penny carnival

A is for apple

Goodness. That title is going to put that Barenaked Ladies song in my head. Not that that's a bad thing. I once considered moving to Toronto so I could live closer to them. I can't imagine the kind of free time I used to have (you know, before having kids) that made it possible for me to follow a band. Not literally follow them, but know their names and their favorite colors. That sort of thing.

Anyhow, "A" is for Arthur, he's a lovable drunk. "A" is what Fonzie said 'cause he was very cool.

And "A" is for back-to-school apple prints!

The girls and I did the ol' slice-an-apple-in-half-and-dip-it-in-paint trick last night.

Remember how I said the other day that there are times when a craft project scores big points with these kids and times when it flops? Yeah, well, Bo totally hated this one. She gave it a good 30 seconds and then moved on to painting snakes and suns:

Magpie and I had fun, though. I turned some of the prints into cupcake toppers this morning. We'll be delivering these treats to cousins tonight as a Happy Back-to-School Week surprise.

Here are the basic instructions for apple prints:

1. Cut an apple in half. Do your best to create flat surfaces.

2. I remember always having a hard time holding the roly-poly half apple as a stamp when I was a kid, so I cut a couple of grooves in ours last night to create handles.

See? Much better.

3. Place a paper towel on a plate. Squeeze paint onto the paper towel, using a fairly small amount. You're trying to create more of an ink pad effect than a puddle of paint.

4. Then just start dipping the apple into the paint and pressing it on paper (or on fabric, depending on the type of paint you're using and what your goals are in life).

 

Just in case you like the whole apple print idea but want to skip the mess (or the pouty 5 year old who "just wants to paint snakes!!"), I printed six red apples and six green apples on two separate pieces of paper and scanned them for your back-to-school pleasure.

Download Green apple PDF

Download Red apple PDF

This is what they'll look like (but don't click this image and print--use the PDF links):

 

You can use those PDFs to make cupcake toppers like I did--just cut around the apple shape and tape the back of them to long toothpicks or popsicle sticks:

Or use the apples as notecards for teachers or for love notes placed in your kid's lunchbox.

As always, my tutorials and PDFs are for personal use only. Please don't use this PDF for commercial purposes. Thanks.

On a separate note, do you see my two new advertisers up there on the right? First, please give a warm welcome to The Top Stitch, which is a modern, funky fabric shop here in Spokane that also sells its fabrics, books, patterns and more online.

I remember the first time I walked into The Top Stitch. My heart pounded out of my chest because I'd never seen Amy Butler fabrics in person before. And that was when The Top Stitch was located in a tiny little space off the beaten path.

Owner Carrie Jarvis relocated to a bright, sunny, bigger spot in Spokane's Garland District and now offers an array of classes and, of course, fabrics, oh so many gorgeous fabrics. It's the kind of shop that makes you never want to move away from Spokane (but if you did, you could just buy from her online).

Yum!

Yum!

Also advertising is Twirling Betty, a mom/former lawyer who lives in Melbourne, Australia, writes a wicked-funny blog and sells the most adorable creations in her Etsy shop.

Among her offerings:

Floral hair clips ...

Charming visors ...

 

And those one-of-a-kind headbands you can see in her ad above.

Thank you, thank you.

 

 

 

Great things

Today was really great and then super crummy and then good again. I used to keep a "gratitude journal" where I'd write down all the things I was grateful for at the end of each day. It was a nice way to focus on the positive instead of the negative and it forced me to go about my day looking for the good instead of the bad. And it put me in touch with my inner Oprah.

I don't have a gratitude journal anymore, but I do have a blog. So here are the things I'm choosing to think about as I head to bed tonight:

1. We've recently acquiesced to Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Honestly, their music is not half bad (way better than the teeny-bop stuff available when I was reading Tiger Beat). The best thing, though, is listening to Magpie (age 2) sing "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. Whenever the word "baby" is used, she replaces it with "baby Jesus." As in: "It's a love story, baby Jesus, just say yes." I don't know where it's coming from, but it's hilarious.

