the Sound of Silence

Any parent knows that silence is usually not a good thing with kids. I somehow seem to forget this from time to time.
The other day I was happily getting housework done (which is a rare thing with 2 girls and 2 dogs to keep up with). K was helping me sweep and C was playing with toys in the living room. Everything seemed to be great. Then it dawned on me that I hadn't heard any noise from C in a few minutes. I feared that Chubby Kong was on the loose...

and I was right.

I walked in the room and first saw her accomplice


Then I found my sweet baby...

who got into the chalk we keep in the art cabinet.



How could anyone be upset with such a sweet, innocent, dirty face?!

the Sound of Silence

WIP Wednesday: Princesses and Apples

New Inspiration

I found this fabric last week and fell in love. It is beyond perfect for K's secret surprise I had been working on (but then was put aside to work on the magazine project). It truly is such luck that I had to put that secret project aside when I did or else I would not have had the opportunity to buy this fabric to add to it. I can't wait for it to arrive at my door step.



Apple Army

Here's a peak at where I am at with that magazine project. I am working on some mini green apples at the moment. As you can see they are all at various stages in my pattern creation. I will be on pause with that project *surprise,surprise* once I get them all knit up, I ran out of yarn and am waiting for it to be shipped to me. I always seem to be on pause with one of my projects, huh? I have my fingers crossed that beautiful fabric gets here first so I can go back to K's project for a tiny bit,at least.


K's Inspiration

K has been really interested in my bulletin board lately and has been wanting one of her own. I knew a 3 year old and push pins would not go together so I made her a quick ribbon board as her inspiration board. I was in the fabric store almost an hour. I had so many beautiful fabrics in my arms I was debating over, great nature prints,bright prints...you name it. In the end though I thought deeply on Waldorf philosophy and went with the appropriate plain peachy/pink with a slightly darker pink for the ribbon. I am happy with my decision :)

Not including that time at the fabric store the fabric took maybe an hour total to do. I found the tutorial here . I added more ribbons for her tiny fingers, though.
As you can see she has already started filling it with things she loves, including a silly self portrait of daddy.

Back to my apple army! Happy Wednesday!

WIP Wednesday: Princesses and Apples

Bling Blang hammer with my hammer

...Zingo, Zango, cutting with my saw

One of my favorite folk songs surely came to mind when Kevin and K were outside cutting up a fallen branch. (They cut it up so the dogs could have an endless supply of sticks to chew on and play with.)

You get a hammer and I'll get a nail
And you catch a bird and I'll catch a snail
You bring a board and I'll bring a saw
And we'll build a house for the baby-o

CHORUS
Bling, Blang, hammer with my hammer
Zingo, Zango, cutting with my saw
Bling, Blang, hammer with my hammer
Zingo, Zango, cutting with my saw

I'll grab some mud and you grab some clay
So when it rains it won't wash away
We'll build a house that'll be so strong
The winds will sing my baby a song

CHORUS

Run bring rocks and I'll bring bricks
A nice pretty house we'll build and fix
We'll jump inside when the cold wind blows
And kiss our little baby-o

CHORUS

You bring a ladder and I'll get a box
Build our house of bricks and blocks
When the snowbird flies and the honeybee comes
We'll feed our baby on honey in the comb

CHORUS

C watched from her favorite place outside, her weathered and very loved horse swing.



I spent all weekend recovering from surgery number 2. This one really messed with my body, well let me re-phrase that, I believe all the drugs they gave me messed with my body, and the anxiety of surgery on top of that made it even harder for me. I'm feeling back to normal for the most part,although I have lost a lot of faith in medicine (not that I had a lot of faith to begin with). After two surgeries, they still could not fix things and I have to go back in a month to find out the next step. Oy vey!
I apologize to everyone I owe e-mails to, I am just now getting around to computer time. I'll get back to you all soon!! Hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend.

Bling Blang hammer with my hammer

When De-Cluttering...

never ever leave your house mid-project. This is what you will return home to:



Living room floor


Dog bed upstairs

We emptied out our attic of all the boxes in there and somewhere in the midst of going through them we had to go out. Luckily we were getting rid of those books anyways but wow that was a lesson for us!! Oh our silly dogs.

When De-Cluttering...

WIP Wednesday: C Baby's Sleepy Sack

Ok, I admit it. I am cheating with this post. I am actually typing it up the day before my surgery and scheduling it for Wednesday. To make my cheating even worse, I'm posting a work that is all ready done. Yes, I know I am horrible this week!

