Montessori by Hand

welcome craft sanity visitors; this blog has moved

2008-06-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

A big welcome to all of you who followed the link from CraftSanity! This blog moved a couple months ago to its new home at www.sewliberated.typepad.com. You can see all the archives over there.

I also want to remind subscribers to this RSS feed to update your bookmarks to www.sewliberated.typepad.com. There's lots of stuff to read about over there since the blog moved - house floods, our big move back to the States, and lots of pictures of my students (who I am going to miss very much) being their natural, creative and inquisitive selves.

But, perhaps most exciting of all, is that today I am announcing the release of the Lola Apron pattern, which includes a child's size verson! Here is today's post about it. Hope to see you over there!

xo,

Meg
________________

It’s about time for some big news, isn’t it? As much as I wish that I could be announcing this kind of wonderful news, that will have to wait until the chaos of moving subsides and the stars of serendipity and grad school schedules align. Instead, I have another “baby” that’s ready to make its way out into the world – the Lola Apron pattern!

I’ve already mentioned how smitten I am with this apron. So smitten that I went ahead and made a mini-version, which comes as part of the deal. And a BIG thanks to my wonderful testers, Monique, Lucy, Shawnee, Beth and Melissa - these ladies are extremely talented, and they've made the pattern very user-friendly and typo-free.

Oh – and yes, that’s me, my former student, and, perhaps surprisingly, my Mexican kitchen featured on the pattern front. The dark interior made it a challenge.

But Miss Lola was insistent. She refused to be photographed in front of a run-down fence. She was pure kitcheny kitsch, and her place is the kitchen. How in the world could I possibly have a photo shoot in my rather hobbit-like kitchen? Answer: white bedsheets, this flash, a particularly patient husband, and lots and lots of fun with photoshop. My saving grace? These plates. They make the whole photo, in my opinion.

One more thing, which is a big announcement in of itself – have you listened to the most recent Craftsanity podcast? I haven’t yet, out of fear of hearing my own voice bumbling about and making embarrassing statements. I was so honored to be invited on the show and to spend an hour or so chatting with Jennifer, who is a delightful person and a fellow apron aficionada.

Craft on!

Meg

THE BLOG HAS MOVED TO TYPEPAD!

2008-04-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here ye, here ye! I'm finally saying goodbye to blogger and my inability to reply to comments! From now on, you can find me over at www.sewliberated.typepad.com. (Yes, the blog has a new name, too! Read more about it here.) Please, please, please ... change your blog feeds/readers to my new address ... I would hate to see you go, especially now that I will have the chance to reply to all of your thoughtful comments through the wonder that is Typepad.

So stop by, say hi, peruse my new "about and FAQ's" page, and read my review of Amanda's new book, The Creative Family. The only sad thing about my move is that most of my previous comments have been wiped out. I'm working to fix the issue, and will be slowly going through the blog and redirecting certain links, so please excuse any goofy links or formatting as I work through the kinks.

Thanks for reading!

how to make recycled paper

2008-04-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've recently been bitten by the paper recycling bug. My symptoms? Ogling over multi-colored paper scraps and a strong desire to never buy construction paper ever again.

Some of the mothers in my school make beautiful things with recycled paper, such as this journal which is hand-bound with string coated in beeswax. The edges of the cover are delicately burned for a real artisan touch. (You can find beeswax here, which you apply to a single strand of hemp string, working it in with the heat of your fingers. Bind the book by sewing the layers together with a large-eyed needle, then thread some beads on each end.)

The process of making recycled paper varies from one source to the next, which can only mean one thing - the process is the kind that is open to experimentation and variation. I encourage you to do just that. Children will love experimenting with different kinds of paper and procedures. This little tutorial illustrates what has worked for me thus far.

What you will need:

-Keep a bucket of water handy next to your recycling bins. Shred by hand any used paper (a perfect job for a toddler!) and throw it into the bucket to sit for at least a day.
-An old blender
-Used frames (minus the glass and backing) of various sizes. The size of the frame will determine the size of your finished sheet of paper.
-Very, very fine plastic screening which will be stretched over the frames and used as a sieve
-Thumb tacks for attaching the screening to the frames to make the sieve
-A tupperware bin large enough to so that you can easily submerge the frames in it
-Newspaper cut slightly larger than the dimensions of your frames for blotting
-Absorbent sponge
-Rolling pin

1.) With a ratio of about 1 portion of well-soaked paper scraps to 2 cups water, blend into a pulp in your old, trusty blender. Blend in short spurts so as not to burn out the motor. You will need about two half-blender-fulls (shown above) of pulp per tupperware bin batch. *If you would like to make your paper scented, add 6-10 drops of essential oils during the blending of the pulp.

2.) Fill the tupperware bin with several inches of water and pour in the pulp. Swish the mixture around so that the pulp is evenly distributed in the water. *You can add dried flowers, leaves, etc. at this point in the process, or you can wait until you have lifted the sieve out of the water and press them neatly onto the paper.

3.) Submerge the frame-sieve into the bin and slowly lift out. Place a piece of blotting newspaper on top of the pulp/paper. Using a sponge on top of the newspaper, blot away all of the excess water. Flip over the sieve and carefully remove the paper. It should still be attached to the newspaper on one side.

4.) Place another piece of newspaper on top of the paper. The paper sheet is now sandwiched between two layers of newspaper. Roll out any excess water using a rolling pin. Remove the top piece of newspaper and let the paper dry completely in a sunny spot. Carefully peel the recycled sheet from the newspaper.

Here's a video that demonstrates a slightly different way to go about it. Figure out what process works best for you. Before you know it, you'll be planning to write down all of your recipes on recycled paper, too!

it's an aprony april thus far

2008-04-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I think I've gotten myself tangled up in some hard-to-meet expectations. Ever since test-running this new chef's get-up in my classroom, all they can say is "Are we going to have a chef's outfit for baking cookies? And one for baking bread? And one for preparing snack? And one for making granola? And one for cracking nuts? And one for making tortillas?" One child wanted to do his math work in the chef's costume. Hey... now that's a good idea. It might add a bit of pizazz to tax preparation process.

A few of you might recognize this apron from the earlier version that I sold briefly as a PDF pattern. It's been jazzed up with an appliquéd kangaroo pocket and will be available in various sizes. A smock-style child's apron will also be part of the same pattern - I'll post some pictures of it in a few days' time.

Things are getting done here, but why does it seem like the "getting done" occurs at the speed of poured molasses, while the passage of days happens at the speed of light? I must be getting older. I'm reminded of this every time a child says to me something along these lines:

Meg, do you remember when, a long, long, time ago ... when I was REALLY little, and we made ornaments to put on our Christmas trees?

Why, yes. For me it seems like last week that we were making holiday decorations in the classroom. Oh boy. I know what this means. Measuring time as I perceive it, we will be moving back to the US in a little less than a week.

Holy Crimeny! I'd better get to packing!

the rebirth of the WC

2008-03-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

In a cheery little apartment bedecked with warm rays of sunshine, there lives a funny little toilet with a happy little plant.

Very nearby, a wrinkled old man of a blender relishes the new green life sprouting from within.

These photos were taken almost a year ago at my friend's Mexico City apartment. I'm not sure why they've been sitting for so long in my picture files, but its high time they were resurrected. I mean, really ... how can these not bring a smile to your face? They speak to me on so many levels.

Aesthetics - Perhaps the most shallow of reasons, yet significant nonetheless. I love the bold innovation coupled with the homeyness of the plant life. I think every morning would start off right if I had my bowl of oatmeal next to a repurposed toilet-planter. Don't you think?

Roots - Antiques and thrifted finds enrich our surroundings and provide fodder for our imaginations. Who were the people that used them? What kind of home(s) did they have? What was life like when they were brand-spankin' new? And the toilet? Reflecting on its past life is just plain funny. But gee - it is one useful invention!

Responsibility - Repurposing. Keeping used objects out of the landfill and keeping us from going out any buying something new.

Did you see that Blue Yonder is having a repurposing contest? The toilet-planter won't be entered because I can't claim it as my own creation, but I'm sure you all have some excellent ideas and/or repurposed works of art. So empty out your trash bin and get crackin'!

gravity experiment goes curiously awry

2008-03-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

the culprit assesses the situation from high ground

Aside from this riveting feline-style scientific experiment, what in the world have we been up to this past week?

The week began with an overnight trip to big-city Chihuahua where we stocked up on gouda cheese, cashews, olive oil and red wine (all of which we consider vital to our gustatory happiness, but which we can't find here in Creel.) Upon return, we were greeted by red and orange blinking lights on our modem. In other words, bad news. For days, our internet connection cut off every 10 minutes or so. Several visits from Telmex technicians later, we apparently are up and running once again.

Fortunately for me, this lack of access to the 'nets helped me to buckle down and get all of those instructions written and diagrams drawn for the Elsie Mae and Lola aprons. And there's more - but that's a surprise, and you'll have to wait until I have pictures to show for it!

I've also immensely enjoyed your comments and ideas about homemade/thoughtful/non-commercial gift giving. If you haven't had a chance to read through the comments yourself, I highly suggest it - it's a great resource for future gift-giving.

Off to sew things ...

Meg

and celebration number 27 passes quietly

2008-03-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

For posterity's sake, and the little old lady me, I thought I would record the bit of requisite gluttony that occurred yesterday in honor of the vernal equinox and my 27th birthday.

The day passed with a nod and a smile, devoid of all of the hubbub generally associated with birthdays. All of our friends are out of town for the Easter holidays, and Patrick and I enjoyed the quiet day, sipping a rare coke from recycled glass bottles (so much tastier this way - why do we stand for all of this PLASTIC? Plastic toys for children, plastic food containers, etc. Have you watched this video yet? If not, then consider it my birthday wish!)

The dearest birthday gift I received this year came from my Mom, in the form of a short email, describing our first meeting. I must preface this with a bit of a birth story - I was born by emergency C-section after three days of labor, in an age where medical technology hadn't caught up with the most pressing needs of mother and child to connect right after birth. My mother was under complete anesthesia, and I was born at 7:28 P.M. I'm sure it was even a while before I was put in my father's arms, as they washed, bundled, and did whatever else they deemed "necessary" for a newborn before handing her off to bond with family. Nonetheless, my Mom's description was lovely:

I have a memory of our first eye to eye contact that I cherish. Bundled tightly in a soft blanket you were placed in my arms at about 4:00 in the morning. Your eyes were wide open and you seemed to be ready for conversation. I brought you close to my face and told you how happy I was to finally see you and hoped I would be a good mother to you. Your little mouth puckered an "o" and your eyes seemed to open even wider. I was dumbstruck by the realization that we had been "talking" for many months and that while you grew and rested under my heart - loved sight unseen - nothing had prepared me for the outpouring of love that funny little face evoked!

I'm touched beyond the scope of words that my Mom offered me such a thoughtful, immaterial gift this year. Patrick and I have a bit of a tradition of "gifting" in non-traditional ways ... by turning commercial holidays on their heads and using the occasion, instead, to find little extra ways that we can express our love for each other. For example, yesterday I was the recipient of breakfast in bed and a heavenly shoulder rub. In the past, we have written out "coupons" on index cards, which could be "redeemed" at any time. Here are a few examples from a batch that Patrick gave me on our first anniversary, right before we moved to Mexico. (And yes, Amelie is actually an anniversary gift!)

Do you eschew the commercial, the contaminating, and the mass-produced for thoughtfulness and homemade gifts? I'd love it if you could leave a comment and share your ideas and suggestions for giving more meaningful gifts for parents, partners, and especially children. Who knows - perhaps our small efforts will make an impression on our own children, friends, and families, and we can stamp out at least a small patch of that omnipresent commercial wildfire, fed by corporate marketing to children. If you have a chance, read this article that was published around Christmastime. It's certainly food for thought.

xo,
Meg

seeing green

2008-03-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, who let loose the frolicsome leprechaun? Really, I can't think of another reason why it would have snowed in Mexico on Saint Patrick's Day.

Needless to say, the outside environment was not so generous in its showing of green. I had to look elsewhere. I found a bit of the sought-after green in my kitchen, in the form of a reusable grocery bag ...

... whose contents, with the help of that same impish leprechaun, eventually morphed into some delectable Irish soda bread (recipe here.)

So let's talk Irish, shall we? I have not a nip of Irish blood in my veins, but I've been hankering to be Irish for a long while now.

It all started when I was 18 and I got into Notre Dame. For four years, I could officially claim to be Irish without anyone raising their eyebrows. Suspiciously soon after my Irish-ness expired when I graduated from ND, I married a Mr. Patrick McElwee. Some might claim that the shotgun wedding was simply my way of hanging on to my Irish (better) half for good. I took his last name largely for the Irish mystique. Oh, yes ... we did consider hyphenating or coming up with an alternative name, but we figured that Anderson-McElwee or Andlewee just didn't work. So wee McElwees we shall be, the whole lot of us.

Patrick is as genuinely Irish as they get. He looks the part. His father was barely born in the US, and I was fortunate to have known his late grandmother, who always sang "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" in her dementia. No joke! Here's a little video that Patrick and his siblings put together last year, soon after her passing:

Patrick has many more Irish stories, old and new. Consider this one - he is a proud descendant of Michael McElwee and Nial Shiels, The Fanad Patriots, who gained their fame by killing their abusive English landlord.

In Patrick's formative years, he had his two elderly Irish great uncles living with his family. He's also visited Ireland on several occasions, during which he 1.) was on a bus with cousins while everyone started raucously chanting "IRA! IRA!" 2.) his great aunt, when asked for directions by British soldiers, gave them directions to march straight into the river, unbeknownst to them, of course.

I could go on about this whole Irish business, but let it suffice to say that I am proud of my adopted heritage, and yes, in case you were wondering ...

we do dance the jig.

horsing around (sheepishly)

2008-03-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

We experienced a grand tour of the horse stables this past Friday. One of the dads in my school community gives horse tours in the area, and he kindly told us all about the horses and even "shoed" a horse in front of the children! They got to ride the gentlest of the animals - some even rode by themselves in a corral.

Another highlight of the day was the hilarious sheep "chase." A rope was loosely tied around the neck of a ewe (what a good sport she was!) so that when the end was pulled it would easily come off. Small groups of children were put in the corral with the ewe and were charged with removing the rope from her neck. I'm not sure who laughed more - the children or the adults watching them!

It was a nice way to draw to a close the first half of this second semester. Bring on the vacation!

xo,
Meg

love me some linen

2008-03-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Look what arrived in my Mexican P.O. box today! Amber and I did a bit of an exchange - a few sewing patterns for some of her knock-em-dead handwork. I'm hoping that having this lovely piece of Amber's in my home will help filter some of her embroidery mojo my way! You never know.

At the moment, I'm pleasantly paralyzed (creatively) due to the 10 yards of beautiful linen that I can finally call my own. I've waited literally years to find affordable linen. Now that I have it, I'm overwhelmed. There are SO many ideas floating about in my head, but I can't seem to lasso any idea in particular. Part of me is fighting the perfectionist that lurks beneath my more nonchalant surface ... why would I feel like I need to create a masterpiece as soon as the needle hits this wonder-fabric? Silly. So I decided to start with a pattern - a pleasant warm-up of sorts.

You already know how much I admire Hillary's work, and this "Quilting Bee" stitchette is just another testament to all that is wonderful about Wee Wonderfuls. I can already see the finished embroidery hanging on the wall of my new studio once we move to North Carolina!

I'm confident that once I'm done with the Quilting Bee I will be able to skip intrepidly into a future filled with original designs. Do you ever get this perfectionist-induced creativity block?

xo,
Meg

ode to the lola apron

2008-03-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Another apron, Meg?