2. For the third time in three years, we're attempting to have the girls share a bedroom. It didn't work before, but it's going beautifully now. This morning I overheard Bo showing her little sister around her new bedroom and helping her choose clothes for the day. Very sweet. And best of all, Magpie's old bedroom is now a playroom with a designated spot for everything. I'll post pictures soon.

3. Speaking of eavesdropping (eavesdropping?! I always thought the word was "easedropping"! What's wrong with me?) on the girls, they were playing in the kitchen today with a laundry basket when all hell didn't break loose.

Let me explain.

I could tell they both wanted to be the one sitting in the basket. I had another empty basket in front of me in the next room that I could have easily handed to them to make everyone happy. Instead, I listened to their voices go up slightly. And then, like magic, they worked it out on their own. They figured out a game where one was the dog in the pound and the other wanted to adopt her. And then they switched roles.

I don't pretend to know everything about parenting, but one thing I've learned is that sometimes the best action to take is no action at all.

4. My first advertiser. Look up, to your right. The fabulous Ari of Buttercuppity has generously signed on as my first sponsor. Check out her handmade bags, wallets and other beautiful goodies, and don't miss her witty, honest and heartfelt blog.

Thank you, Ari!

 

5. Sweet, simple birthday themes.

6. This Alexander Henry Christmas fabric, which I got to see at The Top Stitch today. It's called Merry Modern and I looooove it.

 

7. The wanting of books, like the Farm Chicks' Christmas:

and Craft Hope: Handmade Crafts for a Cause:

 

and Jess Walter's The Financial Lives of the Poets, which is on my nightstand right now waiting for me to start it.

8. I wrote something about Grandparents Day on my kids' parties site this afternoon. I think often about my Nana and sometimes say I'm trying to live more like she did, but this was a nice excuse to spend an hour remembering her, her vegetable garden, her kitchen, her clothesline and looking at her beautiful face again.

So, not crummy at all, really. Quite good, in fact.

 

I'm updating this to add a link to this brilliant idea that I posted a link to on Facebook the other day and totally forgot about when I wrote this post last night:

The Five Good Things Booklet from Whisker Graphics

Jehan's comment below about involving kids in a gratitude journal reminded me. Print out Whisker Graphic's booklet once a week and fill it out at dinner every night with five good things from the day.

School starts next week here. Seems like a great time to start it!

Back-to-school sew along: fabric suggestions

Finally, some fabric suggestions for you for the back-to-school sew along. Two quick items before I jump into that, though.

1. You might have noticed that I now accept advertising on Penny Carnival. See? Over there. ---------->>>>

I'm excited to be able to connect readers with wonderful products and services and am thrilled that a couple of delightful, creative businesses have already reserved spaces for the next several months. You'll see more about them soon.

I posted my rates and hope potential sponsors of Penny Carnival will find them reasonable. Please e-mail me if you have any questions or are interested in placing an ad.

I want to assure readers that my editorial content--what I write to all of you--won't be influenced by sponsors. You're getting the same old me, craft disasters and all.

This is a win-win for everyone--links to helpful businesses for all of us, plus a little cha-ching in my pocket so I can buy--what else?--more craft supplies. Awesome. It's like a little cycle that feeds itself.

2. You also might have noticed the link to my book sling, as featured in the current issue of FamilyFun magazine. !!!!

When I switched careers to journalism 10 years ago, my original goal was to work for magazines. I got bit by the hard-news bug in grad school, and went into newspapers instead, but it's such a thrill to enjoy a moment on those glossy, colorful pages.

Welcome! to those of you finding Penny Carnival from FamilyFun. I'm so glad you're here.

And get this! The editors altered the book sling tutorial a bit so that non-sewers could make it, so the instructions in the mag don't require a sewing machine. Crazy, huh? Now none of you have an excuse not to make one. (FamilyFun readers: if you'd actually prefer to sew it, here's my original tutorial.)

FamilyFun has been wonderful to work with ("with which to work"--sorry grammar snobs). I'm proud to now be a subscriber.

3. OK, now for the fabric suggestions.

You don't need me to tell you about the plethora of adorable fabrics available today. What you see below are just some of my personal favorites, especially when considering what to use for back-to-school clothes (for girls and boys) and accessories.

