The Polka Dot Tot Spot

Since I keep sharing my crafty moments, I thought you might want to see what other creative artists are making! The way things are going, it's more important than ever to conserve, being good stewards of our mother earth. It's also important to support artists, who can fill our lives with beautiful handmade goods. This week, I'm sharing some of my favorites!

Heather makes great reusable birthday banners, balls and blocks using new, modern fabrics by designers like Michael Miller and Heather Ross. Save time and money on birthday decorations by using this each year for a great birthday tradition. This one is so cute in orange, brown and blue. It work work for a boy or a girl. Her stuff is featured on the Michael Miller website!


This cute ball is stitched up with a bell inside, great for little ones, and for playing ball indoors.

Sewing tip for easy elastic waist pants

A friend asked me about making kid's pants. We found a pretty good tutorial that helped a lot. First, I make a pattern from a pair of pant that fits well, adding about 1/2" seam allowance, and tracing the pants onto the inside of a paper grocery sack. Add about 1 1/2" to the waist to allow for folding, elastic and stitching. Same for the hem.

Both panels are roughly the same, so I use the one piece, putting the straight edge on the fold of the fabric. It's important to fold the selvedge edges (usually with words on them) together, and use the fold in that direction, so your pattern is running in the same direction as the grain of the fabric. (This is especially important if you are using corduroy or velvet - all patterns should be cut the same way.)

Next, to sew the pants together, you can start with the legs, sewing right sides of the fabric together.

Or you can start with the inseam, sewing the two pieces together. It's a good idea to stitch this again, a little closer to the edge, just to reinforce it.

For the elastic casing, fold over the top about 1/4", and then again about 1/2 or so, press and stitch. Or serge the end, fold and stitch. Leave open about an inch so you can fit the elastic in.

Same thing for the hems.

One big question I keep seeing is about how much elastic you should use in your pants. A rough guide is about 3/4 the measurement of the waistband, maybe a little less if the elastic is quite stretchy. This pair used 1/4" elastic and tends to come down even over a cloth diaper, so I'd use 1/2" or 1" elastic next time.

Put a large safety pin through the elastic (as large as your casing will allow). Thread through casing, remove pin, overlap the ends about an inch and stitch elastic. Stitch casing closed.

Be a Beacon Waldorf inner work program

As my dear, wise Waldorf friends are planning a lantern walk for this weekend, they connected me to a website that has all kinds of great information and stories. I know some of my friends will want to check it out, for the stories, poems and crafty ideas.

I might have mentioned that sometimes I feel like the guy who is spinning plates on a stick in one hand and juggling with the other while riding a bike on a tightrope. Some days I just feel like the tightrope, but since my husband slept with Fyn last night, I had five glorious hours of straight sleep! So, I'm working on the plate spinning first. Focus is essential.

And then I found this amazing program. Looks like we will learn the best of the best and how to balance all the things I'm trying to negotiate. I'll let you know how it goes.

recycled boy's shirts - cowboy style!

After much thought and consideration, I finally decided what to make for Fyn's buddies for their second birthdays. Fyn had an abundance of button up shirts, so I took some of my cool new fabric stash and spread out the graphic goodness!

It was so much fun, I made a few more and posted them on my etsy site!

Anyone know why blogger wants my pictures to be all sideways?

Back to the shirts - I found that cutting the fabric to fit each shirt and leaving it raw was the coolest effect. Serging the edges works too, as long as you remember to leave a little extra when you are cutting it out. Prewashing the fabric might be a good idea, but I didn't find it to be necessary. It does make the fabric fray a little, which looks rough and kinda cool for a boy, don't you think?


Fyn helped me decorate some plain white bags from my crafty stash, and we cut slits with a scissor and threaded some scrap ribbon through, tying it in square knots and trimming the ends. Happy Birthday to our friends!

children's recycled wool sweater jackets!

