All Nearly Done - Competitions, Parties, Boxes and a Studio

Since Valentines day it has been a rather crazy busy week or so. I have not updated our blog as I have simply fallen into bed exhausted every night with nothing to say and fingers too tired to type.  There is still time to get involved with the 'imapiece' Craftivist Jigsaw Project and sign the Save the Children epetition.  I know that we have not published the winner of the vintage Ladybird book - Learning to Sew yet, so, here it is:

What have we been doing?

Well, it's been half term and here at Mrs Fox's February is party month.  We have parties this month including three of our own little foxes and Mr Neil Fox.  Mr Fox is 40 and obviously found turning 40 more traumatic than a celebration.  I must admit I was surprised.  I thought it was only women who greeted the passing of such a milestone with such undisguised dread.  When I said I really needed to update our blog he gave me full permission to use his trauma as an excuse for my neglect.

On the other paw it is always a joy to work on a party for the little foxes.  We always get to be so much more inventive with our own parties as, to be honest, we can talk our own little foxes into things we wouldn't try out on a client.  As I knew we would be particularly busy this February I had warned my little ones that it was going to be small parties this year and they could have a little garden party in the summer with their friends to make up for it.  Little Una Fox will turn 7 next Wednesday and we have worked on a Peacock Party to celebrate.  What is a Peacock Party I hear you cry.  Well here is the moodboard and which includes Una's picture that inspired the whole thing, further details and some great 'how to'-guides will follow shortly.

Mrs Fox's first Crafty Box is due to be sent out soon and the finishing touches are just being added to  a great new project from Mrs Fox's.  We will be sending out a Mrs Fox's Crafty Boxes every month filled with themed children's craft projects and a variety of ideas and suggestions around that month's theme to fuel your child's imagination and aid you in developing their interest and enthusiasm for making things.  If you are interested in subscribing to Mrs Fox's Crafty Boxes further details are here please email us if you are interested.

And finally Mrs Fox is, almost, nearly ensconced in her new studio.  There is much still to do and the smell of paint and floor sealant is almost overpowering.  But it makes me so happy to sit in here and type this blog post.

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Show a Little Love - Craftivist Collective's Jigsaw Project and Help Save the Children in it's Race Against Hunger

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here at Mrs Fox's we are celebrating the day of love with an update, as promised, on our jigsaw pieces for the Craftivist Collective's Jigsaw Project (#imapiece).

"Using jigsaw pieces stitched together, the project will create an art installation to raise awareness of the issues of world hunger and injustice. As well as making a piece for the artwork, we're encouraging you to make one for yourself to keep as a reminder to be part of the solution, and to give a piece stitched with the words "I'm a piece" to your MP, to ask them to be the positive change they wish to see in the world. You can find instructions here, your jigsaw template here, suggested slogans here, a story to reflect on whilst stitching here and there's also a video here.- everything you should need!"

On Monday I printed out the jigsaw template from the Craftivist Collective's website and cut out three shapes on white cotton.  Little Louis Fox is only three and not yet holding scissors with ease, much less a needle, so in order not to exclude him from this activity I dug out some fabric pens.  (For this they probably could have used ordinary felt tip pens.)  The children watched the instructional video on the Craftivist's website and we talked about what we were doing and why.  Then I told them they could do what ever they liked as a design on the fabric with the pens.

As you can see, Louis went for the abstract approach while Una said she wanted to draw; "something beautiful to make the children smile".  Una's is covered in flowers, butterflies and ladybirds.  I love the way the flowers are arranged in an arc around the hole in the jigsaw piece and the blue of the sky stops leaving a big white gap.  Don't you remember drawing the sky like that?

As I talked a little more with Louis about what it means to do something for others, 'kindness' seemed to be the word that for him was most helpful in understanding this concept.  So, I wrote out the word and very quickly, with Louis watching, stitched over it in chain stitch.  Louis had been looking at what Una was doing and requested a flower too.  So, I used one of the felt daisies that I make for our felt flower headbands and sewed that onto his jigsaw piece.

That evening I cut out some more of the jigsaw shapes this time in blue cotton to back and stiffen, their  pieces.  The Craftivist website very sensibly suggests you use bondaweb, which you can iron onto fabric, but I don't have any and thought that sewing around the shape was well within Una's capabilities.  I've finished Louis' for him, sewing the 2 layers of fabric to the back with a simple running stitch.  Una has finished her backing and is still trying to decide what words of wisdom to embroider onto the front in the space she has left for this. 

