My first curtain!

My in-laws are visiting and I wanted to spruce up the guest room a bit before they arrived. I made a new valance for the window, and painted a white mirror that we have a pretty apple green color to match the quilt on the bed. This was the first curtain I’ve ever made! I was very proud of it, even though I know it’s rather simple. I even lined it and didn’t even use a pattern.

Guest room

Guest room valance

See! Valance lining!

Coffee bean Montessori apron

Montessori coffee bean apron

This apron was made for a coffee bean practical life activity.  The kids love to grind coffee beans.  There is a 6.5yo girl in my son’s class and she came up to me the other day and exclaimed emphatically, “Tina!  This is my favorite apron that you have made!”  So cute.  I’m actually perfecting my technique and I think this is the best looking apron that I’ve made yet!  Only took me 5 aprons to figure out that dang double-fold bias tape.

I asked J to do the coffee bean grinding work this morning when I dropped him off so I could take a picture of the set-up.  Doesn’t it look fun?  They save the coffee grounds in the glass jar, and use them for the Mother’s Day Tea.

Coffee bean grinding work at Montessori

J doing the coffee bean grinding work

It is wonderful to watch them do their work with such deliberation and care.  He put the apron on, went over to wash his hands, made sure to take just “one scoop” of beans.  Turned the grinder, opened the drawer, dumped the beans into the glass jar, screwed back on the lid, wiped the grinder bowl with a small sponge, and then folded the apron up and put it back on the towel rack.  He was even careful to make sure the grinder was lined up properly on the tray for the next person.  So cute!

Felted Knitting Needle Case

Felted knitting needle case from Warm Fuzzies

I have been thinking about making the knitting needle case from Betz White’s Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects for awhile.  My good friend’s birthday was a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be a perfect gift!  I used a nice wool sweater that I had picked up at Goodwill awhile back.  It was gray with a pretty orange border around the cuffs and bottom.  So, I tried to incorporate that into the design.  The project in the book has a sunflower embroidery, but I used the nest/bird embroidery that was featured in the family photo album project.  Inside is some cream, butter yellow, and orange 100% wool felt from my stash.  It came together very easily.  The directions were great and I had no issues at all.  It was a bit difficult to sew the bottom of the pocket just because of all the layers – sweater and two layers of wool felt.  I had to go over part of it a second time, but it looked fine.

Inside of case, used a decorative stitch on the flap

Inside of case

Front of knitting needle case