Really now.

Don't you think it's time you joined A.A. (Aprons Anonymous) to talk about your little problem?

How could I stop myself? When I found this vintage apron for sale over at Joyful Abode's Etsy shop, I didn't think twice.

Isn't it lovely? The fabric has the feel of a soft bed sheet, and the circle pockets are just to die for. The voices in my head wouldn't cease until I had made myself another.

And I have a confession to make. As much as I love my two Emmeline Aprons, the Lola is, hands down, MY FAVORITE APRON EVER. I don't know what it is. The fit is super. I love the retro flair of the bias binding and rick rack accents. I love it SO MUCH that I am looking for excuses to wear it. That frying pan? Yep. It needs to be washed again. (And you don't know how much I used to detest doing the dishes. Okay - maybe it's the Flylady that has had me on the right track as of late, but the Lola apron certainly deserves a hefty percentage of the credit.)

So. Pardon my effusive babbling. Of course, this means that Lola, along with Miss Elsie Mae, are both in the process of becoming printed patterns. The good news? Starting this Friday I have fifteen days off, during which I hope to plow ahead in this somewhat arduous pattern-writing process. Maybe if I tell myself that I can wear the Lola apron only when I sit down to write instructions? Now that is an efficient working plan!

building a firm foundation

2008-03-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Concentration. A grand plan. A careful touch. The pleasure of being architect, structural engineer, and construction worker all at once. If you stick your tongue out a bit further, that precariously placed block will most certainly stay put. The young visionary learns all too quickly from an error in judgment, but the driving force of the grand plan leads him right back to the construction site to work up a plan B.

This morning, I was delighted to see that one of my students had placed a photo of the Petronas Twin Towers (once the tallest in the world) on his work rug. With a quick, I'm-on-a-mission gait, he went back and forth from the shelf to his rug, retrieving the pieces of the pink tower and the brown stair. This is the fruit of his labor:

Right on, little man - take an idea and run with it! I swear, my greatest epiphanies as a teacher come from the students themselves. Hats off to you, Diego, for the following idea, which could be used both in the home and the classroom.

Search high and low (and most likely in old issues of National Geographic) for excellent quality photos of architecture from around the world. Include photos of well-known landmarks, such as the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Empire State Building, and the Pyramids. Don't forget to also include typical houses from around the world. Mount the photos on card stock, write a sentence or two about the building on the back, and laminate for durability. Keep the photos in a special folder titled "The Architect's Library of Inspiration" or something of the sort. Provide wooden blocks and a sturdy foundation.

I've put a good deal of thought into appropriate (and inappropriate) toys for young children. While I'll spare you a soapbox speech at the moment, one thing I can say for certain - if my own children have no store-bought toys other than quality wooden blocks (and a hefty selection of art supplies), I would say that they wouldn't be missing out on a darn thing. But then again, I'm one of those weirdos who has never owned a television and never will and who is planning on having nightly family jam sessions with my future children.

The word on the street is that these blocks are amazing. I'm also partial to the sets that are available from Michael Olaf's catalogue. We have the Roman Arch set in my classroom as part of the physics curriculum, and I'm personally envious of any child that has the deluxe wooden block set. How cool would that be?

To sum it up - provide blocks, and they will build.

never in a million years part two. the cat speaks.

2008-03-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

Dearest Very Large Animals Who Have Warm Laps,

Amelie here. I thought I'd bring you up to date on the latest news from the Amelie-Timoun Kingdom, since Meg seems to be a bit preoccupied with all of the new things that Patrick brought back from his trip to the U.S. in Timoun's traveling bed (I think they call it a suitcase.) There's this new thing that she's been sticking in my face - she said something about a camera lens. She's been babbling on in that odd language of yours about the magnificence of the low aperture number that allows her to take photos with an awesome depth-of-field in low-light conditions. Yawn. It's time for me to take a little nap. Here are a few more pictures to keep you occupied while I doze.

Okay, that was a nice nap. Thanks for your patience. I know you humans like to be doing things all the time and neglect your hourly naps. Personally, I don't understand how you get through a 24 hour day without sleeping for 16 hours of it. You should try out my circadian rhythm. I think you'll like it.

Well, I really should get to the point because before you know it, siesta time will once again be upon us. Meg wanted me to tell you that she had a lovely time reading through all 347 comments with your name suggestions for the new apron, and that she has finally settled on a name! While my own vote was clearly for Amelie, she ended up picking Elsie Mae.

A big congratulations to Melody, who suggested the name Elsie in honor of her own great-grandmother. Meg went ahead and slapped Mae onto one end because she "just couldn't resist!" Humans. You all are so funny about your naming obsession.

Goodness me! It's nap time again. I must curl up immediately into a ball. Wishing you all a purrfect evening!

Paw print,
Amelie

never in a million years ... part one

2008-02-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

Check out this bring-on-Spring Emmeline by Melissa! Freshcut fabrics make for such a sweet rendition of any apron. Make sure to head over to the Flickr group and see how others have (brilliantly) interpreted the Emmeline Apron pattern!

... would I have guessed that I would have sold out of my first printing of Emmeline Apron patterns in three week's time! Thanks to your overwhelmingly positive reception of Miss Em, she'll have to be on backorder for a little less than a week while we wait for the second printing to ship out. I know you'll understand if you order a pattern and it takes a little longer to arrive, but we are aiming to get out any orders for Emmelines around March 4th. Thank you so much for your patience and support!

In the meantime, if you're just itchin' to get a-stitchin', please consider supporting my wholesale retailers by purchasing the patterns from them. I know that Yuki at LA Chakra has about 25 Emmelines in stock. Also, be sure to check out some of the pattern/fabric kits available at Monkey Foot Designs! I'm so excited to see that Kris has unearthed some of that hard-to-find Gnome fabric for her Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag kit! She's also put together the Chocolate Lollipop fabric and some beautiful out of print Urban Chicks fabric that would make a stunning duo for the Emmeline Apron.

Stay tuned for "Never in a Million Years ... Part Deux" to find out the name of Little Miss Apron #2 - and boy do I have a lot of choices!

xo,
Meg

name that apron

2008-02-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Number Two apron pattern is no longer just a drawing on paper! Here she is, in her first workup. Number Two features all the fifties' flair imaginable, with a ruffled hem, two pockets with cloth-covered button details, a gathered waistband, and some optional bodice bows. For a perfect fit, Number Two offers a curved seam bodice and skirt, which lend it its retro vibe. Fully lined, Number Two has no exposed seams and will last long enough for your great-granddaughter to put it to good use. The only thing Number Two doesn't have is a name!

That's where you come in! Help me give Number Two a name she can be proud of! Leave a comment, and in a week's time I will pick the name that most tickles my fancy. Keep in mind that I like the idea of old-fashioned women's names for my aprons (i.e. Emmeline) but I'm open to other possibilities as well. The winner will receive a copy of The Apron Book by EllynAnne Geisel!

After the naming, all that's left is writing the instructions, drafting the pattern pieces in Illustrator, laying out everything in InDesign, sending the draft out to testers, revising, re-sending, and printing. Nothing at all, really! But this naming contest should be so much fun. Maybe I'll even get some ideas for naming my future children, as well. :)

Happy naming!

Meg

rummage sale for the birds

2008-02-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how much joy this little basket of bits and pieces brings to my heart. It is a harbinger of spring, the first sign that winter is in its last throes. In this diminutive basket near the art supplies, we are collecting items for the birds, who are busy making their nests in preparation for the boom of new life that will be happening in the next few months.

Yarn leftovers, embroidery floss, downy chicken feathers, a left-behind piece of the cloth mop, scraps of fabric, a bit from a torn sponge, a ball of hair after a thorough hair brush cleaning - all of these things would have been thrown away, but our trash is the bird's treasure. After this indoor basket is full, a child takes it outside and deposits the loot in a larger basket, where the birds are free to take what they please at their leisure.

We're hoping that we will see evidence of this gift to the birds in nearby nests. Our eyes are peeled for pieces of bright yarn.

my february ten

2008-02-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've decided to follow in the footsteps of dear Amanda and squeeze out some of the sweet juice that February has offered thus far. It would be so easy to take my bow and head off right stage instead of facing the rest of formidable, frigid, ever-funky February, but I think it would be more effective simply to kill this month with compliments and kindness. February, you weasel of a month - you are no longer my foe!

1. Let's begin with another tribute to naturally pink food. This beet, apple, pineapple and walnut salad is the perfect marriage of root and fruit. Adding fresh cream makes it a thing from the fluffy clouds above. The children, who were drawn in by its deceptively unnatural bright color, dubbed it "delicious" and served themselves second helpings. Plus, to prolong the color appreciation, the beets give you pink pee. And there is, quite possibly, nothing cooler than pink pee when you are four years old.

2. The ray of morning sunshine that graced my kitchen windowsill with it's camera-loving warmth. Now I know that if I want to photograph anything inside my house in natural light, I have to take advantage of this fleeting moment between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. (Precisely when I'm not in the house, but rather at school. Why was I not in school this morning? That's a long story involving a sick cat and the busting of a window when someone broke into the house. But, eh ... let's stick to the good parts of February, shall we?)

3. The incredible reception of the new patterns. Wow. I most certainly was not expecting this! After two weeks, the aprons are already into their second printing! Emmeline Aprons and Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bags are popping up all over the planet, like the one above, photo courtesy of Monokultur in Austria. And you love them! I'm couldn't be happier, and I certainly hope that you will start sharing your creations over at the flickr group.

4. These guitar lessons, found through the inspirational parenting blog, Blue Yonder. For years (we're talking since college) I've been wanting to refine my guitar skills beyond the standard chord realm. Perhaps this will be the push that gets me a finger-pickin'! Patrick's been working on his jazz improv on the piano, and with a few minutes of technical practice every day, we might just be able to start that band. (To my future children - I'm so sorry that your parents are the Duke and Duchess of Dorkdom. Perhaps you should consider picking up the banjo, harmonica and fiddle so that we can be the nouveau generation of the Trapp Family singers?)

5. The glad tidings in the mail, from the incredibly sweet and thoughtful Dee, who sent me the most scrumptious package full of chocolate! I would have taken a photo, Dee, but the a chocoholic got to it before I had a chance to recharge the camera battery. Ahem. Dee also included some lovely vintage trims and incredible cuts of fabric. Thank you so much!

6. Five months and counting until we're back state-side. Five months until we're much closer to family ... five months until I can buy all the spices that my little heart desires ... five months until my windows are properly sealed and my roof is properly insulated ... five months until we can go out to eat at an Italian/Chinese/Thai/Indian restaurant ... etc. I think I need to commit to chanting the "enjoy the present moment mantra" with more frequency.

7. Discovering this site for affordable, quality linen. I could never stomach buying linen before, but you can't turn your back on their prices. Thanks to Amber for passing on the info! (And if you haven't yet, check out the lovely linen items in Amber's Etsy shop.)

8. The lanky shadow produced by the low-angled February sun.

9. The comic "stubby bather" effect in the warm waters of the hot springs.

10. The joy with which children embrace the outdoors, no matter the season, no matter the month.

the color of love

2008-02-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a feast of wholesome red and pink foods? Watermelon, strawberries, hibiscus tea, and perhaps a mango or two, if they are handy.

Valentines Day is just a subtle whisper on the north wind down here in Mexico. With no Hallmark, no florists, and no candy hearts, Valentines Day is a chill deal. I must say, I don't envy all of you who were "required" to make 20+ valentines for classroom events. Although, I sure wouldn't mind some of these cupcakes - please and thank you! I can even eat them in style on my plate.

May you celebrate love and friendship wherever you are.

to the one I love

2008-02-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

An early Valentine.

Dear Patrick,

Seven years ago today, you invited me out to dinner. During that dinner, we had a flawless, invigorating conversation. At some point in that conversation, I told you very firmly that the last thing I was interested in was dating anyone. Thanks for being persistent in your wooing, and doing it all with your wry sense of humor and keen intellect. Your persistence was well placed. I think it only took me two more weeks to fall head-over-heels in love with you and get that tingle that shot up my spine when you walked into the room.

We've gallivanted across Europe together, learned two foreign languages together, lived on a negative income together, lived without a dishwasher and washing machine together, cooked together, lived in Mexico together, gotten lost while hiking (without water) together, been sick together, been to funerals of loved ones together, but most of all, we've laughed A LOT together.
Perhaps that's why you married me in the first place. You probably thought to yourself, "Hey, this girl laughs at every joke I make. That's pretty nice. I think I'll marry her." But really, even as we get old and saggy, I'll know that I picked a winner. A guy who can make me laugh at every turn of the road. Your wit is unmatched, my love.

For more of the "How did you do that with your hair?" series - A study of Patrick's hair and its interaction with water, click here.

Let me try to be serious for a while, which is hard to do around you. Here's what I think of you - you are a genius - a clear-thinking, logic-loving, mathematical wiz. You have a head full of facts that makes you a conversational gem. You are respectful and calm. Wise and thoughtful. You care about justice, and feel obligated to do something to draw attention to the plight of the have-nots - those who form the forgotten backbone of this capitalist system that benefits not them, but the few for whom they clean house.

You have a love for history, and are passionate about learning from it in order to make informed decisions about present day economic and political situations. You work to produce amazing videos such as this one, to get the word out to our unfortunately myopic society:

You are leading us on to our next adventure, having been accepted to study for your PhD in Latin American History at your top choices, Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. You're an incredible and patient teacher. I know this because you've tried to teach me theoretical calculus. I say "tried" because I simply didn't want to do any homework. You, on the other hand, were fascinating to listen to.

You play the piano while I sing along, you cuddle up to me as we watch our physics course, you bake incredible whole wheat bread from scratch. You are my best friend, and I love you.

These past seven years have been incredible, and I can't wait for more.

Love,
Meg

snapshots

2008-02-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

"Dressing-up", an extension of her work with the dressing frames, done in front of a mirror.

A puppet made at home, from an old sock. Love the holes for her fingers.

Singing while doing the movements with the "Song Cards" work. Also, notice that one of my children has made me a cup of tea in the background.

Drawing on a window in the outdoor environment.

The Five Senses definition stages

I don't know how he does this. I can barely do it.

Que tengan un buen fin de semana!
(Have a good weekend!)

xo,
Meg

special announcement intermission

2008-02-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

I do hope you don't mind a little intermission in your puppet show, but I have a special announcement to make ....

The new patterns are officially up for sale! Maybe you've already heard through the grapevine, or received special notice through my mailing list, but it's time to shout out, loud and clear ...

Here ye! Here ye!

Get your Emmeline Apron and Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag patterns

hot off the press!

I would like to give a big shout out to my wonderful/marvelous/incredible pattern testers. Karla, Amy, Patti, Ellen, Maren and Jill from the Secret Stitch Club, Kate, Susan & Tod, Monique, and Heather ... you've really made these patterns top-notch. I couldn't have done it without you! Monique has posted a great review of the Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag - head back to her blog in a few days to read her upcoming review of the Emmeline Apron pattern. (And did you notice that her bag is also featured on the pattern front? Aren't her fabric choices to die for?!)

You can buy your patterns at my website, http://www.montessoribyhand.net/, or my esty store, http://www.montessoribyhand.etsy.com/. I'm also giddy to announce that Quilter's Resource Inc. and Eagle Pattern Depot have picked up my line for distribution to independent sewing stores nationwide! Eeek! Can you tell I'm excited? So hopefully you'll be able to support your local sewing stores and purchase the patterns there, too! If your local store doesn't know about the patterns, it would be wonderful if you could ask for them. For an ever- growing list of stores that carry the patterns, click here.

