Girly girl

My daughter is four years old and has a bigger wardrobe than I do.

I suppose part of it is because I keep making her dresses.

In my defense, she apparently won't stop growing so new clothes are a necessity.

This is a very simple jumper but I made a few adjustments along the way. Most notably, I changed the way the pattern did the interfacing so that I didn't need to add bias trim around the arm-holes.

And I love that I had this button just waiting to be used! It's so sweet! And I also really like the button loop closure - so simple and easy to get the placement right.

Then there's this little number:

I didn't have enough of any one fabric to make the dress so I just used what I did have and mixed it up a bit. I even needed to add the red at the bottom to get the length right. But you know what? I really like it! I like that it uses more than one print and I really love the red at the hem.

Best of all - it's a great twirly dress so Bailey is in seventh heaven!

There are a couple more dresses and skirts just waiting to be sewn up and hopefully, Bailey will be properly clothed for a few months until she outgrows everything again.

In Progress

It's that time of year when a preschoolers mama turns her thoughts to school auctions.

This year I volunteered to make a quilt as a class project for Bailey's class of 3 and 4 year olds.

Some of the kids were less than enthusiastic about their contribution, but thankfully all were finally persuaded to participate.

I'm kinda loving it.

At first I wasn't quite sure about the color palette. I don't know if I've just stared at it so long that I've rationalized the colors work together or if they really do look good. But I'm actually leaning toward using them in another project I have up my sleeve. Mostly I hope that the other families like it so we aren't the only ones bidding on it!

The backing is almost ready and then it's on to basting and quilting. And binding.

Better get busy!

Whew!

We had a great weekend for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis! Owen performed handsomely in his duties as Junior Grand Marshal!

The day started at the World Trade Center in downtown Portland. The courtyard was beautifully decorated with these huge lighted snowflakes and there are tons of people in costumes and ugly holiday sweaters (for the ugly sweater contest, of course).

We were introduced and went up onstage and Owen spoke into the big microphone to say, "Thank you for helping to stomp out arthritis." Adorable.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Because the weather can be a bit, shall we say, unpredictable this time of year (i.e. two years ago we missed most of the event because of an ice storm that had us stranded until our driveway thawed), we decided to get a hotel room closer to downtown for the night before the run. Once the hotel found out that Owen was the Junior Grand Marshal, they went all Spirit of Christmas on us and upgraded our room, had a welcome sign for Owen in the lobby, gave him some awesome toys (Spiderman! dinosaurs!), and had the most insane chocolate cake waiting for us in the room.

We were stunned! There were even a few people at the hotel who were participating in the run.

So... Once we got to the run, Owen's team was honored to be the top fundraising team for 2011! Thank you so much to everyone who helped by making a donation to Owen or his team. We were astonished to raise over $6,000 for the Arthritis Foundation!

We all ran the 1k kids fun run, which just confirmed for me how woefully out of shape I am. After that, Owen got to blow the air horn to start the 5k runners. And he even got to give the medals to the top men and women finishers.

Even Santa couldn't miss the festivities so the kids got to get their picture taken with the big guy - though Bailey was infinitely more interested in the big basket of candy canes. I think she ended up with about 7 of them.

And this was what things looked like for the ride home. A thoroughly satisfying adventure.

Blankie

Well, I made a blanket.

It's my very first one (so be kind).

But it's definitely not my last. I found the whole process thoroughly enjoyable!

I didn't use a pattern - it's just one big huge granny square bordered by some double crochet and a little scalloped edge.

And it's another Christmas gift. So I've completed two gifts and it's not even December yet! That has got to be a first for me.

I love how smooshy and cozy it is. Of course, the kids each want their own blankets now.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this picture of Bailey. Yes, she has been sleeping with her pumpkin from the pumpkin patch (usually it's tucked in under the covers with her) and yes, she's kind of flipping the bird. Precious.

Have a good one!

Thanksgiving

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving to all the stateside folks. Well, really everyone. We can all take a moment for gratitude!

One thing we are incredibly grateful for is the amazing support shown to this little fella.

Cute shirt, huh? Sent to us from Lolly Polly Kids to celebrate Owen and his stint as Grand Marshal for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk.

We are deep into Thanksgiving preparations at our house. Pumpkin roasting for the homemade pumpkin pies, turkey defrosting, stuffing being all mixed up with onions, herbs, and celery. Good times. Our house is the gathering place for this holiday and it's great to stay home and fill the house with the delicious smells of the day.

In addition to being grateful for our family, friends, health, and home, I am so thankful that you all stop by to spend a little time in this space.

Let the celebration begin!

On your mark....

Get set....

GO!!!

What could be better on a crisp Fall day?

Almost done binding the latest quilt. Can't wait to show you!

Gratitude

I am in constant amazement. Really.

