1880 Mary and Laura Doll Dress -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Hazel and I discovered the Little House on the Prairie re-runs on Hallmark Channel awhile back (and unfortunately they are not on anymore). She fell in love. We also started reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. She loves them!! She also wants a dress and bonnet like Laura's for herself and her dolls. Well in August Pixie Faire's Friday Freebie happened to be Thimbles and Acorns 1880 Mary and Laura 16" and 18" Doll Clothes pattern. Since September is National Sewing Month I figured it was time to do some sewing and decided to make this dress. I found some green fabric with a small print on it that would work in my collection. Hazel is determined that Laura always wears green though I keep pointing out that she isn't wearing green on the show.

Fun with Stitchables -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Quarto Books USA. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

This week I am sharing another kid's craft book, however before I begin I thought I would share what craft I have been working on. I picked up a project that I started ages ago and haven't worked on in quite awhile. It is a prayer shawl that I am making for myself.

Patchwork Quiled Bags -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

 Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation. 

I have to admit I have a bit of a bag fetish. I love them. Although I am not someone who changes my purse all the time. I still love looking at different bags and have a bit of a collection of them. Today I am sharing with you Patchwork Quilted Bags: Totes, Purses & Accessories by Reiko Washizawa which is being released on August 30th. 

Crafty Weekends

This week I am not ready to write a review of one of the craft books. Most of my crafting this week happened at work, and I did not get a chance to get a picture. So this week we are going straight to the party!!

Thank you to everyone who shared with us at last party!! It was full of creations and inspiring ideas!! Below are some features from the party, but this is just a small sample of great ideas shared! This week the features are in three groups: Decorative & Useful, Fabric Crafts and Paper Crafts. 

Also remember for your child-oriented crafts, activities, lessons, etc. Sharing Saturday is going on!! For any cultural related posts (diversity and/or multicultural as well) be sure to share at the month long Creative Kids Creative Blog Hop. 

All Points Patchwork -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Reminder this link party is for all types of crafts, craft tutorials and craft product reviews!

 Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Storey Publishing. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

As a quilter I have done some paper piecing, but have not tried English paper piecing, so I was excited to receive All Points Patchwork: English Paper Pieceing Beyond the Hexagon for Quilts & Small Projects by Diane Gilleland. 

Sewing for Your Girls -- Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

Reminder this link party is for all types of crafts, craft tutorials and craft product reviews!

Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend last week. Our party lasted two weeks because of the holiday. I know the weather here or should I say on Cape Cod was absolutely perfect and the fireworks were amazing with reflections from the high tide in the marsh and a gorgeous sunset. Now it is time to get back on track with my crafts. Today we are sharing a book to make your girls beautiful clothes. Do some of the clothes in the stores bother you for your girls? They do me. I feel lucky to find a few stores where I like the clothes and then supplement it with homemade clothes. This book is perfect for people like me. The book is Sewing for Your Girls by Yoshiko Tsukiori. 

Exploring Pakistan -- Global Learning for Kids

This month we have been exploring Pakistan as part of Global Learning for Kids. I have to have a proud mommy moment and tell you that our exploration of all these countries helped Hazel tie for third in her school Geography Bee and it was first through six grade!! I was so proud of her! Now onto our exploration of Pakistan. 

Pakistan By TUBS [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Religious Gifts (and One Non-Religious) for Baby

 Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me copies of these books free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation. The Gymboree links are affiliate links where I may earn a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase through them. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

It seems like just about everyone I know is posting about new babies or new pregnancies. And almost all of them are having their second or more baby. This of course means baby gifts. Now I love all the adorable baby clothes. Gymboree has the most adorable baby clothes!! However I remember always getting baby clothes from people and the most recent baby girl already has a big sister (who has plenty of hand-me-downs for her little sister). I wanted to give this new adorable baby something more meaningful for her baptism. Kregel Publications sent me two great ideas. The first book is perfect for any new Christian baby at any time and does not have to be for a baptism. It is First Prayers for Baby, Gift Edition, by Sophie Piper and illustrated by Annabel Spenceley. 

Sewing a Spring Dress -- Butterick Pattern #4176 -- Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

This link party is for crafts done by people of all ages!!

So on the Tuesday before St. Patrick's Day, Hazel school sent home the message that Thursday would be green day. The kids could wear something green instead of their uniforms. Hazel of course wanted to but she doesn't have green clothes. I spent Wednesday afternoon before I picked her up and after I worked looking for something cheap and green, but unfortunately I did not find anything. I decided to make her a green spring dress from a really easy pattern I have used before, Butterick B4176.

Just for You -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

This link party is for crafts done by people of all ages!!

Disclosure: C&T Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

 Today I get to share a book that is for sewers to spoil themselves!! Just for You by Caroline Fairbanks-Critchefield and Sarah Markos features twenty-four various projects to make for oneself. They range from clothing, bags, and other fun accessories. There are two projects for each month of the year. The projects are a collection of various designers put together to create a book for the sewer to spoil herself.

Girls Style Book -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

 Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation. 

We have had a very busy weekend. Yesterday we went to a local museum because a piece of Hazel's artwork was hanging there (as well as her entire classes). Then I got called into work. Today I was the storyteller for the Sunday School class at church and Hazel had a birthday party. Unfortunately I seemed to have had an allergic reaction to something and slept a good part of the day, so my sewing project is not complete yet, but it is on its way.

