Vintage Find & Inspiration - Child's Vintage Animal Quilt

We recently visited family in Minneapolis. While spending a glorious weekend at my sister Lisa's house, our daughters slept under this adorable vintage handmade quilt. Lisa's dad married my mom when I was 19, so I have never seen this child's quilt. I thought I would share it with all of you, as inspiration for your next children's project. These cuddly critters would look cute on curtains, appliqued onto t-shirts, painted on a bedroom wall, doodled and framed, the possibilities are endless...

...enjoy, and please let me know if you use these in a project. I would be happy to feature it here.

Part Two Baltic Amber Teething Necklace- How to Make One For Your Baby

I decided to make my daughter her amber teething necklace, which I first wrote about in post "Part One". If you don't want to make your own necklace there are several places you can buy one online. If you go to Etsy.com and search on "amber teething" many sellers pop up. If you would like to make one please follow the simple tutorial below. I bought my beads online from Amberizon. My beads came from Latvia and are good quality. It is possible to get fake glass beads if you don't have a reputable source. Amberizon has many kinds of beads to choose from as well as necklaces that are already made. I ordered raw baltic amber beads as these are said to have the strongest calming properties. The one ounce package contained enough to make one 12.5 inch necklace, with some left over beads to add to the length of the necklace as my daughter grows. The quality is great, the various colorings of the beads are beautiful, and the holes are quite uniform.
PLEASE NOTE: I ordered 1513, which from the photo looks like rusty rocks, but what I received are the beads you see in this tutorial. They do have a frosted unpolished look, but they vary in color and don't look like the photo on the Amberizon site...

How To Make an Amber Teething Necklace Tutorial

What you need:
1 oz of Baltic amber beads
1 magnetic barrel clasp
beading thread of your choice (I made this necklace twice before I opted for six strand embroidery thread because it is strong and makes good sized knots. Other people use silk thread or hemp)
beading needle
elmer's glue


Step One
Tie one end of your thread around the end of one part of your barrel clasp. Tie several secure knots. Glue the knots. I didn't glue the knots the first two times I made this necklace and both times the knots came undone at the clasp. When this happens, you have to retie the whole necklace because the thread is too short to just retie it to the clasp. Tres frustrating! If you know anything about crimp beads, as seen in this photo, you can use one, but in the end, I didn't.


Step Two
Slide a bead onto your needle, then down securely to the knots at the clasp, and knot behind the bead, then repeat until you have a necklace that is the length you want. Knotting after each bead serves two purposes; if the necklace breaks your beads will not fly all over the place and your child is less likely to choke on a bead.


The best way to get a tight knot, right against your bead, is to make your knot, then slide you needle halfway into the knot (see photo above), then pull the loose thread coming up from the knot tightly down against the needle against the bead (see photo below). Slide your needle out as you continue to tighten. You want your knot to sit firmly next to your bead but not pull into the bead. For more on basic beading using knots see this video.





Step Three
Repeat step two until you get to the length you want. Now you can tie on the other end of the barrel clasp securely to the end of the necklace and glue the knots. Once it has dried, put your necklace on your baby and admire it.

To Care For Your Necklace
Some people leave their child's necklace on all the time but I take my baby's off when I bathe her. Do not wash your necklace with soap, which will leave a residue, hindering the healing properties of the necklace.

Part One of Baltic Amber Teething Necklace for Your Baby - How They Work

I first heard of amber teething necklaces from a friend whose child wore one. At first I though the child was supposed to chew on them to get relief. This is not the case. A baby need simply wear one against the skin in order to feel better while teething.

How do they work? There are two theories behind this. The first is that amber, which is a resin, not a stone, is warm to the touch. When the skin warms the amber it releases very small amounts of healing oils which travel through the skin to the bloodstream. In parts of Europe, amber teething necklaces are sold in pharmacies and doctors recognize the calming effects they have on infants when they are in pain.

"A second theory is based on scientific findings which have shown that amber is electromagnetically alive and therefore charged with a significant amount of organic energy. Its special attribute is the fact that it is electronegative. Wearing amber produces negative ionisation on the skin's surface. This, in turn, has a positive influence on the human body. The negative ions assist in the in the prevention of illness. These health-promoting effects apply to babies, children and adults alike."
Found here

Like many natural remedies and even drugs, nothing works for everyone. However, the dozen or so families that I know who use these necklaces swear by them. I must say that I can tell a difference in my baby. She doesn't drool or hold her mouth in that painful way that my other child did when she was teething. I use my necklace in combination with occasional homeopathic camilia drops to soothe and provide pain relief. I have never needed to use a drug for teething with either child. Sometimes the only way I even know a tooth is coming is that my baby has a diaper rash, something she only gets when a tooth is breaking the surface. Known teething complications include lack of appetite, upset tummy, ear ache, fevers and colds. Anyway, there are no side effects to wearing amber for long periods so I feel they are worth a try.


