I Am A Sewing Machine

 

Four years ago (I am having a hard time believing it's been that long) I bought this old sewing machine to see if I even liked sewing.  And I did!  I got really into it for a while, made a bunch of holiday gifts, and enjoyed having a new piece of furniture on which to store my crap (since that's the purpose it's served for many of those 4 years). 

And I really did like the sewing part...it was fun, relaxing, served as yet another creative outlet, and it is SO MUCH QUICKER than knitting...which might just be my favorite part. 

But although this old sewing machine is a beast, and I love the romanticism and style of its advanced age, I'll admit that it wasn't so easy to use.  It was pretty finicky and seemed to jam up on me a lot.  It required lots of oil and TLC to function.  And so I didn't seem to sew too incredibly often. 

Well, mama got a new sewing machine!  Brian bought me this awesome Brother sewing machine for Christmas this year and I am totally in love with it.  It is a breeze to use compared to my old beast, and so...I'm feeling totally reinvigorated about sewing again!

I've been sewing quite a bit, and have made some easy beginner projects including a couple drawstring bags (one for Sadie's ballet shoes, and one as a project bag for my knitting), and matching Sadie and Mama "rice paddies" (as we call them....rice bags that you heat up in the microwave to keep you warm).  

I made this fold-up changing pad for baby Maya...and hear that it's being put to good use....

 And am well on my way making (quilting! ) these colorful placemats....

 So much fun..blowing up my pinterest craftiness board with a billion and one ideas of things to sew.

Making Merry

This may have been the loveliest holiday season of my adult life.  Not sure why...just all the joy and beauty and family and friends that it was full of.  And even though it was oh so busy, all my planning ahead and organization made it so that I was present in all the lovely moments.  I was not (as I am known to do) stressed out about the next event/task/item on my to-do-list while in the midst of something special.  That's a big change and accomplishment for me.  And I'm proud of it.  It was worth the hard work to make it so, because I wanted to be a part all the magic that this time of year has to offer.

Decorating our big, beautiful live Christmas tree...

Holiday pajama storytime in our neighborhood community center (which happens to be a lovely log structure with a fireplace) and dancing with a new friend from preschool

Disney on Ice with my best girlfriends and their daughters.  Such a fun girls-day-out.

Crafty goodness throughout the house...

Instead of a wreath

Peppermint Oreo Pops

cute Christmas Card display and paper snowflakes

Denver Puppet Theater

 My new favorite place.  This is such a treasure in Denver.  It's artsy and interesting and funky and old and weird and creative and imaginative and a perfect place for kids to explore and play.  What a treat to have a girl's day out with my mom, sister-in-law, and Sadie and me. 

 Cool things about this place:  beautiful gardens on the premises; animals (cats, dogs, and bunnies) about; puppets that the kiddos can play with; an art studio where attendees decorate their own puppets; a fascinating collection of vintage puppets (mostly marionettes) from around the world; funky puppet music (not even sure what that means, like gypsy-carnival music from the 18th century) playing in the theater; the owner's beautiful studio (where she makes all her own puppets) which was full of fiber, a spinning wheel and huge loom; and the adjacent, equally interesting and funky ice cream and coffee shop (owned by the husband of the husband and wife team). 

Random Friday

• It's been a bit of a rough week. Bad news at work about a huge contract we were counting on getting on Monday. Spent my birthday (after getting up at 4 a.m.) working a 12+ hour day (instead of taking the day off to spend with my mom and daughter like I'd planned). Got a speeding ticket on my birthday, driving 15 mph over the speed limit while driving my boss's car, while he was in the backseat. Just sort of a crappy week. That happens. It's o.k.
• I got an iPhone for my birthday! Yaaaayyy!! I've wanted one forever. I've been very patient. I LOVE it.
• I clearly love the Instagram application. It's lots of fun to play with all the filters and such.
  
• It's Friday! Thank goodness! And what a fun weekend we have planned. Brian and I are celebrating our anniversary a few weeks late with a nice dinner out in Castle Rock tonight at the Augustine Grill. We've been feeling the need to take some "just us" time. When we get a babysitter for Sadie, it's always for a house concert, or some other event that never involves just the two of us. But we've been feeling the need to reconnect a bit, so tonight will be lovely.
• I made a new banner for our living room. Good words to live by and remember. I see it first thing when I come downstairs and it helps me to remember to go through my day with more love (and understanding and patience). It's one of our favorite songs. Check it out. "If there's ever an answer, it's more love". Amen! On the day that Brian proposed to me, I was working at the radio station that morning and he called to request this song. I played it for him. Aw.....
• Our first house concert of the season, with Ryan Spearman, is tomorrow night and we're so excited! I'm looking forward to being back in the swing of house concerts and can't wait to have our house full of friends and family and beautiful music.
  
