Tonight I am going to share a fun book from Leisure Arts called Cool String Art by Lori Wenger. String art is a fun decoration and is fairly easy to make. You can see some of the string art we have made previously.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query string art. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query string art. Sort by date Show all posts
Cool String Art -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
A Look At Mexican Art -- Hispanic Heritage Month
Doodles, Creations and Calm for Tween Girls and More
School is out for summer as of Wednesday!! I know this summer I will hear at some point: "I'm bored!" Today I am going to share two books that are perfect for those moments for crafty tweens and others. The first book is Create! A Girl's Guide to DIY, Doodles & Design by Ashley May.
Japanese Arts, Crafts and their Makers
This month is Asian Pacific Heritage Month and to celebrate it we are looking at Japan all month long for Multicultural Mondays. Last week we started with two picture books including one on the creation myth in Japan. Today we are going to look at the crafts and craftsmen/women of Japan as well as a round-up of Japanese-inspired crafts and artists. To begin this post I am sharing a new book that is being released tomorrow (May 12, 2020). It is Craftland Japan by Uwe Röttgen and Katharina Zetti.
Valentine's Day Crafts--Decorating with Love
This year after taking down Christmas I really had a strong desire to decorate for Valentine's Day. I didn't want to use our regular decorations that we have from years past. I wanted to come up with my own new ones. I helped at Christmas time at Hazel's school with a Christmas station where the kids colored and made 3-D ornaments. I decided to make my own for Valentine's Day. I came up with six different hearts to color using My Memories.
Origami Animals and Origami Paper Review and How I Use It in My Classroom
I am heading back to school for teacher training and the pre-school year prep. One of the things I always have in my room is origami paper and books. I use them with my geometry classes and pull them out during breaks and students come in to get some when they need a break or something to do with their hands. Today I am going to share with you an origami kit and three packs of origami paper which I will be adding to my classroom collection! We will start with the kit which is Fun with Origami Animals by Sam Ita. It is recommended for ages 6 to 10. I would say it is perfect for beginners no matter the age.
Dollar Tree Christmas Crafts including Cheap Doll Finds -- a Crafty Weekends Post and Link Party
I know Halloween is coming fast and once it has come the holiday season has begun. I love to focus on Christmas since it is one of my favorite holidays. So yes, I am sharing some Christmas crafts and items. The best part is the supplies are from Dollar Tree where everything is $1!! And like most stores, they already have Christmas items out!!
DIY Box Creations -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
I hope everyone has had a wonderful week and is ready for Halloween. We finally had our It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown party today. Here are some pictures from our set up. We had a table set for crafts and Bingo. The girls played smash the pumpkins at our balloon pumpkin patch as well as Bingo and relay races. Then there was a popcorn bar to have some popcorn while watching the DVD of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. They had a blast and it was such an easy party to set up and clean up. I gave each girl a brown lunch bag a little more than half filled with popcorn with butter on it.
Before Music: Where Instruments Come From with Musical Instrument Craft Round-Up
Music is such an important part of life. We hear music everywhere. Listen to the wind blowing or the birds singing. It is musical. Today I am sharing a book that takes a look at music from across time and around the world. It shares where musical instruments come from and I'm sharing a round-up of diy musical instruments for kids. The book is Before Music: Where Instruments Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel and illustrated by Madison Safer. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Oriental Trading's Fun365 --a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Have you discovered Oriental Trading's Fun365? It is a site that has different craft projects and articles. There are choices of Party Ideas, Craft Ideas, Wedding Ideas, and Classroom Ideas. I was inspired by ideas from the Craft Ideas and Party Ideas. I had so much fun exploring the many ideas there. I let Hazel look and help me pick what we would try. In the Party Ideas section there is a Rainbow Party and one of the crafts is a DIY Rainbow Coin Purse. Instead of doing the coin purse we used DIY Totes. (See current available totes here.)I asked Hazel to paint a rainbow on one for me. She wanted to use the Pearlized Acrylic Paint (available paint). Then she wanted to do a heart rainbow, but hers turned out more like a circle. She also did a square but wanted to use the pink on it. I did a heart one for her as well as a star and an H.
Fairy Day Games -- Book Review & Giveaway with Fairy Craft Round-Up
Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post and giveaway.
Our house has loved fairies for a long time. One of our favorite photos of Hazel when she was younger was with her fairy wings on.
