A Welcome Distraction

So, Saturday morning I saw a message on our neighborhood email list that there was a free dollhouse available.
It just so happens that The Youngest asked for a dollhouse for Christmas, so I said yes!
I ran over to get it (I had been warned that we'd need two people to carry it, so I brought the Hubby along) and was a little super excited when I saw this-

I had also been warned that it needed a little love, which wasn't an exaggeration.
There was a broken tread on the stairs, so I pulled it out and used some veneer I had lying around to build a new one.

The actual bricks on the chimneys look pretty rough,

so I went to Michael's and grabbed some Sculpey to make some new bricks.
I did look in at the hobby shop for some pre-made bricks, but their selection of doll house stuff was, frankly, terrible. It was more of a miniature railroad type of a place...


I also got a pad of scrapbook paper for rugs and wallpaper.

(I like this one the best)

Now I need to get some paint, the all over gray look isn't quite doing it for me.


There are 4 weeks until Christmas, but I also have four Christmas stockings to knit, so the hours are looking awfully limited.


After all the practice we got painting everything in our last house, the Hubby got to be really good at it, we can collaborate on that piece of the puzzle.


I know for sure that this kind project is just a distraction from the horrible things going on all around. I weep for the people lost and injured in the past few weeks all over the world to terrorism. We have white supremacists attacking protesters here in town (who were themselves protesting the death of another unarmed black citizen at the hands of police), the attacks on Paris, Colorado. I don't know how to offer any help out there, so I will, instead, remodel a tiny house. Something I can easily control, and that will bring joy to my daughter.

Be safe, be kind, be well

Sketching

Was it a reaction against the violence of The Walking Dead last night? Perhaps.
I must give Meg idea credit. I was so inspired by her beautiful painting of her daughter that she posted last week.

Whatever the motivation, I started this sketch of The Youngest last night.
She saw it this morning and requested a puppy on her shirt.
It's still a little rough, I haven't decided on the background yet.
When I draw I usually get bogged down in the details, so this time I'm wondering whether to leave the background a wash of color.
My next step (which feels a little like cheating) is to make some copies and experiment with the background.
The Youngest decided that she needs to be the one to paint it, so she'll get a few copies for herself.
Update -

The Youngest did a great job on her portrait. The bar has been set very high...

A Trip to the Forest

As much as I like to think that we made an instant and seamless transition to our new house, I haven't really felt like doing much more than nesting for a while. 

It hasn't been all that helpful that we've been in workerland for a while. 

Last week it was a plumber (for preventative maintenance) and a tree crew taking down a nearly hollow apple tree.

This week, however, we've been getting out almost every day. 

The weather is truly un-November-like and, though I feel nervous for the future of the planet, I am loving the sun and the blue skies.

Monday we visited a new park in a neighboring city - Reservoir Woods.

It was our first visit, but not our last.

There were lots of opportunities for climbing and building and swinging. 

We went with a crowd of pre-schoolers, and there was some great imaginative play going on.

This grumpy face was that we had to leave.
I felt similarly, we'll definitely be back soon.

Craft Update

I sang two concerts this weekend, and with a concert comes a little down time during intermission.
I had time to cast on and get some progress made on a new mitten.
Part of the Seven Skeins Club membership is a collection of exclusive patterns from Kate Davies.
The first one didn't interest me, it was house slippers, but the second was mittens: Kokkeluri.

Kate's Buachaille yarn is lovely. It's very springy, and the colors are wonderful.
I don't love the pattern. The thumb increases a little sharply for me and I find that thumbs on the side seam are not quite as comfortable. Also, I like a border on the chart so the picture can be a little more defined, but those are picky things.
Overall I can see these becoming my go-to mittens (if they don't get stolen by The Elder)
Speaking of The Elder, I finished up her Fluttershy costume last week. I didn't get a photo of her in it, but she looked pretty ponyesque.
I made up a circle skirt from some fleece and the ears I made from this tutorial.

What's on your creative plate today?

Fluttershy, Step One

Happy Tuesday! It so happens that this week is Kid's Clothing Week Challenge, and I actually have something to contribute this time. The theme is disguise.
The Elder has decided to be Fluttershy for Halloween. I don't know how many of you are Pegasisters or Bronies, but just in case you're not into the show: the ponies travel through a mystic portal and instead of looking like this-

now they look like this-

I looked around for a pattern, and found this tutorial, which was great but I made one change - I used polar fleece instead of felt squares. 

Now, you know me, I love felt, but I wanted a larger field than small rectangles would afford.

So I started by drawing a pattern on a cereal box, but I couldn't find my paper scissors so I drew it freehand on the fleece. 

I drew it on the fold, so I had two pieces like this-

The Youngest helped me with the sewing again, it's so nice to have a team.

Last night I finished the construction, watch the tutorial to see about the wires.

Photos before one leaves for the bus sometimes elicit grimaces.

All that's left is the detail painting around the edges, and the wings will be complete.
Joining Nicole for KCCO,
and the fine folks at KCWC.

Meow Meow, Finished Meow.

Add a snout and a few cable ties and you have a pink kitty face all finished.

One More Mask

A couple of weeks ago I made up some Halloween masks for a felt class that was coming up, and today was the day. 

Part of my lesson today was how to modify patterns to your own needs. I took a pattern I found online and modified it from an owl into a fox, and further altered it as a cat. 

My class ran with that idea and made a bird, a butterfly and a snow leopard. I wish I had taken photos, all of the students really did beautiful work.

My family surprised me at the end of the class, and The Youngest asked if she could make a cat mask, how could I say no.

We started in once we had walked home (can I say how great it is to live so close to work? It's great, really great) and she did a wonderful job helping me sew.

Little dimpled hands working away with a needle never gets old.