Showing posts sorted by relevance for query waldorf school. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query waldorf school. Sort by date Show all posts
Autumn Lights for Darker Days
Tough Week at School
So my happy go lucky daughter who has loved school got sick two weeks ago. She had a very bad cold that kept moving around her body (first throat, nose, voice and ears) and it made her very lethargic. She missed three days of school as a result. Well one of those days I believed my mother-in-law that Hazel was back to her healthy self after spending a day with Nonni so the next morning when she was full of energy I took her to school and I got a call about an hour after I left to come get my sick child. Apparently her energy fizzled out pretty fast. The next school day was class picture day and I brought her in just for the class picture, but otherwise she was stuck at home for a week and a half. Now we are sending Hazel to a Waldorf School and are trying to follow the no media rule at the school (for a great video on why no media is important for young children go here--thanks to Donni, at The Magic Onions for sharing it).
Day 2 of her bad cold she literally just laid on the couch the entire day, so I caved and let her watch television. I picked shows like Caillou and Curious George. (One of the other parents mentioned a study to me that showed shows that went at a slower pace like Caillou showed almost the same brain activity as a child who didn't watch any versus shows like Sponge Bob which showed major brain activity to the point of often becoming ADD.) We also pulled out some of the Disney movies. Hazel is very into the princesses right now and had never seen any of the movies. I pulled out Cinderella since I knew it was not too scary. We also watched Pocahontas. The other ones I thought might scare her, so I kept them put away.
Now after being home for a week and a half and getting to watch some television, she no longer wants to go to school. On Tuesday morning she woke up at 5:30. She listened to her stories on CD until 6:30 and then came into bed with me crying that she didn't want to go because she would miss me too much. She cried the entire time we were home and then cried more when we got to school. I left her there with the teacher (who was already dealing with a boy who always cries and has been a bit aggressive with some of the students) and figured she would stop once I left. She didn't. From what I understand she whimpered most of the time at school. I had even tried bribing her, but apparently that didn't work either. I keep hoping it will just go away.
Unfortunately, this morning she crawled into bed with me at 6:30 again crying about not wanting to go to school. It breaks my heart to hear her cry so much. My daughter hardly ever cries unless she is really hurt or overtired, so this is not like her at all. I know she will grow out of this, but I just want my happy child back--the one who loves school.
Any advice is welcome!! Oh, and I'll share some crafts later.
Day 2 of her bad cold she literally just laid on the couch the entire day, so I caved and let her watch television. I picked shows like Caillou and Curious George. (One of the other parents mentioned a study to me that showed shows that went at a slower pace like Caillou showed almost the same brain activity as a child who didn't watch any versus shows like Sponge Bob which showed major brain activity to the point of often becoming ADD.) We also pulled out some of the Disney movies. Hazel is very into the princesses right now and had never seen any of the movies. I pulled out Cinderella since I knew it was not too scary. We also watched Pocahontas. The other ones I thought might scare her, so I kept them put away.
Now after being home for a week and a half and getting to watch some television, she no longer wants to go to school. On Tuesday morning she woke up at 5:30. She listened to her stories on CD until 6:30 and then came into bed with me crying that she didn't want to go because she would miss me too much. She cried the entire time we were home and then cried more when we got to school. I left her there with the teacher (who was already dealing with a boy who always cries and has been a bit aggressive with some of the students) and figured she would stop once I left. She didn't. From what I understand she whimpered most of the time at school. I had even tried bribing her, but apparently that didn't work either. I keep hoping it will just go away.
Unfortunately, this morning she crawled into bed with me at 6:30 again crying about not wanting to go to school. It breaks my heart to hear her cry so much. My daughter hardly ever cries unless she is really hurt or overtired, so this is not like her at all. I know she will grow out of this, but I just want my happy child back--the one who loves school.
Any advice is welcome!! Oh, and I'll share some crafts later.
Coping with Tragedy
We had a lovely weekend this week. Hazel and I left Friday to visit my parents to help decorate their Christmas tree and then Steve joined us on Saturday so all five of us went on a Polar Express Train Trip. I will tell you more about that at Happy Family Times on Tuesday.
