Ship Ahoy

This past week I have been buried under swaths and swaths of fabric whipping up a cubby house fit for a pirate. One of my friend's little boy, Eli, celebrated his first birthday. I know.....how exciting!! Of course turning one demands a fun gift, a gift that will bring oodles of make believe into a little boy's day.

And.....what better way to encourage a little make believe into a little boy's day than to fashion a cubby house with a pirate theme. I decided to stitch a cubby house that fits over my friend's kitchen table. Every little boy wants to sail away on the seven seas.....right?? Every little boy wants to go a-sailing with the thought of adventure upmost in his mind, to explore distant lands, to perhaps happen upon "that" island and the treasure that is marked with an "X" on his map. Every little pirate wants to find fame and fortune.

When I worked in childcare, one thing I always noticed was that kids love to make cubbies out of all manner of things....sheets, blankets, chairs, tables, boxes.....whatever they could lay their hands on. Children love to hide away in a small, snug place, a hidey-hole where they are safe and cocooned away from the world; a place where their vivid imaginations can run wild.

But back to the pirate cubby house. A while ago I borrowed a craft book titled, "Belle and Boo Book of Craft" written by Mandy Sutcliffe, where from cover to cover there are wonderful crafty ideas to make for children. I was rather taken with the pirate theme cubby house. Isn't it sweet??

The rudimentary need of a pirate if he is to sail the seven seas in search of adventure in far away lands, is a ship. But....before I chat about the 'building' of the ship, let me first introduce you to the birthday boy, One-Eye Eli. He is the sweetest little boy, always smiling and has the most placid of personalities. Though, the waving of that cutlass from ear to ear, by our swashbuckling buccaneer seems to belie that sweet and innocent expression.

I wanted "One-Eye Eli" and his big sister, Ari, to feature on the ship. I took photos of the both of them and then printed these onto fabric, whilst seeing to it that they were dressed in appropriate pirate attire. One-Eye Eli is the master of this ship. With his cutlass and his beguiling smile he will protect his sister and his ship. =)

The main part of the cubby was stitched in a blue canvas-type fabric representing the sky. For the bottom of the cubby I found a cool, ocean theme fabric for the water where a magical, underwater world glides and swims below. I fashioned the ship from strips of old jeans with the masts of the ship in a black cotton fabric. Every pirate ship has portholes. These I fashioned out of a clear plastic. It is of upmost importance that  every pirate keeps an eye on what is happening outside whilst sailing the high seas. A pirate must always be on the lookout for marauding and pillaging pirate ships sailing on his horizon.

Parrots, swords, bunting, peek-a-boo portholes, a jolly roger, anchors, fish........., Eli's cubby is a place where the imagination can escape to far away lands. It is a fun place to play, or in those quiet times a place to perhaps have a nap, or perhaps take time out to have a book read to him. 

Anchors aweigh! The 'door' that entices each child into the magical, cubby world of all things piratey reveals the anchor diving deep, deep down into the sea.

For the table top of the cubby, I found a fabulous print of the world with fact after fact about different countries. Not only can "the pirates" pretend all things piratey, they can have fun with some 'learnin'!

Aaarrgghhh......it's party time. Sooo......much fun to be had!!

With the party over, with the auspicious celebration at an end and the guests having kissed sweet One-Eye Eli goodbye, hopefully there will be many, many imaginative trips to faraway lands where swashbuckling escapades are to be had. Hopefully there will be many, many moments of magical, pirate cubby house, play to be enjoyed by li'l One-Eye Eli and his fellow bucanneers. "Yo Ho! Yo Ho! 'Tis a pirate's life for me!"

As I sat and stitched Eli's cubby this week, my mind ran away with me. How fun it would be to fashion a cubby with a castle featuring knights and dragons and sweet maidens; or perhaps a sweet, little cottage complete with pretty curtains peeking from behind the windows and of course sweet, pretty flowers hugging the cubby all the way round. Aah yes.......the stuff of a fanciful imagination!

Until the next time..............


Sharing this week with lovely Jann's, Share Your Cup.