twilltape

I beat it!

2012-01-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

That Sew Weekly challenge almost got the best of me, but I persevered and ended up with a cute dress that I can wear for at least another couple of weeks. Of course, I'll have to wear it every day to make it worth the time and frustration it caused me, but that's cool. Or maybe if I just wear it to actually give birth in, that will be enough to really up the ante on its value?

Here's the original Make This Look post that inspired my creation: The Garden Tour Dress. As I mentioned before, I had the fabric on hand and I even had the pattern, but I got derailed by the alterations that were needed to make that look fit my big ol' belly. I found a different pattern and pushed through it though, and I'm quite pleased with the final result.

So hooray! It's finished, and imagine my surprise when I opened up The Sew Weekly this morning and saw myself looking back:

Well, I mean if you want to get technical, I guess I'm gazing off into the distance more than I'm really "looking back", but you get my drift. And on the left? My fellow contributor Najah, who was inspired by the same Modcloth dress to make her own "Birdless Garden Tour" dress. Mena made it too, and of course hers actually looks just like the dress from Modcloth, down to the exact fabric! She takes her Make This Look seriously.

But anyway- back to my dress. Like I said, I ended up going with a different pattern than the one that Mena originally recommended, but only after going through A LOT of swedish tracing paper making bodice muslins trying to get Butterick 5030 to work. I even tried drafting a completely new pattern from scratch, using the general shape of 5030 and some half-assed attempts at draping on Millie, but it was no use. Between my fuller-than-usual pregnant bustline, the darts in the bodice, and my own ineptitude at fitting, I just ended up with a hot mess. Over and over. I ordered Fit For Real People, but for some crazy reason it's like the only book on Amazon that's not available for immediate shipping. And since I didn't have 7-10 days to wait and I wasn't about to give up, I decided to try a different approach.

Enter Simplicity 2145. It's a Project Runway pattern with a bodice shape that's close enough to the pleated look of the inspiration dress, and it's empire waisted. Perfect for fitting the only indentation left on my pregnant figure- the valley between the bust and the belly. Once I confirmed the size with one last quick muslin, things went smoothly from that point on and my dress really started to come together.

I even got all crazy ambitious and decided to skip the bodice facings and make a full lining for my dress instead. That meant making up the whole thing again in my lining fabric, but since the fabric I found was the perfect color (and with polka dots!) I just couldn't resist.

Isn't it pretty? There's just something so finished feeling about a lined garment. No icky raw edges peeking out, and it's silky smooth against the skin. Love it! As a couple of Sew Weekly commenters suggested, it might even be possible to wear this dress inside out and get two looks in one. I think I'll wait until after baby comes to attempt that look though, so I don't look quite so large and glistening with my body wrapped in all that shiny material at this size.

It's going to take a bit of work, but after baby arrives (maybe WAY after baby arrives), I do plan to open a couple of seams and take this dress back down to a regular non-maternity size. It should be easy enough, as the only thing I did was cut the front skirt section in a larger size than the rest of the dress and gather in the excess. The pattern actually calls for darts across the skirt front, which is super cute and a look that I like, but the darts pulled really funny over my belly so the gathers work better right now. Post-partum, I think I'll just have to open the side seams and remove the excess width from the skirt front, then add those darts back in and stitch the skirt panel back in. I think it should be a fairly simple process that will extend the life of this dress beyond this moment of pregnancy madness.

Of course, I could save it for a future pregnancy, but if hubby gets his way, Thing 2 will be the final addition to our little clan anyway. Plus, I think I would rather get some use out of it sooner than later, given the blood, sweat and tears that I poured into making it work.

As usual, official Pattern Review review to follow, in case anyone is interested in more detailed information about how I did what I did and what I think about the pattern. Spoiler alert: I like it. And also strayed from the original quite heavily, so my review may or may not be worth anything to someone who wants to recreate the pattern as intended. But whatever. I'll share my two cents anyway because I just can't help myself. The review will show up in the nifty little Pattern Review widget thingy that I've added to my sidebar when it's all done. Stay posted!

Cabin fever

2012-01-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Ugh. I can't even write right now. My brain is a pile of mush after spending the last three days cooped up inside the house watching Shrek on repeat and begging the snow to JUST STOP FALLING! Please! Preschool has been cancelled all week, our roads are a mess, and hubby's been away on business so my adult interactions have been limited to a nice chat with the mailman on Wednesday and a few phone conversations. To say that I feel like I'm losing my shit a little bit is putting it rather mildly.

When the snow first came, sure it was fun. Lincoln even made his first snowman, or rather he posed dutifully by the snowman that David made for him, and he had a great time running around and throwing snowballs and whacking the snow out of the bushes. But then- ice ages passed, literally. The snow developed a mean and hurtful crust that makes walking (and especially falling down in it) no fun at all, and it just wouldn't melt.

Today, finally it rains. There's hope that I will be able to escape my little domestic prison for a least a little while this evening once David gets home from work. Can I get a hallelujah?? If you're anywhere nearby, there's a chance you may hear one echoing from my house at around 6 pm.

Fortunately, all this time at home has not been entirely ill-spent. I managed to finally put together a new set of curtains for Lincoln's bedroom that have been languishing in my to-do pile for weeks. I still need to make a matching curtain for the closet, but my machine has decided that now is a great time to start chewing up every piece of fabric that passes beneath its presser foot and I just had to walk away before things got ugly in there.

I'm sure when I get back to it everything will have magically fixed itself and I can continue on my merry way. And then I can also get back to the Sew Weekly project that I've been working on all week that is also not cooperating with me in the least. Wait- are we sensing a trend here? Maybe Eeyore has taken up residence under my sewing table? Or perhaps I've accidentally had a swig of grumpy juice?

Oh wait- NOPE, it's just the snow! PLEASE LEAVE NOW! K, THX. BYE!

But anyway- I do love the theme for next week- Make This Look, which is based on the regular features that Mena posts with a dress or outfit from somewhere on the web and a pattern that would be a suitable base to recreate the look with. There's a dress that I love that came up recently, and the suggested pattern was one that I already owned. I even had a fabric in my stash that was a reasonable facsimile, so the only hurdle is one that is firmly planted between my waist and bustlines at the moment. Naturally, neither the original dress nor the pattern are intended to be maternity wear, so some serious craftiness and redrafting are in order. I wasn't afraid of the challenge, so Millie and I dove right in, but things are not going as easily as planned. I hope that I can figure out a way to make it work, because it really is a super cute dress. Fingers crossed!

Meet Millicent!

2012-01-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today, I would like to introduce you to a special new member of my family. And before you get all panicky- no, it's not our daughter. That one's (dear god, I hope) still got a little cooking to do before she joins us sometime next month. No, this particular family member was delivered by sleigh via the elves at Amazon.com, and her name is Millicent.

Millie's a Dritz My Double Deluxe, and after doing lots of research online about what type of dress form I wanted to ask Santa for this year, I decided that she was the one. I did read lots of reviews that didn't look too favorably on these adjustable forms and claimed that the professional (read: WAY more expensive) models were the way to go, but those are just simply out of my league. I figured that this would be good enough to suit my needs for the foreseeable future, especially once I customize her a little bit further with a Fabulous Fit System as inspired by Lladybird (and others around the web).

I actually contemplated picking up the Fabulous Fit system the other day, but it's going to be a couple of months before my body bears any resemblance to something that the kit can help me emulate on Millie. In the meantime, I decided to just take matters into my own hands and I gave my gal a little makeover.

Armed with a nearly full bag of bamboo fiberfill, some bamboo quilt batting, a nursing bra, and a belly band, I set to work matching Millie's shape to mine as closely as possible. I started by adjusting the dials to my pre-pregnancy measurements, then put the bra and belly band on her and started fluffing away.

A few minutes and a whole lot of fiberfill later, I had a reasonable approximation going on. I wrapped some strips of batting around her rather lumpy belly to smooth things out a little bit, and then added the tank top to keep things in place. It's certainly not a perfect match, but I can see this being very helpful as I attempt to participate in a Sew Weekly challenge or two as this pregnancy draws to a close.

And about The Sew Weekly- it's been so much fun to see all the contributions pouring in! Week one's theme had us drawing inspiration from an accessory and building a creation around that. That didn't particularly speak to me, and I didn't have time to pull anything together, but I do have plans shaping up for another challenge before the month is out. Fingers crossed that with Millie's help I can get something made that fits!

Basement office/play area improvements

2012-01-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

As promised, I finally ~~cleaned up~~ moved a few piles of things out of frame temporarily so I could take some photos of the new and improved basement office and play space that we created over David's winter vacation. It's such an improvement over the space that was here before, it's amazing. I looked for some before photos to give you an idea of the previous space, but I don't even have any. Suffice to say it was cramped and not super functional, and now it's so open and useable that I can't even believe it's the same room!

We used a few kitchen cabinets from Ikea as the bones for our work space. A tall cabinet with pull-out drawers flanks each side of the desk area to provide much-needed storage for toys and office supplies. The desk surface is a kitchen countertop with a small drawer unit (from the Ikea office area) in the middle for extra storage and also to provide support. We originally planned to add doors to the wall cabinets all the way across, but they were sold out of the size we needed for the middle one. Now that they're up, I think the open storage is kind of nice to break up all those doors and give us a little bit of a display area.

The tall cabinet on the right (my side) is home to the printer, the scanner, the Silhouette, and some assorted office supplies. The pull-out drawers make it easy to access things when you need them, and then close the drawer and hide it all out of sight when you don't. LOVE!

David's side is home to his new beast of a Mac that was a Christmas gift from my very generous in-laws. That computer is actually what started this whole thing, as our previous desk space was hardly large enough to support this new mega-monitor, and since I requested the hand-me-down Mac for my very own, that meant that we would need space for two work stations anyway.

The tall cabinet on David's side is storage for the play area that lies beyond. The drawers make it easy for Lincoln to select something to play with and makes it clear where to return it when he's done. So far, he's done a great job of keeping things tidy and is actually remarkably helpful when it's time to clean up.

This corner is now home to the train table and easel, and also has plenty of open floor space for other activities. We would still like to add some book storage for kid's books, and hang that magnetic board that's currently just leaning up against the wall by the cabinet. I also think we'll need to get a fireplace door like the one we have upstairs to replace the screen that's currently there. Lincoln doesn't mess with it at all, but I'm sure Thing 2 will find a way to hurt herself once she's mobile. Obviously, we have plenty of time to figure that out!

We still have some things to do to make it a little more homey- like re-hang the art that used to live on the walls where the cabinets now are. A little painting might also be in order, as most of the walls are the color you see above, except for two that are white. It's a little weird and disjointed, so we're thinking of finishing it off all in the same color, or adding an accent wall. Perhaps a full 360 degree tour will be in order once we've gotten those things straightened out.

Now that it's all done, I couldn't be happier with the new space. We have a nice family room down here now instead of a chopped-up bunch of not terribly useful areas. And I'm amazed at how easily it all came together. We were fully anticipating lots of swearing and problems as we took on such a big project, but the DIY gods must have been smiling on us that night as we had no trouble and everything came together beautifully. And it was certainly helpful that Lincoln was staying overnight with Grandma and Papa the evening that we did the major installation, so we could make as much noise as we needed and work into the wee hours. Thank you!

There are a couple more pics of the space in a flickr set here. I'll add notes and links to sources if anyone is curious.

What's one more thing?

2012-01-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

So since 2012 promises to be very boring indeed- with only that one extra newborn plus the one growing-up-so-quickly preschooler (he starts tomorrow! yay!), and my shop, plus my part-time job, and David's job, and housework, and our nonexistent social life and all that TV we have to keep up with- I've gone ahead and decided to add just one more little commitment to the mix by signing up to be a contributor to The Sew Weekly. Luckily, Mena has changed things up a bit this year by opening the contributor pool up to a whole slew of ladies and making it a participate-at-will kind of a thing, rather than necessarily an every week obligation.

My first post is up here. This week's theme was meant to ease us into the idea- just pick your favorite thing you made in 2011 and introduce yourself to the group. No new makes required! I picked my Bamboo Burnout Tank, (Simplicity 2587 by Cynthia Rowley) which I stitched up for Spring Top Week before I got all disproportionately round in the midsection.

And yes, I recognize that I might be crazy, but I'm really hoping that once baby comes, I'll actually have a minute or two to participate in at least one challenge a month. It would be nice to be able to build my wardrobe up with some me-made goodies and try out some of the patterns and fabric that I've been stashing away the last few months. I figured that signing up to be part of this amazing community of talented ladies and having great ideas come at me every week might inspire me to carve out some time for myself and keep on sewing. Time will tell how that works out in real life.

Growing, changing, rearranging.

2012-01-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

Whew! December was a crazy month. I visited this site today for the first time in ages, and realized that it was December 1 when I last posted! In the last month, I've been sewing like a mad woman and am happy to report that 2011 ended on a very positive note as far as my little shop goes. I've yet to settle on a firm direction for 2012, but I'm excited to see how things shape up!

I managed to squeeze in a little bit of sewing for myself this month too, and tried two patterns by Megan Nielson: the Pina Dress & Top, and the Perfect Nursing & Maternity Top. Official pattern reviews to follow on patternreview.com, but for now I will just say that I heartily recommend both patterns!

Pina top with long sleeves

Perfect nursing top with 3/4 sleeve

You might notice that there's a LOT more belly there than there was previously. That's a natural side-effect of being (holy crap) just SIX short weeks from Thing 2's arrival. And actually, these pics are a couple of weeks old, so add a centimeter or two to that girth and you're all caught up.

Other than that, we've been keeping busy rearranging our living space to accomodate the new arrival, and making some modifications to make our rooms more usable. In fact, as I type this, I'm seated at my half of our new built-in his & hers desk set-up that hubby and I completed over the course of a few days over his winter vaca. Pics to come soon, once I finish putting all my crap away in its new (much more organized) home.

I'll be back to share more in the next few days. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year! And apologies for the lack of Christmas card if you're someone that would normally have received one. I had hope up until the eleventh hour that I would get my act together enough to get one in the mail, but it just never happened. Then, I even renewed my plan and decided that maybe a New Year's card was a more realistic goal and failed on that one too. Better luck next year! You know we love you, right? You don't need a card for that.

twilltape goodies now tagged for gift giving!

2011-12-01T12:02:00.001-08:00

It occurred to me the other day that it might be nice to include tags on my products, especially to ease gift giving a little bit. After all, it might not be completely obvious to a recipient what a Grab & Go Diaper Clutch is intended to be used for, and it's nice to know that you can throw my stand mixer cover straight in the wash- right? And since we're not always with our loved ones when they open their gifts, providing that info just seems like something that I should have been doing all along. So sorry!

The really silly part is that I made these tags up months ago when I sent the donation to the Hope Gala, for exactly that reason. I wasn't there to explain what the items were, and at the auction they didn't even have the website to get information from. Somewhere along the line though, I failed to make the leap into including them on every item. Sometimes I'm just a little slow on the uptake!

So, better late than never, you can now rest assured that your twilltape products will be properly identified from now on! Tags include care instructions, a little info about the product, and of course, the website info so your giftee can return to the shop and spread some twilltape love in another direction!

And in related news, there's a fresh new batch of mixer covers in the shop today. Get 'em while they're hot! Here's a taste (complete with cute little hang tag):

You can find the whole selection in the kitchen section of the shop. Thanks for looking!

a head start

2011-11-30T09:46:00.001-08:00

We're so on top of things this year! Not only do we have a huge chunk of our holiday shopping done, but we've also already visited Santa and taken a ride on the holiday carousel! It feels so good to have accomplished so much just days after Thanksgiving. I mean, it is still November! Woo-hoo! Now let this be a reminder to our next-year-selves: GO SEE SANTA EARLY! There was NO LINE whatsoever when we visited Santa Lane yesterday. NO LINE! It was amazing. Epic. We had plenty of time to hang out with Santa and let Lincoln warm up a little bit. He still didn't love it, but it was a marked improvement over last year's screaming shot.

So I recently picked up a copy of Sewing for Boys with the idea that I might find a pattern for the perfect outfit for Lincoln's Santa photo this year tucked inside. Of course I would magically also have plenty of time to execute said outfit, would find the ideal fabric on mega-sale, and my boy would be the cutest little thing to grace Santa's lap in years. But then, we found ourselves at Costco on Black Friday (I know, what were we thinking!?!), where I found this cute little sweater and button-up shirt combo and decided that it was cute enough. And it totally is- right? Look at him! He's such a big boy!

But I will absolutely be returning to the book- it's fabulous. But this way there's no pressure of deadlines and I can actually enjoy the process! And BTW, speaking of Shelly Figueroa and Karen LePage (the talented ladies behind Sewing for Boys), they have decided to part ways and Patterns by Figgy's is no more. When I heard that, I immediately panicked and expanded my collection, adding to my much-used Tee for Two and Dapper Dillingers patterns with a couple of other classics before they're gone forever. I suggest you do the same! And then, check out the new line that Shelly has recently released under the name Figgy's. Beautiful, simple, and currently girl-centric following the recent release of the book. Love. Especially this little blouse and skirt combo. These are destined to be classics.

I also picked up the (out-of-print but recently re-released as a digital pattern) School Days Jacket & Coat pattern from Oliver + S when I saw it at a local sewing shop recently. Buoyed by my success with Lincoln's Ottobre coat, I've decided to try my hand at a raincoat for him too. I've wanted to forever, but it's hard to find fun printed laminated cotton that is cute for boys without being too cutesy- you know? Well, I think we finally found some, and I'm going to try to get to that project in the reasonably near future.

And speaking of the boy and his coat, here they are now! We snapped this photo just seconds before he demanded we remove him from the horse, before the carousel had even begun to move. He sat next to me on a non-moving sleigh instead looking incredibly unimpressed with the whole thing while David rode the horse. And then, naturally, as soon as the ride stopped and we had to get off, he decided he actually wanted to ride the horse after all. Oh, two! You fickle little beast.

I've got lots of other projects in the hopper at the moment, but I'll save something for another day. And maybe actually try to get one or two finished before I go and claim too much productivity. There are some things for the shop, some things for me (and my expanding belly), and some for Lincoln. Lots of fun to come! Hope your November was great and December is full of holiday fun!

Lincoln's New Coat

2011-11-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

I finished a new winter coat for Lincoln this afternoon and I'm so happy with how it came out. Lincoln is too!

This is a pattern from Ottobre Design magazine, issue 4/2010. The design is #18, the Naava corduroy jacket. Sizes are 92-128 cm, and I stitched up a size 92, which is like a 2T. I added 1/2" to the sleeve length, which as you can see from the photo above, probably wasn't necessary, but Lincoln grows out of the length of things way before they're too small, so this should fit him for a long time.

I used 8 wale corduroy in a nice chocolatey brown, and lined it with pale blue. I was a little worried that the baby blue would read kind of feminine, but I think the masculine styling and the brassy buttons make this all boy!

The whole coat is interlined with TP971F, which is a heavy needled fusible fleece by Pellon. It will be nice and warm this winter! I'm so pleased with how professional this looks! I really didn't know what to expect with the minimal directions that are given in Ottobre magazine, but I worked through it step by step and was pleasantly surprised that everything fit together just like it should. And it was quick too- I started yesterday afternoon and finished today during nap.

Before I started I looked around for reviews and photos of other finished projects to see if I could find any advice, and there isn't much out there on Ottobre patterns on Flickr or Pattern Review, so I added some more photos and a review of my own. It can be so helpful to see how others have done things before you get started, so hopefully someone can benefit from my work!

For the holiday table

2011-11-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

I've had the urge to do some last-minute sewing of things that would be lovely on a Thanksgiving or otherwise Autumnal table. Brown, gold, orange, and red are all around outside my window, and they are absolutely present in this little limited collection. I'll keep cranking things out as inspiration strikes, and plan to try to move on to Christmas before too long, but I'm just really loving orange right now!

