SouleMama

weaving in the woods

After the early morning shuffle of getting Papa off to work and Calvin off to school, I returned to my little lovelies at the kitchen table with Gram. Over yogurt and granola, we discussed the direction of the day. They had talk of a movie. Of starting a fire and getting 'cozy.' Of another tournament of Herd Your Horses (heaven help me). But as the sun shone into the kitchen and lit up the glasses of milk and tea on the table, and I saw the ants in the kids pants (so to speak), I firmly declared "out!!! out with us all!!"

And so, we took to the woods. Or "the woods" which is really just about 500 feet from the back of the house. But once back there, between the pastures and next to the half pipe and the zip line, and bordered by rock walls....well, it does feel like 'the woods' indeed. Harper wisely loaded up the wagon with all we could need - a saw, his hatchet, a hammer and some nails. And I, my camera. A lovely day was spent just like that - in and out but mostly out. Continuing to work on the fort that has been a work in progress for a year now. Clearing the path (where the pigs just were) from rocks - just right for making a new fire pit (every fort needs a fire pit), and on and on. We were visited by cats and uninvited (but welcome) goats. When the swing I was convinced to build for Annabel between two trees seemed suddenly and decidedly unsafe, we took a spontaneous turn towards crafty to save the day. A few birch logs strapped to a tree (thanks for the hatchet and rope work, Harper!), and a whole lot of twine tied to each as warp. And then - a little of this and a little of that to fill the loom. Dried leaves, sticks, pieces of sheep fleece found in the pasture, pinecones. As the moods dipped and I sensed hungry bellies and tired kiddos, I watched them each spend a quiet minute at that loom, entranced just for a moment. Ah, yes!

Another sunny autumn day today, it looks to be. I'm eager to see what comes next.

my favorite fabric designer

Adelaide and I have had so much fun in the past turning her artwork into fabric. The horses last year was the last collaboration. A few weeks ago, she came to me with another drawing that she thought might make a good fabric print, and so we got to work on making that happen. But this time, I had her help me along in the scanning and prepping of the art for Spoonflower. I shared with her my limited knowledge in Photoshop and Illustrator, and before I knew it, she was taking control of the mouse and on her own - messing with this, playing with that, and adjusting color every which way. She was not only fascinated by the process, but completely capable too. I think in that one evening she surpassed my knowledge of both programs (though that isn't saying much). This, from a kid who has never really had much that has excited or drawn her to the computer besides the occasional horse movie. Hooked, she is.

If there was any doubt that she was hooked, the next day I saw her walking around with a folder tucked under her arm. My Fabrics it screams from the cover. And that folder is filling up faster than you can believe. First though, she's got plans for some sewing with her cotton-candy pink merry-go-round horse fabric. Matching skirts, I do believe, for her and her best friend. "But Mom, that will use up ALL of this fabric and then it's Solstice and Christmas, so I really have a lot of work to do on my other designs."

Yes, yes. Look out dear Anna Maria, Amy and Heather! There's a new fabric designer right around the bend! 

 

Wednesday Work

The crafty works in progress are out of control around here right now and slightly tipping towards chaos. Or at the least, a great big mess. There's something drying over here, some glitter over there, and this and that everywhere else. 

Of course, I couldn't be happier about that.

non-stop

We've all been under the weather this past week (hence my absence from the blog more than usual, my apologies!). It's been just enough to slow us down a bit, though not entirely. It's just the kind of change-of-season cold that keeps things a little more mellow than usual. And what we've found to focus a great deal of our energy on together in our days....is crafting. Surprising, no? It's been non-stop here. Papier mache, drawing while listening to audiobooks, and of course....the leaves. 

Supposedly last weekend was 'peak' foliage around here. I believe it - it's absolutely stunning right now. My twice-a-day drive to bring Calvin to and from school has honestly been nothing but a pleasure - driving through the riot of color that is the trees here right now. And of course, stopping more often than he'd like because "that tree is SO red! We need more really really red leaves!" 

At home, we've been simply dipping them in beeswax and then adorning every single corner of our home with them. Garlands (can one ever have too many garlands?), hanging in windows, and simply filling baskets on the table. This morning, as I sit in my studio to work for the first time in a few days, a drawing was slipped under my door (that's their subtle way of asking). A halloween costume made entirely of leaves. I think we can do that...

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

autumn walks

It's my favorite time of year for a walk in the woods. I enjoy a walk in the woods anytime of year, of course. Sure, winter is magical and spring is refreshing and summer is relaxing....but autumn? It's just perfect. There are no bugs, there is no mud, there is no uncomfortable heat, and there is so much beauty all around us. And, well, time to linger. Time to linger and so much to gather and bring back in with us. Mushrooms last week, pine cones and acorns this week, and surely leaves will be coming in by the basket full by next week. And then all those bits find their way into the library and onto the craft table and onto the shelves and dangling from the ceiling in all manner of creations. I've learned, in these years, to create the space for all of this to happen, to supply the tools with which to create, but to then sit back and let it unfold. To be the one ready to tie the knots, or trouble shoot, or thread the needle. It's a pretty sweet job, I must say. I love it so. To see what they remember from year's past. To see what they come up with new from books and stories and their own imaginations and inspirations. So much fun, I tell you. One of my favorite parts of being a Mama.....even when it means cleaning up glitter from in between the floor boards yet again. Totally worth it. 

(*A note about acorn crafting. I prefer to bake the acorns for an hour at 180 in the oven, to kill the grubs inside, rather than having them fall out as the acorns age. And we use a small drill bit to make holes in them, easy for stringing.)

baskets, in blue

 From my indigo dyeing experiment earlier this month, I've had some big bundles of perfectly blue clothesline rope staring at me each and every time I walked into my studio. Tempting, they've been! This weekend, I couldn't resist them any longer, after a quick trip to the craft store for a whole lot of blue thread (have I mentioned how much they suck up the thread, these baskets? And did I tell you that the latest issue of Taproot has some lovely clothesline basket-making instructions in it from Maya? It's true).

