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  • Start
    • Homeschooling 101: What to Teach and When to Teach It
    • 10 ways you’re making your homeschool day harder than it needs to be
    • 10 things every new homeschooler should know
    • How to homeschool: Links to help you get started
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    • Meet Jamie
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  • Blog
    • Latest Posts
    • Categories
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Growing Up Sew Liberated: An Interview (& Giveaway) with Meg McElwee

June 13, 2011 //  by Jamie C. Martin

This giveaway has ended. Thanks for entering!

Meg McElwee is a designer, author, former Montessori teacher, and Mama to two sweet boys.

Her blog, Sew Liberated, and first book by the same name, have become popular go-to spots for crafters looking to blend the traditional with the modern–in both their lifestyles and their handwork.

I’m thrilled that Simple Homeschool is one of the stops on Meg’s tour to celebrate her new book, Growing Up Sew Liberated. This title is full of inspiration, practical sewing instruction for family projects, lovely photos, and comforting advice about creating family rhythm.

I recently had the chance to ask Meg some questions about her new release as well as her educational background. Check out the end of the post to see how you can win a copy of her book!

An Interview with Meg McElwee

1. You are a certified Montessori teacher. Can you give us an overview of what this philosophy of education looks like in the early years?

“The Montessori early childhood classroom (2.5-6 year olds) was designed to be as much like a family home as possible, with multiple ages of children, a working kitchen, and the responsibility that comes with living in a “family” – learning to respect space and boundaries, eating together, and caring for the home environment.

“For the young child at home, the Montessori philosophy boils down to the phrase “follow the child.” Follow the child, not the child’s every whim.

“Pay attention to what your child’s moods and actions are telling you, and make adjustments taking into account what your child’s true needs are, rather than his/her “wants.” Adjustments might be applied to the physical home environment, your daily routines, or your way of responding to your child.”

2. In your lovely book you refer to the importance of creating a rhythm for a young child’s day. Any tips on how to go about doing so?

“Oh goodness, that’s something that I’m struggling with right now! Sometimes it can be so hard to keep a child’s day harmonious when there is so much going on in the background of our adult lives. The biggest thing I try to remember is that a child’s rhythm is a SLOW one. I need to constantly remind myself to slow down and enjoy simple moments with my boys.

“Ideally, our weeks are loosely planned around time in the kitchen, time for quiet indoor play, outdoor play, and the steadfast routines like bedtime. This will look different for every family, but I believe that having a combination of these three things in every day (kitchen, indoor play and outdoor play) is so beneficial for the child.”

“Indoor play might include an art experience one day, bread making the next. I’ve also found it beneficial to have one parent-initiated/led activity a day, which provides you a built-in time to connect to your child and allows you to informally guide their explorations of the world. For example, we made bird cookies last week. Another day we might paint with different bird feathers instead of brushes. It’s a fun way to inject a bit of creativity into your daily planning!

“To create a workable rhythm for your family, you need to take time to sit down with pen and paper and write down all of the ideas of routines, daily/weekly activities, and traditions that appeal to you. I love to check the online magazine Rhythm of the Home for ideas. This will be your “wish list.”

“There’s no way you’ll be able to work everything into your family’s life, and that’s ok! Go over your list and weed out anything that appeals to you but not your child(ren). Then cross off ideas that are lovely, but just don’t fit into your schedule right now.

“Come up with a workable list, the smaller the better, for your family, then start implementing ideas little by little.”

3. What is the most important thing mothers of young children can do to prepare their children to excel academically later?

“Instill a sense of wonder in your child. Marvel at the curled tongue of a butterfly together. Touch the squishy wool of a sheep and imagine what kind of sweater it could make. Gaze into the flame of a candle in silence.

“We all know to read to our children, but so often the focus on academic success is slanted toward giving our children the tools required for learning rather than instilling a sense of wonder in the world which will provide him with a lifelong motivation to learn. Especially in the younger years, a child needs to be given every chance to allow his or her curiosity to blossom.”

4. How important is handwork in a child’s life? How can a non-sewing mom or dad find a way to still integrate some of your book’s principles into their days?

“Creativity is in the process, not the product! I often don’t have the time to sit down and sew in front of my boys, but I might have the opportunity to fill my cupped hands with water and throw said water up into the air on a hot summer day, excited about how the gravity pulls the beads of water right back down to the earth.

“If you don’t sew, you might bake. If you don’t bake, you might draw. If you don’t draw, you might build. Every person has something that he or she enjoys doing that involves the hands.

“As Maria Montessori said, “The human hand allows the mind to reveal itself.” Handwork is the way that we humans leave our marks on the world, and handwork isn’t limited to fiber arts.

“Do what you love with your child. It’s that simple.”

Giveaway

Meg’s publisher, Interweave Press, would like to give two Simple Homeschool readers a copy of Growing Up Sew Liberated!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, answering this question: What type of handwork do you enjoy doing with your children?

If you’re reading this in an email, you must come over to the blog to comment.

If you’d like two additional ways to enter the giveaway, here’s how:

Additional Entries

1. Mention this giveaway on Twitter, including @simpleschool, @sewliberated, and the URL of this post — http://bit.ly/kMYuQw . Then come back and leave an additional comment here, telling me about your tweet.

2. ‘Like’ Simple Homeschool on Facebook and Sew Liberated on Facebook. Then come back here again and leave a comment, telling me you did so.

This giveaway has ended–thanks for entering!

Category: giveaways

About Jamie C. Martin

Jamie is an introverted mom of three, who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She co-founded SimpleHomeschool.net in 2010 and began IntrovertedMoms.com in 2020.

Jamie is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list), and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller). Her work has been featured by LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the Washington Post, Parents, Today Parenting, and Psychology Today.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah B

    June 13, 2011 at 12:38 am

    My only daughter is 12 and loves to sew. I am terrified of sewing machines and we get together and have “sewing class” where she teaches me how to sew. I LOVE it and she feels so empowered!

  2. Catherine

    June 13, 2011 at 12:40 am

    Drawing and beading are both things I like to do with my kids. Great interview!

  3. Christina

    June 13, 2011 at 12:50 am

    I love to bake, crochet and sew with my children.

  4. Christina

    June 13, 2011 at 12:51 am

    I have liked Simple Mom and Sew Liberated on Facebook.

  5. Marina

    June 13, 2011 at 12:54 am

    We make play-clay, we paint, we finger knit, play with beeswax…he little one (1) likes to draw!

  6. Marina

    June 13, 2011 at 12:54 am

    LOVE both on FB!!!!

  7. Cynthia

    June 13, 2011 at 12:56 am

    I love colouring with my little ones. I’m always surprised at how relaxing the simple activity is!
    Cynthia’s latest post: Weekend Reading

  8. Kerri

    June 13, 2011 at 12:58 am

    At our house we love to be in the kitchen. My girls and I enjoy baking and cooking together.

  9. liza

    June 13, 2011 at 1:03 am

    We both love to make dandelion chains.
    Liza

  10. Erin

    June 13, 2011 at 1:03 am

    My boys love to help us when there’s any building, fixing or painting (walls, not pictures) going on.

  11. nancy

    June 13, 2011 at 2:18 am

    I really enjoy coloring with my daughter, especially on the same page and it helps her to do it longer too!

  12. nancy

    June 13, 2011 at 2:19 am

    Like both on FB 🙂

    Thanks!

  13. Christal Houghtelling

    June 13, 2011 at 2:48 am

    I love to bake with my children

  14. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 3:27 am

    I need a little help in this area. I like handwork so much that I have a hard time slowing down to bring it to their level. Add one kooky toddler and I’ve been avoiding it. (bad, bad mama!)

  15. Natalia

    June 13, 2011 at 4:55 am

    We do a lot of handcraft with paper in this household – from simple drawing and painting to printing on a letterpress and making books. And if there is any building or furniture to be made, our son is right in there helping us!

    I would love to start doing something different – like sewing – but I think we continue to ‘play to our strengths’ around here.
    Natalia’s latest post: Studio Ghibli Museum

  16. Natalia

    June 13, 2011 at 4:56 am

    Have also tweeted about this give away with the twitter account @nbpath
    Natalia’s latest post: Studio Ghibli Museum

  17. Laura

    June 13, 2011 at 5:15 am

    We love to cook together! 🙂

  18. Carlyn

    June 13, 2011 at 5:23 am

    I love to garden with my children.

  19. sue dean

    June 13, 2011 at 5:40 am

    I love to bake with my kids!

  20. Sheri

    June 13, 2011 at 5:47 am

    I love cooking with my children.

  21. Kathy

    June 13, 2011 at 6:05 am

    My daughter and I both enjoy sewing and crafts like friendship bracelets, cornhusk dolls, and making small toys. This summer, I’m planning to teach her to knit as well.
    Kathy’s latest post: Garden Update- June 11

  22. Kathy

    June 13, 2011 at 6:06 am

    I also “like” both Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Facebook.
    Kathy’s latest post: Garden Update- June 11

  23. Katy~TheCountryBlossom

    June 13, 2011 at 6:09 am

    With my daughter, who is almost 10, I enjoy knitting together. 🙂 I also enjoy drawing and playing games with her and her two brothers!
    Katy~TheCountryBlossom’s latest post: A Good Decision!

  24. se7en

    June 13, 2011 at 6:56 am

    My kids are working through a madly inventive phase… the recycling has never been more processed than ever!!!

  25. Haley

    June 13, 2011 at 7:04 am

    As a sewing zero, the handcraft my son and I do together is cooking/baking. Does vegetable gardening together count?
    Haley’s latest post: June 2011 Reads

  26. Haley

    June 13, 2011 at 7:05 am

    Liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB!
    Haley’s latest post: June 2011 Reads

  27. lindsey

    June 13, 2011 at 7:10 am

    we love working in the garden and kitchen together! especially now that our produce is growing!

  28. lindsey

    June 13, 2011 at 7:10 am

    i like you on fb
    lindsey’s latest post: Menu 5-23

  29. Lindsay Sledge

    June 13, 2011 at 7:15 am

    I love sitting around in the evenings and knitting with my seven year old dd.

  30. Lindsay Sledge

    June 13, 2011 at 7:15 am

    “liked” on FB

  31. Jo

    June 13, 2011 at 7:17 am

    We love to do wet felting! With a 2 year old boy and a 5 year old felting can either be a more creative form of soap and water play or actually have the end result of making something from the beautiful dyed wool.

  32. Leah

    June 13, 2011 at 7:31 am

    We do baking, and they love to paint and draw on just about everything. My daughter is also learning how to sew.
    thanks would love to win this book

  33. KateC

    June 13, 2011 at 8:03 am

    We love to sew and draw around here.

  34. Jill

    June 13, 2011 at 8:16 am

    My children love to cook and bake with me. “Mom, can I help?” is frequently heard. I’m so glad they love to be with me in a space we all enjoy.

  35. Kim B.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:20 am

    My kids like to bake, color & draw!

  36. heidi sink

    June 13, 2011 at 8:22 am

    My two boys like to be hands on with whatever we are doing. Being in the kitchen and the sewing room with me, we come up with lots of different fun hands on stuff. Their favorite place to be is outside!

  37. Gina G.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:22 am

    My daughter and I do a lot of baking and simple crafting. This summer I am going to teach her how to use a needle and thread.

  38. Kim B.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:23 am

    I “like” Simple Homeschool on fb.

  39. Gina G.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:23 am

    I like both on Facebook!

  40. Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 8:23 am

    My girls are enjoying working on small sewing projects for their American Girls 🙂

  41. Kim B.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:24 am

    I “like” Sew Liberated on fb.

  42. illya gonzalez

    June 13, 2011 at 8:25 am

    My daughters and I love to knit and sew. One of them got a sewing machine for Christmas and we have done many projects with it. They take it very seriously and have learned so much.
    Illya

  43. Melanie Rudd

    June 13, 2011 at 8:26 am

    We have enjoyed many different handcrafts in our home over the years-sewing (both by machine and by hand), needlework, making things with clay, woodburning, baking, drawing, painting, leaf rubbings, etc. My daughter is especially into all kinds of handwork and artistic-type things. Her favorites are drawing and scuplting. My top choices are baking and needlework and my son is really into the woodburning right now. Thanks for another great giveaway! This book looks like a great resource and an enjoyable read!

  44. Glory

    June 13, 2011 at 8:28 am

    I am so thankful for creative people who share their ideas so my children (and I) can benefit from my often-times lack of creativity.
    Glory’s latest post: Article- Socialization

  45. Hannah

    June 13, 2011 at 8:29 am

    My children bake with me often, and we also enjoy knitting and card making.

  46. Liz Gerstung

    June 13, 2011 at 8:30 am

    I love to sew and bake! I am in the process of working with all my children on baking and cooking – 3 of them love it, the other one…not as much! But I want her to know the basics! 🙂 My older girls are great artists – especially my 2nd daughter. She is extremely creative with the things she makes – it is so fun to see what she will come up with.

  47. Jill

    June 13, 2011 at 8:31 am

    Tweeted about the giveaway just now!

  48. Robin

    June 13, 2011 at 8:31 am

    Homemade playdough!

  49. Megan

    June 13, 2011 at 8:31 am

    great giveaway -I like to do simple open ended crafts with my kids – spreading paint, markers, crayons, and other supplies on the table and letting them take the lead
    Megan’s latest post: -early summer-

  50. Liz Gerstung

    June 13, 2011 at 8:32 am

    I like simple homeschool and sew liberated on facebook as well!

  51. Natalie E.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:32 am

    My kids enjoy making handmade cards to give to family and friends.

  52. Lynn

    June 13, 2011 at 8:36 am

    Such a lovely book! I like to help my daughter with sewing and baking. I also have a grand-daughter so am looking forward to helping her with the same.

  53. beth

    June 13, 2011 at 8:37 am

    We enjoy weaving, needle felting, and some basic knitting and crochet.

  54. Brie

    June 13, 2011 at 8:38 am

    My kids and I are always doing projects: suncatchers, finger knitting, painting, drawing, watercolors, hand sew, sea shell art…. Something new most days. My daughter has really enjoyed learning to finger knit and weave. SHe plans on really honing her skills this summer 🙂

  55. Lucy

    June 13, 2011 at 8:38 am

    I love to knit, crochet and do needlepoint. Both my son and daughter have learned to needlepoint and I am teaching them to crochet. I even taught a knitting class at their school this year.

  56. Brie

    June 13, 2011 at 8:38 am

    I Liked both on FB!

  57. Allison

    June 13, 2011 at 8:38 am

    I’d say the top handwork these days would be finger knitting, sewing, and carving together.
    Allison’s latest post: Kickin around with the homeschoolers

  58. Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 8:39 am

    I love to sew with my daughter. She is fascinated by the whole process.

  59. Melissa D

    June 13, 2011 at 8:39 am

    I have 3 kids under 5 at home… I’d love this book!
    Melissa D’s latest post: IA- my Bruce Wayne existence

  60. Nancy

    June 13, 2011 at 8:41 am

    I love to sew, bake, and just craft and general with both of my 2 kids (soon to be 3, through adoption!) Thanks for the giveaway!

  61. Meredith C.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:42 am

    We tried crochet and we’ve done lots of paper-cutting projects together–and my son absolutely loves working on origami!

  62. Jill

    June 13, 2011 at 8:43 am

    I ‘liked’ both of you on Facebook, but I like you here too. 🙂

  63. Nancy

    June 13, 2011 at 8:45 am

    I liked both on FB!

  64. Emmalina

    June 13, 2011 at 8:45 am

    This book looks so fabulous!
    Emmalina’s latest post: Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep

  65. JenT

    June 13, 2011 at 8:50 am

    My kids and I have tried just about all kinds of crafting, but our favourites seem to be painting and baking

  66. JenT

    June 13, 2011 at 8:52 am

    i like both on fb!

  67. Danielle

    June 13, 2011 at 8:52 am

    We like to cook and we’re learning how to crochet.

  68. dhess

    June 13, 2011 at 8:52 am

    I love to foster creativity in my children. We are a homeschooling family and this is a very important “subject” in our homeschool. We like to make cards, latchhook, plastic canvas and look forward to many more handicrafts in the future.

