My Little Hen

AUTUMN PROJECTS

Sew excited about this giveaway!

The Lola Apron is in cahoots with Cooking Fun 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids....

Meg McElwee is an impressive person. Immediately, upon reading her blog Sew Liberated, I knew she was someone to pay attention to. She works hard, designs clever and creative patterns for kids and adults alike, has an on-line pattern business, has been a Montessori teacher, has a new baby, and on top of all of that, has a new sewing book coming out soon also called Sew Liberated. 

When I saw her retro apron pattern design for moms and daughters, it was love at first sight! 
I immediately envisioned my retro influenced Cooking Fun and the Lola Apron together as a special holiday gift. It seemed like a perfect match for anyone who likes to cook and craft with kids. Fortunately, when I asked Meg about this, she agreed. So here we are doing a giveaway together. 

I took the opportunity to ask Meg a few questions about herself:

You are such a talented seamstress. When did you begin to sew?

I began my sewing journey on the heels of my own mother, who is an excellent seamstress. What nine year-old wouldn't want to learn how to sew after watching her mother make her a Pink Panther costume, large head and all, for Halloween? I began sewing hair scrunchies and a simple pair of shorts when I was around 10 years old.



What are your favorite childhood memories of crafting or sewing? Did you have a favorite project?


I have this funny memory of having a rock pet in the fourth grade. A few of my friends had rock pets, too - I suppose it was "all the rage" for about two weeks! My rock was a rectangular prism onto which I had drawn eyes (with eyelashes) and a mouth with a permanent marker. I went about making my rock pet a house in a shoebox, complete with cardboard furniture and fabric scraps for blankets. The house was all gussied up - but what about my rock? She was a girl, and couldn't just run around in her granite skivvies, now could she? So I fished around my mom's sewing supplies for a piece of elastic and another fabric scrap and proceeded to make her a skirt. A skirt for a rock - how could one not remember such an endeavor?


I find it impressive that you have a small business designing sewing patterns. How did you begin this creative venture?

We had been living in Mexico for about a year with my meager Mexican schoolteacher’s salary. Living on $400 US a month is totally do-able in Mexico, but when you added my sewing passion to that, with my purchases from online US fabric stores (it’s difficult to find cottons where we were; they sell mostly synthetic fabric), things were a bit tight. My husband suggested that I write up some patterns for the things I was making for my classroom and sell them to fund my little “fabric habit.” That ended up being a good call! It’s been very gratifying work, and most importantly, it allows me to work from home and be with my son.

Good work Meg! Thanks so much for sharing. I'm sure you are already a great creative influence on your own little boy. I hope he learns how to sew! You can read more about Meg on her blog .

Now then, about that giveaway...  I have a double opportunity for anyone wanting this apron pattern and a copy of Cooking Fun. (I'm imagining both as gifts under the tree or on the table near my friend Claudia's menorah.) Luckily, Meg has generously offered two of her mother /daughter Lola Apron patterns for this giveaway.

Two winners will receive a Lola Apron pattern along with a signed copy of Cooking Fun 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids.

Leave a comment saying why you would like this gift idea. Does it inspire childhood memories just seeing these two retro gifts together? Do you wish for more fun cooking time in the kitchen with your kids, or see it as a great opportunity to sew a really fun and useful project? Any reason is perfect. Don't be shy. Even if you own Cooking Fun, you can win this as a holiday gift. Good luck!

Giveaway ends Sunday evening., November 8 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Be sure to check out Meg's upcoming book Sew Liberated and all her fabulous pattern designs. Good luck to you Meg! I can't wait to make one of your aprons! 

 

Halloween and Birthdays

 

We still have our halloween jack-o' lantern on the mantel. The candle holder ballerinas, which we bring out every year for G's birthday are still in the shiny blue bowl on the table. The ghosts are still floating about too.( They amuse me.) I almost adopted a little black cat with green eyes from the local shelter. We decided to wait. Halloween was really getting to me this year! I found a little knitted black cat with green eyes on Etsy which I hope to buy instead of that little black tomcat. I haven't given up on the idea of him completely. If he is in the shelter next week, I may just surprise everyone and bring him home. Without asking!

The weather is turning turning cooler now, and winter plans are already simmering. How quickly summer has passed, and now even autumn is marching on. Soon we will have more soups, more oven roasted dinners, more family time. G has a new bingo game in French from Eboo which I'd love to learn to play....

Stop by on Thursday. I'll be having a very special giveaway and a little interview with the talented Meg McElwee from Sew Liberated. Here's the cover of her soon to release book. She is one fabulous seamstress and designer!

Holiday Giving

Early in the a.m. last week I found myself sitting on the couch staring into space, unable to sleep (deadline pressure). Trying to distract myself, I began to rummage through a pile of mail. Maybe it was luck, maybe it was serendipity, but I found a catalog that said on the front cover "THE MOST IMPORTANT CATALOGUE YOU WILL EVER READ" or something catchy like that.

I started to flip through it. I was stunned and amazed and heartened by the news inside. I don't know how it came to us but I was so glad to discover it. It was from Heifer International. 

Inside was a solution for helping people in impoverished countries feed themselves and gain self reliance.

Our family could contribute to buying a chicken, a goat,  a cow, or even honeybees— and a family in need would receive the gift. The idea is they could begin to feed themselves, their children, their neighbors, and even better, have a product to sell at the market.

It's a brillant idea. 

