American Girl - Kirsten's final Meeting

Our American Girl year has come to and end...  Kirsten's final project - soap whittling.  After some discussion, we decided that the girls weren't ready for real knives and wood whittling, so we did the next best thing - good, old ivory soap!

 

This is what our sample looked like...pretty impressive (no, I didn't do this one!  I was with the MCA - planning a future "big thing" for them to attempt)

 

 Tools of the trade, and the "leftovers". 

 

A couple of the finished projects from one of my daughters - I think she was attempting a fish and bear? 

 

Several lessons we learned - this is a lot harder than it looks!  Plus, your floors will be clean once you mop up all those soap shavings.  (did I mention how glad I am it wasn't at my house this time...)

 

 

Stay tuned - it looks like changes are underway for our American Girls next year!



American Girl: Kirsten Quilts

Kirsten has taught us so many wonderful lessons!  The girls have all learned how to thread a needle, and sew a couple of simple stitches.  We've explored the reality of pioneer life.  Kirsten has encouraged us to be frugal and creative at the same time.

This meeting I got to show them how to quilt!!  I love quilts,  they feel like a blanket filled with love to me.  I have made a quilt for each of my children (actually, I'm still working on that...I have a couple of UFO's around - unfinished objects!)

I was able to share my passion, and the girls made a quilted potholder.  I hope they'll be inspired to make their own quilts someday.

 

Our potholders were made with a simple square.  The girls practiced their back stitching to hand sew around the outside.  Then, they did a whip stitch to bind the edges.  Finally, they were able to do a running stitch to quilt a simple design.

 

These are more decorative than useful - we didn't use a heat-resistant batting.  The girls also thought they'd make great doll quilts.

 

 

 



 I didn't keep track of what our Littles, 1/2 Pints &  MCA were up to... teaching 13 girls to quilt was plenty enough for me!

American Girl - Kirsten

American Girl Club - Kirsten is back on track!

This meeting we focused on some necessary skills for every pioneer girl... mastering threading the needle!

For our project, we bravely attempted 2 projects this meeting, we made Bunny Pincushions and Braided mats.

 

 

 

I'm getting wiser - I pre-assembled all the pieces for the bunny into a ziplock bag first. The body, tail, eyes, whiskers, ears - even the precut thread and needle.  It made it so much more streamlined for them.

 

 

Cute!

 

 

 

Our braided mats/rugs went over well too. The girls enjoyed the braiding.  They taped the strands to the table and braided outward.  After the braiding was done, they wound and sewed small holding stitches.

 

It's been so much fun to see our girls master threading the needle.  I know it seems simple at first, but - with 13 young ladies... they had to learn patience (and so have we!).  I'm grateful that even if they never become fans of sewing - at least they'll be able to thread a needle.

 

Our Half-Pints had fun making paper hats! 

 

 

And the MCA (masculine club of awesomeness for those who don't know them)  were doing a push-up contest when I walked by....

 

 

We have something for everyone here!

 



American Girl - Kirsten Returns!

Okay... the American Girl club has gotten off to bumpy start this year.  This is only our 2nd meeting!  It's been a rough winter of lots of sick kiddos (and we have lots of kiddos between us...) But, spring is returning, and so are we.  But, it's good to be back in the swing of things!

Let me introduce you - we have 7 families total

• 13 American Girls - ages 8-13
• 11 MCA (Masculine Club of Awesomeness... really what else could they call themselves) boys age 10-16
• 7 Half Pints - ages 5-7
• 7 1/2 (another one is soon to join them...) Littles - ages birth to 4

So, it's a bit of a chaotic, wild, crazy and WONDERFUL household everytime we are together!

This month - the American Girls made Yarn Dolls & Homemade Bread and Butter .

 The yarn dolls were super cute - the head is made with a ping-pong ball.  They used their creativity to personalize them!

Glad we had a bona-fide, home-made bread baker to teach this lesson.  I thought it all came from the bread store...  It was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted - I'm a believer!  Too bad I can't add smell to this post... the pictures just don't do it justice.

The MCA - continued with "Start Here" - and have devised a list of "hard things" to tackle this year, including another fundraising effort for our trip to India.  If you missed last year's post - these amazing boys raised $2,000 with a yard sale and survival bracelets to send another family to Haiti on a mission trip!  They are "professionals" now... I can't wait to see what God does with them.

Our new group - the Half Pints, are doing a book & activity together.  They were ready for more than just free play...but, not quite ready to join the older kids yet. 



Our Littles - well, they just play and have the time of their lives!