  69. Danielle

    June 13, 2011 at 8:53 am

    I liked Sew Liberated on Facebook, I have liked you there for a while now.

  70. Cynthia I

    June 13, 2011 at 8:54 am

    This book looks wonderful! We do a lot of quilts. Doll quilts for friends parties etc. The kids love to choose colors and fabrics and try different layouts. Thanks for hosting this virtual book tour.
    Cynthia I’s latest post: Blogger’s Quilt Festival- Spring 2011

  71. Amy B

    June 13, 2011 at 8:55 am

    Our favorites at this point are baking, painting, and drawing.

  72. Stacy

    June 13, 2011 at 8:59 am

    I try to help our children bake something at least once week. We also like to play with play-doh (that’s handwork, right? LOL!) and color or draw together. Thanks for the chance to win this book!

  73. Rose

    June 13, 2011 at 8:59 am

    I love Meg’s blog, and I already have her first book. Would love to add this one to the collection! Our favorite handwork is making pinch pots out of clay.

  74. Cherie

    June 13, 2011 at 9:01 am

    I love to sew, crochet, cross stitch, make posters and bake, still trying to figure out how to not be so OCD and let my kids help more. They’ve made muffins with me and I’m branching out! 4 kids under 5 with a pregnant mom in the kitchen stresses me out… I like the advice of learning to slow down with kids though since their schedule runs slower, so true! I’d love to win this book, I need the help and ideas!
    Cherie’s latest post: Childrens Rights

  75. ericaceae

    June 13, 2011 at 9:01 am

    We do a lot of hand sewing with felt.

  76. Ruthie

    June 13, 2011 at 9:02 am

    Baking! I like to sew, but there’s still too young to do too much of that with me yet.

  77. Cherie

    June 13, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I like you both on FB!
    Cherie’s latest post: Childrens Rights

  78. Cynthia I

    June 13, 2011 at 9:08 am

    I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB. Thanks for introducing another great book and site.
    Cynthia I’s latest post: Blogger’s Quilt Festival- Spring 2011

  79. Sarah M

    June 13, 2011 at 9:08 am

    I have loved Meg’s blog for over two years!! I own her first book and will soon own her second! My favorite type of handwork with kids is something along the lines of playing with felt and fabric. My kids love to make designs and pictures out of both.

    Sarah M
    Sarah M’s latest post: This Moment

  80. Marci

    June 13, 2011 at 9:09 am

    I love to bake and enjoy when my children join me.
    Marci’s latest post: Trim – One Room Down!

  81. Christina Pilkington

    June 13, 2011 at 9:14 am

    Meg shared some very important ideas. I absolutely believe that encouraging your young child’s sense of wonder is one of the most important things you can do for thier love of learning. I also really love when she said to share what you love with your child. This is not just important for the sake of sharing something new, but it’s sharing with you child what makes you a unique, special person, too.

  82. Chris & Kate

    June 13, 2011 at 9:16 am

    My husband is a potter, so one of our favorite family activities is working with clay in his studio. Our 3-year-old absolutely loves studio time with Daddy!

  83. Jodi

    June 13, 2011 at 9:16 am

    Thanks for the oppirtunity to win this! We do lots of handwork here. There is much baking (sourdough bread and whole wheat crackers being our latest treats), as well as sewing, knitting, and general fun kid crafts.

  84. Stacy Tepp

    June 13, 2011 at 9:17 am

    We enjoy doing some simple embroidery and making felt animals/robots lightly stuffed and sewed together with a simple blanket stitch!

  85. Charlene G

    June 13, 2011 at 9:18 am

    I enjoy doing rubber stamping with my kids. 🙂

  86. Nikiya McDonald

    June 13, 2011 at 9:18 am

    What a beautiful book, full of beautiful ideas! I have been assisting my 3 and a half year old in stitching up simple felt hearts to give as gifts on special occasions. 🙂

  87. Charlene G

    June 13, 2011 at 9:19 am

    I “like” both on Facebook! 🙂

  88. Cindy Freeman

    June 13, 2011 at 9:19 am

    I liked both on FB! (c:

  89. Sara S

    June 13, 2011 at 9:20 am

    I’ve been a long time reader of Sew Liberated. My children and I have enjoyed doing simple embroidery in the past.
    Sara S’s latest post: Trial and error with chocolate

  90. Leslie M.P.

    June 13, 2011 at 9:21 am

    We do a variety of things around here. We love to cook. My daughter loves knitting. They both love art and crafts, as well. I’m teaching my daughter to sew right now.

  91. Tiffani

    June 13, 2011 at 9:37 am

    We do all sorts of handwork around here: baking, sewing, drawing, etc.!
    Tiffani’s latest post: A much overdue gift of gratitude!

  92. Lori

    June 13, 2011 at 9:42 am

    We like to embroider together. I make Christmas ornaments, and the kids draw their own designs (usually family names with doodles) on fabric and embroider them, and give them as Christmas gifts. This was totally their idea. They started it last year when they saw me sitting down with my needlework. And they’re boys…6 year old twins. My daughter is 9 and also loves to stitch with me.

  93. Elizabeth

    June 13, 2011 at 9:45 am

    My daughter is so excited to make her first quilt this summer.

  94. nicole

    June 13, 2011 at 9:45 am

    i liked you on facebook :-).

  95. Jessica

    June 13, 2011 at 9:49 am

    Most of our handwork revolves around the kitchen. Although I like to sew and knit, I haven’t found a way to involve my 3 year old boy.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win this book.

  96. Ann

    June 13, 2011 at 9:50 am

    What a great book! My younger 2 kids are really enjoying painting right now. My older daughter really loves sewing simple things with felt-she’s really creative and has often given me new ideas!

  97. Ann

    June 13, 2011 at 9:51 am

    I liked you on Facebook 🙂

  98. Melodie

    June 13, 2011 at 9:52 am

    I love to bake and make jewelry with beads. My 3 year old loves to help with both. 🙂

  99. Melodie

    June 13, 2011 at 9:52 am

    I like both on Facebook.

  100. Molly

    June 13, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I love to sew and knit and can’t wait to teach my boys. They are still small, though, so we draw and cook together a lot.

  101. dayna holbel

    June 13, 2011 at 9:55 am

    This book looks amazing! I am an emerging sewer and my kids and I are learning together. We also really enjoy creating handmade gifts for the special people in our lives, jams, candles, bath salts, and more!

  102. Esther

    June 13, 2011 at 10:00 am

    The thing my children & I have been enjoying lately is Fuse Beads! They’ve really gotten creative with the designs they’ve made. It’s an activity that demands focus, but is still conducive to talking and enjoying the cpmpanionship of those around you. There’s also something soothing about placing the beads.

  103. olugbemisola

    June 13, 2011 at 10:05 am

    great interview — thank you! Meg’s work is always inspiring. I love to embroider and knit with my daughter, or we just sit and wind yarn balls which is a great time for us to mull over ideas for other creative projects. We also do a lot of cooking together, turning it into a “show”.
    olugbemisola’s latest post: News and Updates

  104. Rebecca

    June 13, 2011 at 10:05 am

    What a great post! As mom to an 18 month old with another on the way, I think this is still an area of discovery for me. I do like to cook, so I hope as my children get a little older we can enjoy that together.

  105. arianne

    June 13, 2011 at 10:09 am

    Great post. I’ve had this book on my list and would love to win it!

    We love creating all kinds of things together–painting, sewing, knitting. Right now my daughter sits with me and finger knits yards and yards while I work on my spinning wheel.

  106. Tracey

    June 13, 2011 at 10:16 am

    I love doing beading projects with my daughter. She is a special needs child and is very “girly”, too. We create beautiful jewelry for her to wear and it also helps with her fine motor skills!

  107. anne

    June 13, 2011 at 10:17 am

    My boys and I love to make scrapbooks and journals together. I’d love a copy of this book to get some more ideas for fun!

  108. Trena

    June 13, 2011 at 10:22 am

    We love play-doh.

  109. Erin @ Mama in Progress

    June 13, 2011 at 10:23 am

    We cook a lot together and my 5.5-year-old son has recently taken up finger knitting while I knit. We have also tried out a little bit of stitching on felt in recent weeks. My younger boy is all about painting lately so that’s where we spend our time. 🙂

    I love Meg’s work and her thoughtfulness with her children.
    Erin @ Mama in Progress’s latest post: Return of the Mojo

  110. Mary

    June 13, 2011 at 10:25 am

    My boys love to cook. It always is messy and takes at least double as much time but it is somthing we all love to do together (even if the end product is on exactly good). Another activity the boys really love to do is gardening. They love to have their hands in the dirt and find roots and bugs. It’s become a wonderful learning experience for them.

  111. rachel fee-prince

    June 13, 2011 at 10:27 am

    I really love knitting. My girls have just turned six, and I think they are ready, too. There is at least interest. We have been sewing w/wool yarn on felted sweaters for awhile, and they really love that.
    rachel fee-prince’s latest post: The Recipe- Blood Building-Liver Nourishing Syrup

  112. rachel fee-prince

    June 13, 2011 at 10:27 am

    I have “liked” you both on FB!

  113. Betsy

    June 13, 2011 at 10:31 am

    I enjoy working with playdough with my children. This book looks fascinating!

  114. Sarah G

    June 13, 2011 at 10:33 am

    My 11-month-old and I really enjoy back yard time together. He explored the leaves, I garden in between making sure he doesn’t eat them. I can’t wait until he’s old enough to be my little helper though!

  115. Sarah G

    June 13, 2011 at 10:34 am

    I like you and sew liberated on facebook : )

  116. Tara

    June 13, 2011 at 10:36 am

    We don’t do as much as I’d like, most craft time is spent coloring!

  117. Amber Walters

    June 13, 2011 at 10:36 am

    I remember finding Sew Liberated when I was trying to transition from our Montessori 3-6 years to homeschooling. Unfortunately, in figuring out what works for us at home, Montessori has become part of our past instead of our present. For example I don’t remember the last time either of the kids expressed any kind of interest in preparing meals, something they used to do daily. Thank you for reminding me and making it sound so doable.

  118. Amber Walters

    June 13, 2011 at 10:40 am

    I like you and sew liberated on facebook!

  119. Janna

    June 13, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Our favorites are the basics–play-dough, painting, drawing–these are the ones we go back to daily/weekly. But a favorite “sometimes” activity is embroidering simple pictures we’ve drawn–they turn out so neat!

  120. Wendy P

    June 13, 2011 at 10:50 am

    I love sculpting PlayDo with my grandson, sandcastle building and coloring too. He is just 2 yrs old. I really look forward to so many things later on! Cooking, drawing, painting, sewing. Whatever he is interested in.

  121. Wendy P

    June 13, 2011 at 10:51 am

    I like both you and Sew Liberated on Facebook. Looking forward to all the great information and insight!

  122. Catherine Sheetz

    June 13, 2011 at 11:00 am

    This is my first encounter with Sew Liberated and am really taken with it. My 9 year old daughter was given a sewing machine and a sewing kit for Christmas by a generous relative and she has taken to it. She hand sewed four quilt squares together for a doll blanket, made me a coaster out of fabric scraps for my birthday, made a felt elephant for her sister and another animal for her brother. Her 5 year old sister is following closely in her footsteps. My 7 year old son loves to whittle sticks, make play bows (sticks with string tied on each end) and anything involving sticks or wood. The three kids got together and worked hard on chiseling out a piece of wood (a foot long) to make into a canoe and painted it for me for Mother’s Day. All three kids enjoy time in the kitchen – my oldest is the expert oatmeal and cookie maker, my son is great with scrambled eggs. My youngest likes to help whenever I am baking/cooking. I am curious to explore the other ideas mentioned from Sew Liberated.

  123. bridget stevens

    June 13, 2011 at 11:02 am

    we often bake together, and my 2.5 year old like to help “knead” the bread 😉 I do sew a little, but often they are just rewarded with the outcome and not involved with the process at this point, something I hope to learn to change.

  124. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 11:06 am

    Little Bit and I don’t do any handiwork together yet as he is only 16 months old but I am always on the lookout for curriculum we can use later!

    laprochaine at gmail dot com
    Amy’s latest post: OoooH A Scrapping Momma Will Go!

  125. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 11:06 am

    I tweeted,http://twitter.com/#!/laprochaine/status/80288384018427905
    laprochaine at gmail dot com
    Amy’s latest post: OoooH A Scrapping Momma Will Go!

  126. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 11:07 am

    I follow you and Sew Liberated on FB
    laprochaine at gmail dot com
    Amy’s latest post: OoooH A Scrapping Momma Will Go!

  127. Nola

    June 13, 2011 at 11:08 am

    My oldest and I like to sew on plastic canvas with yarn. Its just the right thing for her since its easier than with thread on fabric. We also have enjoyed using felt and embroidery floss which is a bit harder but still easy enough for her to do. She is 5.

  128. Lawana

    June 13, 2011 at 11:25 am

    This is an area that I am still growing in. Looking around right now for things we can do together!
    Lawana’s latest post: Jesus and the Three Little Pigs

  129. Lena

    June 13, 2011 at 11:26 am

    We like to craft within nature as much as possible…we are currently making a toad house for our backyard….my 7 year old showed interest in knitting, so I might introduce him to simple knitting this summer….love Meg and her books/ blog.

  130. Lawana

    June 13, 2011 at 11:26 am

    I already like Simple Homeschool and I just liked Sew Liberated on Facebook!
    Lawana’s latest post: Jesus and the Three Little Pigs

  131. Sarah

    June 13, 2011 at 11:28 am

    I love doing embroidery with my girls and my nieces.

  132. Julie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:30 am

    I can’t wait to get ahold of this book! Hope I win!
    Right now I am loving teaching my oldest daughter to knit.

  133. Paige Whitley

    June 13, 2011 at 11:31 am

    I have four boys I home school, ages 6-13. The creative “thing” we do the most is painting. I love to sit and paint with the boys. Most recently we’ve added listening to CS Lewis stories on CD, while we are painting. The quiet creativity just flows!

  134. Julie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:32 am

    I shared this on twitter.

  135. Melissa

    June 13, 2011 at 11:32 am

    We cook a lot.
    Thank you!

  136. Julie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:32 am

    I like you both on facebook.

  137. Kate

    June 13, 2011 at 11:36 am

    I love Sew Liberated (and liked on Facebook too!)

    My favorite “handwork” is cooking or baking. I have found it to be such a joy to spend time with my little one in the kitchen. It has taught me to enjoy the process more than the end result, as things may not always turn out as you plan.

  138. trynna

    June 13, 2011 at 11:37 am

    What type of handwork do you enjoy doing with your children?

    I would be honored to win this book. Our family enjoys getting crafty on the regular. We have been exploring the wonderful world of felt these past few weeks.

  139. Melanie M.

    June 13, 2011 at 11:37 am

    I love to do arts and crafts with the kids!

  140. Cécy

    June 13, 2011 at 11:37 am

    No kids yet, but I love to cook with kids I babysit. May it be making playdough and cooking it or preparing cookies. It’s just fun to get them involved.
    Cécy’s latest post: Rebonds de Langue

  141. Melanie M.

    June 13, 2011 at 11:39 am

    I liked Sew Liberated on Facebook.

  142. Laura

    June 13, 2011 at 11:39 am

    I like to paint with my 4 yr old boy. And color in his coloring books with crayons together. I notice such an improvement in his abilities when I get down on his level and do things with him, no matter what it is, writing, reading, painting, drawing. He gets a real boost from having me do those simple little things with him (and let’s face it – it is So relaxing for me to take time out to do them!)

  143. Amber

    June 13, 2011 at 11:39 am

    My husband and i both spend time with our hands in the dirt with our plants. for me, it’s the vegetable garden, for him it’s his bonsai trees. Our little ones love to spend time right beside us making a mess in the dirt. Lately my 2 year old has been coming to the door saying, “Look at this zucchini!” Holding in his hands a tiny, not-ready-to-be-picked zucchini. It is so fun to watch him enjoy in amazement and wonder as the garden grows.
    Amber’s latest post: June

  144. Melanie M.

    June 13, 2011 at 11:40 am

    I Liked Simple Homeschool on Facebook

  145. Kelly

    June 13, 2011 at 11:42 am

    What a lovely interview! I want to save every morsel of insight to read again and again!