I love to play with textures, and this metallic-striped linen called out to me! I think it's perfect for fall and adds just a touch of elegance to the casual brown leaf-strewn edges.

This bright tangerine paisley print is my idea of perfection. Subtle tone-on-tone pattern in a bold color that can be dressed up or down. I love the way it plays with the texture of the creamy linen too.

These placemat sets can be found in my Etsy shop, along with some other lovely things that would be a welcome gift for your Thanksgiving hostess. Or a nice treat for yourself! As time before the approaching holdiays are limited, quantities will be too, so don't hesitate!

Balance

2011-11-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to feel rather whale-like, which is kind of disheartening given that I'm only a little more than half-way through this pregnancy! Still SOOOOO much growing to do. I know this, but I already feel like a beast, so I decided that some action needed to be taken to lighten my load in some way. The result is this:

With all the junk in my trunk and growing midsection, I think it's helping to keep me from feeling heavy all over. And it was getting to a point where I was just pulling my hair back into a ponytail or up into a bun every day anyway and expending zero effort on it. It was time for a change!

Okay, confession time. I really just put that picture there so that the ones that follow wouldn't be the first thing you saw when you came to my blog. I really did get my hair chopped off, but to fully understand where I was coming from, you have to see the belly that is creating the imbalance.

This is what I see when I look down these days. Well, obviously normally my shirt isn't pulled up, but you get the idea. Now, take a look at the ridiculousness that is my belly button for a second. If you can stand it. Need a closer look? Here:

Is that not the dumbest thing you've ever seen? And yes, there's a weird little knob protruding from the center of my belly button. When my belly isn't being turned inside out by onboard occupants, that little nub is tucked inside a regular-looking "innie," but this pregnancy thing just throws it for a loop. Growing up, I logically presumed that belly buttons were formed by tying the umbilical cord in a knot, like a balloon, so it seemed perfectly normal to me that I had that little extra bump. And yes, it is possible that it wasn't until Lincoln was born and I saw that little clippy thing that I learned otherwise... but whatever.

Anyway, the point of all this is: absolutely nothing. I just couldn't help but laugh when I looked down and saw this silly development, and being the kind and generous person that I am, I thought that maybe you could use a laugh too. But with me, not at me- right? 'Cause at least my hair looks cute.

Date Night Skirt

2011-11-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Last week, my mother-in-law treated us to a date night so we could sneak away for dinner and a movie. Miraculously, Lincoln decided to take an out-of-character two hour nap that day, so I had time to whip up a new skirt for the occasion.

A friend recently gave me a big bag of clothes that were destined for the Goodwill, knowing that my fabric hoarding and repurposing self would be very pleased. And indeed, I was. Thanks Diz! This skirt was my first venture into the stash, and had a former life as a pair of wide leg Gap stretch cotton pants. I opened up the inner leg seams and put them on inside out to decide where to stitch the legs back up to make a pencil skirt shape. Then, since my belly was in the way, I removed the waistband and reattached my new skirt to the secret weapon in my maternity wardrobe: a folded knit band. I had just enough black rib knit left from the last skirt to add a skinny (4" or so) doubled band on this one.

I serged the bottom, then turned it up in a wide 1.25" hem and stitched it with a twin needle. I left the bottom four inches on the back unstitched to make a vent to ease movement. And again, I saved the original waistband so that once my expansion project is completed, I can refashion it back into a skirt that I can wear post-baby. Hooray! It's the perfect date night skirt!

McCall's 6181

2011-11-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

So I know that I said that we had pictures of Lincoln from Halloween looking more enthusiastic about his lamb costume than he did here, but it turns out that was pretty much a lie. He looks vaguely unimpressed in every photo that we took. See:

Sadly, we didn't take too many photos, and it seems kind of silly to dress him up again just so I can get a picture of him smiling. So, I guess Halloween 2011 will officially go down in history as a solemn event. I swear, he actually had fun though! And didn't hate his costume! He thought it was pretty amazing that people were willing to give him candy, and he even believes us every time we tell him that he can have a little bite of something after dinner, even though we usually forget and he hasn't actually gotten to eat much of the candy at all. So trusting!

I did finally post the pattern review, in case you're interested in stitching up McCall's 6181 yourself. It's a great pattern and as you can see, it comes out really cute! I actually made it up twice this year- once for Lincoln's lamb costume, and again for a black kitty costume for a friend.

Official pattern reviews are here and here if you're interested. Despite appearances, I am going to call Halloween 2011 a success! Hope yours was fun too!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

From my sweet little lamb!

We've got more photos of Lincoln looking a little bit more enthusiastic, but iPhoto is being a butt right now and I can't actually get to them to share them.

I'll be back with more pics and a pattern review of McCalls 6181, which I used to stitch up the lamb costume, once technology is on my side again. In the meantime, Happy Halloween!

Easy maternity skirt refashion

2011-10-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

I've had this skirt sitting in my "to be refashioned" pile forever. It was way too long and extra poufy, so a few months ago I decided to disassemble the skirt from the waistband. I took in about 12" of width (I'm telling you, seriously poufy!), added some pleats, and started to shorten it and reattach the waistband. For some reason I lost steam though, and it has sat pinned but unsewn for months. Once my belly started to grow and my wardrobe started to shrink, I decided it was time I did something with that thing after all. Using essentially the same technique that I did on this skirt the first time around, I made myself a comfy new addition to my maternity wardrobe for approximately zero dollars.

With the help of my serger, this was even easier and faster than last time. I folded some black 1x1 rib into a long tube and serged up the side, then folded the tube in half the other way and sandwiched it between the skirt and lining and serged again. And done. The only thing that would make it better is pockets. Still might go back and add some.

I saved the waistband so I can potentially go back after the baby comes and finish the original project I started. I'll add pleats to the front and back to take in the width instead of just gathering, but for the pregnancy belly, this is definitely the preferred method. Lots of room to grow and still be comfortable. Makes me want to take another peek in my closet and see if there's anything else with potential to be fixed up in the same way.

more fun with knits: copycat

2011-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've been having some more fun sewing with knits, furthering my mission to create an entire maternity wardrobe for myself that feels like yoga pants and t-shirts but is more socially acceptable for public display.

This time, I turned to my closet again for inspiration. I pulled out a favorite top that I picked up at Nordstrom well over a year ago. It's soft and drapey and looks cute dressed up or down. I wear it all the time, and have been pleased that so far it's still roomy enough to accomodate my expansion project nicely. My original is black, and I decided to replicate it in the leftover brown knit from my reversible skirt project to make another basic staple for my wardrobe. Below you see the original on the left, and my copycat on the right.

I simply laid my existing shirt out on my cutting table to trace a pattern. I folded it in half lengthwise and traced once for the front and once for the back, adding a seam allowance as I went. There are five pintucks along each shoulder of the original and a row of 8 on the bottom, so I did some math (incorrectly) and added in some extra width to accomodate those. I realized my math error after I cut, so I improvised and only made three narrower tucks on each shoulder of my copycat, and six along the hemline. As a result, it's not quite as flowy as the original, but there's still plenty of room for me and my onboard occupant. See:

I also used the remaining bits of the striped fabric from the reverse side of my skirt to make another version. I didn't have enough width to accomodate the pintucks at all, so I just cut a basic outline of the shape and stitched it together. The result is a much less drapey and more casual tee, but I think with the stripes, the added fullness might have been weird anyway.

I think the waistband at the bottom is nice to give these basic tops a little something extra. It's not just a regular t-shirt, but it's just as comfy as one. And seriously, so quick and easy to put together. I could make a whole closet full of these, but I'll try to exercise a little restraint and try something new. And, like usual, there are a couple more pics in my flickr set if you're interested.

Pumpkin-ing!

2011-10-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

We visited Oxbow Farms in Duvall this weekend looking for a little bit of fall fun, and we found it! Oxbow is an organic farm with a wonderful u-pick pumpkin patch. Every pumpkin was perfect! No weird flat spots, no piles of rotten mush, just loads of beautiful, plump, bright orange pumpkins begging to be chosen.

Oxbow also has a "living playground" with magical winding gourd tunnels, the "sorghum spiral" corn maze, and lots of beautiful areas to explore and get up close and personal with your veggies. It's really an amazing place.

Add lunch at the Grange Cafe, and what you have is a perfect fall day. I highly recommend a trip to Duvall to visit Oxbow Farms and Grange Cafe to anyone in the area.

How cute are these?!?

2011-10-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm on a bit of a mission to get Lincoln potty trained by February when Thing 2 arrives. Although we're certainly not stressing it or pushing things, we are gradually introducing Lincoln to all the equipment that is necessary for this change. We've had a potty upstairs in the bathroom forever, and he's familiar with the concept of using it, although he hasn't actually gone in it in months. When he was younger (and less bullheaded) he actually liked to sit on it and would occasionally potty in it before bath time. Lately, it's a battle of wills to even get him to sit down on it without a diaper on, but every once in a while he surprises us. We're in no rush, but it would be so nice to be done with his diapers by the time it's time to start all over again.

Anyway, obviously there's more to potty training than a potty, and that's where these little cuties come in:

They're the Little Fishies Undies by Fishsticks Designs, and they're just about the sweetest little things you've ever seen, aren't they?

I serged them up quick with some cotton interlock that I picked up at JoAnn, and modified them by following the included instructions to make them into soakers. I made a size 2 for my tall and slender two year old, and I think they're a pretty good fit. The pattern calls for 1" non-roll elastic, but the stuff I had was really stiff so I used regular 3/4" knit elastic and slimmed down the waistband casing accordingly. I think they're easier for Lincoln to operate himself that way.

As far as soakability goes, they're still just basically cotton underoos with an extra layer. They don't do ~~much~~ anything to hold up against a pee when it's let loose. (As evidenced by the puddle Lincoln was standing in a short time after this photo was taken.) I think if I make up another batch, I'll try Bonnie's suggestion to add a layer of stretch terry inside instead of just doubling the interlock.

Love the pattern though, and it was really easy to put together. I can see many more pairs of these being made once underwear are a staple in this house for the littles. Lincoln loved picking out the firetruck fabric, and was really excited that Mama was making him underwear. But he was also completely shocked to find himself all wet when he peed in them, as though he had NO IDEA where the liquid came from. He's clearly not super tuned in to the activity down there right now. Any suggestions for getting things to click? I know when he's ready it's going to be easier, but I figure if we lay some groundwork now, it will be a smoother transition...

fun with knits: 2 skirts in one

2011-10-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite knit items in my closet is a skirt that I found at a consignment store when I was pregnant with Lincoln. It's a perfect maternity skirt because it has a nice wide waistband (kind of like a belly band) that you can fold down or wear up over your belly when you need a little more coverage. The one I bought is a black knit with a bright pink paisley pattern, and it has a little flouncy ruffle at the bottom. Best part is, it's reversible! You can wear the printed side out, or flip it so that the black lining side is out and fold down the printed waistband. Love, love, love it. And it even made a great skirt for my non-maternity days. It's super versatile.

Naturally, I decided to see if I could make something similar from some knit remnants that I picked up at the Pacific Fabrics Outlet for cheap. And check it out- I ended up with two very different skirts in one:

I found this cute tonal pink stripe knit underneath the remnants table for $5.99/yd. Sometimes it pays to dig around a little bit in a place like that! It's a stiffer knit, kind of like a heavy t-shirt material. I cut this side on the bias and gave it a slight a-line shape. I also hemmed this side 1/4" shorter than the other, so that the brown side would just peek out and give kind of a slip appearance. Cute, eh?

For the reverse, I used a slinkier chocolate brown knit that was only $4.99/yd. I cut this skirt straight, so it's more figure-hugging shape than the other side. And since I used the same pink knit for the waistband on both sides, you get a fun contrast waistband when you fold it down this way.

Construction wise, it really doesn't get much easier. It's essentially just a four rectangles stitched up the sides, then sandwiched with the wide waistband in the middle. Comfy, cheap, and quick and easy to make. Of course my serger and a twin-needle help make things look nice and professional, but it would have been easy to do even without those things. I love projects like that!

it's a baby!

2011-10-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big day! Like a good little patient, I consumed a giganto jug of water in the hour preceding my appointment, and spent all my time in the waiting room praying that I wouldn't sneeze. Fortunately, the tech is very good at what she does, and she got the shots that she needed with a full bladder taken care of super quickly. I was released to the restroom after just about five minutes, and was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the show.

Everything seems to be coming along quite nicely:

With our friendly ultrasound tech as our tour guide, we were shown all the essentials- two arms, two legs, the head, and the tiny heart beating away. What we didn't see, however, was something that was quite distinct and obvious the first time around at Lincoln's first photo shoot. Nope, this baby definitely doesn't have the same thing happening below the waist:

Look, Mama: no boy parts!

But, if ultrasound images are to be relied upon as a good indicator, she's otherwise going to look exactly like Lincoln. I love that we ended up with an image of each of them that is so much the same. What a sweet little momento! Can't wait to meet you, Thing2! Or maybe we should start calling you something more feminine, like BabyGirlJames. It has a nice ring, no?

she did it again!

2011-10-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

The lovely and talented Jen of Sew Fun has talent for days! I've already gone on and on (and on) about the Grab & Go Diaper Clutch, which is fantastic and in my opinion a must-have for all parents, and now there's something new to rave about! It's the Special Occasion Gift Tote, and it's going to be my new go-to present wrapping secret. Check it out:

I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for this adorable bucket, so you're looking at one of the first ever gift totes right there. Welcome to history! We're making it together here, peeps.

Look at this cute one that Jen made with little rubber duckies! These are just perfect for a baby shower gift, and with that specially designed pocket for a gift card, you get a lot of bang for your gift buck.

And check out the inside, with six perfect little slots for tucking your gifts and keeping things neat (just the way I like them). You can fill it up with bottles of baby shampoo, onesies and swaddling blankets, lotions, wipes- all the necessities. Then stick a cute fuzzy bear in the center for baby to slobber on, a gift card in the pocket for that inevitable day when mom runs out of diapers, and you've got a perfect gift and a reusable bucket too.

Of course, when I made this prototype up for Jen, all of our tubes of butt cream and baby wash were half-squeezed and grimy, and Lincoln was napping in his room where the onesies and swaddling blankets were. I just stuffed mine up full of spare toiletries to take the photos, which made me realize that this could make a really cute gift for someone heading off to college too. Or maybe a sweet housewarming present stuffed with cleaning supplies and a beautiful feather duster in the center? What? Yes! They actually can be beautiful. Just look at this one! Or this one! Ooh lah lah!

I haven't been to any showers or given any gifts lately, so the tote I made is currently living on the changing table where it holds all the little tubes and bottles that didn't have a good home before. I might have purposefully made it in colors to match Lincoln's room because I selfishly planned to keep it all along, or it could have just been a happy coincidence. I'll never tell.

The Special Occasion Gift Tote pattern is available as an instant-download PDF so you can buy it now and sew it now. Perfect for impatient seamstresses like myself! Check out more pics on flickr too to see all the details that this baby has to offer. I'm just saying- you show up at a baby shower with this tote stuffed with goodies, you're going to be one popular guest! Might even get an extra cupcake.

pattern review: Butterick 5495- maternity style!

2011-10-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Inspired by all the fabulous sewing blogs that I've been reading lately, I have a mad desire to stitch myself up a whole new wardrobe. Unfortunately, I haven't the time, resources, or the body to do so right now. After all, it doesn't really make much sense to spend what valuable time and money I do have sewing for maternity me, especially since I'm just in the beginning phases of my expansion.

But, of course, I picked up a few Butterick patterns during the last 99 cent JoAnn sale anyway. One of the styles is 5495, a nice easy knit top that I would absolutely wear normally, and I figured with all the gathering happening in the midriff it would probably work for me right now too. Bonus: it takes just one yard to make the cap-sleeve version (pictured in red below), so I picked up a soft rayon/spandex blend in a nice leafy green with a 40% off coupon too. Total cost for pattern and fabric = less than $8.

This is the first Butterick pattern I've sewn, so I wasn't sure if there would be as much ease as some others that I've worked with. I frequently choose to sew down a size from what the pattern measurements suggest, otherwise I'm swimming. For the first attempt, I figured I would cut what was recommended given my (now fuller) bust measurement, knowing that even if it was a bit big I could always take it in or just wait and grow into it.

Fortunately, I guessed right this time. I couldn't have gotten away with any smaller right now, and I actually had to lengthen the middle strap that cinches up the gathers in order to give my belly some breathing room. With the longer strap it's just right for now, and I figure a few months postpartum I can always cinch it back up to snug the fit back up again.

Sidenote: Lincoln is obsessed with buttons of every variety. When he saw me pushing the button on the camera remote he HAD to get in on the action, sans pants as per usual. He was carrying around the shopping bag in the background and dropped it behind me first. I didn't notice the new photo prop until I was editing the pics...

I haven't sewn much with knits for myself, and I think this may have been the perfect time to start. Of course I wear them all the time, but until recently it never occurred to me that it's probably actually easier to sew knit projects than woven in some respects. Fitting is certainly easier, especially for a transitional time like pregnancy. And I'm pretty sure you can't beat clothes that feel like pj's! This top is definitely one I will make again. I think red next time, and perhaps the 3/4 sleeve. Or maybe a print if I can find one.

Find the pattern review here on patternreview.com if you're interested.

double-wide

2011-10-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

So since it turns out that twice as many kids means twice as much crap to store, it became obvious right away that we were going to have to make some changes to Lincoln's room if we were going to fit a whole extra kid and all the accoutrements in there in a few months.

The first problem was the cheap old Ikea dresser, which my handy hubby fitted with a custom changing table top before Lincoln arrived. It has been serving our needs just fine, but the problem is, with only three sagging paper-board drawers already stuffed to the gills with Lincoln's clothes, there's no room for baby stuff in there. I started scouring Craigslist for a six-drawer dresser to replace it, hoping to find something old and sturdy to refinish instead of heading to Ikea to buy yet another piece of disposable furniture.

As usual, Craigslist delivered, and we found a nice solid mid-century piece for just $20.

The finish is hideous, and it's far from being in perfect condition, but it's for a kid's room, so I was happy to bring it home and knew that a bit of TLC would make a world of difference. I sanded, I puttied, I stained, I poly-ed, and it's a whole new dresser now, filled with Lincoln's clothes on one side and ready to be stuffed with tiny little outfits for Thing 2 on the other.

I love the legs, which give it a nice airy feeling, and the classic lines. And the metal detailing really pops against the new dark color. We chose a rich stain called Red Mahogany by Minwax. It's the perfect match for the big-boy bed that is supposedly "on the way" (still! Six weeks later! Mor furniture is so on my list...).

I used some of my Midori paper to line the drawers, affixing it with spray adhesive. I didn't have more than two or three of any one paper, so I just used a different one in each drawer for a random little twist. Between the fresh stain and the lined drawers, it really feels like a brand new dresser, not one that's been hanging around for 50 or so years.

And since we lost the changing station when we ditched the other dresser, we just attached the changing pad to the top of this one. The height is perfect, and the pad has little straps to secure it to the top, so it's safe even without the fancy top piece that David made for the other one.

I'm looking forward to sharing more photos of the room as things change, but the damn bed has to arrive in order for anything else to happen. Stay tuned! Hopefully before February we'll be settled in and Lincoln will be happily sleeping the night away in his new room.

A few more pics of the process here on flickr if you're interested.

nineteen weeks

2011-09-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, moving right along with this pregnancy and already just about half-cooked! I can tell, because the pop-up turkey timer that has replaced my belly button is approximately half-popped at this point. Just the top half, mostly, so it's starting to kind of resemble an eyelid. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was about three minutes after I hit "publish" on my last belly post that everything suddenly emerged from hiding and I really started to look pregnant.

