Category Archives: Crafts + DIY

Dottie’s Kraft Korner :: Felt Food is FAB!

Best of Dottie, Crafts + DIY

(Image: stacey rebecca, flickr)

The Peach is learning pretend play.

First, it started so sweetly with her pretend drinking out of one of the halves of her Matroyska doll. And soon it led to her pretending to eat random scraps of paper and saying “yummy”.  That was all I needed to hot-foot it over to Michael’s to buy 20 sheets of felt because finally I had a reason to make FELT FOOD for my little one!

Perhaps it was my complete lack of sleep combined with a more than a grueling week at the office, but I just stared at that felt dumb-founded but determined to turn into into some healthy felt vittles for Georgia.  So, I spent a good afternoon poking around the Internet cupboards and came back with a feast of felted goodness that I’d love to share with you all.

The Peach does love ravioli something fierce and this easy pattern makes it easy for anyone to whip up a batch of Italian goodness.

Flapjacks anyone? Yes, please thanks for embroidery goddess Turkey Feathers’s great tutorial. Little gnome not included.

Or would you prefer bacon and eggs? Etsy seller Little Crickets has a great pattern to take care of that craving.  Smiling eggs included.

Winner winner chicken dinner with this grand felt chicken pattern from July Hobby. And yes, the chicken parts are connected with velcro, so you little one can go all Henry the Eighth on that bird.

I love this felt sandwich–Easy on the mayo, please! Thanks, Mojo & Co for the great pattern! That tomato is a piece of art!

Let’s play Starbucks, baby!  Get your kiddo hooked on double decaf no foam felt latte early with this goodie pattern from Fairy Fox.

This dim sum felt food pattern set includes directions on how to make the fun little baskets. Now you just need to get a mini cart for your kid to roll around your dining room offering you sui mai.

The only thing missing from this great country fair felt food is the carnie manning the tilt-a-whirl!

Both from Ume Crafts.

Those Japanese craft books are worth their weight in gold for all the goodies they contain–and this one dedicated to felted veggies is just insane.

Why not get your little one in on grocery shopping early with this great set from Etsy seller, Buggabugs?

But of course, this is just the tippy tip tip of felt food goodies. To learn more of the finer points, why don’t you check out what Craftster, the mecca for all things crafty. That is where I’m going to spend my afternoon today. And hopefully, I’ll be able to share some delicious felted goodness with you next week!

PS: Remember today’s the last day to participate in our wonderful giveaway to win a Mini Me paper doll gift certificate. Make your favorite little girlie’s day!

Dottie's Kraft Korner: Interview with Jacinda from Prudent Baby

Crafts + DIY

Prudent Baby’s Monogrammed Felt Hair Clip

There are so many great craft blogs out there that have been wonderfully inspirational for me through the years, but there is one that I am particularly drawn to almost every day—Prudent Baby.  It is my craft mecca.  The site was started last year by the dynamic duo Jacinda and Jaime who come up with brilliant crafty projects  every week that are totally doable for even the most harried mama out there. I made the crib sheet in less than a half hour—perfect for nap time crafting.

Whether it’s making a potty training chart or re-doing a doll stroller, Prudent Baby has terrific easy-to-follow tutorials that make you hot-foot it over to your nearest craft store to buy bottles of Modge Podge and fat quarters of fabric.  They even had great craft and sewing projects for Mom (under the wonderfully and let’s face it–at times most aptly named Hot Mess Mommy).  Prudent Baby ladies, you had me at hello!

So, let’s sit down with the terrifically talented Jacinda over a nice cup of of Internet tea (Lemon Lift with honey) and ask her oodles of questions, shall we?

MK: How long have you been a crafty maven? Were you knitting your Raggedy Ann dresses? Or did the crafting spirit come upon you later in life?

JACINDA:  I am a life-long crafter with early role-models.  Both my mom and my grandmother were always making something while I was growing up. Designing jewelry, stitching quilts, decorating cakes, painting, dying Ukrainian Easter eggs. They did EVERYTHING and they were always happy to let me in on the fun. I can remember wallpapering my dollhouse with scraps from a wallpaper sample book that my mom had saved from its dumpster destiny. And once in college I pulled an all- nighter… making granny squares for an afghan!! I’m a good time. So yes, I’ve had the craft bug my whole life, and a bad case.

MK: What handmade item are you most proud of?