    I am still trying for children of my own, but with other people’s children I love to introduce finger knitting, which they all seem to love so much! I am currently learning to sew and seeing Meg’s book makes me want to make each and every project!

  146. Kelly

    June 13, 2011 at 11:44 am

    I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB – looking forward to more great ideas there!

  147. Carrie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:44 am

    I’d love to win a copy of Meg’s book! We have a craft table that stays set up in a corner of my dining room. Crayons, glue, markets, scissors, paper, coloring books…its all there for them to make whatever their hearts desire. I try to crush those words reminding them to clean up all the time and just let it be.

  148. melissa

    June 13, 2011 at 11:46 am

    we love to draw together…. bake together … create sewing patterns together. brings such joy while “the moment” lasts and i can see the magic happening of them getting completely involved with their whole hearts in what they are doing.

  149. cally

    June 13, 2011 at 11:46 am

    I get my kids out in the garden as much as I can. I love their hands in the dirt. Besides the weeds and the harvesting, mulching, etc, they always find something else to do with all that dirt. like throw it at eachother…ugh.

    We love cardboard, too. give them a cereal box and a roll of tape and they make amazing stuff.

    I love Meg.

  150. Julie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:52 am

    I am a baker and a gardener, and I get them in those two things whenever I do them. But I’m game for any creative activity with them.

  151. sunnysideupmama

    June 13, 2011 at 11:53 am

    We are knitting and sewing around here! Baby quilts for the doll boys with the littlest and knitting many useful items for the house with my first grade boy! Love every moment of it.

  152. Jennifer

    June 13, 2011 at 11:53 am

    Refreshing! Thank you Meg & Simple Homeschool!

  153. Chelsea the Yarngeek

    June 13, 2011 at 11:55 am

    I don’t have children yet, but when I watch my friend’s children, we do many crafty activities. The boys love to bake, especially when they all have items to mix in. Creating with dough, drawing, and fort making generally make it into the day as well. Often the evenings end with me knitting or crocheting. Sometimes, the older boys bring out their crochet too (their mother is also a crafter). It’s wonderful when we all craft as a group.

  154. Andrea Ginsberg

    June 13, 2011 at 11:56 am

    I like baking with my son, and enjoy knitting on my own.

  155. Andrea Ginsberg

    June 13, 2011 at 11:57 am

    I liked simple homeschool.

  156. Andrea Ginsberg

    June 13, 2011 at 11:58 am

    I liked sew liberated.

  157. Courtney

    June 13, 2011 at 11:58 am

    I love to draw and play with modeling clay with my 23 month old (can she really almost be two???). Also, she likes to “cook” alongside me with harmless ingredients like flour and cheerios.

  158. Jen

    June 13, 2011 at 11:59 am

    what a great interview + giveaway!

    we love to bake and cook together, garden, even fold laundry… and have started needle felting together too (wet felting was a little too ‘wet’ so far : )

  159. Jonah Lisa Dyer

    June 13, 2011 at 12:01 pm

    I love to knit and have taught my son both finger knitting and how to use a knitting tower. I likes to make long ropes to “tie up bad guys.” So cute. We also love to draw daily.

  160. Erin

    June 13, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    My kids love to embroider, starting around age 2. My older daughter (7) loves to sew and knit. A tooth pillow was her first sewing project- a pillow with a little pocket to put a lost tooth in. My son (4) is the pizza maker in the family- that’s our weekly “date”. I can only handle one kitchen helper at a time, so we take turns.

  161. Bekah

    June 13, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    I LOVE to cook and sew with my children. What a GREAT book, and fabulous giveaway. Thanks!

  162. Judith

    June 13, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    My daughter and I enjoy crocheting together.

  163. Tri

    June 13, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    Sewing, painting, cooking, jewelry making, drawing…. we love so many!

  164. Jonah Lisa Dyer

    June 13, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    Have just Tweeted the giveaway! Linked the post to FB wall as well.

  165. Holly

    June 13, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    My girlies LOVE sewing. Especially little drawstring bags. It’s sloooow work, but they’re all too short to reach the sewing machine pedal at this point, and they sort of like slooow work.

  166. Stephanie

    June 13, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    We pull weeds in the garden and bake together on occasion. I am always looking for new ideas though!

  167. Jonah Lisa Dyer

    June 13, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    Have LIKED both pages on FB. Another entry, please. Can’t wait to get my hands on this book–one way or another!

  168. Cristina

    June 13, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    I love cooking and baking! They love it too!

  169. Nicky

    June 13, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    I like to bake with the children – we can now all do a mean banana loaf!
    Nicky’s latest post: Rainy day in London- part 2 Portobello Road

  170. nimblefingersandsteadyeyebrows

    June 13, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    A really interesting interview, thank you.
    nimblefingersandsteadyeyebrows’s latest post: a Christening quilt

  171. Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 12:10 pm

    I love sewing with my two daughters. We all decided to learn to crochet last summer and my older daughter decided that crocheting is her thing. My younger daughter decided she wanted to stick with knitting. They both love to embroider and enjoyed embroidering the bodice of a mexican dress for themselves recently. I would love to see Meg’s new book up close! Thank you for sharing!

  172. alexa

    June 13, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    My girl will be 2.5 next month and I can’t wait until I can do more with her. For now we love to paint and draw together. And when I sew, she is my faithful giver and receiver of pins or “pokeys” as we call them.

  173. beth lehman

    June 13, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    So excited about Meg’s new book and her whole philosophy on parenting – the Montessori approach, etc. I love helping my kids grow… slowly… encouraging their interests and watching how they learn. This book looks great!

  174. Dani

    June 13, 2011 at 12:17 pm

    Our 2 1/2 year old loves to help me cook and loves to play with the yarn I am knitting with. We do lots of playing with water now, due to the hot days- she makes things in her outdoor kitchen and helps with watering the flowers and our garden to make them grow “big…like me. I a big girl Mama!” We love Megs book and find her work inspirational!

  175. Jennifer

    June 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    “A child’s rhythm is a SLOW one” I will be sure to seek out this book. It looks like a gem!
    Jennifer’s latest post: Japan and a daughter who loves it

  176. megan resch

    June 13, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    we love drawing & painting in this house. we also enjoy building cool structures with our wooden blocks. thanks meg for another beautiful book!

  177. Suanna

    June 13, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    I’d love some ideas on how to incorporate different handwork with my kids into our lives. Do legos count? Sometimes I play legos or work in the kitchen with my kids.
    Suanna’s latest post: Walking is Fun

  178. sarah w

    June 13, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    we mostly bake

  179. Catherine

    June 13, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    We paint and bake and dig in the dirt…
    Catherine’s latest post: pool days or love-and-hate

  180. Tara@riceandbeanslife

    June 13, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    We love to draw with chalk, make art in any way my son sees fit and follow his bliss artistically. We cook and bake together as well. I’m looking forward to teaching him how to do some basic sewing and knitting soon.
    Tara@riceandbeanslife’s latest post: Monumental Outcomes- Doing It the Old Fashioned Way

  181. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 12:24 pm

    We love cooking together!

  182. Kelly.R

    June 13, 2011 at 12:24 pm

    My niece and I mainly make a mess in the kitchen!

  183. Aimee

    June 13, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    embroidery!
    Aimee’s latest post: Image of the Maker

  184. megan

    June 13, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    Well, so far it’s just stacking and unstacking the train, throwing pebbles into water, and playing with mud and stones, as he’s only 9.5 months old. Looking forward to finger painting and sand castles when he’s a little bigger!
    megan’s latest post: Aisha the wee hippy

  185. Aimee

    June 13, 2011 at 12:25 pm

    liked you both on FB!
    Aimee’s latest post: Image of the Maker

  186. Belinda

    June 13, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    I have just started taking sewing classes, so this will be perfect. Until now i had just been cooking with the kids.

  187. heatherly

    June 13, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    We deadhead the flowers on the deck and we make friendship bracelets out of embroidery thread.

  188. Tracy

    June 13, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    We do lots of baking around here and outdoor time just taking in the beauty around us.
    Great interview !

  189. Kerry McNamee

    June 13, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    Liked Simple Home School on facebook!

  190. Casey

    June 13, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    We do all sorts of art projects around here, and much to my delight, my daughter is learning to sew on her own little machine.
    Casey’s latest post: Dried Cherries

  191. Marlyce

    June 13, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    We are working on knitting around here and whatever else we can dabble in…

    Marlyce

  192. Tamara C

    June 13, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    The past year I taught both my kids to embroider and cross-stitch and just started teaching my daughter to crochet.

  193. Natalie

    June 13, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    I love felting with kids, the process of changing that soft wool into something sturdy with just your hands and some water is a very cool process to go through with young children.
    Natalie’s latest post: Feeling the Need to Create

  194. Tamara C

    June 13, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    Like you both on Facebook

  195. Kerry McNamee

    June 13, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    Long time Facebook fan of Meg and Sew Liberated! Truly a wonderful (Montessori) Mama! Her boys are beautiful…It has been wonderful to see them grow through her blog… She also has so many easy suggestions and great pictures of areas set up for her boys. What a great giveaway!

  196. Jen

    June 13, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    hand painting with my 2 year old and sewing (on the machine) with my 7 year old (although my 2 year old is starting to want a bit of that action; see this post here )
    Jen’s latest post: School Choice – Help wanted!

  197. Meghan

    June 13, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    Meg’s book looks wonderful! The handwork that happens the most with our 2 year old daughter right now revolves around being outside – her favorite place to be. Feeding the chickens, picking apricots, playing with the baby goat while I milk mama, and anything involving tools and helping dad. I guess these are more chores than handwork, though we are working and using out hands!

  198. Nichole

    June 13, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    Hi! I have two boys, 4 and 6. We have a lot of interests going on around here.
    We are growing tadpoles, growing a turkey poult, two dogs and one kitty. Here soon we will bring home 2 guineas. Caring for animals and Mother Earth outside of our home is our hand work. Although we also paint about our days. We are also sewing a flag to hang that represents the summer season. We started it last summer, but intend to finish it this summer. In the end, we hope to have a flag for every season, imbued with energy and pictures representing our family union.
    I hope to win this book!!!

  199. Jodanna

    June 13, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    I love doing beadwork with them. They are so entertained by it.

  200. Jen

    June 13, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    I liked you both on facebook…man I want this book, I’m tempted to sign up to twitter just to get another chance to win.
    Jen’s latest post: School Choice – Help wanted!

  201. Valerie

    June 13, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Knitting, with my 7-year old, and sewing with both the 7- and 4-year olds. This book looks wonderful!

  202. Emilie

    June 13, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    My kids and I love drawing and gardening together, and my 4 year old is just learning to sew! Fun times!

  203. Emilie

    June 13, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    I “liked” you on FB

  204. Emilie

    June 13, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    I “liked” Sew Liberated on FB!

  205. Megan

    June 13, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    We cook, sew, and draw together. My daughter also gardens with my husband.

  206. Laura Jeanne

    June 13, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    Oh gosh, what an awesome giveaway! I love sharing all forms of handwork with my kids, but especially gardening. It’s lovely to see their sense of wonder and accomplishment as the tiny seeds they planted turn gradually into full grown flowers and vegetables.

    Thanks for the chance to enter!

  207. Nicole

    June 13, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    It’s definitely things in the kitchen . . . cooking and baking . . . they, of course, prefer the latter. 🙂

  208. Annette

    June 13, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    Knitting. I have been pleasantly surprised how quickly they have picked it up.

  209. silver

    June 13, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    We bake bread together now. When they get older (neither are school aged), I hope to teach them to sew.

  210. Laura

    June 13, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    I love to cook and bake with my kids, although I am also really looking forward to the time when they are a little older and we can sew together!

  211. Sheau

    June 13, 2011 at 1:04 pm

    This is great! We do all kind of homemade. The things we enjoyed most now, our little one is 2, is gardening and outdoor play yard. We loves spending time outdoor, making and modifying our play yard with our little one, watching insects and small animals in our yard, picking flowers, growing produces and flowers together, caring and tending. Baking in kitchen, making guacamole with hands, doing art together and participating in all kinds of imaginary play our little one likes.

  212. Sheau

    June 13, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    I just like and Simple Homeschool Sew Liberated on Face book.

  213. Melissa N

    June 13, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    What a great interview. I would love to have win to book to use with my two young children. Thanks for the giveaway and the interview.

  214. Melissa N

    June 13, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    P.S. I just ‘Liked” Simple Homeschool on Facebook. THanks!

  215. Meg

    June 13, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    My boy is only six months old, so right now we are all about sensory experience. We play with dirt, water, grass, and paper. We explore the texture and weight of the things around us. We’re starting to offer solid foods, which is a pretty exciting experience for a little guy! As he grows, we’ll include him more and more in things like gardening, cooking, and projects around our home.

  216. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    What a wonderful giveaway! Thank you! My baby loves to be in the kitchen with me as we cook and bake. We also love to play the guitar and sing.

    P.S. I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Facebook!

  217. kelli

    June 13, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    We like baking and cooking, and my middle son wants to learn to sew and knit. Crafts are ALWAYS fun with the kids — mostly paper, glue, tape, markers and crayons.

  218. Crystal

    June 13, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    I love baking with my girls, and they love it too! Thanks for the great give-away!

  219. ashlee

    June 13, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    I still have about 2 months before our first baby arrives, but I hope to include baby in gardening and cooking/baking from the very start just by being there with me while I’m doing them. I’m extremely excited about little helping hands in these activities as soon as they are able to do so!

  220. Heathir

    June 13, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    I don’t cook well, but we love to fool around in the kitchen, trying things out. And for his 5th birthday, my oldest requested a sewing machine.

  221. Elle

    June 13, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    We love to bake, cook and draw in my house. After dinner some nights we all sit around the dining room table and draw together. It’s one of my favourite times that we share as a family. My girls love being in the kitchen with me and at 2.5 they are always asking how they can help:)

  222. Taryn

    June 13, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    I have a two daughters: a 2yo and a 2 mo old. I love to draw with my 2yo but she is usually less interested in sitting still than in running around and climbing on things. We’re a little different. 😉 I am looking forward to digging out the sidewalk chalk this summer and seeing if we can blend drawing and running.

  223. Julie

    June 13, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    We cook, we sew, we knit, we do paper crafts. Thank you for the opportunity to win this wonderful book. My youngest just turned 4 and although we would probably only get a few years out of this book, it would be one that I would buy regardless.

  224. Jenny

    June 13, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    We love to draw, garden, and bake with my three kids.

  225. Shereen

    June 13, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    My 20-month-old son and I enjoy cooking and art, with hopes for gardening in the near future!
    Shereen’s latest post: A delicacy in some parts- I hear

  226. Jenifer

    June 13, 2011 at 1:26 pm

    We love to cook; it is our favorite handwork.

  227. Meg Martin

    June 13, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    One of my favorites is baking with my kids. We are also all learning to knit together!

  228. Meg Martin

    June 13, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    I “liked” on Facebook!

  229. Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    My boys and I love to bake together. I loe being in the kitchen with them taking time to enjoy the ingredients, textures, suprising tastes (vanilla-unsweetened chocolate, he he), seeing the world through their eyes. Love it.

  230. Sue Klingseis

    June 13, 2011 at 1:29 pm

    My two are still pretty young so we are doiong some learning in the kitchen. We picked a lemon from our tree then cut it and looked at it and juiced it and tasted it. I loved their faces!

  231. Christina

    June 13, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    this looks like a great book! Something I could definitely use with my three littles!

  232. Christina

    June 13, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    Liked you and have already like megs page!
    Christina’s latest post: To Eliza Hope

  233. Katie Campbell

    June 13, 2011 at 1:34 pm

    I love to sew with my two little boys. As soon as I pull out my sewing machine, they come rushing to the table to sit with me. We talk, plan new projects & just listen to the hum of the machine. It is such a sweet time.

