mr. monkeysuit

coloring buddies

Cissie shares babysitting a couple of times a week with a friend's daughter. The two of them are just about the same age and when they get together they are just so stinkin' cute. One of the nicest things about watching them play is seeing their friendship grow and despite the fact that they are only two-years-old they really do have a friendship. They really love each other and are so excited when they see each other, which usually takes the form of some high pitched singing and a little dance. This weekend marks the second birthday of Cissie's BFF so I whipped up a little crayon roll for her.

I made it the same way as these ones. Using the pattern from Last Minute Patchwork. I managed to make it in about two and a half hours this time, pretty quick for me. Of course, there is probably some irony in the fact that I used almost all my precious babysitting time to make a present for the little girl who is currently being babysat with Cis. Still, I do prefer to give something handmade if I can. I use Stock-mar crayons (they really are worth the extra money) and I add a cute drawing pad and some stickers to finish. I would love a source for some more funky stickers if anyone has one.

Both girls love coloring and painting and just about anything artsy. I remember being amazed the first time Cissie picked up a pencil she held it in the perfect pincer grip. I have high crafty hopes for her.

 

In other news:: I am totally psyched about getting to meet all these local craft bloggers. My little stint on t.v. really put me in contact with a bevvy of crafting beauties. Last week I got to met the lovely Vicki form Hollyhocks and today the lovely Tina from PolkaDotBug is heading my way. Both of these gals are amazing crafters and I am so happy to meet someone in my home town with similar interests.

In fact there seems to be quite a proliferation of local bloggers so I am thinking a special post plus a special section on my blogroll is in order, not to mention a show and tell crafting day...ooooh now we're talking.

Hope your day is shaping up sweet.

What I've Got

Definitely not a quilt and this definitely isn't Friday.

Instead a very cute (even if I do say so myself) pair of baby booties for the Michael Miller Bootie Contest. I'm not really a joiner of these kinds of things but I just felt like I had to make these booties. I knew in my head exactly how they would turn out. And four mohair pompoms later I am glad to say they are just like I envisioned.

Though you can't see it very well the lining fabric is the same as the fabric underneath the booties.

So it isn't the quilt I said I would show but this is what I have for today.

I have in fact finished the quilt but as usual am finding it devilishly hard to photograph and it is a special quilt so I want to get it right.

Details:: I used this pom pom maker from Superbuzzy - it is genius. So much better than the other Martha Stewart ones from way back. It doesn't fall apart just at the crucial moment which is more than can be said of me sometimes.
I think I got the fabric from Repro Depot but now I can't find it so who knows.

Todays Dilemma :: Alrighty then. I have a quick question for you.

Why do I find it so hard to blog everyday or even pick some regular days and stick to them?
I feel like this is a real shortcoming of mine. There are those that can and do blog every single day and they have something interesting to say each time. I just can not seem to up my blogging output and I feel so undisciplined in my approach to this space.
Do you blog every day? Or even several times a week? If so how do you do it? Do you pick a set time each day? Do you make notes about what you want to say? How do you make your blog feel consistent? I feel like mine is such a patchwork of this and that and I wonder if you can get a sense of me at all or is it just gibberish.

To give you more of an idea of what I am like here is the link. Sorry Tina I had to do it. And just so you know there is no way I am that fat (I am) and there is no way I have such a stupid accent (I do).

So please let me know how you make your blog work and help me be a better blogger!!

gentleman's family

I took Floyd and Cissie for their well-child visits this month and whilst I was there our family doctor told us we have a 'rich man's family' and later when our good (Irish) friend was here she said a similar thing, we have a 'gentleman's family'. Do you know what these terms refer to? I didn't at first. It means you have one boy and one girl, typically in Ireland the children would be called Sonny (for the boy) and Cissie (for the girl)...what's weird about this is that Sonny was one of the names I liked for Floyd before he was born and well Cissie is called, Cissie. Pretty cool huh?

I do feel very blessed with our kids and I'd like to think I am thankful for them at some point in each day (though undoubtedly I have days when it is harder to remember...you know the kind of day I mean, right?). One thing I am especially grateful for is having the opportunity to parent for a boy and a girl.