This simple and seemingly 'frivolous" stitching was just the very thing I needed to be doing with my hands this weekend, as I wound down from such a busy week, as I finished up my latest audio book (A Fall of Marigolds, which I recommend), and as I found my footing at home, and in my studio. The youngest kids, meanwhile, where at my feet and in the library just across the hall, deep in the work of filling no less than fifteen sheets of shrinky dink paper! Honestly, I thought I was buying a season's supply of the stuff, but I was quite mistaken. Hours went by just like that - me stitching, and them drawing and baking,  and it seems as though it was just the very thing we all needed. Parallel creative play, I guess you could say. Together, but in our own zones. You know, all these years into this parenting gig as I am, and having written a book on the very subject, I still find myself amazed and surprised sometimes at the way in which creativity connects us a family. The way it feeds us, and restores our sense of home and rhythm. Oh, I'm forever grateful for that. And baskets made out of indigo-dyed clothesline. There's always more room to be made for those.

in the moments just before

While I baked, she cleaned. And ironed tablecloths, and hung her pom poms, and arranged everything just so. At one point, as I was spreading vases flowers here and there throughout the house, she walked into the room, humming and practically skipping with joy as she had been all day long, and said, "Oh! That's pretty. But I was thinking we'd put the hydrangeas on that table."

Oh my girl. We both giggled at that one, and she said, "Isn't this just so much fun?" with a smile so wide that both dimples were visible. Yes, yes, my love. This is so much fun. There's not much that I love more than those moments just before guests arrive - when the house is tidy and shiny, when the baking is nearly complete and the house smells of the loveliness. When I've been thinking about our friends to come and how to make them comfortable and happy. And when there is time to fuss over things like ironing tablecloths and deciding just precisely where the hydrangeas should sit. It is not, I know, a thing that everyone loves. But I can't tell you what a delight it is to see that my kindred little one loves that task just as much as I do - perhaps even more. And while I tried to stay present in the moment of soaking up that joyful time with her that morning, before her guests arrived, I couldn't help but excitedly let my mind wander to all the parties we might host together in the years to come. 

We had a lovely party. And we had a lovely time making the party too.

ten

This little lady is ten today. Ten! She's growing into such a wise, funny, sensitive and thoughtful soul. Oh, what joy it is to watch all this growing happen in our children, isn't it? How I look at her now and can see the two year old she was, and only imagine how those attributes of hers will manifest as an adult. It's a delight.

She's having a gathering with some friends this weekend, something she's had in the works for months now, my little planner (and fellow Virgo). But this week has been so incredibly busy - with garden harvesting, with the magazine, with the start of the fall classes, and especially with getting Calvin out the door and ready for school - that I was beginning to feel terrible about not getting to her party preparations. There was no time for late night studio sewing sessions, or other crafty undertakings. And just as the Mama guilt started to creep in and started to overwhelm me....I stumbled upon another pile of pom poms. 

Because, of course, this girl has her own crafty plans and ambitions! She's been having her own late night crafting sessions in her bedroom, and having an absolute blast doing so. Tissue paper flowers, sewn paper heart garlands, pom poms ready to string, paper goodie bags for each of her friends....and on and on. I have no doubt that a few more creations will emerge today. 

Continually learning from these little ones, I am. What a gift and a blessing it is to know and love them.

turning everything blue

Last week, Annabel and Adelaide came to me with their sketches for Halloween costumes. Yes, yes....Halloween (I did remind them that it was still mid-August, to which I was met with a blank stare. As if Halloween shouldn't be prepared for all the year long?). Once I saw the drawing, I realized that what I had been interpreting as a KNIGHT Princess in conversation for weeks, was actually a NIGHT Princess. The both of them - flowing blue dresses with yellow stars all over. Oh!! Fun!! And I quickly became just as excited as they were. A search through my fabric shelves revealed not enough blue fabric, and not of the right color. But! I remembered an indigo kit (this one), tucked away for testing out a future Taproot piece, and a whole big pile of linen, ripe for becoming the color of night.

There's nothing like a good old fashioned messy craft project to bring the kids coming in from all corners of the farm and house. And that's just what this project did - as each of them scoured their bedrooms for 'something white,' set to experimenting with elastics, rubber bands and clamps, and handed me the pieces to watch transform in front of their eyes. It was as fun for me as it was for them, of course. After we spent a full day working on it, stopping only for snacks, the 4-load laundry line of mine was full of our creations. I promised them we'd use up the rest of the dye vat for as long as it lasted, and they haven't forgotten that promise. Last night found us out there by headlamp as dark set in but we weren't quite yet done....and this morning, Harper came to me with a white handkerchief in his hand and sleep still in his eyes, and declared "tiny rocks, I think!". 

It'll be a wonder if there's anything white left in our house by week's end! 

 

a simple swing

You already know I'm a firm believer in the importance of benches - anywhere and everywhere. Our yard and gardens now are practically littered with them (the best kind of littered). Well, I suppose it's no surprise that hammocks and swings are right behind benches in my backyard love life. There can never be too many, now can there? 

All spring and summer I've been saying out loud, thinking to myself, and asking Steve to build a new swing for Ani. She outgrew horsie at the end of last summer, sadly, and all the round tree swings are just a little too tricky for her to manage. She just needs a spot to sit and swing (who doesn't?). Each time I mentioned it to Steve, I saw the slightly panicked look in his eyes that said, "a swing would be great, I'd love to make a swing, but how about I cut that firewood I need to so that we don't all freeze this winter?" Right. That. 