Tomorrow, in part two, I will include a tutorial on how to make your own amber teething necklace.

The Best Little Sweater Ever There Was... it Zips Up the BACK!

My friend Dominique has a lovely grandmother, Rachel, whom I got to know because I would occasionally taught crafts at the senior center she spends time at. I miss those seniors. Due to budget cuts, I have not seen them this year... anyway, for quite sometime I have been coveting the sweaters that Rachel has made for Dom's kids, as well as many, many other new babes in the area. They are ingenious, brilliant, and completely unique to me. I come from Minneapolis, the land of cold, so I thought I had seen everything known to man when it comes to winter wear. These sweaters have a zipper IN THE BACK, so instead of trying to put them over the head of your infant, you can just slip their arms in the sleeves, zip them up, and away you go (or "Bob's your uncle" as they would say in Maine).




It is basically a reverse hoodie but so much cooler somehow. I wish I could knit. Not being afraid to try new things, I have tried. But, I never got past the point of having really loose and really tight stitches. I decided that I would leave knitting to the many talented friends that I have who do it so well and who kindly shower us regularly with hand knitted items. Leave it to the pros. Well, Rachel is a pro, a legend even. When Dom came over with several sweaters for me to chose from, and then quoted me an really generous price, I was ecstatic. I chose a beautiful brown, green, and blue one that looks adorable on Emmanuelle but would look good on a boy as well so I am sure it will make the rounds of all the family kiddos.



I wish I knew how to write about knits, it has some beautiful detailing I would explain if I knew the right words. I think the detailing down the middle front of the sweater is called cable lattice. And I LOVE the peaked, elfin style hood! I have not been able to hang it in the closet, I have just been admiring it hanging on the back of a dining room chair. So, anyway, wanted to write about out lovely new handmade sweater, and to maybe inspire those of you who knit to figure out how to make one as your next baby gift. If you do, or if you know more about this style of sweater, let me know... Here is a link to a free pattern as well as to a blog post that has great photos of this style of sweater.

Almond Flour Scones - Passing on the Pleasure

My friend, Cindy, brought over a batch of these amazing scones the week I gave birth to Emmanuelle. They gave me the much needed energy that was necessary for nursing a newborn and for regaining my strength. Plus they tasted amazing! I asked her for the recipe and for some reason JUST got around to making them. I have no idea why I didn't make them sooner, they are truly EASY PEASY. To somewhat start a tradition I made them for a friend who recently had her third child... We brought them over along with a batch of soft pretzels from a local bakery. The intention was to eat the pretzels with cream cheese and to leaving the scones for them to eat but instead I think everything were gone by the time we went home. There were three women and six children after all...

I wrote the recipe below as I made them but I put additional options in parenthesis. This is a great recipe for people who can't have gluten or grain flours. The egg can also be replaced with flax seed emulsion and the honey replaced with agave or maple syrup to make this recipe vegan.

Almond Flour Scones
8 servings

2 cups blanched almonds, ground (you can grind your own or buy them ground into meal for the same price as whole at Nutter's. Go on 20% off day and buy a large bag, you can freeze it.)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large free range egg (1/4 cup flax seed emulsion can be used in place of egg, see below *)
1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
1/2 cup organic cooking dates, chopped to about raisin size (can use raisins... see variations below)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Grind almonds to a fine powder in a blender or coffe grinder (I just use the course almond meal AS IS from Nutter's, our local bulk health food store). Mix in baking soda well, rubbing into the almonds with your fingers to combine. Add cardamom and set aside. Whisk eggs or flax seed emulsion with honey or maple syrup and vanilla. Stir whisked egg and syrup into almond flour and stir in dates. Let batter sit for about 5 minutes to thicken. Drop onto oiled cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for about 8-10 minutes. Let cool before removing from tray (or they may break apart).