It was very hard in the middle of this nice experience to turn on the television and hear about the tragedy that happened in Connecticut on Friday. (For those who may not know what I am talking about here is a report from CNN.) Now this tragedy hit me on many levels. First I grew up in Connecticut and have many friends and family who still live there. As a former teacher all school shootings really scare me. I think of my students and my friends who still are teaching. Plus a close friend from high school is an elementary school principal in Connecticut somewhat close to Newtown. Then add to all of those reasons that this happened in an elementary school and really could have happened anywhere. It was not like many of the other shootings where the shooter was out to get people who had hurt him, but rather this shooter went to the school where his mother worked and shot innocent children and staff. I know I was thankful that Hazel was not up to see the news (we wouldn't have had it on if she was) and that we have decided to send her to a Waldorf School where I feel they are a bit more protected.
However, Sandy Hook Elementary School had the security set up. They had recently installed a lock where the front office could see who was at the door before buzzing them in. I could not at first understand why they buzzed him in given how he was dressed and his mother was not there then. However later I heard there was broken glass which made much more sense. He shot his way in. So here this school had done what it could to protect the children, and still had such a horrible tragedy. How do we cope with that and how do we explain it to our children?
With Hazel's age, we are doing our best of her to know nothing about this event. We want her to feel safe in her world and at her school. However I know with older children you cannot keep such news from them. I was teaching when the Columbine Shooting occurred. I remember being glad it occurred during our April vacation so we all had time to digest what had happened. I also remember high school juniors telling me that they went over escape plans with their parents should anything like this happen at our school. (They literally went through the students schedule to figure ways out of the building from each classroom.) This was in response to something that happened on the other side of the country and not a neighboring state.
Now if teenagers were that fearful, I can only imagine how elementary students must feel now. I think the most important thing as adults is for us to be there for the children. If they need to talk, listen and reassure them. It is important for us to remain our calm and let them feel safe. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) have some great tips on helping children deal with a national tragedy here.
My heart goes out to the family of all the victims including the survivors. I pray to God to help all who were present that day and especially the young children that witnessed death that day. I know there have been stories of teachers who were shot while protecting their students. I can only imagine what those children will deal with knowing that. It breaks my heart that children so young have to deal with such violence. I hope you will join me in taking time today to say a prayer for all who have been touched by this act of violence and for God to help the families and the survivors process this horrible event.
It was very hard in the middle of this nice experience to turn on the television and hear about the tragedy that happened in Connecticut on Friday. (For those who may not know what I am talking about here is a report from CNN.) Now this tragedy hit me on many levels. First I grew up in Connecticut and have many friends and family who still live there. As a former teacher all school shootings really scare me. I think of my students and my friends who still are teaching. Plus a close friend from high school is an elementary school principal in Connecticut somewhat close to Newtown. Then add to all of those reasons that this happened in an elementary school and really could have happened anywhere. It was not like many of the other shootings where the shooter was out to get people who had hurt him, but rather this shooter went to the school where his mother worked and shot innocent children and staff. I know I was thankful that Hazel was not up to see the news (we wouldn't have had it on if she was) and that we have decided to send her to a Waldorf School where I feel they are a bit more protected.
However, Sandy Hook Elementary School had the security set up. They had recently installed a lock where the front office could see who was at the door before buzzing them in. I could not at first understand why they buzzed him in given how he was dressed and his mother was not there then. However later I heard there was broken glass which made much more sense. He shot his way in. So here this school had done what it could to protect the children, and still had such a horrible tragedy. How do we cope with that and how do we explain it to our children?
With Hazel's age, we are doing our best of her to know nothing about this event. We want her to feel safe in her world and at her school. However I know with older children you cannot keep such news from them. I was teaching when the Columbine Shooting occurred. I remember being glad it occurred during our April vacation so we all had time to digest what had happened. I also remember high school juniors telling me that they went over escape plans with their parents should anything like this happen at our school. (They literally went through the students schedule to figure ways out of the building from each classroom.) This was in response to something that happened on the other side of the country and not a neighboring state.
