in love with handmade

A surprise package arrived for Ava - from ARGENTINA! We ordered her more of Julie's fabulous handmade clothing, and it was nothing short of absolute sweetness... Beginning with her signature tissue paper Ava tore out of the box, drawings from Julie's daughter, Zoe, tumbled out. Personalized and thoughtful, Zoe drew Noah a "bug" which resembled very much like a centipede I thought, and many "moons" for Ava, with a special message noting it was for the Moon Beam Academy! - which is the name [inspired by your comments] of the new "school" Ava attends at home [big SMILE]. More on that later...







The skirt, adorned with a hand embroidered moon and star, is a brown linen trimmed with a matching gingham check - the perfect uniform for Ava's MBA don't you think? So we had to steal this one from her online store right away...

After the initial surprise wore off, she was ready to go - in other words, make the most of playtime and build tall towers while king kong was napping. So I did - but not before tying the beautiful smock on her. I love the playfulness this fabric already exudes ... the little bow that forms in the back... and the front center pocket made to hold secret treasures... no bigger than a marshmallow or two...



That same week, a surprise package came for me this time - from PORTUGAL! And my heart swelled up - for many reasons: Like the grand thoughtfulness of Zelia, a new friend I met from this blog, to go out of her way to hand write me a letter, buy me Portugal fabric and pencils - and send them to me along with tips on how to create Una-na handmade dolls of my own - which I adore so much.






The romantic European fabric made my head spin thinking about all the beautiful things they could be instead... And I just couldn't help but picture Zelia handwriting my letter one night before sealing the package. What was I doing the exact same time I wonder? There's just something extra special about handwritten letters from afar... the time to write down cascading thoughts... the distance of travel across land and water...and the countless people that handled it before dropping it in my mailbox... wow!

All of it simply reminded me of how powerful our hands are - and how they create and move the worlds between each one of us...

Do you have a favorite handmade piece? I'd love to know...

finding new art

There wasn't much talking at the sandbox today - but there was a lot of sand flying out of it. Maybe it was because the kids haven't played in it for over a week and they were desperate to rebuild their forts ruined by the rain. After 10 minutes, their interest evaporated so I turned on the hose and made huge puddles for them to splash in while I cleaned out the backyard. This made Noah extremely cranky and tired - quickly. So while he napped, Ava and I both tried something new for the first time - hand embroidery.

It seems like fun - and an excellent way to let our fingers do the creative work. Plus, there's no sewing machine involved. On top of that, the book I'm reading right now shows how embroidery can be a fun way for kids to express their artwork. That was enough for me to try it with Ava.

After showing her this morning how to poke through the burlap just once, Ava took on the challenge and mastered making lines! She even asked to use different colors! I couldn't believe my eyes.

It lasted about 15 minutes before she jumped off the chair and wanted to play with the Remington typewriter instead. But that's ok - it was more than I ever expected. The important thing is that I gave her the opportunity to try something new. I don't know too many 2-year olds who have tried this craft, but it really is a good one. To use their hands to create... to build patience as they push and pull the string... and to feel proud of themselves when they see what they just created.

As for me - well, I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I don't even know how to knot the threads so that they don't pull through. But I tell you this - it is definitely a relaxing craft. I put all of our skeins and hoops into a basket and placed it next to the couch so that we can pick it up when ever Ava felt like it. I wonder how long this process will take... or if it ever will. But at least it's there, and I have today to remember forever.

To get started with your little one(s), here's what you need:

1. 2 hoops - a big and small one for each of you. I got a 10-inch hoop and a 6-inch one for Ava's hands.

2. Burlap makes the most sense to use for your little one to practice with. [A good tip I got from the book]. The holes are malleable and big enough to accommodate the large plastic dull needle they will need. For you, buy a pack of tapestry needles [they look like regular ones, but I'm sure there's a difference.]

3. Buy lots of colorful skeins. At only 29 cents a bundle - you can't go wrong mixing colors. We had Ava help pick out colors at the store. The decision [as if she was picking out ice-cream flavors] was exciting.

4. I threaded all 6 threads on her plastic needle so that her lines would be big and bold. For myself, I split it into 3 - I think that's average for linen fabric.

5. After threading the needle, I tied a knot so that the needle wouldn't slip while she pulled.

6. To get started, I poked the first hole from the bottom-side and then slipped it back through and tied off a knot so that the string would hold onto the burlap.

7. And that's it. I've never used a hoop before, but when you get one, you'll see how there are 2 circles, one big and one small. Place the fabric in between and pull the fabric so that it's stiff. Re-tighten.

8. Good luck - and let me know how this experience goes for you.

project #2

Good news! Ava's black flower dress that I made her survived the wash. Speaking of survived - I haven't thrown my sewing machine into the pool just yet. In fact, I even made something else! With all the extra fleece we had laying around [from our Petnode animal-making days] I decided Noah needed another lounge - or more accurately, explore my domain pants. I googled a pattern - and it's so funny how easy it is to make these. BUT I still managed to sew the wrong sides together. Of course, I didn't realize this until after I added the waistband and rushed to try it on Noah. The crotch was too small - oh, it's upside down. My next attempt turned out much better. I even decked it with a pocket on the back - for what - who knows. It's adorable.

It's so amazingly comfortable, soft and so perfect to strut in with bare feet. And I think my little guy thinks so too. We ran our errands today with him wearing these and got our first compliment from the sales woman at Pottery Barn Kids [before Aaron told her I made them]. Success!

I made one for my nephew using a different design - equally fun. Wagma - send me a photo of him wearing it when you can!

Next project: a summer tote bag - oh, la, la.

old is new again

I have been itching to sew Ava a dress since before she was born. I finally did on Sunday thanks to Aaron who took the kids for a very long visit to the park. And thanks to my old skirt I hadn't worn in 5 years and owned for more than 10. It was one of those pieces that remained tucked away in my drawer - too cute to give away because just maybe I'd be inspired to wear it one day. And yet, too burned out to wear it because I did a thousand times [or somewhere close to].

So here I was, with no pattern to work with - what if I completely screw up and waste the poor old skirt? But I said a prayer and started snipping. Pinning and ironing the seams were daunting - but I kept envisioning what the finished piece would look like - and that kept me on pace. Three hours later, I had a piece hanging to look at.

I'm proud to say that it turned out pretty cool and that it does in fact resemble a sweet summer dress. Tailored with one green button and one shiny orange button. I even went so far as to sewing her a sachet to carry her Maisy books. I was smitten when it was done. Unfortunately for me, all the camera gear was charging so I had no way to document the adventure.

Not only was the look on Ava's face priceless, but I also discovered that I do have the patience to create something from scratch. And that is a good thing.

Next project: an outfit for Noah to crawl around in.