Purple Kappa

Cotton Friend Autumn 2008

New issue of Cotton Friend, from Superbuzzy

Sample of fabric included with the magazine

Sweet necklace made from twisted bits of roving

Nightgown with bloomers set

The bracelet near the bottom of the photograph has a leather tag with English text that reads When a cool material & a crafter crossed, will be impressed. We are happy when such a scene can be produced

Along with the usual assortment of handbags, linen wraps and jewelry. I keep saying I'm not going to buy these magazines anymore, they all start to look the same and then the new issue comes out and I'm so excited thinking about all the lovely things that might be inside. I guess I'll see what happens when the winter issue is available.

Today we went to the park for an 18th century fall festival--there were all sorts of activites: writing with quill pens, dyeing yarn with plant dyes, making apple cider as well as a magician, live music and popcorn being made over an open fire.

Spent some time in the stocks

Rode ponies and practiced walking with stilts

There were also people doing 18th century re-enactments, with men walking around in military uniforms, a blacksmith, cooking (rats, we forgot to check back on the apple pie being made in a dutch oven). Some people from The Quartermaster General had a table set up with clothing and accessories--they had the most beautiful silk ribbon. I got a yard of some in an olivey green, it's just lovely and feels wonderful. I also got some narrow cotton tape and some bone buttons. A family outing that involves sewing supplies is always a fun treat!

Everybody Polkamon

It is proof of how much I love my daughters that my precious pure wool felt from A Child's Dream Come True, originally destined for gentle Waldorf creatures such as woodland animals and gnomes, was used to create--Pokemon.

They really did turn out well, because the wool felt can be blocked I found I didn't need to clip the curves for them to turn neatly. And even the wool blends I've used start to pill quickly when used for a toy, these should hold up much better. I did really struggle as to whether or not to use the felt, but it's been sitting unused for I think over two years--I could have spent more money on cheaper felt, or used what I had. And in the end, I think it was better going with what I already had.

I used the book ISBN 4834722449, Palm Size Stuffies. It was actually a deer pattern, I changed the ears and the tail and added the fur ruff around the neck. The eyes are a little off, they way they are placed next to that seam, it gives them a sort of angry look, I think. But Ivy and Miranda were happy.

Giant Hand Popsicle

Last night we took a surgical glove, rinsed it out (okay, we didn't really rinse it, but as I'm typing this up I realize that probably would have been a good idea), and filled it with juice. Inserted a chopstick and then closed the open end around the chopstick with with a rubber band. The next morning we cut and peeled the glove off (remarkably gruesome, it looked as though we were peeling off skin) and: Giant Hand Popsicle!

The chopstick didn't make a very good handle, something like a wooden spoon would have worked much better. I got the idea from a Halloween party suggestion to freeze the hand and then float it in a punch bowl.

I finally finished the bloomer dresses that were inspired by this book with pages from Sears catalog. I didn't like them at first, but I'm really pleased how they eventually turned out.

One is in the shop

And the other, a gray linen, is on it's way to Lass and Laddie (or it will be, as soon as I get off the computer and finish making up the package)

I rode my bike again today, after neglecting it for nearly two weeks and it was a struggle--but when I got home I had Brian test it and there is a problem with a pedals, so it's not so much being fat and old after all. I rode up to Nature's Bin, a natural and whole foods store that sells local produce at great prices, easier than trying to get out to some of the farmer's markets. I got some huge--huge! honeycrisp apples which really are the best type of apple ever, and worth waiting for each fall season. I also bought a sugar pumpkin, I want to try some of the pumpkin recipes I found here, particularly the pumpkin hummus and the pumpkin ketchup.

Lass and Laddie

I spent several hours tonight gathering up garments, making up hang tags and preparing a package for my first big order. Fifteen assorted dresses, smocks and kimonos are heading off to Lass and Laddie, a children's boutique in St. Louis, Missouri.

I wonder if I'm being ambitious thinking I can get this all into a flat rate Priority Mail box?

The shop looks lovely--it's in an old cottage, over a century old. The reviews I've read online have been good as well. So if you're ever in the St. Louis area, stop in and take a look (but wait a week or two until my stuff arrives!)

Lass and Laddie
161 W Jefferson
Kirkwood, Missouri 63122

Harvest Moon

Tonight is the full moon, the Harvest Moon--the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. It seems to be bigger and brighter than the other moons.

In many East Asian countries the Harvest Moon usually coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, or Lantern festival. It falls on the fifteen day of the 8th lunar month--around mid or late September in the Gregorian calendar. Friends and family gather to admire the moon and eat mooncakes. The Chinese shops around here sell mooncakes, but neither of the girls care for them very much.

Tsukimi is a Japanese festival honoring the first full moon of August. Rice dumplings called tsumimidango are traditionally eaten.

It was cloudy earlier tonight so we didn't get to see if the moon had the characteristic orange color it often has, but were happy it cleared up later so we could sit on the porch and watch the moon while drinking cocoa and pumpkin doughnut holes--store bought because I'm lazy and tend to do things last minute, but I thought they'd sort of look like little harvest moons.

My Favorite Month

I think maybe I believe September is my favorite month because I always feel it means fall is here, when it really means fall is on it's way. October is probably more my favorite. Although I'm not complaining about the weather. It's been lovely, sunny but with a bit of crispness in the air and cooling down enough at night that I put flannel sheets on the bed. Unfortunately, it's also making me feel like hibernating, I'm feeling so sleepy lately. It's always hard to me to get up in the morning, but it's been particularly hard this past week.

I saw this lovely apron at Angry Chicken and it inspired me to create this Yellow Brick Road Pinafore

This one's for Ivy, the blue plaid met with her approval. I really wanted gingham, but apparently my gingham needs were too specific--bright blue, 1/4 or 1/2 inch, 100% cotton. I couldn't find any anywhere online. So the plaid seemed a pretty good substitute. I convinced her to wear the red shoes with it, and she said they felt tight and I insisted they were plenty big. We were headed to the zoo and I got there to find she had blisters on both feet. I coughed up the money for a stroller, feeling like a pretty poor mom who was willing to give her daughter sore feet for fashions sake.

Unschooler Gathering of Ohio 2008

30 unschooling families gathered at Camp Akita for four days of

Swimming

Challenge Course

Hiking

(Miranda's reached her hiking limit right now and ready to turn back)

As well as dancing, a talent show, boating, fishing, toasting marshmallows and making friends. Now we are back home, doing laundry, catching up on blog posts (4 days away from the computer and I did just fine, haha), nursing a stiff neck from sleeping on a camp bunk bed and already planning for next year's trip.

I knew the day was coming, but it's finally actually arrived. Gone are the days when I can shop for fabric, buy what I like, present Ivy with lovely handmade clothes entirely of my own design and input and have her happily wear them. Now she wants complete control over her wardrobe.

A lovely corduroy jumper with Little Red Riding Hood ribbon? No thanks mom, "it's not really my style" (at least she's polite about it.)

She also turned down the dandelion floral and the feedsack print. Apparently she doesn't like flowers anymore either.

At least her requests won't be that difficult to fulfill--she would like a sky blue dress (she actually requested a white dress that could be dyed sky blue, but I think we'll eliminate a step in this process) and embroidered with a gray cat and a black cat.

But first, I am going to make a pinafore out of the corduroy and put it in the shop--somewhere out there there's got to be another little girl who has tastes similar to mine.