And so it went, and here we are in the middle of July and she still didn't have her swing. Until last week, when Steve and the big boys were away. It wasn't until then, as I was moving one of the benches to mow around it, that it dawned on me. What's the matter with me? I can totally make a swing! Geesh! 

I know, a swing. A simple swing. Adelaide could make one, likely Harper too. And yet, I still find myself, even after having made a few things, not thinking of myself as someone who can make anything with wood. It's funny, isn't it? The things we believe ourselves capable of, the things we think we can't do, or don't even think about at all. And the things, that after nearly forty years of not even paying any attention to, we discover that we really actually enjoy and are perfectly capable of. There's a whole lot of gender thoughts mashed up in this, of course. And there's a whole lot of empowerment in slowly letting go of some of those thoughts buried so deep I didn't even know they were there. The miter saw? It's not scary. It's just a tool, like any other. Which sandpaper to use on the sander? This is not rocket science.

I know, not exactly revolutionary thinking here, but it still surprises me sometimes, how these ideas become engrained, how deeply they can stay there, and how liberating and exciting it is when we become aware of them and let them go. Right now, I'm incredibly excited by the gift from a friend - thanks, Don! - of my own chainsaw. Ah, what freedom it will be when I want that birch branch cut just right for hanging in someone's bedroom for something or other. Or, when I want to spend a day out there limbing trees with Steve in the pasture, making things go along at a faster and smoother pace with the work of two adults, not just one. 

Well, anyway....those are all the things that were on my mind as I made this simple little swing this weekend. Some leftover pieces of cedar, a little bit of our favorite stain (Vermont Natural Coatings), and a few power tools that I thoroughly enjoy using. She's as happy as can be. And so is her Mama.

And just as soon as that one was up, I set to work on another right away (because who wants to stop using the power tools once they're all fired up and ready to go? Not me!). Adelaide has requested one for the pasture, which I think is just brilliant. And then I've got my eye on this perfect maple tree deep in the woods that I wouldn't mind swinging on...and then.....

works in progress

I'm making progress, I really am. At least I have to tell myself that from time to time to keep on keeping on, because things are feeling a bit sluggish amidst the heat and the to-do list and goodness, do these kids really need to be fed three times a day? Geesh. As you can see, with a great deal of help, I am painting Adelaide's room. Above you can see Necklace Rainbow Magic Candy is making me gooseberry soup, while matching the colors of the walls we're painting with her clothing. As one does.

My pace in the bedroom would likely be picked up if I didn't feel the need to write, or rather draw, a letter for Adelaide each day. But I can't help myself, and knowing her, I know that she's appreciating it. Today, I think, will be the day that we start hearing from her. Thankfully I know the sound of our mailman's truck from a mile away, and I won't miss the arrival of that letter. No, I will not.

In the crafty department, my needles have been busy when my hands are free. I'm really enjoying the start to my Peasy, and even more enjoying this yarn that has a color I can't quite put my finger on. It isn't grey, it isn't purple, it's somewhere perfectly between the two (Snoqualmie Valley Yarn, grape skin dyed). 

 
And in much more adventurous crafting, Calvin and I have begun a sewing project that I'll be sure to tell you more about soon. That is, if we can make it to the end (cross your fingers, will you?). Full-on, tailored pants "just like Dickies Mom, but handmade". Not my forte, not my favorite kind of stitching. But when my fourteen year old son asks to sew with me? There's absolutely no saying no to that. Now if we can just sort out that pant zipper before he outgrows our original measurements, well, then we'll all be very happy.

That, my friends, is what's on my list today, just as soon as I finish my work for the morning, and then make lunch, and oh....there's a whole day ahead of time for these things to keep on progressing!

 

flowers & bowls

Adelaide has been making tissue paper flowers for days. We've run out of tissue paper twice, and are about to run out of ceiling space from which to hang them. The floor of the library, her bedroom and subsequently every room in the house that someone then walks through - is littered with the tiny scraps of colorful paper that she snips off the ends of the flowers to get them just right. She's got ideas of color schemes, combinations and just how and where to hang them and what might come next. She wants to perfect a dahlia. I love watching these swirls of creativity in the kids, watching how fully they get swept up into focusing on just one thing. The freedom to dive so fully into something calling to them - no matter how big or small. The knowledge that it won't last forever. And the immense satisfaction at following that swirl of energy and creating something. 

This may be something I understand. In the past twenty-four hours, I've been bit by the rope sewing bug. It's been creeping in for a while - first I saw Erin's creations, and then Maya's, and then I found this amazing man, and well, I knew it wouldn't be long before I had to try too. It just looked like too much fun (and it is). I checked out the CreativeBug tutorial, and set to work on giving it a try with the rope I had on hand. And then......I went to the local hardware store to clean them out of clothesline rope, and promptly emptied four spools of thread (they suck up thread, these things!), and then declared "Popcorn for dinner!" so that I could keep going. And well, just like my Adelaide and her flowers, I'm scheming and dreaming and planning a whole lot of things. Maybe soon we'll have more rope bowls and baskets than we'll ever need. At which time I'll turn to someone else in the house to figure out a creative use for them. No doubt someone here could come up with something...

making books

In those first few days after coming home from Bali, struggling a bit to get my sleep back on track, I spent one late night working on my photos from the trip. I knew I wanted to make a photo book with them, something I could hold and flip through and look at with the kids. Especially in the depths of winter - oh, opening up that color and all those memories will feel so good! The book arrived just the other day and I'm so pleased. Opening it up does take me right back there. 

I made the book using Blurb (and this isn't an ad, I should mention. I'm just a happy longtime customer), which works so nicely with Adobe Lightroom (the photo library software I use). It's so much easier than it used to be to make these books now that those two things are connected. I simply create a collection of photos and pull them into the book tab in Lightroom, and then play with the layout on each page. It exports to Blurb when all of that is done. Easy peasy. I know there are other photo book companies, but I've always been so happy with the quality of paper and printing with Blurb. In the past, we've used these to document a trip, or each child's homeschool year.

