An image from the archives

I know I've mentioned it before, and it's embarrassing to admit again but- I'm back at it. That wretched, time consuming task of cleaning up the iphoto on my computer. It's just that hitting the 'delete' key is so final.
Although, deleting is getting easier. Just like having a yard sale in the right mood can really get rid a lot of the excess stuff from around the house.
Here is my new philosophy on photo archiving:
-instead of lumping everything onto an external drive I am:
1. Deleting all photos except the very best-of-the-best to be saved. It is not worth saving all the pictures I've ever taken, no matter how crappy, to perhaps lose the ones I really love due to a jam-packed aging storage devices.  I heard that information saved in disc format has a shelf life of about 5-6 years before data begins deteriorating. Scary.
2. Label everything, I am putting all (saved) pictures into iphoto albums so that they can be saved in categories and I can actually find the picture I'm after when I want to---> later on.
3. We have started storing photos and information on external hard drives instead of discs.  Seagate makes a good external drive, available everywhere (Staples, Best Buy or Office Depot) very easy to use, tons of storage and recommended by the film boys, like Steve O.

Tutorial: Making a fleece flower

You will need: brightly colored fleece, 10 or so small beads, embroidery floss (or regular thread), a large needle and a pair of scissors.

Step 1. Cut 5 circles out of the fleece, begin with the largest flower being about 3 inches in diameter, and  each circle continually getting slightly smaller.

Step 2. Cut notches around each layer of circle to make the edges of the fleece circles look like flower pedals, be sure to round the edges of your cuts.

Step 3. Stack the circles on top of each other and place the flower stack on the side of the hat, or wherever you would like it to be sewn.

Step 4. With the embroidery floss threaded into the needle, sew the beads into the middle of the flower. With a knot in the end of the thread, begin inside the hat and sew up through all layers of the hat and flower, adding a bead for every stitch. These stitches will sew the flower to the hat and finish the inside of the flower- all in one easy step.

Tutorial: Making a fleece hat

You will need: Two pieces of fleece, the piece for the main body of the hat (shown here as dark green) 21 inches long by 8 inches wide.  The piece for the band or lining of the hat (shown here in gray) 21 inches long by 3 inches wide.

*Click on any of the images to make them bigger.*

*Fleece has some stretch to the fabric, Make sure the you cut out the fabric with the most stretch running the length of the hat, that way it will stretch to fit around the head.

                                       

Step 1. Place the lining piece (gray) on top of the main hat piece (green) and sew along the edge, about 1/4 of an inch from the edge.

*Remember the fleece is stretchy, and the top (gray) piece may be pulled through by the machine faster or slower than the bottom (green) piece, so take your time and make sure the two piece are matching up as you finish the seam. To help the ends match you can ease the fabrics by stretching one or the other and use the elasticity to your advantage or for certain matching-  use pins to hold the fleece in place as you sew the seam.

 Step 2. Now fold the hat in half length-wise, right sides together, matching the seams where the lining band meets the main hat fabric (green). Open up the green/gray seam flat so that the existing seam will be nice and flat, fewer layers to sew over. Sew along the entire edge, about 1/4 of an inch from the edge. This will be the seam on the very back of the hat.

*Don't worry if the tricky seam you sew over during this step ends up with the inside folded this-way-and-that, it will be inside and never visible.

Step 3. Stand the hat on end, you are looking at what will be the top of the hat. Fold the top edges to form four equal parts.

Step 4. Take 3 of the parts and hold them together and out of the way. They can be pinned together to keep them neatly folded and out of the way. The hat is still inside out, right sides should be together.

Step 5. Measure 4 inches down from the top on the outside edge of the hat, mark with a piece of chalk or a pencil. Mark the center of the hat, 1/4 of an inch from the top (a seams width) with chalk or a pencil. Chalk or pencil in a slightly curved line between these two points. Sew along this line, and repeat for each of the four sections, holding the other three sections stacked up and out of the way while each one is being sewn.

The hat should now look like this when all four sections have been sewn together.

Step 6. Trim off the excess fleece from the seams you have just sewn. When you trim, leave at least 1/4 of an inch of extra fabric between your scissors and the seam you have just sewn.

Turn the hat right side out and the top of the hat should look like this, nicely curved to fit someone's head.

Step 7. Fold the gray lining up into the inside of the hat, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of gray visible from the outside and creating a second layer of fleece on the inside of the hat, and across the forehead. Pin the two layers of fabric together and the inside layer in place.

Step 8. Starting in the back, sew through both layers, 2 inches in from the bottom edge of the hat, all the way around. 

*You can sew right over the pins- it's not very often the needle hits the pins. I like to remove the pins just before I'm about to sew over them, pins often bend when sewn over and on the off chance you hit a pin straight on with your needle, the needle will likely break. Removing pins before they are sewn over is a good habit to get into.