JACINDA: I’m awfully proud of my fancy royal icing sugar cookies. People appreciate their winning combo of beauty and deliciousness. I struggle with posting them on Prudent Baby because, as a hobby, they are WAY too much work for the end result, which is… a cookie. It’s like a crazed passion of mine where I keep going into the wee hours of the morning. If someone happens to witness this horror show of cookie decorating in the middle of the night, it ruins the magic for them. It’s my dirty little secret. I don’t want people to feel guilty eating them.


Prudent Baby’s Hooded Baby Towel

MK: What was your inspiration for PrudentBaby? What tutorial is the  most popular on the site?

JACINDA:  Jaime and I worked together for several years, and we both left and started families around the same time. Like me, she was an artist and needing an outlet for creativity. We thought it would fun to share our ideas and patterns with each other and anyone else who wanted to use them. Our patterns for the Nursing Cover, Crib Sheet and 10-minute Onsie Dress are probably our most popular and readers really appreciated our Recipe Binder Organization System. And the birthday parties, they are always a hit.

MK:   How do you find time to craft? What is a typical day for you?  You don’t sleep, do you?

JACINDA: I cannot lie, I’m pretty sleepy and I do most of my crafting late at night after a long stay-at-home-mom day. The real secret to the frequency of our posts is that there are two of us! We keep each other inspired, motivated and accountable. It’s nice to have some back-up.

Prudent Baby’s Tutu-Torial

MK:  We know your little one is a huge inspiration for all things crafty. How do you try to involve her in your crafty efforts?

JACINDA: Quinn is 1 and Clare will turn 3 next week. She loves to paint and draw and sculpt with clay. She also loves to help bake. Whenever I come up with a project for us to do together, she is on board. I need to set that time aside more often. When I need to focus on something that requires my undivided attention, like sewing, I wait until after-hours. These girls sense when I am trying to be productive and swoop in to demand mommy-time like it’s their super-power. It’s nice to be loved.

Well, thanks for chatting with us, Jacinda! You are just a doll and I can’t wait to watch you and your partner in craft, Jaime continue to rock it out at Prudent Baby!

Dottie’s Kraft Korner: Leila & Ben Kid’s Patterns

Dottie's Kraft Korner

You know I love a good sewing pattern. But I particularly love an easy kid’sn clothing pattern. Because as much as I liked to do beautiful hand-wrought stitchery–I really only have a couple hours to make crafting magic for my little Peach.

Enter Leila and Ben with this to say about their wonderfully designed, button cute patterns:

“All of our patterns are made with the beginner in mind and feature step-by-step instructions and clear photographs to make your projects a success!”

I’m picking up what your putting down, Leila and Ben!  Because as much as I like the “process” of sewing clothes for my kids, I also don’t like hitting my head against my sewing machine in despair after spending my precious time ruining a nice piece of fabric that was suppose to be a dress. I’ll save the vintage Vogue patterns for later. Right now, I need something easy that fills my crafty void.

And I could fill it nicely with this sweet dress pattern for girls and babies.

Here is the description:

“This dress is the perfect dress for summer and can also be layered over long sleeves and pants for cooler weather. Featuring a simple design and little puffed sleeves, this pattern can be completed in about 2 to 3 hours. Because of the flexible design, these dresses will fit for a long time, and can be worn as a tunic when the length gets too short. This pattern is easy enough for even beginner sewers and features step-by-step photos to guide you through.”

Two to three hours from fabric to dress? Color me SOLD! And I’m a big fan of dresses that turn into tunics. And step by step photos. Utter genius. That would have stopped me from drowning my sorrows in mojitos during the horrible chevron dress fiasco of 2006.

But they have other dandy patterns, like this sweet cap.

This skirt they swear takes less than an hour and less than a half yard of fabric. Yes!

I’d like this sassy jacket in my size, please. That ribbon placket is perfection.

They even offer crochet patterns for all sorts of goodies like a  cape or  snuggly cap with ear flaps. Or a summery tank!

But I’ve saved the best for last. And I dedicate this to my work-out buddy who told me the sweetest story about her son, who was surprised by school photo day and drew a tie on a piece of paper and wore that paper tie for his photo. I give you the tie for your little guy pattern!

I hope this inspires you crafty types out there to dust off some fabric and take a walk on the crafty side this three day weekend.  I plan on spending some QT time with my darling serger. Wish me luck. And hopefully next week I can do a little show and tell… Crossing fingers…

Enjoy!

PS: All images are from Leila & Ben!

Dottie's Kraft Korner: Books!

