Spring Cleaning

24 Mar

Love this article by Lori Boyd on page 48 of Spring 2013.  She investigated the history of Spring Cleaning to engage her family in the process.  Origins of spring cleaning go back to Jewish preparations for Passover and Iranian preparation for the Persian New Year.

http://www.tnfarmbureau.org/tn-home-farm

Additional searching brings up Chinese preparations for their New Year.

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/spring-clean-in-spring2.htm

How interesting to discover spring cleaning is a global experience.  I believe Lori is on to something with her family team approach.  She even has a playful approach with her “Up” game.  Thanks Lori!

Next day:  One more thing.  Leave it to HGTV to have a great list of things to do for spring cleaning.

http://www.hgtv.com/homekeeping/spring-cleaning-made-easy/pictures/index.html

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Spring Equinox

20 Mar
Joys of Spring

Joys of Spring

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox#.UUn-fR0yo_8.email

Together the beauty and science of spring.

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Storytelling inspiration

16 Mar

Names of Paint colors:

    • Coral cove
    • Chocolate turtle
    • Sunburst
    • Tropical mist
    • Pacific beach
    • Paris green
    • Bunny’s nose
    • Baby bunting
    • Icy Bay
    • Iceberg
    • Steel city
    • Birthday cake
    • Divine
    • Sand trap
    • Golden straw hat
    • Evening surf
    • Moon glow
    • Swiss mocha
    • Caribbean green
    • Treasure isle
    • Tropical holiday
    • English ivy
    • Blue whale
    • Dover Straits
    • Cool lagoon
    • Stained glass
    • Remembrance
    • Egyptian pyramid
    • Alaskan blue
    • Godiva cream
    • Cricket field
    • Melody
    • Wind mill

There is a lot of potential in this list.

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Storytelling

7 Mar

Check out this link for storytelling templates like:

Your story can be told in four simple parts:

  • Once upon a time: The introduction. Set the stage; where does your story start?
  • Suddenly: The story’s characters are confronted with a challenge.
  • And then: The characters take action to address it.
  • Happily ever after: How did it all work out?

http://lmpartnership.org/storytelling

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A DEAR CO-WORKER

who engaged us with her

Vivacious vocation

Profound profession

Lessons of livelihood

Existential experience

SUDDENLY, THERE WAS TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT

AND THEN WE GATHERED TO TELL OUR STORIES

KL storyboard 1

KL storyboard 1

Inspired by names of paint colors, comic strips, images of chocolate, popcorn, a transmission and “golden” nest eggs;

we honored our long time friend

and recanted the habits of highly effective people which she embodies.

KL storyboard 2

KL storyboard 2

More names of paint colors on the second storyboard panel inspired dreams of travel adventures around the world.

…and a happily ever after.

Credit to Liza Hyatt for using paint names for input to creative writing projects.  Just maybe this story evolves and becomes poetry, lyrics, short story, article, autobiography or novel.

I actually applied paint chips to the storyboards in these photos as well as calendar images, wrapping paper, Christmas card, decorative paper, puzzle and a Designed Experiment matrix.

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Helping Hands, Touching Hearts: Act 3 Scene 2

24 Feb

Sewing women’s and children’s clothes has been a primary mission of Helping Hands, Touching Hearts.  This is year 3 for Elfcroft to give to the cause.  2012’s shipment has rolled into 2013 with a shift in travel plans for Sidney, Wayne and C.J.

http://www.clotheavillagenow.com/clotheavillagenow/Welcome.html

I jump started this shipment with boy’s shorts from Target clearance sales and rounded out with 4 pairs of shorts made from the last of former curtains.  (Think of the movie “Sound of Music”.)

Simplicity 5218….four pair, size 4

Also in 2011, I had long narrow bands left over from making girls dresses with Simplicity 2228.  I sewed those bands together to make dresses with See and Sew B5592.  Yeah!  four more dresses out of last years stock.

See and Sew B5592

Sidney sent photos of her sewing which included skirts with crop tops.  That seems a better use of the fabric I have in stock.  An envelope with her patterns arrived this week…..made from thick fabric and instructions in permanent marker.  Great idea!  I need to do the same with my favorite and well used paper patterns.

New patterns

New patterns

2 each in each size

2 each in each size

Six girl’s dress are complete.  Four pairs of girl’s tops and skirts as well as four pairs of boy’s shorts are ready for sewing.

Shipping to South Africa in May!