Hazel loved fairies when she was younger. We read just about every book with fairies in them. Today I get to share a new one that has a young girl dreaming of going to the fairy party that welcomes everyone in the forest and belonging. The book is Fairy Day Games by Mari Sherkin and illustrated by David Gnass. With this review there is a giveaway as well as a fairy craft round-up.
Cottontail Rabbits -- Who's In the Backyard? Series
I haven't done a Who's In The Backyard? Post in awhile. I had planned on doing my rabbits weeks ago but was having internet issues as well as a busy life. So here it finally is!! In our backyard we have cottontails. They are probably Eastern Cottontails, but there is a slight chance they could be New England Cottontails. So my focus is going to be on both species and the differences.
Fun Facts about Quilting with Quilt Book Round-Up
I love making quilts. However I do it rather slowly most of the time. I have had four quilt books that I haven't shared with you sitting in my review folder and to be honest I haven't been motivated to start any of the quilts. I picked out quilts to make in each one but didn't have a bed or person to make them for and just didn't have the time to do them without the motivation of a reason. I also have had a lot of family things going on and am hoping to start making a classic double wedding ring for my own bed. So with all of that I thought I would do a quilt book round-up with fun facts about quilting first.
Fun Facts about Quilting
- The word quilt comes from the Latin word culcita which means mattress or cushion. The English word was first used around 1250.
- Quilting as we know it, where stuffing goes between two layers of fabric, started in France.
- Rudimentary quilting dates back to China around 3000 B.C. Their ancient warriors quilted chest protectors together.
- Ancient Egyptians quilted clothing.
- The world’s oldest quilt in existence is the Tristan Quilt. It is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is believed it was made between 1360 and 1400.
- Early American quilts were made by the English and Dutch settlers. They used them to keep warm at night while sleeping but also to keep out drafts from doors and windows.
- The world’s largest quilt is the AIDS Memorial Quilt. It weighs 54 tons and spans 1.2 million square feet. In 1987 it contained 1,920 panels commemorating people who died of AIDS. Now there are 48,000 panels. Most blocks are rectangles measuring 6 feet by 3 feet or roughly the size of a grave.
- The largest patchwork quilt measures 270,174 square feet. It is called Manta da Cultura (Patchwork for Culture) and was made in 2000 by Realizar Eventors Especialis in Portugal.
- The world’s largest historical quilt is in Antler, North Dakota. It depicts the state as a colorful map. It is 11,390 square feet.
- In 2020 the U.S. had approximately 21 million quilters. They had an average age of 63.
- Paducah, Kentucky calls itself the quilting capital of the world. It is home to The National Quilt Museum.
- A summer quilt is a quilt that does not have the stuffing.
- During the 1800s there was a custom for a girl to make a baker’s dozen of quilt tops before she engaged. 12 were utility quilts and one was a masterpiece for her bridal bed. After her engagement she would complete the tops into quilts.
- A mother would often make several quilts for her children for when they left their childhood home and became adults.
- In the mid 1800s the introduction of the sewing machine changed how quilt tops were pieced. However even with the invention of a separate quilting attachment hand quilting was still favored for another century.
- The US postal service has featured quilts from Gee’s Bend, Amish and folk art on its stamps.
- It is said the most famous quilts in America are the Gee’s Bend Quilts.
- Quilting bees originated in the Midwest US during the 1800s . There was a need for socializing due to lack of neighbors. It drew women together to finish quilts and make new friends.
- The most expensive quilt ever sold was a Civil War-era piece purchased for $254,000 in 1991.
- Dedicated quilters are defined as those who spend more than $500/year on quilting buy on average 99 yards of fabric a year which is almost enough for an entire football field. Dedicated quilters usually spend $3,363 on quilting supplies each year. They spend almost 8 hours a week on-line visiting quilting sites and groups centered on quilting techniques, supplies and news.
- Beginner quilters spend 6.9 hours quilting a week on average. Advanced quilters spend around 17.6 hours.
- The average quilter in 2020 is a retired woman in her 60s and she owns four different sewing machines.
- Quilters answering a survey say they quilt to relax, relieve stress, be creative, and connect with family and friends through gift-giving.
