Alina's Adventures

How to make an easy-sew cash ornament.

What to do with all the Romanian lei in our piggy banks? How to bring a little Romania onto our tree? Why not stitch an ornament?

supplies

1 Romanian cash leu (or euro or dollar or whatever)
thread and machine (use a constrasting thread color)
piece of colorful fabric cut to same length as cash
hole puncher
six inch hemp twine or whatever string for hanging

how-to

First, use your hole puncher to punch as many holes as you like in your money. Clever folks can punch a shape if they want to get frisky.

Then fold your bill down the center with your chosen fabric inside the bill. Make sure the printed side faces up so you can see the colors through the punched holes.

Use your machine to stitch together the edges, leaving a little room at the top for the string. Fold the string in half and tuck it 1 or 2 inches inside the folded fabric. Then stitch and backstitch to secure. Play around and make stitch designs until you're satisfied. Now you have a durable, longlasting ornament that can easily be slipped into an envelope to travel across the states and excite loved ones who come from Romania. Or whatever your native country might be. 

DIY woodland tea party cards.

Since their valentines to E. and A. would travel by mail, the kids buzzed and begged to make "different valentines" for their further-away friends. So we created these woodland tea party cards, which can serve as a valentine or just a special way of connecting with treasured friends by mail.

SUPPLIES

cardboard or cardstock
scissors
glue stick 
watercolor paint
paintbrushes
water
newsprint paper (or another thin kind of paper)
stickers of various woodland creatures
stickers of tea party set (or cut-outs from magazine)
plastic bags and mailing labels

PAINT

Start by using the newsprint paper as a place for a painting frenzy. Arm all with paintbrushes, watercolor paints, and a little glass of water. There is no rhyme or reason to the painting- just the impetus to add an assortment of colors and brush strokes. When finished, set aside the painted paper to dry.

PICK

Now have the kids go through their sticker collection, looking for stickers of woodland animals. At this point, I should add that the kids revised my original idea by including stickers of toadstools and flowers, in addition to the requisite tea party pot and cups. If you don't have tea party stickers, then flip through magazines and cut out a few pictures of tea cups and kettles. Your friends can use a glue stick to add them to the woodland tea party scene.

Stickers were chosen and put into plastic baggies with a label and a name on the front. 

EXPLAIN

Finally, the kids included a message to their friends, instructing them to create their ideal woodland party tea scene with the added request that, perhaps, at their next meeting, they might act out the woodland tea party of their dreams.

As she sealed the envelopes, Prophet told me that she "loved making the kind of valentine" she "wanted to get." My "me, too" went without saying.

Learning about oval shapes with insect collages.

In learning about shapes, I've found it easier to relate the shapes we draw to the shapes we find in nature. Every shape exists in perfect form somewhere in your backyard....

Yesterday, we talked about OVALS, the shape that looks like a stretched circle. And we built our own insect friends from circles and ovals snipped from magazines. 

Of course, I built bugs alongside the kids...

Gnome raved about her "buggies".

The Eldest would not allow himself to be limited to common shapes.

If he perceived a butterfly, a butterfly appeared.

I loved how he cut stripes for the back of one beetle.

Using paperclips to count, measure, and craft.

We decided to explore the bendable, marvelous world of the common paperclip today. As usual, it began with a doodle that turned into a coloring page and handout. You can download your own version (free, as always) below.

PAPERCLIPPINGS HANDOUT AND COLORING PAGE (PDF)

First came the counting. The Prophet counted ten paperclips, reduced the pile by three, increased the pile by seven, and then divided the pile in half. There are so many ways to play counting and math games with paperclips.... So so many. Even the Gnome couldn't help counting out her own pile and making additions to it.

Key to the crafting was the counting out of paperclips and the measuring and lining up of like paperclips. We measured shoes, hands, feet, belts, dolls, and books. 

"That book is 6 paperclips wide and 3 paperclips long," said the Prophet.

PAPERCLIP MEASUREMENT GRAPH (PDF)

After the counting and graphing, the Prophet was ready to start working on her paperclip necklace.

We whipped out the washi tape and started linking the clips.

Borrowing a few tutorials I found online, we spent some time crafting and creating an assortment of necklaces (i.e. we fooled around). Key to the crafting was the counting out of paperclips and the measuring and lining up of like paperclips.

So the chain-making began....

Matching different widths of washi tape to different paperclip sizes.

After making a chain using large and medium sized paperclips in alternating patterns, the girls sorted the thick washi tape rolls from the thin washi tape rolls. We agreed that using the thick washi tape rolls with the larger paperclips would look better and cover the right amount of area. 

We tore off pieces of tape to simplify our "bead-making".

As the Gnome and the Prophet applied the tape, they made sure to cover what the Prophet called "loose ends"- the parts of the paper clip that moved and shifted. In so doing, they ensured that the necklaces would "stick".

Paperclipping possibilities abound.

What we're doing this morning: Making beaded cards.

It looks difficult to read, but the printable PDF below is much clearer.

DIY BEADED CARDS HOW-TO (PDF)

DIY wrapping paper made from kids' crafting leftovers.

Blue turned green when we recycled our cooperative ocean craftivity into lovely holiday wrapping paper. 

We glue their fish friends to the top of the ocean wrapping for flair.

Then attached some glittered snowflake garland to bind disparate gifts together. 

Holiday mantles, crafting, and the usual flurries.

I am behind on the holiday season this year- boxes still sitting in the corridor, always, the books, lining the walls, making it difficult to remember what precisely I was going to do next. Always, the hope that my family understands (despite their possible annoyance) that I am doing my best.

The matyroshka mantle working its way into being.

But I have done my homework- a long list of links to projects for handmade holidays. I hope you find something to use and create. 

Just click on the big image for a gateway in holiday crafting. And savor the season..

Make your own lemon verbena water.

Flashback: In one of her efforts to treat to me to lady-like luxury, my mom purchased a spa massage for me. I was the only woman in the building wearing flip-flops and lacking a manicure. Despite my discomfort, I discovered something delicious in the waiting lounge- a pitcher of ice water with garden herbs floating inside. This information inspired our experiment today. 

On a hot Alabama summer day, after lamenting the vitality of garden weeds, we decided to add some freshly-picked lemon verbena to a pitcher of iced water. Sure enough, the taste is amazing and refreshing. Just a reminder to get creative and step harvest some herbs to add to ice water- you'll be surprised at the delicious result.

"Let down your golden hair!"

That's what Micah and Milla have been insisting from the corner all day. The fairy tale notebook which we began at the start of 2013 is the perfect company to our extended earth-washing also known as rain. We read Andrew Lang's version of Rapunzel from the Red Fairy Book (you can find it for free online at glorious Gutenberg). 

Then Micah and Milla created a few illustrations for their notebooks of Rapunzel and the tower as I printed up a few copies of our sight word cards for the story. We use the sight word cards instead of illustated texts. Usually, after reading the story, I will take out the cards and discuss the story with them. I'll sound out the words and point to them as we go through the cards. Then, after lunch, they have a chance to re-tell the story in their own words using the cards as props. 

Rapunzel Sight Word Cards (PDF)

Underlying assumption confession: Telling stories helps kids learn to communicate and establish cause-effect relationships inherent in human (and fairy) life. It also empowers them to tell their own stories, whether real or imagined, as a means of communicating their needs, fears, concerns, joys, and questions.

I didn't have a craft planned for the day, but with a little scurrying and the right amount of pressure from craft-hungry little folks, I mustered up a tower and Rapunzel paper doll for imaginary play.

Micah's paper doll (picture above) hangs out in her tower window thanks to her paper dress and a few pipe cleaners. You can make your own Rapunzel of the Paper Tower if you promise to forgive my slap-dash instructions and use them as an opportunity to riff on the melody.

Underlying assumption confession: Riffing rocks in both music and real life. It offers its own energy and approximates synergy.

 

SUPPLIES

three sheets of white cardstock paper (or other heavy paper)
watercolor paints and brushes
several long strips of colored yarn in the lightest colors you can find
scissors
stapler
ink pen
colored pencils 
2 pipe cleaners (bend in half and staple two ends together inside at neck of dolls) 

 SLAP-DASH HOW-TO

Have each child watercolor a sheet of cardstock to serve as tower. Use ink pen to draw a Rapunzel paper doll (and a baby Rapunzel if needed) on cardstock. Cut out paper dolls and give to kids to color as towers dry. Make a fold in tower and cut a small curved square towards the top for window. Roll paper tower and staple into tower shape.  Cut out paper dolls and add pipe cleaners to make puppets. Popsicle sticks would be much better, but we improvised. Fold over yarn or string and staple to top of doll's heads. Explain to kids that paper dolls lack nerves in the head so stapling doesn't hurt them. Compare to the plight of the nerve-laden homo sapiens sapiens.

Milla's Baby Rapunzel hangs out.

Come to think of it, Baby Rapunzel looks a little bitter. My bad.

As Max and I slaved away learning about "karma" in The Story of the Robber Chief, the girls added horses, princes, and even a baby doll to act as the "witch". The refrain was, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair...." Did I mention that Micah wanted to know why Rapunzel had "golden hair"? My answer was probably not very factual, but I told her that many people want to have blond hair because they think it is pretty and so they spend lots of money and time dyeing their hair blonde.

MICAH:
"So they can be like Rapunzel?"

ALINA:
"Or something like that."

MICAH:
"But Rapunzel has to wash her hair every day for it to stay pretty because I heard in the tv news at Bunica's house that blonde hair gets greasy..... So she has to use a lot of water ALL THE TIME!"

ALINA, trying not to laugh:
"Okay Micah, I'll let you play now."

