A few weeks ago, with kid’s clothes week looming, I did not want to sew.  I really did not want to sew any clothes for my kids, though they did in fact need them (and still do!). Begrudingly I got out my sketchbook to figure out something to sew. The theme of KCW was storybook, so I got some of my favorites off the shelf.

One of which is by a friend of ours, Ida Pearle. Her book, A Child’s Day (affiliate link) is full of gorgeous cut paper collages depicting children acting, dancing, hiding, jumping, and playing their way through every letter of the alphabet. The clothes Ida created for the children in the book are stunning. Both the styles and the prints translate easily into handmade clothes–and they have! Mary Frances from this is marzipan made many outfits for her boys all based on pages from this book. (more…)

I asked my good friend to make these wooden dolls for my daughter this christmas. After seeing the amazing ones she made for her son, I commissioned (!) her to make some that looked like my family. I thought it would be a nice surprise on christmas morning not only for my daughter, but for everyone to see themselves in little wooden doll form. And they were the best present under the tree. From left to right: my husband, me, my daughter, my son, an uncle, grandma, pop pop, and an aunt. Another uncle was left at grandma’s house, but I couldn’t wait for him to get here to show these little works of art. I was going to spend the rest of this post badgering my friend into open her own esty shop, but this morning she told me she is planning on it. You too might have the chance to have some of your very own! So instead I’ll show you the other fantastic present she made for my daughter.

A little felt book that my daughter calls her special book (or my special for short). I had a similar idea after we played with the felt board at the library and had to have a discussion about how we couldn’t take it home. My idea wasn’t as elaborate as this though. There are pockets for all the accessories and the toilet lid even flips open! It’s given me lots of ideas and I’m lucky to have such a generous and talented friend who not only makes beautiful things, but will let me steal her idea and run with it. But best of all is that it kept my daughter busy (and quiet) for most of the christmas traveling.

This isn’t quite a year in review, seeing as I’ve only had this blog since September, but the pictures are all toys I designed and made since then. Really it’s more of a gratuitous pat on the back for finally getting off my ass and making the things I think up.   I’m horrible when it comes to doing new things, especially when they are creative endeavors.  The teenager in me is scared of what people will think and of failing miserably and the grown woman in me doesn’t understand where the hell the impulse to make soft toys came from anyway (there must be a Frosted Flakes joke in there somewhere).

I have a bunch of things I want to do for my kids, my husband, my house, and even my poor dogs this new year, but I would like to open up an etsy shop for me.  We’ll see. I have to make a few more things first (and I have to figure out packaging, branding, shipping, blurb writing).  I have a whole year to cross that one thing off my list.