Now if teenagers were that fearful, I can only imagine how elementary students must feel now. I think the most important thing as adults is for us to be there for the children. If they need to talk, listen and reassure them. It is important for us to remain our calm and let them feel safe. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) have some great tips on helping children deal with a national tragedy here.
My heart goes out to the family of all the victims including the survivors. I pray to God to help all who were present that day and especially the young children that witnessed death that day. I know there have been stories of teachers who were shot while protecting their students. I can only imagine what those children will deal with knowing that. It breaks my heart that children so young have to deal with such violence. I hope you will join me in taking time today to say a prayer for all who have been touched by this act of violence and for God to help the families and the survivors process this horrible event.
Mother's Day: Taking Time to Reflect on Being a Mother
Lately I have been reading a couple of parenting books recommended by fellow bloggers and it has made me really evaluate what kind of mom do I want to be. It has also made me really think about my goals and dreams for Hazel. So for Mother's Day I thought I would share this with you as well as some of the things Hazel has made for me this year. First the books. The first book was recommended by Giselle from Kids Yoga Stories and it is Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic
by
Getting Ready for the Holiday Fair at Hazel's School
Sharing Saturday is still open for you to share your child-oriented crafts and activities or to be inspired by the amazing ones already shared!
As we approach the holiday season, I found out that we need to supply some things for the amazing holiday fair at Hazel's school, Cape Ann Waldorf School. At the fair they have a Wee Folk Shop where the young children (through second grade) can "shop" for a certain number of tickets they get to go into a room that is set up with silks hanging from the ceiling making it more their size and wonderful gifts to "buy" and then have an elf wrap for them. The idea is for them to get a gift for a family member, but in reality they get themselves a gift. Last year Hazel got a barrette (don't know why since she won't wear one) and a needle felted sheep. She went into it twice. Every family in the Early Childhood Program at the school is asked to donate at least 20 items to the Wee Folk Shop.
There is also a Pocket Lady. Basically it is a person who wears a dress with pockets everywhere and a child can use one ticket to pick a gift from any pocket. These gifts are meant to be small and can be something like a marble or stone or shell or something small that is homemade. All are suppose to be Waldorf type of gifts and we were asked to wrap these in tissue paper. Every family in the school is asked to donate at least 20 Pocket Lady gifts as well.
In the end, we ended up with 40 Pocket Lady gifts and bagged them in groups of 20 (which we were asked to do).
For the Wee Folk Shop I needle felted some snowmen. I saw a cute one at Better Homes and Gardens. I made mine a bit more plain in that Waldorf way of using your imagination.
At the Pumpkin Patch Holiday Fair, I saw some of the cutest ribbon barrettes. Some were Disney princesses (I may try these for Hazel's birthday) and some were snails and animals. I googled, and checked Pinterest and found some tutorials and some ideas. I made a couple of simple bows. Then I tried some flowers. And I attempted the snails (which I fell in love with at the fair). I have more to make, but wanted to share these. They are so easy to do with glue, ribbon and barrettes. I also had two unused headbands sitting around from our teddy bear picnic and I had some wool felt flowers I bought awhile ago on clearance and just sewed them onto the headbands. They are cute as well.
Bread Is Love -- New Picture Book Review
When I was in middle and high school, I loved baking bread. I made it almost every week. I tried to share this love with Hazel when she was growing up. When we did the parent child class at a Waldorf School, we were making bread there or at least kneading and shaping bread every class. Today we get to share a beautiful new book about a mom who shares her love of baking bread with her kids each week. The book is Bread Is Love by Pooja Makhijani and illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Magical Forest Fairy Crafts Through the Seasons -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party
Are you getting ready for the holidays? We are and are loving it. Today I am sharing a fun book for kid crafters or for adults to make crafts for or with kids. This book reminds me of our Waldorf days perhaps because they always had their first Forest Fairy book on sale at the holiday fair at the Waldorf School. Afterall fairies are part of the magic of Waldorf. The book is Magical Forest Fairy Crafts Through the Seasons by Lenka Vodicka-Paredes and Asia Currie.
