Kiddle perspective

Remember being a Kiddle?  Most likely you remember flashes of time, moments that stand out when think about when you were small, images that slide through your memory like slides on a screen.  I wager that many of your memories include sensory images: the scent of grandma's perfume, the touch of your favorite blanket, the sounds of dry leaves as you raked them.

One of those images for me was an outfit my mom sewed for me when I was about seven or eight.  It was a shorts and top set in a soft gray cotton with images of colored pencils headed every which way.  I can remember how comfortable it was to wear and how inspired I felt to draw when I looked at those pencils on my lap.  If I remember correctly, I even helped her select that fabric among the maze of bolts lined up aisle after aisle.

Now several decades have slid by like seams sewn on endless yards of fabric.  I have created oodles of dresses, tops, bottoms, costumes, curtains, and decor for my children and their children.  Always in mind when I'm planning a new project is how it will be perceived by the child who will own it.  How will it feel?  What will it look like from his or her vantage point?  Will it create and emotional connection?

For this, my first tip on my first blog, I suggest that you include your Kiddle when selecting materials for your next project.  One of my Kiddles likes to select his own cottons for his jammie bottoms.  Bringing him with me to shop for fabric gives me a chance to view the materials available from his perspective and gives meaning and purpose to the selection.

If you aren't as fortunate as I am to be able to be escorted by your Kiddle when shopping for your project, do what you can to include him or her in the process.  With technology you can send images, even video-chat! Get a Kids-eye view and your next project may become one of those images your Kiddle will remember many years from now.