What's new? Some warm wooly goodness on my etsy site. I made five of these last week, somehow. Fyn played in my studio so patiently while I snipped and stitched to get ready for a show this weekend. One two are left, so I posted them in my etsy shop.

river side cedar



yellow finch

fresh gingerbread

Based on Mollie Katzen's Spicy Gingerbread, this great recipe has been modified a bit to be non-dairy. It was a big success at the halloween potluck!

a little butter for the pan
6 T soy margarine (willow run or earth balance) or canola oil
3 T grated fresh ginger
1/2 c light colored honey
1/2 c light molasses
3/4 c canned pears
1 egg
2 c unbleached flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t dry mustard
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8" square pan.

2. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the ginger and saute together over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from heat.

3. Combine honey and molasses in a small mixing bowl, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger mixture, pears and egg and beat for a minute more. Set aside.

4. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the wet mixture. Mix and spread into prepared pan.

5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the top surface is springy to the touch. Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

I tried this the second time in a glass pan, reducing the oven temp to 325, and I don't recommend it! Stick with a metal pan if you can.

Tastes great even days later when kept in the refrigerator.

glitterchick at mecca

Whenever I head into Benzonia, either to the grocery store (which sells fabric!) or post office, I like to stop by and say hello to my friend, Marcy. She is the first person I met when I moved up here, and she has introduced me to many other wonderful people. Her little shop, mecca, is on the top of the hill and you get there by driving through the alley.

We share a love of paper and of all things vintage. Her desk inspires me every time! She's making cool cake toppers and keepsake boxes now.

custom knitting bag for melissa

Here's how a bag starts... A great mix of new and recycled fabrics, placed together, to see which will be just right for the finished bag. Size, texture, color and pattern are all important.

A. Green denim for the body, flocked brown denim for the base and straps and a sweet velvet print pocket
B. Waxed canvas body, mustard denim for base and straps, with a vintage pillowcase for a pocket

dragon halloween costume made of felted wool sweaters

Happy Halloween!
Roooaaaar!

Last year, a friend helped me out at the last minute and I made Fyn a bat costume, converting a furry one-piece brown outfit. So it's been a year, and I remember so clearly how I felt unprepared for the halloween festivities.

This year, I was inspired. A stack of felted wool sweaters looked like the perfect material. There's also a pile of fleece vests, which are waiting to be made into sweater vests or jackets. So it made sense to use a vest. It's easy to take off and put on as we get in and out of the car, changing diapers, going to the bathroom, eating, etc... The wings are from another etsy artist and the spats are inspired by a friend's blueberry costume.

Is promoting a holiday that's all about candy is a good idea? How can we emphasize the festival atmosphere without it? A friend suggested "the candy fairy" who collects the candy in exchange for a little gift. That leave me wondering, what's the point? Why spend money on candy, go to strangers houses asking them for candy, and then eat this stuff which really isn't very good for our bodies? or throw it away?

Maybe I spend too much time thinking about these things, but it's one of those things that has changed now that I'm a parent!

Now, off to party!

fall farm party and cider press

violet's new (revamped) shirt

Here's a little something I finally finished for my friend's daughter...

collecting sticks for kindling

We're getting ready for winter! The leaves are all golden on the trees, and it's hard to get dry sticks because it's so rainy, but Fyn's a great helper. It's cool how the earth provides for us.

It reminds me of a song that I used to sing as a kid. A friend recently reminded me of it, and I find myself singing it more often now.

It only takes a spark
to get a fire going
and soon all those around
can warm up to it's glowing
that's how it is with God's love
once you've experienced it
you want to sing
it's fresh like spring
You want to pass it on.

Pass the love, please!

svelte handbag update

Here are the reasons my blog hasn't been updated lately... A patchwork diaper bag with changing pad and clutch for my friend Jennifer, who is an interior designer and her little guy, Mac.


It has two big zippered pockets and three more pockets on the other side, along with a hook for keys or a pacifier.