Gift Bringers Around the World
So the other day Hazel came home from school and told me she had been arguing with some of her friends at school about whether Santa Claus is real or not. She asked who was right. In the past (maybe November) I told her Santa Clause only brings gifts to children who believe in him. She grew very concerned that one of her friends at school did not believe in him so she wouldn't get any gifts. At almost six I didn't want to ruin the magic for her, but I was not going to lie to her face. We had a discussion of how she learned about St. Nicholas in her old Waldorf School and how Santa Claus came from his stories. However since St. Nicholas is no longer alive there really is not a Santa Claus alive, so Mommy and Daddy buy the gifts from him since the spirit of Santa Claus is really part of the holiday spirit. She took this information and decided she was right--there is a Santa Claus. The next day she wanted to get her picture with Santa again at the mall when we were there (though she did tell this Santa that she already told the Santa at the other mall what she wanted for Christmas and he did not know what to say to that).
Of course I should add that the two Santas looked very different from each other. Having just written the history of Christmas trees and Christmas tree traditions around the world post, I was curious as to the Santa Clauses or Gift Bringers from around the world. I of course turned to two of my favorite sources for information, Multicultural Kid Blogs bloggers and the library!
Finger Knitting Fun and Pom Pom Kits -- Product Reviews
What can you do with a ball of yarn? Lots of things, but here are some fun crafts that you do not need much more than a ball of yarn to make. Both of these crafts were handwork Hazel would have done if she remained in the Waldorf school, but since she is no longer attending there, I got to do them with her. The handwork was one of the things I loved about the Waldorf school. Hazel and I started with two Pompom kits. The first is Make Pompom Animals.
Simple Cloth Daisy Doll Book Review
Have you entered my current giveaway yet?
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. They also sent me a copy to giveaway! As in all my
reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.
So just before Christmas Hazel informed me she wanted a soft doll that looked like her so she could sleep with it. Now I have all of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, so it was out of the question. Then I received a copy of Simple Cloth Daisy Dolls by Wenche O. Steensen. I knew I would make her a doll so I could write a proper review of the book.
So just before Christmas Hazel informed me she wanted a soft doll that looked like her so she could sleep with it. Now I have all of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, so it was out of the question. Then I received a copy of Simple Cloth Daisy Dolls by Wenche O. Steensen. I knew I would make her a doll so I could write a proper review of the book.
Easter Around the World: Ukraine & Russia
Dorktales -- a Funny Podcast Series for Families
In our world today we have just about everything at our fingertips. We can give our kids our smart phones or tablets to entertain them. Kids today are glued to the television or some form of technology. When Hazel was young we started her at a Waldorf school. One of the things I loved about the Waldorf philosophy was the no technology rule. They actually took it even further for the younger kids. They encouraged storytelling without books or with wordless books. The philosophy believed that preschool kids' bodies were developing so fast at that time that the body should be allowed to do its growing without the burden of trying to work to learn letters and words. The art of storytelling seems to be gone especially during this pandemic. However storytelling is important for our kids' development. From stories kids learn virtues and good character especially from stories that demonstrate it. Kids will often copy the behavior they see or hear about. This is why we turn to fairy tales over and over. The basic tales have good overcoming evil over and over again. The honest, kind, good people are rewarded while the dishonest and cheaters are punished or lose.
Hanging with My Gnomies for Valentine's Day -- Paper & Felt Gnome Tutorials with Geometry Lesson
Have you noticed how gnomes seem to be so popular these days? They seem to be the in thing for the past couple of years, and they have moved into different seasons. It used to be gnomes were for Christmas and maybe the fall and of course the garden. Now they seem to jump into every holiday! I was thinking about gnomes for Valentine's Day. And I was thinking about how paper gnomes would lend to geometry. Then I was thinking back to our Waldorf School days and remembered a felt gnome tutorial. I went and created different kinds of gnomes for you! The first one I made is the one on the right.
Knitted Farm Swap
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| Some of the patches closer up (Winter 2008) |
Tutorial: Candy Cane Ornament
So today was Hazel's and my first day of school for the year. We are doing the parent/child class called Bachelor Buttons at the Cape Ann Waldorf School. This is the school we are planning on sending Hazel to through 8th grade. So I took a picture right before we left for school.