MICAH:
"Yeah mommy but MY Rapunzel dyes her hair reddish pinkish 'cause she wants it that way. The Prince will be SO surprised when he screams at the tower, won't he? 

DIY ironwood branch spools.

Since the image is as blurry as my eyes without glasses, I've included a printable version below which is much, much easier to read. What you are making is an ironwood branch spool which can be used to store large amounts of string, twine, garland, ribbon, or even yarn. The metal hook is optional- it can be added so you can hang and display your spools on the underside of shelves or for easy access in your craft room.

YOU WILL NEED

a saw
hammer or drill
nails, screws, or wood glue (nails are stronger and last longer)
one wooden dowel under 2 inches thick
ironwood or other very dense wood branch
a small, screw-in metal hook (optional)
  DIY ironwood branch spool printable (PDF)

Tip: We used screws and I wouldn't do it again as they tend to come unscrewed with all the twisting and turning of the spool. Nails are probably your best bet.

DIY watercolor bookmarks for holiday gifts.

Bookmarks make lovely gifts- especially tucked into a favorite book you are sharing. Though books themselves are increasingly demode these days, those friends who have't lost their bibliophilia will appreciate what has become a quaint and traditional gift.

YOU WILL NEED

thick watercolor paper
watercolor paints
paintbrushes
water
twine or string
tiny beads
a non-bleeding ink pen or sharpie
scissors 
holepunch 

Rather than painting each individual bookmark, you will paint one large piece of thick watercolor paper as you please- I chose a beach landscape for one and a geometric pattern for the other. Don't worry if, like myself, you lack skill or experience using watercolor paints- just combine colors that attract you. You can add a water wash afterwards to dilute any strong colors or soften the edges.

When you have finished painting, let it dry overnight. The next day, use your scissors to cut the painting into six long strips, each of which will be used as a bookmark. Punch a hole at one end. Then decide if you want to use a pen to add a quote to the bookmark.

Now get your twine and loop it through the hole at one end. Add a few beads and tie knots between them for extra effect. 

A simple, handmade gift sure to brighten the room and heart of any book lover. And the holidays continue...

Holiday light awards: A family tradition.

For as long as I can remember, we've taken an evening to drive around town through neighborhoods and along back roads selecting the homes with our top three outdoor Christmas light decorations. As more of the munchkins have learned to communicate verbally, the awarding process has become a more boisterous and democratic affair. 

Some evening this week, we'll go for our drive and add Tino to the family mix. In the meantime, Meghan helped the kids make award ribbons to place on the front doorsteps of the top three winners. The back of each ribbon reads, "Thank you for making our town a more beautiful place and for sharing your love for the holidays with everyone."

If you'd like to try this on as a family tradition, here's the how-to on making the award ribbons. 

YOU WILL NEED

cardboard box flap
glitter glue 
scissors
crayons
little hands
marker or thick black pen

Begin by cutting one cardboard box flap from the cardboard box. Then divide and cut the flap into three long pieces. Select the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winning ribbons and use crayons to label them (Max did the labelling for us). Now turn over each ribbon and write a thank message on the reverse- something akin to "Thank you for making our town a more beautiful place and for sharing your love for the holidays with everyone."

After you've finished decorating the ribbons with crayons, use glitter glue (we like Crayola) to add a border and to accent the numbers. Now set them out to dry overnight- glitter glue takes a long time to really set if it is used as puffy paint.

Pick an unrainy night to drive around and award the ribbons. Make sure you have a nice Christmas music CD packed to bring along and play for the journey. For extra fun, print a map of your city afterwards and have map-knowing kids label the year's winners on the map. Add it to your Christmas or family scrapbook.

DIY cardboard box nativity diorama.

Thanks to Suebee, we have a beautiful and precious nativity scene. Unfortunately, it is too beautiful and precious for the kids to play around with. Solution? Let's make our own play-friendly nativity scene from one of the cardboard boxes that just arrived in the mail.

SUPPLIES

colored pencils
glitter (optional)
white glue
scissors
cardboard box
paintbrush and black paint
pipe cleaners
masking tape or thick tape
construction paper or other thick paper
printout of three nativity diorama coloring pages
(Nativity diorama sheet 1,  Nativity diorama sheet 2,  Nativity diorama sheet 3)

Print out the nativity diorama sheets and let the munchkins color them as they see fit. Yes, this means camels will be yelllow and hair will be purple. All part of the charm. As they work on this, you can cut the bottom flap from the box and use the black paint to create a night sky above the top of the manger scene.

Let the paint dry and use your scissors to start cutting out the images and pasting them to construction paper or sturdier paper. You can cut out the figures with paper backing while the glue is still wet. Add glitter and glue to stars or wise men gifts as you see fit.

 Now comes one of my favorite parts- the Max invention (a.k.a. the opportunity to use those pipe cleaners). If your box is anything like ours, the night sky did not wish to comply with our request for it to stand up and stop falling over. 

Suddenly, a star shone down on the shack we fondly call our castle- the light of Max's mind. "I know!" he blurted out and ran to the craft drawer, returning with a few pipe cleaners and a roll of thick tape. Then he explained how putting the pipe cleaners into the cardboard siding and taping them down in the back would provide "invisible stability". Boy was he right. It worked perfectly!

In fact, we had Max add his pipe cleaner stability to all the stand-alone diorama pieces since they exhibited the same tendency of flopping over. 

As Max created these backing pieces, we glued the holy family onto the back side of the box. 

The wise men held their gifts proudly without flopping over. The bendable pipe cleaner backing- bent into a v shape- also allows for flexibility of positioning.

All that was left was for the kids to position everyone atop the piano. Perfect.

DIY salt dough bead ornaments.

Back when Max first created a batch of salt dough beads, I promised to show how we used them to make ornaments. Then, I forgot. Today, however, I remembered. So here's the simple loveliness.

YOU WILL NEED

thin jewelry twine or rope
sparkly beads
your kid-crafted salt dough beads
scissors
needle (optional) 

Tie a knot at the bottom of a 6 inch piece of twine. Then put a salt dough bead onto the twine- use a needle to enlarge the bead's hole if it closed a bit while drying.

Continue adding dough beads interspersed with small sparkly beads until you get the look you want.

Tie a loop at the top for hanging and cut of any extra twine. These simple ornaments look great hanging above windows or even mirrors in bathrooms.

DIY painted pinecones with kids.

Another super simple way to add holiday spirit throughout the house while bringing the outside in.

SUPPLIES

fine glitter
glue
acyrlic paints
paintbrushes
tiny helping hands
pinecones from the yard

It's hard to give instructions for such a simple craft. Spread out some newspaper, pass out paints and brushes, and let the kids paint the pinecones as they please. Once they have dried a bit, give them glue to touch to the tips of the cones and then sprinkle glitter over them. Add them in unilluminated corners to bring some holiday joy throughout the house.

DIY holiday headband.

Sewing baby blankets with minky fabric has left me with lots of minky scraps. Today, I stumbled upon a great use for these super-soft pieces in making holiday headbands.

SUPPLIES

Scrap minky fabric (I used ivory)
Sequin ribbon
A small strip of elastic 
Thread and sewing machine (I used green thread)

Pick up a scrap rectangle and stitch a line of sequins straight across the center of the fabric using a zigzag stitch. Stitch back across again using the zigzag to secure your sequins.

Then grab your minky, pick up the elastic, hold it up to the head for which you are stitching, and pin the elastic so it fits snugly around the head.

Remove the fabric and elastic and turn the minky with the wrong side up. Pin both sides in with one on top of the other (your sequin should run straight down the center of the other side). Make sure your elastic end is pinned between the layers of fabric.

Stitch around the edges of the folded and pinned minky and make sure to backstitch several times over the area with elastic (it needs a little extra securing).

My apologies for the image-less tutorial, but I didn't take all the right photos. It happens more than I like to admit.

DIY salt dough beads.

Basic salt dough beads are the building blocks of many things from garlands to jewelry. You can imagine my pleasant surprise when Max decided that his project for the day would be to make salt dough beads. All by himself, mind you. "With no supervision". Here's how he did it.

YOU WILL NEED

large metal bowl
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup warm water
newspaper
wooden spoon
pencil
acrylic paints
paintbrushes
acrylic gloss 

First he assembled all the materials. This included a spatter of flour in places that have never seen the light of day in our kitchen. It's amazing how flour gets everywhere.

In a large bowl, he combined the flour and salt and mixed them well with his wooden spoon. When he was done mixing, parts still looked a little lumpy but this mother held her tongue (and it turned out just fine).

Then he took out the mixture and put it on the clean countertop. He kneaded it well until all the flour and salt were combined and the dough was firm and fairly solid.

Finally, he invited his sisters to help him make beads. To do this, he rolled small amounts of dough of varying sizes between his palms until he had what looked like little balls or marbles. Then he poked a pencil all the way through each bead and made a hole to string thread or wire.

Meanwhile, Micah disregarded his patient instructions, rolled her little balls, and made snowfolk from them. After the beads and snowfolk were made, they were laid out on a sheet of newspaper to dry overnight. We put the remainder in the freezer where it can be thawed and used to make other salt dough creations on a rainy day.

Baked beads anyone?

The next morning, Max wanted those beads to be ready so he could make a gift for some friends who happened to be visiting that day. So he baked the beads at 350 degrees for an hour and then removed them and waited for them to cool. In the meantime, he assembled paintbrushes, acrylic paint, and wet rags (the best way to really clean a brush between colors).

