Family Sew Time

School is out. I am OK with this. I think. We are at the point where durihng the day we can all spend a bit of time in the sewing room. There are 3 machines, so no fighting over machine time. Vasi has a toybox in the room full of cars and legos. He also has the scrap bag to make "outfits for his monster trucks" while we sew.

This past weekend, Evie finished her third quilt.

She is 9. Sometimes she is so grown up I forget that. She is already 5'2". She's very mature for her age, thinks through things and loves reading and math. She even says her favorite part of quilting is doing the math. This quilt was no different. We were talking about modern quilts, looking at samples and techniques. Then we also looked at Modern Art, to talk about what modern can mean. We also have been working on color theory for the past few weeks. Altimately, she found her inspiration in the paintings of Mark Rothko. She remembers seeing his work at the Carnegie in Pittsburgh, and liked it because of the colors. I thought she would want to do large blocks of colors, but no, when we went to Sew Memphis for solids, she chose 4 shaded of pink. We bought a half yard of each, then sat down to start planning. We had 4 colors and she wanted large blocks, so this is what came out. She chose the grey border from my stash, to be a frame of sorts. This took her 2 days with my help. I still don't let her rotary cut. 

My 7 year old (8 next week!) worked on this

She had scrap fabric from my stash and we printed out a map of Mississippi for her to use as a pattern piece. The burlap is a burlap canvas we found at Walmart in clearance a while ago. She is my hand stitcher, she loves handwork and would rather make stuffies. She has started doing a split stitch around the border and wants to make a heart where our town is! 

I love my lazy days in the sewing room with the kids! Happy Sewing! 

For a Special Teacher

This is the project that has consumed me since February, when we found out Evie's second grade Spotlight teacher, Mrs. Roehm, was retiring. I thought it would be nice to do a small signature quilt for her from the second grade, so I asked a few other parents what they thought, and it blossomed into us getting signatures from not only the second grade, but also many of her former students! We took blocks to all the schools here, and then some former students stopped by my studio to sign. I also had a lot of former students email me signatures for the quilt. What impressed on me most was how LOVED she is. I heard over and over, "She was my favorite teacher! She believed in me! I still think of her!"

I feel blessed that Evie was able to have her. Evie helped a lot with the piecing of this quilt. We gave the quilt to her this afternoon after our field trip.

We are losing a great teacher this year, but I know she will enjoy her travels and time with her family. She has touched so many lives during her career. Bless you, Mrs. Roehm!


Happy Sewing Ya'll!

E is sewing!

My 7 year old has been learning to sew for a while, and these past two Saturdays has taken the kids sewing classes at Joann Fabrics! It was nice, it gave her a chance to learn from someone else for a bit, and she had time to sew where we weren't being interrupted by everything else that goes on in our house! Her first class, she made a pillowcase and this week she made pajama pants!

Her teacher was a member of the quilt guild, and taught her how to do a french seam for the pillow case. She has already started her list of things she wants to make.... I think I might have to buy her her own sewing machine!

She also started her first quilt... well, helped me get this one together for her student teacher, who is having a baby. the class is having a baby shower for her this week, and E really wanted to make a quilt for her. She picked all the fabric and helped piece most of the blocks.

All the pieces are from the stash I keep of 6.5 inch blocks leftover from other projects. I was impressed how good she is at keeping a straight seam!

This week we have a doll for her to make, and she has all the other scraps that she wants to use to make a lap quilt for herself! I love that she has chosen sewing as a hobby, it is nice to share it with her! I hope S decides to try it in a year or two also!

Happy Sewing!

bowties2 and Baby Doctor Who!

I have become addicted to making bowties! They use so little fabric and sew up so fast, and look so cute! I don't have the other costumes done, but here is Vasi as The Doctor for Halloween (I made the fez too!)

Today I found a few scraps of Penn State and Steelers fabric, so I whipped up a few more!

Then I made a few more...

I think I need to stop, there are Halloween costumes to be made and a quilt that needs finished!

Happy Sewing!

dress

I had a bit of fabric left over from the bag, so I whipped this up today! I kind of made up the pattern, tracing the top part from a jumper and then rotary cutting the bottom.


Of course, I am procrastinating with my current quilt. I am doing the blocks in steps, so it is going slow. I have also been making hair accessories!