Thanks SO much for all of your support and kind words - this has been a wild adventure, and I never would have started off on this trek had it not been from your warm words of encouragement. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

xo,

Meg

puppets on a stick

2008-02-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

The stick puppet is one of the most simple to make. Even the very young can make their own variations of stick puppets by decorating (with paint, markers, or collage) a card stock or cardboard shape that an adult has cut out. A slightly older child can cut out her own shape. As for the stick? My butterfly is sporting a Chinese take-out chopstick. Other options might include taping a drinking straw or pencil to the back of the puppet.

One of the (many) reasons I've become so enamored with puppets is that they are a high-quality educational toy that can be fashioned entirely from found objects, recycled material, and common household items. Here's how I made this papier mache butterfly puppet:

Draw a shape onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out. Cover the cardboard entirely in aluminum foil (used foil works fine!) Attach a stick to one side with masking tape.

Prepare your papier mache paste. I use 1 part white flour to 2 parts warm water, which should form a consistency like thick glue. Add more water or flour if needed, and mix to remove the lumps.

Tear newspaper into small strips (the smaller the better for working with figures that have curved edges, such as this one.) Dip each strip into the paste, run it between your index and middle fingers to remove the excess, and place it on the figure. Cover the figure evenly, forming "x"s with the strips, which will give it more tensile strength. Add 4-6 more layers (being sure to let it dry a bit between each layer.)

Let the puppet dry completely for one or two days. Use some sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges, then cover it entirely in a coat of white paint (acrylics or temperas work fine.)

Once the base layer has dried, bring out the rest of the colors and let your imagination take flight! Once dry, cover with a coat of Mod Podge.

Happy puppeteering!
Meg

a month of puppets

2008-02-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Wooden marionettes, made in Prague

You never know what the January winds will bring. Here, in a mountainous, forgotten corner of Mexico, they blew in a puppeteer.

That's right - an Italian puppeteer, living the vie boheme, who dons a vest with an appliquéd sun and a healthy looking stock of corn.

He performed for my students this week, and we were all quite smitten.

Such an unexpected visitor and his puppet-entourage that travels the world by his side in a pink backpack-on-wheels can mean only one thing - February is now A Month of Puppets!

I hope you will join me as I explore the world of puppetry. Expect everything from historical anecdotes and little-known facts to suggestions and tutorials on how to make different kinds of puppets and marionettes - there's a lot of messy work going on behind-the-scenes in my puppet studio!

And just to get you in the mood and to introduce the Month of Puppets theme song, have a look at this clip from The Sound of Music:

Did I mention that I want to model my own children after the von Trapps? Minus the whistle, I mean ... which wouldn't be very Montessori. ;)

let me tell you 'bout the birds in the trees ...

2008-01-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

You know that little 50's tune, right? If not, I apologize for my seemingly boring post title. :)

I didn't mean for six days to pass since my last post, but the hard drive on our desktop has run amok. I still have my laptop, but Patrick has commandeered it to do his work. Fortunately, we were able to back up most of our files - but this one-computer-between-two business means that I will have much less time in front of the screen. I plan on compensating by focusing on my behind-the-scenes work and snatching some precious moments to put up posts when Mr. Montessori By Hand is sleeping.

I have this little twinkle bouncing around in my head - a bit of a crafting series, so to speak. Stay tuned - it should be fun!

Also - be sure to check the children's book list from time to time, as I'm constantly adding new titles. I added a button in the side bar so you don't have to go fishing for that particular post whenever you are looking for something in particular for your next library trip. Hope you find it useful!

xo,
Meg

what's in a name?

2008-01-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

She has a new obsession. Once you learn how to write your name, the graffiti-urge takes over. You write it on paper, in the sand, with paint - I envision the child's inner Julie Andrews twirling about while singing: "The hills are alive ... with the beautiful letters of my name!"

What a fantastic moment.

As a child, did a good part of your doodle-time consist of trying out different ways to write your name? I remember going through the peer-pressure induced "the dot over the 'i' in Meggie must have a heart" phase. Or the dramatic cursive slant that mirrored my "I'm a deep-thinking artist" phase at age 16. Then came the default scribble with a hint of an "M" post-secondary. My handwriting turned out to be more like my father's than I would have ever dared to imagine.

All of this talk of handwriting makes me nostalgic. Even in my generation, beautiful handwriting is not a staple. We are the masters of the keyboard. How wonderful would it be to exchange handwritten letters with a loved one? Of course, we all sign our names and write in a few cutesy sentences in birthday cards. But when was the last time you poured out your soul onto paper? I personally can't recall. I do all of my emotional release in person, on the phone, or through email.

And this makes me wonder - will my children ever handwrite much more than their names? What society doesn't necessitate - does it become needless, with little value? After all, the written word is powerful, possessing the ability to transmit thoughts and feelings across space and time. But, of course, this can be done just as easily with the help of a computer keyboard.

Many answer-less questions. What I am certain of, however, is that children are meant to adapt to the society into which they are born. From language acquisition to musical ability, the child's brain is wired to become adept at situations that he or she frequently encounters. For example, if a child grows up in a household that has the luxury of books and parents who love to read, the child will have a deep desire to learn to read, too - just to fit in. If books are not a part of the child's daily life, the child will not be as inclined to express an interest in the written word.

The world changes, but children continue to adapt. The question is whether or not these adaptations are neutral, helpful, or harmful. I tend to think that the question of handwriting versus typing is fairly neutral when it comes to the health and happiness of a person and of society at large. There are other questions that are more pressing, such as the dramatic negative changes that television and child-directed marketing brings about in the mind and body of a child. More on that later.

In the meantime, I'm considering reading this book, or perhaps this one.

Peace,
Meg

P.S. Thanks for all of your pre-order love! Keep the orders coming - they'll be sent out on February 8th.

would anyone care for some pears and chocolate corduroy?

2008-01-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

Yum! A new version of the Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag (available for pre-order tomorrow afternoon if you're on the mailing list!)

Wishing all of you friendly folks across the border a happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day - may we all pause to reflect upon the triumphs over injustices in the past, and not neglect the urgency of eliminating the injustices currently plaguing our society.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

groovy

2008-01-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

I think I have a sewing high. You know the feeling - once you finally pick up some projects and run with them, there's nothing to stop you. It's a nice groove to finally be in, as I felt a bit lazy after a whirlwind November/December of pattern making/writing/pattern re-making/pattern re-writing. I kind of wanted to stay in Honduras and bury my head (or at least feet) in the warm sand. Once we returned from our holiday, it took a while to get the creative energy pumping through my veins once again, but I now I'm feeling it full force and reveling in it.

This afternoon I put together this Notelet as a birthday gift for my head of school (and friend) Adriana. We Montessorians are freakishly obsessive note takers, and I think that this 7" x 9" folio will be a well-used gift.

I had forgotten how quickly this pattern comes together, especially the mini-version. (I made a full-sized version as a back-to-school gift for myself.) Really. It's awesome. The only thing keeping me from getting WAY ahead of the game for next year's holiday gifts is my limited supply of Timtex.

The best part of it, in my opinion? My virgin voyage to covered button land. And let me tell you, I've returned a changed lady. Oh my. Coordinating fabric buttons, little embroidery designs - eeek! Was I the last person in blogoland to discover this jewel? I found my covered button kit at Reprodepot.

the wonders of metamorphism, the cute way

2008-01-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

Remember my eyewitness account of metamorphism last summer? Here's a more snuggly version from the wee wonderfuls pattern:

caterpillar

chrysalis - faux suede 6" x 6" blanket with bias binding

butterfly with detachable wings (velcro)

Yet another lovely pattern by Hillary. I made just a few modifications which make it, quite possibly, the coolest science softie ever! Hand sewing is so liberating - I mean - who could imagine hiking down to the hot springs at the bottom of a canyon, and while sitting down there, granite walls soaring upwards on either side of you ... being able to create something so lovely with your hands. That's the best of both worlds. It's about time that the inside hobby breaks out of it's dimly-lit mold and into fresh air. I must make a note to myself to put more hiking and hand sewing on the calendar.

xo,
Meg

emmeline in dots

2008-01-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

EDIT: Pattern is now available at my store!

I couldn't resist making a polka-dot Emmeline apron for this month's Tie One On. For those of you wondering about the release date for the Emmeline Apron and the Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag patterns, your wait is almost over. The patterns should be shipped from the printer's at the beginning of next week. They just might arrive in time to do a first shipment of orders before my parents (a.k.a. warehouse and shipping managers) head off once again (poor souls) to Hawaii, where they will be until the first week of February.

So here's what I'm planning on doing: sign up for my mailing list in the side bar, and you will receive a special discount and the ability to pre-order. In about a week I'll be sending the pre-ordering instructions to the list, along with a firm shipping date for the patterns - either January 26th or February 7th, depending on the speed of the printers and UPS.

Excitement! I can't wait to get these patterns out and see what your brilliant minds and agile sewing machines come up with!

xo,
Meg

List of Recommended Children's Books

2008-01-10T17:10:00.002-08:00

Here it is - an ever-evolving, ever-growing, Montessori/discovery-based education inspired book list.

What qualifies as a good children's book? It depends on the age and the particular child. For example, a young child who cannot yet distinguish between fact and fantasy would best be served by reality-based books such as biographies, books about the natural world, reality-based fiction, etc. An outlandish fiction might just confuse the young child, who is trying her best to understand how the real world works, and to discover her place in it. That said, I have known young children who had a firm grasp of the difference between reality and fantasy, and have greatly benefited from the language of fanciful, imagination-inducing poetry and prose. In general, I would warn against fantasy-themed books for a child under 5. The real rule of thumb, however, is to observe and "follow the child," to use Maria Montessori's own words. Your child's own interests and reactions will let you know if you've introduced the right book for her.

In general, Montessorians look for books that are beautifully written and illustrated/photographed, scientifically accurate, and multi-cultural in scope. Here's a short list of some of my favorites, organized by age and theme. **The list is small now, but be sure to check in periodically, as I will update it whenever I come across another treasure or am reminded of an old favorite!**

Click on the book titles (not the photos) for detailed descriptions of the books.

2 1/2- 6 year-olds

Poetry

Favorite Poems Old and New
You probably won't need another collection of classic poems. I love this book because it's organized by theme, making it useful for choosing poetry that touches on something of interest, be it a particular animal, season, food, or feeling.

The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems

General

Miss Rumphius My all-time, favorite children's book, which has been a favorite since I was a girl. This is the first book I bought for my own book collection for teaching.

Pelle's New Suit

Caps for Sale For a while, I thought this book was perhaps too "fantasy-heavy" to introduce in the classroom. But then I hung out with white-faced monkeys in Honduras. Monkeys are TOTALLY capable of stealing caps! Okay - in the European countryside which seems to be the backdrop for the book? Maybe not. But still, it was one of my favorites as a child and I couldn't pass it by.

All by Myself! Truly, you can't go wrong with any book by Aliki. Feelings, The Five Senses, Corn is Maize, My Hands, and My Feet are just a few of my favorites. Fortunately for my students, several of these titles are translated into Spanish.

Nature

The Gift of the Tree The first time I read this book I was in awe. A simple, poetic account of the cycle of life of a majestic oak tree, The Gift of the Tree eloquently points out the interconnectedness of animal and plant life.

Footprints in the Snow -This is a favorite in my classroom - I have the Spanish translation. The simple prose makes it ideal for a child who is practicing reading several words at a time.

This Place in the Snow

In the Small, Small Pond

The Snowy Day

Snowflake Bentley A true story about Wilson Bentley, a Vermont boy who was fascinated with snowflakes. Bentley is credited with taking thousands of photos of these unique, six-sided wonders.

Owl Moon Incredibly beautiful, moving book. I love the special time outdoors shared by father and daughter.

The Seashore Book Also, don't miss Charlotte Zolotow's Caldecott honor book, The Storm Book.

Cloud Dance

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic

Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic

The Carrot Seed Anyone who has planted a minuscule seed and seen it grow into something beautiful and edible will love this story. I recommend reading it in conjunction with some real-life botany experiments.

Alison's Zinnia I first came into contact with this book during my Montessori training. What a boon! I learned more about flower nomenclature from these knock-out illustrations than I had ever known before. You and your children will be able to walk through gardens and identify many common flowers.

Flower Garden

Multicultural

People

Children Just Like Me

Houses and Homes (Around the World Series) Any book by Ann Morris in the Around the World Series comes HIGHLY recommended. Young children are so interested in "everyday" necessities such as shoes, clothing, food, and modes of transportation. These books highlight how all people have similar needs, yet each culture comes up with unique ways of meeting such needs. A lovely addition to your cultural curriculum.

Get Dressed (Small World) Like Ann Morris's books, the Small World series allows the child to see that, while we might look different, all humans have the same needs. Other titles in the series that you should look into are: Wash Up, Bedtime, Eating, Tidy Up, Celebrating, Smiling, and Carrying.

Corn Is Maize

Stone Soup Jon Muth takes the traditional European tale and sets it in China. Lovely illustrations. It would be interesting to read both the original and this version, and compare the similarities and differences.

Our Big Home: An Earth Poem

Colors of Mexico Also check out Colors of Australia, Colors of China, and Colors of Japan.

Children of Native America Today

Art and Music

The Quilt Story A very touching story that follows a handmade quilt though many generations in one family. If you are a crafter, treat yourself and your family to this gem of a book. It's a wonderful way to introduce a child to the value of "handmade."

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed

Age 6 and up

Mathematics

One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

How Much Is a Million?

Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians Volume I
Mathmaticians are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians Volume II

Arts and Literature

Acting and Theatre

Rise Up Singing: The Group Singing Songbook If you love to sing, or have family music-making time, then this anthology is a must-have. Even if you don't know how to play chords on a guitar or piano, the lyrics will be extremely helpful. I couldn't imagine being a teacher without it!

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices A Newberry Medal winner - need I say more?

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths You now it's a good book when you bring it to college with you to use as a reference. It is one of my most well-used books from childhood.

The Oxford Book of Story Poems

Unwitting Wisdom: An Anthology of Aesop's Fables

Science

From Lava to Life: The Universe Tells Our Earth's Story

Earth From Above for Young Readers

The Stars: A New Way to See Them Bring this book, a flashlight, and an old quilt and lay outside with your children to observe the stars, in all seasons. You'll be in for some unforgettable evenings!

Muscles: Our Muscular System
Bones: Our Skeletal System
Guts: Our Digestive System - (and any other book by Seymour Simon)

Reference Books

Animal A real feast for the eyes. I have this one, and can't wait to get the rest of the series (see below) when I get back to the states. I consider this a must-have for any family library.

Human We were so excited to find this in Spanish at Sam's Club in Chihuahua. My students love perusing it, and especially love the photography and drawings of the different systems of the body. The sections on human culture are equally fascinating.

Earth

Universe

Festivals of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Celebrations, Customs, Events and Holidays

The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

Common Birds and Their Songs A fascinating book featuring photos and facts about nearly sixty birds, PLUS an audio CD with their calls and songs.

One Hundred Flowers

National Geographic Atlas of the World

Education/Montessori books for the teacher/parent

How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way A good introduction to Montessori for the curious, and a great handbook for parents of children ages 0-6.

Discovery of the Child If you want to read anything by Maria Montessori herself, this is my top recommendation. In it, you will find wonderful ideas to try out in the classroom and home.

Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling A thought-provoking read that put me on the path towards Montessori after a difficult experience teaching in an inner-city public school.