K's surprise is still put aside while I am working on that other special project I mentioned last week. I do not have any photos of that as I am still in the designing process. I thought I had it planned but decided to change my yarn,needle size and the stitch.I should have it pretty set now. I have more to add to it though.

Pictured above is C Baby wearing the sleepy sack I knit for her for C's birthday ( hat by waldorfmama )Since birth, C has always worn a sleepy sack to bed. We have 2, one for warm weather and one for cold weather. They are both made by Disana ( I felted one to make it warmer ). I knew her doll made to represent her had to have one, too. I wanted C baby's sleepy sack to match the one C wears so after a few trial and errors I came up with a pattern that matches pretty well. Of course I see things I could have done differently now. What can I say...hindsight is 20/20! I am sure I'll be making more though with the new touch ups I am envisioning. K has all ready requested one for her K baby.

I am hoping C finds her dollie sleepy sack as special as I do. I think I will always remember her first year of life as 'the sleepy sack year'. I need to get pics of her in hers before she outgrows them! ( all I have are ones of her at about 2 weeks wearing her warm sleepy sack here )

ETA: I'm home!! All is well,except the couldn't do everything they needed to so I have to go back in on Friday for another operation. ughhh. At least it should all be taken care of then!

WIP Wednesday: C Baby's Sleepy Sack

the Importance of Baby Dolls in Our Home

C baby on C's birthday wearing her birthday crown sitting in her highchair. (C baby made by Rohini at Gopita's Dolls )

Words can not describe how special dolls are in our home. They really do seem to show the love that was put into them by the people that made them. I even find myself enchanted by them (and my husband sometimes, too but shhhhh don't tell him I told you!)

The girls love their baby dolls. They are their most cherished possessions. Even C seems to understand which one is hers, and hers alone. She loves her C baby. She hugs her first thing in the morning when she wakes up and giggles hysterically.
I understand the importance of doll play so I try my hardest to respect this for both the girls and treat their dolls like they are the living, breathing babies that they see them as. Perhaps that is why I take such care and put so much love into making things that K request for her dolls, like knitted clothing. I try to do it when she is around so she can see the process from start to finish. She usually can not wait for me to finish so she can dress her doll in it's new wardrobe.

I also feel it's important for the dolls the girls have to represent our diverse culture,not just in the states but on our planet. We all 'look different' (but yet so much the same), so their dolls should be as well. They both have their special dolls made to look like them and to represent them in play but then they also have other dolls from around the world. I think it's important for the girls to be exposed to all cultures starting right from birth, so it is just the norm for them.
I have a hope that by never noticing or mentioning differences in peoples appearances, that my girls will never notice either and just see whats inside and what matters in people.
They are the generation of change, I know it.


C loving her C baby. Matching hats by Shelley Caskey aka waldorfmama (she sells the doll hat in her waldorfmama shop and the baby hat in her other shop).


K and C posing with doll babies. K is being a goof and making one of her many silly faces.
C has her C baby and K has her old K baby. This one had stains and we were sent a replacement years ago but she hung on to the old one to be her outside doll. K sleeps with her K baby every night just like C. It's a sweet sight to see.


K loving her Meilana dollie.

Baby love pics (just because)




On a side note, I am not sure if I will be able to post my WIP this week. I go in for a minor surgery Tuesday morning and will be in the hospital at least for the day. I apologize in advance if I miss out this week. Maybe I'll get something together Monday and post it then. I'll have to see.
Take care everyone.I hope you all had a great weekend!

the Importance of Baby Dolls in Our Home

WIP Wednesday: Work on Hold

Well, what do you know. It's only my 2nd Wednesday but I'm keeping this up so far!
Here's what I am currently working on, as mentioned in last weeks WIP post. K's secret surprise. It's been hard keeping it a secret. She sees me working on it every now and then and is very curious as to what it is. I just keep telling her it's a surprise for her and try to leave it at that. Sadly (for K - but exciting for me), I have a new secret project I need to work on that has a real deadline,this one isn't for my girls though, it's something that may be in one of my favorite magazines this Winter *please keep your fingers crossed for me I do well enough to make it in there!* Due to that deadline this current WIP may need to be put aside for a bit before I can finish it. I hope I can find the time to somehow do both, though.



Anyways,back to her surprise...
I have finished the knitting portion (but need to block it), I am about 70% done with the sewing portion, 50% done with the embroidery portion, BUT I haven't started the dying and felting portion nor the crown yet. These are all small simple things but I just have not been able to find any time to create lately. My usual night time sessions have been almost non-existent for the past week. I have been exhausted and unable to get enough sleep no matter how many hours I get. Perhaps, I am coming down with something *sigh* Perfect timing, huh?