  234. Christina

    June 13, 2011 at 1:35 pm

    Forgot to answer the question! We garden together, 7 yr old is learning to cook as well.
    Christina’s latest post: To Eliza Hope

  235. Katie Campbell

    June 13, 2011 at 1:35 pm

    Also, I already like both Simple Homeschool & Sew Liberated on Facebook 🙂

  236. April Emery

    June 13, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    I like drawing and painting with my children. We get lost in it.
    April Emery’s latest post: Send Me To Nashville – Buy A Photo

  237. PJ

    June 13, 2011 at 1:39 pm

    We love sewing together – the girls help me pick out fabrics and stay nearby during the sewing commenting on every part. And I would love to win this book!

  238. Kendra

    June 13, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    Cooking and gardening… and learning sewing!

  239. April Emery

    June 13, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    I followed Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Twitter. I tweeted.

    http://twitter.com/#!/aprilemery/status/80328666743185409
    April Emery’s latest post: Send Me To Nashville – Buy A Photo

  240. Kendra

    June 13, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    Liked on facebook!

  241. April Emery

    June 13, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    I like Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Facebook
    April Emery’s latest post: Send Me To Nashville – Buy A Photo

  242. em

    June 13, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    my little one is still too small for us to do much with our hands together, but i wear her all day while i work with my hands…my favorite being the knitting time!

  243. Ramona

    June 13, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    I like to sew, knit, tat, and crochet, but my kiddos are too small to do much of those (though they love to play with scraps). together we bake and cook, and with their dad, they do woodwork (even the 2 year old girl can hammer nails straight down).
    Ramona’s latest post: B Black &amp Sons aka heaven

  244. Michelle

    June 13, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    As a mama of 4, I sometimes feel that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the handwork activities that I’d like to with my kids. They all love it as much as I do! I do embroidery with my oldest two (11 year old & 10 year old girls) as well as knitting, crocheting and sewing. They are just learning but they really enjoy the process and that’s what it’s all about. We do sand & water painting with the “babies” who are 2 year old and 9 month old boys. They both love to fingerpaint and watch mama knit 🙂

  245. Michelle

    June 13, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    I also like both sew liberated & simple homeschool on fb 🙂

  246. Jen H.

    June 13, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    I love teaching them to sew. I am amazed how much they can do so young.

  247. Katy

    June 13, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    I would love to win one of these to give as a gift (I couldn’t wait and pre-ordered mine!). So many wonderful ideas and just a soothing book to look through.

  248. clotilde

    June 13, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    Hi!

    I would be great to win!! With my two little boys handcraft are very basic because their are only 18 month old! but we do some painting or drawings on big sheets! We make so often of “pate à modeler” (i dont know the english word for this!
    clotilde’s latest post: turbulette

  249. Jen

    June 13, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    Craft time and baking are definitely the favorites for my kids & I.
    I would love to learn to sew as well and share that with them.

  250. Meghan

    June 13, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    We bake and garden together.

  251. rosina

    June 13, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    Right now we are doing a lot of knitting and wet felting together for our crafting time 🙂 It is so much fun to teach them how to make things. Thanks so much for a chance to win Meg’s new book 🙂

  252. rosina

    June 13, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    I shared about the giveaway on my twitter account here: http://twitter.com/#!/Rosy_Posy/status/80331872541999104

  253. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 1:58 pm

    I am enjoying teaching my 9 year old son and 6 year old daughter the basics of sewing as I am learning myself. I enjoy this time together with them and love to see their excitement over their completed projects.

  254. Laura

    June 13, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    My kids (at home now) are 4 and 1. They both like to sit nearby and push my hooks thru their blankets while a crochet a new one. To create, we string a lot of beads and items, tape or glue strange concoctions together, and paint. My son is obsessed with masking tape right now!!

  255. Christina P

    June 13, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    Honestly, I’m just starting to notice how little I “trust” my toddler with things. I need to learn to let go, let accidents happen, and allow him to accomplish more things, even if it means imperfection or even failure at times. For now, at 2 years old, he helps with table setting and watering the garden and doing other yardwork. He loves it!

  256. Kimberly R Brooks

    June 13, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    We have really gotten into cooking together. My 3 year old absolutely adores it.

  257. thea

    June 13, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    I am really enjoying teaching my lower elementary class how to sew! The children are creating small stuffed animals, pillowcases, skirts and tops with a basic sewing machine!

  258. Kandace

    June 13, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Amazing. We enjoy baking around here or just cooking in general. 🙂

  259. Christine Johnson

    June 13, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    I have 4 little ones 6 and under, so our time is limited. I am teaching my oldest to embroider and she loves it! She also wants to learn to sew and I have started a little bit. The boys are always busy with string, rope, wood, and sticks…making things!
    Thanks for the opportunity to win.

  260. Emily

    June 13, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    I have a 17 month old daughter and I have been loving working in the garden with her. This is our first year having a plot at our house and we are so excited. She is actually really good at planting seeds! I poke the holes where I want them and then hold the seeds in my hand and she picks them up one by one and drops them in the little holes, it’s so sweet! Her dexterity is amazing to see. It’s also I think helping her learn to be gentle with plants. She’ll sit on the edge of the garden while I’m working and we sing to them and smell them. It’s been such a wonderful experience to share with her.

  261. Lise

    June 13, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Ooh, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this book; thanks for the chance! I love doing embroidery with children in the winter, and gardening in the summer, just a few of the many hands-on things we do all day!
    Lise’s latest post: Yarn along- after a long absence

  262. nicole

    June 13, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    my son and i work on our farm together — he discovers all the strange bugs and brings them to me wrapped in leaves and flowers

  263. avital

    June 13, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    My three year old and I do a lot muffin baking, and he loves to come into my sewing room and have me help him make little things like drawstring bags for his treasures.

  264. Leslie

    June 13, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    I love sewing! My girls are (usually) proud to wear the little outfits that their mommy makes for them 😉
    We also cook together a lot.

  265. Jodie

    June 13, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Well, I don’t have children yet (we are currently expecting) but I would imagine I would enjoy doing and showing all the things we do and more. I sew, knit, embroider, spin and play violin. We garden, bake, cook and brew beer. I love how Meg talks about instilling wonder in young children, which is something I look forward to with my little ones.
    Jodie’s latest post: Big Announcement!

  266. Norissa Lears

    June 13, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Great interview! I have mostly been trying to involve my almost-two-year old in food preparation. Our latest endeavor was tortillas, with him putting the balls of dough in the tortilla press and pressing them flat. That was a great success!

  267. Trese

    June 13, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    I have been reading Meg’s blog since before she was pregnant with Finn! It was a wonderful Montessori resource and now an amazing parenting resource. I enjoying sewing for my boys and they love all the treasures I make for them! I would love a copy of this book!!

  268. ~Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 2:24 pm

    Making homemade foods, gardening and dancing!

  269. Emmy @ the student/teacher

    June 13, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    Love this interview so much! My family has just begun our unschooling journey and I had to smile as I read this because our days are pretty much exactly as Meg describes! I enjoy Meg’s blog very much–she definitely feels like a kindred spirit!

    I am a sewist and a crafter, so the handwork I do with my girls is mainly sewing, but we also love art and painting and crafts of all kinds. (I couldn’t agree more about the importance of handwork in a child’s day.) Thanks for sharing this conversation with Meg!
    Emmy @ the student/teacher’s latest post: Childrens Gift Idea- A Geologist Kit

  270. Mel

    June 13, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    My kids LOVE artwork and cooking!

  271. PsychMamma

    June 13, 2011 at 2:27 pm

    Anything art! We love to draw and paint together, and I love watching her find her own style!

    Thanks so much for the chance to enter!
    PsychMamma’s latest post: Oh Give Me a Home……

  272. Jen

    June 13, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    My children are ages 5, 2.5, and 1. Gardening and baking are part of our regular routine. My oldest loves to make miniature masterpieces out of modeling clay. He and my 2 year old also enjoy drawing and painting. All three love to get their hands into just about anything!

  273. decemberbaby

    June 13, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    I’m a very hands-on person, and my kids see me working with my hands all the time. On Fridays we bake challah bread together (well, I bake and my 3 yo daughter kneads her dough and eats it raw). I sew quilts and placemats as baby and birthday gifts, respectively, and dd helps me choose the fabrics and ribbons. I hope to teach her some simple hand-sewing, but I feel that it’ll be a year or two before I let her anywhere near my machine!
    decemberbaby’s latest post: Perils of Montessori parenting

    • decemberbaby

      June 13, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Oh, forgot to mention that I “liked” sew liberated on Facebook!
      decemberbaby’s latest post: Perils of Montessori parenting

  274. Mariana

    June 13, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    My baby is 21 months old, so we mostly paint. Although I’d love to start some cooking with her.
    Mariana’s latest post: Mamaço virtual

  275. Emilie

    June 13, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    My eldest daughter (9 yrs old) is into baking and just learned how to sew. We also do crafts as often as possible. I try to get her to garden a little also.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Emilie’s latest post: Babys going to be in the hood!

  276. Mariana

    June 13, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    I’ve just “liked” homeschooling and sew liberated on Facebook! I’m in for the giveaway.
    Mariana’s latest post: Mamaço virtual

  277. RaeLyn Stoddard

    June 13, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Sewing with my older girls (ages 11 and 8) is very fun, especially when we do projects they like. My 11-yo also loves to crochet with me (I think she’s getting better than I am!). But the main thing I do with ALL my kids (ages 11, 9, 5, 2, and 2 months) is cooking, since that’s a necessity. Some just watch for now, but those who can help out 🙂

  278. Sunshine Mama

    June 13, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    Our favourite is painting! I can tell the kids find painting so freeing… way better than drawing between the lines 😉 They also love to help me bake.

  279. Laura

    June 13, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    I loke simple homeschool on facebook now

  280. Caroline

    June 13, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    We love to cook and bake together.

  281. Gesche

    June 13, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    So far we have only experimented with colors and textures a lot, my boy is only 9 month old. But, there is a lot of stuff to come while he discovers the world!

  282. Healing Hillary

    June 13, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    We like any kind of handwork that is messy these days…wet felting ranks high on the list :).
    Healing Hillary’s latest post: this moment

  283. Ginger

    June 13, 2011 at 2:46 pm

    This book looks great!

  284. Maryjane

    June 13, 2011 at 2:46 pm

    Wonderful looking book!
    My kids love any type of creative handiwork, especially my 5 year old son, Avery. Both kids really love paper mache and clay. I love to sew, and that is something I’ve been trying to teach my daughter, who is 11. But she is more of an outdoorsy girl. Maybe someday… : )
    Maryjane’s latest post: New Endeavor

  285. Melissa

    June 13, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    My two daugther (3 and 2) love helping me with whatever it is I am doing. Yesterday we cleaned their rooms and baked cookies. Today, we wiped down the kitchen cabinets. Great helpers!

  286. emily

    June 13, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    My family really enjoys knitting, paper crafts such as origami and all kids of felting! We all love to be busy with our hands! This looks like a terrific book.

  287. Jessica

    June 13, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    We love to cook/bake together and work in the garden!

  288. Ali

    June 13, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    We love to bake cookies! They are also really good at helping dust and light cleaning. I look forward to teaching the simple sewing techniques and maybe knitting or crochet when the time is right.

  289. Ali

    June 13, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    I like Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB!

  290. Rosemary

    June 13, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    I loved reading about this book and would love to win a copy. I liked it on facebook.

  291. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    We sew and knit together, although if you take Meg’s definition, we also cook, paint, play with clay, and color together! I’m excited about this book – Meg had a great preview on her blog!

  292. Jaime

    June 13, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    This past week I finally taught my 6 year old how to sew on my sewing machine – she was easily able to sew the straight lines to make a simple tote for each of her teachers. She loved it!

  293. Kate C.

    June 13, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    We go shopping for fabrics together and they ‘help’ me sew. They do lots of creative art on their own too.

  294. Shelley R.

    June 13, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    Currently, taking our nature sketch books and watercolor pencils to our near-by park that has a creek bubbling through the forest. We hike the trail, discover a new plant in bloom, a new lichen, and sketch right there, right then in the woods. All three young kids enjoy this, then we identify the sketches later at home.

  295. natalia

    June 13, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    Hi! I have a 2 years boy and we love to draw and paint together. He always amazes me because he uses many colors and carefully choose these. He also likes to messing with bits of fabric when I sew, jeje!

  296. darah

    June 13, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    yay! this book looks wonderful!
    We are really enjoying embroidering right now. My daughter loves that she gets to use a needle just like adults do 🙂
    darah’s latest post: right now

  297. Jennifer

    June 13, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    We do simple sewing and embroidery. And my oldest and I are both learning to knit! And they all often help me in the kitchen, of course.

  298. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    My 3 1/2 year old and I enjoying cooking together. Just today we made fruit and nut bars. He also likes to “knit” which is really just playing with a ball of yarn. My 10 month old is into chewing on wooden spoons and stacking cups while in the kitchen.

  299. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    “Liked” you both on FB, thanks for the giveaway!

  300. Michelle

    June 13, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    My daughter (almost 3) likes to “knit” when I knit – she has a ball of her own yarn, pokes needles into it, and winds the yarn around the needles. We also bake bread together (and draw in the spilled flour with our fingers), but her favorite is mixing granola. We smell the spices, feel the different textures of the nuts and seeds (after washing hands well!) and stir.

  301. Jill

    June 13, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    We love to make bread…esp kneading it…Although DD looks forward to knitting (too little still) like momma. 🙂

  302. Greeblygreebly

    June 13, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    My children and I love to cook and bake together. My daughter and I also enjoy painting, knitting and embriodry together. My son has tried all of those things and periodically will return briefly to one of them but mostly he loves to cook.

  303. Jill

    June 13, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    PS “liked” both pages on FB. 🙂

  304. sheila at growingwildfarm

    June 13, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    I love drawing with my oldest son, assisting my middle son in woodworking projects he mostly comes up with, as well as knitting, spinning, and sewing with him (he is my “project” boy), and embroidery and clay building with my daughter. For now, the baby helps me cook by riding in his ergo 🙂

    Thanks for the chance to win! I can’t wait to get my hands on this book one way or another!

    Sheila

  305. sheila at growingwildfarm

    June 13, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    I also liked both simple homeschool and sew liberated on facebook 🙂
    sheila at growingwildfarm’s latest post: The Man Born to Farming

  306. Kasey

    June 13, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    I love cooking with both of my boys, and now love having my older boy (5 1/2) help me with sewing projects. He feels so grown-up when he’s the “Keeper of the Pins” 🙂

    Thanks for such a great giveaway.

  307. Renee

    June 13, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    I’ve really enjoyed painting with my toddler lately he LOVES to watercolor.

  308. Tina

    June 13, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    I already bought crayons for my 13mo old hoping he would not put them in his mouth and at least scribble. Oh well~we’ve got a few more months I guess since they went straight to the tongue. I cannot wait until he is drawing on everything!!

    Thanks for the giveaway. This book looks amazing and I would love to win it!

  309. Laura W.

    June 13, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    I’ve had a wonderful time making and playing with homemade play-dough recently with my toddler!

  310. Tammy Maddox

    June 13, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    I just “found” this site_thank you i really enjoyed it! I am not sure if we enjoy cooking/baking together the most or gardening. Either way, that is what we love.
    :o)

  311. Laura W.

    June 13, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    I like both pages on FB! (Laura Wilson)

  312. Tammy Maddox

    June 13, 2011 at 4:08 pm

    Our families loves to cook and bake together. We spend a great deal of our time in the kitchen and with two celiac children that is just perfect for me.
    :o)

  313. Carrie @Rhubarb Sky

    June 13, 2011 at 4:12 pm

    My 6 year old is getting pretty good at embroidery. So fun to watch!

  314. JJ

    June 13, 2011 at 4:14 pm

    My little guy is into helping with everything right now so I try to find little ways he can help whenever I’m baking, cooking, cleaning, sewing, crafting, etc. Usually he’s able to participate in some way and always feels so proud!