She had her Red Sox backpack (she doesn't know who the Red Sox are, but it was a gift ages ago and I recently pulled it out for her) packed with her slippers and gifts we made for the teachers. Ducky of course had to come as well, though he sat on a shelf watching the class while we were inside. We had a good first day meeting new friends and getting back into the rhythm.
Now I know fall hasn't officially started so I don't usually like to think too far ahead to Christmas (besides buying a few gifts here and there when I see something for someone), but many years ago a friend gave me some ornaments that looked easy to make and by easy in my mind = easy enough for Hazel to make. So while out today I bought the supplies and made one myself to figure it out. Then I had Hazel start one. She didn't finish it yet, but definitely can do it with some help.
So on to the tutorial to make a candy cane ornament.
Supplies you need are two colors (or three if you want to be really fancy) of the tri beads (the ones with 3 little circles on ends and they fit together when strung) and a pipe cleaner (I used white to make the clear beads look white).
1) Cut the pipe cleaner to the size you think you will want for your pipe cleaner. I would say between 4 and 6 inches. Bend one end a small bit up to get rid of the sharp point.
2) Using the unbent end, string the beads on alternating your colors until it is full except a small piece to bend on the other end.
3) Shape your candy cane.
4) Hang it on your tree or decorate a gift with it.
As you can see from the pictures Hazel only needed a little assistance with the stringing. I bent the end to start it for her and will shape it in the end.
I figured we can make these as gifts from Hazel for everyone so now we can make a few each week and we will have more than enough by Christmas.
Enjoy!
Now I know fall hasn't officially started so I don't usually like to think too far ahead to Christmas (besides buying a few gifts here and there when I see something for someone), but many years ago a friend gave me some ornaments that looked easy to make and by easy in my mind = easy enough for Hazel to make. So while out today I bought the supplies and made one myself to figure it out. Then I had Hazel start one. She didn't finish it yet, but definitely can do it with some help.
So on to the tutorial to make a candy cane ornament.
Supplies you need are two colors (or three if you want to be really fancy) of the tri beads (the ones with 3 little circles on ends and they fit together when strung) and a pipe cleaner (I used white to make the clear beads look white).
1) Cut the pipe cleaner to the size you think you will want for your pipe cleaner. I would say between 4 and 6 inches. Bend one end a small bit up to get rid of the sharp point.
4) Hang it on your tree or decorate a gift with it.
As you can see from the pictures Hazel only needed a little assistance with the stringing. I bent the end to start it for her and will shape it in the end.
I figured we can make these as gifts from Hazel for everyone so now we can make a few each week and we will have more than enough by Christmas.
Enjoy!
Busy Weekend Slow Down
Well this was going to be our busy weekend this season besides of course Christmas weekend. Yesterday morning started with a breakfast with Santa Claus at my church. I was helping organize and run it, so I went early and Steve brought Hazel later. Hazel is afraid of Santa so she didn't want to go near him, but she loved the crafts and shopping part of it. She got tired and Steve brought her home early though she did not nap for him. Yesterday late afternoon we took Hazel to her grandmother's so Steve and I could go to her school for The Shepherd's Play. We, of course, had no idea what The Shepherd's Play was and hadn't heard of it before, but we knew it was a nativity play put on by the teachers and parents of the school. It is a play that is traditionally performed at Waldorf Schools. They have two showings at Cape Ann Waldorf School. It is a heartwarming and humorous version of the Christmas story. The second showing they also perform The Paradise Play. We will save that for another year to see. Next year we will bring Hazel to The Shepherd's Play.
We went to pick up Hazel and she had been telling her grandmother that her mouth hurt. Hmmm....interesting. We took the scenic way home to see some Christmas lights and pick up some take out for dinner for me and Steve. Since Hazel had not napped she was tired and we knew she would fall asleep in the car. I noticed while Steve was getting dinner that her nose was a bit runny, but nothing to worry about. After all she is really tired. We got her to bed and ate dinner. This morning our plan was church for Hazel and I while Steve went to the gym and then a Christmas party in the afternoon. Unfortunately this morning it was very obvious that Hazel was not feeling well. Her nose is very runny and she complained about her mouth to both of us (which I realized was probably her throat) and she feels warm. So we put a stop to our plans for the day. I still went to church and Steve is going to the gym now that Hazel is napping and I'm home. However Hazel is staying home and hopefully getting better.
