Some Colorful and Happy Spring Projects

This group of projects are so lovely to me. Like, my hearts hurts a little just looking at them because I want to be able to make them all RIGHT NOW. All that color. All the wonder and inspiration contained in this group of projects. And so many good ideas. I am so printing some of Karma Cards and giving them out. And the story buttons are a definite at some point this summer. And am dying to make that bird mobile, as well as the rainbow pussy willow branches.

You can find links for all of the projects above under the Projects Found Elsewhere You Should See button in my sidebar. Please enjoy these, but also don't forget to thank their creators because gratitude is free and easy to give back.

(A note to my more impatient readers: the kiddo sewing kit tutorial is being worked on as I write this--well, not exactly as I write this because I am actually writing this and not the tutorial at this exact moment, but you know what I mean--it is coming...)

Children's Sewing Kit Prototype--Tutorial WIP

I made this for Matilda for her 7th birthday--a children's sewing kit. Matilda is, perhaps, the biggest fan of all the stuff I make and has declared before that she wants to be a plushie-maker like me when she grows up--so I am always happy to make a little something for her. But then Carrie, Matilda's mom, was complaining to me that there were no good first sewing kits out there for children that did not contain gross synthetic crap that only offered an artificial sewing experience that did not really teach you anything about sewing--which bugged me for half a second only to quickly morph into thinking about possible designs for a children's sewing kit.

So, this was what emerged--whipped up quickly last night. Yes, please try to ignore all the design flaws--there are plenty. But this was fine for a 7-year-old who wants to learn to sew. I also included a few simple hand-sewing projects for her (not pictured)--a little flower bracelet, some small animal plushies, and a little notebook and colored pencil holder--all made from wool felt since it is an easy non-fraying material to work with.

I like the notion of a children's sewing kit, no question (and so does Beeper since he told me he too wants his own so he can make a vampire doll and a Superman doll). And I do plan to make another one of these--since now I know what I would change and fix in the initial design (like ironing the fabric before I cover the box pieces, which I was too lazy too to do last night, apparently)--and then I will put it out here as a tutorial for all of you, if you care or want to make your own or something like that.

The Mystery of the Holey Jeans and the Search for a Lasting Fix

How is it possible that 4 pairs of Beeper's jeans all developed holes in the knees within days of one another? These were not jeans purchased at the same time--2 were purchased in the fall, one in January, and another were thrifted well over a year ago--so it just seems so positively odd to me that they all suddenly have holes. Has Beeper been crawling around on all fours, all day, every day, at school recently? Is there some rare denim-eating vermin in our home that is partial to knees only? Or perhaps when I am away, Mr Beeper orders Beeper onto his knees to to scrub the kitchen floor like Cinderella? (kidding honey--we all know that you are only one scrubbing the floors in our home--credit where credit is due) I am utterly vexed.

Whatever the case, I have ironed on some light-weight canvas patches, using SuperBond Ultra Hold. Except, in my experience, the SuperBond, does not bond so super, or hold in any sort of ultra manner. I have done this before--and it seems it usually only buys us 1-2 months more max before the patches simply peel away like pages from a stack of paper in the wind. And even more frustrating--one of the knees on a pair of jeans (and only one!--the other knee was fine) stalwartly refused to adhere to the patch today--despite two attempts with different patches. What the hell?

So, I turn to all of you, in all of your wisdom: What do you do to patch your kids' jeans? Got a magic fix? A little mending trick up your sleeve? Do tell, please. Call me cheap, but I am determined to make these jeans last until late summer at least...

In My Shop: Two-Faced Friend Doll Kits

There are some more Two-Faced Friend Doll Kits in my shop. 3 girls, 1 boy. All contain vintage feedsack fabrics, vintage buttons and trims, and other reclaimed materials--and fully-illustrated instructions to help even the most sewing-challenged. Find them all here, in my shop. I may get around to making some finished dolls too...depends on how much all this freakishly warm Minnesota weather continues to distract me...

Eat This: My Most Favorite Ever Omelet

Have you noticed that I am an ardent lover of breakfast? It is the best meal of the day--and weekend breakfasts are something to be looked forward to, at least at my house.

But, are you maybe a little like me in that you really like a good omelet but fear making one for yourself? I mean, all that egg swishing around in the pan, and then the folding, and the desperate attempt to get it out of the pan whole? Yeah, it can be intimidating. I am still no expert, but I have worked on omelet making a bit over the years. The two things I have found to be essential are using a good, un-abused non-stick pan (in my house, that means the non-stick pan that Mr Beeper is not allowed to touch, ever), and just babysitting the damn thing the whole time it is in the pan--never, ever leave that omelet unattended. And with that, I believe a decent omelet can be produced.

So, I want to show you my omelet-making technique, in case you might want to know--and then share my all-time, most favorite omelet recipe with you.

