Weasels! (a give away)

Sometimes we call L, "Weasel."  I know, it's a goofy nickname.  But there it is.

I wanted to make a plush weasel for her birthday, and I got excited about it, so I'm way early. This is a pretty simple pattern.  I used some old blankets so they're really soft and cuddly.  (And who doesn't want to cuddle with a weasel?)

I used the last of my wool stuffing in three of the weasels, and I used polyfil with the rest.  I've decided to stop using wool, but I was disappointed a bit with the poly-fil.  It isn't as firm and doesn't hold the shape as well, although it is nice and squishy.  You can see the difference in these two weasels.  The white one's face is pointy, and his legs are firm; the brown one's face is puffier, and his lays splay out a bit.  I've ordered some cotton, and I'm eager to work with it, but I was too eager to finish these to wait for the cotton to arrive.

 The pattern is free to download here until Thursday at noon.   The give away has ended, you can now find the pattern in my shop.  Please remember to send me feedback for the pattern!
 
Also, I'm adding 6 weasels to the shop right now, and don't forget about the EARTHLINGS coupon code (40% off!)  available through Friday, April 1st.  Go watch the movie!

Comfort Food

I've been thinking about the food I eat pretty intensely since I watched the documentary Earthlings (available to watch free online).  I realize that living in modern America I have the luxury of eating food as it pleases me, for my own comfort, rather than viewing food as a source of nutrition and survival as people of other places and time have had to. 

The thing that really frustrates me is that my primary reason for killing animals is comfort.  Somehow, we have separated the acts of killing and eating, but that doesn't make them any less connected.  Certainly, I shouldn't gain comfort from killing, right?

I don't claim to have anything figured out.  Seriously.  But I want to move in the direction of compassion and awareness.

So to do my tiny little part today, I'm sharing with you two things.  First, the recipe for my new comfort food- it's healthy, yummy, and plant based.  And for a limited time, a 40% discount in my shop when you use the code EARTHLINGS.  Most of my patterns are animals, and I think if we're going to teach our children to love animals, we should mean it all the way, right?  Ideally, I'd love for you to go watch the movie before you use the code, but I'll leave that up to you.  Or if you've already gone vegan, take it as my hat tip to you. :)

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites, or women for men." - Alice Walker

Fried Rice
To make fried rice it's best to use leftover rice.  I make a large pot of rice at the beginning of the week, and use portions throughout the week.  I don't have exact measurements for the rice, or any of it, come to think of it.  Making the rice ahead of time, makes this a healthy, plant based meal that comes together in under 10 minutes.  Here's what I do:

Heat a TBSP or so of oil in a skillet and sautee minced garlic, minced ginger, and chopped onions.  Add any of the following veggies:  sugar snap peas, diced carrots, frozen peas, sliced red or orange peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, broccoli, or whatever else you like.  (When cooking with the kids, I often omit the onions and only use kid-friendly veggies like peas and carrots.)

When the veggies are cooked to your liking (not over cooked), add the cold cooked rice to the hot pan along with some soy sauce.  Stir, and then let it sit still a minute so it gets crispy on the bottom.  Then stir some more and repeat.

Presto! Serve it to toddlers with a spoon for less rice on the floor. :) 

Work at Home Mom

This winter, my littlest one discovered my sewing machine and all of its fancy knobs.  She pulled off two, and at first I thought it was just annoyingly cosmetic, but eventually I realized it had affected the stitch length function and it was getting worse.  Ack, another expensive tune up.

Enter the sewing machine cover, whipped up after reading the lovely tutorial at Art Nest.  I have a crush on anything patchwork, so this functional and patchy project was calling my name.  Although, it has occurred to me that this may actually attract the children...  I guess I should have made it ugly?

This little adventure reminded me of my efforts to find balance in motherhood and working at home not long after J was born.  Since then, sewing and designing have turned into part time employment which is exciting, fulfilling, and helps me maintain my sanity as a new mother.  I don't have it all figured out, but I feel much more confident than I did back in 2009.  So I thought I'd share a few things I've learned about being a work at home mom.  The first three are organizational, and the last one is more of a change in philosophy.

