souls with nothing but time, friendship and inspiration all around.

This June 3rd-7th I am lucky enough to participate in the Squam Art Workshops in the gorgeous state of New Hampshire. When I heard about the first SAW artist retreat last September I dropped everything and immediately emailed the organizer of the event. "Pick me!" I said, "I belong." I have history. My family has been vacationing in that area for generations. I know the magic. It's in me.

And they picked me. I'll be teaching my Recycled Felting and MYOB workshops alongside many talented and amazing artists. Won't you join me? It'll be like summer camp all over again. Or college, when you took that road trip instead of studying for an exam. Maybe it was against your better judgment, maybe it was the best thing you've ever done. Sometimes you gotta go out on a limb.

You have to come, you have to. Be good to you. Feed your creative spirit! And if I haven't convinced you, feel free to check out the raves and another fab video...

Fashioning Felt

2009-05-06T17:33:00.016-04:00

Last month when I was in NYC, I was fortunate enough to visit the Cooper-Hewitt exhibit entitled Fashioning Felt. It runs through September 7th and I highly recommend it!

I couldn't resist picking up this book about the exhibit in the gift shop as well as this amazing felt sea anemone brooch by Vacide Erda Zimic from Peru.

The description from the Cooper-Hewitt website:

This exhibition will explore the varied new uses of felt—an ancient material, believed to be one of the earliest techniques for making textiles. Made by matting together wool fibers with humidity and friction, felting requires little technological expertise and is an extremely versatile material. The exhibition will begin with historic examples of felts, showcase innovations in handmade felts, and feature contemporary uses of industrial felt in a range of fields, including product design, fashion, architecture, and home furnishings. The exhibition is being organized by Susan Brown, assistant curator, Textiles.

Do yourself a favor, if you have any interest in felt or felting, you've got to at least take a moment to visit the museum's website to view the photography of the artwork.

The only part of the show I was allowed to photograph was the felt yurt in the conservatory. Yurt. Isn't that a great word?

This is called the Palace Yurt by fiber artist Janice Arnold. She used the technique of felting wool fibers through sheer drapey silk fabrics for a translucent ethereal result. This technique is sometimes referred to as nuno felting.

The exhibit blog has a video of The Making of the Palace Yurt which is truly amazing. You can also watch Martha Stewart take you behind the scenes of the exhibit as she had Curator Susan Brown and designer Janice Arnold on the Martha Stewart Show last month.

This kind of felting is a lot of work but I'm itching to try it sometime! Today I saw a book at Borders called Uniquely Felt by Christine White (no relation!) that has some very detailed how-to's.

Have you been to this exhibit? Have you tried nuno felting?