But I wanted to share a few crafts with you. Hazel has been working on these pine cone Christmas trees for awhile. I got the idea from a book, but have since seen it on line as well. I spray painted them green and a bit gold and then we put them in pots. She has been decorating by gluing things on and with glitter glue. We were suppose to paint the pots as well, but I'm liking them plain so they don't take away from the trees. These are the first ones I have declared to be done. She still has a few more to finish. I have to keep turning them for her so she gets all sides.
She also made some crafts at the Breakfast with Santa. She only did two of the four crafts, but she made a Rudolph ornament and a Christmas tree. Now I'm off to rest and work on some Christmas gifts for her teachers. I hope you are enjoying your weekend!
We went to pick up Hazel and she had been telling her grandmother that her mouth hurt. Hmmm....interesting. We took the scenic way home to see some Christmas lights and pick up some take out for dinner for me and Steve. Since Hazel had not napped she was tired and we knew she would fall asleep in the car. I noticed while Steve was getting dinner that her nose was a bit runny, but nothing to worry about. After all she is really tired. We got her to bed and ate dinner. This morning our plan was church for Hazel and I while Steve went to the gym and then a Christmas party in the afternoon. Unfortunately this morning it was very obvious that Hazel was not feeling well. Her nose is very runny and she complained about her mouth to both of us (which I realized was probably her throat) and she feels warm. So we put a stop to our plans for the day. I still went to church and Steve is going to the gym now that Hazel is napping and I'm home. However Hazel is staying home and hopefully getting better.
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She also made some crafts at the Breakfast with Santa. She only did two of the four crafts, but she made a Rudolph ornament and a Christmas tree. Now I'm off to rest and work on some Christmas gifts for her teachers. I hope you are enjoying your weekend!
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| Rudolph |
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| Stained glass tree from Oriental Trading |
Sharing Saturday #36
Ok, now on to Sharing Saturday. Last week was an amazing week and there are so many wonderful ideas shared!! I hope you will take some time to visit a few more and leave some comment love. Here are a few of my favorites!!
In the United States we celebrated Labor Day on Monday. This is our unofficial end of summer and often the start of the school year. I am not completely ready to let go over summer so here are some summer features. (I also added a few of the must-see ones to this list, so please check them out!)
2) From Sunny Day Today Mama: Picnic Party Nature Walk Favor Bags (LOVE this!! She shared 3 posts on this party and all of them could be here!)
8) From Earning My Cape: Toddler Flip Flop Makeover (So cute!!)
10) From Nestled Under Rainbows: Prayer Flags
11) From We Made That: Magic Tree (Oh, so neat!!)
But since it is the start of school here are some school-related features.
4) From Earning My Cape: Homeschool vs. Traditional School (A great reminder that we each have to choose what is best for our children and family!)
5) From A Happy Song: Chain Letters
6) From Pinkoddy: Can I have a P Please
10) From Keitha's Chaos: First Day of 1st Grade (Love some of these traditions!)
11) Not Pictured: From Life on the Gravelly Road: The Letter F
Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I hope you will join us and share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog.
Button Code:
Now for This Week's Party
A Few Simple Guidelines:1) Please follow both hosts via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).
Hosts are Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. A reminder: Mia is taking a blogging break. Hopefully she will be back soon to host again!!
2) Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc. Remember to link to your actual post.
3) Post the button on your sidebar or somewhere on your blog to help spread the word.
Show Me a Story Review & Giveaway--Ways to Inspire Creativity in Our Children
Sewing School 2 Book Review and Giveaway
I am so excited to be participating in part of the Sewing School 2 blog tour! I have been eying Sewing School by Amie Petronis Plumley and Andria Lisle for several years, but I kept reminding myself, that Hazel was too young for it still. Then I was asked to review their second book for kids which includes machine sewing. I of course jumped on the offer and they are also willing to give me a copy for a giveaway!