19 weeks

My apologies for the weird yellow lighting. I do have a cold, but as far as I know, not jaundice. It was evening by the time I mustered the energy to take a photo, and obviously, I couldn't be bothered to brush my hair or put on shoes either. Just keeping it real here.

Also have started to really feel the baby moving a lot in the last week or so, and not those vague little "was that it?" type of bubbles, but real kicks and jabs and flips. The timing of the first movement was great, as I was fairly certain that I had caused Thing 2's untimely demise when I electrocuted myself in my ongoing quest to rid the world of almond-colored electrical outlets a few days earlier. And although I know much better than to consult Dr. Google when it comes to such matters, I couldn't help myself. My fingers were typing "electrical shock while pregnant" before I could even think to stop them, and the next thing I knew I was going to all sorts of dark places that we don't even want to think about. So yeah, DON'T GOOGLE! Especially when pregnant. Google should have that disclaimer right on the search page, actually:

"If you're pregnant and are about to consult the internets regarding some mysterious symptom or need answers to any question best answered by a medically trained professional, PLEASE BACK AWAY!"

And, nineteen weeks also means that it's about time to find out what kind of parts this baby is going to have! By this time next week, we'll know (assuming full cooperation on the part of Thing 2). I keep going back and forth on what kind I'm currently rooting for. Sometimes I would really like a girl, for the obvious reasons: cute ruffly dresses, doll houses, pigtails, etc. But- it would also be really fun to have another boy because then Lincoln would have a brother. Something about brothers just seems like fun. Plus, we already have all the right clothes and toys for that kind of baby. But if it was a girl, think of all the cute stuff I could sew! You see the dilemma. But we'll see soon enough. Well, not really soon enough- but it's just a few days, so I guess I can wait.

In other news, Lincoln is still a charming two year old, and he's really become interested in dressing and (mostly) undressing himself lately. He's frequently taking off his pants because he's "too hot" and last night ate dinner in just a diaper at his passionate insistence. While it does make for easy clean up, I was concerned that he would drop a hot noodle on his belly so I finally convinced him that a bib would be a nice addition to his ensemble. It's fun to see him asserting his independence this way, and usually he's successful in his attempts at doing things "ALL BY MYSELF". Sometimes though, not so much:

Lincoln insisted on undressing himself for his bath that night, and somewhere in the shirt removal process things went horribly wrong. He just could not get it off of his (perhaps oddly large?) head, and wouldn't let me help at all. Finally I gave up and he calmed down and into the tub he went with a stylish new turban and an ear all red from the struggle. I finally just tore it off quick like a band-aid, which of course resulted in a mighty tantrum, but he was soon distracted by me washing his hair and he had something new to complain about so all was well once again.

He entertains us in so many ways, really. He's also been singing a lot of songs lately, both ones that we have taught him, and ones that he has made up on his own. His little imagination is so fun to watch, and I think this age is just incredibly awesome. He particularly likes to walk around with a partially extended tape measure held across his belly singing: "I play banjo, I play banjo..." Maybe we should get him a little guitar so he doesn't end up sitting on a porch with a jug between his knees? Redirect that musical talent now, while he's still young.

A Sorbetto hack

2011-09-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

So remember when I said that I was inspired by The Sew Weekly's 7 Days of Sorbetto challenge to see just what I could make the Sorbetto pattern do for me? Well here's more proof of the versatility and evidence of the good bones that this pattern has. It's nice as is, but it's also so easy to tweak and rework into something that will fit anyone. I think this one will even still fit me in a few months when my belly starts to resemble a basketball smuggled under my shirt.

Obviously, there's not much left that resembles the original tank from this view, but since I knew that the proportions and the size were right (or easily adjusted) on the original pattern, I just took my pencil and scissors to a piece of pattern paper and started hacking away to create this maternity modification.

I started by drafting a new piece for the belly region, and I knew that cutting that piece on the bias would help accomodate my growing middle over the next few months by adding plenty of drape and flow. I added five inches of length to the front and back pieces, and I also added width to the new belly piece (4 inches) which was gathered in to match the modified bodice and shaped inset.

I added sleeves using the same sleeve pattern as before (from The Sew Weekly). I slashed and spread the pattern piece to add two inches to it in the middle, and then I gathered that up in a pleat on top to give the sleeves a nice flowy effect. I also added ties to the side seam to provide some more shape and allow for adjustments as I expand.

I finished the hem and sleeves with a narrow rolled hem on my serger and decided at the last minute to change the neckline shape from round to a V. I cut the new neckline then traced the front and back of the top to create a pattern piece for a neckline facing. I then attached it essentially like bias tape, sewing it down on the outside of the top. The point is a wee bit crooked compared to the upward-facing V on the bodice piece, but I can live with it.

The fabric was from my stash, and is probably ten years old. It's a nice weight for a top, and kind of a crepe-like material. Silky, but not too slippery. And I love not paying anything to make myself something. That's always good too.

I see tons of potential in this pattern, and plan to keep playing with it to make many more Sorbetto mods. I'm thinking knit next.

Hello? Grandpa?

2011-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

One of Lincoln's favorite games is to call up the family and have a nice long conversation with them, usually consisting of "Hello? Hi. How doin' today? Good?" repeated over and over. We have a cordless phone that isn't hooked up and he usually makes his calls from that, but on this particular afternoon the foot pedal from my serger made for an excellent substitute. And yes, Grandpa and Tyee are doing well, thanks for asking!

Thing 2

2011-09-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I have some exciting news! Our happy little family of three is expected to grow into a happy family of four sometime at the end of February! We'll find out next month what variety of baby is on the way, but in the meantime we've taken to affectionately referring to him/her as "Thing 2".

So far, this pregnancy is fairly unremarkable. I've been sicker than I was with Lincoln, but nothing too awful, and I'm much better now that the second trimester is underway. And with Lincoln my skin was clear, my hair stopped falling out, and I mostly felt really amazing. Can't say the same this time around, unfortunately! My complexion has been ick, my hair falls out in clumps, and I'm tired a lot. I imagine that the tiredness is largely due to chasing a two-year old around during the day and being kicked by him in bed all night long. Where IS that big-boy bed, anyway? Coming on a slow boat from China, I expect.

We've been busily preparing a couple of things to make the house a little bit more hospitable for our growing brood, and I'll be sharing those details shortly. Naturally, I've gotten bitten by a mad sewing bug and have tons of projects that I want to do and may or may not even be able to fit into once I finish, depending on how exponential the growth is in the belly region. Why aren't there more cute maternity patterns? I did work some magic on a Sorbetto top modification though, and it's very belly-friendly. Will post photos and details on that soon.

Lincoln is excited about being a big brother, and I think he will be an amazing one. He offers my belly kisses and hugs on a regular basis, and he even sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to the bump the other day. He's so dang adorable!

And, since no pregnancy post is complete without a belly shot, here's one taken today (16 weeks, 1 day):

I've been slacking, and have only taken photos at 9 weeks and 16 weeks to document the progress so far. It's not terribly exciting yet anyway- no inverted belly buttons or anything! The pics are here, and I'll keep adding to the album as things progress.

finger painting!

2011-09-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

I think the look on his face says it all!

selfish sewing with Colette

2011-09-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get a bug to sew something up for myself for no good reason. Not something practical or necessary, just something to exercise my sewing muscles and take a break from "have to" sewing.

I've been spending more time perusing sewing blogs lately, and I was inspired by The Sew Weekly's 7 Days of Sorbetto challenge. The Sorbetto, in case you live under a rock or are my husband, is a free tank pattern by Sarai of Colette Patterns that, as evidenced by Mena's variations, is infinitely adaptable. The idea of finding a great base top pattern that can be built on and modified to suit a variety of styles is intriguing to me, so I decided to whip up a Sorbetto myself to see if there was potential there for me too.

I used fabric that had a previous incarnation as a disastrous failure from Spring Top Week. I had attempted to resurrect it, but it was no use, so I shelved it, and was happy to see that there was still enough fabric there to cut my Sorbetto. I had to modify a bit by cutting the front piece in two parts and stitching it together rather than cutting it on the fold, but this was really just a muslin to test size and see if the pattern had a good fit for me for future mods, so I wasn't concerned with that minor detail.

Aside from that, I cut and sewed the Sorbetto just as indicated in the instructions. Well, I guess that's not entirely true either. I added sleeves using the pattern from The Sew Weekly, and I stitched the bias binding at the neckline to the inside rather than the outside. But other than that, it's made just as instructed. I'm happy with the size and the fit, and I do think that it's a great base pattern to build from. It's too short for my taste though, and I doubt that I'll wear this particular version for anything besides lounging around the house or sleeping in.

While I was at it, I also downloaded another of Colette's free patterns, the Madeleine Bloomers. These are adorable, completely impractical, and again, something I probably won't ever wear. But I didn't care! I just wanted to sew something for the fun of it, and these are super quick to put together and easy too.

These were also stitched up entirely with things that I already had on hand. The fabric is a drapey, silkey bit of leftovers from a previous attempt at sewing something that I can't even remember right now. Probably a top, probably a failure that I never wore. It was the perfect weight for these bloomers though, and I got to try some fancy French seams and felling techniques that I don't ever use, so it was a good exercise. And they are cute, it just takes some mad confidence that I don't possess to pull them off. Even for PJ's.

There are some more photos of these garments here, along with some detailed shots of the interior seam finishes if you're a sewing nerd and think that would be interesting to see. And I highly recommend downloading one or both of these free patterns from Colette and sewing them up for yourself. Even if you're like me and you don't actually plan to use them! Sometimes you just need to sew, right?

Old News, part II: Lincoln's birthday party!

2011-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

In addition to the little celebration that we had in Chelan for Lincoln's birthday, we also celebrated again with family and friends once we were back on the west side. I mentioned before that I found some paper treat buckets featuring the Cat in the Hat in the dollar section at Target, and then stumbled upon some punch out letters at JoAnn. And voila, it's a Cat in the Hat party!

David designed the invites to coordinate. Aren't they cute?

Other than that, we didn't really do anything to reinforce the theme. I taped up some of the letters to the mantle to make a happy birthday sign, and I used them a few other places to label the food and drink locations, but forgot to take any photos.

My favorite touch: the platters of cupcakes made with a boxed mix leftover from the fourth of July (shhhh!!!). The red, white, and blue palette matched the theme perfectly and they were freshly baked that morning, so it's not like they were old. Right?

A few bamboo skewers and some scotch tape and we had an adorable cupcake centerpiece for the boy to make his second birthday wish on.

And this year he totally understood the presents, too. He was more than happy to dig in!

Look at that oooooh face! He was a happy boy. Thanks to everyone who joined in on the birthday celebrations for our sweet boy, on both sides of the mountains. Lincoln is so lucky to have such amazing family and friends, and we are too! Much love.

And once again, a few more photos here on flickr, if you're so inclined.

Old News, part I: we went on vacation!

2011-08-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

As you may recall, we went to sunny and gorgeous Lake Chelan for a week at the beginning of August. It was a long-awaited trip and the first time we've been on a vacation for a whole week anywhere since our weddingmoon in New Orleans. It was high time, and it was perfection!

It was seven days of playing in the sand and the crystal-clear lake, and soaking up some sun in our pasty white Pacific-Northwesterner skin. It was sleeping in (as late as Lincoln would allow, which was miraculously an hour later than usual), and spending the morning doing not much of anything and getting organized by lunchtime to venture into town or to visit our friends or family. Perfect vacation.

I used to think the brown hills of Eastern Washington were so ugly and depressing, but I find them so picturesque and striking now. Weird how our impressions change as we get older. Or maybe it's all the extra Vitamin D we get while we're there.

My big boy turned two during our stay, and we celebrated with BBQ and chocolate cake at Lake Chelan Winery with a small group of family and friends. It was a great night with delicious food and wonderful people. There were no decorations and the cake was from the grocery store, but it was a perfect party for my lucky kiddo in the middle of our getaway.

And I really wanted to take some family photos while we were there, but as usual, we took 4-bazillion pictures and nearly every one is of Lincoln alone. Guess we'll have to go back! A few more photos here on flickr. (Not all 4-bazillion, I promise!)

Back! With a tour!

2011-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

So yeah- it's been so long since I've posted here that there are a million different things that I want to write about and I don't even know where to start. So instead of trying to decide what OLD stuff to share, I decided to post some ground-breaking, of-the-minute, and frankly startling news instead.

YOU CAN SEE THE GROUND IN MY SEWING ROOM! AND ALL THE TABLE TOPS!

It's practically a miracle, so I decided that before I set foot in there to start one more project, I would take some photos to document the conditions in there right now. It's not likely to last, so this way there is solid proof that at least for one day, the place was mostly clean and presentable.

And in case you need a refresher, here's the horrid state of the room as of the last thorough photo tour. That was way back in April, 2010, and A LOT has changed in the meantime. And even after changing things drastically many months ago, it took some serious living and working in the space to determine what final tweaks were needed to make the room really function the way that I needed it to. And I think I might finally be there. At least for now!

Behold! A space to cut fabric that doesn't require shifting a giant, teetering pile of junk off to one side or the use of a chair to hold the bolt off the floor while you cut! It's truly an amazing day here at the James residence.

This table was formerly the computer desk in our downstairs living area. It was really much too large for our needs though, and just served as a dumping ground for lots of other stuff to pile up. Thanks to the adjustable legs, we're able to give it a new home as a standing-height table in my sewing room and it's the perfect size for cutting and assembling projects.

My former employer gave me tons of beautiful Midori giftwrap samples. It's gorgeous heavy paper that comes in a 21" x 29" sheet. I originally wanted to store it flat, but there's just no reasonable way to do that, so Hubby came up with this solution for me and built it with parts from Home Depot. The space also became ribbon storage, and a place to store rolls of wrapping and kraft paper too. This is a highly functional corner with no footprint. Gotta love that!

This is where all the magic happens! My beloved Brother sewing/embroidery machine sits alongside her brother, the Brother serger. This table also holds my industrial snap press, a box of works-in-progress, and a riser holds sewing tools like pins, bobbins, machine feet, and assorted other bits on a lazy susan to keep everything close at hand. The box below the riser is a drawer organizer that is full of rick-rack, bias tapes, and thread.

Those are my favorite corners, but there's more! To see more photos of the space along with a few notes about specific items, you can check out the flickr set here.

Alright- off to go mess everything up! But at least now I have witnesses. It WAS clean for a morning, at least. Back soon with some of the aforementioned "old stuff" to share.

Lincoln's Plum

2011-08-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

In honor of our little man's fast-approaching second birthday, we planted a tree in the back yard and placed his placenta underneath. Yes, that means that we've had Lincoln's placenta lying around (in the freezer) for two years and yes, we're complete procrastinators. But see how I made it seem like we did it specifically for his second birthday, and not just two years late? That's a half-full glass for you.

We chose a combo plum tree because we love the idea of having fruit in our back yard, and because how cool is it that five different varieties will grow on a single tree? Seriously cool. And since there are different varieties, it's magically self-pollinating, so we don't need to have more than one tree. Which is good, because I don't know that we really even have room for one but we planted it anyway. The tree will someday produce Green Gage, Beauty, Brooks, Blue Damson, and Shiro plums. And someday Lincoln will climb those limbs and throw Mama a ripe juicy plum like a good little boy. Can't wait!

And if you're interested and/or have a strong stomach, I've posted some photos of the placenta in it's un-frozen and relatively freshly birthed state. Our midwife was happy to give us a tour of the organ after we brought it home, and it's really kind of fascinating and amazing if you're into that kind of thing. I recognize that not everyone is, so I made a private, invitation-only Flickr set that can only be accessed by clicking here. You won't stumble upon these photos by accident while browsing mixer covers, don't worry! And there's only three, so it's hardly a fully scientific and in-depth tour, but interesting nonetheless. However, I stress: CLICK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

fair warning

2011-07-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

We're going on vacation!!! It's the first real vacation we've taken since... our weddingmoon in New Orleans?!? I had to really think about that, and wow- seriously? 2008? That's sad. But anyway, we're packing up the car and driving to beautiful Lake Chelan to enjoy a week of fun and sun and family and friends. CAN'T WAIT!!

But the real reason why I'm sharing this here now is because I'll be putting the shop in vacation mode while I'm gone and I want to provide fair warning so you're not unexpectedly left without interfacing or a fabulous custom mixer cover for a week. (tragic!) And due to the time-intensive nature of custom orders, I will need to receive those requests in advance to ensure that there's plenty of time to receive the fabric, sew 'em up, and ship 'em out- so be prepared!

Alright, here's the breakdown:

twilltape will be CLOSED on August 6 and I plan to reopen on August 15.
If you are interested in a custom order, I will need to have received the request by July 25 (that's next Monday!) and fabric should be on the way. I'll stitch it up quick and get it mailed out before we go.

Thanks for understanding, and as always, email or convo me via etsy if you have any questions at all. I'm always happy to help.

give me strength!

2011-07-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since I read this blog post at Pancakes and French Fries and then this one at All & Sundry, I've had this paranoia about scissors and adult writing implements being left at kiddo height (obviously a valid concern to have). One morning I came downstairs with Lincoln to find a Sharpie and a box cutter on the floor from a project that hubs had been working on the night before and I flipped. Fortunately, I discovered them long before Lincoln did and returned them to a safe place, but my radar is definitely on for that kind of thing. And with a sewing room full of needles, rotary cutters, scissors and various other implements and marking tools, I try to keep pretty good tabs on all of it all the time.

We do, however, keep a box of crayons out for Lincoln to draw with. He's colored on the wall a couple of times but we've talked about it, Magic Erasered it, and went along our merry way. But then this morning Lincoln was sitting on the couch watching Monsters, Inc. while I folded laundry, and I went into the laundry room to start another load. I returned a couple of minutes later to find him standing in front of the couch with a red crayon in his hand, having scribbled big scrawls on three of the five seat cushions and one of the throw pillows. I didn't notice at first- I just asked him if he wanted to go upstairs with me to help me change the sheets on the bed and then I realized what I was actually looking at. Mama was NOT pleased and Lincoln got some serious time out while I tried to clean up his mess. Fortunately, I think the cushions must be stain protected, or else Bac-Out is more of a miracle worker than I ever realized, but it all came off with no trouble. We had a nice long discussion about how crayons must only be used to draw on paper, and I thanked my lucky stars that it wasn't a permanent marker.

Now cut to two hours later, and we had just finished a nice lunch on the deck and I'm in the kitchen cleaning up. Lincoln comes by and, as he often does, he stops at the open dishwasher to investigate. We discourage him every time, and shoo him away to play with something else, but there is something magnetic about dirty dishes to a toddler, apparently, and he just keeps coming back for more. Typically he reaches for one of his spoons from the cutlery rack, and we'll take it back and tell him that they're dirty and need to be washed before he can use them again. Today though, he must have been riding the high from his couch decorating adventure or something, because he went straight for a knife (a butter knife, but still), grabbed it from the tray and took off running and laughing maniacally. I yelled for him to stop and took off after him, but it was a fun game at this point and he was darting back and forth on the opposite side of the table from me, fully invested in our game of cat & mouse. I finally caught him halfway down the hallway, after hesitating trying to decide whether it was safer to give chase or not, since I didn't want him to get all worked up and fall on the knife. I scooped him up and took the knife from his hand, then sat him down in a chair for time out. The whole time that I was trying to explain to him that knives weren't toys and that running with knives was absolutely not a good idea, he was laughing a deep belly laugh like I was tickling him instead of reprimanding him. There was nothing jovial in the tone of my voice, and I had a firm grip on his arms to try to get him to sit down and take a time out, but to Lincoln, we were having the best time we'd had all day! What gives? How are you supposed to teach toddlers about dangerous things when they don't seem to get the difference between serious and hilarious? I'm puzzled. And exhausted. David returns tonight from a 9 day business trip, and I couldn't be happier. I can't wait to hand over half of the parenting responsibility to someone else again. Just a few hours to go! I hope we both survive!

adorable owls

2011-07-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've had a request for a custom mixer cover that wasn't a re-run of something that I've already made, so I was really excited to get this order recently. Look at the cute combination of fabrics that my customer selected!