• It seems to be fall! Labor day weekend, the VERY hot August temperatures we were having dropped, and have stayed down. Ah, I love fall! I'm dreaming about crockpots, baking bread, knitting, pumpkin patches, and sweaters.....
• My dog is a pain in the ass sometimes. But she's really cute though, even in her old age.
• I spent some time in the garden last weekend "cleaning house". I trimmed my tomato plants way back so they can put all their remaining energy into ripening their many green tomatoes. I thinned the moldy squash leaves. I pulled all but two of the Brussels sprout plants (won't plant them again..I don't think our grow season is long enough). I harvested the rest of our beets and remaining lettuce and chard. And I planted spinach and radishes! I figure that if we have a long/late summer and fall, it'll be great to have a few more fast-growing and cool weather loving plants come in.
• Babies on the brain....I have so many people in my life who are expecting babies and I'm going wild with imaging all the tiny knitted items I'd like to gift to these expectant mamas....
• Mom and I made pickles a few weekends ago. I'll probably post more about it..but it was mayhem. And the batch that I did by myself didn't seal (I think it's a two person job). Needless to say, an entire shelf in my fridge is full of the non-sealed jars. BUT! I opened one last night and tasted them for the first time...and they're really pickles! yeah!
• Sadie has taken to wearing pig ears and a tutu at all times (and even sleeping in them). It's the best thing in the whole world. I hope it lasts. Seriously the cutest thing ever.....
• Actually, now that I'm watching the More Love video while I type...I'm going to leave you with the full lyrics. Damn that's good.

I'm so close to you baby, but I'm so far away
There's a silence between us and there's so much to say
You're my strength, you're my weakness
You're my faith, you're my doubt
We gotta meet in the middle
To work this thing out

More love...I can hear our hearts cryin'
More love...I know that's all we need
More love...to flow in between us
To take us and hold us, and lift us above
If there's ever an answer, it's more love

We're afraid to be idle, so we fill up the days
We run on a treadmill, keep slaving away
Until there's no time for talkin'
About troubles in mind
And the doors are all closed
Between your heart and mine

More love...I can hear our hearts cryin'
More love...I know that's all we need
More love...to flow in between us
To take us and hold us, and lift us above
If there's ever an answer, it's more love

Just look out around you , people fightin their wars
They think they'll be happy, when they settle their scores
Let's lay down the weapons
That hold us apart
Be still for just a minute
Try to open our hearts

More love...I can hear our hearts cryin'
More love...I know that's all we need
More love...to flow in between us
To take us and hold us, and lift us above
If there's ever an answer, it's more love

Reunited

I made this sweet family of gnomes for Sadie months ago. We started with three and added three more to the group. Sadie loves them and plays with them a lot. Then three of them disappeared for a couple months. And it made us absolutely batty! Finally, a week or so ago, they reappeared (they were hiding in a little-used drawer in our bedroom of all places....). Now they're a family again and I can finally take the photos I've been meaning to since I first made them.

This was such a fun and easy craft. Sadie was fascinated by the process, too, so I was actually able to make them while she was awake and in the same room (which doesn't happen that often as a crafting mama to a two-year-old). I used Carrie Logic's awesome tutorial found here. The materials were cheap and easy to find and these little friends continue to provide a lot of fun for Sadie.

Handmade Holiday

Way back in October, I made a pact with myself that I would make as many of our holiday gifts as possible. I wanted to save some money, but mostly, as a crafter, I feel that something I put thought, time, and energy into is so much more meaningful that something I can pick up at the mall. Sometimes an effort like this can be really stressful, but because I started planning for it several months in advance, this didn't add to any holiday stress for me. If anything, it was calming to spend more hours during the season behind the sewing machine or knitting needles.

First up...Sadie needed a new winter hat. So I finally finished the Duchess Cabled Hat. Ravelry details here.
For a holiday party hostess gift, I made this fun "Question Jar".

For my out-of-town girlfriends, wall organizers!

And for my sisters-in-law, Mari and Suzie, aprons...

And my crowning glory (that means it was the most difficult...) for the season was a table runner that I made for my mom.

Thank you to all the crafters out there for the inspiration, patterns, and tutorials. For a beginning sewer, it was certainly a comedy of errors. I'm sure anyone who knows anything about sewing would be utterly horrified watching me over the past couple months. I'm truly figuring this out as I go. But I'm having so much fun, and I'm so proud of the results!

Fingerpainting Fun

Adventures in Knitting

One of my very favorite things about this time of year, when the holiday craziness is over, our favorite TV shows and movies are making their way into our evenings, and the weather is cold outside....knitting of course! Oooh, I've been getting lots of knitting done lately (relatively speaking), and have to show off some of my recently completed projects.

Baby booties lovingly knit and sent halfway around the world for Baby Westwood (now we know her as Evelyn Moana Westwood, born January 7, 2010 in New Zealand). They are the Saartje Booties, found here. I used some random Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino I had left over in my stash. SO CUTE and so much fun to make. I can't wait to knit these for all the new babies that will be born to friends in the coming year. Congratulations Wendy and Nick and give that baby some kisses from her Aunt Rachel!

I'm still diligently working on these socks, knit with Noro Kureyon sock yarn. I've about had it with this yarn, but the colors are divine when they knit up, so I'm persevering. They are the Jaywalker socks designed by Grumperina and are available as a free Ravelry download.

I've recently become distracted by this project: the Shifting Sands scarf, also designed by Grumperina, which I'm knitting using Berroco's Lustra yarn. LAAAAHV! The yarn splits somewhat and takes a little getting used to, but it is so gorgeous! As its name suggests, it has the slightest hint of shine and shimmer to it. The second picture here shows the color a bit better; it's a beautiful deep berry color that I'm loving.

Just last night I was so happy to gift this hat to my dear friend Marjorie for her birthday. It's the Who? hat, which is available as a free Ravelry download, and was a fast, easy project that was fun to knit and I love the outcome. Notice the owl eyes?

And probably my very favorite project I've completed in recent months are these Bella's mittens, for which I used Berroco Peruvia. They keep my hands so warm and make me very happy.