The inside of your hat should look like this. You can choose to trim the lining closer to the seam you've just sewn or leave the excess (gray) lining to leave the hat a bit thicker and warmer. 

Turn the hat right-side out and put it on- just leave it plain or jazz it up with a flower.

*The great thing about working with fleece is that unfinished edges can be left unfinished, they will never fray or unravel.

For instructions on how to make the flower, follow me...

olympic day

Today---> the 2011 Soldier Hollow Charter School Olympics. The school is located on the site of the 2002 Olympic Nordic ski events at Soldier Hollow Resort in Midway UT. Leaving behind a venue just itching for another Olympic event. Here are the teams getting ready to ski into the stadium for the opening ceremonies. 

During the winter months the students of Soldier Hollow get to ski twice a week during school- a program I'm a huge fan of- equipment from the rental shop, instructors and use of the world class facility- it doesn't get better than that for winter physical education. So, come February, you've got a whole school of skiers who can manage great on a pair of cross-country skis.

I stopped taking pictures when Steve O showed up with his camera, thinking he was snapping stills. I didn't find out until later that he was only shooting video. Now, I don't have a single pictures of the teams making their big opening ceremony debut in the stadium, a slight that left every parent verklempt. Shucks.

Here is C's 1st grade class, team Mexico-- looking so stinkin' cute with the boys in their sombreros and girls in their flower hats. This is the first year my kids have been at Soldier Hollow so I didn't really know what to expect- but I soon heard each team would need some sort of getup... right up my alley- I volunteered to costume-up team Mexico.

I made up these fleece hats for the girls, super fast and easy, (stay tuned for a how-to on these hats later this week) and made with fleece I've had in my sewing room for years. I sewed 12x18" fabric flags to the front of each team member's bib, and a sharpie drawn and colored strip of fabric with the word "Mexico" sewn to the back.

It was great to see all of the kids and their teams outfitted so cleverly- a few favorites ---> a member of the Scottish team, I hadn't even thought of face painting, gotta love the kilt.

Team Germany rocking the paper bag lederhosen.

Here's our M of team Norway, finishing up the obstacle course. This might not look so hard, but remember, she's got skis on. The older kids (2nd through 8th grade) competed in the biathlon, obstacle course and relay. The kindergartners and 1st graders events were a slalom course, beanbag toss, obstacle course and relay.  Once again, bummed I don't have a single shot of kids shooting guns in the biathlon. But we do have some video...

always be Knolling...

A newish sort of word, used (and I think coined) by Tom Sachs in his 'Working to Code'  film made by the Neistat Brothers,  Knolling is the process of arranging like objects in parallel or 90 degree angles as a method of organization.
The film, 'Working to Code' is a lengthy 21 minutes, that will keep you smiling the whole way through- a glimpse into other folks personal space- including the space between their ears is always filled with awe and wonderment.
I can't help thinking, knolling is the slightly OCD cousin to what I (the Mom) do everyday- I need to coin a word here... There should be a film made called "Living in This House to Code" (for kids and some spouses too...) involving precise instructions on how to pick up after yourself in the kitchen, bathroom and your own room- then specifically how to throughly clean all of these spaces by yourself. Or even a film called "Afterschool"- (I can dream, can't I) I think you can imagine what it might include- specifics on homework, snacking, practicing instruments, friends, facebook, sport practice. I could then happily cancel my weekly, parental, motivational lecture series, short yoga breathing sessions and eye rolling practice and just set all the cherubs/hooligans down to re-watch the film whenever they conveniently forget what comes next.

Speaking of youngsters... F, my second oldest turns 13 today. Two teens in the house- it's funny and scary how fast time moves, the older you get. We're lucky to have such a amazing fella- full of energy- as you can see here, (Grandma Jan and Grandpa Owen can appreciate this picture) smart as a whip and funny too. Happy Birthday dude!
Looking forward to a long weekend in St. George, watching the birthday boy play soccer and relaxing too. Have a great President's Day weekend.

LOL

I don't know why this made me laugh so hard, so hard I started to cry- (what does that say about my emotional state?) I was scrolling through the many funny misunderstandings and text bloopers on Damn You Auto Correct when I came across the text above... even the next day, when I showed Steve O- I was still laughing that too-hard-people-are-starting-to-stare kind of laugh.  See for yourself folks, and who hasn't had a bad auto correct moment?

while my Valentine was out

My Valentine spent the weekend in NY and passed this subway street art or graffiti- thanks for the giggle Dear.

For some more mustache oogling, gather your friends around and check out more very entertaining and inspiring (for all you beard growers out there) images from the The World Beard and Mustache Championships here.

Be My Valentine

Here are some vintage Valentine wishes for you, Valentines that might keep you guessing-

I'm feeling faint... losing a lot of blood with this creepy Valentine.

