Ideias para o Natal

Massinhas

Papás:urgente ler e reflectir!

Kit para sobreviver aos primeiros dias do jardim-de-infância (só para pais)

1. É proibido insultar o jardim-de-infância chamando-lhe "escolinha". Em primeiro lugar, porque é uma escola. Em segundo, porque todas as escolas ganhavam se ligassem brincar com aprender.

2. É proibido que os pais imaginem que o jardim-de-infância serve para aprender a ler e a contar. Ele é útil para aprender a descobrir os sentimentos. Para aprender a imaginar e a fantasiar. Para aprender com o corpo, com a música e com a pintura. E para brincar. Uma criança que não brinque deve preocupar mais os pais do que se ela fizer uma ou outra birra, pela manhã, ao chegar.

3. O jardim-de-infância assusta as crianças sempre que os pais - como quem sossega nelas os medos deles por mais um dia de jardim-de-infância - lhes repetem: "hoje vai correr tudo bem!"

4. Os pais estão proibidos de despedir-se muitas vezes das crianças, ao chegarem todos os dias. E é bom que se decidam: ou ficam contentes por elas correrem para os amigos ou ficam contentes por elas se agarrem ao pescoço deles, como se estivessem prestes a ser abandonadas para sempre. Já os pais que, secretamente, gostam das duas coisas são bons amigos dos maus pais...

5. É proibido que as crianças vão dia-sim dia-não ao jardim-de-infância. E que vão, simplesmente, quando os seus caprichos infantis vão de férias. E que não vão "porque sim". O jardim-de-infância não é um trabalho para os mais pequenos. É uma bela oportunidade para os pais não se esquecerem que se pode amar o conhecimento, namorar com a vida, nunca ser feliz sozinho e brincar, ao mesmo tempo.

6. No jardim-de-infância não tem de ser obrigatório comer até à última colher; nem dormir todos os dias. E não é nada mau que uma criança se baralhe e chame mãe à educadora (ou vice-versa).

7. Os pais estão obrigados a estar a horas quando se trata duma criança regressar a casa. Prometer e faltar devia dar direito a que os pais fossem classificados como tendo necessidades educativas especiais.

8. Os pais não podem exigir aos filhos relatórios de cada dia de jardim-de-infância. Mas estão autorizados a ficar preocupados se as crianças forem ficando mais resmungonas, mais tristonhas ou, até, mais aflitas sempre que regressam de lá. E estão, ainda, autorizados a proibir que o jardim-de-infância só se abra para eles durante as festas ou sempre que uma criança esteja doente.

9. O jardim-de-infância é uma escola de pais. E um lugar onde os educadores são educados pelas crianças. Um lugar onde todos se educam uns aos outros não é uma escola como as outras. É um jardim-de-infância.

10. Um dia, num mundo mais amigo das crianças, todas as escolas serão jardins-de-infância!

Professor Eduardo Sá

Tema : O Amor

Bonecas Waldorf

Basic instructions for a waldorf doll

" ......a handcrafted doll is one of a kind, an individual which carries the spirit of the maker in its stitches and absorbs the spirit of the child who loves it".

Isn't this a beautiful description of a handmade doll? I've been making waldorf dolls for about six years now and I was very lucky to be shown how by a German lady who was based at the waldorf school in Kings Langley. I started off making dolls for my own children and I in turn have taught other people to make dolls for their childen. In this way the waldorf doll making tradition continues as it has done for most of the last century. I have no idea why these dolls, which I believe were originally made by Kathe Krusse in Germany were adopted by the Steiner movement. I do know though that the dolls are made wherever there is a waldorf school and each country seems to have a slightly different way of forming the head, or tying the eye line or using different fabric for the skin. I make a few dolls each year to sell at our school's Christmas fair and as I was making a doll the other day I thought it would be interesting to document the process. So for those of you struggling with a book here are some basic instructions:

The dolls I make are 16'' tall and made from natural materials. First off I wind a ball from washed fleece to form the head. The ball on the left of the photo has a 12'' circumference and is probably a bit large to be honest. Then I take two pieces of carded fleece and place them in a cross and I put the head on top and I encase the ball and put it into a piece of tubigauze which I have stitched along the top. I push the head into the tube and tie it at the neck. There will be fleece sticking out but that's OK because it forms the shoulders/chest.

Next off you need to tie the eye, head and chin lines. I take a long needle and linen thread and I go into the side of the head at the ear (halfway down the head) and I go through the head to the other ear. Bring the thread back across the face and tie very tightly to the thread hanging out at the first ear. Then take the needle over the head and back through second ear to the first ear and pull tight, then take the thread under the chin and through the second ear to first, pull tight and finely round the back of the head and same process back to the first ear. Phew - your fingers will be aching by now but tie the two threads together and cut off the tail. Then take a piece of skin coloured stockinette and stretch it and pin it across this head and sew up the back and top and again tie at the neck.

