Silk Ring Sling

I had a doula client who wanted me to make her an X-sling (hanamuguri) carrier using a silk sari scarf, that her co-worker had brought from India for her. We decided to use the scarf for the accent pieces in the x-sling and then make a ring sling with the rest to show off the beautiful pattern at the end. I think it came out quite well. I may start making all the sashes into ring slings.

Weighted lap pad

Weighted lap pads for kids with sensory needs are ridiculously expensive. Prohibitively expensive for many, I suppose. I've seen them retail for more than $50. For a pillow stuffed with poly pellets or even pebbles. That's just insane. So, I made one for my son's classroom for, well, free. I already had fabric and BPA-free pellets. It only took about 10 minutes. For another 10 minutes of work, I made a pillowcase-style cover for the pellet bag, so it's washable. I think it turned out pretty ok.

Felted Soap

For something a little different, I'm turning the crafting over today to the wee ones. For some time, one of my Mom's Clubs has had a regular meeting at which we meet up to learn some new craft. It's always a lot of fun, with perhaps a little too much alcohol, which occasionally lends itself to some of the more interesting creations. As entertaining as that is, I had the idea to start a get together for our kids to do a little hands on crafting of their own. Our inaugural meeting this week featured soapy water and wool roving for some "felted soap" production. I had a good time, the kids seemed to have a good time, and no one got injured, so YAY! :)

Here's how it went down:

For each bar, we started with .3 oz of wool roving in one long strand of fibers (the green was about 20" long), some scraps in coordinating colors, a bar of soap, a nylon (old, if you are like me and somehow always manage to have a spare stocking with no mate, or new, because you're too young to remember ever wearing stockings), a bin of warm water, and a kid who likes to squish bars of soap.

We wrapped the main color around the bar of soap, first going around the length of the bar and then around the width of the bar. We did it a few times, until the bar was well covered. Then we wrapped the coordinating colors in whatever way each kid saw fit. For example, stripes:

or "needle felted" monster eyes (note a mom's creative use of scissors to poke the roving down into the soap).

Once the soap was wrapped how the child liked it, we placed the soap into a nylon and tied it tight to hold the fibers together during the felting process:

And then the fun really began. The kids dipped their bars into warm water and squished them around until it got quite foamy:

Then they kept squashing:

And smooshing:

And maybe rubbing it on a table, making snail trails:

When they felt they'd mooshed the roving long enough for the fibers to hold together (and maybe mom took a turn, because it did look like fun), they set it out to dry:

Once your bar is dry, you can put it out for guests to wonder what freaky kind of hairball you're storing in your soap dish. Maybe they'll use it, maybe they'll quietly sneak out the front door.

As the bar gets used, the wool will felt together more and more. It can last quite a long time if you let the soap drain and dry between usage. Unless, of course, you have kids who like to squish a fresh bar of soap ad nauseam and refuse to get out of the tub until it disappears. No? Just mine? Okay, then...carry on.

Christmas shopping

Lots and lots of new items are being uploaded in the shop today and tomorrow. Tutus, aprons, clothes, doll carriers, baby carriers and more! Many items are on sale for the week. Many are one of a kind. Check cashmerecuddles.com often, so you don't miss out on your favorite.

Join the FB fan page at: Cashmere Cuddles Fan Page

Shutterfly.com just rolled out a bunch of new Christmas cards. Is it that time of year already? My Jack-o-Lantern hasn't even started to rot yet. There are some really stylish new designs though. I guess I should break out the camera and start trying for a cute picture of the boys, because I don't think this one is going to cut it:

Owls and dots

I recently had someone request a dot fabric that has been discontinued. After much internet searching and several phone calls, I found and bought perhaps the last remaining scrap available. It was supposed to be a fat quarter, which is just a hair less than what I need, but I bought it anyway. It showed up and was 2 inches shorter than a fat q. Sigh. It required quite a bit of patchwork, but as Tim Gunn might say, I made it work. Reversible and lined with an owl print, I think it came out quite cute.

Amanda's carrier

I custom-made an x-sling with infant sash for my friend Amanda. She'd told me that her nursery was going to be water-themed with goldfish, that she loved blue and orange, and would like the carrier to match. My mind immediately went to a Japanese-inspired look and I bought some imported indigo-dyed Japanese cotton fabric, paired with a little peach and white floral print, and a dark tangerine sash. I love the way it came out. At 18-months, Aaron is a bit big for an x-sling, but he was still willing to help out and be my model :)