When you least expect it...

things change.

I have neglected the blog.  I did it intentionally since the summer was so busy and the sewing was so little.  I did get to do some fun stuff (all gifts that have been given away BEFORE pictures.  Shameful.) like the gathered clutch and  my new tote bag pattern.  They both turned out really well.  Normally, I would not buy a tote bag pattern but it was suppose to be the basis of my very first beginners' sewing class!  So exciting.  The girls finally went back to school in Sept., I had time to sew.  All was well.

Two weeks in we had a trip to Germany scheduled.  Last year I resisted this trip because I think it is hard on kids to begin a new schedule only to be yanked out of it.  But this year, I realized that next year Sophia would be in KINDERGARTEN and we couldn't pull her out of "real" school.  So off we went to enjoy friends, Wurstmarkt, and Oktoberfest. Yes, we really ought to have had enough of these things, but no.  We enjoy them in a different way now with kids.

We had a WONDERFUL trip.  The weather and events were on our side.  The weather was perfect at 75F and sunny.  We enjoyed the Wurstmarkt with Anna and Filippo.  It was not the best place to catch up with friends, but the kids had a big time.

Filippo, Amelia, and Sophia,Wurstmarkt 2010

Mama and Amelia on the Riesenrad, Wurstmark 2010

Sophia on the Riesenrad, Wurstmarkt 2010

Sophia on random ride that goes round and round and round, Wurstmark 2010

Amelia enjoying her first Hollandische Pommes, Wurstmarkt 2010

We also had a great time with Joe, Melissa and family at many events, but the one that we loved the most was the kulinarische Wanderung in Rodenbach near Kindsbach.

Eric, Sophia, Heather, and Amelia at Stop #2, Kulinarische Wanderung  2010

After a few wonderful days in our old home state (Rheinland-Pfalz) we headed off to Munich to visit other old haunts.  I know we should break out, but we can't help it: we love these places!!  So, off we went.  The first day in Munich we actually traveled by Strassenbahn to Oberpfaffenhofen.  Then we endured enjoyed a 3 or so mile hike up to the Andechs Monastery.  If you love dark beer (specifically doppelbock) you NEED to go to Andechs!   The hike there is heavenly (even with two kids) and when you get there, the reward is...heavenly.  Sorry, there are just no other words.  The fact that the weather was still on our side was just plain old good luck.  The amount of people there surprised us, but everyone was having such a wonderful time enjoying the moment!

Amelia with the best strawberry ice cream ever, Andechs 2010

Mama and Sophia, Andechs 2010

However, our carefree times were about over.  While at Andechs, actually during our second bit of doppelbock, Eric got a phone call.  

Amelia and Eric hard at work, Andechs 2010

He got a promotion, yay!  We are moving to NJ, fun?! Holy **** we have a lot to do!  But before that, we still have several days of fun...

Amelia's first real taste of apple juice.  I swear it is like crack for babies!

Sophia and Amelia enjoying apple juice, Hirschgarten 2010

Collecting chestnuts so that we could feed the deer at the Hirschgarten in Munich.

Deer, Hirschgarten 2010

Taking Amelia on the Riesenrad at Oktoberfest.  This was Sophia's first ride when she was 9 months old.

Amelia, Eric, Heather, and Sophia, Oktoberfest 2010

Octoberfest 2010

Amelia's first kid ride, ever.

Amelia and Sophia, Oktoberfest 2010

Family time at a great event.

The family in the Augustiner-Festhalle, Oktoberfest 2010

The girls +girl/elephant, Oktoberfest 2010

After Amelia discovered her love of juice and Sophia her love of big, ol' pretzels, we headed back to Kindsbach.  We had a wonderful last few days that included a great Oktoberfest celebrations in Kindsbach and a lot of computer time on city-data.com trying to figure out where we should move.  It was a great vacation!  And now, it is back to reality...

NJ bound!

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!

Bye Bye Sadie Dog

I know that she is just a dog, but we love her very much.  Today, we have to say goodbye and it breaks our hearts.  She was a very good dog, companion, source of entertainment and frustration.  She was my first baby.  

She has lived a wonderful life and made ours happier.  We will miss her terribly.

Randomness-Why Do We Love It?

So, there has not been much sewing going on here since the family has invaded.  We were fortunate to have my parents down over Memorial Day for Sophia's dance recital.  Talk about a whole lot of stress that resulted in a whole lot of entertainment and fun.  I still haven't decided if it is worth it for a four year old, but I am definitely happy we did it this year.

After oma and opa left, Tante Sonja, Eli, and Ella came down.  They are still here and Sophia and Amelia are enjoying their cousins a lot!  Eric, Sonja and I are just trying to get by.  None of us are used to four kids.  It can be a handful at times!!  

But Friday the World Cup started, so now Eric and I have something to enjoy for the next month.  Yay!  We watched the US tie England and enjoyed it.  But yesterday we got to watch Germany win over Australia 4-0 and we loved every minute.   

(picture from http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249722/match=300111116/summary.html)

As I was sitting there watching, several thoughts kept running through my head. The first was the normal: Why do we care so much?  I don't understand how sports can get us.  The emotion involved can be incredible: heartbreaking or ecstatic.  It is amazing to me because only international soccer has gotten me like that.  Before my first WM (weltmeisterschaft), I truly did not understand how men could get so worked up over college or professional sports. Now, I have at least gotten a taste.  My question, though, is: Do my emotions run high because of the memory, the spirit, the experience that I associate with it?

You see, my first WM was the summer after I moved to Germany.  I was a bit lonely without friends, family, or job.  So, when the WM started coming on, one game each day (we only had basic cable) it gave me something to connect to.

