045 Chatty Kid Takeover

I think creativity is incredibly important right now. You can feel really stifled if your voice isn’t heard and if you’re kind of stuck in an endless summer that doesn’t feel any different than the last 3 months. I think that it’s important to find your voice and a way to spend your time to express your self because, you know, you can go stir crazy and watch TV for endless hours a day or you can feel like you’re using your time in a valuable way.
(teaser to episode)

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That’s me, Angelica Norton. For this episode, my chatty daughters, Eloise and Ansley, took over my hosting duties to ask me some of the questions I normally pose to my guests and to give crafting advice. Now, more than ever, it’s important to be creative so we don’t feel stir-crazy in the midst of a pandemic, and in order to find ways to express our tumultuous feelings during social unrest. Let’s all shift perspective and ask questions to see what we can learn from each other – and like Eloise says, “actually listen.”

We actually recorded a month ago, just as the Black Lives Matter marches started, so I put this one on hold recorded another episode to amplify an artist of color (shown in Episode 44 Inner City Dreamer: Kendall Angelle).

Eloise, Ansley, and I talked about kids on YouTube shows, sewing as therapy vs sewing for profit, the endless summer because of Covid, White Privilege, storytelling and appreciating grandparents, overcoming being bullied as a child through creative, supportive friends (shown in Episode 43: Handbag Poetry Night), the positives and negatives of the pandemic, and tips on staying creative.

Art by Eloise

Art by Ansley

Quilt squares by Angelica

Eloise’s mask as a headband

Eloise’s mask

How to make a t-shirt bandeau mask

I posted on my instagram a few weeks ago about making a bandeau mask out of jersey knit and how much I loved being able to breathe in it. PLUS it rests easily around my neck in the in between time. If you don’t have a bolt of jersey knit lying around, you can use an old t-shirt to make one. I didn’t make a pattern or write the steps down when I made the ones for me and my daughters, but when my husband asked for one for Father’s Day, I just couldn’t quite remember how I made it – hence this blog post. So this is partly for myself as a reference for when I make them again, but hopefully this is a helpful reference for you as well!

It’s a quick sew and can be done on a standard sewing machine, or a serger, which I prefer since it’s a stretchy material and it does the cutting for you.

Steps:

Cut the t-shirt horizontally under the armpits
Flip inside out
Cut the sides of the shirt
Serge (or sew) the top and the bottom of the shirt
Flip right side out
Surge (or sew) the front edge of one side to the edge of the other side. Don’t sew all 4 edges together! You’re making a tube that you will flip inside out.
Rotate as you sew, then leave a small opening to flip it inside out. I left from the edge of the needle to my finger in the photo below.
Flip fabric through hole
Topstitch or blind stitch to close up the opening

That’s it! It’s pretty good for with wearing glasses, and you don’t need to make bias tape ties or elastics to go around the ears. The size is forgiving because it’s stretchy. I like to have several options of masks around because I can’t keep up with one, so I keep them in my car, a purse if I’m carrying one, and the rest of the family masks tucked away in a bin in my closet. Let’s keep wearing those masks, friends!

mask3

Plus as a bonus, my kid now has a crop top to wear, because FASHION.

040 Ambassador of String: Gretchen Du Prè

Angelica, it is why I do what I do. I love this city. I love Austin, and that’s honestly my career goal, is to make Austin beautiful, though public art, through landscape design, through public projects if I can be involved.

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That’s Gretchen Du Prè. Fiber artist, landscape designer, musician slash singer, mother, and beautifier. Gretchen’s own string theory is: if there’s a way to knit it, play it, draw it, or sew it, she wants to get her hands on it. If you see her around town and compliment something she made – watch out, you might be wearing it home.

Public Art:

She and Austin Outdoor Design had a entry in the recent Fortlandia, called Hamaca de los Flores, at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

She also had a project in Creek Show, a temporary light installation over Waller Creek in Austin.

Music:

Singer and musician for the band, Honey Punch, for 10 years, a daytime fun band. The intro was “Anarchy in the UK” ; the mid-episode sample was “Being Mir Best Du Schon”, and the outro was “Fallen for You.” Follow them on Instagram and check out their website for shows and delights!

