Tuesday, December 10, 2013

dream catching

The Dumbo Feather fete was wonderful.

We sold books, we chatted to loads of people, we drank Airstream coffee and ate mushroom burgers, and we bought stuff off the other stalls too. 

But I think the absolute best part of my day was something that had nothing to do with me at all.

The best part of my day was the dream catcher workshop run on a long wooden table in the Dumbo Feather board-room.

According to dream-catchers.org

Dream catchers are one of the most fascinating traditions of Native Americans. The traditional dream catcher was intended to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while letting positive dreams through. The positive dreams would slip through the hole in the centre of the dream catcher, and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below. The negative dreams would get caught in the web and expire when the first rays of the sun struck them.
Bowls filled with wool, different sized hoops of smooth wood and the most gorgeous and patient teacher you'll ever find. What could be better, right?




My three girls spent hours wrapping and knotting and threading and creating the most gorgeous dream catchers. And that was ace for so many reasons.

And as great as all that market making was, the VERY BEST part for me was the part when we came home and without the exact materials she'd had before, Miss Jazzy made one her own way.

She went into the forest, came home with a bundle of sticks, and spent the rest of her afternoon and evening, making her own version. I LOVE THAT!!!!!!

She was unstoppable. Making and making and making and making. Each dream catcher slightly different than the last as her hands moved and her ideas grew.

How great is that feeling!

Of course now, with a house full of dream catchers, we'll all be sleeping sweetly with not a monster, or vampire, or bear, or bushfire in sight. Hooray for that!!

And yes, I know you are positively itching to make your very own dream catcher now aren't you.

Click here for some YouTube action- you'll be surprised at how simple and fun they are to make.

This weekend we're planning to collect feathers and make some yarn wraps for the dangly bits. And I'm going to make one too. I can't believe I haven't yet.


Sweet dreams - dream catchers.

xx

18 comments:

  1. Magic stuff!! To see that creative spark catch is so exhilerating. What a fabulous time you must have had. Wishing you a beautiful, gentle week (full of lovely dreams no doubt) :) xx

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  2. Excellent school holiday project !! Go jazzy! So so so great!!!

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  3. I love Jazzy's amazing triangular dream catcher! it is wonderful, and so inspiring! Thank you x

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  4. They are neat. Isn't it lovely when a crafty idea engages a child and they start to think outside the square and make their own designs. Currently with my daughter it is friendship bracelets.

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  5. I think Miss Jazzy and I may be kindred spirits! I recently made myself a dream catcher inspired 'peace catcher' (http://bearlovesdove.com/2013/11/16/catching-peace/) and I too used natural twigs. I love them all (and am now wishing I had a go at them on Saturday) but do have soft spot for Miss Jazzy's original little gem :-)

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  6. Mine all made dream catchers a while back, it's a great craft. At the moment their thing is crochet - making miles and miles of long chain. It makes me laugh to see boys sat on the sofa absorbed in crochet. But like your daughter, once they have started, there's no stopping them.

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  7. LOVE them! It's always a wonder to see the kids caught up in the joy of creating...go miss jazzy!

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  8. So cool! I wanna make some.....

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  9. I love dream catchers! I think I'll make one to go over our baby's bassinet. I love that your girls made their own, from different materials!

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  10. The dream catchers turned out so gorgeous! I love the triangle one.

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  11. Very sweet - love that your girl got so interested in it and took her own initiative. Living in suburbia and seeing the kids around me with all of their tech devices, I really enjoy hearing about kids that are enjoying nature and coming up with crafty ideas on their own. I just hope I raise my little babe to do the same.

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  12. That is so sweet. I love that she made all of those great dream catcher's. You will all be having sweet dreams from now on that is for sure.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  13. You'd best have lots and lots of BIG dreams for all those catchers, K. x

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  14. Just beautiful-every one a unique catcher with character all its own. I love it. Using twigs and cotton and other fancy stuff !~!

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  15. Hi kate,
    This is the first time I have heard of dream catchers. Thanks for the new knowledge.
    I love the pom pom hair accessories of your girlies. stunning!!! Especially those in Jazzy's hair.
    - Avanthika

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  16. I love this Kate! Just watched some videos about how to make my own dreamcatcher - inspired and love Miss Jazzy's creation with the twigs foraged from the forest - truly eco and wonderful :)

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