Mission: Sewing!

My mission, should I choose to accept it (which, I have), is to turn this box of cozy fabric:


into a crib bumper, crib skirt, nursery window treatment, and maybe a small quilt... in the next 80 (or so) days. Time to get busy! I want to put a soft yellow pom pom trim on the bottom of the crib skirt (and maybe window valance), but need to find that first.

In case the colors are weird, the fabric is all dark brown, sage green, soft yellow, and lilac/purple.

Anyone want to come help?

Happy Autumn

Yesterday was the first official day of Autumn, and the weather is cooperating pretty well. As we went to church is was cloudy and overcast...and cold! Our church was way too cold, but that's a whole other problem. Our house was so cold when I got home; I turned on the heat, the fireplace, lit candles, and put on my sweats and wools socks. In a bit the sky cleared to sunny, crisp autumn day. Today was no different. It's cool but sunny - high of 62.

In order to usher in the new season, and in an effort to decorate SOMETHING in my house (the rest of the projects just feel overwhelmingly big), I put up a couple autumnal decorations. Beautiful. (My front door is red, not pink - if it looks weird on your computer).

Happy Autumn!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to me (yesterday)!

I am now 28. Please no comments about how that is SO young because I've definitely met people that think it is SO old, and either way, it just is what it is, without apology or boast. I am what I am: 28.

I'm 28. I'm very happily married - in love with my husband more than I can express, and loved even more in return. I am being prepared by the Lord to be a mother someday. I have a family who loves me and calls to sing happy birthday. I have been blessed materially, and even own one too many houses at the moment. Over the last year or two, the Lord has been answering my prayer for dear girlfriends, and now have an abundance of woman who I care about deeply.



My birthday comes right in between Christmas and new years, a time when I get overly reflective and sometimes a bit glum as the Christmas glow has left the masses and they fully swarm the local merchants to consume more than can be consumed of clearance finds and somehow fulfill vacation day boredom. It was a good day though, although busy. I cleaned a bit, got a great gift from hubs (more in a sec), had a long visit to the fabric store, and had our traditional kel's birthday dinner. What I really long for on my birthday is either a party with my friends, which is hard to do (and has been since the day I was born; my party was always in January) since so many people are still out of town from the holidays, OR go away for a couple days to Leavenworth or Whistler to go skiing with hubs. This year that wasn't possible due to all the house projects still being done (at both houses, thanks to the windstorm). It was lovely though and, aside from going on a mini-holiday, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

One of the gifts I longed for this year was a mini trampoline. There is a great infomercial out (FYI - I'm an infomercial junky) for "urban rebounding" which is basically workout DVDs for jumping on a little trampoline. I think it looks like fun! (Note: they charge WAY too much for the trampoline and DVDs - I'm not endorsing their products at all!) Anyway, for Christmas/birthday, I really wanted a trampoline and workout DVD. When we arrived at my parent's house for Christmas dinner, there was a huge roundish box next to the tree. I was so excited: I was actually going to go get the trampoline! I looked at the label on the huge gift to confirm my suspicions...and hope was dashed! My dear trampoline was for my three year old nephew. (Does it mean anything bad that me and the nephew wanted the same thing?) He loved it!

On birthday morning, after I pestered to the limit, hubs sent me on a treasure hunt for my present (unwrapped and behind two closed doors), which I found on the first try - HA! I was SO excited to find a huge, roundish box; this time, all for me! I am so excited.

Then, I spent the afternoon at the fabric store, since my mom gave me a sewing machine for my birthday (which I got a few days ago). A friend of mine had a baby girl two days ago, and I'm going to make her a baby wrap-thing. I'm hoping I can figure it out. The fabric is all a soft flannel - nice and cozy. Here's what it looks like so far: (the red in the bias tape really does match the fabric. By the way, I'm not sure yet how to use bias tape.)

And the pattern:

Then we went to the restaurant we go to for my birthday dinner every year: Jak's Steakhouse. Yummy! They are super good, less money than other local high-end steak houses, but don't take reservations. We put our name on the list, with a 2.5 hour wait, then went to some local stores. The food is superb. Truly.

I really need to go do some jumping on that trampoline now.

Sew Easy

As an early birthday present (I was a late Christmas baby, so after the family Christmas presents are all done, I usually get handed 2-3 birthday presents to open from family who won't see me for a while), my mom got me a sewing machine. I'm SO excited (or sew excited...ha ha ha)! Actually, she has had it for about 9 months, and I've known about it. That has hampered the excitement a bit. I was all set to go buy myself an on-sale sewing machine last year, because there were things I wanted to sew. She let me know that she had already bought this one (a good Pfaff model on sale), so I wasn't to go buy myself a sewing machine, but that she wouldn't give it to me until my birthday. So, I've spent the last 9 months not being able to sew the things I've wanted to sew. Aside from the 9 month sewing machine drama, I am very glad to finally have a sewing machine.

After all of the discussion of aprons lately, especially at Mommy Life (whose site I can't get to work right now - anyone else?), I went to the store right after Christmas and bought a pattern for retro aprons. I cannot wait to make one. However, just looking online, and I like this McCalls pattern even more:

I'm totally going to buy it in store or online tomorrow or Saturday. When I came home with the first apron pattern, I very excitedly showed hubs my find. I think he generally was under-whelmed (just can't grasp the excitement of an apron), and his response (shared w/ permission) was something like:

Me (yes, kind of yelling and talking really fast): Look! Isn't this so cool!? I'm so excited!!!

Hubs: Well... yeah, if there was nothing on under it.

Yep, that's my hub. I'll have to tuck that one away in the back of my mind for a rainy day. Anyway...back to the sewing. I do still need to go find fabric for my apron...let the hunt commence! I'm excited to learn to sew on my own. I was in 4H as a child and sewed several outfits, then we moved, I stopped, and forgot it all. However, my varied childhood experiences did leave me with one thing: great confidence (probably more than I should have) that I can figure anything out. Especially sewing things, because I know I used to know how. I've sewed a few things as an adult, although always with the help of my mom... which means my mom has sewed them and I've helped. :-)

Pictures are definitely to come. Feel free to pass on the tips or favorite beginner projects!