For Christmas, Tim and I got Little Lady and Little Guy a set of 184 maple blocks. Shhh... don't tell :) Anyway... because they are so heavy, and because Drew and his family will be flying here this holiday season, we had the blocks shipped to their house. They will open them before heading to Michigan. They will be staying with us for the week. Besides the regular gift, we buy all the grandbabies Fontanini Nativity figurines. (A family tradition.) By the time they leave home, they will have a beautiful Nativity to share with their families. Lovely idea, I know, BUT it isn't always exciting for wee ones to open on Christmas morning. So, I decided I wanted to make each of them a soft, squishy dolly to open and love.

As you may have noticed, we no longer have sponsors on Wee Folk Art. However, many of the shops that were featured were favorite shops of ours that we continue to frequent. Probably my favorite shop is A Child's Dream. Debbie, the shop's owner, has always had a wonderful selection, but in the past few months she has expanded her offerings, and I have to say, I think it is the best shop around for buying natural crafting supplies. When I wanted to make dolls for the grandbabies, it is the first place I went.

I decided on these 2 dolls from the Joy's Waldorf Doll Kits collection. For Little Guy, I am making the 6" Star Doll in ever so soft cotton velour. Just perfect for wee hands!

For Little Lady, I wanted a simple doll that would travel well. I picked the 12" Velour Bright Eyes Baby. I know she'll squeal with delight when she opens it.

The kits come with most of the supplies you need including wool roving for stuffing. I had to chuckle that they included chopsticks to help you stuff the roving in little spaces :) I plan to work on them this weekend (I hope!) I'll be blogging about the process, however, there will not be a pattern. If you would like to make your own, I highly suggest you order kits from A Child's Dream. If you price out individual items, I think you'll agree that they really are a good deal :)

When I told Debbie that I was going to share these online, she agreed to offer Wee Folk Art readers a discount. So... here it is:

10% off through Monday 12/3/12 with the code WEEFOLK (for domestic and international orders)

 ~OR~

Free Standard Shipping over $75 with code 2102ACD - expires 12/31/12

One code per order please.

Well, YAY! So, if you'd like to join me in making dollies or if you need anything else from A Child's Dream, make sure you order by Monday, December 3 to get 10% off your entire order. The free shipping on orders over $75.00 runs til the end of the year. Thanks, Debbie!

Watch for our doll making blogs next week!

Photos 28-12

German Stars, also called, Moravian Stars, have long fascinated me. I had planned to make some a while back with my SIL Jennifer, but when our star making morning fell through, I forgot about them. Then, a couple of weeks ago, with a little time on my hands, I gave them a try. I cut my own strips out of wrapping paper, followed a wonderful tutorial I found at With A Grateful Prayer and A Thankful Heart, and made my first star. Exciting beyond belief! HOWEVER, the wrapping paper did not work well for me... it was hard to cut, too thin, and you could see the back of the paper. So, I went on Etsy, typed in German Star Strips, and found a wonderful selection. I wound up buying strips that were 3/4" wide, and they made stars that were 3 1/2" when finished.

I considered writing up the directions here, but honestly, I could not do better than the 2 part video tutorial found at With A Grateful Prayer and A Thankful Heart. Lorraine is a won.der.ful teacher, and her tutorial is easy to follow and well done. So, let me send you over to her to learn how to make them :) Here's my first go-around making them, following her instructions:

I call these my "Candy Cane Stars". I made a few other sets, too. I made 6 of each, and added metallic embroidery floss for hanging them on a tree. Here are my "Eloquent Stars"... nice and shiny

my "Pastel Stars"

and my "Rainbow Stars".

I also made a bunch of "Pure White Stars" to add to my Snowflake windows.

I will caution you, they are very addicting! If you feel like you are all thumbs the first time you make one, not to worry. Before you know it, you'll be able to fold them with your eyes closed. I made all the stars, except the white ones, as gifts. I plan to make more for myself in various colorways, and use them throughout the year in my seasonal decorating. Give them a try. Tons of fun :)

For those of you that follow me on One Generation to Another, today I'm sharing a lesson in gratitude that I learned from my Bushia many years ago. Please join me HERE :)

"With a moo moo here, and a moo moo there; here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo..."

Today we are sharing our Cow Applique Block. It was created to fit on a 6" x 6" block but can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. There are many small pieces on this applique, so it lends itself well to be worked in felt. Hope you find many ways to make use of this little guy... guess I mean little gal :) MOO!

The Cow pattern can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Enlarge and Reduce can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Cut Out Felt can be found HERE.

The Stitching Glossary can be found HERE.

DIRECTIONS - Refer to pattern and photo for applique placements and stitching recommendations.

Cut out felt using material list above and pattern. Transfer any embroidery markings.

Position cow's body on block. Using a running stitch, sew utter to block using 2 strands of floss. The utter seam should be under the cow's body.

Using a blanket stitch, sew body to block using 3 strands floss.

Position head on block. Using a running stitch, sew ears and horns to block using 2 strands floss. The horn and ear seams should be under the cow's head.

Using a blanket stitch, sew head to block using 3 strands floss.

Using a running stitch, sew muzzle and spots to body using 2 strands floss.

Using a stem stitch, embroider cow's tail and leg detailing using 6 strands floss.

Using a running stitch, sew tuft to tail using 2 strands floss.

Using a straight stitch, embroider nostrils using 6 strands floss.

Using a French knot, add eyes using 6 strands floss.

Using a straight stitch, add teats using 6 strands floss.

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PHOTO: 1-30-10