Craft Group: Dream Catchers...

Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with both good and bad dreams. A dream catcher hung over or near your bed and swinging freely in the night air, catches the dreams as they flow by.

Good dreams pass through the dream catcher; they slip through the central inner hole and gently slide down the soft feathers to the sleeping person below. Bad dreams get tangled in the woven web and perish with the first light of the new day.

In the past couple of years I have made quite a few dream catchers. The first is pictured above; I made it for my big girl just before her baby sister was born

The central 'spider' is a flourite crystal; chosen to help ease the transition from only child to big sister. The beads, shells, seed pods and feathers were given to her by friends as a 'big sistering' gift, the feathers were all collected by her when she was just a wee girl ...I kept them in a treasure box with other little things she gave to me.

When the wee girl moved to her own room I made her one too.

Her 'spider' is clear quartz; chosen because it harmonises all the chakras ~ it is the master healer, amplifiying energies and thoughts and drawing off negative energies of all kinds. Some of her beads and seeds are from my blessingway celebration, others I just liked... the feathers I collected as they blew past me in the breeze.

I have made others for friends when their babies were born; for a little girl whose brother died in a horrible accident and she kept having nightmares...I made a couple today to sell at the craft stall at the school fair; it felt a bit odd making but not knowing. Still, they look pretty.

If you would like to make one there are simple instructions at your fingertips with google but I like this one and for more information there are some interesting and wise words here.

Craft group ~ to the ladybird ~ a tutorial

Oh! Ladybird, Ladybird, why dost thou roam
So far from thy comrades, so distant from home?
Why dost thou, who canst revel all day in the air,
Who the sweets of the grove and the garden, canst share;
In a fold of a leaf, who canst form thee a bower,
And a palace enjoy in the tube of a flower;
Ah, why, simple Ladybird, why doust thou venture,
The dwellings of man so familiar to enter?

by Charlotte Smith cira 1807

They are a bit cute.. I wanted to make an orange one too but got a bit distracted finishing off making next week's project (always one step ahead!)

Just before I leap into the tutorial I wanted to show you how my pirate from last week turned out; I think he is fabulous (especially his wee hook!) I have my head swimming with ideas to improve him so consider this a prototype!

Right ladybirds ~

You will need the pattern template from here, scraps of red (orange, yellow), green and black felt, embroidery floss (work with two strands), wood roving for stuffing and I think that is it. (Oh you might like to use little black buttons or beads for the wing spots).

Cut out your pieces (remember the sparkle pen tip for tracing onto black felt).

Sew felt spots, black beads, buttons or french knots onto the wings first.

Then paying attention to your As, Bs and Cs, stitch the wings to the side of the head section. Then stitch the funny little V bit which will curve the head nicely.

Ok, now using red thread (or other coordinating colour) stitch the wings together down the centre back.

 

Now find the centre of your base and match it with the centre wing seam. Starting with the curved head end begin stitching the top and base together. The base will seem too small, don't panic, you need to ease your stitching to make the top fit the base so that you get a nicely domed ladybird.

Leave a bit of a gap before you close the stitching and stuff it firmly but not so it is bursting at the seams.

Close it up; leave your needle threaded and attached. To make antenna, bring your needle and thread out in an antennerish spot on its head and make a small back stitch/knot flush with the spot. then bring the thread directly up to what looks like a good length and tie a knot in the thread before snipping the thread with scissors just above the knot. Go in again on the opposite side and do it all again.

 

You can stitch your finished ladybird to a little leaf (add a clasp to the back and it is a brooch, pop it on some black elactic and it is a sweet little headband, or just sit it on the bench and let little hands play with it).

Gifts cast off the needles and a whole lotta tulle

My sister calls the months of June and July the birthday tusnami; there are eight immediate family members in those two months and at least as many friends... July 30 brings a break for us, for a week. Ha!

In my cleverness I finished a milo vest for the wee girl some weeks before her birthday and forgot to give it to her! I woke in the middle of the night a few days later thinking "where did I put it?"

Found it! and this afternoon had just enough chill in the air.

My mum (who is beyond clever) knitted her a delightful turtle; she has named him Ollie.

 

He is everso snuggly, I think she loves him. The pattern is from the fabulously fun book Knit and Purl Pets by Claire Garland (I am quite keen on the chamelon; I think my
sister is too).

July 30 is a friend's little girl's fourth birthday. I was her midwife and I remember the day her sweet baby girl chose to make her grand entrance so well; it is magic that birthing business.

Anyway her mum tells me these days she is quite a fairy princess and loves to twirl and preen. I bought tulle (a couple of metres of it) and spun it into a skirt interlaced with satin ribbon and stars.

