diddle dumpling: LOTS of little projects

Man, this summer is really slipping by, isn't it? I mean, August is next week, for crying out loud! Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Between vacation, shoe-making, swimming lessons, etc., there hasn't been much spare time for blogging. But, I did make time for crafting, especially before our recent 2 1/2 week long vacation! Lemme show you what I've been up to.

The kiddos got some patriotic wear out of a couple of their plain old tees and some polka dot fabric.

The little one got a hat since he spent most of the 4th snuggled to Mommy in a wrap.

By the way, you'll notice a theme with most of these- applique! I went a little applique crazy, I admit. But it's such a great way to personalize and snazz up something that's otherwise very bland and personality-less. Anyway, we got lots of use from these little totes. They were cheapy canvas bags from the craft store that I just added the kids' initials to. They were great for putting a change of clothes and pj's in for overnight stays, taking to the Independence Day parade to hold their loot, and carrying treasures found on nature walks (plus they're washable, which is always a good thing with my kids).

These little neck pillows quickly became a must after reading this post over on Make it and Love it. I only wish I'd made them fatter and stuffed them tighter. None the less, they got used and loved, as promised!

While prowling a thrift store right before our trip, I came upon a stack of these small white boards for $1 each. I went home without them at first, then went back for 2 after I'd figured out a way to use them in the car.

I added loops of elastic to each side using my staple gun, plus a good cleaning and some paint in the color of each child's choice and they quickly became removeable trays! They served well as a hard surface for coloring and drawing, driving toy cars over, and keeping snacks from falling to the floor. I did not, however, choose to let them be used for their original purpose, because white board markers are crazy messy in the hands of my children.

Still, they were quite functional.

This idea came from my Dad. He makes these pouches to hold the ammo (which he also makes) for his old guns. I made up these little pouches when we got home from our trip to help my kids keep their newly acquired rock collections safe. Each was made using the bottom of a pair of Pyper's overalls which I had recently turned into capris. I sewed up the raw edge, stitched the corners crosswise to make a fuller bottom then snipped holes in the hem (now at the top) and added a drawstring. The beads are there to help pull the string and keep it from disappearing into the holes. Dad's pouches are much more butch than these. No embroidery, no sissy strings with beads. Just jeans and some very manly rope. But I think he'd approve of these, too.

And finally, meet TO7. That's right. Tee-Oh-Seven. This doll belongs to my 3 year old son. It was originally given to my daughter when said son was born, so she'd have a baby to take care of while Mommy took care of her new brother. About a year ago or so Hakan decided he really liked this dolly and claimed it as his own, giving it a random alpha-numeric name that only he could think of.

Since Hakan's adoption of this doll, its little cloth body has remained naked and looking kind of genderless. After dubbing it a "he", I finally decided to make the poor thing some clothes. He is, afterall, a favorite among my son's little friends. Some brown knit from my stash made for a perfect tee, and some leftover denim from a shortened skirt was just right for a pair of elastic-waist shorts.