This book is written for the child who has not sewn on a machine. It goes through thirteen lessons from how to use the book, choosing a sewing machine and fabric and much more! Then there are some great projects that include something every child will love. Finally it has a review of hand sewing and more! Since Hazel cannot read, I could not have her go through the lessons, so we went straight to the projects. I looked through them first and picked some I thought she might like and gave her those to choose from. She chose a couple to try with me and I made a few without much help from her. Hazel was so excited to get to use the sewing machine for the first time!
The first project Hazel wanted to do was make the felt microphone. I took her to the craft store so she could choose the colors she wanted for her microphone. Then we found the pattern pieces. Now one of the things I love about this book is how the pattern pieces are clearly marked and have a picture of the finished project on each one. The pattern pieces are also well organized and in the project instructions it tells you on which pattern sheet (a total of four) you will find the pattern. Hazel helped trace the pattern, and she helped cut it out. Then we did a practice sewing machine run on one of the scraps. Then we tried it with the real piece. Next I showed her how to turn it the right way. She got a bit frustrated and had me finish it. Then she helped me stuff it, and she got one of her rhythm sticks to help with it. She even helped with the start of the hand sewing, but she got bored and had me finish it. I added a button so she would have an on-off switch or volume control. Needless to say she loves it! She is such a little diva.
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| Extra Pocket Belts |
I also looked at the snack packs. I thought this would be a nice easy one for Hazel. I had some Disney Princesses fabric scraps, and I made her a lined one with a ribbon so it could be a purse or a snack pack on the go. I also added a ribbon to the front of it. Then I made her two of the basic snack packs from the same fabric. I used my serger just so the edges of the fabric would be finished, but it is not necessary. Then I used the sticky back Velcro the book suggested. I am not sure how that will hold up, but I figured I can always replace it with the sew in kind later.
Our final project is the zipper pouch. Since going to Disney World, Minnie Mouse is Hazel's favorite character. I had bought this fabric before our trip in hopes of making her a dress, but never quite got to it. (She still wants me to.) We made the zipper pouch into a Minnie Mouse purse. My mother gave me a bag full of zippers awhile ago, so I looked in it for a 7-inch zipper and we found a lavender one. The book suggested hand sewing the zipper in, but we used the machine with my zipper foot. I can understand why the book would suggest to kids sewing on their own to hand sew it though. We added the Minnie Mouse head and the ribbon so it would be a purse. Hazel was dressing up as Minnie this afternoon. Since I have not made her a costume yet she wore her polka dot dress with her homemade mouse ears and her purse. Needless to say she loves it!
So those are the amazing projects we have attempted from this great book. Hazel is really wanting to make the guitar, but I keep saying when she is a little older. I guess I may have to break down and try that one next. She also is asking why she cannot have her own sewing machine. Hmm, I think she needs to master mine first and be able to actually do it on her own.
Make sure you stop by all the blog tour stops to check out the other great projects that are made (and more chances for winning your own copy). Here is the schedule!!
July 7 – Our Busy Homeschool
July 8 – scrumdilly-do!
July 9 – Crafty Moms Share
July 10 – Jane of All Trades
July 11 – Windy Lou
July 12 – Adventures of a DIY Mom
July 13 – Improv Diary
July 16 – He Sewed She Sewed
July 17 – Teach Beside Me
July 18 – All Things with Purpose
July 19 – The Crafty Crow
July 20 – Family Style School
July 21 – Such Designs
July 22 – Red Bird Crafts
July 23 – The Long Thread
July 25 - mayamade
Also if you want more information on the book or project ideas, stop by Sewing School's blog and their Facebook Page.Or of course you can go purchase it or if you can wait, enter to win it below!
Now for the fun part. The Giveaway!! I now am happy to say that one of you can have a copy of this great book. You do NOT need to know how to sew for your child to be able to learn from this book or for you to learn together. The giveaway is open only to residents of the United States. (My apologies all of my international readers.) Please also follow all of my regular Giveaway Rules.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For this post I received a copy of the book. All opinions and photos (except the book cover) are my own. Linked this post to CashNet Sweepstakes.
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