Sketchbook ... um ... Thursday?

Happy New Year!!!

This week's sketch is based on a photo I pinned to my Inspiration pin-board.  I made it today during a game of Scrabble, whenever it wasn't my turn.  See?  You can sketch just about anytime, anywhere!

The holidays for our family were a chance to rest, be together, catch our breath, and watch a whole lot of movies.  I can rarely just sit in front of a television, without something for my hands to do.  So instead of being in my studio for the last 13 days, whenever we'd watch a movie I'd grab something to work on, then dump it back in the studio when I was done ... over and over again, until I really did get a lot done, but my space here is a wreck!

I must say, I am looking forward to seeing my desktop again soon!

The good thing about a creative mess, though, is that lovely things usually emerge from it!  One of those things, for me, was these storytelling blocks I made for all the small nieces and nephews, and the kids' teachers, for Christmas.  They were fun to make, and even more fun to play with.

However you spent your holidays, I hope they were full of good things - and that good things keep on coming for you in 2014!

Sketchbook Tuesday

Maybe you've seen books like this, and maybe you've even bought them for your kids.  But they're fun for grown-ups, too!  Especially if you only have a minute or two - keeping a book like this around is a great way to keep sketching even if you're busy.

Happy sketching!

Sketchbook Tuesday: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (A Tutorial!)

Today's sketch is a little bit of a cheat, since I didn't make it in the last week.  But it's also a good reminder to pick up and start again!  

One of the reasons I was too busy to sketch: I was making shepherd costumes, without a pattern, from sheets!  And in case you ever need to make easy-peasy "you'll only wear it this once so it doesn't really matter if it's perfect" shepherd costumes, I took photos of some of the process for you!

You'll need old sheets, a t-shirt in roughly the size you're making the costume.

First, cut the top edge off the sheet - you can use it later for a sash/tie/whatever.

Next, fold your fabric into two layers, then lay the t-shirt on top to get a rough idea of size.  Cut the two layers bigger than the t-shirt, to allow for seams and because sheets don't stretch like t-shirts do.  You'll have two really long rectangles.  Keep them together for the next bit.

Now line up the top of the shirt with the top (short end) of your rectangles.  Stretch the neck opening of the t-shirt out both ways to get a rough idea of the neck opening you'll need for the tunic.  Use pins to mark the opening, then stitch it together like so:

Now, let's make sleeves.  Take the extra sheet material, that you cut off from the main part of the tunic, above.  Fold it into two layers, using the sleeve of the t-shirt as a guide for how wide the sleeve needs to be.  Make it wider than the t-shirt sleeve, again for seam allowance and because this fabric really doesn't stretch.

Cut the sleeve out to the width and length you want it, leaving it folded in the layers (don't cut on the fold).

Next, open the main part of the costume, and line the center of the sleeve up with the seam you made when you created the neck opening.  Stitch the sleeves to the tunic.  When you're finished, if you open up the whole thing and lay it out, it should look like this:

Okay, final step!  Fold the tunic in half, with right sides together, and the top of the tunic making the fold.  Stitch from the wrist of the sleeve, all the way to the underarm, then make a 90 degree angle and stitch all the way down the length of the tunic.  Repeat on the other side.

Now flip it right side out, and you're done!

If the neck opening is too small, just cut a small notch in the middle front of the opening, and rip the fabric until it's big enough - we're going for rustic, right?  And if the tunic is too long, just cut/rip the bottom edge to make it the right length.

Use your extra pieces of fabric to make sashes, ties, cowls, headpieces, whatever!  I ended up making costumes for 4 adults and 2 kids out of 4 big sheets from the thrift store.  Super cheap and easy.

Sketchbook Tuesday: Even if it Sucks!

I must confess, with the wonderful busyness of the Thanksgiving holiday last week, I didn't take the time to sketch until late, late last night.  And it's not even all that original.  Sometimes, just to keep drawing, I will find an inspiring image and do my best to copy it - whether it be the whole thing or just some element.  I even keep a board on Pinterest just exactly for that purpose - if you're interested, you can find my Inspiration board here.

Last week also left no time to blog, but I have some fun things to show you soon, so don't give up on me just yet!

Sketchbook Tuesday and A Very Exciting Happening

As promised, here is this week's offering from my sketchbook!

And, I am pleased as punch to announce another offering I've been working on for weeks and weeks and weeks: The Paper Loom is now an open shop on Esty!  

Here's a little bit of what you'll find there, with more to come soon!

Sketchbook Tuesday

Well, hello there.  Let's just get out the most terrifying aspect of this blog and stare it right in the face, shall we?

A recent page from my sketchbook.

Years ago, I read a magazine interview with children's book author/illustrator Mo Willems, wherein he mentioned how unfortunate it is that most adults don't draw.  He pointed out that people don't stop playing basketball when they realize they're not going to be professionals, but that's exactly what we do with drawing - somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we decide we're no good at it and then we quit.  And we shouldn't.  (He says basically the same thing in this NPR story.)  While it struck me, and I wholeheartedly agreed, I didn't do anything about it myself.

And then, one day recently, I saw this:

You can buy it here, at Wit & Whistle.

It was all the permission I needed to get out my sketchbook and draw something every day.  Even if it sucked.  So I did ... for a while.  But then life, as it happens, happened.  And I got too busy.  Which is a lame excuse, even if it's my only one.  Which brings us here.  I have this theory that if I decide - and promise - I'm going to, say, post something from my sketchbook every Tuesday, that I will find the time to actually put something in my sketchbook to post.  Because you'll be expecting it.  And I certainly don't want to let you down.

So that's what I'm going to do.  Post something from my sketchbook every Tuesday.  

Even if it sucks.  

Because it's good for me.  

And maybe - just maybe - it will inspire you to pick up your own sketchbook and start drawing.  

Even if it sucks.  

Because it's good for you, too.