Place pins where you think the eyes and mouth should be and embroider them.

Then sew up the arms and body on the sewing machine ( I can give you a pattern if you don't have one - just e-mail me). Turn right side out and stuff the hands and arms with fleece, firmly.

Sew the arms onto the back of the chest piece. I forgot to say to leave a few inches free at the top of the arms.

Stuff the feet and then the legs and then the tummy of the doll. Place the head and arms into the body and sew around the arms pushing in more fleece from the other side to firm up the chest. Finally sew around the neck and sew the head to the body with ladder stitch. You will need to bind off the hands and feet now but I forgot to take a picture of that.

Now the time consuming process of doing the hair. For boys I crochet a cap and then hook individual strands into the cap. For girls I either make a hair piece by winding wool around a book or I weave the hair over pins placed on the middle of the head and the ear which I then sew down. I would seriously recommend that you get a book for the pattern and for hair making instructions. A very good one is 'Kinder Dolls' by Maricristin Sealey. For doll supplies like the tubigauze, stockinette and hair you could try Weir Dolls, Waldorf Toys or Myriad.

Here are a few more pics of some of my dolls. Once you can make the head there are endless ways of making dolls with them. You can make a doll with a felted body or use and old cardigan.

You can even make little dolls for the seasonal table:

Well, I think that's enough navel gazing for one evening. Do let me know if it doesn't make sense or if you'd like the pattern and good luck - it isn't that difficult honestly and your child will cherish it forever.

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A couple of links to some beautiful waldorf dolls on flickr here, here, and here.

Site original

Figuras Geométricas

Flores de Feltro

How to :: Loopy Felt Flower by Sister Diane

July 10, 2009

If there ever was a classic instant-gratification craft, it’s the venerable felt flower. I was playing around one day, and stumbled upon this method for making an interesting zinnia-style design. Hope you like!

First, you need some strips of felt. I’m using a variety of widths here: 2 1/4″, 1 3/4″ and 1 1/2″. They should be at least 6″ long.

Fold a strip in half lengthwise. Pin the edges together if you like.

Then, cut a series of slits into the folded edge. Mine are about 1/3″ apart. You can cut them narrow or wide as you prefer. Just try to keep them reasonably equal.

Snip your way along about 6″ of the strip, and leave any excess attached for now. This gives us some flexibility in our flower design.

Now, thread up a sewing needle with about 18″ of doubled thread, and tie a secure knot in the end. Sew a small running stitch along the edges of the folded felt, sewing the two layers together.

(I should add: I’m using contrasting thread here for visibility. You’ll want to use coordinating thread.)

As you sew, pull on the thread to gather the strip. You can gather it as much or as little as you like, until you arrive at a flower shape you like. When you have a pretty shape, go ahead and cut off any excess felt strip.

Take a couple little tack stitches through the end of the gathers to lock them in place. Leave the needle and thread attached to the flower.

Now, fold the flower in half, matching the two ends as shown. Take a couple little whip-stitches through all the raw edges to join the flower into a circle. Knot the thread securely and cut.

Gently flatten the flower and adjust the gathers. Cut a felt circle large enough to cover the gathered area. And, find a fabulous button.

Glue that felt circle to the back of the flower with tacky glue. Let the glue set for about 10 minutes.

..And then, sew the button to the front of the flower, sewing through that felt circle you just glued on. You can use a shank button or a sew-through button for your flower center, incidentally.

If you don’t have any buttons large enough to cover the gathers, you can always cut another circle from contrasting felt and then sew the button over that - take a look at the light pink flower in the top photo for an example.

If you want to, you can make a second, smaller flower and glue it to the first one before you add the felt circle and button.

From here, you can glue a pin back to your flower to make a brooch. You can sew a cluster of them to a tote bag. You can glue one to a greeting card or scrapbook layout. You can use them as embellishments on scarves, hats, softies, pillows - oh, you get the picture!

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Thank you so much Diane for sharing this great fun tutorial with us! I think I just won’t be able to help myself and have to make one. She’s made it look so easy and as she said at the beginning of the tutorial, it’s such an instant gratification project! I love those! And so cute. I think it’s just the thing to go on my new crocheted sun hat… and maybe on my jacket too. What about on my new tote bag I’m making from Weaving Unloomed… I think there too!

Sister Diane - aka Diane Gilleland - says that she’s “made things my whole life, and would gladly give up most household chores for an afternoon of serious crafting. When I’m not crafting, I produce podcasts, and make zines, and write and blog about crafts. I live in Portland, Oregon - the coolest city ever. I also run DIY Alert, a website for Portland crafters. If you’re a local, you should check it out.”

Have fun making some button fun projects this weekend!

Kristin

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