Entertaining Children 1

Okay, child since Dulcie is just one person, but I'm sure multiple children might enjoy these things ;D I had a bunch of awesome pictures but my camera is not cooperating. You will all have to suspend reality with me.

Colored Pasta (good for color sorting or stringing)

Materials:
Pasta (e.g. penne, macaroni, ditalini--it just needs a hole if you want to string it)
Empty clean yogurt cup
plastic wrap
food coloring
1 scant tsp vinegar
stirring stick
baking sheet
paper towels
fork
news print (to control messes, hopefully!)

notes: I've seen this done with rubbing alcohol, but I didn't trust that with such a little baby. I also recommend pre-measuring how much pasta you want to use for each color (this would be neat with a variety of types like ditalini=red penne=purple for color and shape sorting) because then it goes faster and you don't end up making a whole bunch of one color on accident. If you want little fingers to help you, I recommend ziploc bags. If you are going to string the pasta, check to make sure that your needle (if you are using one, I'm using a plastic one I use for knitting) fits easily through the hole.


First, spread out your newspaper in case you have spills or splatters. Then to a clean yogurt cup add the vinegar and food coloring, mix well with stirring stick (I used wooden coffee stirring things). Add your pasta, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and shake vigorously for a minute or so until well coated or color has developed. Using fork, rake the damp pasta onto the paper towel and roll around to remove excess moisture. In my experience, don't let the pasta dry on the towels, since it can stick to the paper. Instead, with the fork, roll the pasta on to the baking sheet and allow to dry completely.

More Notes: I don't recommend drying the pasta in the oven, even a cooling one (tried this with one batch). My noodles got real funky in color and texture.

Successful Colors: Since pasta is naturally a kind of yellow color to begin with, warm colors are more successful.

• Red - Very successful as long as enough red coloring is added to the vinegar. Even though color deepens over time, if you start with a weak looking red you shouldn't have high hopes for a rich crimson.
• Orange - Since it's a secondary color of yellow, this is also successful. Start with a yellow base and add a little red (only 1-2 drops). I used a 4:1 ratio for a nice medium orange when dry. My first attempt was a red base with yellow added. The end color was a dark orange but too close to red for my taste (Dulcie also called it red, so a definite no go).
• Yellow - Complete win for obvious reasons.
• Green - Secondary color of yellow, so bright yellow based greens work great. I had a nice kelley green that edged on christmas green.
• Blue - Not so good. Blue + Yellow = Green, so it takes a lot of blue coloring to overpower the yellow pasta base. End color for me was a cross between royal and navy.
• Purple - Not so good, either. It takes a while for the color to develop and has similar problems to blue. End color for me was dark purple.

In the end, what mattered most to me was that Dulcie could identify the color with little effort. She called the purple pasta purple, so I was happy. :D She loves the colored pasta and has been playing with them since they finished drying. Right now I am storing the pasta in a small plastic container with a lid.

Ohh, Lookie!

It's a Fandango giveaway! Not by me, but from Talk About Fabric. This is totally cool. Admittedly, I joined the site for a different give away, but I've been lurking around on the boards. I've been enjoying it so far :D I'm always interested in a place where I can talk about fabric ;D Even if I can't buy any of my own just yet (just three more weeks and the fast is over!).

I know I was going to post about my trip but my camera died. Tomorrow :D Promise.

3-2-1 Lift Off!

My trip to Alabama is rapidly approaching. Wednesday will be here before I know it, and I still have so much to do. Yesterday, I cleaned my work table/station because it is in a common area, and I didn't think it would be polite to leave a disaster for my guy to live with for almost three weeks. Hopefully, it will encourage him to keep the rest of the common areas clean while I'm gone ;D Today, I started with laundry (which reminds me, it needs to go into the dryer). Today I also need to pack a box for my sister so it can be mailed tomorrow (hand-me-downs for Lyra). Which reminds me that I need to get our clothing donations ready for their Wednesday pick-up (benefits big brother big sister).

Monday, I need to pack. This way I know what I still need to buy before we leave. I think I should also make a skirt for Dulcie to wear. All the ones she has have an attached diaper cover, and I want to be able to change her diaper without undressing her. I have fabric I can use for this. I think.

Tuesday, I need to buy everything I'm lacking PLUS a wreath form and spray paint. I found a fun tutorial the other day for an acorn wreath. We have oak trees out front that have been rather abundant this season. I baked them for 45 minutes at 275 because I was afraid of them exploding (they have a lot of moisture inside them). They still split open, and I had one...casualty. The lil guy was like the turkey thermometer, and I decided all the critters were probably dead after that.

I did a few crafts to occupy her on the plane. I'll post about those tomorrow. Right now, Dulcie calls!

Reflection On NaSewMo

Now that it's over, I thought I'd take a moment to think about my accomplishments (kind of vain, I know ;D). I was pretty disappointed that I got so little done--until I thought about what I did. I made:

Week One: A Dora the Explorer tote
Week Two: A quilt top plus a needle book
Week Three: A fabric map plus and a tissue pack cover
Week Four: A money wallet, a tea/coffee wallet, and a DS pouch
Week Five: Binding plus a Crayon/Colored pencil book thing

That's actually not too shabby (even if they were all pretty much small projects)! I think that might be my *most* productive month. Ever. So I am actually proud of myself. The only thing that makes me feel like I failed is this:

I didn't finish any UFOs nor did I finish any Christmas presents (outside of the quilt top/binding for my sis-in-law).