Then the painting began- they painted their beads and chatted about making leaf stew and other such late autumn delicacies. The final result just needs a coat or two of clear acrylic gloss (right next to the acrylic paints at Michael's) to seal the deal. Bracelets were made for friends. Stay tuned and tomorrow I'll show you how we used our beads for holiday decorating....

DIY acorn wire wreath.

A simple little wreath with a nod to the cleanish curves of a coathanger. 

SUPPLIES

a wire coathanger
5-10 acorns
wax paper
scissors
sewing machine and thread
a few sprigs of evergreen
a few magnolia  leaves 
a little bit of twine 
pieces of ornament hanging wire (optional) 

First twist the coathanger into the shape of a circle and loop the ends securely.

Visit your trusty sewing machine friend and pick a thread color that suits your fancy. Then use the scissors to cut three or four rectangles or triangles which can be folded over to comfortably house an acorn. 

Using a decorative or simple stitch and beginning in the top center of each acorn packet, sew the acorn into its wax paper packet. Leave varying lengths of thread tails (between 5 and 10 inches) on each acorn package.  Do this for 3-10 acorns.

Use the thread tail to tie your acorns to the bottom of the wire wreath.

Cut a few lenths of matching thread (or use the ornament hanging wire as I did) to secure your evergreen springs to the wire. Wrap it around the base and one more time somewhere in the center of each sprig.

DIY mod circle cards.

Cultivating a simple phase right now- just gave away three boxes of holiday decorations which suddenly overwhlemed our small house.

 

SUPPLIES

unlined notecard

blank envelope

colored pencils

watercolor paints

paintbrush and water

blank address labels

 

Use your colored pencils to draw a straight line of circles horizontally across an address label. Vary colors for fun. Did I mention how EASY this would be? Then whip out a card, afix the label to the center, and paint inside each circle with a different watercolor paint. Make a batch of twenty and give them as a gift to neighbors or friends. Or use them as gift cards. By all means, have fun with them.

DIY tape roll mini wreaths.

We've been going through the rolls of tape recently, and the kids have been using them as wheels in their imaginary play. I snuck a tape roll and played around with it this morning to see if it would give in to its natural calling as an upcycled wreath.

For this super-simple project, all you need is a tapeless tape roll (you can use any size- don't throw away the masking tape rolls, the packing tape rolls, or even toilet paper rolls which can be diced to make lots of little wreaths), a strip of scrap fabric, a bit of twine or string, and some fabric glue.

I cut the front from a torn button-down shirt and decided to keep the buttons as baubles. Then I just wrapped it around the tape dispenser, secured the end with the fabric glue, and added some twine to use as a hanger (though it seemed to bulky so I used an aluminum hanger instead.

There are so many directions and flavors in which you could take these mini-wreaths- and so many ways in which little hands could contribute. I'd love to see your wreath ornaments...

DIY gift card packets made by little hands.

Making handmade "thank you" cards is one of my favorite ways to combine the multiple creative talents of the munchkins into handmade gifts for family and friends.

Everything begins with a blank piece of paper, some crayons, and the minds and hands of small folk.

SUPPLIES

double-sided tape
watercolored crayon resist drawing by munchkins
scissors
handmade cards for the gifting 

Cut the drawing into longways strips 1/4" wider than the size of your double-sided tape.

Assemble a stack of four or five handmade cards and pick up a strip. Add a piece of tape to one end of the strip.

Then lay the other end over the cards and attach the taped end on top. You are done!

There's something about seeing a nice stack of handmade holiday gifts that makes our dreary wintry rain less gray.

 

Cross-stitching with boys.

Recently, I discovered that the world retains many sexist boundaries which discriminate against men. Being a woman in a college town makes it hard to avoid the sexism encountered by females- but men and boys run into their own unfair brick walls. Because somewhere somene decided that cross-stitching is a female sport. 

Even my mom, who became a female physician at a time when women only dared become nurses, almost rolled her eyes when I told her that Max was learning how to cross-stitch. "That's not something boys do, Alina," she declared. Max's face turned a little red as he replied, "Actually, it IS something boys do because I'm a boy and I'm doing it."

Since Max has trouble dealing with frustration and tends to get lost in worlds of his own making which he hasn't yet learned how to share with others, he often complains about a sense of misplaced malaise. I can't fix the world for him (I've certainly tried), but I can show him ways to cope with the things he can't control. I can help him use his hands to create things which outlast his anger or annoyance. I can open the door to the secrets of crafting and creating- how it soothes the ruffled soul. 

I also thought that our early explorations of geometry would dovetail nicely with a little cross-stitchery. Here's how:

• Creating design requires finding mean and median of squares
• Addition and subtraction skills required to calculate symmetrical designs
• Spatial awareness of a plane
• How squares make up other geometric shapes
• Familiarity and comfort with geometry and design

The other benefit is the patience and perserverance to set a goal and complete it- to find something you can do right when it feels like everything else you do goes wrong. We all need that "something". It seems that Max loves cross-stitching ("it's like the pixels in the old video games") enough to crave it every evening and in the mornings as well. He is working on stitching designs for Christmas gifts- I will add them to ornaments or bookmarks or even frame the larger ones.

YOU WILL NEED

several strands of embroidery floss
large needle (we used a tapestry needle)
embroidery hoop
the free Anchor 1st Kit PDF download
graph paper
pencil and erase
colored pencils 

After Max drew a few hearts on graph paper and counted the squares, noting the distance between them vertically, he seemed ready to start stitching. I explained that he was going to work on a "sampler" with counted cross stitch, meaning that he would count the stitches on the graph and transfer that pattern to the fabric.

The steps from here are an indivual process- I outlined it in the free printable A Not-Big Person's Guide to Cross-Stitching below.

A Not-Big Person's Guide to Cross Stitching (PDF)

You can also print a lovely freebie from Yarn Tree that promises to teach cross-stitching in less than five minutes. I found the graph and pattern to be helpful in reinforcing Max's burgeoning stitching skills. Other spaces with cross-stitchspiration for not-big stitchers include DLTK, Mochi Mochi Land, Vermillion Stitchery, and The Caron Collection. Now I'm off to see what to stitch from Max's cross-stitch creations. 

DIY herbes de Provence gift.

Spending my 7th grade year at a school in Nancy, France opened the doors of world to me at an age when I needed badly to understand that there was more than hairspray and perms to life. One of my favorite tastes- apart from pamplemousse sorbet- left by those heady young days is the taste of "herbes de Provence". 

When I returned to France after graduating high school, the reason was a backpacking trip across Europe with very little cash and lots of ingenuity. Tucked inside my backpack was a tupperwarer container and a jar of herbes de Provence to season anything I made (including tomatoes, cheese, bread, and other fresh market finds). It never let me down. So why not give the gift of southern France to family and friends this year?

YOU WILL NEED

a glass bottle with lid
blank mailing address labels 
a pen
various herbs for the herb mix recipe (see below)
a mixing bowl, preferably ceramic
a wooden spoon 

To make a mix of Herbes de Provence, combine the following herbs in a porcelain or ceramic bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Don't skimp on the fennel seed- many recipes do, and it misses the flavor of France entirely.

2 tablespoons thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons marjoram
1 tablespoon savory
1 tablespoon chervil
1/2 tablespoon lavender
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed 

If you are unfamiliar with these herbs, maybe watch the related episode of "What's This Food?" online which should help you select the right ones and get a little historical context for the legacy of the herbes.

Once you've made your mix, use your pen to create a label for the glass bottle. The more personal, the better. I included information about how to use it- namely, on salads and vegetables, my favorite choices. You can also include a few recipes for chicken, fish, or roasted vegetables using herbes de Provence.

DIY rose petal dryer bags.

My sister brought organic dried roses for me from Boulder, Colorado- and I haven't felt much like drinking rosehip tea lately. On the other hand, having a baby with sensitive skin makes dryer sheets and fabric softener a no-go at the castle. So I decided to make rose petal dryer bags to make the laundry come up roses. Simple and oh so sweet.

SUPPLIES

dried roses and petals
wooden spoons (or a hammer)
muslin fabric scraps
reddish thread

Rosebuds tumbled onto the table top. The dried roses were still intact, so I took out a few wooden spoons and asked the kids to "gently crush" the roses into smaller pieces but not into a powder. I've found that the more descriptive my instructions, the more satisfaction the kids seem to get out of the task.

There's something marvelous about the integrity of a dried rosebud- the way you can see it's individual figure and shape in the drying. Max did not want to "crush" them, so he studied them as the girls took to the tough task of crushing and whopping.

As the kids crushed the rosebuds, I found a few scraps of muslin fabric and cut them to the size of 3" by 3" squares. Then I put them together wrong sides facing each other and basted them using my sewing machine. I left a spoon-size opening for flipping and stuffing. I was also very careful to backstitch and secure my ends.

Then I flipped the little 3"x 3" baggies right sides out by pulling them through the opening. The kids used a kitchen spoon to fill the baggies halfway with rose petal crushings.

Finally I rolled in the opening and used an ornamental stitch to close and line the entire dryer bag- because there's a difference between laundry that smells like roses and laundry covered in tiny pieces of roses.

The almost- final result.... The I-still-need-to-cut-loose-threads-and-clean result... Each one can be thrown in the dryer about ten times for a strong rose scent. After that, they make great baby doll and dollhouse pillows. If you'd like a few of your own readymade, visit my etsy page and make a custom order request. I'd love to fill your day with roses.

How to make Alina's advent activity chain with kids.

Three kids means one chocolate candy inside the advent calendar becomes a daily hassle. And painting has been all the rage around the castle these days. So here's what we did and how we did it.

