It's not about sewing

When people see or hear about my kids sewing, most think it's pretty great, everyone comments on their creativity and no one says, out right, that it's a waste of time.

L's first dress, designed and sewn herself

They don't point out any obvious flaws and seem genuinely impressed with the finished product. They want to be supportive and encouraging. And, for the most part they are. I love the feedback my kids get and they grow immeasurably in the light that the wonderful people in our lives shine on their hard work. Most of our friends and family, this is what they give, in endless waves, building and encouraging.

 K and her cousin made a playmat for a teacher's first baby

Inevitably, though, there's that one person who, as the kids walk away, or occasionally just before, turns the conversation to the usefulness of such a skill. There is almost always someone who, in essence, says sure it's a neat thing to know how to do, but it's so much more costly to sew your own clothes nowadays. You can buy stuff so cheap and fabric is pricey. Or maybe they imply, there aren't many good jobs in the field of fashion design, seamstresses aren't paid high wages. Oh, but maybe they could work in costume design for movies! In fact, maybe, there have been times when that person was me.

C's first time solo at the machine, a gift for a cousin's birthday

 But, here's the thing...It's not about the sewing. Sure, if my kids choose a job in the fashion, sewing, fabric, or textile fields (of which I am quite sure there are opportunities) they may have a leg up being exposed so young, but maybe not and, really now, they're kids, we're not planning career paths just yet.

B's first sewing project a tree decoration we still use every winter solstice.

No it's not about the sewing. They sew because I sew and it's accessible.

What it's really about is taking that thing in their mind and making it real. It's about seeing an idea, turning it over, looking at it from every angle and figuring out how to share it with the world.

They do this in other ways too. They do it with their drawings, their stories, their Minecraft worlds, the small businesses they start, the skits they perform for us, the movies they write, direct, film and edit, the dances they choreograph for family get togethers, and the video game designs and animations they dabble in.

K designed and sewed herself a medieval costume

So while I'd be proud if any of them chose to pursue a career that put the sewing skills to good use, it's not about the sewing. Instead, lets talk about the research, the trial and error the figuring out when to ask for help and when to plow through. Or about setting deadlines and falling short, all the times it goes wrong . The tears and tantrums and try it agains.

Lets talk about that feeling you get when you add that small detail or find the perfect ribbon that makes all the hard work so worth it because the finished product is even better than you ever could have imagined it would be.

L attaching her first zipper, an invisible zipper. A squeal worthy accomplishment.

Yes, I'd much rather, after we build my kids up, filling their buckets with our beautiful comments, if we could then talk about learning how to learn, learning we are capable, learning we'll mess up and it'll still be fine because that right there, the process, that's what it's really about.

The Bellabee Apron Pattern

I finally did it. I have finally listed the Bellabee Apron Pattern for sale in the 6Berries Etsy shop. Yay!

I really am this excited to finally have this project complete. You can head on over to Etsy to check out all the info.

I'm going to show you the out takes from my photo shoot with my youngest here, because, well, it's fun and they're simply adorable pictures. If I do say so myself. Although I could have done better with the lighting.

She was very excited about getting to model the apron. She loves hers and couldn't wait to play the mad scientist. Which really is how she uses hers. Sitting at the kitchen table mixing different ingredients to make strange concoctions and calling it science.

And, she insisted on wearing her goggles. You're just not a scientist, mad or otherwise, without proper eye protection.

I think a sibling dropped the lid to the cooler holding the dry ice just as I snapped this. We all got a good laugh from this picture. My silly girl. Shy as can be in person, but always goofing off for the camera. I just love her to bits.

OK, so even she get tired of the camera eventually. Enough with the pictures mom, can't I just play with the colored liquid in the test tubes already.

Well, now that I've made this post feel completely self indulgent with pictures of my cutie pie wearing the apron pattern I'm hoping to sell, I might as well add one last plug. Go check out my shop. :)

Hammers and Nails and Shovels, Oh My!

My kids like to dig. A lot. And to build things, or at least, pretend to build things. Most of the time nothing much comes from all the banging and sawing and digging except some banging, sawing and, well, holes of course. It took a couple months but we were able to contain the hole digging to one large sandy area in the front yard at the bottom of the berm separating us from the road. We refer to it as the sand pit. But, the rest of the building occurs wherever and whenever it's needed.

This means, that at any given moment of any given day my yard will be strewn, not with toys, but saws, hammers, nails, boards, shovels and any other dangerous tool a kid could find useful. They are all aware of the need for safety and, for the most part, are trusted to use the tools.

