WiseCricket

Being thankful

2011-12-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

Giveaway week makes me giddy. I think it is amazing that 351 people wanted something that I could give them, which is exciting. I'm a giver at heart. It makes me feel good inside. I love to please people, make them happy. I like to be liked. I like kindness in myself and in others. So I love all those comments, and people just hopping around being friendly.

Now, can you possibly imagine that I was lucky enough to win four different giveaways? Seriously. That makes me think I should not be entering so many of them! But then after I won the third prize, I decided that for each prize I won, I would give out another prize. So a few more winners are in order. Three of them. Maybe not exactly the same prize, but definitely good ones.

First I decided to give a prize to one of my followers. Even though I only post twice a year, I seemed to have gained another 10 followers or so this week. Thanks, people! So Yana, who does not have a blog because her "English is bad" (Excuse me, Yana? I beg to differ!) wins some threads from me.

Then I decided to give a prize to the person who made the best pizza suggestion. That person is Christie, who suggested beets with carmelized onions and feta. My husband likes beets on hamburgers, so chances are he will eat them on pizza, too. Which is good, since he is pretty picky. Christie also writes poetry every day, which is something I once aspired to and yet now it has been 10 years since I wrote any. Hmm.

And the last person I chose was someone I was going to send some threads to anyway, because she is the most generous person I can think of. She cares deeply and gives from the heart. Giving her some tools to do her deeds of goodwill makes me feel like I am doing a little goodwill, too. So Deb will be getting a package in the mail, too.

So there you have it. 3 extra winners. It's almost like the party after the party. You know, when all the regular people leave and it's just you and your friends hanging out at the end amidst the rubble?

I wish I had a picture for you. Because every post needs a picture, right? Oh, wait! Here! I just grabbed this off my phone.

The girls passed their karate test and each have a new belt. I am really proud of them. Not only that? I passed my final algebra exam with an 88. Not too shabby. I might squeak by with an A for the semester. Maybe. If not? I'm pretty proud of myself, anyway. But I am glad I have 4 weeks off before my next algebra class starts!

So I'll try to post some pictures soon of the things I have been making this year. It never seems like I get much accomplished until I look around and see just how many things I have made. Not only that? But the girls now know if they want something they can ask mommy and I will figure out how to make it. I think that is an important lesson that will serve them well. If you want it? Make it.

Winner!

2011-12-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

Wow, that was an overwhelming response to my giveaway! 351 comments! The winner of the prize is Goosegirl. You can check out the beautiful things she makes at one of her blogs Goosegirl Sews. She has a couple other blogs to that I have yet to look at. Makes me feel just a tad bit lazy, I must say. She keeps up three blogs and I have one poor, languishing, orphaned one? Well, more on that later. Now I am off to take the girls to karate where I will try to eek in a little more studying for my algebra final before I have to be at the test at noon. The girls are having a test today, too. A belt test. Blue is a purple belt, Ivy (at just 4 years old!) is an orange belt.

Giveaway Day!

2011-12-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

My favorite day of the year! I have all but abandoned my blog, but I feel compelled to join giveaway day anyway. It is so much fun! Here is what I have to give away today. Lucky you!

A baker's dozen DMC Pearl cotton floss size 8. Retails for about $2.50 a spool (95 yards) but I just happened to find it in the salvage store yesterday for 25 cents per spool. So I got you one of each color I got myself. (Honestly, I got some of every color they had. I'm no fool!)

Grammie and Grampie Blue with their grandson Dusty.

The inter-racial Browne family.

Mr. and Mrs. Scarlett with their twins Rosie and Rusty.

The Greene's (Mrs. is expecting soon, but not soon enough).


And last but not least, the enigmatic Professor Naranja.

To enter my giveaway, please note: I will not award my prize to anyone who doesn't leave an individualized response. If I read the same comment by you that I see on every other blog, if you are the winner, I will choose another. Got it?Now. For the rest of you: I would like to know what odd yet delicious things you eat on your pizza? We eat a lot of pizza around here, and I'm actually getting a little tired of buffalo chicken and blue cheese, potato and pesto, artichoke hearts with carmelized onions. So - some suggestions. If you don't like pizza, you can tell me why. I can't even begin to imagine. But I have a little girl who does not like pizza. And yes, we force her to eat it. Mean, mean parents.I will choose my winner on December 16th and mail by the 21st. And yes, I will ship internationally. Now stop reading and go check out all those amazing giveaways. Good luck! Hope you win something!

********EDITED*TO*ADD********

Please, people, if you are not sure your e-mail account is tied to your profile, either write your e-mail address in your comments, or check out this tutorial I just pulled up off the web and fix it. If no one has your address, you can't win! It's not just me - you might be winning lots of prizes and you will never, ever know about it. About 1/4 of the replies I have gotten are No-Reply, which means if they are picked, I will have to choose another winner. Now go fix it, so you win!

Elizabeth from Button and Bean? C'Mon DOWN!

2011-05-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so yeah, I think I'm in the wrong game show. But forgive me, it is almost 10pm and my eyes are swimming from trying to look at every single giveaway. I didn't manage. Not even close.

The winner of my personal giveaway is Elizabeth from Button and Bean. I see she has a blog and does some very cool stuff (plus look how cute her little one is!). Go check it out if you want to see what the heck she makes with all this crap I'm going to dump on her. Um, I mean all these treasures that I scrounged up. I mean. This Fantastic Prize Package worth over $4.73.

My goodness. I am so punchy. I'm off to ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Giveaway Day!

2011-05-23T03:59:00.000-07:00

Hello there and welcome to my giveaway. I have something extra special for you, today. Not just regular crafty goodness, but what I think is a top notch prize. I admit,though, I do have an ulterior motive. Do you want the check out the prize first? Okay. Me, too. To enter to win, all you have to do is leave me a comment. If you have run out of things to say, you could tell me what your favorite quick summer dinner is. Or if you are one of those southern hemisphere types, what your favorite winter dinner is. Now, I'm not the type to offer second entries, but today I am. You don't have to be a follower, you just have to read all the way to the end to find out how to get your second entry. Ready? Here comes the good stuff:

Imagine you see before you one of those Price is Right models. Got it? Okay. I don't look a thing like that. You could imagine that Sarah Jessica Parker and Marty Feldman had a baby girl and it grew up to be me, but that's a little scary, no? Better you stick with the Price is Right model.

You have made it to the showcase showdown and the model pushes a cart before you. Upon it at are three mid century acrylic canisters. Ah, here they are.

You notice they are made by Kartell in Italy. While they are probably not valuable, they are pretty and nice to look at, and they would look fabulous on your sewing table. You pick one up and open it.

Inside, you see a stack of trim. What's this? chenille ric rac and some real-100% cotton-made-by-hand bias tape? Woohoo! You love bias tape. Even if you know you'll never use it because it is so pretty, you most definitely need this bias tape. Some crazy whale ribbon that must be vintage by now and 3 yards of hemmed ruffled trim. Um... Ruffles? "What in the world is she thinking?" you wonder. But upon more careful thought, you realize that you don't use ruffles because you don't have a ruffle foot, and honestly isn't it just a pain in the rear to do all that ruffling? So really there are any number of things you could do with ruffles, but you never have because you can't be bothered to make it. Inspiration hits! smashes you in the brain! like a fancy fast sporty bulldozer! "Of course! I'll make a _________ !" What a good plan that is. And by golly here are four spools of Pearl 8 and some rainbow thread for good measure. Yum!

You open the next canister, and it is full of scraps. Small-but-not-too-tiny scraps.

You decide you will make a bunch of hexagons with them, and wonder if hexagons are passé. Finally, you decide that even if hexagons are passé, you will make them anyway, unless the scraps are too pretty to use in which case they will just sit there looking pretty. Which is, you know in your heart of hearts, quite likely.

Wondering what more could possibly be in store, you carefully open the last canister. Inside...

felted cord and felted balls, and some vintage linens. You could surely think of something to do with those things, right? And lastly, you see that there is a little hand sewn pouch you hadn't noticed initially. Made of recycled wool and sewn entirely with a needle, thread, and two hands. It isn't perfect, but you note that there is something quite charming about it. As you feel it, you note that there is a card inside. It feels like a... yes, it surely must be... a gift card. What store is it for? How much is on it? There is no way of knowing until you open the pouch. You reach for the zipper and...

you wake up.

Mean, I know.

So here's the thing. You get one entry for free. If you would like a second entry, you can follow this link to see what my darling daughter is up to, and post about it on your blog. Go ahead and borrow one picture if you like, and of course please link back as well. That will get you your second entry.And this year? Winner will be chosen by my friend Random Number Generator. I learned my lesson last year.

And lastly, Happy Giveaway Day to all!

Blue's Quilt

2011-05-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter Blue. She is seven and a half.

One day we saw an ad in a magazine for Smile Train, which is a program that repairs cleft lips and palates for children in developing countries who could otherwise not afford the surgery. Blue was horrified by the pictures. To show her how Smile Train helps kids, we went to their website and looked at before and after pictures. We found out it only costs $250 to provide surgery for one child, and her question for me was "Do we have $250 to send them?" I told her that we did have $250, but that it was more money than I could just send off on a moments notice. So we brainstormed ways we could get $250 to send, and came up with a plan.

Blue is making a quilt. She is cutting it by herself,

ironing it by herself

and sewing it by herself.

And yes, I do stand there hovering over her practically jumping out of my skin. But she is 7 1/2, after all. See that evil glint in her eye? That is her reveling in the fact that it is taking all my willpower to let her do her thing while I am forced to stand and watch.

Just how does making a quilt get us money for Smile Train? We thought we would raffle it, but we found out that it is illegal. Yup. Because we aren't a non profit agency, we can't have a raffle without jumping through lots of hoops. So we decided that what we would do is find people to sponsor the quilt squares. We asked a few friends and grandparents and such if they would give her $10 to make a square to add to the quilt. Several of them did, and she got to work.

The squares are sponsored but she makes all the design choices. Mama chose the type of square, because there is no real way to goof it up crosses and it gives her a lot more control over the process. Believe me, crosses are hard enough. What a sewist can churn out in 5 minutes, it takes Blue about an hour to create.

I am amazed at the patience she has for this project, and the pure enthusiasm. She plans to send the $250 and the finished quilt together, so the child who has the surgery can have the quilt to snuggle, too. Tonight she told me "I think the child will really like this rainbow one. They won't mind if it's not perfect." I am amazed that she is thinking of the child at every step of the process. While I encouraged the genesis of this project, she has really made it her own. My selfish goal for her was to know that she can change the world. She can make a difference in people's lives, even as a child. She has power that she can channel to good or to evil, and it feels wonderful to choose good. But I think she has already learned a lot more than that.

If you would like to sponsor a quilt square, please e-mail me at wisecricket (at) gmail (dot) com and I will give you our address. We will also e-mail you a picture of your finished square if you like. And know that you will have helped not only a child far away, but also my daughter, Blue, of whom I am so incredibly proud.

Make it Work

2011-05-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

Sabra from Sew a Straight Line issued the kind of challenge I like best: take something old and unfashionable and make it wearable. Or, if you are feeling really adventurous, take an old, ugly pattern and use it to make something wearable. The trick is, in both cases, you have to keep elements of the original. Fun! She has a Flickr group so you can see what everyone else is making, and there are super excellent prizes!

Here is what I started with. This was my dress when I was 4 and yes, I use the term 'dress' loosely. I know every toddler girl was flaunting her booty that year, but the thought makes me shudder.

Here is the finished product. It is now a tunic rather than a dress. I didn't actually take anything off the length, I just hemmed it where the hem had fallen out. I know. Can you believe my mother let me walk around in that?

It had some redeeming qualities, though. I really love the smocking. It's real smocking, not elasticized. And while I am not crazy about those ruffle wings, ruffles are back in style.

I cut off the ghastly polyester sleeves, collar and bow, then squared and bound the neckline, which was nowhere as easy as I thought it should be. When I cut off the sleeves, I left an inch or so of the red dots, turned them up twice and hand stitched it in place. It's not perfect, but no one will notice. Oh, I also folded over and blind stitched about 2 inches of the ruffle wings so they won't whack her in the face when she's running.

When it was all done, I thought it looked a little plain, so I made this little gossamer ribbon dragonfly from this tutorial and tacked it on. It instantly bounded up the popularity scale.

The only thing I am unhappy with is the fact that I should have gathered the neck just a little bit when I bound it. Can you tell that it gapes a little? It's not so bothersome that I'll rip out the binding from hell that took me 3 hours to sew, though. Besides, the kids has so many clothes I wouldn't be surprised if she only wears it on Independence Day. Because I make her.

I wasn't going to do any more, but I got this pattern at the thrift store today. Something for me. Maybe I can eeek it out before the deadline. We'll see.

I'll leave you with a picture in which my older sister says Ivy looks just like I did when I was a kid. Honestly? I still have that expression on my face quite a bit.

KCWC Day 1

2011-05-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to figure out mobile blogging, and managed to lose most of
my last post. I hope I can figure it out. I love the idea of blogging
but the effort it requires is more than I have to give. Downloading,
uploading, writing. I feel like it shouldn't be so convoluted, and
maybe this will be my answer.

Now. Kids Clothing Week Challenge. I still haven't figured out how to
embed a link. I'm sure you all know elsie marley anyway, so I'll just
push on.

Here is my first creation. I've had the pieces cut out for about a
year. Finally assembled last night, and the girl is quite happy with
it. The hoodie pattern is from Lil Blue Boo. What makes me happy about
this shirt is the fact that the sleeves are made from her favorite
pants from when she was four years old.

