The finished costume

costume from a t-shirt

 Here is a large shirt.

Cut off just under sleeves.

Use the hem of the shirt as a casing and thread your elastic through and pin.

That will be the waist

do a wide basting stitch to gather the edge of the organza

pin on gathered organza 

The other edge in this job was a salvage so it was used to my advantage

trim the seam close once the seam has been fully encased in this application I used an overcast

 this product was very helpful

I placed it under the organza edge.

It just pulled off when the seam was finished. 

Without it the machine will eat your fabric

 The edge is turned right sides up and top stitched for added strength.

 trimmed right to the edge

 This is from what was left of the neck of the shirt

 The red was changed out for greed ribbon

 A dollar white t shirt from the thrift shop became the base or foundation for the bodice.

It is a monster bride costume.

The arms of the shirt are white glove-lets.

Yes that is a needle in my lips.

This a work in process changes as details are tweaked to her liking

 This is a very big stretch for me.

It is important to me that my child see me overcome my own feeling,

The best examples can be found in humility

 My daughter came up to get her homework binder signed. She took a few pictures. 

She is very happy with the work so far.  "MOM, mom..look up"

 She got me.

I'll try to get a photo tomorrow of the mascaraed costume

Painting with children

 One reason the arts become lost is expectation. We expect this lesson to have this outcome or that. This is what can easily occur in a class of children when rigidity to technique is observed. Free flow is just as important for any artist. At home give way to the children to paint with brushes, teach them yes of the way to use a brush properly and why but in a very relaxed manner.
NEVER EVER critique a child's art. They are not mature enough, not established enough in who they are to hear the negative. They will personally identify with it and personalize it.

My Daughter calls this 'balls'. See the experiment in perspective. That was taught in her class in school. Here she is not instructed much. She is relaxed and silent into the world that she sees in her mind. This is a wonderful exercise for her. She has a type of hypo-active special needs. She is a savant with anything that she hears or sees.  Watching her I witnessed a focus deep focus. She did not stop or deviate. Last night when it was time for them to stop my husband said they were very peaceful. I went to sleep early with a cold. This morning the paints flowed and the creative energy in here was so calm.

No other place is as safe as free flow creativity. Have a few inexpensive canvas on hand. This of course can occur in a wide spectrum of budget. I use the simple canvas boards. No bother to jesso the canvas. The texture is as important I think for them to feel what they are doing. The interactive play of stroke and response awakens fine motor skill. I say this because one of the special needs of my 9 year old son is just that fine motor. He worked so hard on this painting 'Market Place".

My Son's 'market place' the story he tells is of a child having to pay taxes to a king when going to the market

 The image below blew me away. It has been around a while but I never saw the woman and child in it until he outlined it today. I saw a childlike parrot the woman's face being the beak. This was not a childlike image that emerged today. He calls this his abstract. See they have had the Art Master presentations at school, exposed to types of art. He told me also that if it is turned on end that it is a waterfall. The little foot to the left stunned me. My favorite color is purple. This image is to be framed soon.

 Now this one is one done some time back. I found my son outlining it this morning.

Keep on hand a supply of acrylic paints. Water base is a must for oils are not for kids. They can be toxic when mishandled. A note on the paints. Use a per-ma marker and wright the color on the lid. Now store upside down. At time of use they will shake easily and the colors are fast to spot. Kids have little time to waste while your looking for a color. Their minds move fast.

These paints are also mixed media. Use of the markers aid in the fine detail that a young hand may not be able to master a brush to create. An inexpensive set of brushes (marked as KIDS) can teach application. They are shown the different uses of each brush tip. They use the wrong brush and it is the perfect moment to show then which one might serve them better. They then want to use it, as a posed to "I'll do it my way", that defensive human stance. Speaking of emote they are taught that there are so many differing expressions that can be perceived from any one work. It will depend on the one who sees the art what he might see in it. The fun is to also be able to purposely express or pull out an emote from the viewer.

Well enjoy your children, grand kids or just any child in your life that can gain this experience as a part of developing who they might choose to become.

When garmet sewing ironing is a must!

We have an old family quilt. My MILove made this for my husband when he was a kid. 

It is a good thing to save treasures like this. Try mending it. All you need is a little know how and a good iron.

 Moisten the fabric making sure NEVER to use new fabric on ole restoration items. The new fabric will shrink if the item gets washed and will tear apart the connecting fabric. These restoration blocks are made from used hand me down little boys shirts. My sons shirts. The original quilt is made up of scraps from all the shirts that his mother had made for him over the years, so I thought it fitting.

 This is an extensive project an act of love. There are many fusible fabric notions now that will help in these types of efforts. There again you need a good Steam iron. Starch also helps.

 Once pieced and fitted the hand sewing will begin. Mercy this is a lot of hand sewing. The ironing prior however will make nice work of it. Moisten even before the steam. It the fabric has a propensity to shrink it will show up before sewn on. Sometimes even older fabrics can do this.

 As an experienced seamstress my tools are high end. Yours do not have to be however. There are many quality projects out there.

 One down only 27 more to do. Why do I not just begin again and toss this out. History is a gift not forgotten. Once gone it is hard to return to the treasure that is called legacy. Without legacy what do we offer our prodigy?

Perhaps an iron like this one on Amazon might serve you well. Like I said you need not pay a fortune for one.

Children and the arts

Many kids have lost all exposure to the arts. Schools are shutting off the art departments. Even my kids complain about the 'grumpy' art teacher. When I heard from their pears the same commplaint I became awaure of a real issue that plauges our schools.
Art has become less than joy of expressing ones mind than the rules and foring sitting and no movement allowed rooms. All creativity banned.
In our home we MUST now make way for creative outlets for the children.
Most adults are now selling the art supplies because they are now viewed as 'fluff' in life.
Life without the expressed heart into form will then rob us of one another hearts. Most things are not easily expressed in words. In art however the heart can freely open to one another. Thus explains the value of the classics. Those images we can so identify with. For it is in the human experience all things are like.

This fall break I will few having not only my own children but the families of other kids participating in art related activities. Remember to stop on by and enjoy the wonder of creative expression. May I encourage you to do the same. It is as simple as paper and pencil or what ever you have. Reduce reuse and recycle. It need not cost a penny.

Here are a few of the old art masters.


Klee

Face to face

Face Art Print

 Glackens

Luxembourg Gardens

Siqueiros

For the complete Safety of all Mexicans at work

Remberant

The Apostle Simon