Sewer's Block

Unfortunately, I don't mean that I am going to talk about a block of a quilt.  I mean, I think I have sewer's block as in writer's block.  Between my month of family visits and a summer schedule that doesn't have a lot of free time (meaning when the kiddos are somewhere else), I've lost not only my time, but also my desire to sew. What is happening to me??  I hope when the summer chaos calms, I will find my inspiration again.  Maybe a new serger will help. Hee hee.  My poor hubby.

Even though my summer has not been full of wonderful creations, I was lucky enough to get the girls' Fourth of July dresses done.  I actually got them ready in time for Memorial Day which was fitting.  I even got pictures!!

The fabric was leftover from last summer when I made place mats and napkins for my mom.  I used the Leisurely Dress pattern from SewMamaSew for Sophia's dress.  Amelia's is just a layered version of the Summer Smock dress from Weekend Sewing.

Both girls were nice enough to pose.  And yes, that scrunched up face is what A does every time someone gets a camera out or says cheese.  Wonder how many years of that we will have? Well, at least she is happy!

Randomness-The Girls

No sewing. Just the girls. A picture of Amelia at the show and a video of Sophia's End of Year Program. It was just so cute even if you can hardly understand a word they are saying! I love the programs.

Having a Stash Rocks!

So, did I tell you about that crazy shopping spree at JoAnn's Fabric a month or so ago? 

Well, let's just say I am not allowed back and honestly, I should not need to go except for detail items like buttons.  I also have several items from my closet in the sewing room just waiting to be repurposed.  One such item was a floor length jean skirt.  I had finally chopped it up for use in my second quilt (no, the first quilt is not complete.  The class has 2 more weeks to go.  After that I plan on being a speed demon!)  The skirt had a nice waist area that formed a triangle in front and back that I preserved for use in a skirt for the girls.  I added the waist to some of the fabric I had bought during my spree and brought home thinking, "What in the world am I going to make with this?"  It ended up looking like this for Amelia...

I like it lots.  I also got to try out a peasant blouse/dress tutorial that my sewing circle friends informed me of.  I had been looking for one for a while.  You can find it and lots of other cool stuff at indietutes.  It is amazing to me that my friends always find new stuff on the web.  I feel like I spend soooooo much time surfing that I should have found it all by now, but apparently not.  We should just have a surfing circle so that we can see all the cool stuff that each one of us finds. 

I then tackled a replica of one of Sophia's Old Navy dresses that she had last summer.  It is just too small now.  I still need to add some details (pockets, embellishment on the top yoke) and get her to wear it, but other than that it is finished.  I am pretty happy with it, although I think I need to work on the attachment at the bottom of the yoke.  I bet there is a "way" to do it, but I don't know of it.  I just forced it to work. 

The cool thing about the dress and A's skirt is that I used elastic just in the back.  I had been wanting to try this and it seems to have worked fine on both items.  It helps give the outfits a less homemade look without having to deal with those pesky zippers and button plackets. 

I might be off to work on a shirt for me.  I so wanted to take part in Made by Rae's Top Week, but I only have 5 more days to get the shirt done and I don't even know what shirt I want to make.  Yikes!  Off to sew!

At least one of them will wear it...

I haven't been blogging much because I am taking a quilting class and progress is ssssslllllloooowwww.  I did want to share A wearing one her Easter dresses though.  She looked so cute yesterday with her purse and keys ready to go, go, go!

Then she got distracted by the Glee trailer I was watching on Hulu.  Oh, a girl after my own heart!

More Spring Clothes

So, I know that I made the girls Easter dresses, but then I saw this tutorial on Freshly Picked that was just like those dresses at Target that I have not been buying since I was sure that I could make them. I used some of the Easter Fabric that was used for those change purses.  And it turned out like...

 this, and...

this. 

Amelia's was so short though that it stuck straight out in the back.  I ended up adding another layer just so her modesty would not be offended.

The picture above was so blurry that I thought Amelia needed another photo to show off her cuteness. So...

Here she is modeling her sister's hat.  And since A got a cute pic then so should Sophia. 

 

I have been wanting to show off her blue hair anyway.  It matched her bunny.

I also made myself some pants using the shorts pattern. 

It worked quite well even though I had to fudge on the bottom hem and do something like bias tape or they would have been too small. I think that they will be nice for spring and summer since the cotton is so thin. 

The only bummer about all these new clothes is that they wrinkle very badly after being washed and dried.  I have been meaning to mention that.  It is ok since I always have my ironing board out in the sewing room, but man, it makes those store bought clothes all the better.

First steps towards toddlerdom...

Amelia's first steps were not literal. 

First, she turned one.  We had a great time: 

I had a great time making her little outfit and banner. 

Sophia had a great time making cupcakes.  Amelia had a great time wearing the outfit (I'm sure) and eating the cupcake even though she seemed a little confused at first.  As you can tell she seemed to get into after a while. 

