Proof a 10 year can do it.

From start to finish my daughter made her own M&M-stuffed bunny eggs using this tutorial. She carefully dyed them in bright colors, let them dry, and blew all the eggy-guts out making deliberately disgusting noises in the process sending me into fits of giggles. Yes, even that poking-the-pin-through-the-shell-to-make-the-hole step she did all by herself. Of 22 eggs, only 1 broke in the process. Not bad!

She had a friend stop by on Sunday to help her with the decor. First, they stuffed the clean, dry egg shells with M&M's. My only rule was that more candy had to go in the bunnies than in their tummies. Then, they drew their own ears on thick wool felt and cut them out themselves. I used the steam iron to press in a crease (that was the only thing I assisted in doing). They painted glue on the ears with brushes, stuck them down, and drew the faces on with colored pencil.

My daughter made 10 and her friend made 11. They had quite a bit of fun in the process. I love the cute little faces they drew on:

They are both so proud of themselves. I think they have every right to be proud.

Hoot-ray for Spring!

You know you want me.

Well, you might be lucky enough to own me- and 3 of my best friends! It's a Hoot-ray for Spring Giveaway!

These pink and white owls egg cozies are made of 100% wool felt and lined with unbleached all cotton muslin. 100% cotton fabric is used to accent their tummies and wings, and their eyes are made with plastic hot pink buttons. I will even include 4 egg cups for you (just not the ones pictured- those are mine, all mine).

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what you love about spring. That's it! Be sure it is no later than April 1, 2010, as I will draw the name and announce the winner on April 2.

Open to all my international friends as well. If you do not already have your email address linked to your blogger ID, please be sure to leave it in the message so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner. Good luck!

And have a happy spring!

Why, hello there, Wall.....

I got good and familiar with the wall yesterday. You know that giant one we all hit from time to time? Yup, that one. The wall that no matter what I did I just couldn't go over, around, under, and certainly not through. The wall I thought just existed for other people, not over-achieving little ol' me. The wall that separated the hard, cold facts of reality from my happy, magical land of "heck yeah! I can totally do that!"

I looked around at my ever growing pile of started but not finished projects, the stack of laundry so high I had to mount a red light to ward of passing airplanes, and the dust bunnies who had grown to dust elephants. April 4 is the craft fair. There is just no way I am going to be ready in time. So I gave myself the "responsible adult lecture" and I let it go. Poof. Besides, I can safely and responsibly make the one in June. Easy.

I should feel a bit of sadness, or a bit of regret. I instead feel relief. Complete and utter relief. My house will be clean again because I have time. I can catch up with my favorite bloggers again because I have time. I can build my stock at a normal pace because I have time. My daughter just outgrew her entire pajama wardrobe. Now I can make her some because I have time. I can start working on some new tutorials for you all to enjoy because now I have time. My 10 week pregnancy (which accounts for why I am utterly exhausted lately) has decided to sprout exceptionally early and now I am in desperate need of an entire maternity wardrobe. Which has to be drafted from scratch and then sewn because they just don't make garments in my size that are roomy enough for a bump. Now I have time.

Aaaaaah. Sometimes it's nice to just let that weight go. Don't you agree?

Unlimited.

I received my felt order today from the Felt Chicken, and look what was inside! 18 squares of extra thick wool felt in a whole rainbow of colors. No predetermined patterns, no preconceived ideas, no "I bought this for that particular project." Just 18 squares, just for me. What a happy surprise!

I have already made a million things in my mind with them: ornaments, jewelry, and even a technicolored dream coat à la Joseph. The cat got consideration by way of 18 rainbow catnip stuffed mice. My mind has been busy thinking, creating, dreaming.....

It reminds me of being a child with 50 cents and heading to the local convenience store. I knew I could buy anything I wanted from the entire aisle of candy, not just the 25 cents section. The thrill wasn't in buying candy, the thrill was in knowing my choices were unlimited. It was so amazing standing there looking at all the bright colored wrappers stacked up higher than I could reach, even on my tip toes, and knowing which ever one I touched could be mine. Just like that. No wishes, no might-be's, but really and truly mine. As long as I hadn't made my final choice, as long as the magic wasn't broken with the final touch of my finger, I could stand as long as I want tingling with the excitement of the unlimited possibilities.

Today I didn't just get a stack of felt. I got a stack of unlimited possibilities.

Coming up for air...

I am working like the dickens to have enough stock for the Easter Sunday all handmade/vintage market in Amsterdam. Here you can see this week's goal: 150 brand spanking new teabag cozies, all cut out and ready for sewing.

Now, if I can just keep this pace I will be ready to hand sew those 150 buttons this weekend. I have a great line-up of movies for then. I just love hand sewing all curled up on the couch with a 1960's housewife classic in the background. And thanks to the magic of DVR I have a few classics on demand!

