The Patisserie

We have had the best summer crafty project going lately - in the summer I always like to have something fun to work on that we didn't get time for during the rest of the year.  Summer here is like the deep winter of other climes.  The weather and bugs make you want to lethargically hang out inside.  It's taken me so many years of living here to discover this.  The weather is just too nice in the spring, winter and fall to sit inside with crafts.

Rose and I had this brilliant idea back in May - and since then we have been working to make a tiny, needle-felted patisserie.  It's been so fun to think of different pastries and cakes to try.

None of us have much experience yet with needle felting.  We had a kit from ages ago that no one could quite figure out from written instructions.  I finally found some videos on youtube that helped a lot.  We started with simple cookie shapes, and moved on to gingerbread men, pain-au-chocolat, and cupcakes with cherries on top.

Not only are they delicious-looking and cute, but I am thinking they will be fun to work with when we review money for third grade in the fall.

I've also found that interesting my children in arts and crafts must be done in a certain way.  It wouldn't work if I had gotten all the wool, foam, and needles out and announced, "We are all going to sit down and do needle felting now!"  I can get out all kinds of great art supplies that way, and everyone ignores them and finds something better to do.

Instead I got it all out very quietly, while they were busy fighting over something in their room.  When they sent out a delegation for appeal and accusation, I was just sitting at the table quietly, working on a cookie.

"It's all his fault, Mirin did blah-blah-blah, he's such a horrible person."

and, "Rosie is so mean, she did blah-blah-blah," faded as they watched me as I quietly poked the cookie shape with the felting needle.

"Yes?" I said, not looking up.

"What are you doing?" became the question, and Clothilde crawled into my lap making further progress impossible.  Then, suddenly, everyone wanted a felting needle, and I had to give up my piece of foam.  The creativity blossomed and everyone was curious and wanted to try.