tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86085507361158854402024-02-21T07:02:43.103-08:00Crafting A Beautiful LifeLeslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-16893804577808877522016-05-27T02:53:00.000-07:002016-05-27T03:20:40.648-07:00Announcing Leslie Astor Handmade<div>
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Friends!<br />
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I'm so pleased to announce that I will be running a series of crafting workshops here in the Cotswolds in the coming months. Please take a moment to visit <a href="http://www.leslieastorhandmade.com/" target="_blank">Leslie Astor Handmade</a> to get a sneak peek. At the moment this website is under construction, but for now you can leave your e-mail address if you'd like to hear about where and when new workshops are happening. I've got plans for a fun introduction to embroidery, where you'll use one of your child's drawings to make a textile drawing of your own, an introduction to tapestry weaving workshop using low tech, easily sourced supplies, and an introduction to cold process soap making. </div>
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But first I'll be in Warwickshire, on June 7th, from 9:30-11:30 a.m., teaching Handmade Bath Bombs 101. As ever, I'll be sure to focus on using natural and sustainable ingredients that are good for you and the environment. £20 pp person includes all materials. Get in touch if you'd like to come along-space is limited.</div>
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For more information, send me an email at info@leslieastorhandmade.com</div>
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Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-70667549690108396802015-10-07T08:01:00.001-07:002015-10-08T05:27:07.311-07:00Signing OffDear friends,<br />
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A million thanks to those of you who have read about and cheered on my creative endeavors in this space these last few years. I have really enjoyed sharing it all with you. I've decided, though, that's it's time to call it a day here at CABL. I haven't posted in a long while, and the last time I looked, another crafty blogger (whose aesthetic is very different from my own) has started another blog by the same name on Wordpress. So it's really time to pack it in.<br />
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I'm in the process of working on a new personal website that will include all of the disparate creations coming out of my studio, and will indicate here when that is up and running.<br />
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<a href="http://www.astorknot.etsy.com/" target="_blank">My Etsy shop</a> is still up and running, so if you need any knitting accessories you can get them there.<br />
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Until we meet again, farewell and thanks for all the love.<br />
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P.S. If you're on Instagram, you can also say hi to me there @leslieastor<br />
I'll never get the hang of Twitter.<br />
I think I might have started a Tumblr account a long time ago.<br />
I've more or less abandoned Facebook.<br />
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Lesliexxx<br />
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-43335964140815278212015-03-17T08:41:00.002-07:002015-03-17T10:13:33.139-07:00Five Easy PiecesLast Fall I read an article about the <a href="http://katrinarodabaugh.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/mendfulness-in-taproot-magazine-issue.html" target="_blank">slow clothing movement</a>, in which the author wrote about a year long fast-fashion fast she undertook. I was inspired to try it, and made it about four months before buying some new jeans and boots on a recent trip to New York. But I'm certainly thinking more about my clothes: where they come from, what they're made of, who made them. And I'm pausing before making new purchases, and putting a lot more things back on the rack than I used to. The truth is, throughout the winter I mostly wear jeans and a blue Uniqlo puffer just about every day. I don't need most of the clothing I buy.<br />
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I'm also trying to make more clothing for myself, which is infinitely more expensive, time consuming and impractical than buying them. But I really like to sew, and it's really satisfying to make a pretty blouse myself, so I'm working on a few new things for spring. Here are five pieces of clothing I've made recently that are fairly simple to make (I consider myself an intermediate level seamstress, so "fairly simple" might be a relative descriptor.) None of the clothing below requires sewing buttonholes or installing zippers, so if you can sew a straight line you can probably handle these patterns.<br />
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1) <a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9671-Purl-Soho-Sewn-Raglan-Shirt-Tunic-Dress-Pattern" target="_blank">The Purl Soho Raglan Tunic</a></div>
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Probably my favorite of the five pieces, this pattern from the folks at the mecca of making aka <a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl" target="_blank">Purl Soho</a> is very well illustrated and written, so worth trying to make even if you're a beginner. The trickiest bit for me was sewing the bias tape around the neckline; I always find it tricky to do. This pattern calls for making your own bias tape, but if you've never done it or don't feel like trying, you can just buy a pack of readymade. This tunic was made with double guaze cotton on the front and arms and a Liberty cotton back. This was a pricey piece: the pattern was $18.50 (about £12) and the fabric and notions together were roughly $70 (about £47), though I do have enough fabric leftover to make a little something else.<br />
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2) The Schoolhouse Tunic by <a href="http://sewliberated.com/products/schoolhouse-tunic-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Sew Liberted</a><br />
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I love tunics for their versatility and comfort and this one is very pretty, made from a simple purple linen. I have to admit that I found the instructions tricky; I would've liked more illustrations and at one point in the pattern I couldn't reconcile how a right side piece and wrong sided piece were side by side. I emailed the folks at Sew Liberated and they kindly tried to help me through the issue, but really they just reiterated the written instructions that came with the pattern. I'm not sure if I actually made it correctly in the end, but it's pretty anyhow. This tunic was a lot less than the Purl one; about $14.50 for the pattern and about $35 for the fabric or about £35 in total.<br />
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3) The Taproot Tunic<br />
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This pattern was by far the easiest to follow and a great beginner's piece to try. It was free in one of my issues of Taproot Magazine, which you can buy <a href="http://www.taprootmag.com/products/issue-8-reclaim" target="_blank">here</a>. I made this tunic from a linen sheet I bought at an antique store (the tag said "antique french linen", so, fancy). The pattern calls for adding a pocket, which I left off, and instead I added some pretty embroidered flowers and bias binding on the neck and cuffs (I know-I just said a minute ago how much I hate working with bias binding.) This was the least expensive project: $9 for the magazine (I get a subscription, so add a little more for shipping to the UK) and about $9 for the linen, though I have a lot of that left over from the big sheet after making the tunic. About £12 in total.<br />
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4) <a href="http://oliverands.com/product/OLV-LC005ES-D.html" target="_blank">Liesl and Co. Everyday Skirt from Oliver + S</a><br />
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My rubbish photo doesn't do justice to this pretty skirt, which has nice pleats in the front, an elastic waistband in the back, and pockets. The pockets were a first for me, but I find the instructions and illustrations on Oliver + S patterns to be reliably clear and accurate, so it was worth the extra time to add them. This skirt was made with a Robert Kaufman chambray cotton I picked up at Purl last year. The pattern can be digitally downloaded, costs $14.95, and the fabric and elastic were about $25 (about £27 total). Worth it.<br />
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5) Nicole Blum's Pretty and Full Skirt, from the Sew Mama Sew blog<br />