WIP Wednesday: Work on Hold

Wool Felt Birthday Crown Tutorial

*Pictured above, L to R: Autumn birthday crown, Spring birthday crown and doll's birthday crown*

When I decided to make a birthday crown for my first daughter, I searched and searched for the perfect pattern, but didn't find anything I truly loved. So, what was a determined Mama to do? Make up a pattern of my own, of course!

I hope I convey these instructions well. This is the first time I have tried making a tutorial from something I completely dreamed up in my mind. If you have any questions or need more details, please do not be afraid to contact me! Here goes!

Materials needed:
-wool felt (I will go into measurements in a minute)
-a small piece of cotton (or other natural fiber) fabric
-small piece of 1/2" or slightly larger elastic
-embroidery floss
-cotton thread to match crown color
-inspiration (pictures, objects, fabrics, etc.)
-notions (embroidery needle, scissors, pins, ruler/measuring tape, a pencil)

A note about the felt. I prefer only natural materials so I used 100% wool felt from Gossamer Rose on Etsy. Her felt is amazing and she is so wonderful to work with. She sells the felt in 9" x 9" pieces but you can contact her for custom sizes. For the crown itself I ordered 2 pieces in 9" x 18" and then for the embellishments I just got the 9" x 9". You will end up with lots left over for other crafting pleasures :) The 9" x 18" is the perfect size for any head measurement.

Step one: Design
Take notes and gather any inspiration you may have for your crown's design. I like to make mine represent not only what I see of my child's personality, but also the season that they were born in. Once I know what I want on the crown, I sketch it out, and that is my reference for decorating the crown.


*Some of my inspiration for my Spring Baby's crown*

Step two: Cut out the crown
I imagined what a crown should look like in my head and then I free-handed it on a piece of paper. I did this by folding the paper in half and drawing just one side of the crown, with the middle being at the fold. I made it about 16" in length (which ends up being a great sized crown for ages 1 to 99). Double check your free-handed pattern on your child's head to make sure it goes around pretty far. Keep in mind, you will want a large enough gap in the back for your elastic.

I then cut it out and traced it onto my wool. You can make it any shape you desire. Really, with this project there is no right or wrong way. It's all up to you and your imagination!


*template traced on the wool and prepared to cut out*

I cut out the crown, which will be my front piece, and then using that piece, I pinned it to my other piece of 9" x 18" wool, and cut that out. That is now the back piece or the 'lining' to the crown. This way they should be exactly or very close to exactly the same. If they are slightly off you can trim them to fit once the crown is sewn up.

Put the back piece away for now, as you will not need it again until later on.

Step three: Embellish
Now, get your sketch back out and start decorating the crown front how you desire. I chose to do embroidery and wool felt cut-outs on mine. Again, you can do this any way you like. For my cut-outs, I sketched most of them on paper first, cut them out, and then traced them onto the wool. Some of them I just free-handed directly onto the wool and used the side I drew on as the back. To add the cut-outs you can embroider them on, machine sew, or hand sew them.

Examples here: Spring Crown, Early Autumn Crown

You can make it as simple or complicated as you like. I have seen people even start out with just one embellishment and then they add on a new one each year. The possibilities are endless!


*Attaching a wool felt clover on a doll's crown*

Step four: Cover your elastic backing
You will be making a casing for your elastic backing. It can be done by hand or machine. Take your elastic and pin it to one side of your crown, then try the crown on your child's head and measure where the elastic should be at to reach the other side of the crown and sit somewhat snuggly on her/his head. You want it to be loose enough so that when you try it on your own head it will fit as well. When you find the perfect length, cut the elastic to that length. Now take that piece of elastic and lay it on your fabric, on the right side of the fabric. Fold your fabric up over your elastic and leave about 1/2" above the elastic. Mark it and cut it. You are going to want the fabric to be about 2 times as long as the elastic (so when the elastic stretches the fabric will cover it all). Now with the piece of fabric folded in half horizontally with right sides together, pinned in place, sew at about the width of the presser foot all the way across, leaving both ends open. Trim your seam and then flip it right side out. Feed the elastic through and then sew the elastic and the fabric together at each opening. This will close the opening and make the elastic more secure for attaching it to the crown.