Outgrown Favorite Sweater Dress to Doll Dress -- Crafty Weekends Link Party

* Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

We had another busy week and weekend!! I mean between Steve's birthday and Valentine's Day the weekend should be one big party, but we had some cleaning and getting ready for our guest. My 13-year-old nephew is arriving tonight (after several delays) for a week long vacation!! Hazel is so excited!! It was hard to calm her down today. After I write this post, I am off to the airport to pick him up. I hope he took all the adults seriously when we told him he had to wear warm clothes to come here this year. Boston is experiencing the coldest day in almost 60 years and I can feel the cold even with the heat on in our house. Anyway, one of our chores this weekend was going through Hazel's clothes and pulling the ones she has outgrown. We had a few piles: pass down to friend, donate to Salvation Army, keep as memories and make crafts or doll clothes. Some of her favorite clothes she does not want to part with and so I make some into doll clothes for her 18-inch dolls. She had this fun sweater dress from Gymboree last year. 

My Rag Doll -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Search Press gave me a copy of these books free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today I get to share with you a fun book for making rag dolls and all of her accessories. My Rag Doll by Corinne Crasbercu has eleven versions of a rag doll. 

Sewn Together -- Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

Disclosure: Lark Crafts sent me a copy of this book free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Hazel loves doing crafts with me and especially likes to sew with me. Her sewing is not perfect and she definitely needs more practice, but she knows how to do it. Today's book is perfect for teaching a child to sew and for just having some sewing projects to do together. We are sharing Sewn Together by Jenny Doh.

Sew Dolled Up -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge from Quarto Books USA. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

So ages ago I began making one of the adorable dolls in today's book, Sew Dolled Up by Boutique Sha. Hazel wanted me to make her the brown haired Country Style doll named Irina first and then wanted some of the others as well. I had the doll's body and head and had sewn together the legs and just needed to put them on the doll and then do the arms (which are cut out as well). However she got put away for a bit and now all I can find are the legs and arms. So I do not have any pictures for you of her. I am so sorry!! I cannot wait to find the rest of her and finish her though.

How to Sew Little Felt Animals -- Crafty Weekends Book Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Search Press gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today I am going to share with you the book How to Sew Little Felt Animals by Sue Quinn. Now I have a confession to make. I was planning on make several of these adorable animals to write this review, however first Hazel could not make up her mind which she liked most. They are all adorable and thus hard to chose. We finally decided on the female mole since she is different than most animals we have. Then I just didn't get started on it and when I finally sat down to do it I realized I needed joint sets for them which I have never used and do not have on hand. Since I was not going to attempt the crowds at the stores today it was not going to happen today, but I want to share this fun book with you still. 

Crafty Weekends: Half Yard Christmas Review & Craft Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Search Press. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

For this weekend's Crafty Weekend we are sharing the start of our Christmas crafts. Today I am sharing ones I made with instructions and patterns from Half Yard Christmas by Debbie Shore. We started sharing our Christmas posts this week so you will have time to get and enjoy some of the great finds we have made this year. 

Crafty Weekends -- Fat Quarters: Small Fabrics, More Than 50 Big Ideas -- Book Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Lark Crafts sent me a copy of this book free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you Fat Quarters: Small Fabrics, More Than 50 Big Ideas by Lark Crafts. 

 This book has patterns divided into six sections: Babies & Kids, Bags, Quilts & Pillows, Home Decor, Wearables, and Give & Use. The patterns require different number of fat quarters to make each item. For those that do not know, fat quarters are pieces of fabric cut in a 18-inch by 22-inch rectangle (which is equivalent to buying a quarter yard of fabric, but in a more useful shape). The projects range from birthday hats, toys and clothes to organization baskets and so many more! It was hard to chose which project to do first, however I decided to start with the Child's FQ Reversible Apron. design by Anneliese. 

Sew Sweet Creatures -- Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

I have 2 current giveaways!! One for an Origami Toy Monsters Book & Kit and the other for 2 DVDs.

 Disclosure: Lark Crafts sent me a copy of this book free of charge to review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

This week I get to share a fun book to make absolutely adorable animals. The book is Sew Sweet Creatures: Make Adorable Plush Animals and Their Accessories written by Lark Crafts. 

 As you can see on the cover the animals are wearing clothes and doing different things. They are made from fleece, super soft fleece, felt and/or flannel. Some are handsewn and others allow for machine sewing. We have fallen in love with quite a few of the creatures and I will be making that adorable llama (Anna the Snuggly Llama) on the cover eventually as well as the Fairy Mouse. I started however with James the King of the Jungle. I made him for our friend's second birthday. We had bought him some clothes from Gymboree, but I wanted to give him something he could play with and when he opened the gift he just hugged the lion. As many two-year-olds are he was overwhelmed by all the people and was tired since it was nap time.

Captain No Beard Series Review & Treasure Pouch Craft

Disclosure: I was sent the set of books with some hats, crafts and play doubloons and will receive a small compensation for writing this honest review. All opinions are my own. As always I am providing links for your convenience. I do not receive compensation if you purchase through them.

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a series of books with you. I will admit when I first was approached about these books, I was not completely sure they were our cup of tea, but I decided to try them anyway because I figured they might be one your child's things. After all Hazel is really not into pirates except Jake and the Neverland Pirates. However I was very pleasantly surprised by these books. Hazel and I LOVE them!! We were sent all nine Captain No Beard books by Carole P. Roman.