January blues

Am I the only handwork teacher out there that considers a change in career around January?  I think I am just a little tired and maybe a little blue from all the fogged in days here...That said, the January conference was very uplifting and reminded me of why I love Waldorf education so much!  Eugene Schwartz was a key speaker, and he is just wonderful...a little wisdom, humor, and controversy!

Conference this weekend!!!

http://allianceforpublicwaldorfeducation.org/content/view/28/45/

Black is not your enemy...actually, it's 'sable'...

Today I will shop for supplies, coupons in hand!  First, I must get bolts of muslin to begin the process of 6th grade tunics for medieval games!  They picked sable (black) as the color to die them, and boy howdy did that get some otherwise uninvolved parents quite involved and oppinionated.  I'm sticking by the student's decision and the fact that that would have been appropriate as far as what colours were available during medieval times.  Relax for goodness sakes!  'nuf said....

What else?  Oh yeah, buy the fabric for the elephants we will be making in the same class...I have one student who flat out refuses to make an elephant and has decided to make a spirit bear...not sure how I feel about that, but a bear she shall make...

Just a little update, new year = new projects = lots of extra work for me.

Contemplating moving on to a different career.  This is also the time of year the principal would like our intentions for the coming school year, so I begin to imagine moving on....it might just be time.

Wet felted candles

Squirt with soapy water, roll up, roll again in bubble wrap and roll 'till it felts

felted!  trim end

add holly, a bell, teeny pompom, trim flame, and voila!

Well, as a last minute project for the week before holiday break, I decided to do this project with 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, later to be only a 6th pre-holiday project.  I think it went pretty well!  The kids are a little crazy that week before break, so this was a fun thing to do!

Sankta Lucia

My house smells so good, saffrony St. Lucy buns (Lussekator)!

More hats!

Basic hats from 5th grade 4 needle knitting...each student hand dyed yarn with food coloring.

Sider web potholders, 8th

Fun little project, spider web potholders, is a hit and developes cutting, machine sewing skills.  They cut 22" strips, 1.5 " wide, sew together, cut 45 degree angle triangles, sew together, cut backing, filler, sew together, quilt around...and voila!  Even the least precise students gets fun results!