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Frugal Fun

16 Feb

Or “The Best Ways to Spend $100” from this month’s issue of AARP Magazine.

http://pubs.aarp.org/aarptm/20130203_PR?folio=24#pg26

My personal favorite is “Just Call Me Herb”, which suggests the best return on investment as well as cash crop is fresh herbs.  Chef Robert Irvine of the Food Network goes on to specifically recommend basil, rosemary, mint and chives.

Elfcroft suggests that the better investments are perennial herbs like sage, oregano, horehound, lemon balm, catnip and lavender, which return value year after year.  Annual herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro and rue are great companions Chef Irvine’s ideas.

A herb garden is a two for one value.  Not only is it a treasure of fresh ingredients for cooking, but also delightful for the foliage and aromas in the garden.

Parsley

Parsley

Oregano

Oregano

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While one “Moon Garden” sleeps in Indiana…watch this video from New Zealand

9 Feb

When I read Mary Francis’ article “Moonbeams and garden dreams” for the Indianapolis Star, June 9, 2001; the “seed”/thought was planted for Elfcroft’s moon garden.  Three posts from Sep 2011 illustrates “how the garden grows”.  The moon garden of course is dormant now.  However, this video from New Zealand inspires it to rise again!  Turn up your volume.

 

http://www.ironammonite.com/2013/02/spellbinding-new-zealand-moon-video.html

Filmed on 28th January 2013.  Native American traditions named the January moon “Full Wolf”.  

Back in this hemisphere this weekend (Feb 24th), we had clear skies for the full “Snow”, full “Hunger” or “Lenten” moon.  It was like a sunny day at night.  Alas, no video from Indiana.

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Alphabet Photography

3 Feb
ABC Collage

ABC Collage

This was is one of my favorite photography projects.  All the letters were found @ 1968 Rudgate Drive.  Yes, one was left out to fit the 5 X 5 collage format.  I like the letters “I” and “Z”.  Do you have a favorite?

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Yoga Mat Bag Project

27 Jan

“synergy |ˈsinərjē| (also synergism |-ˌjizəm|)noun

The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations,substances,

or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than

the sum of their separate effects : the synergy between artist and record company.”

I believe synergy is the word I am looking for to explain this project.

Several times a year I try to take one yoga class a day for a week or two.  From earlier posts, Elfcroft sews for a couple of causes (making more than a few items on several occasions).  The texture of a couple of fabric selections in my stash were too coarse  to use for dresses (what to use it for?).  I had a purchased a yoga mat bag for myself as well as read instructions in One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins.

Last year yoga mats were left unsold from a holiday marketing promotion, until I came along buying multiples in blue, green, purple, pink and gray.  Then, bolt ends of beautiful light weight canvasses were added to my inventory and shown the Elfcroft header.

After consideration of experience with my purchased bag and my fabric selection, I modified the instructions

  1. No lining
  2. Plain strap
  3. Draw string instead of elastic

Yoga Mats + Fabric + modified pattern instructions + sewing = Yoga Mat Bags

Yoga mat bag Project

Yoga mat bag Project
First three bags with mats

First three bags with mats

Bags include new mats

Bags include new mats

His and Hers

His and Hers for Valentine’s Day

 

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Repeat: 100th post from March 2012

21 Jan

 

This post features another evolving project inspired by an e-book Art Journal Ideas by ClothPaperScissors.com which includes a chapter by Tracie Lyn Huskcamp @ thereddoor-studio.com titled “A Year Captured in Fabric”.  What I have so far are 11″X12″ pieces of muslin with themed collages from remnants and fabric photos from Spoonflower.com.  This is a great opportunity to prepare custom “quilt squares” that do not have to stand washing and wear.  A few unfinished projects are getting closure and inclusion in the “journal”.  Beads, buttons and trim are embellishing layouts.  I have 11 squares completed and 11 squares with concepts.  My intended scope is 48 squares which will finish the bolt of muslin that Mam-ma Tuggle left with her sewing accessories.

Fabric Journal under construction

As much as I have enjoyed knitting and sewing lessons as a change of pace and producing “a product” (after all, I am a career Manufacturing Engineer.), this project is about the ideas and rules that I make up along the way.  Liberating:)  I’ll keep you posted!!

Update January 2013:

19 squares are ready for trimming.  My cycle of projects has taken about-face.  I have changed course from freestyle creative to repeat pattern which is fun to see results quickly.  Photos in my next post.

 

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