Enjoy!

From Amy Butler ...

Sunspots in midnight (can't you just picture a little dress or skirt made from this and paired with striped tights?):

Chrysanthemum in orange (I can see it as the lining of a solid-colored coat, like this one, with the cuffs turned out):

 

Coriander in ivory (I will never, ever get tired of Amy Butler Coriander, even if I live to be 273 years old):

Floating Buds in gray:

 

Free Spirit fabrics ...

From Tanya Whelan, TW12 Sky (perhaps for a blouse?):

 

From Valori Wells

Vw26 Nest in teal (a corduroy! perfect for this?):

From Tina Givens

Treetop Fancy (maybe for the Instant Gratification dress?):

 

From Joel Dewberry

Here's one for the little fellas--Modern Meadow Pond:

 

From David Walker ...

The Robots line:

 

and Hopscotch:

 

and the Boys Will Be Boys line:

 

From Anna Maria Horner ,,,

These look like books to me:

Folksy Flannel Forest Hills in moonlight (a perfect lining for the cocktail swing coat or a super-soft option for the mini skirt):

 

From Sandi Henderson ...

Meadow Sweet Happy Butterfly in maize (oh, oh, oh! Little dress made from this, paired with brown tights and loafers):

 

From Spoonflower (expensive, I know, but fun to dream) ...

Fairy-Tale Friends:

 

Happy Weather (is this the best thing in the world or what?):

 

Pirate Kid:

Yellow Pennants:

 

Oh, man. That doesn't even scratch the surface.

What are your favorites?

 

Tutorial: a quick and easy fabric-scrap craft

I have a hard time saying goodbye to even the smallest bits of fabric from my stash. I just posted an easy project on Dwell Well for putting those pieces to use.

 

Park scavenger hunt

I'm taking a break from all the sew along talk to bring you ... a park scavenger hunt.

Also known as a nature scavenger hunt. 

I've said before that sometimes the daily activities I have planned for the girls (when we actually have something planned) go over like carrots without ranch dressing. And other times you would've thought I'd handed them chocolate cake.

Today was a chocolate cake kind of day. They ate this one up, and then came home and asked for seconds.

Nothing groundbreaking here. I gave them each a clipboard, crayons and a chart I made this morning. I'd drawn pictures of items I was pretty sure we'd find at the park, and then told them to look for the items and either color them in, check them off or circle them when they spotted them.

The girls--Bo, especially--completely bypassed the playground when we arrived and started working on their scavenger hunts. In fact, Bo started checking off things as we pulled up in the car. We didn't treat it as a contest, but you could.

It took us about 30 minutes to find everything. OK, it took me about 5. It took them 30.

The butterfly and the squirrel proved most challenging--should've just stayed in our own backyard if we wanted squirrels. But what a thrill for them once everything on the chart was checked off (they had no patience for coloring in the pictures in the heat of the hunt, but I printed off extra copies when we got home and they painted them).

At the risk of revealing my pitiful skills as an illustrator (the girls swore the ball was really a pumpkin, and I'm not sure about the breed of the dog--what sort of dog has a teeny tiny head and a big barrel chest?), here is our park scavenger hunt worksheet, in case you'd like to try this at home:

Download The park scavenger hunt

 

Here's Magpie looking for a squirrel in the trees, yelling, "Squirrel! Squirrel! Come out!"

 
Again, here's the PDF:

Download The park scavenger hunt   

Let me know if you have any trouble with it. Otherwise, happy hunting. 

 

Back-to-school sewing patterns part 3: accessories and school supplies

Has everyone started their project(s) for the Back-to-School Sew Along? OK, I haven't either, but LOOK! Cynthia (a.k.a. The Sewing Dork) already submitted an entry--an adorable handmade backpack. Way to get the ball rolling, Cynthia. 

Don't forget: One random entrant will receive the 2011 Sewing Calendar from Accord Publishing. The deadline is Sept. 12 (is that too soon?). More details about the sew along here.

So far I've linked to some suggested patterns for girls' clothes and boys' clothes. Now it's time for accessories and school supplies, which might just be my favorite category. I seriously want to make all of these--for me and my kids.

