Stockings For The Nephews!

I am totally obsessed with 2 things in life: my nephews (because they are super-cute) and drawings made by children.

Drawing is very important for kids to do at any age because it can be a release for their sponge-like brains and a teaching tool about connecting to the world around them. Since my nephews (Oliver, 4 and Liam, 3) came along, my sister has been doing crafts and art projects with them--almost daily--since they were old enough to hold something on their own. She keeps a calendar marked with projects they will work on. It's really remarkable to watch. And, what they are learning from these projects shows in how they experience the world and interact with people.

So, for one of the boys' gifts, I decided to take a drawing of theirs and turn it into a stocking.

Here is Oliver's stocking, filled with goodies, from a drawing entitled "Liam and Oliver with Daddy in the Middle". (I think it's actually Daddy that made it on the stocking!!)

Both stockings had the boys' names on the back, with a little heart for "auntie love".

This is Liam's drawing entitled, "This Is a People".

The boys' drawings were recreated with the sewing maching. I traced the drawings with chalk onto a piece of felt, and re-drew the pieces with the sewing maching. This is actually quite a long process, but I think this gives the work the integrity and the unique line quality that the original drawings hold. I know my nephews will enjoy seeing their work emblazoned on their stockings, year after year. I just hope they keep up the drawing!! To continued success in the arts, boys!!