Fun Stuff

  • Jackson’s Five

    ByHeather Bailey

    Speaking of matryoshka.  Check out these Michael Jackson nesting dolls from a 2006 Music Art Form exhibit.  Pop music meets folk art.
    MichaelJackson2

    Update:  It turns out that not everyone interprets this series the way I do.  Two commenters think it's mean-spirited of the artist.

    I think it's beautiful.  To
    me, this piece is poignant. It shows how as MJ's life (and
    accomplishments) progressed, the world zeroed in on his flaws. To many,
    this beaming talent became a tabloid plastic surgery story.  It's a sad truth that the world puts talent on a pedestal, only to tear it down over time.

    Art seeks
    an emotional response. True, the first read might make many of us smile.  However, I don't think the artist means to ridicule
    Jackson.  Instead, I think he means to highlight how ridiculous it is that we all are fixated
    on his nose.

    Furthermore, the style of the artwork is beautiful and quiet, not jeering or jokey. I don't
    believe it is meant to poke fun at the subject.  If anyone, I think it's mocking us as a people for not seeing past this man's appearance.  This piece has meaning for me. 

    I'm sad he's gone. 

  • The Three Broomsticks

    ByHeather Bailey

    HPBannerFinalTall

    ThreeBrooms
    Use these miniature Firebolts to add a bit of magical flair to your favorite Harry Potter party drink.  Or use the broom handles to skewer together any tasty morsels that threaten to scurry away on the dessert table.

    Broomstick Picks

    Materials Needed
    Raffia
    Wooden skewers
    Colored embroidery floss
    Brown thread

    Tools
    Sewing machine
    Hot glue gun & glue
    Scissors

    BroomA

    1. 
    Gather small bunch of raffia – about 20 strands. Stitch bundled raffia
    together. (Seam is about 3/4" long.) Trim raffia to 5" wide, with seam
    centered.

    BroomB

    2. 
    Place medium-size dot of hot glue to left of thread seam. Place the
    blunt end of skewer into glue, extending skewer about 1" past thread
    seam.

    BroomC

    3.  Fold right half of raffia over skewer. Secure with glue or simply keep a hold on raffia till Step 4 is completed. 

    BroomD

    4. 
    While holding raffia ends securely, wrap colored embroidery floss
    around broom bristles, about ½" from folded end of raffia. Wrap thread
    3-4 times and secure with knot. Trim raffia to even out end of broom.

    These brooms are surprisingly easy to make — bookmark for next Halloween : )

    • Cockroach Clusters recipe here.
    • Butterbeer recipe here.

  • Bead It, Kid

    ByHeather Bailey

    Necklace1new3
    Beadingnew So, guess who made these necklaces?

    Four-year-old Charlotte did this all by herself.  I thought I was
    embracing disaster by allowing her free access to several bins of beads
    while I worked on the computer today.  I was entirely wrong.

    Not
    only did Miss C patiently string together all of these designs without
    my oversight, but she made them all symmetrical.  Even her most
    eclectic necklace doesn't miss a beat
    bead.  Hours and hours of necklace-making.  All I did was add the
    clasps.  And I bent a loop at the top of her one pendant.  That's it.

    Necklace3new2

    Necklace4new2
    When I was four years old, my bottom dresser drawer was stocked with
    white paper, a stapler and staples.  I made all sorts of wild
    inventions with white paper that year.  And here I thought I had been
    tricky-stuff at four, with my paper robots and elephants.  Looks like
    Charlotte has 4-year-old me mightily whooped.

    The moral: 
    Moms, Grandmas, Aunts and Alligators, let your kids have access to some
    of your precious supplies.  They may surprise you with tidiness and
    ingenuity!  I can only imagine what I would have done with real art
    supplies at that age.

    Of course, they may surprise you with a royal disaster instead.  I've been there too — many times.

  • Plumpness

    ByHeather Bailey

    Have I mentioned it's
    great to be back home?  With an expanding roster of help around the
    studio, we're starting to get caught up, even ahead, on some projects. 
    Rachel and Lindsay spent a day or two just putting together a plump
    stock of Strawberry Pincushion Kits, after finishing up the Flutterby Flip-Book Kits.  Emily has kept everything else plugging along.  Being ahead is great.  I highly recommend it. 

