Sewing with Kids

I had so much fun sewing with my son today, that I decided to take a look at what sewing items are out there for the kid crowd (12 and under). Sewing, along with other arts and crafts, can really teach a child a lot about process and patience, let alone activate some creativity!

I remember getting my first sewing scissors from my Nana when I was 9 years old, which I still use, and I took my first sewing class when I was ten. I'm not a very good seamstress (I'm too impatient!), but I value my mom's great talent. Over the next 10 years, I would like to hone my skills so that I am more confident and competent!

Here is the kit we used. It says that it is for ages 5 and up, but with guidance it could be for a 4 year old.



2-4 year olds:

Alex Lacing Around Forest and Ocean

Friendly Bugs Lacing Cards

Lacing Shapes

4-7 year olds:

Loop N Loom

Felt Friends

Simply Needlepoint

7 and up:

My First Sewing Kit

My Wooden Sewing Box

Sock Monkey Kit (Closer to age 9 or 10)

Could I borrow a Smencil, please?

I am now in the quest for a filing/organizational system for our new home. When we moved we got rid of our two-drawer metal filing cabinet, and now we are looking for something much smaller to replace it. It has to be pretty because it will be out in the open. I have a huge paper problem, so I really need to get this under control! While perusing the vast Internet options, I ran into this great shop called See Jane Work. They have some very fun products like these Smencils, which are scented pencils. Of course they have pretty binders, notebooks, and file folders. I really enjoyed their amusing (but true!) little write-up on a home office. So many things to choose from and lots of fun to look!

Affordable Art

Modern Art Everyday is a great little Etsy shop I found through Apartment Therapy: The Nursery (a great design blog... I love their Green version, too). I love that the artist proclaims that her work is fun, affordable and modern art. It can be easy to find the fun and modern, but often the affordable art is harder to locate! Her prints on canvas are my favorite.

I think I told you all I had a thing for pears!

This is the print that was featured on the Apartment Therapy blog. Love those colors!

Darlybird

I love this little shop. In fact, my husband got me a couple of things from here for my birthday! (Like this rose carved bracelet in the plum color.)


Their jewelry is fun, but one of the first things I noticed were these simple girls' ribbon headbands!


These salad servers are beautiful, too.


You could spend a lot of time looking at the unique items sold at Darlybird, and trust me, I have.

Crystalyn Kae

This summer I spotted these handbags online, and I was so impressed. They come from a designer named Crystalyn Kokorowski, whose business is based in Seattle. Aren't they beautiful? She has made some special edition items out of leather, but most of her designs are made of glaze-coated fabric, which is suitable for vegans or those that don't like leather products.

Crystalyn Kae handbags looked so great online, I had to see them in person. When I was in Portland I made sure to visit a boutique that stocked these bags. And guess what? They are so soft, and so pretty. I loved the way it rested on my shoulder and the beautiful stitching. The vintage fabric that peeks out from some of the designs is so cute! Seeing the bags in front of me affirmed that they not only look great, but feel great too.

My two favorites are the Soiree Drawstring (seen above) and the Troubadour Tote.

Although I keep looking at the hobo and clutch bags, too!

Now I'm the first to admit that my budget is still recovering from 7 years of grad-school and the choice to stay home with the kids instead of work full-time, so most of my purses are roughly valued at less than $20. BUT, when I do buy my first "nice" bag, I definitely want it to be one of these! We'll see what the next year brings!

Bath Time Blues

Although my son loves to swim, he has never been great about having the shampoo rinsed from his hair. It wasn't too long ago that he would cry or scream if even the slightest amount of water trickled near his tightly closed and covered eyes. As I am thinking about making some changes to the kids' bathroom, I was reminded of flo, a great product by boon. I first was introduced to boon by mod*mom, and their products all look great.


Because the water flow can be controlled, I think flo may help get rid of some of our bath time blues.

Little Details

This last fall my friend, who happens to be part of a very fashionable mommy network, introduced me to the most adorable Trumpette socks.


Of course my daughter never kept her baby socks on, so buying cute little socks that would end up on the floor of the car was never an idea I entertained. And once she started wearing shoes, I knew I couldn't cover up those stylish socks with her practical shoes. But now I can dress up her little feet in something that would be seen by everyone. These maryjane rainboots are irresistible!