Variations
- 1/2 cup grain sweetened dairy free or regular chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and a tsp or organic lemon zest
- 1/2 cup chopped frozen cranberries and a tsp or organic orange zest
- a dollop of fruit sweetened jam in the middle of each unbaked scone

*Flax Seed Emulsion
Combine 3 part ground flax seeds with one part water. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to one week.

Please feel free to leave a comment with more suggestions on variations. Also, leave me a link to your favorite gluten free recipe. Cheers!

Etsy Baby Shower - Part 3 - Sew Classic

Pink and Brown Kimono from Sew Classic on Etsy
Image by Tiffany Teske

I can't believe that my little babe is already 8 weeks old! To celebrate this fact I brought out a very sweet gift from her closet and had a little photo shoot. This adorable kimono was one of four gifts I received from the Etsy Baby Shower this spring. You can read about two of the other gifts here and here. Kennis Wong of Sew Classic made this gorgeous and versatile robe and sent it all the way from Australia, the same week she had given birth to HER OWN LITTLE BABY! That makes this gift all the more special; it was made by another mother who went to great lengths to send it to my baby. We absolutely adore it and Emmanuelle will be wearing it often. It will then be kept for future children, both my own and of others close to me, then put away for my daughter to cherish. Thank you, Kennis, and to all the other Estians who were generous enough to make us handmade items that we can hold onto and love well into the future. I am still blown away that none of these kind and talented souls even knew us before the shower!


Image by Sew Classic

If you interested in purchasing a kimono from Sew Classic you can find out more details here.

Cooking With Love for a New Arrival - My Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe

On Friday, my children were absolute angels while I cooked up a storm for close to 5 hours. Aside from nursing, we spent our time measuring, mixing, baking, and cooking. A good friend of ours had her second child on Tuesday and the thing that I appreciated the most 2 months ago when my second child was born (sheesh, two months has FLOWN by!) was when people took the time to make us food. Cooking for someone is really a gift, not only because it is nourishing to their tummies at a time when they have better things to do than cook, but also because you think of the people the whole time you are cooking for them, so you are putting good energy and love into the food. I want to teach these things to my girls and the best way is to be an example by doing them and to have them join me.


The Menu
In five hours we were able to make:
Our own pancake breakfast
Energy Bars (Gluten Free)
Chicken Salad with Broccoli, Red Peppers, and Parmesan Dressing
Hummus and Carrots (the recipe is here)
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

The Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is my own recipe that I developed from the advice of a friend and from some recipes I have read. It is delicious and I doubled it so we could have some, too.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
by Tiffany Teske

2 C rhubarb
2 C strawberries
2/3 C sugar
1/2 t lemon juice
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon

Topping
1 C unbleached flour
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C quick cook oatmeal
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted

Combine berries with sugar, lemon juice, and spices. Put mixture in a greased 8x12 inch baking dish. Mix dry topping ingredients together and drizzle melted butter over it, mixing well with a fork or your hand. Sprinkle topping over the berries. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, it is done when it is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.


Our new little friend, whom I am holding here, is named Fox Royal. She is adorable!


I am fascinated by the tiny ears and fingernails on newborns. When my first daughter was born I could not get over how round her little ears were. They were like perfect little coins. And I really wanted to make a photograph of my second daughter's pinkie fingernail on my pinkie fingernail, but now she has grown so much. So, I did it with Fox and her Mama.


Fox was born at 7 pounds, the same as my little one, but look at my little one, now! So much changes in two months. Here are the proud older siblings with our babes.


It was a privilege to be able to see our newest little friend at only three days old. I am glad we were invited into their home to celebrate a bit with them. And what would a celebration be on a hot summer day without a watermelon? :)

I love to cook when it is fun and relaxed, which is what it was on this day. A good memory for us, both in the making and in the delivering.

She's Here - Our New Babe

Monday evening was a night to remember. With absolutely no warning, our second child came into the world, two weeks early, in one hour from start to finish. NO WORD OF A LIE. We had planned a home birth under the care of a midwife, all along, because I knew this birth was going to be fast (and because we believe in midwives for normal births). Our first child was born in a birthing centre in Quebec, under the care of a midwife, and my labor was about 6 hours, with Quin being born about 2 hours after my water broke. I knew this time it would be faster, and I would need to drive 25 minutes away if I wanted a hospital birth (I didn't), since the obstetrics ward in our town has been temporarily closed. My husband and I felt comfortable with having our child at home. You can read more about the closing of obstetrics here and of our choice to do a home birth here.

