as cozy as spring

Sunday Sewing

I ordered the gown supplies.  Then I just looked at them for a day or two. I finally gathered my courage to cut into the fabric and try out the trims.  As much as I love the two pictured above, when stitched together, the whites (lace/fabric) are ever so slightly different and I can't make my peace with it.  I have another piece of beading which is much closer and I plan on hand stitching a cross in the center of the bodice instead.  Above the hem in the back center, I will also hand embroider her name or initials.  My hope is that the dress will be polished, if not elaborate.  

Cheryl (who I will just publicly praise again for being such a big help) recommended this shop and I heartily second the recommendation.  My supplies arrived quickly and were beautifully packaged with a handwritten note.  I'm in over my head with all of these terms and methods.  It's a completely different type of sewing for me, but I'm truly enjoying the process of learning it all.

ETA: I deleted a section of this that, in retrospect, felt the tiniest bit unkind to publish for all the world to see.  

Needle and thRead

                        

I'm jumping in and joining Elizabeth to talk books and sewing!

Sewing: I'm stitching together hexagons in my downtime. I still have no idea what they are to be.  I went with a random pattern of colors, which I like and I think fits the scrappy nature of the project very nicely. I'm really just putting off the big project which is a Baptismal gown for our daughter.  I was a good girl earlier this week and made a cheap muslin rough draft.  The pattern, while veryveryvery vague, went together smoothly and with Cheryl's expert advice and encouragement, I'm going to place an order for all of my supplies today.  I think I can, I think I can...

 

Reading: Whilst cleaning out my closet* (ugh!) I found my copy of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  Yay!  This book is a little too out there for me in some sections, but I credit it with completely erasing any fear about childbirth during my second pregnancy.  I'm not particularly opinionated about how one gives birth, however, I was as drugged as I could possibly be for my first and I didn't enjoy it much (which, who cares?).  I decided forego pain meds for my second because of this bad experience... except that that's sort of a lie and it was really because my insurance company wouldn't pay for the epidural and I'm super cheap.  Regardless of the reason, the birth of my son was easy, quick (an hour and a half, maybe), and lovely thanks to Ina May's advice.  That being said, I have no birth plan just yet except to roll with whatever comes my way.  The one good thing about having horrible pregnancies is that labor and delivery have always seemed like a piece of cake in comparison.

*Unrelated but Wednesday I shredded about 7-12 years worth of old bills.  Did you know you don't need to save your old water bills?  Yes, you probably did.  I, however, did not.  Such joy!  So much space freed up!  Also out: My old college textbooks. That was hard.  But I held in my hands a favorite, "What Is To Be Done?"  - Chernyshevsky looked back and answered "That which is necessary" and said goodbye.

Spring Sewing

Pardon my tempter tantrum.  And thank you, most sincerely, for all the lovely comments.  They brought so many smiles to my face.  I was explaining to my husband last night that though I acted like an overtired 3 year old on Tuesday, it was a completely understandable case of seven months of feeling like cr%p catching up to me combined with some very stressful days last week.  I really do feel like I've done my best to stay cheerful, but I admit to having a little pity party on Tuesday.

Fortunately, a couple nights of sleeping well have helped my mood.  I had another at home day yesterday so I got out my sewing machine.  I hoped to stitch up the little Baby-In-the-Hood Jacket from Handmade Beginnings and I just happened to have everything I needed on hand.  That never, ever happens.  I even had the foresight last year to buy a bunch of random elastic and fusible interfacing because those two things can quickly derail a project.  I also didn't expect to have the time, but after a few morning lessons, my children ran outside to play and enjoy the beautiful weather. So surprise!  I started, finished, and even enjoyed a sewing project in just a few hours.  (OK, it still needs buttons).

I'm so, so pleased with it.  I used some leftover prints from my Children at Play quilt for the main fabric.  I had just enough of a sweet pink homespun plaid in the stash for the lining.  I love homespun plaids for children's clothes.  The seem to have the softness and warmth of flannel without the dreaded pilling.  

It was a carefully and clearly written pattern.  I'm so thankful because I really needed a win!  On top of that, I wrapped up two pairs of socks for my older children last night during the baseball game.  It was a very happy Wednesday.

I'm so motivated since clearing my stash.  Our space is so limited, but I managed to clean out an entire closet that I will devote entirely to my 'old lady arts' (my husband's view of things).  I'm thinking very carefully about a baptismal dress for our daughter.  I've been totally smitten with this one since I stumbled upon it last year sometime.  I need to get started if I'm going to do it.  I will not be using silk, that I know for certain.  

Diversions: English Paper Piecing

 

This started out with the realization that, despite my best efforts, I have accumulated both a yarn and a fabric stash.  This became glaringly obvious when it seemed logical to store the yarn and fabric in bins in my unused bathtub.  This way lies Hoarders, y'all.  Something had to be done.

I spent a few days sorting fabric.  First up: I ditched the fabric I no longer liked.  I folded and sorted any yardage I still planned to use.  Remaining were many tiny scraps that I absolutely loved.  I didn't want to trash them, even though some are super tiny.  Enter the hexagon.  Perfect solution.  I am snipping and basting all of those precious, tiny scraps into hexagons.  The best part?  It's all hand sewn.  I appreciate my sewing machine, but I much prefer hand sewing.  

