Little Red Riding Hood

I had a five year old looking over my shoulder all weekend saying, "Hurry up there are only two more weeks until Halloween!" Oh my, only two more weeks. So I put the sewing machine in overdrive and finished Little Red Riding Hood's red riding hood.

It was a bit tricky because there aren't many free patterns out there for a child's hooded cape. Most of the patterns that I found were for toddlers or adults. I was also looking for something sturdy. Sicily is lacking a fitting fall jacket for this year and I realized that if I made this well it would be an adequate wrap for our mild southern autumn.

I decided to make my own pattern. This was my first experience with pattern making. It was a little daunting. I'm good at baking because I like to follow the rules. I like having a pattern in hand before I start a sewing project. But I hated to buy a pattern for something that seemed like an easy sew. So I jumped in with what I knew.

I started by tracing out the hood of one of Sicily's hooded sweaters. I traced it out bigger to account for the seams and because we wanted a more fairy tale look. Then after taking some measurements, I made a rough sketch of the half circle that would be the cape. The outer red is flannel and it's lined with a cotton floral print that she picked out. It's very cozy. I had originally planned to make a button closure but there were bound to be mistakes in a roughly estimated pattern. Mine was making the neckline a bit too small. So I improvised and made a tie closure instead. It actually looks a little more story book so it worked out in the end.

Little Red Riding Hood is very pleased. She spent most of yesterday afternoon twirling in it. (Girls will twirl in anything that resembles a skirt.) Then she stopped and reminded me that Little Red Riding Hood can't run the streets naked. She wants a dress and an apron just like the one in the book. Yes ma'am, I'll get right on that. Tomorrow. Today, I promised the boy that we could walk down to the creek and get started on his costume by destroying a dress shirt and some khakis. If that messes with your mind a little, don't worry. It will make more sense later.

No rest for the weary. Oh well. After all, there are only two more weeks until Halloween.

Weekends Are For...

...closing down the main street through a small downtown to enjoy a parade and a festival. For snow cones and corn dogs and face painted cheeks. For happy children screams and booths of handmade treats. For walking back home contentedly exhausted with treasures and treats and fresh squeezed lemonade.

And weekends are for being able to go back and do it all again the next day.

Wishing you all a "Peace" filled Labor Day weekend!

A Tisket, A Tasket...

a red and pink basket. i wrote a letter to my love and on the way i dropped it.

All You Need Is Love

We are getting Valentines ready around here. Handmade valentines are the best. They just feel good in your hand. Our table is covered in stickers and glue and heart shaped doilies. Scalloped cut edges and child written names. I love it.

Holiday Handmades...

Alright. Now into the new year we go. But not without first revealing some of those holiday handmades that I hinted at before Christmas. I learned two things from my little handmade holiday experiment. 1.) Making that many gifts is very time consuming. 2.)It's worth every minute.
My kids got on board too and did an excellent job. They were very generous and thoughtful this year. It's really the first year that all three got truly excited about the giving. There were hand built toy dog houses, a crocodile, pictures were drawn, and cards were made. I was very proud of them.

Here are some of their handmades to each other:

We had so many handmades that I loved and that were loved by those that recieved them. But the gift I was most excited about and most nervous about was the dolls. I decided to make dolls for the girls. I wanted them to have a soft and snuggly rag doll. There are so many cute patterns on Etsy. There are also so many cute premade dolls on Etsy. About halfway through making the first one I started thinking I wasn't cut out for this and that I should have bought one of those lovely premade ones from one of those lovely and talented Etsy artists. But I forged ahead and I'm so glad that I did. They turned out beautifully. Granted they had a few flaws, but the girls haven't seem to notice. They turned out just as soft and snuggly as I wanted. They already look well loved from several nights of soft girl faces snuggled hard agaisnt them.

I think I underestimate my kids. Because of all of the bright plastic toys that they see so often I assume they won't like the handmade toys as much. But I think they love the personalization that they can put into the handmade toys. They love the softness of the cloth and the wood. They love that it's unique and they appreciate that it was made just for them. That last one is what gets me. That's where I truly underestimate them. My kids seem to understand that love went into the crafting. They get that someone spent time making something just for them. And I love my kids for loving these things.

Christmas Gift Inspiration

I had to seek inspiration tonight.

I've been trying to live a bit more handmade this year. To fill our home not just with things, but with items that have love poured into them. I know that you've probably noticed a lack of handmade crafts this month. It's not for lack of wonderful things to show you. It's just that my sewing machine has been singing Christmas carols. And considering that most of the lovely people who will receive those gifts visit this place, I've had to keep my creating under wraps. I can't wait to show you all of these handmade treats. I'm very excited about them.

