So this past weekend Kara and I hosted our 6-year-old niece Ellie for a sleepover at my house. Here is Ellie being officially welcomed via the vinyl chalkboard on my kitchen wall:
We picked up Ellie on Friday night, dined at Applebee’s, painted toe and finger nails, played the Fancy Nancy card game, made homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream shakes, watched the new Tinkerbell movie, and then all settled down for bed. Come early Saturday morning, Ellie and I were watching cartoons and the thought came to me that perhaps it wasn’t the most exciting use of our time together. I suggested a couple options for her to choose from (continue to watch TV, drawing pictures, perhaps a small sewing project) and she immediately jumped on the chance to sew. We pulled out several sewing pattern books and started looking for the perfect pattern. At first she was thinking she wanted a purse but then she saw a stuffed animal pattern and our search quickly narrowed. Kara had joined us at this point and all three of us decided on this pattern:
The pattern is Peg Bear from One Yard Wonders. Cute right? Next step was picking fabric. At first Ellie REALLY wanted the same fabric as the red polka dot Bear pictured in the pattern. I actually happen to have that exact fabric in my stash but it is being saved for a particular project so I was hesitant to use it. Luckily we found some other fabric in my stash that we all determined was even better. Ellie was able to quickly see the vision of how cute the different fabric would be. She is creative like that.
After a quick trip to JoAnn’s for some materials, we got started sewing in earnest. Ellie helped with the pinning:
And the stuffing:
She had moments of pure happiness:
And even got a little stressed out:
In then end, it was all worth it for our work resulted in Ellie’s newest best friend, Twinkles:
I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun on a Saturday. Ellie is a girl after her Aunts’ hearts as she kept exclaiming, “This is so fun” and “I LOVE this!” Looks like the creating gene has bled to another generation. We simply had a blast. (The only damper on our day was knowing how much fun Ellie’s older sister Emma would have had if she too was with us. Next time it is Emma’s turn.)
Ellie loves Twinkles for her perfectly hugable size, her adorable belly button and sparkly button eyes, and I hope partially because we created her together. We love you Twinkles.
Fun Fact: When Kara was little she used to have a pet bunny named Twinkles. Ellie remembered the name and out of the blue decided to name her bear Twinkles in honor of her Aunt’s deceased pet. She is a cute one that Ellie.
I love it ~I love the niece, the bear, the whole weekend and want to know when it is my turn.
My 9 year-old is super crafty, which is fun. I was in charge of the craft for her class Valentine’s Day party, and I was SHOCKED at the number of kids who could barely wield scissors. Most of them didn’t know how to fold something in half and cut a heart out of it, either. With my own kids, I’m always yelling at them to stop making stuff and get in bed, already! 😉
So fun and so cute! You two are the best aunts ever, I bet she is always just in heaven with you gals.
Aww what a great weekend! I can’t wait to be an aunt 🙂
What a fantastic weekend! And the bear is almost as cute as your niece. 🙂
Emma is going to be SO jealous. What awesome aunts and what a fun project.
SO adorbs (Twinkles AND you three girls).
Oops. That was me. I don’t think Adam has (or ever will) say adorbs in his life.
that belly button is adorable 🙂 I think you two may possibly be the coolest Aunts ever!
What a delightful weekend the three of you had. Ellie is lucky to have darling aunti’s who want to spend time with her. I loved the sewing project and your pictures showed how much fun it was. Twinkles is darling!
How fun! Your niece is one lucky girl to have you! I love Twinkles!
It really was the perfect Saturday.
You two are cool. I want to come spend the night and sew too!
Twinkles is currently sitting on the couch upstairs, watching my comings and goings while waiting for Ellie to come home. We’re considering a children’s book series, devoted to the adventures of Twinkles the Bear. You guys are so great to have her. Lolve you tons!
darling! what a fun weekend with the aunts. i’m coming out in may, can i have a sleepover with a sewing project too?
You guys are basically the cutest aunts ever. It appears you have converted a new craftperson!
best. aunts. ever.
I want to do that too…guess I should learn to sew?
(and not that a comment outdid the post, but if it did, it would be reading that “adam” said “adorbs”…i’m still giggling about that.)
she is a “cute one” and has the cutest aunts ever! (did I tell you how gorgeous both of you were on saturday night?…you were!) i think breezy is definitely having an impact on adam or is it that he is soon to be the father of a daughter…sounds like for whatever reason his is getting in touch with his feminine side…(i mean that in a good way!)
Ellie is so lucky to have you two for aunts — nothing better than some girl time to make you feel special! I’d love to have a sleepover and sew with you both too!!
oh man, so cute. I want an aunt Erin. I can’t wait till we can hang out one day. I miss you. Way to be the awesomest aunt EVER!
You guys are really the best aunts ever!
I love Twinkles. And the fact that Ellie would relinquish her to NOBODY on Saturday night. Hilares. I also love how Kara is chillin’ in the chair while you and Ellie work. Did she have cocoa coma?
Thats a fabulous way to spend time together! Such a great bear, she will treasure him.
what a cutie!! Absolutely love that bear.
Every little girl should have an aunts like you two! Love you guys!!
You are super cool aunts. And you all made a super-cool bear. Adorable.
Great post and such great aunts! The photos are priceless…and great project! I’ll have to file that one away for future use 🙂
You guys are so fun! I would have loved to have had an aunt that did sewing slumber parties. Way cute bear. Will have to add that to my to-make list. (I always add your projects to my to-make list!)
That is one of the best things about being a Gramma! I get to do all that fun stuff with Lilee!
Enjoy!
I am pretty sure the 6 year old me would have loved having you guys for aunts. You guys are awesome!
omgosh she is so cute!! So is twinkle. Sounds like a amazing weekend.
How wonderful! Twinkles is adorable.
Twinkles reminds me of those UGLY DOLLS only a whole lot cuter!
You guys are the best aunts ever! I love twinkles. Reading your blog made me miss you and Kara so much. Love yah!
I just purchased One Yard Wonders this week and it will be arriving this afternoon! I had been thinking about ordering it for awhile, and when I saw this adorable bear, I took the plunge! I can’t wait to make one for my toddler, and my older girls will enjoy making some as well! Thanks for sharing this : ).
[…] picking my favorite end result I might have chosen my dress but in the end I had to go with this perfect day of sewing with my niece. The day we made Twinkles was so blissfully creative and fun. I can still remember her joy over […]