Not a One-Craft Girl

Sometimes I wonder exactly why I never seem to finish as many projects as some of my friends. My list on Ravelry of completed projects hasn't been added to in months, and my cheerfully optimistic idea to start on Christmas presents early is still not acted on.

Why can't I get more done?

Gee, it couldn't be due to the sheer number of crafts I try to undertake at one time, could it? Let's see: knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing clothes, cooking and now canning. Oh, and learning a musical instrument.

I'm working on a knitted gift that I will hopefully be able to post about next month (and which actually may be done before the birthday of the person I'm making it for! Shocking, I know). I'm working on a doll quilt for an internet swap (due to be sent out tomorrow-ha!), as well as two virtual quilting bees (it's my month in one of them, so I actually only have one block due this month). And Halloween is quickly approaching, and I just bought fabric and a pattern for Viv's costume. Add that to the fact that I want to make some fall clothes for me & Vivian, and I feel like I am a mess!

I have finally completed something that I can show off, though: Vivian's big girl bed quilt. I started on this several months ago, before she moved out of her crib and into the toddler bed. I finally finished over the weekend, and can make a big check mark next to this item on my to-do list!


Viv loves her new quilt! I love making things for her because she's so appreciative. "My mommy made it for me!" I know this state my not last forever, so I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

I've also been making good strides with canning. I made plum jam with cinnamon -- 6 lbs. resulted in 6 pints of yummy jam. So tasty and easy. I really love doing this, taking advantage of the fact that here in California, we are overwhelmed with an abundance of quality produce.

I just have to come to terms with the fact that I am not a one-craft girl. What's that saying? "Jack of all trades, master of none?" Oh well. I do love mixing up my crafts. I never get bored! So I will continue to work on 18 different projects at one time, but I guess, ultimately, I'm ok with that. It is an awful lot of fun!

Hodgepodge

Too much work to do, and of course, I'm stalling by writing here. Well, not really writing, just posting photos...

I got a haircut! I went to the Aveda Institute in Westwood, and paid only $19 (and a $5 tip that went to charity). And, ok, the cut took almost THREE HOURS, which is patently ridiculous for a simple bob and bangs (even if it did include a wash, dry, style, neck rub and mini-facial), but the student-stylist was super paranoid about cutting it too short. You pay for what you get, either in cash or time, and right now I have more time than I do cash.

The bangs are too long, but it was like pulling teeth to get the stylist (and her instructor) to get them to cut them this short. I guess they think everyone wants bangs that hang in their eyes like an Olsen twin or something. Sorry, I'm not a celebutante—I'm a 33-year-old mom of a toddler who doesn't want to spend all her time sweeping her bangs out of her eyes.

I have been working on my Easter-related crafts. If the weather is nice on Sunday, Viv will wear this little sweater over an adorable navy blue (with white & green daisies) sundress.

And this is what happens when Viv get a hold of the peanut butter jar:

I tried to give Viv crackers with a bit of peanut butter spread on them. She outsmarted me and just licked the peanut butter off, handing the crackers back to me and saying, "More?"

And here is a shot showing many of the things that Viv loves: her pony, her bike helmet, and wearing mommy's shoes.


And here is one of the Easter crafts I've finished: fabric flower brooches for Viv. I have several vintage metal flower brooches that Vivian loves. I wanted to make one for her that was a bit more toddler-safe. But how do you create a safe brooch? Annika came to the rescue with the idea to use diaper pins, which have a locking mechanism, so Vivian can't accidentally poke herself. Hurray! These flowers were made based on this tutorial: sewritzytitzy.blogspot.com/2008/11/from-annas-gardenfabri...


I've finished a couple more Easter crafts for Vivian's basket, but haven't photographed them yet. I'll probably get some photos of them this weekend.

Little Bunny Fou-Fou: Easter memories

This is the first year that Viv will be able to appreciate Easter in all its non-religious glory -- baskets, bonnets, chocolate eggs and, of course, that Bunny. When I was a kid, Easter had a very specific ritual:

7:00 a.m. Wake up and pounce on the basket that the Easter Bunny had left at the foot of my bed.