Crafts + DIY

Well, it’s time for another:

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, crafty mamas out might have something different on their minds when they think of sweet gifties that might be coming their way this Sunday  Of course any mama would love a handmade gift from their wee ones. But anything that helps crafty mamas make something might also be a grand treat as well.  (Hint hint, Mr. Dottie….)

So I’ve listed my top five craft books that I wouldn’t mind finding under my plate of pancakes this Sunday.

1.) Vintage Knits for Modern Babies by Hadley Fierlinger

There is a special place in my heart for knitting and an even bigger place for vintage, so a book that combined the two is destined to be on my wish list.

Hadley also has this particularly yummy blog called She’s Crafty.  You just have to check it out because she posts pictures of total yumminess like THIS:

Image via: brynne knits

If that photo doesn’t send you running for knitting needles, I don’t know what will.

2.) Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner

Although I am not pregnant, I still want this gorgeous book because the projects are just stunning. Including this one skirt with a totally sassy ruffle that I want to make for me NOW. Anna Maria Horner also has a most delicious blog where she is sharing photos that aren’t in the book including this little man.

Image via: Anna Maria Horner

3.) Small Stash Sewing by Melissa Averrinos

I am completely obsessed right now with beautiful bits of fabric.  I just can’t leave a good fat quarter behind thanks to this quilting class I’m taking right now.  (I know, I’m crazy.  What I really need this weekend is a couple hours to finish the quilt top…) And Melissa is a true kindred spirit when it comes to beautiful bits of fabric.  With her book, you can make something as gorgeous as THIS:

And she’s a Cape Codder (Cape CAHHDDAH!!!) which warms the cockles of my heart! Check out her blog here. Man, she’s cool. Now I have a new dream: to uproot my family and move to Cape Cod and become her friend and go over to her house and sew stuff with her and drink wine and eat pie!

4.) Sewing Clothes Kids Love by Nancy Langdon and Sabine Pollehn

What I love about this book is that it looks like it features a lot of great clothes for boys and then ten year old and beyond set, which seems to be rather rare in sewing books today.  I guess the tweening of today’s youth doesn’t allow for much mama crafting. Or maybe because I don’t have a tween yet.

5.) Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: Basic Techniques for Sewing, Applique, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing, plus 150 Inspired Projects from A to Z

And it would not be a Kraft Mother’s Day without saluting the mother of all things crafty–Martha Stewart’s new book.  This book sounds like it has the chance to turn into a sewing bible.  It would be great if we could all live with our home-ec teachers, but alas that is not the case. Enter Martha to make it all better.

Sometimes reading Martha’s magazines and books can be a mixture of inspiration and self flagellation, but it doesn’t stop me from renewing my subscription every year and buying her books.

And making things as gorgeous as this. Look away friends and family…particularly around Christmas time…

Images via: Martha Stewart

So, not that I’m putting out too many heavy hints, but don’t these books look great? If for nothing else a bit of armchair crafting inspiration to get one through the day.

Happy Crafting and Happy Mother’s Day!

Paper Airplanes

Crafts + DIY


Dottie’s Kraft Corner is breaking it down today with one of the simplest and most delightful crafts that every kid worth their salt has made:

Image: Angela

Paper airplanes!

The best part about creating paper airplanes is that this “craft” wouldn’t cost you a dime. No expensive trip to the art or craft store. Almost everyone has a piece of paper. Imagine taking a fussy child and turning a scrap of paper wrangled from your purse into a moment of sheer fancy for your little one.  And for you. I’m sure if you extended your arm a bit beyond your computer screen you would hit paper paydirt and with a few folds of paper be able to create something as lovely as this.

Image via: Imagine Childhood

OK–maybe a bit more than just a few folds of paper…

I’m sure you could make a paper airplane with your eyes closed. There are many, many, many,  many different ways to make a paper airplane, but have you ever thought of making them in cool colors like this?

via: Mammaoca2008

Or you can use printed paper for a bit more pop.

Image: Ana Santos

But there is something so beautiful about the classic white paper airplane, like this one.  This paper airplane is called “Jazz” and was designed by David Mitchell, featured in the paper airplane calendar.

image via: Joey 7

I love the names of some of the different designs. Like this one which is called the sparrow.

via: Bre Pettis

Or why don’t you just take a moment to let your hands take the paper and let your hands remember how to effortlessly turn it into an airplane. You’ll be surprised at how good it feels to make one.

via: RoML

When was the last time you made a paper airplane? Hopefully you’ll say today.