I will have a better plan for next year. I know now that I can do it. I know that I *can* find the time in my hectic mommy schedule. I think to be totally G.I.Joe about it--knowing is half the battle ;D

Wrapping Up Week 5 (and NaSewMo!)

I have been terribly busy this last week! I went to a few faires and the beach, and spent time with my family. I really did believe that I wouldn't get a single thing sewn this week. I just couldn't fail this close to the end! So I managed to whip together a crayon/pad book for my upcoming flight next week.
I really super messed up the seam on the bottom. I mean YIKES. But by the time I'd realized it I'd already closed my seam and had top-stitched like almost all the way around. I wish I'd bothered to put some fuse in this project. I *thought* I didn't need it, but I did. Live and learn. really, this project was a disaster from the moment I started it. My head just wasn't in the right place to be sewing. I stitched my pocket for the note pad completely closed TWICE, and made a dozen other silly errors.

I did make the notebook to fit this project (I used some thin cardboard for a backer from a movie-theater sized box of m&ms). I used staples because I'm not brave enough to try to sew through cardboard and 30 sheets of paper yet. Besides, it's just a little something to distract Dulcie. I had wanted to make a full quiet book for her, but maybe next time. Oh! I also managed to make the binding for my Lawn Chair quilt! Yay for me :D
I'm glad to have it done, but this has made me seriously reconsider how I feel about jelly rolls. They aren't that precise. I've found through this project that I am more consistent when I cut my strips than the dies are, LOL! More than half of my jelly roll had 'v'd strips, which is really disappointing when you consider the cost of JR is anywhere from 40 to 20 dollars depending on the age (and desirability) of the range. For a while, I was switching from charm packs and layer cakes to jelly rolls because a lot of the patterns I like are made with strips. If I can do a better job cutting than Moda's stamps can, I might as well just buy a bunch of quarter yard cuts and do it myself. Sure I might not have the pattern diversity, but at least I'll have some consistency and precision.

Wrapping Up Week 4 - NSM

I don't know how I managed it, but I squeezed in one last project for the week! I know I've mentioned it before, but I'm going out of town for a spell. I usually take my Nintendo DSLite to entertain me and the girl when we fly (the Lite is backwards compatible to GBA games and movies). I thought this time it would be nice to have a little pouch for it. Again, I started with some fabrics I've been longing to use. In this case, Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market and a little bit of Kona cotton in Olive.
I wasn't sure how I wanted to use the fabric (body, lining, and flap arrangement), and I know this is a pretty safe assortment, so it was kind of hard to go terribly wrong in that department. I decided to wing it on the design and ended up with this:
I have some wobbly seams in this piece, too. And OMGosh, I totally sewed the cartridge pocket on *slightly* crooked. The last seam (the body-to-lining joining one) had to be sewn by hand because the case was too small for my machine. I accidentally made my allowance too large (and had a wild stitch or two) so it turned out shorter than I had originally planned. The fit is also quite snug. It's satisfactory (and attractive) enough for my use, but if I ever wanted to write all the steps down; I'd make it a little larger. Not much, maybe a half inch. I didn't make a space for the charge cable because I pack that in my luggage, and the DS comes with me on the airplane. I just really wanted something that would keep my games and player all together instead of rolling around in the bottom of my baby bag (like it usually does).

My guy came in while I was making it. Bless him, he asked me if I was depressed because I was sewing so much. As he put it, I was making a bag for this and a pouch for that, and that surely, my soul must be hurting to do *that* much sewing. I had to laugh and let him know I was actually quite happy. How can I not be happy--it's National Sewing Month! But I didn't tell him that last part. Or that I'm using it (now) as therapy to stay on my Fabric Fast (which he hasn't realized I'm on yet. I can't believe he hasn't noticed the lack of packages in the mail!). I'm fine with him thinking I'm just feeling particularly crafty lately ;D

Nearing the End [Week 4] - NSM

I've been on a fabric fast/diet since September 11th (ending the last week of October). I can't believe it has been almost 2 weeks since I've bought fabric. My favorite past time was searching the internet until this point for some of my more elusive ISOs or great sales. In order to keep myself on track, I've stayed away from the computer and spent more time creating (and spending time with my family--oh yeah, them ;D).

My newest addition to my NaSewMo project is my tea/coffee wallet. After I learned the basic principles behind wallet construction, it was easy. And I managed to stay true to my desire to make only functional items. When I had my daughter, I switch to decaf because I was nursing. I still only drink decaf. Most people I find, only have decaf in their homes if they A) drink it (naturally) or B) entertain frequently. So I end up having herbal tea when I'd like coffee instead (like after dinner). Now I'll have one cup of coffee (sure it's instant) on hand! And some tea, too, in case my host isn't a tea drinker--or I don't like the kind they have (like Earl Grey).
I lost about 1/8th"all around, and have a wabbly bottom seam, but otherwise it turned out great! the tea bags have room to either stand up or lie down. I prefer them lying down because it's snugger (more snug?). The finished size is ~4.25 inches tall x ~7 inches wide (open) or ~3.5 inches wide (closed).

When I was making the wallet, I couldn't decide on my fabrics. I went through several before I settled on these. After I started cutting it, I decided I HATED it. I thought for sure that this was a prototype and not my *real* coffee/tea wallet. That was until I finished and turned it right side out. Then I could appreciate it as a single piece and not as it's various elements (the dot fabric is also the exterior fabric). I really do like it. It's already at home in my purse next to my new wallet :)