Here's the deal--get your 3 eggs all whisked together with whatever seasonings you might want to add (I just like salt and a few grinds of pepper--but herbs are lovely here too), then heat about 1/2 tablespoon of butter in your omelet pan over medium-high heat. Swirl the butter around the pan, once melted, pour in your eggs...then let them sit there for several seconds. As soon as they start to firm up around the edges, push the edges back and tilt the pan so any runny, uncooked eggs on top, run to the side and bottom of the pan (you can also use your spatula to gently push the soft eggs over to the edge of the pan)--then keep on doing this until you have essentially gotten most of the runny parts cooked . The key is to try to get the runny eggs over to make contact with the pan so they can cook, while keeping the cooked eggs whole and untorn.

Now, while the eggs are still just a tad soft on top, pile your omelet ingredients on one half of your eggs, then using a spatula, carefully flip the other half of the eggs over the top of the ingredients. You can turn off your heat now, but just leave the omelet sitting there for 30 seconds or so to let your filling warm and any cheese melt. (NOTE: my fave omelet does not include any ingredients that require sauteing in advance, but yours may--so insure you have those cooked and ready before you start the egg part of your omelet).

Now, take a deep and courageous breath and slide that omelet from your pan onto your plate in one smooth movement. Help it along with your spatula, if you must. Eat immediately because an omelet never gets better with age, in my opinion (that said, I will admit, sometimes we do put one on a plate in a warm oven until the other is done so Mr Beeper and I can sit down to eat our omelets together)

And here, is my favorite omelet recipe, for those who might like to give it a try:

DOWNLOAD FAVORITE OMELET RECIPE

Happy weekend breakfasting.

Read This: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Now, here is a children's book some of you may not have seen before--not because it is so terribly obscure, but, for whatever reason, it does not seem to be a book commonly found in the library or in most bookstores. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (perhaps best known for The Polar Express--and also a two-time Caldecott winner), has been one of my very personal favorites seen I first came across a copy many years ago at a discount book store--long before Beeper was even a gleam in Mr Beeper's eye. But it was the very first book I ever purchased for Beeper--while he was still rolling around in my belly, in fact.

The introduction to this book lays the foundation for what is to come (so don't skip reading it), telling of a mysterious series of illustrations, each intended for a different story, that came into the hands of a children's book publisher many years ago--but the author disappeared and so the full story for each illustration was never known.

And this, of course, is where the reader enters--getting to see each of these beautifully realized illustrations, with just one line of text from the story that accompanied it, but told no more...leaving the reader to elaborate upon each curious illustration, deciding what the story is that would have accompanied each picture, had the author and illustrator completed them.

And each of the 14 beautiful black and white illustrations in this book are at once transfixing, imaginative, and a teeny bit eerie.

The world that emerges through these illustrations is full of wonder and magic. It is a place where caterpillars communicate with humans, where stones come skipping back to you across the water, and where little doors appear in your basement and suddenly open.

How can you not be intrigued? How can you not help but imagine what else might have occurred in the story? And if you are me, you cannot help but want to live in the world of these illustrations, where mysteries reveal themselves in the every day.

(While searching the internet for a bit more info about this book, I did discover that Chris Van Allsburg has a website devoted wholly to this book. The site offers a bit more information about the mysterious Burdick, but more importantly, offers a venue for readers to share the stories they might be inspired to create to accompany the haunting illustrations in this book. You can read stories submitted by other readers, or submit your very own!)

In My Shop: More Vintage Button Barrettes and Hair Pins

A bunch more lovely vintage button hair pins and barrette sets in my shop. Find them here.

What I Did Over My Easter Break...

Made some little easter coloring books using my tutorial here...

...made lots and lots of candy (does anyone else have the issue of feeling totally out of control when working with melted chocolate?)...

...made simple paper easter baskets to give out to the kiddies we know...

...and left a mooshy belly bunny as a Toy Society Drop (still trying to make up for the two I missed last year).

What did you make and do over your Easter break?

Lucky Day Give-Away Winner

We have a winner for the little plaid Mr Cottontail--Claire of comment number 36, please step forward to claim your prize (even if you did not leave your email address, as requested, ahem!). But I am happy to know Mr Cottontail will go to a home where a new baby is expected, and where the baby's mama is busy sewing lots of little clothes for it...how could Mr Cottontail be anything but perfectly content in such a home?

And thanks for all the comments about what you do and what you wish you could do better or at all. As for me, well, of course I love to sew, with reclaimed materials preferably (and I admit I love hand-sewing most because it is meditative--especially when you do it while watching MadMen). The list of things I wish I could do includes quilting (please, no questions about the quilt to be--still psyching myself up to begin it), crocheting, screen-printing, and sewing clothes for myself...the list could go on. I also wish I knew how to make full use of my camera...see, Mr Beeper bought me this very lovely camera a year or so ago as a gift, and I know how to use a mere fraction of its functionality. But I suppose these are all things to aspire to when the days comes that I might actually run out of other things to do? You know, when hell freezes over and pigs fly and stuff? Or maybe one day I will just burn out really hard on making toys and plushies and stuff and then turn to crocheting, never to be heard from again...

Whatever the case, Claire dear, please contact me with your email address and the blue plaid bunny is all yours. And thanks again to all of you for your comments...makes me want to create some sort of challenge around learning that new crafting technique you always wanted to learn...