At my advanced (ahem) maternal age I think we are probably going to stop at two kids. We go back and forth all the time...I mean *all* the time. Andy, I think it is safe to say, would probably have more though he worries about finances. I care not a jot about our finances (surprise, surprise) but get totally freaked out about going through another pregnancy. It is hard work isn't it? Of course it is amazing and wonderful too, but I can't forget how exhausting it is and what a toll it takes on your body. Of course the toll would be much alleviated if I ever had the flippin' will power to lose all the weight I have put on.....but that's another story.   
All this is to say, I thank my lucky stars for my wonderful kids and the opportunity to make things for a little boy and for now for a little girl too. It makes me feel very rich, in the most important way.

crib :: vintage from local shop
doll :: as before but with new needle felted Princess Leia style buns.
mini quilt and pillow :: freshly made by me for her with this fabric...only in pink...of course!

two rolls

Easter/spring presents for the kids.

We are not much into Easter in this house. Except for the chocolate. And the decorations. And talking about the Easter bunny. Did I mention the chocolate?
Like I said not much into it here, but I decided to give the kids an Easter basket with an art theme this year. So this morning I made them each a crayon/pencil roll.

Cissie's crayon roll.

I figured the only way to decide on what fabrics to use would be to pick a theme. Cissie has all Liberty fabrics and Floyd has all polka dot fabrics. Honestly the amount of fabric in this room can be more than a little oppressive when it comes to making a choice. (Note to self: stop buying so much flippin' fabric you fool. It could take a lifetime to use what you already have and yes, yes there is a lot of cute stuff out there but COME ON!)

Floyd got pencil crayons and a cute lining..

I got the idea from Last Minute Pathwork Gifts and just changed the size of the strips and used this super cute number ribbon instead of twill tape. Has anyone noticed how much cool stuff ReproDepot has right now? It is making my note-to-self hard to remember.
Judging  by the book's Flickr group I think this is a pretty popular project. In fact Karin over at Orange Flower has one up now she made especially for crochet hooks. Cute!
So the kids will be getting these, a sketch book and some stickers. They are mad into stickers at the moment.
Oh and of course they might just be getting a little bit of chocolate.

arrggg

It is a certain someone's birthday at the beginning of next month and he has requested a pirate theme for his party. (Hint: it's not my husband)
Getting a jump start on all the crafting, I appliquéd a skull and crossbones onto a plain t-shirt. It was so simple. This is my new easy-make gift for every kids party for the foreseeable future. If you iron on interfacing to the fabric first it adds stability making it easier to sew around and cuts down on the fraying, though it doesn't eliminate it altogether.

This is the template I drew. If you click on it it should get to the size I used but it would be easy enough to enlarge or reduce. I sewed in two tiny eyes, ed emberley style. Love him. And that's it. So flippin' easy and versatile. I am already dreaming up all the possibilities.
I bought my shirt from Jo-ann's for about $4.50 but then I saw this organic version for not too much more which I would be totally into. There are some organic baby sizes too and this super cute set, the trousers would be fun to do too.

Other news :
Loving this amazing house. Though I am sure the woodland elves would all be pestering you for a cup of fairy dust all the time.
Want this like all get out but thinking some of these might be more likely for Easter
Lastly, thanks to Alex for her sweet post on a long ago gift.
Phew, sorry for the link-heavy post.

Burpdays

We always have this decoration out for birthdays. Always. And as it was Andy's birthday just last week it has made yet another appearance.

It wasn't hard to make but kind of time consuming. 13 letters. Lucky I had an extra pair of hands.

We backed the fabric for making the letters with double sided interfacing. Hot ironed it on to the backing fabric then stitched around each letter. The backing fabric then gets made into a sandwich with heavy weight timtex in the middle and another layer of fabric at the back. Iron all these pieces together, stitch around all the sides then trim.

We hang ours on grosgrain ribbon with mini clothes pegs. Or you can buy a similar version from here.

Of course, I prefer our homemade version, increasingly tattered edges, and all. I love that with each passing year we have more and more small family rituals. Decorations, activities, holidays to the same place, games and ceremonies - all these things help create a bank of family memories to draw on because let's face it with a memory as bad as mine I stand no chance of remembering all these cute and wonderful things. 
Happy belated birthday love.

I've said it all. Now for the repeats.

It's official. I have, in fact said everything I have to say. I have nothing new to report. I know this has to be true because in my third ever post I made new kitchen curtains and told you about them and here I am just under two years later talking about the very same thing.

I made new kitchen curtains. I had to. I never really loved the old ones. Too spotty. Too colorful. And they didn't hang quite right.
I love, like really love, these ones. They make the whole kitchen feel like a calmer place.