It is so nice to be crafting with the children and also teaching them about their place in the world and responsibility to help others.  It feels right that their creativity has the potential to do good even while they are so young.  And I find myself absolutely inspired by the Craftivist Collective's approach to activism.  

If you fancy a really worthwhile craft project to share with your children, why don't you have a go too.  All the details can be found on the Craftivist Collective's webpage, including a step by step video guide.  

If you need help with the sewing then take a look on our previous post at our offer of a FREE copy of a vintage Ladybird book, Learning to Sew.  All you have to do is go over to the Save the Children's Race Against Hunger petition, sign it, and then leave a message in the comments section of our posts here or here.

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Ladybird Tuesday - Learning to Sew, Ladybird GIVEAWAY and Craftivist Collective's Jigsaw Project for Save the Children

Phew!  My longest title ever.  This is a special Ladybird Tuesday here at Mrs Fox's.  I'm combining this weeks post with a FREE GIVEAWAY of the Ladybird book in question, (I found a copy at my local charity shop) and a call to get involved with the Craftivist Collective's Jigsaw Project, (#imapiece).

Learning to Sew by Noreen Davis with illustrations by Eric Winter was published in 1972 and is part of the Ladybird series 633.  This book is close to my heart, it combines the 70's version of the make do and mend ethos with Ladybird's classic educational agenda. It is probably as a result of books like this one that I love to make things.  Out of this love of crafting, Mrs Fox's was born and Mrs Fox's Crafty Boxes are the latest product of this.  If you love making things with and for your children too, then at the end of this post I'll tell you how to get yourself a copy of this book.

"The simple text and clear, colourful illustrations of this book will make learning to sew a pleasure.  The reader is taken step by step through the beginnings of sewing and at each stage a useful article can be made which adds to the sense of achievement."












This book starts with a list of "Some materials you will need", and a great Ladybird illustration too.

It then proceeds with a series of skills; explaining various stitches, hemming, sewing on a button etc.

And includes a series of simple projects that will help a child learn to sew.  As I love to make things in fabric, (we sell some of them on our Folksy store) it is no surprise that my oldest little fox, Una, has been quick to learn and insistent on using her sewing skills, my last post being the perfect example.

I love to sew and I love fabrics, and pattern.  There is something straightforward and practical about sewing, as a skill it can be used to make so many things, there are so many methods and processes.  But sewing is also creative, artistic and really very meditative.

So, when I discovered the Craftivists Jigsaw Project  which aims to raise awareness of Save the Children's Race Against Hunger Campaign I signed the petition straight away.  And then I found some white cotton, scissors and fabric pens because it gave me a starting point for a sewing craft with the little foxes.

The Craftivist Collective is going to create a giant embroidered jigsaw puzzle.  Each piece of the jigsaw will be handmade by individual crafters and so this afternoon I have cut out three of the jigsaw templates for me and each of the little foxes to decorate.  I will pop pictures of the results up on Valentines Day:

"Using jigsaw pieces stitched together, the project will create an art installation to raise awareness of the issues of world hunger and injustice. As well as making a piece for the artwork, we're encouraging you to make one for yourself to keep as a reminder to be part of the solution, and to give a piece stitched with the words "I'm a piece" to your MP, to ask them to be the positive change they wish to see in the world. You can find instructions here, your jigsaw template here, suggested slogans here, a story to reflect on whilst stitching here and there's also a video here.- everything you should need!"

So, how about spreading a little bit of your love a little bit further this Valentines Day?  How about showing your love for the people of the world and helping to put hunger at the top of the agenda at the G8 next summer, sign the petition here and then pop a comment on this post for the chance to win a vintage copy of the Ladybird book; Learning to Sew.   We will pick a post at random on 21st February when the jigsaw pieces should be with the Craftivist Collective.  And spread the word, on your own blog, Twitter and Facebook.

This post is part of Ladybird Tuesday started on the Being Mrs C blog, take a look at her posts here.

And the rest of Mrs Fox's Ladybird Tuesday posts are here and if you have a collection of Ladybird books, please do feel free to join in.

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