Stitching Tooth Fairy Pillows

The Kindergarten and First Graders are beginning to loose their teeth and their new permanent teeth are growing in.  To help the tooth fairy locate the lost tooth, the students stitched a pillow with a pocket for the tooth.

I cut out 36 pairs of fabric, 8" x 11" for the pillow and the pocket measured 4" by 3.5."  I pressed the pockets and sewed the hem on the top of the pocket for ease in stitching them on to the pillow.
That was the children's first step.

They learned about a pin and a needle and how to thread the needle and create a running stitch.

I asked the members of my quilter's guild if anyone would like to help the little one's learn to stitch.  I had some wonderful people help the children.

 Betty helping Ingrid; Sue helping Breydon. Kathy, one table over helping Ryder, Elijah, Rozella and Cooper L.

 Carol helping Nora. At the front table Ann is helping Ashton, Hunter and Cooper B.

The first graders are stitching on the first day. Lots of focus with Ann helping Ashton; Bailey hleping Abdullah, Sue in foreground and Carol with her back to the camera.

    Susan helping Delacey.

On the next day, the children learned about stitching the two pieces with the right sides together and leaving one side open to turn it to the right side out and stuff the pillow. Ann helping Ingrid, Cole and Ava.

           Arianna is almost complete.

    Carol is helping Evelyn.

                      Eisley, Kindergartener is very proud of her work.

                      Zoey, Kinder is thrilled with her tooth fairy pillow.

                     Koen, Kindergartener is stitching.

                            Another proud Kinder, Delaney with her pillow.

    Sue helping Superman, Owen, Kindergartner.

 Kathy helping Creedence, Kindergarten.  He is very determined.

                                   Lane, Kindergartner is testing his pillow.  He's pleased.

 Jake, Kindergartner got his finished.

 Abdullah, first grader, taking a little rest.

 A group of first graders, Rozella, Ashton, Breydon, Abdullah with their pillows.

 Nora, 1st grader tickled pink.

 Aiden, 1st grader proud of his handiwork.

 Delacey, first grader feeling pleased.

 

Our first grade students with their tooth fairy pillows and Kathy, Sue, Cindy, Carol and Susan, some of the wonderful volunteers who helped them have so much success.  What bright smiles of happiness. 

Alice in Wonderland at Ridgeway Community School

    Prairie Fire Children's Theater came to Ridgeway Community School and worked with the children for five days and they put on Alice in Wonderland.  It was full of song and dance and lots of frolicking about. 

 The dodo bird and two other birds

The playing cards

Alice talking to the white rabbit.

Sunrise How I Love to See You

Saturday morning, April 26, 2019, 6:00am  It was a magnificent sight and lit up the whole sky.  The sunrise is coming earlier and earlier to bring us more and more light.  I breathe it in.

These three are on the morning of April 10, 2019 around 6:18am.

April 3, 2019 on the ridge near Witoka, Minnesota at about 6:45am. Morning time, it is a good time of day.

Spring Holds a Promise of Warmth

The earliest of flowers are beginning to bloom.  These cheerful little blue beauties grow close to the ground.

The owner of these tulips said he got these a couple of years ago when he was in Amsterdam.  Earlier in the day, they had been open up wide.  At this time of the day, the sky was overcast.  They even survived the snow/ice storm of the previous week.

Last year's leaves won't stop this tiny ones from showing their color.

Miniature yellow crocuses.  Hmm, anyone know when the pink flowers are?

Purple crocus.

Be Kind

This is a four part heart created by 8 students of various ages, Kindergarten through 5th Grade in Homeroom.  We had just finished this one, and Naser was holding it in place.  He was very pleased with the colorful out come!

At Ridgeway Community School, homeroom is an afternoon every couple of months that we come together as families--all siblings in a family or individual students of mixed age levels.  Our Kindergarten through 5th graders all work together on a project or learn something about our theme. Our theme of Kindness continues for this year.  Each homeroom group created two hearts in four parts each.  Various combinations of children and adults worked together to create patterns and then color in the pattern.  They were very careful and considerate. The idea was originally created by Cassie Stephen's, a generous art teacher in Tennessee. Here are some photos from Mrs. Johnson's group working together.

    Sawyer and J.J. working together.                                                           

 Willa and Johanna creating together with Malia and Delaney looking on.  Mrs. Johnson was coloring too.  In the background of this photo with Mrs. Johnson, you can see Cassie Stephen's post, that has a video tutorial to help everyone learn how to do this fun collaborative art activity.                                                                                                                            

Delaney and Elan working patterns.

 Naser and Abdullah working together.

    Malia and Payton beginning.

 Celia and Marcus making patterns.

 Malia and Payton's part of the heart complete.

Malia and Delaney with Elan in back.  Great working together.

About a week later, I got them all up on the front bulletin board. The top image is the whole mural. The lower picture has the 'D'  and two hearts missing, but it's a bit clearer in detail. A total of 12 hearts and 6 letters spelling "Be Kind."  A big thanks to Cassie Stephen's for her wonderful sharing of this art activity.  I was lots of fun!

You may be interested in another Kindness activity that we worked on earlier this year.

"Be Kind," that is a good reminder for all of us.

Vision Board

At the beginning of the new year, its a good time to assess how is life going along and what do I need to change.  Some people do it in the form of New Year's resolutions, others with Chinese New Year, others with making of a Vision Board, others with dancing in their intentions or making a fire.

I collect images from magazines and old calendars and stuff that I find in junk stores.  I have lots of things.  This was a good way to clear some things and recycle the images that are no longer important to me.  I had not made a Vision Board in a long time.  It was fun to begin.

What is collage anyway?  Here's an entry when I was creating Soul Collage cards to give you an idea about collage.

Here's the last vision board that I created.  I like how the colors move around the frame.  I pinned up a big flower that I painted at a Barefoot Bliss Weekend that I attended in Michigan. 

I brought the frame down off the wall and took everything off.  It was a little sad to do--I wondered if I could make another one that I liked.  Would it be as good?  Or would it be junk?  Oh--there go those racing thoughts.  I had to tell myself, "Cancel, Clear," and I started over.  "I'm going to make it.  It will be what is to come next.  No judgement about good, better best."

I have a few projects that I'm thinking about.  I put all of these beautiful fabrics in a pile to use.

More images.  I cut some with the scissors and some I cut with the paper cutter.  I love that tool.

Here's the final board for 2019.  Dance, movement, art, nature, love of life, change, people.           Life as Art.  It is good.  I kept the saying above the board, "I am strong and powerful and speak my truth with clarity."  I like this new board.  It speaks to me of hope!