I don't think I ever showed you this one that I made for the kids a couple of years ago now. It's such a favorite (as you can tell by the dirty cover!). The Soule Family Alphabet, with our photos. This was such a fun book to put together and share, and so often I find one of them flipping through it. But would you look at that little baby up there napping at the shore? She'll be four in just a month - hmm, maybe it's time for a new book for her birthday. A Bali Alphabet for Ani? I could work with that....

one day of play

Lots of you have been asking for indoor screen free activity ideas of late. I get it. This can be such a challenging time of year. My kids spend a lot of time outside - skiing, sledding, building forts, visiting the animals. But on days like yesterday, when the temperatures are so low, and the wind chill so high, a half an hour was the most I saw anyone outside. And that leaves a whole lot of day inside! There are the normal everyday things that keep everyone occupied - making music, reading books, drawing, playing with the farmhouse, playing dolls, building blocks, cooking, helping with chores, and on and on. But this time of year, some of that - even our most beloved activities - can feel monotonous and tiresome day after day if there's nothing else. This is the time of year I start to dig deep - for all of us. I'm digging deep for the furniture rearranging that gives us a fresh perspective on things. I'm digging deep for a soup recipe that doesn't include potatoes or squash. I'm digging deep for a colorful project to keep my hands busy and my spirit bright. And I'm digging deep for things that will keep the kids actively engaged, happy, and the house as peaceful as it can be this time of year.

A comprehensive list feels intimidating to try and come up with - so how about one day? Above and beyond our favorite toys and standby activities....these are the things that yesterday, kept us all in good spirits. (With just the two littles at the house, mind you, as the others are off on an epic ski adventure of their own). 

The recycling bin. So classic. The kids hit up the recycling bin (or rather, corner of the barn) looking for something good, and therein found a large box (hello new luggage for Mama's trip to Bali!). Oh, what a child can do with a box! It's wild, isn't it? And so fun. They made a house, a cave, a trap, and the perfect nesting spot for snuggling down into while Mama read a story. Good fun.

Modeling beeswax (like this or this). We always have a bowl of this in the library, of pieces that we've used over and over. But there's nothing like a fresh new box, and thankfully, I tucked one away several months ago for just such a day as this. Warming up the pieces in our hands calmed a chaotic moment, brought us all together, and resulted in a lot of great making (and experimenting, from Ani). If you've never worked with beeswax before, take a peek at Sarah's video for some great suggestions on getting started with little ones. 

Audiobooks. After all the energy had settled and we nestled into the work of the beeswax, I put on an audiobook. I use Audible on my phone, and just plug it into a dock with speakers. Right now we're listening to Children of Noisy Village, though there was a request made for Wizard of Oz (narrated by Anne Hathaway), one of our family favorite audiobooks that we've listened to over and over (and quote over and over). 

Sequence! Our game cabinet is a big and deep one, with so many great games. And the rotation of them from the cabinet to table is constant. But sometimes, a game gets buried in there for a long time - a favorite game, even. And that's the case with Sequence. In a desperate moment of everyone nearly pulling each other's hair out last week, I dug deep into the cabinet and spied it. Sequence hasn't been played in a very long time, and lo and behold, everyone just needed a reminder of it. It's been out non stop since then, and we've picked up a new player in Harper, who loves this one. 

And of course, fiber. While Mama knits and Ani makes mermaid tails, Harper has recently discovered the knitting tower. We bought one for a young friend recently, and I picked up another for Harper (because Adelaide is a bit protective of hers). (I got mine locally at Circa Home and Vintage, though I know that Nova Natural carries them) It took just a minute to get him started and he's been having a blast making necklaces for everyone he knows. So great.

And that was yesterday! Today it's a whopping 10 degrees (above!), so I hope we'll be able to get out there for some cross country skiing (pulling Ani in the sled will be my workout for the day). It probably won't be for terribly long though, and so we'll come back in and see what kind of fun we can find for today. Surely it will be some of the above, and something new....

how to make a mermaid tail

She calls it Feet Knitting. And in case you didn't know, it's how ALL mermaid tails are made.

February Days

As I walked through the house yesterday, flipping all the calendars to February, I looked around at the evidence of our days that I found in each room. Yup, it's February, I thought, as I saw reflected - on the floors and on the beds and in the couches and by the entryway - all the things that fill our days this time of year. It is the time of year where there's time to learn a whole new song in a day, sitting in front of the fire and breaking only for meals and to rest one's fingers. Craft books are being scoured for the next greatest thing we should do. And the projects started in the evening stay on the table and are jumped right into after breakfast again. Game marathons happen on every level from poker to Sorry and a very modified Go Fish that only one knows the rules to. And there is time for all-day-long imaginative play, acting out our favorite imagined or known stories (currently Ani playing the role of "Annie" is working out very well for the cleanliness of my floors/windows/and banisters). There is napping - if only from the cats, literally - but a certain kind of winter resting from all of us. And daydreaming too as we plan what's to come in the seasons ahead. 

Oh, and lots and lots of sledding and skiing and skating and all that good snowy stuff that happens this time of year too. And the corresponding hot chocolate and popcorn, piles of snowy winter gear that block the doorway, and vying for the spot closest to the wood stove upon returning back inside. 

We woke up to more snow falling this morning that doesn't look as though it plans on stopping or slowing anytime soon. As I sat down in my studio to do my morning work the emails came in right after another - fiddle is canceled! dance is canceled! riding is canceled! And so, we find ourselves starting another February Day. This is good. 

such clean friends we have!

Most all of these little bundles have been distributed, so I feel safe in sharing them here with you now. Not that our holiday gift this year was a huge surprise to anyone, but still. Of course, we gifted soap! A Soule Family Solstice Soap Sampler to be precise. 