1. Routine.  The children and I are both more pleasant, have more fun, and get more accomplished when we have a somewhat structured day.  Routine does not come naturally to me, so I've had to work at this, but it's worth it.  I'm especially able to enjoy play time more and focus during chore time, when I know I have work time slotted in later.  
2. Efficiency.  I work in small increments throughout the day: during naptime, movie time, daddy time, and bed time.  I work in batches, doing a bunch of cutting at once, machine sewing, and hand sewing.  I save hand sewing for long car rides or tv time.  When someone wakes up, gets hungry, or needs to pee, I'm prepared to walk away.
3.  Space.  I have a dedicated work space - it's not pretty, but it's organized and my work table is out of the children's reach (ahem, unlike the sewing machine).  I keep works in progress neatly laid out on the table, and organizational notes on a marker board above it.  My scanner and pattern files are stored under the table, and my fabrics, scissors, and trims are all in reach.  This is essential to making my short bursts of work really productive. 
4. I let my children see me work.  During movie time, daddy time or quiet time - when they are awake but occupied, I get out my stuff and work.  I cut fabric on the floor near them while they play with John, I hand sew on the couch during their movie, and sometimes L plays on the floor in my studio while I work on the machine.  Sometimes they ignore me, sometimes they get involved, and sometimes they steal my fabric.  Either way, I feel this is valuable for them because being creative and productive is a regular part of their day.  Handiwork skills are easily accessible to them, whenever they are ready to learn.  Not to mention they get a chance to see me being both domestic and professional.

I've begun to realize that when I can keep the first three in order (and that's the hard part) the fourth point proves to be beneficial for me and my children.  But, of course, the most helpful thing has been to find what works for me, and go with it confidently.  We all get there eventually, I guess.  :)

What works for you?

Weather Coloring Zine

Ever since I made L a little book last fall to learn the Lord's Prayer, I wanted to make more on all kinds of subjects.  They are so quick and fun to make, and she gets such a kick out of having her own little book.  I made a list of at least 10 books I want to make, things I want her to learn.  They emphasize coloring and letter recognition, but also each will teach her about a new subject and how to recognize it every day.

This little one is about the weather, with cheesy little smiley faces.  She colored each page and we talked about how the weather changes.  This isn't really a new subject, but I wanted her to start paying attention to what the weather is like each day so she'll understand when it's too cold to go out, or why we need to wear rain boots, etc.  The last page has a blank sky and tree so they can draw what they see right now. 

I try not to be too pushy about her color choices, which is hard for me sometimes.  Nevertheless, I thought it was funny that she colored the snow green.  These are so easy to make, I made her a couple of copies, plus one for J (who isn't much into coloring) and another for me. 

I'll be adding these as I make them, and you can find them all by searching the "printables" tag.  You can download this one here.  It's just one black and white page and you can read instructions on how to fold the paper here.

Giving it Away

We had an excellent time at Arts in the Alley last night.  I'm thrilled that my little town is full of creative people who developed an Arts Commission that is so active.  It's fun to find new crafts people and musicians in your own town.  And, can I just say, that giving away stuff at a craft fair is exponentially better than selling.  The little word "FREE" on my table let me interact with so many more people and immediately made people smile.  Which speaks to me on a level beyond simple consumerism.

And a shout out to my mom - who sent me a package of 30 crowns that she and a friend made.  I had about 20 of my own, making a slew of crowns, as mom would say.  We gave away 31 last night (so I've got some ready to mail if you want one!). It was a blast seeing all the kids running around wearing crowns, for me and L both.

No matter how much love you give, you never have less. In fact you discover you have more — one ruble becomes two, two becomes ten. - Mother Maria Skobtsova




All of the diverse facets of my life, including the crown project, seem to be criss-crossing in surprising ways, causing me to decompartmentalize.  That feels good.  It is helping me give up some of the unhelpful ways I define myself.   Specifically, I realize I am not defined by what my friends believe and do, rather who I am a friend to.  That also feels really good.  And it is a lesson I needed to learn.

Apparently, I also need to learn to iron my tablecloth. :)

Love in Stereo, Whip Up and, Arts in the Alley

I'm so late in telling you about my guest blog post at Whip Up last week.  I interviewed my college friend Brad Montague about Love In Stereo: a movement of artists, fans and friends united together to make a global impact.  I've been so moved/impressed/amazed/excited by all that I've seen Brad and his friends accomplish this year through Love In Stereo, so I'm thrilled to get to help spread the word about this great organization.

I was especially eager to interview Brad because I've been wondering "what can I do?"  I don't have any superhuman skills or a vast fund raising network, but I'd like to help impact people for good, too.  And I knew Brad would point me in the right direction.  Since I've been working on my Nicholas Crown Project, I've begun to understand the truth of what Brad said:

It’s about addressing a need and building a community around that need.

Real impact happens when artists do more than giving and raising money for an immediate need.  It's about building a community that will continue to support that need over time. 