Oh how embarassing

2010-09-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, because it is September sewing month, and Katy over at No Big Dill is has been having a big party (which I was quite late to, but her blog is great, and her girls - oy, the pictures of her girls, and their names? I swoon. I wanted to name Ivy 'Olive', but Jason hates olives, so he said... no.) and because I can write one hell of a run-on sentence...

Anyway, she wanted people to try something new. And, even though I didn't know that, I did try something new. Remember the free-motion quilt along? Yeah. I have yet to make anything pretty, for sure. But did I try it? Hell, yah. So there you have it. It is still September (by one hour and 47 minutes) and here is a picture of my sad first attempt at free motion quilting. I must say, though, Christina at A Few Scraps is very encouraging.She even showed us pictures of her first free-motion quilt, and I dare say it was almost as bad as mine. Well, nearly almost.

Oh let me make that picture nice and big for you. Did you see the chain o' hearts at the bottom there? Fancy, no? I learned to do that in 5th grade.

Jump Roping

2010-09-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Ah, here we are at the end of the jump rope dress sew along. The dress is adorable, but Blue will never be adorable in this dress again. Hm. Actually, she looks ready to hurl - or bolt. Or smack me.

I had to bribe her (with vintage buttons!) to put this dress on for a picture. Yeeeeas, she picked out the fabric. And yes, I hate the fabric. I hated making it. I hated feeling like I was always behind in the sew-along. And now? She hates the dress. My own fault, though. Honestly, I am pretty impressed that she put it on for a picture, even. She's come a long way in the past three years. This child only wears knits. Knits that are just loose enough and not too loose. Knits that are just the right length and not one smidgen longer or, heaven forbid, shorter. Granted, she started flailing around in it when she first put it on, but she did some calming down and managed to do the pictures. Yay! It seemed appropriate to take some jump roping action shots.

The girl gives it her all, doesn't she? You should see her hula-hoop.

And even if she never wears it again, it was completely worth it for this one picture, which is her in a nutshell. My girl.

A busy, busy Sunday

2010-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm taking part in Badskirt's Jump Rope Dress Sew Along. Although I don't know if intention is enough to be called participating. Finally, though, I have the pattern traced and the pieces cut out. But what's this? I'm not happy with any of my choices for placket fabric? True. What else is there to do but take a trip to the fabric store. I think I've mentioned my fabric store before: it's a surplus store. Not only can I get out-of-date CocoPuffs to keep the kids happy in the cart, I can also drop my entire weekly cash allowance on fabric. Seriously.

It doesn't look all that impressive, does it? But let me show you. Because, in all honesty, I am giddy like it is Christmas, but my husband and kids? Couldn't care less. And I need to share with someone, even virtual you. So even if you have never left a comment before, leave one now. Please do, so I can bask in the glory of my newest finds.

Did I mention I went in for a half yard of white with a touch of red? Found it.

The musical notes was just a goofy indulgence. I'll make a bag for Blue's piano book and use it for the lining. And I picked up a yard of Katie Jump Rope. It's not my favorite shade of brown so only a yard. Not like the three yards of green I got a few weeks ago. And yes, there is the white with red. Nothing particularly special.

I chose this duo for my second jump rope dress - view B for my favorite niece. (Don't get your panties in a bunch - I only have one niece to date.) Two yards of the patterned corduroy and one of the pink.

And then, my brain just went crazy and bought three yards of soft, soft linen, and a yard and a half of that... shirting? The lines are small bumps.

This was an picture to take, but it is three yards each of pearl colored smallish cord and cream baby cord that is incredibly soft.

And lastly, I got two yards of each of these. The black is something velvety and the brown is velveteen, which will become a pair of pants like these from Olive Juice. Cute, no? I have just been introduced to Olive Juice and I have spent many hours over there, sketching and drooling.

At $3/yard for most everything except the velveteen (which was $5), I couldn't leave with any less than that. The thing about my fabric store is - next time you go in, they won't have the same thing you saw this time. They had oodles of garment fabric today, which is not always the case. I had to pass by some interlock knit because I just couldn't pass up the corduroy.

Now I'm just twiddling my thumbs waiting for the washing machine to finish its act so I can get crackin'.

2010-08-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not a very good -alonger. For the most part, my intentions and desires are good, and my follow-through is poor. I'm proud if occasionally I can link up to something on time. But I'm determined to -along with this free-motion-quilt-along. I've always been curious about free motion quilting. When I made Ivy's quilt, I just used my walking foot which was a pain in the kishka. And then I bought a free motion foot, but I have never really done anything worthwhile with it. So to prove my - what... intent? desire? Heck, I always have those. Anyway, I actually went and made the quilt top so I could free-motion-along. And here it is.

It is intentionally simple - I followed the instructions provided. (Amazing, I know.) But since I didn't have an entire bolt width of a third fabric I liked, I pieced those two brown fat quarters. And I really, really like it. It's crib size, and I do happen to know someone having a baby boy in December. So it if turns out well, it will be a gift. If not, it will just be.

Christmas crafting

2010-08-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

For weeks now, I've had the best of intentions to start working on my Christmas projects for Deb's Present-a-Week {till Christmas}-along. Seeing as how she is now in week 5, and I have finally gotten off my duff to get something done, I am feeling rather smug. After all - isn't that just one gift I don't have to worry about later? I also read something on Indie House that struck a chord within me. She said (and I hope she doesn't mind I'm quoting her here, but I'll link it for you)

I think Christmas has become to much about impressing people and less about giving gifts people would use and oh say actually need.

Impressing people. Yeah that. It is a battle I wage with myself every year. I either feel too cheap, or I feel ostentatious. But if I somehow managed to make something that someone would love - well that is neither cheap nor ostentatious. So I'm all about the handmade holidays this year. Seriously. So here is present #1:

I had a hard time with this pattern. It wasn't difficult, or complicated, but somehow I managed to knit the two halves (that I then grafted together in the center) so that no matter what I did, the points did not align in the center. It was also kind of a panic fest because I was left with approximately 4 inches of yarn after all was said and done. Talk about cutting it close. And while I am griping, I will also say that I don't like how floppy the cowl is. I added one repeat to make up for my smaller-than-called-for yarn, but to me it is just too floppy. That said, I will also add that some people like floppy, no one will ever notice the issue with the points, the color is absolutely gorgeous, and it is smooshy as all get-out. So while not a personal triumph, I give it an A giftwise. Here is it Raveled.

Little House by the Seaside

2010-07-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

What's this? Two posts this month? Craziness, I know. I have 6 minutes before the timer goes off and I have to take the pickle, hot dog, pineapple, black olive pizza out of the oven. I kid you not. One of them doesn't even have cheese. You wouldn't catch me near that with a 10 foot pole. Mine is straight up cheese. Oh, but why are you here?

Bonnets. I won this lovely Baby Jane pattern awhile ago, and I have made several of them. They are so stinkin' cute, I just have to share.

I think it's hysterical that they fit my almost-7 year old as well as they fit the 3 year old. I added an inch to the pattern, since it is supposed to be for babies, and it fits fine.

There. This posting thing isn't as hard as I make it out to be, is it? The timer just beeped. Saved by the bell.

Back on the wagon

2010-07-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

I feel like this summer has just been whizzing past me with barely time to catch my breath. Have we done anything fun? No. Have we gone on vacation? No. Our yearly trip to the seasonal aquarium? Nup. And yet we haven't managed to do any homeschooling either. It lasted a decent 2 days, but by the third day, Mommy screamed and threw something across the room. Bad, bad mommy. I really want to homeschool. I really, really do. But not this year. I'm glad we tried it this summer, because I would be in big trouble if we had waited till fall and then I had to try to get her into a classroom. Just the thought is frightening. But actually, I guess we would have muddled through the year rather than face that. I am happy, though, with her teacher. I got to meet her before school ended, and she seems spectacular. She told me to E-mail her this summer so we could come up with a plan that will help Blue be successful. She has worked with special ed kids and gifted kids, and has been teaching for many years, so I'm incredibly relieved.

My biggest goal for the summer has been to get Ivy into her own bedroom. Our house only has two bedrooms, so she has been in our room for the past three years. But a week ago, she moved into here:

Why yes, that is the former sewing room/office, former nursery, former workshop. Did I never tell you that? Oh yes, when we first moved here it was thrilling to have a place big enough that the drill press no longer lived in our bedroom. Yes, I'm completely serious. Here's a picture of Blue sitting in the workshop. Jason got to choose the color. Ack. Can you even believe this is the same room?

Darn she was a cute little baby, too. She was two months old in that picture.

Anyway, I have been kicked out of my space. Jason now has his computer set up in our bedroom, which leave me... at loose ends. I have a plan, I do, for a space downstairs. But because everything in this house means shuffling things around like a puzzle, I can't execute my plan until I put the new flooring into Ivy's room. It's complicated. But the good news is this:

This is my new fabric storage area. It's not all of it, just the quilting weight cotton. I have everything else in a closet: knits, corduroy, flannel, clothes waiting to be upcycled. I'm kind of aghast at how much fabric I have.

It's nice to have everything above knee level. I was pretty tired of crawling under my table to look for fabric. And I have put a hold on any fabric shopping I might wish to do. That's right. Those new oliver & s patterns I just got in the mail? They're all being made from stash.

Though my sewing has no place to call home, I did manage to finally get a puppet show tunic and shorts done. It was the one I most wanted to do when it first came out, and I have had the pattern for years, but my skills were lacking. So even though it was difficult for me, I am really pleased with the results.

I might have mentioned before that one of the few perks of moving into our ramshackle old house was the large jar of buttons I found downstairs. All used, all ripped off clothes worn in a day when things were reused. I love them, and I use them on virtually everything. There is something so endearing about the history of them. And though each of these is different, they are the same size.

glimpses

2010-06-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

It just makes apples more fun.

A Boy and his Blob: a sculpture - one of Blue's favorite Wii games lately.

My pottery is getting better. Sort of.

Butterfly mobile I made for Blue. I hung it up over her bed while she was sleeping so she saw it when she woke up. Jason happened to be sleeping in there (we play a lot of musical beds in this house) and said she gasped when she saw it.

It is summer. Ivy inherited her dad's strawberry blond curls, but she inherited my humidity inspired curls, too. Curls upon curls lately.

Blue is growing out her bangs. When she wears her black Mario shirt and her hair down, she looks like a stoner. But if I make a rainbow in her hair, she'll let me put it up sometimes. She's playing Boy and his Blog. Backpack? Check. Jellybeans? Check. Ivy is always relegated to the roll of Blog. "Gulp!"

Cricket, oh, Cricket

2010-06-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Oh our darling Cricket (you must be asking yourselves) where on the earth have you been? With what have you been entertaining yourself since last we saw you? We pine for your presence, especially us of the new following persuasion. Please, return to us and enlighten us with your snarkiness.

Okay, you asked for it. We have had a busy few weeks around here. Topping the list is shopping for a homeschool curriculum. Blue is not doing all that well in school. She is coping, but she is certainly not thriving. Her creativity and sense of wonder are taking a fast ride down the toilet. I had hoped it would be different, and I can see that perhaps each year we would have a sometimes better/sometimes worse experience, but I just can't leave it to chance. So we are soon to be embarking on the Great Homeschool Experiment in which I teach art, Jason teaches chemistry, and my mother teaches piano. Rosetta Stone will be teaching Spanish to us all at the same time. I was thinking Latin American Spanish - anyone have thoughts about that? We live in Maine, so there are relatively few Spanish speakers. If anything, we find more French in our area, but I don't think that would be most useful in the long term.

I think our plan is a good one, and I think all of us are looking forward to starting. We will be doing art every day, piano once a week, chemistry once or twice per week, and if she likes it as much as I think she will, Rosetta stone the rest of her waking hours. She is very much a visual learner, and she loves any kind of computer/video games. And she likes knowing things her parents don't know. I played with the trial version over Christmas and it is big fun. In fact, the grownups (erm - grown up siblings) all got a little pushy about having a turn.

Do you think I'm a mean mom for making my kid do school over the summer? I think we'll have a decent payoff later when we can take vacations on a whim.

And okay - in crafting news - some pictures for you, because there are way too many words up there. Please indulge me. I know this is excessive - but she is seriously cute.

The pattern is from Lil Blue Boo. I hemmed and hawed about buying a pattern for something I could probably whip up without, but sometimes the payoff for spending money on a pattern is that the shirt actually gets made. And the results? Really cute. The cap sleeves were my own idea - puffed them just a little to make it more girlie. Ivy gave me the best compliment - she wore this shirt for three days straight. Score one for mom.

Giveaway Craziness (and the winners are...)

2010-05-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, my fingers are exhausted and my eyes are burning. I'm not sure I should have set out to look at every single giveaway, but I made it through the lists. And it's funny. I found that sometimes I subscribed to blogs but didn't enter the giveaway, and sometimes I entered the giveaway, but didn't follow the blog, but only a few times did I do both. Maybe it is my rebellious nature that makes me resist following just for an extra chance to win something. I also found that I entered many more giveaways for supplies than finished items. That must go hand in hand with my resistance to buy things I could possibly make, which is why, for example, I have not had a pair of slippers in four years (well, until my lovely sister-in-law gave me some for Christmas, anyway.)

Oh, wait a minute. You wanted to know who won my giveaway? Sheesh. Of course. I can be a little slow sometimes.

There were several entries that made me laugh. I'll try to get back a little later and show some of them to you. But the kids are running around crazy and I just need to get this done. This last sentence, between the phone and the kids and getting dressed and breakfast - almost an hour. Serious. The rest I wrote last night. See the difference?

So the big winners are...

Lindsay who said...
I'm not sure how old your kids are but here it goes,
An ion walked into a bar and said "bartender, I think I left and electron here" the bartender say "Are you positive?"

Erin who said...
Whew, the pressure's on. This one has been a favorite in our house for a while.
Knock, knock
Who's there
Interrupting cow
Interrupti - -
Mooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Haha! Happy laughing and thanks for the chance to win!