  315. erin

    June 13, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    we do a lot different art exploration in our house…gluing, drawing, painting, “stickering”…and as a hand-sewer, i can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to sit and sew beside me!

  316. erin

    June 13, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    and liked you both on FB:)
    erin’s latest post: Walter the Whale onesie or tshirt

  317. Ashley

    June 13, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    I like to bake with my little guy 🙂

  318. Ashley

    June 13, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    I like both Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on facebook.

  319. jennifer

    June 13, 2011 at 4:25 pm

    I love to bake bread, letting her pour and mix and then knead. i also just gave her first knitting lesson this weekend! it was initiated by her and lasted all of one minute – before she was on to the next thing. man did i savor that minute! (she’s almost two and a half)

  320. rachel

    June 13, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    I would love to win this book! I have been a Sewliberated reader for a long time! My older son loves to embroider with me! Never would have thought he would sit still long enough for that! My middle son loves to make any kind of food with me…he’s an eater! My daughter loves to work with clay and mud and paint…anything wild and messy! Thanks for a great giveaway!

  321. Mircat

    June 13, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    I adore paper and paper crafts and enjoy simple things like coloring with markers, crumpling paper, and fingerpainting with my 19 month old. 🙂 I also “liked” you on Facebook….It’s lovely to discover your blog!

  322. Keri Travis

    June 13, 2011 at 4:34 pm

    We love working with wool- knitting and felting. Sewing in hoops and sewing simple projects.

  323. Christine

    June 13, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    I like to paint with my kids.

  324. Lisa

    June 13, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Thanks for the opportunity! This book is definitely on my wish list. Right now I mostly cook and bake with my girls, along with doing some wet wool felting. Next on our list is finger knitting and sewing.

  325. Julie

    June 13, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Great giveaway!
    My daughter loves yarn crafts. Knitting, and weaving are firm favorites. My son enjoys paper crafts. Give him paper, scissors, pens, and glue, and he always comes up with a great creation! My little one (17 months) enjoys our homemade playdough 🙂

  326. Carla

    June 13, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    My girls love playing with my scrapbooking stuff! They also love clay, pay-doh, Lego, etc… Next I’d like to teach my 8 year old some basic sewing crafts! 🙂

  327. Carla

    June 13, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    I liked you both on Facebook! 🙂
    Carla’s latest post: Some sewing creations…

  328. Launa

    June 13, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    Finger-painting! oh yes, and baking, and sewing, and digging in the garden… you name it, we’ve dabbled in it!
    thanks for the giveaway!

  329. Maegan

    June 13, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    I love painting, drawing and crafting with my kiddos. I am teaching my 8 year old how to knit. 🙂

  330. Maegan

    June 13, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB. Thanks!

  331. Melissa

    June 13, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    My 4 kiddos and I love gardening, canning, cooking, sewing, coloring and watercoloring, and building special “fairy houses” when we go out exploring together. I love what Meg said, “do what you love with your child”…those are the things they’ll remember fondly about their childhood.

  332. Brittany S.

    June 13, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    I love reading perspectives like this – makes me excited to have kids of my own to share the world with. Sometimes it seems that the only side of motherhood I hear about consists of complaints of being tired, overworked, bored, or stifled, so it’s encouraging to see mothers who are intentionally bringing creativity and wonder into their children’s (and their own) lives.

  333. Betsy

    June 13, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    Lately my three girls and I have been loving perusing our fabric stash and then choosing just the right colors and textures to make felt hair clips and ponytail holders for friends. It’s so satisfying to create together as a family!

  334. Rena

    June 13, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    I love to bake with my son.

  335. sapir

    June 13, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    i like to back easy stuff with my older dautgher 🙂
    sapir’s latest post: Do dropped felony charges show up on a background check

  336. Carrie @ Oh Baby O

    June 13, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    My son and I really enjoy baking bread together. It’s wonderful because it requires small bits of time throughout our day and then at the end of the day we can sit down and enjoy eating it together.
    Carrie @ Oh Baby O’s latest post: Play Food- Berry Pie

  337. Sara Savel

    June 13, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    I love doing mixed media collages and finger painting with my toddler! This book looks awesome! Love how she combines Waldorf and Montessori!

  338. Betsy

    June 13, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    I like Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB!

  339. Sara Savel

    June 13, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    I like sew liberated on facebook!
    Sara Savel’s latest post: Diagnosis- PCOS

  340. Jayme

    June 13, 2011 at 4:59 pm

    We love to garden and sew. My daughter is learning to pick the weeds and not the plants. She is my back tack button pusher when we sew together. I love having her on my lap while we make projects together.

  341. Jayme

    June 13, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    I also liked both sites on Facebook! I love that two of my favorite blogs are connected together!

  342. Lila

    June 13, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    What a great giveaway!! Thank you : i would love to win !!!

  343. Samantha

    June 13, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    My daughters love beading. We make necklaces, ornaments, bracelets, etc. And very often they take the beads off and start all over again 🙂

  344. kort

    June 13, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    we love to bake and eat our treats together!
    kort’s latest post: D is for dinosouar and de Paula

  345. Sharonnz

    June 13, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    Knitting, absolutely knitting. But I’ve just started teaching Mr Six how to hand sew. Fun! Turns out he’s very particular.

  346. Jennifer Camp

    June 13, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    I can’t wait to get this book! My children and I enjoy drawing and coloring together, which sometimes translates into making a book or comic book. I am an amateur sewer and am looking for ideas on how to get my kids involved without it being too complicated.

  347. Serena

    June 13, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    I like to bake with my girls. They are very eager helpers. 🙂 They also enjoy digging in the dirt (gardening).

    Meg is great. Love her blog, love her books.

  348. Ten

    June 13, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    We love to draw together!

  349. Karen cabrera

    June 13, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    Liked on FB!

  350. Serena

    June 13, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    I ‘Like’ Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Facebook. 🙂

  351. Marianne

    June 13, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    My son and daughter and I like to bake- they LOVE to crack eggs. We also will draw or color or paint. Sometimes we make music together too, but this post has definitely motivated me to do lots more with them! Thanks!

  352. Marianne

    June 13, 2011 at 5:24 pm

    Just coming back to tell you I Liked you and Sewliberated on Facebook. Hope I win!
    Marianne’s latest post: Day 15

  353. FunnyGal KAT

    June 13, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    I’m looking forward to baking when my nine-month-old is a bit older. For now, we are having fun with music– we dance to it, beat out rhythms and (of course) sing along.

  354. Amber

    June 13, 2011 at 5:42 pm

    My girls love to help me in the kitchen a lot – baking, chopping veges for dinner. They also love to draw and colour pictures and lately I’ve been teaching them knitting and crochet.
    Amber’s latest post: My Secret Revealed

  355. Margie

    June 13, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    I love doing all sorts of things with my children … gardening, baking and ‘sewing.’ I sew, they play with the scraps and staple, glue, sew with the fabric, paper what ever they find. It’s so fun to see what they come up with.

  356. Stephanie O.

    June 13, 2011 at 5:47 pm

    My son loves to draw so we do a lot of paper crafts, but when the kids get older I would love to teach them to sew, knit, crochet and any other crafts they would like.

  357. Stephanie O.

    June 13, 2011 at 5:47 pm

    Liked you already on facebook and liked sew liberated there also

  358. Katie

    June 13, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    Lately my daughter is always asking “up please” when I’m working in the kitchen, so I plop her down on the counter and give her 2 year old hand something to do. Sometimes she finds her own thing to do up there as she mimics my familiar motions with whatever she finds on the counter (within the realms of safety, of course)

  359. Jayna

    June 13, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    we are big on making the potholders on the looms, love using beeswax to mold and model with, and of course finger knitting! Also, my children adore cherish and will forever love mud, does that count as handwork also? They are 6.5, almost 5, 3 and 20 months:) That is 4 littles all together, lots of handiwork at my house!

  360. Mindy Leone

    June 13, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    I love to paint with my daughter….And we love to knit together, too 🙂 I love Meg!!!!

  361. Kate

    June 13, 2011 at 6:23 pm

    Oh, I am in love with this book, and would love to win a copy! Thanks for the great interview with Meg and the giveaway.

  362. Kate

    June 13, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    Liked on facebook as well.
    Kate’s latest post: Tee Time

  363. Becky V

    June 13, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    I guess it would have to be cooking. Thanks for the giveaway!

  364. Bethany

    June 13, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    We like to do embroidery, but my 7yo really wants to sew!

  365. Katie

    June 13, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    We enjoy baking and painting. I’m not much of a sewer and my girls are little still…. so we’ll see what happens in the future.

  366. jojoebi

    June 13, 2011 at 6:36 pm

    It is a toss up between cooking and drawing/painting

  367. Susan E

    June 13, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    With my son and daughter we mostly do things in the kitchen (my 3 year old daughter is in that phase where she loves to clean at the sink) and gardening, I don’t do much other handwork but would love to learn to do more with my kids and get back into the sewing and knitting I did pre-children.

    Thanks!

  368. melody

    June 13, 2011 at 6:48 pm

    I prefer sewing, although I also knit and embroider etc… Oldest dd prefers sewing, as well, but also knits… Youngest dd likes to knit and also loves to make earrings.

    I did everything else you said to do ;o) ~can I please be entered in the drawing! I’ve been an avid reader of Meg’s blog and previous blog for ages now and would love to take a look at her new book!
    melody’s latest post: rain- rain- and more rain

  369. Jenna

    June 13, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    Baking is my favourite activity to do with my children, but painting is a close second. The former is a bit noisy and boisterous (standmixers and all!) and the latter is quiet and reflective.

  370. Brittany

    June 13, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    I try to involve my children in the projects I do, otherwise I sometimes don’t get a chance to get them done. This was especially true with my first child because he relied on me so much for attention. I involved him by having him sit on my lap and press the sewing machine pedal for me. I guess that’s more like FOOTwork than handwork! I also really enjoy having him do embroidery. I’d take a one of his drawings and trace it onto muslin with a washable marker and have him stitch over it. I’m combining several of these into a quilt.

  371. Brittany

    June 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    I “Liked” you both on Facebook.

    I’m glad I found your website. I’m a homeschooling mother and I was also homeschooled as a child until I went to college. How neat it is to connect with other homeschoolers!
    Brittany’s latest post: Spiced Up Table

  372. Angelica

    June 13, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    I love working together in the kitchen but it is hard for me. I keep saying to myself ‘it is about the process, not the product!’

  373. Jasie

    June 13, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    We love to paint, but should do it more often. And cook.

  374. Olivia

    June 13, 2011 at 7:10 pm

    I enjoy knitting for my baby, but at 9 months he’s more into destruction than creation. I look forward to many, many creative projects with him.

  375. caron

    June 13, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    What a lovely givaway! My oldest (7) loves to create long chains with a knitting tower, and she is just moving into crocheting. She and my middle (5) make drawings as patterns and then stitch up the creations. Painting, coloring and working with beeswax clay are also favorites for my 2 yr old and his older sisters.

  376. Kara

    June 13, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    Ooh .. We love baking, painting, knitting … we love embroidery, and I don’t mind untangling all the knots! :o)

  377. Kimberly

    June 13, 2011 at 7:29 pm

    Does building with Legos count? 🙂 My boys also both enjoy baking, drawing, and painting together. Thanks for the giveaway!

  378. CatieP

    June 13, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    I don’t have my own children (yet) but some of my fondest memories from childhood were when my mom would let me sew doll clothes on the sewing machine. I still have some of them and I remember being so proud and skilled

  379. Bev

    June 13, 2011 at 7:31 pm

    I enjoy cooking with all 3 of my kids, and my middle child enjoys sewing & knitting with me.

  380. Ruth

    June 13, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    Not realistic yet, but I look forward to knitting and sewing with my children. We do medieval reenactment and I can’t wait to teach them to make their own garb!
    Ruth’s latest post: Sunday Scribblings- Whats Next

  381. Leah

    June 13, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    I love to do transfer activities with my 22 month old: setting out various pots, pans, spoons, pitchers, etc., and “playing” with water, pasta, rice, beads, or even oddball things like toothpicks. It is a great exploration activity. He’s getting better with his pouring accuracy, but I always have a stack of washcloths nearby just in case :).

  382. Leah

    June 13, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    Both pages are “liked” on facebook! Thanks for the chance to win!

  383. amanda

    June 13, 2011 at 7:36 pm

    although knitting is my preffered handwork, baking is what i like to do best with my kids.

  384. Giggle n Squeak

    June 13, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    cooking, a lot of learning and bonding can happen with cooking

  385. Leslie

    June 13, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    My daughter and I have just begun needle felting together and we are loving it! I love to bake, and am finally trying to involve my children more in my baking and cooking. Thanks for the giveaway!

  386. Carol B.

    June 13, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    Drawing would be the main activity. My son would like to learn to knit something for his dog, so that is on the list. Thank you for the give away.

  387. Michelle

    June 13, 2011 at 7:58 pm

    Our daughter is pretty young still, but we like to play in the dirt a lot, and I see much helping in the kitchen in her future!

  388. foxbrooken

    June 13, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    We like to cook, knit, sew, and felt together.

  389. Shalene

    June 13, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    I would “sew” love one of these!!! My son helps me in the kitchen often!

  390. sarah lavigne

    June 13, 2011 at 8:20 pm

    Have yet to start much handwork babe is only 15th months. But I love to sew 🙂

  391. Elizabeth

    June 13, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    We love to work in the kitchen. My oldest home schooled son, who is 12, loves to cook and my youngest, who is 4, loves to help cut up mushrooms carefully with a dull knife. I feel it is important to allow them to help me. The boys also love to build with legos and blocks of any kind.

  392. Robyn

    June 13, 2011 at 8:26 pm

    I follow both blogs, but didn’t realize you were both on FB also. I went ahead and liked both pages.
    All three of my boys like to cook with me, even my 16 month old. My oldest and I have sewn and knitted together (poorly, but we’ll get the hang of it!).

  393. Meadow

    June 13, 2011 at 8:27 pm

    We enjoy sewing and knitting towers right now. Oh art work too, mostly drawing and painting. Thanks for a chance to win the book!

  394. Krystal

    June 13, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    My two year old son and I do a lot of painting together. We are currently venturing more into play dough and playing with different textures. He has also taken to watching me knit and sew. I integrate him as much as possible, but take care to watch those precious fingers as they migrate a bit too closely to the needle of my machine. Looking forward to showing him these skills…

  395. Emily

    June 13, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    We love knitting. My little ones finger knit. My 4 year old once finger knitted an entirely of wool into a snake that reached all around our house!
    I’m looking forward to looking through this book whether I win or not.

  396. Emily

    June 13, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    Oops I meant an entire ball ,not entirely!

  397. Jennifer

    June 13, 2011 at 8:51 pm

    My daughters and I love to sew, bake, draw, you name it! My goal is to do more things like this with them, and to relax more about the messes they create!

  398. mama_g

    June 13, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    I had a reasonably organized schedule for my daughter, until we had our second, and my schedules fell apart. I was talking to my husband today about developing a new pattern for us, one that allowed for in/out time, creativity, and regular cooking/baking time. Thank you for the interview: Kismet.
    mama_g’s latest post: Pantry

  399. mama_g

    June 13, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    I Liked Sew Liberated a few days ago (I’ve already got the apron project underway (thanks so much for providing it free!), since she’s in the kitchen, has her gardening spot, and needs another smock for painting.)
    mama_g’s latest post: Pantry

  400. mama_g

    June 13, 2011 at 8:55 pm

    (Oops, forgot to tell you I Liked you, too!)
    mama_g’s latest post: Pantry

  401. Colleen D.

    June 13, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    I love to do handy work. Crocheting play food has been a real joy for me to make for my little ones. We do lots of drawing and painting together. I really enjoy Meg’s blog and I am very excited about her book.

  402. Laura Aiuto

    June 13, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    I “Like” sew liberated on facebook!