And this gorgeous tote bag, which is going to be a carry-on bag for my friend Michelle. She chose the fabrics, and gave me a kick in the pants, and here it is! It has a zipper at the top and a wide strap that goes over her shoulder or across her body.

I'm working on another one right now that is destined for Chicago... It's called a "city bag".

www.sveltehandbags.etsy.com

nature walk

October is here, and the leaves are changing color and falling to the ground. Our world is a gorgeous, glowing, golden eden. After a great weekend at the Bioneers Conference in Traverse City where we learned about nature journaling, we were anxious to get outside today!





Max came along and helped us find some cool lichen on the fallen trees. Rain drizzled a little, but neither he or Fyn seemed to notice. It's a beautiful day.

handknit legwarmers

We are loving these handknit legwarmers by Melissa at Inish Knits. Fyn loved trying them on and is looking forward to his own pair!

sunshine harvest

Our garden was slow this year, due to the cool weather and light sun. Deer ate most of the tomatoes, and we did get one cucumber. Up for next year, soil amendment.

Found a little shirt dyed orange, and decided it was just what Fyn needed, with a little sunshine added, in yellow twill and orange cross-dyed linen.

earthwork harvest gathering 2009

It was a fun weekend with all our friends, who have become a sweet little traveling community for us. Since the air was cool, I made vests for our friends, like Fyn's acorn vest. It's a fleece vest with sweaters sewn onto it. Sweater sleeves made good armwarmers too.

Fyn wore his favorite turtle pants too.

One of our favorite songs by May Erlewine continues to inspire us.
You've got to shine on...

life change realization and blog delays...

An artist meets a teacher, who is really a writer, finds love and a cozy retreat in the woods.
She flourishes in the relationship, in her new community and in nature. They are so lucky to welcome a baby boy into their family, a miracle really.

All the parents we reviewed as we prepared told us that "It changes everything". We could never have imagined what that really meant. Being in love every day is amazing. It often means that daily things get neglected for the sake of being in each moment. It's like when the guy who is juggling stacks of plates on sticks and playing a harmonica, while riding his bike on a tightrope finishes up his act. Then he goes home to take a nap. Later, there will be time to do it again.

It also changed the stage on which I'm performing this miraculous feat, and now it's a 24 hour show. There's no commute to work, co-workers, desk where I can impose my full control without threat of overstepping boundaries, name that I hear regularly, great outfit to wear or any of that. Or even when not working in the office, there were the uninterrupted blocks of time for tackling projects and making them happen. Funny thing is, now I'm changing too, and striving to do my best each day. One thing I think that will help is to tell myself every day that I have done well, and find the things that were the best and put those things into my mental scrapbook.

And now, back to the studio!

a clean new bib - it's brown!

I could have a whole basket of these in the kitchen...


This bib has turned out to be our favorite. It's brown, so stains don't show. It's made from a towel, so it's soft and absorbent. It ties in the back so it's not too easy to get off. It doubles as a wipe after the meal.


It was my friend's idea. One day Elara came over to sew, and while the little guys were taking a bath, we took turns on this project. A towel went into the wash. A bib was measured for size and length of the ties. Then Elara traced around to make a nice shape on a piece of kraft paper, and cut a bunch of them out of a towel. I used my serger to finish the edges and pulled in the threads with a large needle.

There was enough towel left to get 5-6 little square wipes, maybe 6-8", all different sizes.

raspberry river walk

Summer brings such wonderful gifts, like these juicy snacks, right there on the riverbank as we walk along. Fyn wasn't too sure about the first one, a few days ago, but today, he ate every single one I could pick. After those two handfuls, he still wanted more. We looked and looked, but there were no more to be found.


Usually there are more, but gypsy moth caterpillars ate a lot of the plants this spring. Speaking of caterpillars, we saw this cute little guy today. Luckily, he did not seem the least bit interested in our sweet treasure.