Write, Mama. Write.

Dinosaur home

Terrarium + Sculpey fossils

The latest extinction theory in our household involves overpopulation (this little Ball jar is tiny!) but the "fossils" will remain and multiply (someone thinks it would be fun to dig for them in the sandbox).

Weekend blues

Granny square secret

I discovered the secret to granny squares.  I can't crochet, but I wish I could.  The answer, for me, is not in this 1983 Women's Weekly Granny Square special edition (though milk glass crochet patterns are... Picture this made out of yarn).  I found the magazine in the free section at the library on my way to pilates the other night.  I stopped off at the thrift store on my way home and found the blanket.  That's my granny square secret: thrifting.  I look at it as my reward for exercising and a not so subtle reminder that I think it would be nice to have a little girl some day.

More 2/3 birthday sewing

We've had another wave of birthdays and missed four in one fell swoop the other week with a combined playgroup birthday party.  Two of the four recipients have now opened their presents so I feel I can show that I have actually brought the sewing machine out of hiding.  It was confused by my call to action.  These are bean bags for the turning-three-year-olds of the bunch, with a tossing basket (as in, you toss the bags into the basket for endless fun) which could also be used as a grocery basket to go with play kitchens. (Recognize the fabric, Trina?!)

L's mama picked fabrics from my little collection (sadly lacking in girly colors, I suppose) for a banner for her room.  I made it this way again.

Then I made some girly totes (like this) to go with the banner and other goodies for another friend (recognize the fabric, Gram?).

Good stuff.  I'm less conflicted about gifts like this as we get older (the boy and I).  I don't like spending my money for birthdays on plasticky junk with potential lead/magnet/exploding/whatever issues and kids really do seem to gravitate towards "simple" things for play.  A special bag for the library seems nice.  A favorite book would have been a good addition.  I don't want to seem cheap, but I feel like I value the time and energy we spend making things (the bean bags were a family affair!) more now. 

This week I'm jumping into the Block-Along (do you hear that, Sewing Machine?!) because it's the last week of Quilting Month.  This means it's our last week to talk to the owners of our little home about extending our stay month-to-month until we find our house-house (wherever that may be).  Thinking about the possibility of them saying no makes me feel sick.  We'd have to move to another rental for a few months.  It would be so disruptive.  And I now officially know house-hunting has taken over my world.  This morning playgroup was hosted at a house I haven't been to for a few months and they recently extended their back yard with a great little land purchase.  Instead of saying, "Oh!-- The boys will have such fun out there in the summer" or "Wow!  You'll have such a beautiful space for gardening and hanging out" or any number of other things I could have said, I said, "Great!  That will totally improve your property value.  It makes it really attractive to potential buyers."  Hmmm...  I'm a house-hunting wreck. 

Handmade Holidays ~ Time to get to work!

It's here!  We've been working on this (seemingly) forever and it's a great resource for some of the best tutorials on the web.  I love it when everything is pulled together, all in one place so neat and tidy.  It seems that almost never happens in my life, but here you go...  I feel like I should pull a big sheet off the thing, toss glitter out and yell, "TA DA!"  All pulled together:

Sew,Mama,Sew! Handmade Holidays:
30 Days of Gifts to Sew

November 1 ~  Aprons
November 2 ~  Pincushions & Pins
November 3 ~  For the House
November 4 ~  Lunch Bags
November 5 ~  Tote Bags
November 6 ~  Blankets for Baby
November 7 ~  For your Purse or Pocket
November 8 ~  Whimsy
November 9 ~  Fabric Ornaments
November 10 ~ Ties and Belts
November 11 ~ Reading & Writing
November 12 ~ For the Table
November 13 ~ Placemats
November 14 ~ Kids’ Clothes
November 15 ~ Warm those Toes
November 16 ~ Gifts for the Crafter
November 17 ~ Purses
November 18 ~ For Baby
November 19 ~ Tech Gifts
November 20 ~ Gifts for Organization
November 21 ~ Pillows
November 22 ~ Fun for Hair
November 23 ~ Soft Toys & Games
November 24 ~ Sachets
November 25 ~ For the Kitchen
November 26 ~ Embellishments
November 27 ~ Gifts for Warmth
November 28 ~ Drawstring Bags
November 29 ~ Fabric Boxes
November 30 ~ Gift Compilations

For more about Handmade Holidays visit here.  Now I'm actually super-excited to start on some of my own gifts.  I spent October thinking about tutorials and sewing and presents and now I plan to spend November making said presents!