child

  • Felt-ertainment

    ByHeather Bailey

    AirdaleTerrierFeltProject_01b
    My daughter Charlotte should write a book. I've never seen a more prolific eight-year-old. She is a craft-making machine.

    Her favorite stuffed animal is an Airedale Terrier. So, this week,
    she decided that all of her arts and crafts would be Airedale-Terrier
    themed. Today, she is finishing up this incredible little felt pillow
    and then I'm on board to teach her how to cross-stitch—another Airedale
    Terrier.

    AirdaleTerrierFeltProject_02b

    If you follow my feed on Instagram, you'll know I'm trying to be more
    organized about my kids' summers this year, and break the time up with a
    number of planned projects and activities. We'll see how that goes.
    But, as for the down time in between, I have to say that a big bin of
    felt    , some thread and a needle sure come in handy.

  • Have you Herd?

    ByHeather Bailey

    Make a new friend in Henrietta turtle (or skip the flower corsage and
    make a Henry turtle). Henrietta will gladly house your pins &
    needles or entertain your baby or pet — but not at the same time. She's funny that way.

    HenriettaCvr

    You may have glimpsed my pokey new sewing buddy in my recent interview
    on NBC. This sewing pattern is hot off the press and ready to ship. I'm
    in love. Sitting by my sewing machine, Henrietta reminds me to take my
    time and enjoy the process.

    Fresh from Bingo night, come Edna, Matilda, Eloise, Harriet, Penelope and Gladys. "Shush, dearie. Did that nice young man call B-15?" Six different materials kits available here — pattern sold separately.

    A herd of turtles. Or as my dad likes to say, "A terd of hurtles."

    TurtleKits

  • Bead It, Kid

    ByHeather Bailey

    Necklace1new3
    Beadingnew So, guess who made these necklaces?

    Four-year-old Charlotte did this all by herself.  I thought I was
    embracing disaster by allowing her free access to several bins of beads
    while I worked on the computer today.  I was entirely wrong.

    Not
    only did Miss C patiently string together all of these designs without
    my oversight, but she made them all symmetrical.  Even her most
    eclectic necklace doesn't miss a beat
    bead.  Hours and hours of necklace-making.  All I did was add the
    clasps.  And I bent a loop at the top of her one pendant.  That's it.

    Necklace3new2

    Necklace4new2
    When I was four years old, my bottom dresser drawer was stocked with
    white paper, a stapler and staples.  I made all sorts of wild
    inventions with white paper that year.  And here I thought I had been
    tricky-stuff at four, with my paper robots and elephants.  Looks like
    Charlotte has 4-year-old me mightily whooped.

    The moral: 
    Moms, Grandmas, Aunts and Alligators, let your kids have access to some
    of your precious supplies.  They may surprise you with tidiness and
    ingenuity!  I can only imagine what I would have done with real art
    supplies at that age.

    Of course, they may surprise you with a royal disaster instead.  I've been there too — many times.