Gearing up for winter

We were at MEC on the weekend having a look at all the cool stuff they sell. I’m hoping to continue commuting by bike this winter and I wanted to make sure I have what I need to keep warm and dry. I bought some warm, waterproof mittens and a new helmet (have been using my daughter’s helmet, but it’s not really big enough to fit a warm winter hat underneath). I am very excited about this!  

I also got a few cool ideas when I was there and decided to try them out when I got home. I have some beautiful “tie-dye effect” fleece left over from a blanket I made for my son, so I cut a strip of it and made a winter head band. It took me a couple of attempts to figure out how to sew it so that there was minimal hand stitching required. I even had to unpick it not once, but twice. Yikes! That’s hard to admit!  

I also made some triangular fleece bandanas from some scraps that my mom gave me last year. That was really easy. I cut a triangle, then zigzagged the edges. The ones at MEC have a Velcro fastener, which is a good idea, but I haven’t got round to sewing one on yet. However, I think both items worked out really well and now everyone in the family wants one of each!

Cosmonaut devil

If you’ve got more than one kid in your life, you may be able to imagine what happened next....

My younger son wondered why we hadn’t made any stuffies for him. So we found a cool pattern (probably the same book) and he chose the fabric from by stash. Thankfully I have a lot to choose from!

This one is made from fleece and although I was fairly precise with sewing some of the features (eyes and star), you can see that the mouth (the only part I did by hand) has started to unravel.

Perhaps it adds a certain insouciance to its character...

Kitty doll with bird fabric

So here is what we attempted next. This was a cute (and fairly simple) pattern we found in a book at the library. It looks like a little kitty to me, but what cracks me up is the bird-themed fabric. I'm pretty sure my daughter picked it herself out of my stash of fabric. I wonder where I got it....

We were smarter this time and stitched the face before we sewed it all together.

However, we got pretty excited about how much stuffing you can stuff inside a little creature like this and eventually she split her britches!

Our first doll

I would say that neither my daughter nor I are particularly drawn to dolls, but we made the first doll a couple of years ago, when she was maybe 8 years old. I had this idea that it would be fun to make something simple that she could embellish in any way she chose. I think I just drew out a pattern out of my head and we used part of an old sheet for the fabric. We forgot to sew buttons on or do stitching for the face before it was all sewn and stuffed, so she drew a face  directly on the fabric. Unfortunately, she wasn't happy with the result so we covered it up with a piece of felt. Every now and then I ask her if she feels like drawing a new face on the doll, but she seems happy with it the way it is. I think it has a certain charm! Note the bandaid drawn on the knee...