*Elastic casing on back of crown*

Step five: Put it all together
Once the front of the crown is decorated the way you want and your elastic is covered, you are ready to sew it all together. Place the back piece of the crown (lining) onto the back of the crown front and pin in place. If they do not line up perfectly you can always trim the excess afterward. Insert your covered elastic from one side of the crown to the other between the two pieces of felt about 1/2" up from the bottom. Pin that in place and double check it on your child's head.

You may now sew it together. You may hand stitch it, machine stitch it (as seen below), blanket stitch it, or use some other embroidery stitch (as seen in the Autumn crown); whatever you feel looks best. Make sure you go over the elastic band a few times to really reinforce it. Trim threads and any excess and you are all set!

We have a family tradition of putting the birthday crown on the pillow of the birthday child so it's the first thing they see when they wake up on their special morning.


*Machine sewing it together*

I hope that explained it well enough! It's hard sometimes to get things that are in your head across in words, so as I mentioned before, please don't be afraid to ask any questions or offer any critiques! I would love to see your finished crowns. Please post a link here or email me with pics! I do ask, though, that you not make these crowns to sell, unless it is for a charity. Contact me for more info. Thanks and happy creating!!

Wool Felt Birthday Crown Tutorial

Obsessed, you say? Nah, not me!

Okay...Maybe just a little bit...Look at what just arrived at my door *Drool* More Fiona yarn from Three Irish Girls. This time I had them dye up some matching trim and some sock yarn too. Can't wait! I plan on making C longies and a sweater for this Autumn/Winter and maybe socks for both the girls. We shall see.

Speaking of Fiona yarn. I finished up the doll cardigan last night.
Tah-dah!
K loves it. I will be making many more for the rest of the doll family in our home.







While we are at it, here's some silly moments from today.

Obsessed, you say? Nah, not me!

WIP Wednesday: Doll cardigan and secret surprise

I am going to try and keep this up *fingers crossed* There is a flickr group WIP Wednesday (work in progress) which is incredibly inspiring. Thanks to Jumbleberry Jam for posting about this! I will hopefully post every Wednesday with my WIP. This should help motivate me to finish them, too!
I always seem to have at least 2 projects in the works at once,usually more than that. Right now I have these 2 as well as my winter hat waiting on me to finish. *sigh* I suppose if I just had 1 project at a time then I would complete things faster,huh? Maybe I need to work on that.



Here is a doll cardigan I am finishing up. Should hopefully have it done tonight. I'm making it for both the girls to share but I have a feeling I will need to make another one. It's really easy and fast to knit up! I'm loving it. If only I had more free time to work on it,it wouldn't take so many days to finish. I am using Three Irish Girls lindon merino yarn in Fiona colorway (yes I LOVE this yarn!) and then some Peace Fleece orange for the trim. The pattern is by Waldorf Mama Everything she creates is so beautiful and this pattern is further proof of that!

I also have a secret project in the works for K. I'll post more about it soon but we took a lovely trip,just the 2 of us, to the fabric store so she could pick out 10 different fabric squares along with 1 yard of a main fabric. This mini-project in mostly sewing but also involves knitting,felting and making a mini crown. I am so excited! All the fabric was just washed and I am about to iron it and get rolling. Have any guesses what it could possibly be? I'll give you a hint. I got the inspiration from an Etsy store and a blog post last week.Shhhhhhhh... Don't tell K about it!



Just to make myself feel better... I finished up K's next size up slippers last week. I just got around to putting the puffy paint anti-slip on the bottom though. I knitted these in Peace Fleece to fit my feet then threw them in the wash a few times to felt them down to K's size. She loves them. They are so soft that I may knit up a pair for myself!

WIP Wednesday: Doll cardigan and secret surprise

Birthday Pics and K art

I am still working on the tutorial but it's taking a tiny bit longer than planned,it's been a hectic couple of weeks. I apologize. In the meantime I thought I would share a couple things that are making us happy right now.
First is C's birthday pics we had done on her birthday. She's such a ham for the camera!





Next is K art spread through out our house.


Her painting wire hanging in our living room


Pictures she decorates our fridge with


Her embroidery work. She just started doing this about 2 weeks ago after seeing me work on C's crown and loves it! This is her second project. She decided this one needed buttons (thanks Erin for giving us those buttons!)


This was a drawing she made for me. She said it's a flower child. I fell in love with it and embroidered it onto some fabric. I may make it into a pillow or part of a quilt. I am not sure yet. Right now it's hanging on our wall.


I hope everyone is doing well!! I'll be back with that tutorial soon!!

I forgot to add..anyone have any extra buttons hanging around they want to get rid of? We love using old buttons for crafts :)

Birthday Pics and K art