  403. Laura Aiuto

    June 13, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    My daughter is still young, only 16 months, so right now we’re still just exploring art materials like crayons and colored pencils. I love to knit and she is always fascinated by it, especially unwinding my ball of yarn!

  404. Stacy

    June 13, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Our favorite handwork takes place in the kitchen — chopping, cutting, washing, drying, kneading, and arranging.

  405. Laura Aiuto

    June 13, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Oh and I “Like” simple homeschool!

  406. Jenny

    June 13, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    I like to do hand knitting with my gal.

  407. KateC

    June 13, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    My son Jack wants to learn to knit so we will be working on that together. Also, we did a little embroidery a while back – time to get out his sewing bag again. Thank you for highlighting this – it is great inspiration.

  408. Anne

    June 13, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    I love baking in the kitchen with my child, pouring, mixing, kneading 🙂 Or we draw and paint together.

  409. Heidi

    June 13, 2011 at 9:18 pm

    We love it all! My kids love to help in the kitchen, but we also do lots of messy art and my older boys are starting to learn woodworking with my husband.
    Heidi’s latest post: Gowi Stacking Cups Review &amp Bonus Giveaway!

  410. Heidi

    June 13, 2011 at 9:19 pm

    I also follow both Sew Liberated and Simple Homeschool on Facebook.
    Heidi’s latest post: Gowi Stacking Cups Review &amp Bonus Giveaway!

  411. Jill

    June 13, 2011 at 9:19 pm

    I love doing art projects with my kidos. We color, draw, cut, and paste all the time and I swear I can make hundreds of projects from paper plates and construction paper! 🙂 LOL I have always loved to create things from paper and to paint and now I can share that with my girls.

  412. cindy

    June 13, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Right now, it’s all about the cooking with my babe.

  413. Meredith

    June 13, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    I most enjoy baking and drawing with my daughter right now. I’m very much looking forward to introducing sewing and other fiber arts to her as she grows into those abilities.

  414. jess

    June 13, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    I love to bake, garden, sew, and card craft with my kiddos.

  415. jess

    June 13, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    i like simple homeschool and sew liberated on FB.

  416. Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 9:56 pm

    My boys both enjoy doing some embroidery, though their attention span is pretty limited. 🙂 It is still enjoyable to do that with them, even for a short time, and they’re both thrilled when I get out the buttons.

  417. Heather

    June 13, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    I like sew liberated and simple homeschool on fb. 🙂

  418. Justine Viets-McLean

    June 13, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    My favorite type of handwork done with my daughters is creating hand-sewn clothing for their dolls…often designed by them, as well.

  419. kelsey

    June 13, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    my children are both under the age of two. i knit while the baby sleeps and toddler plays and my toddler and i do a lot of kitchen work… baking and “washing” dishes together! my husband is a carpenter so he does simple projects with her as well! We would love to win your book it looks wonderful!

  420. kelsey

    June 13, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    one more post for the “likes” on facebook 🙂

  421. Kristin

    June 13, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    I don’t do much handwork with my kids, but I really want to start!

  422. Pamela

    June 13, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    My little almost three year old loves to cut and paste! We have lots of fun doing this together. She loves to paint (especially on canvas!) and loves to cut soft fruit and veggies using her “Curious Chef” knives! I look forward to exploring and trying new forms of handwork with her. Thanks for the chance to win the book!
    Pamela’s latest post: Reggio Emilia Approach

  423. Pamela

    June 13, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    I like Sew Liberated and Simple Homeschool on FB!
    Pamela’s latest post: Reggio Emilia Approach

  424. Tammy R.

    June 13, 2011 at 10:07 pm

    My daughter and I are learning how to sew dolls and cute stuffed animals. She is just loving sewing!

  425. Tammy R.

    June 13, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB.

  426. Kayla

    June 13, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    Wonderful interview and very timely for me. My daughter is 2 and I am still figuring out what kind of handiwork she is capable of helping with but for now we bake together quite often.
    Kayla’s latest post: Painting accident

  427. Pamela

    June 13, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    I tweeted mentioning @simpleschool and @sewliberated and the url! (@mommy_stories)
    Pamela’s latest post: Reggio Emilia Approach

  428. Meda

    June 13, 2011 at 10:13 pm

    My oldest daughter, 3.5 years, loves to build things–roadways, trails, houses–out of any everyday household materials she can get her hands on. My youngest daughter, 1 year, is definitely into drawing with crayons and pencils. She’ll find one around the house and go over to the easel to figure out which end writes. It is so sweet! Great interview!

  429. Merrielle

    June 13, 2011 at 10:13 pm

    I really like hand-sewing with my kids. It it so relaxing. It is fun for them to grip the fine point of the needle and feel the thread.

  430. sigal

    June 13, 2011 at 10:28 pm

    would love to beconsidered for the giveaway. homeschool mom of 4 from staten island, NY.

  431. Annika

    June 13, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    I’m a knitter. Neither of my children is quite ready to learn themselves, but they LOVE to help me wind my yarn into balls, choose colors, and all of the work that goes into preparing my yarn. I love how much it forces me to slow down and focus on the task at hand, not just the goal (a ball of yarn ready to knit).
    Annika’s latest post: New Website Contest!

  432. katie

    June 13, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    My little girl and I enjoy baking together–at least now that I am making peace with part of the ingredients ending up on the floor 🙂

  433. Kat

    June 13, 2011 at 10:45 pm

    I liked Sew Liberated on Facebook, and in the real world 🙂
    Kat’s latest post: Waking up happy

  434. Molly L

    June 13, 2011 at 10:46 pm

    Well as a waldorf homeschooling family we do lots of handwork! i knit and spin and the children help as they are able. Everyone likes to bake, and of course anything MESSY!

  435. Molly L

    June 13, 2011 at 10:47 pm

    I Like simeple homechool and Sew Liberated on facebook as ” Molly Lemen “

  436. Kat

    June 13, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    My daughter Vera is one, and she is loving her hands right now! So much to discover!! The handwork we do most right now is discovering with the sense of touch (leaves, flowers, bumpy paper, sticky honey).
    Kat’s latest post: Waking up happy

  437. Amy DelaTerre

    June 13, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    My sons and I do a lot of baking together. Bread, pizza dough, and muffins are our staples. I also love to knit and sew. I used to be a preschool teacher, and have worked in Montessori and Waldorf classrooms, and I love reading Meg’s blog, it’s so inspiring! I would love a copy of her new book!

  438. anu

    June 13, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    My daughter is five. We started sewing together when she was about two years old. Recently she found some bear clothes that she sewed back then and fixed her large two-year-old stitches with tiny five-year-old ones. It just melted my heart!

  439. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    I love to sit down and watch my daughter spool or finger knit. We sit together in peace, knitting. It’s wonderful!

  440. Jennyroo

    June 13, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    We cook with our young boys, but I haven’t attempted sewing with them yet… one day soon, I hope!

  441. Carrie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:03 pm

    Our favorite handwork is definitely art — we do lots of it! My oldest daughter and I also enjoy embroidery, and she loves to make her own books. Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful book! 🙂

  442. jennifer

    June 13, 2011 at 11:06 pm

    My 2.5 year old and I enjoying cleaning, cooking (making salads is a favorite), baking, watering the plants, and painting together. I enjoy sewing and knitting and can’t wait until she’s interested in joining me!

  443. Erin

    June 13, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    I love to bake with and for my children. The oldest three have each moved though the phases of sitting on the counter to standing on a chair or a stool to share in the experience.

  444. Catherine

    June 13, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    I love to watch my 4 year old daughter sew–she doesn’t want any instruction, and it’s wonderful to watch her “invent” different techniques on her own. What a lovely interview–thanks!

  445. Erin

    June 13, 2011 at 11:13 pm

    liked Simple Homeschool on FB

  446. Erin

    June 13, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    and sew liberated too

  447. Omaira

    June 13, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    My son is two and we love to cook/bake together, we also love drawing together, cutting and pasting, as well as building with blocks, sand, pillows or anything else we can find. Recently we started a container garden and will be potting the seedlings soon. I hope to soon start some sewing with him, but not sure how to start that yet… I love getting emails from Simple Homeschool. Thank you for all the amazing information.

  448. Omaira

    June 13, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    I liked simple homeschool on facebook! 🙂

  449. Omaira

    June 13, 2011 at 11:22 pm

    I liked sew liberated on facebook! 🙂

  450. Amy

    June 13, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    My two littles and I love to explore wool together. We wet felt together or they play with the wool “clouds” while I needle felt.

  451. Alison

    June 13, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    I like to sew and enjoy sewing with my daughter and son. They have learned to do embroidery and are learning to sew on my machine now. That’s exciting!

  452. Johnna

    June 13, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    We love to make bread, sew, and “do” art (paint, color, use glitter glue and play dough. My youngest son loves to cook and all the measuring and pouring that goes with it. My youngest daughter loves to craft and make doll clothes out of felt. This book looks so fun– we’d love it.

  453. Lanie

    June 13, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    I love to sew for my sons, and my four year old likes to match fabric squares and sew bean bags. We also love to cook together (our latest favorite being orange marmalade on orange olive oil cake) and collect things found in nature for beautiful displays.

  454. Terri Ann Gaynik

    June 13, 2011 at 11:31 pm

    Oh…I have this book on my list!!!! A great, great giveaway 🙂

  455. Margita

    June 13, 2011 at 11:32 pm

    My daughter is slowly learning to do embroidery-when she feels like it! We are working on completing a stuffed embroidered Matroyoshka doll. We would love your book/

  456. Michelle Layton

    June 13, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    My 4yo loves to embroider… we were able to get started with some suggestions from Amanda Blake Soul’s book “the creative family”…so many great ways to get stared being creative with kids and for Mama too!

  457. Desi

    June 13, 2011 at 11:47 pm

    we love to make playdough and make all sort of things with them

  458. Monica

    June 13, 2011 at 11:51 pm

    Have been a fan of Meg’s for years now. Would love to win a copy of this book! Thank you!
    Monica’s latest post: Free Download- Cars 2 Activity Pack

  459. Waverley

    June 13, 2011 at 11:58 pm

    This past winter, my 5 children and I did a lot of sewing, embroidering and knitting. It is so wonderful to watch an older child work with a younger child on learning a skill. I love the book Sew Liberated and have made and enjoyed many of the projects. I would love the opportunity to win a copy Growing Up Sew Liberated.

  460. Liz Harrell

    June 13, 2011 at 11:59 pm

    My boys like to make pouches. I’ve taught them to sew them together by hand.
    Liz Harrell’s latest post: My Escape

  461. sherri

    June 14, 2011 at 12:01 am

    Mostly we bake. I am learning to sew, and my girls are very interested in learning along with me.

  462. Nicole

    June 14, 2011 at 12:16 am

    My favorite was anything that involved a brush—gluing with a paint brush, any kind of paint, etc. My daughter has really taken to hand sewing and embroidery which in turn, has made me very interested in doing it, too. That’s our latest thing. She loves to make pillows with something embroidered on it. She’s 4 now but was doing this when she was 3 1/2 and it totally amazed me!

  463. Melissa

    June 14, 2011 at 12:39 am

    We use watercolor paints frequently. It is age appropriate for both kids (ages 4 and 2). They love to mix the colors and explore with additives like glue, salt, glitter, rice, sand, etc.

  464. Erin

    June 14, 2011 at 12:47 am

    Everyday is full of some creative exploration with our hands…from baking to gardening to art and science experiments!

  465. Erin

    June 14, 2011 at 12:59 am

    Just added sew liberated to my likes on fb…

  466. Erin

    June 14, 2011 at 1:05 am

    I like to do crafts, beads and sewing with my kids. Thanks for a chance to win this book – it looks great!

  467. Kyrie

    June 14, 2011 at 1:22 am

    I love to needle felt with my sons. I let my 4.5 year old use a sharp needle, and 2 year old brother uses one with a broken tip. Mushrooms are our favourite thing to felt!

  468. Kyrie

    June 14, 2011 at 1:24 am

    I ‘liked’ both Facebook pages, too 🙂

  469. Bee's Nest Deb

    June 14, 2011 at 1:32 am

    I “liked” you on Facebook and I like your blog and I would LOVE to win this book. Although i am a busy public school teacher, I am learning to slow down to toddler time on the evenings and weekends, and I’m looking forward to building a teepee with her this summer.
    Bee’s Nest Deb’s latest post: Inspiring- Kelly Neidig

  470. Jen Costigan

    June 14, 2011 at 2:18 am

    We knit together! We also do a lot of cooking, cleaning, and gardening.

  471. Tsigeyusv

    June 14, 2011 at 2:58 am

    What I do and what I do with my kids are two different things. When alone I prefer to sew and to create things. I’ve never been successful in getting my kids to enjoy that, too, although they both clamor for a new quilt for their bed.
    Cooking, however, seems to get them running to help. I love to have their help in the kitchen, as they are now of the age that they really do help! Sure, when they were smaller, cooking took twice as long when they helped me, but that bit of time invested then has certainly paid off as they have gotten older. I can ask a child to cut the chicken into bit sized pieces, or I can ask the other to mix a dough until the dough sticks together and they will do that until I am done with MY chore for cooking. My youngest really seems to like cooking. I showed him how to layer a lasagna one day and the next week, I was late coming home, but I phoned him and asked him to get supper started. The meal was in the oven by the time I got home. That was a wonderful evening! The kids are high school aged now, but getting them accustomed to using kitchen implements when they were smaller was one of the best things I ever did!

  472. Alex

    June 14, 2011 at 3:25 am

    I really enjoyed the interview, especially the part about instilling a sense of wonder in our children. Meg’s book looks lovely too, especially the dolls and the teepee!

  473. Alfa

    June 14, 2011 at 5:50 am

    Ariadna (2 ) and me like to paint together, we paint with finger paint or crayons, she love when i draw Santa for her, She makes her lines and is always happy drawing.

  474. Alfa

    June 14, 2011 at 5:52 am

    I like simple homeschool in FB

  475. Lisa

    June 14, 2011 at 6:24 am

    thanks for the great interview – I thought it was a sewing book but it’s so much more – looks really interesting especialy as our daughter is about to start Montessori next week. I try to involve my daughter in any craft I am doing if she is interested – she helps me knit – sits on my lap and winds wool around needles .We love baking together – its a much slower and messy but such fun it’s worth it. Lately I started teaching her to sew – it’s amazing what a 4 yr old can do!

  476. Sylvia

    June 14, 2011 at 6:59 am

    my boy is only 19 months, but we enjoy emptying the dishwasher together, drawing, folding laundry, sweeping the floors…

  477. Sylvia

    June 14, 2011 at 7:00 am

    tweeted the giveaway!

  478. Sylvia

    June 14, 2011 at 7:01 am

    liked on facebook!

  479. byrney

    June 14, 2011 at 7:17 am

    I love to sew and am currently sharing that with my older 2, we have also been working in the garden recently which we’ve all enjoyed more than I thought.

  480. Sarah b.b.

    June 14, 2011 at 7:53 am

    We love cooking together, and my son has recently begun asking me to teach him how to knit. It is a bit of a daunting task in my head though, to figure out how to show him the techniques..
    Sarah b.b.’s latest post: Ode to a Dress

  481. Marcia @ Takingthyme.com

    June 14, 2011 at 8:14 am

    I have a 5 yr old, and also care for 3 other younger children. We love to bake and garden together

  482. mandi@herbanhomestead

    June 14, 2011 at 8:25 am

    Yay! I’m excited for this giveaway!
    I love to embroider with my children. But I would say their most favorite is to bake.

  483. Jill

    June 14, 2011 at 8:29 am

    I bake and sew and garden – and my three year old is an enthusiastic participant. I also try to make sure we have lots of outdoor time, and it looks as though several of the projects in Meg’s book will fit in well with that – I want to make that wigwam!

  484. Rosa in the Antipodes

    June 14, 2011 at 8:53 am

    My 4 years-old girl and I have been doing embroidery together. Sometimes it’s quite, sometimes she’s all over me for directions and questions. Both of times we enjoy doing it together pretty much! I “like” both blogs on Facebook! Thanks!

