Fall 2013 Technical Arts Projects

*Shouts over a canyon* HEEELLOOOOOO INTERNEEEEEET!!

This post is not within my usual theme of sewing, but it's still something I'm really really proud of.

My school (LWHS) has the most wonderful technical arts program and this past semester I took Circuitry and Electronics: Digital and Analog in the Electronics Shop and Joinery and Turning in the Wood Shop. (Next up: Private Skills for a Public Purpose in the Metal Fabrications Shop.)

In wood, I started with this box made of black walnut and poplar, and let me tell you, I got WAAAYYY in over my head. I've never made something on my own in the wood shop before and something with this many cuts was way too ambitious.

I cut out each individual triangle on the table saw (had to start over once 'cause I got all the angles wrong) and glued them together. Then I mitered wood to make the inner box so the lid would stay in place.

This project took me forever and I ran into a lot of problems, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's currently holding all my inspiration photos and souvenirs from places I've been.

In my electronics class I made these speakers:

I designed it so that, unlike our current amplifier, the speakers would project the sound up and out and wouldn't be blocked when sitting next to something.

Clapper:

Y'alls will love this one.

This is a clapper my teacher helped me code (Arduino, circuit board, microphone). When you clap twice, it will turn it whatever is plugged into the power tail on or off.

Guess what I plugged into it? The power strip connected to all my sewing machines. That's right, all I have to do is clap twice when I walk into the dining room to turn them on. It's terribly exciting!

(See the other wood project I made for my brother here, just scroll to the bottom.)

Have fun, Makers!

Taft WK

And A Very Crafty Holidays to You!

Happy Holidays, internet!

Hands down, my favorite part of the season is gifts. Not receiving them, but seeing my friends faces when I surprise them with something really special. Not so favorite part is the wrapping of said gifts. Still working on honing that skill. (My strategy this year has been throwing something in a bag and shoving tissue paper around it. Effective, and the added bonus of a minimal use of tape.)

Here's a quick run down of the gifts I made this year:

Stuffed Owl for A:

I got free (designer!) fabric samples from an organization called FabMo at Bizarre Bazaar a couple weeks ago. I made this scrappy little owl for my friend who is OBSESSED with owls, to say the least.

(Photo was taken pre-stuffing, so try to imagine it all puffy and cute, m'kay?)

A Cat for A Cat:

Made this for my friend whose nickname is Cat (see what I did there?). She carried it around for the entire day after I gave it to her. (Sorry about the quality, she took it after I gave it to her.) It's made from the leftovers of the quilt I made for my grandparents (note: SOFTEST FABRIC IN THE UNIVERSE) and is ridiculously fuzzy. Unfortunately, the fabric lets off little fuzz balls that like to stick to your clothes...

Marker Jar for my brother:

I know this is very off topic for this blog, but it's one of my favorite gifts this year. I turned this jar on a lathe in the wood shop at my school and then glued a divider in the middle, so Sheldon can sort out his markers (he can be very particular like that).

Mug and Cozy for Mom:

This one has a really sweet back story behind it. My mom has always said how one day she wants to have a complete set of Heath Ceramics mugs for us to drink tea out of. We went to their SF tile factory once (to meet Natalie Chanin, remember?) and we were completely in awe of how beautiful their dishes were. When I went back a few weeks ago, I found this mug in the exact color of the curtains in our kitchen. It's for the start of our collection, so one day we can have a full set of these exquisite mugs.

The little sweater is made from some really soft purple knit my mom gave me a while ago and hand stitched with white button craft thread.

Have a Wonderful Winter, everyone!

-Taft WK

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Hi again, everyone!

I recently created a tumblr blog where I am posting/reblogging photos and links that inspire me (along with appropriate doses of Amy Poehler, Zooey Deschanel, and feminism).

Please check it out and follow me!

taftisseamstress.tumblr.com

Happy Internet Surfing,

Taft WK

Days For Girls

Hello, my fellow crafty activists!

A few months ago, I found out about this organization called Days For Girls that makes washable/reusable menstrual health kits for girls and women around the world who don't have access to disposable feminine hygiene products. They have an ingenious systems, plus all their patterns and instructional videos are online and available to all!

I'm shipping out my first batch of shields and liners in a couple days and would encourage others to get involved too! It's an excellent way to give back, and what better way to give back than by sewing?

Happy Holidays!

Taft WK

Family Quilt

Do you remember the quilt I made for my mom last spring? Well, I wanted to make something similar for my grandparents, only with fabric from the whole family. Almost everyone sent me scraps of fabric and it was incredible all the things that poured in. Fabric from Ghana (where my grandma grew up), a textile my uncle brought back from Nicaragua, tie-dye t-shirts from my cousins, a BYU (many of my aunts and uncles have gone here, and its where my parents met!) shirt, fabric from a pair of pants my grandma helped my aunt make, flannel from the pioneer costumes my mom and her siblings wore as kids, blue sparkly sweater material, the "I'm a Big Sister!" shirt my cousin wore when her parents were expecting another child, camouflage, you name it and we had it. I even pitched in fabric left over from my skirt and a couple t-shirts I've made and some farming and camping prints I found at Peapod.

Same as before, I cut 5" by 5" squares, sewed them down on a huge piece of black cotton, and covered up all the seams with 5/8" ribbon.

For the back, I found this super-fuzzy, uber-snuggly, softer than three babies' bottoms, ridiculously plushy fleece. Did that successfully get across to you how soft it was? PEOPLE, I SWEAR TO OBAMA THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN MUST BE MADE OUT OF THIS FABRIC. Now you get it?

I serged a loooooong (read: approximately 16 feet) strip of fabrics and used that as a border. Ties it all together nicely, dontcha think?

Here I am, presenting it to my grandparents at our family's Thanksgiving dinner:

During the dinner, I had everyone write their name and birthday in a square, except my grandpa, who used his for some college spirit ("Go Bears!") and my cousin who had quite a bit of fun scribbling in a couple of them.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (better late then never, eh?)

Taft WK

Roll-Up Pencil Case

Long time, no see, internet!

Winter Break and a lack of things to do (no homework!) had me itching for another project, so I pulled out the scrap buckets (yes, plural buckets) and got to work.

I wanted a new pencil case that would make it easier to find my colored pencils and decided on a roll up one with pockets:

The pockets are made with scraps, sewn into a 4"x20.5" panel. I then sewed it down to a 8"x30.5" denim panel (from an old pair of jeans), leaving enough space for a pencil between each seam. Next came a second 8"x30.5" panel and I serged the two together along the edge.

Button and elastic to keep it together all burrito-tight:

Happy Holidays!

Taft WK

Internship: Week 5: Cohesion

This was less of a technical week and more of looking at the design of my dress aesthetically.

The two side (front and back) of my dress weren't really cohesive, and so this week's lesson is:

You want to look like the same person from the front and the back. Seriously. Get with it.

Meaning, the front and back of your dress should be cohesive. They should look like they belong together.

I was having problems with pulling my dress together into one cohesive look. I'm chalking it up to being really stubborn about the first ideas that jump into my head, but I had to learn to let go and rethink what I was doing.

It doesn't mean my first ideas were bad (I actually saved all the patterns and will definitely use them later), it just means I needed to sit down and look at what I was designing, instead of jumping right up and doing whatever I thought of first. Sitting down with a cup of tea and a sketchbook led to better ideas than hastily pinning a mock-up ever could. I was able to focus on the whole garment and look a bit more closely at the lines/styling I had used earlier and how I could incorporate it more.

So, Patience Grasshopper. Just drink some tea and think it over.

-Taft WK