I'm not 100% sure how these are all going to come together, which is why they aren't sewn into any pattern yet.  I'm curious to see whether I will love a finished project made entirely of much loved, but random components or if I will want to sort them by color.

This will probably be in the works for some time - especially since I have no idea what it ultimately will be- but it has been lots of fun to turn a bin full of wrinkled, frayed scraps into something pretty and functional.  Win.

The scrap bin.

The scrap pile.  I did decide to work on this whilst my husband is on a business trip because I knew it would get messy.  Also, knowing I wouldn't finish, I committed to sorting the scraps into color groups and stashing them in ziploc baggies accordingly so I could easily pick it up at a later date.

Seriously, what else am I going to do with a piece like this?

I made my first hexagons a summer or two ago using this tutorial, but think I do it differently now.  I baste them all down first and whether you go through the paper or not seems to be a matter of taste.  I do not.  A quick search will return many tutorials.

I plan on tackling the yarn next.  It is a small bin, but it is a bin and exceeds my comfort level. 

A Little Nursery

We live in a smallish home meaning I have to be careful about what I bring into it, but it is also more than enough space for our smallish family.  This baby, however, will not be getting an entire room to herself.  Our other two children bunked with us for months, if not years, so I'm not at all concerned about it.

I did carve out a little corner for her.  Her new quilt hangs on the wall above the cradle that my father made to hold our babies.  The cradle is filling up with hand knits and hand-me-downs (and a handmade book just for her, written by her sister).  I moved my chair next to the cradle for feedings.  It is all very cozy and sweet and a little unrealistic.  The cradle will end up smooshed beside my bed for months for nighttime feedings.  The clothes should be sorted into a temporary dresser set while the baby stays in our room. And I dearly hope the quilt will be used outside on the grass this summer while we all enjoy the mornings in the garden (with coffee I hope!) before the days heat up too much.

Quilt notes: I fell in love with this fabric line when it came out last year, but I thought it was a little too little for my not so little children.  So I jumped at the chance to sew with it for my baby.  The blocks are mostly simple nine patch blocks with one oddball because that's how I do things.  I used 2.5 inch sashing between and really fussed trying to make it all straight and square.  I'm glad I spent the extra time with my seam ripper to make it as neat as I could.  Quilting was just casual meandering, but not too closely as I wanted to keep some softness and drape.

The punch line is that my not-so-little 11 year old daughter loves it and wants it for herself.  We shall see.  This was a joy to make and I have no problem sewing another quilt.  

Now I should probably start thinking about a car seat.  

Better

I didn't mean to leave my depressing, barfy post up for so long!  I'm a bit better now.  Friday found me attempting major housework and a bit of clean up in the garden.  Friday night found me sobbing on the end of my bed the second my husband walked in the door (because husbands love that sort of thing after a long week at work).  At that point, I had that 'I'm done being pregnant' moment - not so good when one is only 25 weeks along.  But then I remembered what friendly reader Grace had mentioned about reading a bit of St. Francis de Sales.  It doesn't matter that I couldn't find just the quote to which she referred, it's all good stuff.  This one in particular was just what I needed to read:

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.

So, take a deep breath and carry on.  I changed my diet, on the advice of my big-sister-who-knows-everything.  My morning sickness game plan was no longer working because it had morphed into reflux.  The symptoms were the same but the diet is very different and I'm so, so happy to say I haven't thrown up in about 5 days now.  My iron supplements are kicking in and I can function at a low, but passable, level.

This has actually been my happiest pregnancy.  I love knitting for the baby.  I love not worrying and wondering whether we'll be blessed with just.one.more.please?  I hadn't realized how much that weighed on my heart.  I love watching my children's faces as they feel the baby kick.  I love how happy they are about the situation - especially my son, who put "a baby" on every birthday and Christmas wish list for years. There are so many good things happening right now, but I've realized how hard it is to see all that when feeling bad physically. It has made me far more compassionate about dealing with illnesses of any kind. 

Anyway, thank you all for the prayers and comments and advice.  You never know how much you might help or inspire someone on the internet and I really appreciate the time you spend here saying hello (so sorry about the word verification, btw, I get so much spam without it!).

I'm going to plant myself on the couch and stitch the binding on this little baby quilt.  Happy Wednesday, friends!  

Spring Cleaning

It feels a little off to be changing our school organization system in March, but I just can't stand the mess anymore.  

First up - the surfaces in our dining/school room were covered in papers.  Each child has a work folder for the week, but it was always getting lost under all the other papers so that more papers weren't put back into the folder and things got even messier.  I stitched up a simple lined tote for the sole purpose of holding their weekly folders and special project folders (meaning Journey North or history project stuff).

My daughter's bag is completed and working beautifully.  Her fabric arrived first.

This is the fabric my son chose for his school bag and it arrived yesterday afternoon.  I'm going to work on it this afternoon.  It only takes about an hour using this tutorial.  I cut the fabric 13 by 16 inches to start and it seems to be a good size.

