Weekend recap: unbelievably beautiful weather, a so-so morning of garage sale hunting saturday (more on that later over at t.c.), teenage battle of the bands in the park (funk? still?), few stops at the playground, but the main event was trying to keep 80 stems of spray roses alive in my kitchen turned florist shop from friday morning until the sunday afternoon baby shower. I ordered the flowers online and it worked out so well. I put them in buckets, mixed them up a special nectar, turned off all the lights and cranked up the a/c and they complied by holding the line all weekend and then opening up just in time for the shower. Sadly we were so rushed to set up this is the only decent photo I shot.

For the tables I bought paper placemats (orange) and paper tablecloths (pink and cream) at the party store and set down the cream tablecloths with the pink ones folded up into runners and centered over the placemats which I laid out first to create a sort of scalloped edge. Here’s a pic I took this morning in the kitchen showing the vase/tin better and the ‘thank heaven for little girls’ garland. And thank heaven for Tim, my expert in house cutter who meticulously cut out all these circles! The garland is our homemade pink version of this.* Note on the tins, I bought these reproduction ones on ebay. I saw the idea for tins as vases in Domino magazine. Such a cute idea but test and make sure your tins will hold water. Mine did not I discovered Sunday morning and I had to use ziploc bags as liners.

And to answer some questions about the pattern booklet – we’re not doing a waiting list or pre-order. Trust me, there will be plenty! If you’re not signed up on the mailing list already, you can do so here to be notified when they come in. And yes, we ship internationally and they’ll be for sale up in the regular shop. Looks like it’s snail/butterfly/birdie/turtle next. I’d better go check my felt supply!

*oh and if anyone wants a “congratulations” and “thank heaven for little girls” garland. they’re up for grabs.

ok, it’s got wheels! I was up way too late working on this guy last night. I still didn’t put in enough work to satisfy Oscar. He was at me all morning to finish it up. In that especially charming toddler sort of way… is it done, is it done, is it done, can I play with it, can I play with it…  It was actually kinda funny so I got the video camera out. I’m was tempted to put up the desperate pleas but instead here’s a tiny happy bit of the final moment. And of course he was on to something else 2 minutes later!

I started from a little drawing I did of an elephant. Then made up a pattern, crossed my fingers and it worked on the first try. Well sort of, I had to reshape the trunk a bit, still… that NEVER  happens. I use a mints tin for the base and quilted some dotted flannel to batting for the cover. The wheels are hot glued (not all that well) to dowels for the axels and then I secured them in place by sewing twill tape over them. I attached an alphabet tape for the pull and she’s ready to go!