 

Every fairy needs a wand right? I gave it a little wave before packaging it to post. When she touches it it will bless her with joyful birthday wishes and have someone plant four little kisses.

Birthday cakes and balloons

I LOVE cake, it is one of my very favourite things to eat... and there is just something so very good about butter icing (and I don't like butter..well not in its raw form but whip it with sugar, bake it, toast it, saute' in it). And I love making birthday cakes; I fill them full of love and can't wait to share them with family and friends.

This year I made extra cakes, little felt party cakes in lieu of lolly bags... two years olds don't need lolly bags.

They were fun to make (a little stressful because I left it to the last few days but worth it). I will do a little tutorial sometime... maybe in spring, after the school fair.

The wee girl got some lovely gifts... these are a few of my favourites (all from me... My mother made her the most delightful knitted turtle I will take a picture soon and show you).

The little Alice in Wonderland was made by Cynthia who blogs The Fairies' Nest and sells her stunning creations through her etsy shop. The swiss cheese, felted mice and painted silk play scape were made by Lori of Beneath the Rowan Tree I snaffled it as soon as she posted it on her blog; she has a beautiful etsy shop too. The little owl fabric in the background is a cotton and linen satchel made by a talented friend Helen, her brand name is Asher and I think she will have an online shop soon. Harriet you'll drive me wild! is another of my favourite Mem Fox books (I'm sure we had a copy but for all the looking I did on the too crowded bookshelves I could not find it).

She had a lovely day. Thank you all for your happy words and wishes.

Craft group is back for term 3...and sharing the best black felt tip of the decade!

We are in a mad five week dash to make as much as we can for the school festival in August; so for the next few weeks we have planned relatively simple projects in the hope that people will make one for themselves and one (or two or three..) for the school.

This week we suited up 10cm wood and wire dolls. After cutting out about 15 outfits I made a ladybird fairy. I have the makings of a pirate in my buldging bag of things to do...

Clothing both these dolls required black felt.

Black felt...it is such a pain to use with patterns because you just can't see where you are cutting. I have used chalk but you can really get a nice thin tipped chalk and I have used red ball point pen with some success if you can catch it in the right light BUT today Sarah, whom I am going to hereafter refer to as Pollyanna, said with a sparkling grin "you need a bit of bling" "I need what?"..."glitter, you need a glitter pen...it leaves a little snail trail of glitter as you trace" I used one (Pollyanna had one handy) and my friends, it does indeed leave a little snail trail. Yay!

A tent for play and shade

This morning I finished sewing together some pretty old curtains into a play tent for my wee girl who turns two next week. Brisbane has turned on another spectacular winter's day so Mia and I popped outside to take a few pictures; he thought it was lovely breezy fabric, played with it for a while and then held it down for me.

 I quite like the view from the inside best.

I based my sewing loosley on a lovely tutorial by 2 Little Hooligans. Loosley because I used three single curtains and some scrap fabric rather than 3 double sheets, my hoop was smaller and I made a rod pocket for the hoop to slide into rather than ties on the inside. All the pretty bows on the outside are the curtain ties - it was all a bit too easy really.

While I was sewing the girls rearranged my pins... and I was tut tutted quite a few times for poking the wrong pin in the wrong cushion!

I made myself something

I did actually make the stunning model too, but cast your eyes down to her neck.
Ha! I crocheted myself a delicate and pretty scarf.
While I was sitting looping the soft bamboo yarn through my hook I said out loud "I cannot remember the last time I made myself something"
My big girl (model) said "you made yourself a pin cushion the other week"
Ah yes, so I did, but I hardly think that counts.
Anyway because I am so pleased with how it looks I am going to indulge myself with a few more pictures of it (and because I can hardly believe I made anything as beautiful as my daughter, you can see some more of her too).

Be inspired ~ make something for yourself. See what a few hours of crochet can achieve.

 

 The pattern is from the book Stitch and Bitch Crochet ~ the Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller

Winter holidays week one.

Some friends and I turned this mat of fluffy green into

a mat of fluffy green and blue with other bits; after much rolling it was less fluffy:

After we add a few sheep, a duck or two (some cute little ducklings), a pig,  maybe a horse... we are thinking it will be a good raffle prize for craft group. (Maybe a bridge, some fences...I am getting carried away now).

I also made a cape for my nephew who turned four on Monday...if you ask him he will tell you that he is superman (and can very nearly fly).

Hmm what else did I do? I finished knitting the wee girl's birthday vest; made a bunch of things for the craft group stall in August; covered a stack of books for the parent library (read a few too), made choc chip biscuits with the girls and did not eat them all.

Today the girls and I stayed in our pyjamas until 2:30 in the afternoon. When the wee one went for a sleep (much earlier than 2:30) my big girl read to me and I snoozed in Wilbur's sunny spot; it was lovely ~ the reading, the snoozing and the sunny spot.

