Owl Girls

Five owl girls are finished. I tried to make them extra special. It helps to keep my momentum going when I am in factory-worker-mode. Two of them are wearing felt roses. I forget what they are called exactly in the sewing world, but they are fun to make. My friend Erin taught me how. Hi Erin! I was going to make elephant girls next, but I found some pretty sweet white faux fur so I am going to make polar bear girls instead.



I wish these owl girls were real and hunted mice. I found a mouse in the house yesterday evening. I am embarrassed to say that I shrieked and ran to the couch like all the dainty girls do in the movies. I thought I was tougher than that. I used to play with snakes as a kid, and I had pet lizards. There is something about the frantic way a mouse skitters though that makes me believe that it is going to run straight up my leg. I would have no problems with the circle of life running its course, but unfortunately my dog is a horrible hunter. I have seen him obliviously walk past cats that are 2 feet away from him, and then later try to attack a lawn ornament. Plus, the cartoons tell me that cats are the ones that are interested in mice, not dogs. I am less comfortable with poison and glue traps. The glue traps especially. I read online that soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and leaving them around the kitchen keeps them away. Apparently mice hate the smell of Christmas, so that will be my plan number 1.

Good Boys

Here are my four good boys. One of those good boys is the best boy and his name is Albert and he is my dog who thrives on being a good boy. He has very bad nerves on account of his high standards of good boy-ness he sets for himself. He is always looking at me, nervously, out of the corner of his eye and it really seems like he's judging my face and trying to figure out whether or not I approve of his behavior at any given moment. We got him from the pound and maybe he thinks we'll throw him back in if he doesn't act properly. We won't. He's practically my first born.



My second born, however, broke my wee little heart when he broke his wee little arm bone this past week. It was very sad. He was jumping on the bed while I was making it, something he has done many times before. Then, he just toppled off and landed in a very unfortunate way. I wasn't able to catch him. His poor, sad arm was swollen and so was his face from a pretty fierce crying session. Seeing the x-ray made my heart stop beating. A tiny bone, not fully formed, cracked. Something I made with love and then broke with neglect. It sounds heavy handed, but that is how it feels.

Now Walter walks around with an arm in a splint (the cast comes next week when the swelling goes down). The splint is wrapped heavily with gauze. He evokes a lot of sympathy in people he passes by. There is just something so sweet about an injured, tiny person. It's like seeing a chihuahua on a wheeled, therapeutic thingy, still soldiering on and running with the other dogs. Maybe it's because you know they endured pain which seems too adult for them, but they are still joyful little things, which makes them wise beyond their years. Regardless, I hear a lot of "Awwwwwws" as we walk by people, and then I feel cold, judging eyes on my back. My brother says that part is in my head, but even so, it hurts :(. Moving on. Walter is doing well. It's amazing how he has completely adapted to not being able to use his right arm. He just has this giant, annoying thing on there now, and he doesn't even question it. I'm sorry little man!


I'm still sewing. More owl girls are on their way. The Bloomington Handmade Market is less than a month away! Then, the following week I will be at the Indiana State Museum for their Handmade Indiana show. Go Hoosiers!

Super Girls and Tree People

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I have been working diligently over here. I have some serious goals I set for myself that look ridiculous on my chalkboard:

4 good boys
4 tree people
3 elephant girls
5 lion boys
8 simple bears with glow hearts
5 strong men
3 mammer jammers

The Super Girls make me laugh. I don't know yet what super powers they have, but I want their big hair to be involved. The red haired one maybe could have secret ray guns stored in her vertical pig tails. The afro girl? I am not sure, but ideas are welcome.

I also want to create a story for my tree people. I want them to be like dream catchers of a sort so that they can fend off nightmares and make an inviting environment for sweet dreams.

I let these ideas simmer. Sometimes they never get fully cooked.

Oh Dear!

Here are my deer dears. They are extremely shy. Their eyes get large when you approach them to say hello, then they dart out of the room to grab a spot of tea to drink in the company of rabbits.

Serious Little Men

Or maybe not so serious. But, they take themselves seriously, particularly the last one in the striped one-sie pajamas. I'd imagine him to be quite the curmudgeon (I can't believe I spelled that right on the first try), and no fun at slumber parties. He'd be the one to bring ear plugs and demand you turn off the lights and stop playing light as a feather and stiff as a board. Do they still do that, also, I don't think I have too many male readers, but did they play that game at sleepover parties too? Why can I only imagine boys playing poker and eating candy cigars at sleepovers? If you are a man reading this, thank you (and do please let me know), or I guess I could ask Joseph when he is home from work.

I know these guys are photographed horribly, but after I realized my lighting was not ideal, I was too worried Walter would awaken from his nap, so I kept the men where they were and rushed it. Now I have these grainy shots. Sorry to you, friends!

I am enjoying being my very own pink cheeks factory. Next up are deer dears. You'll see what I mean soon.

The weather here is just on the brink of Autumn. Some trees have started to catch on. I like for these days to go very slowly so that I can savor them. Yesterday, Walter and I went to the park and he began squishing mushrooms with sticks, really big mushrooms; the kind that would be in Willy Wonka's magical chocolate forest, only they would be marshmallow-y instead of mushroom-y. I initially froze in horror because I used to obey (and later, enforce) a strict "don't hurt the trees" rule at summer camp (i.e. don't mindlessly bash trees with sticks or pull their leaves as you walk by), as a way to encourage a respect of nature. But, how else are you going to learn what is inside of a mushroom? So, I decided to let it go. Then, I decided to partake in the squishing and it was sort of awesome. I think the time slows it's pace when you do things out of the norm, so I'm working on that one. An apple orchard will be soon, which I have never in my life been to. Then, on to applesauce and apple bowls, like these.

For Molly and Mike's Baby Girl

I made a mobile for the coolest girl in the world. She is still in utero, but just wait world. When she comes... birds will sing beautiful music while playing teeny-tiny ukeleles, sprinkled sugar cookies will rain from the sky, and hippos will put on tutus and dance. Maybe those things won't really happen, but it will still be just as good regardless. I am so excited to meet her someday!

I made her a mobile of sleepy sheep children. They have hearts on their back stitched with glow-in-the-dark thread. I used high contrast fabrics because that is good for little baby brains. I hope she looks at this mobile and feels comfort, calm, and warm fuzzy-ness as she drifts off to slumber land.

Congratulations again Molly and Mike! I am so happy for you!

Plush You and a Secret Project

These guys are going to head over to Seattle to show off their biceps to a bunch of fabulous plushies and plushie admirers. Plush You Seattle takes place in Mid October at the Schmancy store. This is my first time participating in the show. I wish I could squeeze in the box and go with them and then drink about 50 cups of good coffee while whale watching (preferably with my friends, Kerry and Christa). If you are going to the show, please do these handsome men a favor and give them a hug.


I am also working on a secret special project for a super special tiny person growing in a super fantabulous fully grown woman whom I love very much. I am calling the project Operation Baa. I should be finished with it this week, and I hope to share it with you soon. What I hope the most though is that one day I will be able to have a conversation with the super tiny person because I can only imagine how amazing she will be. Her mom is one of my all time favorite childhood friends and talking with her was a lot like riding a roller coaster ride. The topics would take sharp turns and lots of loops and they would make your grin so large that your cheek muscles would start to sting.