Lindsay, you made my husband snort, which is no small feat. And Erin was the first (but not only) person who posted the interrupting cow joke that is the all around family favorite. I'll send an e-mail out to you guys.
And hopefully I'll be back with a few more doozies later. Thanks everyone for taking part. I have to tell you, I can't believe there were SO many responses. And I actually tripled my followers, which I was certainly not expecting. Talk about the pressure being on, now.

Giveaway Day!

2010-05-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hello there, peeps from Sew, Mama, Sew! Welcome to my blog and my little giveaway. Let me introduce myself. My name is Cricket. I live in Maine, I have two adorable feisty daughters and a really fantastic husband. He is not feisty at all, so they must get it all from me. I am a knitter, a sewer and a general crafting type. Right now, I have a barn full of old furniture I am thinking of restoring/upgrading. And I'm pretty sure I will be homeschooling both kids next year for preschool and first grade. Let me tell you, my house is a disaster and there are piles of laundry everywhere. Which is why it is a good time for a giveaway.

So on with the giveaway! Last year was so cool, I really wished I had been on my game and hosted a giveaway. So while haphazard, I am putting something together this year - 10 pm on Sunday evening. Please don't hold it against me that these pictures are crap.Imagine everything a little brighter, a little prettier. Yeah, that's it.

First, I have a sewing giveaway. Because I could not think of a better theme, this prize package is a rainbow of fat quarters. Here they are. Some of them you may recognize, all are quality quilting cotton and some of them were even bought from Sew, Mama, Sew. Apropos, I know.

Oh man will I ever be glad to get rid of those clowns. I hope someone out there likes clowns, because I can't stand them. That purchase was a momentary lapse of reason.

The second item I have to offer is also a rainbow of sorts, but, well, not. I'm pretty sure all of these are Frog Tree Alpaca, probably sport weight. I had a growing problem with all my yarn getting in a major tangle, and I got in a snit and wound all the skeins into cakes with the help of Ivy, who is 3. When we were done, there were labels fluttering about the room, some with drawings of princesses on the back. So - while I am pretty sure this is Frog Tree, I can't be positive. I'm also pretty sure my mother-in-law had a first and last knitting lesson with the maroon. Yeah. TMI?

So you can enter one or both. Leave me a comment that will make me laugh. Tell me a good story or a joke. Or a joke my kids will like because it will in fact be my kids will choose a name for each prize. Why? Because, well, it seems more fun than the random generator. So clean jokes and stories, I guess. We can all read them aloud and whoever makes us pee our pants (not hard for a certain little judge I know) wins.

And also, while I have you all here. I want to show you something I'm working on.

Suddenly I'm all addicted to hand sewing these tiny little hexagons. They're paper pieced, and I want there to be not more than a couple pieces of each pattern. So if there is any other cracked soul out there who wants to do a scrap swap of pieces at least 4"x4", give me a holler. I thought my scrap bin was big. Heck, I thought my stash was huge. But really? Not so much. I need some help here.

By the way, please feel free to look around my disjointed blog. I would be thrilled if you want to follow, but it won't get you a better chance to win, so only do it if you enjoy my lopsided view of life and my cantankerous ways. And hey - I hope you win something!

I was driving down the road...

2010-04-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

My poor husband. He knows that the moment I utter those words, there will be some large piece of junk following close behind. I can't help myself. Stuff on the side of the road calls me. Haunts me. But this - THIS! I have been looking for this for a year or more. Ever since my sister gave me my mother's china. Granted, my mother bought it a piece at a time at the grocery store when I was a kid, but still, it was our china, and it deserves respect. Enter respect - found on the side of the road. I admit, I did pay money for it, but it is so perfect I was more then happy to fork over the $25.

It's almost like I have gone and grown up or something.

Tres chic shabbiness, complete with predistressed edges. And didn't I hear somewhere (everywhere) that aqua is the Pantone's color of the year?

I think that means I can wait until next year to refinish it. I'm not really a shabby chic kind of girl. I do love aqua, though. Oh, and did I mention it dragged a buddy along to my house, too?

My real first quilt

2010-03-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt for my best friend's third baby boy. Let me tell you, I would only do it for my bestest best friend. My fingers where tattered and bleeding when I was done. Why, you ask? Only because I had no earthly idea what I was doing.

See that lovely hand quilting? The applique? I don't quite know what was inside this quilt. It sure as heck wasn't Warm and Natural. It probably wasn't even polyester batting from Wal-Mart. Knowing me, it was an old blanket of some sort in there. And I wondered why it was so dang hard to quilt.

I only remember feeling like it was an endless task. And it was pretty small. Meant to be crib sized. Or maybe drag-around-the-house-until-it-is-in-tatters size. I'm glad I did it, though. Her second boy got a basketweave knit blanket. Also an endless task, but it helped me to learn to knit. Oh, that was a long time ago. It was acrylic. Ugh. But the first boy? The first boy got a lava lamp. WTF, Cricket?

But looking at this quilt? The thing that stands out the most? Damn, that floor looks nice. Freshly painted, not chipped or worn, not covered with stickers, paint that doesn't really come off, sticky foam or applesauce. And absolutely no dog hair. Even though I had two dogs. I tell ya, I'd trade that pretty floor for the wee princesses of the household any day. But it sure would be nice to have the magic painting fairy stop by again.

Incidentally, tomorrow I am painting my mother's kitchen ceiling. My mother's cathedral kitchen ceiling. Which is also her bedroom ceiling. Wish me luck. I'm being paid with a Wii. Pretty sweet deal for both of us seeing as how the professional painted gave her a quote of $450.

Devil in a blue dress

2010-03-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday during my blog wanderings I spotted a cute fabric covered headband with a shamrock that slid on. I do wish I could remember where I saw it now, as to provide a link, but I was on a link following escapade that I can't even begin to recreate. So last night at Target, I picked up the cheapest headbands I could find. Because even if I buy the sturdy ones my girls will break them. Sigh. In fact, Blue wore three of them to school today, and I am sure three will not come home this afternoon. When the girls saw them, Ivy immediately claimed the blue one because blue is her new favorite color. Yes, her mother is both proud and thrilled. She told me she was going to wear it to bed, and I told her no, but she could wear it to school the next day. She was happy with that, and told me she would wear a dress, too. So I said that would be really nice, maybe she could wear her blue dress to match. Her reply? "Mama, you make me a blue dress from Daddy's old shirt." Verbatim, people.

Around midnight I finished concocting this dress. It isn't quite like I had planned, but it fits surprisingly well, and it was a good learning experience. Overall, I'm quite happy with it. I showed it to J when I finished and while I didn't expect him to like it, his response was so much more startling than I had expected. The furrowed brow, the baffled look in his eyes. "Well, it's a nice little dress. It's...ahhh... random, though. And it looks a like lightning." To which I replied "Actually, it's in fashion." "Oh!" Says he.

Well, then.

I don't know it it really is in fashion., Ruffles - check. Flowery ruffles - check. Refashioned polo shirt - check. Whatever. It was a challenge because this is one of J's work shirts from his old, municipal, job and there was an (extremely unremovable) embroidered logo on it. He didn't feel comfortable giving it to Goodwill for that reason, so it was up to me to make something wearable out of it. And I did.

Not only that, but the girl likes it. Actually, she cried when she saw it because she said she wanted long sleeves. But I reminded her that it is almost springtime, and she would get to wear it more with short sleeves and that made her happier.

And as long as we were doing a photo shoot - overexposure notwithstanding - I put her into her new bonnet. She picked out the fabric herself.

I added an extra half inch to the fold side of the pattern for her, and it fits her fairly well. I'll have to add even more to Blue's bonnet, but now I have a better idea of how it goes together and what needs enlarging.

Ah, spring is almost here. It is almost unheard of to have spring-like weather this early in Maine. We are usually knee deep in snow until the end of March and then move into mud season in April. It has been blissful. The girls might even get to wear their Easter bonnets egg hunting this year. Meaning, we won't have to have winter hats and mittens on. Ivy and I have been excitedly watching the buds and crocus and daffodils start to push their way up. I'm not sure she really understand how amazing this is going to be when things start blooming. I'm so glad to experience this with her.

I hope you have a lovely spring day. Aw, who am I kidding, I really hope I have a lovely spring day. Okay, and you, too.

I'm on a roll!

2010-03-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? I won another something! This adorable bonnet pattern from Danielle Wilson and Bloom. How outrageously cute is that?! It says the pattern is for 6 to 24 months, but I tell ya... Ivy is going to shove her big ol' noggin into one of these for Easter. And seeing as how Blue has a pin-head (inherited from her mother, sadly - I buy my hats at Baby Gap) she's destined to cram her head into one as well. Even if only for pictures.

Thank you, Bloom!

Thank you, Danielle!

My second first quilt

2010-02-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I'm so excited that I finally finished Ivy's quilt. You might remember that it started as this.

And I just chopped and stitched and chopped and stitched. Even at the end I was still chopping a little. I don't think this is how a quilt is supposed to be made, but it worked. The whole thing is a little wonky, but we're pretty pleased with it anyway.

Here is the back.

I really love that blue binding with the flea market fancy. And the Flea Market Fancy is so very soft for snuggling. The flowers at the other end aren't as soft, though.

Don't let her fool you. She's not asleep. Three year olds. Sigh.

Someday I will find the pictures of my first first quilt, which was crib sized for my best friend's third baby and included applique and was completely hand quilted. Back before I knew a thing about what I was doing (very different from now...) It was majorly traumatic, but very cute in the end.

29 hour skirt

2010-02-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

Ivy and I went to the Goodwill the other day. It is appalling to me how everything in there is so gosh darn expensive. T-Shirts? $3. Button down shirts? $5 or $7. Seven dollars? Maybe I am just the ultimate in cheap, but I refuse to pay that much for a used shirt. I always wonder at the things people in blogland get at Goodwill for cheap. Mine is never, ever like that. There is no $20 furniture - only $70 furniture, regardless of the materials or condition. So all we came home with yesterday was a black linen shirt on sale for half price. I have a design in my head for a dress I'd like to make for Ivy, but I thought I would use one of J's old work shirts to try it out before I cut up the linen. But this is what happened instead.

Cute skirt, no? I haven't been able to get a really good picture of it, but it has two pockets on the front. As I was holding up the shirt to cut it into a dress, I noticed the pockets on it and thought "Oh, that would make a great shirt!" and started hacking away. I wanted to have it finished in 24 minutes (the length of an episode of Dora the Explorer) but got all carried away. In the end, it wasn't finished until the next day. First I made a ruffle bottom for it. Ugh. Nope.

So I ripped the ruffle off and hemmed it. Then I thought better of it and ripped the hem out and used red grosgrain ribbon as a binding inside. You can't see it, but I know it's there. To match the red buttons. We had a hard time deciding on buttons.

I'm pretty happy with it. It is about as cute as an olive green 60/40 polyester skirt can get on a three year old. And those pockets can hold a lot of marbles. I find it very endearing that Ivy loves everything and anything I make for her. And then she broadcasts it to the whole world "My mommy make dis!"

Excuse the horrendous flash pictures. How I wish for sun-filled rooms. Maybe someday. I'll leave you with a before and after. The poor girl. It was only about 33 degrees when I took this picture. She's such a good sport.

I won!

2010-02-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

Oooh, I can't believe I won this fantabulous print from MADE and Deco Mod Walls. Just recently, my best friend D was telling me how she was going to give her son (E) and daughter (I) their own bedrooms. Which entails cleaning out the guest/storage room and *gasp* decorating, which she told me I could do because she is just not the decorating type. Her only requirement? A black 'road' stripe on the wall, and otherwise a vehicle theme. So this piece of loveliness will fit in perfectly.

E will adore it, and it will give me a color scheme to start with. Plus, I already have something special planned for I, and this gives me something special for E as well.

I had a very special something lined up for show and tell today, but my pictures are on my camera. And my camera is with my husband at work. Grrr.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming

2010-02-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

I have learned a couple things in the hours I have been away from you. First and foremost is: I cannot be trusted with a very large peanut butter cup Blizzard. Criminy. Second is: while I have been tearing myself apart over my need to be honest regarding the subtle differences between Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, the New York Times thinks I shouldn't bother. The American Psychiatric Association is changing the DSM, and they're giving Asperger's Syndrome the boot. And you know? I'm secretly pleased. I had the hardest time coming to terms with the idea of Autism. Imagine someone telling you your three year old, your baby is autistic and will never be normal. Gah. Let's just leave it at that. It wasn't until I was sobbing on the phone one day with a very dear friend and she said "Welll... haven't you noticed that J is probably autistic, too?" O.M.G. It was like she punched me in the gut. I was standing out by the garden, and time just stood still. But the truth is: I love J with all my heart. I married him, he is the father of my children. He works a job he loves, he is incredibly brilliant, creative and clever. He is a wonderful father and a caring, listening, if not overly emotional mate. Is it so awful, then, that my child is like him? And that thought, my friends, has gotten me through many rough moments. But to get back on track here, I had to practice saying autism. Autism. autism. AuTiSm. AUTISM. And then "She's a little autistic." and "She's very high functioning." and "She's on the spectrum." And each time these words left my mouth, I felt like a liar. Like because my kid is high functioning, she really shouldn't get to be autistic. She doesn't deserve these services. I'm pretending she's autistic. I tell you, it took me a Looong time to get over it. About three years, in fact. Just in time for them to change the diagnosis. Just in time for me to start worrying about it all over again. "She has Asperger's so that's not really autistic." and "How can I make the big push for services when she's not really autistic." "Maybe she really doesn't deserve these services anymore." and my very favorite, which took up residence when she was not barely three years old, still not saying more than one word at a time, and starting speech therapy: "There are other kids who need these services more than my kid." That one I have never managed to give up. Because it is true. There are other kids who desperately need services. Maybe more than my kid, true. Maybe because I am a parent who gives my everything to make sure she has what she needs and other kids might not have those kinds of parents. But that doesn't make her less deserving. And her not having services won't make it better for other kids. But her having services will allow her to grow up to function well on her own, will help her get along with other people in the long term, and will reserve her place in a productive, happy, healthy future. So don't get me started on early intervention. Her SLP, PT, DT, and OTs all deserve a place in the early intervention hall of fame if you ask me. Because three years ago, she didn't speak more than a word at a time, she howled on the floor, scratched and bit, flapped vacantly around the classroom, where she spent a majority of her time in the time-out chair. Because they didn't know what to do with her. And three years later, she is a creative, enthusiastic, vivacious child who goes to kindergarten without an aide, works hard to be socially correct, is emotional and caring, and is learning the fine art of empathy. Who could ask for more? Okay, well, maybe I could ask for a working camera, but still.

Did I say "regularly scheduled programming"? I can get really intense about early intervention and the classification of children. Sometimes I think I have come a long way - other times, not so much.

So. A couple days ago when I was just feeling mildly crappy, I whipped out this pair of pants. Blue wore these when she was 4. Then I put them in the scrap bin when she used them for cutting practice.

There were several holes like this one. Her OT was very pleased with how her fine motor skills were coming along. These were just a pair of $3 pants from Target, so not a huge deal. Of course, they were one of the only pairs of pants she would actually wear, but that is another story. So I cut them up a bit more.

Ah, that's better. Now we can't pretend they can be worn again. My plan was leg warmers for Ivy, then I thought "No! I can still use the tops for shorts!" Go, mama, go.

But when I ruffled the edges and put them on her, they were a little too revealing. So I lengthened them.

Oh dear. Not so good. So I ripped and tried again. I sewed the cuffs from the pants on. Not too bad, hey? The circumference wasn't an exact fit, so I just fudged it a little. Pinned on four sides and stretched between the pins as I went.

And here we have the legwarmers. What an awful picture. My apologies. Sometimes even a fancy camera doesn't help me. I did have to zigzag over a couple smaller holes, but these are just to keep her chubby little legs warm at gymnastics, so it doesn't really matter.

Now I'm hemming and hawing over what to do with this little guy. Another crapolicious picture that I am too lazy to go back and fix or retake. I'm SICK, people.

Blue just loved this shirt. I did, too. It's just a hand-me-down from Old Navy, but Blue has always loved rainbows. So it was one of our favorites until this happened. Can you see it in that big picture?

I can't be positive, but I am fairly certain it is a bite mark. All the elastic has been snapped in that spot like someone shoved their favorite shirt in their mouth and twisted and twisted. But - bygones. She wore this shirt when she was 4 (though nominally it is a 6/7). I think she would like it reincarnated as... any ideas? I've got a fun, stretchy stocking cap in my head. Kind of like the ones Mia wears to bed sometimes.

Why yes, our children are standing in the bathtub. Mia's stocking caps are actually made of her tights, and they are meant to keep her hair all pretty while she is sleeping, but I thought Blue might like one anyway. I'm not sure, though, and I need to go get another box of tissues since I have (ahem) blown through this one already. Maybe I'll get around to it in another year or two.

Woof, woof.

2010-02-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

I am sick as a dog. Okay, I was sick as a dog yesterday - today I am just exhausted. I have been knocked down by the common cold, which is somewhat shocking.

This is, however, a good tome to blog. Not stressful, and I already have the pictures. I always wish I would blog more. I wish I was insightful and spunky and wildly creative. I wish I had the energy to make my blog look pretty, and to link to all the things I see that I love. But I don't. I can't. And that's okay, really. Because I know where all my energy goes. Well, not at this very moment, though I certainly know where my energy is going at this very moment.

Well, let me start off with something pretty, and then I will work my way into the deep thoughts that have been plaguing me.

Did I say pretty? I think I must have meant pretty grumpy. I'm sorry, but I adore this picture. She really does love this hat, but that picture!

I saw the Lyalya hoodie over on Ravelry, and though I adored it, I just couldn't bring myself to spend $10 on a pattern at the moment. Especially because it would mean using PayPal (and thus my credit card) and I am trying verrry hard to not use that thing. So what did I do? Do you see me beaming and gloating? I made it up! Yes I did. I can't tell you how good it feels, or how proud of myself I am. I didn't *actually* know who this hat was going to be for, mind you, as I was just winging it. I wanted it to be for Ivy, since she doesn't wear a scarf and her neck is always cold. But I honestly wouldn't have been upset if it had fit me. (Blush. yes, I am just an overgrown kid.) Besides... it does this!

I love that. Please excuse the poor presentation of our model today. Pajamas and rumpled hair are in style, though - aren't they?

And can you tell that I ran out of aqua yarn? It's Malabrigo bulky, and I bought it to make a hat for Blue last year. But I never did, because even though it matched her jacket, she wanted a pink hat. Which I promptly never made her. So later I used it to make a top-down bonnet for an adult friend who said she wished things like that came in grownup sizes. but it came out much too large, and then I never bothered to try again. Later, I ripped it out and knit a Journey Beret - inspired by Marie over at Permission to Unwind. Isn't that hat adorable on her? But, alas, I ran out of yarn. Incidentally, I did try again with different yarn, but my color choices made me look like a rastafarian, so I frogged it. Well then, when I knit this little number with it and ran out of yarn I wasn't about to frog it. Not only was I tired of the yarn, I really love aqua and red, so I used some leftover Malabrigo worsted held double to finish up. Then I picked out my cast on (tedious) and knit the neck down a little because I thought it was too short. Now, there's something this hat reminds me of. J said it makes her look like a cosmonaut, and I thought so too - but looking it up, I can't find a single picture of a cosmonaut wearing a teal and red hat. So I'm at a loss.

Anyway, I added the tassel and called it a day.

So now, writing this, I come to the issue of genuineness. Blogging and genuineness seem to be repellent substances to me. Partly because I am a very private person. Partly because I see so many pretty blogs out there, that I don't want mine to be shabby. And I don't mean shabby chic. Just plain shabby. I want to be honest, yet I want to keep the privacy of my family. My friends don't know I have a blog. Well, they know I have a family blog, but not this one. I'm not sure J has ever even seen this blog, though he knows of its existence.

But I want to make sure to be real, here,too. Real without being vulnerable. And that is the issue. If there were no bad people in this world, I could be as real as real could be. You could call me Pinocchio. When I went off to college 20 years ago - a very small school in the middle of nowhere - I remember having this same dilemma. Who to trust? Who to open up to? What information to give to whom? I tell ya, I made a lot of mistakes. But then, I made some good decisions, too. I did meet my husband there after all.

So I want to, in this vein, say a few things.

My name really is Cricket. This is what my parents called me from birth, and it has been legal for more than half my life. One of the considerations J and I had when naming our children was that we didn't want them to have nicknames. Many, many names were tossed out because it would have been too tempting for people to use shortened versions of them. But in an ironic twist, the names I call them by here are not their first names. They are, however, their middle names. But it feels like a falsehood each time I refer to them. That goes for my sweet niece as well, whose name is not Mia, but another lovely name. It all started on Ravelry, because I didn't want to post their pictures and names together. Then it continued here.

Another thing I want to mention is that Blue is no longer *ahem* autistic. As if that could be so. She has been downgraded (upgraded?) to Asperger's Syndrome. In time, they say, she may lose that diagnosis as well, which would be both a blessing and a curse. As is the bestowing of this new diagnosis. She will be losing services because of the change, and that makes things harder for our family. She has a 1:1 who works with her 16 hours per week right now. In April, this wonderful woman will be gone. I am hopeful, however, that we will manage to hold on to her pragmatic social skills group with her amazing speech-language pathologist. Because Blue just doesn't get it. She works hard to understand her peers, but it is like she lives on another plane altogether. Farther away than either Mars or Venus, sometimes. She still has major behavioral issues, which we are trying to improve without stimulants. She has been on anti-anxiety meds for a while now, and they seem to be helping - somewhat. But last week? She was incredibly embarrassed (which is a fantastic thing around here - embarrassment is a social skill!) when she brought my (gulp - take a deep breath) camera to me. "Mommy, I had a fight with your camera. I wanted to see who was stronger." She has turned the camera on and held the lens in to see if she was stronger than the camera. She broke the camera. She is stronger than my camera. Thankfully, she did not play this game with my Nikon D40. If she had, it would be a very different story. It was the little refurbished Kodak. But still - I don't have $100 lying around to replace it. So you can see we still have a long way to go around here.

I don't know if that seemed like a lot of visceral blathering to you, but I feel a little better. And if I feel a little better - a little more honest, I hope I might blog a little more. When I started blogging, I was just writing for me. Now, I still write for me, but I know some of the people on the other end, and it feels deceptive to go on like this.

Now I know you won't mind as I fall back, exhausted, onto my pillow to zone out on Nexflix a while. Later, after a nap, I will try to come back and show you a couple other things I have been working on.

And out of curiosity - I know I am not the only one to have trouble hitting my blogging stride. Have you had difficulties? How did you overcome them? What is your privacy threshold? How did you fine tune your blog to be cohesive rather than rambling - assuming you have! :)

Later, friends.

Finally! A finished project!

2010-01-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

You must think I have dropped off the face of the earth. Not quite, but almost. I've been to the brink and back. Not just the holidays, which are always stressful (though fun - always fun) but an 11 hour car trip with the girls for 5 days to visit their cousin and my sister, school vacation that brings out all of Blue's autistic flair, 2 flu shots for Ivy - each one complete with a scratch test and two separate shots over a period of an hour and a half at the allergist's office because she is allergic to eggs, a 3 hour car trip to visit my brother and his new wife for the weekend, and now my father-in-law and his new girlfriend are visiting us from Florida. My father-in-law is an 80 year old cradle robber. His lovely girlfriend can't be more than 65.

And amazingly? I am sitting alone in my relatively tidy house blogging. I'm not sure how that happened, but I am quite thankful.

I am a regular reader of Miss Mustard Seed's blog. Our styles aren't really the same, but I am always amazed at the wonderful change she brings about in old furniture. She has a link party every week, and I always want to participate, but I never have my act together. But this week I do. Hooray!

My brother got married this summer to a wonderful girl. She is a feisty, funny, Irish girl - the kind my brother needs to keep him in line. Because I really do like her, I always want to do something extra special. So for Christmas, I refinished a cabinet for her. I found it at the thrift store for $1. Here is the before picture of the poor, sad, creature.

And here is the after:

I used RustOleum Heirloom White paint for the first time, and now I understand why everyone loves it so. It's white, but not too white, and not antique-y and not yellowish. I put glass in and used etching cream for the monogram. The new knob is acrylic and from Target, and the fabric is part of a gorgeous set of fat quarters by Michelle Engel Bencsko I won from True Up and Michelle herself. I can't believe I didn't blog that. I received a fat quarter of each of her Shade Garden and My Happy Garden prints. My Happy Garden is a delicious organic line from Cloud 9 Fabrics.

I'm amazed that it looks so darn pretty. It was hard to take a good picture of the monogram, so please excuse the fuzziness. And here's hoping that I get off my duff a little more in 2010 and have more finished stuff to post.

2009-11-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

I managed to get the last costume done just moments before I pulled it over Blue's head. She had very specific ideas about what her costume should look like. She had so many requirements, in fact, that I told her that if she was going to be disappointed if her costume didn't look like the one in her head, we should just go to Target and choose one off the shelf so she could know what she was getting and could approve it ahead of time. But she decided that she would take a chance on my rendition of a bat. Ivy just wanted to be a sparkly mermaid.

See how Blue's face is all covered up? She got that idea from a trip to a Red Robin restaurant we went to with my sister and niece in Maryland. The life size Red Robin made a big impression on her and for the last 2 months she has talked about her "all black bat costume with my face covered up like the red robin so no one can see who I am and my hands and feet are all black too."

When we were walking down the street and Blue said "Mom, this is the best costume ever." well, you know that was the best reward I could have asked for. Worth every moment of bat-frustration.

Ivy has had lots of practice holding up the skirts of her princess dresses when she walks, so she did well carrying her tail. I intended for the tail to go in back, but J pointed out that it would look cuter if she wore it in front, and he was right. Once I got over my balkiness, that is.

I am thankful that one of the businesses in town decorated so nicely for my pictures. I only wish by the time we got there the kids had been feeling more cooperative.

And yes, I am completely aware that my children broke every single one of the safety rules invented for Halloween. All black costume, eating candy before we got home, costume that you can trip over, mask that covers your face and hinders vision. Thankfully I got them little LED wrist flashlights for safety. They immediately used them to blind each other.

In other news, my internet vacation is going well. The first day was hard. The second day was easier. It is amazing how many times I have had to stop myself from going to the computer. If nothing else, this exercise is a good reminder about intentional living.

An experiment

2009-10-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have been in a funk for a couple weeks. I haven't been able to quite put my finger on it,so today I sat down and really thought about it. I have a hypothesis, but I'm not at all certain that it is correct. So an experiment is in order.
Here are the symptoms of my funk:
tiredness
twitchiness
always in a daze
can't remember things
can't get much done
don't want to get much done
am having a hard time pinning down an actual thought
distracted
unable to make a decision
don't really care about much
don't want to engage socially
seems like the world is moving in a swirl around me
can't do a basic math problem in my head
when I read, I only skim and don't really absorb anything

It took me all morning to get a handle on that list. Now, depression is no stranger to me, but my depression, which started post-partum after Blue was born and never left once it made it found a warm comfy home with me, doesn't usually take these forms. My depression is based on social anxiety and a feeling of not being able to handle anything. Plus, I am on medication which has been working well for several years.

I started looking up these symptoms as side effects of the new allergy and asthma medications I am on, and the thing that kept coming up was not any of the medications I am on, but ADD. I don't have a history of ADD, and while that does not discount it completely, there was an article I ran across that was so profoundly close to my truth that I was stunned.

Could the internet be the source of my problems? Certainly, if you are one of my 2 followers (Hi Deb! Hi Marie!) you know that my problems do not stem from too much blogging. But my Google Reader has 254 unread items in it. Last night? It was down to 0. I can't keep up with the blogs. I really can't. I see so many things that I want to do and try, yet all the time I have is frittered away reading more, more, more. My house is a mess, dinner is rarely made, my children run around half naked, my rear end is growing roots into the couch. Okay, so I really am exaggerating, but at the same time, maybe not as much as I wish I was.

It does not negate the fact that I suffer from depression and anxiety, or that I am a creative type who lacks organization skills, or that I am essentially not a very good housewife (though I am a good mother and wife), but it just might have tipped the scales.

So here's what I am going to do. For one week, I am not going to look at my reader. I am not going to troll blogs. I am not going to follow links. I am not going to partake of the internet.

Gasp.

I'm not sure this will be easy. I used to think of blogs as my chill-time. At night, after a long day when the kids are in bed. Or at the witching hour when I'd had enough and I resorted to a princess movie for the kids and a glass of wine and some internet for me. Zone out time.

Then it was with a cup of coffee in the morning to read the news, since we don't get television. Then it was just for a few little breaks here and there because I am always running around and I just need a minute to myself. And so maybe I really am addicted to the internet? We shall see.

Now, there are exceptions, of course. What I really want to avoid is zoning out in other peoples creativity, not cut myself off from my own. I want to avoid my antisocial behavior, not distance myself from far away friends. So I will still read my e-mail, and I will still... blog. Yup. I must be the only person in blogland who thinks that I need to spend a little more time with my blog. But it doesn't have to be my blog. It could be a notebook or journal. It just has to be something I am making as opposed to watching what other people are making.

I didn't mean for this to happen, it just snow- balled. There is so much prettiness on the internet and I love it. I do. But I need a break. If this doesn't work, and my brain doesn't snap back to its normal self, then I'll have to try something else.

And now, there is a little girl who is calling my name with some very fancy silky crayons in her hand. I think I'll go discover what she has to show me. I'll check in with you soon, though, and let you know how things are going.

Oh, and all these pictures are mine. Just random pictures I like.

Roadside find

2009-10-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

It isn't unusual for me to find things along the road. In fact, it happens almost daily sometimes. And then there's the 'Free Store' at the dump that I frequent. Frequent so often that I hope no one ever reviews the security tapes of the store. It's kind of embarassing. But - how are you going to get the good stuff if you aren't there at the right time? Well, last Saturday Jason was working at home and Blue had her one-on-one working with her, so Ivy and I were driving around scavenging to get out of the way. We'd had a pretty successful day. I got a nice wooden chair with an upholstered cushion, and a funny little circular picture with a convex glass and spokes coming out of it. And then. On the side of the road. My heart skipped a beat, seriously. I thought I must be mistaken. We turned around and drove back. Yes. A kiln. A Kiln! Who loves a KILN on the side of the road? And not a crapped up kiln that would need to be repurposed, either.

One of the things I love about my husband is his agreeableness to my antics. And, of course, it is reciprocal. I called him and he immediately drove over. He had said he would bring my mother's car with the trailer, but - oops - neither she nor her husband was home. So he came in his Civic anyway. And we decided that we would just put the kiln in my car. And that is just what we did.

The kiln, while heavy as the dickens, was not as heavy as either the claw foot tub or the Vermont Castings woodstove. It was close, though, as you can see. Not an extra inch in any direction. Have I mentioned I love my car, too? It's a Mazda 5. Drives like a car, doors slide open like a van, seats 6 with the rear seats up, holds a kiln with the rear seats down.

No, I don't have any affiliation with Mazda. (See? I think that's funny. Like I'm a blogger that Mazda would pay, or donate merchandise to.)

And here's something else I'm working on. Can you say Eeew? I did pay for this. It was a dollar and I hemmed and hawed about it. I think it's coming along nicely, though.

Have you ever read Centsational Girl? I heart Centsational Girl. Our styles couldn't be more different, but she inspires me so. It was on her advice (well, not personally, but general advice) I bought my first can of Rustoleum Heirloom White. I seriously felt like I was an Heirloom White virgin. I was almost embarrassed to buy it at the store. Like I'd be stopped by the style police and told I wasn't part of that group who could buy it. And in all honesty? I went to pay and the teenage boy who was at the register said 'Wow, that's a nice color." It makes me sad to see a teenage boy knows more about color than I do. No one had to tell him it was a nice color. He just knew.

Later, I will show you how this is coming along.

Be still, my queen of hearts.

2009-10-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Recently I found Beth's blog The Stories of A to Z. She is a crafty mom, and though she has boys, our kids have some striking similarities which makes me feel like we are at least on the same planet. For the record, I don't always feel that way with other parents.

Beth, in turn, led me to Kathleen's blog Grosgrain. Kathleen is also crafty, and she has two adorable little girls. I am eager to read more of her blog because she is WAY more crafty than me. In fact, it might not be doing her justice to call her 'crafty'. The woman is obviously a genius. But I came to a screeching halt at the end of her post because I had to enter her giveaway. Not just any giveaway, but the most perfect giveaway ever. The Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

These costumes are to die for. Can you believe she didn't use any patterns? Oh, yeah, the bodice of Alice's dress she had a pattern for. That's like me saying I had a pattern for a buttonhole. Sheer genius, people. And no, she didn't say the one who gushes most wins the prize.

Blue has had a thing about cards lately. She and Jason started with one card poker. Then they moved on to two card poker. Now they're up to five cards which speeds things up since when they sit down to play, they have to play until the deck is gone. Solitaire? Yup. Clock? Yup. She asked me to teach her to play Spider the other day. I didn't even know there was a game called Spider. She was happy enough to play Go Fish with me (though I had to teach her - what kid plays poker before Go Fish). But the point here is, Blue loves cards. In fact, if you give her the chance, she will tell you all about her favorite card. Yeah. Her favorite card. Ever met a kid with Asperger's*? She will tell you till all about her favorite card. Again. And again. Her favorite card is the Ace of Spades. She hides it on the bottom of the deck so she can always have it for herself. I caught her sleeping with it one night. The kid loves the Ace of Spades. But then, I don't think she realized that she could be a card. And a tempermental card at that! How can this have escaped me? She will be absolutely thrilled when I tell her. Even if she doesn't win the costume, this is an 'in' to Alice in Wonderland. I can get out the book, we can read it together, and there will be a compelling reason for her to listen. Ivy and I have been reading a short version of Alice for some time, but Ivy is a kid who sits for books. Blue, not so much. Not unless it has good pictures anyway.

So go take a look-see over at Grosgrain. I don't think you will be disappointed. In fact, I'm headed over there myself right now. See you there.

* We're not actually sure of Blue's diagnosis. It is a difficult one to make. At ages 3 & 4 she was followed by a neurologist who gave her a diagnosis of autistic disorder. More recently she has been going through extensive evaluations with occupational and speech therapists as well as a neuropsychologist and a developmental pediatrician. I am not sure they agree with her current diagnosis. So I don't know if she has Asperger's or if she's autistic or if she falls under the broad category of PDD-NOS. She started the evaluations in May and we should hear their conclusions by November or so. In truth? I'm sort of terrified. I just don't know what to expect.

A day to celebrate

2009-10-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

If you had asked me yesterday, I would not have told you it was a good thing. But after the intensity of the situation wore off, I realized I felt lighter. More sure of myself. More whole. Can you even imagine, in a weird twist of middle-school fate, I ran into the screaming woman again. On the playground. As I rode up on my bike with my dear friend and her little Peruvian daughter who happens to be Ivy's best friend. Oh, my. As it turns out, my dear friend and the screaming woman know each other. I immediately rode as fast as I could away from there, because I despise confrontation. But as I was riding, I thought "Well, the bully scared me away from the playground, didn't she?" and I rode right back. Unfortunately, my friend thought maybe a formal introduction might help the screaming woman and me get off to a better start. I don't blame her, but I also was not at all interested in talking to the woman. So I said as politely as I possibly could (meaning, I put my fangs away) "I don't really want to talk to you." She then proceeded to bawl me out again. And I won't go into the blow-by-blow, but in the end, she called me closed minded (as if) and I once again told her she was not going to change me. I am still me, I will still be kind, and open, and admire children of all nationalities and cultures. Including caucasian children. Then, having faced the demon (confrontation, that is, I have no illusions that the screaming woman is a demon) I rode away. And it occurred to me this morning that I am glad for that confrontation. I now know that I was not wrong, that she perceived the situation in a completely different way than I did, and that her issue is just that - hers. I have told myself that ad nauseum, but only today do I really feel it in my heart. Thus, thanks to her second berating, which I was somewhat prepared for, I am free of her. But in all honesty? I am still glad we live in different towns. I'm only human.

Now I don't know how much happiness I dare jam into this post, but I'm going to push it a little. My dear friend - we shall just call her D, for dear (as opposed to B who is my best friend? Or T who is my true friend?) - Ahem! Where was I?

D and I are scavengers at heart. Last year I found - on the side of a side road - a wicker set. Chairs. Loveseat. Table, ottomans. I called D as I am not a big fan of wicker. Turns out she been looking for a wicker set going on YEARS. So we stuffed and strapped and slowly bumped all the way to her house with her treasures sticking akimbo out of our cars.

But yesterday it was my turn. Come home to Mama, my pretties!

Can you believe I found these on the side of the road? I have been waiting eons for these. They still have their stickers on the bottom that says Arvin. I think I'm feeling faint. Two of them were originally kind of a Girl Scout green, and one was dark orange. They belonged to a woman named Bertha Colvin. I know because she wrote her name on the underside of each one in permanent marker. It makes me wonder if she brought them to a pot luck or something with her hot dog casserole, maybe? But that idea doesn't quite fly seeing as they weigh about 20 pounds each.

These chairs are definitely staying with me. (As opposed to a lot of other junk I have plans for, which will eventually, hopefully, be exchanged for some green currency.)

These girls have a friend already. I found her on the side of the road as well. Not close enough to the road to be obviously free, but kind of in the brush and nowhere near where someone would like to sit and relax. After debating with myself for a few long moments, I decided she really needed to come home with me.

You can see why, can't you? So in a fit of bravery, I went around back ('cause that's the way we do it in Maine) and found the woman of the house tending her chickens. Okay, maybe that part is made up, but it looks nice in my memory. She came out of the house and I asked her if she was trying to get rid of the chair. She told me that it had belonged to her mother-in-law and that a few years ago her husband had decided to toss it. Thankfully, she was inspired to save it from its imminent demise by setting it out front with a scarecrow in it. I expressed my (admittedly small) concern that her scarecrow wouldn't have a place to sit this autumn, but she assured me she didn't bother to put one out anymore. So this chair has literally been sitting there waiting for me. It had ivy crawling up it, and it took some serious muscle to wrench the chair from its tendrilled grasp. This lovely creature is also going to stay home with me.

I'm not sure stylistically the chairs all go together, but I'm going to think on it some to see if I can get them to harmonize. I don't like or need things to be matchy-matchy. I would say it is time for me to build a covered porch. Don't you agree? Ha. Don't tell my husband I said that.

Why no crafting?

2009-10-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Well I just couldn't leave that last post at the top. In the light of a new day, I realized that it was not a personal issue. I just happened to be the target of the woman's outrage. She really was in my face and it really was completely unjustified. If she had only looked at me and said "I don't care to talk about it." calmly and politely, I certainly would have respected that and no harm done. So it is reassuring to me that it wasn't actually me. It was whoever happened to ask her about her daughter. Me, probably the next person and the next. This kind of anger doesn't happen all at once.

I was talking with Blue about it last night. Thankfully she was not the one with me in the store. There would have been a LOT more explaining to do if that were the case. But I realized last night that talking with Jason about it hadn't completely eased the pain. I tried knitting, but even that was not soothing to me. And since when is knitting not soothing to me?! It was not until I had written it all down that I felt better. And I thought that was an interesting thing to tell Blue. Her reaction surprised me. She can be so much like her dad sometimes, so cool and detached regarding other people's feelings, that I was shocked when she started crying. The girl has got some serious empathy. And it just goes to prove that Jason was correct in saying she is as logical as him and as emotional as me. The many faces of autism, no? So we talked about when you are feeling bad or sad, the different ways to get that feeling out of you. An important lesson for any kid, but especially Blue, who has such a hard time with managing her emotions. Let's hope I don't forget to have that conversation with Ivy later on.

Now, the real reason for no crafting? Can you honestly believe this mess?

We had company recently and the easiest solution to not having any closets in the house (okay, yes, I do have some new closets under the kneewall, but they are very, very small) is to dump everything in my craft area. Remember how it is supposed to look?

Aaah. Tidiness. So my goal for the morning is to straighten that up. I'll give myself two hours and check back in with you at 10:39 so you can see how things are going. Okay? You'll keep my honest, won't you?

10:39 Update

You didn't really think I would be done in 2 hours, did you? While things are relatively sane around here today, Jason is working on a presentation, so he left to work at my mom's house down the street. So, I got a little distracted.

My kids have both, at different times, been obsessed with this post from Liesl Gibson of oliver & s (whose patterns I just love). But it was the adoration Ivy showed Poochie, my old dog, that got my rear in gear. We didn't give him an IV or pull out the doctor kit, but we did remove all the intensely disgusting 70s era stuffing, wash him twice is hot water, and just now restuffed him. Next we will be creating new eyes, a new nose, and a new mouth. All of these were ripped off by Blue when she was a little younger and much more destructive. Ivy is determined that we should do that immediately, but my vote goes for watching the new Dora movie from the Redbox. And it's not as though she is putting up a big fight.

Oh, and the office? Well, it's not worse. Give me a couple more hours. Or at least the length of a Dora double header.

An open letter to the woman who yelled at me in Target:

2009-10-03T16:21:00.001-07:00

Dear Lady,

I can try to understand that you do not wish to discuss your daughter's country of origin with a complete stranger. What I cannot understand is how you chose to deal with me when I reached out to you. In this world, people try to find commonalities. Had you cared to, you might have found some with me. You might have heard about my love for the little Peruvian girl who is the daughter of a very dear friend. You might have heard about my sweet African-American niece. You might have found out how proud I am of them, and how much I envy their multicultural lives. But instead, you yelled at me. And after I held up my hands and backed out of the plushie aisle, you chose to chase me and hypothesize about what I might have done if you had approached me and yelled “Is your daughter from Russia?” It did not help that I thought perhaps people stopping me and asking where my daughter got her curls was sort-of the same. In your world, it is not. Obviously, you and I have absolutely no commonalities.

There are many, many unkind people in this world, but I am not one of them. You do not know me, and you did not know what my intentions were. You judged me without even seeing me. I will allow that you do not know how sensitive I am. But I am sensitive. Why then, even when I pointed out to you that there were tears creeping out of my eyes, did you not stop? That, lady, is unkind. You took my kindness and slashed it with your harsh words. You sent me a small way back into my shell. I am thankful that I finally got your ear and you stalked away in disgust when I told you that you would not change me. And you won't. I will continue to be kind, and open, and admit what hurts me. I will be friendly to and admiring of whichever child I want. I hope that people like me will continue to be kind to your child so she does not inherit the chip you have on your shoulder. Because that kind of chip is not genetic. It does not course through your blood or reside in your DNA. It is inherited through years of exposure. It makes me equally sad that you are so defensive, and she will see you being angry and insulted by her blatant heritage.

And lastly, I want to tell you that I do not appreciate being accosted and berated in the princess aisle at Target. I was publicly chastised with no chance to defend myself. You rebuked me in front of my child, and your child, too. That is not okay with me.

You, lady, are blog fodder.

Too many ideas stuffed inside one little brain

2009-09-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

I feel like my head is about to explode. I picked this up at the thrift store the other day. Ugly, no?

I have a soft spot for both industrial furniture and recycled furniture. This chair isn't exactly my style, but I saw so much potential. And it was only 5 bucks.

With an afternoon's work, it is looking a little better. I took the brown off and recovered it in white. Next time I'll use muslin, but this was what I had. You can see the Two Young Street I'm going to cover it with.

Then I spent an entire day making bias tape and making the bias tape into piping. My seam rippers were AWOL, and I had to tear out my seams no less than four times for various reasons. Finally I got everything right, so I cut it and sewed it into piping. I was all proud of myself. Puffed up like you can be only when a very simple task has proven absurdly difficult and it has turned into a personal thing. When my husband came home I said "Look! Look what I made!" As though he really cares about my piping making exploits. Which, bless him, he does. Love that boy. He asked me what bias tape is, and I went into a lengthy discussion about the merits and uses of bias tape. Getting puffier and puffier by the moment. And he says "Well this isn't bias tape." All I could do was stare at him. And I am pretty sure I said something exactly like "You didn't even know what bias tape was 5 minutes ago. Of course it's bias tape. I spent the entire day making it. You don't know the first thing about sewing." Um. He started pulling at one of the threads and says "See? This is running parallel to the cord. That's not on the bias." And I pull on it some more and it gets a smidge closer to the center, fraying it a bit. "See? There you go." And he says to me "That's not a 45 degree angle. That's like a 1 degree angle". Did you cut it on a 1 degree angle? I think you would cut bias tape at about a 45 degree angle." Grrr.

I put the littlest kid to bed, and when I was done, he is sitting at my sewing machine. "How do you get that foot to go down?" I smirk and show him. Next time I walk by, he is spinning the flywheel backwards and says "I think those feeder things are moving in the wrong direction. I checked to make sure the machine was doing everything right, smirked, and left. Next time I came back, he had a raggedy piece of continuous loop bias tape in his hand. To Jason it is all about function over form. 'Well that's just like mine." "No, it's not." So we put them together and compared them. We had one raggedy piece of bias tape and one long string of non-bias piping. Damn. I hate when he's so smart. And, to my defense, I have to tell you that Jason is an abstract thinker. He things in numbers and shapes, and puts himself to sleep solving complicated math problems. So I was both miffed at and fascinated by this boy I love.

So today I made more bias tape and piping. It didn't take me half as long, because I didn't have to rip it out four times. Plus, I already knew how to do it, thanks to my clever husband.

I know I could have used the non-bias piping, but it was a personal affront by the piping, and I wasn't about to let it go. So now I have a large amount of unruly piping, and a large amount of ruly piping.

That's better.

*****By the way***** if anyone has an idea about formatting in Blogger, please tell me the secret! I thought I had it figured out, but suddenly my words are jammed up against my pictures no matter what I do. It's enough to drive a girl crazy.

It's coming along

2009-08-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ivy's quilt is making slow but sure progress. This is my first ever machine quilting experience, and so far it is going okay. It's a lot of shifting and rolling and stopping and starting. I'm using my walking foot because I don't have a darning foot, but I think it isn't really meant for the sort of thing I'm doing. Essentially it is just really tedious.

Since the whole quilt is fairly free form, so is the quilting. I'm pretty pleased with it, even if it is not perfect. There are stripes on the sashing and the coins are - well, shorter stripes.

You can see my ambling on the back.

Here is the whole back. And can you see what I used? A big ol' slab of Flea Market Fancy.

Part of me feels like a heathen novice quilter, but it is so deliciously soft. And while the front is a brighter color pallet, the back is slightly more sedate, and the FMF just helped pull it all together.

School starts next week. Little Ivy will be in preschool. It doesn't seem like she should be old enough, but mama is ready for a couple hours a week to herelf. Seriously ready. In fact, maybe a little too ready.

Blue is starting kindergarten next week. It amazes me that kids are already in school. My sister is a teacher, and by now she is in full swing. I'm sure you will hear a little school bus sob story next week. It seems impossible that this time has come around. I honestly never really thought it would. I thought, in fact, that she would be three or four forever.

The big, big slide

2009-07-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Before Ivy was born, I made her a crib set. Alas, Ivy had her own ideas about things (thankfully we like that quality in a child) and she never actually slept in her crib. Not once. It did look beautiful, though.

In fact, her room was just darling, even though it was only 8 feet wide by 6 feet deep with steps to the attic occupying one corner. Humor me. I was so proud of my nesting prowess.

If you look back, you may notice that what used to be the nursery is now our sewing room - slash - office. It all came down to the fact that we never really used the nursery.

I've been thinking for awhile that I should make a quilt out of the crib set and today I got ambitious and ripped out all those seams and ironed.

And here you have the "big, big slide". Ivy and Blue have been very into the slip and slide lately. No water running down this one, but that made it all the more fun. The slip and slide is a tad scary for two years old, even when she pushes herself to keep up with her big sister.

The question is, how to manipulate what I have to make a quilt. Her favorite blanket is 'the squares' - the quilt my sister made my husband and me, so I want to make her a quilt of her own. It would be nice if she would attach to her own little blanket or stuffed animal before we move her to her own bed at some unforseeable point in the future

I have a plan, I think, but it will require a little scrimping and pinching with the light blue. It's a fine wale courderoy which I'm hoping will be okay for quilting. I've never quilted anything before. Yikes. This will be good practice for the bigger quilt I have in mind to make. I was inspired by this quilt which is utterly amazing. And to think she did it all with squares. Crazy. I'm fascinated, though, because with just one base color, I can pick any fabric I have, or any fabric I want to buy, and make something cohesive without a big plan. I mean, I have a sort of a plan in mind. Well, I have a sort of pallette anyway.

I'm now off to put Ivy to bed - my bed - so I can slip off to the sewing room - formerly her room - to make her a quilt for her new room, whatever that may be.

A cup of calm

2009-07-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

My sister and I spent an entire weekend cleaning and organizing my house. In all honesty, it would have taken us a week of weekends to get it all done. But my kitchen is ever so much more manageable now, even if getting to the sewing machine is still an Olympic event. But, houses are for living in, and neatness disappears. But I made sure to take care of this little cupboard my sister organized.

Isn't it lovely? That is my "china". I got it at a yard sale for $20 when $20 was big money. It's called "Anniversary"and some of the pieces are a little chipped, but they are my 'good' dishes because I love them and they make me happy. Jason and I used to make a pot of tea on Sunday mornings before we had kids and sip from tea cups very civilly. Incidentally, the tea pot is from a friend's trip to England. It's not part of the set.

Sometimes when the house it getting the best of me, I go to the cupboard and open the door for a hit of neat and tidy and pretty. Before my sister organized, it was all shoved up on the highest shelf and I had to pull it all down to find anything. Now, I will sometimes take out a little plate and have a slice of frozen lemon cake - just to be civil.

A Little Patchwork

2009-07-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks, there has been no creativity in my life. I finished the girls dresses and then... nothing. Summer is here, and the girls and I are so busy that I have been missing things. Swim class? Oops. Occupational Therapy? Oops. And that's not like me. So J and I made some time yesterday for me to do some sewing (which is a much bigger challenge than that sentence reflects). I've been curious about the disappearing 9 patch, so I decided to make a little pin cushion. I've always thought I would like a nice cute pin cushion. Ever since Blue took a pair of scissors to the old strawberry, anyway. So I got my scraps out and laboriously cut out 4 one-and-a-half inch squares. Whaaat? Nine patch needs 9 squares. Get the scraps back out. Where was my head? I just don't know. So I sewed, and I sewed, and I sewed. And let me tell you - when your squares are 1.5 inches, that 1/4 inch seam needs to be accurate. Well see? I'm learning already.

So I cut and arranged and arranged and arranged and sewed. And now I have the smallest pin cushion on the face of the earth.

I think it is so small it doesn't even show off the prints well. But it does hold pins quite well.

Part of what got me interested in patchwork was this little bit of my past. I have had this quilt since I was a teenager. I think it came from my grandparents' house after they died. You can't tell from this picture, but it is in sorry shape. I don't know if it was my storage method (I was young, I thought a plastic bag was a good idea) or what, but it has deteriorated badly. Every time I touch it, it rips a little here and there.

And here is the back. As a kid I was amazed that the back was made up of the same print in different colors, and I also wondered why the person who made it would have bothered using two different colors. I didn't come from a family that talked about fabric or quilting or that sort of thing.

Incidentally, since the quilt is falling apart, I can see that it was pieced onto muslin. I keep staring at it, trying to figure out the order in which the pieces were sewn, wondering what the person who made it was thinking about as she chose pieces. I have always been fascinated by scrap quilts and the history of the fabrics that make them up.

Now lastly, as I was looking at this quilt, something reminded me of a quilt I had started long ago. I haven't thought of it in eons, but today I managed to dig it out of a box in the attic. When I started it I had just moved to northern Minnesota (north of the lake...brrr) to live with my new boyfriend/old friend. I didn't have much of a job, and I was stuck out in the cold north woods, so I decided to make a quilt. And being me, I decided it had to be a recycled quilt. Every Wednesday I would go to the $3 bag day at the thrift store and buy a bag of shirts to cut up. I would then spend the week cutting out the pieces, one by one, with scissors, using a foam core pattern piece. Then I would sew them all together. And rip, and sew. With an old black sewing machine that I bought in Duluth for $20.

Then we moved east, and I bought some scraps of fabric at Crate and Barrel and made some more blocks, but then we were getting married and then we had kids and the next 9 years disappeared in a flash.

I bet you're thinking I had some fancy intricate pattern I was making, right?

Nope. Just a good old nine patch. But just use your imagination for a moment and you will see me with my tongue sticking out the side of my mouth toiling over this thing.

I put them all out in the sun for a few minutes today for pictures. I absolutely hate some of the fabrics I used. But the feel of them brings back such bright, young, falling in love memories that I don't want to mess with them. Not even the sparkly trees. Not even the lavender plaid.

So I was thinking about finishing it. I can either sew it up as is, or I can 'disappear' the squares. I'm undecided but leaning toward disappearing them. I don't actually like the look of it right now. Part of me wants to just plow ahead with something new, even though that wasn't my initial plan for it. Part of me is indecisive and terrified. I think it would be healthier to just slice them up. Or I could just shove the impotent dregs into the attic again. Wouldn't that be a shame? For me, I mean. To turn down this opportunity for growth and all that.

What have I gotten myself into now?

2009-07-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for Craft it Forward on Marie-Jolie's Permission to Unwind. I am both ecstatic and terrified. I love, love, love to give things to people. It is my life's calling to make people (anyone... everyone!) happy. I will also freely admit that I am very poor in the structure/timeliness/followthrough department. Getting better as I get older, though. And once you state something in public, you reallly have to follow though. Unless you are drunk off your gourd standing atop a bar in northern Wisconsin.

So here's how it works. I accepted a craft to be mailed to me with the provision that I would mail three crafts out to to-be-determined others. So here I am posting on my blog with this offer: I am going to mail the first three people who comment a fantastic little surprise craft of my choosing. As long as those three people go over to their blogs and make the same offer. Isn't that fun? And seriously, when I signed up, I almost forgot that I was going to get something from Marie-Jolie. I was very focused on the thought of sending three crafts out to other people.

So. Don't be a lurker. I know that occasionally people make it over here. It will be fun, and I will make you something lovely. I'll even go over and look at your blog to see what kind of things you are into. Awesome. I love this game already. So hurry! Sign up now!

So busy

2009-06-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

I often wonder where this blog is going. Am I writing it for myself? For you? For nobody? Is it a craft blog? An autism blog? A parenthood blog? Yes, all of the above I suppose.

It has been the most hectic of weeks. Blue's first gymnastic show, preschool graduation, IEP meeting, a visit to kindergarten, a friend's birthday party. Not to mention we will be leaving for my brother's big fancy wedding in three days and Blue will be a flower girl. No stress there.

But this afternoon? The IEP is done, and I feel very good about it. And school is over for the year. And in a couple hours our in-home support person will be here to work with Blue, and she will go with us to the birthday party, which means I might enjoy the party, too. So the moment - this moment, feels okay.

Here are the dresses I made for the girls to wear to the rehearsal. They will all have matching bloomers to go with the dresses

They crack me up. I was lucky to get even one good picture. It was just before graduation and they were 100% revved up. You can't see too well in this picture, but Ivy's dress has green piping and Blue's has yellow. And they all have matching sandles, too. Blue's are aqua, but Ivy's are green and Mia's are orange. Thanks, Children's Place. How did you know?

Here is their cousin Mia's dress.

They all had fancy handmade buttons on them - until Ivy ripped one of hers off during the graduation ceremony. Maybe superglue will help.

With a CRASH and a BURN.

2009-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that Blue has clothing issues. I vacillate between thinking I should sew all her clothes and thinking it's so much easier to buy all her clothes. Everything that is store bought has to be knit, which I despise, and if it feels good to her, chances are it looks garish to me. But she will wear the woven pajamas and dress I made her. So my thinking ran along this line: if Blue picks out the fabric, and I make her pants from a pattern I know she likes (or a very, very, very similar one), she is bound to like the pants I make. Right? Riiight? And she'll wear them without a fuss, right?

Enter exhibit #1: the oliver +s sandbox pants.

Look at those elephants! I love those elephants. How the whole thing came together to look like something I would have worn in 1976 is beyond me. When I saw what I had done, the song "Macho Man" ran through my head again and again. I honestly didn't think anyone could make oliver + s look so goofy.

BUT! She will like these pants, and she will wear these pants, and I will bite my tongue and ignore the fact that she looks like a disco preschooler.

Or maybe not. Because as is her way, Blue does the opposite of what I think she will do. She asks for pink pants with elephants? Yes! Yes! But when it comes time to wear said pants?

Sadly, no. She actually had the gall to tell me she would like them better if I made them out of 'some different cloth like my pajamas'. And sucker that I am? I will probably look for some softer cloth. These are made of Kona cotton, which , I admit, is not the softest stuff. But from the fuss you'd think I was trying to cram the girl into some Toughskins.

And on a better note - Mia's dress? 3T top, 4T bottom. Ka-ching!

By the way, I learned a couple little lessons while making this. The first was about print matching. This is so busy it's not awful, but I'd look closer before I did it again and line the print up better. The second lesson was: don't pink your seams when you are tired. Never, never, never.

Testing, testing

2009-04-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Just trying out a straight up 4T for Mia before I cut into my Moda Fresh for the coordinating cousins dresses. My thought is that she is going to need a 3T up top, and about 3 inches added to the length. I could put money on it, but I'd just end up paying myself in the end.

Reason #142 to listen in geometry class

2009-04-14T13:32:00.001-07:00

I whipped up these Easter baskets for a couple little friends this weekend. I use the term 'whipped' loosely. But I learned a lot, and I know what I would do differently next time (though maybe not what I would do differently the time after that!)

I made a rainbow shaped pattern piece and appliqued their initials, and some eggs. I put ribbon trim on the blue eggs and puffed them up just a tiny little bit. I was pretty happy with things. Then it all got a little dicey.

When it came time to decide how big a circle should go at the bottom. I took a guess.

Mmm. Close, but too big. Pick it out and start again.

Much better but still not easy. Then I apparently got cocky. Pick it out again. I had four of these to make - two outsides and two linings.

Eventually that was done and I treated myself to a little bit of playing with the fancy stitches I never use. This came out a lot better than I had any reason to expect it would. The wider stitch was far nicer.

I don't think the girls minded the fact that they barely stand up in the end. Even though I managed to somehow iron the layers together with Wonder Under, thinking that would give them more stability (don't even ask, I don't want to talk about it).

And in case you haven't figured, I think geometry would have helped me figure out how big to make the circle at the bottom. I thought the radius probably should have been equal to the length of the edge I was sewing to it, but beyond that I was hopeless.

Refashion

2009-03-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

I made my first refashion in high school. I took one of my father's white work shirts, cut the collar off and left it mandarin style (I think that's what it's called) and drew Milo on the backwith a Sharpie. I loved Milo. *sigh* It was so easy to love a drawing of a fictional person based on a real person. High school was weird.

Then my parents sent me to Catholic school (we weren't even Catholic! Reform school, more like.) And I was required to wear a lovely wool kilt every day. Plus, I was only allowed to wear a white or yellow shirt, and navy or 'fleshtone' pantyhose. It was very hard to be fashionably creative in this environment, but I did manage to turn an old kilt into a pair of suspenders to jazz things up. Paired with an antique top hat, it made my kilt much more palatable. I had to take my top hat off in morality class, though.

So this whole trend of turning men's dress shirts into other things is really compelling for me.

For the fashionable mom from Just Tutes. I love this, but waiting for J to be done with 5 shirts is going to take awhile. He does have a nice assortment of stripes and plaids, though.

For the fashionable kiddo from Lillipops Designs. If I could get away with wearing things like this myself, I would. Hmmmm. Food for thought. I love every single thing in Lillipop's shop.

But everyone has to start somewhere, so I used Cheytown's Button Shirt to Button Dress tute which I seem to be the last person in blogland to try. But I am very pleased with the results.

When I cut it out, I made the inside of the shirt the outside of the dress, which gave me a nice instant sort of kickpleat in the middle. I did try the knifepleats for the trim at the top. For the bottom, I cut a curved piece hoping for a ruffle, but I think I didn't curve it enough and it is sort of just a contrasting hem. But I love it anyway. The length is a little over the top, but somehow matches the style. I think it kind of says "My dad was a goth and my mom watched Beetlejuice too many times, but I am really a princess, aren't I?"

Excuse the poor pictures. I was hoping to take some better ones, but with all the sawust in the house, it isn't going to happen any time soon.

Just under the wire

2009-03-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

I finally finished up my entry for Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing Design Challenge. It's very interesting how much I have learned about myself as I worked on it. And it worked hand in hand with a couple other things to enlighten me. First off, here is my entry.

One of the things I have learned recently is: I have no style. I mean, current style. I used to have style, in my own way. But ever since I had kids, it has just been whatever I can cram myself into that doesn't have holes in it. And recently, that has been an incredible challenge. Apparently I can only go about 2 years without buying a pair of pants before I have holes in every single knee - right and left, though left always goes first.

Second, I am fat. Oh, you wouldn't think it to see me on the street, no. But I am. Fat enough that when I went to try on dresses to wear to my brother's wedding in June? Oh, I can't even tell you how awful it was. I can never show my face in J Crew again.

So I have had to think a lot about style to do this project. What was it that used to drive my style, and how do I recreate that in an adult sort of way. In high school and college, I had one pair of ripped patched jeans. ONE. I also wore cargo pants long before it was cool. And Chucks long before they were cool. In fact, 7th grade was sheer torture because Keith Cronin refused to stop teasing me about them, and I refused to stop wearing them. Keith, I'm sure you have grown up now. I forgive you.

Other than that, I wore collared shirts, white v neck t-shirts and a jean jacket with Darth Vader on the back. So my style is simple, first off. And moderately tailored. But with a little kick. I can't wear Chucks anymore, to my great dismay. Now I wear Birkenstocks 24/7. I own the two pairs on my worksheet and one other pair. Grownup feet need more support. Sigh.

So I went into Kohl's the other day to buy Blue a swimsuit. And while I didn't find her an appropriate swimsuit (Gag - no, not Hannah Montanah, pleeease!) I did stumble into the women's clothing section. Believe me when I say that Kohl's has been there for 3 years and I have never been in the women's section before. I have been in the section right in front of you as you walk in, but never in the women's section in the corner. You know, with the slightly preppy stuff. Hm, now that's interesting. My friends would never describe me as preppy, but - moving on.

So I went to the sale rack on a whim and grabbed a few things to try on. And I scored a velvety black cropped jacket for 90% off of $80. And it's cute. It gave me hope, and I dragged a few other things in to try on. (Ivy was thrilled as you might imagine.) I have a very smart friend who said recently (right before the dress-shopping horror episode) "Just try on some things you would never try on and see how they look." This is just what my mother said to me during the prom-dress-buying horrorshow of '88. But on my way from the sale rack to the changing room, I grabbed things at random, in many sizes (because I don't even know what size I am). And I came away with not only the jacket, but a cute black bias cut skirt for ($3!), a white t-shirt with a knot between my boobs that looks fantastic (who woulda thunk it?) and a flowy shirt with a square cut neck - also adorable. Yeah, and a new pair of jeans with no holes.

I apologize if I am rambling. I am on my 8th cup of coffee.

Anyway lately I've been thinking a lot about fashion. What would I want if I had a weekend all alone to sew? What would really be my style? What would look good, not just frumpy. First, I made a few rules for myself. I wanted everything to be mix and match - Grrranimals style. And I was kind of stuck on the combination of red and light blue/aqua that I saw on the Feathered Friends fabrics. I am very much a fan of blue, white and green, but red is a different color for me. So I made a few things red, but my stock items are blue and white. My clothes were not allowed to have any dangly things. Ivy and Blue are awful with anything like ties on my pajama pants and such. Nothing like giving a kid a handle to undress you. I don't wear earrings or bracelets or necklaces for the same reason. But I am a fan of rings. And I haven't looked at rings in a long time either.

So I'm pretty pleased with my contest entry, and now I own a couple new things that make me feel better about myself, and I think I'm actually inspired to make myself something. It's easy to make cute stuff for kids. Kids are naturally cute. And so it always feel productive and rewarding. But I need to feel good about me, too. Seriously. And to that end, Jason and I bought an elliptical machine. And I have been on it every day. Every day but one. And so has he.

Okay, before I go on and on. Let me tell you about Blue. She desperately wanted to be a part of the clothes designing team. But really she just wanted to trace what I had done.

So I let her trace for a while, but then she got a little carried away and drew all over my entry.

Please notice the multi-legged pig on the bottom left. Blue is obsessed with pigs. On the right you will see three 'mermaids' Letters A, B and C. She handed this to me and said "Which one is different?" and then screamed with glee "A! Do you see? A has a flower in her hands!" A also doesn't look so much like a reptile, but I didn't mention that.

And even the page that she didn't draw all over was destroyed. Are those greyhound footprints on this page? Smudges from the floor in the car? I swear, these pages have been carried around everywhere with me for weeks trying to get finished.

Today, as I was trying to finish up, Blue wanted to do some more tracing. I told her she couldn't because I had already drawn these things three times (I can't even find the first incarnation) and I didn't have time to do it again. Besides, designers design their own clothes. She told me she was not good at that, and I convinced her to just draw what she would want to wear. And here it is:

The item on the left is a rainbow bathing suit. On the model is an "American" suit. But don't let's get carried away. After she was finished, Blue told me she really wouldn't wear that American suit. Same old story. But I'm so proud of her. She described it to me in detail and obviously put a lot of thought into it. I wonder if she should win a prize? I doubt she'd be all that into Weekend Sewing, but maybe I should get her a sketch book and a box of colored pencils?

Did I ever mention I love being a Mom? Even with all the hassle and exhaustion. It is amazing to watch these little people grow and learn and create. Awesome.

Now I have to go empty the bathroom of everything for the construction which will be happening in there soon. Don't be jealous, I haven't had a sink in two years, or a shower in 8 months. I totally deserve to have a sink and a shower.

Edited to add the links.
The button ring
The square ring with the blue stone
Antique Elgin watch
Red Birkenstock Alma
Birkenstock Milano
Sundance stacking rings

Stash

2009-03-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

What is it about people that makes them want to share of themselves? My husband and I met in college. One of the things I remember is that he was voraciously curious about me. I, in turn, was a person who loved to share of myself. Thoughts, facts, stories. Later, after I had known him several years and we had traveled in and out of each other's lives several times, I started wondering about him. Where did he grow up? Who was his family? It occurred to me that while he knew me inside out and upside down, I only knew who he was at the moment. It was like he had hatched out of an egg full grown. That thought stays with me, even now. Yesterday I asked him "Did you ever listen to 10,000 Maniacs?" and he said "I think I first heard them in college." which just floored me. Because 10,000 Maniacs In My Tribe was one of those formative albums for me, and I can't even imagine high school without them. Just hearing a phrase of any of those songs brings back technicolor memories for me.

So my husband is just not a sharer. It's not that he doesn't want to, or gives pieces of himself grudgingly - quite the opposite. But I wonder what it is about me that makes me want to post my "25 random things" on Facebook. Or complete the Stash Interview on Sew, Mama, Sew. What makes me want to give myself to random, faceless people?

Eh, well. That's who I am, no? So enough with the philosophical thought and on with the interview. Even though I'm late as can be with it.

What do you usually sew?

I just started sewing in ernest. I used to just make things when I needed something. I made a lot of tote bags, some curtains, a crib set for my youngest, not much else. And then I started sewing kids clothes. And more bags, and jammies for my husband. And baby shoes. I'm hoping to get started sewing some clothes for myself, too.

When you shop for fabric, what size cuts do you usually buy? (i.e. If you see something beautiful, but you don’t have a use for it right away, how much do you buy?)

It depends on where I'm shopping. The place I usually go for fabric is a kind of odd-lot place and fabric is generally $3 a yard. I've been known to buy two or three yards with no plan for it. But only if it is nice stuff. Michael Miller from 2007, Flea Market Fancy (short bolt - $1.50 per yard!). That sort of thing. But if it is something I have been oggling online and I am paying $9/yard for it, I will buy a half yard, or in the $6 range a whole yard.

Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need?

Both. I like to hit my special discount store often, so the intent is not impulsive but the actual choosing is. They have a jingle at my special store that goes "I should've bought it when I saw it at Marden's" And that is quite true. (Can you believe I didn't buy the whole bolt of Flea Market Fancy? It wasn't there the next day, though, when I went back for more.) So I don't hem and haw too much about it while standing with a bolt in my hand. And I do a lot of oggling online, but it takes a lot of oggling for me to buy something, so that's not impulsive.

Are you a pre-washer? If you are, do you wash your fabric before you need it, or only when you’re ready to use it?

I pre wash everything as soon as I bring it home in hot water with a super hot dry. If it's going to be wrecked, I want it to be before I spend a lot of time with it, and with kids clothes, chances are it will get washed on hot, with other random colors at some point.

Do you iron it?

I grab it out of the dryer as soon as it is dry and fold very carefully. Then, I will iron if I need to when I go to use it.

How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.)

I have a bin for anything larger than a yard, and anthing smaller goes in the cabinet, with larger pieces going on the bottom shelves and smaller pieces on the top shelves. And I have two bins of very small scraps - one bin of favorties, and one bin that are not favorites.

Do you have any special folding techniques?

I wish. I try to keep the edges inside, but I need to develop a technique that works for me and my cabinet.

How do you store your fabric?

Just folded up in the cabinet or in the bin. I have found that I can't cram stuff in the bin, though, or it requires more ironing before I can work with it. So I tend to have stuff piled up on my bin, too.

What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash?

I guess I don't think I have a well rounded stash. I have only been at this for 6 months or so. I just buy what I like, and then I buy other things that aren't as compelling because I think they will be useful or they match something else I have. Often, I will find something I think will match something I already own and bring it home only to find it is from the same fabric line. I don't know if that is impressive or lame.

When do you say enough is enough?

I have no idea.

What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects?

I haven't needed to bust my stash yet. I have been a knitter for a long time, though, and I have never been troubled by my stash. I keep what I like and get rid of what I don't.

Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? Let’s see it!

Right now? The ducks. I love the ducks. There is a coordinating all-over duck print, too. You can see in lining those baby shoes in the last picture of my bin (that's where projects hover in progress).

What’s your definition of the perfect stash?

You know, I think shopping and choosing and aquiring are as much fun as the sewing, so I would hate to have a perfect stash. I am a collector at heart. I'm sure it will be a neverending quest to complete my stash.

And here are some pictures. My work area, all neatened up for your benefit. I'm really pleased not to have to drag everything to the kitchen table to work, but my space is small. Small, I tell ya.

Anything less than a yard in here. Tub of not-favorite scraps at the bottom.

Patterns, favorite scraps and thread.

Here's the bin of big pieces. Baby shoes and pajamas in progess as well.

Let me not forget to show you my ironing 'board'.

And here is the whole room. It is 8x6 - really it was a walk in closet. Jason has the left half, I have the right. It's tight if we're in there together. Tight, but companionable.

Blue

2009-03-14T06:44:00.001-07:00

My daughter Blue is autistic. I have so many feelings about this and sometimes they are rushing through my head so fast I can barely even catch a glimpse of them. She is very high functioning. Very. The fact is, she is so high functioning that most people don't know she is autistic. And certainly that is what I want for her. I don't want her to be judged by her neurological tendency, I want her to be judged on her amazing creativity and wit, her love of numbers, words and people. Her ability to tackle a challenge without her self confidence weighing in at every turn. She is like her father, and he is a man I fell in love with, and grow to love more each day. I would not change her. But - life is hard. And I feel like there is nowhere I can be really honest about this. Her teachers and therapists understand our challenges, and her father, certainly, and even her little sister is now beginning to understand what having Blue for a sister means. But to the big outside world, it is less apparent. I don't wish she were lower functioning, I just sometimes wish that she didn't look so darn normal. I wish someone, sometime would look at us while I am talking my very controlled hypnotic and repetitious patter that comes out of my mouth almost every waking moment and say "Hey, I understand. Me, too. See my kid? Even though he is walking quietly beside me right now and not grabbing every motherloving thing he sees off the shelf or screaming "You are never a good Mama!" or scratching me, he is like your kid, and we walk the fine like between control and upheaval, every day, all day. Just like you. You are not alone."

Some days, I feel such huge sorrow in my heart. I am undecided about whether it is feeling sorry for myself, or grief over the way I thought things were going to be but aren't. There is no doubt that Blue challenges me at every turn. She has pushed me as I require her teachers, therapists and parents to push her. Pushing to become more, better, stronger than I ever thought. Both of us. I stopped cutting fabric to come and write this because it felt like it was going to explode out of my head. There I am, in this tiny room barely big enough for one desk, let alone two, cutting out fabric for pants. Positioning pattern pieces as if life depended on making sure the right elephants got to the right spot on each pocket. But really, it is my child that has taught me this. And in a way, life does depend on it. Because she won't wear her pants anymore. Not even the knit stretchy pants. And she will sometimes wear a dress, but it was 17 degrees out this morning, and she won't wear tights. But she loves her oliver and s pajamas. So really? Making these pants is a deciding factor in how we live our life. If I make the pants right, she will wear them happily. If not? Then each day is a battle over putting on clothes. And it makes a Mama tired. I am just tired.

Then I read something like this post by Lucinda about Cooper's Flock. Her sweet little boy, Cooper, died at just 21 days old. I can't even fathom the depth of her pain and sorrow. And I am sure she is more tired than I am. Because I can get sweet hugs and kisses each day from my children, I can enjoy their individuality and sit in amazement over how they are growing and learning. I cannot imagine having that ripped away from me. And somehow it helps to know that what I have, this that makes me so tired and sad sometimes is really the biggest blessing I have ever known. Ever. And nothing better will ever happen to me in my lifetime.

So today I am sewing pants, and when my yarn comes in the mail, I will be knitting birds for Cooper and counting my blessings while I count my stitches.

Scraps

2009-02-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

I was just reading over on Unraveled that Kristen is looking to swap fat quarters for scraps. She seems to have plenty of offers of scraps, but it got me thinking. I have lots of scraps, some biggish, like 8 inches or so, some smaller. All in very unusual shapes. I have quite a few novelty prints that I don't care for at all.(Tennis anyone? EMTs? Corks?) Also just things that aren't really my style. heavy wine colored prints, abstracts etc. So my question is - does anyone want to swap scraps? I would do my best to send you something you would like, and I in return would like nothing more than to get rid of some of my gazillion scraps and get a surprise in the mail.

Now I bet you want to know where I get my scraps. I have a friend who sews ties, and she has generously donated many, many scraps to my cause. And I'm not picky when it's all free. So I take what I like and - okay, the truth? I fold what I don't like neatly and store it on my shelves wondering what to do with it.

Oh, and I know for a fact that she does not prewash, and I don't tend to wash scraps either. Just FYI.

Success!

2009-02-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

After only a couple hours wrestling with the 'automatic buttonholer', I finally figured it out. I admit I was daunted by the idea of making buttonholes, but my sewing options were going to be limited until I learned how to do it. Thankfully I found a video on YouTube (what isn't on YouTube?) that gave me a modicum of confidence. More confidence than my cryptic instruction manual, that's for sure.

And then suddenly, what seemed so difficult, so unfinishable, was finished.

I'm going to ignore the ragged inside for the time being. Perhaps I'll wrap it in bias tape later, but this weekend we are going to visit relatives and Blue will be wearing it. You can see where I kept trying to get the piping the right width. I wasn't quite careful enough when pinning, I guess, although I took my time.

Did you notice the button? I was going to make little Totoros on the buttons, but suddenly Blue and I realized that Soot Sprites would be just the thing. We made them out of Polymer clay, and after I had finished those, Blue made a bunch more. And then a pig, and then a family of ducks. Polymer clay is her new favorite medium.

And the girl loves her dress. It's like a minor miracle around here. It is rare to see her in anything but stretch pants. Ugh, the stretch pants.

It has been a long time since I have made something just because. Because I was inspired, because it made me happy. I make a lot of things, but it is usually because I want to make someone else happy. That's who I am. I love to make other people happy, give generously, bestow surprises. But it is nice to do something just for me, too. And really, this was for me, not Blue. But I'm glad she likes it.

Elephante

2009-02-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to make Elephante, but he has always been bogged down in a long queue. When Ivy was born, I started making her a soaker, but decided the stitch was too loose to be a good soaker and set it aside.

But since I had cut everything as I went along, I was at a loss as to what to do with all those short pieces 0f yarn. And suddenly today it hit me. Even with some help from my minions....

I managed to get it unraveled and balled up. I won't bother to try to straighten them. That would take me another couple years.

Baby Knits

2009-02-15T10:08:00.000-08:00

I love to knit hats for new babies. Hats and booties. They're fast and fun, relatively useful, and once you have it down, you can get really creative. I have a huge stash of 7 Setembre and Baby Ull that I use because it is so soft and washable, and I don't have to knit a swatch. I loved the colors of the 7 Setembre, but I'm not sure they make it anymore.

This hat is from Knits from the Heart by Kristin Spurklund. I think the flower was from a Nicky Epstein book. The booties are from Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas, again, embelished with a Nicky Epstein Flower. The boy booties underneath are the same pattern but with a sawtooth trim from Domino Knitting by Vivian Høxbro. I made a coordinating hat to go with the boy booties, too. For twins Finn and Charlotte.

This beanie is from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding. I was a little disappointed with this one. The nature of the beanie, I guess, is that it doesn't sit far down on the head. It never really stayed on my daughter's head. The booties are from Knits from the heart, again, and they didn't stay on either. But the entire set was awfully cute as part of my daughter's going home outfit.

My husband picked out the outfit, as he did for our first daughter. Check out the skulls Happy Heiny.

And here is little Ivy dwarfed by her ensemble.

These are my favorites. This is the boy version of the hat from Knits from the heart, and the same booties, unadorned. I always think it would be cute to make these booties in a neutral color with interchangeable bright laces to match any outfit. Or with laces in pink and blue for those old fashioned folks who don't know the sex ahead of time. (I was one of those old fashioned people, so I can say that.) But I never feel like making up all that I-cord. Imagine.

And here are hats for more twins. These were a first birthday present for Drew and Ella knit with Artyarns Supermerino, which was lovely. The pattern is the Baby/Kids' Earflap Hat by Hey Julie. I added the tassles and trim. The trim is based on Zoe Mellor's cabled earflap hat with garter stitch trim in Adorable Knits for Tots. Unfortunately, I forgot to go down a needle size when I put the trim on, so it sticks out a little. And that bit of pooling makes me cringe, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

oliver and s and... totoro?

2009-02-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

I've been working on an oliver and s tea party sundress for Blue. I'm not an experienced sewer, but I can usually follow a Simplicity pattern, and I am pretty good at winging it (but let's not think too hard on the Baby Jaguar pants I tried to wing for Blue).

In any case, it is not often that I am inclined to follow a pattern, but oliver and s designs are just so delicious I just had to try them. I wanted to try the Puppet Show Tunic as a dress, but when I started reading the instructions, I realized I was in over my head. So I began with the bedtime story pajamas, which turned out beautifully. Here are Ivy, Blue and Mia, my niece.

Cute as the dickens. And can you believe they sat still long enough to snap the picture? And not one moment longer.

But before I committed to making three pairs with fancy fabric, I cut my teeth on a trial pair. And that's what I'm doing now, too. This dress is a trial for the three coordinating (but not matching) dresses I am going to make for the girls and Mia to wear to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for my brother's wedding in Newport this summer.

So far, following the pattern was the easy part. Here's the dress, which is made from corduroy I found at Goodwill. Sadly, it was not until I was ironing it that I realized it was part polyester. The lining is made from a much lighter corduroy shirt I cut up. Overall, not bad for a $2 dress. Besides using corduroy, I also made the skirt two inches longer. It is wintertime after all. And I had to practice anyway because Mia will need extra length on hers.

Now, this dress is size 5 for Blue, and she has real clothing issues. Everything she wears has to be jersey knit. I hate that kind of stuff, but she has sensory issues that cannot be denied away, so for the most part I humor her. Therefore, I am always thinking of little sneaky ways to get her to wear real clothing. And a surefire way to get her to at least try to wear something is with a Totoro.

See? See how she tries it on? Amazing. And a darn good thing, too, because those Totoro (Totoros?) were not all that easy to make. They took as long as the dress to make. But I think it is going well.

Or at least it was going well until I tried to applique. I know it's hard to see, but I'm having difficulty with the tension.

And then this happened.

I can sew with the kiddos crawling up my legs and feeding me broccoli, but I can't sew with that.

Three months in coming.

2009-02-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

It has been three months since I managed to get the header up. And now shall I get around to my first post?

It seems sometimes that everyone manages so easily and well. I don't. I follow many blogs of creative people that bowl me over. Not only do they manage to do creative stuff, but they manage to take pictures, get the pictures off their cameras, and say something coherent about their projects. And they have kids, too. And they have old houses, too.

Don't expect anything like that from me. You might get a couple pictures of something it took me 8 months to finish, you might not. We'll see. And who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself with how much I actually manage to get done.