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This skirt is very similar to the Liesl and Co skirt above, with nice pleats and an elastic waistband, but doesn't have pockets. It calls for an unfinished hem, but I finished mine. Another bonus: it's free online and the instructions are clear and well illustrated. I would suggest making a few of these at a go and you've got your skirt situation wrapped up for the season. I can't remember where I got this stripy red and white fabric, which has a bit of a stretch to it and works great for this skirt. I'd say it cost me about $10 or £6.50.<br />
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Though signs of spring are all around me, at the moment I'm still wearing the jeans and puffer coat. But you might see me wearing some of these things in the months to come.</div>
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Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-40777984629259781402015-02-09T01:26:00.002-08:002015-02-09T01:26:36.196-08:00Zip Pouch Tutorial Roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are so many great tutorials online for how to sew a simple zip pouch, and today I'm going to share a few of my favorite ones with you. Once you get the hang of them, zip pouches are pretty easy and very satisfying to whip up. Sometimes when I'm feeling a little stuck in my studio, I make a bunch of pouches just to get things moving along. If I cut up the fabric assembly line style I can crank out quite a few in a morning or afternoon, and feel like I've accomplished something. They're very handy to have around as last minute gifts. (The pouches pictured here were made with wool remnants I bought on my trip to Cotswold Woolen Weavers back in the fall.)<br />
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If you've never worked with a zipper before, I have a tutorial on this blog for making a very <a href="http://craftingabeautifullife.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/twelve-days-of-christmas-crafts-day-12.html" target="_blank">simple felt zip pouch</a> which is good for beginners because it's unlined and uses felt which doesn't have a right or wrong side. That means you can focus mainly on learning how to sew the zipper in rather than worry about what layer of fabric goes where and which way it faces.<br />
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Once you're confident with that process, you can move on to a <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2014/04/18/mollys-sketchbook-simple-lined-zipper-pouches/" target="_blank">making a lined zip bag</a> from the always excellent Purl Bee blog. This photo below is a simple lined bag I made using one of my precious Liberty fat quarters. It's lined with a lovely cream raw silk, not pictured.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUCXGfq60_VS-MO5qNz3WEW1zVHEGGnLz3JO1qlreEq45xNUze4DGbQnyX9MruS2CLfm0QopL7TKt-DIpgfgjCM1I5NZ6D3INF_MrvTx2C5Cuj3MjO5ySqgLYn3-xnz4oD-Riq8kSlC7m/s1600/3_liberty_print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUCXGfq60_VS-MO5qNz3WEW1zVHEGGnLz3JO1qlreEq45xNUze4DGbQnyX9MruS2CLfm0QopL7TKt-DIpgfgjCM1I5NZ6D3INF_MrvTx2C5Cuj3MjO5ySqgLYn3-xnz4oD-Riq8kSlC7m/s1600/3_liberty_print.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Adding a lining to your zip pouch really bumps things up a notch, as seen below. My advice is to be very careful that lining and outer fabric sizes match perfectly, or else you'll wind up with a rather wrinkly, beginner's looking lining. You can see what I mean in the photo of the blue and white lined pouch two photos down on the right. <br />
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Another very well photographed and clearly written tutorial, which throws a zip cover embellishment into the mix, comes from <a href="http://flossieteacakes.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/lined-zippered-pouch-make-up-bag.html" target="_blank">Flossie Teacakes</a>. This one took me a bit of practice to tackle; it's important to pay attention to the bit at the end of the tutorial about the "zip ends pointing into the lining side and not the outer fabric side"; failure to heed this instruction results in a wonky zipper.<br />
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These box zip bags above were the ones I mentioned in an earlier post having made my boys for Christmas. The first one I made was the plaid one on the top right; I botched the placement of the lining and outer fabrics so that half of each were on both the inside and outside. But Michael didn't mind, so I kept it and learned from my mistake and was more successful with subsequent bags.<br />
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And here is Henry's bag, for which I used this very manly grey tweed. Below you can see a shot of the slightly more whimsical lining I used. These were all made using the <a href="http://sayyes.com/2012/04/diy-mini-boxy-makeup-bag.html" target="_blank">box bag tutorial</a> from the Say Yes blog. The only downside of this one was that is doesn't hide the edges on the lining of the bag, though I tidied them up as best I could by trimming the seam allowance with pinking shears.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBQOvP3UiTLV9N20y63mt74hd-vC2EDR3Hm84XWAEjCsdvND3rBfnTioNYrPi5jOvhB8syxBH2jPjtPw2WFh9nkz1UDx5966B0EjNAViKq5gwZUCJ0XG9Dbvaaa145FV2hN-k4wvhKI1Z/s1600/8_Interior_hen_bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBQOvP3UiTLV9N20y63mt74hd-vC2EDR3Hm84XWAEjCsdvND3rBfnTioNYrPi5jOvhB8syxBH2jPjtPw2WFh9nkz1UDx5966B0EjNAViKq5gwZUCJ0XG9Dbvaaa145FV2hN-k4wvhKI1Z/s1600/8_Interior_hen_bag.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
For a tutorial that shows a box bag in which the seams of the lining are hidden in between the layers, you can check out <a href="http://www.trulymyrtle.com/2012/03/box-bag-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Truly Myrtle's tutorial</a>. This one also includes a handle on the edge of the bag, so is the most advanced of all the ones included here. My eyes started to glaze over a little bit as I scrolled through the instructions; they are clear, there are just a lot of steps.<br />
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If you've tried zip pouches using other tutorials not mentioned, or have other useful tips for working with zippers, feel free to share in the comments section below.<br />
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-31541363460457764962015-02-04T01:54:00.001-08:002015-02-04T01:57:12.413-08:00Welcome to ShedvilleWhen we first moved into this house in the middle of the farm, our plan was to convert a barn across the road into a house in which we'd be living long term. (Turns out, it's not going to happen that way, but we're forming Plan B at the moment.) In the meantime, to make more space for everyone here, we started building sheds in the garden.<br />
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The first shed (really more of a summer house-it's pretty big) was here when we moved in, and was quickly claimed as my studio. This is where I can be found spending many of the weekday hours sewing, designing, bird making, starting at walls, etc. Occasionally the boys will come in to spend some creative time with me. I thought about carving out a space for them in here, but instead we're giving them their own space, as you'll see in a moment.<br />
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My shed in the morning light.<br />
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Rarely is it actually this tidy in my studio.</div>
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Sometimes the boys keep me company.<br />
My studio walls are covered with artwork; both mine and theirs.</div>
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Also here when we moved in was a much smaller garden shed, which was useful but falling apart, so we had it rebuilt. It's where you'll find tins of house paint, tools, chicken and rabbit food, plant bulbs, and probably a lot of stuff that should get chucked. Remind me to go in there in the spring and have a good clean out.<br />
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Then Henry decided he wanted a mannex for himself, where he could work on putting together the 1953 Sunbeam motor bike he's building from parts, build his beehives and store his apiarist's supplies, and where he could skin/pluck and otherwise prepare the game animals we eat. (We've been having a lot of venison stew lately, and I think we've decided not to buy beef at all anymore.)<br />
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In Henry's shed, some things get put together, some things get taken apart. </div>
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Finally, we wanted a place for the boys to do what they need to do, too. In the barn across the street we keep Jake's drum kit, but its a little dark and creepy on one's own over there, and we reckon he and Charlie would practice a lot more regularly if we moved it closer to the house. We also plan on putting in an art studio for them (meaning shelving with art supplies and a table to work on), and eventually a tool bench with some tools for them to start making whatever it is boys their age need to make.<br />
