Muffin Turned 5

And yes, that was way back in November. 5. HOW?!?

She has been pining for an American Girl Doll. Namely Felicity, the one they discontinued a number of years ago. I spent weeks combing Craig's List and Ebay hoping to score a deal, but nothin'. So finally I gave in to the reality that it was going to have to be a knock off, and when no red headed knockoffs were found, that it would have to be a blond. A blond, with my version of Felicity's wardrobe. (And to go with each of the dresses, I found Felicity books at the thrift store, 4 of them for about $2.00! HUGE score!) So here it is:

                                                              the Meet Felicity Dress

 Shoes- black felt, and trying to paint buckles with a wiggle-worm in the back pack is a pain.

Felicity's Surprise Dress

You can't tell from this picture, but the dress is two separate parts, and the pleating miraculously lined up perfect.

felt shoes again

Happy Birthday Felicity Dress- I never got around to the flowered hair band, I can't find flowers I like for it

Felicity Saves the Day Dress

The hat is supposed to have flowers, but as before, couldn't find what I wanted

The mob cap that goes under the straw hat

Green felt shoes

A cape. Because she needed one

Her night shift and slippers

The 2 mob caps, and her night shift are from actual American Girl patterns. They were detailed, but fitted together perfectly, serious quality.

Honey made her some school supplies (with a bit of help):

Horn book, notebook, and an inkwell with a chicken feather pen.

Biscuit made her a pearl doll necklace with memory wire.

She changes her into her night shift and tucks her in to her doll bed every evening. Good little mama.

Homemade Christmas

Around the beginning of November, I had an epiphany: I don't need to wait until *after* Thanksgiving to start my Christmas projects. Say What?!? I don't? So once I finished Muffin's birthday present, I picked a Saturday and did my Christmas shopping- Lowes, a local craft store, and Joanne's. I made a schedule. and I stuck to it (for the most part). All of my baking was finished by the end of the first week  of December, gifts were started and finished here and there, I wanted to be DONE and have everything wrapped by December 22, the house cleaned the 23rd. And I did. Except for the wrapping, which I did Christmas Eve while watching It's A Wonderful Life with B. I was in bed by 11:57. I  truly *enjoyed* the season for the first time in I don't know how long. Wanna see what I made?

A doll bed for Muffin- the braided rug turned out much smaller than I was planning. Oh-well.

A doll bed for Honey- the lamp is made out of a round jar and some lids.

Sprout doesn't play too much, not when there are so many exciting things to get into and siblings to pester. So I made him what *I* wanted and I. LOVE. It. Crooked paint jobs and all. The drawstring play mat is a little small and doesn't quite hold everything. So much for winging it.

Large knobs with flat bottoms. And the pig has no defined head.

A barnyard mooning. Ahem.

The one on the left is a duck

The poor farmers elbow is hyperextended carrying that bucket...

I'm a lousy sander. Fortunately the pictures hide it.

Biscuit has been bugging for a tent for a while. And he is most excited over the stick horse. He's been "Wanting one for years and years." The cookware was a wedding present we never used.

Beans (well, all of the kidlets are) is Daniel Boone (Fess Parker version) crazy.

So a Daniel Boone gift was in order. Vest, stick horse, "skoonkin" hat, long rifle (Biscuit got one too. Free hand drawn, prayed through the cutting out, stained, painted and some plumbing thinga-ma-bob used for the trigger),  

lantern, and furs. He wears that vest constantly.

Biscuit made this for the girls with a bit of help from me- a doll sized fire.

He made this hatchet for Beans, (again with help) which is Beans second favorite gift.

Honey made (with a bit of hot glue help) this bag for Beans- he keeps his furs in it.

She made these finger puppets for Muffin and Biscuit, with me painting the faces (since that puffy paint can be a big pain sometimes), and doing a little bit of the hot glue.

Muffin made play-doh for the 3 older children, and all 4 older kids made a book for Sprout, but I don't have pictures of that either.

A good time was had by all.

My First Little Dollhouse In The Big Woods

You can click on these to see them larger

I didn't crop/fix any of these pictures, and yes, my hands are that honkin' huge

So here it is, Muffins birthday present, which despite having the house finished back in August, *still had me up 'til the wee sma's and then up early again the day of her birthday to finish. In my defense, I do have 5 children and I am homeschooling.

I used the tutorial found here

and it was pretty easy.

I didn't wrap the plastic canvas in batting as she did, I tried, but it looked funny. I should have put something else in though, for a little more support.

For the inside fabric, I used iron on interfacing to give it a bit more um, a bit of. My mind just went blank. How about "oomph".

 I tried making the button closures, gave up and went with ties. That I had to slit the seams and hot glue the ribbons in.

I used Wonder Under and cussing to attach all the extra parts I put on/in. I think I would recommend pacing yourself and using a good fabric glue. Miss Impatient here learned her lesson, and had to fix a lot with hot glue.

It's only been 2 days, but so far everything has gone back into the storage bag once she's finished.

The oval rug is stitched in place, the rectangular one is NOT because I forgot about it until after the whole mess was put together.

I thought about making the chimney on the inside as well, but decided against it because I was afraid you wouldn't see the details on the mantel very well.

Leftover lace from Honey's Laura dress made the curtains. Yes, one end is unraveled.

(actually, the inside fabric is her pinafore material)

The idea for the little corner piece came from here

I embroidered the "plates" and tied the bags in the attic and the herb bunches because yes, I AM that crazy.

A spool and little piece of H.L. wood made the table.

