Author: Louise

Furniture Art

Wikipedia defines furniture as, “Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., chairs, stools, and sofas), eating (tables), and sleeping (e.g., beds). … Furniture can be a product of design and is considered a form of decorative art.

16 Years ago I bought handwoven fabric from the Ifugao mountain regions of the Philippines. Baguio is a city in the mountain regions that use to have a rich weaving culture. The native Filipino’s in that region are called the Igorots.

Instead of creating clothing, I decided to make furniture art. I had an old wood step stool and I made a pillow top upholstered with the Ifugao handwoven fabric.

Relaxation is Doing the Groceries Without Kids

Grocery shopping is a bit stressful since the pandemic. Everyone is masked and gloved.

The silver lining of shopping in person, versus ordering groceries online, is that it takes me away from mobile teaching! I love my kids, but being a proxy 4th grade and 7th grade teacher has it’s challenges.

Grocery shopping is my time to unwind!

Ooops! The illustration had to be updated to 2020 mask wearing standards!

The mask in the illustration is one I created from a vintage Roberta Di Camerino Italy scarf.

The Face Mask – Wearable Art

In parts of Connecticut, like New Haven City, masks are now compulsory for retailers.

There is a mask shortage in the surrounding areas.

Luckily, deficiencies can create worry, but it can also spark creativity from necessity.

Fifteen years ago I was a newlywed. I bought a sewing machine because I had dreams that it would inspire me to make clothes, tapestries, etc. Those hopes never went into fruition and the sewing machine stayed in our hall closet.

Fast forward to today, that sewing machine has finally found it’s purpose. I have created wearable “art” using my family’s once loved shirts into face masks.

Old t-shirts make the best fabric because they are soft, comfortable, usually memorable and well loved.

My family masks are not perfect. The stitching is uneven. The pattern is from my imagination, but they spark memories in the shirts we use to wear. They also follow the mandatory mask wearing initiative.

This mask came from a shirt from Assisi, Italy. It reminds me of happy family vacations.

This mask reminds me of Edinburgh, Scotland. We loved visiting the city a few years back. It is a mask that doubles as a scarflette.

Mobile School Teacher Mom is Demoted to Substitute Teacher

When I started mobile teaching (aka home teaching) my kids during the pandemic, I always envisioned that I would act as the Principal. I would delegate and everything would be calm as their teachers were sending instructions of work online.

I was so wrong!! I have suddenly become the substitute teacher who does not know anything. In school comedies the substitute teacher always was the butt of the jokes and got the grief.

Since mobile schooling I now see what an unappreciated substitute teacher is like. I keep on getting comments like, “My teacher didn’t teach us to do math that way.”; “I can’t write that way, my teacher doesn’t do that.”; “I can’t use my school computer for mobile schooling.”; “I didn’t learn that yet from my teacher!”; “You are mean!”; and lastly, “You can’t do that you aren’t my teacher!”

I am taking it day by day, as teaching is a definite challenge and learning experience!