I bring to you - pantaloons
I made Miss Pickle some pantaloons. I intend to make a few more pairs just not today. Today I intend to clean the bathroom, and make homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. I should have made the dinner last night, but alas me and the kids were watching Twilight. William really likes the flick. And as I was busy watching that, time slipped away and I forgot to make dinner. Good thing Jeremy is easy to please and likes frozen pizza so much.
But back to the pantaloons. I enjoy that word entirely too much. I drafted the pattern from a pair of her wide leg capris, plus ease for sewing. They still need a bit more added to them though cause they fit *perfect* and I want them a little more roomy.
I'm trying to find what to do for the fourth of July. We had wanted to head to Chicago to see my Dad since it's a short drive. But it's not going to work out. They head off to Yellowstone shortly after the holiday and won't be back for weeks. A little disappointing since we live so close but haven't been up since Christmas.
Jeremy had lunch with his regional manager. They do this before promotions to feel you out, and see where you are wanting to move, and also answer any questions. Last time I went as well. This time it was during his workday. The lunch went fine, his regional doesn't think we will be out here too long once corporate comes through for the annual check-in. The largest disappointment was that we more than likely will not be heading to where we originally wanted. He needs more experience before we could move out west to that specific location. So... now we are just sitting here and thinking... ho hum. They want to know general ideas of where we'd like to go. And we just don't know. We are definitely open to where God would like us to land, but we haven't gotten that memo yet. ;) So we just wait it out and see how it goes and what opens up.
I'm not in a huge rush to move, but in all honesty I'd like to move before OR after winter. Not during. Not again. Moving in December was pretty unfun.
Now I should be off to clean the bathroom before the baby wakes up from her nap. The girl just got THREE molar type teeth in, and one more cutting through. She has been a bear lately. Makes me sad for her.
Monday, June 29, 2009
something crafty
Last week I had a vision to sew. And I can proudly say that it was not only seen but accomplished. As all sewing adventures and me, there was learning, there were mess ups, and there was even some ugly. But to protect my visitors from the ugly, I did not take close ups. Be thankful that I'm so thoughtful of others.
First I bring to you a baby blanket. The fabric was purchased before Miss Pickle was born. The journey of sewing also began before her birth. And finally over a year later I finished it. It's minky on one side and done turn/top stitch style. Took me about ten minutes to finish. It's wonky, but she doesn't mind. I really should invest in a walking foot.
Second was a whim. I was shopping and saw fat quarters on sale. Ari needed a new purse, so I found this fat quarter free purse tutorial and it makes two purses with two fat quarters. Pretty nifty. Somehow the top thread got messed up so tons of loops, I ended up rethreading the needle and it worked. odd.
So handles are not pretty. Good things these wild things love me, and accept my inperfectness.
Guess who wanted one too??? Miss Pickle of course! So off I went to buy more fat quarters, and whipped up two more. I'm going to use one for holding current sock projects, that I envision beginning soonish.
Life would be easier with an iron! The handles are folded and then sewn. Without an iron you have to be inventive. In my case I used a cup with water and my finger. Dip into water, then flatten on the fabric, repeat for four handles, 22" long a piece.
Patiently Ari has been waiting for her Oliver and S Lazy Day Skirt. I bought this fabric in like March. And here it is at last. It's so easy and I like the snazy way they have you do the elastic and the ribbon hem.
And look at little Ais with her little friend Sara. She lives across the street from us and is over here almost every day. She always wants to come in and play dress up with our costumes. Too cute.
Labels: sewing
Saturday, June 27, 2009
3/50 Project
I got my summer newsletter from my Local Yarn Store, and at the bottom was a link for the 3/50 project. It's a challenge to pick three local stores in your community that you'd miss if they were gone, and to spend $50 a month at each of those stores. The money spent helps support the local business as well as your local economy.
Buying USA made products and locally are two big things for me, I do it when possible. My kids know how to look for Made in the USA on packages, and how it helps our families and country. I do all my car washes and buy my gasoline at locally owned stores as well. Book stores, yarn stores.
Thought I'd throw that link out there and encouragement to try and support your local economy. Hit up that farmer's market, and little downtown shops, and keep your money in the usa and your town.
just the worse!
I have got to be just the worst seamstress in the world! Proof here. I decide to finish sewing Elenya's baby blanket, now that she's one. ;) And I'm on the last stint and BAM! Broke my sewing needle. I haven't broke a sewing needle in like 4 years. Granted I went over my pin, but it was sideways so it shouldn't have broken it to begin with. But it did. So I'm not sewing now. Sure I can go buy another one, sure I don't live far from Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or Joanns (which is closing its store so everything is clearanced, and building a BETTER store right by me)... But it's just the point of it all! The whole idea that I have to get all the kids in the car, just to buy a dumb needle. And ribbon, cause I lost Ari's ribbon I bought like months ago and she really wants that Oliver and S skirt. And I have to wait cause baby is napping, which mind you is the best time to sew.
Oh well. Nothing to do about it now.
