Slippers

S wore out her slippers and I've been promising her for a month that I'd make her some new ones.  Well, we are cooped up because of the rain.  Perfect excuse to sew something!  She picked out the fabrics:

I put some denim on the bottom to make them last longer than the last pair.

They are far from perfect, but she's happy with them.

The doll quilt

R's quilt is turning out to be a challenge.  While I have most of it pieced together, the actual logistics of putting together a full size quilt elude me.  So I decided a mini-version would be a good way to test the techniques.  Enter S's doll quilt.

She picked out the fabrics (and they match the bedding Grammy made for her doll bed) and I began to cut and sew them together.

Here's how the final project turned out (sorry for the dark photos, it's been rainy and overcast here):

Overall, not perfect, but not bad for my first try.  And please don't judge that poor baby doll.  She has something on her face and I can not for the life of me get it off.  I've tried everything I can think of.  So if you know how to clean Waldorf Doll skin, please let me know!!!

The Chalkboard

So this summer I found a small chalkboard at a garage sale for $0.50.  I've been meaning to try it out.  And who doesn't love incorporating new traditions into Christmas???

Here's what I've done with the chalkboard the last few days...

I realized a couple days in, just having words wasn't working for the kids.  So from this point on it's just pictures and maybe a word or two.  They knew exactly what the Gingerbread house meant and they were so excited to see it.  It's a good opportunity for me to brush up on my drawing skills too.  As you can see by said Gingerbread house, they are quite rusty! 

Gnome

After all this swapping I had to make my own kids some fun little additions. 

Here is my first gnome:

TMI Alert!

There has been a lot of crafting going on around these parts.  In addition to the birthday and Christmas presents, I've got a couple swaps.  But in between all this crafting, I made myself a couple new mama cloths.  Also known as reusable menstrual products.  I've been using them for years and mostly have bought them.  But I figured, I'm urban homesteading, I can make my own.  So here's an example.  Turned out okay!

Crafting

I haven't posted much lately because between school and my job I have very little free time.  In that free time I'm crafting.  My boy's birthday is nearly here and I promised him a quilt.  A whole quilt.  There's a lot more too.  I'll have pictures for you soon.  But for now, I've got to get back to my sewing machine.

Reading Corner

I found this little shelf through our local Buy-Sell-Trade.  It was the perfect size to fit a corner of our living room that was just bugging me.  Lord knows I'm no interior decorator, but I needed more storage for books and that corner needed *something*!  I knew what it was when I saw it and $5 later it was mine. 

Here it is all cleaned up and decked out for Autumn...

R promptly sat down and declared it the "reading corner".  I thought that was a fitting title. 

Tie Dye

This may become an annual event. 

For months, I collected white, cotton things from thrift stores and garage sales.  A few things were purchased new.  Then, we experimented with different dyes:  Rit and procion from Dharma Trading Co. and were smitten with the procions. 

Of course, Nonna came to help!

Tooth fairy Swap

Little bits of toothy goodness!  I made these hangers to hang on the child's door.  Of course, they could put the tooth inside the pocket, but why not a note to the Toothfairy instead?  Instructions?  Requests?  Poems???

I included the sweet little poem below and some tiny, blue-green shells recovered from Grandma Carr's endless craft supplies. 



Calling all Tooth Fairies

This night it is a special night
As fairies dance upon the roof.
All the fairies must alight,
For _____ just lost a tooth!

The Fairy Queen gives her commands-
Twelve bright fairies must join hands
Then together in a circle stands
To guard _____ while he sleeps.

The Tooth Fairy into the circle leaps
The hidden tooth she borrows
Ah, but has far to go
Before returning tomorrow.

Three times around the world she flies
Over valleys deep and mountains high;
Skirts the storm clouds thick with thunder,
Wings over waves all wild with wonder.

Deep within their earthly homes
Finally she finds the gnomes,
Who upon the tooth must work
Never once their magic shirk.

Some are hammering, hammering, hammering,
Some the bellows blow
Others sweat at the sweltering forge
And then cry out, “Heigh Ho!”

The tooth’s been turned to a shining stone,
A glimmering, glowing gem
The Tooth Fairy takes the gnomes’ good gift,
And bows to all of them.

She returns to ____ bed,
Before the sun’s first rays are shown,
Places the gift beneath his head.
And then - - - away she’s flown!

Last Library bag post... I swear.

So here are the finished bags...

I added some red eyes to the spider (beads from a broken headband) and the orange "S" to S's bag.  Overall, I think they turned out cute (and FREE!) and I'm glad that I dusted off my sewing machine. 

In the midst of these two projects I also got a few other things done.  I opened the box of half finished projects (yikes) and thought I ought to get "on it".  So, I finally hemmed our Christmas jammies (both N's and mine) and I mended a hole in a super cute Hanna Andersson outfit for S.  And I made a couple buntings. 

I'm actually thinking of starting on Christmas bags and maybe even a few gifts.  Gosh, I may even be able to have a relaxing holiday... um... if I start in July. 

Oh and we planted shrubs, baked a ton of bread, moved a friend, I made apple-mint infused simple syrup... I love summer!

R's Library Bag

And here it is:

I wish I could sew other times than at night, but I can't.  So my pictures always come out dark.  Poo. 

Back to the bag... I left the edge of the black fabric rough so that it would fray a bit.  It looked more like spider webs to me that way.  And I had a heck of a time sewing the web on my machine, next time I'll switch to a larger needle.  It was virtually as thick as denim and I hate sewing denim. 

I'm pretty sure S needs a, well, "S" on her bag now too.  Off to cut out some felt. 

Library bag

At the Recycling Center Book Sale (which I always volunteer for) we offered up these lovely free bags to customers to carry home all their wonderful used books.  I made two purchases and so I came home with two lovely American Express bags: 

And since my kids are obsessed with books (big pat on the back to me) they could really use their own library bags.  Enter the bag make-over...

With some fabric and ribbon already in my stash (zero cost) and a few minutes, Ms. S. has a brand new library bag.

I'm thinking it could use her name on the top (perhaps in felt?).  What do you think???

R has requested a spider and a bat on his.  That's my goth 4-year old for you!

The door

Stripped...

More Quiet book

Working away...

Quiet book

On Tuesday morning I got my quiet book pages back from the swap (which occured while we were in KY).  Yesterday I got materials to put it all together.  I would have started sooner, but things have been crazy around here. 

I was about to begin when I realized that I needed an extra page to make the books a bit more equal.  So I busted out another page - took all of an hour!  I had the cut outs already.  I used a friend's Sizzix ages ago.  I was going to use them for hair clips, but this is even better. 

This page will probably go in S's book.  She should enjoy pulling the flower apart and putting it back together again. 

All my "free" time...

... has been spent on this project:

These are "quiet book pages".  My parenting group decided to do a swap.  Problem is, we had 15 participants.  So, I've sewn 16 pages (14 to swap and one for each of my kids).  That's 16 tea leaves, 32 coffee beans, and 48 sugar cubes.  All with snaps attached.

Rainbow Stacker

One of my favorite projects to date!

I ordered the rough wood cut-outs from another MI seller on Etsy.  I sanded them all smooth.  Then I watercolored the pieces and sealed with beeswax. 

I'll give these to S as a gift for moving her into her "Big Girl Room"... and out of the family bed.

Better late than never...

St. Patty's Day wooden play things:

Wooden cut outs that I burned, painted with watercolors and then sealed with beeswax.  Safe for little hands!

Now to finish these Spring/Easter projects!