Hobbit Inspired Giveaway

I thought that after the Hobbit birthday of my beautiful boy, It would be fun to have a Hobbit giveaway.

And so I put together a pack with most of the goodies from the birthday, and I'm going to give it to you.

You just have to leave a comment here for a chance to win, or like our facebook page and come back and tell in comments to be have a second chance to win.

Package includes:
1 felt sword
1 Gandalf hat
1 floral crown 
 2 dwarf beards
2 elvish crowns
1 messenger bag
2 elvish bows with arrows and bags

Winner will be announced next Friday (October 10).

Good Luck everyone!

Sewing sewing, like a busy bee

Yarn Along it's a day of the week to share what you are knitting and reading created by Ginny, you can add your post here every Wednesday or to the flickr group any day.

So, my kid's birthday is this Sunday, and I'm oh so far from done with all the crafting, but I keep making progress. Of course time to read is not on the picture right now, nor knitting, but I did finish the shawl I talked about last week, just that I don't have foamy block to block it. I do love it, I hope my gran would like it, but for me I would make the large size, this one is medium.

Last night I worked on the mini bow and arrows pouches, and the swords, axes and hammers, all in felt, so kids could not hurt them selves. I made the blade on the swords one side grey and the other side blue, so they can play turning them when the orcs are near.

I also started to place things on the wall, the elvish crowns on Rivendel, the Dwarf Beards, etc. I still have to find a place to hang the floral crowns and the leaf hair pins that I think are kind of hobbit style.

And made the cardboard shields so the kid can decorate them, these are pretty easy and you can reuse any box. I add little shield photos so they can get ideas.

It's been crazy, but I'm pulling it, I'm still have to make the capes (I already made the design, but I think it needs some improve) and the messenger bags to go, did you saw the Smaug Piñata?, I love it.

Smaug :: the fabric piñata

 I'm joining Nicole today on Keep Calm, Craft On, you can visit her here.

I give you Smaug, the fabric piñata, answering to the situation of not having were to brake a piñata in my house. First I must say that here in Mexico piñatas are great tradition and we don't see it as an act of violence, it's just tradition, I understand to some of you may not feel very comfortable about beating and breaking an animal figure, maybe this option could be good for you too, even when it was not why I did it. I really didn't have were to hang it and my floor is wood so I was afraid that it could be damaged, or for an accident with the hitting pole, so I developed this.

I decided to make a dragon with a zipper, and two loops on the back, thinking that a pair of adults on a chair could hang it high, and after the kids attack it with the q-tips arrows we can roll the zipper and all the candy and toys will fall.

I have been trying to develop a nice bag for the arrows and mini bow, and this is what I came up with, all the arrows outside hold by elastic and a little elastic to attach it to the risk. I'm not all convinced with this solution but I'm running out of time, because I had to move the day a week before because if not it would be the same day than the Fifa Cup Finale, and I know kids and parents would have their minds else were, so I still have 11 pouches to go along with many other things.

Here is a short explanation of how I did the piñata. I cut many stripes to make the dragon scales and then I sew them up, I wish I had had only yellow to cover it all, but this is the fabric I have available at the time, I just wish it does not looks too Chinese. This part was longer that I expect.

Then I add the pointy thing in the back (I don't know how to call it).

Then the zipper, I'm rally bad at this but I used a lot of pins and it end up fine. I used a jacket zipper because that was what I had on hand.

I closed the tail and got to work on the head. I wanted it to be a puppet too, so kids could play with it after.

I got the idea  to make a fire that can be secured with a snap, using chiffon fabric and burning the sides.

After that I filled it with candy, I must admit I went a little crazy this year. I used to be very healthy on this mater. my son's god mother used to compliant because I would only have raising and nuts on my prior piñatas, but I have some emotional process of feeling free to do as I want that lead me to this. I have been in not so healthy relation ship that was too controlling.

I also added some nice toys, jumping ropes, loteias (bingo), pickup sticks and monkey sets, little cute erasers, wrestlers, cup and plates sets, jumping ice cones, and those number mind games at the bottom, do you know them?, my mom would always include them at my parties, kind of a educative mathematical touch, I include that in the little bags of candy I'm giving at the end so they would not have the risk of breaking that I didn't had in mind but I could not fit all in the slim Smaug.

And that"s it, what are you working on?

Hobbit Messenger Bags

Last night I stayed up late working. I had been waiting for so long to develope some of the ideas I have for the Hobbit party.

I made the the cloaks, I'll describe them in another post and also the messenger bags I want to give the kids. In Mexico people use to give plastic thematic bags with candy at the end of the party to take away, also they sometimes give plastic bags for the traditional piñata. I rather give the bags at the beggining of the party I like to give thing that encourage imaginative play and very little candy if ever. Also I think that if I give them fabric bags they will reuse them and I won't be causing more trash with the party. And since they have te bags from the beggining they cand use them for the piñata and to be part of the play adventure. I don't ususally organize many activities, or at least I don't schedule them.

I will talk abput it in another post, but for now I show you the Hobbit Messenger Bag, with plastic on the cover so they can storage the map, I think this will be a good bag to make nature walks, so you can place the observation guides on the plastic pocket.

The straps have leaves and I add a little detail with mountains and a lake at the back.

I add a spider button, I have some others with birds too, a way to personalize the bags.

I love it and my kid too, now I just need to make another 11.