After posting a couple projects and mentioning some great places to learn and create in the SoCal area, I decided to post something a bit more personal. One of the wise things to do in this life is, well, gain wisdom. Not the surety and cockiness that we all go through at some point as a teenager (and, no doubt, as older folks, too), but true soul deepening, connection reinforcing WISDOM. And let's be accurate here: knowledge or highly-esteemed education does not guarantee wisdom. Wisdom, I would say, is this: Gaining foresight through thorough recognition and study of hindsight. Blah, blah, blah, you say? Then try this old adage: I wish I knew then what I know now.
I have always been artistic; I inherited this from my mother who was an artist in her own right, and had such a joy in the simple beauties and fun of Life. When I was younger, I was constantly drawing or painting. But my Mom tried several times to get me interested in sewing. And although I always liked the idea of being able to make something from "scratch", I didn't have the patience to learn about cutting and placing patterns--i just wanted to be able to sit at the machine and sew. It's doesn't really work that way, Duh. (that's a stunning revelation, huh?) I could draw, why did I need to sew, too? (insert eye roll here).
Now that I've matured a bit (well, kind of) and have a daughter of my own (almost 4 yrs old), I wish I knew then what I know now: The simple joy of sharing with my daughter the time, energy, love and bonding that goes into the passing down of creativity, of sharing in a home art. Being creative has always brought me joy, and what a great thing to be able to pass onto your child. But, as mentioned before, I lacked that kind of foresight. Now that my own Mother has passed away, I (unfortunately much too late) finally "get it" of why, for a time, she tried so hard to get me to learn to sew (and cook, too). She not only wanted me to have a practical knowledge, but she wanted to share and relish the moments of Mother-Daughter time.
Now that my little girl has shown interest in fabric, color & crafts, my head is spinning with all the possibilities of things we can make together. But it's a bittersweet feeling whose downside is this: along with that recognition of possibilities come with the sadness of realizing what joys my Mom & I could have had, had I not been so shortsighted. It breaks my heart to know that I denied my Mom that experience. If I can pass anything along to my daughter, I hope, at the very least, it will be wisdom.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
More Stuff!
I'm really excited for a new project: My sister is having me paint a cool, spindle backed bench (used on her front porch), and she's giving me free reign on what to paint on it. Maybe Skulls, or something like that (just kidding, Donna). I'll have to remember to take before and after pics for this one, too!
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Latest Chair Project
First of all, I have to apologize for forgetting to take the before photo of this before and after project. Hopefully you can imagine what it was like by my description--trust me, it needed some TLC.
I found this chair at a yard sale. Still sturdy, but a well-worn finish, and a faded and worn out red seat. It had a caned back, but part of it had popped out of its frame and couldn't be repaired. First of all, this gave me a big fat excuse to buy some of Anna Maria Horner's fabric from her "Drawing Room" line. I love her eclectic and vibrant fabrics, and I thought this would be the perfect project.
So I painted the frame of the chair a slightly blue slate-grey, which was an accent color in the fabric.
Then I put the new fabric on the seat (standard staple gun procedure).
I then took a piece of 1/4" thick plywood (I used plywood because of the thinness and because I knew I would be covering it), traced the outline of the back panel on it and cut with a skil saw. Then I covered one side with bamboo batting and more fabric, cutting carefully so that the certain parts of the design showed. The next step was to cover what would be the back of the panel--no batting, just the fabric. I used a regular crayon and "traced" the shape of the panel, cut, then staple gunned.
The result:
I found this chair at a yard sale. Still sturdy, but a well-worn finish, and a faded and worn out red seat. It had a caned back, but part of it had popped out of its frame and couldn't be repaired. First of all, this gave me a big fat excuse to buy some of Anna Maria Horner's fabric from her "Drawing Room" line. I love her eclectic and vibrant fabrics, and I thought this would be the perfect project.
So I painted the frame of the chair a slightly blue slate-grey, which was an accent color in the fabric.
Then I put the new fabric on the seat (standard staple gun procedure).
I then took a piece of 1/4" thick plywood (I used plywood because of the thinness and because I knew I would be covering it), traced the outline of the back panel on it and cut with a skil saw. Then I covered one side with bamboo batting and more fabric, cutting carefully so that the certain parts of the design showed. The next step was to cover what would be the back of the panel--no batting, just the fabric. I used a regular crayon and "traced" the shape of the panel, cut, then staple gunned.
The result:
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Urban Craft Center
This has got to be great! I can't wait to try this place out. The Urban Craft Center is located in Santa Monica, and is a big studio space where you can go to use your creative mojo. Classes are offered on sewing, felting, spinning your own yarn, soap making, scrapbooking and more. Prices look quite reasonable, and you can pay for a one-time visit, or a variety of monthly packages. Just looking at photos of the place makes me want to leave in the middle of typing this....