The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom

Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage I wrote my Master's thesis on Paulo Freire. His writing makes you reflect upon education's role in the face of grave inequality.

Nurturing the Spirit: In Non-Sectarian Classrooms

a chronicle of 2008, the year of change

2008-01-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

I've made a commitment. To myself. To do my best to see the mundane and catch it in my proverbial butterfly net, eventually transforming it into a treasure of sorts. I've signed up for Project 365.

My intentions are simple - to chronicle the last six months of our lives here in Mexico, and to provide you - and the future old lady within - a glimpse of what daily life in my 26 year-old skin was all about. Because, as Ali so eloquently stated, blogging shouldn't be the art of word-smithing around real life. It's about community and friendship. And like any dear friend, I would want you to have an un-latched window into my world, be it fascinating, boring, thoughtful, ugly, stunning, hilarious, or pensive.

I'll keep you abreast of my comings and goings every few days. Let me begin by telling you how cold it was this morning when I got in the car to drive to school ...

Ice crystals from inside my car windshield

doing the happy dance

2008-01-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

Spool Flashback, from Mom's sewing basket

Woot! I built my own lightbox - thank you, Dallas, for the inspiration! It works fine with my fancy pants flash, which is a good thing, because I'm sure my local hardware store doesn't carry fancy pants lights.

I'm sure this would be an excellent solution to anyone's craft photography winter woes, from the short sunlight hours to the constant grayness to my own issue of high-elevation glare. It's nice not to have to depend on so many extraneous factors just to be able to shoot a nice picture of something you've sewn/knit/cooked/made.

I know what I'll be giddily fiddling around with when I get home from school tomorrow ...

xo,
Meg

the thirteenth day

2008-01-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

On the thirteenth day of Christmas, you all get to see some of the handmade lovelies that appeared under the palm tree on the 25th of December in Honduras.

This scrumptiously soft wool and fleece scarf traveled all the way from Pei in Australia. What isn't there to love? The tiny details, the colors, the coziness - ever since we returned to below freezing temps here in the mountains, this scarf has been my constant companion.

Then, of course, there were the oh-so-stupendously-amazing dresses by Jenny. What can I say? Jenny is a such a superstar. And thank you, Patrick, for taking my hints so seriously! ;)

Side note: I'm having such a difficult time taking pictures nowadays. We live at high elevation so the sun's glare, at all hours, is intense. What's more, EVERYTHING is brown and gray. My house is surrounded by granite rocks and leafless trees. The house itself has tiny windows and little light and is painted yellow, purple and orange on the inside. Plus it's just generally ugly and certainly not photogenic. So even though I got one of these from my uber-thoughtful parents, I can't bounce the flash off of a white wall or ceiling because we don't have any. (Did I mention that most of my ceiling is particle board? It's bee-u-tee-ous.) Any suggestions? I'm feeling frustrated. Check out Jenny's photos of my Ellybeth dress in better light.

Ahem. My apologies - long side note.

So anyway - back to the uplifting content. The handmade holidays went well for our family members, too. Here's a little peek at what loved ones received from us:

For Mom and Dad - a cutting board
For my sister-in-law - cotton market tote
For my niece - velvet elephant
For my brother-in-law, an actor - moustache and beard
For the grandparents - felt soap

There's more, but I'm being coerced into an evening yoga session. Perhaps this post will come in two parts!

xo,
Meg

back in the saddle again

2008-01-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

After a bit of monkey business,

and flying through the air with the greatest of ease,

we have returned home refreshed and ready to take on 2008.

More pics from our Honduran holiday here.

What a year it has been. The blog was just a spark in my imagination a year ago. There were no thoughts of writing sewing patterns. Patrick's grad school application deadlines seemed eons away. And who would have guessed that my parents and all of my in-laws would be vacationing together on a Caribbean island?

Most of all, I would never have been able to fathom the joy that has come from being a part of such a warm, supportive community of creative people, incredible parents, and inspired teachers. Thank you for sharing your ideas and your heartfelt notes, your hilarious anecdotes as well as your doubts and questions. When I was away from the internet during my vacation, the fondness I feel for all of you came to the surface - several weeks is a long time to be away from all of you fellow bloggers, readers, and flickr friends. I found myself yearning to read your posts and wondering how your holidays have been. A general feeling of warmth and a certain smile always accompany such thoughts. I've come to consider you all friends - very precious friends who keep me inspired, motivate me to get things done, lift my spirits when I'm feeling down, and keep me connected when I'm feeling alone here in rural Mexico. I look forward to sharing the upcoming year with you - it's challenges, frustrations, and triumphs. It's adventures. It's silliness. It's going to be a big year, what with moving across a border, Patrick starting grad school and me looking for a new job. A year of changes.

Know that whatever 2008 has up its sleeve, you all will play an integral role in all that will be wonderful about it! Thank you for reading, my friends!

broadcasting live from honduras

2007-12-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well hello there! Here we are - communing with the birds and skipping in the sand. Warmest wishes for a Happy New Year from our family to yours!

planes, trains, and automobiles

2007-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

Watching an airplane go by

Needless to say, I've lost that innocent wonder of those large, metal bird-ish machines. Or perhaps it's not the bird-ish things themselves, but the bureaucracies that tame them.

You've seen Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, right? I think it's about time for a sequel, starring Aeromexico as the main antagonist.

Back in July, we purchased tickets to fly to Roatan, Honduras tomorrow. Last night, Aeromexico called us and told us that our flight had been canceled. What?!? You're telling us this 30 hours before we were planning to leave for the airport? Oh yes. We'll fly you there tomorrow instead. All you have to do is beam yourselves to Mexico City within the next 7 hours. WE LIVE FOUR HOURS FROM THE AIRPORT, AND THE LAST FLIGHT TO MEXICO CITY HAS ALREADY LEFT!!! Oh. Well then. We'll see if we can get you on a flight on Saturday. Let me see (type type type type ... endless typing ...) No, we're sorry, that flight is full. You need to get us to Honduras! Both of our families will be there and, without us, it's sure to become a tropical version of National Lampoon's Christmas vacation! Type type type ... okay, we can fly you to another city in Honduras on Sunday. Oh, why thank you, benevolent ones. Okay. You're all set, you just need to pay us now. WE ALREADY PAID YOU ... !@^($!@#%@#!!!!! Oh no. You just reserved. We had your complete credit card information but we just didn't run your card. WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!? Oh - by the way, this flight was canceled on September 21st and we just never told you. IF DANTE COULD CREATE A MORE NEFARIOUS CIRCLE OF HELL ... Okay, because I realize that my life would most certainly be in danger if I were talking to you in person, I will not charge you extra money for this ticket. We think we should get a discount, because you are, after all, eating away our vacation days, you unfeeling bureaucratic automaton. The same price. Whatever.

Meanwhile, the beleaguered soon-to-be-travelers call up a Honduran regional airline to buy more flights from this "new" destination, Tegucigalpa, to the island of Roatan. Content to actually be arriving in Roatan on Sunday, the aforementioned future travelers retreat to their bedchamber, weary and $250 poorer.

Calling Aeromexico this afternoon: Um, hi ... we just wanted to verify that we have a flight from Mexico City to Tegucigalpa on Sunday. That's not possible. We don't have a flight that day to Tegucigalpa. !@^#(@#^$!!!! YOU AUTOMATONS ARE INSANE!!! WHO CREATED YOU?? No, the flight you are reserved on is going to San Pedro Sula (the original city.) Oh my. Oh my my my. Okay, thank you, you ever-so-helpful and cheerful bureaucrat.

That's where our story (hopefully) ends. We were able to get the regional airline to change our tickets and fly us to Roatan out of San Pedro Sula instead.

Must. Lay. On. Beach. I just hope that come this weekend, no more flights have been canceled!

Posada

2007-12-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

One of the most notable Christmas traditions in Mexico is the reenactment of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, when they were denied rooms at various inns and finally found shelter in a stable.

During the Posada, a group with candles (representing Mary and Joseph) go from door to door singing a little tune and being "refused" until they come to the end of the pageant - the final home - where they are finally offered a place to stay.

Nowadays, the word Posada is synonymous with "Christmas Party." Perhaps the most important part of the party (for the children) is the breaking of the piñata and the ensuing sugar-fest.

Feliz Navidad a todos!

wishing you

2007-12-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

Photo by Allison Toth, from the Holiday Traditions Exchange 2007 Flickr group

Did you hear my sigh of contentment? The pattern layouts are done, the house is clean, and the etsy gift shopping is done. I finally had a chance to leisurely peruse all of the lovely photos you've been uploading to the Holiday Traditions Exchange flickr group - and I have to say, you went all out! What lovely decorations, and what incredible packaging! Check out this one from Christie:

Can you see the wax seal on that envelope? Brilliant! And the child's apron? Too adorable. Thanks to all who have shared photos of your creations.

Speaking of your creations - for those of you who have made Reading Pillows or Mei Tais, please upload your photos to the Montessori By Hand Patterns flickr group! It's a fantastic resource for others who are making the patterns - your use of fabrics, etc. can serve as great inspiration. I know tons of you have purchased one or both of the patterns, but the group looks a little sparse right now - let's spiff it up and send some love its way!

Ahhh ... I'm still sighing. The winds of this happy sigh are carrying me to the kitchen, where something sweet will emerge in about an hour.

Christmas music? Check. Emmeline Apron version #1? Check. All is good.

xo,
Meg

on being soggy

2007-12-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Dear me. I just about need galoshes so I can puddle-jump from one room to another. Notice the water dripping down the back of the chair? Just one of many dribbly areas. If only the rain would turn to snow .... there's no precipitation like snow, you know?

Lest you fear I'm drowning in a soggy torpor - here's a glance at a bit of behind-the-scenes work that's been going on here during the whole pattern-making process. Miss Emmeline has been sent out to my wonderfully generous testers, and the Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag is in the works.

My apologies for being such an apron-donning bag lady, but it seems as though that's what my life is all about nowadays. What else is a girl to do when she can't go outside to play? Write patterns, you say? Okay! (Although it's so tempting to just curl up with a good book and wave adieu to the real world ... )

A warm and cozy Monday to all,
Meg

loving those latkes

2007-12-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

As part of my effort to diversify the winter holiday experience for my children, today we prepared and enjoyed latkes, lit a "menorah", and learned a few traditional Jewish songs.

Latkes are very simple to make. Check out this site for recipe ideas.

Here's the lot of them not noticing that I'm taking their picture. ;) For the menorah, I used what I had available - eight tea lights.

Speaking of holiday traditions, the Holiday Traditions Exchange shipping deadline is this coming Monday! Also, don't forget to share any photos of swap packages (both sent and received) by uploading them to the flickr group.

Here's to a lovely (and productive?) weekend! Wish me luck as I do the layout for the new patterns!

monsieur, madame gnome

2007-12-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

From the aptly named wee wonderfuls pattern collection, it's my pleasure to introduce to you Monsieur and Madame Gnome - an absolute delight to sew, and an even greater delight to look at.

Holiday decorations? I think I'll have a hard time packing these away come January. Plus, if M. & M. Gnome stick around, Amelie and Timoun will have others on which to blame their daily mischief.

"Amelie, why are all of the pistachios on the floor, and why are some of them half-eaten?"
Amelie responds, "Oh - that. It was Monsieur Gnome. It must have been yet another of his gravity experiments. And, well, you know how it goes ... once something is on the floor, it should be tasted."

Uh huh.

By the way, thanks to all of you who left comments telling me of your love for the Emmeline Apron! For those of you who expressed interest in testing the pattern - stay tuned. Once I have the pattern ready, I will be putting out another call, and will be outlining the requirements and my time frame (it needs to be a somewhat quick turn around, as I want to have these ready to send to the printer before Christmas.) I will only need 3 testers for each pattern - the apron and the messenger bag. You all are awesome - thanks for your enthusiastic response!

xo,
Meg

the emmeline apron

2007-12-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

EDIT: Pattern is now available here!

I've been bursting at the seams to show you this new pattern design, which will be available in January! After weeks of muslin mayhem in my crafting corner, I've finally come up with this little lovely: completely reversible, ties in the front or back, and flattering for all body types. I hope you all love Miss Emmeline as much as I do!

I'm so glad I have to wear aprons every day to work. I'm gathering quite a little collection, and I'm sure I'll be making many more 2-in-1 Emmelines to spruce up my schoolmarm-ishness. If you can't wait to have your own cute apron or if you are looking to purchase one for a gift, I highly suggest that you be-bop over to Jamie Christina's Etsy shop and take a look at her gorgeous aprons!

This post was my one valiant effort for the day - I'm home sick with a really crummy cough. Really, now. How many times can one person be sick in the span of three months? I'm going to submit myself for the Guinness Book of World Records. I'm off to rest with a cup of hot something rather. As soon as I'm feeling better, I will be doing the pattern layouts for both the Gnome Messenger Bag and the Emmeline Apron (the instructions are already written!) Then I'll be looking for some pattern testers. ***Thank you for your interest - I've found my pattern testers for the Emmeline Apron!***

xo,
Meg

holiday crafting with the wee ones

2007-11-29T14:58:00.000-08:00

As promised! I'll begin with my personal chart-topper, salt dough ornaments.

Use the play doh recipe and leave out the food coloring. Form a small ball (about 1" diameter) by rolling the dough in your hands. On wax paper, flatten the ball with the palm of your hand and use a small rolling pin to roll out the ornament until it is no less than 1/2 cm thick. With a small wooden dowel (or a pencil with the eraser cut off) make a hole in the top of the ornament. Using acrylic paints (or even washable tempera, which I used due to availability) paint the ornament while it is still soft. Let it air dry on the wax paper overnight, then flip it over and air dry it some more. Two days later, it should be dry enough to finish with a glossy mod podge seal. Attach the ribbon, and ta da! You now have a keepsake ornament for the family collection. (Before the ornament is dry, you might consider "engraving" the date on the back with a toothpick.)

Winter scene collage
Gather all of the white miscellany you can get your hands on - cotton balls, white buttons, styrofoam packing peanuts, soap flakes, white yarn, egg shells, etc. Glue away on a dark card stock background.

Winter scene 3-D collage
Using a scrap of cardboard as the base, go outside and collect sticks and stones, and perhaps a little moss if you're lucky. Using that handy-dandy play doh once again, make a sturdy base in which to place the sticks to make the "trees" stand upright. Go for it with the play doh, glue, and other white items such as the ones suggested above. You might consider providing a bit of glitter to evoke a moon-kissed snowy eve.

This looks awesome, too - though I haven't tried it yet.

Soap Snow
Here's an idea from one of my favorite children's craft books: Global Art.

Measure 1 cup of cold water into a bowl. Little by little, using a hand mixer, add 4 cups of soap flakes (such as Ivory) to the water. Beat the soap and water until just stiff. Put some of the soap mixture into a pastry bag or a sandwich bag with a small hole cut out of the corner to allow the soap to escape. Squeeze soap designs onto cardboard and dry until hard.
*Don't put the mixture down the drain as it will cause a whopper of a clog!*

As far as holiday crafting goes, I'm a huge proponent of going the multi-cultural route whenever possible. A family (or classroom) crafting activity becomes that much more meaningful when it is accompanied by stories, food, and music from the region. These two books have been a real boon in this aspect. Festivals Together is a great amalgamation of traditional crafts, activities, songs, stories, and recipes from cultures around the world, arranged by season.

Oh - one more thing - don't forget to visit Bella Dia during the month of December. Cassi will be authoring a daily "activity advent," replete with holiday activities, children's crafting, and cooking!