To be honest, I'm never far away. Of course, that does not mean we don't have the occasional smashed thumb or, most recently and most severe, a severed fingernail but, I agree with Gever Tulley, and my own mom, when it comes to kids and tools.

Many, many years ago I called my mom to ask whether she thought my daughter, 3 or 4 at the time, was old enough to use sharp knives, she loved to cook and desperately wanted to help with the chopping, my mom lovingly pointed out that the worst that could happen was that she'd cut her finger, need a few stitches and learn a valuable lesson and she was right, of course.

There is a sense of importance when they use the tools, their play becomes more than play, it's serious business. I love that my kids are comfortable with tools, that they are aware, first hand, of the dangers and listen intently to warnings, even more so since the fingernail incident.

I don't usual think much of this hobby my kids share but, yesterday a man stopped by to survey the house for the insurance company, we had no idea he was coming. The house was a mess and the yard, well, the yard to me is lovely, sprinkled with the things that make us happy and keep us busy. But, to a surveyor for the insurance company? Not so much.

Not only had the kids been happily digging in the sand pit all morning, they had also been constructing a lovely home within it, meaning shovels, rakes, miscellaneous boards and the entire contents of the recycling bin, were everywhere.

My son's recent obsession with baseball means there is always a field set up and what's a resourceful boy to do but use the available scrap wood he finds as bases.

Then there's the "dock" the kids built when their friends visited, the one that's basically pallets stacked on the edge of the pond.

Not to mention the still under construction chicken coop with two by fours tossed under and around waiting to be made into fencing for the run, and all the garden junk I have laying about and oh yeah, there's that swing set in the back that is still waiting to be put back together from the move over a year and a half ago.

I believe the term construction zone was used.

I suppose I knew it was bad, but it all looks so pretty through my rose colored glasses. The kids happily digging and raking in the sand, the boy tossing the ball in the air, swinging his bat and running the bases and the messy garden waiting for me to finish my tea and get back to planting. The coop and run are looking great and only need another solid weekend of attention before they're done and that swing-set, well with a sand pit, a garden and chickens to tend to who can blame us for letting the swing-set go?

I tried not to let it bother me, but it did. The negative voices crept in, "What kind of mother lets her kids use a saw or hammer and nails? I should be ashamed. Why is it I can never keep up with all the messes, inside and out? I must be doing something terribly wrong. These kids should be playing with toys not tools. You should put away all your garden mess even if you're planning to get back to it after that tea break.

I suppose a major yard clean up is in order for this evening, it's wet and rainy and none of us are in the mood but, not everyone can see just how awesome it can be to live in a construction zone and we really wouldn't want to have any visitors get hurt, we'll try to be more careful Mr. Insurance Man and, maybe it's time we start working on that wood-shop we keep saying we'll set up in the garage.

The Secret Agent Spy Kit

This handmade, or rather hand assembled gift was my favorite. For my niece, the one who loves handmade, and her little brother we put together a spy kit.

The kids and I had so much fun finding trench coats, hats and sunglasses at thrift stores, and Pop pop's closet. Then, while taking the youngest on an emergency potty stop at the back of one of the stores, we happened upon the most perfect old suitcase. It even had a secret compartment!

It wasn't priced and the nice lady working in the store gave it to us for under $3.00. A steal, and perfect for all the gear. We hid our own secret missions in that compartment along with some purchased spy gear from Target.

I made a couple of felt mustaches and we printed some badges from the FBI's website for kids, added the directions and parts needed to make their very own periscope and, finished it off with a book full of fun ideas for kids wanting to be experts in the spy business.

I've heard that the spy games are a new favorite at my sister's house and rumor has it, the secret agents have even started recruiting the youngest members of the family.

Totally in Love With. . .

. . . My niece's Christmas wish list, found in my inbox this morning.

Craft Gift Reveal Part 2

My oldest and my baby girl each had an aunt and decided to work together, which was wonderful for me since they were able to do these crafts together without much help. We searched the internet and my 10 year old decided to try these sugar scrubs from Christine at Great Oak Circle. They chose to make the Vanilla Almond and Peppermint scrubs and, it was easier than baking cookies.

We decided to add some red sugar sprinkles to the peppermint scrub to give it a more pepperminty look. And, I did send a question to Christine about the amounts in the Vanilla Almond scrub. She got back to us right away with a great tip. She advised combining the dry ingredients, then adding the olive oil a little at a time to ensure it doesn't get too oily. I was lucky enough to be asked to test the scrubs, they both smell wonderful and my hands haven't been this soft and smooth in a long time.