The "why" is always more convoluted, though this time it includes something like wanting an advent calendar tradition- a new one that must be carefully handmade every year as a cooperative acitivity rather than one which we take out of old boxes. Add to that the inspiration of a traditional advent chain in which you snip off each box as the day passes (oh the joy of watching the chain get shorter!) and it was clear something new was in the air.

SUPPLIES
watercolor paints
old newspapers
a clothing iron
printout of "alina's advent chain" (see below) 
cotton thread and needle or sewing machine
long piece of twine or ribbon 
shape stencils (if you prefer) 

Alina's Advent Chain (PDF)

First the kids painted some old newspapers we had lying around the house. Free style painting always looks good when hits are at the wheel. We set them aside to dry.

Then I printed out the advent chain printable and snuck away to a secret corner to cut out the numbers and activities. I like to give the gift of surprise concerning our activities for the day- and the kids tend to look forward to it more that way. 

Next I made a few notes for myself in my planner about what activity would take place on what day- some activities require a bit of prep work. 

To finish the advent chain pieces, we borrowed some neat tips from Michele on how to iron painted newsprint. The kids enjoyed crumpling and "scrunching" their painted newsprint and then I took out the iron and ironed the crumpled paper flat. Occupational hazard: newsprint and watercolor dust still on my fingertips.

Scissors appeared and the kids cut squares and rectangles from the ironed, painted newsprint. I cut a sample size for them as a model. No sense in being surprised that they can't guess the right size if I don't show them.

As I scurried back to the sewing room with the rectangles and dates and activities, I left out some newsprint and watercolor for the kids so they could paint some more wrapping paper. Meanwhile, I threaded my machine with white thread on top and red thread in the bobbin to add a little zest.

To close the packets, I folded over the rectangles with the fold at the top and placed a number inside the right folded area. I sewed around the loose edges, binding them together, pausing to insert a tightly-folded activity into each packet before sealing it shut (and backstitching to secure it).

I went through this process for all 31 days (we are doing 31 days because the holidays really continue up until the new year).

Then I got a piece of twine and placed each date in reverse order starting with 31 at the top and 1 at the bottom. Once I knew where I wanted them, I used a marker to make little notches in the exact location on the twine. 

Finally, I went back to the sewing machine and attached the packets to the twine using the notches as a guide. Since a super-long chain was prey to pulling little Milla hands, I ended up sewing two uneven chains which sit side by side (with the help of a little washi tape) along the old ikea bookshelf that has travelled through four different apartments and seven states with me. 

I love the colors, the tiny details, the way in which our calendar this year isn't another overwhelming space of red and green gooeyness. The kids are already wondering what is in each day and have spent time picking their "favorite color day". Who knows- perhaps our advent chain will emerge as an opportunity for perfecting our counting and number recognition?

Making stickers and cards for holiday gifts.

The morning started slowly- Milla picked up the latest virus from our trip to Atlanta and needed us to concoct a nest for her in the middle of the floor. Then I added some colored pencils, markers, and scrap papers to the mix so the munchkins could work on Christmas gifts for family.

Max suggested that we make stickers will all those extra address labels I have that we never use. So we got to "work".

Max worked on his stickers with an eye to the fact that "sometimes you have to send a sad card about someone's dog that died or something."

After we finished making stickers (Milla helped me with the stamps), we decided to use all those scrap-paper sketches for our cards. Fantastic geometric designs were pasted onto blank cards. Is there any doubt that motivated munchkins make the best cards?

The diy necklet.

My kids don't like coats. Or hats. Or all those other things that keep them warm in important place. Over time, I've learned to adjust to the disdain for movement-inhibiting winter clothing by improvising my own creations. One of my most important toddler adaptations- "that which solved many problems"- is the necklet. 

Milla has inherited Micah's necklet, and she wears it with pride. I can throw it in a bag along with hats and mittens and know that it keeps her neck and upper chest warm without putting on a full coat or a turtleneck which will make her feel too hot when we go back inside.

The necklet solves the problem of keeping a warm, woolen scarf around the neck of a child who is more likely to remove it and use it as a jump-rope or hanging vine. So I thought I'd share a super-simple necklet tutorial to help you get started. Of course, if you'd prefer to purchase a ready-made necklet, the y.so.str8 shop will be happy to accomodate your neck-warming needs this winter. Custom orders are encouraged.

The primary ingredient is old, tattered sweaters made from wool. It's a great way to keep the cashmere and let it brighten another year.

My necklet tutorial was sketched out last night by the dim, wavering light of a campfire but I hope you still find it useful. Hopefully, it brings a little campfire family time spirit your way.

To print this tutorial, click on the image, save it and then press print. If you'd like to purchase the necklet pictured, stop by the y.so.str8 shop at etsy. Custom orders are encouraged and delivered in less than two weeks- just in time for the December holidays.

Preparing for handmade holidays....

I'm not as nervouse as I was the first time. There is a pain in my shoulder and arm that just won't hush, but that is the worst of my troubles these days.

A handmade, handpainted ironwood ornament from tornado-tumbled timber.

Craft fairs open a door to exploring new craft mediums and techniques. This year will be the one in which I explored the world of natural wood. The year of the knife, the whittle, the whetstone, and the woodburner. The year of circular saws and tiny black nails that resemble tacks. The year of living in a city that still has large, treeless bald spots from the tornados of 2011.

The pocketbook I finished at Mary's last night.

What would I do without Mary when it comes to sewing for the handmade holiday event this Saturday? I'm not a craft fair person- not the kind who has enough organization and planning to pull off those brief events in which people mill around your "wares".  They pretend to find them "cute" and I pretend to not notice.

The handmade, one-of-a-kind texture and tactile baby book.

Honestly, I would do nothing at all. Not even bother to enter. Mary is the reason for my relationship with my serger and the secret to my audacity at daring to "fair". It's nice to know there is someone with whom I can share secrets as tawdry and tired as wine coolers.

An embroidered handle to match the snaps on a crib bag.

J is for jellyfish.

J is for jellyfish of course. Or rather, j is for jellyfish because I had the best craft idea ever and wanted so much to find an excuse to make it the center of our play today.

We colored some jellyfish from Mr. Printables and then danced listened to the awesome "J Song" on YouTube. Because only jungle Johnny juggles jelly.

Then we shifted over to some jellyfish songs and paper puppet play. You can do the same by downloading the free song sheet below.

Jellyfish Songs (PDF)

And now came the craft I'd been waiting for- the jellyfish mobiles to hang along the hall. How much more fun could life be than to wander through a hallway of jellyfish everyday?

ingredients

tulle fabric
scraps of shiny fabric with weight
gnarly yarn
gnarly strings
tacky glue
glitter
scissors 
tapestry needle
embroidery floss 

First we cut circles of tulle and fabric to act as the jellyfish body.
Then we layered them and laid them to the side.

Next we cut varying lengths of yarn and strings and tied a knot at the top.
The munchkins roughed up the yarn to make it look "active".

Then I threaded a needle with floss and ran it up through the knot and through the tulle and through the "head" (to which we added a little glue and glitter). 
Then we were done. 

Other fantabulous jellyfish mobiles to inspire and admire:

Jellyfish bead embroidery (Hearty Craft)
Crochet jellyfish mobile (Mr. Huckleberry) 
Crepe paper jellyfish how-to (Fun Family Crafts) 
Jellyfish pendant lights (Digs Digs) 
Ceramic jellyfish (Coe and Waito) 
Lovely lace jellyfish tutorial (Bitter Betty Industries) 
Kawaii jellyfish plush (Fluffyghost)
2 liter bottle jellies tutorial (Teach Art and Create) 
Jellyfish stitches (And Stitches) 
Jellyfish watercolor (Isotope Wonka) 

Exploring shapes and textures with prints: A how-to.

Old books and their magic infuse our lives.

Learning by doing about the ancient art of printing began with a book picked up at an estate sale in another state. 

The first stamp experiments involved old styrofoam blocks and wooden blocks. We wanted to see what effect the different materials would have on the textures and depth of the printed shapes. By using some circular styrofoam building blocks, we found that the foam made rich and soft impressions with the ink- impressions that looked almost like smudged fingerprints.

Using the rough edges of wooden blocks as staps showed the rings of the wood as an embedded pattern within the rectangles. Max saw many levels of symbolism in this, and we vowed to set aside some "cool wooden edges" for future wood printing use.

Milla offered us our next printing experiment in the form of a grooved construction piece. We were certain the printed effect would be scandalously cool- and we surprised to learn that, at best, our cross only led to a continuous pattern of four small circles in the shape of a square.

Granted, this would make a great border, but we expected more bang from this experiment. Max pointed out that, in printing, spacing matters- recessed prints and patterns won't show up in the final product. Everything in your stamp needs to be raised at around the same level for it to show up.

Of course, all the experimenting led us to fabrics- and our efforts to print with loose fabric led to dye all over fingers and mumbled fabric prints. Sometimes it's worth skipping the instructions only to learn why they exist in the first place. You really need to create a stamp in order to fully apply fabrics to the art of the printing.

All you need to make a stamp is some wood glue, old blocks, and something worth stamping. Make sure to let it dry before using it.

Stamps made from old upholstery fabric and wooden blocks.

Stamps made from old lace doilies and wooden blocks.

Itching to get started on his official print masterpiece, Max insisted that we had experimented enough and now we were "ready" to create our own patterns using printed patterns. 

He liked the perfect, single circles created by cup prints, so he decided to create 4 x 3 pattern as his base design. Then Max decided to fill in his circles with the soft styrofoam print effect- but he wanted to use green ink.

"I want to stagger the green circles with another color, Mom."

 

Green and purple staggered circles.