If you have a children's holiday craft you would like to share, please consider posting a short tutorial in the comments!

:) Meg

art, craft, children, and the making of the home

2007-11-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

In my Montessori training, we were warned against putting the children's art up for display. Children's art, it was said, should be spared the ooohs and aaahs adults are so prone to spill all over it. Like any work, it should be received in a kind and encouraging manner, but shouldn't be put on a pedestal, as the goal is for the child to learn to love the process of creating for itself, and not to "create" just because of the accolades their creations tend to elicit from grown-ups.

Okay, so that's the Montessori view of artwork. I'm on the fence - while I certainly don't want my students and future children to create simply because I like it and think its so incredibly cute, I also believe that displaying children's art in the home and classroom is an important act of home making and community building.

First, I would never want to diminish the act of giving a handmade gift that is, by its nature, infused with love, time, and much effort. As a child, I remember giving countless homemade gifts to people I loved. The child's generosity is unencumbered by holiday pressures and financial worries, and his penniless, spontaneous state allows creations of love to be gifted at any time of the year, if only he has within his reach a set of paints, fabric scraps, and other mundane treasures.

Next, if my creations are sprinkled about my home, why shouldn't my children's be, as well? For me, an integral part of "home making" is just that - a home must be made, not bought. How does one make a home? Here are a few thoughts:

Baking and cooking from scratch
Gardening and eating from your seasonal harvest
Making household items, such as towels, pillowcases, quilts, etc., by hand
Thoughtfully decorating with thrifted or handmade items
Cleaning - again and again and again and again ...

A home must be lovingly "acted upon" in order to make it a home. A home can't function on its own - we grown-ups are well aware of this. Children need to be brought into this realm of understanding, too. Remember that post on Practical Life exercises a while back? If you haven't read it yet, go ahead and read it now. As soon as the child is developmentally capable, he should be encouraged to help to "make" the house into a home. Like his parents, he should be involved in meal preparation, cleaning, and decorating; in essence, the child shouldn't be overlooked in the whole, ever-occurring process of making a house into a home.

If you are a crafter, this means that, like you, your children will want to make useful and decorative items for display, as they will see it as a tangible way to contribute to the family community. If you don't consider yourself an artist - consider trying it out, for the sake of your children. Why should their art be the only of its kind on display on the fridge? Consider making items for the home together, and finding more pleasing and permanent ways to display children's artwork other than the fridge. If you're at a loss for where to begin, Amanda's upcoming book promises to have some innovative ideas for displaying children's handiwork and many more lovely ideas for encouraging creativity in the family.

As for the classroom? Well, it wasn't for quaintness that Maria Montessori decided to call the 3-6 year-old classroom the Children's House. It is meant to mimic the family home, from the cozy decor to the familiar household (practical life) activities. I would say, then, that the students in the Montessori classroom should be part of the entire "home making" process, from caring for the plants to decorating for the holidays. No die-cut bulletin boards for our "House." Instead, you will find handmade paper garlands, hand-cut snowflakes, salt-dough ornaments, and more. The children make the decoration and then decide how, where, and if it will be displayed.

More on specific holiday crafts tomorrow!

the secret joy of giving

2007-11-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

sneak peek of a wonderful someone's gift

'Tis the season of occult crafting. Little snippets of WIPs are shown, but not the project in its full glory, out of fear that the recipient might be lurking around blog land - eager to shake the virtual gift box and discover what might be waiting underneath the tree. ;)

I am a box shaker. Are you? Thus, being naturally on guard against other box shakers, I have several wonderful handmade gifts in the works that I'll be keeping under wraps for the time being.

Meanwhile, I'm busy gathering goodies for the Holiday Traditions Exchange and sewing up little ice skates for the ornament exchange.

And, like many of you, I have pledged to buy handmade this holiday season. This has translated into an inordinate amount of time spent wandering around Etsy. I leave you with some of my favorites:

JCasa's baby quilt
The Wreath Lady
Marmee Craft's Wee Felted Snowmen
Matryoshka wrapping paper
Bombo by littlellama
The Black Apple
Coyote Craft's embroidered cupcake ornaments
AntiGenre
Treehouse 28

fire up the wood stove

2007-11-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

The prelude.

The snow.

The wood pile. Oops!

thanksgiving leftovers

2007-11-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

The best Thanksgiving leftovers of all time! Come to find out, I'm not the only American- Montessorian expat who enjoyed some Domino's home cookin' instead of turkey. Be still my salivating taste buds.

May I speak frankly about Thanksgiving dinner? I hate to offend, but I must say that I have never, EVER, enjoyed the traditional Thanksgiving meal. First off, my vegetarian sensibilities kicked off at an early age, and I always felt bad for the bird. Second, gravy makes me gag. Third, I SO dreaded the days upon days of really icky cold turkey sandwiches and football games. Umm ... hello, my name is Meg and I'm a Thanksgiving party pooper.

That said, there are some wonderful things about Thanksgiving - family, pumpkin pie, and Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. And the fact that, once Thanksgiving passes, it's gung-ho Christmas decorating time!

So yes, it made us a bit sad yesterday that instead of sipping apple cider with all the fam, we found ourselves in Chihuahua City taking care of my husband's immigration documents. Which, I might add, is just about as fun as spending the day at the DMV. But it all worked out in the end, (no) thanks to American cultural hegemony. For what did we find 8 hours south of the Texas border in the middle of a desert? Domino's pizza! Rock on.

tour of rural mexico

2007-11-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

for more, hop on over to flickr

Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. Every morning, afternoon, and evening. That pretty much sums up our weekend getaway to Urique. To tell you the truth, we didn't do much else other than pick, squeeze, and drink grapefruit juice - but that was the whole point! No internet, no crafting, no thinking about anything other than the present moment. We brought our yoga mats, enjoyed our books, and stayed up late talking about a hodge-podge of subjects. Nice.

If you happen to be presented with an opportunity to visit Urique, we highly recommend staying at Entre Amigos. Be warned - you will never want to leave, and will begin making arrangements to retire somewhere nearby.

Thanks to those of you who took advantage of the sale over at my Etsy shop. I am leaving the sale open until Wednesday night, as my sweet Grandma has offered to ship off any extra orders.

Hasta muy pronto,
Meg

i've embroidered something you might like ...

2007-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

35% off over at my etsy store until Monday, November 19th!

My lovely parents (who are in charge of packaging and sending out my patterns) are going on vacation, and won't be back until the second week of December. This means that if you are considering making reading pillows or baby carriers for holiday gifts you should order now so that the patterns arrive with enough sewing-time to spare! I have listed 40 of each pattern at 35 percent off - first come, first serve. My parents will ship your pattern(s) by Tuesday or Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. Then they will go lounge about with nothing to do on a beautiful beach in Hawaii. Poor parents. Let's inundate them with pattern packaging before they leave! ;)

Patrick and I will also be guilty of a totally indulgent, relaxing mini-holiday this weekend. We are headed off to Urique, a tiny town at the bottom of the Copper Canyon. While we live in an alpine climate up here in Creel, Urique is tropical. That means mangoes, cherries, and avocados dripping off the trees. That means shorts. That means ice cream cones, old men playing cards on their front stoops, women fanning themselves as they watch their children play ball in the street. Yes. We'll be back Monday night, completely refreshed. Oh. And ready to prepare shipping labels for 80 patterns!

Thanks for all your support - every pattern purchase is so appreciated, and it brings us one step closer to our goal of being able to have me stay home with our (future) children when they are young. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

xo,
Meg

paper clip ice skates

2007-11-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

wool + embroidery floss + cotton ball + paper clips

I first came across these little bitties during my Montessori training course. It was love at first sight, I tell you! They've been a seasonal staple in my classroom ever since.

You will need to pre-cut the wool or felt "booties" and provide all of the necessary materials, including an easy-to-use needle threader (available at Michael Olaf.) Obviously, this is a rather advanced sewing activity and only children who have mastered the more simple sewing materials should be introduced to the ice skates.

What, you say? You aren't six years old and you still want to make paper clip ice skates as tree ornaments? No matter! I'm already twenty years past my prime, and I'm still as giddy about them as any kindergartener.

Oh ... and, if you are in Group 11 for the holiday ornament swap, don't go making yourself a whole set. Surprise! You're all getting paper clip ice skate ornaments!

xo,
Meg

holiday traditions exchange is officially closed!

2007-11-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

***Update: All of the swap partner emails have been sent out (whew!) If you haven't heard from me, send an email to montessorirevolution(at)gmail.com.***

I will begin sending out swap partner emails tonight, but might not get through the whole list of participants until Wednesday - there are 210 of you, after all!

I must admit - it feels quite odd publishing a post without a picture. This is a self-conscious, naked little post, running hither and thither looking for some pretty photographic foliage with which to cover up. ;)

Have a happy Monday,
Meg

i wasn't joking

2007-11-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

I really am holiday obsessed. Here's a halter apron that emerged from the sewing machine today. The fabric is from Reprodepot, but I bought it way back in July, when I stocked up on creative supplies on a visit home to the states.

Speaking of which ... my fabric supply is dwindling. Time to start ordering enough to get me through the next six months. My dear, sweet mummy will be hauling a duffel-full of fabric, books, and patterns when we meet up this Christmas in Roatan, Honduras. Ever been? While I'm partial to snowy holidays, I can't complain. Plus, the whole lot of us will be there - Patrick's parent's and three siblings (one of whom is a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras,) and my mom and dad. Nothing like killing two families with one stone. Hmm ... perhaps that idiom doesn't quite fit the bill? We are loving children. Really. :)

Posts will be short and sweet this coming week due to my parent-teacher conferences, but you will most certainly be hearing from me by Wednesday with your swap partner info! Swap entries close at midnight tonight.

xo,
Meg

just a spoonful of nutella helps the mexican food go down

2007-11-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

What are you in the mood for - Mexican? Thai? Ethiopian? I can't wait until I can ask myself that question without having it prompt a moan. Have you ever tried diversifying your palette with little more than pinto beans and a few pesticide-laden veggies on hand?

Of course, it isn't all bad - I did find this lone jar of Nutella at a local store, which I proceeded to devour like a famished dog. Chocolate is hard to come by. We have, on rare occasion, found a bag of unmarked chocolate chips hiding amongst the tortilla chips. Taking this to be a good sign, we began to ask for chocolate chips when we couldn't find them on the shelves. They had NO clue what we were talking about. The woman at the register actually showed us chicken bouillon and said, "Si, es chocolate." Umm ... okay, so she was crazy. Whatever. The chocolate chips had a vague taste of "been sitting around a Mexican grocery store for 10 years so start to taste like the grocery store" thing about them, anyway.

Most of the time I try to make the best of the situation, but come winter, the prospects get considerable worse if you are a Moosewood snob at heart, like myself. You mean the only vegetables available are carrots, an occasional tomato, and iceberg lettuce? Going grocery shopping can be pretty depressing, let me tell you! Especially when all of you lovely bloggers are constantly raving about a newfound wonder-recipe using all organic ingredients, or posting saliva-producing photos of your latest baking pursuits. Am I the only one who got totally envious when I downloaded Amy's recipe cheat-sheet? Gosh. I'm pretty sure this means that I am due to gain about 278 pounds once I move back to the US and sign up at a local organic co-op.

Just a quick update - I have been receiving so many sign-ups for the Holiday Traditions Exchange that I can no longer respond to each one! Just look for an email from me sometime before Nov. 14th, which will contain your swap partner's information. If you don't hear from me by the 15th, then go ahead shoot me off an email.

P.S. Watch this for a good laugh. It's also perfect for inducing cheese ball lust.

once upon a time there was a little boy who loved play-doh

2007-11-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

But his teacher thought he was too little to make it himself on the stove ...

So she put together a special, no-cook play-doh making exercise just for him.

The little boy has never been happier! Every day at school he makes a batch of play-doh to share with the rest of the children on the art shelf and a special green batch to take home.

4 tablespoons of white flour
2 tablespoons of salt
1 dropper-full of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of water

Add the dry ingredients in a bowl. If you want to add a few drops of food coloring, make sure to add it to the water, otherwise it will be difficult to get a uniform color. Little by little, add the water. At first, stir with a spoon - once all of the water is added, start smooshing the mixture with your hands until it reaches the desired consistency. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge when not in use. Most likely, it will end up drying out after a day or two of heavy use.

Psst ... want to see more recent pics of classroom happenings? I just posted a bunch over at Flickr .

xo,
Meg

i'm swa(m)ped!

2007-11-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Such good news - I have over 120 wonderful people signed up for the Holiday Traditions Exchange! Keep those sign-ups comin'. This is going to be so much fun! Just a few remarks - if you simply left a comment on the post but didn't email me directly, please go ahead and send me an email. Remember that Blogger doesn't provide me with your email addresses. Also, if you sent me an email to sign up and didn't receive a direct response, know that I received it and you are good to go. The beginning of last week was a bit crazy, so my apologies for not being able to confirm with everyone.

Keeping in the spirit of the season, I wanted to be sure to give you a heads up on this swap, in case you are feeling super festive. Be sure to make your decision soon - sign ups end on Friday, November 9th. I found out about the swap last year while milling about on Flickr, searching for holiday decorating ideas. I was a few weeks too late - and I made a mental note to be on the lookout for it this year. Make 8-10 ornaments, receive 8-10? Sounds like my kind of thing. I would love to (eventually) be able to decorate my tree exclusively with unique, handmade ornaments. White lights (do those eco-friendly LED lights come in white?) and lots of red, green, and aqua.

Yes, I do have a comically full plate - but truth be told, I wouldn't be able to put aside such great swapping opportunities simply in order to hold onto my sanity. Sanity is so overrated. Plus, the act of creating is quite relaxing - unless you are writing a pattern, that is! ;)

In my moments of sheer self-indulgence and utter procrastination, I've been ogling the the following handmade goodies: these aprons by Handmade Hostess; this print by Jen; and these adorable ornaments by Lauren Alane. Perhaps if I lost some more of that wretched sanity, all of these things would be mine. Humph. Like I said, sanity isn't always all it's cracked up to be!

The yo-yo's are calling (the fabric kind, sillies ... )

xo,
Meg

the people have spoken

2007-11-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

Wow! I guess you want a gnome bag pattern? Okey dokey - I'm working on it as we speak. In fact, your response has been so positive that I hope to have the pattern up for sale before Christmas - can it be done? I think so.

AND, thanks to Joyful Abode's question concerning a laptop fitting in the bag, I've decided to make a matching, padded laptop sleeve as part of the pattern. I'll have to make the sleeve customizable, due to the great variation in laptop dimensions. I love mine - it gives me a wonderful way to cover up that Nascar label that is built into my own laptop (Don't ask - my laptop was a great deal, and we were able to get rid of that loud "engine revving" sound when Windows started up ...)

In other news, I am sick. Again. And I have pinkeye. Woohoo! I think my defenses must be ridiculously low, given the stress of last week. Joy.

The good news? Patrick is making a Chicago-style pizza for dinner. Joy - this time, without the sarcasm. :)

xo,
Meg

recycled bath mat tutorial

2007-11-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

I extend the warmest of welcomes to everyone participating in Sew, Mama, Sew's beyond brilliant November Handmade Holidays series! With no further ado, I present to you:

The Recycled Bath Mat Tutorial
For those looking to add a little color to their family's shower experience

1. Dive into your scrap bag.
Using a card stock 2 1/2 inch square template and tailor's chalk or other water-soluble quilter's pen, trace around your template onto your scrap fabric. Cut out the square. Repeat this 87 times (you will need 88 squares, total.) Be sure to cut out a variety of complimentary fabrics. While making my mat, I stuck with reds, aquas, greens and yellows.

