I spent much of Friday cutting out tiny baby shoe pieces from wool felt, which are now lying in various stages of unfinished-ness around my sewing machines because while baby shoes seem as though they are quite quick and easy to sew up, I had forgotten how fiddly it can be to fit the upper to the sole. I got a lot of work done on Ivy's kimono this weekend, but I keep thinking of more things to make from the kimono book--a little bag! Flower clips for her hair! I'm a little worried about the length of the kimono, I made it wide enough to put tucks in the shoulders so it can be let out, but it may be just long enough. I suppose I could add a border to the bottom if she wants to keep wearing it for a few years.

I finished the needle-felted bento. I tried wet-felting the finished food in hopes of achieving a smoother finish, but they still are rather hairy. I used one of those cardboard boxes you can buy at craft stores for decoupaging, it's about 5 inches at the widest part and not quite 2 inches high--I did cut it down so the height would be closer to the proportions of an actual bento box. I painted chou-tototo on the top with acrylic paints and finished it with an acrylic spray--which I used in the basement thinking it would be good to use it away from the kids, not thinking that there is no ventilation. After I nearly fell over from dizzyness, I moved it to the side door which I propped open. I had a moment of panic thinking I had filled the basement with fumes and it was going to explode when the furnace clicked on, but everything is fine. Sometimes I am not too bright.

The contents are onigiri, edamame, cucumber slices, carrot flowers, meatballs and strawberries.