Ari had a good time at camp however. But she isn't sure she is brave enough to go to camp at the end of July. It thundered/lightening that night, and she was in the primitive cabin so no electricity at all. She felt frightened in the dark knowing that there wasn't even a light switch if she needed it. She missed me and cried for me. But not as much as all the other girls (one cried during the entire second day as well). She hurt her heel on the bottom of the pool when jumping in.
The biggest devastation for her though just broke my heart. She sold enough girl scout cookies to earn a special Girl Scout water bottle. She *just* got it at the bowling party a few weeks ago, and it got taken from her at camp. She put it in her backpack, and it was taken out. She doesn't know if a raccoon took it, or if one of the girls did. She busted her butt to earn this water bottle, went selling during freezing weather, and trudging along in the ice (cause we mostly get ice/freezing rain here). And just a few weeks and it's gone.
Overall camp has mixed reviews when it comes to overnight. She made some good friends, Diamond and Paige. And the girl who was mean to everyone didn't come past Tuesday. And I'll actually miss the pretty drive up there. When we were moving here all I thought of Indiana was industry. And while there is a lot of industry, there is hills, and lots of woods and winding roads... and what I really don't mind... like no corn fields. As pretty as corn can be, it's a nice change of scenery. Though I will miss measuring the kids by the corn stalks at my mom's farm.
"Nope, sorry you're still too short!"
Labels: sewing
Thursday, June 25, 2009
away at camp
Ari, that is. Tonight she gets to sleepover with all the other Girl Scouts. As soon as I dropped her off I missed her. Heck I missed her last night when I was laying next to her and talking everything over with her.
I am beyond exhausted. (Can you tell I need my sleep? What a baby!) I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 with the baby, and talking about stuff with Jeremy until way too late. Which also kept the baby awake more. Very shoot yourself in the foot here. Ari forgot her sleeping bag on the kitchen floor... so I had to drive back home, then back to camp a second time to drop it off for her.
I'm knitting Elsie and want a pair of capris or floods, or whatever they are called these days! I tried etsy but couldn't find what I want. So I'm forcing myself to make some... and Ari's Oliver and S skirt. Just need to find that ribbon. Goal for me is to sew something by the end of the weekend. If I wasn't brain dead from lack of sleep I'd start now cause I have the urge, baby is napping, and big kids playing... but I'd fail on the pant legs. I fail at pant legs even with a full 8 hours of sleep.
T-shirt baby pants (I like this cause Jeremy wears lots of tees).
Sewing Pants Tutorial (I like these because there are pretty pictures to remind me how to pin and sew. Score!)
Baby pants sewing (I don't know what this is about, it just looks important. Just too many words for me right now).
old sheet cape I've been thinking about this pattern about once a year since it came out .Maybe I should actually make one for my super hero son. He'd like it. He always appreciates toys that I make for him (knit or sewn).
I'm going to do a Summer Reading Program for our house starting this weekend. I'll make it up as I go, cause I'm that kind of girl. Just something to keep the kids in the books a bit more, and myself. Cause before and after the Twilight series, my reading has been slim. Keep those kids sharp and keep honing those reading skills for Ari and Will. Ais will just look at pictures, but that's ok.
We might pick up a new computer. Just something cheap, cause even the cheapest computer is more upgraded than our broken one behind me at the desk. The kids have their reading program on the main computer and their Webkinz of course! It'd be nice if they could enjoy those things again. Cause my laptop is pretty much off limits.
In site news. My domain/hosting expire in July. Seeing as I retired from web design this past winter, I don't really need a host or a domain. I'm thinking of switching over to wordpress actually, and just hosting through them. I may buy a new domain. but irregardless I'm not planning to renew this domain. So before the end of July I need to kick it in gear, find a new place for my blog. I also haven't checked my domain email in ages, I'm only using my gmail these days. I don't really want to give that out on my blog though, (spam and all), so I'll have to come up with a remedy for that. But if anyone needs to contact me, drop me a note and we'll figure it out. I know some tried emailing me about one of my patterns, she found me on ravelry though, and that works too.
Labels: sewing
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
little miss country
Country Kiddie is complete! I restarted this top many times, mostly I couldn't pay attention to increase evenly. I absolutely adore this top! The colors are so bold and vibrant, it's fingering weight yarn; it's very light weight for hot summer days. The cap sleeves are too cute for words. I'm planning to make another one of these once I get the yarn wound at the LYS. For $1.00 I don't have to mess with 410 yards of yarn. I'm all for that!
close up of the lace detail.
I'm in a major iced coffee kick with this summer heat! (Though thank goodness we are not in Iowa or Minnesota! I hear about the weather in those two places from friends/family and that's just too hot!) Here it's in the mid 90's but we don't have that high of a humidty or heat index, or severe weather hitting us (another good thing with Ari at camp).
Back with the iced coffee though, I've been making this regularly just to survive the day and toddler chasing, and I've come up with my new favorite recipe. I'm using my Magic Bullet Blender with a cup of coffee (i have an espresso machine so I use that), 4-5 ice cubes, and very vanilla soy milk to the top of the mixer cup. It's very good. Like never eat or drink anything else again. Or so I think.
That's about all I have in me today, I'm too beat to resize my other photos. Might actually nap since Jeremy's home with the kids and baby is napping.
Labels: knitting