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Michael has plans for what will go where in the boys' shed.</div>
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The doors are on, but we still need insulation and electricity for the boys' shed.</div>
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We've taken quite a lot of ribbing from friends and family around here about the proliferation of our sheds. Apparently some people find them an eyesore. We're not too bothered by all of that, though I think the boys' studio will be the last one. Next the focus will shift to finishing the tree house that Henry and the boys started building last spring. That's another post altogether.<br />
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-10787470010153130482015-01-31T13:12:00.000-08:002015-01-31T13:12:54.480-08:00The Things They Left Behind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Christmas my mother in law gave me this beautiful sewing box, which had belonged to one of my husband's grandmothers. I only ever knew Henry's maternal granny, Pam, a woman I deeply admired. She was of that greatest generation; a young wartime bride who engendered the know how and self sufficiency that defined the women of her era. She was an ambitious cook who routinely whipped up souffles, potted shrimp, and fish pies, an avid gardner who grew her own vegetables, and a prodigious knitter. After each of my boys was born, I'd get one of her lovely hand knit baby jumpers in the mail. When I first removed them from their packages, they always smelled of Embassy cigarettes, a fact I somehow found endearing. (For her great granddaughters she made exquisite hand smocked dresses.)<br />
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My own grandmothers were both crafters as well (though at the time they never called themselves this-making things was mostly born of the exigencies of life). My mother's mother (and her mother before her) was a quilter and also dabbled in embroidery. She never used a machine to sew or quilt, and as I grew up I understood machine quilts to be somehow inferior to hand stitched ones. I have two that my great grandmother made; they are among my most deeply valued possessions. After my grandmother died a year and a half ago, my sisters and I helped my mother sort through her things. I took with me a cast iron skillet, in which she made her cornbread, and some things from her sewing box, including some needles, wooden spooled threads and an embroidery hoop (pictured below). Before she died, my grandmother passed along a partly embroidered tablecloth that her mother had started working on. I accepted it reverentially, and promised that I would finish the job.<br />
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When I'm working alone in my studio, these women and others like them often come to mind. I reflect upon the fact that the make-do-and-mend mentality was for them a given rather than a chosen ethos. I marvel at the fact that they managed to make so much, even in the absence of the abundant time saving devices that free me up to, ostensibly, do more. And I also experience gratitude, for the things they left behind.<br />
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My maternal grandmother, Violet Mail, and my boys in 2011.Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-74635025375931799402015-01-07T03:42:00.000-08:002015-01-07T09:31:59.800-08:00The Gifts of Christmas Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends, and happy 2015! I hope the photos above help excuse my absence from this space these past two months. I wanted very much to make this my most handmade holiday season yet, and began working toward that end back in September. I didn't want to rush, or feel stressed about making gifts this year-I really wanted to enjoy the process and be mindful of the people I was making things for. Rarely a day went by between September and Christmas when I wasn't making something to give away, and by the time Christmas came, I had finished <i>almost</i> everything I set out to do.<br />
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I started out making jam from the bumper crop of wild blackberries we saw last season, and added some sage from the garden per the recipe in <a href="http://www.eatingfromthegroundup.com/recipes/" target="_blank">Alana Chernila's </a> book "Homemade Pantry". I also started in on my soap making then, as it needed several weeks to cure before giving away. The third photo above is soap from a batch of lavender and lemon zest coconut butter bars; the photo below that shows them beautifully wrapped by my five year old. Henry's honey was in good supply this year, too, and the kids' teachers each got a jar, along with a jar each of bath bombs (also of the lavender and lemon variety-one of my favorite scent combinations). I first learned how to make bath bombs from the <a href="http://teachsoap.com/2012/03/22/making-bath-bombs/" target="_blank">Teach Soap</a> website, but have since gained the confidence to make my own variations on those basic recipes.<br />
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The pink and blue bunting were gifts for my nieces, whom we spent Christmas with in America this year. I'd been saving a stash of Liberty fat quarters for a while now, and thought it was finally time to use them. The brown and cream scarf below that was a woven creation from my loom. It was intended for my sister til I remembered she has a thing about wool touching wool-and doesn't wear wool scarves or gloves, so that one is an unintended Christmas present to myself. I made my boys matching pajama bottoms, and printed "small" "medium" and "large" (using freezer paper stencils) onto plain white t-shirts. My large son didn't want to be photographed wearing his, but small and medium were okay with it. To make the bottoms, I used a <a href="http://oliverands.com/free-patterns/sunny-day-shorts/" target="_blank">free pattern from Oliver and S for boys' shorts</a>, and just added the appropriate length to make them pj's. It worked like a dream.<br />
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Lastly, I ordered some magnets from <a href="https://sticky9.com/?gclid=CI7d6sjggcMCFbPItAodHhUAZA" target="_blank">Sticky 9</a>, which prints your Instagram photos onto little magnetic squares. You can make a version of these yourself using printable magnetic sheets from an office supply store, but they're not all that cheap and I was happy with what I got from Sticky 9. I printed photos I had taken all around the farm throughout the seasons, and of my boys, to give to my family back in the States. I hope they think of us every time they open their refrigerators.<br />
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I made a few other items not pictured, including a canvas and denim log carrier for my husband, who is forever hauling in stacks of wood for the stove, and tweed zipper bags for him and all my boys, so they could carry their toiletries on the plane in something other than ziploc bags. I made similar silk zip bags for girlfriends, and for all of those I used different size variations of <a href="http://sayyes.com/2012/04/diy-mini-boxy-makeup-bag.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> from the Say Yes blog. <br />
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Hope you all had a relaxing and peaceful holiday season, and are ready to embrace this New Year, whatever it brings. I'm off to my studio now, to get back to work on a birthday present for my sister. It's long overdue!<br />
<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-51287833193987030272014-10-18T00:20:00.002-07:002014-10-18T00:20:21.139-07:00A Trip to Filkins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Though I've known about it for a long time, I only just recently made a trip to the <a href="http://www.cotswoldwoollenweavers.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cotswold Woolen Weavers </a> in Filkins, which is a tiny village about 25 minutes drive from me. CWW is a bit of an anomaly; it's a cluster of buildings comprised of retail shops, artist's workshops and a wool and weaving museum, with a nice little cafe thrown in for good measure. I visited CWW twice, and both times found it oddly empty, yet also unmistakably vibrant and alive. Wandering through the various rooms and buildings felt like I'd stumbled upon some well kept secret. In some of the buildings there were employees, but in many of the rooms I was on my own, occasionally crossing paths with other visitors. No one was ever overly solicitous or hawkish; I felt free to wander and explore everywhere, from the museum with its scattering of textile related bits (baskets of wooden loom bobbins, rams horns and raw, chocolate brown fleece, embroidery samplers and old fashioned looms,) to the rooms upstairs selling a huge selection of old timey games and quirky books. There were open shelves filled with leather bound, swatch filled books. I could peek inside of glassed in rooms that contained huge work tables with tweed swatches and industrial looms. Different bits of the store carried different things; in addition to all sorts of woolen and tweed clothing (jackets, waistcoats, skirts, socks-yawn), there were beautiful blankets, and an assortment of randomly curated, locally produced books and crafts (things made from pewter, things carved from wood, reproduction agricultural posters and spoons and buttons carved from sheep's horns). One shelf leading upstairs was lined with Pantone color chip coffee mugs, which is just the sort of unexpected non sequitur item you'll come across in between sections of the shops. At one end of the building there is a room selling large and very well priced end rolls of woven wool fabric. At another end of the complex of buildings is the sculpture workshop of the artist Simon Brittain, who also offers courses in stone carving and masonry.</div>