We added buttons to Evie's yo-yo's!

Flowers made from knit fabrics. 

a bunch of lace and tulle bows.

A brocade flower.

Large brocade flower.

I had a lot of fun, and it is nice to have handwork I can do when Bubba and I are playing on the floor!

Yo-Yo's!

I am trying to teach my 7 year old to sew, we have done a few projects from books, and she is getting better each project, but we hadn't tried hand stitching yet! So the other day at Walmart I found a packet of make your own yo-yo's on clearance for $4.50. It was a big piece of fabric with printed circles you cut out and the stitch marks are already there! You cut, press and sew. I think I might go see if they have more. Evie needed practice cutting fabric, so this was perfect. She cut out a few, I pressed them for her and showed her how to stitch along the lines. She was soooo proud of her first we hot glued it to a headband!

She is frantically making yo-yo's, and wants to do hairpieces for her friends and has designed a yo-yo necklace she wants to make too.

I can't wait for my 5 year old to become interested in sewing too. But since she isn't, I can share her latest artwork...

This is me and the children at the grocery store. I am the sad face with curly hair in the middle. Serena is on the left, being crazy. Evie is on the other side yelling at Rena to stop being crazy in the store, and the baby is the little red face at the bottom sitting in the cart flirting with all the ladies in the store. Yup, that sums up mommyhood.

Oh, and here is a tote I finished to maybe use as a diaper bag...

I fell in love with the robot fabric...but it is a little obnoxious for everyday use!

Nursing cover tutorial (giveaway ended)

Sew first, the tutorial!!

My girls were both born in Ohio, were everyone nursed, and in public, so we would cover up with a blanket or just make sure nothing was showing and it was no big deal. Here it is a little different. Modesty is a big deal, and while nursing most moms cover up with a nursing cover if they have to be in public. Most times, moms find a private place and still cover up. Being a plus size gal, the store bought (and even mail order) covers did not work well for me. I need just a little more cover. So I made a few of these...

They cover everything, and when Bubba squirms he can't "expose" me!

Supplies

1 yard fabric
2 1 inch D rings
1/2 yard boning

Start by cutting a 4 inch strip of fabric for the straps. The body piece is about 24 inches by the width of fabric (usually 44) I just trimmed up the salvages. I say about, because if you are taller or bigger boobed, you might want a little longer.

Start by hemming the 2 sides and bottom.

I have a roll hemmer for my machine (which I love) but if you don't, just press about 1/4 in, then again for your hem.

Take your 4 inch strip

fold and press in half

open up and press edges in towards center

Then press those together. press both ends inward and catch them in the folds to create 2 finshed ends.

Cut a piece about 9or so inches off, so one piece is longer than the other

Take the top and roll and press 1/4 inch

Then roll over and press again about an inch down.

With a washable fabric pencil mark the center of the boning and the top roll. Place so marks meet up and pin.

about a pinky width away from the edge of the boning, put the straps in raw side into the fold. push it into the end, then fold over and pin.

Sew the bottom of the fold first, about 1/8 away from the edge.Then do the top. This step is tricky because of the boning.

then go back and stitch down the sides of the straps.

put on your D rings(I start at the bottom of about an inch and a half fold, then sew in a square getting as close as I can to the rings)

and you are all done!  Thread the D rings with the free strap and you are set to go!

Now, I made this cover specifically for this tutorial, so I am going to GIVE IT AWAY. That is right, if you would like to win this lovely larger nursing cover made with Thomas Kincade Pinocchio fabric (I kid you not, I know it is super tacky, but trust me, every old lady will compliment you on it! I have a matching one!) All you need to do is:

follow my blog! then...
Leave a comment, it can be about nursing, motherhood, sewing, crafting, or just about anything!

That's it, so if you are already a member, just leave a comment! The random number drawing will be Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. central time (a little later if I am feeding Bubba at that time!) So entries are from now until 6:00p.m. central time on Wednesday!!!

Happy Sewing, Happy Nursing!

Tardis cake!

So for my annual 23rd birthday this year my husband got me 2 great things. The first being a serger, which was more of a mothers day gift, and then...

A TARDIS cake!

This is from a local woman, Angela Thomas,  who makes art cakes locally.

Unfortunately, this TARDIS is not bigger on the inside...

but it was totally delicious!

