Just trying to make it

So maybe you, too, succumbed to the lure of The Cute Book, and maybe you, too, have had it on your shelf but haven't quite had time to do anything with it. Well, I'm here to tell you that this little panda (page 12!) came together in no time at all, so you should open the book and try something out. I've made some little countdown treats for Dean's lunch box this week (counting down until Halloween, of course); I loved that last week on the way home from school one day, Dean reminisced about our tradition that we "always" countdown to holidays with lunch box surprises. Kids are like that -- they'll take something you've done that they liked and instantly turn it into tradition. It delights me. And it reminds me how worthwhile it is to pick up some felt and thread and make things. I wish I could show you the hamster I made (complete with a mask and "trick or treat" banner), but that guy is too big to be scanned -- and now Blogger doesn't want to let me post anymore photos so I'll have to try again tomorrow.

Playing

I'm still playing with these little hamster head forms (or, are they bears? mice?) that were spurred on by all the softie stuff going on out there at the moment. Dean saw me adding rick-rack to the lastest pink one, over there, and suggested I make a quilt. I mulled it over and decided to work with his idea and instead of making another pin, I'll make a little (very little) wall quilt to hang in our kitchen that shows us as the three hamsters (bears, mice, whatever). As the only 'girl' I've been assigned the first one, and I've just finished cutting out the papa one, for Ken. I think Dean will want blue, and his head will have to be smaller, but it feels nice to be making something for a specific purpose, frolicsome as it may be. My kitchen feels too masculine to me so this will go a long way to lightening things up (you'll see what I mean -- I'll take pictures once this project is up). There's not much wall space, so a little strip of hamster heads will be juuuusst right (say it as you would if you were Goldilocks).

Still fighting the wretched cold and still going to work every day, but now I have a tiny sewing project to carry in my purse tomorrow so I go to bed happy. Sweet dreams!