Lent

New Year's is a time when people evaluate their year and try to start fresh, for some reason I don't feel the need to make a change then, for me New Years is the warning bell that Lent is coming.  I probably have six weeks (at the most) to get ready for the real time for reflection and change.  Lent itself is six weeks long, which is theoretically a great amount of time to form new positive habits.

Every year I spend some time figuring out what improvements and sacrifices I can make during the time, in the past I have given up alcohol, sugar, or desserts, gone to the gym every day.  I have focused on being nicer to people, made an attempt to make at least 2 new friends.  This is of course is combined with regular church going and no meat on Fridays.

This year I'm going to give up alcohol and sugar, it will drive me crazy and hopefully help me "get healthy"  (which is a euphemism for thinner), but I'm also going to work on my procrastinating.  I have a problem getting things done that really need to get done, and then not giving myself any credit for the accomplishment.  I want to develop some habits over this period that make me more productive and able to really get things done and be proud of it. 

Specifically I need to take pride in my housekeeping, cooking and child-rearing.  It's an easy thing to say and supported by society but in the middle of the tasks, it feels like you never accomplish anything.  Coming from the working world which is full of "thanks" and rewards this is very different and it's taken me the last year to finally get into a rhythm.   I am hard on myself which is counterproductive.  Additionally, it has been almost a year since I started quilting.  I want to take this next year and take more risks and expand my horizons.  I want to knit more and create more and love it all. 

My Little Valentine

I'm working my way through the Oliver+S little things to sew book.  Next stop - the tutu!

Isabella doesn't really care that much about this stuff yet, but I figured I'll make it now,  and then when she does care and I have to make her a larger tutu, I can!  What's funny is I went to the fabric store, looking to buy 5 colors of tulle, 3/4 of a yard each.  I had Isabella with me, and she was running around and being a huge problem, and the woman cutting was moving (when you're holding down a squirmy toddler) so sloooooww.  I wandered off with the baby to get notions.  When I came back there was some tulle, I grabbed it up and ran out of the store as fast as possible.  Later, I was showing my husband my lovely tulle purchases and griping about how much it had all cost,  I unfolded the fabric and realized she had cut (and charged me) for 3.75 yards each... yeah that's WAY more!  So dilemma, do I make tutu's for everyone we know?  Do I attempt to bring it back?  We had to go back to the fabric store the next day anyway to pick up my aforementioned sewing machine, and I just happened to mention that i had gotten WAY too much fabric and was annoyed with myself for not checking.  The guy behind the counter said, oh, if its more than 3 yards you can return it!! SO I DID!  yay! and got the correct amount of tulle.

 

 

Tulle - pale pink, pink, dark pink, orange and yellow

What's unfortunate is the pattern calls for tulle that is 108" wide, and mine was only 54". so it's not as fully as I would like.  But it looks beautiful and the colors are very shimmery in the sunlight.  So lots of pretty pictures of my little Valentine in her pink tutu.

Next stop more little dresses!

Return of the Sewing Machine

It's a thing, every now and again the machine needs to go in and be serviced.  It only takes a week (at least where I live) and really shouldn't be a big deal.  WELL IT WAS.  Apparently all it takes for me to be inspired to sew is the loss of my machine, figures, that's how deep the anti-authority issues run, oh you can't sew... OH THAT'S ALL I WANT TO DO!!  - Actually what really happened was the store said "Two weeks", so one week later i went back to buy some fabric figuring I'd get everything cut and ready to go for when the machine got back, after a frustrating morning I got home to a message on the home phone (left while i was AT the fabric store) telling me my machine was ready!

So it's BACK!  Hooray, and as you can see I've been busy creating a wardrobe for my baby out of Kate Spain's "Good Fortune".  Usually when I see a stack of fabric I see a quilt, this time I saw a bunch of baby clothes, so here is round one!

With Elmo

It's a pattern from Heidi and Finn, so cute.  It's a reversible pinafore with an oliver+s bucket hat, a pattern in this book.  They are just the most perfect patterns.  I'm excited to try some more of them!

Dancing!!  (and showing the beautiful back of this pinafore)

As you can see, 1 - 1/2 yard pieces of fabric perfectly accomadated the pieces for one side.

Did I mention both are reversible?

Mommy, are we done with the pics?

Look for a spring wardrobe out of Good Fortune, perfect adorable clothes for adorable girls :)

D.C. Metro Quilt - Revisited and Pattern

Well hello again!  I come and go, you know..

WELL last year, I showed you a D.C. Metro Map quilt!  I was pretty excited about it - so now I have written up a pattern for you to download!  A proper .pdf!  It's in color and is 8 pages long.  It only covers how to make the quilt top.  There are loads of tutorials out there on how to make the quilt sandwich, quilt, and bind the quilt so I leave that up to you!  (The pattern is free after all)

So my quilty friends enjoy :)  I want to see lots of D.C. Metro maps!  Frankly I hope this inspires you to make a metro map (or bus route map...) of your hometown!

Download link: DC Metro Quilt Pattern