2. Arrange your patches
First thing's first - clean your floor and ban all fabric-loving felines from entering. You'll need to spread out your patches, 11 across by 8 down, and you wouldn't want your work disturbed once you've found the perfect layout! Once you're satisfied, begin stacking, in order, the top row of 11 patches. Leave the other rows in their place on the floor, and take this "first row stack" over to your sewing machine.

3. Sew together the patchwork strips.

Using a 1/4 in seam allowance, sew the 11 squares together. Press the seams to one side. Return this first strip to your floor layout. Now stack the second row, sew the strip, press, and return. Repeat for the remaining strips.

4. Sew the strips together

Starting with the top two strips, place the first strip with the right side facing up, then lay the second strip on top of it with its right side facing down. Secure the right, long edge with pins. With a 1/4 in seam allowance, stitch down this long edge and press the seam to one side. Repeat this process with the rest of the strips, always placing the "loose" strip face down on top of the previous strip and sewing along the right, unfinished edge.

5. Embellish the top of the mat
While it is fine to leave the top of the mat embroidery-free, I couldn't help but break out the old-fashioned needle and thread. Here's how I managed the feet outline:

I used my own tiny feet as the model, but it would be great to use a child's footsies, or, better yet, the whole family's! Make sure the top of the mat is pressed flat, then trace around the feet using tailor's chalk.

I used the chain stitch with 6 strands of white embroidery floss because I wanted the outline to stand out from the background colors. With three strands of floss, I embroidered "clean feet" using a no-nonsense running stitch.

6. Cut out an old terry towel for the mat backing
Cut out part of an old towel to the same dimensions as your mat front.

Pin the mat front, right side facing down, to the towel backing.

7. Sew the mat front to the towel backing
Using a 1/4 seam allowance, sew around the edges, leaving a 4 inch gap for turning. Turn the mat right side out and press. Topstitch along the entire edge, closing the "turning gap" as you go.

8. "Quilt" around your embroidery

Lengthen your stitch length slightly and machine stitch around the outside of your "feet." This serves the dual purpose of accenting the embroidery as well as securing the towel backing to the mat front, to prevent slippage.

That's it! I hope that you or your gift recipient enjoys this light-hearted addition to the bathroom!

xo,
Meg

gnomes

2007-10-31T17:48:00.001-07:00

It was time. You know what I mean - that Byrd's song - "Turn, Turn, Turn (To everything There is a Season.)" A time to laugh, a time to weep ...

It was time for gnomes. How can they not bring a smile to your face? This messenger bag is an amalgamation of an old pair of wool pants and Heather Ross fabric. I love it. It's sturdy, the perfect size, and has plenty of pockets. The gnome patch on the front is the icing on the cake.

What do you think? Should I make this into a pattern in my collection? I would be more than happy to do so if you give me the thumbs up. ;)

Peace,
Meg

thank you ...

2007-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

... for all of your kind words. Your comments sent a much needed wave of warmth in my direction. I just wish that I could extend each of you a hug, or at the very least, respond to each of you individually. (Blogger is stinky for not giving me your email addresses when you leave comments.)

Just know that kindness goes a long way. I went back to school today, refreshed and motivated to be the best person I can be for the sake of my children.

My heart continues to go out to the families involved in the tragedy. May we all continue do everything in our capacity to bring peace to our little corners of the world and beyond.

xo,
Meg

day of the dead

2007-10-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

While the rest of Mexico will not be celebrating the Day of the Dead until Friday, I feel compelled to write about it now.

I debated long and hard about whether or not to mention this on my blog. After some words of encouragement from Jenny, I decided to break through the emotional dam that has kept the flood waters away from happy, crafty land.

This story begins 7 years ago, when I was 19. My friend Laura was killed. Michael Moore dedicated his film, Bowling for Columbine, to Laura.

I spent the subsequent years pondering questions of good and evil, free will and lack thereof, bad vs. abnormal, atheism and theism. I think a good number of my college papers dealt with these themes - thankfully I was in a Great Books program that allowed for such philosophical exploration. My senior thesis was an exploration of the development of "the human will" in the educational system (or lack thereof, really) and how this lack of development can engender a culture of violence. When you get right down to it, this is the reason I went into education, and the reason I believe so firmly in educational philosophies that treat children with the utmost respect. Children treated with respect will, in turn, treat others with that same respect. Violence breeds violence. Respect encourages respect. I just wanted to do my part to put a wrench in the cycle of violence.

Yesterday, I found out that my friend Marijke, who was in my Montessori training course with me, was killed. The circumstances are horrific. She is survived by her 3 1/2 year-old twin daughters, now orphans.

I didn't go to school today, because one of my students told me yesterday that his father is threatening to kill his mother. He is four. He is seeing this, hearing this. How will this little boy treat others when he grows up? I needed a day off to reflect and to attempt to digest the news about Marijke.

I am not the only one who has two friends that were murdered. The situation is astronomically worse in Iraq, and in many other forgotten corners of the Earth. Violence breeds violence. Perhaps this is why humans seem incapable of learning from history. They simply absorb patterns of behavior that their parents, televisions, and countries act out in front of them. What are we going to do about this?

************************************************************************************

Thank you for listening. Fortunately, I am generally a very content, happy person. You can expect to be back to your "regularly scheduled posts" very shortly. In the meantime, I'm off to take a warm bath, sip a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy the beauty of the falling leaves.

holiday traditions exchange 2007

2007-10-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t help myself. I have no self-control. I tried and tried and tried. But I just couldn’t wait.

I broke out the holiday music.

I know, I know … I haven’t even given Halloween and Thanksgiving their due respect. I never have, really. I am that zealot who lobbies for tree decoration as soon as I’m finished with my third piece of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner.

I feel this way because as a child, my family’s holiday traditions were plentiful and cherished. Of course I enjoyed the stockings and the presents – but looking back, it’s not the presents I remember. It’s the feeling I got during that time of year. The warming smell of gingerbread drifting from the kitchen. The songs sung while decorating the house. Drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows out of my special Christmas mug. Traipsing about in the woods with my dad in search of the tallest blue spruce – one that would barely fit in our house and would be sure to elicit eye-rolls and grumbles from my mother, a fan of the short and stocky tree.

As I consider the source of this wonderful feeling, I understand that it originates with my family’s own small, yet meaningful traditions – not with the decorations at the strip mall, not with those “feel cozy and buy this thing you don’t need” holiday commercials, and not even with the opening of gifts, lovely though they may be.

So I wonder … how do other families experience the holidays? How do they nurture that warm, holiday feeling? How do they make it special for their own children?

Let’s find out! Sign up for the first annual Holiday Traditions Exchange!

The Holiday Traditions Exchange is a swap that will incorporate craft, cultural sharing, and thoughtful reflection about what the holidays mean to your family. It’s an opportunity to celebrate all that is non-commercial in this holiday season – and an opportunity to adopt a new, fun tradition for your family’s holiday repertoire. Here’s what you have to do:

Let me know you want to participate. I will pair you with one swap partner. You will send your package to your partner, and this same partner will send a package to you. Hopefully, you will make a new friend in the process!

To your partner, you will send:

1.) One handmade holiday decoration. Decorations made from any kind of medium are acceptable – from fabric to yarn, paper to paint.

2.) Your favorite holiday recipe.

3.) A “Tradition” Tutorial. This is description of one of your family’s special holiday traditions. If needed, you should provide step by step instructions. (For example, if your family makes graham cracker candy houses each year, you would provide more concrete instructions.) You might also consider sending along a couple of photos of the tradition in action.

In addition, you could send a mix CD of your favorite holiday tunes, or a special book that is a seasonal classic in your family. Feel free to go above and beyond the three requirements, but please don’t skip! When putting together your package, think about the kind of package you would like to receive. The backbone of this whole exchange is that it should be meaningful and come from that tender place close to your heart.

Are you in?? Send me an email at montessorirevolution@gmail.com with the subject Holiday Traditions Exchange 2007. No need to include your mailing address – once you receive your partner’s name, you can exchange your address with them directly.

The sign up deadline is Sunday, November 11^th. Soon thereafter, you will receive an email from me with your partner’s name. It is then your responsibility to contact your partner, introduce yourself, and exchange mailing addresses.

Packages must be sent out by Monday, December 10^th. If you are sending internationally, you might want to aim for an earlier mailing date. But wait!!! Before sending your package, be sure to take pics and post them to the Holiday Traditions Exchange 2007 Flickr Group!

I look forward to your emails, and I sincerely hope that this exchange will, in some way, make your holiday season a little merrier!

xo,

Meg

P.S. You can place the Holiday Traditions Exchange button in your sidebar by copying the following HTML code:

recycled bath mat

2007-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Did anyone guess correctly? Here it is - a funky addition to our bathroom decor, made from part of an old terry cloth bath towel and sewing "refuse".

I'm especially fond of the feet embroidery detail. I used my own dainties as the model. Patrick wonders where he is going to put his feet. (But really, my love ... the mat wouldn't have looked nearly as cute had your long, lanky, crooked toes been featured!) Wouldn't a bath mat sporting various sets of feet in your family be fun? A little pair, a big pair ... a pair for anyone who uses the mat's services with some frequency.

I will be putting together a tutorial very soon. I've decided to go the PDF route for my tutorials from now on, given that it is much easier for you to print out the instructions. That said, it will take me a schmidgin' of time to do the layout and write it up.

I wish you all a very, very merry Friday!

Meg

patchwork teaser

2007-10-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Cut, stack, cut, stack ... sew, press, sew, press ...

The daylight is running off beyond yonder hill (although I love this soft, late afternoon light - don't you?) With no time left to take pictures of the finished project, you will just have to stop by tomorrow. A little tutorial will be waiting for you on the doorstep!

xo,
Meg

flow

2007-10-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Have you taken the step into the quicksand of This American Life? While their stories will suck you in with no hope of ever escaping, they also leave you feeling ripe with human emotion. Depending on the episode, you might develop sore abdominals from so much laughter. Certain vignettes can spark philosophical discussions, while others will have you reining in the tears. This particular episode, Meet the Pros, was of particular interest to me. In Act Three, Martha, My Dear, the author visits his dream job in the crafts department of Martha Stewart Living. His query: if his passion became his job, would it still be fun?

This is a really important issue for me at the moment, as "my little sewing addiction" becomes a "job." It has become all the more essential for me to find ways to protect and nurture the creative process that brought me to where I am, an "official" pattern designer, in the first place. You know the feeling - that crafting "high," the loss of time, the ability to continue working on a project without eating for 8 hours ... the world could be falling to pieces around you, but you just blankly respond "In a minute ... I'm almost done, just one more seam/row/etc."

Flow. Have you read it? You should - as an artist, a parent, or an educator. C.'s theory is that people are most happy when they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity or situation at hand. Flow is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation, where the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing.

To achieve flow, a task must provide sufficient challenge, but the person must possess the skills to surmount it. If a task is too difficult, frustration ensues. If it is too easy, it is simply not intellectually or physically engaging enough. Flow arises in this narrow spectrum where the person's skills are perfectly matched to the challenge at hand.

Tlaloc sews a button on an apron. He didn't even notice me taking the picture.

My job as a Montessori teacher is to match the child to the challenge, to provide him the opportunity to experience flow. We recognize the need for flow in our adult lives - we all talk about the need to create, the sacredness of the creative process, and how refreshed we feel after we've completed a project. Children need to have the same experience! How often to we swoop in on the child when he is concentrating, shuffling him about from activity to activity? Hold on ... let me whip out my pocket-sized Montessori holy book ... ah hah! Here it is ... Above all else, never interrupt a concentrating child! Welp, there it is. Children need flow more than anyone - they emerge from this state with a newfound self-confidence, increased problem-solving skills, and a love of learning.

My new mantra: protect the flow. So many good things come out of it, whatever your passion or hobby, whatever your age.

printed patterns unveiled!

2007-10-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

After countless evenings and weekends spent working exclusively on this big project, I can finally announce that my Reading Pillow and Mei Tai Baby Carrier sewing patterns are available for purchase as full-sized, professionally printed patterns!

2000 pretty little patterns arrived at my parents' doorstep this last Friday, ready to by shipped off to all corners of the earth. The patterns can be purchased directly from my website, www.montessoribyhand.net (which has a spiffy new look, btw!) I'm also offering the patterns for wholesale purchase, so if you have a sewing store - contact me for more information.

For those of you lucky souls that are heading to Quilt Market in Houston this coming week, be sure to stop by Brewer Sewing Supply's booth, as they will have the patterns on display. (Yay! My first QM "appearance!") They will be seeing what kind of response they get from their customers, and based on that they might be able to take on my patterns for distribution before the first of the year - just in time to feed that holiday-making frenzy that goes on in sewing stores around the nation at around this time! Cross your fingers and toes for a good response!

One more bit of excitement - I just opened up my own Etsy store! My main storefront will still be my website, but it is nice to finally become a part of the Etsy community and tap into the wonderful, built-in crafty audience over there.

Thank you for all of your patience with the less-frequent and shorter posts during this busy time in my life. Things should be back to normal for the visible future, now that the patterns are ready to ship. Just in case you were wondering - my wonderful parents, who live in California, have agreed to do all of the shipping until I move back to the US. Three cheers for cool parents!

FYI - the Child's Apron pattern is temporarily unavailable for purchase - but not to worry - it will be coming out soon in a printed version, along with the Child's Painting Smock, Art Apron, and others!

Thanks for your support - it means so much to me!
xo,
Meg

anthropologie gets it

2007-10-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new "Project Needle and Thread" over at Anthropologie? It's such a visual feast - you must head over and have a look for yourselves!

I think we mavens of handmade have been making so much behind-the-scenes fashion noise that Anthropologie heard us. This collection is brimming with hand-stitched, hand-knit, and hand-appliquéd details. It's overflowing with inspiration.

I just need to clarify a few things, here. I am no fashionista. Most of the time I frump about in a green, bleach-stained zip-up sweatshirt from Katmai Lodge in Alaska. It even sports a machine embroidered trout. Call me uber-frump, call me whatever you like - I live in rural Mexico. I would look SO ridiculous wearing the above sweaters around town down here.

But please do call me an Amelie Poulin wannabe. I've mentioned this before - my absolute love of all things Amelie. Haircut? Check. Soundtrack playing almost all the time? Check. French? Check. Red wine? Check. Cat named Amelie? Check. Like slipping my hand into a barrel of beans? Check. Really cute, shy personality? Not so much. Clothing? Working on it.

I think I'll go peruse the Anthropologie on-line mag once again ...

Have a great weekend!
xo,
Meg

heather ross cowgirl shirt

2007-10-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased with how it turned out! Of course, the majority of the credit must go to Heather Ross for making such dang cute fabric. (And to my Mom, for picking out the perfect vintage ribbon trim!)

The pattern is from Built By Wendy's book, Sew U. I had to make a few modifications - the main one being to reduce the sleeve length by almost two inches. Do I just have short arms, or is orangutan the norm? Geez!

Instead of a regular hem, I opted for a custom-made bias binding with a vintage ribbon accent. Again, this is because I never wear my shirt tucked in, because it makes me look short. I am not, however, short. I just seem short. My great-grandmother was 4'10". I am a towering 5'3 5/8".

A word about the pattern: I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. You will have more than a few temple-tapping moments while working through it. Wendy provides general directions, but it's up to you to figure out how to make the exact shirt you envision. You can always look back through the book for tips and techniques, but the directions are not step-by-step. The thing I found frustrating was that she didn't note the seam allowances to be used. (It ended up being 1/4" for the collar and 1/2" for the cuffs.)

