Medieval Tunics Begin

These are the freshly dyed Tunics for this year's 6th grade medieval games.  They chose sable (black) which created quite an issue with one parent who has now taken her child out of my class because of it.  Does anyone have an opinion about this?  I think it is just fine to have this color for the tunics, and I also knew they would not turn out completely black anyway, if that was the issue!  Black was available in Medieval times...

Really heavy sigh...

Hmm, needing to post some pictures, but lacking the energy from being sick and some pretty serious (I think) teenage son issues...I could stay home and sigh and cry a little, but off to school I go to sew with my 8th graders and knit with my 5th graders, head held high and hanging my "woe is me's"on the hook by the door!  We finally died the "sable" tunics, which turned out more greyish purplish, as I figured they would....

This is where I work!

The people with whom I work are truly amazing!!

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!