    StrawKit

    So, back to The Giveaway.  What a variety of first sewing projects!  I've been reading comments all day. 

    1.  Congratulations Lindsay Brown!  Random picked you for the big giveaway.  Lindsay won a Freshcut scrap bag, a HB sewing pattern of her choice, and a Flutterby Flip-Book Kit.  Here's what Lindsay wrote.

       
    "Hi Heather!!! Let me start out by saying I am an ENORMOUS fan!!  I
    just completed 2 projects for my girls.  I made a pillowcase dress with
    the Lime Paisley and I made my youngest daughter the matching capris. 
    I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of your fabrics!!  Thanks for posting this!!"

    Kits2.  Random also picked the lucky Shannon / lilyhaven who wrote,

       
    "Holy cow! 975 comments already! … My first sewing project was a
    tiered skirt for my then 3-year-old daughter.  I was so proud of
    myself!  I wanted to sew for years and years and finally broke down and
    tried.  I've been addicted ever since.  I can't wait to see your new
    fabrics!!!" 

    I'll be sending Shannon a Freshcut scrap bag, along with a pack of HB ribbons.

     3.  Then, for AndieBee, who apparently barely survived her first sewing experience, I'm sending a Strawberry Pincushion Kit, along with a copy of my Fresh Picked Pincushions sewing pattern.  AndieBee wins just for surviving — and for calling me "cupcake."  Here's what AndieBee wrote.

       
    "Hi cupcake! My very first sewing project EVER in life: I was three and
    hangin' out with my Momma while she was making something-probably a
    dress or short set for me. She got up from her incredibly snazzy Singer
    machine in the wood cabinet to do "something", so I climbed up on her
    chair for a better view. Momma always held the pretty colorful straight
    pins in her mouth as she took them out to sew. I decided to help take
    them out while she was away…of COURSE I put them in my mouth just
    like her. And OF COURSE I swallowed one of those bad boys!! LOL

       
    "All I remember of the rest of that day was having to drink something
    icky and Momma monitoring my potties! Apparently it all came out okay,
    since I don't remember having to go to the hospital. ;O)  I picked
    sewing back up again when I was about 8 or 9, when Momma got tired of
    making Barbie clothes, and I've been sewing since."

    Ladies, send me your addresses. 

    Thanks everyone for participating — and for the blogiversary hoopla.  I'm loving being back home and back to blogging, tweeting, etc.  Thanks for sticking around while I was away through May.

    …which reminds me, there's something special posted for @TrashTies followers over on Twitter : )

    And, speaking of plumpness, check out this blog, with it's cheeky background image.  Bacon-infused waffles?  I'll be taking my camera with me next we go out to the fair.

  • |

    Giveaway, Oh Giveaway

    ByHeather Bailey

    Food5

    I don't even know where to begin with all of the adventures
    I went on this month.  I may have to grant myself a
    Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card and skip immediately past Go — at least till
    I'm caught up on some design projects.

    Food2noteThis
    weekend I went through the first round of strike-offs for my next
    fabric collection.  Gah!  I normally wouldn't mention strike-offs
    because, really, it will be months before the fabrics are available. 
    But, gah!  They're gorgeous.  I'm ready to fly over to the mill and
    screen the prints myself if it will speed things up.  I'm dying to sew
    with this fabric. 

    Bridgenote2See,
    now I feel better, and you feel worse.  Which is why I normally don't
    say anything.  But, that's what I'm working on today. And that's where
    my brain is.

    I'm also thinking about a giveaway to celebrate my blogiversary.  It's been 3 years now.  So, how does this sound for a prize?

    Hotelviewnote2
    Leave a comment, telling us what your first sewing project was — or if
    you don't sew, what your first sewing project might be — or if you
    don't plan to sew, why not!?  Or your favorite remedy for puffy eyes. 
    I don't know, tell us something interesting.  Or just say, 'Hi.'  That
    works too. 

    I'll let this go through Thursday night MST, then hand it over to the Random Number Generator for an edict. 

    I may hand out a couple of extra giveaways too.  I tend to do that.