  485. Lisa

    June 14, 2011 at 9:06 am

    We have 6 children, so handwork varies w/ age as well as interest. with the younger ones we paint, use play dough, and bake. Our older kids build, draw, and maintain our vegetable garden. I enjoy Meg`s blog and find her words and pics a daily inspiration.

  486. liz nudd

    June 14, 2011 at 9:08 am

    I would love to win this book – so many things I could make for my grandkids

  487. lisa

    June 14, 2011 at 9:30 am

    We enjoy sewing together as well as cooking.

  488. Amy

    June 14, 2011 at 9:49 am

    I love baking or cooking with my toddlers. It’s way more messy but so much fun!

  489. Amy

    June 14, 2011 at 9:51 am

    I like you both on Facebook!

  490. Ann

    June 14, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I would love a copy of this book as I have been following Meg’s blog and love her ideas.

  491. Amber

    June 14, 2011 at 9:54 am

    I enjoy cooking and have started including my 21 month old son in on preparing food. He loves being able to stand on a stool next to me and help!

  492. Ann

    June 14, 2011 at 9:59 am

    I tweeted about your giveaway under my account simplyplaying.

  493. Ann

    June 14, 2011 at 10:00 am

    I “liked” both you and meg on Facebook.

  494. Kathy

    June 14, 2011 at 10:01 am

    I would really love to win. I love Meg’s blog and her first book so much!

  495. Kathy

    June 14, 2011 at 10:03 am

    Lately my girls have been all about latch-hooking and my son has been doing leather work.

  496. Shelly

    June 14, 2011 at 10:04 am

    My daughter is still young, so there are a limited number of things she can do. But, we enjoy painting together, coloring, and of course, making messes!

  497. Pili

    June 14, 2011 at 10:12 am

    I love to knit with my kids, my daughter is finally using needles and my son is mastering finger knitting, we also love messing around in the garden, and at four my son is becoming quite the chef, helping with almost every meal. We have also started journaling together. That is our quiet time during the day.
    Pili’s latest post: 20110529

  498. ruth

    June 14, 2011 at 10:27 am

    I am just starting to bake with my son. He loves to stick the spoon in and out of the bowl, and watch me scoop the ingredients in!

  499. Sewing Princess

    June 14, 2011 at 10:27 am

    I love cooking with my nephew since he enjoys doing it
    Sewing Princess’s latest post: Two challenges ahead- Summer essentials sew-along and 31 Days to Building a Better Blog

  500. Rain

    June 14, 2011 at 10:28 am

    I love to do finger knitting with my kidlets. Thanks for the giveaway!

  501. Jenny

    June 14, 2011 at 10:35 am

    My boys and I love to sew together and they have all attempted knitting. My youngest (8) is the most interested. They all love building too.

  502. Guisla

    June 14, 2011 at 10:38 am

    I like to sew with my children.

  503. Rachel @ The Travel Pen

    June 14, 2011 at 10:39 am

    My baby is only six months old, but I like to sit her in my lap at our keyboard and play music for her. I also let her bang the keys with her fingers. We have a great time!

  504. Julia

    June 14, 2011 at 11:33 am

    I love to do needlework with my kids. Simple sewing, knitting, weaving. But their favorite thing us cooking!

  505. fm

    June 14, 2011 at 11:36 am

    My little one just turned 1 and it is so fun to see each day how he is able to do a little more…hand me laundry to be folded, get this spoon out of his drawer at mealtime, etc.

  506. Deena

    June 14, 2011 at 11:36 am

    Hi, thanks for the giveaway! My daughter and I are learning to sew together!

  507. marisa

    June 14, 2011 at 11:48 am

    We love Playdough time together!

  508. nopinkhere

    June 14, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    For my almost 2yo daughter, it’s coloring/drawing. She often won’t do it unless I’m drawing too.
    For my 5yo son it’s cooking. We measure, stir, sniff, taste, feel. Great stuff!

  509. Ixel Rus

    June 14, 2011 at 12:31 pm

    I have two boys ( 3 and 1 year old) and we love to cover our dining room floor with butcher paper and get our hands and fingers dirty with “edible” paint in bright colors!!

  510. Wendy J

    June 14, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    I love to bake with my girls!

  511. Laura D

    June 14, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    Our favorite hand activity is drawing and coloring. My girls are so inspired to do this that they will fall back on it themselves on their own without prompting or guidance. It is so wonderful to see them express themselves through pictures and to see their skills with handling drawing instruments and achieving the look they want improve over time. This is actually an activity that they enjoy doing with my husband (who is an artist).

  512. Jodi

    June 14, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    My girls and I would hand sew and crochet. My granddaughter and I use playdough and paint to create beautiful art. Thank you for the opportunity.

  513. Meghan

    June 14, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    My three year old is becoming an expert cloth napkin folder, and my two year old loves to watch and help me bake. Yesterday we all had a blast weeding the garden together!

  514. Amber

    June 14, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    knitting and gardening

  515. Jessica

    June 14, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Oh, I would love to win this book. In our family we love to cook and bake together.

  516. Casie E

    June 14, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    I love to sit down and create art with my boys (1 and 3). Its so fun to watch them explore the materials and create something.

  517. Casie E

    June 14, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    I “like” both of you on Facebook. 🙂

  518. marianne

    June 14, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    So far, we like doing papercraft…cutting, glue, coloring, etc. I would love a copy of Meg’s book!

  519. Tammy

    June 14, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    This book looks awesome!

  520. jae jun

    June 14, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    for now my daughter likes to cut and drawing, but I would love to sew with my daughter when she gets older

  521. Tammy

    June 14, 2011 at 2:28 pm

    We like doing paper crafts,clay and baking.

  522. erica m.

    June 14, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    my children and i love to needlefelt! my 2 year old will wetfelt and stick the wool onto things, my 3 year old is just starting to use the needle

  523. Anna

    June 14, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    My 4 year old and I love to knit side-by-side.

  524. Jill

    June 14, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    We love to bake, take photos, draw together. Experience nature. Lots of stuff! This book looks great!

  525. DaniJ

    June 14, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    I am absolutely smitten with this book!!
    We spend lots of time baking, exploring and making art from recyclables!

  526. Deb Price

    June 14, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    I love Meg’s book! What my daughter’s and I love to do is bake, swe and cross -stitch. My girls are very spread out in ages, but I have always had them involved in the workings of the home from a young age. I have homeschooled the last 3 girls and wish I would have homeschooled the first two. It is a wonderful experience to teach your children! My daughter Laura and I have enjoyed Meg’s first book and cannot wait for this new one to come into our house!

  527. Deb Price

    June 14, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    I have just been to my Facebook and have officially put ‘like’ for both of you!

  528. Julie W

    June 14, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    I often bake homemade bread with our boys. They both love doing crafts, especially anything that involves cutting and gluing!

  529. Jacki

    June 14, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    My step-daughter and I do a good amount of handwork. Lately her favorite is kneading bread. There is no small loaf just for her though, she wants the whole thing and to really get messy.

  530. Caroline

    June 14, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    While he’s only 2.5, I’m finding that Patrick loves to work in the kitchen with me. He helps by adding ingredients and working the tools of the kitchen all whilst pushing his little stool around to his fancy!
    Caroline’s latest post: Cupie Doll

  531. Morgan

    June 14, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    Over Memorial Day weekend my dad got my daughter to help with a project of weaving rope through the wooden frame of a chaise long after it had been repainted. I thought it might be a little to advanced for her, but with his help she really got the hang of it and was very proud of her work. Now I can’t wait to do more simple weaving projects with her!

  532. Andrea S.

    June 14, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    My daughter and I cook together and have started some rudimentary sewing projects. This book looks awesome! I’d love to try out new craft projects.

  533. Andrea S.

    June 14, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Facebook too!

  534. Katie

    June 14, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    We sew, cook, crochet, build with rocks and work in the garden.

  535. Deanna K

    June 14, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    would love a copy of the book!
    thanks!

  536. Heather

    June 14, 2011 at 4:22 pm

    I’ve been teaching my kids to knit, and my husband gardens with them.

  537. Jackie

    June 14, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    I just taught my 6 year old son how to knit. He picked it up so quickly. I love that we can sit quietly, side-by-side with our needles click clicking away.

  538. Jackie

    June 14, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    I just “Liked” Sew Liberated on my Facebook page : )

  539. patricia

    June 14, 2011 at 4:53 pm

    My daughter is only 21 months, but we enjoy playing with my sewing supplies together – the bag of scraps and the spools of thread are her favorites right now, although the tape measure has been a big hit in the past.

  540. Sandra

    June 14, 2011 at 5:05 pm

    I like to sew, embroider, knit and make art with my 2 yo son. I love sew Liberated and have the first book already.

  541. Leigh

    June 14, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    I love to bake and cook and I’m trying to figure out ways to involve my children in this.

  542. Trish Widell

    June 14, 2011 at 5:55 pm

    I get my son involved with the garden & flowers. We also like to make crafts out of ordinary objects that might otherwise end up in the trash.

  543. Marsha

    June 14, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    My daughter and I muck about in the garden together. I love to see her pick peas and beans and eat them right off the vine, knowing that she helped them to grow!

  544. Miriam

    June 14, 2011 at 6:15 pm

    My daughter is 9mo, and we love tapping different surfaces in different rhythms, to see what sounds they make!

  545. leslie

    June 14, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    i love to paint with my kids and now my oldest loves to watch me sew and helps me in the garden

  546. leslie

    June 14, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    i liked you both on facebook

  547. Jessica

    June 14, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    My favorite type of handwork to do with children is embroidery. I think it’s because I was taught embroidery at a Montessori school at such a young age. In fact, my mom saved ALL of my old pieces and made them into a quilt, which she gave to me at my graduation (as a Montessori teacher!) I hope to do something similar with my own children one day.

  548. Jessica

    June 14, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    I “like” (love, actually!) sewliberated on facebook!

  549. Holly Hyde

    June 14, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    My boys and I love working out in the garden together. They are four-year-old twins and it cracks me up how that instead of pointing to a plant and saying, “flower” they say “Shasta Daisy, etc.” This books looks fabulous!

  550. Peggy

    June 14, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    I wish that I had more time to sew (*sigh*). But the good news is that my boys are all interested in learning, so I may have some sewing partners in the future!

  551. Paula

    June 14, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    I love to bake and sew with my kids. The oldest has even made her own bean bags on the sewing machine for birthday gifts! Can’t wait to check out the blog and the book!
    Paula’s latest post: An Uncomplicated Life- Cleaning

  552. Margaret`

    June 14, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    I love to cook and sew with my daughter. I need to re-learn embroidery and crocheting so we can do those, too!
    mcglen8 [at] gmail [dot] com

  553. Sarah

    June 14, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    We love to draw around here! My oldest daughter goes through stacks of paper each day, and I sit down and draw with her quite often. My other daughter loves to bake with her daddy or I.

  554. Sarah

    June 14, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    I already “like” Simple Homeschool on facebook, and now I “like” Sew Liberated too!

  555. Rebecca Peters

    June 14, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    My children and I love to bake and craft together. Even if I don’t win, I’m definitely checking this one out!

  556. Mary

    June 14, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    I love making handmade cards with my daughter. She also likes to sit on my lap sometimes while I’m sewing, but that’s not nearly as enjoyable because it makes the whole process much more difficult.

  557. Marni

    June 14, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    My littles enjoy playing with pins and buttons while I sew. Just recently, my 4 year old sat on my lap and we sewed a doll pillow out of muslin and stuffed it with wool scraps.
    The book sounds great!!
    Marni’s latest post: Wool Cloth Diaper Cover in Navy Blue and Emerald Green

  558. amy johnson

    June 14, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    Gardening is our creative outlet most of the time in this house. We LOVE it, rain or shine.

  559. HiPathe

    June 14, 2011 at 11:42 pm

    Now that my son is nine, I find just about any handiwork I do is something we can do together; sewing, painting watercolors, dyeing yarn, or just everyday cooking. Teaching him to do these activities for the first time gives me a fresh perspective on what I’ve been doing “my” way for years.

    • HiPathe

      June 14, 2011 at 11:45 pm

      Love your facebook pages!

  560. Katie

    June 15, 2011 at 12:05 am

    My four-year-old enjoys pulling up bits of yarn with a crochet hook. He also loves sitting on my lap and/or working the peddle when I’m at the sewing machine. It’s definitely a joint effort! 🙂

  561. Kelly

    June 15, 2011 at 12:10 am

    I don’t sew, but I do bake. My 5 year old son enjoys helping me. I like paper crafts, but he’s not too much into using crayons, etc yet. Sometimes we just get out the paper crimper and fun punches and work with that.
    Kelly’s latest post: A Day of Rest

  562. Erin

    June 15, 2011 at 12:20 am

    The kids and I love to sew, knit and paint together. Right now, origami is a huge hit!

  563. wendy

    June 15, 2011 at 12:50 am

    drawing and story-telling mostly, although I’ve started (slowly) to teach my daughter to sew. fun!
    wendy’s latest post: refinishing

  564. Miri

    June 15, 2011 at 1:10 am

    I love to do with my child anything – cooking, sewing, knitting! Thank you for this giveaway

  565. Liz

    June 15, 2011 at 5:12 am

    Fascinating reading – my daughter is just starting to use her hands to grab and play and taste. To encourage this, we try to ensure a range of textures and shapes are within her reach, making or finding toys that catch and hold her attention. We will be using the ideas here as sh grows and develops. Thanks for this post… And the website more generally!

  566. Leslie

    June 15, 2011 at 7:26 am

    we love cooking together!

  567. Misty

    June 15, 2011 at 7:55 am

    we love to sew, bake, and paint!

  568. Liz

    June 15, 2011 at 8:29 am

    Thanks for such an interesting article – many things to think about for the future. Our daughter is just starting to use her hands to touch, grab and taste her world – we encourage this through play and through including her in our activities: cooking, sewing, gardening and enjoying our surroundings!

  569. Holly

    June 15, 2011 at 8:40 am

    My boys love to help cook, bake, and wipe down the counters. We also enjoy making play dough. Painting is huge for my younger guys. My youngest likes to help me knit. They all love to help in the garden… if I could just find a way for all of us to enjoying folding clothes and scrubbing toilets 😉

  570. jennylark

    June 15, 2011 at 9:30 am

    beautiful thoughts…beautiful book! would enjoy a copy of my own to fuel my wonder.

  571. Nancy

    June 15, 2011 at 10:30 am

    My boy is just over one so we’re both still learning what he’s willing and capable of doing at this age but he loves water so we do a lot of water activities when it bath time, swimming lessons, filling up his watering can so he can water plants, running through the sprinkler and he has a sand/water table that he spends a lot of time at exploring! Thanks for the giveaway, would love to win this book.
    nlczerw(at)gmail(dot)com

  572. Nancy

    June 15, 2011 at 11:14 am

    little sewing projects are best with my kiddos — last week we made cupcake pencil toppers out of felt. fun!

  573. Sarah

    June 15, 2011 at 11:26 am

    We love to sew and bake and draw! Wish I could ignore my chores and do it all day! Would love some fun new projects with this book 🙂

  574. Sarah

    June 15, 2011 at 11:27 am

    I also just ‘liked’ sew liberated on fb! thanks for the drawing!

  575. Beth

    June 15, 2011 at 11:39 am

    I enjoy drawing with my daughter. It seems she came out of the womb wanting to scribble on paper (and everything else!)

  576. Marina

    June 15, 2011 at 12:13 pm

    The kids and I like to cook together and have just recently started learning to se together and love it!
    And yes, I did add Sew Libertated to my Facebook. Either way, if I don’t win I have to buy the book, sounds amazing!
    Hugs!

  577. Corey

    June 15, 2011 at 12:20 pm

    My kids like to finger knit while I knit and we often bake together. My son is becoming quite a cook, especially anything that involves eggs. Love your first book and this one looks great too.

  578. Kelly

    June 15, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    cooking! anything that they will help cook, they usually will eat. I’d love to win this book

  579. Ruth

    June 15, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    We love to cook, paint with water colours, and sew!