Every. Single. Day.

Here's one of the current reasons:

A dry field trip to the farm and pumpkin patch with Miss B's preschool class. Good times! Huge difference from last year (when we did NOT wear our boots) and the fields were nothing but a big ole mud slick.

Another reason I'm feeling the love:

I recently grabbed up some sweet fabric from Ashley's destash and asked about any FMF scrap packs she might have. I'm trying to put together a small and simple quilt using some of the coveted fabric as a fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation. She was so gracious and kind and she sent me these gorgeous pieces. I never cease to be amazed at the kindness within the sewing/quilting/crafting community.

And the crazy amazing cherry on top of everything?

I am now the grateful and awestruck owner of this amazing book.

After posting about my search for Patchwork Patterns 318, I was sent a few leads on getting a copy. None of them panned out. The book was either already sold or waaaaay out of my price range. I kept looking but must admit that my search became somewhat half-hearted.

About two months later, I got an email from Stephanie, who read my blog post and was about to list her copy on etsy. I was headed out to Camp JAM and asked if she could wait to list it until I got back from camp because if I could afford, I would take it!

Well, imagine my surprise when I returned from camp to find an email from Stephanie, telling me about her grandmother's lifelong love of sewing and how she'd had to stop when her arthritis became too painful. Stephanie wanted to give me this book. And I promptly burst into tears.

I mean, really? We hear all the time from so many places what a messed up world we live in. I'm telling you - this world is great! People are amazing! There is goodness all around.

So I sit here. Filled with gratitude for family and friends and strangers who have become special people in my life. Life is wonder-full.

And yes, I know I used the word "amazing" a lot in this post. What can I say? It is what it is.

A Snow Globe is Born

Thanks goodness for the PMQG all day sew this past weekend. I actually completed a quilt top and worked on my latest paper pieced block. A snow globe for Melinda!

Melinda is one of my new friends over in the Cocorico bee on flickr. Her theme was "Vintage Christmas". I remember collecting snow globes as a child. I just loved shaking them up and watching the sparkley snow fall down over the scene!

This block was lots of fun to work on, though in the interest of full disclosure I have to admit to spending a bit of quality time with my seam ripper. There are a couple of places that I wish I had done a little differently but overall, I think it turned out okay.

Here's a picture with a ruler in it to give you an idea of the scale. Tiny! Curved piecing still makes me very nervous, so I made the snow globe and will applique that onto the background fabric.

And that quilt top I finished? Hopefully, I can get that basted and quilted up in the next week or so. It all depends on the kids and schedules and life.

Speaking of which.... this past weekend the whole family went to the Jingle Bell Run/Walk kick-off party and it was a blast. We got to speak about our family's experience with Owen and his juvenile arthritis. And Owen even got up in front of about 350 people and told a joke. I'm so proud of him! If you'd like to help him reach his goal, just follow the link on the top right of the blog.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging...

Hi everyone!

That's my awesome superhero all decked out for last year's Jingle Bell Run. And this year? He's an honoree! That means our family will provide a "face" for juvenile arthritis and help to promote the event as well as the mission of the Arthritis Foundation.

Odds are someone you know has arthritis. Despite popular misconception, arthritis can affect anybody. 300,000 children in the US have doctor diagnosed arthritis, and 3 out of every 5 people with arthritis are under the age of 65.

Researchers in the field don't talk about "if" they will find a cure; they talk about "when". By raising money, we hope to make a difference and bring us all closer to a cure.

That's why we have organized a team, Owen's Superheroes, to participate in and raise money for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk. Our goal is to raise $3,000 for arthritis research.

I'm asking for your help.

There's a link to Owen's donation page over at the top right of the blog sidebar. PLEASE feel free to repost or link to this post on your own blog so that we can all be superheroes for Owen. Tweet about it or mention it on your facebook page. Even if you can't donate, spreading the word raises awareness.

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider supporting this cause that is so important to our family! Now back to our regularly scheduled crafting.....

FOUR!

We've been a little preoccupied with turning four.

It's kind of awesome, as you can see.

Happiest Birthday Miss B.

Stylish sandwiches

In an effort to be a little more green when it comes to lunches I've been making some stylin' sandwich wraps!

They have the kid seal of approval (especially since I let them choose some of their own exterior fabrics) and the mom seal of approval because they can be machine washed and dried.

And they're cute. Always a plus for me.

Some of them have little twill pull tabs at the opening flap but they weren't really necessary so I didn't put them on all of them.

The lining is nylon (no vinyl!). And I love that the whole thing can open up flat to make a nice little placemat/eating area.

People have been asking so I thought I'd let you know that these are available in the shop!

New dress!

Miss B has a new dress!

Okay....three new dresses.