Finally, Max decided to "edge in" (his words) with the lace stamp we made. For this, he chose a bright turquoise and treated the stamp like a triangle pattern.

Max prepares the lace stamp for use.

Max's final print pattern, almost finished.

How to dye fabric with blueberries.

I discovered a bag of blueberries picked a few weeks ago in the fridge this morning. Rather than throw them away, we decided to do a little wildcrafting and cook up a batch of blueberry dye.

supplies

a bag of ripe or overripe blueberries
two large pots
stove
little hands
salt
a yard or so of cotton fabric
colander 

how to do it

To make the dye solution, gather your blueberries and put them in a large pot. Add double the amount of water to the berries. Bring your berry and water mix to a boil, then simmer for about an hour.

As the water simmers, you can prepare your fabric to absorb the dye. Soaking the fabric in a color fixative will make the color set in the fabric. For berry dyes, a salt fixative does the trick. Mix 1/3 cup salt to 8 cups of cold water. Then add your fabric to the fixative and simmer for an hour. You should have two pots on the stove happily simmering.

By order of operations, your dye mix should finish simmering first. Remove the pot from the heat and strain the dye mix using a colander. Set aside the pot with the strained dye mixture.

Now check on your salt fixative. Remove the fabric and fixative mix from the stove. Rinse the material and squeeze out excess mixture. Rinse the fabric in cool water until water runs clear.

Finally, everything comes together with the dye bath. Place the wet fabric in the pot with your berry dye. We decided to tie-dye our antique tablecloth, so we tied it with rubber bands before putting it in the pot. Simmer the fabric in the dye mix until you get the desired shade of color. We err on the darker side, since fabric color lightens when it dries. 

For a stronger shade, remove your pot from the stove and allow the fabric to soak in the dye overnight. To preserve the color of your fabric, wash it separately in cold water. And to see how our tablecloth turned out, check back tomorrow because we're going for the all-nighter...

Leaf learning: Signs of fall and watercoloring creations.

A fresh splattering of brown and red leaves lay across our lawn this morning. Our learning adventure for the day was sealed by the seasonal changes. As we collected leaves from the ground, we discussed what happens to deciduous trees during the season of autumn. Max hopped over to the his nature journal to report on the day's discoveries.

something old

The cells at the base of each leaf stem begin to die, forming a barrier that keeps water and nutrients from traveling to the leaf. Chlorophyll, the green pigment in the leaves, begins to break down and other leaf pigments begin to show through or accumulate. Yellow or orange carotenoid pigments (sounds and looks like "carrot") are present in the leaves during the summer, but the bright green of the chlorophyll masks them. As the level of chlorophyll decreases, these pigments become more obvious and the leaf appears more and more yellow or golden. 

something new

Red anthocyanin pigments are not present in the summer- they come to leaves especially in the fall. The anthocyanin pigments form as a result of chemical reactions that occur when temperatures drop and photosynthesis slows. These pigments are responsible for the deep red leaf colors of fall. While early cool temperatures bring about the best fall colors, early frost can ruin the fantastic foliage outright by killing the leaves before the gradual shift in colors can take place.

Inspired by Susie Short's watercolor daydreams, we started our morning with a leaf watercolor event. Because the leaves are irresistibly alluring as their hair tips silver.

watercolor leaves ingredients

lots and lots of freshly-fallen leaves
watercolor paints in tubes
sponges 

first use the leaves as stencils

Dabble paint with a dry sponge brush or a paper napkin to leave an outline of the leaf on your paper or surface. You can stick to one leaf stencil or you can add layers of what looks like "leaf shadows" by shifting leaves slightly and outlining them with "patted-on" paint.

Micah dabbed and then rubbed for an especially ethereal look, while Milla got yellow paint on every secret part of her body.

then use the leaves as stamps

Paint moistened but not drippy paint directly on the leaf itself. The underside of the leaf usually has better raised veins for printing. Place the leaf paint side down on your surface and apply gentle pressure to transfer the paint to the card. 

Repeat this process until you have a leaf which suits your fancy. Allow to printed leaf patterns to dry.

fill in your prints

Using a brush, fill in the stamped leaf pattern with warm autumn colors.  Vary your strokes and don't be afraid to layer your paints over prints and patterns- layering adds dimension and texture.

 If you're like Micah, then you might want to add a rich blue background for your foliage...

But if you're like Angie, you may want to stick with warm colors and mix paints for a background that elicits a little of each color. Either way, your leaf art welcomes the season and its changes.

Collecting moss to make green dye.

Max has been reading about Native American crafts and traditions in this dated but still fascinating book compiled by John A. MacFarlan, one that belongs somewhere on every child's shelf. Today, he regaled us with stories of using moss to make green dye. Off we went in search of moss for the picking....

Some moss was too pretty and perfect to touch.

When we lifted the moss, it came up like a sticker- with a layer of dirt underneath.

Little hands lost in moss.

Max carried the moss bucket.

I can't wait to see how our experiment turns out. The munckins keep remarking on the softness of the moss. I explained to them that some of the best outdoor beds are made with an underlayer or underlining of moss. Moss can also be used to stuff between logs, planks, or twings to insulate a house or hut and keep it warm in the winter. 

Introduction to symmography: A tutorial.

Max's first symmography study- A Window with a Web.

Given the right kinds of line segments, you can find curves formed from a series of straight line segments. Geometry teacher Nancy Powell explains how symmography, a form of string art, brings geometric shapes and parabolas to life:

Line designs utilize basic geometric forms, making curves out of segments. Order and symmetry are the basis of string art's appeal. Elaborate designs can be created with geometric shapes, points, and colored string .Line designs form a basis for mathematical understanding of geometric shapes and relationships of points, segments, and angles. Each of the line segments is really a tangent for each of the curves being formed. But because of what we focus on, we often see the curves. For example, some of the curves that can be created are circles, parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas, spirals, and some less known curves called cardioids, limacons, and deltoids. Yet in each case they were created with angles of different sizes, regular and irregular polygons, and a lot of segments and points.

As usual, the discovery of a thrifted book is what led us to this new fascination.

A book which shows us how to use our protractor, a gift from Pam, to achieve symmertrical curves.

WHAT WE USED

A piece of wood (we used a tacky old engraving which we painted over with navy paint)

Yarn, embroidery floss, and various strings

Hammer and nails (shorter than 1 inch so they don't poke out through back of wood)

Paints (for background and nails, if you desire)

Paper and pencil

HOW WE USED IT

Max created two different symmography designs, and this tutorial will alternate between the two. Max first painted his first wood piece navy blue and his second wood piece yellow. While the pieces dried, he decided he wanted to create two different pieces- a blue experiment with two squares and a happy owl. He used his pencil to draw these squares on one sheet of paper and an owl on a different sheet of paper.

Then we put the paper atop his wood piece and Max hammered in the nails using the paper as a pattern or template. 

Thrilled to be using his new nailing skills which Patrick helped him to develop yesterday, Max placed his nails close together on the curves of the owl head so he could bring out the details.

Max laughs and exclaims:

"Hey mom, you're being selfish with the hammer but it doesn't matter because I can use the plastic hammer with these nails. Maybe I'll go down in history as the first symmographer to work with a plastic toy hammer."

Max wanted to work with triangles and "webby shapes", so he put the dark blue yarn on the bottom to create texture and add dimension to the navy blue paint. 

Then he used green nubby yarn, gold thread, and blue embroidery floss for the details on his blue squares. He played quite a bit with the possibilities by stringing and unstringing until he got just the look he wanted. And I've started my own project for our bedroom, which I'll share as it progresses.

Beautiful beautiful string bubbles from our book to ponder and inspire.

In the meantine, as Max works on his owl and I try not to wet my pants with joy, you can get a detailed, printable explanation from this instructional for the String Art Girl Scout Badge, which almost makes me wish I had Scouted long enough to get past the cookie-selling stage.

The String Art Badge I never earned.

Or you can chase butterflies all around the web to fabulous free symmography tutorials and patterns like these:

A tall flower
A circle
A square or circle burst
A star
Circle 1 pattern
Circle 2 pattern
Nail-less string art for little hands
String art math
Christmas maths pudding pattern
Diamond pattern
Heart circle pattern
Scalloped circle on cardboard
String art teacher notes

Not to mention inspiring creations that make every piece od scrap wood smell like a potential masterpiece:

Sarah's driftwood symmography
Robin's nest on driftwood
Beautiful school string art gallery
Designs in string
The pumpkin
Mind-boggle
Star Wars string art
Earth map
Amazed face

A study of snowflakes.

In 1611, Johannes Kepler published a short treatise, On the Six-Cornered Snowflake, which was the first scientific reference to snow crystals. Kepler pondered the question of why snow crystals always exhibit a six-fold symmetry. He speculates that the hexagonal shape plays an important role in how the snowflake develops.

A drawing from Hooke's book.

Then in 1665 Robert Hooke published a large book called Micrographia, containing sketches of practically everything Hooke could view with the latest invention of the day, the microscope. He included many snow crystal drawings, which for the first time revealed the complexity and intricate symmetry of snow crystal structure.

A snow crystal photographed by Bentley.

Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) was an American farmer and snow crystal photomicrographer, who during his lifetime captured some 5000 snow crystal images. More than 2000 were published in 1931 in his famous book, Snow Crystals. You can view many images of Bentley's snow crystals here. There are many types of snow crystals; we explored the most common at this Smithsonian page.

