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Holiday Activity - for the three girls.

And it did keep them busy. Then they tipped them from one container to another and watched them bounce on the table and the floor. It did the job. Kept them amused.



With the older sister in charge of the glue stick for miss 2, all three girls completed their initial, for an extra bit of colour for their rooms

. (no, we don't have a Ken living in this house!)

L.

Made by Me: craft book review

This blog post I hope to share a craft book. 

Meet Kirsty. Handmade. Handstitched. Thanks to a very easy to read and understand craft book, aimed directly at children, this has kept our daughter busy for the last year. Brought out of hibernation every so often, and finally finished off this week.

I came across this book Made by Me by Jane Bull, published by DK, last year sometime and promptly bought several copies. One for our bookshelf and the rest into the present box. 

The book itself covers hand-stitching, embroidery, felt softies,  Knitting: finger knitting, wooden doll knitting to step by step using knitting needles.

 I'll share a few photos from the inside of the book: 

 Clear and straight forward photos to help with the sewing process. Sewing pattern for the doll at the back of the book and simple clothes to dress the doll. 

**Note: hair was added by stitching yarn after looking at images on google.

 ...and so Kirsty is added to her softie collection...

This book was originally purchased from our local Big W. I have seen it also published as part of a craft folder by DK. 

This book is available online from good book selling websites for approx $12. A great investment for hours of entertainment for years to come.

Love to hear if you have a good craft book you could recommend?

L.

made for you: dressed by you activity

It is holiday time at home again. 

It is 9:30 in the morning. 

It is a cooler day today - relief from the last humid 40 degree days we have been having. 

It is washing catch-up day. 

It is housework catch-up day. 

It is also sleep catch-up day. The youngest is asleep for an early morning nap. The next one is having quiet time in mums bed. The boy is playing lego. The oldest has found her crochet ripple pillow in the lounge. Mum is having a bit of time on the computer finishing off some half written blog posts.

Here is a craft activity box that I put together beginning of December. I had this idea pinned on Pinterest for a while thinking it was a great way to use up scraps. With a birthday invite to a friends 5th birthday, we completed a box for her thinking it was rather quite age-appropriate. I had two pairs of eyes watching, and wondering if mum printed spare dolls or cut up spare material, and "who are those extra boxes for?" 

(Love the things you can do when the children are at school and they think you do housework all day!) 

On the quiet I put together to more packs for our oldest two girls for camping, and placed in their activity bags.

They did a beautiful job and thoroughly enjoyed cutting up their "own" material. Miss K even crocheted chain and joined her dolls together, all ready to decorate a bedroom.

Some of Miss E's dolls forgot that suncreen is important when camping and are patiently waiting next to my chair to be crocheted into some bunting for her. Her Oma (Grandmother) even sat down next to her at the camping table and helped her. And no she didn't forget to dress one; they are her bathers :)

The only down side? I didn't print enough dolls. Off to print some more. 

L.

excitement over grannys

We had excitement in the house last night, after there was bedtime-quietness from the young ones. Miss K (9y/o) had finally finished her last granny square for her cushion front that she is making.

She was so eager to start the joining process, she snuggled up on the couch with pleading eyes that said: 'I don't have to go to bed for another half an hour, please can you show me'. With my own eyelids extremely heavy, I showed her once, and away she was, and we got to enjoy her natter while she was busy.

 

I chose the ridge way of joining, as to me that's the easiest to teach and understand.

 

The colour choice is all hers with her using a bright green to join, as her quilt has a bright green in it. Although rather repititious, she has learnt to start each square now by herself, change colours and even the no-three-chain-turn for starting a new round! I am just wishing I had given her a bigger hook (she used a 4.0mm) so the squares would be a bit bigger!

 

This morning she was very happy to sit in the back of the car on the way to school, with it tucked under her arm, and she completed the second row of joining. As much as I am tempted to finish it for her, I know I will be in trouble for doing it, and I am not even allowed to make a fleece backing for it. She is determined to make one big granny square for the back.

 

I will just have to wait till 3pm pick up (reminds me, I had better put it back in the car!) and I can see what will happen after school seeing its friday, and no homework required!

 

It makes me have happy thoughts, that she will look back in years to come and see a project that she completed, with new skills, nearly all by herself.

 

Wishing you all a great relaxing weekend. One planned for this household!

L.

ends

What do you do with all the ends that you cut off? Someone in our crochet group shared this photo the other day, for birds to come and gather and make a colourful nest.

While I think this would be a nice idea and would certainly add colour and softness to their nests, my kids also have ideas of their own:

All mine go into a jar on the craft shelf,

even a haircut to make the hair the same length :)

the end result:

...with our native plants thriving and bringing birdlife to our suburban backyard, I am still tempted to get a hanging wire cage for the birds too. I'm sure the kids will share.

L.

miss K's blocks

In the last few days of the school holidays after seeing my effort at blocking my squares, Kimberley found her crochet hook again and was re-invigorated to start something.

Its been a while since she set her first crocheting attempt to the side.There was an afternoon last week where I was joined in the lounge by Kimberley crocheting, and then Jord's wanted to try it (but gave up after 30 seconds...!) and Emma - 4yrs. Emma sat with her 5 chains that I started her with, twirling and whirling her yarn over and around her hook for about half an hour telling us that she was making a blanket for Zac, and also a hat for Nadia. Her ball of yarn still sits to the side with her hook and 5 chain! :)

A simple granny square was made, and she thoroughly enjoyed blocking her square on some cork board. Then another square was made and blocked, and hung up near my board with squares, and last night she got started on the third one.

Ok, I change colours for her, but by the third block she has made a slip knot at the beginning and has started her self off, and she quite happily finishes all her ends in too! A few 'whoopsies' with counting of trebles, but that is all part of learning.

 Her two main colours are white edges with the pink somewhere in the block, and any other 'off-cuts' of my yarn stash she can use for the other two rows.

What a pity school has started again...

Back to crocheting by myself during 'quiet time'.

L.