for a two year old

Today was our buddy Lincoln's second birthday. We celebrated with cupcakes and time in the sandbox and lots of play with his new little kitchen.

I wanted to make a gift that he would really enjoy -- one whose fun wouldn't wear out immediately, that would be useful in at least a couple of ways for a while. I have a cache of crafty ideas waiting for just the right recipient, and this one I found in Alicia Paulson's book Stitched in Time seemed right up Linc's alley. I hope I was right!

Using iron-on transfer sheets for the printer, I printed out some pictures from the past year: friends' faces, mama and papa, the dinosaur at the zoo, one of our chickens Lincoln took a shine to, and a few others. I ironed them onto some white twill, and with some polka-dotty quilting cotton for the backs of each card and felt to stabilize the middle, I made 14 memory cards (two of each photo). I sewed around each picture and pinked the edges to curb the fraying. 

To finish off the gift, I whipped up a little felt bag for storage, and (sloppily) embroidered the front. 

Happy birthday, Lincoln! I hope you like your present. 

tutorial: a little sling

We were in Seattle for the weekend, staying in Bellevue while Nathan attended a yearbook teachers' thing, with plenty of time for walking around the enormous mall right across the street from our hotel. The only good score of our mall excursion(s) was a little Corolle baby with whom George fell instantly in love. I decided that he needed a carrier for Baby Tony (as he has since been dubbed), so I set out to make one. It worked! It's cute! And it took me about 15 minutes to make. 

(You only need two D rings, but I had a 4 pack lying around.)

 

 

romp

I made a romper. Okay, technically I made a jumpsuit, but something in me doesn't want to call it what it is. While virtual window shopping the other day, I came across this Alexander Wang number and fell a little bit in love. The fit would be unfortunate on me, however, because of the color, the wider leg and the drop waist (not to mention that I don't exactly have $675 to spend on a jumpsuit OR romper). I've had a truly delicious piece of black brushed silk in my fabric stash for years, attached to various projects that I never got around to cutting before they fell out of favor or fashion. Well! Rompsuit, I guess we were destined for each other. 

I didn't have a pattern, just used a top whose fit I like and some pants of the appropriate width to make a rough template and adjusted as I sewed. To be clear, this method rarely works, but when it does, it's glorious. 

It's arguably unflattering, but I don't really care. It's silk. It's got an elastic waist. It's black. It goes well with elaborate macramé jewelry. I kind of never want to take it off. Don't mind me -- I'll just be lying on my flokati, propped up by floor pillows, listening to Fleetwood Mac. Summer*, here we come.

*Wait, black silk in summer, you say? Isn't that too hot? Oh, ha ha ha; here, I shiver in the evenings until August. 

hideout

Our house is small. It's cute, and I like it, and I don't even keep the space I have tidy, so I can't justifiably wish for more. But having a toddling baby doesn't always jibe with also having such a tiny home. We have a lot of stuff, some of which is valuable -- both sentimentally and otherwise -- and while I respect the methods of child rearing that dictate we must create an entirely child-friendly space, it's just not realistic for my family. Plus, I want my records out and accessible. I want George to grow up with a respect for the delicacy of certain things, looking forward to the special occasions when he is allowed to handle our treasures. After all, there are lots of no-touches in the world, for kids and adults alike. 

This is not to say that our house is one big barrister bookcase of Hummel figurines. Nevertheless, I still feel bad sometimes that George has such a limited play area. That, unless a door is shut, he can never escape my eyeshot. He needed a hideout: a cozy little retreat all his own for looking at books, for talking to his cow and baby about what a jerk mama is when she won't let him pick at the electrical outlet covers. I'd been looking at teepee instructions and tutorials online and in pattern books for awhile before I finally decided to just wing it. (This is by no means a tutorial, but if you're similarly inclined to fly by the seat of your pants, maybe this will give you an idea or two.)

I used:

• four 4-foot-long dowels
• some white twill that I already had
• some ikea fabric that I'd been saving for something special
• some hot pink suede cord leftover from moccasin making
• a scrap of yellow broadcloth.

I made pretty haphazard triangles that measured three feet on the bottom edge, just folded them in half and used a yard stick to cut a relatively straight diagonal line that would create a triangle when the fabric opened back up. The triangles are 3 and a half feet tall. 

For the dowel casings, I cut 3 inch wide strips the same length as the triangles' diagonal edge. As I sewed the triangles together at the long sides, I folded the casings in half (wrong sides together) and sandwiched them between the teepee side pieces. To make an opening, I cut the front piece in half lengthwise, then sewed partway down. I made some bias tape and bound the unfinished edges of the flap. For a little extra stability, I reinforced the top of the flap with a triangle of scrap fabric. I didn't want to get out the iron, so the triangle is uneven, but oh well. 

I looped a piece of suede cord around the tops of the dowels, and tied them up tight. I made the whole thing after George went to bed last night (in about 2.5 hours), so it was set up for him this morning. 

He was freaking STOKED. As soon as the next Joann circular comes in the mail, I'll get some shredded foam to make a big matching pillowy cushion to lounge on. 

For now, though, he's perfectly content crawling in, sitting for awhile, then crawling back out to check on Rody. 

nooks and crannies

For Christmas, Nathan's parents got me a bias tape maker. Forever, I've had one of those fiddly ones you use with an iron and I never make any bias tape because I wind up with burned fingers and a wonky finished product. Well, not any more. Sort of. I used my present for the first time last night, to finish a little quilt, and I definitely need some practice but it worked much better than the old method, plus it took about a millionth of the time.

Using this sweet book, Scandinavian Needlecraft, for inspiration (I wasn't up to copying the embroidery pattern and using carbon paper or whatever), I made a little light blanket to fuel my dreams of moving into a house that has nooks and crannies in which to snuggle and sleep. Just look at this picture and see if you can imagine a nicer spot to wake up in the morning:

Of course you cannot.

The green and blue pictured is lovely, but I had some peach gingham in the garage.

And some blue pique shirting, and some dark, sagey green flowers.

See, I told you I needed some practice. But, infinitely better than storebought.

Already used for snuggling.

And abandoned for play.