I used natural linen and the radish and pea fabrics are from Superbuzzy. I don't think they still carry them though. These curtains have been on my mind for a while now so I am totally relived, yes actually relieved to have them finished. Do you know what I mean? I love crafting, really love it. But there are times when it can feel overwhelming and honestly, almost stressful. There are so many things I want to make all the time. It has gotten to the point where I can't read craft books before I go to bed. I makes me feel anxious. 

*Anyway*. Back to the curtains. I wasn't sure about what to do with the top but a quick look through the brilliant Bend The Rules Sewing by Amy Karol convinced me that twill tape was the way to go. I never would have thought of it but I think it suits these curtains perfectly. That book is full of smart ideas that can actually help you *finish* a project (no I am not going there again) and a ton more to inspire you to start one. It has totally become my go-to book along with Denyse Schmidt. These two books are totally my desert island discs.

Well guys it only took me two years to get through everything. Now you'll  have to make do with the re-runs. Does this look familiar to you?

again with the placemats, again with the red

Not a lot to say about these really. 

But these ones, I am keeping.

I can not believe it is February already.

Clichéd but true....time really flies when you have little ones. I always feel like I am trying to hold on to a particular minute, so I can say 'yes, this is what they are like, this is what are lives are'. But the truth is it all moves so fast, it is never stagnant enough to capture that. I thought I might try taking a picture a day for a year. Claire did it for a year then had a big show at the end and invited all her friends to see it. I was lucky enough to be in England at the time. It was very cool. Soph did 365 and of course Soulemama is doing a month of photos.
It seems like a good way to crystallize what is going on round here. Maybe I need another blog? hmmm thoughts please.

This month is set to be a super busy one. Lots of boring stuff but some super cool fun stuff. A birthday in the house, some new curtains, a refurbished third floor and *joy of joys* maybe even a little sunshine getaway and of course hopefully lots more crafty goodness.

Happy February!

cocktail waitress

Cissie got a new summer dress last week (I can dream can't I? only another 3 months of snow to go). I got the pattern or should I say idea from this book (ISBN 4910123500768). I know everyone says that even though you don't read Japanese you can still follow the pattern. Uhhh well. OK. Let's just leave it at that shall we? Lucky for me the dress was super simple, in fact more of a tube with elastic running through the top (which is so not how they had it in the book but how it ended up for me)

It took me a couple of tries to get the shoulder straps right. At one point Cis was walking round with them hanging off her shoulders, she looked decidedly like she should be offering me a whiskey sour. Still in the end it all came together in a rather sweet way and all she needs to do now is grow 4 inches so it will fit.

re-made

What to do with an old t-shirt and your husband's newly felted sweater (ahem).

Winter Boy is born....at least that is his working name.

very cute no ?

Tomorrow I'll list the book he came from and scan some of the other great pictures in it.

smock and apron

A smock for her, (free pdf pattern at Mayfly)

and an apron for him,

Floyd needed an apron for school so of course instead of just going out and buying one I decided to make one. It took a long, long time. But I do like it.

We had our first parent-teacher conference recently and it reminded me that I was so nervous when Floyd started school. All the usual anxieties...will he like it ? will they love him ? will he be happy ? will they teach him the things I want him to learn and not the things I don't ? And I have to say I am utterly relieved to find they do all these wonderful things and more. We are lucky enough to have found a very progressive school with fantastic teachers and the most nurturing, calm, cozy and intellectual stimulating environment. He is so happy there and it feels me with joy. But sometimes when I read blogs like this one and this one I pause and wonder what it would be like to home-school. I honestly don't think it would suit us as a family but I love the idea.

This time of year always sets me to reflect about how we ended up here and how long this chapter of our lives will be. I love it here, I am so happy to be able to be at home with my kids while they are so little. Being here allows me to do that but sometimes I wonder.....

I have moved 27 times in 35 years lived in, lived in 4 countries and 3 continents. Crazy huh ?  I am tired of moving but I am not sure I want to stay here forever either. I wonder if I will always feel a little displaced and if it is possible to have everything you want in one place - family, friends, great job, beautiful location...I am guessing probably not but I wonder how close we can come ?

I must admit to feeling envious of people who have always lived in the same area for most of their lives. There is, I think, a certain sense of security that comes with that...also a lot less moving boxes.

dolly

Did you know that I wanted to call Cissie, Dolly ? I did. I love that name, not least of all because of my fondness for the original Dolly. I can't explain it. It just is. But when I mentioned it to my mum, she said, "What like the sheep ?" And honestly it just didn't feel right after that.
Anyway. I made Cissie a dolly. And here she is.

