*one more project*

Twice in 24 hours! I know! Hope this makes up for the inevitable seven month break before I post again.

oliver + s is a company that makes lovely sewing patterns for children’s garments. My next big project is going to be their Tea Party Sundress. In the meantime, I think I’ll be making a few of these Lazy Days skirts.

I made the first yesterday.

A grown-up version would be almost as easy. Hmm.

*fun with sewing tutorials*

Let’s ignore the fact that I haven’t written anything here in nearly two months and focus on how much I love internet sewing tutorials. Patterns are expensive and in many cases unnecessary, and include illustrations instead of detailed photographs. Here are a few tutorials I’ve enjoyed recently, with photos of my results.

1. A Room Somewhere’s pillowcase dress


So. Stinking. Easy. I’m not thrilled with my choice of ribbon, but replacing that won’t be a problem. This was the only old pillowcase we had in the house — now I’m searching for cute vintage ones on eBay to make a few more.

2. twelve22’s zipper pouch


I’ve never sewn in a zipper before, and this tutorial explained it quite clearly.

3. Balancing Everything’s wool felt crowns

I made this the day before Pea’s birthday so she’d have a little something to wear to her party. Simple and adorable. I want to make these for every birthday boy and girl I know.

Have you made anything fancy lately?

*a birthday letter*

My dear Sweet Pea,

Now you are four. You woke up Saturday morning and let me know. “Good morning. I’m four now. Today I’m four” The night before you refused to wear your size three monkey nightgown, fearing that you would grow and burst out of it overnight. It’s more subtle than that, but you are different now.

“When I am four I will not cry or whine. I will not go to time out.” It hasn’t worked out that way so far, but I can tell that you are trying. There’s a lot of pressure that goes along with being a big girl. With being four.

I can no longer pretend that you’re the baby you used to be. Those diapers have been neatly folded in the closet for a couple years now, awaiting the baby brother or sister you may or may not ever have. Your tiny old clothing is stuffed under a bed. I thought I saw a glimpse of Baby Pea at the beach earlier this month, when you crawled through the sand. It reminded me of your first beach trip, when you picked up a handful of sand and let it run through your fingers and then your lips. You are now something new but every bit as delightful.


Your current interests include beautiful earrings, high heeled shoes, and handsome men. You want to be a princess when you grow up. On the rare days that you don’t wear a dress to school, the first thing you do when you get home is change into one. At four, you are a girly girl. My girly girl.

For four years I’ve had the joy (and the trials) of being Mama. For four years my days and nights have revolved around loving you. You are the world to me, and I’m just the moon whirling around it. But I know that you have a certain reverence for the moon. We say goodnight to it at the end of every day and you get excited when it’s out at the same time as the sun.

My dear Sweet Pea, the past four years have been the loveliest sort of adventure. I look forward to many more days with you, my darling, my daughter.

In your words, I love you twelve thousand times around everything.
Love,
Mama

*still here, just quiet*

I’m not ready for this blog to die just yet, so here are a few unrelated things.

~Pea thinks that an exclamation point is called a decision mark. She thinks aliens from Uranus are called uliens. She called me stupid several times today but at bedtime admitted that she doesn’t really think I’m stupid.

~I finished my doll quilt. What, did you think this post would be craft-free? I’ve also almost finished a wrap skirt for myself, but the waistband is too thick for my machine to put buttonholes in. I just need to find someone with a better machine and finish it up.

~I’m still not pregnant. Sorry for those of you who had March in the pool.

~After years of peer pressure I’ve finally signed up for facebook. My life has not been significantly improved by it.

~Pea has had to deal with a bit of bullying at school. She is not even four years old, and she’s had to deal with mean girls pulling her hair. (Or probably genuinely sweet little girls doing a mean thing.) What a fun preview of being the parent of a middle schooler!

~This blog has been open for business for just over three years now, and in a pretty sad state for much of it. I need to either start writing again or delete the whole thing.