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CWW is a wonderful place, and really worth a visit if you find yourself in the Cotswolds and have even a marginal interest in wool or textiles. It was the riches from the wool trade that built many a church village in this part of the world. Take a trip to Filkins and soak up a touch of the history behind that period of English life. </div>
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-38523445997912777322014-09-29T07:40:00.000-07:002014-09-29T07:40:28.739-07:00Handmade Baby Toys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My niece will be giving birth to her first child any day now. It seems like no time at all ago that my brother's phone call woke me up one morning to spread the good news of his own child's arrival, and now that girl is going to be a mom. Time has wings! With the due date quickly approaching, I recently set out to make her a blanket, and thought, "While I'm at it, maybe a soft toy, too." Then-how about some sweet little felt booties? Ooh, and a rattle! The baby needs one of those. And finally, a little tag edged blanket toy with some crinkly plastic inside, for some sensory thrills. Apart from the large blanket, which turned out to be a bit of white whale, and the bunny, which took a couple of hours to finish, these toys can be whipped up in fairly short order. Links to any patterns or tutorials I used are indicated in the captions below each of the photos that follow.<br />
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I've made many a bunny for babies, both for my own kids and for friends. The pattern and instructions for <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/907608/stuffed-menswear-bunny" target="_blank">this bunny</a> came from Martha Stewart. Her project calls for using men's suiting fabric, but I always use felted cashmere. </div>
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I made this egg from a pattern in last year's easter issue of Making Magazine, which is published here in the UK. But patterns for stuffed sewn eggs abound online, so just google it. I hacked the instructions by placing four little bells inside a piece of muslin, which I sewed securely shut. Then I stuffed the bell pouch in between layers of egg stuffing, as in the middle of the egg as I could get. Because of the stuffing the bells make a shaky rather than tinkly sound.<br />
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These adorbs and easy to assemble felt booties are from the fab folks at <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/2011/12/06/mollys-sketchbook-felt-baby-shoes/" target="_blank">The Purl Bee</a>. This blog is hands down one of the best sewing and knitting sites I know of. And whenever I go back to New York, I always, always make a trip to <a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl" target="_blank">Purl Soho</a> to stock up on fabrics and notions, and take in the general air of handmade gorgeousness that permeates the entire space.<br />
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This little tag blanket/toy was something I whipped up on a whim. I sandwiched some bias tape and ribbon loops around the perimeter and in between two pieces of fabric (each about 6"x8", right sides facing), added a layer of crinkly plastic to the top, and sewed all the way around with a half inch seam allowance. I left a four inch opening for turning right side out, then ladder stitched the opening closed.<br />
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I'd started the blanket quite a while ago (not knowing who it'd be for), so had a beginning with some rectangles of felted cashmere for the top. Browsing through a recently purchased copy of a Merchant and Mills sewing book, I saw instructions for making a double sided blanked with mitred corners and went for that to finish it. Unfortunately, the instructions weren't so clear to me, and I made a mess of the whole thing. After a grumbling hour or so with a seam ripper, I started again. There are many online tutorials for this technique, but the one I found most useful in terms of visual instruction came from <a href="http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?qbDXhSh_" target="_blank">Simple Simon and Co</a>. In the end my border was a little wonky, since I'd already cut the corners off in my first attempt at this. And because I used a bulkyish, pieced, top layer instead of a single piece of fabric, the blanket will probably be put to better use as a playmat.<br />
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If you have a favorite baby gift you either given or received, please feel free to share in the comments below.<br />
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-89756594457279323592014-09-22T14:13:00.000-07:002014-09-22T14:13:35.875-07:00Hedgerow Medicine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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More and more, I find myself hesitating before buying just about anything, asking myself first: Can I make this? And more and more (but not always-not by a longshot), the answer is yes. My children find this habit both annoying and matter of fact. Passing through a display of Christmas ornaments, for instance, is often a drag for them, as just about anything they hold up with their little fingers and doe eyes, elicits a response along the lines of: "You know what? We have all the stuff for that at home-lets go make our own snow globes!" Which we did last year; resulting in an entire fleet of jars filled with water, glycerine, glitter and, um, army men glued to the lids. Some handmade projects works better than others. On the other hand, when one of my boys becomes enthralled with a particular new thing-say, Thor, they expect me to quickly and easily whip up a helmet, cape and mallet to suit the occasion. If pressed, I could do this, but again, some projects work out better than others.<br />
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Lately I'm trying to learn what I can about making home remedies. For serious ailments, I stick with doctors. I would not, for example, try to treat an asthma attack with herbs, and one of my boys has epi-pens at the ready at home and at school for his peanut allergy. But for common complaints that drugstore medicines, in my experience, don't really help (trouble falling asleep, a worn down immune system, a cough in the night), I'm looking into the hedgerows and fields. I'm starting out simply and carefully, with easy remedies like chamomile and elderberry syrups, rasberry leaf tea, lavender compresses and hawthorn berry leathers.<br />
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When I first started looking to see what medicinal plants grow around me, I was thrilled at the sight of the ubiquitous purple flowered thistles everywhere-"I'll never buy milk thistle extract again!" I thought. But upon more careful inspection of the plants I'd seen, I realized that they weren't milk thistle at all. Similarly, cow parsley and deadly hemlock look very similar. So I'm using lots of caution as I go. It'll likely take me many seasons of watching the flowers, berries and leaves around me come and go before I try anything more advanced than an simple tincture or decoction. But it's exciting to realize just how much healing power is out there, every year, in those humble hedgerows.Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-29274974574271084742014-09-16T04:11:00.002-07:002014-09-16T04:13:27.404-07:00Plant Dyed Wool: Day 3-Weaving on the Brinkley Loom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wish I could tell you that I made this gorgeous wall hanging on my last day of Jane Meredith's <a href="http://www.plantdyedwool.co.uk/" target="_blank">plant dyed wool course</a>. Alas, I did not. But I did spend most of that day learning how to weave using the Brinkley loom, on which this beauty was made. (Or perhaps it was in fact made on the peg loom, which I posted about earlier. I'll have to check with Jane on that.) I also had the opportunity to do some wet felting later on in the afternoon, photos of which are below.<br />