Well, on Monday night, after having some light cramps while I ate dinner, which turned to not being able to talk while I had them within 20 minutes, I went to take a bath. I knew if I was not having contractions that meant I would soon give birth, that the bath would stop them. Not so. It became apparent very quickly that they were two minutes apart. Our midwife was called, but soon after, when my water broke, myself, my husband, and our midwife who was on route and on the phone, knew things would change in a couple moments. And that is what happened. One urge to push and there was her head, another urge and her shoulders came out, along with her body, which my husband caught skillfully, as our three year old assisted. Crazy, yes, but we had all been so calm, and when our babe let out a cry and quickly turned from purple to very pink, we knew all was ok. Our midwife arrived less than 10 minutes afterwards. And it was time for celebrating!

Welcome to our world, Emmanuelle Louise Hélène. Thank you for joining our family :)

Congratulations, Kim & Kevin!!

Finally, the news we have been waiting for... in the midst of all the crazy goings-ons with the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital closing obstetrics, due to a nursing shortage, my friend Kim had her baby. Now, Kim is an amazing person, and I had to post this lovely image of her and Kevin, on Valentine's Day, because she looks absolutely radiant! We were very sad that she and Kevin had to be caught in the middle of the uncertainty that the closing, which happened in mere days, added to the birth of their child...


...however, it is all behind them now, and they have gone from being a couple to being a family. Welcome to Grace Victoria, the cutest little red-head I have ever seen! Like father, like daughter. We are so excited to meet her. Quin has already decided she needs to share a toy with Grace. I think they will be fast friends. And our little babe on the way will grown up with Grace. Fun times are in store! Congrats, friends!!

Congratulations! Another New Baby....

My naturopath and friend just had a baby! An 8 lb baby girl, named Applonia, whose nickname will be Apple :) Welcome, little Apple!! Congrats to the new family who are said to being doing very well.

The Good with the Bad

I was having a very bad day. I guess that is how it goes sometimes, even when the sun is shining. Then, I got an email I have been waiting for... good friends of ours in Wakefield Quebec, just welcomed a little boy, Julian, into their family. Congrats to you guys!! You are in our thoughts.

Speaking of having a bad day, I wonder if it is something going through our townhouse complex, as I heard that our neighbor, a pro snowboarded, broke his hip and maybe more, on a big jump at the ski area my husband manages... bad luck, dude, heal up soon!

Two more good things about today, yes, I am counting, I noticed on the way home from work (I work one or two days a week at my friend's shop in the next town) that the days are getting longer. I left about 6:25 PM today and got home before it was pitch dark. I love winter, and I love being inside all cozy when it is dark outside, but the realization of longer days made my heart sing....


AND our local health food store is now carrying Sunny Bears!! Vegetarian, organic, fruit juice gummy bears that I first tasted while visiting a friend in Boulder, Colorado. They are amongst my favorite candies, EVER. I bought a big bag today and ate them all the way home :) There's nothing Sunny Bears can't cure.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

To my dearest friend, Martine, and her partner, Stephane, and their boys, Axel, and Eloi, who have all just welcomed a little girl into their amazing family!! I would have more details but Martine called and left me a message today and in my absolute sheerly joyous state I erased it. Yeah, and I was so euphoric that I didn't realize that until just now. I am pretty bummed since I am one of those people who saves sentimental messages on my voicemail for months, yes, months, and Martine's are always saved. Anyway, since she is not taking calls until tomorrow (I was so bummed to miss her call) I will have to go by memory. First of all, I didn't even get the day or time but I think it was early this morning. And she is 9 lbs 6 oz which is the same as Eloi, whose birth I attended. All three of Martine's children have been born safely and healthy at home. Yippee!! I wish so much I was there right now... oh, a little side note, I am NEVER right when I guess the sex of a baby in utero, in fact, if I think it is a boy it is most certainly a girl, but in this case I KNEW it was a girl! I myself could NEVER not at least try to find out the sex of my child but I really find it fun when other people decide to be surprised. It is so much fun. Hugs and kisses to the new babe and her lovely family. You are a lucky girl!!

UPDATE: The lovely babe's name is MAUDE :)

I HAVE A NEW NIECE!!

She was born in Minneapolis, just hours ago, and her name is Alexandra Lauren :) We can't wait to meet her. And I can't help but envy my brother and sister-in-law, who are spending their first moment with their new baby. We have such fond memories of that time. They are now having their baby-moon!! We love you guys!!