Our school books are stored in a crate under my desk.  It's not ideal, but it works.  My Martha Stewart binder is working beautifully and has made my own paper work much easier to manage.

The only other mess I'm dealing with now is our craft supplies.  I keep my own craft supplies fairly well pared down and organized - that's a flat out lie right now as everything I've worked on for the last few months has been hastily shoved into my china cabinet but all of that actually does have a place.  The children's water paints, scissors, glue, tape etc. etc. are sort of scattered. For months, I've looked longingly at those clear plastic drawer sets (like this - oh, isn't it gorgeous?) but in my experience, more storage = more clutter so I'm conflicted.  Do you all, my friendly readers, have a great system for all the homeschool art supplies?

 

Le Weekend

It took some courage but I washed this most beautiful fabric ever from UniqueShiny (super customer service, by the way).  Will I ever be able to cut into it?  It doesn't seem likely at this point.

Starting the front side of a very sweet little dress that is taking longer to knit with a 4 ply cotton on size 2 needles, but I hope it will be worth it!

Out in the garden, the pears, peaches, strawberries and blueberries are all in bloom.

I transplanted my peas and we are planning on putting in the tomatoes today.  I need to replace a blackberry or two - don't even get me started on all these years of professional and personal experience and I have a heck of a time growing blackberries which grow wild on Texas roadsides.  The shame!  I'm also going to start some carrots if I can get my crates back from the children, who have used them as furniture in their imaginary houses.

We have a few weeks of formal school left.  I'm planning a mini-mester to maximize our time until the baby is born (our baby!  I can't get over it!).  I'm thinking about organization for next year by looking at what didn't work this year. It's exciting to think about starting fresh after just muddling through for so many months.

It's been a full but relaxing weekend and I'm just so, so happy to spend it at home!

Tiny Dresses

I managed to sew a couple of baby dresses (and many bottoms) over the weekend.  This is my favorite style of dress for little girls because it is both easy to make and super easy to wear.  I couldn't find anything in standard pattern format, but there is this free and fabulous pattern at Sew Much Ado.  The pattern is lovely and the instructions are very clear.  This dress, sewn in a light lawn print (Regent Street something?  I think?), came together in under an hour.  

The baby bloomers were made from a Heather Ross template found on Martha Stewart.  This project was also super quick and easy.  Getting the template enlarged was a bit of a hassle as copy shops won't copy anything with the Martha Stewart copyright on it even though it says right there on the template enlarge by 250% (you can imagine the back and forth conversation my husband had with the Office Depot employee with me cursing into his ear via cellphone, "But it says right there on the template!!!").  So I traced the pattern onto a blank sheet of paper and took it to Staples.  The copy cost $2 which was far better than the (no lie) $25 Office Depot claimed it would cost if they could even do it, which they wouldn't.  Yay for Staples!  

Anyway... Back to the pattern.  The video that accompanies the template is easy to follow and once I got started, these came together very quickly.  The shirring was a bit of a pain - shirring was oddly much, much easier on my cheapo Singer sewing machine than my higher end Janome.

Yes, I have a growing pile of little Mass outfits all set to go. 

I don't think I'll be sewing much for this little one.  A quilt or two, perhaps, but sewing just isn't my favorite way to spend the afternoon.  Needles break, thread jams, the machine makes that terrifying grinding sound.  

Knitting on the other hand?  That's a whole 'nother story.  One that is becoming almost humiliating.  I mean how many handknits does a summer baby - born in Texas - really need?   The more pertinent question is how many more weeks of pregnancy do I have left.  Many.  Back to my knitting.

Cross Stitched

I finished my little Farm Folk.  This was a really fun project, especially since I cannot follow directions and did my own thing with the patterns.  Butter, in particular.  The butter churn had to look more like the one near my grandmother's front door.  It was the only option.  I also stitched the dress to resemble Emily's dress in Emily and Daisy.  I skipped eggs all together because eggs give me the creeps. I found some super cheap frames at Target a few weeks ago that finish them off nicely.

Most of the homes I remember from my childhood, including my own, had little bits of cross stitch here and there.  I don't think it's my most favorite medium but home seems cozier with these little girls in our dining room.

I can't even write about this without sounding overly self satisfied, but I made and froze breakfast, lunch, and dinner for most of the week.  I know all of you probably do this all the time and you probably all rock the crock pot (recipes, please?), but I just can't wrap my head around meal plans, especially make ahead meal plans.  I do not have the ability to focus on more than what I'm hungry for that instant.  But alas, it's proved to be rather hard on the budget and the nerves.  We're also just too busy lately. (tangent)  I miss the preschool days when all the activities were scheduled in the mornings.  Saturday night my little baby boy was playing a second baseball game at nearly 10:00pm at night.  No shocker that his little face was tear streaked when he walked up to his last at-bat (did I say that right?).  My own face was tear streaked last night when I whipped up the last item, a batch of pumpkin muffins and realized we were out of baking powder.  It was a tiring day, but hopefully it will pay off with an easier week!

Happy Monday, friends!