The owl print is Robert Kaufman and the trim is by Erin McMorris for Free Spirit. I love how bright and cheerful this cover is! My favorite thing about making custom orders is that it's so much fun to see what people pick out and to make something completely unique.

I get a lot of inquiries about the custom order process from my Etsy shop, and I find that everyone has the same questions, so I'll be putting together a post that tackles some of the frequently asked questions regarding custom orders very soon. Keep an eye out for it!

on laziness and toddlers

2011-07-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been a while. I've missed you! Every day I think of something that I would like to share here in this space, and every day laziness wins out over productivity. Or, by the time I sit down at the computer after finally getting the crazy-town non-sleeping toddler asleep (in my bed, btw), my eyes glaze over and I realize that I don't really have anything interesting to share after all. Better just get to bed myself! Anyway, all this to say that yes, I'm alive. Still sewing, still mama-ing, and mostly just loving every minute of it all.

The marker still hasn't come all the way off, and this was four baths ago! Maybe we need washable ones?

Lincoln will be two in less than a month, and it's (past) time to start planning a little party for him. Also- holy crap! How did this happen! Two??? He's currently loving The Cat in the Hat, and has figured out how to work Daddy's iPad to watch it on the PBS Kids app all by himself. I thought that a "Cat Hat" (as Lincoln says) themed party would be kind of fun, and then I found some cute little buckets in the dollar bin at Target that are the perfect size for little snacks or party favors or whatever, and they've got the Cat right on them, so it's sealed. I figure some cupcakes with red, white, and blue frosting, and a bowl of fishy crackers and we've got it nailed. Right? He's only two- he won't really remember the details. Anyway, should be fun.

The little man is sure a fun kiddo to be around these days- he's talking a lot and he's such a sweetie most of the time. He's pretty reserved and gentle, definitely an observer more than a barrel head-first into traffic kind of kid, which I appreciate. He says "bluss you" when you sneeze (or burp), and it just kills me when I hand him a cup of apple juice or a granola bar or whatever and he says "thank you, mama". I taught him how to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star the other night, and I almost died he was so cute singing it to me. I took a really crappy video in the dark with my phone, and if I can figure out how to make it look a little better, or just upload the audio, I'll share it here. Adorable.

He does weird things like taking off his socks in the car and putting them on his hands. Then falls asleep and falls victim to my camera.

He is also, as mentioned previously, almost two though, and he's definitely entered into a new stage of independence and limit-testing. He says that he "needs" almost everything- "Lincoln needs milk", and when I ask him to say "please" he just shakes his head and says no. If we don't get him something quickly enough, a few quick little stomps are his favorite way to spur us into action. And just about everything in the house is "mines," in the world according to Lincoln. My iPhone, Daddy's computer, every book and toy in the house. All "MINES!"

We took the side off his crib once he learned to climb over to avoid any broken bones, and things haven't been the same around here since! He all but refuses to sleep in his bed now but will happily take up the middle 65% of ours, arms and elbows growing out of every side of his little body to kick and poke us all night long. He will, however, happily "play sleep" just about anywhere, including on the kitchen floor under dirty dish towel blankets.

He knows all of his colors and the name of every vehicle that drives, floats, or flies. He can count to ten and says his ABC's, minus a few of the less-important blocks of letters. He knows lots of animals, the names of his books, and "reads" along with his favorite parts. "Boom, Boom, Boom. Mr. Brown is a wonder" is one of his favorite parts from Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? He tells us "nice shirt" and "nice hair" all the time, which is just hilarious considering the clothing and bedhead that he tends to compliment. I guess we're always looking our best to our biggest fan.

Lincoln loves to visit the Post Office with me, "where the mail trucks live," and will point out a mail truck or a bus coming down the street from blocks away. He also loves the view of the airport from our deck, and will happily watch "big white airplanes" land and take off all day long. He loves to play in the back yard in the new "soft grass" that we put in, and is slowly learning that we mean it when we tell him not to pull it all out or sprinkle dirt all over it from the nearby vegetable beds. We haven't had too much in the way of summer yet, but we did manage to enjoy a Push-Pop on a sunny day recently. It was a good day!

So anyway, all this to say that it's been mostly fun things that are keeping me from hanging out in this space as much as I would like to be here. And that toddlerhood is pretty amazing and Lincoln is such a delight. Pretty happy to be this kid's mama! And he's awake now, and currently yelling at me from the kitchen that he "needs fishy crackers," so I better move along. Before the stomping ensues.

welcome to our world

2011-06-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is totally inappropriate and totally not safe for work, but it's soooo completely where we are right now with Lincoln that I can't help but share.

It's a free download on Audible today. If you have an almost-two year old too, it might be just what you need.

Bohemian Soul BOGO Sale!

2011-06-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

It's a Bohemian Soul blowout sale! Today through the end of June, receive a free fat quarter of any Bohemian Soul fabric with the purchase of each full yard when you shop in the twilltape shop! It's a great way to get those summer projects rolling!

Maybe you want to make some cute baby dresses like Kate did? Or try your hand at a diaper clutch?

There are 8 beautiful prints in the Bohemian Soul collection, in the two colorways shown below. That's 16 possibilities to mix and match!

Freedom Palette

Love Palette

Please let me know which free fat quarter you would like in the message to the seller at checkout. Quantities are limited to stock on hand, and only the Bohemian Soul collection is eligible for this promotion at this time. Convo me or send me an email if you have questions.

Thanks! Happy stitching!

shopping smart

2011-06-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Now that we're once again a single-income household, it's becoming alarmingly clear that we need to tighten the purse strings and stop spending money like we're used to. In an effort to save a bit here and there on our grocery bill, I've started some not quite TLC-extreme couponing. I've always been skeptical of coupons and never saw the value in spending time clipping to save 55 cents on something, but after just a couple of weeks, I'm here to tell you that if you do it right, there are absolutely serious savings to be had.

I'm still learning, and I've gotten a lot of helpful advice (and a ton of printable coupons) from the Money Saving Mom website, and also from The Krazy Coupon Lady. There are a lot of similar sites out there, but I find that these two post frequently enough and cover so much ground, that if I followed any more blogs on the topic I would be completely overwhelmed by all the information and coupons out there and would never be able to actually leave the computer to shop.

One thing that I will say is practically essential if you want to get started saving the big bucks is a good organization system. Most of the reason that I've never successfully used coupons in the past is because even on the rare occasions when I would clip them, I would stuff them in my bag and completely forget about them until they were long-expired. This time, I've adopted the Krazy Coupon Lady's system of using a coupon binder. That's right, a binder! This is serious business, people! There is even a printable PDF on the site with common categories so you can make dividers and find things quickly. For a quick and easy way to get started and get organized, I would say it's a great way to go.

And since I'm a sewer, I couldn't resist making myself a little accessory for my new hobby. I needed a pencil case for my binder to stash my scissors, pencil, and notepad, and I really didn't want to spend my hard-saved dollars on an ugly plastic one. And after all, it's only a rectangle with some holes in it, I can just make my own. Isn't it cute?

I used some scraps from my scrap bin, a zipper, some bits of Peltex, and added 3/16" eyelets that I set with my Crop-A-Dile. I love it! And since it didn't cost me a dime, I'm sure the Krazy Coupon Ladies and the Money Saving Moms would be proud.

And before I go, I just have to share one thing that I've learned in the last couple weeks on my money-saving adventure. Even if you don't want to invest the time in clipping coupons, you should always pick up the weekly circular in the front of the store first thing when you walk in the door. I never did before, and I always assumed that the "sale" prices that I was seeing on the shelves was the same information that is communicated in the circular, so I figured there was no point. What I didn't realize is that there will frequently be a store coupon in the circular to give an even deeper discount off the already discounted sale price that is advertised on the shelf, but you have to have the circular to know that! Unless you have a nice checker who will point out a missed opportunity to you when you check out, you could be paying too much, even when you're buying something on sale! Since I almost always use self-checkout, I've been missing those opportunities for years. NO MORE!!

How about you? Do you coupon? Any other money-saving advice for me? Have you sewn yourself a cute pencil pouch recently? Do tell!

as promised: Sew Fun Diaper Clutch sewing tips

2011-06-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Back when I was blathering on about how great I think the Grab & Go Diaper Clutch is, I promised that I would be back with some tips and tricks for sewing your own. Well, wait no more, because here I am! Ready?

The first thing I want to talk about is lining up your print so your clutch looks fab and professional. The clutch that I carry is NOT a good example of this, as it was my prototype bag so I could get a feel for the pattern and I only had a wee bit of fabric to work with- not enough to be concerned about lining up the print. And since it's mine, I didn't really care. The bags that I make for sale in my shop, however, are typically made using the following method:

First, trace the pattern pieces onto tracing paper or vellum or something else that is transparent enough to see your fabric through it. You only need to trace the flap and body piece, and you don't really need to worry about transferring the marks, except for the snap placement mark. I punched this out with a hole punch on both pieces.

Next, choose the section of fabric that you want to highlight on the flap. In this case, there's a regular repeat, so I just chose to center a couple of the paisley designs for a nice symmetrical look. On my clutch, I centered the flap on one of the daisies so it was the focal point of the flap.

Cut around the flap piece with a rotary cutter. You can pin and cut if you prefer, but I just hold the pattern piece in place and cut around carefully. It's a basic shape so it's not hard.

Now, pick up your flap piece and move it up (or over) to the next repeat of the print. Line it up perfectly. It's impossible to tell, but the flap piece that I cut out is underneath the flap pattern piece in the photo above.

Now, put your body pattern piece on top and line up those snap placement holes. Make sure that the straight edges are parallel (on the top and the sides).

Cut around the bottom curved edges of the body piece. Then move your flap fabric and pattern piece out of the way and cut across the top edge.

Mark the snap placement with a fabric marker before you cut the second body piece. You'll want to be able to identify the one you lined up with the flap later, so mark that snap placement dot now! You did it! Once your bag is assembled, the magnetic snap will hold the flap in perfect alignment with the front body piece. Easy, right?

Now, regarding the back body piece you can make a choice depending on your fabric and on your personal preference. If you want to line up the back body piece with the flap (so there will be continuity to the pattern when the flap is open and viewed from the back) you can do the following:

Move your previously-cut flap piece and line it up with the repeat of the fabric again, same as before. This time though, line up the body piece and the flap piece by matching the dots on the top edges. Cut around the body piece as before, making sure to move the flap out of the way before you cut the straight edge so as not to slice right through it.

Now if you're like me, you might think that the upside-down paisley on the back would be weirder than having the flap not line up perfectly. In that case, you can just cut your back body piece from any section of the fabric, placing the pattern piece facing the same direction as the first body piece you cut.

You're done! Cut the rest of the pattern pieces and stitch it up. When assembled, the prints on the flap and body front should line up (very nearly) perfectly like this:

Sweet, huh? It's really easy to take a little bit of extra time before hand to make your bag look a lot nicer. It does take more fabric, and depending on how frequently the print repeats, sometimes a lot more, but I think it's a nice touch. Jen, the designer of the Sew Fun patterns and also a super sweet gal, also has a tutorial for this. You should check it out here. And keep in mind, this would work with any bag that has a flap and a closure on both pieces, be it a button, magnetic snap, or otherwise. Just line up the marks for the closure the same way and you're assured that when your bag is fastened, the print will line up beautifully!

Alright- moving on! There was a question in the comments on the giveaway post about the type of interfacing that I use to make the bag look so crisp and lovely. I mostly use the same interfacings that are called for on the pattern packaging: a combination of fusible fleece and a midweight non-woven. Specifically I use Pellon 971F fusible fleece on the body and flap parts, and Pellon Craft Fuse 808 to reinforce the flap. I also always add fusible fleece to the changing pad, to give it a little extra cush under the tush for baby. This is not called for in the pattern, so be sure to buy enough extra fleece if you would like to do this too. It takes a piece measuring 16" x 20" to cushion the changing pad, so one fat quarter extra will do.

The last tip I have for now is also about that changing pad, which I love to make with laminated cotton. Laminated cotton is the best thing since sliced bread, seriously. It's like oilcloth, which has been around forever and is nice too, but laminated cotton is a cut above. Laminated cotton is just what it sounds like- a cotton fabric that has been laminated with a layer of BPA and PVC-free polyurethane coating. The coating makes the fabric wipeable and water-resistant and still maintains the relatively soft hand of the fabric underneath. It's machine washable, dry-able, and iron-able (with a pressing cloth). I LOVE this stuff. I've made tons of bibs and messy mats from this material, and we use them every day for Lincoln's meal times. When I decided to make the Grab & Go Clutch, it was a no-brainer for me that I would make the changing pad from laminated cotton.

The first few times I sewed the pad, however, there was a fair bit of swearing and seam-ripping going on. Laminated cotton is not quite as easy to work with as regular quilting cotton, but it's certainly not the worst material I've worked with either. Hopefully knowing a few tips will help things go smoothly for you the first time.

First of all- invest in a walking foot if you don't have one already. I've tried other things that are recommended for working with laminated cotton- a teflon foot, painter's tape on your foot and machine base- and the walking foot is hands-down my favorite. In case you've never used one, it works by pulling the fabric along from the top, just like your feed dogs pull the fabric from the bottom. This results in an even feed and less (or no) puckering. If you use the walking foot and sew slooooooowly, you'll almost certainly have fabulous results when working with laminated cotton on this project or any other.

The next thing that I found only through trial and error, was that by flipping the changing pad upside down and sewing with the laminated cotton down and the backing material up, I ended up with smoother results when sewing the long quilted lines that run across the changing pad surface. It was counter-intuitive for me, because I thought that the laminated cotton would stick to the baseplate of my machine and drag, but it actually worked great.

I guess that's all for now. In case it's not clear enough already, I think this is a great pattern, and I highly recommend it if you need a small diaper bag, or even just a cute clutch. The instructions are easy to follow and understand, and it's seriously genius the way Jen has engineered the bag and the lining is inserted. The first time I sewed it, I had to just close my eyes and trust in the process, but now that I know how it works, I think it's brilliant!

Please let me know if you have questions or if any of the instructions that I've given are unclear. I really hope that this will help you if you're making this bag for the first time! And if you need the pattern, it's available for purchase directly from Sew Fun, in my Etsy shop, or at your local fabric store.

Happy stitching!

my green heaven

2011-06-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's done! It's done! We have grass! Now I have to summon the restraint to stay off of it (and keep Lincoln off of it) for a couple of weeks so it can settle in and take root. It's going to be a long wait, but so worth it! I can't wait to sit out there and have a picnic lunch with my boys and catch up on some reading while soaking up some much-needed vitamin d.

Grow, grass, grow!

It already makes the back yard seem so much warmer and more welcoming. Even though there are still piles of tools around and the whole yard and patio is in desperate need of weeding and cleaning, it's just so much nicer looking with that patch of lush green to greet us.

With some serious determination, a shovel, and a saw, David was also able to get the stump out of the ground that was over by the window. Once the gaping hole is filled in, we have plans to move the ugly rain barrel around the corner and out of sight and plant a nice little flower garden there. We have a lavender that I planted in a poor location a couple of years ago that we want to relocate there to get more sun, and we are thinking of adding a trellis with something viney like a clematis between the windows.

And we also want to build a sandbox, paint the shed, etc. There's a long list of wishes and we probably won't get to many of them this summer. We'll be too busy sitting and sipping lemonade on our new lawn.

the Grab & Go Diaper clutch in action

2011-05-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

When I gave the diaper clutch away last Monday, there were a few questions asked in the comments. I thought I would take a minute to answer them here in case you're trying to decide if this kind of bag would is right for you and your needs.

I personally think the Grab & Go clutch is awesome, and that's the reason why I've decided to make them to sell in my shop. I've never been a big fan of the diaper bag, or really any of the bulky gear that seems to be a requirement for the baby scene. I usually keep our regular diaper bag in the car, and until I had the diaper clutch, I would just stuff a diaper, wipes, and other necessities in my giant, overflowing mom purse. Naturally, my bag weighed a million pounds, and it was always a hassle to find anything in the depths. Somehow, though, in my mind, it was better than carrying a diaper bag. Don't ask! Then, I made my first diaper clutch.

And here it is, as I carry it today. Complete with juice spot, pen marks, and all the contents:

And below is all that stuff all spread out (seriously- it was all in there!):

The bag as I carry it every day holds the following: (clockwise from the clutch itself on upper left) The coordinated wipe-clean laminated cotton changing pad, a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer, two disposable diapers, a laminated cotton bib, a toddler fork and spoon, a package of wipes, and a travel package of tissues. Everything I need for an outing with my toddler!

And by the way, the bag is 100% washable and dryable. I'm just lazy, that's why there's juice and pen on mine! Maybe now that I've shown you how dirty it is, I'll go ahead and throw it in the wash.

There were a couple of questions regarding cloth diapers, and if they would fit in the clutch. Since we also use cloth, I can tell you authoritatively that yes, depending on the size of the diapers, you could get one or two in there. Although when we're out and about we tend to use disposables these days, we try to keep Lincoln in cloth when we're at home, and we have a hybrid system. Most often he's in a size large gDiapers shell with inserts from FuzziBunz inside, so that's what I stuffed the bag with when I took the photos below.

Above is what I would stuff in there for a quick trip. A couple of extra inserts, the wipes, the changing pad, and the sanitizer and tissues. Below is bulkier- with a whole extra stuffed diaper, an extra insert, the changing pad, wipes, sanitizer, and tissue.

And yes, even with all that stuff in there, it still closes securely:

I'm telling you, this tiny bag is a workhorse!

I also love that I can slide the wristlet strap over the handle of the stroller or put it on my wrist and still have free hands to carry Lincoln or whatever else I might need. And I've also discovered that the bag itself makes a nice little pillow for Lincoln while I'm changing him on those hard changing tables that you often find in public places. Since there's usually still a diaper and the bib in there, there's a little bit of extra cushion for his sweet little head.

And after sewing this pattern many times, I've also picked up some tips and tricks that I would like to share. If you're interested in making this bag yourself, I hope they might help. Stay tuned later this week for my pointers for sewing the Grab & Go Diaper Clutch by Sew Fun.

good morning!

2011-05-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Kate of see kate sew is hosting a giveaway on her blog today! Enter to win a $30 shop credit to the twilltape shop on Etsy! Go visit Kate and check it out.

And if you're here for the first time from Kate's, welcome! Have a look around. I hope to see you back for more crafty goodness and lots of fabric love.

We'll be hard at work tilling and prepping for sod today, so have some fun for me! But don't forget to visit Kate's to enter to win $30 worth of twilltape originals for your very own. You could spend it on tea towels:

Or tee shirts:

Or anything else you like! Thanks so much for visiting, and good luck!

ABC crewelwork kit

2011-05-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've never done crewelwork before, but I couldn't pass up the retro styling of this adorable kit (now sold out) put together by the lovely and talented Alicia Paulson and her hubby Andy. I think it will look quite charming hanging up in the powder room of my shop, don't you think?

Buying the kit reminded me that I never did show you my first ever adventure in quilting, which was also made from a pattern by Alicia. The Ollalieberry Ice Cream Quilt pattern is a downloadable pattern and it's a great quilt for beginners. I made a crib size for the adorable Ellie Jay, who is pictured with it below in a blurry iPhone photo. I forgot to take a picture of the whole quilt once it was finished, and it lives in PA now, so I guess I kind of missed my window. This will have to do:

The top is composed of 3.5" squares of a variety of fabrics that I had in my stash. Mostly pinks, whites, and yellows, with a few reds and browns and random squares thrown in for fun. The back and a few of the squares are cut from material that I salvaged from Ellie's parents former duvet cover. When they were getting ready to move cross-country I volunteered to drop the unwanted duvet off at Goodwill, but secretly stashed it with the intention of making a baby quilt from it for their little bun that had already been in the oven for a few months.

