I Put the World Away for a Minute

Hello, you lovely lovely folks!! I don't know who noticed but I was absent last week from my little bloggy corner. We had our annual vacation, and I'm not big on announcing when the house is empty :) and I forgot to schedule any posts so there you have my excuse note.

We left Saturday morning for Long Beach Island, NJ and made such excellent time my sister and I didn't want to jinx anything by calling attention to the lack of traffic. We had perfect perfect weather all week. I actually wouldn't have minded one rainy day to work on my paper-piecing project, but ah well. Sunny days abounded. And massive amounts of relaxation followed. And I do mean massive. I'm not a napper, but I could have curled up every day and slept my head off. I took a ton of pics (with my wee point and shoot--I didn't bring the new camera because I would be sick if something happened to it) so I'm going to break it into two posts for you.

On the approach to the beach in many many previous years, you would see grassy dunes on the sides of the paths, and then beach. They reworked the shoreline this year, and the approach to the beach was a longer walk that looked like you were about to step off the edge of the world and dance amongst the clouds--

If you looked left or right you would see these huuuuge expanses of sand that looked like the end of the world from some movie or another--

But if you walked a half dozen loping-sized steps more you'd see that all was right with the world--

That bench is where we sat every night after the lifeguards had gone home and the beach was almost deserted. The air was cooler and the breeze just enough to make you want a sweatshirt. The sun set behind us in the bay so there was no glare trying to sear your corneas. It made it easier to take pictures like this:

Any time and any place that the sky turns pink is my favorite spot to be. Those brief moments of the sky painted with a box of watercolors are so fleeting that I must stop and gaze, whether it be winter or summer that it happens.

Each morning seemed to start off a bit cloudy, but then the sun would rear its head and chase the clouds away.



The long shadows that come at dusk are my favorite. Everything is softer, and warmer, and tinged with gold. It is my favorite time of day, and starting to come earlier now (have you noticed the shift?)

I took a picture of my mom and I sitting on the bench, sea-gazing. It's the only one I could get her to approve for blog-posting, silly girl. If you look just left of center you'll see us--

Of course we didn't just sit and stare out to sea, though we could have. There was sea-shelling--

Sweet-treat beach eating---

--and sand-castle building and smashing.

Z-man is so good with littles, which surprises me for the simple fact that he's an only child who has always been surrounded by adults. As fast as he set those turrets she knocked them down, but he was good-natured about reconstruction. The energy that this kid has astounds me--hours upon hours in the ocean, playing football and paddleball, ready to keep going. I should take my cue from him as I'm sure I would have lost a few pounds last week as opposed to gaining a couple.

And let's not forget napping. Some were better than others at this, as the others were nosy and chatty and hot and then chilly and then hungry and then needing to trek back to the house for a loo-visit. Actually, there is no 'some,' there was only one who managed to sleep like a baby--

This little guy was so good it was a dream. Except for the night he spit up down the back of my shirt. That wasn't fun. I guess that's what I get for being a baby hog. But if I wasn't constantly bothering this kid then I wouldn't get pictures like this--

I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow. It hardly seems fair to make me return to my desk.... I'll be back with some pics of 'happenings.' Ta for now!

Finally Finished

A few long term projects around here came to a conclusion recently. Some were so beyond long-term they were new projects, and others were months in the making/doing.

In my project box for a few months (my now EMPty project box, thank you very much!) was a giant hunk of twill. My mother had seen something here or there on how to cover milk crates, and wanted me to make a few for my sister's house. She's short on storage as it's not a huge house, so she thought these would be helpful in controlling some of the clutter that just seems to grow out of nowhere (unless you're a nun in a strict-possession-control-convent). I finally got around to making these. I used this tutorial. It's totally something I probably could have figured out, but sometimes I get all "Gah!! I need instructions!" and this was one of those times. Especially because I always forget about ease, and she reminds you in the tut to leave room for the fold-over part so I'd have had no excuse if they didn't fit. I made 3, each one with a different colored contrast band top-stitched down for a little visual interest.

