Week 1

Since the first of the year I've noticed a repeat theme over a few different blogs and Instagram feeds - the idea of a portrait a week of your kids for the year.  52 weeks of portraits to watch them grow.  And while no one could suggest that I don't take enough pictures of my kids, and so I can no way legitimately call this a "challenge" - I've decided to play along.

And so we start the year, with some yogurt eating and late night (my after-dark photo-taking needs work, I know) milk drinking.  Theme unintentional but likely to be repeated.

Bimaa Up Top

This top wasn't supposed to be a Bimaa.  It was supposed to have a regular banded neck top with a raised waist and gathered tunic length "skirt".  But in my planning, my brain kept showing it to me with a Bimaa cowl neck.  Instead of fighting my head I went with it...and it looks exactly like my mind told me it would!  Should trust that girl more often, I think.  Anyway...here's what she gave me:

It turned out a little longer than I had anticipated, but is just roomy enough up top and in the sleeves that she won't grow out of it for quite a while.

Lisi Loo's favorite shape is the star - so you can imagine her excitement when I pointed them out all over her new shirt (I should have gotten a close-up of the fabric - they dots are actually dark gray stars).  She then showed them off to all her dolls in the immediate vicinity.  Braggart.

This fabric is relatively thin, so I wasn't sure how I'd like the cowl but turns out I love it!  And she does, too, as she thinks it a scarf, like Mommy's.  Close enough kid.

I'm feeling really good about getting back in the sewing saddle.  I actually made two more tops the same day that I'll post as I get pictures.  That's part of my new strategy...sew a lot for a day or two, then step away for a week or two and get pictures as the new things are worked into regular wardrobe rotation.  Hopefully letting myself be obsessed for a day or two at a time will keep me from letting it take over all the time.  Until KCW starts, anyway.  ha!  Wish me luck!

2013. It was...a year.

'Cause everybody's doing it...

Perusing the gallery I'm quite proud of my year, creatively speaking!  I pulled a few of my favorites (links to posts below photo).

first row: one - two - three - four

second row: one - two - three - four

third row: one - two - three - four

fourth row: one - two - three - four

It's interesting to compare the list of things I really love and am most proud of to the list of things that got (or are getting) the most wear.  Taking notes for the future.  Speaking of notes (and some random photos)...

2013 showed me a few things.

1. I'm kind of into blogging...some of the time.  Wishy washy all the way.  Commitment issues, I guess.  Still trying to work out how I feel about that.  I spent a lot of time over the last year thinking I had to either seriously commit or just quit.  I realize now that was silly.

(post here)

2.  I'm totally into sewing...all of the time.  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.  But...

(post here)

3.  ...sometimes I have trouble shutting it down when it needs to be shut down.  Sewing like I like to sew takes time and space, and making that time and space without having to sacrifice too much else is a balance I'm still trying to find.

(post here)

4.  I love photographing toddlers in their natural habitat.  I hate photographing toddlers as models.  But I also have a particular (and picky) vision for what I want modeled shots vs. real-life shots to look at.  Does a solution exist?

(photo post here - sweater post here)

Well, it looks like 2013's big legacy is that it's packing up all the ponderings and forwarding them on to 2014. But then, does the pondering ever really end?  I'll tell you what does end...the rambling...right now.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Recap

Easing back into blogging with a little holiday season recap.  I really do love the whole month of December - the excitement, the traditions, the extra down time to enjoy each other.

We took a nice snowy train ride with Santa a couple of weeks ago.  The boy was pretty indifferent about seeing Santa, but did declare it the best train ride he's ever been on in his whole life. "!!!!!!"  The girl, on the other hand was SUPER excited about the big guy - no fear.  Actually tried to make a run for it down the aisle because it was SO HARD to wait for him to get all the way down to her!

There was also the obligatory gingerbread house decorating.  This was Lisi Loo's first year, so I grabbed the "Christmas Village" box - four small gingerbread houses instead of one large one.  I worked out perfectly!  She and I decorated one, her brother decorated another, and then she made a mess of the rest of her candy while the kid and I worked on the last two together.

And of course, there was the Christmas Dress.  A checkered linen table cloth for the dress and old curtains for the underskirt.  I've had this dress made in my mind since spring and it turned out exactly as I had pictured...plaid matching and all!  I didn't do a photo-shoot, but did get a few shots in front of the tree.  Baby Girl's baby doll also got a matching dress, but no pictures.  Like I said...easing back in.

Lots of love over here.  Hope you're feeling the love out there, too.

Here's the thing...

...I didn't mean to run away from home my blog...it just kind of happened.

And I wrote this big long post with all my thoughts and reasons why...but then I realized it was really just me trying to justify it to myself.

The only reason that counts is this: my heart's just not in it right now.  Nothing is wrong; there is no actual REASON.  I'm just not "feeling it"...in quotes because I am in no way "cool" enough to say that...but it still perfectly describes what I'm trying to say.

So for now I'm just going to be true to myself.  If I sew something and get a few pictures, I'll post them.  If I take some pictures that make me happy, I'll post them.  If I feel like taking a month off, I will.

In the mean time I'll be living in the real world for now.  Baking cookies and hanging ornaments and teaching my kids carols while we sip hot chocolate in front of the fire.

This is my only life.  I want to make sure I'm letting myself love on it.

A Thanksgiving Junebug

It didn't happen as soon as I thought it would but I made another Junebug - just like I said I would.  It's not actually the fabric I had in mind...but it is similar...and it was free.  Oh - and she'll be wearing it on Thanksgiving next week...hence the post title.

It's a pretty heavy flannel - I'm guessing home decor.  I love the shape it holds.  It's from the same haul from my aunt that gave us berries and carrots.  And I used it ALL UP.  I used to be scared to do that...which is probably why my fabric stash had become unmanageable.  Now I find it thrilling.

I decided to pleat it at the front center, back center, and shoulder - in part because of the weight of the fabric, and in part because I actually have another one put together that I gathered and I wanted a change.  (That one's just waiting on a trip to the store for a covered button kit refill - be on the look out next week!)  Oh - and I added long sleeves with elastic at the wrist - the pattern is sleeveless or short sleeves but that won't work for us this time of here here in New England.

I also used some kelly green piping from this estate sale score (still chipping away with nary a dent in sight) around the front panel and neckline.  I had intended to put it at the waistline, as well, but forgot until I had already attached the top and bottom and there was no way I was taking it apart.  I added it to the hemline instead and I'm happy with the mistake.  It's a little unexpected and balances the green at the top and the bottom.

Speaking of the bottom...I just drafted a quick leggings pattern and used this super stretchy but still decently thick white knit I've had a while to make her a pair of two piece leggings.

Immediately after taking these pictures the leggings made their way (aka were forcibly dragged) to my sewing machine and taken in...again.  Such trouble getting the fit right!  Always that fear of too-small-to-make-right I guess.  And the buttons...will be moved out.  Totally aware they are making the front gape open.

Don't expect a second photo-shoot, though.  One per outfit is my limit!  ha!

Now...bring on the turkey!!

A Deer for my Dear

Soooo...I made another swing tee.  Last one for the season, though...probably. (Short sleeves here & here.  Long sleeves here & here.)

The stencil comes from this set that I got the Tee Pee Tee stencil from.

The fabric was a huge tee I bought to upcycle for myself, but it wasn't really working out as planned, and the color is just so little girl sweet, that it became this instead.

In the picture above she was showing her deer what she was watching on the phone.  Such a sharer.

I sure do love this crazy wackadoo.