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Here is the loom, warped up and ready to use. This one is a bit shorter than the ones Jane sells, and I managed to just about finish weaving an entire length. I stuck to blue and white wool for this project, because it's such an idiot proof color combination.<br />
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Though I kept my color palette very limited, I did experiment with different widths and textures of wool. In the photo above you can see some carded fleece I added, which gives a lovely texture to an otherwise very flat piece.<br />
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More blue. More white.<br />
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My next door loom mate Rachel very cleverly warped her loom in alternating blue and white yarn, so she was able to make a very awesome, advanced looking plaid.<br />
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After lunch I took a break from weaving to do some wet felting, which I'd only done once before many years ago. It was work! But I loved these beautiful earth tone merino wools and made a pretty wool bowl, pictured below on the left.<br />
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That's me in the pink shirt. See? I like color.<br />
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And here is my very own Brinkley loom that I bought from Jane at the end of the course. Warped and ready to weave. With-what?! More brown and white wool. For Christmas this year, I'm going to be needing an alpaca or two. </div>
Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-2580399318024433482014-09-13T02:48:00.000-07:002014-09-13T13:25:08.115-07:00Plant Dyed Wool: Day 2, Peg Loom Weaving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the second day of the plant dyed wool class I recently took, <a href="http://www.plantdyedwool.co.uk/" target="_blank">Jane Meredith</a> taught us peg looming. I thought maybe all of those loom bands I'd been making with my kids all summer would give me a leg up on this craft, but weaving on a peg loom is actually easier than making a triple single rubber band bracelet. We had beautiful weather the last two days of the course; it was a proper Indian summer. Below is the view of the Wye river, which Jane's house overlooks. </div>
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Peg looms are made from a simple strip of wood drilled with holes and pegged with dowels. It's incredible to think that such beautiful rugs, pillows, wall hangings, etc., can easily be made from such a basic tool. I loved this ragged Cotswold wool rug (below) that Jane showed us, and decided to make something using natural, undyed fleece straight from the sheep's back. </div>
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The trickiest bit of weaving is warping up the loom, which wasn't all that hard to do. Below, my loom is warped and ready for weaving.<br />
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Jane demonstrates warping up.<br />
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I used a combination of brown, grey and white fleece. Most of the women around me (the course was inexplicable absent of any men) were using the colored wool we had dyed the day before. Because I worried I wind up with a tacky technicolor monstrosity if I started using colors, I decided to stick with the browns and whites.<br />
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Below, an example of the right way to use color. Each woman's weaving was so totally unique from anyone else's, it's a shame I didn't take more photos to illustrate the various possibilities.<br />
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Here is my finished weaving, which is about the size of a small bathmat. I still can't decide if I like it, but I loved making it!<br />
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By the way, if you ever find yourself looking for a place to stay near Hereford, may I enthusiastically recommend a lovely B & B called the <a href="http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/oldrectory2.html" target="_blank">Old Rectory</a> in Byford. Audrey and Charles Mayson were lovely hosts, and my room was the perfect haven to return to in the evenings. </div>
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My next and last post about this course will be about weaving on the Brinkley loom. I loved it so much a bought one from Jane, where it's currently in use on my dining room table. </div>
<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-68575927940882871502014-09-09T09:10:00.000-07:002014-09-09T09:11:16.435-07:00Plant Dyed Wool: Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Christmas last year my sweetie of a husband gave me the gift of a three day wool dyeing course with the amazing <a href="http://www.plantdyedwool.co.uk/" target="_blank">Jane Meredith</a>. Nine months later I cashed in, and have just returned from a blissful long weekend in Herefordshire learning plant dyeing, carding, spinning, weaving and felting. It was completely enlightening and inspiring, and I came home with a beautiful brown fleece, a new Brinkley loom and a bunch of stuff that I made under Jane's expert tutelage.<br />
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Below are images from Day 1, was primarily about dyeing. Jane grows the dye plants in her own garden, and all of the wool you see pictured here was colored using these (apart from the indigo bath, which was synthetic, as indigo only grows in very hot climates). Among the plants we used were marigold, madder root, coreopsis, walnut leaves, damsons, dyers chamomile, woad and bilberries. As the wool was drying, Jane showed us how to examine and select a wool fleece (turns out the ones in my shed are pretty useless, as they come from sheep bred primarily for eating), gave a lesson in carding and demonstrated spinning on both a drop spindle loom and a wheel. Because Jane packs so much into each six and a half hour day, I'm dividing this post into three parts. Day two, which I'll post next, was spent weaving on a peg loom.<br />
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Under the tarpaulin, the dye baths get heated up using gas canisters and large, portable burners.<br />
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A sampling of the books Jane keeps on hand about plant dyeing. I've already placed my Amazon order.<br />
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Beatrice and I picked a lot of coreopsis flowers!<br />
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The humble marigold makes a lovely yellow dye.<br />
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Damsons aren't just for jam. This bath gave the wool a very subtle pinkish-purple.<br />
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Madder root gives a vast array of reds, depending on the mordant agent used to pretreat the wool.<br />
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We made a lot of yellows!<br />
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Jane unrolls a huge fleece and shows us how to inspect one before buying.<br />
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The takeaway: "Be very choosy about your fleece."<br />
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The indigo bath. Once we got this going, we used it to dip some yellows to make green. Weirdly, you can't get a really good green dye from any single plant!<br />
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Jane squeezing out the woad leaves to prepare the bath. This bath yielded both pale blue and pale green.<br />
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Some of the post-indigo dipped greens.<br />
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Some nice carded wool, ready for spinning.<br />
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Jane demonstrates drop spindle spinning, something you're never, ever likely to see me do.Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-12029633376273559782014-08-30T23:23:00.001-07:002014-08-30T23:24:38.502-07:00Blackberries, Already.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For my friends and family in America, Labor Day weekend signifies the unofficial end of summer. Here in England, it's the blackberry season that tells me summer is coming to a close. Yesterday the five of us went into the woods with our pails in hand for a family walk. We've made some beautiful memories this summer, but this will stand out as one of my favorite days of the season. We walked for two hours (occasionally stopping to pick wildflowers or rest), the boys hardly bickered (they even hugged a bit), the sun came out for a while and we ended up with an excellent haul. There was blackberry and apple crumble after dinner last night, but it was gobbled up so quickly I never got to take a picture. It was the well deserved fruit of their labor. </div>
