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MPLKIDS at the Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire

Cave Art at StoryTime

We read The first dog / written and illustrated by Jan Brett.

"Kip the Cave Boy and Paleowolf each face hunger and danger on a journey in Paleolithic times; when they help one another, Paleowolf becomes the first dog."

And talked about Cave Art and looked at photographs
of some of the famous ones.

And then, using those examples as guides, we made our own
with chalk on brown craft paper.

4 Harness Cambridge Loom to weave past memories with visions of the future

When the library renovations were finished and we moved back in, I had ideas about creating a community art project in the Children's Room so I saved aside a big wall. In the past there had been metal shelves bolted to it and the series books - like the Berenstain Bears and Curious George - were housed there. I protectively guarded it from being appropriated for other similar purposes.

I had visions of a wall loom which anybody and everybody who came to the library could and would add a line of weaving to the project. There would be many kinds of fibers being used, from hay baling twine to vintage silk neckties.

Fumiko Green came to visit, bringing  her boundless energies and faith in Monessen, and I mentioned my quest for the loom. She loved the idea.

Months later she met a family who had owned a fabric warehouse in Bethlehem, Pa. where she lives, who were liquidating their inventory and happened to have a loom, all in pieces, stored there. And being who she is, she said, "Can I have it? It's for a library."

I have a big truck, so I drove out there and brought it back to Monessen.

It turned out to be not a wall loom, but a very big floor loom that the grandfather of the family had used to weave rag rugs. He had worked for Bethlehem Steel but after suffering an injury there, couldn't work. He helped to support the family by selling handwoven rugs.

It is currently being lovingly restored by Monessen  antique dealer, Terry Scott.

More to come......

We are going to the Mini Maker Faire!

Our origami water cup has gotten the OK for us to have a space at the Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire!!!

Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire