Here I Am

How did this much time go by? I have no excuses really, except that once school was done I was out of my "normal" routine and then before I knew it, summer was over and here I am- another school year begun.

Despite my lack of communication, I did do quite a bit of sewing over the summer.

I made this quilt for my friend who had a baby boy.

And here's my July/August CMP ATC: From Here to There

Grograin GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Table Cloth Skirt and Dinner Party Top GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Check this out! SOOOO cute!

Dolls Etc.

I've been thinking about dolls. I bought this book a few months ago at Half Price Books. Mostly because I'm been into embroidery lately. I like quite a few of the patterns.

I especially liked these dolls.

And I started making one. I've finished the face.

And then we went to Half Price Books during vacation and I picked up these two. This week I was listening to back episodes of Craftypod and I heard the interview with Mimi Kirchner and then went to her blog to see her wonderful work. Very inspiring!

I also bought this book recently. I REALLY like it. It's been a few years since I made clothes for myself. In the past I did so often, especially before I had kids. But this book has inspired me to try again.
I liked this tunic, so I started with that.

The pattern was straightforward and the sewing easy.

The fit is not bad. I made the small size, and it fits well at the top and the the bottom. Around the waist area it's a little baggy looking, so I'm trying to figure out how to fix that. I was thinking of putting a casing and draw string at the back so I could cinch it in a bit. Or maybe some elastic that would gather at the mid back. Next time I may, with the gathering for the top band, make more of a box pleat in the front. Or maybe I just need to take it in at the side and/or back seams. I'm not really good at this stuff- figuring out how to improve the fit so it works for me.

Vacation Fun

Claire had been talking about sunglasses and wanting her own sunglasses for weeks. Luckily the Easter Bunny came through and made a wish of hers come true! Matt had to celebrate with her.

And with the spring snow storm a snow man was definitely in order. Girl Scout Thin Mints made perfect eyes and a mouth. We had fun watching it melt quickly within only a few days.

We took a trip to Crate and Barrel to pick up a wedding gift for Kevin' s brother, and I couldn't resist buying these collapsible bowls. Of course rather than use them for cooking I put them to good use on my sewing table.

And you know it wouldn't be a vacation without some serious project completion. I made Claire a summer outfit.

It's from New Look pattern 6796. The top is adorable, although I had to practically pin Claire down to get her to try it on. The pants I'm not as crazy about. I'm going to make her the dress from the pattern, which is basically a longer version of the top. Lucy at One Block from Jollyville also made it and it is CUTE!!! I love it with jeans, so I may have to go that route with Claire.

I completed my March CMP ATC a while ago but just sent it out today. The theme: Perspective. Title: My Mind's Eye.
And I have finally pieced the Paper Doll Quilt. Now I need to get fabric for the borders. Judging by how long it took to do this, it may be awhile...

Mother Nature, She Mocks Me

Was I not just saying not even a week ago how spring was in the air? Serves me right. The second day of spring and we're in the middle of a huge snowstorm- which should be no great shock for me since I have lived in Wisconsin for my entire life. Luckily for us, we had no plans for this, our first day of vacation. So we've hibernated in the house playing, crafting and watching Star Wars- Return of the Jedi. Matthew has really been into Star Wars these last few months and we finally decided he was old enough to see the first three movies made. He was so excited he couldn't even sit still on the couch- he kept jumping up to get right in front of the TV and we had to keep telling him to sit down so everyone could see.

Matthew had asked me for a pencil case for school because he's been collected erasers- ones shaped like computers and cell phones and others in bright neon colors. I made him one out of vinyl.
Based on this one here in Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I like her thread contrast better so next time I'll do that.

I didn't want Claire to feel left out so I made her this cupcake purse. She loves her purses and carries them around with her bracelets and phone in them. She did not; however, like this one. She promptly tossed it on the ground after I handed to her and there it stayed until I picked it up and put it back with my sewing things. I'll save it for another day. She is sooo 2 years old. And very stuck in her ways. She won't wear any new clothes, which is of course a problem since she's really grown, and I have to bribe her or say things like "your cousin Sylvia has pants like these." Even then, I'm often dressing a screaming child. When we go to the store she'll want the toys she already has at home. Brother!

I was checking out Hello My Name is Heather blog, and looking at all the projects made from her Freshcut line of fabrics- there are so many talented people out there! That's when I ran into Ravenhill's blog and saw her dolls.
Needless to say I was wonderfully inspired and made this doll.

And with that, we'll blow you a kiss.

Spring Ahead

As I sit here at 5:36, I can look out the window and enjoy the sun! It's taken our family a week to adjust to the time change, but now we are settled and enjoying the extra light each day. Plus, the weather has warmed (slightly) but enough to give just a hint of the spring to come. The many feet of snow we got this winter are now almost melted. And a short work week this week means the beginning of our spring break. We have not yet planned what we will do, but we're considering the possibility of a car trip to the south to enjoy warmer temperatures. We'll see.

Embroidery has been a topic of discussion among the Creative Mom Podcast yahoo group. It seems spring has brought along the urge for needlework, myself included. After buying and looking through Doodle Stitching this winter, I was inspired to make the February ATC: "Wings Resting."

And my cousin's baby shower brought another baby quilt. She is a dog lover, so I made this because the dogs on the fabric are so cute! I made some fabric blocks, one with a rattle inside, to go with the quilt. The pattern was in this month's Quilts and More Spring 2008 issue.

And my dear friend from work turns 30 this month. She's expecting her third baby in June, and she's been joking about her weight gain (because, and I speak from experience, when you gain 10 pounds in a month, you must laugh or otherwise, you'll cry!) So I made her some "sweets" that won't add to her weight. (Although with that I'm including some sweets that will!) The cupcake embroidery is from Sublime Stitching, another book I bought this winter. It has so many wonderful patters that you can stitch up quickly. And my second knitted cupcake turned out so cute, I think.

Gingerbread in March?

I bought the book Knitted Toys at least a year ago and finally decided I had better knit a project from it. Choosing what to do is not easy, there are so many adorable toys in this book. I could knit almost every pattern in here. I wanted to knit two dolls for Claire, so I ordered the yarn. Matthew of course couldn't be left out, and he asked me to knit the gingerbread man. I had some left over yarn so I was able to knit it up in about a week. He loves it and it goes great with the cupcake in the kids' kitchen.

I was able to finish a scarf I'd been working on for over a year. I made some mittens out of the same yarn and I love them. I then started a scarf in the yarn on size 4 needles with a K2P2 rib. Talk about a never ending project! But now it's done and my mittens won't feel so lonely.

I had some left over yarn from a previous felt project so I knit up and felted this little bag.

With the snow we've gotten this year plus the cold streaks, there have been many weekends spent inside crafting. The kids and I found some old crayons so I chopped them up and they combine them in muffin tins. We baked them in the oven for a few minutes and now have some fun multi colored crayons.

It was my niece's birthday so Matthew and Claire and I made some clothespin dolls for her and her little sister.

Then I made a little apron for her with lots of pockets for the dolls.

We put it together with bags of supplies so they can make their own. How much fun will that be?

Two Happy Birthdays to Me

So January 28th was the first birthday of my blog. So hard to think that I've been doing this for a year! And tomorrow is my 37th birthday. I think... Every year I sortof forget how old I really am and as the day approaches, I have to calculate my age-to-be based on my birth date. I try not to get to philosophical about the whole thing. It's a standing joke that every year I say I'll be 29. The year I turned 29 was very emotional for me. I got drunk, sat around and listened to all the music played in the 90's when I was in college and bawled. Since then, my birthday age has not bothered me. I think because at 30 I had my son, and since then I've been too busy to care about my increasing age. Besides, how can you be depressed on your birthday when presents are involved? Seriously!

So in celebration of my birthdays, I knit myself a cupcake from the One Skein book. I've wanted to do this since I bought the book, and now I'm hooked. It took a couple tries with needle size. I am a loose knitter and therefore had to go down to a size 2 for the base and 7 for the top. I made the base 2 1/4 inches tall as the pattern said, but it ended up being too tall, so I had to sew the top on further down. The next one, which I've already started, I'll make slightly shorter. It was quick to make and a lot of fun, so I can't wait to make more.

The theme for January's ATC was Beginning. I titled mine, "Beginning a New Day." A reminder that every day is new, and to live it that way.

And with the new year, I've been giving some thought to my word for 2008, something that will help to inspire me in my life and creativity.

com·plete

–adjective
1. having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full

2. finished; ended; concluded
3. having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality

4. thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified

-verb (used with object)
5. to make whole or entire

6. to make perfect

7. to bring to an end; finish

8. to consummate

Resolutions and...

My 2008 resolutions:
1. Walk at least 3 days a week during my half hour lunch at work.
2. Reduce my caffeine dependency (I am a coffee and Mountain Dew addict- my excuse is that caffeine is the only thing that keeps me, well, alive, at this point with two young children, a full time job and my sewing, knitting and crafting.)
3. Finish my UFO's!!!!
4. Start what I have planned- This is a major one for me because I am a perfectionist and this can really hold me back. I'll have a plan but will be afraid to experiment. Or I will avoid cutting into fabric until I have the "perfect" project, which never seems to come along.

I'm trying to come up with a single word to encompass these goals I've set for myself but it needs a little more thought.

Fabric bought for bags...

and kitchen accessories for Claire.

We set up her kitchen where the Christmas tree was and I made her a tablecloth. I want to make her towels and an oven mitt, placemats and an apron too.

Starting to piece together the bocks for a queen sized quilt I'm working on.

A dino quilt finished for a new baby.