I'm back! Just kidding, I haven't really gone yet. But my plan is to visit The Urban Craft Center and have a go at one of its amazing classes and report on it in an upcoming post. They also have a retail space where you can buy supplies for creating a variety of crafts as well. Take a look at their website, and see why I'm salivating.
I'm back! Just kidding, I haven't really gone yet. But my plan is to visit The Urban Craft Center and have a go at one of its amazing classes and report on it in an upcoming post. They also have a retail space where you can buy supplies for creating a variety of crafts as well. Take a look at their website, and see why I'm salivating.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
At Last
I'm finally getting around to posting again--it's been a busy couple weeks! I've started a hallway mural at my daughter's preschool which will be fun. I'll have to be careful taking photos afterwards: since it is a hallway, I think I'll need to use a wide angle lens in order to get larger segments in one snap. The scene is an animal parade, with the animals playing various musical and percussion instruments. It will be fun to see the kids' faces when it done, too.
Also, I apologize for not posting local craft fairs lately--I do have a bunch that I will be posting to the blog very soon (hopefully before they sneak up on me)! Check back either later this evening or at least within the next day or two.
Make a great Tuesday for yourself!
Also, I apologize for not posting local craft fairs lately--I do have a bunch that I will be posting to the blog very soon (hopefully before they sneak up on me)! Check back either later this evening or at least within the next day or two.
Make a great Tuesday for yourself!
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Monday, April 27, 2009
The Unmistakeable Clarity of Hindsight
After posting a couple projects and mentioning some great places to learn and create in the SoCal area, I decided to post something a bit more personal. One of the wise things to do in this life is, well, gain wisdom. Not the surety and cockiness that we all go through at some point as a teenager (and, no doubt, as older folks, too), but true soul deepening, connection reinforcing WISDOM. And let's be accurate here: knowledge or highly-esteemed education does not guarantee wisdom. Wisdom, I would say, is this: Gaining foresight through thorough recognition and study of hindsight. Blah, blah, blah, you say? Then try this old adage: I wish I knew then what I know now.
I have always been artistic; I inherited this from my mother who was an artist in her own right, and had such a joy in the simple beauties and fun of Life. When I was younger, I was constantly drawing or painting. But my Mom tried several times to get me interested in sewing. And although I always liked the idea of being able to make something from "scratch", I didn't have the patience to learn about cutting and placing patterns--i just wanted to be able to sit at the machine and sew. It's doesn't really work that way, Duh. (that's a stunning revelation, huh?) I could draw, why did I need to sew, too? (insert eye roll here).
Now that I've matured a bit (well, kind of) and have a daughter of my own (almost 4 yrs old), I wish I knew then what I know now: The simple joy of sharing with my daughter the time, energy, love and bonding that goes into the passing down of creativity, of sharing in a home art. Being creative has always brought me joy, and what a great thing to be able to pass onto your child. But, as mentioned before, I lacked that kind of foresight. Now that my own Mother has passed away, I (unfortunately much too late) finally "get it" of why, for a time, she tried so hard to get me to learn to sew (and cook, too). She not only wanted me to have a practical knowledge, but she wanted to share and relish the moments of Mother-Daughter time.
Now that my little girl has shown interest in fabric, color & crafts, my head is spinning with all the possibilities of things we can make together. But it's a bittersweet feeling whose downside is this: along with that recognition of possibilities come with the sadness of realizing what joys my Mom & I could have had, had I not been so shortsighted. It breaks my heart to know that I denied my Mom that experience. If I can pass anything along to my daughter, I hope, at the very least, it will be wisdom.
I have always been artistic; I inherited this from my mother who was an artist in her own right, and had such a joy in the simple beauties and fun of Life. When I was younger, I was constantly drawing or painting. But my Mom tried several times to get me interested in sewing. And although I always liked the idea of being able to make something from "scratch", I didn't have the patience to learn about cutting and placing patterns--i just wanted to be able to sit at the machine and sew. It's doesn't really work that way, Duh. (that's a stunning revelation, huh?) I could draw, why did I need to sew, too? (insert eye roll here).
Now that I've matured a bit (well, kind of) and have a daughter of my own (almost 4 yrs old), I wish I knew then what I know now: The simple joy of sharing with my daughter the time, energy, love and bonding that goes into the passing down of creativity, of sharing in a home art. Being creative has always brought me joy, and what a great thing to be able to pass onto your child. But, as mentioned before, I lacked that kind of foresight. Now that my own Mother has passed away, I (unfortunately much too late) finally "get it" of why, for a time, she tried so hard to get me to learn to sew (and cook, too). She not only wanted me to have a practical knowledge, but she wanted to share and relish the moments of Mother-Daughter time.