However, I've stalled since the move. Seeing something I have created in use is wonderfully rewarding. But I'm not going to lie, it's time consuming. Maybe it's because my post-move craft organization looks like this:

and this



and this

And so my sewing machine is sitting with a half started project that I can't seem to work up the motivation to finish.

This is a problem because that half finished project is Analiese and Sicily's main gift. Now, I could just go out and buy something. Say, oh well, I tried. But it feels a bit weak to give in without a fight. So instead I went seeking inspiration. I found it, of course, in this wonderful blogging community that I'm starting to wonder how I lived without. After searching a bit and starting to feel a little better I finally landed on tout-est-des-roses, a beautiful blog about parenting naturally and living sustainably. Of course, this is all I needed. I needed to be reminded that it is good to create. And though disorganization may slow me down it need not stop me all together. So off I go to cram little origami birds in glass balls (more on that later). And then I believe there is a doll calling out to be made tonight and tucked into a package for a crazy little girl who will cuddle her tight.

Apple Preserving Day

The apples were starting to overtake my kitchen. And I was having apple dreams. So I decided to make Saturday apple preserving day. I divided apples into ones that would go into the fridge for eating. I froze five bags of apple pie filling. Then I made another round of sauce. Finally I was left with a random assortment of varieties and somewhat bruised apples. Perfect for making apple butter, so I read. I've never actually made apple butter before. I decided to go hard core old school and actually can the apple butter. So I started with a lot of reading.



I like the Ball Blue Book. As I have ventured into more canning and preserving this year this book has become my go to book for recipes and technique, including the recipe I ended up using for this batch of apple butter.

For the butter making, first recruit two eager helpers for the washing and the peeling.



Then prepare to be in the kitchen for the next three hours. One of the distinctions of fruit butters is that they are cooked slowly until they thicken enough to roll up on the spoon. I didn't realize how slowly until I was standing over the same pot for the second hour. I recommend recruiting another helper at this point.



I don't recommend having a boy with the flu calling you from the couch. If you do have a boy with the flu on the couch, I recommend turning on the Arkansas game so that he can be disappointed by them and not by your lack of attention.

Once you've stirred until your arms are about to fall off, you've sterilized all of your jars, you've waited an additional forty five minutes for the processing pot to boil, and your helpers have quit, you are ready to fill the jars. Now your work is done. It's incredibly satisfying. To put that much work into something and know that your family will enjoy it for the rest of the year is well worth it. And enjoy it we will. For my first time I think I did alright. It's a bit sweet but still pretty good. An afternoon well spent.

Brrrrr....

It has cooled down significantly around here. (I wrote that with a huge smile and very cold toes.) So it's time to break out the wool tights and pants. Only my girls hate tights and pants. Every winter morning, we waste too many precious early school morning minutes fighting about being warm. So this year I went on a search for an alternative, because I'm tired of the fight. I cannot change my girlie girls who want to wear dresses and skirts all year long. Twirling should not stop just because of a little thing like weather change. So here is what I found. These super cute leg warmers were the perfect compromise. And how adorable are her little toes coming out of them!

It was so easy to make. You just buy a dollar store scarf, cut it in half, and stitch the sides together so that when you're done they look like this:

I know they look really narrow when you're done but they stretched enough to fit my arm so I knew they would fit the girls little legs. The warmers go all the way up their legs and fit nicely around ballet flats. So I have happy girls who can now wear their favorite shoes with their girlie dresses and still be warm. Commence the winter twirling.

stuffed animals for boys and babies

I've been keeping a friend's baby a few days a week and it has inspired me to make soft baby things. Yes I know. Our lives are crazy enough without adding a baby to the mix, but truthfully I'm loving it! Sweet baby with soft hair and little baby sounds. Oh, I'd have another in a heart beat. But since I cannot, I'm pouring out my creative baby energy on this sweet little one. Luckily her mama is a good friend who doesn't mind. The other day I sat down determined to make her a soft little lovey and this sweet little bunny and taggie blanket is what came out.

Her mama was pleased and we can both convince ourselves that the three month old was too. My own kids were impressed with my bunny making skills. Apparently, clothes and blankets are nice, but stuffed animals make me pretty cool. And this prompted the most challenging sewing request I have ever received.

