
family
Kadella’s Pride Scarf Patterned after an Historical Quilt
When Kadella, an African princess from Barbados, constructed an intricately hand-appliquéed quilt (c. 1810-1820) using blossoms cut from French chintz, she could have never imagined that the primitive quilt would become a focal point exhibit in the Historic Carson House in Marion, North Carolina. Nor could Kadella have fathomed that a representation of her quilt pattern would be digitally printed by Spoonflower onto a Silke Crepe de Chine scarf worn by her descendent, Regina Lynch-Hudson.
As the family’s history chronicler, Regina Lynch-Hudson dubbed the garment, Kadella’s Pride Scarf. The quilt-inspired scarf symbolizes the profound irony of her ancestor’s plight: as former royalty, Princess Kadella found herself an ocean away from her native land and her high status as a noble, in a position of submission and servitude as slave and presumed mistress to master Colonel John Carson. [Read more…] about Kadella’s Pride Scarf Patterned after an Historical Quilt
A wearable holiday newsletter? Clown family invents, models world’s first: a giant onesie built for four
Holiday season newsletters that provide a year-end update of family news have entered a new era thanks to a family of clowns from Minnesota, which has invented the world’s first wearable newsletter.
It takes the form of a floor-length onesie built for four, which the Chalmers family of Rochester, Minnesota, is climbing into this festive season in a bid to pioneer a unique new form of year-end newsletter.
It may also be the world’s largest newsletter, with a surface area of nearly 50 sq. ft.
Diane and Greg Chalmers and their sons, Garron, 13, and Keenan, 10, plan to model their newsletter during family visits over the holidays. Their one-piece, wearable newsletter is, they feel, the perfect way to show seasonal togetherness, while delivering the year’s family news in a distinctive new format.
Diane, 39, and Greg, 41, have been sending a holiday season newsletter to family and friends for about 15 years. It provides the usual year-end update of family happenings at home, work, school and on vacation.
“Last year we sent out about 80 newsletters, which we’d printed as cards using Hallmark," says Diane. “This year we wanted to try something different.”
They therefore printed this year’s newsletter on fabric using Spoonflower. They picked a stretchy, polyester fabric that allows some forgiveness in sizing.
A seamstress then turned the fabric into an outfit – a giant, floor-length garment designed to fit the whole family, complete with holes for each of their heads but a total of only two sleeves. “It’s not super comfortable,” concedes Diane, “but it’s festive and fun.”
“This is a small step for a family but a giant leap for family newsletters,” says Stephen Fraser, co-founder of Spoonflower. “Wearable technology is old news; wearable newsletters are the next big thing.”
Trend Alert: Technology is helping newsletters get more creative
Indeed, the Chalmers family are not the only ones who will be sporting one this holiday season. Joe Wright, an employee of Spoonflower, as well as an artist and serial writer of year-end newsletters, is also wearing his this year in the form of a floor-length robe or “snugzee”. He has even made a matching one for his cat Lucy, the first known example of a newsletter custom-made for a cat.
Meanwhile, Doug Hughes of Santa Clara, California, previously known as the author of the world’s longest Christmas newsletter, in the form of a 160-page book, has now produced the world’s widest, by using Spoonflower to print this year’s newsletter on six-foot roll of gift-wrap. He is using it to wrap a Christmas greeting card printed on fabric as a tea-towel.
A growing number of people are now also producing video newsletters. The most striking recent example was a rap video newsletter called “Xmas Jammies”, produced two years ago by the Holderness family of Raleigh, North Carolina. It went viral and by now has over 16 million views on YouTube.
The Chalmers family newsletter itself carries news of everything from the children’s progress on their musical instruments to Grandpa George’s 70th birthday and the family vacation to North Carolina, where the boys saw the ocean for the first time.
Those close family members, meanwhile, whom the Chalmers are unable to visit personally will instead be receiving the same news but printed on a tea towel, also via Spoonflower.
Greg is the only full-time clown in the family, Diane has a day job as a project manager in IT. But the whole family performs regularly together as a clown troupe known as Giggle Givers. They entertain at children’s parties, school events, churches, parades and company picnics.
The first time that they performed as a family was over eight years ago when Garron was five and Keenan two. “Keenan fell asleep in a
wagon off-stage before our skit started; so, we just pulled it on stage with us,” says Diane. "He woke up at the end of our performance, sat up, and looked at the audience, who went wild with applause."
“Like Giggle Givers”, says Diane, “we hope that our wearable newsletter will make people laugh, while the tea-towel version will be a great way of remembering 2015.”
A wearable holiday newsletter? Clown family invents, models world’s first: a giant onesie built for four
Rochester, MN, Tuesday, Dec. 15 – Holiday season newsletters that provide a year-end update of family news have entered a new era thanks to a family of clowns from Minnesota, which has invented the world’s first wearable newsletter.
It takes the form of a floor-length onesie built for four, which the Chalmers family of Rochester, Minnesota, is climbing into this festive season in a bid to pioneer a unique new form of year-end newsletter.
It may also be the world’s largest newsletter, with a surface area of nearly 50 sq. ft.
Diane and Greg Chalmers and their sons, Garron, 13, and Keenan, 10, plan to model their newsletter during family visits over the holidays. Their one-piece, wearable newsletter is, they feel, the perfect way to show seasonal togetherness, while delivering the year’s family news in a distinctive new format.
Announcing the Top 10 Family Portrait Designs!
This week, one thing became clear: Spoonflower designers love animals. A large majority of the entries in the family portraits design challenge featured our friends from the animal kingdom, both wild and domestic. First in our forest-friendly winners’ circle is Teri Martin, AKA vieiragirl, with her design, “woodland family.” Don’t forget to check out the rest of the top ten, and explore the whole collection of family portrait designs! Check out our Facebook page for a photo album featuring all of the winners!
1. 441 votes for woodland family 3 by vieiragirl
2. 398 votes for Substitute Family by christinewitte
3. 386 votes for doggie portrait gallery by mirabelleprint
4. 384 votes for Folk Family by jill_o_connor
5. 335 votes for Forest Family Frames by slumbermonkey
6. 315 votes for Family Portrait by oliveandruby
7. 309 votes for The Polstons by susan_polston
8. 306 votes for Family Dog House by spottedpepperdesigns
9. 299 votes for Cat Family Portraits by juliesfabrics
10. 295 votes for Chicken Family Portraits by logan_spector
[Read more…] about Announcing the Top 10 Family Portrait Designs!
Make It Monday: Holiday Calendars
December’s upon us, and we couldn’t be more excited to start our holiday decorating! This year, we love the idea of creating a calendar that unites the whole family in celebrating the special days of the season. Take an afternoon this week to whip up one of these customizable calendar DIYs sure to delight you and yours. Please do share the DIY holiday calendars you’re making by tagging #makeitmonday on your social platform of choice!
Ashlee over at My So Called Crafty Life created this DIY Drawstring Bag Advent Calendar with a complete tutorial and cut-and-sew kit on Spoonflower, to boot!
Eight Nights of Surprises Wall Hanging by Creative Jewish Mom makes a lovely focal point for the family room.
The X-mas Calendar design from Demigoutte on Spoonflower has everything you need to DIY your Advent calendar.
Create this Dreidel Garland by Scrumdilly-do! with old neck ties!
This DIY Origami Box Advent Calendar by Gathering Beauty is a great way to use any small gift wrap scraps.
Mix and match these ideas to create a calendar of your very own, and please do show us what you’re creating with a #makeitmonday shout out!
Happy holidays,