7:15 a.m. Start bouncing off the walls as the sugar from the various chocolate and marshmallow candies kicks in.

8:00 a.m. Fall asleep on a bed of plastic Easter grass as the sugar high crashes down.

8:30 a.m. Have Mom start taking out the pink foam hair rollers.

9:00 a.m. Put on fluffy Easter dress and take picture with sisters on the lawn (along with whatever our "big" toy from the Easter baskets were that year -- I remember Cabbage Patch dolls figuring significantly in those photos)

9:15 a.m. Drive with the family to my grandmother's country club.

10:00 a.m. Jump up and down on the Easter Bunny's lap (who was actually probably a poor teenager who was conned into this sorry job).

10:30 a.m. Try not to get run over by the older boys during the Easter egg hunt on the country club lawn (those kids were vicious, and probably ended up as second-string linemen for the San Jose Saber Cats)

11:00 a.m. Get in line for the brunch buffet. Skip the poached salmon in gloppy hollandaise and head straight for the dessert bar.

2:00 p.m. Finally leave the country club. Race to take off the tights and uncomfortable shoes.

This year, we're heading up to Kingsburg to celebrate Easter with the extended Manfredi clan. One or another of Richard's aunts and uncles always have big family holiday celebrations, but we never seem to attend because they just never seem to match up with our travel schedule. But this time, we're determined to do it.

I've had these grandiose ideas about all the crafty projects I'm going to do for Vivian for Easter, and then, last night, I realized that Easter is NEXT WEEKEND. Crap.

So here are the projects I want to do. We'll see how many of them actually get done by next Sunday.

Bunny Hat & Paw Mittens
Soft Easter Basket
Recycled Cashmere Bunnies (I have a tattered pink pashmina somewhere that would be perfect for this)
Chibi Rabbit
Fabric Easter Eggs
Wintertime Teddy (with long ears to turn it into a bunny)
Amigurumi Birdies

If I actually get two or three of these done in the next week, I will be thoroughly pleased with myself. I'll probably focus on those that I already have the materials for, i.e., the basket, the cahmere bunnies, the chibi rabbit and maybe the bunny hat. I have actually finished an adorable little crocheted sweater for Viv to wear on Easter, but I haven't uploaded the photos yet.

It's Not a Habit...It's Cool, I Feel Alive

The new issue of Knitty came out today.

Dear god.

There are some absolutely beautiful patterns that I want to knit right now.

Like Decimal, a light and lacy cardigan that was designed to—gasp!—look beautiful on women of almost any size. The designer even knit a plus-sized sample, modeled by a beautiful lady not afraid to show off her ample assets.

And then there are Topaz (a perfect baby dress for a little girl scheduled to join the family shortly), and Steggie (which Vivian, who loves her DINOS!, would enjoy). Oh, and Pioneer (which I would totally knit if I could overcome my fear of needles smaller than size 8s), and Santeney (which I may knit, but shorten to waist length, instead of tunic length, so as not to emphasize the baby tummy), and Andy (a really nice men's sweater that I can't even talk about knitting since I still haven't finished Richard's Baseball sweater from 2+years ago).

And then there are some beautiful lace and sock patterns that I will never knit (lace because I never have enough uninterrupted time to concentrate on complicated charts, and socks because of that fear of small needles), but I will love to see how other people knit them.

I am really fighting to not cast on for any new projects right now. I'm working on Doris Chan's Walking After Midnight crocheted skirt, which is coming out beautifully, and which I could probably finish in a week if I could concentrate on it. I'm also working on a modified pinwheel pattern quilt for Vivian.

If I finish crocheting the skirt, I'll give myself permission to cast on for something new—the pride in actually finishing a project will be worth more than the transient rush of casting on something new.

a sneak peek of the Walking After Midnight skirt.

And because I haven't posted it here yet, here is the baby quilt I made for Teresa & Morgen's Baby T., due next month.
I love how the top turned out, but I also love the fabric I used for the backing—a vintage Waverly print that I bought years ago on eBay. I've been saving it for the right project, and I think it works here.
There are so many crafty projects that I want to tackle. I feel like a junkie in need of a fix. Do they have a 12-step program for this?

