#solehope

In church this past month, we celebrated missions including sending a team to Kenya and preparing on how we could go send, pray or disobey.  We culminated the month with a shoe cutting party for Sole Hope.  I was asked to coordinate events for the children who were unable to participate and activities for after they shoe cutting portion was complete.
We cut out 220 pairs of toddler size 13 shoes to send to Uganda.  Our family cut out 4 pairs to protect little
feet from jiggers in Africa.

weaving and looming for Africa

Boo was given a round loom for her birthday by our friends, the Cooks.  This past week, Miss Rachel and her girls came over to instruct us how to use them.  The girls including the Cooks are on a mission to make the girls in Africa that Ben and I will be serving each a knitted hat.  Miss Rachel also showed me straw weaving that her girls have been doing to make scarves While they were here they taught LE and I how to straw weave in hopes that we can take that skill and teach the girls also.
I was so glad they had the gift to teach my girls, b/c the instructions had me lost on the very first step 1)tie a slip knot.  The girls are well on their way to their first completed hat and I'm totally digging the straw weaving.  Now just to get through customs with a suitcase of yarn and straws without questions.

sewing school 101

L.E. got the book Sewing School for Christmas and we have recently incorporated it into our lessons.  They have created a sewing kit, learned safety rules and this week we began threading our needles, tying the thread and began learning basic stitches.  L.E. is better at the running stitch, but Boo has discovered her talent is the whip stitch.  We are presently making a book of needles to store their needles and a pin cushion.
They are already making lists for the Christmas presents they plan to create.

weaving practice

For Christmas, LE got a weaving loom and we have tried multiple times to weave, but it is not an easy task for little hands.  Mimi suggested the girls should get a pot holder loom.  That was the missing link.  They are now working on turning their potholders into a purse by sewing the two together.
We are going to a family reunion this weekend and the girls want to make potholders to sell in the family auction.

gingerbread houses

The tradition continued, but this year we enlisted help from Grandma (my grandmother), Mimi and Emmie.  We made mini houses this year and the girls had just as much fun. 

1st attempt at sewing

We read the book Jenius, the amazing guinea pig, after we finished Babe (same author).  The girls have been wanting a guinea pig, but with 2 dogs and 3 monkeys I figured the zoo expense was tapped.  We visited the pet store and then we found this cute pattern at Organized Chaos. 
We made ours out of felt and LE cut both guinea pigs out.  Bella needed some assistance with the stitch, but LE had no problem using embroidery floss.  I first used my 1/16" Stampin' Up hole punch to punch holes around the edge, it made it super easy to thread, plus she had a pattern.  We stuffed them with cotton balls, and embellished with slick paints.