First, let’s meet Tracey:
What is your background? Have you always been so creative?
I studied art in college and had every design job known to man – graphic design, swimsuit design, interior design and so on. I was always good at art (terrible at math) but I never found fulfillment in it until I became a parent and started to put my creative energy into showing my kids the world.
What made you open Moomah?
Once I had children, my world view changed dramatically. Suddenly I was seeing everyone as someone’s child. While it was too overwhelming for me to think I might be able to impact something like world hunger or poverty, I knew it was within my skill set to help parents be less stressed (if only for a short period of time) and to provide opportunities for kids to have a fantastic experience of learning and creating.
Ok, so where does the name come from?
Moomah was the name of my security blanket when I was young… a teddy bear named Moomah.
Where do your best ideas come from? When you are feeling a little “stuck” what helps you get back to being creative?
My best ideas come from limitations. If a barrier goes up I am determined to knock it down. My brain juices go into hyperdrive. However, I can get stuck by other people’s emotions so I try to surround myself with positive and passionate people.
What are your top 5 supplies/materials?
1. I think mars plastic erasers are incredibly sexy. They come individually wrapped. They are firm, sleek and erase like a mo’fo’.
2. I can’t get enough of big juicy crayons like crapas and oil pastels. The juicier the better.
3. Call me easy but I get a lot of satisfaction from quality papers. Canson papers have such a great tooth and come in so many fabulous colors.
4. I always make sure to have colorful beans, grains and spices on hand for my kids. If I give them gobs of glue they go crazy making masterpieces.
5. I grab national geographic magazines wherever I see them. I love to collage with their great images.
What is your favorite thing to create?
People. But now that I’ve already created two I think I will move on to scrapbooking or something less physically taxing.
Your favorite shops or online destinations for supplies?
Pearl Paint and Whole Foods are my adult candy store.
What is your most favorite thing you have created and why?
I created an embroidery project for my son using his favorite animal a zebra. His love for zebras got him excited about sewing. He was so proud of himself once he completed it.
We are seeing a huge DIY trend right now, why do you think that is?
Apparently an upside of a bad economy is that people appreciate the simpler pleasures of life more. Also, when times are tough it’s empowering to feel that you can make something on your own and the push to repurpose things goes hand and hand with DIY.
Materials:
• 1 square piece of burlap stretched on an embroidery hoop (any fabric can work but the wider the weave the easier it is to get the needle through).
• black stencil spray (hobby store or Amazon.com) or a black marker
• construction paper to make your zebra stencil (draw your own zebra if you dare or google an image of a zebra and trace).
• exacto blade or scissors
• 2 colors of embroidery thread (green and white)-other colors if you want to add flowers, stars, etc…
• 1 embroidery needle
• lots of band-aids (just kidding)
Directions:
1. Trace or draw a zebra on your construction paper and use your exacto blade or scissor to cut out the positive part of the image.
2. Lay your stencil ontop of your fabric and fill in your stencil using black stencil spray or marker.
3. Once you’ve picked which thread you’d like to start with, it’s time to thread your needle. Have a grown-up show you how to do this if it’s your first time. Tie a big double knot at one end of the string so it won’t slip through your fabric once you start to embroider.
3. Begin by poking your needle through the back of the burlap and pushing it through so it comes out the other end. Then pull the needle all the way out until it stops.
5. Keep making stitches, creating whatever kind of pattern you want. Remember your zebra can have realistic stripes, zig-zag, circles…you’re the artist.When you’re finished a color, tie a big knot on the backside, and cut the excess string off.
6. After you finish with one color, do the other one!
Don’t stop with a zebra. What other animals have interesting patterns? You can keep your embroidery on the wheel or take it off and frame it!
photos courtesy of Tracey Stewart
