Our Passport to Imagination this summer

After the relentless schedule of a school year, I find the unscheduled days of summer to be a much needed break. (Liv’school starts at 7:45. As in, 7:46 and she’s tardy. Is that nuts or what??) Do you remember running out of school that last day, feeling like you’re on the precipice of endless fun? At 39 years old, that’s still how I feel about summer.

But of course, reality is that we don’t have fun, fun, fun everyday. Without some intervention from mama, the little girl might spend her whole summer sitting in front of the TV or playing Minecraft. That’s okay for a little while, but for the most part she needs to unplug and engage her mind and her hands in creative activity.

That’s why I was so thrilled to hear about Michaels Passport to Imagination craft classes this summer. It’s a 7-week series of craft classes for kids, each week’s crafts inspired by a different continent. The 2-hour classes are offered three days a week, and – get this – they cost only $2 a session. Thank you, Michaels, for making summertime activities available at a price that fits into every family’s budget!!

The classes run from June 17th to July 31st so there’s still time to participate. Just be sure to check with your Michaels location ahead of time to reserve a spot for your child.

Go to their web page to see the schedule of classses. You can also get links to fun facts about each continent and projects sheets for crafts you can do at home.

Today, we’re heading down to Michaels for our first class. The theme for this week is South Ameria. Today’s in-class craft is a paper lizard. The at-home craft is a feathery bird can hug, and the swap craft is a pipe cleaner soccer goal. (Swap crafts are ones you can make at home and then bring to the next class to swap with other kids.) Liv is super excited, and so is her mama!!

DISCLOSURE: Michaels has given me a gift card to pay for our Passport to Imagination classes as well as supplies for take-home crafts from the classes, so I can blog about our experience. They gave no requirement for a favorable review. My opinions are all entirely mine.

Next Pattern:

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

Next Pattern:

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