Honey Punch band

Gretchen du Pre

Gretchen at Creekshow 2018

Gretchen du Pre at Creek Show

Creek Show 2018

Fortlandia 2020: Hamaca de los flores

038 Heart and Handmaker: Jen Grudza

I think it’s a reminder to spend time with myself and do something that makes me happy and gives me joy. It’s like my separate space where I don’t have talk to anybody, I don’t have to be on like I am at my job. Because it’s the guest room; my dog hangs out on the bed, and the sun is very beautiful comes through my room. I think it’s just my check out space where I just dive in. My hands have to be busy; I can’t not be busy…

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That’s Jen Grudza. Project Coordinator for Moontower, quilter, bag-maker, dog parent to Mr. Winston, and wife. She is my new crafty inspiration and muse. I’m drawn to her because I relate to her need to make soft or yummy things to give away, like hugs. Recently she has been exploring a functional style with durable materials like canvas, leather, and cork, and upcycling old jeans. Her beautiful handmade items involve slicing intricate patterns and following complicated directions – that I’m anxious to get a lesson on now that I bought my first paper-piecing quilt pattern.

Names mentioned in the episode:

Niku Arabai taught a quilt class at Stitch Lab

Jen made Denyse Schmidt’s Single Girl Quilt Pattern and took it to Gina Pina at Canopy to quilt it.

Chawnie Kimber teaches math in the NE; Jen took her class through the Quilt Guild and is inspired by her tiny mathematical pieces

Flash tattoo at Quiltcon by Stacy Martin Smith in Austin.

Some links of things mentioned in the episode:

Helm boot for outer wax, Tandy leather + photo of waxed canvas bag

Paper piecing – there are two kinds: english and foundation; The example she brought in is of a tattoo quilt pattern

Labels for handmade works by Wunderlabel

Carolyn Friedlander fabric with architecture and botanical designs – I already made my Christmas wish list of her re-released lines

Quiltcon is coming to Austin Feb 20 – 23, 2020

Hawthorne Threads – environmentally friendly fabric printing

**Note: Gunner was mentioned in the episode and as passed away just before the episode posted. My heart goes out to his family and friends.**

hand applique

My birthday bag from Jen with Wunderlabel

Denyse Schmidt’s Single Girl Quilt patter, Quilted by Gina Pina

Cross-stitch of a Winston-alike

Paper Piecing of tattoo quilt patter

Mr. Winston in the sewing/guest room

Jen Grudza’s sewing room

027 The Questing Quilter: Diana Stahl

That’s what I think quilting has been able to do for me, is to give me an outlet to express those little beauties, those little things in my spirit that I want to get out. Imagine that feeling could be in an object around your house and you could see it and go like, oh, oh! Nice, nice nice! I think that’s what we’re all trying to do when we buy something and put it in our home.

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That’s Diana. Teacher, crafter, serene mother of 3…and my beloved college roomie. Even back in her wildest days, she possessed a tender heart, impossible patience, and an enduring fondness for fine fabric, nostalgia, and one more cup of coffee. In the blanket she made for my daughter, every square was a tiny slice of affection sewn together with her signature calm just for me. – Amber Moreno

**Thanks so much to Amber Moreno for the countless hours she’s put into producing this little podcast for 27 episodes. I have appreciated every second she’s nudged and carefully spliced to get such thoughtfully crafted episodes from our hour-plus long chats. Her work will be missed, but I certainly am thankful that I get to see her regularly for non-podcast related hangs.** -Angelica Norton

Weekly inpo: Yasmin Youssef’s art exhibit at E.A.S.T (East Austin Studio Tour) can be found at @thegoldcurrent on Instagram and her website: http://yasmin.ws

Diana’s favorite quilting book is 501 Rotary Cut quilt blocks by Judy Hopkins and she uses a Pfaff Varimatic sewing machine. You just need a problem-free sewing machine, an iron, and an ironing board, and you’re all set! TIP! Try a 70% cotton/30% polyester batting so it doesn’t shrink, but double-check the size on your pre-sized batting so your finished quilt top matches up correctly!

Her quilter in Winnipeg, Manitoba is Brenna Sneesby at thequilteddaisy.com

An example of the hand towels Diana mentioned around the middle of the episode:

aunt-marthas-flour-sack-towels-vintage-aunt-marthas-flour-sack-tea-towels — Source: http://searchluke.info/aunt-marthas-flour-sack-towels/

Diana’s lovely quilts and workspace:

Diana’s quilt

Diana’s workspace

026 Heartfelt Hackster: Amanda Davidson

It’s important what we do, and it’s important how we do things, it’s important that we are creative when we do things–it matters, you know? It matters that we do things well and we do things with intention and love. It matters to our families, and our friends, and whatever random person we interact with in commerce, too.

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That’s Amanda. Mother of 3 and family caregiver, soulful singer, and appreciator of imperfect art–when she can steal a couple of hours to herself, that is. Amanda sat down with us to explore melding old and new and what it means to be dipping her toes back in the creative world though interior design with her business, Curate Homes.