Winter icicle gnome wrap up and giveaway

 

Look out! Look out!

Jack frost is about!

He's after our fingers and toes;

And all through the night'

the gay little sprite

Is working where nobody knows.

He'll climb each tree,

So nible is he,

His silvery powder he'll shake;

To windows he'll creep

And while we're asleep,

Such wonderful pictures he'll make.

Across the grass

He'll merrily pass,

 And change all its greeness to white;

Then home he will go

And laugh "Ho, ho, ho,

What fun I have in the night."

C.E. Pike

I am so pleased to be finished these two; I think they look great!

Because lots of you asked about kits and tutorials last week, I have checked with my other half at craft group and we are going to make a PDF pattern of this winter gnome to sell (thus raising some money for our school). The pattern will be $5 and includes basic instructions ~ NB it assumes that you know how to make a head, but does include 'how to' directions for his cute little nose.

We also have enough hand dyed felt left for about four kits - kits include pattern/instructions and everything else you need except stuffing wool and embroidery threads; they will be $20 plus postage.

If you are interested in either a pattern or a kit - leave a comment with a way for me to contact you. (All the kits are sold, sorry. I will shout out if we dye any more felt. We still have a neverending supply of PDF patterns tho!)

Giveaway bit ~ because it is alway nice to have a chance at a prize; we will giveaway a PDF pattern to a lucky someone who leaves a nice comment and a way to be contacted. I'll do the random thing next Wednesday evening, June 29.  The free pattern was won by MamaWestWind who blogs at Chocolate Eyes

 

Wednesday Craft Group ... Winter is coming and so are the icicle gnomes

This wee fellow is our model for the next two weeks; he came from Netherland in a suitcase and is now living in Brisbane in quite different weather. He was made many years ago by one of our regular craft group members for her classroom when she was teaching at a Steiner school in Holland. We are all a bit excited to be making one of our own ~ he really is quite beautiful with his silk beard, cute little nose and pale blue cloak.

The felt has all been hand dyed and today we collected all the bits we will need to complete him (a few of us collected enough for two..one for us to keep and one to sell at our craft stall during festiValley in August).

(I have made a PDF pattern of this winter gnome to sell (thus raising some money for our school). The pattern is $5 and includes instructions ~ NB it assumes that you know how to make a formed head, but does include 'how to' directions for his cute little nose. Please leave a comment, with your contact details if you would like to buy one.)

Mine are in a bit of a state of undress...

tho they are a little more advanced than you can see here; one is even standing up now! Mind you I did it all at home... I never get anything done at craft!

I am finding it increasing difficult to attend craft group ~ we have a wonderful outdoor space (and even some of those great patio heaters) but it is completly unfenced and the wee girl runs in all directions, disappearing in the blink of an eye (i.e. me looking down momentarily to cut something or do a few quick stitches) I seem to spend most of my time racing about after her, pulling her out of her big sister's classroom, and lately finding her with her pants around her ankles declaring "wee". She is completly disinterested in the sandpit but will hold still for Oooo say 10 minutes or so to demolish her lunch box (usually within 5 minutes of arriving). Next week is the last craft group of term before the holidays but next term we might have to take a break.

I want to say thank you for all of your thoughts and kind words after our old boy Wibur died last week. I still find myself crying quite regularly ~ my poor big girl found herself consoling me in the pet food isle at the supermarket, and my husband offered his broad shoulders when I broke down vacuuming Wilbur's sunny patch of carpet. We planted a Lemon Myrtle on his grave, maybe in spring when new leaves shoot out in abundance I can share a cup of fresh herbal tea with him.

The Quilt and the Rainbow

Here it is, my big girl and her birthday quilt.

It turns out to be a good hiding place too.

She is calling it her discovery quilt...discovering a new pattern, or favourite block everyday.

Her birthday party was fun; exhausting, but fun. First I filled them full of sugar, and a few strawberries with chocolate fondue.

They entertained themselves from that point until I did the grumpy mummy go to sleep talk at quarter past midnight...I think they were all finally asleep by 1am....and up at 6am.

Crepes with strawberries, raspberries and or blueberries plus or minus (most plus I think) maple syrup for breakfast.

And to top it off (the sugar high I mean) we had cake.

Rainbow cake ~*

As we sent them on their way we gave them each a little present to take home

After they were all gone I had a little sleep.

* I got the rainbow cake recipe from here but substituted 200g natural yoghurt for 250ml of the milk as per the clever little trick here to make the colours vibrant without adding loads of colouring. I didn't used Swiss buttercream instead opting for Italian meringue...just as much sugar but no butter.