Bits and bobs
22 June 10
Fantastic moments of play follow when children create toys out of things that aren’t toys. (Like screws. My girls love to go through David’s toolboxes. He’s pretty good about it too — as long as they pack up afterward!)
I have wonderful memories of poring over my mother’s sewing basket — browsing through the spools of thread, wondering at the marvellous designs of each button (which rarely matched) and being inspired by the pretty laces. So it isn’t a surprise when I go searching for my girls because it’s just too quiet, and I find them sequestered in my new sewing room, looking at the (small) collection of accessories.
This kind of play inspires me to build up my button collection through op-shop purchases. I love the idea of them sorting through shapes, sizes and colours. It won’t be long before they’ll want to start sewing their own things too!
If you have a sewing basket somewhere, why don’t you bring it (or just the buttons) out for your children to play with?
Share this:
You may also be interested in:
1 · amandab · 22 June 2010, 09:31
Princess loves playing with buttons and we got a lovely big bag of them from Aldi one week which has provided hours of fun! I love how carefully Aisha is handling those pins! Anything sharp around kids still freaks me out, I only let Princess use my decorative scissors for the first time last week because her kiddy scissors just don’t work. Not sure if I trust her with pins yet … especially not after the way she drummed wildly with my new knitting needles last night!
2 · Marita · 22 June 2010, 11:38
Such beautiful play and being so careful with the pins, and the imagination to create a bandage, it is lovely to see :) My girls love buttons to. Somewhere in my archive is a blog post about the best gift ever. My Mum gave my youngest daughter a big tin of buttons for Christmas one year. We have slowly added to it over time.
3 · kerrie · 22 June 2010, 14:51
I actually find it amazing how little my kids play with toys. Rope is the item of choice at the moment in this house. though I am sure if i had a sewing kit….
4 · Jade · 22 June 2010, 17:24
That looks like heaps of fun, something even us grown up girls wouldn’t mind searching through :)
5 · Manou · 22 June 2010, 18:08
Aha…I am glad to have a VERY GOOD reason to go to Malaga markets here. The sewing shops are as good as those at Adjame.
6 · Amanda · 22 June 2010, 20:04
Hi! I’m assuming you know we were at Sahel Academy for a year. Hubby and I taught there from 2000-2001. Africa got into our blood I think! I find it so interesting that we linked up via my friend Christie’s blog (Childhood 101). I’ve known Christie since we were teenagers. I’ve kept up with a lot of the kids we taught while at Sahel as I made them a promise that I would. Some of them have become our friends now. Its been 10 years so those who graduated are now adults and some are married with kids. We were the SIM WA reps for a few years. Hubby is a Pastor locally here in Perth. I’ll add your blog to my reader, are you on facebook?
7 · maryanne · 22 June 2010, 21:35
Those sorted pins look so lovely in the corresponding thread, and the bandage is very clever! I have many fond memories of playing with my mother’s button box as a child – spending hours sorting, admiring, etc =)
8 · Marthese · 22 June 2010, 21:45
It is great to see that there are children that can be so creative…and do not get into mischief with things that you provided…this sort of play is great under supervision..I personally as a child although I was so creative, yet I think I made one big boo n my life, my mum gave me some beads and and I was supposed to thread them through the head of a coat hanger…these beads were tiny and some how I ended up with one up my nose and I had to be taken to hospital to take it out with special instruments….lol
9 · joyce:waddleeahchaa.com · 23 June 2010, 06:04
My Oma(grandmother) had a beautiful wooden sewing box. My sister and I loved to take everything out and just look at it. What wonderful memories you are creating with your girls.
10 · Jo Princess Warrior · 23 June 2010, 07:20
I was never allowed in Mum’s sewing basket. What great memories you are creating. xo
11 · Sarah@EmergingMummy · 23 June 2010, 11:09
So nice to “meet” you! Love your site and am enjoying poking about here. It’s funny that you just posted this – my daughter (nearly 4) spent the afternoon yesterday arranging my pitiful collection of buttons! She enjoyed herself immensely. You are right on!
12 · Erin · 23 June 2010, 19:57
Sewing bits and pieces are great for playing around in (I love sorting when I don’t know what to work on next). I love how Aisha sorted the needles
13 · Tricia · 23 June 2010, 20:15
Thanks for stopping by momistheonlygirl.blogspot.com! I love that your little girls were so careful in the sewing room! My boys would’ve needed stitches from all the pin-pokes they would’ve given themselves and each other! Ah, the differences between girls and boys!
14 · Christie - Childhood 101 · 28 June 2010, 20:42
Immy loves raiding my sewing and crafting supplies. I have had thoughts to make her up a sewing basket of her own and I think you may have just inspired me to do so.