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| Tristan Quilt by Unknown 1395, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
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| AIDS Memorial Quilt Photo by National Institutes of Health, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Gee's Bend Quilting Bee photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Sources:
- 24 Blocks. “Fun Facts About the Wide and Wonderful World of Quilting.” https://24blocks.com/cs-quilting-facts/
- Glassenberg, Abby. Craft Industry Alliance. “Quilting Trends Survey Results 2020.” (19 Jun 2020) https://craftindustryalliance.org/quilting-trends-survey-results-2020/
- Guinness World Records. “Largest Patchwork Quilt.” https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-patchwork-quilt
- Mathew, Kathy. Chicago Now. “12 Fun Facts About Quilting.” (26 Mar 2014) https://www.chicagonow.com/quilting-sewing-creating/2014/03/12-fun-facts-about-quilting/
- Quilting in America. “History of Quilts.” https://www.quilting-in-america.com/History-of-Quilts.html
- Smithsonian Magazine. “You Can Now Explore All 48,000 Panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt Online.” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aids-memorial-quilt-now-online-180975370/
Now onto our books. Since my mother gave me many different size strips, I wanted to look at various strip quilts including jelly roll ones. A jelly roll is usually 40 2.5-inch strips of coordinating fabrics. Three out of the four books I am sharing involve strips. The first is Love of Jelly Roll Quilts by Love Patchwork & Quilting.
From the Publisher:
Tantalizing, tasty, sweet . . . sew up something good enough to eat!
From the pages of Love Patchwork & Quilting and Today’s Quilter comes a delicious collection of 13 bright, bold quilts that feature the perennially popular jelly roll strips. Strip piecing, basketweave, pinwheels, appliqué, and more—use 2 1/2-inch pre-cut fabric strips in exciting and unexpected ways. Whip up quilts in a range of project sizes and complexity, including a suite of baby projects, a pillow, wall hangings, and bed quilts. Top designers like Susan Briscoe and Jo Avery are featured. Finally, get the best from the pages of the UK’s most popular quilting magazines!
- Jelly rock-’n’-roll! This project-stuffed book is an easy and affordable way to own stylish patterns from the best-selling modern quilting magazines in the United Kingdom.
- Piece thirteen projects from 2 ½” precut strips, ranging from bed-size beauties to quick-sew projects
- Take strip-piecing a step further with innovative techniques and tons of variety
From Me:
This book gives thirteen different projects that range from bed quilts to nursery quilts and accessories. Some are twists on more traditional patterns and others are a bit more modern. Of course any can be made more modern depending on the fabric one chooses.
I love that the quilt has many strip quilts as well as ones where the jelly roll strips are cut into squares or triangles to make more complex designs. I also love that there are the baby quilt, matching pillow, and a comforter (which Hazel would have loved as a baby). There are some fun projects in this book.
Our next book is String Frenzy by Bonnie K Hunter.
From the Publisher:
Once you go scrappy, there’s no turning back!
Are you buried in scraps—big pieces, small pieces, hunks, chunks, strips, and parts? Bonnie K. Hunter fans will love her newest book of playful string-quilt projects! Sew a dozen vibrant quilt patterns using the small leftovers from other projects that seem too tiny to save, yet too big to toss. Learn Bonnie’s basics for foundation piecing narrow fabric pieces 3/4” to 2” wide, turning them into dazzling scrappy blocks and one-of-a-kind quilts.
• Have a string piecing party with a best-selling author, the great Bonnie K. Hunter
• Love your leftovers! Become a scrap quilt addict, sewing fabric strings and crumbs into brand new blocks
• Hunter fans will love this offering of twelve “use it all” patterns in her signature style
From Me:
This book has twelve quilts to make. Bonnie uses foundation paper when piecing the blocks. This will make points more clear but also take longer. The creativity in the styles however is amazing. There is even a pumpkin patch one. Most of the quilts use random sizes of strips and not the 2.5-inches of a jelly roll, so these are good patterns to use on scraps or some of the strips my mother gave me. She gave me ones that range from about 1-inch to 6-inches.
There is a huge variety of styles of quilts in this book and the instructions are easy to follow. Bonnie is very creative with the quilt patterns combining a bit of modern and traditional styles.
Our next book is Strip Quilt Secrets by Diane D. Knott.
