Playdough!

Oh boy playdough! After the grandparents left, we needed a little distraction. This one was by request. While at the grocery store we walked by the Koolaid packets which just happen to be at kid eye level. (Isn't that funny! Ah marketing.) Anyway, not to worry my kids only know the stuff as dye. I get a kick out of that. So playdough was requested and it's been a daily staple all week. I cannot believe that red!

Playdough recipe:

1C Flour

1C Water

1/4C Salt

2tsp Cream of Tartar

1Tbs Vegtable Oil (all I had was olive and it worked fine)

1 packet of Koolaid for color (optional)

I mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly then add the water, put it on the stove over a medium/low heat and stir like crazy. It will thicken up pretty fast. When it all rolls into a ball and looks like playdough that needs a little kneading it's done. Then if you have asbestos hands you can knead it right out of the pot or wait a few minutes until it cools.

Homemade for Christmas: some more doll photos

These are the cradles my Dad made for the dolls. I asked that they stack for storage as our little house is already full enough. Aren't these amazing?! I am always amazed at what that man comes up with. He is brilliant! (And yes they do come apart and are interchangeable)

These are the quilts my Mom made for the cradles. (She also made the mattresses) She used left over fabric from the baby blankets she made the girls when they were born. I thought that was a fantastic extra touch. It's also a good way to always know which one belongs to which girl. They already know the colors.

And while I was full of good intentions all I ended up having time left for was making two little sweaters. I'll get around to the shoes eventually. I found the sweater pattern on the Bamboletta blog. Ravlery also seems to have a couple good ones. This particular pattern is for a 15 inch doll and these were 16 inch dolls. I added a couple extra rows with increases before dividing for the sleeves. I think I would add a couple more rows next time to make them just a little bigger. I made these dolls with 16 inch Honey Doll kits from Joy's Waldorf Dolls. She seems to have retired but it looks like she's selling the business so keep checking back with her site if you're interested. There are also several other companies out there that sell doll kits. I have to say the whole experience was a lot of fun. And I am so pleased the girls have these family made treasures now. I am blessed to be a part of such a creative family. Well I've got a girl who's about to turn four so I'm off to create a birthday gift.

Christmas Dolls

So I realize it's late and tomorrow morning is going to come way to early but I couldn't go to sleep without finishing the second dress. You know how it is? Okay, maybe you don't but I was having a lot of fun sewing these dolls. And I'm not done yet! I still want to knit sweaters and shoes and maybe hats for these gals before Christmas. Hey we've still got a few weeks. I think it's more than possible.