My 25 favorite cozies will not be making it to the fair, though. They will instead be listed in my shop. I have a few surprises by way of fabric options, and a couple will feature polka-dotted buttons. Yes, you read that right: polka dots! Did you really think I would become a machine and stop having fun with these? Of course not! The only challenge I am having is deciding on my 25 favorites (though I narrowed the list it down to 40 by now).

By way of celebration, and thanking you for your patience while I am so very much away from the blog, I have a special giveaway coming up. Stayed tune for that!

Spring Cleaning!

We have had a bit of sun this week- just enough to tease. The temperature has warmed a bit as well and all the snow is gone. The trees just started to show buds where future leaves will soon pop and green. I think I got a bit of spring fever.

Spring fever for me means cleaning everything, opening doors and windows, chasing dust bunnies. Just in case you got the spring cleaning bug as well, I added some more storage bags to the shop to help you tidy everything away.

I also listed a special one, a teensy bit taller and a teensy bit wider to incorporate the "Park in France" scene. I was extra careful with my seams so the sides and front appear to be one continuous picture.

Better than flowers.

I have been complaining that my husband never brings me flowers. I mean, would it kill him to grab a bunch at the gas station as he fills up his tank? I mean, he is right there, they are right there, I love flowers..... this isn't rocket science. Yesterday, again, was a flower free day.

But he did buy me 35 meters of muslin. One full bolt. With a "happy dress making" sentiment attached. I think that is way better than flowers. I am pretty giddy with happiness right now.

And while I have your attention, for the dress for my daughter I am going with Patricia Bravo's Fizzy Bubbles in apricot.

The reason? I forgot I had ordered some (no wonder it looked familiar when I was considering it as an option) and it arrived this morning. My daughter saw me open the package and raved how pretty it was. How can I not choose the sure thing?!?!?

Sigh. Red polka dots would have been so cute, too. I am sure by the time I place my order tonight, I will just break down and have to buy some extra dandelion fabric and use the dots combo for something else.

What do you think?

I am making a dress for my daughter. She has no idea I am doing this, so it is crucial that I get it right without asking for her opinion. Gulp. I am making this Jump Rope Dress from Oliver + S for her.

She really loves the deep winter jewel tones: turquoise, eggplant/aubergine, teal, ruby, burnt orange. But with spring right around the corner, I want to keep to the same color feel, but brighten up the rich dark shades for softer, warmer hues. Nothing pastel- she certainly isn't a pastel girl. I am thinking about using Patty Young's Dandelion in Turquoise (her favorite color) for the main body:

... with either Patricia Bravo's Fizzy Bubbles in apricot (left), Patricia Bravo's Palace Conversation in lime (middle) or Timeless Treasure's Pin Dots in red (right) for the button facing, collar, sash, etc.

Which combination do you like best? I simply can't decide. I narrowed it down to my three favorites and that was as far as I could get. I will be placing my order with Hawthorne Fabrics next week- plenty of time for me to enjoy your opinions!

Tutorial: Stuffed Bunny Eggs

Aren't these just the cutest little bunnies? Can you imagine being a child and waking up to these tucked into your basket? Or how about sitting down to Easter dinner and finding one on your plate, with your name written across an ear like a place card?

The amazing part is they are stuffed with yummy nibbles instead of egg. The good part is they are really easy to make. The best part is the second half can be made by a child. After all, Easter Egg decorating is much more fun when it is shared by everyone, right?

Stuffed Bunny Eggs

You will need:

Eggs shells are porous.
Please be sure that the glue, markers, crayons, or anything else you are using are non-toxic!

• Pre-dyed raw eggs. I, for the life of me, cannot find Easter Egg dye this year. So I am pretending I dyed all my eggs a lovely shade of brown.
• Crayons, markers, or pencils
• White glue (also called school glue or PVA glue)
• Scraps of fabric. 100% cotton is best, but a cotton blend of at least 55% cotton will also work
• Scissors
• Quilting pin, thick embroidery needle, or thumb-tack
• Paint brush
• Beaker
• Something edible to stuff inside the egg. I am using gummy bears. M&M's, Smarties, trail mix, or any other nibbles of a similar size that does not require refrigeration are also perfect to use.
• Cotton balls (not pictured)
• Aluminum foil (not pictured)
• Recipe calling for plenty of scrambled eggs such as quiche, frittata, or a Joe's Special.

Part One: Egg Preparation (For the Adults)

This part is rather fiddly. Most small children do not have the coordination to hold the egg firmly yet gently in one hand while applying pressure needed to poke the holes in it with the other. If you have small children, I recommend doing this part before hand. The egg shells can sit out for several weeks so you can make them as far in advance as you wish. Don't forget you can click on the pictures to see a larger view.

Step One: Take the quilting pin (or needle or tack) and poke a hole in the bottom of the egg, between a quarter and a half an inch (0.75 - 1 cm) from the center point. You do not have to measure for accuracy. You should be able to press the pin straight in to make the hole. If not, try twisting the pin a bit as you press, much like a drill.