A crafty recap

Boy, I have been lax about blogging, and I really don't know why. I've just had a reluctance to write my thoughts down. There have been so many moments worth remembering, both big (inauguration!) and small (Vivian spazzing out to "Twist & Shout" during her music class), that I almost don't know where to start. So instead of tackling anything deep or meaningful, I'll just post some pretty pictures.

It's still January, so I think it's still ok to post some photos of my Christmas crafty projects.

On the left is Gigi, the doll I made for Vivian. She's made of muslin, and stuffed with scrap cotton quilt batting. Her hair is a merino wool sock yarn, and her dress is made from some left-over quilt squares from the crazy 9-patch baby quilt I made last year. I love how she turned out, but Viv hasn't completely warmed to her yet (she's more into stuffed animals than dolls right now).

Next, we have my version of the popular Emmeline apron from Sew Liberated. I made this for my mom, and I love the fabric I used, a vintage cotton I bought on ebay (featuring a guitar player in a sombrero on a donkey).

If I were to make this again for me, I'd definitely increase the width of the bust. I wish the pattern had noted that it was not exactly one size fits all, as I have now seen many others having this same issue.

Another project I tackled this christmas was compiling a box of dress-up clothes for my 3-year-old great-niece (Richard's sister's granddaughter—the generations are screwy in his family). I had so much fun brainstorming items for this box.

I ended up making a red tutu, a lace dress and green sparkly robe. I also included a yellow feather boa (who doesn't love a feather boa?), a black Lone Ranger-style mask and tiara. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn wasn't able to come to our family Christmas in Kingsburg last weekend, so I didn't get to see her open the box, but I hope she really enjoys it.

new year, new you (not really)

More like, "New Year, same you, but maybe with some new resolutions."

Ok, I'm going to make some resolutions for this New Year, but before I get to those, it's probably time to see how I did on my 2008 resolutions (graded on a 4-star scale).

2008 Craft-Related Resolutions

1. RIIIPPPIIITT! I pledge to actually frog those projects that are unflattering, undesirable or otherwise unwearable.

I did some of this, but probably not as much as I could have. I give myself 2 stars. **

2. Reorganize the Craft Closet.

Did not get to this at all. Ugh. Zero stars.

3. Get back to sewing more of my clothes.

Hmm, made some progress on sewing my clothes, but where I really succeeded was in sewing more of Vivian's clothes (especially in the summer). I made up an adorable swing tank top pattern with shoulder ties that I'll need to upsize for her this summer. I'll give myself 3 stars. ***

4. Finally finish knitting Richard’s sweater.

Um, yeah. Did not touch it. No stars.

2008 General Life Resolutions

1. Exercise.

When I worked at my old job downtown, I actually did really well on this. I was hitting the gym 2-3 times per week during my lunch break, which was up from zero times per week. However, I don't have easy access to a gym at the new job, so I've really fallen off the wagon. I'll give myself 1 star for my efforts in the early part of the year. *

2. Better organize Vivian’s nursery.

I did a good job here. We added a shelf above the changing table for her diapers and other paraphernalia, as well as a book/toy case, and storage under her crib for clothes she's outgrown. 4 stars. ****

3. Cook dinner at least 3 nights a week.

I'm glad to say that we got back into the habit of cooking. Eating at home isn't always cheaper (especially since we love high-quality ingredients), but I know that it's better to maintain control over what goes into my family's stomachs! 4 stars. ****

4. Start a college fund for Vivian.

Um, didn't do it, but hey! If I work at my current job for another 14 1/2 years, Viv gets free tuition! Ok, no, that doesn't really count. But if I had started a college fund, it probably would have been eaten up by the stock market collapse... Still no excuse, I know. Zero stars.

And now for the 2009 resolutions

1. Entertain more. I love to entertain, but I have felt that our apartment was too small or too messy to have people over. But no more! I want to invite people over at least once a month, either for dinner, wine & twine, game night, etc. I think that is fully doable.