Teacher Gifts!

I can't believe the school year is over already! I am ready for Summer, and I know the girls are. It has been a roller coaster year, especially for Serena.

With all that we went through, I came to realize a few things. The first being is that a good teacher is worth their weight in gold.

Teachers don't just teach. How a teacher treats children can effect their emotional well being for the rest of their life. Think about it, when you look back on your education, can you remember a cruel teacher? a nice teacher that changed you? I know one of the reasons I love to sew is my middle school sewing teacher Mrs. Hank. Middle School is an awful time for pretty much all kids. She not only taught me how to sew, but encouraged me to keep at it. I would get a pass to visit her class during study hall to learn more from her. I was devastated when she retired after my 7th grade year. But because of her, I asked for a sewing machine of my own for my 13th birthday and got more involved with sewing with my grandma and great grandmas, which created wonderful memories for me.

So if a positive experience with education effects a 13 year old, think about what a negative experience can do to a 4 year old. Yeah, not pretty. Which is why after finding Serena's current preschool, I am more grateful to good teachers. Her teacher at Carriage Hills Baptist, Mrs. Jan, rocks. She was able to guide and direct Serena in positive ways, which actually taught her how to better handle situations like waiting her turn and interacting with other children. I hope Kindergarten next year goes as well!

So for Serena's teacher I wanted to do something extra special, so I made her a quilt

It's a 50 by 50 lap quilt, done with Civil War Repro fabric. Teresa Pino, our guild president and new owner of a long arm quilter, quilted it for me.

I love how the quilt finished. She like it to. It takes me so long to piece a quilt because I never have longer than a baby nap to sew! But like I said, a good teacher is worth their weight in gold.

For Evie's piano teacher, I made a big beach bag

I found this jazzy music print a while ago and it took me forever to figure out what to do with it. As you can see, it could easily fit my sewing machine in it.

I know Serena will be OK in Kindergarten because I trust the school. I have meet most of the teachers and the support staff at the elementary school. I feel lucky to live in an area with excellent public schools.

Evie had a really sweet teacher this year. Our school has a teacher and assistant in each k and 1st classroom. For Evie's teacher and assistant we made (her choice, and she helped sew the borders!!) little wall hangings

In the center I printed a class picture on fabric then just added a big border for the kids to sign and draw on!!

I am looking forward to next school year, but for now we are sooooo ready for summer!

Happy Sewing!

Letter to a boy...

After a hectic weekend and crazy storms this morning I finally got around to opening the mail after dinner. In it was a letter for Vasi from my uncle Frank. Uncle Frank is my father's cousin, his grandma was my great grandma Lissa, who taught me how to sew and whose sewing items I still have in my sewing room. Uncle Frank never married or had children, and I always remember him riding a motorcycle and being very quiet. He was the only one of the four boys (my dad, his brothers and Frank were all around the same age) who served in Vietnam. I remember that was the answer to a lot of questions asked about Frank. The answer always given was "You know, Vietnam changed him, no one came back the same". I didn't know what that meant, and I probably still don't really understand. I always wondered if he wasn't in the war, would he have had a family? Would he have chosen a different career?

In the card was a gift of money for Vasi's college account and a small note, written on paper with "Things to do..." written on the top. I thought it was really sweet, so here it is...


Things to do....

- Pursue knowldge
- Don't hit your sisters (they'll get you later)
- Read everything you can get your hands on.
- Avoid war
- Get ourdoors to hunt and fish, learn self sufficiency and love of the land
- Love your Mother unconditionally, Fathers are the path to manhood, but your mother is your soul.
- Study Judo, very practical in the real world.
- Avoid war
- Watch what the rich do, and do it. Watch what the poor do, and don't do it.
- Study math, the man who is savvy with numbers always makes out better in life.

That's enough of the basics, there's lots more and you'll hear it for sometime to come from a lot of people. Trust only your family and your heart.

Good Luck Kid!
Frank

I tucked the note back in the card with the money, placed it back in the envelope and put it in the safe for him when he gets older, so he can read the wisdom uncle Frank chose to share with him.

triple play skirts!

I am short on time and looking for easy projects. Not just for me, but for Evie to try her hand at. I came up with these, three easy skirts!!