Amanda and Graham named their residential construction company Curate (‘kyur-ət) because that’s the person in the church who’s the caretaker of souls. Find more online at www.curatehomes.com or on Instagram. The songs played in the episode were, in order of appearance: “Going Somewhere,” “Teaching me My Name,” “Minnie Catherine,” and “Under the Earth.” One of her albums, Home, is available on iTunes HERE under her maiden name, Amanda Leggett.

Amanda’s laundry room/workspace

Interior design project by Amanda Davidson through Curate Homes

Amanda’s baby book for Edie

Amanda’s baby book pages for Lyle

Amanda’s baby book for Edie

Amanda’s baby book page for Ames

014 Pattern Fanatic: Sarah

“…so you haven’t started driving yet, but there’s two things with sewing that are kinda like driving; there’s the gas pedal and there’s the steering wheel. The steering wheel’s your hands, and they’re guiding and steering the fabric the direction you want them to go underneath the needle, so it sews where you want it to.”

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That’s Sarah.

Teacher, mom, fabric freak, and seemly seemstress. A modest pro at sewing with kids, she joined us in an attempt to capture the chaos of a back to school project with four kids under 10 and one sewing machine. The perfect exercise in knowing when to walk away and when to take a breath, rip the stitches and run that seam again. Stay tuned for some tips, tricks and some spots around Austin to tune up your stitching skills.

Sarah’s selfies in clothes she made

Pants for a little guy, by Sarah

Sarah’s selfies in clothes she made

Pouches by Sarah

Beauty and the Beast outfits, all made by Sarah

Links mentioned in the episode, as promised –

Local Austin spots for classes and help:

https://theclothpocket.myshopify.com/

http://austintinkeringschool.com/

And for patterns/instructional videos:

https://noodle-head.com/

https://blankslatepatterns.com/

https://mellysews.com/

http://www.madeeveryday.com/

Last week we asked our listeners how they express themselves in their everyday life, here’s a post by Genevieve (episode 001) of PassageWay Arts on that topic.

Question Of The Week: Is there a place that brings out your creativity?

Let us know on Twitter and Instagram using #chattycrafties or reply on the FB QOTW post! We’d like to incorporate your answers in our interview. Thanks for keeping in touch♥

009 Manic Maker v. The Harmonizer: Angelica Norton and Amber Moreno

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This week on Chatty Crafties: Angelica Norton: Landscape Designer, Mother of 2, and binge-crafter vs. Amber Moreno: career-averse Personal Organizer, Mother, of 1 and serial procrastinator. Will one out-craft the other? Will questions and answers clash in a heated discussion while the a/c remains off to minimize background noise? Will it all end up on the cutting room floor? We’re pitting host against producer this week for a very special episode.

YOUR HOMEWORK THIS WEEK: make TEN of something, or scribble out 3 morning pages.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Do you ever go back to read, listen to, or watch your old work? Also, show us pics of your personal workspace.

Let us know on Twitter and Instagram using #chattycrafties or reply on the QOTW post! We like to incorporate your answers in our interview. Shout out to Mortimer Ex for her “music to create to” playlist idea. On that note, check out our Chatty Crafties Spotify playlist. While you’re at it, Amber’s blog, Morenovision for some wildly cute baby pics.

Angelica performing in Testify

Angelica’s baby blanket series

Angelica’s renditions of 10

Angelica’s mermaid skirt

Angelica getting her hands dirty

Angelica’s jewelry organizer (collaboration w/ Matt)

Amber in Cabernet Cabaret singing Too Darn Hot

Amber’s Chalk handwriting from her library days

Amber’s morning pages

Amber on set for One Room Schoolhouse’s “Audition”

Amber polishing a wedding bouquet before it went down the aisle

Amber backstage during “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”

007 Artistic Analyst: Bianca Aquino

Everything that I make or everything that I’ve created is a reflection of someone’s influence on me.

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That’s Bianca. She introduced me to computer games, AOL chatrooms, showed me how to straighten my hair, and how to dance to R&B while watching BET’s Midnight Love. She has a trumpetous laugh, an impressive set of skills, and her craft room is always a disaster, which speaks to her boundless energy for creating new things. She joined us to talk about dance and appreciating projects long after they’re done.

Between walking dogs and stitching seams, Bianca makes a fine cup of english tea and a delicious bacon curry. She has a long queue of pro bono projects going, so if you’re looking for some help, that money better talk. You can find her on Facebook, and if you see her wearing really flattering, really comfy looking pajama pants, feel free to compliment her – ’cause she made those.

Have you ever performed a choreographed dance at a wedding? We’d love to see the video! Tag #chattycrafties on Twitter and Instagram to show us, and/or let us know in the comments below.