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Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-58662344739981273912014-07-12T00:30:00.000-07:002014-07-12T00:30:38.461-07:00Checking in With the Hives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband the apiarist. And my six year old, his able assistant. Yesterday they checked in with the bees to see how everything is going up there. In a word, fine. The frames are very, very heavy with honey, so Henry really needs his extractor from <a href="http://www.thorne.co.uk/?gclid=CIu06uWfv78CFUvpwgodbb8AvQ" target="_blank">Thorne</a>'s to arrive! Reports from local friends who also keep bees is that the honey is particularly hard this year, which might make getting it off of the frames very tricky. Last year, beginner's luck was on our side throughout the season: no fungi or bee diseases, good weather, not a single sting, and tons of delicious raw honey. So far things seem to be going just as well this year. Fingers are crossed, and honey is on it's way.Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-48169357369945629492014-06-30T03:26:00.001-07:002014-06-30T03:26:37.318-07:00Honeycombs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's what a morning of homeschool <i>sometimes</i> looks like. Jake was alternating between his dreaded math homework and seeing how fast he could reassemble the anatomy toy his cousin Fred just gave him. (He wasn't interested in getting out his anatomy coloring book and reading up on what those various organs do-believe me, I tried.) Meanwhile, as part of my recent efforts to reduce the clutter in our house (a Sisyphean task if ever there was one), I decided to take on the huge box of honeycomb frames that have been sitting on our counter for quite some time.</div>
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I cut and packaged about 25 squares in greaseproof paper, and slapped on the labels I made a while back for Henry's jars of honey (more of which will be coming soon). Honeycombs are very handy to have around for last minute birthday or hostess gifts. I put the excess wax in a scrap bucket I keep for that purpose, and once I have enough to bother with, I'll boil and clean and separate it to use for lip balm and various other things. They're all so time consuming, these homestead-y projects we find ourselves doing from time to time. With each new similar endeavor I marvel more and more at the amount of time and effort my great grandparents' generation had to put into getting things done. For instance, to get yourself a new sweater back then you would have to: shear a sheep, wash the wool, card the wool, spin the wool knit the wool into a sweater vs. today: order a sweater online and wear it the next day. It's crazy-<i>crazy</i>, when I think about it. </div>
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For a variety of reasons I may or may not someday explain, we've decided that Jake will start back at school again in the fall. I don't know how people who home educate their kids do anything else (like write blog posts, for instance), but some do. This is the last week of school for my other boys, so soon we'll all be home, harvesting honey, staying up late, and driving each other crazy. Believe it or not, I'm ready. </div>
Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-71465830961854831252014-05-07T02:35:00.000-07:002014-05-21T23:36:46.377-07:00Birds, Real and Imagined<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the spring come the birds. Right now birds are nesting and laying their eggs all over the countryside, though I rarely take the time to seek them out. These blackbird's eggs (above) happen to be in a nest right outside of my studio, so it was dumb luck rather than good detective work that led me to them.</div>
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Still, I do take an interest in identifying local birds (sort of), and have been leafing through this old book of Henry's to see what I might spy while I'm out on a walk in the woods. I have learned to recognize a few of them by sight. I can't identify many by their call, apart from the onomatopoeiac cuckoo, whose call really does signify spring, or the cooing mourning dove.</div>
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I also recognize, of course, the hoot of the owl, which we can often hear at bedtime when our windows are open. I love this picture of a barn owl, which I'm using as a reference for a bird making project I'm in the middle of.</div>
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I recently bought a copy of <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/the-artful-bird" target="_blank">"The Artful Bird"</a> by Abigail Glassenberg, who also the authors the excellent blog <a href="http://www.whileshenaps.com/" target="_blank">While She Naps</a>, which is about soft toy making and also how to run a creative business. I've since made a few birds, pictured below. </div>
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Here is the first wren I made, which is the first project from Abby's book. It took me quite a long time to make-maybe six or seven hours. But the second one, below, took a good hour less than the first. I didn't quilt the wings like she suggests; if I had it would've added on close to another hour. </div>
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This is my Liberty print wren. I love her. </div>
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Here is the owl I'm working on. I haven't even clocked the hours I've spent working on this thing so far, but I'm guessing I'm into double digits already. I got stuck on a step early on in the process, and contacted Abby begging for help. She was super accommodating and encouraging and helped me work out my problem via email.<br />
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Above are the embroidered eyes for the owl, which I worked on yesterday while sitting in on the Greek Mythology class Jake is taking in Oxford.<br />
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Because I have so little free time these days (home education is not for the lady of leisure-or maybe it is and I'm just doing it totally the wrong way), I generally don't want to work on craft projects that take a long time, because I worry I'll never finish them. But bird making is feeling very satisfying right now, so I'll stick with it as long as it stays that way.<br />
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By the way, I'm Instagramming in earnest lately, so if you want to see more photos of this Cotswold spring or birds in the making, you can follow me @leslieastor<br />
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-31731527928853208382014-05-01T01:11:00.000-07:002014-05-07T01:48:10.753-07:00Scenes From A Cotswold Spring<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5AIOZcZL0_NSG_yElHXq_5pIPWJCBQae6eBwgaWLvcG5AZoAR2y4wfnW280_cXcUrHWoI4g8YTB9OUMooU7k5UsscNORYNxXH-8gd8vGLXksydkXSWJGcNvPLLUHDOd2qr2dM5KUzRDg/s1600/oilseed_rape.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5AIOZcZL0_NSG_yElHXq_5pIPWJCBQae6eBwgaWLvcG5AZoAR2y4wfnW280_cXcUrHWoI4g8YTB9OUMooU7k5UsscNORYNxXH-8gd8vGLXksydkXSWJGcNvPLLUHDOd2qr2dM5KUzRDg/s1600/oilseed_rape.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oilseed rape flowers are peaking right now. In America this crop is called canola. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QqhLXKVVuO-aKEAtuUo0aBbQTFN6KGzeDsZsu0nO_mCyRyIGiXyYMwReg6fdVvemmTio5RMReZ4WehsTijgupOi14KTlczDt5xjDLXHDY7xgnjq3rKTgLQ_9btfYbwevWXIOi8LtEdh-/s1600/blackberry_blossoms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QqhLXKVVuO-aKEAtuUo0aBbQTFN6KGzeDsZsu0nO_mCyRyIGiXyYMwReg6fdVvemmTio5RMReZ4WehsTijgupOi14KTlczDt5xjDLXHDY7xgnjq3rKTgLQ_9btfYbwevWXIOi8LtEdh-/s1600/blackberry_blossoms.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackthorn blossoms mixed into the hedgerows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpPt4ul6YUyYL_yQ4G2vnf4V37BomYdLWmycAdJdiI9pKRhFBMJxlxQrRCK0YmUeBs_h3tlcnl8XdJPCGUvl1z8x-KH6Ex34qbunZED8xNJACXovU2TXm1eMoHlODJtTX5vxjiyrVo1YC/s1600/wheat_field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpPt4ul6YUyYL_yQ4G2vnf4V37BomYdLWmycAdJdiI9pKRhFBMJxlxQrRCK0YmUeBs_h3tlcnl8XdJPCGUvl1z8x-KH6Ex34qbunZED8xNJACXovU2TXm1eMoHlODJtTX5vxjiyrVo1YC/s1600/wheat_field.