2. Curb unnecessary spending. Lately, I've been a bit too free with the credit cards. First, it was to rebuild my work wardrobe. After emptying my closet of all my maternity clothes to send to my sister, I decided to fully go through my clothes to get rid of all the stuff that was too small, stained, ill-fitting or just ugly. So I decided to purchase some new items to build it back up. And then the holidays came, and holiday travel. And a few after-Christmas sales (like here and here). But I'm done now. I'll make an interim resolution for no more credit card purchases for the 1st quarter (through March)—with an exception for travel expenses (like reserving our cabin for Tahoe).

3. Be a better friend. I was an infrequent correspondent with many friends in 2008. I had a young baby, and I used that as an excuse. Not that I wasn't busy, but in hindsight, I wish I had reached out to my dear friends more frequently.

4. Take better care of myself physically. When I was pregnant with Vivian, I was incredibly on top of my physical health, because Vivian's health and development depended on me. But since she was born, I've not taken as good care of myself. So this year, I'm going to make (and keep) some very necessary doctor's appointments because I need to be healthy, yes for my family, but also for myself.

5. Be a good wife, not just a good mom. I can count on my fingers the total number of times Rich and I went out, just the two of us. It's been hard, since we don't have family locally, but we need some time just for us, so I need to get more comfortable getting a babysitter. So many people offered to babysit when Viv was little, and we didn't takem them up on it. Well, if you've offered in the past, get ready to get hit up again! I pledge that Rich & I will go out at least once a month, just the two of us. (as an aside, if any LA-based friends can recommend a good babysitter, or want to exchange babysitting dates, let me know!)

6. Craft from my stash. I have so much yarn and fabric in my stash—a whole closet full! I am going to craft from my stash, and in fact, I will buy no new yarn or fabric for the 1st quarter of the year (through March)—exception only for finishing elements or embellishments (quilt batting, zippers, ribbon, etc.).

7. Bake! I love to bake, but I hardly did any in 2008 (with the exception of an awesome Chocolate Pecan Pie for Friends Thanksgiving and a sinful Praline Brookie—cookie-topped brownie—for Vivian's daycare holiday potluck). I am going to try the no-knead bread, the NYT famous cookie recipe and other fab baked goods this year.

I also have some more personal resolutions that I'll keep to myself, but I think that the ones I've listed here are enough to work on. Concrete enough to follow, but flexible enough to deal with life's ups and downs.

How about you? Are you making resolutions this year?

Christmastime is here

I finally feel like it's Christmas. I've been trying to get the holiday spirit since Thanksgiving: listening to Christmas music, wrapping gifts, decorating my cube at work, watching Christmas specials on TV, etc. But nothing was working. It felt like any other time of year, only slightly colder (I do live in LA, you know, so it's a brr cold 65 degrees).

But yesterday, Richard braved a trip to the Home Depot tree lot and brought home a super-fresh Noble fir. The smell of the tree automatically transported me into Christmas Town.

We managed to get the tree set up, complete with lights and gold ribbon, while Vivian was taking her afternoon nap. This was great because we didn't have to worry about her getting underfoot while positioning the tree. However, we didn't anticipate Vivian freaking out when she saw the tree in the living room! It is a major change to her living space, so we should have guessed that she would be apprehensive, but oh well.

Rich & I had grand hopes of Vivian actually helping to decorate the tree this year, but we were a bit too optimistic. She loved how pretty the ornaments were, but she didn't understand why we wanted to take them out of her hands to put on the tree. She spent most of our decorating time walking around holding 2-3 different ornaments. She only broke 2—one cheap ball that shattered when she tried to bounce it, and a glass angel whose wing snapped off when she tripped. The angel can be fixed, assuming that I can find the super glue.

After we finished decorating the tree, I looked for our Santa tree topper. I normally pack it separately because it doesn't fit into our ornament storage boxes. Unfortunately, it wasn't in any of my normal hiding/storage spots: Vivian's closet, the space above my wardrobe, the high shelf in my craft closet. It appears to be gone, which makes me sad because it's the topper Richard & I have used since we graduated college.

