painting stones and telling stories.

We are getting into more storytelling around here, the kind that you make up as you go along.  It seems to agree with long winter afternoons, a cup of tea and a warm wool blanket.   Painting stones to use to tell stories is probably more of a spring or summer activity, but on one particular clear day in the park we spotted some perfect rocks for painting and we seized the opportunity.

All you do is prepare for an outdoor adventure with a crafty 'treasure' bag (we always have one at the ready!) and hunt for smooth rocks.  When you return home, wash the rocks and let them fully dry.  Next, it's time to paint.  I chose to use acrylic because it sticks well and the colours are vibrant, however it is tricky to paint in detail (at least for me it is) so I would use small paint brushes, toothpicks and Q-tips.  You could use a theme, like farm animals or winter, and paint objects that remind you of that theme.  This time, we chose to freestyle and paint whatever came to mind.  Here's a sample of what we came up with:

A sun, heart, moon and stars, rainy day, fall scene, bunny rabbit, dog, tree, snow storm and a few more.  I put all the stones into a drawstring bag and randomly pick one at a time, alternating story telling between myself and Finny.  She had to see me do it a few times alone before joining in, but after that she was letting her imagination run wild.  I would definitely do this again, maybe grouping the stones into themes or subjects, according to what we are focusing on.

I'd like to come up with more ways to encourage imagination and creative expression through unplanned activities such as this, it's great fun for both parent and child!

Where I Sew

Tea party being set up, dog asleep on couch, boxes of fabric I try to ignore

Sometimes I really wish I had a whole room to make things in. Not necessarily because I need a ton of space, but because sewing requires a lot of pointy things, and can get messy. If I had an entire room, I wouldn't require such careful organization and cleaning throughout the process of making- which would free me up to be the whirling-dervish-maker. As it is, I can work on one project at a time, with space to maybe store another project. Maybe that's a good thing. I do have a tendency to get to 85% and call a project done so I can start the next. I've had to force myself to finish things because I don't have space for a ton of works-in-progress.

But before you feel sorry for me :), or I feel sorry for myself, I will point out some great things about my space:
1. Sometimes, when the planets are aligned and Lena is particularly occupied, I can sew while she plays in the living room. We chat, she plays, I get stuff done. It's heaven.

Wine box fabric storage

2. In the evenings, I don't feel shut away in my sewing cave. If we are watching a movie that is light and interruptible, I can putter away behind the couch.

Vintage needles, finished quilt pic, cheat sheet, Lena's hand,
block with transparent photo on it (thank you Scott!)

3. I have an area! A whole space just for me! I have had places where sewing happens on the kitchen table, and everything has to be put away in order to eat. I will probably have that situation again, so I should really enjoy what I have.

Sometimes I buy tea because I love the tin.

4. And it's grown! It used to be about 4' deep, a straight line across which meant a lot of shuttling back and forth. We recently reorganized and shrunk the living room to accommodate my sewing lessons- it's pretty awkward sharing 4'x9' with another person!






So now you can can more easily visualize me working away when you see projects I post. Which I am sure you've really been struggling with- desperately trying to picture me and just not quite getting it.
You're welcome.

hoops and fancy dresses.

I've been wanting to teach Szerafina (er, myself) how to embroider, so I figured i'd get us both a hoop and some floss.  I got a piece of burlap fabric for her, along with a blunt needle, pink thread and made sure she was well fed and content.  We did this project in the afternoon, alongside tea and homemade cookies.

I really had no idea what her interest or skill level readiness would be for this, but with a few simple instructions she was totally into it!  It was so fun to watch her amazement at her own work, exclaiming, 'look, I did another one!' each time.  Maybe she could have done this earlier, but she is primed for it now.  I really enjoyed watching the design and process unfold, and expect that she'll want to add a little to it whenever the mood strikes.  Right now I have her project sitting up on a little shelf, ready to go.

As for myself, I started with a simple stitching of my nieces name, as I plan to sew a rolled up pencil crayon holder for her.  Stay tuned for that.