Blue phase

I announced to show more spinning art in the last post (I still have some pictures I didn't show jet - they will come later), but the addiction to the electric screw-driver took a pause and I fell again in love of painting stones like last summer (look here and here). And it seems that I am in a blue period ;-)

Ahh, I really love those. Not one that I dislike!

But I made also two with a little spring color on it:

Only a small photo to not spoil my blue post :-)

From painting stones I jumped over to painting eggs (more difficult and less accurate!)

But I think the blue/white phase is over now and I will be back to multi-color soon!

A bientôt,
Jane

Drawing with rotating paper

Last week (first week at home with Corona-restrictions) I saw this little video at pinterest and tested it the same evening with younger son. SO MUCH FUN !

We immediately produced a dozen circles!

I made a colorweel and glued it to the pen box of elder sons pencils (bizar: he is the only one in the house having normal pencils - I have only fine liners)

The following days I had to think of what to do with all those circles.

First I tried a paper patchwork!

The last one made it into my sketch book.

Of course I had to share this with all crafting addicted people I know with photos over portable phone. The idea of my sister in law was to draw on both sides and make them into a mobile. 

Done!

The other circles I assembled as a collage on a black card stock.

I was already a bit tired of this horse collage, so I replaced it with the circles. Funnily I now see a soaring elephant (am I crazy??)

Then my darling had a genious improvement for fixing the paper on the electric screwdriver: He gave me a metal pin to fix in the drill chuck and a little but strong magnet to hold the paper. So now no more holes in the paper and I now make multiple excentric circles!

If you are also at home with lots of time because you can't work or you need to entertain you kids: try it! There are probably endless possibilities for what you can do with those circles. I will show some more in the next post!

Take care!

Soyez prudent,

Jane 

Crazy tote-bag - bag-sewing 5/2020

Initially I only wanted to make an example of "patch-as-you-go" to show my students that seams are stabilizing even soft fabrics a lot. This is why the backside is molleton. Later I wished I had taken two layers or something more stable, because it was so much fun sewing with all this scraps and I wanted it to make a real project and not only an example.

(click for bigger view)

Isn't it gorgeous! I love it! 

The piece is about 42x110cm.

The crazy scraps are built around some left-over blogs I had. You can see a pinwheel, two flying geese, 4 blocks of 9patch and a zig-zag-piece.

Most fabrics are only once in the whole patchwork! I only used scraps! I didn't cut any pieces from a bigger fabric than 20x20cm. Funnily my scrap drawer isn't much emptier ... need to make some more of those projects ;-)

I transformed it into a tote-bag! 

Looking different from every angle :-)

I'll do another one and this time directly on a stiffer support than molleton, so I can spare the linning. Here I used the most stable cotton canvas I had to give enough stability.

The bottom is made the same way as for my stripy-totes.

Do you like it too? Need to start very soon with the next one!

A bientôt,
Jane 

3D paper owl

Look who flew of my crafting desk! 

She calls Ow-Lily and is a very handsome grey paper owl!

She is now on her way to my sister in law as a birthday surprise! Hope she will find a good home there - I had some difficulties to let her go!

Paper model bought here, printed on 300g/m² cardstock and decorated by me with white feather drawings.

A bientôt,
Jane 

Sewing ecological sponges

Back in January a lady I knew from school asked if I'm still taking sewing commands, as she wanted to order reusable sponges and kitchen cloths. I told her I haven't time to sew orders since I have my association and the crafting classes, but her request gave me a push as I have been thinking already about how a sponge could last longer in my kitchen. I normally use a sponge first for dishes and pots, then for cleaning windows and in the end for cleaning real dirty stuff, mainly in the basement. I once tried to wash a sponge in the dish washer to see if the light greasy touch would clean of, but it was even worse after.

So I surfed the internet and found plenty of ways to make sponges yourself. I liked the idea of using jute for the scratchy side best - mainly because I had it in the house ;-) and I took terry cloth for the other side (those I had also on stock from the time I have been sewing bibs - long long time ago)

In the first go I tried two models. The first one I stuffed with polyester cushion filling, as I like to have something in the hand when rubbing over a dirty pan. 

I thought the polyester filling might dry easily and so the microbes won't have a happy home in my kitchen, but it didn't work at all. The sponge stayed wet for days after using. So this one isn't the solution.

The second model I liked mainly because of the idea of having a strap to put the hand through while scrubbing. Inside is one layer of fleece.

This is a quite good one, but the strap isn't very practical. It is in fact disturbing. 

Both models aren't perfect but they showed that the jute and the terry cloth are very good materials for cleaning. The jute scratches enough to get crusts off, but not leaving marks on the surface like some other scratchy sponges. Washing those sponges isn't a problem neither and they don't mind the landry dryer!

I made model number 3 with two layers of fleece inside and no strap. The size for cutting the layers is about 10x15cm.

And with this ones I am very happy! :-)

I will soon make a whole bunch of them to have on stock. I already made a couple for a friend as a birthday gift and for having a tester! 

I will start long term tests to see how long they last and how often you can wash them before they'll fall appart. If I don't forget I'll post a résumé in half a year!

A bientôt,
Jane