Now that my little girl has shown interest in fabric, color & crafts, my head is spinning with all the possibilities of things we can make together. But it's a bittersweet feeling whose downside is this: along with that recognition of possibilities come with the sadness of realizing what joys my Mom & I could have had, had I not been so shortsighted. It breaks my heart to know that I denied my Mom that experience. If I can pass anything along to my daughter, I hope, at the very least, it will be wisdom.
Monday, April 20, 2009
More Stuff!
I'm really excited for a new project: My sister is having me paint a cool, spindle backed bench (used on her front porch), and she's giving me free reign on what to paint on it. Maybe Skulls, or something like that (just kidding, Donna). I'll have to remember to take before and after pics for this one, too!
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Latest Chair Project
First of all, I have to apologize for forgetting to take the before photo of this before and after project. Hopefully you can imagine what it was like by my description--trust me, it needed some TLC.
I found this chair at a yard sale. Still sturdy, but a well-worn finish, and a faded and worn out red seat. It had a caned back, but part of it had popped out of its frame and couldn't be repaired. First of all, this gave me a big fat excuse to buy some of Anna Maria Horner's fabric from her "Drawing Room" line. I love her eclectic and vibrant fabrics, and I thought this would be the perfect project.
So I painted the frame of the chair a slightly blue slate-grey, which was an accent color in the fabric.
Then I put the new fabric on the seat (standard staple gun procedure).
I then took a piece of 1/4" thick plywood (I used plywood because of the thinness and because I knew I would be covering it), traced the outline of the back panel on it and cut with a skil saw. Then I covered one side with bamboo batting and more fabric, cutting carefully so that the certain parts of the design showed. The next step was to cover what would be the back of the panel--no batting, just the fabric. I used a regular crayon and "traced" the shape of the panel, cut, then staple gunned.
The result:
I found this chair at a yard sale. Still sturdy, but a well-worn finish, and a faded and worn out red seat. It had a caned back, but part of it had popped out of its frame and couldn't be repaired. First of all, this gave me a big fat excuse to buy some of Anna Maria Horner's fabric from her "Drawing Room" line. I love her eclectic and vibrant fabrics, and I thought this would be the perfect project.
So I painted the frame of the chair a slightly blue slate-grey, which was an accent color in the fabric.
Then I put the new fabric on the seat (standard staple gun procedure).
I then took a piece of 1/4" thick plywood (I used plywood because of the thinness and because I knew I would be covering it), traced the outline of the back panel on it and cut with a skil saw. Then I covered one side with bamboo batting and more fabric, cutting carefully so that the certain parts of the design showed. The next step was to cover what would be the back of the panel--no batting, just the fabric. I used a regular crayon and "traced" the shape of the panel, cut, then staple gunned.
The result:
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Urban Craft Center
This has got to be great! I can't wait to try this place out. The Urban Craft Center is located in Santa Monica, and is a big studio space where you can go to use your creative mojo. Classes are offered on sewing, felting, spinning your own yarn, soap making, scrapbooking and more. Prices look quite reasonable, and you can pay for a one-time visit, or a variety of monthly packages. Just looking at photos of the place makes me want to leave in the middle of typing this....
I'm back! Just kidding, I haven't really gone yet. But my plan is to visit The Urban Craft Center and have a go at one of its amazing classes and report on it in an upcoming post. They also have a retail space where you can buy supplies for creating a variety of crafts as well. Take a look at their website, and see why I'm salivating.
I'm back! Just kidding, I haven't really gone yet. But my plan is to visit The Urban Craft Center and have a go at one of its amazing classes and report on it in an upcoming post. They also have a retail space where you can buy supplies for creating a variety of crafts as well. Take a look at their website, and see why I'm salivating.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
At Last
I'm finally getting around to posting again--it's been a busy couple weeks! I've started a hallway mural at my daughter's preschool which will be fun. I'll have to be careful taking photos afterwards: since it is a hallway, I think I'll need to use a wide angle lens in order to get larger segments in one snap. The scene is an animal parade, with the animals playing various musical and percussion instruments. It will be fun to see the kids' faces when it done, too.
Also, I apologize for not posting local craft fairs lately--I do have a bunch that I will be posting to the blog very soon (hopefully before they sneak up on me)! Check back either later this evening or at least within the next day or two.
Make a great Tuesday for yourself!
Also, I apologize for not posting local craft fairs lately--I do have a bunch that I will be posting to the blog very soon (hopefully before they sneak up on me)! Check back either later this evening or at least within the next day or two.
Make a great Tuesday for yourself!
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