I reached out to all of you, my online crafty friends, first because you are the community I interact with most as a Work at Home Parent.   I treasure the connection (sanity) and inspiration (motivation) I get from all of you.  But, I realize that I need to push myself to be more a part of my real world community, too.  My compassion for children shouldn't be limited to the abstract and distant, but also for my own children, my friends' children, and the children in our community.  Especially in such small acts of compassion, like reminding a child that they're special.

As the number requests for crowns have been declining (you can still request one for a child you know!) I've been looking for more children to reach out to, and I realized perhaps I should start at home, you know?  Next Thursday, March 17, is Arts in the Alley, hosted by the Henderson Arts Commission, and I'll be there with a basketful of crowns to give away.  If you're in town, come by and pick up crowns for your kids, or take one to give to a child you know.  

Compasio

Have you seen the updated crown gallery?  Maybe you noticed a pair of pictures of crowns that are headed to an orphanage in Thailand.  Watch this video to learn about Compasio, an organization that's reaching out to the women and children who are living on the streets in Thailand.  Be sure to check out ways you can get involved.

"Seeing a need, feeling compassion and acting with practical love on behalf of those who are poor, needy and at risk -- this is the heart of Compasio."

A Few Items

1.  I updated the crown gallery to show all 49 of the crowns I've put in the mail.  It's a fun scroll, so check it out!  The last crown I made came from my orange curtain fabric, and paired with blue bobble trim - it just made me so happy on many levels. 

2.  I'm anxiously awaiting Whip Up's new mini-mag, which I think could be a great homeschooling resource.  It's loaded with crafts, cooking, and outdoor activities for kids, with busy parents in mind.  It sounds lovely, and it will be available to download on March 1.  Don't forget to get yours.

3.  I've added one more little thing to my crown project:  A coloring page for the kids!  If you're making crowns (to send to me or give away on your own) - get your kids involved!  I was having L color each child a whole picture, but after awhile she lost interest (49!  you can imagine).  So remembering the wild success of Inchmark's valentines, I created a similar template of a head and crown that she can doodle a face and hair and other goofy details onto (like a goldfish).  There's also a note and a space for her to write her name (plus space to add a more personal note from the adults).  I'm adding the link to the main Nicholas Crown page, but you can also download it here.

4.  And I made a new twitter account to separate my craft tweets from my local tweets.  So if you do twitter, join me @wewilsons.

Call for Compassionate Crafters

I've been thinking about what I can do to make my Nicholas Crown Project more impactful.  The connections I've made have been such blessings, and I want you to share in that experience.  I've come up with three ways to make this better.  I need you to join me! 
 
1.  Spread the word.  I caught myself hesitating to share my link, worrying that I might get too many requests.  But this is the opposite of what I'm hoping to learn.  Compassion is a muscle that gets better with use.  I want to share as much joy as possible: Help me spread the word!  Feel free to use any of the pictures in the gallery, and link to the Nicholas Crown Project. 

2.  Learn about children's ministries.   I also want to share some of the good works I've learned about through those of you who have contacted me.  Several people who have submitted names have introduced me to organizations serving children in very big ways.  Their stories are so moving, and I want to share them with you.  I'd also love to find ways to work together with these organizations.  I'll be posting about some of these groups in the next few weeks. 

3.  Join me!  For me, the most amazing part is the way that people are letting me be a part of their lives, their struggles, and their healing.  I want to share that opportunity with you!  I promised some friends and family that if I got overwhelmed, I'd send out a call for help.  But now I realize that with more people we can reach more children, and more of you get to exercise your compassion muscles. 

So you want to help make crowns?  Here's what you can do:

1. make crowns. 
2. email me at wilsonlauralynn {at} gmail {dot} com for my mailing address.
3. send me crowns. 

I'll photograph your crowns and add them to the gallery.  And as I receive requests, I'll send the crowns.   I'll also create a linky list of compassionate crafters as my way of thanks. You don't have to use my tutorial, the only thing I ask is that you make each crown unique as a way to remember each child is unique.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas.  This is a work in progress - so help me progress!

Postal

John took some packages to the post office in town for me today.  They told us the postage we'd been putting on our domestic Nicholas Crown packages (the amount our local country post office said we needed) wasn't sufficient, and the recipients might be charged when they received the packages.  I'm so frustrated and heartbroken about this.  It shouldn't be more than 70 cents, but still. 

We're correcting the postage immediately, and international and larger packages shouldn't have been affected.  But if you received a package and had to pay for it, I'm so sorry!