It was late August when we began work on this project, accumulating enough variety and quantity of soap for all these packages. Accounting for curing time and the inevitable failures, it worked out just perfectly that by early December, we had seven kinds of soaps ready for sharing. Though the late night soap making was done by me (and Steve laughing at me in my soap goggles, aka ski goggles), the next part of the project was shared by all. We each claimed a soap as our own - to be tested, named and described. In the end, we had Smelly Wine, Candy & Nuts, Jim, Lovely Lady Lavendar, Pumpkin Pie, Violet Swirl, Oil & Sugar. Adelaide created a library of line drawings for me to scan and use alongside the soap descriptions. And that's precisely how we ended up with a little booklet full of soap ingredients, and descriptions such as these: 

"Violet Swirl - Once upon a time there was a girl named Violet. She was a horse girl and was always dirty from mucking out the stalls. One day, a fairy godmother came down and gave her this magical soap. It was pretty and smelled good. And from that day on, she always smelled good too." - Adelaide

"Smelly Wine - It's just good soap. It's super good to use. It smells good. It has wine in it, that's why it's brown. If you like wine, you'll like this soap. If you don't like wine, you won't like this one. Or maybe you will. It's good soap." - Harper

"Lovely Lady Lavender - It's like Old Spice, for hippies." Calvin

Ah, this was such a fun project to create together as a family, and even more delightful to share. And as Harper said one night in a marathon soap packing session, "Our friends are going to smell SOOOO good!!" Indeed!

 

at the table

And here we are , at that tricky time of year for crafty bloggers - where there is so much going on, but nothing to share! Not that anyone on our list isn't expecting what we're crafting up for them, but still, let's keep the illusion of surprise at least. 

Last night was another family session of making and labeling and packing. Teacher gifts are going out this week to the various classes the kids take, and things are being shipped today to far away friends and family. We're nearly done with the handmades! As we were busy elving together last night, I was remembering some of our early family gift making when there were still so many little helpers. How fun, but also tricky it was to sometimes keep everyone happy and feeling involved in the process. (The bird calendar might still be my all time favorite little kid handmade we've shared, and its balance of child and adult work was just right.)  It's all changing as they get older, and I am loving where it's all going - how their own creativity and ideas mature and develop and fit into the family plan. Last night at the table, the crew had some turnover as someone got bored or someone else wanted to go outside to play. We were never all together at once, but everyone was present at one point or other in the evening - making, packing and wrapping. And talking and laughing. I decided to move slowly, not rushing my way through the tasks, but truly looking around and sinking into the goodness of the moment. My growing children, our holiday traditions, the way we are together as a family. As I did so, I wondered if we will always gather around a table to make things together, no matter how old we are. I hope we do.

Are you doing the same thing in your home? I wish you much peace and joy in your own family elving these days!

little trees

While Mama's been busy with Nutracker and then messing around in my studio, and Papa's been busy keeping the home fires burning and everyone happy and fed, inside and out....it has not been lost on a few of the Soules that the clock is ticking in on December. After a few requests to put up our tree, they decided to take matters into their own hands. With garden clippers in her hands, and a hatchet over his shoulder (a brand new gift for the newly minted six year old working man), Adelaide and Harper went deep (or not so deep) into the woods to find their own trees. I'm told they then dug around in the barn for some lights, got out some scissors and markers and tape, and set to making their own merry. With a crafty planter plus rocks serving as a tree stand. Love.

The pine needles all throughout the house? And the water spilled over the laundry? And the bits and pieces of paper and string and tape all over the floor? One hundred percent worth keeping silent about for this kind of childhood merry, absolutely. They've got the rest of us inspired too - today, we'll get our family tree. I can only hope it will have an ounce of the magic that these little trees have. With their help, I'm sure it will.

(their) handwork

My hands have been busy - mostly on the steering wheel, securing the hooks and eyes on the costumes of tiny dancing ladies, and applying makeup to fidgety boys. There has been little to no knitting, and hardly a hooked strip of wool, not to mention the sewing machine or my spinning wheel. But there are two children in the Soule house who are more than making up for my slacking in the handwork world. 

Adelaide finished a 'funky scarf' as she calls it (I say it's called getting creative when you run out of yarn in one color) for her cousin's birthday. As the birth date approached, Adelaide walked around the house all day long with a small basket of yarn clipped onto her clothing and her knitting needles in hand. All day long, for two days straight, until the scarf was complete. 

All that knitting from Adelaide inspired Harper, and I am so pleased to report that we have another knitter in the house! Woot! This being the fourth child I've seen learn to knit, on thing I can say is that they've all learned at such different ages and so differently in style. But I do usually start them all out on a size ten or so needle with an aran weight yarn. And we use the lovely little rhyme "In through the front door, run around the back, peek through the window, off jumps Jack" to help learn the knit stitch. Harper was keen to have that rhyme drawn out for him as he was learning it. He doesn't need it anymore, as it's committed to memory now and his own scarf is coming along beautifully.

I'm also happy to report that Adelaide has joined me in the hooking world! I had bought her this kit intending to give it to her as a holiday gift. But all the hovering over my own hook and frame was not only crowding me, but also letting me know that she needn't wait. It took barely a moment of instruction and she was off. By the time I came home with the boys at the end of the day, her sheep piece was done. Well, then. She didn't want another kit, though, she wanted to create something of her own. That last photo is her design that she presented me with early one morning with the request to help her transfer it to burlap. Can a Mama just brag a little? Because that is not at all the usual style in which she draws, and yet somehow she understood the need to keep the elements simple and large and layered. And the colors she choose from our yarn stash? Wonderful. Oh my girl. Oh my kids. What fun this all is!