Kelsie had a great time helping unwrap the presents.

The second step means that you will not see this picture again even though it is super cute.  Yep, a week after she turned one, her mean parents took away the pacifier.  It has not been super easy, but she is crying coping.

And then finally, today she actually did take her first few free-standing steps.  I don't know why today was the day, but she seemed to rocket herself forward a couple of times.  It was really cute and I was very glad that she decided to do it on carpet!

Go Amelia!

A Montage of Events

Life has been passing pretty quickly this week, so here is a quick rundown. Amelia got her first tooth right before vacation. After that and seeing Amelia and Alexis get real food all week, she wants it too. So here is the results of her first spaghetti experience.

We had another sewing circle this week and I must say, I think that we are getting good. It is very inspiring to have creative companions. More on that later.

Finally, we ended the week with a game night with the neighbors and found we have some feisty ones. I learned the word "moe-ron" and that staying up until 2:30AM while KNOWING that you have to take care of kids starting at 7:00AM (If you are lucky. We were not.) is a little moe-ronic. Pretty-pretty Bob was moe-ronic right along with us.

FYI-moe-ronic will not be an accepted word in Bananagrams, so don't even try it!!

still kicking my butt...

School started yesterday and it was GREAT. Both girls did really well with the new routine which includes Sophia wearing something other than a leotard and Amelia staying awake until we get back from dropping Sophia off even if she wakes up early or doesn't sleep well at night.

The drop off went super and when I picked her up Sophia had nothing but good things to say and a big smile on her face. She didn't even want to leave so I let her play on the playground for a bit. We got home and BOTH girls gave me over a two hour nap. In fact this is Sophia after two and a half hours, still knocked out.

The only thing that got her up was her little sister banging on the bed.

Unfortunately today has not gone so well. Sophia had a hard time getting to bed last night and then got up early today. Waking up just to discipline your child sorta sucks. Amelia also seemed to be a grump or maybe she has just decided to become a screamer. Yep, cousin Ella might have a screamer companion. Please let it not be!

But now in the quiet of the house, after another smooth drop off, I am hoping these bumps in the road are just part of the adjustment. And I am hoping that I also get adjusted which means actually getting something accomplished instead of just sitting here and being amazed that quiet still exists in the world. It hasn't been in mine for quite a long time.

Confessions of a lazy day...

Yes, this is sitting in my floor. Yes, there is another one right beside of it and a load in the washer AND the dryer.




Yes, my kid does need a diaper change (pew wee) and is playing with both a pen and a tube of benadryl cream.




Yes, the other child has been like this all morning.



This has been a lazy day.


In my defense: we just got back from Germany and are all a bit jet lagged. We are going to bed early (at least the kids), getting up early, being a bit cranky and needy. Yesterday, I think we held Amelia about 85% of the day. So, who could blame me taking advantage of the times when she is happy to sit on the floor and play with things that normally she couldn't?





So, I took advantage. I made this cute little bag using the tutorial found here. In the process, I learned how to use my zipper foot. I have used it before, even successfully a couple of times. But this time I really understood where the zipper should be positioned and where the seam should be. Yeah for simple projects that give you the time to understand what you are doing.



I also got to take a few pictures today of the cape I made last night at our second sewing circle. We used the tutorial found here.

In true Sophia fashion, she informed me BEFORE I went out that she did not want a cape. I, as always, thought that 1. I wanted to make it anyway and 2. that after she saw what an awesome job I did that she would BEG me to wear it.

Well, at least I was right on one account. It was great to make. I love the material I got for the princess side even if it was $7 a yard ON SALE!! We switched around how we cut the material compared to the tutorial so that we saved a lot and I could make another cape using what I bought. If one thinks of it that way, one could convence oneself that one only spent half the money...sort of.

Now back to reality. The lazy day is now over. Amelia is screaming bloody murder after a nap that was less than one hour. I have a feeling my arms will be getting a workout this afternoon.

It was fun while it lasted.

My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

As Alexander would say, "I think I'll move to Australia." My only question is: Do they have fire ants in Australia? Yes, the invasion of fire ants all over Sophia's lower half (including her ANUS, yes, that still makes me a bit queasy) was just the icing on the cake that was our day or actually our last couple of weeks.

I am afraid that our lovely little Amelia has turned into a screaming, unhappy-unless-you-are-holding-her thing that we barely know what to do with. She just doesn't eat and then turns around and screams until you feed her, like you were letting her starve. She is content playing in the floor until you dare to move (an INCH) and then she screams until you go to comfort her. And woe to those who dare to put her down when she does not want it. I don't know how to explain how I feel after a day like this, but suffice it to say, not good. After a week, in tears would be how I describe it.