Making this quilt was so easy and fun; I couldn't believe that I'd avoiding quilting for so long. I've been stashing pre-cut squares ever since, and I'll eventually make another one from this same pattern. I also really want to try some log-cabin squares, so I've been hanging onto strips in a special scrap bucket too.

I really can't wait for my crewelwork kit to arrive! Alicia recommends sitting on a nice comfy porch swing while sipping peach lemonade and stitching in the sun, but we don't have one (or the 8-track player she suggests). Hopefully I'll at least have my grass to relax on by then. And we have vinyl. That better be close enough.

brick by brick

2011-05-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

My arms have finally recovered enough that I can type, so I wanted to share what David and I did last weekend. Poor hubby had four days off, and I put him straight to work!

Since I've moved in here to the home that David occupied for many years before I came along, one of the things that I've ~~whined about~~ questioned the beauty of the most is our supremely low-maintenance back yard, which was fully barked over by bachelor David a few years ago in an effort to avoid lawn mowing and other garden-related chores. While I can understand the appeal of a low maintenance landscape, I also find the barren bark a little depressing and unwelcoming. Especially since the addition of a toddler to our family, I'm sure I've made my hopes and dreams to have a grassy lawn someday annoyingly clear.

Here's the region that causes the most whining to ensue:

As you can see, it's VERY low-maintenance. There used to be a giant evergreen shrub growing outside of the windows there, but it was creating a very cave-like atmosphere in my sewing room, so one night last week David surprised me with a giant saw and chopped it down. Still need to clear that stump somehow. Dynamite, maybe?

So anyway, David agreed that it would be really nice to have a safe place for Lincoln to play besides the un-fenced front yard that is too close for comfort to a busy street. We broke ground last weekend with a modest goal of adding about 500 square feet of lawn to augment the bark, pebble, patio, and vegetable garden action that is happening back there. To keep the bark that will stay there relatively contained, we started by building a retaining wall along the sloped side yard. It was wicked hard work, but I think it was worth it! Here's the progress so far.

The plan is to supplement the crappy clay soil with some compost and get it all tilled up this weekend and ready for sod. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks there will be a nice patch of lawn for me to park my butt on and get some sun while Lincoln runs around like a nut and does his boy stuff. Long term, we're thinking of turning that raised bed at the far right side into a smaller sandbox, and may add a second level of terracing to the back. Definitely will add some flowers outside of the window once we figure out how to get that stump out of the way.

Mostly though: GRASS!! I'm so excited. Thanks hubby, for sacrificing a four day weekend's worth of video game playing to do manual labor. You're the best.

it's giveaway day!

2011-05-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

**Updated 5/26**
Comments are closed. Thank you so much for all the entries and visits! The winner of the Rhapsody Day diaper clutch is Crystal, who says:

That is such a cute pouch! I have a 5 week old granddaughter and her Mama would love something like this. I'd choose the Rhapsody print. Thanks so much for giving one away!

**

Happy Monday SewMamaSew! readers! Welcome to twilltape and thanks for stopping by!

For those of you who haven't visited before, allow me to introduce myself: I'm Tiffany, and twilltape is my little corner of the sewing world where I make pretty and functional home decor items, personal accessories, and clothing. I love beautiful fabric and creating in many different mediums and love to share what I learn and design here on my blog and in my shop twilltape on Etsy.

Rhapsody Day Diaper Clutch

For giveaway day, I'll be sending one lucky commenter a stylish and useful Grab & Go Diaper Clutch, made by me from a pattern by Sew Fun. I'm a licensed boutique seller of this pattern, and I love it! I have a son who's nearly two, and we take this little bag with us everywhere. No more lugging around the giant diaper bag, and no more stuffing diapers in my purse!

Fresh Poppies Diaper Clutch

The coordinated and easy to wipe clean laminated cotton changing pad folds up and fits perfectly inside, along with a couple of diapers, a package of wipes, and more! The wrist strap is great for carrying the bag or tossing it over the stroller handle. This is my new go-to baby shower gift!

If you would like to enter, just comment below and tell me which bag you would like to win. You can choose from Rhapsody Day or Fresh Poppies, the two shown above. There are more photos of each clutch available by clicking on their names, if you would like to see other views.

I'll be drawing a winner randomly on Thursday, May 26th, and I'll happily ship internationally via USPS First Class mail, so all entries are welcome!

giveaway day!

2011-05-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Monday is giveaway day at Sew,Mama,Sew! I'll be participating and giving away a handmade item from the twilltape shop.

Check back on Monday to see what I'm giving away and enter to win! Also head over to Sew,Mama,Sew! and see the list of other participating websites. There will be hundreds of things you can enter to win!

Vote for the top top!

2011-05-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

We're down to the final four! And no, my top was not the winner of my day, but I don't mind. The top that won was the one I actually voted for myself! It's so cute with that bird print tablecloth at the bodice! Looks like something I would make and happily wear, so I had to vote for it.

And the adorable orange top won on Monday too! In fact, all four of the finalists are amazing. There's so much talent out there, I just love it!

Anyway, last chance! Go vote for the top of the tops, and next week we'll find out the winners of the people's choice and the judges awards. Fun!

pretty functional: ironing board cover

2011-05-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

I got a bee in my bonnet yesterday and decided that I couldn't live one more day with my old disgustingly yellowed and stained ironing board cover. I made myself a cute new cover in less than an hour, and I thought maybe I would share how I did it in case you would like to do the same. Easy peasy and makes such a big difference! The iron and ironing board are two things in the house that I use EVERY SINGLE day, so it only makes sense that they should work well and be pretty to look at, right?

So first, take off your old cover and stretch it all the way out as flat as you can. Lay it out right on top of the fabric that you want to use for your new cover. I had about a two yard cut of an old Amy Butler print, and by placing my cover on the bias, it was pretty much a perfect fit. You could also just turn your board upside down on the fabric and use that as a template.

As you can see, I cut about an inch larger than my old cover, and not perfectly. My old cover had a wide serged stitch that was used as the channel for the cord, but I planned to make more of a hem, so I gave myself a little more to work with.

I cleaned up and finished my raw edges with a quick trip through the serger. An overcast stitch on your regular machine, or a zig-zag at the edge would work too. Or just fold the edge over an extra time and press to conceal the raw edge.

Then I folded my serged edge about 5/8" to the raw side and pressed.Cutting my fabric on the bias came in handy here, as it helps make those round edges easier to manipulate.

This will be the new channel for my cord, which I salvaged from the old cover. If you're starting from scratch, it's just a polyester string. I imagine that narrow twill tape would work too, or ribbon. It does need to be really long. Measure the perimeter of your board and then add a foot or two to make sure you have enough.

I stitched the channel right through my serging line, easing in the excess at the rounded edges. It doesn't have to be beautiful. Just make sure you leave enough room for a safety pin to fit through the channel, and leave about an inch unstitched.

Tie your cording on to a safety pin and thread it through the channel. Have a seat, this takes a while!

You're ready to put your new cover on! Stretch it out over your ironing board and smooth out the wrinkles. If your board isn't padded, you can add a layer of cushion underneath the cover first. Mine had a layer of padding already, but it was kind of smashed so I just added a second right on top. I used Insul-bright, and I didn't secure it or anything, just cut it to fit and smoothed it down.

This little blue doo-hickey came with my old cover, so I reused it to wrangle all the extra string once I pulled it tight. It helps keep everything snug and secure, but a knot would be fine too. Just make sure you can untie it, and don't cut the excess string! You'll need all that length if you ever want to remove or replace the cover again.

And look how pretty! So much better than the old one. I was going to post a picture so you could see the before, but whoa. It was too gross. Who would ever think that an ironing board cover could get so nasty? So sorry, but no. You'll have to use your imagination.

Hooray for a pretty new addition to my sewing room! I'm almost ready to show you the whole thing, btw. It's come a long way since this post of yore.

have you voted yet?

2011-05-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today's the day! And wow. My top is up against some stiff competition to be today's favorite! In fact, I don't even think that I like my top the best, but you should probably head over there and see for yourself.

redemption!

2011-05-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually one to say "I told you so", but today I got to say just that to my darling husband.

That's right! My ~~curtain~~ ~~bedspread~~ darling top made it to the first round of voting in the Spring Top Sewalong! There's a set of tops up for voting each day this week (Monday through Thursday) and the people's choice from each day will move on to a final round of voting next week. My top will be in the ring on Wednesday.

There are a ton of amazing tops this year- over 300 entries! My fave from today's batch is this orange one. Can't wait to see the rest of the finalists and see who wins the awesome prizes!

Thanks again to Rae for inspiring selfish sewing!

in the garden

2011-05-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to getting some plants in the ground, after completely neglecting the garden most of last year. Now that Lincoln is mobile, it's easier to get out there and try to work while he "helps" out or runs around collecting rocks.

We removed the cool apple-tree pea trellis and David built a new frame for the vines to grow on out of 1x2 and string. It's not as unique and earthy looking, but it will serve the purpose for sure.

That's beans on the left, peas on the right on the trellis. In front we've got beets on the left and rainbow chard on the right. I quick-pickled most of the beets we grew the last time we planted them, and they were delicious! And it's always nice to have chard. Quick and easy greens.

We also planted a huge bed of onions again, and hopefully our crop will be as awesome as it was last year. Or was that two years ago? Already? Couldn't have been. Probably was. Yup. Just checked. April 2009. Gah. How does it happen?

And here's my little helper, running at me shouting "I found a bug!". Thankfully, it was NOT a bug, but a pinecone. Pinecones I can handle. But maybe we should do a little bit better job explaining bugs to him...

Dad? Pretty sure that's your job.

the fight takes flight

2011-05-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Cancer sucks. That's not news, and everyone knows someone whose life has been tragically cut short by this disease. So when I was asked to contribute to The American Cancer Society's Hope Gala auction, I was more than happy to say yes.

My contribution to the auction isn't much compared to an amazing trip to Australia, a shopping spree, or some of the other great items, but I hope that it will generate something for this worthy cause.

I chose to make a custom package of twilltape kitchen accessories, including a stand mixer cover, an apron, potholders, and tea towels. The black and white damask pattern is striking and modern, and paired with red I think it's a classic look that I hope will appeal to many tastes.

Hubby was sweet enough to make a sign for me to send along. It's hard to tell what you're looking at when items like this are folded up on a table. I think seeing them in action will make it more appealing.

What do you think? Would you bid on it? It's for a good cause!

happy mother's day!

2011-05-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

We had a nice quiet brunch today to celebrate Mother's Day. Our moms came over and we served a breakfast casserole, fruit, and mimosas.

I didn't have any flowers for the table, and nothing was blooming in the garden, so I improvised with some aromatics. Fresh mint from the garden path, lavender sprigs, and rosemary make a surprisingly pretty bouquet! Smells great too.

The casserole was simple and came out nicely browned, with tender cheesy goodness inside. The recipe was adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb and is basically this:

Brown 1 lb of sausage (we used Jimmy Dean's Maple, and did this part the night before).
Crumble the sausage into the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish that has been coated with non-stick spray.
Sprinkle chopped chives and shredded cheese over the top.
Whisk together 9 eggs, 2 cups of milk, 3/4 tsp of dry ground mustard, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Pour it over the top of the rest of the goodies in the dish.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

I bet that this would also be delish with artichoke hearts, feta, and sundried tomatoes. Maybe next weekend!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there. Hope you had an enjoyable day!

pattern review: Cynthia Rowley 2587 for Simplicity

2011-05-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

I did it! I managed to squeeze in one last top for the Spring Top Sewalong, mostly because I've been so desperate to avoid the next project on my to-do list (I'm looking at you, Soraya!)

This pattern is another Simplicity that I snagged during the same sale when I bought the Lisette patterns, but this one is by Cynthia Rowley. It's number 2587, and I made view B, except I made it in the tunic length of view D instead of making a dress. And evidently this is the spring of salmon, as all three of the tops that I have made for the Sewalong now have the same color scheme. My mom always says that I look nice in pink- maybe that's subconsciously directing my fabric choice?

For this top, I dug around in my "sheers" fabric bin and found this cotton bamboo burnout that I've had for close to a decade. I vaguely remember that I cut into it at one point to make a skirt, but that was a colossal mess, and I had plenty left for this top. And instead of cutting bias binding from fabric, I decided to use a 2" silk dupioni ribbon from Midori that I picked up at a sample sale. It's just the right width for the binding and adds a hint of elegance to this otherwise simple and casual style.

I read a few reviews on PatternReview.com before I made this, to see if there was anything I needed to look out for. Many of the reviewers commented on the binding around the bodice and midriff, and mentioned having trouble with all the bulk caused by the interfacing that the pattern calls for. I took note, but decided to make up the pattern as instructed and fully interfaced my binding. I didn't have any trouble, and I think my choice of interfacing is the reason why. I used Pellon's SF101, which is my favorite woven interfacing. It's lightweight and offers just the right amount of support. And when you cut it on the bias, as the pattern indicates, you get the same stretch and give that you do from the binding alone, it justs makes it all a little more stable. Some of the reviews I read mentioned that their binding would not stretch to fit, and that would be the case if you interfaced your binding with a non-woven interfacing, or if you didn't cut on the bias.

I actually really like the way the bodice and midriff are constructed on this top, with the binding and the facing it's nice and fitted and almost corset-like, but it's not restricting at all.

That deep plunging neckline would normally be a problem for me, but I wear a tank underneath everything anyway, so there's no free show here. It might be nice to build in a modesty panel in matching fabric though, and I may try that if I make this pattern up again. I did line the bodice pieces with white muslin, so the sheerness of my fabric wouldn't cause any issues. I'm glad I did! You can see near the bottom hemline how sheer this material is in one layer.

I cut one size smaller than the pattern envelope indicated, using my bust measurement as a guide. There are no finished garment measurements listed for anything other than the bustline, but that's okay since that's the only place that this top is really fitted. The pattern includes three inches of ease, and if I would have cut the size I was "supposed to" it wouldn't have fit nicely at all. As it is, there's some gapping in the bodice, so I can't imagine how it would have looked with two more inches for things to move around in there.

I was pleasantly surprised with my almost-professional job on the zipper. I'm still sometimes intimidated by zippers, especially in garments, but this one went in easily. The pattern calls for an 18" zip, but I only had a 14" so that's what I used, and it was plenty long enough. I didn't have any trouble with the bulk of the binding, and I think if I would have taken a minute to iron it before I took this photo, those weird bulgy spots above could have been tamed. Lincoln, on the other hand, is untamable! He really wanted to push the button on the camera remote, and he's actively trying to grab it out of my hand in this picture.

Alright. No more delaying the inevitable. I'm off to finish those couch covers already! I've got one almost done, two to go.

spring top v2011.2

2011-04-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

I finished a second top for the Spring Top Sewalong!

It's drafted from the same pattern as my white top from last year, but I tweaked it a little bit and instead of using one of hubby's old shirts, I actually bought some material this time. It's so hard for me to justify spending anything on fabric to make something for myself, so of course it was on super sale at JoAnn. It's a cute swiss dot floral print, and I love the texture. This shirt is lightweight (borderline sheer) and perfect for spring.

This time I added shirring under the bustline to gather in some of the extra fabric, and used the same drawstring through a bias tape casing that I used last time to cinch up the neckline a bit. The sleeves have elastic and the edges are finished with a rolled hem on my serger. I used the rolled hem on the bottom hemline as well, as I inadvertently cut the fabric too short to hem it any other way. If I make this shirt again, I'll cut it a little longer, but I'll probably still roll the hem because it makes such a nice clean finish.

As I was working, I was worried that it was going to turn out too maternity-shirt looking, but I think it's alright after all. I have some work to do on the neckline (still kind of gappy), but otherwise, I think this is a pretty solid pattern considering that it was drafted by someone who doesn't actually know what they're doing. Now we'll see if I can manage to get one more in before the Spring Top Extravaganza is over...

it's sew fun!

2011-04-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

I was so excited today when I saw that Jen of Sew Fun patterns had posted on her blog about my Grab & Go Diaper clutches. You know that you're doing something right when the pattern designer herself says so! Thanks Jen!

I was decidedly less excited to see this:

Please ignore my old man hands (thanks, Grandpa Louis!) and let's focus instead on that black spot on the left side of my wedding band. That's a hole! Where a diamond used to live! A teeny little diamond that fell out somewhere between home and the Costco parking lot, never to be found again.

When I looked down at my hand and noticed, my heart sunk into my stomach. My ring is a family heirloom that has been in the James family for generations, and some of the tiny diamonds in the band were from my mom's ring, so there's a whole mashup thing going on there with lots of sentimental value. Luckily, I have a couple more diamonds left from mom's ring, so we can have it fixed. But until then, sadness every time I look down!

manifest destiny

2011-04-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

So in the spirit of energy-direction and destiny-manifestation and if-you-build-it-they-will-come idealization, I offer you a peep into my dreams:

I dream of a bright, clean, organized space. The walls are painted a nice fresh color, there are newly laid hardwood floors in a perfect not-too-light and not-too-dark shade. A plush area rug anchors a cozy corner where a sofa and armchairs flank a coffee table piled with sewing and design magazines. Low bookshelves nearby hold loads of inspiring books, more magazines, and decorative objects. A charming pendant lamp hangs overhead.

Behind this comfy corner, shelves of bright and beautiful fabrics wait patiently to be admired and touched by loving hands. Bolt after bolt, lined up cheerfully, begging to be transformed into something beautiful and useful. Rolls of ribbon, racks of thread, tools and patterns, sharp and shiny scissors. Everything a modern crafter and seamstress would ever need or want, stacked and labeled and organized under one beautiful roof.

There are classes and events. And lingering over cups of tea to talk about patterns and fit and fabric and trends. Mamas bring their kids, who find the perfect project to keep their active hands and minds busy during long summer days. Maybe there will be machines available to rent by the hour. Irons and boards and cutting stations so crafty magic can happen right there in the presence of others who share your interests and can offer guidance and tips.

In my mind, it is perfect and beautiful and feels like home. The floor is always swept and the register is always ringing and everyone who comes through the door finds just what they were looking for.

I already know that reality and dreams don't always match. No need to remind me of that. Positive energy and thoughts, however, are more than welcome. And if you need me, I'll be inventing.

via Maira Kalman via Girl's Gone Child

thanks grandpa!

2011-04-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

On a recent visit to Grandpa's house, Lincoln got a lesson in zipper operation. He and Grandpa practiced zipping up and down on the vest that Lincoln was wearing; an exercise that Lincoln found quite amusing and entertaining.

Cut to a couple of weeks later, when our belly-button-obsessed boy realizes that he can put his new skills to use in a very productive and satisfying way.

As you can see, he couldn't be happier with this discovery!

bohemian soul laptop bags

2011-04-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

I was contacted recently via my etsy shop by an old classmate from high school who wondered if I would be willing to make her a cute and functional laptop bag. I've never made one, but I had no reason to suspect that I wouldn't be able to, so I told her sure and we set to work picking fabric and making a plan.

My shipment of Bohemian Soul from Art Gallery Fabrics arrived the next day, and I was absolutely dying to cut into the bolts and make something from this gorgeous stuff. I don't like for my first attempt at anything to be a customer's product, as I'm always learning through trial and error, so I decided that the reasonable thing to do would be to make myself a laptop bag first. You know, in the name of research.

I love this goldenrod print in the collection called Twirls in the Sun, and since I can't wear yellow, I decided making a bag from it would be a great way to use it. There are definitely a couple of prints in there that I have my eye on for spring tops, but this is not one of them.

