GardenMama

.: Scenting Our Dreams ~ A Tutorial for making Dream Pillows :.

.: Patchouli, Rose Petals, Chamomile, and Lavender--each dried from our gardens and enjoyed on this day :.

Our summer was infused with the incredible scents of herbs that generously graced our gardens. We lingered over their sweet perfumes as we walked past them. They scented our dreams as they lived in vases on our bedroom windowsills, full with the sweetness the gardens had to offer us!

.: The soothing scent of chamomile set out on our crafting table.  A natural filler for our dream pillows :.

.: The spicy scent of aromatic cloves set out on our crafting table.  A natural filler for our dream pillows :.

As we moved along deeper into summer, our herbs were harvested and hung to dry. Many will be vital ingredients for use in family recipes, and they too will continue to scent our days...

.: Each child brought out a wooden bowl to be filled with colorful scented herbs, as well as small treasures we have found in nature. In placing the materials out for our craft, we are adding beauty to our table :.

 I appreciate finding beauty, meaning, and celebration in our every day life. On this day we moved our table alongside the gardens to enjoy a celebration of the Autumn harvest, enjoying crafting sweetly-scented pillows that will bring us extra warmth and love as we snuggle in a bit deeper under our blankets on these newly chilly days. Wooden bowls brim with lavender, rose petals, acorns, and wool.  Our hand-crafted glass lanterns from years past were lit, and flowers were placed on the table as we began to imagine the creative work that was set before us.

.: With a disappearing-ink pen an image of a sun was drawn on felt to form an outline for colorful stitches :.

With our disappearing-ink pens, my children drew out their designs on a square piece of felt.
I then drew a border around this square of felt and they embroidered their design, stitching three sides of the square piece closed, leaving the top open to  create the pocket to be filled with herbs and natural treasures of each child's choosing from the selection of treasures set out on our preparation table.  

.: Lavender is paired with tiny seashells that we found this summer during our time spent on the island:.

.: Beautifully colored wool roving from the wool festival we attended, paired with sweet miniature pine cones that line the forest floor :.

On this day we made "Scented Dream Pillows" We chose from many different  beautifully scented herbs and flowers. To add a special touch we decided to ornament our dreams by selecting personally meaningful  natural treasures. Memories such as an acorn or mini pine cone found during a walk in the forest.  A tiny seashell brought home with us on from a walk along the ocean.  These treasured memories were tucked in our small pillows to  mingle with the scents of our gardens. Pure wool roving from our time at the wool festival added an element of warmth and touch, as well as providing extra cushion for the ingredients that were inside them.

.: Choosing and adding the ingredients that will make up her dream pillow :.

.: A dream pillow halfway full, smelling of soothing Lavender and Chamomile herbs :. 

.: A few tiny pine cones and a small shell was added into my daughter's dream pillow. She tucked the soft wool roving inside to complete the filling process :.

 

.: Happily presenting two of our finished dream pillows :.

My children took much joy in scooping up Lavender and pulling at the wool roving like so many pieces of colorful cotton candy. They were delighted to carefully choose each special treasure that made their pillow unique and special to them. It was a way to complete the circle for them of the process of  tending the gardens and drying our herbs. They enjoyed the quiet meditation and the accomplishment of hands-on embroidery work, and most of all they were very excited for bedtime! They proudly carried their pillows around with them during the day and excitedly slipped them into their pillowcases at night.  These many memories all stitched together into our pillows made for a very memorable day and very peaceful dreams...

. : Organic Play : .

My summer has been spent living in the natural thrall of the river, the lakes, the mountains and in the 

lush world of the gardens...Walking barefoot along the fields will quickly transition to heavier and 

warmer forms of footwear!  I have noticed a natural shift in my children and I in these recent days.  They 

have been asking to read extra books at night as the cool breeze floats through our windows.  The new 

air has triggered my own new season of nesting.  I washed my collection of aprons today and took joy in 

hanging them on the line. I sewed a holder for the clothespins that once belonged to my grandmother.  I 

love to smell the fresh crisp air on my linens and on my aprons that helped me bring in the harvest this 

summer. Now they will be seeing lots of bread, soup and applesauce being made in September. This 

nesting also takes the form of moving furniture around, making seasonal baskets of books in the living 

room, and freshly re-organizing their toys in baskets to make them easier to bring alongside me as I do

my daily work.  