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fields of wheat. In July they'll be golden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3lsXIFDDsGQDfoaF0HJcfa2Z8dw5L84vX4DvFQVqAM5PYzgrFC3EyNice0TdM2BDtnj1Gc8aCIqVr3c2dPooH9We24RXzsO1ocBcTzARdxM1SZx8NGcwIyp2DXtI8cXZDQlcWp6ncez5/s1600/tree_hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3lsXIFDDsGQDfoaF0HJcfa2Z8dw5L84vX4DvFQVqAM5PYzgrFC3EyNice0TdM2BDtnj1Gc8aCIqVr3c2dPooH9We24RXzsO1ocBcTzARdxM1SZx8NGcwIyp2DXtI8cXZDQlcWp6ncez5/s1600/tree_hole.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure who lives in here-a badger or a warren full of rabbits?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesM3LapfL0tMLFKOESScVns0v_UvDknBu7Q15QKewjE6Qu9N8Ue4MOpDd_GExktPtyjq_BT0UD5C6WwYdhhdxSHDRsyQWNvoHeiYEDqFZ4CCH09i72OlgOtULz_3IOEAJLsaqIu8q4JYO/s1600/bluebells_forget_me_nots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesM3LapfL0tMLFKOESScVns0v_UvDknBu7Q15QKewjE6Qu9N8Ue4MOpDd_GExktPtyjq_BT0UD5C6WwYdhhdxSHDRsyQWNvoHeiYEDqFZ4CCH09i72OlgOtULz_3IOEAJLsaqIu8q4JYO/s1600/bluebells_forget_me_nots.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebells and Greater Stitchwort.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FM5WLVAWeTTR13cZWWw4M-HXtygnLM123lfUWdmRozmw2Zxyf8kBoj1JjumNX3XJiHyAWHU4viMpNz0AWIPmdWo6ba5qOe2mYcBYpof5L-MC6x9vQhloOKrhb8_LwumRp9Xyfj6IV080/s1600/bluebells_woods.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FM5WLVAWeTTR13cZWWw4M-HXtygnLM123lfUWdmRozmw2Zxyf8kBoj1JjumNX3XJiHyAWHU4viMpNz0AWIPmdWo6ba5qOe2mYcBYpof5L-MC6x9vQhloOKrhb8_LwumRp9Xyfj6IV080/s1600/bluebells_woods.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebells are carpeting the woods right now. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPbf9Hr1x7nPZGUzgPV6-MDIidbDbzNV0o05_ppf4NBapZ0BHzbXQwk-nf1Viyww7ACjRGJ-o5pClN_v8O2Hydhtnq81CS8PFb3_iJsKkhppDryubIwkikNducJkq0BsiEqaKWBFTcmc5/s1600/cow_parsley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPbf9Hr1x7nPZGUzgPV6-MDIidbDbzNV0o05_ppf4NBapZ0BHzbXQwk-nf1Viyww7ACjRGJ-o5pClN_v8O2Hydhtnq81CS8PFb3_iJsKkhppDryubIwkikNducJkq0BsiEqaKWBFTcmc5/s1600/cow_parsley.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I love this humble yet elegant cow parsley.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQimx1RO5-Sp0HGBx4ukAh3MtStwKM6cgCz5XRrfsoZuZAdjxig_chK6qbXMsFqGcTAWUSoDAZ35wmqwy2Js2EWoIrZTVJDsLazRq9opJJEgaROJgiezeYhlT7Z7eNVTQeFxXscpd4miK/s1600/cow_parsley_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQimx1RO5-Sp0HGBx4ukAh3MtStwKM6cgCz5XRrfsoZuZAdjxig_chK6qbXMsFqGcTAWUSoDAZ35wmqwy2Js2EWoIrZTVJDsLazRq9opJJEgaROJgiezeYhlT7Z7eNVTQeFxXscpd4miK/s1600/cow_parsley_2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
It looks particularly striking along the hedgerows, with blackthorn blossoms and dramatic English clouds in the sky.<br />
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-49503275222214784962014-04-24T23:52:00.000-07:002014-04-24T23:52:29.622-07:00More Piglets!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j5MtwWQ6QIKEbier_o3ZxQtAbGq7uP6f7YYmzeI2pf2TWvPgUuQXTlLeOJG7OAGtJD_vAIJXJuMxmH1SHFDjHViuNjMixJFCPriHkMvcLy3JjB74GRFLefhLoRkNWLWc-e9IpI_SHLln/s1600/1_Introducing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j5MtwWQ6QIKEbier_o3ZxQtAbGq7uP6f7YYmzeI2pf2TWvPgUuQXTlLeOJG7OAGtJD_vAIJXJuMxmH1SHFDjHViuNjMixJFCPriHkMvcLy3JjB74GRFLefhLoRkNWLWc-e9IpI_SHLln/s1600/1_Introducing.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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What better way to follow up on my last post about our little piglets growing up than to introduce you to these TEN new baby pigs, who were born last month while we were away on a ski holiday in France. We had no idea these piglets were even coming, and their arrival was met with squeals of adoration from the kids (okay, and me, too). They were born to Kitty and James' sow and boar that live in our field, so lucky for us we don't have to find homes for them. Phew!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FKqaVJ3ZccYJOwQogwblXGkZzZxXIX4R1tcy1hXEQElEBc9NcfoRipphSeToXMvPuvXDJkJ5dIv9CQ__k7HH9hvyLSsWPjsizEN_VhX0SevCt-x2jOqiBJMan2Wv-vi028xvV6_zUet/s1600/IMG_7388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FKqaVJ3ZccYJOwQogwblXGkZzZxXIX4R1tcy1hXEQElEBc9NcfoRipphSeToXMvPuvXDJkJ5dIv9CQ__k7HH9hvyLSsWPjsizEN_VhX0SevCt-x2jOqiBJMan2Wv-vi028xvV6_zUet/s1600/IMG_7388.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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They grow very fast, these little sweeties, and they're luckier than their friends next door to be growing up in the sunshine of the field (the winter piglets were semi-sheltered in a barn at Kitty's). They also get plenty of shade if they need it, since we extended the pig pens into the woods behind the field. This lets the pigs root up all sort of other goodies, like acorns in the fall. </div>
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<br />Here you can see them with both their mom and dad, and also next to the teenage piglets, which gives you an idea of their true size. </div>
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Not sure what we're going to do with all of these babies-we finally managed to find homes for six of the first litter of piglets. Anyone want a Gloucester Old Spot?</div>
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Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-38320912803186964672014-03-19T23:31:00.000-07:002014-03-19T23:31:02.128-07:00The Piglets Grow Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember these guys?<br />
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Back in October our Gloucester Old Spot sow gave birth to a litter of ten little piglets (top photo). Now, five months later and a winter that feels like it's mostly behind us, the little ones have moved out of Kitty's barn and into our field. They have been weaned from their mama, and are eating solids, including the (vegetarian) scraps from our kitchen. This week about half of them will be going off to new homes. My, these babies grow up so fast!<br />
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If you look in the distance of those last two photos of the piglets you'll see a big sow and boar belonging to Kitty and James, and beyond those two we've just finished building a big new chicken run, which we'll be populating with brand new hens soon. Beyond the chickens are Henry's bees, which have been moved from the garden just outside our front door up to this field. We've got three hives now, with plans to add a couple more later this spring. They're definitely getting excited about the change of season; there is lots of visible activity around their front doors. There aren't quite enough flowers out of sustain them yet, so Henry has to feed them a bit until they can find enough food on their own. In addition to lots of daffodils, crocus and the like, all the hawthorne trees are in bloom, which have the most lovely white blossoms.<br />
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Has spring sprung yet where you live?<br />
<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-12063930731094972812014-03-18T06:41:00.000-07:002014-03-18T06:41:05.783-07:00Super Easy Ikea Teatowel Hack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that they're playing outside a whole lot more, my three little boys are dirtier than ever. I always seem to be short of clean flannels at bath time (those are wash cloths, my American friends), so today I made some. In less than an hour and for under £1 (less than a buck fifty) I made these very chic wash cloths from two <a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10100909/" target="_blank">Ikea Tekla </a>tea towels. <div>
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These towels measure 20"x26", so first I cut them into four 10"x13" squares. </div>
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Next I cut out the tag and the little loop for hanging on the underside of each.<br />
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Then I folded down the first raw edge by about a quarter of an inch and pressed it. Then I folded it a second time, pressed it again and pinned it into place.<br />
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Then I sewed along the edge of each of my newly folded hems, and voila! Four cloths from each of the tea towels.<br />
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They look so pretty now. I'm sure they won't stay white for long! Happy washing up.<br />
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Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-79747795757004177682014-03-12T23:39:00.000-07:002014-03-12T23:39:31.503-07:00Here Come the Lambs...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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About a week and a half ago, the boys and I walked down the road to Kitty's to see if the lambs had started coming yet. There was only one. Yesterday after school, Charlie and Michael and I went back to find that a couple of dozen of them had since made their way into the world. A few with smallish babes remained penned off from the crowd, but many of them are together with their own moms and their mom's ewefriends. The ewes in the photo directly above this one are all still waiting to deliver. I'm hoping to get the boys over to see some actual birthing going on, and with so many left to come it looks like we have a fair shot of catching at least one.<br />
