So! Remember that sewing machine I got for my birthday - LAST YEAR!? Well I finally, finally got around to getting it out and learning how to operate it (in the most basic of basic ways!) In the past year there's seriously just been NO time, and even LESS space for me to go about learning to sew on this thing - especially as I am one of those spreader-outter, leave-it-in-place-while-working-on-it-until-it-takes-over-the-kitchen-table/diningroom-kidsplayroom,etcetc type of artist-crafter. But I just finally decided that the only way I was going to learn to use it was to assign myself a project that needed doing, and that had a specific purpose and more importantly, a DEADLINE.
That project turned out to be my volunteering to sew a batch of beanbags to be used during one of the games at our 5th Grade end-of-year class party. (see previous post regarding THAT li'l shindig ...) I bought the supercute fabric from Jeanelle at Charmpacks and a big bagga beans (pintos, if you really need that info), looked up a basic "how to sew a beanbag" tutorial online - and awaayyyyy I went! I did sew a test bag first outta some scrap fabric I had here (the yella one, there on the bottom), which came out well enough that I was comfortable moving on to the good fabric - Oh, precut squares, how I adore thee! So no, they aren't the neatest most perfect beanbags ever (hehem, do NOT look too closely at those top seam edges, thennkyewww.), but I made them my very own self, and completed (one of) my promised projects for the games committee, AND learned how to sew a little bit on my long-lusted after sewing machine. Whatta proud, proud day for me :D
'Cept now of course my kitchen table is filled with piles of fabrics and wads of thread and scissors and a rather nifty appliance that most certainly does NOT belong in the kitchen ... Welp! SEW WHUT! Nobody ever said eating AT a table was the law or nothin'! :D
Later, ya'll - I got about a million things to do still (wanna help me paint some 6' tall saguaro cactuses? Meet me in the garage!)
~ gem ~
a mixedmedia dabbler's artistic escapades
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Please Read This If You Post Images Online!
Just straight-up linking you to Claudine Hellmuth's blog posting to save my fingers and before I pitcha fit ...
~ gem ~
~ gem ~
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Badges?
Posting this as my (legitimate, yet) cop-out reason for why I've been virtually invisible and unable to make let alone upload images of, or post stories about ART for the past several months. See ...
Our elementary school throws this "5th Grade Luncheon" each year - a big themed bash for the graduating 5th graders - their last hurrah as gradeschoolers before they move on to big bad middle school. It's completely funded and "produced" ('cause BELIEVE ME, it is a production!) by the PTA and parent volunteers. And as I have a 5th grader, I volunteered to help with this year's event back when we started school in August. There are committees for Fundraising (I offered to chair -?!- the Friday ice cream sales during lunch group - which means I have been trapped in an elementary school CAFETERIA selling ice cream to K-5'ers for 3 hours every Friday for the past 14 weeks ... oooooohhh, goooodtiiiiimes ...) Entertainment, Food, Games, etc ... Many of us on more than one committee, and you'd be surprised at the number of parent volunteers we have considering there are almost 110 5th graders. As in, how FEW there are ... well, don't get me started on that rant, so just nevermind ...
Our chosen theme this year is the 'Wild West" (last year's was "Survivor") and it has been a little wild getting to this point - but we're getting it together and it's looking good! A little less than a month 'til the party (June 2), and yesterday was Reveal Day - where the kids get to find out what their party's theme is. They did a scavenger hunt around campus - clue by clue eventually leading them to the cafeteria, where we were set up to hand out their invitations to the party: Part of this process was each student getting "deputized" by the principal - and therrrrre's where my 120 sheriff's badges come into play! Really I only used about 112 of them, but it was still quite something to handwrite all those names on leeeetle teeny labels ... luckily I actually enjoy stuff like that so it was no trouble. And I only messed up like 4 of them - and not by smudging or shaky handwriting, but I was working of the registrar's classlists and some of the kids don't go by their "formal" names, so unless I knew the kid personally, I had to go by what was on the list. But I was there, Sharpie in hand, to fix any mistakes or add any kids I missed, so it was all good : )
And blah blah blah - moral of the story is - TREASURE your PTA Moms -n- Dads-n-Teachers, 'cause they do so much more than you can imagine! I've only gotten involved in a heavy-duty capacity this year myself (I was always a more behind the scenes at-home-work, class party type helper), and I'm amazed by what really gets accomplished by these people. It really does take a tremendous amount of time and effort.
And I'll be SO happy when my commitment is OVER.
C'monnnn, summer vacation!
See ya when I see ya!
~ gem ~
Our elementary school throws this "5th Grade Luncheon" each year - a big themed bash for the graduating 5th graders - their last hurrah as gradeschoolers before they move on to big bad middle school. It's completely funded and "produced" ('cause BELIEVE ME, it is a production!) by the PTA and parent volunteers. And as I have a 5th grader, I volunteered to help with this year's event back when we started school in August. There are committees for Fundraising (I offered to chair -?!- the Friday ice cream sales during lunch group - which means I have been trapped in an elementary school CAFETERIA selling ice cream to K-5'ers for 3 hours every Friday for the past 14 weeks ... oooooohhh, goooodtiiiiimes ...) Entertainment, Food, Games, etc ... Many of us on more than one committee, and you'd be surprised at the number of parent volunteers we have considering there are almost 110 5th graders. As in, how FEW there are ... well, don't get me started on that rant, so just nevermind ...
Our chosen theme this year is the 'Wild West" (last year's was "Survivor") and it has been a little wild getting to this point - but we're getting it together and it's looking good! A little less than a month 'til the party (June 2), and yesterday was Reveal Day - where the kids get to find out what their party's theme is. They did a scavenger hunt around campus - clue by clue eventually leading them to the cafeteria, where we were set up to hand out their invitations to the party: Part of this process was each student getting "deputized" by the principal - and therrrrre's where my 120 sheriff's badges come into play! Really I only used about 112 of them, but it was still quite something to handwrite all those names on leeeetle teeny labels ... luckily I actually enjoy stuff like that so it was no trouble. And I only messed up like 4 of them - and not by smudging or shaky handwriting, but I was working of the registrar's classlists and some of the kids don't go by their "formal" names, so unless I knew the kid personally, I had to go by what was on the list. But I was there, Sharpie in hand, to fix any mistakes or add any kids I missed, so it was all good : )
And blah blah blah - moral of the story is - TREASURE your PTA Moms -n- Dads-n-Teachers, 'cause they do so much more than you can imagine! I've only gotten involved in a heavy-duty capacity this year myself (I was always a more behind the scenes at-home-work, class party type helper), and I'm amazed by what really gets accomplished by these people. It really does take a tremendous amount of time and effort.
And I'll be SO happy when my commitment is OVER.
C'monnnn, summer vacation!
See ya when I see ya!
~ gem ~
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