The one with the brown strip is a little bit snug, but I convinced it to get its act together. The other two slipped on with no trouble. I even got the insides nice and neat--

I used an inset bottom, which can be kind of tricky to make look tidy. I have a tote I made with this kind of bottom, and I desperately need a new one (it's several years old and I use it every day so I think a new one is in order). Look for a tut coming your way, probably in September, for this tote and these corners.

My sister Alicia has had a project going on for I don't even know how long now. She's been growing her hair in preparation for donation. They need ten inches. Do you know how long ten inches is? It sounds like nothing, but that's some loooong hair. The other day was the big day--and she's still got a good length of hair on her!

I have no idea why her hair is that color (actually, 2 colors) on the left because on the right is her true hair color. It must be such a tremendous relief to not have all that weight on your head. I know when mine gets too long a ponytail gives me a wicked headache, so I can only imagine what this would feel like. I applaud her for this--I could never get my hair long enough to donate. I'd get frustrated, give up, and write a check instead.

The final project is 30 plus years in the making. First, I must tell you that our basement is a basement. Duh, right? What I mean is it's not finished, there's no play area, the floor is concrete, etc. My dad's workroom and the laundry area is down there, as well as the furnace and a bunch of stuff we're hoarding :)  Tucked in the corner is a half-bathroom. It's never worked, I don't think. Ever. Plus it was really gross. And scary.

A few months ago my dad was all "I'm going to finish the bathroom in the basement."  We were all "Why?" and he was all "Because it's something I've always wanted to do" and we were all "Oh, OK, whatever." So he rewired/repiped/repainted it, and now there's a bathroom in the basement. I won't use it because I know the spider king is probably just waiting for me in there so he can kill me. I'm only half-kidding, you guys. ANYway, of all things my dad wanted a curtain for this room. My grandma had given me some fabric someone had given HER that she didn't want, and these little stunt airplane guys were saying "We don't mind being in the bathroom!" So that's where they are.

I think these would look fa-hab-u-lous in a little boy's bedroom, all retro and everything. But they're good here too.

I would just like to note that my dad's part of the project took over thirty years, and mine took about an hour. Just sayin'.... But I guess the length of time it takes yo to do something doesn't really matter, so long as the end you can say "I did it" as opposed to  "I quit it." Unless it's smoking. People should totally quit that :)

So yeah, I worked milk crates, a hair cut, an old bathroom, and a public service announcement into one post. Sometimes I pride myself on my efficiency :)

What's the longest it ever took you to do something? What was it?

Baby Cakes

If you were to find yourelf on our porch on recent Sundays, you would have been witness to quite the number of odd phrases, such as:

• Oooooooooo, who's a cutie wootie pootie tootie? and
• Aiden....Aiden...Aiden...Aiden....pbltpbltpbltpblt (that's what raspberries look like when you spell them out), and
• I'm gonna eat that little butt!!
• I see somebody's tummy eye! (which is a belly button...don't ask. We're weird, we know it, and we're proud. At this point my mother/sisters/whoever is going "No, Bee, YOU'RE weird").
• Wook at those wittle frog legs!

And so on and so forth. Yes, my friends, there is frequently a baby in the house as my sister comes over quite a bit with the little scooch and sits back while we fight over him. No lie--sometimes she has to intervene and I swear she's THIS close to putting us all in corners for a time out.

This little bundle of gurgles and coos is eight weeks old. Eight weeks!!! I can't believe it's been that long since I posted this. Blogging gives you a very good indication of how quickly time really does fly.

So I'm going to shush and show you some pics I took the other day while we were porch-sitting. Nothing fancy at all. No props, no shoving a baby in an overized wine glass, no touch-ups. Just a little face that makes me smile whenever I think of him. True story. However, if you'd like to see Aiden in a wine glass check out the comments...

See that duck on his shirt? He's got a butt duck too.

Do you think that's a duck or a chick? All I know is it's covering a sweet little tushy!