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This little lamb below captured our hearts most of all. She is so tiny she can't reach her mom's teat to nurse, so Kitty has been giving her a bottle. Her mom is right next to her though, and very fretful and anxious to have her baby with her. Kitty's partner James finally intervened and helped the mother ewe to nurse, which seemed to suit mother and baby just fine. Though she's small, the lamb seems healthy otherwise, and will hopefully grow quickly and soon be reunited with her mama.<br />
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Here they are together, having a little cuddle. I am right there with that ewe, remembering the overwhelming pride and love that came with holding my own newborns. I'm so happy for them.<br />
More signs of spring all around us, coming soon.Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-81530408046181717292014-03-11T07:00:00.000-07:002014-03-11T07:00:32.501-07:00Early Spring Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes I step outside my front door and pinch myself a little, for all the beauty that surrounds me every day. We've had the wettest winter on record this year in England, but that hasn't stopped the spring from coming. It's been mild and even a little sunny lately, so I was surprised last weekend when I walked outside and found everything covered in frost. The kale in my garden, the moss on the stone walls, the crocus and cow parsley stems were all dusted with an icy glitter. But as I walked through the woods the sun melted it all away, and back home in my garden the hawthorne blossoms opened their faces to the warm light. Another picture perfect day on the farm followed.<br />
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I'll post again soon about other things going on around here. The lambs are coming soon (some are already here), certain piglets are getting bigger and bigger, and our house is growing a new room. Until then, happy almost spring.<br />
Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-72073883681120752322014-02-11T01:18:00.000-08:002014-02-11T04:14:53.081-08:00Staying An Artist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post may strike you as self-indulgent, because I'm going to write about my son and the art he makes. But bear with me for a minute, because it's also about your child, and the art that s/he makes, too. Above is a photo of my four year old, getting ready to go on a road trip to Scotland with his dad. His suitcase is packed, but not with clothes or a toothbrush. That's his art suitcase, and like a true artist, he needs it on hand at all times. </div>
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Picasso once famously quipped, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Like plenty of other kids, Michael loves to create. But even more than my other two boys, who also enjoy drawing and making, art is Michael's preferred activity. If I had to categorize his practice, I'd call him an assemblage artist. He likes to cobble together found materials, ones not necessarily found in our art cupboard, and create very interesting things. Here is a sampling:<br />
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Above: pheasant feathers, paper towels and tape.<br />
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Above: paper towels, paper, lemon, bubble container and green play doh in water.<br />
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Above: Paper napkin, duct tape, masking tape, birthday candles and cupcake toppers.<br />
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Above, cow parsley stems, washi tape and ziplock bags.<br />
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He also practices more traditional drawing and sculpting, as seen below:<br />
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Above: play doh apples<br />
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Above: marker on paper<br />
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Above: ink on paper<br />
And my favorite to date...<br />
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...charcoal, marker, paint and felt on paper.<br />
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Michael is fairly prolific, though his output seems to come in explosive bursts. I frequently stumble upon his sculptures in the most inconvenient of places (the middle of the kitchen floor just as I'm about to make dinner, in the bathtub before I want to take a shower), or find him using materials I'd rather he not play with (egg yolks, light bulbs). But over time I have tried to reflect upon and address Picasso's "problem" of how a child can remain an artist by being a helpful facilitator for Michael's creations. I prefer a tidy house, but I'm learning to live with the detritus of my kids' creative messes. I like to keep their "art" supplies in one place, but am realizing (I'm a little slow) the correlation between clear access and creative expression. Maybe it's precisely because the markers are kept in a box in a cupboard (accessible, but out of sight), while the eggs are kept on the kitchen counter in plain view, that Michael chooses the materials he does. Either way, today I'm trying to encourage his exploratory creations, rather than squash them with very unnecessary rules and boundaries about what is acceptable when it comes to making art. It was Van Gogh who said "If you hear a voice within you say 'You cannot paint', then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." To help a child remain an artist, I would amend that statement to read "If you hear your mother's voice telling you not to tape the door shut with an entire roll of scotch tape, then by all means tape the door shut with an entire roll of scotch tape, and your mother's voice will be silenced."<br />
<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608550736115885440.post-1824164707212243582014-01-31T01:12:00.002-08:002014-01-31T01:12:58.120-08:00Saying Goodbye to Johnny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Almost a year ago, we adopted two orphan sheep. We kept them in a pen in the garage under a heat lamp, where they were bottle fed, held and coddled. We named them Johnny and Violet. Although we're omnivores, there was no question that these two animals would remain pets.<br />
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Bringing them home.<br />
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The pen in the garage.<br />
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Feeding time.<br />
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As they grew, they were moved into a larger outdoor pen, where they got to know the horses, chickens and pigs with whom they'd be sharing a field.<br />
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We began taking them with us on walks, and they were as companionable as any dog. (One of my sons is allergic to dogs, so we sometimes improvise.)<br />
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They grew and thrived up in the field. And though they didn't need us to look after them anymore, they ran to us when we came to see them, and enjoyed a hearty scratch behind the ears.</div>
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Two days ago, I got a call from Kitty that Johnny had died in the night. The cause of his death is a complete mystery to us, but we all shared the grief of his passing. My boys responded with various degrees of sadness-ranging from silence to an outpouring of tears. They all keep asking "Why?" One sagely remarked, "Well. That's just life." </div>
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Violet (above) seems very bereft, and though she still has the company of the other animals in the field, she'll likely be put in with some other sheep with the hope that she can adapt to their company. Sheep are not solitary animals. The lambing season begins again in a month or two, and the kids are already asking if we can get new babies, even though they know there is no replacing the one we lost. </div>
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The boys also wanted to know what will become of Johnny, and I explained about his body returning to the earth, possibly helping a tree to grow somewhere that will provide shade for another sheep in the future. I don't know if this was the right thing to say, and they have their own theories about these things. But I think they're right about one thing, whatever does happen, that's just life. </div>
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<br />Leslie Astorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17109720929594318591noreply@blogger.com2