IA Journeyman November 2022

 IA Journeyman November 2022

Welcome to IA Journeyman, where we will journey through history in a very hands-on approach.  I hope you're ready to get your hands a little messy and have some fun with some of our "lost arts."

This week in class you have 2 choices: While it's true historically that whittling is associated with men, and embroidery is associated with women, you can choose either, no matter what your gender!  

I have a feeling that some of you will want to choose both.  But for this class...you HAVE TO CHOOSE.  With only an hour, we simply don't have time.  These are both skills that can bring you enjoyment for years to come.  There's no rule that says you can't learn the other on your own.

If you choose to whittle, you'll be with Bro. Jessee

If you choose to embroider you'll be with yours truly, Sis Martin.

If you choose an embroidery project, you are welcome to work on it throughout the year during Vanguard discussions if it's not a distraction.  If you love to do something with your hands while you talk, this is a great option.

You only have to do the homework for the one you choose.

1. Whittling

1. Intro: There are so many awesome benefits of bring back this lost art of whittling in your life. Despite what some people think, whittling is not some skill you're born with or has to be "in your blood" to enjoy whittling. You can simply grab any piece of wood and start! Just don't start whittling on your Dad's favorite wooden office desk like I did when I was young :-)
   
   Whittling can help you relax, live in the moment and tap into your creative juices. Yes, every one of you is a creator. So as you move forward with the following steps remember whittling doesn't have to be frustrating or boring, it's whatever you make it. It's an art yes but also a science that you'll learn more about. It's an art because you can create literally anything your mind can come up with.
    
2. Step 1: Get an idea on what you want to carve. You can come up with something yourself or get inspired by someone else. Once you have an idea you want to carve you're set to move forward.
   Watch this video below for some possible things you could carve. Click here to watch it on YouTube: 
   
   
   
    
3. Step 2: What to prepare: You'll want to get a good pocket knife of course along with some protective gloves if you want. The video above talks about this to help you out. I personally don't use gloves when carving but you can and is encouraged if you're just starting with the whittling hobby.
   
   Choose a good place to whittle like your backyard, place a plastic bag or blanket below you to catch all the shavings, etc. 
   
   Know the whittling safety tips by watching this video below or by clicking here to watch directly on YouTube:
   
   
   
   
   
4. Step 3: Choose your wood: you'll need to find a piece of softer wood to carve like pine, alder, birch, aspen, poplar etc. There are many types of wood but just choose a piece of wood around your house you think will work, ask a neighbor or I will bring you wood if needed. Just don't use hard woods when you're starting out unless that's part of your plan. Hard woods would be maple, oak, walnut etc.
   
   
5. Step 4: Start to carve your project. Come prepared to share what you have started to carve with the group when we meet in class. We'll go through the whittling steps together in more depth when we meet and help you out. But for now just get started. I'll see you there!
   

2. Embroidery

    1. Why would we spend time learning embroidery for this historical time period?  Look up the history of embroidery and bring 1 or 2 interesting facts to class.  We'll discuss while we embroider!

    2. Watch this video to become familiar with some basic embroidery stitches

    3. Gather Supplies.  You will NEED to bring a few things.  You should talk to your parents first, they probably have most of the supplies on hand.  If you need help with anything, I'm also happy to help. 

•  A bag for your supplies
• A Good Medium Sized needle.
• A magnet to find your needle in case you drop it.
• A hoop to put around your project.
• A project to embroider.  I suggest something like this: Stamped Towel  
• There are lots of designs to choose from on amazon
• Local craft stores also have options
• You can get a blank towel and design your own, but have it drawn on the towel before class
• You could look for handkerchiefs, as those were popular to embroider.
• Be creative with what you choose. I'm doing the towels I shared in the link.
• I want you to choose an embroidery project that you'll LOVE, so you will want to finish it after class: 
• Thread -- I have TONS of embroidery thread.  If you don't want to buy any, please don't.  I will share mine with everyone.  I have a good range of colors.  BUT if you know you want a VERY SPECIPFIC color, you can bring your own.  But seriously; I have plenty.

Come to class with supplies in hand!