Spring Books

It's time to put our Spring Books together.  This is how we compile our accomplishments, projects, observations, memories & perfect moments.  I LOVE homeschooling!  I got to do it myself, since I began cutting school in 3rd grade (Smurfs, then Gummi Bears, the Brady Bunch, The Love Boat, I Love Lucy...).  So they took me out & I've been a passionate student ever since...Some images we're including:

*The "Office" under the stairs.  We put up 2 peg racks & now I'm free of the silk chaos all over my house.  And...26 silks for 3 boys?  What is that all about?  We also edited out the toys & placed all of Winn's toddler books right where he'll be able to get them.  He loves to "read" to his brothers by recalling stories or interpreting the pictures.  The first time he arranged his baby brother & Kuya (big bro in P)  on the couch next to him & read, "Many drummers drum.  Many drummers come."  It was everything I could do to not start balling & making a giant scene of it.  I grew up with that exact book.   a 

  *Love's so amazing "hawk" embroidery.  How does a 6 year-old pick up a hoop for the first time in 4 years & come strong with flight & perspective? 

*Our local birds charts.  This is so much fun.  I've never been a bird person before, but I've really gotten swept up in the magic & diversity of it all.  We made copies of a 2-sided card & the boys have them on clipboards with pens attached.  They just tally away at what they see, then we transfer it onto the big chart.  We've added trips to the raptor center & zoo, needle-felting birds, reading Trumpet of the Swan, Adopting a Trumpeter Swan...Too much to add, actually.

*Play money from the "Oak 1 Credit Union" in my livingroom.  A trip to the local Golden One included the inside of the ATM machine & made quite the impression.  In one week he's gone from teaching himself the value of coins to simple multiplication, addition, & subtraction.  Not to mention customer service! Lakeshore makes great, very realistic playmoney.  He now wants to start a blog selling embroidered pillows for, "like, from $5 to $13 dollars."

*A women's shelter at the Oakland Zoo.  It's absolutely beautiful, with a surprising efficiency built in.  The structure is made from local sticks
& cow dunge with a thatched roof.  Inside there's rooms for storing sheep, fattening livestock, raised adult women & young girl's beds, a pantry,
& kitchen.  This style is used in several countries throughout Africa, although I don't know how common they are at this point.  Next thing to study...

Hawaiian-Style Baby Quilt

A "quick" project, all machine sewn.  Hawaiian quilts are crazy-amazing & I love the graphic look of a single bold color on muslin.  They're definitely not easy, though- it's all reverse applique, which means, well I don't remember.  Because this lovely pillow, started on my honeymoon, has been sitting around for years.

This quilt was inspired by my angelic godson Kaleo, & it features the pineapple-butterfly logo of the Kapalua Hotel on Maui.  His parents married on the beach at Kapalua Bay & a giant sea turtle peeked up from the waters to bless them.  So baby sea turtles make up the centerpiece for this very Aloha-sweet boy. 
I grabbed this simple pattern book (simple to read, that is)

And then I altered the monstera leaf pattern to make the adorable baby turtles.  I made four & pieced them in the center.  Note the wonderful webs in the center- key for a Hawaiian-style quilt.

  Then I just sewed the whole thing together with a sergerish stitch compliments of my Husqvarna Computer 350.  My boy's did all the "pedalwork," making it quite homey-looking & justifying the lack of handstitching.  The background is a very dreamy Japanese-Looking flannel from Stone Mountain & Daughter, my favorite fabric shop in Berkeley, CA.  It's very funky.  The green is a tight acid yellow & lime woven linen, very raw. I'm crazy for the color.  Also from Stone Mountain.  With 3 young kids, I pick my priorities.  The purity here comes in 100% natural fibers & batting.