Snowflakes gave us an opportunity to play with our new compasses and protractors. First we decided to learn how to fold hexagonal snowflakes, paying special attention to symmetry. We used:

• a sheet of white paper
• a drawing compass
• a protractor

8 began by plotting a circle that was 6" in diameter for the center of the page. To find the exact center, we used a ruler to measure the length and height of the page. Then we halved both and used the ruler to plot a point at this half.

Micah works with her compass.

From the center point of the page, Max set his protractor to draw a circle with a 6" diameter. He then used his protractor to divide the circle into six equal slices by drawing six triangles (360/6 = 60 degrees).

Next he folded the circle in half, forming a semi-circle with three 60-degree angles (180/3 = 60 degrees). Max was pretty excited by all the angles and his new toys so we took a little time to discuss symmetry as he played around with the compass.

Then we folded paper into thirds along lines between pie slices.

Now the time came to cut our snowflakes. What type of snowflake did we want to create?

Max: How about one of each?

Oh my. That would mean repeating all the steps above again at least 8 times. I was curious to see how long Max's interest would stay with the snowflakes.

Max helped Micah a little with her cutting.

How to tie a true lover's knot.

This variant of the true lover's knot is also known as a fisherman's knot. It combines two simpler knots to create a strong join between two pieces of line. Max and Patrick used The Foxfire 45th Anniversary Book to figure it out. Here's to sharing...

All you need are two short pieces of rope (or line, in sailor's lingo) and a wee bit of patience. Don't try to use twine or ribbon because the natural curl makes it quite difficult. We learned this from experience.

Begin by making a simple overhand knot. You hold one piece of line in your right hand with the free end hanging to the left. Then you grab the free end with your right hand and bring it down, around, and behind the line to make a loop.

Pull the end over the line and through the loop, pulling it taut enough so that you have a loose loop knot which won't unravel. But don't pull the knot loop closed just yet.

Now hold the first knot with your right hand and pick up the second piece of line with your left hand. Feed the second piece of line through the first knot's loop from behind. Hold the knot and second line together with your left hand. 

Grab the end of the second line with your right hand and bring it up and over the first line and down behind both lines. Then bring it over the second line and through the new loop to form the second overhand knot.

Now you are ready to tighten down each overhand knot by pulling gently on each end and its matching line.

Then grab each line and pull firmly to bring the two knots together.

After a firm pull, the dangling ends usually appear to move up or down from their initial positions as the knot sets when completely tightened.

Finally, you can see the two closely paired strands that give the true lover's knot its name. Why might this be called a fisherman's knot? How would this sort of knot be useful to a fisherman?

Pretend you are an Indian.

Milla enjoyed playing Indian dress-up this morning. And I enjoyed watching her.

I wanted to let you in on a little secret... I have a visceral dislike for machine embroidered flowers and butterflies on store-bought clothes. Whenever we receive such clothing as a gift, I am forced by a strange demon to cover it up immediately.

Applique away your troubles.

If you have a similar demon in your life, here is one way to let in the sunshine. All you need is colorful thread, a piece of scrap fabric, your sewing machine, and dash of whimsy. Cut your scrap to fit over the offending flowers and stitch down the edges with a tight zigzag stitch. Then use your machine to make a tight zigzag spiral, turning fabric as you sew. 

Make a fringed bell ornament with kids.

Max and I couldn't sleep last night- both of us had been reading books that wouldn't stop buzzing in our heads. So we took the opportunity to do a little mother-son Christmas crafting. Our lighting is a little dim, but hopefully you can still see the steps.

For this whimsical classic bell ornament, you will need:

• Paper in two different colors
• Pencil (don't make my mistake by using a thick black pen)
• Scissors
• Needle and embroidery floss
• White glue
• Glitter (optional)
• Jingle bell (optional)
• A Max of your own and the midnight oil to burn

Sketch the patterns A, B, and C on a sheet of paper. Note that B and C should be identical. Then cut out your tracings. We didn't use a stencil (obviously) and used a ruler to try and keep bases the same length.

Use a scissor to fringe the edges of B and C by making small slits up to the inner line.

Glue B and C to the two largest flaps of A. Glue on the underside so that the fringe edges the bell. Fold the remaining two flaps into the underside of the bell and glue in place. Then fold the fringed flaps down like a bell.

Add glue and glitter if so desired.

String optional jingle bell on the embroidery floss with needle. Then use needle to pull floss through center for hanging. Tie a little knot at the top.

Finito. The first crafted ornament of the year.

Our thingamabobby advent calendar tutorial.

Ultimately, I was inspired by so many nifty advent calendars, including this one and this one and this one and this one and more, that I couldn't pick just one to make with the kids. Hence, our own advent calendar creation.

Ingredients

• Advent calendar activities list and readings list (see below for printables and details)
• 2 sheets green construction paper
• 2 pieces of old newspaper or recycled paper
• Scissors
• Crayons
• Hole punch
• One sturdy coat hanger
• One sturdy tree branch at least the length of the bottomside of the hanger
• Tinsel
• Old ornaments
• Colorful pieces of string, yarn, and twine
• 2 or 3 toilet paper rolls
• Scrap cardboard
• Black marker
• Glue
• Glitter
• Stapler
• Pieces of scrap fabric cut into 4 inch circles
• A basket (to hold works-in-progress as you go)

Each package has two slips of paper for each day. One slip has the holiday reading of the day while the other slip has a special activity for the day. Two slips means each of the "big kids" get a chance to participate in the daily festivities. Make sure to print and cut into strips on your own. I stuffed the advent calendar after the kids went to bed. Many of the stories and poems are available for free online at Best Little Christmas Story.

Advent Calendar Activities List

Advent Calendar Readings List

How to play

Create the base by tying the branch to the coat hanger. They should run parallel horizontally with the branch hanging 4 inches beneath the bottom rod. Simple enough, right?

Distribute crayons and 2 sheets of construction paper amongst munchkins. Tell them to decorate what will soon become little folded Christmas trees. Then cut foldable triangles from the paper (about 5 per sheet) and set them aside in your basket.

Now give them each a sheet of newsprint or recycled paper and encourage them to decorate the pages for the holidays. Cut 5 pairs of matching circles from each sheet and set aside in the basket.

Let little ones cut 27 pieces of different strings or yarns. These will be used to hang the advent parcels. They don't have to be the same length. Put them in your basket.

Staple one end of the toilet paper rolls shut and pass out crayons for decorating. Then embellish with a little glue and glitter. Let the rolls dry preferably in the basket).

Set your 4 pieces of fabric in the basket. These will become little satchels holding advent strips. You will close them with a piece of string (leaving a long end) and then tie the long end of the string to the hanger or branch.

Once the kids are otherwise occupied, you can add the advent list slips into each packet, staple shut, punch hole, tie string, and do your thing.

 

Our gnarly advent calendar is hanging in the kitchen.

Upcycled cloth napkins tutorial with help from the kids.

The Coryell Castle officially switched from paper towels to cloth towels six months ago. I didn't think it was possible, but it has become a regular part of our lives to use and wash our cloth towels. So I thought we might be ready to move entirely to cloth napkins...

The only problem is that store-bought cloth napkins require folding and arranging- not a favorite for table-setting munchkins or mommies who loathe ironing. The solution? To create my own 2-ply napkins which only fold once and do not require any extra fluffing.

MATERIALS:

• A long, double-sided table runner (mine was 8-ft) 
• Scissors
• Thread (I used black for contrast and a folksy touch)
• Machine set to decorative stitch

Lay your runner out on the ground and encourage your kids to help you divide it into 10 pieces of (almost) equal size using a tape measure. Mark with a piece of chalk and cut.

Then take the 10 cut pieces over to your sewing machine and stitch up the sides on the outside of the runner. (You are leaving the edges to be frayed by a good run the washing machine and dryer.)

Now consider cooking that food that provides an opportunity to use your new napkins.

How to embroider with the Romanian stitch.

A motif from a crewel-embroidered linen bedspread worked by Mary Breed in tones of pink, yellow, and green. Flowers and leaves are worked in Romanian stitch. Dated 1770.

Of course, my current book obsession includes a Romanian stitch- in the context of the American colonial period, no less. Examples of the Romanian stitch can be found on the crewel-embroidered bed hangings and chair coverings that decorated the home of American colonists. The stitch was actually favored for economy's sake since, unlike the satin stitch, very little thread is wasted on the back of the embroidery. The stitch is often referred to as "Oriental stitch", probably because it was used in designs inspired by Oriental motifs.

HOW TO DO THE ROMANIAN STITCH

Variations on the Romanian couching stitch.

For more on Romanian embroidery motifs and stitches:

• Eliznik's hat-tipping collection of illustrated Romanian stitches.
• Learn Romanian couching (scroll down after following link). 
• Another explanation of Romanian couching.
• A 42-second video demonstration of Romanian couching stitch.
• The wonders of red thread on white linen, a customary Romanian crewel and embroidery color choice.

Turning summer clothes into winter clothes for Milla.

I loved the lace on this old tank and didn't want to let it go just yet.

Last minute upcycling for our trip to Romania, where the weather will often drop to freezing at night. Milla's summer clothes still fit quite well, so I decided to refashion a few into winter clothes. 

The concept is simple.

1. Take a tank or tank dress. Turn it inside out. Set it aside for a second.
2. Find a piece of scrap fabric to use as long sleeves. Or cut some short sleeves off an adult summer tee to use as lovely bell sleeves. Or use some felted wool to make it really warm and skip hemming steps.
3. Put scrap fabric next to existing long sleeves and pin to match. Turn the fabric with wrong side up to stitch inner seam. If then hem the end that will be close to the hand.
4. Attach the makeshift sleeve to the inner side of tank with a running stitch. Pin if you want it to look perfect.
5. You can add a neck flap (like I did for Milla's tunic) if you want a little extra warmth around the neck.
6. Turn everything right side out, inspect, cut extra threads, and enjoy.