I made her using this pattern, found on eBay. But as you can see I adjusted it a bit here and there.

It was kind of simple, hard....if you know what I mean. The pattern was quite simple really but it was fiddly and very time consuming to make and you will notice poor Dolly has no shoes or hat (they are still waiting in the sewing basket). But the hair. Good lord, the hair. Well you can see she ended up with rather short hair and the thing is like the other great Dolly I think she is going to need a wig. Does anyone have any tips on how to make hair and sew it on ? or know of any tutorials ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

pajama-rama

New pajamas (pyjamas if your British) for Floyd. Fitting in to my new policy of using up some of my stash I didn't buy anything new, I had some flannel which was warm and cozy for the winter and I thrifted the t-shirts and appliquéd them.

I used Simplicity pattern 4381, which frankly is not very well written. Does anyone else find Simplicity patterns poorly written ? I had my sewing teacher help me with some of it, it got so confusing.

Anyway, I liked them so much he ended up with three pairs. Kind of revealing how much fabric is in my stash, isn't it ?

shorts set

shirt

embroidery on shorts

polka dot shorts.

Pattern is the same as this outfit.
Liberty fabric for the shirt, Joann's fabric for the shorts. I am really getting a jump start on next summer's outfits because not only is the weather finally beginning to turn cooler, this one is wayyy to big.

I am really trying to make make make as much stuff in the house as I can now. I have increasingly felt the urge to make things rather than buy them as do so many of us now. (check out this great angry chicken post if you haven't already).

Obvious things like the kids clothes, but also blankets and bedding for the house, presents for people large and small, pajamas for my little guy and the larger fella too. I have a moratorium on buying toys now. It's not that I won't buy any again but just that we have so much and how much do we need? The kids always play with the same things anyway so I am asking for experiential presents for a bit.

We have also decided on a 'homemade and books' Christmas.

I am not committing to anything crazy like no more shopping at all (lets face it I couldn't keep away from the thrift stores if I tried), but I am definitely going to spend less time (and money) buying and more time making, only buying something when we need it or I have a set purpose for it and enjoying what we already have.

This article about the connection between affluence and a whole slew of dysfunctions and disorders was really interesting. I'd like to think we probably have enough stuff in our house now and that we would benefit from doing more rather than buying more.

After all I really have a lot.....and I am really grateful.

Carol, Muriel and Mr. T

Andy and I made an agreement when we were first married that he got to name all our pets and our children. Strange, I know, but we are sticking to it, which is how we came around to having a dog called Emlyn and children called Floyd and Cissie. This trend seems to have followed through to the naming of the dollies in the house too. Hence Carol, Muriel and Mr. T, our latest dolly for Cissie (thank goodness this one landed on a dolly). My mum was here to visit recently and I have to say it was hilarious listening to a 70-year-old woman talking to Cis in a baby voice saying, "Where's Mr. T ? Here she is. Here's Mr. T. Give Mr. T a kiss." Andy and I got a laugh out of this *every* time. Anyway, I digress.

Mr. T along with her mates looked like they needed a rest place. I found this cute little wooden doll bed for $2 at a yard sale this summer and I made a new very simple doll quit and pillow for it. Cissie however had other ideas,

(I love when they try and get in things that are really too small for them. Floyd always used to try and get in this little wooden bus.)

Now Mr. T and his two three lady friends can relax in style, fool.

snap

I was reading one of my all time favorite blogs, Soulemama, when I saw an almost identical embroidery to the one I have just finished.

Here's another less seasonal one that is *nearly* finished.

I am loving embroidery at the moment which reminds me to remind you to check out these wonderful things. So stinkin' cute. Good luck on your venture little one.   

Also, if you have me on bloglines you may get notice of me putting up new posts, I am actually editing  all the photos of the kids off the blog after reading this....really creepy (I apologize for the melodrama but I think it's good to be aware of these things.)

Update : I should have mentioned there is a petition to sign here to try and stop people stealing the images. Please pass this on and link to it on your own blogs, so many of us post pictures of our families and we should at least make an informed choice about whether we want to continue doing so. OK I am off my soap box. Enjoy your day.

personalised towels

That's right, because everyone needs one right ?

Why, you may ask, did I bother ?

Well first of all they do look cute (they are bound in fabric at both ends and have matching fabric loop for hanging) and that is always a good reason to have something around. Heather Ross fabric from here and Koi fabric from here (though it looks like it is sold out).