Well, I may have been sad, but I couldn't have our tree be naked on top. So I flipped through some vintage Christmas craft magazines, hoping to be inspired to make a topper. A 1964 McCall's Christmas Make-It magazine showed a cool and kind of creepy St. Nick on the cover that I really liked. I didn't have the materials to copy it exactly, but it did have the look I wanted.

So I decided to raid my craft supply stash to make a vintage-inspired angel tree topper. I figured an angel has more leeway than a Santa in how it looks, so I was more free to make use of available supplies. (good thing I have a craft supply stash—you just never know when you'll have a crafting emergency like this!)

And here is what we ended up with: a geisha-style, vintage-inspired angel. Made from the inner tube of a paper towel roll, foam, an old pair of nylons, a piece of peach-colored silk, felt, wool roving, wired ribbon, a rubber band, vintage millinery feathers and glue. I am really happy with how she turned out. I think she fits in well with our tree.



No naked tree here!

New project wander lust

It's starting to get down to the wire, holiday-craft-wise. My first crafts have to be done by next Friday, as we are heading up to the Bay Area to do Christmas with my dad and my girlfriends. And yet I am still finding new project ideas that I have no business starting! So I am going to continue the list I started in my last post of things I can't start until after Christmas.

1. The very cool memory game that I first saw on Apartment Therapy's Ohdeeoh. How cool would it be to have a game made with pictures of things you actually remember! I definitely need to make this for Vivian at some point. She's a bit young to actually appreciate it yet, so maybe it's something I'll file away to do for Christmas next year.

2. This adorable baby poncho that was available on BabySteals (sold out, but still available at 45% off on the Skipping Hippos site). I may decide to make this as a present for one or more toddlers I know. I think I even have the fleece to make at least one; I'd just need the trim (because the trim is really what makes it so cute). I know that ponchos are a no-no for crawlers, but I think they can be a good solution for toddlers that don't like to put their arms in the sleeves of bulky coats.

Why does this happen to me? Why am I suddenly so dissatisfied with all of my Christmas projects? I actually like them all well enough, but I think the pressure of the fact that I need to finish them is overwhelming the fact that I want to finish them.

Grr.

Yes, I have the attention span of a gnat

I have a serious case of Short Attention Span Theater right now.

As I posted yesterday, I have several projects that I need to finish in less than a month. So why is my brain buzzing with new projects—ones that I patently cannot start until after the holidays?

In an effort to catalog them, and get them out of my system (at least for a month), I'm going to list those ideas here.

1. I've been inspired by this Apartment Therapy post to paint my boring Ikea wardrobe a bright yellow. A couple of months ago, I successfully stripped and painted a Victorian-style side table, so I know I can do it. I think it will help bring even more color and design to my bedroom.

2. My sister Jenny bought me a gift certificate to SuperCrafty! for my birthday and I just used to to buy some Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn in Sapphire Green. It's so beautiful. I am just itching to cast on for a Liesl sweater for me because I think it would be so yummy in this color.

3. I saw this beautiful letter quilt highlighted on the Spoonflower blog, and I want to make one for Vivian.

4. I'd love to make my winter coat before, you know, winter is over.

5. Every knitter I know is making cowls, which seem to be the must-have accessory this winter. I need one. I've got several skeins of sock yarn that will never be made into socks, no matter how many times I say I'm going to make them, so a cowl would be a good use.

Ok, I think that's it, at least those are the projects that I'm obsessing over right now. Gah!

I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.

Roller coaster

I have been dragging my feet regarding posting here, and I'm not sure why. Life here at Chez Reeve-Manfredi has been up and down.

Obama won! Yay!
Prop. 8 passed. Boo!
The holidays are coming! Yay!
Richard got laid off! Boo!
Friends Thanksgiving happened up in Seattle! Yay!
Vivian was a bear on the flights (a cute bear, but a bear, nonetheless), and I had a mini-nervous breakdown the first night in Seattle! Boo!
Richard and I had our 6th wedding anniversary! Yay!
And we both completely forgot about it until the next day! Boo!