Milla sports her new fleece-sleeved tunic, refashioned from a tank that was a little too big and some fleece.

Little neck flaps scream fun.

Scrumptious Millie.

Eco-dyeing results.

"Mom, we have to go see our eco-dyeing!"

First I taught Sunday school without my better half, who stayed home to savor the girls while Max and I churched ourselves. The kids are such a lovely reminder that I am not "teaching" Sunday school but rather studying our journey towards love and life together.

How the fabrics looked when removed from their overnight pot. The gauze fabric is the larger one while the linen fabric is the small one that looks quite purple.

Max picks little plants off the wet linen fabric.

The linen fabric details where you can see the rusted nail prints and the deep purples from the crepe myrtle.

The long view of the linen fabric. You can see the goldenrod stalks and the little bits of green clover.

Then we unfurled our long gauze strip which had been filled with goldenrod stalks and no crepe myrtle. We realized that we forgot to include rusted metal nails in this one, and wondered what effect this might have had on the lighter print. 

Beautiful, delicately printed gauze.

What an awesome experiment! I can't wait to try it with the local plants in the Carpathian mountains of Romania next month. Eco-dyeing is one of those natural arts that you can use to explore the botany and plant life in your travels. Love love love.

Our eco-dyeing experiment.

We did this backwards, picking plants before preparing our fabric, so we didn't mordant the fabrics we used. Enter our first experiments- will the prints work without mordanting the fabric beforehand? (I did soak the fabrics in water with sea salt for an hour or so before placing our plants on them....)

Goldenrod galore.

Then we took an afternoon excursion to a nearby park to collect flowers and plants. Milla fell asleep while Micah moaned about having worn her rain boots on a hot, sunny day.

Max kept the team together and carried the plant-collecting bowl for us. 

Our plant harvest.

Once we got home and unloaded sleeping Milla, Max and I began sorting the harvest. We decided to tear (or cut) the goldenrod flowers from the goldenrod stems for one bowl.

Then we set aside the crepe myrtles on a different plate. We also decided to use some of the goldenrods with stems to see how the leaves would print. Max suggested using a bowl for combined clover leaves and various loose plants that we could mix and match in patterns.

Then we prepared the two chosen fabrics (I use this "prepared" term preposterously). The natural white linen and natural white gauze were each boiled for about 20 minutes in a pot of water mixed with sea salt.

Then we took the fabrics out of the box and wrung the extra water from them before laying them out flat on the sidewalk. The munchkins asked the flower fairies to forgive us our pickings before placing arranging the harvest on the the linen and gauze. Max added two rusty nails for good luck.

We only arranged the plant matter halfway across each fabric. Then we folded the unused half of the fabric over the half with plants. 

I pressed down hard on the folded fabric before beginning to fold it over in an almost-rolling motion. The fabric then looked like the long, wet strip you see below. Max pressed down on the strip and then I folded across the strip into little squares until I ended up with a fat little square. 

Max held the square tightly together as I wrapped and knotted it with twine. Two stout little parcels of printing possibility....

Then things ended on the ugly side- with a boiling pot on the stove and not much color. We simmered our parcels for about an hour in salt water and then moved the pot onto the front steps for the night.

Tommorow brings the excitement of teaching Sunday school with Patrick AND NOW seeing what took place overnight with our fabric. Will the fairies bless our experiment? Maybe replace mordanting with a little magic? It remains to be seen...

Watercolor and pastel sparrow.

Milla was almost named Wren. And today Micah watercolored a sparrow which we first outlined with oil pastels.

Supplies included:

• Watercolor paints
• An old piece of watercolor paper with Micah's doodles on it (I thought the doodles would make a neat background)
• Water
• Paintbrushes
• Gray and blue oil pastel crayons
• A sparrow template for tracing 
• Pencil or charcoal

We started by tracing the sparrow with pencil onto our paper and then outlining the sparrow in gray pastel crayon. We also added a few clouds and squiggles around the sparrow with our pastels.

Then we wet the paintbrushes and started to paint. I added one color to the palate and we painted until we used it all up except for a teensy bit. Then I asked Micah what color I should add to that teensy bit. And what color did she think we would get after mixing a teensy bit with a new color? And so we meandered across the page, color by color, mix by mix.

Micah watercolors over the pastels.

You can see the original doodles on the paper- I hate to waste good paper with a doodle on it.

Micah sits back and contemplates which color to use next.

I love trying to decide whether we will use gouache, acrylics, watercolor, or fingerpaint for each little craft.

Our palette is usually the top wood slat of our "paint box" because I love the colors and memories of colors that greet us each time we pull out the paints.

Turning boring wall art into a bohemian kitsch-fest.

Sometimes when I walk down the hall and lift my eyes to see this brown wood carving, I am practically petrified. How on earth could anything so dull continue to have a hold on my heart? Okay, so it was only $2. But it is ugly. And plain. And unlike anything else in our home. 

I feel cheap just looking at it. If cheap is how I feel, then let it be a cheap that falls sensibly in our hurlyburly bohemian home. Let it be cheap and tacky- not cheap and boring.

Enter the goauche paints, water, paintbrushes, and sandpaper. Micah sanded it down around the edges and through the middle to give that fake-looking patina a little more texture.

And then we whipped out the paints and brushes and brought the boho and the hobo back where it belongs. On our walls. Tacky sweet and now it feels like home.

Sewing for schools: A chair back cover tutorial.

Thanks to Laurie Johns and Heather Crawford, I had the opportunity to sew for our local schools (Northington Elementary, in this case), many of which suffered damage from the tornadoes and continue to suffer for lack of budget priorities in this state. Heather provided all the materials plus instructions on how to sew these chair covers for the schools, so this tutorial really belongs to her. But I don't think she'd mind if I shared it and more moms sewed chair back covers for their schools.

you will need:

• A denim needle
• Strong thread, preferably upholstery thread
• Sturdy fabric yardage (we used red canvas)
• A sewing machine

instructions:

1. Measure and cut your fabric pieces. If you are only going to make one chair back cover, then you will only be cutting one piece. However, it is so easy to make another one once you've started that I strongly suggest cutting fabric for more. Schools, churches, and local centers for battered and abused children always appreciate useful gifts for kids. So..... go ahead and cut a rectangle measuring 15" by 40". 
2. Hem one short end of your fabric piece. Take the short end in hand and press under 1/2" and then another 1/2". Stitch down. 
3. Prepare to finish your other short end. Fold the finished short end (folded and sewn side up) towards the middle of the rectangle to form a pocket 10 1/2" deep. Pin. Then stitch each side with a 1/2" seam allowance.
4. Now sew a pocket on the other end. Fold up that end to form another pocket on the opposite side of the fabric. The depth of this pocket should be enough so that the edge of this fabric almost meets the edge of the first pocket (though they are on opposite sides of the fabric). Pin down. Stitch each side with a 1/2" seam allowance.
5. Turn right side out and you are done!

Elephant on my pillow tutorial.

My sister-in-law, Ashley, loved the elephant pillow in the photo above. When I asked her about colors and backgrounds, she requested a gray background with a yellow elephant.

I'm thinking making a pillow would cost more in shipping and would end up in the too-gross-to-launder pile more quickly. I'm a big fan of decorative pillow cases and covers (as opposed to decorative pillows) when you have little ones in the house. So I'm going to make a decorative pillow cover for Ashley and a generalized tutorial for you.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Fabric for elephant
• Fabric for pillow cover (19" x 42" in my case)
• Colored sewing thread or embroidery floss to add contrast to elephant
• An elephant pattern or template
• Pins and pin cushion

1. CHOOSE AND CUT YOUR FABRICS.

First, you need to decide on the size of your pillow cover. If you have a pillow, then measure it and note your measurements (refer to the tips below on how to do this). If you plan to purchase a pillow, then decide what size pillow you will purchase.

Pillow dimensions always refer to the pillow cover's width and length while lying flat unstuffed. The measurements are taken along the seams from corner to corner and are almost always rounded up to the nearest whole inch. 

Some great advice on measuring pillows from Pillow Decor:

Many people make the mistake of holding a tape measure across the center of a stuffed pillow and then assume that this dimension is the correct measurement of the pillow. If they order pillows based on this measurement, the chances are they will be surprised to find that the pillows they receive are actually much smaller than they wanted. The most common sizes of pillows for sofas are 18"x18" and 20"20". However, larger sofas and sectionals, especially those with deep seats or high backs, may be better off with 22"x22" or even 24"x24" pillows. 

If you are trying to measure your pillows at home and your covers have zippers and removable inserts, take the inserts out before you measure your pillow. If your pillow is completely sewn up and you cannot remove the insert, pinch the two top corners of the pillow and pull the top seam as tight as you can while holding it next to a tape measure. If you cannot pull it completely straight, then add a little length to your measurement (usually 1/2 inch) to get an approximate size. You'll probably be pretty close. 

I am going to make an 18" x 18" pillow cover, so this tutorial will use those numbers. You can make adjustments as needed for your pillow cover size.

For the pillow cover, cut a piece of fabric that is the width of your pillow, plus 1 inch by double the height of your pillow, plus 6 inches. For my 18" x 18" pillow, I cut fabric 19" wide x 42" tall. The only gray fabric I could find in my stash was a heavy-duty light gray upholstery fabric.

Now choose your elephant fabric. The elephant in this photo is made from felt, which gets scummy quickly and isn't the softest fabric for a baby's cheek. It's also hard to find nice yellow felt. So I need a nice, yellow-ish fabric that doesn't feel like felt. I purchased 1/4 yard of yellow canvas that will look cute with white threads along the sides. 