Remember when I told you that I wasn't a sewing sexist. That I was making a messenger bag for the boy. Well, I did. I presented it to him and he gave me an odd look. It turns out that a kids pattern on my grown boy looks, unfortunately, like a purse. So I got a purse. But that left the boy with nothing. I asked him if there was anything he wanted me to make as a substitute for the ill sized messenger bag. He thought seriously about that for a minute, then looked up and said,

"A rhinoceros".
I'm sorry, a what?
Yes, that's right a rhinoceros.
Well, I had let him down once and I was determined not to do it again. However, I didn't have the faintest idea of how to make a rhinoceros. Go figure. So I searched my favorite crafty blogs until I found a pattern. Who knew? Other little boys want their crafty mamas to make them rhinoceroses too. (Is that the plural of rhinoceros? I really don't think I've ever had to refer to more than one rhinoceros.) So I sat down at my machine last night and made the boy his rhinoceros.

Then I put it at his spot on the breakfast table awaiting discovery. Now, Chris is not very excitable. He's pretty even tempered. He's gracious but the tone of his thank you is usually the same whether it's a piece of gum or a Wii. But he has this little smile. It's small and quick, so you have to watch carefully. But if you get the little half smile, you know you've surprised him and made him happy. I got the smile this morning. That was all my mama heart needed.
But my kids, being wonderful, gave me much more than what my heart needed. They are amazed! Bunny's are impressive but somehow the sewing machine has been transformed overnight into a magical animal making tool. Apparently rhinoceros making puts me up there with wizards. I now have requests for a poodle, a kangaroo, and an elephant. Oh my, back to the blogs for patterns I go. I wouldn't want to lose my wizard status.

simplicity

I can become very domestic when challenged. I rise to the occasion quite well. Because the truth is I work best with very little. I truly crave a very simple life. I'm the one that actually wants my house to smell like fresh baked bread, our clothes to be line dried, and to spend the day loving on a house full of children. I often think that when the dust of this year has cleared we will be better off. We tried the partner track/suburb thing for a while. It's just not who we are. I know that it seems convenient to say that in light of how things have worked out but I think I can safely say that our HOA president would agree that we don't quite fit the suburb mold. (We never quite got the hang of a perfectly manicured yard.) What mold do we fit then? Well, that's a post for another day. Enough of that.
For now, back to my overly domestic ways. It works out very well for my family. Our house is spotless, I've made multiple loaves of fresh bread, a roast, eggplant lasagna, soups, and there is enough food in our freezer to survive a few winters. My sewing machine has been earning its keep as well. I went back to those sheets and made two Twirly Skirts for my little princesses. I made them longer than the pattern so that they would make good fall/winter skirts. They'll go well with some nice wool tights I think. I had to be careful not to make them so long that they didn't twirl, thus losing their purpose. They have been little girl approved as super twirly.

I also decided to make some new tutus for them as well. (Our's were looking a little rough and ragged.) I pulled it off for about $3 a piece and though at times I felt like I was drowning in a sea of tuelle, they were one of the easiest projects I've ever done.

In case you think I've been a sewing sexist, stay tuned; I'm currently working on a messenger bag for Chris. Now I'm off. I have soup to make.

one queen sized sheet = three little girl dresses

A while back I read an ariticle that said our generation of women is reviving our grandmother's mantra of "waste not, want not". Given that we are on a severe budget these days, it has definitely been true around here. And I like it. It's challenging to see how much we can save. If we weren't teetering so near the edge, I might say I enjoy living on less. But back to "waste not, want not", I learned this weekend that one queen sized sheet can make three little girls dresses. A while back I bought a bunch of old sheets at a thrift store for 99 cents a piece. (for you germaphobes out there, I washed them. three times. in bleach.) They have sat in my craft closet staring at me but I had no time to do anything about it. This weekend I made the time. Using some vintage dress patterns I made these:

This one is for Analiese. It's the first time I've done a pleated waistband. It's a little tight so I might have to go back and adjust that. The flowers on the bottom weren't part of the plan. She took one look at it and said, "It needs flowers here, here, and here." Ok designer; if you say so. Overall she was pleased, so I was pleased.

This one is for Sicily. It's a simple A-line with pleating at the neckline. It was super easy and only took me about an hour to make. It's comfy and fits her no frills personality. I like this one a lot. Once again my little fashionista insisted it needed a flower.

This is my favorite of the bunch. It's for Analiese. It's the same pattern as Sicily's. (She's a lot thinner than Sicily though. Shhh. Don't tell Sicily.) It's simple but really pretty on her.

And the ultimate test of a good dress: does it spin?



Yes, they spin very well. A very well spent 99 cents, wouldn't you say?