sewing

Learning through Activity!

Today was one of those days if you know what I mean! I started out the day with grand plans for doing lots of school work and about half way through the morning I was about to give up on all of it! It is Thanksgiving week and we really only have a couple of days to do school work so I figured that if we didnt do anything, it would be ok. So I let then go off to playing in their own little world. And what a world it was. I heard a restaurant that served people and politely asked for orders! I heard about little babies that needed care and pets that needed fed too!



 As they played, their interest slowly switched. Bunny pulled out her sewing machine and made a small pillow (with a tiny bit of help) and Pup found some stickers she wanted to make into a book. So they did!



Next thing I knew they WANTED to do school and dragged me downstairs! They went to work and did a great job! Pup tried the sewing work I put out. She was super frustrated because she couldnt get it, but after showing her a few time she got it! And when she did, the smile on her face and the swinging feet we a sure sign of her pride! 🙂 Bunny wrote a book about Ballet and said she was working really hard on the coloring since that was the hardest part (except the writing of course). She also went on to work with the snake game and she read a book with more then one sentence to a page! Wow! Who knew!



This led me to think a bit today about what was different. I let them go. They were really self motivated today. I didnt say “lets do school”, they chose to do it! Now, it is not practical to do that everyday! If it were up to them, they would only do things hit and miss. So what else was different? Practical Life! Bunny sewed, Pup sewed! They were working with their hands and maybe it helped to focus them. This has me thinking about what Maria Montessori said:

“We found individual activity is the one factor that stimulates and produces development”

“Growth comes from activity, not from intellectual understanding”

They created, worked, and in turn were ready and excited to learn intellectually! So I am thinking that maybe we need practical life to start off our work day. I dont know about you, but I have a tendency to ask Bunny to do her “hard” work before she does the “fun or easy” work. I am thinking that this is something that I need to change! Maybe something easier is a good way to ease into harder work. I am sure that there is alot of research and expert knowledge all about this, but there is something about observing for yourself that makes it so much more real! Work….real work! Has anyone else found this out in their homes or classroom? Do you want to see more Montessori fun? Be sure to visit Montessori Monday! I am linking up over there! Happy Schooling!

Pinning It Down~ Rainbows Week One.

There are a couple of amazing bloggers out there who have had the idea of a century!!!! You know that I (and everyone else out there) is obsessed with Pintrest! There are a million ideas out there and they are all wonderful ones! So we saved them on pin boards that we name and categorize so we can find them easily and at a minutes notice! 🙂 However….sometimes that’s all we do! I know that I post so many things that I know I will never do. But Sarah over at Amongst Lovely Things and Pam over at Everyday Snapshots have put together a plan to help us DO some of them! Each week they are hosting a linky party called Pinning It Down. To play you need to make or do something from a pin board, blog a bit about it, and link up over at their blog! It a simple and fun way to get rolling on some projects that I really want to do! So….here is my first ever Pinning It Down post.

This week I am making things off of my Birthday Pin Board. Bunny will be turning 6 here in a week and a half and I am hard at working trying to plan a Pintrest worthy party, while at the same time keep my budget from going broke! 😉  She chose a theme of Rainbows and Unicorns. So today I made some recycled glitter crayons as party favors, and some rainbow clouds to hang at her party! I started with the clouds. This idea came from an idea I pinned here. It was fairly simple. I cut out some cloud shapes out of white felt (I cut two of each). I then used some blue rick rack I had on hand to to make three tails off of each cloud. Then i sewed the could pieces together! Next,  I cut out six circle of each color, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. These I glued to the rick rack tails in rainbow order! That’s it! They are all ready to hang up on party day!

Aren’t they cute? I love them! They add some much color without looking tacky and cheap. Yet they only cost a wee bit in felt! I love Pintrest!
My next project is something that i have been planning on doing for a long while. I had a million old crayons that were piling up, so I planned to recycled them. I had peeled them ( I soaked them in hot water for a few seconds and they just unrolled out of the wrappers!)  Then I found a great silicone pan that is tiny ginger bread men. I like that it was so small and easy for kids to use as crayons. So off to Pintrest to find the directions! That is when I found some heart shaped ones that glittered here! This amazing blogger used glitter in the pan before she melted them! How cool is that! I needed to try it! So I did. I made a batch of rainbow ones in individual colors, and then I made some mixed rainbow ones! They turned out so well and I think that the kids will love them! Here is how they turned out!

