Sixth Grade Christmas

In my class, the 6 people in our grade have decorated the pod for Christmas (the pod it the in between room between classrooms. Sometimes called the office, too). We have Christmas lights around the whiteboard, tinsel streamers around the door, bells, stockings, Christmas trees, and ornaments. But the most fun of all is the Secret Santa! We are getting gifts for each other. I got a present already. Also, since one of the kids in my class might not be here on Friday (our Opening Day), he showed his to his recipient today, but the recipient can't have it till tomorrow. Mine is already wrapped. In the morning, I need you to email me, reminding me to bring the Secret Santa gift (itsbumpybackhere@gmail.com). The funny thing is, we haven't told our teacher, and we didn't have permission to decorate, but she saw it and didn't object... I wonder how she will react on Friday when we give and receive? O.O Laul!*

Random + Writing + Christmas,
CB

P.S. Sorry if you don't celebrate Christmas! That is perfectly fine! No reason it wouldn't be! If you don't celebrate Christmas, in the comments, tell us a little bit about what you do during the holidays, or what you celebrate instead. We would love to learn about your culture! :D

*Instead of thinking L-O-L, I actually think 'laul,' as in 'Paul.' I also think 'burb' instead of 'B-R-B.' Haha!

How to Make Asparagus Out of Felt - by http://whilewearingheels.blogspot.com

I had glanced at this to see a pattern and a few pointers, and I did the rest on my own. This is different than I had done it, but I believe this seamstress to have a bit more experience, especially since she has a blog all about making fake food (and those radishes at the top look really good!!)

Here si the link to the page with the asparagus: http://whilewearingheels.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-heart-fake-food-felt-asparagus.html

Here is the tutorial by WhileWearingHeels.blogspot.com:

I heart fake food: Felt Asparagus

This pattern can be completed without using a sewing machine.

Supplies needed:
Dark Green Felt
Dark Green Thread
Fiberfill
Needle
Scissors
Optional: Red Ribbon or Thread

Using this pattern, which can also be found here.

Cut out all the pieces of your asparagus.

Fold the body of the asparagus in half, length-wise, overlapping the sides about a 1/4 of an inch. Hand sew it closed, running the length of the asparagus.

Continue to sew the length of the asparagus closed.

Stop sewing when you get about a 1/2 inch from the top of the asparagus.

Remove your needle and thread from the top of your asparagus and sew the bottom of the asparagus closed.

Fill the body of the asparagus with fiberfill. Do not fill past the 1/2 inch unsewn opening on the top.

Cut the top of the asparagus, the 1/2 inch you left open, giving the top the appearance of having a layer of leaves.

Taking one section of the top leaves...

Roll it up.

Do a few stitches at the bottom of the rolled up leaves. This will help maintain the shape you just created by rolling the leaves.

Add the next layer of leaves. Begin to roll the other layer, arranging it so this layer of leaves is slightly lower than the first layer of leaves.

Again, add a few stitches so that both layers of leaves are now sewn together.

Insert the 2 layers of leaves, you just sewed together, into the top of the asparagus.

Sew the top of the asparagus closed. Start sewing, at the base of the leaves you cut from the body of the asparagus, making sure you are also going through the additional layers, attaching them as well.

Set the individual leaves on the body of your asparagus to determine placement.

You can either sew the leaves onto the body of the asparagus or you can glue them on. I attached mine by sewing.

And there you have it...

Asparagus is purchased in a bundle so you might want to make a few more. I like to bundle mine together with red ribbon.

Sew a Strawberry Out of Felt

MATERIALS

• Three small red felt triangles
• A green star-like shape, sort of like a sea-star with thin legs
• Needle
• Thread
• Stuffing

HOW-TO

**Note: Do not cinch it at the top until it says, even though it might seem strange.

1. Place two of the triangles on top of each other and sew starting from the point. End at the corner of the bottom and tie off.
2. Place the corner of the bottom of the third triangle on the needle and sew one side of the third triangle to the triangle closest to the corner you started at.
3. Sew a little bit of the side that is loose, and turn it inside out.
4. Stuf it really hard. The stuffing might spill out the top, but that is okay. Just be sure that the strawberry can fit the stuffing.
5. Rethread the needle (or just make a new knot) and begin (at the flat part where the opening is) so that the knot is on the INSIDE of the berry. Cinch it closed, really tight, and it will look about the shape of a strawberry. Tie off once you have made a surgical knot (instead of going through the loop once, you go through twice).
6. Make a new knot and string it through the middle of the green star. Place it on the strawberry so that the knot is not seen. Sew it to the berry, using only the center of the star.
7. Make any minor adjustments.