After a bit of experimenting, I came up with this simple envelope style bag. Originally, it had a flap closure like an envelope too, but the open edges were bugging me so I decided the narrow flap was a better choice. The narrow flap also fits just right between the handles, so I'm glad I decided to go this way.

I added a zip pocket at the back for the power cord, and called it a day. I'm a simple girl, and I don't need too many bells and whistles on my laptop bag. Especially considering that I never really take my laptop anywhere. Unless you count upstairs...

Besides, this was really just a practice run for this:

My customer wanted Ditsy Bright to be the star of her show, and I chose the other stripe from the collection called Destiny Road Palm for her lining and handles, which is a more subtle color than the stripe that I used on mine. Her handles have the bonus keep-shut feature too- with the flap that velcros around to keep them together.

She got a leafier green for the zipper, and matching topstitching. Her bag is larger, and I styled hers differently- including a gusset instead of just squaring off the corners like I did on my bag. It gives it a more polished and boxy profile. Her bag also got the addition of a heavy weight interfacing on the bottom to give it strength, in addition to the multiple layers of fleece interfacing that I used on both bags to provide cushion and protection for the delicate contents inside.

Finally, I added an additional flap to her bag that secures inside with two magnetic snaps. It covers the laptop and any additional items she may stuff inside, and disguises the contents just enough. I prefer the interior flap on hers to the exterior one I tried on my own initially, because it solves the gaping problem that I encountered.

She's happy. I'm happy! Success. Anyone else want something that I've never made before? You never know, I might need one too!

pattern review: Lisette Portfolio

2011-04-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

When I heard about the Lisette patterns, I was super excited and couldn't wait to try them. I love Liesl's work on Oliver + S, as you may know from the proliferation of Tea Party sundresses and playsuits you've seen me sew. (here, here, and here, for example.)

Liesl has said that the most frequent question she got asked about Oliver + S was when she would design a women's line, and now finally it's here! And thanks to the partnership with Simplicity, the Lisette patterns are easy and affordable. Nice bonus!

I picked up all four patterns in the collection during a Joann Fabrics $.99 Simplicity sale, because I love a bargain and I knew I would regret not getting them all when they were so cheap. I will never pay full price for anything at Joann, but I won't even pay 40% off for a pattern when I know that there are times that they only cost a buck. I mean seriously, why would you?

I had spent a little bit of time checking out the Lisette website and scoping out the flickr group trying to decide which garment to stitch up first, and I decided on the Portfolio tunic because I loved these two so much. And Liesl's (the first one) really inspired my fabric choice for this muslin because I love how hers is so sheer and summery feeling and I was hoping that my *ahem, old bedspread* would give me the same look.

And it almost did! Mine is a little bit more opaque, but it's definitely got a good spring vibe. I'm just excited that what was meant to be just a test run to check the size ended up fitting well and being cute enough to wear in real life. So hooray for muslin success!

The on-seam pockets are brilliant and absolutely my favorite feature of this top. It took a little leap of faith for my not-spatially-gifted brain to manipulate that step, but once it came together I was totally impressed both with my own incredible skill and the cleverness of the design. I love it when things just fit together so well like that. It's so satisfying!

Based on what I read on the forums and on some of the flickr pages, I decided to cut and sew two sizes smaller than the size indicated by my measurements and I'm glad that I did. Simplicity patterns are designed with A LOT of ease, and I just like my clothes to fit closer. This thing would have been a tent had I gone by the envelope, so I'm happy that I took the risk. There's still some shaping that could be done under the arms, but I'm not worried about it this time. Maybe if I sew this pattern again I'll try to figure out how to fix that.

There is some nice detailing on the front placket, with a hint of gathering and the topstitching that makes it look professional and finished.

By some miracle, I even had two linen-looking covered buttons in my stash that matched the color perfectly and I thought added just the right feel to the back closure. Overall, I think the top has a nice 60's housedress style that I'm totally digging.

I normally don't go for a tunic length top since I'm short, but I think the look is growing on me. Husband says it looks like curtains or a smock (said like "schmock"), but I try not to pay much attention to his opinion when it comes to fashion. I told him that I was sure that he would be proven wrong once I got the pics up in flickr and added my top to the Spring Top Sewalong pool. So go: prove him wrong!

And then since Lincoln couldn't understand what I was doing taking all of these pictures without him being the star, I had to get a shot with my little ham and what is becoming his signature crazy and untamable hair. Also note his digger (shobel!) and ever-present water cup. That kid loves to hydrate. And is huge! He's practically as tall as me already and he's not even two!

your pants primer

2011-04-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

I picked up a ziplock bag full of vintage patterns while digging through the Habitat for Humanity Store on a weekend visit to Port Townsend a while back. It was stuffed full of gems from the 60's and 70's, so I happily paid $3 and brought it home. Yesterday as I was organizing my pattern stash, I pulled one of these beauties out to refold the tissue into a flatter, less wad-like shape and found another gem. A treasure within a treasure! A sweet score indeed.

The Simplicity Fashion News is a little magazine that was published monthly and distributed in retail pattern departments, according to the copyright info at the bottom of the second page. This particular issue was from May 1973, and I think you'll agree that it is chock-full of eye candy.

I've taken the liberty of scanning in a few of my favorite pages for you to enjoy:

The cover

scandalous!

my favorite, by far!

Too bad the pattern that this was stuffed inside was no where near as exciting as that jumpsuit. That is some hot stuff!

Also included is a helpful "3-minute sewing lesson" that offers step-by-step instructions for finding your crotch depth and length to achieve that perfect figure-hugging silhouette. Evidently, your crotch shape is "nearly as individual as fingerprints..." Who knew?

it's that time again!

2011-04-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Spring Top Week Image

And I'm so excited! I've already finished one top, and have plans for at least one more. There was going to be two more, but one was a miserable failure. It's okay though, because the other was just supposed to be a muslin (practice) for the final product, and I ended up liking it enough to wear it in real life. Even though husband says it looks like curtains. He doesn't know. Besides, it actually used to be a bedspread. Not curtains. So there!

Photos of the success to come, as soon as it's no longer in the crumpled ball in the laundry room waiting to be washed. May take some photos of the miserable failure as well, lest you think that everything I sew comes up sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it sucks! I have proof!

Confession

2011-04-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

The real reason I wanted to upgrade to those front-loaders:

easy refashion

2011-04-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

I bought this top last summer on mega sale at macy's. I was wearing Lincoln in the Ergo at the time, so I didn't bother to try it on since it was so cheap (I don't remember exactly, but it was less than $10) and I knew that I could easily return it if I didn't like it. Well, I didn't like it, but time has a way of mysteriously slipping away, and almost a full year later it was still sitting in a pile in my sewing room waiting to be turned into something I would wear. I like the detail on the back, but the full and drapey neckline just wasn't doing it for me.

Here's the cute embroidered back that really makes this top fun:

And here it is after I made my super simple modifications. I tucked all that drapeyness inside, then ran a long gathering stitch along the neckline where it folded over. Pulled the thread tight, knotted it off, and it was good to go. I also cut off that extra modesty panel right where it was stitched in. The fabric is jersey and won't ravel, so there was no need to even hem. So easy, and much more likely to be something I'll wear now!

I love an easy fix like that! Too bad it took me so long to get around to it.

pardon the dust!

2011-04-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a bit of a redesign, so things might be a bit wonky around here for a bit. Forgive me!

And stay tuned!

a new chapter

2011-03-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

And just like that, the story changes again.

Today I resigned from the full-time job that I've been working since December and returned to the other full-time job that I've had since August 11, 2009, the day that Lincoln was born.

So it's back to the sewing room for me. Can't wait to be creative again!

thankful

2010-11-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

For our adorable baby boy who more than made up for the last few sicky sleepless nights just now.

Every night after Daddy gives him a bath and reads him some stories, Mama comes in for a nightcap and a snuggle before tucking him into bed. And for the last few weeks, Daddy's departure has been marked with a wave and a "buh-bye" from our big boy who is quickly learning his signs and words and even starting to use them in the appropriate context.

Tonight though, our little monkey told Daddy "night night" instead. Clear as a bell and perfectly timed. This was, of course, followed by a big grin when he saw the look of pride on our faces. He's just such an amazing kiddo! Learning and growing right before our eyes. We're so thankful to have Lincoln in our lives!

so many great ideas!

2010-11-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

That's what David usually says to me on Sunday night after we collapse from the exhaustion of trying to cram ALL THAT STUFF into one poor little weekend.

Sadly, we haven't really mastered the concept of balance, so we either spend a whole weekend with our butts firmly planted on the couch watching an entire season of Lost, or we go to the exact opposite extreme and decide to host a garage sale on the first below-freezing day of the year (Saturday), then cook an entire Thanksgiving meal while tending to a sick toddler (Sunday). That same sick toddler who couldn't sleep and has kept us all awake all night long for the last four days and then gave his nasty sickness to me. Not to be outdone, I went on ahead and gave it to David, and now we're all snotty and sore-throaty and a seriously pathetic bunch. Thankfully this all coincided with the epic snowstorm of 2010, so we've had a great excuse to hole up in the house for days on end, and our pendulum has had a chance to swing back from last weekend's extreme action to a nice gentle lull.

Which just means that I have a lot of time on my hands to start planning the next installment of MUST DO LOTS OF THINGS! NOW! Sorry dear!

Formal wear- toddler style.

2010-09-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to share some photos from a special event that took place early this summer, but time has gotten away from me. I decided it really doesn't matter that this happened in June, we'll just pretend that I've been more on top of things, k?

If the outfit looks familiar, it's because I've used this pattern before. It's the Tea Party Playsuit by Oliver + S, and I love it. Easy to put together, versatile, and unisex, I decided it was the perfect choice for a special outfit for our little man to wear on his Grandpa Jim's wedding day this summer.

David was his father's best man, and they were dressed in linen suits befitting the beautiful Lake Chelan setting. Since Lincoln was still crawling at the time, the short length of the playsuit ended up being the perfect length for him to motor around in without staining the knees, and the khaki pinstripe suiting material that I found was a great match to the big boy's outfits while still being easy to care for and fully washable. I layered a plain white polo from Old Navy underneath, and picked up some Stride Rite sandals at Nordstrom Rack. Easy and affordable- my favorite combo!

Don't they look handsome? Too bad Lincoln was teething so bad during this time- if he wasn't chewing on his hand, he had a river of drool pouring out of his mouth! Oh well. Something fun to tease him about to future dates!

More photos of the beautiful event can be found here in my flickr stream.

Skip this if you don't feel like having a good cry.

2010-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Via A Cup of Jo by way of Making it Lovely.

Labor Day weekend

2010-09-10T11:27:00.001-07:00

View from the cabin looking West
Originally uploaded by Gus & Lulu

For a few days over the holiday weekend, we were lucky enough to wake up to this view every day. It was absolutely beautiful! A big thank you to my sister and her family for sharing their beach cabin with us. It was a nice little getaway!

We did discover that vacationing with a toddler is less of a vacation and more of an adventure in baby-proofing on the fly and praying for naps, but it was a fun time nonetheless. Port Townsend is one of my favorite places. I love the architecture and the feel of the town, and all the cute little shops. Those little places make me daydream about the shop that I would love to run someday, or the big old Victorian B&B that we could own. You know, if we won the lotto and could afford to buy a ten bedroom mansion overlooking the water. I'm just saying... a girl can dream, right?

Back to reality though. We've been home for five days now, and our bags are still packed and sitting on the floor of our bedroom. Lazy? Maybe. But keeping up with this kiddo is hard work now that he's motivating. I have managed to sneak in a few projects here and there though, and I'll be sharing those soon.

Movin'!

2010-08-13T20:05:00.001-07:00

Here I come Daddy!
Originally uploaded by Gus & Lulu

Well, it's official- Lincoln's a walker! He took his first few tentative steps about a week and a half before his first birthday, and now he's really going. He still falls down all the time after just a few steps, but he gets more confident and stable every day.

It's so exciting to see the pride on his face when he comes toddling toward us. He's such a big boy!

party time!

2010-08-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

first cake!
Originally uploaded by Gus & Lulu

My baby's first birthday party was today. He'll be one year old next Wednesday, on the 11th. It just doesn't seem possible! He's almost walking, almost talking, and today he ate his first chocolate cake. It's a whole new world, and we're right on the precipice!

Many thanks to the family and friends who shared the day with us. It was great and exhausting! Off to bed! More pics of the festivities and fun to follow.

Oh, hell to the no.

2010-07-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

And here, verbatim, the email that I just composed and sent to my husband, who is currently in Atlanta on business. Subject line above.

So. Let me tell you about my evening! After we talked on the phone, I did some laundry, and I was hanging out, writing a little bit in Lincoln's baby book. It was about nine, so I decided to take the book up to bed with me to catch up on the months of entries that I haven't done and enjoy a glass of wine. Then I changed my mind, and thought that maybe instead I would work on it while I watched the Twilight movie that I rented the other day. I settled in on the couch with the book and my wine, and then I started wondering where that peculiar smell might be coming from... I checked under the couch for presents from Loki, but there was nothing, so I thought maybe it was just the new reed diffuser that I moved in here the other day. I turned on my movie, started writing in the book, and sipped my wine. Still, I just couldn't shake that smell. Does it kind of smell like something dead might smell? Curiouser and curiouser, I thought, but still, couldn't find anything, so assumed I must be crazy, or maybe your socks were just balled up somewhere and taunting me. Sat longer, and eventually got down on my hands and knees to smell the carpet to see if I could pinpoint it. Nothing. Hmmm... maybe we spilled something on the blanket. Yes, that blanket that I have pulled up on my lap. Maybe I should reach down and smell it. Oh! Yup, that's it! Maybe I should throw it over the back of the couch because it reeks! Oh, wait! Did a mother fucking dead mouse just fall out of the blanket, just narrowly missing my LAP?!?!?!? Yes. Yes it did. And yes, I have never moved that fast ever, up and over the back of the couch, without spilling one drop of my wine. Because that's just how I roll. It took me about fifteen minutes to compose myself enough to determine how I was going to get the reeking dead mouse from the couch without vomiting or going into convulsions, but thanks to one garbage bag, one rubber glove, and one dust pan and broom, I finally managed it. Still haven't figured out how to disinfect the couch so it's safe to sit on. Have vacuumed and Febreezed the bejeezus out of it, but there's no anti-bacterial components there. I've checked. Have also locked the cat door, and am considering filling it with concrete. Also started a craigslist ad for the cat, but can't figure out a convincing way to sell an eleven year old clawless mouser/birder/voler to the unsuspecting public. Might try again after more wine. Anyway, hope you slept well! Love you!
XO -tiff

So, as you can see, even though I haven't been here much, you clearly haven't missed anything. As they say, people: it's just the same shit, different day.

I might be lame, but my baby is sure cute!

2010-05-31T22:06:00.001-07:00

Sunshiney Day!
Originally uploaded by Gus & Lulu

Hey! Yeah, it's been a while, sorry. I'm sure you've all given up on this here blog due to the persistant lameness. But look! Cute baby! In a hat!

The sunshine is long gone, but as you can see, the kiddo is as cute as ever. And busy trying to learn to walk. Mama's got her hands full! Also, Daddy is out of town on business in New Orleans. So jealous. But we've survived day one. Only eight more!

OMG!

2010-05-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Guess what my awesome husband just did?!?

David (AKA my hero) just put Lincoln down to sleep for the night, all by himself!

I was sitting in the kitchen, waiting for the usual beckoning to the nursery when it's time to nurse (after the bath and story time with Daddy), but tonight the call never came. Lincoln was mellow and relaxing on David's lap, and after some walking and back rubbing, he was happy to go to sleep without the usual nightcap.

I can hardly believe it, and I'm so relieved! This is a first for us, although Grandma was able to get him to go down with no problems a couple weeks ago so we could go cavort with some fellow geeks for a night. This just opens up a whole new world for me! Look out nightlife, here I come!

the stuff of (my) nightmares

2010-05-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just as we were drifting off to sleep last night, I could hear the sound of sirens, and it sounded like they were getting closer and closer until the sound stopped moving, and I realized that it was because they were close. My eyes snapped open at the realization, and I saw an orange glow in the hallway, reflected on the white wall. I jumped out of bed, my heart racing, and through the kitchen window I saw it: a wall of flames towering fifty feet tall and shining as bright as day.

I croaked out something along the lines of "oh my god- monkey" and David joined me in the living room to see what was happening. We watched in silence and awe, David holding me tight from behind, as the flames shot into the sky and illuminated the night.

The home sits in the same place on the block below us that our house does on ours, and because we are up the hill, from our deck the view is not unlike one you would have in the balcony of a theater. We watched from this too-close vantage point as the firemen battled the blaze, and in less than ten minutes, the giant wall of flames was replaced by billows of thick grey steam. Ash and smoke flew through the air and I shook with nervous panic and terror.

Unfortunately, last night was actually the second time we have been in such close proximity to a devastating home fire like that, yet I still find it impossible to really describe the scene. It's one thing to see a home burning on the news, or in a movie, where the screen buffers the reality and tempers the horror. When you're close, as close as I ever care to be again, it's simply a nightmare. The heat, the smell of the smoke, the flying ash that blankets the yard. You can hear the panicked voices of the neighbors and feel the rumble of the trucks. When I close my eyes I can still see the flames.

I checked on Lincoln- made sure he was breathing and the horror of the night wasn't contagious, and we returned to bed. My mind raced and my body twitched and quivered, my anxiety assuming a physical form. We don't know the people who live there, but I wondered about them and hoped that they were okay. I had visions of arsonists, and of faulty electrical wiring, and I got out of bed to make sure that I had remembered to unplug the iron downstairs. I thought about what I would do if it had happened to us- and I knew in my gut that there would be no wall of flames too tall to prevent me from getting to my baby boy. I thought about what I would grab in the mad rush out the door, and I realized that there was nothing, or rather no thing, that I think I would bother to stop for. Lincoln's baby book? Maybe, but only if it was on the way. It's not the idea of losing stuff that terrifies me about house fires (and they have terrified me my whole life), but the violent unpredictability of it. As a person who enjoys her life neatly organized and P-touched, the sheer chaos of fire and the inability to control it is for me, easily the most horrifying part.

I lay awake until after one, and Lincoln, blessed boy that he is, didn't wake up until almost seven this morning. I thought about how grateful I am that he's small, and he didn't see what I saw last night and doesn't have to try to understand it. I'm grateful for his innocence and a little bit mad that someday he's going to have to see awful things and experience the shit that life can throw at us, seemingly at random. I found a story of the fire in the news, and learned that the family of three was all safe. I can see for myself that their home is destroyed, and the fire crew remains there as I type this, sorting and investigating. I can see clearly now the three triangular holes in the roof that I heard the firemen cutting at one in the morning, the roar of the chainsaw interrupting the quiet night.

Most of the time I think I just cruise through life, believing that everything is good and easy yet thinking that as good as it is, there still must be more that I want and need. Then something comes along and, like a slap in the face, forces me to be present. And despite the sleeplessness and the nightmares, I find that I'm absolutely grateful.

I'm a contender!

2010-05-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! My entry for Spring Top Week has made the top 60! The judges selected a dozen tops each day to be voted on by the readers, and my top is in today's batch.

There are TONS of amazing tops in this year's pool. You should check it out for spring sewing inspiration or just to see how talented the entrants are. Seriously. I'm honored to even be in the mix!

better late than never

2010-04-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

So, remember (approx. 1 million years ago) when I said that I was planning to enter something in Rae's Spring Top Week? Well, today is the deadline for entry, and even though my top has been finished for over a week, I just uploaded the photo to the pool a moment ago. I'm not very on top of things these days. In fact, it was recently brought to my attention that it's been over twenty days since I've even been here at all. Holy hell. How did that happen? I mean, it's not like I'm busy or anything! Just sitting around at home, raising a baby. Oh, right... that must be it. That baby- suddenly he's everywhere! Crawling around, pulling up on the furniture, bonking his head every chance he gets. Constant vigilance is my new middle name.