Overall, however, I am thrilled with my shirt! I will definitely make many more using this general pattern, adding my own touches and trying out some more of Wendy's suggested modifications.

I'm thinking about purchasing some more Built By Wendy patterns. I'm eyeing 3835, 3964, and 4112.

Happy sewing,
Meg

experiencing autumn

2007-10-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

The crisp wind carried them as they ran up, down, through, and around. Freshly fallen aspen leaves found their way into tiny pockets. Autumn has found it's way to the Sierra Tarahumara, and into the hearts of its littlest residents.

shirt mission

2007-10-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

Words I associate with weekends: Zoom. Whoosh. Vroom. Do yours go by as fast as mine?

Lately my weekends have consisted of working on the super-special-secret-project, and this weekend was no exception. However, I did manage to set aside a bit of personal crafting time, because I am in desperate need some new clothes. I look like a discolored, tattered, walking moth-fest. When we moved down to Mexico over two years ago, I brought a set of "old-ish" clothes, knowing that I would be roughing it a bit. No dry cleaning here. Oh yeah, come to mention it, there are no washing machines either. Anyway, the aforementioned clothes are reaching the end of their lives. Especially the shirts. I realize that, when I make myself clothes, I tend to end up with some sort of skirt or dress. What I need are shirts.

Enter Built By Wendy's book, "Sew U." I am on a shirt mission, folks. I'll let you know how it turns out.

In cat news, Mademoiselle Amelie has taken to corn. Stealing corn, to be honest. She grabs it out of the bag, jumps to the floor, and proceeds to eat. As if she were entitled to it! What a brazen little lady.

simple jumper

2007-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

After discovering wiksten, I was immediately inspired. After a few hours, this is what popped out of my sewing machine.

Woot! My very own stylin' gray jumper! I especially love the back, with its adjustable pleat and bows. I know my mom's generation thinks these little jumpers look like maternity wear, but hey ... I suppose they could be. So why not make them adjustable, just in case your bust measurement increased, for some reason. (No mom, I'm not pregnant yet ... just thinking ahead, as always!)

And in case there was any doubt as to which girl in my house loves fabric more, here's proof.

xo,
Meg

worth a 1000 words

2007-10-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

The look on her face when she counted to 1000 for the first time

The "concentration tongue" and a smile while doing yoga

Being mesmerized by Chopin

wish list

2007-10-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

At least one (two is too much to ask?) finished Log Cabin sock.

And while I'm flipping through the same book, I wouldn't mind a pair of these one day. But knowing how long it takes for me to make one, normal length sock? Fairy Sockmother?

A self-cleaning house.

This bundle of fabric to make this project.

Time to make this knitting bag using Lisa's tutorial.

My biggest wish of all? A 72 hour day. Can you tell I've been pretty busy lately? Before I had time to blink an eye, six days had come an gone since my last post! I'm still here, dragging myself through a smidge of busy-ness. Ahem. That smidge is seeming more like a swimming pool of molasses that I must pass through. Smiling all the time, of course. The good thing is that I like molasses. But I can't begin to tell you how jealous I was that Mr. Montessori By Hand, who works with an organization based in DC, had the day off in honor of Indigenous People's Day. In Mexico, "Columbus Day" is not celebrated, and rightfully so. They hold a valid grudge.

So I continue to plow through my molasses. Thank you for your patience. I should be climbing out and taking a long-deserved shower someday soon.

characteristics of practical life activities

2007-10-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a good example of a practical life activity that is culturally relevant here in rural Mexico. Sandra is removing the corn kernels, one by one. Later, she or another child will mill the corn outside. To complete the process, an older child who has had a lesson can make tortillas to share with the class as part of the day's snack:

What is practical life? My short answer - everything the child does to care for herself and to help maintain the community in which she lives. Practical life is the basis of any Montessori community or any home. Without it, living in community, be it in a family or in a classroom, would be impossible. Here are just a few examples of practical life activities:

Wiping your nose
Setting the table
Washing your face
Preparing food
Washing dishes
Feeding the animals
Cleaning the house
Cleaning your shoes
Zipping your coat
Buckling your shoe
Doing the laundry
Caring for your garden

Some of these things we (adults) enjoy - some of them we come to abhor, and some of them we do without even thinking about it! Young children, on the other hand, truly enjoy the activities of practical life. They help them to develop coordination, concentration, and independence. In addition, they are gaining new skills, developing helpful and selfless habits, and learning to adapt to their culture.

Here are the basic characteristics of practical life activities:

Familiar
Practical life exercises are things the child has already seen regularly in his family life. She might
have witnessed an older sibling, a parent, or a grandparent perform these tasks on a daily basis. Perhaps she has even done certain exercises before coming into the Montessori environment. This familiarity helps the child orient to her new classroom.

Culturally Specific
The exercises should be relevant in the child’s day-to-day life. For example, if the child lives in
Southeast Asia, the practical life exercises offered by the directress will differ from those offered in France. If the culture eats their meals with chopsticks, it would be useless to have an exercise dealing with setting the table with a spoon, fork and knife. Practical life activities should help the child adapt to her environment.

Real
Providing the child with real, functional tools and activities conveys to the child that her work is
valued. (Another key point here is that the activities themselves should be purposeful. We must ask ourselves - is tweezing beads from one tray to another really a purposeful activity? Not really. While there are MANY activities that we could come up with that "help the child develop her pincer grip," these don't really have a place on the Montessori practical life shelf. Before putting an activity on the shelf, ask yourself: "Would I do this in my day-to-day life? Is this necessary to maintain my classroom (or home) environment? Or is this simply busy work?" Such busy work that the child enjoys and which helps her concentrate would, however, be very appropriate to place on a toy shelf.

Physically Proportioned
Well-proportioned tools help the child to fine-tune his motor skills and perfect precise movements. The size, weight and design of the material should be taken into account before offering it to the child. It should be heavy enough to provide tactile feedback to the child about the success of his movements, but should not be unwieldy or awkward in his small hands. Michael Olaf and Montessori Services provide wonderful child-sized items.

Breakable a.k.a. "Get rid of that sippy cup!
The value of glass in the environment extends beyond its aesthetic qualities; if the child recognizes that a piece of material is breakable, she will show care in her movements. In addition, a glass pitcher weights more than its plastic counterpart, giving the child feedback on her actions. In the event of a breakage, the teacher acts very detached and impartial about the accident. She does not lecture: she simply states that it should be swept up. The teacher removes the broken material and its corresponding exercise from the shelf and waits for several days before replacing it. This gives the children an appreciation of and respect for the material, knowing that it cannot be immediately replaced.

Attractive
The material should be aesthetically pleasing, clean, and functional. Children are attracted to
beauty and order, and the teacher recognizes this and assures that all of the exercises and materials are ready for the children before the start of the day. (A word about plastic, here. Instead of filling your home or classroom with plastic trays, take a visit to your local thrift stores! Thrift stores, in fact, are the BEST place to look for trays. On one trip a while back, I was able to fill a large box with the most beautiful silver trays - each one original. The advantage of silver trays? You can now put out a silver polishing activity!)

Color-Coded
Color-coding the exercises to indicate level of difficulty helps the child to choose work independently. It also adds to the beauty and order of the environment. Do not sacrifice beauty for color, however. Like I said, a silver or brass tray is much more desirable than an orange plastic one.

Orderly
Order is found throughout the practical life exercises. The exercises are presented in order of
difficulty and then displayed on the shelves in order of difficulty. The teacher places the more elementary exercises on the left of the shelf; the more challenging exercises are toward the right. The presentation of the exercises themselves remains consistent. The steps are clearly
demonstrated in sequential order. In an activity such as table washing, the teacher displays the necessary tools in the order in which they are needed, from left to right. This attention to order helps the child integrate and form connections between things in his environment.

Limited
The children are presented with enough activities so that their interest remains peaked. This
does not necessitate an exceedingly large number of exercises - even less if you are homeschooling! First, the environment should only contain exercises that are pertinent to classroom life. The child would be overwhelmed if presented with too many choices. Giving them a tenable number of choices helps them become decisive and come to understand their own preferences. In addition, the child’s natural tendency is toward repetition; therefore it is beneficial to have a limited number of activities on the shelves. If given the opportunity to repeat an exercise, the child will acquire a level of mastery, and the consequent independence. Instead of placing everything out at once, consider rotating activities to maintain interest.
Only one type of each exercise is on the shelf. If a classmate has already chosen the shoe polishing exercise, the child will have to choose an alternative piece of work. It is an important and constructive lesson to learn that one’s first choice is not always available. The child begins to understand that the classroom
community shares its resources.

Phew! Did you make it this far? Then you must really be interested in Montessori! If you want to learn more, join the Montessori By Hand Yahoo group in the side bar. Sign up for a nice little Montessori-style surprise! (Hint: read my most recently posted message to the Yahoo group.)

my find

2007-09-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you post lovely pics of your thrifting finds. I would love to claim that I, too, am a "thrifter." But considering there are no thrift stores in rural Mexico, much less any of those second-hand palaces which boast of cutsie-patootsie bedsheets and linens, I cannot claim that moniker.

However, treasures can be unearthed in the most unlikely of places:

Sitting in the corner of a dusty-musty store in Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico. With no less than 10 years of dust on top. I present to you my new, old, 1925 Damascus Vibrating Shuttle sewing machine. I paid 150 pesos, or about $14 US. Eureka!

One day, when I can boast of an entire room dedicated to sewing, this tired old lady will have her own special place in a sunny corner, where she will live out her golden years with the respect she deserves.

apples

2007-09-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

Apple pie. Apple cider. Apple juice. Baked apples, cinnamon and sugar. Applesauce. Warm, apple smell drifting around the kitchen and enveloping you like a mohair scarf. Apple picking. Apple crates. Apples coming out your ears.

Here are the apples of my eye, making apple juice and peeling, coring, and slicing apples to be dried in the generous autumn sun.

Yum.

i'm loving ...

2007-09-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

... my new p.j. pants, made from Amy Butler's book In Stitches. I shortened the pants substantially and added the band of owl print to complete the "bedtime" theme.

... this incredibly beautiful linen quilt that I bought from Amanda's Etsy shop. Visions of picnics, stargazing, cuddling and dozing dance in my head!

... live music in the classroom

A local Tarahumara (indigenous) man came to give my students a short violin concert. The Tarahumara make their own violins and play them in a fiddle-like manner.

The children watched intently. Later on in the day, look who I caught trying to play the violin! Adorable.

the montessori classroom

2007-09-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

I thought that some of you might find a photo tour of a Montessori Children's House quite useful. Skip on over to my Flickr page where you will find many photos of my classroom with helpful notes for each photo.

I hope this gives you some ideas for how to set up your own learning environments!

This weekend has been SO productive ... can't quite yet tell you why, but I can't wait to spill the beans sometime soon! Crafting has been put on the back burner for these past few weeks, but now that this BIG THING is done, all those projects lined up on the craft conveyor belt can start moving once again.

Hope you've had a pleasant autumnal equinox.

Thanks for readin'.

Meg

rustic holiday stockings

2007-09-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Like many of you, I've been coaxed back to the knitting needles due to the ever-so-slight evening chill. This pattern, designed by Kristin Nicholas, can be found in Interweave Knit's Winter 2006 mag.

These are some monumental socks. The tree stocking is the first thing I've ever made for Mr. Montessori By Hand. Although somewhere, buried under who-knows-what, is an unfinished scarf intended for my sweet. Maybe one day ...

This is also the first holiday decor project (of what I hope will be many) that I have made for us. One day I would like to boast of completely handmade holidays in our house. I feel the best way to go about this is to make things little by little, with no rush or pressure. It's better to have sparse-yet-meaningful holiday decor at first than to purchase items simply to up the festive ambiance.

We still haven't had to start a fire in our wood stove, but our neighbors say that the first frost comes sometime in mid-September. I'm reveling in the last few weeks of lounging around my house without three layers of clothing and a winter coat. Remember my earlier posts? Yes, those are my arms covered by a wool sweater and a wool coat. Inside my house. With a fire lit. Egads!

the hilarity of it all

2007-09-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is me at three months old. I'm pretty sure I'm having a good laugh about the ugly, semi-shag 80's carpet in the background. Thank goodness children born nowadays will have their chubby little chin rolls remembered in a more artistic fashion. If the world were perfect, all children would have photographic portfolios to rival Heather's impeccable shots.

Thank you for all of your thoughtful and supportive responses to my last post. As I continue to dabble in motherhood and study up on child development for the 0-3 age range, I am boosted and validated by words of wisdom from all of you mama "experts" out there. I promise that, once I do become a mother, you will hear a lot about my musings on the whole motherhood/baby thing. But until then, I'll continue to offer you snippets of my life as I know it, which happens to be filled with a lot of 3-6 year-olds. And snot. Which is my #1 workplace hazard.

Joyful Abode recently tagged me with the 7 facts about yourself meme. Finally I get to write about the only thing I'm an expert at - being me. So here it goes -

1.) I've been a vegetarian-at-heart since I was about 5, when my brother told me where hot dogs came from. I was forced to eat a bit of chicken at the family dinner table until I left for college, but I often opted for the "chew-and-spit-it-out-later-onto-a-napkin" routine. I've been 100% vegetarian since 1999. Here's the weird part - I will, on occasion, fix myself a mustard and ketchup sandwich. My husband thinks I'm nutso. But who are you all kidding? Isn't the mustard and ketchup taste the reason why you opt for a hot dog in the first place?

2.) I ran the Canadian International Marathon in 2002. I finished in 3:44, two minutes short of qualifying for Boston. My dad, who ran in a gazillion marathons back in the day, flew out to cheer me on and accompanied me for the last six miles. Patrick, who was my boyfriend at the time, would graciously accompany me on bike for my training runs or, for the longer runs, would meet me along the way in the car with a banana and water refill. His philosophy on running? "Running is like carrots. I like carrots. I'll eat one, maybe two, but I'm not about to eat the whole darn crate-full. No marathons for me."

3.) My middle name is Danielle. My brother's names are Darby, Derek, and Daron. Thank goodness they named me Meghan. So I could be just like the other 18 Megans in the nursery at the time. This 80's Megan craze is why I go by Meg. And it is why I will do my best to avoid giving my children "popular" names. My years as Meghan A. will never be forgotten. (Just kidding, Mom. It wasn't that bad!)

4.) I don't like wearing shorts. I think they make me look shorter. I'm a skirt kind of gal in the summer.

5.) I have a secret desire to become Amelie. (That's the Amelie from the movie ... not my cat.) I saw the movie in France with my sweetheart when we were studying abroad. I sort of have the haircut. I listen to the soundtrack. I even love the name, hence my kitty. I would have named my daughter Amelie, but c'mon - Amelie McElwee? Doofy to the max.

6.) I've always had a thing for very smart boys. Dorky is better. Play the piano really well? Even better. Write really well? Good. And what were your SAT and GRE scores again? You would have thought this was my dating application form.

7.) Scorpion is my favorite yoga pose. And no, my back doesn't look as curvy as the one in that little video. Unlike Mr. Video, I still have all of my vertebrae.

Hope you've enjoyed this seven-fold sojourn into my wacky side. I tag anyone who wants to list 7 facts about themselves.

the questioning

2007-09-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've had these two books on my bedside table for the past several weeks. Each has something important to offer to parents of young children.