Step Two: Repeat this step making a ring of holes equidistant from the center point, each hole being about 1/8" (0.4 cm) apart from each other.

Step Three: Now make a set of holes in between the ones you just made in the step before. The reason you didn't make them this close to start with is that the egg shell would be more likely to crush due to uneven pressures. I bet my physics teacher never dreamed "using physics in real life" would ever apply to poking holes in bunny eggs!

Step Four: Carefully poke the edge along the side of one hole making it a wider, more oval shape. Keep poking the side making it wider and wider until eventually it connects to the hole next to it. Repeat this step for about 3-4 holes in a row. Twist the egg around and repeat this process on the opposite side. The shell should crack evenly along the rest of the holes all the way around, making it easy to lift off the bottom like a lid. You may have to gently push the pin in through a hole and pry the egg lid off- kind of like using a crowbar to lift a man hole cover. If you have a bit of a chip beyond the circle, it is fine. It doesn't need to be a perfect circle.

Step Five: Hold the egg over a bowl, with the bottom down. Eventually gravity will take over and pull the white and yolk out, but who has time for that?

Step Six: Poke one hole in what looks to you to be the center of the top of the egg. Remove the pin. Place your mouth over the egg and blow- just like you are blowing up a balloon. The white and yolk will plop right out!

Step Seven: Repeat this step for as many eggs as you have. Use the white and yolk in your recipe so you don't waste it. My family will be eating Joe's Special for days.....

Step Eight: Carefully rinse the inside of the egg shell with plain water to remove any eggy residue, and let it air dry. Take care! Most egg dyes will come off if they get wet- don't splash the outsides!

Part Two: Stuffing and Decorating (child friendly)

Step One: In the beaker, mix one part water to two parts glue. I used the paint brush as a stir stick.

Step Two: Cut the pieces of fabric into ear shapes. They should be roughly oval-shaped with a straight bottom, about the width and size of your finger (from the tip to the middle knuckle). You need two ears for each bunny.

Step Three: Using the paint brush, coat both sides of each ear with the water/glue mixture. The fabric should be thoroughly soaked. Let dry on a piece of foil. About half way through the drying process, bend the squared-off side up no more than half an inch (1 cm) at about a 90 degree angle.

Step Four: The single pin-prick you made earlier in the egg (the one you blew into) will be the bunny nose. Using this as a point of reference, turn the egg on its side and glue the ears about 1/3 of the way down the egg (starting at the nose). Use the water/glue mixture to glue the folded part of the fabric only onto the egg. Let the glue try thoroughly. (I got a bit anxious and didn't let my ears dry all the way. This is why they are curling. I personally like the effect- if you do to then be sure to lift them off the foil when they are just damp, and lay them on their side. They will curl themselves as they finish drying.)

Step Five: Using the crayons, pencils, or markers, make two circle eyes positioned over the nose, and draw 3 lines on either side to represent whiskers.

Aaaaaah. Just how cute is that face?

Step Six: Carefully fill the egg with the snacks. Fill it almost full, but not to the rim. You need a bit of space left behind for the cotton. I like to fill mine about 7/8 full. I also like to nibble on the snacks as I fill the egg.

Step Seven: Stuff the cotton ball into the end to plug up the hole. The rough edges of the egg shell will help to hold it in place. About 1/2 - 3/4 of the cotton should be on the outside, and the rest tucked inside.

All done! To enjoy your stuffed bunnies, simply remove the cotton ball and gently shake out the yummy insides.

The Good, The Bad, and the Very, Very Sad

I have just been drained off all energy lately, and my memory is like a sieve: full of holes. My husband took it upon himself to plan and execute our fabulous romantic extended-weekend away to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

The Good: He took me to a charming city called Bad Nauheim. A gorgeous park acts as a hub with all points of interest radiating off and accessible in short 5 minute walks. Our hotel stood proudly on one side of the park, the turn-of-the-last-century baths rested just opposite. Downtown, filled with charming twitterns that lead you twisting and turning through boutiques and shops, dominated the park's right side. And to the left was a large lake and gorgeous forested area with walks, plenty of benches, and a sculpture park tucked into one side. There was an old church that still held service so we could hear the bells on Sunday. And, for those of you who are Elvis Presley buffs, Bad Nauheim was where he was stationed for 2 years while in the army. Monuments with dedications to him are spotted everywhere.

The Bad: The park was undergoing repairs and was entirely shut down. They had a large fence encircling it, and was totally inaccessible. So much for short, easy walks everywhere! Our day to wander also coincided with a freak late-winter storm that blew down trees and pelted everything with ice and rain. We had to sacrifice a good chunk of our explorations and ride out the storm in the obvious safety of the local pasty shops. Thank goodness there were plenty of those to see us through.

The Very, Very Sad: I remembered the extra batteries. I remembered the battery charger. I forgot my camera.