3rd graders rock!

Usually my recycling tends toward fiber. However, when cleaning out my garage last winter, I came across an entire box of 4-inch white tile. It was left over from building our house on Kelleys Island. My contractor wanted to just put it in the dumpster and I almost did. But, I just couldn't bring myself to pitch all this perfectly good tile. So, I put the box aside and thought about it for a few weeks. I did some Google time looking for projects. I got on some Etsy forums and asked about paints for tile, etc. Someone on there mentioned Pebeo Porcelain paints which become heat-proof once you bake the tiles in the oven. Eureka!!

In my "other" life outside sewing, knitting, and creating, I work with Cub Scouts and love to volunteer in my kids' classrooms. I love coming up with crafts for the kids to make and I REALLY love making those crafts inexpensive or, better yet, free. So, I ordered some cork sheets (definitely not free) and found the Pebeo paints at my local Michael's. The Scouts made trivets for Mother's Day. And, my 3rd grader's class just made these fabulous coasters for Valentine's Day. Watching the kids was an amazing experience. Even the most jaded 9-year-old can still find the time to be super careful and super thoughtful when they know they're making something for mom or dad. It's why I love that age.

I used a Pebeo outliner to make the heart shape ahead of time. It creates a raised edge so painting more neatly is much easier. A major plus for kids.

Happy Valentine's Day from McDowell School! Wait until you see what we're doing for the Valentine's Party craft!!

Featured on Try Handmade

I've spent quite a bit of time looking for blogs that interest me. I follow some that focus on recycled fiber or sewing or wool. But, one of my favorites is Try Handmade. It covers all those topics and many more. Every day I have an e-mail with a new post from Try Handmade. And imagine my delight when today's e-mail from them had an article featuring ME!!

A few weeks ago they convo'd me on Etsy to ask permission. The article is about love and hearts. The choices of items are inspired -- each is totally unique and each demonstrates the point-of-view of the artist. The article is here: http://tryhandmade.com/feel-the-love/

My item featured is one of my recycled cashmere hearts:

I'm really proud of these and am so flattered someone else likes them too!

In the Valentines Spirit!

I love hearts. I have a small collection of them on the windowsill right above my desk. I have paper, fiber, ceramic, glass, and metal hearts. My newest addition is this one:

You all know I deal with a lot of recycled cashmere. And, when I cut the strips for my scarves, I end up with a lot of waste pieces. I just can bear to throw them out. The smallest bits go into a big bag to be used as stuffing or fill. The larger pieces are sorted by color and carefully saved.

Over the holidays I saw some wreaths on various blogs using the rosette technique for this heart. You take a simple circle of fabric (these were 1 1/2 inch in diameter). Fold it in half, fold in half again, and tack it down. I used double thread and two stitches so they're each secured by four threads.

The base fabric is wool plaid from a thrift shop skirt. I make the base, stuff it with my cashmere off cuts, and stitch it closed before adding the rosettes. Finished size is about 5 1/2 by 5 1/2. I could look at the color range and fiber detail all day long. Hope you like it, too.