The Classic Photo with Santa

Fall 2011

Embroidery for Avery

Made by my Momma (I bought the pattern and thread and pulled on the ol' mommy guilt to encourage her to do this for Avery). Turned out so cute. Now to decide whether to frame it or make it

into a pillow. My mother used to be pretty crafty in the old days. I keep hoping she'll start some new projects. I might have to get her some patterns and fabric to get her sewing again. The Oliver and S book has SO many awesome projects.


Embroidery patterns can be found here: http://housewrenstudio.typepad.com/charlotte/

PS: I am SO digging this happy scrappy quilt: http://sewkatiedid.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/yeah-for-scrappy-sunshine/ 

First Day of School

Happy First Birthday Avery!

Happy first birthday Avery! We love you SO much!! xoxo

Happy Birthday Elo!

A cute little skirt and matching bag (filled with Hello Kitty goodies) for a special little girl who's got a big crush on this little kitty. Happy 4th Birthday Elodie! We love you! xoxo (I had SO much fun making these!).

Avery's Quilt

I finally finished hand-stitching the binding on Avery's quilt last night. I have to say that I'm a little in love with it. I'm so glad I followed everyone's advice and chose the red polka dot for the binding. I think it really 'makes' the quilt. The reason why it took me so long to finish it, is because I was really stuck on what to put on the back. While I was in Vancouver I found this gorgeous fabric shop where I finally found a fabric that works. There were so many beautiful fabrics to choose from (I could have stayed there for HOURS! -so thankful my friend was willing to sit in the car with our kids while I played!). I really enjoyed actually being able to touch and feel the fabric before buying (there just aren't any great fabric stores in Ottawa so I do most of my shopping online). I ended up having to add some width to the fabric so I pieced together a strip which showcases a few of the fabrics in the front. I have to say I'm not really in love with the back of the quilt (even though I really do love that fabric I found). I meant to put that little strip of fabric to the side and it ended up being kind of in the middle which I don't like. Generally though I do really love this quilt and I'm happy I put all of that time and effort into making something for Avery's first birthday. I hope she will love it as she grows up.

The underwear game.

Avery's hoping to get a few toys for her birthday.

Like riding a bike...

We bought Ian a bike for his 4th birthday. His very first 'big boy' bike. A few weeks ago he started begging me to take the training wheels off. My first reaction was: 'I think you're a little young for that yet. Let's wait a few years. You could fall and hurt yourself. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to ride a bike... etc.' After much pestering I finally thought, why not? He'll either learn how to ride it, or he'll ask us to put the training wheels back on. No harm done (hopefully). So we took them off. He refused to let us hold the back of the bike and help him out (you know, like in the movies how the parents hold the back of the bike). Today he started doing this:
 

Look at you Ian! Your Momma is so proud of you (and so very, very humbled!). From now on when you ask me to try something new I'll say: 'Sure why not! You can do anything you set your mind to!'

That boy of mine is sooo stubborn, now I see that maybe, that's quite a good thing.

Summer is here!

You're going to be seeing less of me in this space over the next little while. Summer is here and I'm feeling a real need to enjoy every day of sunshine. Get outside with my kiddies and just BE.
I feel like the clock is ticking because in nine weeks  - I'm going back to work full time, Ian will be starting school, and Avery will start daycare full time. Lots of BIG changes and transitions in the near future!

It's so hard to believe that my baby girl will be a year old in just a few short weeks. The year has flown by and I'm sure that the next nine weeks will too. How I feel about all of these changes is complicated. One thing's for sure. I will miss being at home with my kids.

I'll be posting here now and then but not as regularly as I was (still working on Avery's quilt! pics to come).

Enjoy your summer! xoxo

Rescued from the curb

Do you see what I see? (a little bit of paint...).

Boy Bag

I have Avery's quilt top finished and the binding has been made, but I can't figured out what to put on the back of the quilt. So I'm doing what any good quilter would do, procrastinating by sewing other things. This is a 'boy bag' for Ian (there are a few more for his friends) or maybe it's a 'murse' (man-purse) as Derek calls it.

Gifted

Yesterday I found a little surprise in my mailbox. My sister bought it for me at a craft show she participated in. She said that when she saw it, it made her think of me and she just had to buy it.

Maybe because of this:

(I'm understanding a little more now where my mother got the inspiration for
my perpetual childhood haircut. In case you are wondering, inside that awesome box was one of these. Another cool gift from my Aunt Marie).

or this:

(I think I love these guys more than my kids ever will!).

Thanks Annie! I LOVE it!!! (and I love you! xoxo).

poke. a. dot.

About a Dog Named Killer

When I was three, my god-mother, my Aunt Marie, gifted me a sweet orange doggie for my birthday. I named him 'Killer' (no one knows why). I don't remember that birthday, but I also don't remember a time in my childhood when Killer wasn't there -right by my side. I am almost embarrassed now to say that I carried him with me wherever I went until I was about twelve maybe even thirteen. What was it, about this orange dog that captured my love so? I really don't know. But he was my very best friend. I dressed him up. I talked to him. He even had little puppies at some point. Oh! the fun we had Killer and I.

(Bagel, Killer's distant cousin)

I had a really big fear of fire as a kid. I vividly remember lying in my bed at night, worried that the house might catch fire. I don't know where this fear of fire came from. Maybe it was because my Dad was a volunteer firefighter, or maybe, it was because once when I went downstairs late at night my dad was watching the movie 'Towering Inferno' or maybe it was just a part of my anxious mind, in any case I was REALLY scared of fires. So I would lay in bed as a little kid hatching my escape route. In my mind I was the hero. My very first act of bravery would be to save Killer by throwing him out the window (I figured a fall from a 2nd story window was better than being burned alive). Once Killer was safe and sound, I would save my parents and then my siblings (read into that order what you will!). It's funny 'how' kids think and 'what' they think. I never once told my parents about my fear of fire. Not even when I started having pretty scary and recurring dreams about it. That's how I know that children have all kinds of different things going on in their heads that they don't share with the adults around them.  

