Saturday, July 31, 2010

Sewing for Charity

Well the girls have received their first lessons from "Hogwarts" but they haven't gotten started yet. The lessons began a little late which is good because things got a little crazy around here for a while. We always seem to get super busy at times then suddenly things calm down again!

First we got ourselves stuck at the top of a local mountain with a dead car battery which then fried the main fuse, leading to well lets just say a crazy few days. We were only 84 miles from home! LOL! The girls took it well.

Anyway they'll likely get started on Monday so they can return their first assignment by Friday. So I'll keep you posted there.

In the mean time, we found out that Craft Hope has started Project 9 for ConKerr cancer which you can find here. So we got started. Previously S (4.5) has felt a little left out when I've been working with M (9) on sewing projects, so I figured I'd get her involved this time. She's having a gay old time picking fabrics and taxing my brain to come up with matching fabric! Let me just say our tastes are very different! LOL!

We only started a couple days ago but have 7 pillowcases done. Each of us has pledged 5 pillowcases - totaling 15 - and one that they are keeping for themselves. Meaning I think we'll end up with about 18 pillowcases when all is said and done! :)

Who says a 4.5 yr old can't sew?? Well S is having a grand time helping me work on her cases. Ya her attention span is that of a typical 4 yr old but I gotta say she's managed to get more done than I expected! :) I'm impressed! FWIW, we're using the Hot Dog Roll Method to make our pillowcases.

Monday, July 12, 2010

A Scarf for Summer

So we've been heavily engrossed in the entire Harry Potter world for a few months now. As such, the girls are anxious to go to Hogwarts. M can't wait till HP world opens at Disney this year. I'd include S in that but I'm not really sure she cares! She loves the HP characters and the first book totally appealed to her. But after that she kinda lost interest and built her own version of HP in her head! Ah the joys of being 4.

Anyway- I spent a few days this month whipping up a Gryffindor scarf for M. While most go for the traditional colours of a wine yarn and yellow, M opted for a wine and gold. The scarf totally came down to her ankles. She asked for LONG! and she totally got it! LOL! I told her to take comfort inthe fact that she could wrap it round a couple times and still have it long. Plus she could GROW into it. She totally loved it!

S has asked for a Ravenclaw scarf which is still on the needles. M and S picked out a lighter blue than I would of and a darker bronze. Oh well, as long as they're happy with the colours that's all I was worried about. S' will be shorter (not sure yet by how much) bit she has asked for hers to only come to her knees.

Who knows. at the moment, I'm still contemplating making myself a Hogwarts Colours Scarf or just a scrappy scarf like Dr. Who used to wear!

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Hogwarts Adventures

So for a while the girls and I have been listening on audio reading the Harry Potter series, and sadly, we've just finished the last book! (Sadly because it was a good series and we didn't want it to end! LOL!) So anyway the girls have been talking about Hogwarts and wanting to go when they're old enough so I sent away asking if we could do a Hogwarts Summer Correspondence course for under age witches and wizards (Hogwarts as you know starts at age 11.)

I told the girls I had requested it and on Friday we got to work on making our wands. As under-age wizards they aren't allowed to perform magic so if they make their own wands... its good! :) While the girls painted their wands the littlest one was colouring pictures - actually first time she has ever been ALLOWED to hold a crayon - without someone taking it off her so she spent the time figuring out what to do with it. Ripping off the paper and colouring on the high chair table was the best! LOL! As I was digging through the pictures later ET looked like she was asking questions and making notes, so she became the official admissions clerk at Hogwarts! LOL!

The girls got their letter by Owl Saturday morning - the Owl left it in the petunia pot out front. The letter just asks if they would be interested in doing a summer correspondence course through Hogwarts - but not AT Hogwarts. They both got very excited at the idea.

Just before lunch M and I created the quills they'll use for the work. The Quills are feather with and gutted ballpoint pens stuck inside! I haven't come up with the ink-well yet (but I'm still thinking on it!) M needs to reply to Professor McGonagall - which she'll do by Owl this evening or this afternoon! :) (Pink is a flamingo Feather, Red is a Phoenix Feather, and Green is a One-can - not a Toucan feather!)