~My new camera does not magically take excellent photos, which is a little disappointing. I like to think I’m learning, though. We went to Cheekwood this weekend (free admission!) and I got a few pictures of Pea among the flowers. Here are a few — your reward for reading all this.

*doll quilt*

Can I show you my doll quilt? It’s all finished except for the binding. Everything I’ve read says that binding by hand is the only way to go, which means it might be a while before I finish it.

I used the same fabrics as the octopus dress and accessories. If you’re getting sick of it, don’t fret — after my next project I’m going to take a break from octopi. The quilt is based on the Sew, Mama, Sew! Doll quilt sew-along.

I’ve never quilted anything before. I free-motion quilted spirals on the orange squares and waves on the blue squares.

It measures about 18×18, or it would if it were perfectly square. Despite its wonkiness, I’m pretty darn pleased with my first quilt. Or I will be after it’s bound. (Binded?)

*octopus accessories*

At the risk of turning this into Shauna’s Happy Fun Times Sewing Blog, I have two tiny things to share. I wanted to make some accessories to go along with the octopus dress. I have small quantities of two complimentary fabrics and wanted to put them to use. First I looked for a simple stretchy headband pattern. I found super simple instructions for a reversible headband at the blog KC Quilts. Here’s one side…

And here’s the other…

This was incredibly fast and easy to make — I think I’ll be making many more for Pea and myself, and even some for friends. They’ll be cute birthday gifts for little girls paired with a teeny matching purse.

Like the headband, a purse this size basically just uses scraps. Quick and easy.

Next up? A matching skirt for me and my first simple quilt. Yay!

*so i made a dress*

I did! Can you believe it? Me neither.

First I picked an easy pattern — Burda 3026. It’s a nice summery dress, because I estimated that I would finish it approximately mid-July. Then I picked some fabric.

I could not say no to giant octopi.

Then I sewed it. From cutting out the pattern to taking these pictures, it took me about a week of fifteen minutes here or a half an hour there. I have no idea how much actual time was spent on this project. The next thing I knew there was an actual dress, made by my hands.

It’s far from perfect, but Pea can’t stop looking at it.

It has a really nice twirl to it.

Now we just have to wait until we have the weather to wear it. She won’t be allowed to get it dirty, because I’m afraid it will fall to pieces in the wash.

In the meantime, I’m going to make a little purse and headband to match. And then, because I’m mildly nutty. I’m going to make myself a matching skirt. Yay sewing!

So, what creative pursuits have taken up your time lately?

*thankful thursday, 2.19.08*

Today I am thankful for:

~a lovely birthday last week.

~birthday phone calls, tweets, comments, etcetera.

~the in-laws watching Pea for the weekend so David and I could have some grown-up time.

~my fancy new camera, even though it’s going to take me a while to figure it out.

~sushi.

~granola bars. O I’ve been loving granola bars lately.

~the new Expresso bikes at the Y. Exercise is almost fun.

~one of my favorite early signs of spring — roadside daffodils.

~a tasty Tuesday morning at Crema with Malia. I need to find a reason to go back there soon.

~a child who loves to read.

*sewing again*

I thought I’d sew the straps for this bag this afternoon. I ended up doing the whole thing.

It’s a little wonky, but it’s mine.

Bonus: It totally matches my shoes.

*happy valentine’s day*

Valentine’s Day has never been a huge occasion for me — too close to my birthday. Pea is really into it this year, though. She needed handmade valentines to give to the kids in her class, so we did tissue paper stained glass hearts. I was pretty pleased with the results.

The thirtieth anniversary of my birth was also the tenth anniversary of me driving to the airport to pick up this strange guy I met on the internet. Strange guy and I have now been married almost nine years, and I’ve never loved him more. We’re heading to the BGKY today so Pea can enjoy some grandparent time and David and I can enjoy some us time. Whether you’re a fan of Valentine’s Day or not, I hope you have a happy one. Much love from Casa Pish Posh to you.