Headscarves from Ivy Designs

 

Reversible Headband from Fabric Boutique

 

Hampton Hat from Heidi & Finn

 

Art Caddy Tote from Ginia18

Binder pencil pouch from Sew Mama Sew
 

Craft Apple's patchfolio

A roundup of lunch sack and reusable snack baggie tutorials from Sew Mama Sew
 

My own reusable sandwich wrap tutorial

 

Back-of-the-Seat Car Caddy tutorial from The May Fly (you know, so the kids have somewhere to stuff their half-eaten cup o' scrambled eggs when we get to school)

Car Caddy from Craft Apple patterns (even deeper places to hide breakfast--you just know that's what that kid in the picture is thinking)

Studio Cherie Duffel Bag sewing pattern--perfect for a busy teen who's running from school to ballet practice to music lessons or for a 'tween going to a slumber party (I use mine ALL THE TIME--not for those purposes, though. Ballet, music lessons and slumber parties ... hmm ... that actually could be quite fun)

Sweet felt barrette tutorial from Angry Chicken

Felt rose barrette tutorial from The Purl Bee

 

 

Ribbon hair clip tutorial from The Long Thread

 

 

Child's artwork tote tutorial from The Long Thread

 

 

Water bottle tote tutorial from The Long Thread

 

Eyeglasses case pattern from Studio Cherie 

 

Newsboy cap pattern from Mytaylormade

 

TV Cover from Martha Stewart (out of sight, out of mind, right?). 

 

Side story: We just returned from two weeks at the casa de Nana and Papa, two people who really like their TV. I'm not anti-TV, but we don't have cable at home and we only have one TV (in the basement) so it was a treat for the girls to watch as much as they did. At one point, though, Bo was trying to color in a coloring book and watch TV at the same time. She called to me in the other room, "Mommy! This TV is bothering me. Every time I try to color, it makes me keep watching it." 

Click! 

It was good to get a dose of pop culture, though, and I'd like to thank my nieces for getting me to listen to Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus (kind of catchy, I have to admit). Not sure how I feel, though, about 2-year-old Magpie saying to me tonight, "Mommy, remember when the She Wolf only had half her pants on?" If you are more hip than me, you'll know that she's referring to this Shakira video. (Turn down the volume on your computer unless you're in a place where you can shake your hiney to a really addictive song.)

By the way, when a 7 year old asks another 7 year old who Justin Timberlake is, this is the answer: "Oh, he's the Justin Bieber for moms." 

Back to the projects ...

Pencil and cell phone binder pouch from Sew 4 Home

  

Slouchy book bag from Sew 4 Home

 

And here's a little something for mama. You got the kids fed, out the door on their way to school, but maybe you didn't have time to fix yourself up yet? Cover up with a hat, like this lovely cloche from McHats. 

 

There isn't much that a good hat and some red lipstick can't fix, wouldn't you say?
 

Sewing patterns for Boys

Here is part 2 of my roundup of sewing patterns you might consider for the Back-to-School sew along. Part 1 listed sewing patterns for girls. Part 3 will be about accessories and school supplies. And Part 4 will offer fabric suggestions.

Before I dive into the sewing patterns for boys, I wanted to point out a tip from Cynthia in the last post's comment section. Dear My Kids, one of the pattern makers I linked to, is hosting a contest this month. Make a garment from one of her patterns, submit photos and you could win 15 (yes, 15) of her patterns. Details here. (Thanks, Cynthia!)

Alrighty. Time for the boys. Can we please have a moment of silence for the sewing-enthusiast parents of boys? Talk about market opportunity, to all you pattern makers (or budding pattern makers) out there. Gee whiz. Unless you want your little guy wearing this ...

... you really have to search for some good options.

And search I did. Take a look at the cuteness here and then please leave a comment with more suggested boy patterns if you have any. I had an especially hard time finding patterns for boys older than six or so.

FYI: There will be some overlap here since the girls' post included some unisex designs.