From the Publisher:
Transform fabric strips into unique and interesting quiltsGet ready for some of the best-kept secrets in strip quilting! You’ll start with the basics of cutting, storing, and piecing fabric strips from 1½” to 3½” wide. Explore five techniques to make strip-pieced rows, triangles, and more advanced blocks. Then make the most of your stash by turning precut strips, sliced yardage, and even selvages into fifteen innovative strip-quilt projects. Customize the look of each quilt with blank coloring pages, laying the foundation to design your own strip quilts.
• Sew fifteen quilt projects from fabric strips, in every look from planned to scrap-tastic
• Bust your stash and your scraps! Use extra-wide strips, skinny selvages, precuts, and yardage to sew innovative designs
• Start with easy strip sets, advancing to triangles and interesting layouts that might surprise you
From Me:
This book has different techniques and is divided up by those techniques. There are strip sets, triangles from strips, resewing strips, individual strips and more. There are a total of fifteen projects in this book, and there is a lot of variety from traditional to modern quilts. She uses different size strips and even has some with the selvages. In the beginning of the book Diane shares about her strip collection and how she creates the strips.
The quilts in this book range for scrap quilts to well planned color wise quilts. Some of the quilts use a fabric foundation piece but others are just piecing the strips. The instructions are very clear and there are great pictures also to help.
Our final book is a nod to my former life as a geometry teacher. I a tend to love to check out books about optical illusion quilts and 3-D quilts. I believe it is because I taught about them in geometry classes for so many years. It is Stunning 3-D Quilts Simplified by Ruth Ann Berry.
From the Publisher:
Sew three-dimensional quilt illusionsCreate a stunning quilt that will have your friends asking, “How did you do that?” Believe it or not, these attention-grabbing projects come together with straight rows of simple shapes. You’ll learn how to sew 12 visually arresting quilts each in 4 colorways giving you dozens of dynamic options. Build your confidence in bias piecing, as you pair light, medium, and dark fabrics for heavenly hexes. Don’t be intimidated—just follow the easy assembly diagrams and watch your quilt come together one row at a time with no inset seams. These 3-D illusions are so impressive, you won’t know whether to keep them on the bed or hang them on the wall.
- Sew 3-D illusion quilts that have your friends asking how you did it
- Arrange 60-degree triangles in rows for easy piecing with no inset seams
- Build your confidence in bias piecing, mixing color values for dimensional effects
From Me:
Most of the patterns in this book offer different sizes however almost all of them are at least a twin size. They are big. I wasn't sure I was ready to make such a big 3-D quilt design which is why I haven't made one of them yet. The book provides the pattern in one set of colors however shows color alternatives at the end of each quilt instruction. Again there is a huge variety with the quilts. They all tend to be pretty modern but some are busier than others. Most of these quilts are made with more solid-ish fabrics and the designs on the fabric help with the shading and thus giving the 3-D look.
The patterns are fun and the color choices really make the quilts pop. I love that they give some color inspiration for each quilt. There is also a table runner which I may play with soon. The book provides a "graph" of each quilt as well so color can be explored a bit.
Craft Books Galore! Review and Round-Up of Craft Books--Quilting, Embroidery, Paper Quilling, Origami, Knitting and more!
As I have been doing the last few weeks I am trying to share all my books with you before Christmas. Although it is getting late now to order you can still get some by Christmas. So today I am sharing three craft books with you and then a round-up of the craft books I have to review still. We are going to start with our craft space and organizing it!
A Japanese Fairy Tale and James VanDerZee -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review
Disclosure: Lee and Low sent me these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.
Today I get to share my final two reviews for Multicultural Children's Book Day 2018. I am sharing two very different books with you from different cultures. The first book is a classic Japanese fairy tale. It is The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley and illustrated by Lin Wang.
Meet Diane Tells His Name and her Dolls
A few weeks ago I shared two of the beautiful Tribal Nations Maps about Indigenous women. One of the people shared on them is Diane Tells His Name. Diane has an interesting life story and she makes the most beautiful dolls. As a doll collector from my childhood I have always loved dolls. My sisters and I had a doll collection that was displayed in a curio cabinet in our dining room. Over the years some dolls have been lost or damaged as we each have moved and separated our collections. I still have some and they are now in my china cabinet. I have a love of dolls from different cultures because they share so much about the culture from their features, their clothes and often their stories. Perhaps this is why I was so drawn to Diane and her story. However as I learn more about Diane I find her story even more fascinating.