Then, they made some lip balm using Renee's tutorial on Fimby. We'll be making more of this as soon as we can find some little tins. I'm pretty sure this will be going into every gift we give this year and we'll need plenty for ourselves too. We all loved it.

The boy had a favorite cousin for the exchange and he had no trouble at all deciding to create a series of  4 books for her. They were titled, Knights and Dragons, Ogres and Dungeons, Knights and Castles and Princesses and Princes, and they read like guides, "These are two knights fighting. They are training for battle school. They will be very, very tough knights and this castle has very, very sharp swords so they might always win the battle." Too cute.

He started writing books this way after watching How to Train Your Dragon and reading the book. I love that he wrote about one of his favorite subjects, but that he put a lot of thought into including things he thought his cousin (a teenage girl) would like too, it wasn't all swords and battles. At one point I heard him exclaim, "I need more glitter for my princess!" and couldn't help but smile. (That's her pet bird dragon that breathes fire and protects her, on her shoulder)

I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed the gifts we made, I know we had fun making them and we all loved the craft gifts we received. What an fun start to the crafting season, there is still so much more to be made in the next few weeks. So, what's on your holiday crafting to-do list?

Craft Gift Reveal Part 1

I started writing this craft reveal post and realized it was very long so, I've broken it into two separate posts. Today, the planter box and caramels and coming soon, the kid made books, sugar scrubs and lip balm.

My husband and I each drew one of his parents names so, we decided we'd make them a bigger, joint gift together, instead of our own smaller ones. Both of them had admired the beautiful garden boxes he built this summer so, we decided to use the scrap wood he had from those to make a smaller, deck box version. Then, I made a finish mixing mineral oil and beeswax, following the directions at this site. I love how it turned out, it deepened the natural color and really brought out the character in the wood. I'll be adding the finish to our own boxes.

My middle girl was determined to make some sort of sugary treat for her uncle, so it's a good thing he likes sugary treats almost as much as she does. We usually make chocolates at Christmas, some for gifts, some the kids sell to friends and family to earn a few dollars for recital costumes and other sports fees.

They do a lot of the work themselves, under my very close supervision to ensure clean hands and no spoon licking, well, not until the end at least. The candies I've made with the kids in the past basically consist of melting and pouring or mixing chocolate, nothing too complicated, so when my girl decided she wanted to attempt caramel I was a bit nervous.

I knew it would involve a thermometer and that timing would be important. I also knew there were lots of opportunities to mess it up. But, thanks to AmberLee's failproof Homemade Caramel recipe  it was simple and stress free and so very delicious. It's fabulous, melt in your mouth yummy. This recipe is being added to the yearly candy making for sure.

Pumpkin Fairy

My sweet baby girl wanted in on the tutorial fun her brother and sisters were having. She found a dress her big sisters had worn in a wedding when they were her age and decided she wanted to be a pumpkin fairy. This is what she had to say about her costume.

"My dress is orange. I got the dress from (my big sister) for Halloween. I love it so much. My wings are BIG, they are parent size. And I put sparkles on me. It's Halloween! BOO!"

Photo taken by my niece

Thanks for playing along with our very late and now out of season posts. We hope you find some inspiration for make believe fun. Or maybe even plans for next year's costumes?  I know we've already started planning :)

Up next the craft gift exchange!

Iris the Goddess of the Rainbow Costume Tutorial

After spending some time with Rick Riordan's books about Greek gods, demigods and mythical beasts, the 10 year old decided she wanted to go as Iris. This is her tutorial.

 You'll need:

    Materials:

•  rainbow colored piece of fabric or shawl
• some sort of headdress or crown
• white fabric long enough to fit a round you (with extra)
• string
• sparkly ribbon

     Utensils:

• sewing Machine
• sewing scissors
• sewing needles
• thread

Under Dress

The under dress is pretty simply what you need from the lists above are:

• white fabric
• string
• sewing Machine
• sewing scissors

 (Mom note, the purpose of the under dress is simply to make sure nothing peeks out under the wrap dress, it's not really necessary for dress up play at home) Take the white fabric and measure it to fit a round you, make sure you have enough room to walk and it is about from your ankle to your armpits (I used about 1 yard ).

Cut the measurements straight up so when you sew it, it looks like a tube, like the shirt of The Pirate Girl costume, except it is a lot longer.
Sew the two ends together to make a tube.

