Charm & Whimsy

Toddler Boy Apron and Snapshots from a Great Weekend.

What a GREAT weekend!!

I just finished this apron for The Boy. I started it at around 1:30pm today after he went down for a nap. He is really into fish and I had this fabric that I had bought to make him a little bag but instead used it for the apron. I made a pattern out of 4 sheets of paper I taped together and used one of his shirts as a guide for size. It came out pretty darn good!! I can't wait to try it on him tomorrow. I took pictures during the making of but it's too late to whip out a tutorial... I'll try to get one together and post or at least get the pictures up for a visual tutorial.

 

Friday The Boy helped me make pizza and kept trying to eat the flour and dough, then ate handfuls of tomato sauce and cheese instead of putting it on the pizza. Hence the need for an apron - wish I had had my camera handy, he was too cute.

Saturday night we started our Neighborhood Dinner Series night by having our neighbors across the street over for dinner. We had a great time, the company was great, the food was delicious and I got to use my favorite tablecloth, dishes, etc. which always makes me happy. Wish I had taken pictures, where is that camera?? We hope to have a different family over once a month so we can get to know everyone better. Hmmm... who is next...

Sunday morning started late with The Boy sleeping in til 730am. WoooHooo!!! Sweetboy made the best biscuits I've ever eaten for breakfast. We played around all morning, then we had fun with finger paints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to play outside. "Eyes! Eyes!!" he says, so we go get his sunglasses.

 

The Boy went down for his nap and I started the apron. Now granted I just finished it around 1030pm but there were a lot of interuptions along the way including a hilarious bathtime

 

 

and listening to two new CDs (You Are My Flower and You Are My Sunshine) before bedtime from Elizabeth Mitchell & Daniel Littleton.

 She has such a sweet, folksy voice - her and her partner sing wondeful duets and the lovely little songs... you must go listen to the samples and read about all of the songs. I've been listening to the music on my own to learn the words and the songs are just so sweet and charming. I particularly like Ladybug Picnic, Lovers Lane and another that I can't remember the name.

 

 

 

We also had so many fresh flowers in the house this weekend. I'm sure it contributed to the great mood :)  Aren't those peonies amazing? Our neighbors brought them over Saturday. They smell heavenly.

Have a great week everyone!

 

 

Lovely crafty clippings.

 
 

Today was a productive naptime for Mommy. Once The Boy wakes up we're going to the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. He is getting over hand, foot and mouth disease which kept him out of daycare all week and now he has a raging double ear infection. Poor sweet thing. I hope the flowers and butterflies will make him feel better.

What are you doing this weekend?

Make your own iron-on fabric patches.

The Boy wore through his first pair of jeans recently and it was time to patch them before they got a big hole. Hmmm. Shoot, no patches around the house. What to do?!

Enter HeatnBond Lite, super cute robot fabric (heavier apparel weight) and my trusty Janome. 15 minutes later... voila! 

 

Iron the HeatnBond onto the wrong side of the fabric.
 
 


 
 



Determine placement before ironing.
 


Peel off the backing and then iron on to the pants.
 


Here's where I will go with regular HeatNBond next time, no matter how much I ironed it didn't stick in places. Time to stitch around the edges.



 

 
 

Robots save the day - time to go play!

How to make a super simple Superhero cape. Try saying that 10 times in a row.

I loved the monthly series on Celebrate The Boy! (did you see it? No?? Run don't walk over there). So many many awesome crafty ideas for The Boy. It's going to be a busy, crafty summer - fantastic!

First up - the ridiculously easy super hero cape, thanks to Jenny for the great idea and tutorial. So much great reading on her blog - go check out her craftyness :)

All of us were upstairs playing and I asked Sweetboy if he had a throwaway shirt I could use to make The Boy a cape. He was happy to oblige, we all meandered over to my crafty lair (will post on that wonderful room - still a wee bit of a disaster area but it's coming along) and about 10 minutes later he was outside flying about and saving the world.

I didn't take pictures during the making of - it was all rather impromptu. However, I just laid the shirt face down on the carpet, eyeballed a cut from the bottom up to the shoulder on each side and then eyeballed the front cuts down around the neck. I sewed the neck together a bit in the front so it fit The Boy better and then added some pom pom fringe to weigh down the back a bit. 

 

 

 Patroling our street, ensuring safety for all.

Even Superheros like slides now and then.

The Boy had a lot of fun outside and at one point was running around in circles looking over his shoulder to see the cape flying up. I would have thought he was too young for this (18 months) but I guess not. Also for the first time he left his sunglasses on the whole time we were outside. Super! I hope this continues as we spend a lot of time outside and I've been kind of worried about his eyes.

I didn't make the cuffs as in the tutorial (although they're awesome) and I couldn't find felt (still in a box somewhere?) to make an emblem for the center of the cape but I'll make them one of these days. What a fun, easy gift idea!

Hope you make one too - enjoy! :)