I hope this was a special valentine purchased for that one special someone, not purchased in a box of 35 for your whole 3rd grade class, breaking hearts all over town with the promise of 'some day'.

More like... "Hey Valentine, I need a nappy change- on the double?!"

So, what is going on here? Is he trying to say, "I may be a chubby kid, but I promise to slim down when I become a man", so please be my Valentine?

I think this is really a waterhorse dressed as a frog, a salamander in shorts perhaps...

Didn't you play 'court' when you were little, right after that tea party? I'm seeing a little role play coming on...

So cute, I'd like this a wallpaper somewhere in my house.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

kid note

I found this note/drawing among M's (10 yrs.) papers. Purely fictional she assures me... but I want the story on John and his gal Jen R. and where does she get her nails done?

Tutorial: Fabric Party Banner

Make a decorative banner from your own eclectic mix of fabrics. Liven up any room or occasion. Customize your banner for a nursery, theme party or color scheme. Here is what you need to know, and the 12 easy steps to make it happen.

Tools you will need: a cutting mat, rotary cutters- one with a straight blade and the other with a wavy blade, scissors, ruler, seam ripper, cardboard pattern for the flags that make up the banner, an iron, and a sewing machine. You can decide what size to make your flags, the pattern pictured here is an equilateral triangle with all sides 8 inches long.

Step 1: Begin by picking out 20 or so different fabrics (to use for the flags), into triangles.  Using the wavy rotary cutter (and the ruler if you're feeling wobbly) cut two sides of the triangle. Use the straight rotary blade to cut what will be the top of the triangle. Cut two piece of fabric for each flag, one for the front and the other for the backside. Pick a few stripes, some small repetitive patterns,  and a few larger prints. Think color and pattern when choosing your fabrics.

**This is a smart way to use up fabrics from your scrap bin.

Step 2: Set aside the triangles of fabric.  

**The fun part of making a banner is in choosing the fabrics. It is easy to include fabric that you might have in your sewing stash that you don't particularly love; but in small pieces, really add color and flavor to the overall project. You might even get carried away- and the next thing you know- you have stacks of triangles piled up everywhere. 

Step 3: With the wrong sides of the fabrics together (right sides out), sew both sides together with a straight stitch along all three sides of each triangle, with preferred thread color.

Step 4: Line up your flags in the order you prefer, keep a few extras on standby.  You might need more flags to achieve a desired length. When you are finished deciding the order, stack the flags and set them aside.

Step 5: Now it's time to choose what you will use to string all of the flags together. A few options include ribbon (more expensive), or bias tape (considerably cheaper per yard or foot).  Or let the creative juices flow... large rick-rack, lace, an old dog leash... you get the picture). I like grosgrain ribbon, I've used 7/8 inch wide ribbon on this banner. 

Choose a desired length for your banner and add 12 inches on either end (for versatile hang-ability). For a generic party banner (for use on many occasions), I would recommend making the banner at least 12 ft. long.

**If you use bias tape make sure to purchase the double-fold kind like the turquoise one shown above, both unfinished sides are pre-pressed into the middle making your life a bit easier.

Step 6: Press the ribbon or bias tape in half lengthwise with an hot iron. This isn't essential, but makes sewing the flags to the ribbon/bias tape a lot easier.

Step 7: Get your flags and ribbon ready to sew together. Flags should be organized in the order you wish them to appear in the finished product.

Step 8: Measure out 12 inches from the end of the ribbon. Then using your ironed crease, find the middle of the folded over ribbon and begin by placing the straight-cut side of the first flag into the ribbon crease and sew with a straight stitch close to the edge of the ribbon, and through all layers.  

Step 9: Continue using a straight stitch, sewing the flags to the ribbon. Stitch close to the edge, overlapping the flags about an inch. 

Step 10: It may be useful to use a seam ripper ( an indispensable tool for so many applications of sewing and otherwise, I always have one close at hand) to ease the ribbon through the machine and avoid ripples or creases in the finish product.

Step 11: When you have finished sewing the entire length, carefully leaving 12 inches of extra ribbon at either end, turn the banner over.  No matter how careful you are, there will be places on the underside of the folded ribbon where your stitching missed the ribbon, like the above picture. No worries, simply sew back over the missed places, or sew another straight stitch the entire length of the banner, just 1/8 inch or so away from your first pass.

 Step 12: Now take your completed banner and toss it in the washer with a load of laundry, extra long cycle. When the load of laundry is finished, remove the wet, frayed banner and lay it out flat to dry or tumble dry on low heat.

 After the banner has been washed, the wavy cut edges will be slightly, cleverly weathered. Press with a hot iron or smooth flat with just your hands. You are finished, your banner ready to display. 

Enjoy!