Small Fry Neckties from Little Lizard King:

Sketchbook Shirt from Oliver + S:

 

Little Military Shirt from Heidi & Finn:

Urban Hoodie from Heidi & Finn:

 

Little Man Suspenders by Dainty Couture:

 
  
  

Everyday Coat from Heidi & Finn:

 

Tee for Two from Figgy's Patterns:

 

Playtime Popover from Red Thread Patterns:

 

Reversible Pants from Dear My Kids:

 

Dapper Dillingers from Figgy Patterns:

 

  
And just for shits and giggles, I couldn't resist throwing this one in:

McCalls WTF-5711

Don't forget to look back at my original post about the sew along and at good clothing catalogs for inspiration. Sometimes just doing a freezer paper stencil or an applique on a store-bought T-shirt or adding ears to a hoodie are all you need to make your little guy feel good. 

Coming next ... handmade accessories and school supplies.

Sewing patterns with potential: Part 1, Girls

Has anyone started working on their back-to-school clothes for the sew along? Need some inspiration? 

As promised, I'm going to post some "patterns with potential." I can't personally vouch for all of these patterns since I haven't followed many of them myself, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. 

Many of these, I think, look pretty stinkin' cute in the pictures already. But some (especially from the big-time commercial pattern makers) require a bit of eye squinting and creativity to imagine how cute they could be if made with a better fabric or a slightly different cut of the collar, etc.

If I missed your favorite pattern, please let me know in the comments so I can add it to the list. 

I'll start with clothes for girls. Coming soon: boys and then accessories & school supplies and then favorite fabrics.

 

Joy Z knit dress from The Vines' Branches

 

 

 

The Instant Gratification dress, also from The Vines Branches.

(Add an elastic gathering at the waist and longer sleeves and you'll get this look we saw a few weeks ago. Or use plaid for this look.)

 

Little Mini Skirt from Red Thread Patterns
 

 

Playtime Popover from Red Thread Patterns

Everyday Coat from Heidi & Finn
 

 

Cocktail Swing Coat from Heidi & Finn

Cowl Neck Pullover Jacket from Dear My Kids Easy Wear

Peter Pan Coat from Dear My Kids Easy Wear

Vest Top from Dear My Kids Easy Wear
 

 

Ruffled Pinafore from Dear My Kids Easy Wear
 

 

Reversible Pants from Dear My Kids Easy Wear

Pintuck Sweater for preschoolers from Heidi & Finn

 

McCalls 2664 dress pattern from Bella Violetta Vintage
 

Oliver + S Sunday Brunch Jacket and A-Line Skirt, as seen on Sew Mama Sew
 

And on the Oliver + S site:
 

(Use a camel-colored fabric to get this look.)
 
Sew Mama Sew is running a Back-to-School sewing inspiration series, too, by the way. I found some of these patterns there, like this one:

Tee for Two by Figgy's

(Use a striped knit and you'll get this dress or use polka dots and add a hood for this look from my original post about the sew along.)

Woodlands Shirt by Sew Liberated

 

Jump Rope Dress by Oliver + S
 

While we're there, let's throw in the School Days Jacket. Heck, anything from Oliver + S is adorable.

 

McCalls 6156

McCalls 6154

 

McCalls 5966

 

McCalls 5919

 
McCalls 5459 (I'm a sucker for suspenders. Must have been an early addiction to Mork & Mindy that did it.)

 

Butterick 4176 (but use a more fall-ish fabric and skip the shorts)

 

Butterick 4593 (I can see this in a dark navy with a mustard-colored velvet ribbon that's a bit wider than what's shown. I'd skip the tulle, but I know my daughter would love it.)

 

Here are some Simplicity patterns that could work. I couldn't seem to copy the images.

Simplicity 2320
Simplicity 2534
Simplicity 2876

 

As for teens, I always see cute patterns in the Young Burda catalog at the fabric store but I can never find a site for them online. Does anyone know what's up with that? Is it different than Burda Style, which has some cute children's patterns, by the way.

Update: new addition to the roundup, thanks to reader Louise.

A Very Biased Skirt, from No Big Dill:

 

 

Will that keep you busy enough? Huh? Huh?

Next up, sewing patterns for boys.