So, um, yeah.

I am trying to stay focused on the positive. I am trying to be a crafty diva. Just about everyone will be receiving at least one crafted (sewn/knitted/crocheted) gift for Christmas, but of course that means I need to get busy.

I did manage to finish a cute skirt to wear for our Christmas photos, which we took on Saturday. I almost had a heart attack while making it, because it was supposed to be a vintage-inspired dress (made from an awesome vintage cotton that I picked up last year at the Pasadena City College flea market). But when I put the bodice together and had Richard pin it closed on me, it was awful. I'm not 100% sure what went wrong, but it was all wonky. Luckily, the dress had a circle skirt attached, so I just ditched the bodice and made a skirt and petticoat, and bought a sweater at Target.

I also made Vivian a winter (ok, LA-winter) coat out of an adorable vintage pattern. It was a size 2, and knowing that vintage patterns tend to run small, I figured that would be ok for her. Um, no. When I put it on her, she looked like the coroner from The Wizard of Oz. So, it will be coat for next year! Finally a project I'm early for!

I still have to finish two quilts, 1 sweater, 1 bag, 1 hat, 1 doll, 1 apron, placemats, table runners, 2 eye masks and probably more stuff that I can't remember right now. And I officially have 1 month to do it all. It may be a photo finish, but I'm feeling positive. I think I can do this.

Fateful last words, don't you think?

Weekend Craftavaganza!

I don't know about you, but I had a very productive weekend. It's not often that I get to write that. Most Mondays, I look back fondly on a weekend where the most active thing I did was order pizza. But not this weekend. Oh no. This weekend, I crafted.

Actually, it was a family weekend of crafting. Richard's kickball team, the Awesome Helicopter Ninjas, is beginning its fall season tonight, and and Richard wanted to do something special. He decided that the Ninjas needed and official mascot, along the lines of the San Diego Chicken or the Phillie Phanatic. So, I give you the Naughty Ninja TM.

It's a paper-mache Ninja head! Richard used a beach ball to build the paper-mache and and I think he did a great job. We glued some black fabric inside the mouth (actually for Richard's eyes so he can see out), and we have foam inside to make sure it fits. I can't wait to see action shots of the Naughty Ninja at tonight's game.

Another craft project on the weekend's to-do list was the create a doormat for our apartment. We haven't had one in more than a year. When we moved in, I wanted a really cool mat, like one of these. But I just couldn't bring myself to spend $40 on a doormat. So we made due with a crappy plastic one until it blew away in a storm last year. I didn't know what I wanted to do until I saw this post on Curbly.com which showed how one member created a river rock doormat, inspired by one at Crate & Barrel (and also now available here). So easy!

Richard bought a black rubber doormat from OSH, and I bought a bag of river rock and some rubber cement from Home Depot. Here is a shot of the work in progress:


The rocks I used are smaller than the ones in the Curbly mat, and it took me a bit longer than expected. But I finally finished on Saturday. And here it is in its place of honor:

I had to move the mat out a bit from the door, as it is too tall to pass under the door if it is too close. But it still looks cool, and cost about a grand total of $12!

My other big project of the weekend was stripping the varnish off of a neo-Victorian occasional table that my dad gave us a while back. The varnish was chipped and had several drink rings, so I'm going to paint it a bright glossy turquoise and place it in our bedroom. I had never stripped furniture before, and while it was messy, it actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I used Citri-stripper, which I had seen recommended on Apartment Therapy. I don't have a photo, but believe me that the table is now stripped. I have to put some primer on it (maybe I'll do that tonight after Vivian goes to sleep), and then I'll start painting next weekend.

I've been working on a long-term knitting project that I'm pretty close to finishing, but I'm a little sick o fit right now, so I needed a quick-fix project that would just be something different. Looking through Ravelry, I found just what I needed: a crocheted slouchy beret. It worked up in just a couple of hours (I finished while watching last night's 2nd season premiere of "Mad Men"), and I'm really happy with it.


There is one good reason to look forward to the end of summer: the opportunity to wear all your fun knitted/crocheted items!