  580. MzTallulah

    June 15, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    I admire Meg greatly for her thoughtful mothering style and skillful sewing and pattern drafting, so I already ordered the book, but I’d love to be able to give a copy to a friend who’s just about to have a baby. I enjoy all kinds of making with my child, from cooking and baking, to drawing, and we’ve recently tried finger knitting. I’d love to have a garden so we could do some digging and planting too!

  581. Susan

    June 15, 2011 at 2:43 pm

    We cook a bit, baking mostly, and are exploring knitting and crochet.

  582. Kristin

    June 15, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    We bake! Oh, how we bake. We bake almost every single day. It makes everyone happy.

  583. BreannaS

    June 15, 2011 at 3:06 pm

    I cook and bake with both of my children and over this past winter my son started sewing and knitting; we also enjoy painting with water colors.

  584. BreannaS

    June 15, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    liked sew liberated and simple homeschool in FB

  585. Leah

    June 15, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    With my own two children I love to do painting and working with clay. As a Montessori Elementary teacher, I love teaching crochet and knitting to the children in my class. It never ceases to amaze me how well even 6 year olds can knit or crochet.

  586. Leah

    June 15, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    I liked Simple Homeschool a long time ago and just liked Sew Liberated today :o)

  587. Jess

    June 15, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    I love to bake and do art together!
    Jess’s latest post: Gods experiments

  588. Jess

    June 15, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    I liked you both on facebook!
    Jess’s latest post: Gods experiments

  589. mimi

    June 15, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    baking and cooking are our favorite handwork activities. arts and crafts come a close second.

  590. Sarah

    June 15, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    working together in our garden: picking out the seeds and plants, digging, planting, weeding, watering, and of course harvesting the goodness.

  591. Maryvonne

    June 15, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    I love to knit, crochet, sew and bake with my 2 daughters and we occasionally through in a bit of drawing or painting……
    Have I mentioned gardening???

  592. Cindy

    June 15, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    My two and a half year old daughter loves to touch and pull on my yarn while I knit! We also spend time scribbling with crayons and squishing homemade play dough through our fingers.

  593. Kat

    June 15, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    We knit together.

  594. Michelle

    June 15, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    I LOVE sew liberated and I’m soo glad you guys homeschool, too! I was schooled at home! 🙂

  595. Kathie

    June 15, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    We have a baking day once a week and then try to do a craft at least as often.

  596. Jill A.

    June 15, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    I do different types of handwork with each child according to their interests. With my 10 yo daughter, it’s knitting. We often have a joint project going and take turns knitting rows while the other reads aloud. With my 13 yo son, we cook together. He’s interested in learning the mysteries of gourmet cuisine right now. My 7yo son likes mushroom hunting so we hike and search and identify what we find. Handwork has always had a place in our home and through the years it has looked differently — in the early years, there was more painting and clay modeling, now we’re doing more “life skills” kind of things together. There’s still much drawing going on (I hope it never ends) but it’s a thrill to see my kids grow in proficiency in the skills they learn together with me.

  597. Nahuatl Vargas

    June 15, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    We love “recycle”, which for my boy means anything that has to do with punching holes on cardboard.

    Thanks for the chance.
    Nahuatl Vargas’s latest post: this moment

  598. Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy

    June 15, 2011 at 8:39 pm

    Love the pics of her book! Looks sooo good!
    Anne @ Modern Mrs Darcy’s latest post: Fight Fair With This Exercise Gadget

  599. Sarah Terrell

    June 15, 2011 at 9:08 pm

    I am a freelance harpist, and I love to play in front of my children. I play a large concert harp, but I acquired a smaller lap harp for them to play along with me or solo. We have lots of other instruments in the house as well, and many times we play together to songs that the children create.

    This book looks amazing–I would love to try these creations with my kids!

  600. Sarah Terrell

    June 15, 2011 at 9:11 pm

    I liked Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on FB. 🙂

  601. Jennifer Calfee

    June 15, 2011 at 11:02 pm

    I love to sew and bake with my son. He will even make his own “patterns” modeled after the ones he sees me doing. It’s fun to watch his creativity blossom as we enjoy crafts that I love – and even venture into things I’m not so good at because he is (like drawing). I’m glad I found your site because of Meg’s book tour. I will definitely be back!

  602. mountain girl

    June 15, 2011 at 11:03 pm

    Lately we have been making paste. It began as a means to glue dry pasta on pictures, but making the paste was so much fun for my preschooler that now we do it as an end in itself, then she smears and smushes it all over poster board. Her favorite part is coloring it with food coloring. We usually add 2 colors so she can she what they make when mixed.

  603. Brookiej

    June 16, 2011 at 12:36 am

    Cooking & baking are big ones at our house right now! My oldest wants to learn how to sew, so I’m working on figuring out how to teach her…where to start! Fun! 🙂
    Brookiej’s latest post: a first

  604. Michelle Layton

    June 16, 2011 at 12:46 am

    Just “liked” Sew Liberated on Facebook for my second entry!
    Michelle Layton’s latest post: Emma is Three

  605. Tonia

    June 16, 2011 at 1:44 am

    The book looks amazing! I would love a copy…thanks for the oppurtunity!

  606. Rhian

    June 16, 2011 at 6:49 am

    I love dyeing yarn with my toddler, using Kool Aid. He gets really excited about ‘painting wool’ and loves to point to the finished skein afterwards, saying “I did that!”
    Rhian’s latest post: Heart to heart

  607. Eileen

    June 16, 2011 at 8:54 am

    Just “liked” Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on facebook!

  608. Eileen

    June 16, 2011 at 9:03 am

    My girls are 21 months and 3 1/2 years old, so we do LOTS of baking right now-bread, muffins, cupcakes, cookies….my mouth is very appreciative; my rear end is not. We also do regular art projects from Mary Ann Kohl’s book “Scribble Art,” which I HIGHLY recommend. And the oldest likes to “help” me sew; mostly simple hand-sewing tasks, like mending and basic embroidery.

  609. Jill

    June 16, 2011 at 9:07 am

    I love cooking with my kids

  610. Emily Sefcik

    June 16, 2011 at 9:24 am

    This book sounds like an amazing breath of fresh air. Exactly what I need right now to help my little family find a rhythm for the summer!

  611. Dawn Suzette

    June 16, 2011 at 9:27 am

    While both my kids love sittting with me at the sewing machine my son love to draw and I am always making new journals with him… at the sewing machine and my daughter loves the baking days… taste testing along the way!

  612. Dawn Suzette

    June 16, 2011 at 9:29 am

    I just liked you on facebook! Thanks!
    Dawn Suzette’s latest post: Still here

  613. Emily Sefcik

    June 16, 2011 at 9:29 am

    I liked Simple Homeschooling and Sew Liberated on facebook! I’m so excited to see a copy of this book!
    Emily Sefcik’s latest post: Summer Activities- The Beach

  614. Sarah

    June 16, 2011 at 9:36 am

    Oliver and I love to work in the garden together. Raking, watering, mowing, harvesting, he loves to do it all!

  615. Sarah

    June 16, 2011 at 9:39 am

    It was my pleasure to “like” you both on Facebook just now!

  616. Emily

    June 16, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I love to garden with my daughter. I pull weeds or plant, and she plays happily in the dirt. At 11 months, she doesn’t really help yet, but I know we’ll have even more fun together in the garden next summer.
    Emily’s latest post: Ten Things I Love About Spring

  617. Heather Thiel

    June 16, 2011 at 10:04 am

    Ooh! I would love a copy of this book. My Little Miss is still quite young, but I love coloring, painting and blowing bubbles with her. I am so eager to watch her skills develop and see her enjoy watching something come to life from her hands.

  618. Heather Thiel

    June 16, 2011 at 10:06 am

    I just liked you both on Facebook. I enjoy both of your blogs!
    Heather Thiel’s latest post: Swimming

  619. Jessica

    June 16, 2011 at 10:18 am

    I love cooking with my children. We have also have hours of fun together in the garden, weeding, planting and watching things grow.

  620. Emily

    June 16, 2011 at 10:34 am

    I liked Sew Liberated on Facebook! Thanks for the giveaway.
    Emily’s latest post: Ten Things I Love About Spring

  621. Lisa C.

    June 16, 2011 at 10:40 am

    This book look wonderful! Thanks for the giveaway!!

  622. Christy

    June 16, 2011 at 11:04 am

    I’m a terrible sewer, but I’d like to get better. So far my kids stick to crayons and paint!
    Christy’s latest post: Im going to try this!

  623. Samantha Tara

    June 16, 2011 at 12:01 pm

    I have followed Meg’s blog for quite some time now and I am so excited to get my hands on her new book!! It looks awesome (-:
    Samantha Tara’s latest post: A walk around the farm

  624. Samantha Tara

    June 16, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    I just took a moment to like you both on facebook! And now I am crossing my fingers and toes (: ( If you need to verify, my facebook name is Samantha Vanderwyst ) ^__^
    Samantha Tara’s latest post: A walk around the farm

  625. Kati

    June 16, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    We love to cook together and draw and paint and “make projects” which basically means raiding our recycling bin. I am so looking forward to teaching my girls to knit when they get just a bit older.

  626. Nicole

    June 16, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    I love to cook, work on home improvement projects, and clean with my son. Even a fourteen month old can be involved in these things, even if only from in my arms or on my back. I simply engage him in “conversation” about the activity and let him help where he can!

  627. Amanda

    June 16, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    I would so appreciate this book. Thanks for the opportunity!

  628. Nicole

    June 16, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    I ‘liked’ both Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on Facebook!

  629. Erin

    June 16, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    I love to explore the outdoors with my boys. I will often draw their attention to some of my macro-observations, while they introduce me to their micro-observations. They reintroduce me to nature every day!

  630. Erin

    June 16, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    “liked” Sew Liberated and Simple Homeschool on FB!

  631. Melanie

    June 16, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    We love to paint with everything : hands, feet and all kind of different materials , we can find inside the house or outside in the garden.

  632. jodi in pa

    June 16, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    been following meg for years, love her books! would love to win this one.

  633. Sonya

    June 16, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    I love to bake in the kitchen with my boys. Thanks for a great giveaway!

  634. Sonya

    June 16, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    I just ‘liked’ Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated. Love both websites, so it’s nice to be connected on FB as well. Thank you!

  635. Louise

    June 16, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    I’m so glad I found your blog via Meg’s blog, I’m going to spend some time today browsing around 🙂 My two children are completely different in the types of handwork they enjoy – my 6 year old daughter loves to draw and to create dolls and doll houses. My son loves his Lego – he will put together and pull apart the bricks for hours; some of the bricks are tricky to manouver but his little 3 year old hands persevere and he is so happy with what he creates.
    Louise’s latest post: 15 June 2011

  636. faro

    June 16, 2011 at 4:58 pm

    my daught and i enjoy sewing! she’d just 3 so it’s simple, like long buttons necklaces, garlands of scrap felt, and freeform design on cloth in quilting hoops.
    would love to check this book out!

  637. Theresa Coffin

    June 16, 2011 at 5:09 pm

    My daughter is only 18 months, be she is enjoying her “knitting” while I knit bigger things for the coming fall (I am slow, I need to start now!)

  638. Amy F

    June 16, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    I am so excited about Meg’s new book! I loved her first one, and will be picking up her second one, if I don’t win this giveaway. My daughter (3) and I enjoy needlework together. I set up a hoop and brightly colored embroidery floss, and let her make lines however she likes. I love the Montessori method, and all the great ideas Meg comes up with on her blog! Thanks for the opportunity

  639. Erin

    June 16, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    I am a mama of four children, ages 2 to 8. Since my oldest was tiny we have been striving to create a Montesorri/Waldorf atmosphere in our home, including homeschooling now that the children are older. We love to do wet-on-wet watercolour painting, embroidery, finger knitting, lots of baking, gardening and so much more. I would love to read Meg’s book. Her blog is lovely!

  640. Claudine

    June 16, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    I love Meg’s blog and would love the chance to win her book!!

    My favorite handicraft with my kids….hmmm, it’s tough to choose! But I think right now it is sewing at the sewing machine, they are so interested and patient and work so hard!

    Claudine

  641. AngelaS

    June 16, 2011 at 9:19 pm

    Ooooh! I’d love a copy. Right now at 21 months my daughter loves to help in the kitchen. Sometimes she is actually mixing up biscuit dough and sometimes she just gets to mix up a little flour and water in her highchair while I’m cooking.
    AngelaS’s latest post: Organized Lists

  642. Bekah

    June 16, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    I’d LOVE to win this book. I think I’d make every project. Crossing my fingers!
    Bekah’s latest post: labyrinth

  643. Jenny

    June 16, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    This book is on my to get list. 🙂 The activities that my 2 year old & 4 year old currently like to do are string pony beads on pipe cleaners, mash bananas for banana bread, and make paper airplanes.

  644. Kim

    June 16, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    I love cooking with my children. I love how they want to get involved and are so proud when their food is cooked and they get to eat it and share it with their dad.

  645. N. Perez

    June 16, 2011 at 11:44 pm

    I have three young children and we love baking banana bread together the most. Everyone has their job: peeling and mashing the bananas, mixing the butter and sugar, mixing the dry ingredients, and so on. At times there is friction because they want to do what the others are doing and forget about ‘taking turns’ but in the end we all have our share of fun and the little people in this house feel special when they ‘help’ mommy.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win this marvelous book
    naslyyadid(at)gmail(dot)com

  646. Jane

    June 17, 2011 at 12:24 am

    Well I don’t have my own children, but my favourite handcraft to do with my nieces and godsons is a little handsewing applique onto something special like a kindergarten library bag or a little baking. my 9 year old godson is right into gourmet food and it is so fun to make things together!

  647. Allysa

    June 17, 2011 at 7:43 am

    My girls and I love to build Fairy Houses! We got into Wee Folk construction after a visit to Porthsmith, NH during the Fairy House Tour. Our houses are made from only items found in nature and truly loved by the fairies in our NC backyard!

  648. Melissa S.

    June 17, 2011 at 8:59 am

    When I make cards my 3 year old sits down with me and uses my punches on his construction paper. We can get quite creative together!

  649. siu

    June 17, 2011 at 9:21 am

    I dream with this book!
    Meg’s blog is such an inspiration!
    I work with children at community centers and often find ideas in her blog!

  650. Deborah

    June 17, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Although I don’t get to see my nephew often, I enjoy cooking with him when I visit. The other day we made brownies together for his little brother’s birthday.

  651. Deborah

    June 17, 2011 at 9:26 am

    I just “liked” Simple Homeschool and Sew Liberated on facebook.

  652. Andrea

    June 17, 2011 at 9:53 am

    My kids love to bake with me. I’m learning to sew at the moment, so when they’re older, and I’m more experienced, we’ll do that as well.

  653. Andrea

    June 17, 2011 at 9:54 am

    Liked Simple Homeschool, and Sew Liberated on facebook

  654. patries

    June 17, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    We love to paint. And watching mama sew is sooo good. My daughter can’t wait to sew herself hahaha (she just turned 2).
    Patries

  655. Shelley Abreu

    June 17, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    I’m learning to sew with my children! It’s as fun for me as it is for them!

  656. Mary Bruno

    June 17, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    My little 2 year old and I love to bake pies- she is wonderful at pinching the sides! She is also learning about sewing and loves to give me ideas of what animals to sew with what fabrics- we would love this book!

  657. Sara B

    June 17, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    My children and I enjoy all sorts of baking projects – bread, granola, cookies, pretzels etc…. We also have been making our own cards and gift wrap.

  658. Stephanie l

    June 17, 2011 at 6:49 pm

    I have been doing a lot of sewing lately and I have been showing my 4year old how to pin pieces and help feed fabric. She loves helping.

  659. Leah

    June 17, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    I love doing lots of different activities. My only daughter is still young, so I made things for her- crocheted toys, blankets, bibs, and of course lots of food. She has colored with markers and crayons. I hope to teach her all sorts of art as she gets older! Oh, she also sings and dances and plays her instruments!

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