![\"A](\"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/A-sheet.jpg\")
<\/a>Alastair with his new preschool cot sheet, fresh out of the priority mailer envelope. There is a tiny race car crossing the “t” in his name.<\/p><\/div>\n
It’s been busy and hectic here with lots of fun with grandchildren and friends. \u00c2\u00a0 And some sewing, but there is nothing pretty to show you.<\/p>\n
Alastair is 4 now, though the celebration at Nana and Granddad’s is not scheduled until next week. \u00c2\u00a0 But to my great surprise, this early birthday cot sheet gift seemed to thrill him only slightly less than a visit from superhero Captain America.\u00c2\u00a0 It was made to compensate for the duck fiasco detailed below.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the school year, I made 24 cot sheets for his preschool.\u00c2\u00a0 Using what I had on hand, the sheets were varied, but each had a piece of 100% cotton novelty fabric along the top. There were some darling Michael Miller prints in my stash, including firemen, cowboys, trains, etc. and an especially pretty piece with ducks.<\/p>\n
This\u00c2\u00a0 gorgeous print featured sparkling aqua water and charming yellow ducklings swimming merrily. My\u00c2\u00a0 Rebecca hoped her son would get that sheet, though they were handed out randomly by his teacher.\u00c2\u00a0 Alastair’s middle name is Drake, so Rebecca likes to include ducks for him whenever possible.<\/p>\n
As luck would have it, with no request from his parents, Alastair was handed the duck sheet.\u00c2\u00a0 Hurrah!!!! (we thought) \u00c2\u00a0 Every Friday, each child brings home his sheet and returns it freshly laundered on Monday.\u00c2\u00a0 About a month ago, for two consecutive weeks, Alastair brought home one of the nasty, slightly-better-than-paper original institutional sheets.\u00c2\u00a0 Rebecca inquired.<\/p>\n
“Well,” the teacher explained, “Alastair declares that he does not like the duck sheet and has refused to rest on it.\u00c2\u00a0 So we gave him one of the old sheets.”<\/p>\n
Need I say more?\u00c2\u00a0 Not only did he wish for a different sheet, but he confided to his mother that his best friend Carson was also unhappy about his sheet because it included a pink<\/em> and red plaid!.\u00c2\u00a0 Alastair wished Carson had a guitar sheet, as guitars are Carson’s current passion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alastair and Carson, BFFs<\/p><\/div>\n So…..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is Carson’s sheet with musical instruments and a guitar embedded in the “n” in his name.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Alastair called, ecstatically thanking me for the sheets.\u00c2\u00a0 This child is so exuberant!\u00c2\u00a0 He talks in caps!\u00c2\u00a0 “The sheets are SOOO COOL, NANA! I LOVE THEM!!!”\u00c2\u00a0 He was thrilled that both he and Carson have new sheets. I was so pleased to have made him that happy.\u00c2\u00a0 At the end of this post, I will give directions for this standard size preschool cot sheet.<\/p>\n Recently, at the Odyssey of the Mind<\/a> competition, Robert and Laurel’s team placed third and will advance to the state meet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At 9 p.m. at the awards ceremony, the exhausted team proudly shows off their 3rd place winner medals. The children, ages 5-9, were at the competition site at 7 a.m.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Their skit was an updated version of the Wizard of Oz.\u00c2\u00a0 The children must do everything for their skit, from writing the script to making costumes and scenery.\u00c2\u00a0 Laurel’s black and white Dorothy costume (pre-tornado)was a black velveteen jumper from Goodwill ($3) which she cut up the back and added Velcro.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She also made her black gingham pinafore and sewed patches onto the Wizardess’ costume.\u00c2\u00a0 She added ribbons to her sparkly Dorothy Halloween costume for the color portion of the skit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This was dress rehearsal.. His sagging pants were a wardrobe disaster in the making.<\/p><\/div>\n Of course, for the skit, they all wore shoes and Laurel’s were perfectly sparkly ruby red slippers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n singing their final number<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Robert’s pants were then tied up securely and as WWW (Wicked Warlock of the West) he sported an “evil moustache” by make up artist Laurel.\u00c2\u00a0 Each child was just precious.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wicked Warlock of the West with his “evil moustache.” His line was “but you can call me Dot.” He wears a superhero cape party favor I made for his 5th birthday.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The shirts<\/a> I embroidered for them last year still fit, so the team looked all put together for the remainder of the day and for their “spontaneous” event.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new uniform item this year was hairbows for the girls.\u00c2\u00a0 The striped fabric simulated the rainbow in their skit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The embroidered button cover ups really added a nice finishing touch.\u00c2\u00a0 I love that button machine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I happened upon this simple bow style in a YouTube how-to video done by a cute little girl.<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bZgbq_jxHko<\/a>\n <\/p>\n The final highlight of this busy time was Judy Day’s visit.\u00c2\u00a0 I can’t believe I took no pictures, but we were so busy talking that it didn’t cross my mind until she had left.<\/p>\n We bought more fabric at my favorite store, The Sewing Studio<\/a>, visited Florida Victorial Architectural Antiques<\/a>, a neat old warehouse filled with treasures from houses and buildings that have been torn down, visited\u00c2\u00a0 Marshall Groves<\/a> where Judy ordered citrus to be shipped to her home and to her parents, lunched at the Old House Cafe<\/a> and plundered\u00c2\u00a0 through several bins of my antique textiles.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a fabulous visit.<\/p>\n I’m sorry this post has been so long.\u00c2\u00a0 What have you been up to?\u00c2\u00a0 Sewing for Easter? Tell us about it.\u00c2\u00a0 ~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Cot Sheet Pattern<\/strong><\/em>–Did you know that pre-school children in Florida are not allowed to spend nap\/rest time on the floor?\u00c2\u00a0 They must be on a cot and the cots need a sheet.\u00c2\u00a0 Sewing a simple sheet is not rocket science, but following these directions might save a few minutes if you take on this project.\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, check the cot size to see if these will fit.\u00c2\u00a0 I used an existing sheet from school as a pattern.\u00c2\u00a0 This size sheet fits the cots both in Alastair’s school on the other side of the state and in our church’s preschool, so I assume there is a standard size.<\/p>\n materials<\/strong><\/em>—<\/p>\n directions<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n 1.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Serge the pieces together and then serge around the edges with a 3 thread wide or whatever.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, you may embroider a name or whatever but it’s best to make sure it is not up where the child’s face would be in contact with it.<\/p>\n 2.\u00c2\u00a0 Press each corner in forming a triangle measuring 3 1\/2″ on each side.\u00c2\u00a0 Straight stitch in place.<\/p>\n 3.\u00c2\u00a0 Cut elastic into four 8 1\/2″ pieces.\u00c2\u00a0 Stitch securely to each corner (see photo above).<\/p>\n All done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s been busy and hectic here with lots of fun with grandchildren and friends. \u00c2\u00a0 And some sewing, but there is nothing pretty to show you. Alastair is 4 now, though the celebration at Nana and Granddad’s is not … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n