Trapunto

Sisters hands made 5 years ago???
I made this when Emily (now 7) was 2 and Ellie (now 5 1/2) was 3 months old. The technique is called trupunto and I learned about it by watching HGTV...do you think Alex Anderson has any idea how she has changed my life??? I will be buried with this as it is such a wonderful part of my textile journey...and it's my babies! Plus how do I choose to give it to one daughter over the other??? I have another one prepared to make for Sara...with all 3 hands of the girls but time is fleeting...good thing these can be made later in life...all you need is to capture their hand prints now...so precious! I have imagined doing one for each year of a child's life...maybe the grandchildren...or maybe it will be Sara...who knows.

I was commissioned to make this next one for a friend after she saw my creation of the girl's hands.

This posed some unique problems but I think I worked through them. She had 3 kids 2 older with quite large hands and one little one about 2 years old. My Sister's hands was all done by hand while I nursed and the baby took naps...but this one was done both by hand and machine and I love the echo quilting that was able to be consistent throughout the piece.

Now before you get all overwhelmed...this is not so difficult to make. This can be simplified and made with the kids with brown paper bags from the grocery store! Trace the hand and then use a 1/16 hole punch to punch holes along the drawn line...not too tight...then thread a plastic needle or yarn needle and thread some yarn or floss onto it...then allow your preschooler or older child to stitch along... leave an opening for stuffing...then close it up and trim away the excess paper!!! Here is an example made into a Gingerbread Woman...i wrote on the back of this one all the memories of the year and it hangs up on the Christmas tree every year...the kids love to read about the year we moved into the house! This can be made in an afternoon...looking for more boredom busters? Check out my other posts about painting the deck...and Threadibilities!!! Inspire, create, grow with your kids!!!

Threadibilities(tm) Kits Coming Soon to Happy House Quilts!

What could be better to hear than your 12 year old saying to someone out in public..."Oh...my barrette? Thank you , yes, I made it myself!!!"

It's all about the Threadibilities(tm)!

I am just so excited to get these kits to Happy House Quilts at etsy.com and to the craft fairs this fall!!! They are designed by *me* a Master's Level Art Therapist specifically for teens and tweens! This is the age group that is bursting at the seams with creativity and energy to find some way to sublimate! These kits will inspire, bring self esteem and encourage open dialogue with parents while crafting together. These kits will also foster life skill development, social interaction, basic sewing skills and problem solving!!!

Did you know that most teens refuse to answer direct questions from a parent (duh...yes!) but did you also know that if they are engaged in an activity of some sort...dare I say a crafty experience???...they are more apt to feel safe to open up a dialogue and discuss many difficult topics!!! Craft with your kids!!!

Immediate gradification is the goal with any child or young person, these Threadibilities(tm) kits will keep them on their toes but allow for completion in an afternoon or less depending on the level of creativity the individual wants to put into the craft!

Perfect entertainment for a sleep over party or activity at a birthday party. A perfect present for a week of good behavior or a good report card, or maybe just the right thing to do for a girl and her friends one Saturday afternoon!

Going to a birthday party? Come on over to Happy House Quilts to find some great ideas for gift giving or to decorate the outside of a present!

Custom Order Pretty Pristine Potty Dress (tm)

Look what I was up to this weekend! And the mom loves the black and white slide to match her little girl. This is made with a onsie t-shirt and it's called a "Pretty Potty Dress (tm)" as it's simple and convenient for potty training...no bloomers on purpose for use with pull up, training pants or in the privacy of your yard, nothing at all!!! Comments welcome!