And secondly, and this is perhaps the most important reason is because I am rather hoping this is going to reduce the million towel washing marathon. My husband, I love him, does not do laundry but like the stellar father that he is, he does give the kids their bath every evening. (That's my time re-order the house after the day, pay bills, make some calls, craft or blog.) I am hoping these little beauties will encourage him to stick to one towel. I rationalize it as being environmentally friendly.......oh yeah and I'm lazy.

bags of the birthday

This year for Cissie's birthday I opted for re-usable favour bags filled with second-hand books, some handmade goodies and the occasional thrifted toy.

Made with linen, twill tape and some super cute fabric from Superbuzzy. How many obsession-inducing fabrics can one shop have ? A lot apparently.
It eased my conscience about the landfill factor that most favour bags have while still allowing me to include one of my favourite parts of party organization. (crazy mentalist I know but I love the favour bag thing which we generally don't do in England...like Halloween....more on that later.)

I had a couple left over and I have to say they make perfect project bags for my knitting. Now all my half finished projects look nice and neat while they sit there *unfinished* .....but they look cute.

birthday gift

I have been so enjoying the sun I haven't been giving my blog a second thought. I have been spending lots of time in my newly organised craft room though I have little to show for it, here is one thing I made this past week.

A little capri pant and swing top set for a cutie pie that is turning one next week.

Sorry about the shabby photos of late... apparently another side effect of good weather is laziness when taking photos (seven months of winter people! you have to forgive me.) The pattern is McCall's M5028, a nice easy one.
The real revelation of making this is not the pattern but the fact that I learnt how to do french seams. To all you who already know how to do this you are probably nodding your head now thinking about the first time you learnt (and possibly wondering why it took me so long) and remembering the joy of discovering how nice your clothes can look on the inside without an over-locker. To those of you who don't yet know how to do it you are probably wondering why it matters. Let me tell you, it matters. I feel like I am part of a secret sewing club, not unlike the magicians circle where little magical tricks are slowly being revealed to me. And I love it. I double heart french seams. Anyone who wants to have a go and discover what it is I am wanging on about you should check out this tutorial on SewNeau.
Good luck and next week we'll be learning how to pull a rabbit from a hat.

summer bedding .... kind of

New duvet cover and pillow case for Mr. Floyd.
side A

side B

The sad thing is that it is still cold enough here to warrant using a duvet.
I bought the fabric from Jo-anns who now carry quite a few Alexander Henry prints so when they had a big sale on recently I took the opportunity to get some for this little set. It works out so much cheaper than buying a ready made set plus I think it is cuter and Floyd seems interested in the fact that I made it. I also made the actual duvet inside(which I haven't photographed) as well as the pillow. I wanted to buy organic cotton ones but they come with a pretty hefty price tag so when I found this organic cotton batting and organic sheeting at Near Sea Naturals I thought I would have a go at making one myself. It was quite easy and it washes and dries really well though I have to say it was quite hard to fit all that padding through the sewing machine but it was basically like making a quilt but with less quilting. I made the pillow with the same materials but really stuffed it full of the batting so it would keep its shape.
All in all I have to say it worked out pretty well. Now if only we could get to the point where it was warm enough to put it all away....that would make me very happy.

necessity is the mother of invention

I finally got round to making a pair of long shorts for Floyd. I have had this pattern (Burda 9793) for about a year and bought everything to make them (fabric, elastic, toggles and cord) but then never did it. Well, this weekend got me motivated, it got up to 70 degrees. Four days ago Cissy had to wear her snowsuit out and now she has a sun burnt chin. It seems we bypassed spring and went straight into summer.

This is a shot of the back, the front is just plain and I actually made two pairs because he really does need some new clothes and I have vowed to try and make as many of the kids' clothes as I can.

He seems to like them well enough though it was hard to get a picture of him in them because he kept jumping around shouting "I'm making frog arms mummy, FROG ARMS" and flailing his arms around. Irritating but cute. That kind of sums him up these days.

meow

The cats are ready.

What should have been a simple thing took such a long time. I learnt two things:
1. When offering something to give away, make sure you have it already made.
2. Don't pick a pattern you've never made before.
Oh well, hope the winners like them. Now about that baby quilt.......

happy bunny day

I finished a bunny bag for Mr. Floyd just in time for it to be filled with yet more chocolate. His bag ended up a lot bigger but they look a bit like a big brother and his little sister, I think. 

I filled Cissy's with this cute little ornament from my favourite toy store, The Wooden Wagon.

