Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Peas and Carrots Quilt

I was browsing through a ‘retro quilt’ Google search the other day and I came across this super cute quilt on Diary of a Quilter.  It was made mostly using the American Jane line ‘peas and carrots’.    I thought to myself, I should make a quilt like that!  Then, I looked more closely at the fabric….. I did make a quilt like that!  Years ago!   It’s been awhile since anybody in this house has used this particular quilt because of the ridiculous everyday over 100 degree temperatures and the fact that I always put this quilt at the bottom of the quilt pile.  Why you ask?  Let’s just say that my first attempt at enlarging a baby quilt to a full size quilt did not go particularly well.  I did the math wrong for the corner and setting triangles and they turned out a little too small.  So while sewing, I stretched the fabric a bit too far.  The quilt wouldn’t lie flat, so when I quilted it, the fabric got some tucks in it.  And…. since it was already messed up, I practiced different quilting patterns on it.  Yeah, it’s not really one to pass down through the generations.   But, if you don’t look too closely and you squint a little, it doesn’t seem too bad. 

25 patch

The quilting isn’t very stellar either.

peas and carrots quilting

Peas and carrots draped

I don’t feel too badly about it, because every one needs a quilt that can be drug around, used for picnics, and generally abused.  This is ours.

Stormy

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

More on kids…

retro-summer-beach-picture-450x469

Since I have been in my sewing room a total of 15 minutes to check my email in the last week, I thought I’d write about kids….. again.  (Sorry, they seem to occupy every minute of my time.) Yesterday was especially crazy.  My two oldest girls were packing for girls camp.  I’m afraid I got a little (lot) impatient with them.  It took three hours to pack for four days.  Every time we went over our check list, something else had been forgotten.  But, now that my husband is on a business trip, my girls are gone and I’m left with my three youngest, things have calmed down.  I can actually think straight and this is what I have been thinking:

I love how my adorable (Well maybe not.  He just let out a not so adorable burp right as I was typing this sentence.) little boy is sitting next to me drawing sea monster pictures and talking nonstop.  He tells me how good he is at memorizing because he can close his eyes while he recites. 

I love how my twelve year old sneaked out of bed last night at 11pm to unload the dishwasher for me. 

I love how my three year old has messy choppy hair (a result from last months self hair cut) and a messy cookie face right now and is as happy as can be, because her other mommy (daughter 3) is playing so sweetly with her.

I love how daughter 3 takes such good care of her little sister.

I love how my oldest daughter shares my love of all things mystery.  She adores Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and old detective radio shows.

What more could a mom ask for?  I’ll happily forgo sewing for awhile, so we can create some awesome summer memories with each other.

Stormy

Friday, June 8, 2012

Kiddo Photo Shoot

Summer is here.  School is out and we are busy!  Between awards assemblies, class parties, and kids underfoot, sewing has come to a dead stop.  But, I did get the kids dressed up and outside to do a photo shoot today.  It’s been on my to do list for months.  I thought it’d be fun to show some of the funny photos instead of the perfect ones.  They show so much more personality!

You might not think this is funny, but this is my oldest trying to look all serious.  It makes her look mad instead. 

Sierra Silly

My second is quite a nut.  We have a bunch of photos that look just like this.

There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good she was very very good and when she was bad she was horrid!  (I’ve teased my only curly top with this poem since she was little.  This is the look I always get.)

This is the “your crazy mom” look that I get when I’m making funny faces and noises trying to get just the right smile.  Love the eyebrow!

Do I even need to say anything?  I love it!

Stormy