Aren’t they cool? These are awesome party favors! No sugar, original, and too cute!
So that is my Pinning It Down this week! Next week I’m sure will have more of the rainbow theme! If you want to see other regular people working hard on making their craft dreams come true, stop on by Everyday Snapshots, or Amongst Lovely Things! Don’t forget you can follow my boards on Pintrest (there is a link to do that on my right hand side bar)! Happy Pinning Everyone!!!!!!
PS I will be trying to post more of my crafty posts on my other blog Peace Love and Blessing. I have plans for helping Pup and Bunny re-do their rooms a bit, and I really would like to share other fun I do! This space is a bit more my “all about the girls” blog, and the other one is more about me! 🙂

A bit of creativity in the middle of a crazy week!

Well today with Bug and Tadpole here, I just didn’t have the right frame of mind to try anything new today. They didn’t feel like doing any work, so we made it a play day! 🙂 I just let the kids do what they felt like doing. It was pretty good. I am still trying to find that perfect middle ground where everyone is happy!

On a happier note, yesterday we had a day that was pretty relaxed and fun! I was even able to make the girls a couple of the skirts that I have cut out for fall! Bunny requested that I make the purple skirts first! She picked this bright lavender linen out while we were at the fabric store along with a lavender flower applique, and she just loved it! Its not a really fall color, but it is pretty! I was able to use a really simple pattern I found online to make some twirly girly skirts that only took a little time! The pattern is here if you want to make a few! I pinned a couple of versions of this pattern on my pintrest board. If you pop by, follow me! If you haven’t discovered pintrest, then just send me an email and I can invite you! Here are the pictures of my darlings in their skirts!

Aren’t they cute!!!!!!
{My girls, not the skirts! Although the skirts are cute too!}

Pup’s skirt

I think her face says it all! She loves it! 😉

I didn’t buy Pup the purple applique, so I made one since the skirt needed it!
Here is Bunny’s Skirt. She loved her too!

This is the applique Bunny picked out! I matched perfectly!
Anyway, this was my moment of creativity that made me feel like a sane person! 🙂 I know that it is only Wednesday, but hey we all have weeks like this! I hope your week is going well!
What have you done special this week?

Sew Liberated~ Naturalist’s Scavenger Hunt Bag

Well here is another project that I completed from Meg’s book! I have really been on a sewing roll! 😉 When I got the book Growing Up Sew Liberated I knew I just had to make this bag for my girls school year! It is just the right size for them to carry on a nature walk, or to carry their lunch on a field trip, or to carry….well everything! I let the girls pick out their own fabric at the fabric store. Pup picked out some adorable elephant fabric, and Bunny picked out some large daises (It was not what I thought she would pick, but it is so cute!). I whipped them up yesterday and the girls loved them! I got some really sweet pics of the girls wearing them today!

Pup’s Bag

There is a small pocket on the inside panel!

Here is Bunny’s Bag



Aren’t these bags (and girls) sweet?!?! I love them! They are just the perfect size! If you like to sew I really recommend Meg’s book! Check it out on Amazon or you can read her blog which is equally inspired! So I am off to sew some more tomorrow! But never worry, we are going to be start school back up here soon!



Montessori Apron!

Well I have been struck by a sewing bug! 🙂 I can sew, but it usually frustrates me, but for some reason I am thinking of a ton of projects! One that I finished today is one that I want to make more of for our new school year. I made an apron for Bunny. This one is a wonderful Montessori apron that the girls will be able to put on by themselves (there is no tying)! It was designed by Meg McElwee (she is a Montessori teacher turned seamstress and mommy. Her blog is amazing, check it out!). It was so easy and the pattern was free! You can find it on her website Sew Liberated. Bunny loves her apron and it went together so easily that I cut one out for Pup too! I really want to go to the fabric store to see if I can get some waterproof material too! I am working on getting some more structured work time in this year, and since Bug and Tadpole will be back, the more defining things I have in place (rugs, aprons, shelves) the better. Anyway, enough chit chat! Here is the how our apron turned out!

She can put it on herself with the velcro strap.

It was easy for her to do, and I didnt need to make two straps.

I put a pocket on the front, just in case she needs it!

Don’t I have the cutest model ever? 🙂
Be sure to come back! I have a small play tent that was in Meg’s new book “Growing Up Sew Liberated” all ready to go! The girls are going to LOVE it (when I get it all sewed)! I also will show off more aprons, and Bunny is working on a sewing badge! 🙂 Looks like we found a new hobby for a bit!
Has anyone done any new creative things lately?