Maths game

Today we just finished the maths game!

My little one layed out the rules and instructions for the game, I added my ideas. And we worked together on the making.

We used simple natural materials of course, cotton and my inevitable favourite: wool. This involved measuring, counting, sewing, wet felting, dry-felting and assembling. The only down side was for the making of the cards: we had to use the convenient modern world’s technology: the computer, the printer and the laminator. ;-(

Of course the decoration side of this project is non exhaustive and never ending!! I added some trees again this morning and also made some chance cards. All the pockets aren’t used, which means we have room for more “counters”/ players. I also need to add some buttons for carrying without dropping the cards or dies.

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My children have already had a game. They had a ball!!! It has been a long time since ” petite chérie” laughed so loudly with all her might, freely and excitedly! You know that laugh that comes down from deep down the tummy somewhere from the rib cage…

We looooove maths in our family, always have  and always will. Why? because it doesn’t matter what language you do maths in:  2+2 always = 4! lol

Blue Sac-Doll

As usual this little cuty-pie is filled with natural pure wool. It smells wonderfully sweet and is warm and soft as… a must have for little children.

The Christmas Fair

This was an end of the year school market project.

The children had to organise a stall with articles they had made.

They learned all the stages from the idea to seeing the final product:

Planning, buying the materials, organising, making, cutting straight, using the sewing machine, re-threading it and all, pedal controlling for sewing speed, hard working, involving time, keeping at it, finishing the project, arranging the table for presentation, calculating the correct pricing, selling, counting  the money back and making money!! (hopefully!! lol)

How much fun !!!

Miss Polka Dot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we Go!!! Look at her! isn’t she stunning!

Hurray!!! I am so proud, this is my first doll!

That’s it, I’ve come past my fear of failing and actually got my acts together and did it.

I love my Miss Polka Dot.  She can sit too, doesn’t she look gorgeous and neat?

She’ll be well loved with her new mum: my best friend’s daughter will be delighted to have her.

Merci Charlotte pour les photos.

Annabelle

Ok, this is how it all started.

My really good friend and I were just chatting away about our wonderful children… (lol) as we mothers do all the time. And she tells me her 7 year old daughter doesn’t own any kind of doll what so ever, no fluffy toy , no Barbie nothing.

That conversation with my friend had stoke a chord in me. My own daughter had Barbie dolls, somewhere in a box that she never opens, she has numerous fluffy toys, a few teddies and more but doesn’t actually own a doll.

Knowing how specific my friend is with her children’s environment, I started to research doll making.

How scary that was to me back then!

One day, by pure luck, I stumbled upon a doll’s body already made! All that was missing was the head and the limbs. Piece of cake right? heuuuu… NO! not really!!! “How am I supposed to do that? Where do I start?…”

My dear friend google came to my rescue and familiarised me with doll making ways… This is how the doll with the black polka dot dress was born.

My daughter’s birthday was around the corner. I had to make her a doll quickly! I was flirting with the idea of making one for my friend’s daughter, so I had to make one for my own daughter ‘s birthday which is 2 months before my friend’s daughter’s!

I had to psych up to it. I was a bit scared and very well under experimented!! I had to work fast. There was so much to learn though…

A few days before the big day I chickened out and the whole family went to the shop to “adopt” Annabelle. That was the best I could do with the time I had left.

I wanted her first doll to be right. she had to be cute and lovable and I knew she had fallen for that one on the shelves.

As I was working along trying to make my first doll with a body that I had found already made, Annabelle benefited from my sewing skills and ended up having a few little outfits.

I also built a special desk in my daughter’s bedroom, with shelves underneath for Annabelle’s bedroom, and even made her own cosy bed with matching night dress.

My little girl was in heaven!

I could now focus onto the next project: making a doll from scratch!