And you? And yours? Whatchamaking these days?

better late than never

 

Sometimes....we find ourselves in the middle of another busy day in a very busy month, I hear myself answering the same question I've heard for a string of days in a row with, "No, no. We can't do that today. Maybe tomorrow."  It's too messy, we're too busy, I don't want to manage all of that right now. 

And then "tomorrow" turns into Halloween and I hear, "Mom! We never carved our pumpkins!" And that tiny twinge of Mama guilt we all know so well sneaks in.

But then, weeks later, in the middle of a sunny November afternoon, as we sit on the bench watching the kittens play, pumpkins still whole and at our feet, it's remembered and asked again. Yes! Of course! is the answer. I do nothing, but let them go for it. Having a blast carving and scooping right there on the ground. The insides go to the chickens with much laughter, and the shells are prepared for nighttime lighting, then scattered around the house. It becomes the unplanned on thing they spend the afternoon doing, happily, together, and with a remarkable amount of peace. 

Sometimes....it feels so good to turn a "Not now" into a resounding "Yes!" And to be reminded that it's never too late.

piles of fabric

There has been a wall - a literal wall - of storage totes in my barn, all full of children's clothing. All appropriately labeled by size (as any Virgo Mama would do). I started these totes when Calvin was just a babe, picking things up here and there at thrift shops and yard sales, and as hand me downs. Storing things away for later that were too big, and tucking things that were too small into totes for the next Soule baby. These bins - this wall of totes - have moved from one house to another, and more importantly, have carried me through clothing five children. There are handmades and thoroughly-stained clothes and a whole lot of memories tucked into those boxes. But oh, it is time for them to go. Or at the very least, for them to be consolidated. I made myself a goal bringing all of the newborn to 3 year old clothing (where miss Annabel is at right now) into one neat and tidy tote, full of clean and folded clothes of the most special sort that I just cannot part with. One tote. Not six. One tote that I shall save and pour over as an old woman. One tote that I shall pass on to some poor daughter-in-law someday who will wonder why on earth I'm crying over a box of stained and dirty baby clothes from the early 2000's. One tote that holds just so much memory for me, and maybe, them too. 

Because I am such a sentimental Mama, this purging project of course has prompted a sewing project I have been thinking about and for years and years. I always knew that I'd want to make a quilt from their baby clothes. I just didn't know when or how I'd be able to do it. I'm a sentimental fool about these things, I really am. Each textile evoking so much memory for me - bringing me right back to those earlier days. Memories of when they wore them and what they were doing. What they were like at that age. Who they've become. Oh my - what a process sorting through these boxes has been! As I sort, I've been separating as such - those in good enough shape to be passed on (though very little successfully survived five children!), those headed for the rag bag, those very few pieces just too precious for anything but tucking away, and the majority of things - those memory-triggering pieces that are just right for cutting up and being made into a special quilt, one for each child.

I have to take it slowly, this whole process. It's an emotional one, I am not embarrassed to say. Some of these pieces have been so hard for me to cut into. But what good are they doing sitting in a box in a barn? Most not in any shape to be worn again? Oh, as hard as it is, I am treasuring this process dearly, pulling out and remembering, cutting and planning. Laughing, telling stories, and sharing it with the kids who seem particularly interested in this sewing I'm doing, joining in to help press and cut and pile and claim pieces for their own pile.  I wasn't sure how that would work, either, since so many of these things they ALL wore - who's quilt would they belong to? I first started sorting the squares by color but quickly realized that sorting by child made far more sense. Sometimes they each end up with a piece of something, sometimes something really calls out to be one or the other, and many I made for someone in particular. One of the slings we carried them in, a baby blanket, and all those little clothes. This and that from their early days.

Quickly, the piles have grown and become enough to make each of them a throw size blanket, perhaps even a twin. I don't know when I'll get to the stitching. I might just tuck each pile into a bag of its own for a while until I'm ready to begin the next part of the process. For now, I happily have a much emptier barn, one tote full of extra special handmades and precious clothing to save, and those five wonderful piles of fabric that hold so much meaning, ready to be transformed into something useful, special and new altogether.

making, for later

Will it upset you if I talk about holiday gifts? I'm sorry. I assure you I am the very last person who would wish away summer, and that's not at all what I'm doing. But, there are the realities that soapmaking takes a good deal of curing time; that fall is an incredibly full time of year for us (I can hear the Nutcracker music creeping into the back of my head already); and well, we've been bringing in so many herbs from the garden to preserve, and store, and use in potions and lotions....and soaps! I've been eager to get to it.

And so it is that I've found myself up late a few nights this week, making batches of Calendula Soap, Honey Oatmeal, and Mint as well. Though I don't know if I'll ever get over my moment of fear each time I open the lye, the rest of the process is fun and relaxing. (This post from last year has all of my favorite soap making resources and great tips in the comments too.)

While the actual act of making the soap wasn't for the kids at all (the lye! the lye!), the rest of the process certainly is. From harvesting the flowers and drying and storing them....and now to the fun part of 'packaging' our soap for giving. Adelaide is on top of the artwork, Calvin's the official first tester of each kind, Ezra is in charge of creative naming, and Harper and Annabel are on the production team - helping me craft the labels and put it all together. This is going to be fun!

measure twice, cut once

Friends, I have a new crafty love interest. Power tools! I am head over heels in love at the moment with a pile of fresh lumber, a saw, some screws and a drill. Smitten, actually.

My children are clearly far ahead of me on this passion - Steve says he's always running out of nails and screws and can never find his drill, for all the places they take it for all the various projects they have going around the place - forts, refreshment stands, ramps for bikes and skateboards, "houses" for all kinds of animals they plan on trapping and keeping. And while sometimes I'll lend a hand to a project that someone else is working on, I haven't really done a lot on my own. Not for lack of interest, I don't think, but for lack of time and freedom to do so. Little babes clinging so tightly to Mama's legs are not so conducive to working with saws, now are they? But my babes are growing and with that, a freedom that comes with having both hands free, for exploring new things. I'm loving that.