But actually, the whole love for soccer started before that.  In May 2002, Eric and I were fortunate enough to be in Madrid, Spain when Real Madrid was playing Bayer Leverkusen for the Champions League Finale.  Even though we were sort of rooting for Leverkusen, being newly expatriated to Germany, we were thrilled when Real Madrid won because the city went berserk in a very happy, fun-loving way!  The next day the joy continued as the team toured the city stopping at different squares to wave to fans.  They ended in a church to say mass. I loved the otherness of it all.  The players, many of them millionaires, all wore the same suit.  They all wore ties. It was just different than American football.

That otherness continued through the WM.  I loved how they have the kids walk out for the national anthems.  I found it inspiring how the players were so international even when playing on their national teams.  I mean, the German coach, Rudi Voeller, who is German gave interviews to the Italian reporters in Italian since he had spent much of his professional career in Italy.  The same was true for foreign players who played or had played in Germany.  They would give interviews in German to the German reporters.  As someone struggling to learn that language, I was impressed.  In the US, we (or maybe just me) are pretty quick to pigeon hole people and one of our favorites is "dumb jock."  Well, these guys, who do not go through a college system to play professionally or internationally were doing a fine job being informed about the places and people they encountered.

I really can not pin point why I fell in love with it all, but I did.  The memories of that WM after which I wanted, to the horror of Eric, to name our first born son Oli or the one in 2006 which was in Germany  (we never got tickets) and inspired two of my favorite German songs, Dieser Weg 

and Was Wir Alleine Nicht Schaffen,

must have caused my tears on Sunday. I love that place and that time.  I miss it lots even though I am so fortunate to have wonderful friends here.  We feel so connected to Germany and its team even though we have no right to.  It makes no sense, but life and love are often like that.  Hell, sports are often like that.  All I can say is, "GO DEUTSCHLAND!!" and I hope you all enjoy the 2010 World Cup.  We will be watching!

(picture from http://www.dfb.de/)

Sneak Peek

Still working on that darn 1st quilt, but wanted to show it off anyway.  Here it is before the quilting begins. 

The actual quilting ended up being harder than I expected. I knew it would take some time, but I didn't realize that I wouldn't like the look of my stitches. I am now done with all the blocks (hideous stitches be damned) and need to start on the border area.  Since that is the step I have to draw out first, I'm currently procrastinating by blogging ☺

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.

Mother's Day

I spent Mother's Day doing something I enjoy: sewing.  I actually sewed some things for my Mother (I won't see her until the end of the month, so technically it is not late.)  I threw in an extra for my sister since she is a mom too (and I had the fabric).  My sewing has resulted in a lot of gifts lately and that makes me feel good.  Mother's Day is a day for all of us moms to do something that makes us feel good.  Some go to the spa, some out to eat, some just to a park with their kids.  I sewed and now I am going to share.  Yay happiness on our day!

First, Sophia's Old Navy dress replica got gathered pockets yesterday.

The pockets are from Made.  I used them on her Easter skirt, too.  They are fast and easy.  You just have to be careful that you turn enough under and that you catch it when sewing the pocket onto the skirt/dress.  I must also confess that I did not put the button on because let's face it, it would never get used by a 4 year old.

My hope for today was to start quilting my quilt top from my class.  Yes, it is done, basted and ready.  However, my Mother's Day gift, a walking foot, did not get here in time.  Boo! Hopefully next week. 

That unfortunate event did allow me to focus on my mom.  She loves that I sew, but she doesn't necessarily want anything that I sew.  It is strange.  So that my feelings would not get hurt and so that I could try out some of the cute tutorials collected for Celebrating Mom, again from Made, I did not ask her what she wanted.   I just picked a couple of things I would want.

First came the brush holder from another fave of mine, Freshly Picked. 

I got carried away and poof, my sister got one too.

Then came the gathered clutch by Noodleheads.  I meant to make my sister one of these too, but ended up having trouble with the zipper in the end step.  It was just too bulky and stopped my machine several times (yes, I do need a new needle soon, but I am trying to push on through with this one for some insane reason.  I am strange.  I do admit it on a regular basis!!)  I think it might have been something about the length of the zipper since I have made zippered pouches before using the end pieces on the zipper and not had trouble.  Regardless, I ended up (after sewing and ripping two times) just taking the whole thing apart and taking off the end pieces.  It worked great after that. 

I plan to revisit the tutorial of the other zippered clutch with end pieces.  I really bet that the end piece was suppose to be 1" long after folding and mine was only 1/2".  I think the pair will make for a nice gift for my mom, though.

The final gifts that were made this week were my teacher appreciation gifts that will be given at the end of the school year.  S has had a GREAT year at school and I think a lot of that is due to her teachers.  She has learned so much and seemed much more comfortable than in years past.  I know some of it is her age, but her two teachers really are super nice.  I made them the Mama Bag from Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule.  The book was generously loaned to me by Melissa. Thank You!!

Like Melissa before me, I added a magnetic clasp and inside pocket.  On the second one I added a large, 1.5", circle of cardboard on the back of each side of the clasp.  It helps a lot to spread the pull on the fabric from the clasp.  I put a bit of cardboard on the first one too, but it was almost the exact same size as the metal back of the clasp.  I feel like I am going to rip the bag every time I open it.  But now, the question is: will the cardboard make a huge mess if the bag is washed?  If anyone has answers for me, please share!!

They look nice and springy though, so I hope they make two wonderful people happy!

OK, that is all for gift time now.  I still have two trinket keepers to make for my wonderful nephew who has a birthday tomorrow.  Again, won't see him until June 2, so not technically late.☺  Then, I HAVE to finish my second quilt top and quilt it BEFORE Father's Day.   That one is a must since I have been late with every gift for my Dad for about a year now. 

Good thing making gifts makes me happy!
Happy Mother's Day to all!