I mentioned it to G and my husband. We are flipping through the catalog trying to figure out what we can afford to contribute. We hope to get the cousins to chip in to make a larger donation so we can possible offer a cow to someone. All of the kids would have to give up a holiday present for this to happen.

Brillant. I really strongly suggest you check this out. It's very positive.

I usually don't promote non-profits, especially through my blog, but this one seems very special....

Heifer International Ending Hunger caring for the Earth.

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/?msource=kw2871&gclid=CPXR3v6j750CFZho5Qodby1yMg

p.s. someday soon I'll figure out how to hide these links.

Passing through the season

A big sigh of relief is in my day today. We passed through the Halloween seasonal celebrations in pretty good stead. Ghosts, Jack-O'-Lanterns, a birthday tea party for our halloween baby G (who is not a baby at all anymore but a tall growing girl). G was a bag of jellybeans made from a clear recycled bag and lots of colorful biodegradable balloons. Roasted pumpkins seeds were gobbled down this morning.They were roasted to perfection and had plenty of coarse salt and olive oil to flavor them exceptionally well.

Of the many things that came our way last night, this little notice designed by kids was interesting. We have activists in our midst. I said to G that it wasn't polite to hand this to a generous trick or treat host but it was a choice— whether or not to buy and eat corporate chocolate. Tough choices for candy lovers. I guess this is really the world children live in now...I have photos coming from all the festivities this past week. Happy time change.

Thanks as always for visiting. I love it.

Spooky Cheesecloth Ghosts

This ghost makes a visit every Halloween. The cat always know when she's around.

This friendly fellow always ends up on a candlestick.

One of my favorite Halloween crafts from Crafting Fun is Spooky Cheesecloth Ghosts!!!! I just adore them! We make them in a variety of sizes and hang them from the mantle, in the windows, and in the foyer for people on the street to see. It doesn't seem like Halloween without them. 

Cardboard Costume (we like it homemade)

The Vending Machine 

The Martha Stewart Morning Living radio program went well. Betsy and Kim (the hosts) were busy collecting cardboard box costume ideas from their listeners when I arrived. Happily, I had the Vending Machine idea from last year, but their callers had some really good ideas. A Recycling Bin costume with plastic bottles was one of my favorites.We also talked about some of my simple craft ideas for making Halloween festive. 

Encourage the kids to make an environmental statement using a cardboard box as the basis of a costume. I'm sure, given a little time and a good-sized box, the results could be amazing. A note to the helpful parents): Let the kids do the creative work and step in with a little packaging tape or art supplies. It is much more fun for everyone (at least in my experience). Recycle the following week.

Morning Living  has a list of 50 ideas for the cardboard box costume- read more here:)

http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/radioblog/2009/10/50-costume-ideas-with-a-box-.html

Halloween Is On My Mind

G's bday is around Halloween so things get extra special around here. One of our traditions is to make our own last minute costume for trick or treating. So, every Halloween eve, we always invent a costume on the fly. It is a little stressful but it always seems to work out. One year we used Talcum powder, lipstick, and eyeshadow to transform her into one scary vampire....

Over the years, G has learned to mix and match items that we have around the house to make something creative. Last year she decided to use a large cardboard box and turn herself into a walking vending machine. She looked hilarious walking around the streets of NYC in that box. She reminded me of the little girl Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird who was dressed up like a ham (do you know that film and that scene?). G got a lot of thumbs up from well wishers on the street who dine in the local sidewalk cafes while the kids parade around the city. She was proud to be "eco friendly".

I'll try to dig up a photo of that vending machine and a few more from other years. We have some good ones (as I'm sure you do too, or will soon, if you have a baby). I hope you have Halloween on your mind too.

Apple Print T-Shirts

One of the fun things about writing Crafting Fun is seeing what others have been doing with the ideas. Several kind bloggers have taken the time to make a post to show how they used an idea from the book. All I can say is I'm inspired!

With kind permission, here is a beautiful example of the Apple Print T-Shirt inspired by Crafting Fun, and made by Patricia from potjethee. I can see homemade holiday gifts galore from this simple idea. Thanks potjethee!

 

http://potjethee.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

(To read more Crafting Fun reviews on Amazon, click on the Crafting Fun book to the left and peruse.)

Martha Stewart Radio

Next Monday, October 26th at 9:30 a.m., I'll be on the Martha Stewart Living Radio program, Morning Living, talking about Halloween crafts to make with kids. What fun to have Martha Stewart appear on my caller id! The show is hosted by Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick. 
Tune in: www.sirius.com/marthastewartlivingradio 

Waxed Paper Leaves

 

 

One of the things I really enjoy about making waxed paper leaves is using the iron. I actually like to iron, but don't really do much of it anymore. I learned to iron as a young girl, and give or take a few minor burns, I succeeded in learning to press shirts and collars, skirts, and handkerchiefs very nicely. That aside, children like to use the iron too. Keep it on low and allow the wax to slowly melt and adhere to the leaves.

I covered the waxed paper and leaves with newspaper as well as a layer of brown paper bag. This allows one to let the iron sit on the paper to really warm up the wax. The smell of fresh leaves waxing is also pretty amazing. In no time, a small arrangement of leaves turns into a pretty and colorful window hanging. There is a girl who lived across the way who can see our windows at a distance. She gets to enjoy our window decorations throughout the year. Halloween is coming, and then paper snowflakes.........