I started truly easy peasy and simple in my efforts. The Modern Park Bench plans from Ana White seemed doable for me upon first glance...and it really was. With kids nearby, helping me measure and drill, the first bench came together so smoothly. And just as soon as that one (slightly crooked) bench was finished, I can't tell you how pleased I was. Nearly ready to abandon all other forms of occupation to dedicate myself to furniture building. Ha! That's what building one (slightly crooked) first bench will do to a girl. 

I made a couple more over the weekend, bringing me to a lovely set of three. They aren't quite finished - I need to sand and then paint. I think my family is quite sick of hearing me belabor over the color choices for my simple little benches (blue lake or blue toile?), and the ultimate placement of them (all three around the firepit, or scattered about in different spots through the gardens and pasture?). But they have no idea what's coming their way - for I've got great plans. If I can build a simple (slightly crooked) bench, surely I can make some cold frames, and a table for us to use outdoors, and a bed frame while I'm at it. Right? Why not.

bringing in the flowers

(Thanks to Papa for following us around with a camera! And because I know you well, dear readers, let me tell you that Adelaide is wearing this dress in liberty fabric, Annabel has a vintage one on, and mine is a new favorite just picked up recently at an end-of-season Ace & Jig sale. And that rabbit vase that you all love each time I post it - I love it too - is from Portland artist Patti Sandberg.)

We are all having so much fun with the flowers this year. I've always loved bringing them in to enjoy in the summer. But this season, with a few more years here under our belt and the accompanying plantings that have gone in each year, there is so much growing to choose from! Plus I've got the wonderful addition of a cut flower garden bed in the vegetable garden, at the urging of my friend, a flower goddess (well, that's what Adelaide and I call her anyway), and her wisdom shared in our SEED issue of Taproot. I love especially the permission that she gave me to just 'cut and enjoy'. And we're doing just that - with many helpers, and many baskets, and many vessels for filling and arranging and spreading throughout the house - in every room of the house. It's a joy to see what they come up with for their own bouquets, and those they give. The colors, the vases, the style. And just as much a joy, I think, to wander the gardens and the yard and the woods on our searches together. For there is something new growing each time, something they've never seen before or something they remember from another year. Questions, conversations, knowledge shared (from them to me just as much as me to them). Truly, these are summer moments I treasure with all my heart. And judging by the peace on our gathering walks, the creativity expressed, and the pride in what they've made - I think they might love it too.

tea time

(Thank you, Calvin, for the photos!)

A Mama sitting anywhere is an invitation for someone to join her lap, isn't it? I managed to fit two there for just a while in the sidelines of those raspberry bushes, in need of some heavy weeding. It was a tangle of arms and legs and weeds and raspberry bushes for a little while. But eventually I convinced them to join next to me in the weeding. "Hey, do you guys see what we're pulling up here?" I asked them, once they were in the groove of it. They looked a little closer, then up with bright eyes and simultaneously declared, "mint! let's make tea!". And they were off...to find a basket, to gather more mint, to start the water.

We've been big fans of the book Walking the World in Wonder: A Children's Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman (originally recommended by Amy long ago). It's in that book, with great big photos, that the 'story' of each herb is told alongside some practical advice on using them. It's from that book that Adelaide knows the bee balm leaves (bergamot) also make a great tea. And from that book that she has great plans to join me in making some tinctures and salves from what we have growing around here, leading to her hanging the first herbs of the season in the library for drying.

Gather herbs (double check with Mama to be certain it's really what you think it is), rinse, boil water, pour water over the herbs, cover and steep for five minutes, strain, maybe add a little bit of honey, and cool, add lemon or berries or whatever else you might like to try. They love - and I love - that this is something they can do all by themselves, with Adelaide at the helm. It's little, but it's big, these things. Identification, the stove, the timer. Selecting just the right cups in which to serve iced tea (a very important task). Rationing the ice. Tea time, or iced tea time is something they're proud of, and they very well should be. It's delicious tea - made with what they find, maybe a little extra honey, and most certainly a lot of love.

three

My baby girl turned three last week. (I know. Three!) Third birthdays are so fun, aren't they? It might be the first time they really understand that the day is all about them...and my little Annabel Edrie soaked every last bit of that special love and attention up. Not that she doesn't get it everyday, she certainly does. After all, this youngest one has seven people in the house to dote up on her. Anytime someone says no, surely one of the six remaining will say yes, right? Oh, it's a dangerous and wonderful thing, the youngest babe and all her fans in the house!

I came home from New York to a 'top secret' project in the works. Under the woodshed, and under some tarps, with saws and screws and drills and hammers everywhere, Adelaide had begun a birthday gift for her sister. A House For Annabel. Made out of leftover barn shingles, a pallet, and scraps of wood from last fall's construction project, she pieced together this little getaway for Annabel, complete with window trim, benches and chairs. We've hardly seen her for days for all the work she's been up to - fabric strips for the window, potted pink flowers for the entrance. After construction, it was moved to a corner of the garden, tucked under the trees, and presented to the little miss, who of course loves this little house that's all her own. 