Tim Seldin's How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way is an inviting introduction to Montessori, providing parents with an overview of Montessori philosophy in addition to many practical suggestions for daily life with a child. Tim offers tips for "disciplining" the Montessori way, ideas for a peace table in the home, advice on encouraging independence in personal care, and lots more. Plus, the book reads like one of those yummy craft books we all adore - interspersing great photos within the text. I highly recommend it for any parent, even if you aren't familiar with or interested in Montessori as an educational philosophy.

Montessori From the Start is a bit more "hard core." The book focuses intensely on the child at home, from birth to three years-old. As a prospective mother (hehe!) I've found many ideas within its pages. This is a book that you will underline. Although its layout is bland and it contains only a few black and white photos, it is a gold mine of information on child development and on how best to assist your child through these first years of life.

But I have a confession to make. I have a few strong doubts about some of the advice given in Montessori From the Start. For the most part, I agree with it. Here are my hang-ups:

The suggestion that weaning should begin at around six months. I believe we have to look to research which encourages breastfeeding for at least the first year of life. Breastfeeding once a day even after the child has been introduced to solid food should be encouraged, I think. I don't know where this early weaning idea originated, but I think that we do the baby a disservice if we encourage independence over what is natural and healthy. To me, "early weaning" seems like a vestige of an uber-western idea of "educating" a child. Early weaning would never happen here amongst the indigenous population of northern Mexico. I feel that since nature designed functioning mammary glands and willing babies way past the six month mark, then we shouldn't meddle.

The general sense the book imparts that, as parents, we need to be perfect. Calm. Always one step ahead. Ahem. We ain't perfect. I just want throw in my two cents for all of you parents out there, doing your best with what every day throws at you. You don't need to be perfect! If anything, the child learns a wonderful lesson from all of your "imperfections." He learns that love transcends imperfections. And that is one valuable lesson!

Sometimes I feel guilty for differing with my "chosen" educational philosophy. Then I hearken back to my own Montessori roots, which instilled in me an independence of thought and encouraged me to always ask "why?" And I feel better. It's so important, within any group, to have a healthy debate on controversial issues. I encourage you to respond with your feelings on the subject, so we can hear many different points of view.

On a different note, I just ordered Joelle's new book, Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts!
The impetus for me?
A Puzzle Ball pattern! The Puzzle Ball is a wonderful developmental toy for a baby who is just beginning to grasp with both hands. The many "handles" of the ball help the child build wrist strength and coordination. Plus, it rolls a very short distance if dropped, thus eliminating frustration of a bouncy ball that rolls hopelessly out of reach. It does roll a bit, however, encouraging the not-yet-crawling child to scoot over and grasp it again. I would give this toy an A+ if I believed in grades and academic competition. But I don't. So I'll give it three thumbs up instead. This would make a GREAT baby gift! I'll be making them for the many (prospective) children in my life!

Wishing you all a pleasant Monday eve,
Meg

Mexican independence day

2007-09-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

September 16th is Mexico's independence day. They also have a "revolution day" (November 20th) and celebrate their 1862 victory over Napoleon III's army on Cinco de Mayo. But the night of September 15th is the most important of these remembrances. In small villages and large cities around the country, the mayor stands in front of the gathered masses and reenacts Miguel Hidalgo's 1810 call for independence from Spain. This reenactment is called "El Grito," which is literally translated as "The Yell."

We were part of last night's festivities. Here are some of the sights (and smells and sounds, if you loosen the reins of your imagination.)

ellen edson - folk songs for children

2007-09-15T08:08:00.001-07:00

Did you know about this already? I consider myself a bit of a children's music aficionado, but Ellen Edson's music just entered my radar screen. I LOVE IT! Take a listen:

This song, Sweet Potatoes, is from her first children's album, Family Fare: Folk Songs for Children and Their Families. What makes this music special, I think, is the Appalachian mountain style that seeps from every chord. Ellen's down-home vocals are accompanied by guitar, banjo, fiddle, autoharp and Appalachian dulcimer. Sweet, sweet relief from all of that gaudily synthesized, commercial children's music that's so readily available. This CD is a great way to introduce your child/students to traditional American music, as Ellen interprets folk "greats" such as Woodie Guthrie.

Ellen just released a new album, The Sweetness of You, which I heard about through one of my favorite designers, Kristin Nicholas. Kristin did the artwork for the album. After a quick listen, I knew I had to add it to my collection! I encourage you to do the same. There is little better that filling a child's life with meaningful music - and singing it together.

bittersweet: life as a bar of dark chocolate

2007-09-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

The sweet: My backyard is ablaze in yellow, as these plants have one last raucous outburst ...

The bitter: ... before the first freeze comes. Then they will make their humble retreat, unceremoniously becoming part of the soil from whence they came.

The bitter: Already a month of the school year has come and gone. Before I know it I will be leaving Mexico, my students, and my life here. I just returned from faxing a job ad to AMI's headquarters in Holland. Yeah. The one that will (hopefully) attract my replacement. This was hard. That fork in the road up ahead? It's no oasis.

The sweet: I'm going "home." Beginning a new chapter. Connecting with old friends and meeting new faces. Becoming part of a vibrant university intellectual community once again.

The bittersweet theme rings true in many areas of my life at the moment. I'm endeavoring to savor life as the dark bar of chocolate that it becomes when it's all taken in perspective. After all, it's the bitter that makes the chocolate rich, its flavor deep, and its delight lasting.

P.S. If you haven't listened to CraftSanity's podcast with Amanda of SouleMama, please do. I believe it touches on this theme. It's very uplifting. I really love Amanda - both her approach to raising children and her effusive creativity that touches every moment of her life as a mother and crafter. It's an hour well-spent.

barcelona skirts

2007-09-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

I already know this skirt set will be an all-time favorite. Kind of like that dress my mom bought me when I was twelve that I still wear. Often. Well, world ... get used to seeing me in this skirt/apron get-up!

The apron overlay is completely reversible! Did I mention that I've fallen in love with this skirt?
The sewing was simple enough, if you know how to sew in a zipper. Even if you don't - no need to despair. Amy explains it all in layman's terms.

You can get the pattern over at Sew, Mama, Sew.

recreational entomology and other news

2007-09-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

First off in today's news, a tap dancing moth has been spotted through an (embarrassingly) dirty window. "The moth continued its little jig for several glorious minutes," stated a big, fat cat who was located on the other side of the window. To which a little cat responded, "I didn't know that you knew what 'glorious' meant. I'm flabbergasted."

Also in entomology, the Tobacco Hornworm, a notoriously gluttonous grub, has made an appearance in Creel, Mexico. While wooing young children and their teacher with its flashy, green garb and extreme obesity, the Tobacco Hornworm surreptitiously and single-handedly destroyed a potato plant.

And in crafting news ...

Superbuzzy is having a sale! 20-40 % off awesome Japanese prints, including canvas for your reading pillows!

Amanda of Soulemama has launched her new website, which features excerpts of her book, The Creative Family, which is coming out in March.

Karla, a good friend and fellow Montessori teacher, has published an excellent tutorial for a wallet-sized fold-up fabric shopping bag on Whip Up.

And if you hadn't already heard, My Half of the Brain is a blog that collects crafting tutorials from all over cyberspace and directs you to them. Brilliant! Be sure to add it to your reader.

Finally, in blogging news, yours truly has given her blog a much needed make-over.

"I was feeling frumpy," stated Miss Montessori By Hand. "And I was feeling frustrated that none of the medium-sized flickr photos fit me. I just wasn't wide enough."

After listening to Miss Hand's needs, yours truly fiddled with her HTML code, gave her a new banner, and added a google site search bar so that Miss Hand's visitors can easily find what they are looking for.

"I feel like a new blog!" beamed Miss Hand.

something's up my sleeve

2007-09-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a child's art smock pattern for the last week or so. Wonder what this teacher does with little bits and pieces of her spare moments? Here's a peek:

I'll be working on writing up the pattern this weekend. Lately I've been able to get a good deal of pattern design on the time card because my husband is spending all of his "leisure time" applying to grad school. Maybe, just maybe, the child's art smock will be available in a fortnight or so ... a blink of an eye and a few twirls of the hourglass!

just subtract 20 ...

2007-09-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

... and I would be six again. And I could wear these barrettes:

Of course I would wear them anyway, but these are for one of my favorite six year-olds -- the model for the yoga poses.

I used Amy's tutorial and some wool that I had on hand. Very simple, very quick, highly recommended!

adios warmth

2007-09-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

The days of having the children's washing table outside are numbered, I fear. Yesterday I came home to Mr. Montessori By Hand who was donning a fleece ski hat and a jacket. (And this was inside! I guess it's his Florida upbringing.)

Like many of you, the earlier sunset and the occasional cool wind have made me itch to get out the knitting needles. Crafting priorities change around this time of year. Here's what I have twirling about in my mental clockwork:

scarf and hat set : quilted throw a la Amy Karol : hand sewn quilt for my bed : set of holiday stockings : over-the-knee socks from this book : lots of embroidery and appliqué.

All of these endeavors are best accompanied by a warm mug of piloncillo tea, which wins my vote for one of the 7 wonders of Mexico.

To make two servings, add about 1/4 cone of piloncillo, 5 cloves, and a stick of cinnamon to a tea kettle filled with 3 cups of water. Bring all of the ingredients to a boil and continue until the piloncillo has dissolved. Pour yourself a hot mug-full.

I'll be making some tonight as we wait for hurricane Henrietta to pass over us.

xo,
Meg

pocket/stuff sack tutorial

2007-09-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Once again, fat cat was cajoled into this whole baby carrier photo shoot thing ... this time with a heavenly chin scratch. Little cat would have nothing to do with it.

The Heather Ross fabric was looking at me while batting its Russian doll eyelashes, so I made another mei tai for this tutorial. However, you can add this kind of a pocket/stuff sack onto just about anything, from your already-made mei tai carriers to picnic blankets and outerwear - anything that you want to make portable and easily stowed away in a purse. Thanks to Katharine for the inspiration - check out the link to see her version of the mei tai pocket/stuff sack.

While Katharine used a zippered pocket, the one in this tutorial is zipper-free and really easy to add on to your mei tai. It shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes max.

1.) Cut out two rectangles of fabric 11 in. x 15 in. Place them with their right sides facing together (if you have a directional print like my fabric, place one "upside down.")

2.) Sew around all edges, leaving an opening on one of the 11 inch sides for turning. Turn right side out and press. Now fold the top 5 inches and pin. Flip over the entire pocket and pin in place on the carrier. (The folded part will be sandwiched between the pocket and the carrier, and not visible until it turns into the stuff sack.)

3.) Topstitch around the three edges of the pocket. In doing so, you will close the opening at the bottom that you left for turning. Be sure to reinforce these seams, especially towards the top edges of the pocket.

*Notice here that I made another variation to the original pattern with this Russian doll mei tai ... I removed the nursing shield in favor of a more rectangular look, while still maintaining a slight curve and headrest at the top. That's the great thing about this pattern - once you get the general idea, you can modify it to fit your needs! (My need this time being making the mei tai body out of a measly half-yard of this precious fabric!)

Here's how to covert the pocket into a stuff sack:

Turn the pocket inside out.

Stuff.

Flip over the top.

Place in your purse or use as a mini pillow!

giveaway winners and a 3-day sale!

2007-09-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Comments closed at 11:50 a.m. mountain time, and here's what the random number generator conjured up:

46 82 114

Congratulations fiberfairy, sharon, and lynn in tucson! Please email me your choice of pattern and I will send you the file lickety-split. (montessorirevolution(at)gmail.com)

Truth be told, I just couldn't restrict myself to three giveaways. Your comments were so lovely and uplifting that I've decided to give everyone a little post-giveaway gift! Visit the pattern store and enter the following discount code (at checkout) to receive 30% off of your purchase!

2U126827

The sale will close on Tuesday evening, September 4th.

And really, don't you think the world would be a better place if everyone had their own reading pillow? :)

If you are one of the awesome people who have already purchased all three of my patterns, not to worry! You will be able to receive my upcoming pattern designs at a discounted price. Expect more patterns within the month, such as a child's painting smock and the Montessori classroom pattern kit.

Add your email to my mailing list (in the sidebar) to be notified of future sales, giveaways, and new patterns.

I'm off to do some pattern designing, as Mr. Montessori By Hand is gone fishin'.

Thanks for your kindness and support,
Meg

harvest time

2007-08-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Fruits of the land and their little hands

Last spring we planted corn, squash, potatoes, and beans on a little plot of land a short walk from the school. Yesterday the children harvested the early corn, called elote. Did you realize that what we know as yellow "corn on the cob" is simply the early harvest? All corn is yellow at this stage. If you leave it on the stalk until October, all corn hardens into colorful Indian corn, known here as maiz. I never knew, even though my family planted corn when I was a child. We must have harvested it all early, given the fact that we didn't make corn tortillas from scratch.

Here in Mexico the maiz is essential, as it doesn't spoil and can be stored through the winter. It is a major food source for the indigenous Tarahumara people, who live as subsistence farmers on a diet consisting mainly of corn tortillas and beans.

On my plate (literally and figuratively) this weekend is a recipe I've had since I was in Montessori school. We affectionately refer to it as "Meggie's Montessori Harvest Loaf Cake." I hope you love it as much as I do!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup cooked (or canned) pumpkin
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and add sugar gradually. Cream at high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs. Beat well. Alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin, beginning and ending with pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into a loaf pan that has been greased on the bottom. Bake 1 - 1:15 at 350F. Cool completely.

Happy harvest,
Meg

P.S. If you haven't added your comment yet to the previous post, head on over and do so! Check back tomorrow morning to see if you are a winner of one of my sewing patterns!

100th post giveaway

2007-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Montessori By Hand is 100 posts old! To celebrate this milestone, and to thank you for reading, I thought I'd give away some patterns. Leave a comment and your name will be added to the drawing. Three winners, each of whom will get to pick one of my sewing patterns, their choice!

The random number generator will pick the lucky numbers on Saturday morning - good luck!

xo, Meg

special recognition

2007-08-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Some things are apparent early on in life. Here I am donning my hand-crafted hat back when I was a Montessori student, already displaying my penchant for funky, handmade attire:

Zooming forward on the pictorial time machine, here I am in my Simplicity/Threads Creativity Contest entry last May:

Welp, who would have guessed? Simplicity up and awarded me some "special recognition!" They sent me this book a few days ago. This was all pretty exciting and totally unexpected, as I don't think I've won anything since the 5th grade county math tournament. (Which I attended, by the way, in the first outfit I sewed for myself, accessorized with some swanky headgear and braces sporting florescent bands. As if the math tournament wasn't dorky enough.) My "special" shirt was made with Simplicity pattern 4017, and is hand appliquéd and embroidered. The best part about this whole thing is that they are sending me back my shirt, which I get to wear whenever I want!

And another fun surprise - Donna from Purple Kappa tagged me for the "Nice Matters" blogging award! Thanks, Donna! It's such a warm and fuzzy feeling to be acknowledged. So now it's my turn to pass on the award to some of my blogging friends who fit the following criteria:

"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and creativity. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to others who you feel are deserving of this award."

Jo of A bit of this and a bit of that
Laurie of The Wooden Spool
Anna Maria Horner
Leah of Homework
Amanda of Soulemama

I'm sure each of you know why I am knighting you "Purveyors of Niceness." You are wonderful, inspirational people. Please visit these ladies' blogs if you haven't already!

xo,
Meg

a sunday of sewing

2007-08-26T19:29:00.001-07:00

An owl toiletry bag with iron-on vinyl lining, from Bend-the-Rules Sewing.

A mei tai baby carrier made with fabric from the West Hill collection by Heather Ross. (A gift for this little cutie, who helped me out in the photo shoot for my pattern website.