Thursday in January

Thanks so much for all the feedback on the photo loading- things seem to be working again and I am SO relieved! Now, hopefully I can spend some time making the rest of the page look and work better. I’ll be researching some of my visually favorite sites and try to figure out why I like them.

In the meantime, some pictures-

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I made these 2 ornaments after Christmas and brought them down to Connecticut… where I left them. Oops. Now they are back home. My list (the one I’ve got taped to my sewing machine) includes making more of these- especially the robot and children- and making a pattern. I thought it would be an easy pattern to make and maybe not too scary… why do I find the idea so overwhelming? I don’t know… ask my son why he hasn’t written his English essay and the answer or non-answer is probably the same.

And I’ve got a knitting project started-

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Yeah! Inspired by Cassi at Bella Dia and Jane at Yarnstorm and all the other beautiful blankets around the blog world, I’ve got one going. I am looking forward to having it be long enough to keep me warm while working on it… yes, it got cold again. It is soothing to work on. Sort of how I felt about coloring books when I was little. All I have to think about is color. The pattern part is so easy- just straight garter stitch until I think it is done.

and some links- Sharon has again made me think with her inspired thoughts about blogging. And, Happy 3rd Blog Birthday to her! She is an amazing resource and supporter of the community of the craft/art end of the blog world. In another post she talks about the bloggies and choosing favorite craft blogs. I’m not going there, but I find I am most attracted to the blogs that are not so wildly popular- maybe I feel more likely to be able to have a real connection with the person writing (that community thing again). If I go to a blog and see something wonderful but there is 50 comments on a post, the likelihood that I’ll add my 2 cents is very slim.

Lastly- I love the YouTube Moleskine here.

8 thoughts on “Thursday in January

  1. Oh my gosh that robot is incredible and with bobby pin arms! The kitten is fantastic too. Do the arms and legs move?

    I find pattern making overwhelming too. I think it’s difficult to separate yourself from how one normally does things and break it down into steps that someone else could follow.

  2. And those are doll size bobby pins- about 1 inch! Someone gave me a bag of doll hair stuff and they were in it. I agree about breaking it down- I can’t figure out how much to explain.

  3. I err on the side of more rather than less when it comes to explaining how to make something. Use the simplest words you can and assume people know nothing (except maybe basic sewing skills). You don’t know what level of experience a person has. A more advanced person will just skip over that stuff – OR – it might be something totally new to them or something they forgot. IMHO.

    I adore the robot ornament! I am just in love with all your robots!

  4. I know what you mean about the 50 comments thing. I feel the same when there are that many. Lucky for me, I am not popular or I am boring! ha! kidding. The wonderful Meggiecat once suggested to me that I sell my work in kit form and that is what those flat ornaments remind me of. I don’t know if that is something you would consider? marketed towards kids craft not adults to compete with your work, but encouraging kids to start stitching? just an idea. Keep creating! I love your work.

  5. I’ve had a grand time reading back through your posts since early December, which is about when the images started to drop out. Whoever said “a picture is worth a thousand words” was right! It’s great to have yours back again.

    You’ve set yourself quite a list to accomplish in the year ahead. Goals are good, I guess. Yet, you are a prolific artist with a great personal style. Links and comments and making patterns are the stuff of deflated balloons; whereas making dolls and ATCs are the stuff of inner contentment. What is really important?

  6. Hi Mimi –

    I think you must have joined the Tarts the month I left. I remember Bobbie saying there was a new woman roughly my age doing some interesting things. Having read your blog for a year now, I am increasingly sorry I missed you.

    I still have a book of pin doll patterns the Tarts published, if you’d like a copy. Everyone made one or two original pin dolls, and then Althea and I edited the patterns and drawings so there was some unity across them. I found the books during a recent cleaning snit. I may also have some pages written by Althea about how to make patterns, which I’d be happy to send along.

    Making patterns isn’t hard – you do it already for yourself. It is formalizing it for use by others. It helps a lot to have other people read, proof and test the pattern for you. Find a pattern you like, and see what is included in it. Some people like to make big book statements with their patterns, and they are each a course in something, others like to produce a little flyer with slotA and tabB level instructions. Part is up to you how much detail youthink to want to write. people who pick up patterns are more knowledgeable now than 5 years ago, I think. certainly more people are making things and talking about it, and more people have access to someone who will know how to interpret what you say.

    Good on ya, as they say, and good luck

    Lee

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