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Today my WIP consists of FINALLY getting out some packages, a stack of tea towels that will shortly be transformed into something (in the bin upper right), and a quick goodbye for a week's vacation from blogging. I have some things that I want to do just for fun, and I want to do them at my own speed. So for now, gotta run, I've got a play date...
This is Cate (What? I can't name my humble tote bag, everyone's doing it). She's what you get when you really haven't any time, and there is "O" cereal on the floor, and you need to send out a swap package, and well, you really want to make something. You really should do some laundry or sweep up that hair that your corgis insist on leaving everywhere, but no, let's dive into another last minute project.
So a few internet searches turn up instructions for a "quick" tote bag, but when you look more closely you realize that these involve zippers, and you don't have a zipper, and the zipper alone would take you 45 minutes, and that's really all you have. So, you make up a self-lined tote bag using one big piece of fabric, and you quickly take some photos (on a rainy day, but using a new light diffuser which is supposed to make the flash less apparent) and ship her off to meet your swap partner...the real Cate.
And here is Cate with a few magazines I threw in-- boy it was hard to find some that I DON'T subscribe to. And conveniently there isn't any room left for diapers or bibs or wipes, cause the real Cate is going to take these somewhere all by herself and relax. She doesn't have any time either, cause she's got a wee baby. So, I hope you enjoy Cate, Cate.
update: fixed tote pattern link
Way back in April when Blair had the brilliant idea to make a pea softie to accompany the children's book Little Pea I bought a few copies of the book for last minute birthday gifts. So on Monday when we were invited to a birthday party for a little neighborhood boy, I decided to give it a try-- last night-- between 11 and midnight (have I gone mad?).
I printed out the pattern shape from here and made a quick pea out of green wool felt. I embroidered the eyes and appliqued the mouth this morning just before the party as Elliot was spinning me round and round on a barstool. The pea ended up being a little smaller than Blair's, but it seemed a good size for the little birthday boy. It just fit in his little fist.
With more notice for the next one, I'd like to make three peas in a little quilted pod. Here he is all dressed up for the party, with a giant seedpod gift tag from Abby's shop.
We spent most of last week travelling, first a quick overnight in Traverse City where we visited Great Wolf Lodge and kicked off the summer with a visit to a fire station (which I think is the highlight of Elliot's life thus far) and peach pie on the beach. Heaven.
Then, back home for one night, and off again to Evanston, a Chicago suburb that we are thinking of moving to. A non-stop supply of police cars, fire trucks and "taxi cars" kept the wee one entertained while we poked around neighborhoods and hit a few open houses. We spent one morning on a beautiful beach and visited countless wonderful playgrounds, which added up to one tired boy. Now, we need to make a decision about whether or not we're moving, and if it will be to Chicago or Minneapolis.
This week I'm hoping to get back to crafting after first mailing off a few packages-- including one for the magazine swap. I'm also way behind on emails, so I will get to that next. And Drew if you're reading this- we were going to try and make it into the city to see you, but ran out of time. We will definitely call next time we're in Chicago!
And if you haven't seen them yet, there are a few wonderful patchwork bags over in Blair's shop. I am so lucky I nabbed one! (the Paige bag)
For a while I have been inspired by the work of Lizette Greco, and fell in love with her cuff bracelets when I looked through her Flickr pool. I have also been trying to think of an idea for something small to include in some packages I'm sending out that would sort of reflect my style. I am all about patchwork these days, and if I had the time I would quilt every surface in my house. So, here is a little prototype for something I am calling the "quilt-let"-- a small quilted cuff bracelet.
I needed to make seven of these, six for girls, and one for a boy, so I kept it simple this time, doing two designs only. I think that the possibilities are endless, and that they could even be further embellished. I used three fabrics on each design, but I would like to try some where one side is a patchwork of many fabrics, reversing to a solid. I have to say that my craftsmanship is a little spotty on these, so if you happen to receive one, go easy on me please. My sewing machine was hanging up on the edges (hmmmm...never seemed to happen when I had a very simple mechanical machine, but now that I have a fancier one, things don't seem to go as smoothly-- maybe I should pull out my old one).
front
back
Each design has linen and a small print on one side reversing to a French looking fabric on the other (they are actually Japanese prints). I wanted really thin batting, so I just used some flannel scraps. I have a snap press, so the snaps were a breeze, and really this was a huge motivator since my snap press has been so underused since I bought it. I am really trying to justify the purchase of another die set for my press that sets metal snaps (these are plastic), and figured if I could work my way through some more of the plastic ones I own, I could buy the metal ones-- only a few more hundred snaps to go.
It seems that cuff bracelets are very popular this year...check out these.
Big Man, Little Man.
Elliot's painting that we printed on a t-shirt for his Daddy.
I have taken over my kitchen island and dining room table with a few small projects to be included in some promised packages, so if you are expecting something from me hold tight-- it really is coming! I may concentrate on getting these out one at a time instead of al at once. I'll spare you those pictures so I don't give anything away.
I have run across so many adorable things today one of which I had to order before posting. Aren't these little Critter Cars the cutest? They're available at Wisteria.
(photo from Wisteria)
Also, check out this space that Lena Corwin has set up for her visiting niece and nephew. I think we could all learn a lot about setting up kid's spaces from this photo. So original.
Rody
The Nursery
Looks so peaceful here, eh?
I have been letting Elliot play with a box of buttons for a few months now. He loves them really, more than any of his toys. I started off watching him like a hawk, but as things went on, I loosened up a bit. This morning he wasn't playing with them, but he found one that had been left on the floor and stuck it up his nose. When he told me about it, I couldn't see it at all, so either he shoved it up there right away, or he had done it earlier, and it was bugging him. Anyway, a few hours later he was messing with his nose again, and his was story was staying pretty consistent (button in my nose, touching right nostril) so after calling our pediatrician we headed off to the hospital along with our neighbor boy who I am watching while his Mom has a baby. A few hours later, after nearly dismantling the waiting area, we had a special consult with an ENT who tried to remove it with very long forceps, but eventually pushed it down into his mouth where it was presumably swallowed. He was brightened with a popsicle. Mommy, not so easily. Ugh, this kid is gonna give me a heart attack.
Don't give your kids buttons.
(By the way, the 1st trip to the ER was last Thanksgiving when he ran full speed into a doorjam and had a hemotoma on his forehead- very scary, and technically he went one other time, but at four weeks old, it was hardly his fault.)
