While She Naps

individual consumption

I have always loved the selvedge edges on fabric. All those little numbers in colored circles and words about licensing and commercial use. I habitually cut them off and save them when I use a new yard of fabric and I have a little envelope full of them. These elephants are great for showing them off.

This little guy is called Indivdual Consumption.

You know what made me so happy when I was making him? His ears are made from a scrap of Paris map fabric that Lisa sent me and down at the bottom of it were two big holes exactly in the shape of a mod bird. Really. That makes me so happy.

The teapot fabric on his legs came from Katie and I like the way it coordinates with the alphabet pattern left over from Stella's bumper.

I'm starting to receive wonderful little packages of text laden fabric from all over the world and it is making me so happy. Once it is all here I'll post some pictures. Thank you to everyone who offered to send some - your scraps are so inspiring to me.

Fresh, Beautiful and White Tooth

A friend for Fluffed for Softness

This guy's body is made from thrifted wool I've had forever. His ears are a Japanese fabric I got in a swap and he has some Japanese measuring tape trim on his front legs. His back legs are made from a piece of 70's fabric that came in a bag of vintage scraps I found on eBay many months ago - just a tiny piece perfect for this project. And his buttons came to me via the vintage button swap.

Here they are hanging out together

We had a lovely Rosh Hashanah. Friday Charlie came home from work early and we baked the challah and set the table. The challah with saffron and golden raisins was just lovely. I think this picture of me and my two girls Friday afternoon fairly well captures my life right now trying to raise two babies and hold it all together

and here is Roxanne and daddy blowing their shofars.

We spent much of the weekend at shul, but this afternoon I asked Charlie to help me pull out all of my finished soft toys and decide what to send to Magpie, what to sell at the November craft fair, and what to save for the solo show in March.

When I saw them all together spread out on our bed, actually only two or three months worth of work, my first thought was, "This must signify some sort of psychosis." Seriously.

But really I think it is the opposite. This little imaginary world keeps me sane.

fluffed for softness

Making this elephant was like reading a really good book that you just don't want to end.

I was sad when he was done. It is so fun for me to play with fabric and shapes and to figure out how to make a little someone come alive.

He's got lots of text all over, including some I stamped, and some pieces of an ancient thrifted measuring tape sewn on his legs

Here was the initial sketch

and some other sketches I did last night.

I've started drawing Roxanne's plastic animals recently - a great source of inspiration and basis for body porportions.

**Is anyone out there up for a special little swap? Here is what I need - fabrics and trims with text and/or numbers on them (in English). Little scraps or larger pieces are all fine. I want to make more animals like this elephant and I need more fabrics like these. If you have any and you'd like to donate them to the cause I will send you a lovely package of fabric, trim and buttons in return. Please email me at abbyglassenberg @ comcast . net and we'll set it up. Thank you!

Shana Tova (Happy New Year) and have a great weekend, too.

at play

The last two days I've just been playing around with fabric. Maybe I'll make a mermaid...or a spherical elephant...or figure out how to make a doll foot with darts...so the craft room is a big mess with scraps of fabric and freezer paper everywhere. Anyway, here's a little something - baby toy? gourd?

Meanwhile Roxanne is adjusting to nursery school. She is so excited when we get there that she doesn't even acknowledge my departure. When I come back to get her she has clearly had a full morning and is so ready to leave, tearily telling me, "I'm ready to go home. Mommy carry me!" When we do get home she wolfs down a huge lunch and then is so exhausted.

This week we are in part two of the three part phase in so she's been going for two hours. Next week we start full speed - three hours three days a week. I can't even tell you how freeing it feels to have that time in the morning without a two-year-old in tow.

We are getting ready for Rosh Hashanah here. In the next two days we have a challah to bake (with saffron and golden raisins I think), a brisket to cook (you do realized that thing has to cook for 3.5 hours!) and a honey cake to make. Lots of time in the kitchen for me.

dancing bears

I've been thinking a bit about asymmetry in toy design. One of the things I like about the tree dolls is their asymmetrical heads. I'd like to play around with making some dolls or toys that are in motion, too.

I did some bear drawings that have a bit of asymmetry and a bit of motion

and made these two guys from them

I'm thinking I could go further, though. More motion. More asymmetry.

orange tree doll with owl

I finished this one today.

Her hair is like fire, or autumn leaves after the first snow fall.

She went outside today with her sister who looks like spring.

last of the beach embroideries and some good news

I was sitting on the floor feeding a sleepy Stella some banana and rice cereal yesterday afternoon when the phone rang. It was someone from the Wellesley Public Library letting me know that the art committee met yesterday and they are granting me gallery space for the month of March. I will have the two large display cases that lead into the children's room as well as the two cases at the front door and the two cases at the back door. I'm so excited - my first solo show. I know it is only at the library, but the Wellesley Public Library is a fantastic facility and one of the most well-attended spots for anyone taking care of kids around here. In the cold weather it is packed every day, and especially crowded for story time. All kinds of exhibitors have their work displayed there - right now the cases are showing wooden animal sculptures by a local artisan.

Of course I immediately felt so paralyzed creatively. What will I make? How will it all tie together? And I still have upcoming shows to get ready for and Magpie, too. So in an effort to clear my head, I'm clearing projects off my desk. Last night I finally stuffed and sewed up the last of the beach embroideries made during our vacation - that's a fish an elephant (both drawn from some of Roxy's favorite plastic toys) and a Byzantine-style lady

and during Project Runway (again, I watch each episode 6 days late because it comes on past our bedtime otherwise) I stuffed the orange striped sock monkey. I think now I could sit down and brainstorm and sketch a bunch of ideas and that might get me going again. A big tree doll? maybe a forest of trees? Some sea creatures? Circus toys? A picnic or a tea party? Oh my.

pictures from I'm Stuffed

I'm not going to get to see the show in person, but check out this post by Heidi for some pictures from the opening of the I'm Stuffed show in Baltimore. Do you see my fish? I just love how they hung two of them from the ceiling.

small tree doll without branches

I thought this brown fabric really suggested bark. It is a actually a large 70's era print of animals that Mimi gave me last time she was here, but cut up on a small scale it is rather bark-like. The face on this doll is appliqued on in the Mimi way and I rather like it. I think I'll do all of their faces like this. And she has the sleepy eyes of my other dolls.

first day

Today was Roxanne's first day of nursery school. It was wonderful. The class met for one hour with the moms. She romped from activity to activity in a firefighter suit and hat - first playdough, then markers, then play kitchen, then sand table, then back to playdough. She peed in their potty and she cried when we left. Overall she made herself right at home.

Over the weekend I fixed up the penguin pattern and made these three dudes.