Voila!

Strawberry! (the Art Drawer does not own this picture) Results
of these instructions may vary from the picture shown above.

Random + Writing,

CB

Birthday!

Happy birthday to me!


Random + Writing,
CB

The Art Drawer Logo: Conclusion

The votes are in! The new logo for the Art Drawer IS.....

Da, dada DAA!! The new Art Drawer logo is the bow-tie, drawn by Yours Truly! Thank you for your submissions, which were all very beautiful! Wonderful job everyone, and thank you for participating in one of the most important events in all of Art Drawer History!

Random + Writing, for RK,

CB

Sew Your Own Cut-Open Avocado!

MATERIALS

• Dark green felt
• Light LIGHT green felt
• Bright brown felt (pit. This means that this color shouldn't be very dark, or too light. More bright beige than anything)
• Thread
• Needle
• Stuffing

HOW-TO

Set up -

1. Cut out an avocado-shaped shape out of the light green felt.
2. Place it on the sheet of dark green. With a good, black pen, trace around the light green, but a bit larger than the shape. MAKE SURE YOU TRACE FARTHER AWAY FROM THE LIGHT GREEN SHAOE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM (THE FAT PART)
3. Cut out the shape you have marked with the pen.

Skin -

1. Fold the dark green over. Slide long scissors into the crease, and cut it in half, more or less.
2. Trim off a tiny bit from the straight side, curving a bit of the top, and a bit of the bottom.
3. Place them on top of each other, and sew the straight(-ish) edges together.
4. Flip it 'inside-out.' This means the seam is not sticking out from it and it is not flat; the seam is more on the inside and the rest is curving around it.

Inside -

1. Place the light green shape even with the top of the dark green. Sew them together, shifting them so that the edges of the dark green are sewn to the edges of the light green, even though they are of different sizes. DO NOT SEW IT ALL THE WAY!!! Stop about 2 - 3 inches from finishing, but don't tie-off yet.
2. Don't turn it inside out, this time. Leave the stitch on the outside, not doubled over on the inside. Stuff it (NOT TOO MUCH!!!) and finish sewing it up.

Pit -

1. Cut a circle out of brown felt. Hold it up to the light green of the inside of the avocado. If it looks about the right size, put it back on the sheet of felt and cut a circle about 7/16 of an inch larger (not in square inches; in size going away from the center)
2. (See step 4 before starting step 2) Line up the small circle with the larger circle's top and sew them together, shifting it around, just like the avocado itself. DON'T SEW IT ALL THE WAY UP!!! Stop about 1 inch from finishing, but don't tie-off, yet.
3. Stuff it really big. The smaller circle should stay rather flat.
4. The larger circle will be too large to sew onto the smaller one, because its circumference (distance around it) is so large. Double it over a tiny bit in a few places once you have stuffed it so that it looks better. (FROM STEP TWO: READ STARTING HERE) If you wish, you can do the pit similar to how you have done the avocado (cutting the larger into two pieces and rounding, then sewing it together so that its circumference is closer to the smallest).
5. Place it towards the bottom of the light green of the avocado (the small circle should be touching the avocado). (This might be kind of hard...) Sew the pit to the avocado using the seams you made when making the pit. Try and have it centered, so that it is not closer to one side than the other. Tie off when finished.
6. Make any finishing touches, like snipping off strings, cleaning p messy stitches, etc., etc., etc.

Voila!!

Avocado! These show the color of the skin, a pretty good version of the color of the inside, and the placement of the pit. (As you can see from the lower right corner of the photo, the Art Drawer does not own this picture)

Random + Writing,

CB

2000!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, ART DRAWER! We have shared our art for the 2000th time! We have finally reached 2000 views. Thank you to all of our friends, close and far!!!