Cut out arm holes and make a casing at the top like a pillowcase dress.
Cut the string in two pieces that can tie above your shoulders.
Thread the string in the casings.

 



 The Rainbow Wrap

Take the rainbow fabric and hold your arms straight out with the fabric behind you.
Then, take your left arm and wrap the fabric around you to your right sholder. Have somebody hold it.
Then take your right arm and wrap the fabric around you to your left hip.
Take the piece on your right sholder across your back to your left hip and tie together.

Jewlery
Take the sparkly ribbon and cut to fit around your wrists and neck.
Add any jems or buttons.
Use velcro, hook and eye fasteners or just sew the ends together.

Finish it off
Add a pair of gold or silver wings, a pretty headress or crown and now your the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris.

(All photos except the first and last were taken by my daughter, I'm still not sure how she managed since she's the one in those photos and I don't think she can work the timer?)

Pirate Girl Costume

The 9 year old saw a fancy pirate girl costume in a magazine, it cost around $50. I gave her a $10 limit on costume materials and access to my scrap fabric bin. This is her tutorial:

You'll need:

• 1 yard of knit skirt fabric (The black velour we had from previous costumes)
• 1yard of pirate skirt fabric (the scull and crossbows tulle we found at Jo-Ann's)
• 1/2 yard pirate shirt fabric (found once again at Jo-Ann's on sale)
• scraps for the hat
• Optional: eye patch (not pictured), fake dagger, (both found in target party supplies) scrap of fabric for sash, red hair dye

The Skirt
Pick out any color of stretchy knit fabric you would like. About one yard.
Then, cut it into 2 pieces. Smaller at the top, but bigger than your waist. (see photo)

Sew the sides together. Make sure not to sew the top or bottom.
Make a casing at the top for elastic or a belt. (here's easy waistband casing instructions from sewing.org)
Then, take a piratey net fabric, cut the same as the knit skirt and sew up the sides.
Sew the nety fabric to the knit skirt at the waist.
Put elastic or belt in.


The shirt
First pick out stretchy fabric
Wrap it around you and measure how big you need it.
Then you sew it together like a tube.
We took a tank top and used it to measure, then cut out the arms and the neck. Then, we cut the front to a point. (a V-neck)
Sew the shoulder straps together.
Keep trying it on to make sure it's right. (If you use a knit, like t-shirt fabric, it wont fray, so the edges don't need to be finished, which looks just perfect for a pirate)

Do rag/bandana hat
Take a piece of skirt fabric and tie it around your head.

The Knight Costume Tutorial

"This would make a perfect tunic Mom! Can we make this into a tunic? Now!?" He says to me. I look up from the story I'm reading his little sister. He's holding a brand new pillow case from my new sheet set up to his chin as if it's a shirt he's considering wearing.

Wow, I think, he's right. "OK," I say, "but, not that pillowcase."

I'm always surprised at the things this boy comes up with, I never would have thought of turning an old pillowcase into a knight's tunic. This is his tutorial.
You will need:

• A Pillowcase
• Cardboard box
• Fabric scraps
• (Mommy note, you may also need some tin foil, heavy duty scissors or utility knife with parental supervision and a shield pattern to trace)

Pillowcase Tunic
Find a pillowcase and ask your mom if you can cut it up. Cut a hole for your head. Fold the pillowcase in half and then snip (gesturing with fingers snip snip snip)

Cut the arms. Fold again and snip just like the head. Cut the leg flaps
(Mommy note: If this will be used for dress up play after Halloween you may want to zigzag or serge around the raw edges so they won't fray or rip further.)

Shield Decoration
Take 2 pieces of fabric and cut them in the shape of a shield.
Then you take a sewing machine and sew the shield together. (Mommy note: right sides together, like a pillow, leave an opening or use some fusible webbing to create an iron on shield that wont fray).

Flip it right side out and then push your fingers so you have nice sharp edges. Well, they won't be that sharp, but they'll still be sharp.
Then, you put a dragon on it. You can color one with fabric markers if you want. If you don't, sew the dragon on with fabric (applique).

The original dragon sketch

And then sew the shield on (to the tunic). Be careful not to sew the back and front together.

The Helmet

Take a cardboard box and make sure it is not too fat.
Make the eye holes. Put the helmet on and mark the spot for the eyes, take scissors and cut eye holes and it might be a little hard. If it's too hard use sharper scissors. (Mommy note: ask for mom or dad's help)
Put tin foil on it and then you poke the eye holes through the tin foil.

Finish it off
Add a belt.
Yell out loud. AAAHHHH!