This little guy is so incredibly sweet. He gets a little fussy when he's hungry or messed, but is usually so mild-tempered and easily calmed. I could honestly just stare and stare at him all day. His little faces, his little scrunchy nose when he sneezes, his wee windmilling arms and legs like he's trying so hard to get somewhere and can't figure out why he's not getting far. I don't know how Rachel gets a thing done around the house. I would be all "Screw the laundry! I must gaze!"

And he will just stare back at you and "talk" and "talk." It is so incredibly sweet. We try to think of what he's trying to say, and it's usually "Look at these idiots sitting around and watching me poop." He loves to just lay on his back on a quilt and just look all around. Not that there's much to see but a bunch of our mugs hovering. Once Zach came into the kitchen when we were all being so enraptured and said "I bet if I laid on the kitchen table and pooped I'd get in trouble." Love that kid. It's always nice to have two loves in your life, eh?

My mom snuck a picture of me holding him on the porch swing. For once I don't look demented or wonky or under the influence of illegal substances.

I suppose you could say I'm drunk on love. Yes...indeed.

In the End I Was Selfish About It.....

My little crocheted rosettes, in case you're wondering what I'm talkin' 'bout. I had a few comments as to what to do with them, both on-line and in "real" life. They were all great ideas, and I may do those in the future as I still have enough colorful yarn bits to make some more. But for now, they're MINE!! ALL MINE!!!!!

What did I do with them? Something kind of random. I've spent weeks thinking about just the right thing to use these for. I loved putting them all together into one big colorful, leafy bouquet and looking at the rainbow yarn explosion. Not that I do that a lot, it's not a bedtime ritual or something nutty like that. Sometimes I just sit and look and wait for inspiration to hit. Wanna see what I did? Here's a "hint":

It took two sticks of hot glue and one burnt finger, but I am madly in love with the outcome. In a super-geeky, odd, "I'm worried about that girl" kind of way, teeheehee.

After playing with a random layout and a heart-shaped layout (my original intention), a simple circle seemed the best way to go. I bought a twelve inch square canvas, traced a dinner plate for a guide to place the flowers, and hot glued those lovelies down. Then I went back and did the leaves. I used those 3M Command Strip thingees to stick it up--those things are kind of nifty. You wouldn't think they'd hold something but boy do they ever!

There are very few projects that I enjoy every last minute of, and this was one of them. The flowers were quick to make, as were the leaves. And gluing it down took no time at all. The most difficult part was deciding what to do with my little bouquet. I'm glad I waited. This suits me down to my toes :)

That yarn sure did go far--I got a very generously-sized throw out of it, a wreath of roses, and still have some left. Sweet!!! If you were interested in making something similar you can give Lucy's pattern for the flowers and leaves a whirl. My pattern came from an older issue of Mollie Makes, but Lucy's produces a very similar result. The yarn is a sport weight (I believe that's DK in the UK?) but a thicker weight would work just as well. I may play around with yarn thickness and hook size with some yarn I have leftover from this cushion for some fall brooches, perhaps.

So that's what I've been up to. I had a very productive weekend--sewed a bit, cleaned a LOT, made the above, read (I have 10% of Les Miserables left, according to my Kindle), and held a baby. I've got some cute photos to share with you. You should get excited. See you soon :)

Linking here this week:

Under the Table and Dreaming*** Skip to My Lou *** Pinkapotamus *** Ask Anna *** Pretty Spots *** Sew Can Do *** Craftomaniac *** Homemaker on a Dime *** C.R.A.F.T. *** Sarahndipities *** Today's Creative Blog*** Creative Itch Boutique *** Funky Polkadot Giraffe *** Chef in Training *** Tip Junkie *** My Girlish Whims *** Sew Much Ado *** Free Pretty Things for You *** JAQSStudio *** Tea Rose Home *** Pincushion Creations *** Someday Crafts *** Somewhat Simple *** Fireflies and Jellybeans *** Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom  *** Creation Corner *** The Shabby Nest *** While He Was Napping *** Tatertots and Jello *** Be Different Act Normal *** To Sew With Love *** Sugar Pink Boutique *** Craftionary *** Family, Home and Life