Today was particularly bad with Amelia starting her mattress stomping (that and crib kicking are our alerts that she is waking) at 5:20 AM. She didn't make a verbal sound until 6:10, but who could sleep with their 9 month old kicking the mattress in the room right above them!! So I fed her and, unlike normal, put her back to bed. I knew it was a mistake, but I wanted to see if she would sleep until 7:00. She did. In fact, she slept until 8:30. The funny thing is: During that 2 hour period even though I got to take a shower AND have a nice breakfast with Sophia, I KNEW that this was going to cause problems. Well, it did. She SCREAMED from 10 to 12 for no apparent reason.

Poor Heather, our babysitter, was here while I was upstairs sewing. After 20 minutes, I came to relieve her. She and Sophia went outside to swim while I fed Amelia, hoping that that was the key. It wasn't. An hour later she was still screaming as Heather brought Sophia up so that I could see the fire ant bites. With background screaming, Sophia showed me her bites and then started screaming herself and clutching at her butt. I looked and there were two fire ants just walking around her anus. I felt so bad for her because at that point, when fire ants are biting you in your private region, even a mother's love won't help you.

Now, a couple of hours full of benadryl, food and a movie, the girls are in bed and the house is quiet. I am wondering what tomorrow this afternoon will bring and if I will be able to handle it because I am, mentally at least, exhausted.

And really, no joking...50 min. into her first nap of the day, while I am writing this, she starts to cry.

I'm off to have a beer...

My First Sewing Circle

I wish that I would have gotten a picture of us all hard at work, but alas, we were so hard at work that we didn't think to take a picture of ourselves. Here is a picture of the finished product though.

The circle consisted of several moms from my mommies group: Jodi, our host and teacher, Casey, Dayna, and Melissa. We each picked out our own fabric and then made the dress according to some measurements that Jodi found on the Internet and has adapted during her last few dresses.

This little Winnie-the-Pooh dress is the first for Amelia. I made it a size 12 months, approximately. It is about 16 in. from chest to hem and 34 in. around. I tried to trim the width so that it would not swallow Amelia, but we will have to wait and see if it worked. This dress is for when she can walk, since it would be a bit hard to crawl in.

With that in mind, Amelia is trying hard to be an early walker. She continues to pull up on her crib and playpen. Here she is this morning:

She can now do this with just one hand and it doesn't seem to take as much effort. I need to lower the playpen to its lowest point, but she is so cute peeking over the top!

Back to the sewing circle...It all came about because Jodi had sewn several dresses to donate to a garage sale to benefit Iva (http://www.saveiva.org/home.shtml), Melissa's sister-in-law. We all want to help raise money for Iva's cancer treatment, so my second dress from last night will be donated. I hope that we get some other things made so that a "handmade products" link can be added to Iva's donations page. This is still just in the "we should..." phase, so we will have to wait and see. If you would like to donate before then, please do. Currently, as well as donating, you can purchase pictures by Dayna (http://daynalintonphotography.zenfolio.com/saveiva) with 100% of the proceeds going to help Iva.

I think it is wonderful when you can do something that is fun and still help people. There seems to be a lot of that in the handmade community. I wish I had discovered this long ago. Just image what I could have done in Europe with no job AND no kids.

Exciting Happenings

Okay, this has been a great summer so far. Amelia got baptized at St. Paul's Catholic Church on June 7, 2009. Her godparents, Melissa and George, came with their families. We had 12 kids in all at the pool afterwards, so it really felt like a celebration.

Then there is swimming...Sophia and our neighbor, Kelsie, started swim lessons two weeks ago. The first class went great, but the next two were a bit hairy. Poor Tante Sonja had to deal with them though since Eric and I were gone. Eli started his swim lessons a week later and has loved both of them.

Well, love 'em or hate 'em the results are wonderful. After a few days in the pool practicing what Mr. Sam taught them and having their Papas' encouragement here are the results. I am totally floored by the whole thing. I tell you what...summer is a great thing.

Not to be outdone, Amelia is officially crawling and doing so all over the house. While sister and Eli were all over the pool, she was all over Sadie.

Two Big Firsts

Amelia had her first rice cereal today. She did quite well, eating all of the 1 tbsp that Eric made for her. Unfortunately, like most babies, she found it quite fascinating and wanted to explore with her fingers.

Mama says, "Better Papa than me!!" Sophia even got to try feeding her.

Our happy baby afterwards!

The other first was my first purse! I finished it last night except for the topstiching which I finished up this morning. It is made from the buttercup pattern found at http://madebyrae.blogspot.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern.html with a few alteration found at http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=298323.0

As always, I am quite pleased with myself. The bag is way too small (and unfortunately flimsy) to use everyday, but it might work for NY. I plan on trying another one that is larger and incorporates the alterations talked about above including a zipper (maybe, it would be my first) and interfacing on the upper panels. This one has interfacing in the lining but it doesn't help the outer when a big ol' wallet is thrown in it.