Sharing Saturday 13-16
What a week this has been. Between the Boston Marathon bombing and school vacation week our week has been anything but normal. We live in the Greater Boston area so the bombing was a bit too close for comfort. However, I did have time to visit the amazing posts from last week's Sharing Saturday. If you have not checked them out yet, you should. I was pinning and being inspired by many of them!! There were great recipes, crafts, science experiments, lessons, activities, playdate ideas and so much more! It was hard to choose features or should I say limit the number of features I chose. Speaking of features, make sure you check out my co-host's features at Having Fun at Chelle's House! We always have different ones. Now onto my features. This week I get to present the Most Clicked!! Our most clicked last week came from Gift of Curiosity with Super Sparkly Sensory Bags. I know Hazel would love to make one of these. I think the next rainy day we will!
Next are a few of the great ideas to help children learn about and celebrate Earth Day. (There were many more so go check them all out!)
1) From My Nearest and Dearest: 6 Earth Day Activities for Little Ones (Some great ideas for even the youngest ones!)
2) From Toddling in the Fast Lane: Recycled Tea Set (Love this idea and it is perfect for play and uses recycled items!)
3) From We Made That: Tin Can Planters (So pretty, simple and Earth friendly!)
4) From Learning and Growing the Piwi Way: Save the Monarchs (I had just been reading about the decline in the butterfly numbers and was thinking about adding some more butterfly friendly plants--love getting the little ones involved!)
5) From Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes: Making Your Own Cool Art Paper (Something I hope to try when Hazel is a bit older!)
Plus I had to mention a few of my other favorites. Just because I loved them and found them inspiring and fun!
A Few of My Favorites
2) From Buggy and Buddy: Science for Kids: Exploring Sound with a Hanger and String (This sounds so neat--I want to try it and I guess I'll let Hazel try too!)
3) From Rubberboots and Elf Shoes: Mr. Klimt Trees -- Kindergarten Style (I love these and they are so pretty!)
Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! If you were one of the ones picked as a feature here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog.
Now for This Week's Party
A Few Simple Guidelines:
1) Please follow Crafty Moms Share and Having Fun at Chelle's House via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).
A Few Simple Guidelines:
1) Please follow Crafty Moms Share and Having Fun at Chelle's House via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).
2) Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc. Remember to link to your actual post.
3) Post the newly updated button on your sidebar or somewhere on your blog to help spread the word.
Button Code:
4) I would love it if you would follow me on Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest as well as Having Fun at Chelle's House at Facebook and Pinterest
Disclaimer: By sharing here, you are giving Crafty Moms Share and Having Fun at Chelle's House permission to use your photos for features and to pin your craft at Pinterest.
A Look at Wampum and How It Is Made -- Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month. This year I thought I would explore wampum and how it is made. Wampum jewelry is very popular on Cape Cod and this summer I was told how hard (and dangerous) it is to make. This is why it costs so much.
Origami Art with Origami Paper 1000 Sheets Color Bursts with Origami Butterfly Tutorial
I have shared I have been on an origami kick since I subbed at Hazel's school for the geometry teacher. I have had a piece of origami artwork I have been waiting to share. For some reason I thought the paper I used wasn't released yet, but it was, so I am finally getting to share it with you. I will also share the tutorial to make the butterflies on it.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Books and Crafts
Have you entered my current giveaway yet?
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| Hazel colored this page she picked up at the library, but I have seen it available for free at Teachervision |
In the United States today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In some states it is called Civil Rights Day. The theme usually is a Day of Service since Dr. King devoted his life to serving and helping others. Last week we did a book round up with books on Dr. King and on the holiday. On Sunday I shared two crafts to honor his teaching of peace through love.
Inspiring and Educational Books
Crafts to Honor Dr. King's Teachings
At the end of this section I will share all the places that inspired these crafts. Many were inspired by several different crafts in different places.
These two crafts could be made with a felt background and made into pins or with a clay background and made into magnets. One of the inspiring crafts made it this way and taped a string to be a necklace on it. The faces are various colors of wooden beads. On one I used a puffy heart sticker and the others I used small heart buttons to show the love Dr. King spoke about.
Craft Inspiration Came From:
- Danielle's Place
- Artists Helping Children
- Spoonful (Sorry the pin does not go directly to the craft)
- Artists Helping Children
How do you celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day?
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