But anyway, the point is, I finally got my act together in at least one arena, on the very last day. Here's the top I made from a dress shirt that I inherited when Gus ~~grew out of it~~ got tired of it:

I cut my pattern pieces using a shirt from Old Navy as a rough guide for size, then just kind of winged it. The back of the shirt already had a box pleat, so I took advantage of that to add some fullness and then gathered the neckline up with a twill tape drawstring inside of a bias tape casing.. The sleeves are simply serged with a rolled edge hem and then gathered up with a double row of elastic thread stitching. I sewed the button placket shut to avoid any potential mishaps and eliminate gaping.

I'm pretty pleased with the result. I've worn it twice since I completed it, which I think is already a record for a top that I've sewn myself.

Plenty more to share soon, but at the moment my free time appears to be over. I hear the little one bellowing through the baby monitor as I type.

best friends forever!

2010-04-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

I finished a second doll from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern for Mom's school auction. I think they make a cute pair!

cat and mouse

2010-04-06T14:05:00.001-07:00

Over the last year or so, our cat Loki has proven himself to be quite a hunter. We were pretty surprised the first time he brought a bird in the house, as he's not only declawed, but pretty lazy and slow. Since that first incident, he's caught another bird, and a handful of what we think are voles from the yard. And, he's generous enough to bring those little prizes right inside the house to share them with us, thanks to his kitty door.

This afternoon, Lincoln and I were upstairs minding our business when I heard the cat start meowing repeatedly and with conviction. He's a loud cat anyway, so I ignored it for awhile, but then I scooped Lincoln up so we could go down and see what all the commotion was. Oh, lucky day- it's a dead thing! Right in the middle of the living room floor, a wee little rodent. Loki was nearby on Lincoln's floor mat, obviously quite proud of his achievement.

I backed out of the room, unsure exactly how to proceed. I considered my options: Maybe I could pretend I never saw it, and let David take care of it when he gets home... but, it's only 1, and that means a dead thing in my living room for four plus hours. I could get a broom and a dustpan, sweep it up and throw it away. Gross, but doable. I could put on some rubber gloves, grab it and dispose of it like an adult. Gross. Probably not an option.

It was time to feed Lincoln lunch, so I decided to take care of that and think about my problem a little bit more. I sent David a text message alerting him to the situation and hoping to elicit a little sympathy. He was appropriately sympathetic, and surprised when I suggested that perhaps Loki needed a nice home on a farm somewhere where his mousing skills would be more appreciated.

I texted my friend Zena as well, sure that she would have some solid advice for dealing with my dilemma. Also, she would understand that this was horrible and so not in my job description.

Me: "F-ing cat brought a dead thing inside. A mouse or vole or something. Am freaking out."
Z: "Um... yikes. Broom handy? So you don't have to get close?"
Me: "Yeah. I'm upstairs ignoring it at present. Hoping it will vaporize."
Z: "You sure it is dead?"
Me: "Pretty sure. Didn't get too close, but it looked like it was on it's back with feet in the air. Classic dead thing pose."
Z: "Right. Or playing dead. Go put a bowl over it so it can't escape."

Hmm. Playing dead? Do things really do that? It hadn't occured to me. Good thing I got her involved! As soon as I'm finished feeding Lincoln his lunch, I'll find a box or a bowl or something and cover that sucker up. Then maybe I can screw up enough courage to get rid of it somehow.

So we ate. Lincoln had some cheese, and some banana, a few bites of my rice. He's so cute when he eats. And so determined to feed himself. It's pretty adorable. But, dead thing in basement! Focus! Let's see... are any of our neighbors home? They might be interested in helping me rid the house of dead rodents. Darn- there goes Rod now. Probably my best option, and he's driving away. Okay. You can do this. You're a tough woman. A mother. Yes, you can!

Me: "Ok. Putting on big-girl panties. And rubber gloves. Be right back."
Z: "Good luck!"

I grab my weapons of choice and head downstairs. A pair of pink rubber gloves and a gift bag from a hair salon. It's nice and sturdy, so I figure I can just knock the thing in with a broom and I won't have to touch anything. The rubber gloves are just an extra precaution, but seem like a good idea. I get to the bottom of the stairs, turn right into the living room, and...

...nothing. Um...crap. Shit! Gone? How is it gone? It was dead!? It's gone??? Oh no. I'm so busted.

So yeah. Looked everywhere. It's gone.

I figure there are a couple of possibilities:

Zena was right. It wasn't really dead, just pretending. That means it's running around downstairs somewhere. Not a huge fan of this possibility, I've got to admit.
It was dead, and the cat decided that since I had seen his prize and approved, it was best if he took it back outside. I like this. Definitely leaning this way.
It was dead, or not. The cat ate it. Every little bit. No trace remains. Gross. But, circle of life, etc. Fine with this mostly because it means I don't have to deal with it.
It's dead, and the cat decided that I didn't show enough approval of his hunting prowess so he moved it somewhere that I might appreciate it more. Like in my bed or on the couch cushion. Closed bedroom door as soon as this thought came to mind. Haven't seen cat come upstairs, so this is not likely. Right? Hopefully.

So yeah. Moral of the story: Cat for sale! Cheap. Good hunter! Get him while he's hot! Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Last one! Act fast, people. Ugh.

*********
UPDATE:

David came home and saved the day. The little bugger was under the couch (dead). I guess when I said "I looked everywhere" I may have exaggerated a bit... I meant, you know, scanned the area. Generally. Gah.

And that is totally the aforementioned "classic dead thing pose," btw.

Also, I forgive him for throwing the cat's other (fake) mouse at me after he picked up the couch and spotted the vole, completely causing me to lose my shit (again). Because he not only took care of the business, but he sprayed the floor down liberally with some earth-friendly disinfectant too. Thanks love!

But seriously- who wants a cat?

Oh, for shame!

2010-04-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

I recently took some photos of my sewing room to showcase just how awful things have gotten in there in the hopes that it would shame me into action. You can see the whole, embarrassing debacle here:

Hopefully I'll have some promising "after" shots to show off soon. And by soon, I mean sometime in the next decade, obviously. Aim low, that's our motto!

Honestly, the problem (at least in my mind) is less the stuff itself, and more the way I'm utilizing the storage. The room has served as a parking spot for all the random storage cabinets and shelves that we have around the house, and I've tried my best to use them wisely. Unfortunately, that hasn't always happened, and I have a lot of underused space and misguided stashing going on in there.

I know that there's a way to reorganize the space in a way that makes a lot more sense, and I'm determined to figure that out. I'm afraid if I don't, I'll go in there someday and never escape, having been swallowed alive by a toppling tower of fabric.

Wish me luck!

and not even terribly fun while it lasted.

2010-04-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, that was quick. I'm back to being ~~just~~ a mama with no (official) job title. At least for the next couple of weeks.

My tenure with Pearson came to an abrupt end when I failed to maintain the standards of excellence set forth by the state that I was scoring. This might be attributed to a glitch in the performance review tracker, which was malfunctioning that day, or, more likely, was due purely to my inattention to the task at hand.

I'm kind of embarrassed, as I'm not the kind of person who typically allows herself to fail at anything, and I've certainly never been fired from a job; but honestly, I'm mostly just relieved. It was much harder than I had imagined trying to squeeze enough quiet, focused time out of my day to make that job happen successfully. I was scrambling trying to figure out how I was going to manage to work the measly minimum requirement of 20 weekly hours when I was "excused" from the project and suddenly that burden was lifted. Whew. I hadn't even realized how heavy it was until it was gone!

And luckily, the folks at Pearson are a forgiving bunch. Just because scoring this project didn't work out for me, that doesn't mean that I can't work on future assessments. In fact, I'm signed up for another one that starts next month. And that project has shorter responses that should be easier to score with my limited resources as a spread-too-thin mama. Or maybe not. Maybe I'll be unceremoniously fired from that project after a week also. I guess we'll find out in a bit...

makin' memories!

2010-04-04T17:11:00.001-07:00

Hey all, Happy Easter to you!

In case you're curious how we celebrated here, I'll provide a little run down of the highlights for you:

Woke up at 8:30 am to the sweet sounds of Lincoln talking to his monkeys in his crib. Impressed and thankful that he slept in so nicely for us, until we realized that it was really just a malfunction of the dumb futuristic alarm clock that we have. It had "sprung forward" this morning for no apparent reason.

Made waffles from this recipe (pretty much- except I didn't have enough yogurt) with my new birthday waffle iron.

Played on the floor with the little man. He's officially mobile now, so that's exciting.

Ham sandwiches for lunch. I'm counting that as our Easter meal, since Mom always made a ham for Easter every year, and we're not really celebrating officially. It's close enough, yeah?

A two hour nap for everyone! That might have been the best part of the whole day. Lincoln rarely naps that long, but today was a treat, and we took advantage of it.

And yeah, that pretty much wraps it up. Exciting day! And so clearly a tribute to the holiday... We figure that Lincoln's too young this year to remember anyway, so our laziness is forgiven. But, if I start planning now, maybe next year we'll be able to do something like these amazing ladies did to celebrate:

Beautiful Ukranian dyed eggs at Wisdom of the Moon
Insanely detailed egg crafts at Chez Larrson
Chocolate Easter Surprise Eggs at not martha

Alright, off to make some festive Easter tacos for dinner! Hope you all enjoyed your day!

We'll call her Roxy

2010-04-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

She's done! And like I told David, I hope that Lincoln likes playing with dolls, 'cause she was really fun to make! Sewing all those tiny clothes reminded me so much of when I was a little girl and I used to make outfits for my dolls (and my dog- poor girl!)

And I've got to give it to Wee Wonderfuls- this whole pattern is great! Not only are the dolls easy to put together and super cute, but the clothes are fun and well designed too.

I made the little blouse and jumper outfit from some scraps and fat quarters that I had lying around. I decided that the fine-wale corduroy would be a perfect little jumper for this blue-eyed little gal, and the rest kind of flowed from there.

The jumper pattern calls for lining, so I selected a bit of Amy Butler's Kaleidoscope Dots for a fun pop of color. I appliqued the circle and a button to the front and used a bias trim leftover from another project for the hem rather than folding and hemming the skirt like the pattern suggested. Mostly just because I'm addicted to bias trim these days.

And guys, seriously. There's even a pattern for a cute little underwear outfit! Adorable. I decided on the pink stripe because it reminded me of some kind of old-fashioned ticking stripe little house on the prairie sort of vibe and it seemed appropriate for a one-piece underwear suit.

And oh my. Shoes! Cute, cute, cute. They're black wool felt, and I cut slits all around the top and wove the ribbon through.

Please note: if you have a child, you can tell them to expect one of these awesome dolls as a birthday gift at some point. I think I'm addicted!

work's in progress

2010-03-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

No, that's not a typo. Work, for me, is officially now in progress. And it turns out it's just one more ball perpetually in the air for this juggling mama.

I mentioned before that I'm doing some work from home for Pearson. They're a company that processes student assessments, and they hire people like me to score test responses remotely. I'm currently working on fifth grade writing, so I'm becoming quite familiar with the excitement of gymnastics and playing basketball and baseball, and the ins and outs of various video game consoles. Reading and scoring these short responses takes much more time and focus than one would perhaps think, and it's been a challenge the last week to squeeze in this new responsibility on top of all the rest. Adding to the challenge is the time constraint presented by the Pearson system itself, which I can't access after 11 pm Central time- only 9 pm where I live. So, a few minutes during nap time and an hour or so after the monkey is in bed are all the moments that I really have to devote to my new job. And that's fine, but it's not going to be paying the rent any time soon.

Lincoln is adding to the chaos by becoming more mobile all the time. He's almost figured out crawling, but hasn't quite got the coordination to get very far in one go. It's a combination of rolling, army crawling, wriggling, and some hands-and-knees work that gets him moving at this point. And on Saturday he figured out how to push himself up from his belly to a sitting position. Exciting developments!

He's also working on cutting his sixth tooth, and he's using all those chompers to eat anything he can get his mouth around. In addition to his regular cereal and pureed fruits and veggies, he's started eating more things from our plates, like bites of fish, chicken, and tofu, noodles, and pieces of bread and cheese. He will seemingly eat anything you put in his mouth. And he's starting to be able to get things in to his own mouth as well, although the pincher grip still needs a little work.

I'm managing to squeeze in a bit of sewing and creating in the in-betweens, and I'll have some things to share soon. Some is the product of necessity (laminated cotton bibs and a floorcloth for my messy boy), and some by request (a doll for mom's school auction). I have big plans to participate in Spring Top Week again as well, but we'll see how that goes. I'll have more info on the bib and floorcloth in the form of a pattern and tutorial in the near future, but for now I'll leave you with a shot of the cute little doll I've been working on.

She's from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern Kit, Chloe & Louise that I purchased at Christmas time but never managed to get to. I have two more cut out, but she's the farthest along. And she'll be dressed soon, promise!

one week later

2010-03-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to show you what was in the box, and I know you've been waiting on pins and needles.

I know it may be hard to tell from my terrible photo, but it's beautiful, and so perfectly me. I love it. And so does the grabby little monkey that I'm always carrying around, so we're having lots of lessons on gentle touching these days!

And speaking of the little monkey, he has FIVE teeth now! The two middle ones on top came in around the same time, about two weeks ago. Then a third top tooth popped through on Saturday. There was no sign of it on Friday, but I woke up on Saturday morning and there it was. Nuts! And so cute. See:

He really looks like a kid now with all those teeth! No more gummy baby grin; it's a real boy!

And, one week in to my thirties and I have yet to cross anything exciting off my list. Or even finish making the list, but you know, details... I did, however, treat myself to a fabulous new pair of red shoes. And a drawer full of new undies. Because sometimes you just need to throw all the old ones away and start new, you know? And because red shoes are fun. At least Lincoln approves.

Also, I might have a bit of real honest-to-goodness work! If I can pass the qualification round, I'll be scoring fifth grade writing for the Standards of Learning for the Commonwealth of Virginia. It's a job I can do from home, which is awesome, but it's only temporary. Still, it's better than nothing, and hopefully it will lead to further opportunities with the company. Now I just have to find a couple of hours before tomorrow evening to actually pass the test! Easier said than done when you have a busy little guy like Lincoln to wrangle.

happy birthday to me!

2010-03-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, today's the day. I'm officially in my thirties now. And I woke up to find this waiting for me on the table:

Not a bad way to start the day! Can't wait to see what's inside!

My birthday always seems like a good time to make some personal resolutions, and I've often used the date as a deadline for making some kind of change in my life. Find a new job, leave a vice behind, grow somehow as a person, you get the idea. Thirty in particular seems like a good time to establish a few goals for the next decade of life. Nicole over at Making it Lovely has a 30 Before Thirty list that I found inspiring, but seeing as how I've already passed over onto the dark side, I guess I'll have to make mine a 30 For My 30's list.

I haven't finished it yet, but a few things that I think deserve a place on it:

Create more just for the sake of being creative. It's true that I do a fair amount of creating, but it's most often something that I've been commissioned to do. I have lots of ideas in my head about things that I want to make just because, but I never seem to give myself the time to do it. That's silly, and I'm going to make the time.
Read more. I've been reading baby-related books for over a year now, and very little else. I love to read, and it's time I took it back. I'm starting with Jane Eyre for the Bronte-Along with Melissa of Yummy Goods. Melissa, by the way, owns a shop in Cape Cod that looks just the way my own shop would, when I close my eyes and imagine myself as a shopkeeper. Inspiration abounds!
Travel. Hubby and I both have a strong desire to see the world. There are plenty of excuses why that's not realistic or practical, but excuses are lame. I'm setting us the goal of taking at least FIVE vacations (or mini-vacations) in the next decade. That sounds completely achievable now, with all ten years to go. For the purposes of this list, a vacation could be a simple weekend away, or it could be the more in-my-dreams excursion to Italy. I was looking at Amtrak's packages the other day, like Yosemite by Train or the Empire Builder to Montana's Glacier National Park. Traveling by train seems like it might be a good way to go while Lincoln is small.
Eat less sugar. Especially since Lincoln was born, I have had wicked sugar cravings. I'm sure some weird hormonal imbalance was probably to blame at the start, but I'm equally sure that by giving in to the cravings, I've fed and nurtured that little sugar monster that has now taken up permanent residence in my belly and brain. I need to break that cycle, but it's so hard! Cookies! Ice cream! Candy! And the fact that breastfeeding has allowed me to indulge without much negative consequence is even worse. As soon as that safety net is gone, I know I'll pay the price (and the cost will be an entirely new wardrobe to accomodate my gigantic ass). Refined white sugar is so evil in so many ways anyway, it's probably best if I just give it the boot entirely. But baby steps. Because candy! Cupcakes! And hello, Birthday Cake!
Watch less TV. I think I might be able to get away with blaming David for this one. After all, when we started dating, I was living with no TV and I was fine with that. I had never seen Grey's Anatomy, or Lost, or most of the other shows that I'm hopelessly addicted to now. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'm going to give up on my shows entirely. After all, Lost is almost over (THANK GOD!), and I have a special place in my heart for Michael Scott and Pam and Jim and a whole host of others. However, I will try to be more selective about what earns my butt a spot on the couch. I want Lincoln to see us actively involved in our lives and participating in activities that we love, not just zoning out on the couch all the time. It's about balance, right? Not elimination, but balance.

Okay, enough for now. I have some work to do to make that a list that I can actively work toward during the next fabulous decade of my life. And right now, duty calls (in the form of this little bundle of adorable):

I just love the little chubs, and those fun bath time hair-do's.

so pretty!

2010-03-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Lincoln and I were having some fun this morning:

And Daddy, before you get concerned that I'm letting him dabble in mama's make-up bag a little prematurely, let me reassure you. It's only plums.

Ha ha! We fooled you! That was fun. By the way, how cute am I? OMG. Seriously.

all present and accounted for

2010-03-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Long time. We're still here! Not too much to report, just kind of hanging out with the monkey and enjoying the nice weather and each other.

We've been taking a lot of walks lately, mostly to the library and around old Burien. We stop frequently at the puppy store, just to see what kind of cuteness they have at that moment. Lately it's been a little Chiweenie. Yes, that's a real thing, apparently. It's one of those designer breeds, half Chihuahua and half Dachshund. In case you're wondering, it's adorable, and you are welcome to buy me one for my upcoming birthday. Only not really, because my husband would have a cow. And then we'd have two extra animals to take care of.

***

Yes, my thirtieth birthday is approaching. Rapidly. March 15th, aka the Ides of March. Beware! Old age is heading my way. I'm not scared though. The gray hair and wrinkles have been around for years already, and pregnancy and childbirth have already transformed my body into the fancy new mom shape that's all the rage these days, so I figure there's nothing more to worry about. A few years ago I used to say that I couldn't wait to be thirty, because I just knew that by then my life would be all figured out and so much less chaotic. Thankfully, I think I was right! Life is looking pretty good from where I sit.

***

I've been cooking a nice and quick dinner every night for the last couple of weeks thanks to Dana's suggestion that I check out the Six O'Clock Scramble. So far all the recipes that we've tried have been really good, and easy to prepare with fresh ingredients. I've found that it's just so much easier to go to the grocery store and pick up enough ingredients for a few days at a time, rather than trying to figure everything out each day. And I love that you can customize your menu on the website, and then print out a grocery list that includes everything you need for all the meals. So easy. And I broke the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day book back out and now we've got dough in the fridge too. Fresh baked bread makes any meal that much more enticing, in my opinion, and you can't beat the convenience of the system that they've devised.