The first is a pillowcase style skirt, the middle is a vertical stripe and the third is the horizontal version. They each take about an hour, and all three were made with fabric I got from Cotton Treasures last week. Let me tell you why this is important... Out of the fabric I bought for $13 on sale, I got 5 skirts. Yup, 5. Insane!!!

I am currently writing the tutorials so YOU can make these skirts. I used a couple easy tricks to help a beginner, like my Evie. She did a lot of the stitching. The tutorials will be posted after Easter!

We're off to hunt Easter Eggs! See you next week!!

Teaching Time

My 6 soon to be 7 year old has decided she wants to learn how to sew. I was waiting for this day, with both excitement and dread. How was I going to teach the basics? I remember a little from when I was starting out, 30 some odd years ago. I started with the parts of the machine, and the tools she will be using, Then went to sewing lines on paper. She was really good at following straight lines, so I went to Kids Learning Station, a place I usually go to find worksheets for my preschooler. They have scissors skills worksheets, and we used those for her to stitch curved and zigzagged lines.

We're done for the day, but I promised her next weekend we would start a project together, like a little bag (thinking of doing LGD's Maggie Bag because it is so simple). I also ordered Sewing Machine Fun For Kids to help me teach her.

I hope I am doing OK! I want her to love sewing, and one day quilting, as much as I do!! Does anyone have stories of when they learned to sew?

boobie confessions

I wanted to blog about this because I know there are a lot of other women who have gone through it, and want them to know it is OK. I know a lot of people are really judgy when it comes to the breast/bootle debate, and we as moms just need to be supportive of others choices, and be happy they are FEEDING their baby instead of worrying about how.

I have 3 children. With my first, she was jaundice. She wasn't too bad and was born in summer, so to help keep her from the lamp, when we got home we had to take her outside with nothing but a diaper and then suppliment with about an ounce of formula after nursing for her first week. I got some slack for it, and was so worried she would get "nipple confusion" that we fed her that ounce with a cup. Luckily her bili level went down, my milk came in, and we stopped supplimenting. But that week was stressful.

My second was the easiest. She was a total boobie girl.

With Vasili who was born this past Monday, he nursed well the first 12 hours. Then he was taken to the level II nursery for extremely low sugar levels. I was given a pump, and to bring his levels up he was given formula and an IV. I was devistated, because I knew he had to bring his levels up and quickly, and this was the best way. So I pumped on a 2 to 3 hour schedule, and they would bring a teeny syringe and suck up the colostrum (barely 5ml if that) and give it to him. When my milk came in, they would give it to him before the formula. The his bili level went up, and he had to spend time under the lights. He was in the level II nursery for 5 days. I was only allowed to nurse him for 2 of those days, and only twice a day. Everything else for him was formula, and for me it was pumping. I was worried he would not take the breast when we got him home. I like nursing. I know a lot of women who could not nurse because of situations like this. Pumping is aweful. It was bad enough I was a nervous wreck, home without a baby to care for, only able to spend short bursts of time at the hospital with him and not being able to hold him for too long.

When we got home this morning, He nursed pretty much all afternoon. I was lucky, even in the hospital he latched on really well and did nurse. I was greatful that at home he has nursed well, and so far I have not had to suppliment yet. We'll see how the next few days go. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

I will say that nursing is something most of us have to work at, not only with our first child but sometimes with each one of our children, because each child is different. It does take a while to get used to each child's nursing style. I wish I could say it was always easy. I do say I nurse because I am too lazy to fix a bottle :), but the truth is I am glad I have been able to nurse because I enjoy it. When nursing, just like when I am pregnant, I watch what I eat. For me, that says a lot, because I love food, and often love foods that are bad for me. Nursing keeps me in check.

Vasili is here!

What a hectic week! This past Monday our son Vasili was born!

Vasili Robert

January 17, 2011

11:01 pm

7lbs 15oz

21 inches

 

He is doing well, but has been in the Level II nursery because of low blood sugar and jaundice. He is still under the bililight tonite, but will be home tomorrow!!

Both my girls came home with me, this is the first time I have had to leave the hospital without my baby, and it is aweful.

Now to adjust to life with a new baby again! It's been 4 1/2 years since we have had a newborn in the house. The girls are looking forward to being helpers, and having a little brother to boss around. As a baby so far he has been really chill, but we'll see what his little personality is as he grows!