We had such a full weekend; my lovely boy turned 3, I turned 35 (no comment), we had an Easter egg hunt (in the snow), a ton of presents, a poorly baby girl (who now seems over the worst of it) and we finished it off with a slow family Sunday during which my lovely husband cooked a roast dinner. Peace at last. Hope your weekend was just as love filled.

felt cupcakes

Back in November I made some felt cupcakes for Floyd's cafe and a fellow blogger said she would like some for her daughter. Well four months later, and here they are ....or at least most of them. Of course, I haven't finished them, of course not. I still have a couple of the larger ones left to finish but they are almost done now and soon the little swap we have arranged will be ready.
I love getting involved in swaps. It is neat to think of your things half way round the world (or even a few streets away) being played with by some crafty mama's kids or even by the crafty mama herself. It kind of reminds me of keeping pen-pals in the 1970's. Does that even exist anymore ? Perhaps the advent of the internet makes the idea of sending letters round the world to people you have never met before seem redundant. Ironically and fortunately the craft-blog world has reinvented it through swapping and I think that is so cool. I love that these will be in someone else's little daidokoro, cocina, kuche, cuisine or cozinha and I may never meet the person who receives them but there is an invisible thread that connects us.

a second arrival

Another one arrived in the wee hours of the night.

And he is looking for a home. There are more photos here. He is made of wool tweed, cotton flannel, wool felt and buttons. He is stuffed with 100% wool stuffing and has buttons for eyes and on his wings. (so use caution if he is intended for a toy) He is 10" high and 11" around the belly.
He is $45 and he goes to the first person that emails me requesting to buy him. I am really trying to set up an Etsy shop but I am having real trouble uploading photos. It keeps saying the files are too big, does anyone have any advice ?

Update - Sold. Thank you ! I'll try and list a few things over the next couple of weeks.

hippity hop

I love Easter. The chocolates, the eggs, the chocolate eggs, the cute bunnies....speaking of which here is a fine example.

Don't you think it will look so cute filled with.....mmhhmm, enough on that subject.

The pattern is from the new issue of Cotton Time, they call it a lunch bag but we will be using ours as Easter baskets. I have only included one scan but there is a much better review of the magazine over at Molly Chicken.

I just find scanning so tedious at the moment, hence all the crappy scans of late. I promise to try harder next time. It's all the flippin' chocolate making my mind race!
Now to make another bag, gotta have one for each babe.

just hatched...

....in time for the weekend.

but she doesn't have a name. Suggestions please.

Hope your weekend is warm and sunny.

quilted placemats

I can't tell you how long it took me to finish these little place mats. I don't know why. I liked making them but I just couldn't seem to finish them, that is until now....

The Kaffe Fassett 'spools' fabric is from here. They seem to have the biggest selection of his fabrics around. The green and brown patchwork fabric is from Kitty Craft, but ages ago. And the bigger tree print is a Liberty fabric from one of my favourite eBay sellers. They were made to match these curtains which is my third ever post from a year ago...so that's how long they took!

We used them for dinner last night and let's just say I am glad I took the photos beforehand. Nothing like spending a year making something only to have yogurt smushed into it in about three minutes.

part three of three

Here is the final part to a present I have been working on for a while.

Only one of the bibs (the yellow one) is included in the present. The other one is for Cissy.

Here's what it looks like all together.

I really had a lot of fun making this and I hope the Mum and baby like them too. If anyone wants a copy of the pattern for the bib email me and I will send one to you. I just bought this and it really is great for copying and making patterns. Oh and I should say the onsie is from Gymboree and not something I made but I thought it went so well.

it's a theme

I have this thing about giving themed presents. I like to give things that co-ordinate with each other or are somehow linked. I suspect I am not alone in this but here's a good example of a gift headed back home. I started with this book, Trina Schart Hyman (isbn 0823404706).
I love the illustrations and thought it was a good version of the story without being to gruesome but a certain element of 'OH MY'.

It was then I got to thinking about what would go with it and my friend reminded me of this post  from angry chicken with this great cape pattern.

I should say that this is the first time I have ever made anything like this and I was pretty darn pleased with the results. Here is Floyd modeling the cape (as super dog though, not red riding hood) which is about 4 sizes too big for him.

I love the swish of it all. Shame super dog moves too fast for me to focus my camera properly.
I topped the present off with these Ostheimer figures from my favourite toy shop.

Now that's what I call a themed gift.
Anyone who has the Red Riding Hood bug that I seem to have caught should check out this book, it has dozens of different versions of the story, with analysis of the history and themes.