I just can't help myself. The pattern (Ofelia - Patterns by Figgy's) is wonderful. Simple and easy to follow instructions make for a quick and rewarding project.

Seriously people - it takes one yard of fabric and one hour of your time. How can you possibly go wrong?

Bailey picked out this fabric - bright and lots of orange so no surprises there. She loves it. I love it. I especially love that she can get herself dressed without any help (thanks to the elastic neckline and no buttons or zips).

One little note: go by the measurements not necessarily the sizes (as you should on ALL clothing patterns). Bailey is not quite four but this was made using a combo of the size 5 (width) and 6 (length) pattern lines. These are the pattern sizes that correspond to her measurements and the dress fits perfectly.

And yes, she's freakishly tall for her age.

Problem solved

Well, I am nothing if not crafty and I love finding solutions to the strange little problems that creep into everyday life.

Case in point:

Both kids have become enamored of these "lap boards" - basically dry-erase boards for them to practice their writing. The problem is that they needed a way to erase but didn't want to keep track of a little cloth or anything like that.

So I grabbed a scrap of fabric (about 3 inches square), a cotton ball, and a rubber band.

Wrapped the cotton ball in the fabric scrap.

Fit the cotton ball/fabric thingy around the end of the pen cap.

And secured with a rubber band.

Voila! A dry-erase marker with an ERASER!

So far, so good. Though I have to admit that when I made one for Owen I decided to make things a little more rugged by replacing the rubber band with duct tape. Both versions are working like a charm!

First day of school!

We are happy to announce that there is a kindergartener in the family!

I did not cry. I'm not one of those mommy's who is lamenting sending my children to school. In fact, I'm eagerly awaiting next week when the preschooler will be heading off as well.

I LOVE my kids. And I feel amazingly grateful every day to be able to stay home with them. It's not a choice that is right or even possible for everyone. But I feel truly fortunate to have had this incredible amount of time with my kids. And now I feel grateful to be able to send them to school where they will make friends and continue to learn and be inspired. Another step on the journey!

Of course, I won't lie, getting a little bit of non-kid time is also greatly anticipated.

In preparation for school there was a little sewing going on here.

First was a little pencil case - adorned with robots.

The other side:

And a couple of lunch bags.

I didn't follow a pattern for these bags - kind of a combo of other projects I've made and a healthy dose of winging it.They are bento style lunch bags with drawstring covers, which are great if the bag gets knocked or tipped over. Stuff doesn't go flying out.

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and so are the kids. Any interest in a quick tutorial?

Last blast of summer

When most people think of Oregon they think rain. And we do get more than our fair share of the wet stuff along with gray days. But what it gives us is a lush green landscape - another thing people often comment on when they visit our little corner of the world.

What many people don't realize is that Eastern Oregon is quite different. On the other side of the Cascades lies an amazingly beautiful high desert. We took the kids there for the first time as a final trip of the summer.

Here we are at the Painted Hills. You can see that the sky looks a bit hazy due to the dozen or so wildfires that had sprung up from lightening strikes in the surrounding areas.

We met this little critter as we were hiking along one of the trails at the Painted Hills.

The landscape is pretty spectacular with all the different colors, each made from various mineral deposits and revealed by erosion over millions of years.

One of our favorite stops along the way was a museum which is part of the John Day

Fossil Beds. Park Ranger Molly talked with us about how they use fossils to discover

what the area was like in the Age of Mammals. Mostly the kids just thought the skulls

and teeth were cool.

As this little one heads off to kindergarten and his sister to preschool, this was a great vacation for capturing the last fleeting days of summer.

And just to prove that I'm still crafting, I have some back-to-school sewing to show you next time!

Girly alert

Can I just say how much I LOVE that Bailey is completely into dresses right now? She's always been a bit of a tomboy, rough and tumble kind of gal, which suits me just fine. Now she's rockin' that same spirit but in cute dresses!

Awhile back I purchased Carefree Clothes for Girls by Junko Okawa because the style is just so simple and lovely. I have the English translation of the Japanese book and so far it seems pretty straightforward and easy to understand. I've made two dresses based on patterns in the book (though I always seem to make changes and put my own spin on things as I go along).

This is the first:

A sweet little sundress with a light green cotton shirting and some awesome Happy Mochi Yum Yum. The pattern calls for the skirt to be gathered but I decided to put in two pleats on the front of the skirt and one larger pleat in the back.

The other dress is made from a striped jersey knit with a lining of very thin poly/cotton fabric ($2.50 a yard, thank you Fabric depot outdoor sale). We'll see how this one does after a few washes since the lining is left with a raw edge. The neck and arm openings were supposed to be finished with bias binding but I was loving the look of the serged edges so left them like that instead.

There were no complaints and Bailey even said this dress felt as comfy as jammies. Good news since I have fabric for at least two more of these!

Love my girly girl!