And one final craft projected started over the weekend -- a quilt for Baby Marta, daughter of Allison & Iggy, and little sister to Maggie. She was born earlier this month, and I'm beating myself up for not starting this earlier. Oh well. I am loving the very girly fabric I chose, and I can't wait to complete this.


So, all in all, a very productive weekend. Now, if only I could be as productive every weekend!

my crafty eyes are bigger than my... stomach?

I have a very good excuse for not posting in a bajillion days: time seems to slip through my hands. I've worked at two fundraising walks over the last two weekends, written media materials for a press conference this Wednesday, prepped a co-worker for a live radio interview. I've got another event in 2 weeks, and then I'm taking a break.

Despite the fact that my crafting time has shrunk of late, I keep adding to my list of projects to be completed. I keep buying yarn, including full bags of Berroco Love It, Queensland Collection Invito, and South West Trading Co. Bamboo. Great sales that I couldn't pass up, but when the heck am I going to use them? I still haven't made a dint in the yarn I bought at Stitches West. I have started on a vest using the Love It (Classic Elite's Vine Lace Vest), but my eyes are glazing over at the 4x4 ribbing.

There has been another crop of babies in the last few weeks. Please welcome Baby Spencer (born to parents Ryan & Sara), Campbell (daughter of Stephen and Lea, and little sister of James) and Jacob (baby #5 for Ben & Katie!). So the quilting continues! Here is my version of a Stacked Coin Quilt (mostly taken from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, but a bit improvised towards the end):

yes, that is my very messy desk. I told you I was busy.
And yes, that is a mini-fridge under my desk.
I use it so I don't have to keep pumped breast milk in the public fridge in the kitchen.
It just seems more private this way.

Richard picked out the fabrics, as he does for most of my quilting projects (he has a great eye for color). I'm starting on the next one already, an applique quilt - my favorite. Not as complex as the Pumpkin Quilt (still languishing unfinished), but it will hopefully be finished before the baby's 1st birthday.

I just have so many projects that I want to make: a couple of dresses of my own design for Vivian, a few simple tops for me, an Emmeline apron, any one of the several Stitch Diva patterns I have in my collection. And that's not counting those projects started but not finished: my Victoria Bolero, my Crochet Mesh Jacket, my Juliet Sweater (which really just needs to be blocked and have the buttons sewn on).

Grr. Why aren't there enough hours in the day? Why are my crafty eyes bigger than my crafty stomach?

A V-Day photo post

My Valentine's Day present for Richard:
I embroidered this onesie using a Sublime Stitching pattern given to me at my baby shower by Allison, of supercrafty.com. I think he liked it. He gave me a new watch, which is beautiful and I love. Yay!

Here is Vivian at the Professional Bull Riders event in Anaheim on Sunday. Yes, we went to see young men try to stay on the back of bull that are trying to throw them off. It was really cool.
You can see Viv embracing her inner redneck by chowing down on the latest issue of the PBR Insider. Well, given the start we gave her, I don't see how we could expect anything less.

This is Vivian in her new sweater, the 5-Hour Baby Sweater (not actually made in 5 hours -- more like, Made Over A Weekend While Caring For A 7-Month Old-Sweater):

Oh, and Vivian received her very first Valentine today -- an awesomely cute handmade card from Sam, Annika's beautiful son. I about melted into a puddle when I opened it! Thank you Sammy (Annika!) for making Vivian's (my) day!

Resolute

For 2007, I had 1 resolution: no emergency room visits. And other than passing through on the way to the maternity ward for Vivian's early entrance, I was able to keep that one. I'm pretty proud about that.

For 2008, I’m going to be a bit more ambitious.

Craft-Related Resolutions

1. RIIIPPPIIITT! I pledge to actually frog those projects that are unflattering, undesirable or otherwise unwearable. I will reclaim the yarn, and therefore cut down on the need for stash enhancement.

2. Reorganize the Craft Closet. I have a lovely walk-in closet that I have designated for my craft supplies and sewing machine, but it has become so cluttered that I can’t find anything and can barely weave my way back to the sewing machine. This will change.