Kinda Wild About This Bag

You know me. I'm for kitschy and cute and whacky and whimsical. I don't go for the typical, usually. So I've been pleasantly surprised to find I really do enjoy working with animal prints. They're not my usual style on the bolt, but once they're stitched into a bag I find myself wanting to keep it for myself and say to my customer "Why I have simply no iDEa what happened to your bag!" I would say this in a southern accent because it seems like it would work best for that sort of sentiment. However, with this one I had no time to dream up a fib--I almost literally no sooner said "Done!" then there was a knock at my door for pick-up.

You've seen this bag many many times, but I always show you what I make because different fabrics can make two of the same seem oh so very different. I also did a few things a bit differently--in case I ever need to remember what I did "that time" it's nice to have a reference.

First, I made this one bigger than usual. It's hard to tell, but it's about four inches taller than the usual version of this bag I make. I was contemplating going taller, but then I think you'd need to physically climb into the bag to get anything out of it that had gone to the bottom. It took me a bit of deep thought :) to pick just the right fabric. There are a gazillion leopard prints, all in different scales and colors. I wanted to make sure I had a larger scale because this is a pretty big bag.

Instead of being a bit plain like another print I've used recently (but just realized I haven't shown you yet) this is a bit busier, with a faux fur look to it as opposed to splotchy dots on a tan background:

For the handles I had been doing a bit of edge-stitching. In later versions I added another row of stitching. For this one I did five rows. It makes it a little bit stiffer, but as the straps are the most-touched part of the bag they'll loosen up a bit (but they won't be wearing out, that's for sure!). I like the neat quilted look the extra rows produce.

Every time I have made this bag I've done my interfacing the same way. I've ironed the interfacing to the bottom part of the bag, then sewn in the pleats. Then I've used sew-in fleece cut to fit the part I just sewed. The pleats come out very crisp, and there isn't much bulk. However--it took a lot of pins and fiddling to make sure everything didn't shift. So this time I fused the interfacing, THEN I fused fleece to it. I let it cool for a long time to make sure the glue was set really well. And then I did the pleats. There was a bit of bulk once I added the piping and the top band, but nothing my machine couldn't handle, and nothing that impacted that particular seam in any way. I really love the impact it had on the body of the bag, though--

The pleats are nice and soft, and not pressed flat where you don't really notice them. It makes the bag feel soooo much sturdier, too. For most of the other bags I make, using sew-in or fusible wouldn't matter as they're not pleated--it won't make a difference when it's essentially "flat" sewing. But I wish you could feel an earlier version as compared to this one--it is certainly a noticeable difference, and so much nicer. The prospect of all that bulk where the pleats are had previously made me skittish, but not anymore. In the interest of full disclosure I should probably say the only reason I tried it this was that I was out of sew-in and really didn't feel like going shopping for more.

For the lining, there's a fun pop of red (tomato red, to be exact) and some leopard accents to spice things up--

One thing I'm going to try in the future is how I do the tops of the inside slip pockets. They tend to feel a bit loose/floppy, so the next time I'm going to feed some elastic along the top--not enough to make it pucker, but enough to give it a little bit of tightness.

I was quite giddy with myself when I discovered I had actually written down the zipper casing measurements. It usually takes me a bit of time holding it this way and that way and figuring out what would be just the right size. Or I text my friend Lisa (who has a couple of these) and say "I need you to get a ruler and give me exact measurements for the following..." Both ways are annoying. When I saw my red ink note I clapped my hands a little, I'll admit.

So that's that. I'm off to soak up some more Olympic fun. I'm wondering what I'll be watching next week :(

I'm still here!