***

We visited a doctor at Sleep Medicine Associates the other day and we've already noticed a huge difference in Lincoln's sleep habits. We were really close to having everything all figured out, but the advice we got really pushed us over the edge. Lincoln has gone from sleeping between 9 and 10 hours at night to between 11 and 12, bringing his 24 hour total close to 14 hours. He's a much more cheerful boy in his awake hours now. This morning I even found him happily playing with a stuffed monkey in his crib when I went into his room, instead of him waking up crying. And the best part has been his quick return to sleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Last week he would be up for 40-60 minutes after his middle of the night meals, meaning that all three of us were awake between 1 and 2 am, and again between 5 and 6, and then we started our day at 6:30 or 7. Since our visit, Lincoln is only awake long enough to eat, and we're all back to sleep within 15 or 20 minutes. YAY!!!

***

Lincoln has also already outgrown the 9 month clothes that we moved him into in January. And I expect him to be crawling any minute now. He's figured out how to push himself up onto his hands, and he can get his butt up in the air on his knees, he just can't quite coordinate it all together just yet. Any time though, I'm sure. It's all happening so fast! It feels like just a few weeks ago that he was just a little mushy blob that would curl up and fall asleep on David's chest. Now he's scooting himself all around on the floor and eating anything that comes within a foot or so of his mouth. He's proving to be a good little eater, which should come as no surprise. His two top teeth also look like they'll be making an appearance very soon. I can just see the tips of them through the gums, so we should have a full set of chompers pretty soon. How cute will that be?

an unhealthy man

2010-02-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

I found out Thursday morning that my dad had a heart attack on Tuesday evening. I can't say that I was terribly surprised, as he's always been significantly overweight, he smokes like a chimney, eats whatever he wants and his general attitude is that he's invincible to the forces of nature and is always testing the theory. I had kind of assumed that he would end up living to be 120 or something, just to spite everyone who may have thought otherwise or ever told him to diet or quit smoking. And the heart attack didn't kill him, so maybe he still will.

I haven't had any contact with my dad for a long time. Going on thirteen years now. For a long time I didn't have a relationship with anyone on his side of my family, but for the last couple of years I've been in touch with his sister and her family, and I've seen my grandparents a couple of times as well. My Aunt Carolyn is the one who called to let me know. She left me a message Wednesday evening, and I checked the message the following morning. (I'm terrible at retrieving voicemail- be forewarned.) There are usually a couple of messages in there from my mom, sitting unchecked for days, and they're always novella-long, so I'm often uninspired to listen to them.

When I heard Carolyn's message, I was confused about how to react. I mean, it's my dad, and of course I don't wish him dead or anything, but I've also moved on from my life with him in it. I didn't really feel anything, which of course made me feel kind of guilty and heartless. It sounds so awful to say that I don't care that my dad had a heart attack, but I kind of don't really care... and before you say "whoa, that chick clearly needs therapy," let me tell you that I've had some, and that's how I've gotten to the point I'm at. I think it's actually kind of a good thing, as crazy as that sounds!

So anyway, I called my Aunt and she said that they got him to a hospital and went up through a vein in his leg to his heart and found a clot. They "roto-rooted" it out, as she put it, and he's recovering. He should be fine, and now that he has a fresh clean artery, I have no doubt that he'll be around for a long time more.

***

When I started writing this yesterday, it seemed a lot more important for me to get it out and off my chest. Today, it just seems trivial and I can't think of anything inspired to add. So, it is what it is. Estranged father avoids death; daughter carries on. The end.

my little secret

2010-02-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Even though it represented the height of modern convenience, I felt compelled to remove the old wall-mounted can opener from our kitchen pretty much the moment I moved in.

In case you missed the technological advances of the 1960's, it was a contraption like this:

(not our house, but you get the idea)

And although it was an improvement, I was left with a hole in the wall with two electrical wires capped off with wire nuts. Not the prettiest aspect of the kitchen, to be sure.

My solution: put our knife block in front of it. Out of sight, out of mind! We also talked dreamily about putting up a tile backsplash a few dozen times, but never roused the initiative or funds to make that happen.

That was all fine until yesterday, when I decided to rearrange the kitchen to make more functional use of the countertops and available space. The knife block and cutting boards, which had been fairly efficient camouflage for my gaping hole, were relocated across the room to our new "prep zone". You can probably imagine that having this ugly hole in the middle of our kitchen was not going to work for me. Not even a little.

Thankfully, hubby was considerate enough to buy me a card for Valentine's day, despite the fact that we don't typically like to endorse those fakey made up commercial holidays. And it just so happens that his card was lovely enough to frame, so I was able to cover the hole with a pretty and functional new piece of art for the grand total of zero dollars. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention.

Now, just promise that you'll pretend that I never told you that there was a big hole in our wall, and if you come over don't stare! I'll know that you know, and you're looking right through the art to the unfinished wall behind. Repeat after me: out of sight, out of mind!

And if you were curious, the card says:

Some people make the world more special just by being in it.

I know, right? Sorry ladies, he's taken!

stuff & things

2010-02-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

Lincoln is sitting up by himself pretty well now. It amazes me how quickly babies learn new things! We really only started focusing our attention on sitting last week, making sure that he practiced for a while each day sitting in between our legs or with us holding him steady. Within a couple of days he was so much more stable, and yesterday I was able to walk away and get the camera and when I came back he was still sitting there smiling at me! He still face plants occasionally, but he just rolls over and keeps playing!

***

Mom brought over three more bins of special treasures that she has ~~hoarded away~~ saved for me over the years. Inside were a few actual treasures (photos of me as a baby, a newspaper article documenting my five minutes of fame in fifth grade, some special notes from mom's baby shower) and a WHOLE lot of garbage. Least questionable but still doomed for recycling were every single one of my progress reports and report cards from preschool through senior year in high school, and EVERY certificate or award I've ever gotten. There were pages commending my participation in Jump Rope for Heart and D.A.R.E. in elementary school, student of the month and thank-you-for-being-a-library-volunteer certificates, FBLA awards and ribbons, and much, much more. And as I said, those were the least questionable items.

Now that we have Lincoln, it's easier for me to understand that desire to document your child's successes and keep that kind of stuff for posterity's sake, but seriously. Some of these papers have been stored for 30 years! Not coincidentally, I'm currently reading It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh, the guy from TLC's Clean Sweep. In it he talks about this kind of sentimental clutter in a way that I think makes a lot of sense:

If something is important, give it a place of importance. Find a way to respect and display that memory. If you're not treating it with honor and respect and you can't find a way to do so, then get rid of it.

Just having all those documents stored away in boxes in the closet wasn't doing anything to honor the memory of the achievements, nor does throwing them away make the memories disappear or belittle my successes. In all honesty, that stuff was just a fire hazard! It was time for it to go. I saved a few little tidbits that I found actually meaningful and that held sentimental value, and I'll scrapbook them or put them in an album so I can actually enjoy the memories. And I've made a promise to myself that if in a six months, they're still in a box just waiting to be scrapbooked, those things will go out the door with the rest.

***

In other news, Lincoln's sleep schedule seems to have regulated a bit more, and naps are going a little better than they a couple weeks ago. It really is just so much a matter of being consistent. Consistent in timing, in ritual, and in attitude. A month ago, I couldn't get him to sleep alone in his crib for a nap no matter what I did and I was going insane. Times have changed though, and now he'll usually sleep for an hour or sometimes two without much trouble at all. Of course, since I typed that, he woke up screaming after just 25 minutes and wouldn't settle back down. It's still kind of a crap shoot, I guess!

***

I've been making granola with this recipe for the last couple months, and it is so good! I've been using a mixture of slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts because that's what I had on hand, and adding dried cranberries. Today I had some leftover Cranberry Cove mix (from shopping PCC's bulk bins when I was hungry) that included apples, pumpkin seeds, papaya, cashews, and some other yummy goodies, so I threw that in. It's delicious! We like it over Trader Joe's Greek style apricot mango yogurt, but it's also good for just snacking on.

And speaking of food, I'm trying to get better about meal planning and grocery shopping, since that's pretty much my least favorite thing in the world. Ideally, I would have an idea of the things we're going to have for dinner for the whole week, and then I can just go to the grocery store once and get everything we need. Instead, we end up stopping at the store for one meal worth of groceries on the way home from work, or I rummage through the freezer and pantry and make a concoction of whatever's already here. You would think that this would be one of those things that I would enjoy, along with all the other weird organizational things I obsess over, but no. Any good suggestions for this headache?

halfway through!

2010-02-11T10:13:00.001-08:00

Halfway through the first year, that is! Lincoln is six months old today. I know I keep saying this, but it has just gone by so quickly, I can't stand it.

Our little bug has two tiny teeth, a full head of reddish hair, and he's so tall he looks much older than his six months.

He's full of giggles and smiles and is rolling all around. He's pushing up on his hands when he's on his belly, and scoots around in circles and travels short distances by wriggling and squirming his legs and arms.

Everything you hand him is destined for his mouth, whether it's meant for eating or not. And he does like to eat a few different things, including bananas, carrots, peas, sweet potato, and rice cereal. He blows bubbles and makes groaning noises and chatters to himself and anyone who will listen.

He can sit up unassisted for a little while, which is fun because it makes it even easier to get things into his mouth.

He sleeps in his very own room at night now, from seven p.m. until seven a.m. most nights, awakening just once (or sometimes twice) for a quick snack of momma's milk. Unfortunately, he's also pretty much abandoned his daily nap schedule, so the battle for sleep rages on, albeit on a new front.

He's so curious and interested in the world, and he excitedly reaches out to touch the faces of the other babies at the playgroup we attend most Wednesday afternoons. He laughs and grabs at the puppet that sings the hello song.

He recognizes the sign for milk, and will turn anxiously toward me with an open mouth when I sign it while he sits on my lap.

He's the most amazing little human I've ever had the pleasure to meet. He pulls my hair and grabs my glasses right off my face, but then he gives me a great big sloppy open-mouthed kiss right on my cheek, and I forgive him immediately.

I love you Lincoln! Thanks for letting me be your mommy. It's been an amazing adventure so far!

my mother is crazymy mother is a crazy hoardermy mother is a hoarder

2010-02-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

So last night my Mom left a message in my voicemail. She was moving some boxes out of a closet so workmen could get in and replace her water heater and she came across a couple of sweatshirts. She's not a sweatshirt person, so she's never worn them, and she wondered if I wanted them. The collection included one with a big purple H in honor of my high school (I graduated in '98), one that I brought back to her from Paris when I traveled there in 1995, and a third with "Seattle U Mom" embroidered on the chest.

For what I presume are obvious reasons, I did not want them, and when I returned her call I told her as much. I suggested that since she had never worn them and never would, she should donate them to the thrift store. She scoffed at such a ridiculous notion and said "Oh no, I couldn't do that!" I assured her that there was nothing sentimental about a couple of sweatshirts, and she was being foolish. Declaring that she might wear them "someday", she decided she would return them to her closet, where I will surely find them after she's died, still unworn.

She came by not long after to visit Lincoln. When I opened the door she handed me a file folder of paperwork that "I might want". Paper-clipped to the front was my certificate of completion from Defensive Driving school, dated 1996. Inside, a collection of brochures from Seattle U, a generic "Dear Parent" letter from the director of Freshman Success at SU, a couple of high school report cards (one was actually just a photocopy of the original), my financial aid award letter from Freshman year, and a letter welcoming me the Alber's School of Business and Economics (my major for less than one school year). To round out the collection: a verbose and angst-y letter that eighteen-year-old me had typed (in cursive font, no less) to my estranged father, along with his terse (also typed- in courier) response. My two-page letter and his two-paragraph reply, stapled awkwardly nowhere near the corner and edges misaligned.

What that motley collection of documents were doing all together is anyone's guess. Why I might want any of them- another mystery. And I know that Mom's closet is stuffed to the brim with boxes containing many more files just like this one. All those meaningless documents and reminders of things and times long gone. Just knowing that makes me want to rent a big dumpster and rid my own closets of everything that I might have tucked away "for someday". Doing that won't help her though.

I told David that I should have told her that I did want the sweatshirts, if only so that I could throw them out for her. But again, it won't help. The sweatshirts will just be replaced by some other meaningless trinket that she has assigned a sentimental value where none exists.

Now I'm not suggesting that there is no value in holding on to the things that matter. That's not the case at all. I could understand a box with a well-loved baby blanket, or a dog-eared copy of her favorite novel, or even ticket stubs or similar ephemera- reminders of a full life well lived. But no such box exists- just stacks of junk. Maybe it's in the absence of those more meaningful things that she feels the need to save the rest?

There may not be tunnels of junk leading from the front door like you see on those intervention shows or when Oprah has a hoarder on, but oh yes, she's a hoarder. I have the file folder to prove it.

Coolest craft medium ever?

2010-02-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Amy of Mod Podge Rocks wrote a sweet little bit about the jar of olives that I gave to David for his birthday. Thanks Amy! Check it out here.

And you should definitely take a look at some of the other awesome projects while you're there. Seriously, Mod Podge is some amazing stuff!

I think Lincoln needs an elephant like this one.

Or how about this beautiful table? Or this one?

I'm completely inspired!

still here!

2010-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been forever since I've stopped by here to say hello. Anyone still here?

Hi! I've missed you!

Things have been great, and a bit busy. Now that we're (sometimes) getting a little bit more sleep than we were, it seems like we've had a lot more initiative to get out of the house and go have adventures during the day. The weather probably helps a bit too.

In the last couple of weeks we've done a lot! We took a walk to the fancy new library, went for a walk on Seahurst Beach, went to the Baby Play play group at FamilyWorks, tried to go to the play group again but it was cancelled, went for a walk at Lincoln Park with a new friend from PEPS, met a wonderful old friend for lunch and shopping at U Village, met my sister for lunch at Bellevue Square, toured Three Tree Montessori, and saw ALL of our grandparents! It's been lots of fun.

See, look how much fun we're having:

We also had a lovely woman from Safety for Toddlers come out and give us a whole-house baby-proofing consultation, since Lincoln's rolling all over and crawling is probably just a few short weeks away.

It was a little bit overwhelming, but we got a ton of really great suggestions and she pointed out some things that we never would have considered. We learned that there is a baby-proofing gadget for everything, and now we just have to decide what is really valuable and necessary.

We added some cool new book shelves to Lincoln's room based on an idea that Gus saw on ohdeedoh:

It's just a couple of Ribba picture ledges from Ikea. It's perfect for kiddos who can't read, because then they can choose books by looking at the cover. Plus, it's a super cute addition to his room. Love it!

Also, thanks for your feedback on the trim for the last mixer cover! She chose the polka dots, as that was the hands-down winner, and she totally loves the result!

More to come! Be back soon!

a dream come true

2010-01-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, as excited as I was yesterday, I didn't want to say anything lest I jinx it. Today, however, I'm confident enough to share the most exciting news I've had in quite some time:

Sleep has returned to the James household!

That's right kids, our old friend sleep is back. And I'm not talking about just an hour or two, or a measly little nap- but multiple hours of sleep all strung together into one uninterrupted stretch. I myself slept from a bit after 11 pm last night until 4:45 am. And I'm finally not too sleep-deprived to do the math, so I can tell you that that amounts to 5 hours and 45 minutes of blissful dream-filled sleep! (And that was just the beginning!)

Forgive my obsessive recounting, but I honestly haven't had more than two hours of sleep in a row since I can't remember when, it's been so long. But before Lincoln was born, for sure. And even in the last months of my pregnancy my bladder was shrunken to the size of a pea and I was too uncomfortable to sleep for longer than a couple of hours anyway. So seriously, it's been MONTHS!!

And before you get worried, Lincoln is still alive and well, and even still residing under our roof. It turns out all the kid needed was his own room and a little less meddling on the part of his mom, and the boy can sleep like a champ.

As many of you know, we've been co-sleeping/bedsharing with Lincoln since the night he was born. Although we had a crib and it was even assembled and waiting in Lincoln's nursery, he hadn't slept in it for even a few minutes. Ever. Until Sunday. Sunday, which came after Saturday, which was perhaps the Worst Night Ever. The worst night since Friday, that is, which was the worst night since Thursday. I think you get the idea... things were not going well.

So Sunday we bought some black-out curtain material for Lincoln's room, and we took all the miscellaneous junk out of the crib that Lincoln could choke on or tangle himself up in, and when it was bedtime we did all the usual things:

We gave him a bath, we read him some stories, we nursed and sang lullabies. We turned on the ocean noises, and we put him to bed.

Except this time, we put him in his crib in his bedroom instead of in the swing or the co-sleeper in our room. And I'm not going to lie, there was some crying. But honestly, that was mostly me. Lincoln was asleep in no time at all, and the best part of all was that he didn't wake up after only one hour. Or even after two hours. He went to sleep at 7:40 and he didn't wake up for hours.

We came upstairs to go to bed at 11, and Lincoln was still quiet. He slept through me dropping the baby tub in the bathtub right next to his room, and through David breaking a wine glass in the kitchen. He hadn't made a peep in so long that my meddlesome brain got the best of me and I went in at 11:20, just to make sure he was alive. He was not only alive, but quietly awake, just contently hanging out in his crib. He probably would have fallen asleep again on his own, but I picked him up and nursed him back to sleep, just in case. I put him back in his crib, expecting the worst, but he just rolled over and went back to sleep. He didn't wake up again until 4:45, and once again, a little nursing and he was right back out until 6:30, when I brought him back to bed with me (admitedly more for myself than him).

The same scenario repeated itself again last night, except we managed not to drop or break anything when we came upstairs, and I forced myself to leave well enough alone and didn't even go check on him. He rewarded us by sleeping all the way through until 4:45, and then after a snack he slept again until 7:35 when I brought him to bed with me and we snuggled and snoozed until 9.

And sadly, I can't even say that I wish someone would have just told us that it would be this easy to regain our sleep, because unfortunately, pretty much everyone had. I just assumed that there was no way that Lincoln could possibly sleep alone in his crib better than he slept with me: his source of nourishment, the one he turns to for comfort, and presumably his most favorite person in the whole world.

Every time someone suggested that we put him in a crib, or just let him cry a little bit, we would smile and say "Oh, that will never work for him". Obviously, since he wasn't sleeping well with all the interventions we were performing, he was just a bad sleeper. As per usual, I had read every book about baby sleep that I could get my hands on, and I thought we were doing everything we should. It would just take time, and maturity, and everything would work itself out. I kept telling myself that, and we kept waking up every hour and a half.

And all the books said that infant sleep is cyclical, and that it was normal for him to come in and out of sleep many times at night. And they all also said to listen carefully, and to make sure that we were only intervening when Lincoln actually needed us to, and that he would often be able to get back to sleep on his own. And I read that and I absorbed it, and yet I continued to meddle, all night long, night after night.

I was adamant that David's sleep be preserved, because he had to get up and go to work while I am fortunate enough to stay home and take care of Lincoln. And I really thought that the best and easiest place for Lincoln to sleep was right by my side, so I charged myself with the task of keeping his nighttime noise to a minimum. I was physically and mentally incapable of letting him stir or cry out in the night without getting involved. Always meddling.

I guess sometimes you just need to leave well enough alone. Apparently Lincoln is perfectly capable of sleeping on his back, un-swaddled, motionless in a crib in another room. He just needed the opportunity to try. Let it be a lesson to me, indeed.

And despite the two wonderful nights of sleep I've had so far, I admit that I am a little sad that sleeping with my little monkey didn't work out for us. There's nothing better than snuggling with a warm and sweet-smelling baby all night. Sure, his leaky diapers were kind of a drag, and I was spit up on more times than I care to recount. And lately, he'd taken to kicking me repeatedly in the night, and wiggling around a lot, but I don't care. I miss him anyway. I am glad that all three of us are sleeping so much better though, so I guess it's worth it.