2. CHOOSE AND CUT AN APPLIQUE TEMPLATE.

Now you need to cut this fabric into the perfect elephant applique. Time to start searching for a template....

• Sarah Jame's elephant template is so sweet I want to kiss it.
• Bustle and Sew's free pattern for her lovely marching elephants. 
• Little Birdie Secrets also shares a nice elephant template for printing.
• BluebirdLucy's chunky elephant is a cutie.
• Little Bean Workshop has a tutorial for elephant softie party favors which provides a simple and perfect little elephant template.
• This elephant template would allow me to add on a little applique ear, which might make the scene more interesting.

You can print the template which suits your taste. After printing, cut it out and make sure it fits within your fabric measurements. You want to make sure there is a margin of at least 2-3 inches from the edge, otherwise, your elephant might look uncomfortably full. 

I'm going to use Sarah Jane's elephant template because I like the lines and her elephant reminds me of Eeyore, who ranks as one of my favorite creatures. I traced a few extra lines for threads along the interior trunk onto my fabric.

3. ATTACH YOUR ELEPHANT TO YOUR FABRIC.

Since you are going to sew an envelope-style pillow cover, measuring and spacing is important. Grab that pincushion. Now fold your long fabric piece towards the center leaving an 8-inch overlap. Pin along the overlap. 

Turn your pillow fabric over and center the elephant fabric on the front outside of your pillow. Pin your elephant to the pillow fabric.

You can now remove your pins along the overlap for easier sewing.

Topstitch your elephant to the fabric leaving about 1/4 inch in from the edge. You can use a zig-zag stitch if you prefer to have no exposed edges with this pillow. I'm going to shoot for exposed edges so I'm just using a simple stitch.

If you'd like to add an extra decorative touch, stitch around the elephant twice and cross over your previous stitches in a haphazard fashion.

4. HEM THE EDGES.

After the elephant is attached, hem the short sides. You can fold them over a half inch and iron, then fold them over and iron again. Stitch down along the ironed hem. 

Be sure to change your needle if you are moving to a heavy upholstery fabric (like me). I switched to a denim needle.

5. SEW THE SIDES TOGETHER.

Turn your long fabric right side up and lay it down. Fold your fabric towards the center leaving a 6-inch overlap this time. Pin along the overlap (yes, you've already done this once).

Now stitch down the edges along the top and bottom, leaving a 1/2 to 1 inch margin from the edge. Backstitch to secure.

Cut away your extra fabric and pat yourself on the back (or the upper arm, whichever seems easier). Your elephant pillow cover is ready for its pillow.

I know Ralph doesn't look quite like the big blue elephant, but he seems sweet in his own way. Or maybe that old parent bias is tainting my view.

Boho piano bench skirt tutorial.

Now that Milla's main amusement comes from toddling about the house, the sharp edges of our piano bench rise like fangs from a rabid dog's mouth whenever she rushes past. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but my motherly instinct says the piano bench could use a cover so that when the crash comes, Milla will have a bruise and bump rather than something worth stitches.

I couldn't find any piano bench skirt or slipcover tutorials online, though I did discover a few tutorials for piano cushions. Since I'm going to dress our bench, I figured I might as well share the experience with others. So, let's get started. Might I suggest you go ahead and get that diaper change and nursing festival out of the way? If you're lucky, you might get to sew with the help of a happy, dry, well-fed little assistant.

SUPPLIES

• Fabric yardage for top and skirt-- you can mix and match scraps or go for a single color (I chose contrasting fabrics to add color to a dark and overly classy-looking piano)
• Scissors
• Long strips of fabric for ruffle (if desired) or long strips of lace
• Measuring tape
• Pins and pin cushion

Milla and I found the best tool for this was a tape measure because it allows you to grip the edges as you note your numbers.

The top of the piano bench measured 36 inches length and 15 inches width.

I wanted a skirt that shows a little leg, so I decided to get a measurement from the top of the bench midway down to the floor for my skirt length. 12 inches was the measurement for my below-the-knee piano skirt bench. Since I plan to add a little ruffle to the bottom, 12 inches is perfect.

This project has five pieces. The top piece sits on top of the bench. Pieces A and B skirt the long sides of the bench while pieces C and D span the short sides of the bench.

Before cutting fabric, I always add an inch or two to each edge for finishing. I cut the top piece to measure 37.5 inches length and 16.5 inches width. Pieces A and B were cut to measure 37.5 inches by 13 inches. The 13 comes from adding an inch to the piano skirt length. Pieces C and D were cut to measure 16.5 inches by 13 inches. I laid out my five pieces to get a sense of which was what.

Sewing tip: It helps to use a sharpie marker and masking tape as fabric piece labels. You can label each piece to keep it straight as you sew.

Flip all your pieces wrong side up. You are going to stitch a 1/2 seam along the edge of each piece to the top piece. Start with pieces A and B. Pin them and then stitch 1/2 inch away from the edge on the wrong side. After you finish, turn your skirt right side up and lay it on the piano bench (as in the photo). 

Make sure everything looks fine and dandy. Then turn it over wrong side up and lay it on the piano bench. Time to get that pin cushion.

You will pin all four corner pieces to each other. To do this, make sure you have all the fabric at the top of the corner before you squeeze it together and pin it just under the top piece seam. Continue pinning down the edges all the way to the bottom of the skirt. Your pinning should resemble an upside-down triangle with more fabric at the top and less at the bottom.

Go ahead and pin all four sides.

Fire up your machine and stitch the sides together. Look out for pins as you sew.

Cut off the extra fabric corners once you have stitched the sides together.

Take a deep breath because the end is nigh.

Hemming just didn't excite me today, so I decided to add a little ruffle-thingamabob to the edge of my bohemian piano skirt because our lovely Miss Piano felt a hem would be too Puritan for the sorts of pieces she likes to have played. Of course, Miss Piano did not express this directly. Rather, Milla used her excellent communication skills to translate and convey this to me. Whatever would I do without little Mills to assist me when sewing?

To make your hem, just roll 1/2 an inch under twice and stitch it down. Do this along the entire bottom edge of your skirt.

To make a bright white ruffle like the one below, I suggest The Southern Institute's ruffle tutorial at Pick Up Some Creativity. I am still quite the ruffle novice who loves learning tips and tricks from the more professional rufflers out there. Small apology due for the awful quality of photos-- the time right before dinner means every scene is an action scene.

A perfect little chair back pocket tutorial.

SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Fabric yardage for main chair back cover (I used a blue-white sailcloth)
• Fabric for pocket (I used canvas upcycled dish towel scraps)
• Sewing supplies (needles, thread, machine, fingers, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure the back of your chair. 

In my case, the chair back measures 15 inches wide and 17 inches long. But it also has some little wooden muscles on the sides which cannot be ignored, unless I want the chair to resemble  a weight-lifter bulging through a tight muscle tee.

When I measured the wood on the sides of the chair, I got another two inches to my width. You also need to add an inch or two (depending on your sewing precision style) to both width and length for seams. I decided to go with 19 x 19 inches as my dimension. 

2. Cut your main fabric piece.

At this point, you can cut and pin your fabric one of two ways. If you have a long piece of fabric, you can cut one piece for the main body. Alternately, you can cut two pieces of fabric for the main body and then stitch them together.

The main difference is that the first option only has seams along the sides of the chair back cover while the second option has seams along the top of the chair back cover as well as the sides. I chose to cut one long piece which measured 19 x 13 inches because my materials and vision tend towards the rough-hewn in this project.

3. Cut your fabric pocket.

The pocket should be made from a material sturdy enough to hold books and paper upright. Since you want to pocket to be large enough to hold notebooks and more, it will be almost the same size as your fabric dimension minus a few inches in length and width.

My pocket fabric is 14 inches wide and 15 inches long. You can play around with these numbers until you get a pocket size that suits your aesthetic and practical needs.

4. Hem one edge of your pocket fabric.

On the other hand, if you want a clean look all around, you should go ahead and pin all the pocket edges 1 inch inside the pocket. You can sew all but the top part down as you attach the pocket to the main fabric.

5. Sew your pocket to the main fabric piece. 

Pin it first to make sure it is correctly aligned. If you want the finished look, then make sure your edges are folded in before you start stitching. For a rough edge, like mine, just lay your pocket flat and pin in the corners.

I decided to use a zig-zag stitch again because the sailcloth has such beautiful texture with zig-zags and I wanted to bring that out. To really highlight this texture, I decreased the stitch length to a 2 on my Husky Viking and ran around the edges twice. It isn't so often that I really want the stitches to stand out so much, but the sailcloth just loves it!

6. Stitch the main fabric pieces together.

Now that your pocket is attached, take your fabric and lay it over the top of the chair to get a sense of spacing and proportion. Then spread out your main fabric wrong side up and fold it with the inside facing out. 

Turn your fabric right side out and trim any extra fabric from the edges.

7. Hem the lower edge of the main fabric.

Slip your chair back cover over the chair to see if you need to trim the length before you start hemming.

Keeping with the shabby, zig-zaggedy look, I decided not to tuck under the edges when hemming the bottom. Instead, I just zig-zagged my way across as close to the edge as possible and then pulled a few threads to fray the edge a bit.

If you are going for the polished look, just roll your edge under twice and stitch it down.

8. Cut off all your extra fabric and threads and load 'er up.

Milla decided that a doll's baby bottle really belonged in the pocket. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. Please share links to your similar creations and other chair back pockets so I can oooo and aaahhh.