Turning Kids Art into Mini Quilts!

Pirate Sam and I decided we needed to make something fun and different. Sam has had a unit at Prep based around Pirates so he has been drawing maps like crazy. Pirate Island, Treasure Smeasure, Feather Island and Skull Island to name a few.

I am not the world's best quilter, I don't seem to have that certain amount of patience that is required. But mini quilts, they are my thing!

So Sam and I decided to turn a Treasure map into a mini quilt that he can use and we can wash if it gets dirty. (He gets a bit sad when paper tears)

To start we needed a Treasure Map. Once you have a map you can work out what you need to create it's 3D counterpart.

You'll need:
1 x piece of fabric for your island
1 x piece of fabric for your front
1 x piece of fabric for the back
1 x piece of wadding ( I chose a piece of Thermolan as it will wash well)
1 x embroidery hoop (not really needed but helps keep stitches regular)
needle
embroidery thread
scissors
transfer pen or pencil for fabric (mine is air soluble)
tracing paper if you like
ribbon for tying map scroll together
sewing machine
iron or press

1. Trace your image onto your island fabric

2. Embroider the line work using simple stitches like back stitch or chain stitch. Try not to change any part of the kids work. The imperfections bring the charm!

 

3. Press the island piece using an iron and then cut out the island. Pin it to your front piece.

4. Applique the island to the front piece using a zig zag stitch

5. We'll be stitching our quilting stitches in a grid to represent the longitude and latitude lines of a map. Pin the front piece to the wadding and stitch evenly spaced lines in one direction, either vertical or horizontal.


 6. Pin this piece to the backing piece and then stitch the lines in the opposite direction to the lines you just stitched. Completing the grid effect on the front but leaving only one direction of lines on the back.

 7. Now use quilt binding around the edge to border the quilt. Whilst binding the quilt attach the ribbon at one side so the map can be tied like a scroll.

ENJOY!

 

Homemade Muesli Bars

The kids and I made some snacks for the week. We started with some muesli bars. These are packed with fruit and oats and are a great source of protein and energy.

Don't worry if you don't have these particular fruits or nuts. Put what you like in, just try to keep the ratios the same!

Feel free to share this recipe but please link back to me or credit me as the source. Thanks!

Let me know if you make it!


Homemade Muesli Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup sultanas (or raisins)
1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped dried apples
1 cup chopped mixed nuts (we used cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds)
1/2 cup pepitas and sunflower seeds
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
1 bottle shaker pancake mix
*milk if needed

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a deep baking tray with baking paper. (This will aid in lifting out the slice).

2. Gently melt the peanut butter and honey together until just warmed and a little runny. Do not cook them. They will taste bitter.

3. In one bowl mix all the fruit.

4. Pour the peanut butter and honey mixture over the fruit and fold gently to combine.

5. Mix in another bowl the oats, seeds and nuts.

6. Follow instructions to make the pancake mix liquid.

7. Pour the pancake mix over the oats mix and stir in.

8. Add the fruit mix and using your hands combine together. The mixture must be sticky but not wet. If it needs more liquid add milk.

9. Press the mixture into the baking tray firmly. Push down and into corners so it is evenly in the tray.

10. Bake for 20-30 mins until the top is a light golden brown.

11. Allow to cool slightly (about 10 mins) then lift out of tray. Before it cools totally slice into squares or rectangles.

12. Enjoy. These slabs are slow release so will fuel your kiddies or you for a while and will also fill them up in between meals!


Let me know if you make them and if you make any adjustments!

Sewing, Baking and Making - School Holidays are HERE

WOW! So much to tell you all! I haven't been blogging for a little while as I have been busy making, making, making.

Some of these things have been for fun, some for work and some for the wedding.

I can't wait to show you all!

I have turned my son's drawing into a mini quilt, dressed up a singlet for my daughter, made the first steps in a collaborative project with another awesome creator and maker (it's a wedding project so all will be told a little later).

I have also spent today playing with fimo and clay for yet another wedding project! The kids have had fun with the excess clay too!


I had been chatting to a friend and fellow maker of awesomeness about the handmade side of weddings (she also handmade as much as she could and commissioned other items for her wedding recently). I really want to blog about and show everything I have been doing and making and even pop up tutorials. After speaking to my lovely friend she raised a valid point - she also had been doing so, creating and blogging etc and a special member of her family said they would be disappointed to see things before the wedding and that it may ruin the surprise. Also perhaps it may disappoint those who have visualise the end result in their heads and the reality doesn't meet it - we all know those peeps and unfortunately weddings seem to bring out their bolder side. So keep tuned in as I have been compiling info on my wedding makery and taking photos so I can blog shortly after the wed wed.

It's also the first day of September school holidays here and the kids and I are going to bake our own muesli bars and other snacks for morning and afternoon teas. We're just about to head out to the shops to get the ingredients we need and don't already have.

I stumbled across this piece of awesome today ... GALAXY PLAYDOUGH ... this will definitely be on our list of holiday things this week!

Full list of what to do andmore photos can be found at the original source Fairy Dust Teaching
Let me know if you try it and what cool things your kids make!