Crafting with Kids
Monster Art Part II
February 29, 2008
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Sounds like some of you are curious about the embroidery project I'm working on, so here are a few more details that might be helpful if you want to try this at home. I used a light box to transfer Abby's crayon drawing to the fabric, but if you're working during daylight all you need is a window. Tape the image you want to transfer to fabric to your window, then tape a piece of light-colored fabric (I used unbleached cotton muslin.) right side up over image and trace the design with a special fabric pen.
I used a Dritz fine point "Mark-B-Gone Marking Pen." (It retails for $4.59 at my local Jo-Ann Fabrics, but I got it for less using one of those 40 percent off coupons.) The blue ink is water soluble, so you can remove the marks with a damp cloth after you're done stitching. There are other options for transferring designs to fabric, but so far this seems to work best for me. (Most craft stores carry a variety of marking pens, so check out your options.)
I'm almost done stitching the first monster I transferred from Abby's doodle notebook. So, I'll be moving on to the next one soon. This project is portable and very relaxing. Try it. I bet you'll like it too.
Cheers,
Jennifer
P.S. I got to chat with Anna Maria today and I'm very pleased to report that we had a great conversation. So be sure to tune in to the podcast Sunday, March 16 to hear the show and see if you won some fabric from her newest collection.
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Monster Art
February 28, 2008
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It seems like it happened overnight. Abby's frequent crayon and pen scribbles started to include circles. Soon the circles sprouted stick figure arms and legs and hair. But the faces are pretty recent additions to her art. And those cute little faces are my favorite part. The nose always seems to end up between the eyes, although a bit smaller, and the mouth is always a line that she goes back and embellishes with a circle at each end for "cheeks." (I think she learned to make cheeks at preschool. She frequently says: "Oh, I forgot the cheeks," which makes me laugh.) And now that she's been to the pediatric dentist a couple times, she likes to draw teeth, too.
So given the way I eat up these precious little drawings, I admit it was a bit self-serving when I bought Abby and her little sister, Amelia, each a blank sketch pad and a new box of crayons for Valentine's day. It was kind of a gift to myself in many ways because I so enjoy watching to see what happens when they put crayon to paper. I love observing the colors they select, the shapes they draw and listening to the stories behind the art. There's always a story and that's the fun part. (I always ask any child showing me their artwork to tell me about it. They get a kick out of sharing and I'm always entertained by the response.)
So, on V-day, Abby got to work filling the pages of her little sketchbook with these drawings she calls "happy monsters." (We like happy monsters a whole lot thanks to "Monster's Inc." ) At the end of the day it was so fun to flip through the pages to see what she and Amelia had created. Amelia is still in the scribble phase but puts together interesting color combinations. And Abby has amassed a small collection of happy monsters in her notebook. I decided the monsters are too cute to stay in the notebook, so I decided to embroider them all on fabric and make her a little quilt. I know, it sounds like a big time-consuming job, but I don't mind. I love basic embroidery and I really love using Abby's designs. I mean, how can you not smile when you see monsters with "cheeks?" I'm having fun and Abby seems amused by our collaboration. Hopefully, I finish the quilt by the time she graduates from high school. : )
When I got home from work today, Abby showed me the story she "wrote" while I was away. The whole page was filled with wavy black lines of completely illegible pretend writing. I recognized it as the kind I used to fill notebooks with when I was a little girl who couldn't wait to learn to read and write.
"I have to read you the story I wrote," she said.
"Very nice, what is called?" I asked, looking over her paper.
"Old Mc-, I mean, Hello Kitty Had a Farm."
I found this very amusing and asked her to say it again so Jeff could hear.
"That's funny, Abby," he said, as we all settled into the dining room table to eat the dinner I picked up on the way home.
Abby sang us a couple verses of "Old McDonald." (There seemed to be an abundance of cows in this particular version.) We clapped for her and then went on with the meal. I could tell she was very pleased with herself. It was one of those pleasant moments when no one is crying or having a tantrum, the sort of moment you could live in forever if it was allowed.
I suspect I'll be stitching Abby's monsters for a good long time, but I love it, so that's okay.
Cheers!
Jennifer
P.S. You people really love Anna Maria! Holy smokes, I'm buried in e-mail and looking forward to the interview. : )
P.S.S. I got my swap apron finished last night and plan to ship it out tomorrow after I snap a couple more pictures. Whew.