The chairs are from a little package of rectangular wood pieces, itty-bitty spools, and little wood muffin-y looking things.

The plates are buttons I had, the lamp is a button, a marble, and the top part of a push-pin. I glued them to the table. The spoons are puff paint.

The family nearly drove me batty. I knew Muffin would insist on a baby Grace, even though this is a cabin. She is made from a wooden bead with an itty-bitty spool body, and a blanket glued around her. The bed is popsicle sticks.

Only Ma and Pa have arms. I sometimes think to quit while I'm ahead.

I forgot to finish Ma's apron.

Sleeping bag beds, that yes, I did piece in strips, then cut and reposition.

I made them like pockets so no one falls out.

The End.

Dear Rebecca

Okay, you wanted to see my gifty ideas, so here you are- No pictures, all links. To Pinterest. Because that takes less time and time is money. Oh wait, I'm a mom, so time is often non-existent. Anyway.

For Honey The dollhouse family met with a tragic end, thanks to little siblings, so a new one is in order. I'm trying to figure out the HOW and these are some ideas I'm thinking over :
This  one, but not with the half egg feet. Maybe cutting up an old fashioned clothes peg for the feet.
I like this idea as well, I just don't know what to do about legs. Or how to make decent hair.
Also, I've got a bazillion ideas floating around in the ol' noggin for a dollhouse vegetable garden.
There aren't very many of those I've discovered. Lots of vegetables in baskets and whatnot, but only ONE garden I've found. It's kinda sloppy, but I guess that's to look artsy?  I need to look at that site with  tree stump house again, I bet she might have something I can use.

For Biscuit, I have nothing to show you. At least not that I know of. Farm boy wants a chicken coop to go with last years barn, some more chickens, and some turkeys, and some ducks, and housing for them. Not even 6, doesn't have any real chickens, and he already knows which ones can't reside together without potential problems. Smart kid. I think I know what I'm doing, but making it up as I go along.

Muffin is generally playing house, so I'm thinking an ironing board for her. We have a cheapy plastic one, but it's well, cheapy plastic. Besides, who could resist a wooden one? Not I. And I love using power tools, so I'm all about building one. I might pair it with a washboard and basket, and heck if I find one, a little wash tub. Otherwise, some things to go with her play kitchen.

This picture has nothing to do with anything, and is several years old. Just seemed funny to write a post with no picture.

Beans, being all about "doo-doos!", and well, anything with wheels (Any and all tractors are "Daddy's! Daddy's!") a train play mat.  And since that's not much maybe some blocks like this. That is dependent on finding good wood for it though.

And lastly, Sprout. Most of our baby toys have seen better days. Better days and a lot of children, so a few new homemade fun stuffs. This- I made one for a baby shower last week (without the ring, couldn't find one) and it was so easy and cute! Something crinkly- my babies love those. I would LOVE to figure out how to make one of these wooden books, but how would I do the pictures? 
And a wooden teething something. I like the acorn, but not with a heart.

So there you are. I think I might mention a few more things in my letter, but I forget. I pinned a fair number of these off of you I might add.

Does it get your crafty going?

Craft Catch-Up

But first a request: Please do not Pin anything from this post, or well any of my other posts. Not that I think that I'm all wonderful, and that everyone wants to pin my stuff, and not that anyone has, but I like it all nice and quiet around here, and I'm weary of Trolls. 'Kay? Thanks!

So, I have a ton of sewing/craft stuff to catch ya'll up on, so here goes.

Because every last blessed one of us in the house is a HUGE fan of all things Laura, I decided that a Little House style dress was perfect for Honey's Birthday this year. (Yes, her birthday was in February. Yes, I'm only just *now* getting around to posting pictures. Just wait, Muffin's Christmas present winds up this post. Behind?)

I bought the pattern many many moons ago, because even at 18, pre-marriage, dating and obviously children, I could not pass up a $.99 sale at Joann's, and stocked up on patterns for my future children and hey guess what? They are still the ones I usually look for first. My grandma also gave me the pattern she used on me when she made me a dress for my 8th birthday, but it was a larger size, and time was short, otherwise I would totally have used it for nostalgias sake.

But even by using the one I bought and making Honeys size: it.was.huge.

It should still fit her when she's 15 if I let out all the grow tucks I had to put in. 

The apron was a royal pain to hem up though, because of the hem-line.

She's kind of hard to find under the bonnet. She loves it much and would wear every single day.

For a baby shower for a girl from church back in April, I made this block.

I winged it, and had the hardest time giving it up.

(The pin is hold a paper with washing instructions)

My oldest and dearest friend was up for a visit from Florida in September.

I made them this, and being the selfish girl that I am, had the hardest time giving it up.

I have been racking my brain for low, these many months for the perfect gift for her little guy, born in February. Of 2011. A sudden burst of inspiration from goodness knows where and I came up with these painted rocks, all nice and folk artsy. 

I'll leave you to guess what I had the hardest time doing.

And for her daughter, who prefers rocks when her mama would like her to love dolls, a happy medium:

Rocks with dolls on them.

(Yes, you are right...)

One thing I don't remember seeing in all the fun kitchen play set tutorials is the advice TO SAND THE CRAP OUT OF THEM, AND THEN SAND SOME MORE.

So instead of the pristine kitchen of Internet Land, we have the shabby chic now version here in the Real World.

I absolutely love it though, and Muffin loves it (she's swiped all of my cloth napkins for towels, washcloths and tablecloths), and that is what matters.

Now onto the birthday and Christmas crafting, and ooh boy is it (hopefully) gonna be good!