    The photos?  Some shots from my weekend in Pittsburgh.  What a beautiful city!

  • Hat-Flower Heaven

    ByHeather Bailey

    TinselFlowersA How
    long has it been?  Thank heaven for Twitter.  I've been on the road for
    the last 9 days, in Pittsburgh, Ohio & New York, hopping from one
    meeting to the next.  My dad met up with me in the middle there and we
    toured around his childhood neighborhoods and mine.  I lived near
    Pittsburgh till I was 4 or 5 and in Ohio till I was 8.  It was every
    bit as beautiful as I remember, or more so.  In most places, our
    next-door neighbors still lived there (wild).  I have a lot to share.  I can't wait to get back home and sort through the photos and stories.

    Yesterday,
    between meetings in NY, I stopped by Tinsel Trading Co. on 37th —
    vintage hat flower heaven!  I have some fun projects in store for this
    jackpot.  Another reason to get home soon. 

    So, after a quick
    stop by Purl Patchwork, and some other SoHo favorites this afternoon,
    I'll make my way to LaGuardia, then home.  It's been a great trip, but
    I'm ready to be back with my family and back to my list of to-dos.  We
    have some big things in store this summer.

  • Okay, so this is a kinda nutty…

    ByHeather Bailey

    Butterflypatch1
    Charlotte’s
    eye has started to become a little googly — slightly ‘lazy.’
    Hopefully a temporary eye patch over her stronger eye will force her
    uncovered eye to get with the program.  So, here’s one project that’s
    never crossed my mind before — a custom, girly eye patch. Why not?

    Butterfly
    The rigid interfacing inside the patch is darted to bulge in the
    middle.  Then the fabric covering is cut on the bias so I could stretch
    it over the form smoothly without darting it.  Then there’s a black
    fabric lining the inside.  Not that you’ll ever want to make an eye patch. 

    Who knows if she’ll even keep it on.  But it has given us all the
    giggles a few times over — and kept things light.  Anyone have some
    good advice for this sort of thing?

  • Pop Daisy

    ByHeather Bailey

    Daisypop

    Just what is it about this bouquet-of-one that makes me smile?
    Gerbera Daisies have got to be the most innocent, la-di-da, casual,
    take-it-easy flowers there are.  And I’ve always had a thing for hobnail
    too — it’s so silly and odd, ridiculous and fabulous at once.  Look
    how the vase and flower make a figure 8 together.  Bam. I love that!

    One of my Pop Garden prints is named ‘Pop Daisy’
    – one big, bursting daisy.  This bouquet reminds me of that print —
    happy & simple, just like my Sunday ought to be.  That’s the goal
    anyhow. 

    Busy week coming up.  Pretty little flowers all around the house to keep things energetic — one of my favorite tricks.

  • Divco

    ByHeather Bailey

    I love old trucks.  One day I’d love to have a real, souped-up old
    delivery truck with a new engine in it so I could drive it whenever,
    wherever. 

    Divco1t2
    Somehow
    I ended up on a milk-truck hunt the other day on the internet.  Not
    shopping, just learning new things and taking a break.  It looks like a
    company called Divco made all of the cool old milk trucks and most
    other multi-stop vehicles for a good, long time.  They produced teensy
    tiny delivery trucks for their dealers too.  I’m curious if they had
    working engines. Here’s one — and another — adorable.

    Too bad neither Pimp My Ride nor Overhaulin’ was around yet when I
    lived in Hollywood.  Then my delivery-truck fantasy could have included
    some ridiculous theme that suited my personality or hobbies of choice.
    They do some crazy stuff on those shows.

    Divco3
    True, I’m not sure what I’d want to put in the back of my dream
    delivery truck — or what might be my obvious theme.  In the absence of
    the perfect idea, I’m sure a couple of added seats might satisfy well
    enough — that is, if my kids would allow me to drive them around in
    such a silly vehicle.  Ooo, what if it was a mobile studio with
    seatbelts?  With craft storage built in?  And what should it look like?  I
    don’t know.  Maybe I’d just want the back to be empty. 

    I’m clearly just daydreaming here.  I’m still working out the details.