I meditate with the comforting whirring of the sewing machine. Other moments my knitting needles click 

as I watch my children play and learn alongside me.  I am dreaming of flower bouquets 

filled with warm-hued flowers and berries, of apple orchards, home pressed cider and the magic of 

carving pumpkins and drying their seeds for a snack.  I will enjoy these last summer days and love them 

with all that I have--thankful for each moment and being present with the time my family is enjoying 

together!

.: As my children play next to me I enjoy looking for new bread recipes.  In this journal I have written my 

best loved recipes from my family and friends.  My eye glasses have a new spot in the case that I sewed 

for them on this day.

.: I love to set up beautiful and inspiring play spaces for my children and I.  What better a space than 

under the shelter of a beautiful old tree.  This tree provided a tent for us to play under the dappled 

sunlight made leafy cutout shadows on our blanket making it known that we were playing in a very 

special place. 

.: Imaginative play being nurtured by this magical old tree.  Golden fields set out behind us and 

mountains set out before us inspiring our hearts and infusing play with the beauty found in nature.

                                                :  :  :  :                      

.: My daughter is busy sewing, this wooden sewing machine is brought to life in the hands of children. 

She carefully follows the stitches that she watched me sew as I made this bag on my sewing machine 

earlier in the day.

.: This rainbow of color adds the beauty of color into our day.  It's arches also serve as bridges for little

wool dolls and shelters for our wooden animals.

.: Our wool-felted family receives a special ride through the sunlit grass and over the trails on our

blanket.  Deep in play my son imagines the paths this horse will travel.

.: We enjoy a time for making art in this open air studio.  I have sewn three types of holders that will hold 

our beeswax block crayons, twig pencils, and hand made crayons with care.  

.: This tree extends her limbs down to us offering more opportunities for our play...

                             :  :  :  :

... and becoming part of our play.

.: Our days are even more special when Daddy is home to nurture us as he offers his open arms and 

special thoughts about the day.

.: While my children are enjoying their time of play in their nearby tent made of the tree I enjoy hanging 

my vintage aprons on the line, to look at them blowing in the breeze makes me smile. 

.: Colorful flags signaling a friendly hello!

. : These aprons hold many memories both old and new, they hold a special place in our home life.

.: As I hang my aprons on the clothesline, I look back to my children and am warmed by their presence 

and feel happy on this day. 

                                                              

      :  :  :  :

Doll Friends

(Our first Waldorf doll! Doll dress handmade by Mama)

My family is in love with Waldorf dolls and their makers! Our very first doll was commissioned a few years ago, over the years we have added more to our (now) family of dolls. A while back Mothering magazine featured an article on boys and dolls and I fully agree with the sentiments of the article on why it is a wonderful thing for boys to have the chance to be loving and kind to their dolls. In the same way my daughter nurtures and mothers her dolls my two sons are loving fathers to their dolls.

(My son's dolls. Doll quilt made by Mama)

A few more of the reasons why I love Waldorf style dolls for my children is because they are very gentle, nurturing dolls, they are stuffed with clean sheep's wool which warms when they are held and also takes on the smell of your home as a comfort to your child. Typically this style doll does not show much facial expression leaving playtime more open ended so that the child can fully engage his/her imagination as to what he/she would like the doll to be feeling happy, sad, surprised etc. The magic of these dolls is that they are completely hand made with all natural materials and the love that is put into their making is truly felt, I also feel good about knowing my money is going to these creative mama's rather than to a big box store. I have had the pleasure of getting to know a very special friend through purchasing one of her exquisite dolls, It would be my honor to introduce to you Meike of Starry Sheep she is a kind friend and sweet mama of two and makes the most gorgeous dolls!

("Carolina" made by Meike)

Please check out her shop on Etsy! and visit her creative blog Meike is always adding new dolls as well as knitted bunnies to her shop. I hear she has a few amazing creations in the works right now!