Maggie ABCs

Here are two cute videos of Maggie "singing" the ABC song.

Maggie's Drawings

I only had Merry Christmas wrapping paper to use for Julie's shower, so I had Maggie color on the back of it. The last time she colored, I couldn't get her to stop coloring in the same spot. Now she likes to color each color in it's own individual spot.

And she drew a circle and a rainbow. Her first picture! I had to take a picture of it, since it got used as wrapping paper.

Felt Play Mail Set

I made this play mail set for Colette when Madeline was born. She has four envelopes, a postcard, five stamps, and a little mail bag to keep it in.
I embroidered the names freehand on the machine. The postcard is my first attempt at machine applique. I cut out the shapes and sewed them on using a very short and wide zigzag stitch around the edges. The top of the postcard is stiff felt, but I don't think that was necessary after all.

I did the embroidery on each piece before sewing them together around the edges. I only did three edges for the envelopes. They are open on the top so she can put letters in. On the back I sewed the top triangle, and on the front, the names and a line on top. Then I sewed the three edges together.
The stamps are not shown, but I just used my pinking shears to cut out colorful felt rectangles.
I made this bag from a spare pant leg. I sewed up the bottom, embroidered the MAIL onto the felt and stitched it on, attached a handle, then handsewed the button on. The button has a little loop that goes around it to hold the bag closed. I think this turned out really cute using jeans.

Here are some play felt mail links. Luckily, I ran across these, because google wasn't much help finding more.
Craftpad Part 1
Craftpad Part 2
Emmer's Ideas
Nothing Fancy

Felt Sack Lunch Set

This is what I ended up making for this year's Talent Auction. In August. I actually made four of these sets, two for upcoming 2nd birthdays and two for the auction. I did the sewing for two of them yesterday, and it took about 4 hours. So two hours each, plus the crocheting. Each set includes a lunch sack, ingredients for a lunchmeat sandwich or PBJ, a banana, an Oreo, and a chocolate chip cookie.

I got the instructions for the lunch sack from Skip to My Lou. However, she doesn't give dimensions, or instructions for sewing the extra seams on each corner, which Rachel and I decided were necessary for structure and cuteness. I used 10x12 rectangles of felt, and cut off 1 1/2" squares on the bottom. I embroidered the LUNCH on one side, freehand using my trusty darning foot. The one in the picture is crooked. The other ones are straight because I sewed along a piece of tape, but the tape fuzzied the felt a bit when I removed it. Still trying to find a good solution.

To sew the corner seams, I pinched each corner down and flattened it one at a time (see picture). Then I pinned it and sewed as close as I could along the corner. Normally I don't condone things like pinning, but if you don't pin it, your seam won't be straight and your bag will be ugly. I'm just saying.

First Hair Cut

Here is Maggie sans-straggliness. You can see the most recent pictures of her with her hair down here (the last one especially).

New Chair

Maggie played at Ember's house this morning and came home with a princess chair, just her size.

Father's Day

Maggie made this in nursery. John loves it so much I bought a little easel so he can display it at work.

A Few More

A few more pictures from Yellowstone. A few more girls in the family.

Sorted

Grand Teton - Days 8 and 9

Maggie learning how to roast a hot dog.

We hiked around String Lake, about 3.5 miles.

On Thursday, we hiked at Jackson Lake with Brook, Erin and Ember, while Jodi and Franco fished.

Days 6 & 7 - Mystic Falls and Yellowstone Lake

We went on a 3-mile loop hike to Mystic Falls. Here is Old Faithful going off in the distance.
In West Yellowstone. They had painted (or in this case, carved) statues of bison around the town, kind of like the moose in Park City, I guess. This isn't a great picture because a kid took it, but look at my cute belly!

Franco took this picture, as I wouldn't go near the bison. Maggie thought it was pretty cool and didn't get maimed so I'll get over it.

Mud Volcano.

Fishing Bridge. Maggie adoring the attention from her cousins Sabrina and Ember.

Day 5 - The Grand Canyon (of Yellowstone)

A traffic jam on the way. "A bison", says Maggie. "Bison in street!"

The Yellowstone River
Lower Falls. We hiked down right to the brink of it.

I took this picture after I started hiking back to get a head start. Everyone still beat me.

Lower Falls from far away. We were standing right on the edge of that!

A different sort of view we saw throughout the trip.

John took this picture of the Yellowstone River. It looks like a painting to me.

At Upper Falls. No Maggie on his shoulders, because she fell asleep in the car.Another far away view of the Lower Falls. We hiked along the South Rim (sans Maggie).

Yellowstone Day 4 - Mammoth Falls

baby mountain goats