No Dodo's

My small girl started Kinder this year, and is loving it.

Which was quite a relief as I had envisaged weeks of unsettled-ness, and masses of anxiety for all of us at drop off time....Nope, the only tears were mine on the first day at drop off time.

Kinder is a learning curve for us all.

We are completely new to the area and it seemed (then) that most of the other Mums/Dads knew each other well and were happily milling about chatting and quietly spying on their kids through the artwork peppered windows.

Whilst my daughter had found several new friends to chat to about entirely important 4 yr. old stuff, I stood there all on my own..with my sun glasses on , tears rolling down my face and listening to the other parents arrange to meet down the road for coffee...I drove home all sad wondering how long it would take me to make some friends too.

Not long!

This is a great town with such a strong sense of community, we have been welcomed entirely.

I no longer feel sad or lonely or friend-less at drop off time. Or any other time for that matter and I have learnt things about me during this process too.

So, I kept that Kinder' /community spirit in mind when the kinder teacher asked if I would make some teaching aids for the kinder I said "sure".

I was given this book,

Which, is a 'counting up to ten book'.

Each number has a picture of a specific species of an endangered animal.

For example, there are nine dolphins. - So I made nine Dolphins from felt.

On the last page of the book (as the title suggests) there is no picture, as there are now no Dodo's on the planet.

I was asked to make the required amount of animals for each number.

The teaching idea being that when counting with the class the teacher would stick each animal up onto a felt board.

I loved this little project on two levels.

1. I was helping the Kinder and enjoyed the process of making these felt animals.

2. The teacher was able to gently impart a really important message to the kids about our planet and its animals, our environment and the effect we people are having on them.

Go see who else has been playing show and tell in their creative spaces today over at Kirsty's.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Rafi and his new family's - Creative Space.

The small boy's birthday is just around the corner and for him I have repaired his beloved Rafi, I have also made a family of Giraffe's for 'Rafi' to hang out with down on the plains....

Rafi looked like this after 2 1/2 yrs of 'love' from a small boy.

I wondered if I should even attempt to stick a needle into the felty thread bare coat of Rafi let alone try to attach something to it. I wondered if it would all be too much for him causing Rafi haemorrhage is fluffy innards at a significantly faster rate than he already was.

I considered making Rafi a 'new suit' to wear, I had even planned on ensuring the small boy was part of the process of 'dressing' Rafi in the new suit so as not to cause him any undue anxiety for his 'old Rafi'.

Using the off cuts from the new 'Rafi family' I made some patches for Rafi and blanket stitched them on to him - starting with the great gaping hole in his neck.

And now he looks like this

(Legs to be patched soon)

And these are his herd members, his new family.

These new Giraffe's may soon have some needle felted patches - I'm well over blanket stitching for now.

Should you be requiring some felt of glorious thickness - safe in the knowledge that it wont pull apart when worked with, is hand dyed and made from 100% pure wool then I urge you to go visit Trudi's shop 'Me and Ewe' - You will be so pleased you did.

For more lovely words and lovely things to look at, go see who else is playing Kirsty's game of show and tell today.

Have a great day.

Cheers.