Random + Writing,
CB

Sew Your Very Own APPLE!

MATERIALS

• Three long-ish ovals of red felt
• A reasonably sized square of green felt (leaf (x 2))
• A brown rectangle (stem)
• Stuffing
• Sewing needles
• Pins
• Scissors
• Thread

HOW-TO

1. Starting at the top, sew together two of the red ovals, ending at the bottom. Tie a knot, but if you have enough thread left, don't cut it off. If you need to rethread, now is the time to do it.
2. Sew the last piece on to one side of the two already attached ovals. 
3. Now, since you have reached the top, sew downward, partly attaching the last bit that is open. Leave about two to three inches open, and turn the whole thing inside-out, so the seams are on the inside.
4. Stuff stuff stuff! When there is no room left, continue to stuff stuff stuff!
5. Sew up the side, and cinch it at the bottom. 
6. Roll the brown rectangle up once, just so one of the sides is hidden inside. Sew it along the side of the outside, and the layer underneath. Finally, attach it to the top of the apple. 
7. Cut out two leaf shapes of the same size and shape and sew them together. Then sew that leaf to the base of the stem. Make any necessary stitches to make it stay in the position you want
8. Make any minor adjustments.

Voila!

Apple! (The Art Drawer does not own this picture)

Random + Writing,

CB

How to Make a Cut-Kiwi Out of Felt

MATERIALS

• A green circle measuring 6 15/16 in.
• A brown rectangle measuring 9 2/16 x 2 3/8 in. (use the pen/marker to mark where to cut)
• brown scrap felt (for seeds)
• Scissors
• Thread
• Stuffing
• Sewing needles
• A pen or marker

HOW-TO

Inside -

1. Cut many small slivers, and sew them all onto the green circle. Sew two stitches per sliver. These are the seeds.

Skin -

1. With the brown rectangle, cut four rounded triangles (this means the bottom of the triangles are flat, but the sides going up to the point are rather round). Make sure that they reach all the way around the green circle.
2. Sew two together, then add the next one onto one side of the two that are attached. 
3. Sew the fourth one onto on side of the three that are attached, leaving one side open. 
4. Sew the top corner of the fourth one to the rest, then the very bottom corner.

All -

1. With the seams still showing, put the green circle on the bottom of the four brown triangles (the stitches behind should be showing. In other words, the green circle is backwards right now) and sew it on. It might be a bit to large to fit right on the circle. Just fold it over a TINY but in a couple places. It should do fine. Right now, it should look not very rounded, and there should be a flap hanging open.
2. Flip it inside out and stuff it. Be sure not to stuff it too much, or else it just looks round and fat, and weird and really un-kiwi-ish. Really.
3. Make any adjustments.

Tada!

Kiwi! This is sort of what it will turn out like, just a bit more puffy where it is cut.
(The Art Drawer does not own this picture)

Clarifications, comments, concerns, observations, or tips for others? Leave me a comment below!!

Random + Writing,

CB

Sew an Eggplant Out of Felt

I am allergic to eggplant, but a felt one can't hurt!

MATERIALS

• Dark purple kidney bean-shaped felt
• Light green/dark green felt
• Scissors
• STUFFING STUFFING STUFFING!!

HOW-TO

1. Starting at the top (the skinny part), sew one side of two of the ovals together, ending at the bottom (the fat part).
2. Sew the third oval to one side of the eggplant, this time starting at the bottom. Sew up to the top (where you started sewing at the beginning.
3. Sew a little bit on the side that is unattached to the other sides. Flip the entire thing inside-out, so the seams are pretty much hidden.
4. Stuff a little, then sew some more. Stuff, sew, stuff, sew. Continue this until it is full of stuffing. Then close the opening.

1. Cut three small green shapes, kind of looking like Justin Bieber's hair. (lol) Place them on the top part of the eggplant (the skinny part). Sew them on. If any parts need any extra securing, go ahead and sew them on. If you want, you can just sew all the edges on. Whichever you think looks best!

If you want you, you can add a stem make of rolled-up green felt and just sew it onto the middle of the green part.

Make any finishing touches, and voila! Perfecto!

Random + Writing,
CB