playing Indians

Good morning.

If you hadn’t noticed in our “currently reading” corner of the blog over the past months, we’ve had our noses in many Indian books.  My Johanna is in love with the little princess Pocahontas and Squanto and now, Kaya.

One of the most exciting presents given this Christmas has only encouraged their play of “Indians”, shooting buffalo, and cooking outdoors: their homemade tee pee.

There are some things you make that you like and other things you make that you love. I definitely fell in love with this tee pee as I watched it come together the night I sewed and created it.

I used the play tent pattern in Growing Up Sew Liberated:Making Handmade Clothes and Projects for Your Creative Child.  With the help of a friend, we extended the pattern by adding four inches to the tent (so glad!) and I was able to sew it all in one night.  (Bonus for the Christmas-sewing-mama.)

The only supplies I bought were the 3 yards of yellow canvas and the four dark brown bamboo rods.  I was determined to use whatever decorative fabric I had on hand for the accent rod casing.  I was a little nervous to see how the two fabrics would work together and now I think they thoroughly compliment each other.

I loved that the pattern was made in such a way that the wrong side of the fabric really turns out to be the right side–the interior of the tent turns out to have finished off edges and the unfinished edges of the exterior become covered by the accent rod casing.

Sliding the bamboo rods into the casing on Christmas Eve with Bobby was absolutely thrilling as we watched it finally come together.  It all came together!

And thanks to the collaboration with my mother, two little girls’ dreams came true with their own Indian dresses and pouch.

And they’ve been little squaw ever since.

Braids in hair and keeping a watchful eye out for flying arrows in the house is the new norm.

the sleepy time gal