Oh this gifting they do for each other sure does make a Mama's heart swell with pride and joy. And so do growing, funny, confident, and loving babies turning three. I suppose I really do need to stop calling her a baby. Oh, but must I really? Right now she is still happy to declare herself Mama's Baby, and so I'll roll with that as long as I can. Oh my girl. S'mores, apple pie, tadpole catching, lamb snuggling, pink bathing suits, cousins, a house of her own, and sunshine? I'd say we've officially greeted 'three' in a way just right for our Annabel.

collaborating

Ever since the last time we made fabric from Adelaide's art, periodically she'll slip me a piece of watercolor paper with "this might make a good fabric, don't you think?". In fact, there is an entire folder in my studio of Adelaide's "this might make a good fabric" art. A month ago, I pulled one out, scanned it, cleaned it up just a bit in Photoshop and sent it off to Spoonflower to surprise Adelaide with some more of her very own fabric. She was thrilled when it showed up - a bit of Kona Cotton and some Linen-Cotton Canvas. Sweetly, the first thing she wanted to make was something for her sister. So we worked together on a dress - (yes, another) from the Geranium pattern. She chose just the right buttons and proudly gave it to her little sister. "A horsie dress for you!!" she declared, and suddenly I realized that the gift was entirely connected to Adelaide's ongoing efforts to nurture a love of horses in her little sister, which by all accounts appears to be working.

She saved the linen-cotton fabric for something for herself. She's been perusing patterns, and piling up ribbons and buttons for a few days. She'll periodically switch them out for something else, as she gets closer to deciding just what it is we're going to make with it. Whatever it is will be wonderful, I am certain, with her very own horse fabric. And I will absolutely love and cherish making it with her. 

busy hands

I have found that now - this time of year - is when we need handwork most of all. Not just me, as evidenced by the finished knits piling up this February. In hands both big and small, handwork projects are the way we love to get through the days with peace and ease. In the early days of winter, just the shift to inside is enough to uncover latent projects, or forgotten books, puzzles and games. Artwork happens with a flurry in the months that begin winter. But eventually, at just about this point, we all get a little stuck. A little tired of looking at the same pens and paper, bookshelves, and projects in progress. And as a result, I see more unrest, feel more unsettled kids around me, and hear more bickering. The days are getting longer, and warmer, and it's becoming easier already to be out of doors more. We are close! But still...some "new" handworking projects are just the thing for keeping little (and big) hands busy, heads satisfied and hearts happy. They keep the peace, these things. After all, you can't swat at your brother when you're hands are both deep in felt. And you can't call your sister a name when you're counting stitches.

I thought today I'd show you some of the kid handwork we're up to these days, on the chance that it might be helpful in your own hands and homes too.

(Mama and her old bed sheet as a floor surface wasn't around at the start of this particular carving session. Ahem.) Everyone (excepting Annabel) has been doing quite a bit of carving these days. There are spoons, and wands, and spatulas in progress - rustic and unidentifiable as they may be (I'm speaking of my own work here). The kids - and Steve and I - have picked up most of our carving instruction from our friends at Koviashuvik Local Living School. I don't have a great book resource to give you about carving, but can promise that some good information is soon coming to the pages of Taproot! 

Harper is having a great time with embroidery these days. I wrote a bit about the earliest of embroidery with children both in my first book, The Creative Family, and in this blog post. Harper has moved past that first burlap goodness and is now fully into linen and the like. He likes to draw directly onto the fabric with a light pencil, then stitch over that with a tapestry needle and embroidery floss (using all the strands). He just finished working on a collection of Valentine's - with his friends' name and accompanying hearts which were turned into "dream pillows". Sweet, sweet. 

  

He - and Annabel too - are also spending a lot of time with the hand drill right now. It's a Fiskar's Hand Drill (like this one), recommended a few years back by Amy, it's become a huge hit here. We have a second now, just because it was in such frequent demand. They do some specific making of things with it, but mostly, with the littlest especially, they just really like making holes in wood. And I think that's just fabulous.

Adelaide has been spending a bit of time this month with her potholder loom - a little different from the classic metal one (which we also have, but that she got a little bored with in years past). This one requires a bit more work - more weaving - but it's perfect for where she's at. When it comes time for weaving (a hobby I am half-jokingly saving for my forties), I think she'll be able to lead the way, after using this. 

She's also been playing around with a lot of wet felting, using Artfelt to be specific. It's an interesting process - a bit faster than a traditional wet felting, which I think makes it more appealing to her at the age of eight. I think she's just tapped into the things she could make with this - she really wants to 'draw' with felt, and she thinks this will be a good method for doing so. 

And then there is knitting. A lot of knitting. I have taught my children to knit at various points each, sometimes with it sticking and sometimes not. It comes in fits and spurts for some, and with a passion for others. Ezra has been quite content to work on the same hat for about a year now - a few stitches here, a few stitches there. Sometimes ripping most of it out to trade out a stripe for a different color. Oh, he loves the process! And doesn't think much about the product. Adelaide started a cowl last week, cleverly devising a basket she could hook over her arm so that she could walk and knit at the same time, determined to be wearing the cowl by this weekend. Oh, my girl. (For kids knitting instruction - if you're looking for a visual reference for them or you - I really do like Kids Knitting a whole lot for that purpose.)

And you? Is there handworking keeping you and yours busy these days? 

making light

It's been a very long time since I've made little teacup lights, but I've been wanting to do so again. Amber's instructions and lovely photographs in the latest issue of Taproot prompted me to make it happen now, with another set of little ones who have never shared this particular craft with me. With a snow day yesterday, inching us closer to the solstice and all that means for light, yesterday was the perfect day. After a quick trip the the flea market, Adelaide and Harper were happily engaged - from peeling stickers and washing cups to holding wicks in place and finally, testing one out just as soon as it was dark enough to warrant one (we didn't have to wait long for that). I followed Amber's directions, and used what we had on hand for supplies - my handy "craft only" double boiler, these wicks, this wax, different essential oils, then our beeswax when I ran out of soy. These will be little gifties just from the two of them. They are enormously proud of them, and eager to share. (They gifted one to me right before bed - all bundled up and gift tagged. So lovely.)

All in all, another reminder for me that simple and special really is where it's at anytime, but especially at the holiday season. Some time spent creating together, thinking of those we love, and sharing. And in the end, a little bit more light.