You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January, 2008.
Whew. How satisfying. So this is what completion feels like? I started this…um…January 2006. Then it sat. In the basement. Alone. Sad. I kinda had myself convinced that it was last year that I started this, but no. Dana says it was 2006? Whatever. It is done. And, PS? LOVE IT.
I have a hard time abiding a mess. Yes, a toddler is a challenge for me. Preschool helps; since starting I am ashamed to admit that our art projects have taken a definite dive. So, yesterday (before the nasty funk enslaved the house) I let her go, all the while chanting to myself, “it is washable…it is washable…”. And it was. I am merely posting this to prove that, under the right witching hour circumstances I am, in fact, able to let go and let girl.
And mostly, to be honest, I got through it because of this:
Do you remember that song from Ren & Stimpy? Am I revealing too much that I used to love that show?
So, don’t tell my husband (or the MIL) but I gave Ellen the beater after mixing up the cookies. I know. But I just have so many memories surrounding that fight with my sister over who gets what one (because, of course, we never had a kitchen aid. I wonder if we have another baby what I will do about sharing them?) and how much batter was left on them. So far, no salmonella. And just look at this smile:
We used to live in Alabama. Birmingham, to be exact. When it all shook down, I was a little terrified, but always one for an adventure I looked forward to moving. I moved there after we were married and Randy had been living there for almost a year. There are a million and seven things that are different about the south. I could wax on all day about these things, but I will save you the time (plus, I know that at least one true bona fide southerner reads this, although I am not sure she really claims that heritage the way I might…but I digress…). So there is nothing like being scolded by a southern woman. Here’s the thing; you may have been and you just do not know it!! I remember Randy correcting, yes, correcting a little girl who called him “Mr. Randy” (the audacity!), telling her it was okay, she could just call him “Randy”. That mother smiled politely (watch out now!), let her daughter ask her question, waited for Randy to respond, sent the girl away and proceeded to walk up one side of him and down the other. Twice. That is how we learned that under no circumstances do you correct another person’s child and further more, you YANKEES do not know civility, so back off and let me handle this. We laugh about this now, but a few very important lessons were learned that day. I am not going to go into the particulars, but I will carry on and tell you that another thing I learned there was that when you are about to walk up one side and down the other of someone when they are not present and accounted for, you begin by saying, “Bless her/his heart, he/she is a lovely person, however…” and all that follows is forgivable by God. Because, you know, it’s the Bible belt.
I told you that to tell you this. Remember that friend that I knit (HANDKNIT!!!) socks for a while ago? Well. I will be darned (Ha! That will be so funny by the end of this sentence!) if she hasn’t already worn a HOLE through one of them!!! I don’t think she takes them off! I am altogether flattered and flabbergasted! So, a darning we will go. I am already changing my sock methods in my mind. Reinforcement yarn throughout the sole? Just the heel, toe and balls of the sole? Hmmm…
There are times, if ever so brief, that I think to myself, “I am kinda crafty” (despite all of the negative connotations that the word craft must overcome in my mind). Knitting Iris had a post a while ago about Felt Wee Folk. The book by Sally Mavor was obtained from the library promptly upon reading the post. I knew I had to make some. You see, around here, we are trying to fight the Disney princess mania, and any little thing that can counter it is a good thing in my mind! So Ellen had her first full day of preschool on Thursday and I tucked this into her lunch box:
I have made a stab at a handmade holiday, but have not fared as well as Sarah did. But then, I am also excited to start another sewing class this week, while Sarah had her hesitations (I have yet to hear if she will be joining me). For my mom I decided on a really nice cookbook that I knew would be right up her alley called Lost Recipes: Meals to Share with Friends and Family by Marion Cunningham. We have a standing tradition of purchasing cookbooks for each other every year. I love this so very much because I am personally of the opinion that one can never own too many books, especially cookbooks, and it is an easy and fun purchase every year. So, along that theme I decided to make her some things, which was then narrowed down to 2 things. But then she also got some socks which I am certain have not yet left her feet. Which is more than I can say for Ana, my sister, but I digress…
Loosely based on the patters for these items in Lotta Jandotter’s book Simple Sewing and Denyse Schmidt’s Quilts, I kinda took a little from each and this is what I cam up with. For batting I used a felted sweater from Goodwill. Ah, the effect these Liberal Minnesotans are having on me.
For my next trick, I pulled off a bag for my sister. Also from Simple Sewing, I knew when I saw this that she had to have one. I bought a Sigg bottle to go in the pocket on the side and got the fabric from IKEA. As I described to Dana, Denyse thinks I have quilted before (I haven’t) and Lotta thinks I have never seen a sewing machine (I have). So the light “quilting” I did for Mom’s hot pads didn’t turn out to be as easy as I thought they would be and the bag was not as hard. Observe:
I have a new obsession. Skirts. It comes as no surprise to those who really know me. I have always loves the skirts found over at Babyfairies. Amy does a magnificent job choosing colors and fabrics and her sewing is sublime. Once I started sewing again, I knew I wanted to do something similar. What I have chosen to do is so obscenely easy, I feel almost guilty when I complete a skirt. Almost. To “challenge” myself, I complete these with a French seam, which, when done in the order I do it (first) is not even a challenge. I have a friend at preschool who is begging for a skirt for her daughter. Maybe I will make these instead of cupcakes for Ellen’s birthday in May? What will I make for the boys? Hmmmm…