'Allo! It's been a bit since I've posted so I thought I'd pop in and say hey-o so that you wouldn't forget who I am :)  I'm still sans PC, but I think my BIL is getting there with it, bless him. I'd have taken a hammer to it and headed to Best Buy weeks ago if it was up to me, but it's in his hands and he keeps plugging away at it. Apparently I had one doozy of a virus that was trying to eat my computer from the inside out (and I say that almost literally). Due to a nice crack of lightning over the weekend we've also been sans internet, so I've been doing everything on my phone (not as easy as it sounds when you have big fat thumbs like moi). I have been finishing up some sewing projects, or at least getting them prepped/started, so I'll have things to share with you soon! My hexie flowers are all done--I'm ready to start on all the white shapes that will tie it all together. What else....what else... I decided to do a spring craft show, so I'm thinking on details for that... I'm madly in love with the newest nephew, and the oldest one is breaking my heart what with his going into stinkin' fifth grade in a few weeks. I'm going to be a little sad when the Olympics end, I love them so. I always have--I remember being little and just staring and staring at the TV every few years while people jumped and twirled and did whatever they do. I wish they'd get new announcers/interviewers--they're awful!! "You must feel terrible, getting the silver medal. What's going through your head?" Ummm...lady? It's a flipping silver medal. They might actually feel quite good about that feat! My sister has bellowed from the other room several times during the swimming finals interviews "OMG, I HATE this lady!!"

I suppose that's all that's been going on. Quite boring, actually, but hopefully more on the horizon. Not more boring stuff, more in the sense of more events and makings to share. What's been going on with you? Any fun summer events? Fabulous projects? I want to know!

This storm came rolling in when we were sitting on the porch the other night. I do love me a good thunderstorm, but not when it kills the internet and makes everyone scramble to carry things in off the porch that might go flying.

Hexie Help

Guys? First--it's August! Holy hell--where has July gone? Dang, man! I'm not a fan of summer heat, but I'm also not a fan of time flying by. Second--my sewing machine has been uncharacteristically mum lately. I'm also behind in finishing a bag order....but I can honestly say it's because girl genius here neglected to check her zipper stash and had to place an order pronto.

But I also can't deny that the hexies may have something to do with it. I've got ten fabrics, and I made seven hexies in each fabric. Instead of doing a huge scrappy thing with no rhyme or reason I decided to do flowers--six hexies for the ring, and then one for the inside, switching them up a bit for contrast. While I had my rear end plopped on a porch cushion at Grandma's all weekend I sewed and sewed and sewed and now I have ten "flowers" made up.

This is where I need a bit of help, so puh-lease leave me a thought or two in the comments. OK--I 'm not entirely sure what I'm making yet. I don't have it in me to make a large quilt, and I don't want to make a baby quilt because it's too much work for a wee 'un. I have this piece of furniture in my bedroom that I think is technically a sideboard but I use it to hide junk I don't want on display. I've had this lacy thing on it since I bought it just because it was there, but I'm thinking I'd like to put these fabrics on display and make a runner for it out of them. I am going to make 20 flowers and see what size I get out of it. But I'm having a spot of trouble with the layout. I've got three I'm pondering and I'd like your opinion, if'n you don't mind--

#1 - shoving all the flowers together. I think this may be a bit too busy, but it's definitely scrappy.

#2 - Here I'm trying to simulate a layout with white hexies separating all of the flowers. I like how the white sets off each flower, but I'm wondering if this is too white.

#3--This one happened by mistake. I'd have to cut a bunch of diamonds and triangles (no biggie--I survived cutting the hexies) and drive myself a little crazy with the stitching, but I like this one. The white is there to set off each flower, but it's not too much white.

So what do you think? Which layout do you think would work best? I'd appreciate any thoughts you may have--there's always an angle I don't consider that someone else does, and sometimes it can be a pretty vital bit of info, so don't hold back :)

I'm off to watch these sporting events they've had on TV all week--seems like a pretty big deal in London right now :)  I'm probably going to put a flower or two together, too.

See you soon! Hopefully I'll have my computer back soon. Sounds like it needed to be totally restored. Ughhhhh--but yay for backing up your data!