3. Get back to sewing more of my clothes. I used to sew about 50% of my wardrobe, but pregnancy, having a small child and the craft closet disorganization (see above) have stymied my efforts. I have a huge fabric stash, and I need to get back to using it.

4. Finally finish knitting Richard’s sweater (started in Nov. 2005 and lying dormant ever since). It’s the Baseball sweater from Knitty’s Man issue, and I have the back and 1 sleeve done. He wants an intarsia picture of Elvis Costello worked on the front. I have the chart worked out, but I just need to get up the courage to do it.

General Life Resolutions

1. Exercise. I’m not going to focus on losing weight, but I just want to have more energy. So whether it’s taking a walk after work every day or hitting the gym, I’m going to exercise.

2. Better organize Vivian’s nursery. I’ve seen great tips on the ikea hacks blog, and I want to copy some of them for her room, such as using a CD shelf to store diapers.

3. Cook dinner at least 3 nights a week. I was doing pretty good on this already before, but the holidays made it difficult to be consistent.

4. Start a college fund for Vivian. I think we're going to open a 529 account for her, even just with $50 a month. My goal is to have enough saved for her to pay for undergraduate at a state school – if she wants to go private or grad school, that’s what loans are for.

I think that’s enough for one year. A bit of a stretch, but still totally achievable.

Donuts & Babies & Crafts, Oh My!

Richard was gone again this weekend, this time to Portland. It's the second to the last trip this spring, so I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And he did get on a early flight yesterday, so we actually got a real weekend night together, which was nice. After a very large dinner at the Brite Spot, we came home to a fantastic, if odd, dessert.

I bring you, a Voodoo Donut special, direct from Portland, OR, the Bacon Maple Bar.
Sooo goooood. I first got excited about this donut after watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, Pacific Northwest special. I know it sounds awful, but, as Richard said, "it tastes like breakfast." It's like pancakes and bacon, when your bacon slides into your syrup. Magnificent. I was almost afraid to eat it, but I'm so glad I did.

On babies (or rather, baby), Vivian is more active than ever. On Saturday night, after a lovely warm bath, I was lounging on the couch in my bathrobe, when I started to feel her kick. I looked down at my stomach, and my robe... jumped. I was in shock. I opened my robe to look at my belly, and again, it jumped. Vivian is officially kicking so hard that she can be seen (and felt) from the outside. I was so excited, I called Richard just to tell him. I think that for the rest of the evening, I just sat and watched my tummy dance.

Of course, on Sunday, when Richard came home, Vivian was much calmer, and not jumping around like a latter-day David Lee Roth. He really wanted to feel her, and she was just not cooperating. But about 1/2 hour after the Bacon-Maple Bar, she started twitching. I called him from the spare room where he was throwing darts, and told him to put his hand on my stomach. Sure enough, about 30 seconds later, she let loose a couple of karate chops. The look that came over Richard's face was amazing. I almost started to cry, I was so happy.

Vivian's dancing made me so happy, that I actually broke out the crochet hook, which I haven't done in several months. After digging through my stash, I decided to crochet the Princess sweater from Candi Jensen's Candy Babies in chocolate brown with baby blue accents. I finished it yesterday.

So yay for Baby Viv! And yay for Voodoo Donuts! And yay for my craftiness coming back!

It's Alf!

This may be my favorite Christmas present that I've ever made. It's Alf, the Scary Elf!


Alf is about 36" long, and is a Christmas card holder! Just what everyone needs. Alf is destined for my dear friend, Carrie, who has a penchant for scary elves. Alf will be the "big" brother to the original scary elf, Kippy, who is a demonic looking poseable elf from the late 1960s.

I got the pattern for Alf from the 1966 edition of McCall's Christmas Make-It Ideas, one of my many vintage craft magazines. The minute I saw him, I knew I had to make him. Richard decided his name, as he looks slightly alien. He may not be quite as scary as Screech, the frightenly crocheted screech owl, but he does have sequins and pom poms. And he'll have a loving home, where his creepiness will be truly appreciated. I can't wait for Carrie's reaction.