More bedside crafting

One girl is just recovered, but the flu has made two new victims in our house. Dad is just sleeping, but this little girl needs to have me by her side. Preferably all the time. It is just about being there, because she doesn't want me to talk to her, since it would disturb her watching tv (one of the joys of being ill). While sitting there I started a knitting project. Knitting a cowl, using the same pattern as this fantastic scarf. But I knit so slow... More cowls over here and here.

It's all about details

A small, personal present for grandma. Handkerchiefs with notes and drawings from her granddaughters. The girls drew on lined and rastered paper, I scanned and printed it on transferpaper and ironed their work on the handkerchiefs. Transferpaper is from Hema.

Little lady handbag tutorial

Party season has begun for our girls. I gave myself the assignment to always add something handmade to the presents for their friends. Here's a cute little bag for a cute girl. Hope she will like it. Do you? You could make one too! I added some instructions to the pattern and a tutorial was born. You'll find it here.

Houdini

A very clever and peanut-butter-loving mouse has found a way into our house. First we had a mouse-friendly cage to catch him. But the mouse managed to eat the peanutbutter from the bread in the cage several times, without getting trapped. Then we tried regular mousetraps. Again there was no peanutbutter to be found in the morning. But the traps (four!) didn't close. We talk about the mouse in admiration, but would like to get rid of him anyway, before he discovers our storage-room. Any tips? To illustrate this post I glued together this cute mouse from 3eyedbear. You'll find more printable toys overthere. Or subscribe to the monthly calender on Curiosity. I just love february's groundhog. Found via Ozowiezo.

Blossom

Crochet fits me. You get results quickly. And experimenting is easy. Our house was in need om some local spring. So I made these flower garlands. And a tutorial how to crochet them. You can find the wooden tree in the Seizoenerwinkel.

Iphone-stand tutorial

My iphone makes me creative. After the iphone-cozy and an iphone-holder for in the car, I now made myself an iphone-stand. I like to watch tv on my phone, but found it difficult to find a good way to lay or put it. Because it's so smooth it always slides down. And while cooking I cut the prototype for this stand from a christmas-card lying around. For me it is the perfect solution. I'm not sure anyone would be interested, but I drew a small tutorial of how to make this stand.

Fashion designer

She's recovering. No fever anymore, but still a bit weak. But well enough to drape and pin a dress for her barbie-doll, using pieces from my fabric-remnant-box. Later I sewed her dress together, roughly following this tutorial. J. is very, very proud.

By mail

Two bags? No, just one reversible big-multipupose-bag. It doesn't photograph well. Probably because of its size. But in real life it looks good and is useful. For carrying books from and to the library for example. I made this bag as a thank-you for Suzette.

Four leaf pepperwort

As a child so happy was I to find these letter stamps. Discovered them in the childrens department of my favourite secondhand store. Used the stamp right away on a card for someone who really needs some luck in the next months.

High fever

When one of my children is ill, I would love to sit next to her all the time. To see her get better, to nurture and to comfort when necessary. Of course that is not always possible. Things have to be done. But yesterday I sat next to J. for quite a while. She was watching tv and I made some crochet-roses following this tutorial on LollyChops via OnePrettyThing.

Last opportunity

The list of orders for stamps is long. A lot of work for the next two months. After tomorrow, friday 21st, the shop will be closed. So when you have plans to order a custom stamp, be sure to take your last chance.

Therapy

Yesterday was not a nice day. In the morning I had a rootcanal. And later that day I heard I didn't get the job of my dreams. This hat is the result of all the stress and frustration. Crochet, a nice cup of tea, paracetamol and a good night sleep did the trick. Today the sun shines.

On a saturday afternoon

Grandma brought two pellets for the girls. As an adult you ca feel a bit of reserve towards disecting something like this, but our daughters didn't. With devotion they took the pellets apart completely and discovered that mainly mice are on the menu of an owl.

Third attempt

Not a cover this time, but a bookmark for my planner. And I like the result. Just a simple piece of elastic with buttons and contrasting thread.

For Yael

I have already sewn many of these schoolbags. For my daughters and as presents. Some time ago a mother from school asked me to make one for her son. Another mother saw that one and asked to sew one for her daughter too. And although I'm not into the bag-business I gladly did. But in a while everyone will be able to make a similar bag, because the pattern is in my book.

Searching

My brother was asked to give his opinion about an iphone-application for children from 4 to 12y. Since his daughter is a bit too young, he asked us to test the app. It is called Digi Doe (unfortunately for some of you, just in dutch). Fifty activities to get the children out of the house. We love it. Today the girls went out to get some 'groceries': Find a feather, a thorn, a bone, a seed, something round, half eaten leaf, something sharp, something from humans, something straight and something sunny. Above the result. Before the app there already was a paper version, that would make a wonderful present for any kid.

Daily dose

Our friend Katya loves luxury. So when I asked her what tea she was serving I could have guessed it was a chic kind of tea. From Paris. From Hediard on Place de la Madeleine. Since we were there last week, I took the opportunity to buy two tins. A perfect souvenir, because a few times a day I drink a delicious (douceur d'automne or epice hediard) cup of tea and muse about good times in Paris.

Rainy days

When I was cleaning out my fabric-stock yesterday, I had to admit that it is too much. I gave myself two options throw some out or use it. And since I planned to buy some new pillowcases I changed that into making myself some new ones. This lightbluegrey pillow is the first result. I took some leftover pieces of embroidery and covered the ugliest big buttons I had to finish the piece.

Perfectionist

In Paris I also bought a new planner for 2011 at Muji. Muji has very basic projects, perfect for personalizing. I wanted to make a nice fabric cover. I did sew two already, but I'm not very content. The first one turned out too sweet to my taste. And the fit of the second is not very good (fabric from Kristen Doran). I'll have to make a third...

Bruno le Blaireau

It has been quiet over here. But you followers must have guessed that we spent some days in Paris. The girls where impressed by the size of the eiffel-tower. They were excited about the moving staircases from Centre Pompidou. But the Metro was the biggest attraction. In spite of the rain we enjoyed our stay very much. As a souvenir I brought back, among other things, this book for making cute and simple 'doudous'. Bought in a lovely shop called Entree des Fournisseurs. I already made this badger from it.

Two cute girls

A bit late, but yesterday these stamps went in the mail to Belgium. To Meisjesmama who was the winner of my last giveaway. While designing, cutting, testing and wrapping the two stamps I realised I have to start preparing for the february/march-orders. Lot's of work...