A proud moment

This morning I noticed E running from the kitchen table to the sewing room, and back again, over and over.  Then I saw what she was doing-adding some more decoration to a bag she'd gotten at a friend's sleepover. 

At the party they used puffy paint and put a few squiggles on these cute bags-one side has photo pockets. 

She got out her art bag, and put in some serious hard work!

You can't tell, but some of the decorations are torn pieces of paper-receipts, actually.  Has she seen Mommy going through those (yay for tax time sorting) and now thinks they are the latest and greatest in crafting?  In any case, it was thrilling to see her in a spontaneous moment of creativity.

Valentine's Surprise

  Last year I told The Hubby that I wanted him to start making Mother's Day special for me. I told him I wanted him to "go out of his comfort zone" in making it special. So, he spent money (which is out of his comfort zone-possibly out of his orbit) and had a beautiful bouquet of flowers sent to me. I assumed that would become his usual for Mother's Day, and was fine with a once a year "special" gift. We haven't "done" Valentine's Day in years. In fact, I think the most we ever did was buy a card and go on a date, which we've always done regularly (except now that we have to find babysitters, which isn't always possible), so it wasn't anything different when we did go out. Well, imagine my surprise when I got flowers for Valentine's Day this year!

Aren't they beautiful?! They came on Friday, and I jumped up and down, to which his response was, "Did you forget?"

No, of course I didn't forget, I just didn't think I was going to get anything.

Then, I realized that though I had desperately wanted to enter this contestfor making a fabric Valentine card using a template, I hadn't come up with a good idea. But in those minutes, I had the perfect idea. I didn't just want to make a card, I wanted to be able to give it to The Hubby, and have him actually like it. My idea was to use a song The Hubby will play for me on occasion, the chorus is

'My love is alive, My heart is on fire'

My idea was to embroider the chorus with a flaming heart below the words. I also decided to do flames on the envelope. I have loved Sublime Stitching forever, but had never bought any of the patterns. To find out why, read this. I now had a very justifiable reason to buy some fun patterns. I used the tattoo alphabet, and the flaming heart is my own drawing. The large flame on the envelope is Diablo, from Sublime Stitching, the smaller ones are mine. I didn’t get it done in time to enter the contest, but he loved it, and I have to say, it was a really fun project. I’m considering making a few cards in advance for birthdays and such, I liked it that much. I’m not sure I would have done well in the contest, as it is very tailored to my guy’s tastes, and well, not everyone will go for a flaming Valentine. Happy Thoughts!

A fabric closet confession

I have way more fabric than I need.  What makes it okay is that I didn't buy most of it.  I mean it, and if you don't believe me, read this.  When my mom put my fabric up for me, she organized it by color.  But that's not how I do it, and I ended up turning the closet into a nightmare to get into-literally a hazardous area.  I had two options, post a "Warning: Falling Fabric Area" Sign or go through it and refold everything and do it my way.  Sorry, Mom, I just couldn't make it work. 

The only things that didn't fall out very quickly were stuffed in the very top of the closet or on the floor of the closet.

Just the table.  There was fabric on the floor, the sewing desk, and the thinking chair.

Can't tell a difference, ut check out the closet...

Aahh, so pretty!  If you're curious, they are in stacks by fabric type, and then by color, because, yes, I am that anal.  Altho, since seeing Employee of the Month, I prefer to be called Analle.

Spending close to two days doing this has inspired me to enter this contest.  Happy Thoughts!

Snowstorm activities-colorful clothespins

I had meant to do this project with E awhile ago, but now I'm glad we hadn't done it yet.  In the playroom/sewingroom there's a clothesline from the window on one wall to the door on the other wall that I use to hang E's paintings up to dry.  My idea was to paint the clothespins I use when I hang the pictures up.  With all the winter white surrounding us, I really needed a colorful project. 

Supplies-Paint, paintbrushes, clothespins

My clothespins have a very definate spring feeling to them.

Look, I even did argyle!

We've been painting clopthespins since Monday.  To keep the paint from drying so fast, I put the paint trays into zippered bags. 

Now we need some pictures to hang up!

Happy Thoughts!

I take back what I said before

After my last post, I decided it was ridiculous to put off doing things I enjoy.  I had coinsidered not visiting my favorite inspirational sites, but that also seemed unreasonable.  So I spent most of Saturday in my favorite chair, using a pattern from this book to embrioder a flour sack towel.

Just after breakfast I had gotten this far.

I didn't take the time to take pictures of the rest of the process, so here is my finished work

The Hubby came into the sewing room that evening, as I was finishing.  Peeked over my shoulder and said, "So that's why I've gotten away with so much today."

My question was, what had he done?  Nothing, he had gotten to sit in front of the computer all day, since I was engrossed in my embroidery. 

My question is, who fed the kids?

Happy Thoughts!

What wish I were vs what I am doing

No posting about fun crafts? 

No look what we made today posts in months. 

Why? 

Because I've had seamstress type work coming in constantly.  I know I 'm lucky to have work, and I'm really not complaining.  Also, don't worry, we have been doing crafts, woo, daddy, have we ever!  

What I haven't been doing, is taking the time to write up posts about them.  Hope you are enjoying the pictures.  Right now, I am going 12 rounds with a very beautiful dance costume, and in between rounds, I'm getting my booty kicked by some of my own creations, trying to get things just right. 

I would rather spend my time working on my own stuff, but, right now, I have already agreed to altering these costumes, so until they are done, I will dream about my long list of what I want to do...
Happy Thoughts!