I still have Killer (I think I want him to be cremated with me when the time comes, I just can't stand the idea of him rotting in a dump someday... is that weird?). He's safely tucked away in Ian's closet. He comes out to play sometimes. But he's old (yet still feisty). Almost 33 years old... He's had more 'operations' than you can count. In fact, just recently I had to stitch his leg back onto his body. What I love the most about Killer now is that he wears this full body two toned orange suit that my 'Memere Boudreau' knit him (presumably because he was really kind of falling apart near the end). I love that body-suit and I especially loved the woman who knit it for me.

Right around his fourth birthday, the 'sleep-fairies' gifted Ian with his own orange doggie. He named him 'Fluffy'. I had him specially made by The Craggy Moor Store (I had one made for Avery too...saving it until the right moment to gift it to her). The 'sleep-fairies' is my desperate attempt to encourage Ian to sleep through the night (hey... after four years I'm willing to try anything!). I'm happy to say that he really seems to love Fluffy. So much so that he requested that I make him his very own collar and leash (I had so much fun making those!). Here's my little guy with his very own 'Killer'.

Welcome to the family Fluffy! I hope you and Ian will be the best of friends.

Dear Mister,

Dear Mister,

Almost ten years ago I met you in a crowded, dingy bar. I noticed you right away. That beautiful bald head beckoned me. I can’t believe it’s been almost ten years. In some ways it’s like you’ve been in my life forever (and always). When I think about all that we have lived in those years: Long distance love, a young couple in love in their very first apartment, a sweet (and crazy dog), a degree in Hamilton, beautiful wedding (a day of love), a pretty house (made ours alone), two beautiful children (unique all their own). We’ve lived a lot in those ten years -it seems like it’s been longer (in a good way). I hardly remember our lives apart.

A girl grows up, she thinks often about the man she will marry. What will he look like? What kind of person will he be? Will he make her laugh? Will he be kind? Loving? Considerate?  Will he be a good father?

You. Are. That man. I always dreamed of. Maybe, even more.

I love you. Now, more than ever. I hope you know that. But more importantly, I hope you feel that. You are my best friend. My love. My partner. I can’t imagine a life without you. I’m proud of us. This little life, that we’ve carved out for ourselves. I’m ever grateful, I get to share it with you.

 
L,

Me

xoxo

White.

16+4=20!

I think these four might just be my favorites... look at those little cars.

Thoughts on Avery's quilt

As I mentioned before the quilt I'm working on right now was inspired by a quilt I thrifted (for $3) a while back. I love the tiny little squares and how each big square tells a story. As you look at the quilt you discover new bits and pieces of colors and prints you didn't notice before. I love that. I also had many different fabric scraps that I absolutely loved and wanted to 'preserve' in a special quilt that would stay with us (instead of being gifted away). I also have been meaning to make a quilt for my sweet Avery for a while now. Goodness she is sweet and I could just eat her up she is so lovely. So she is also my inspiration for this quilt, her little giggles (which always surprise me because she is mostly very quiet), her brand new two front teeth, her teeny tiny little toes, and her big brown eyes (I feel nothing but gratitude when I look at her).

Just like the thrifted quilt, each block has 25 mini blocks that measure 2 inches by 2 inches (once they are sewn up they only measure about 1.5 inches). They are mostly pieced at random save for each block has two pieces of the red and white polka dot and two solid pink pieces (the theme in this quilt being mostly red and pink which are my two favorite colors... which is why most of my fabric scraps happen to be this color). The other thing I focused on when sewing my blocks is that I wanted a contrast between the 'light' and 'dark' fabrics. So I pieced the small blocks alternating between the two. I also added in some fabric that I 'fussy cut' so that specific images would be showcased like the owls, the bunnies and the flowers etc.

When I started the quilt I knew that I would piece it all together using white (I read somewhere -probably on a blog, that you should use a lot of white in your quilts because it makes your colors 'pop'). I haven't used any white in my quilts to date and I think this one is the right one. Now here is where I'm hesitating. All along I thought I would bind the quilt using the red and white polka dots. I just love that fabric and I'm inspired by Nettie and how she seems to mostly use stripes etc on her bindings and I love the look. Last night I took a few planning shots and now I'm not really sure about the binding. I'm sorta leaning more towards just a plain pink instead. I find the red brings out too much of the orange and red, when what I really want to emphasize is the pink and red (Avery's room is mostly pink, predictable but true). I also thought I would 'frame' each of the blocks with pink but I'm also not sure about that either. Maybe I should just leave the blocks as they are (I love those blocks!).

And here's why I'm being extra careful about these decisions, each of those blocks took 35-40 minutes to make (that's 800 minutes. 13.5 hours -and that's not including the time it took to cut the fabric)....  I want this baby to be 'just right'. I want to LOVE this quilt when I'm done with it.

What do you think?  Do I frame each block in pink or leave them as they are? Do I bind in red polka dots or just plain pink? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think (even if you don't sew I want to hear your thoughts). You can click on the pictures to get a better view, sorry about the bad lighting.

(it's between polka dot on the bottom left corner and the pink on the right, ignore the other fabrics)

To frame or not to frame?

I've got some time to mull this over... I've got four more of those blocks still to go.

Avery our one tooth wonder.

T-shirt Nightgowns

I super-love this idea ('super-love' kinda catchy... go on try it....kinda rolls of the tongue hey?). Annie and Karie I'm thinking Zoe and Sam would love some of these. Easy and cheap!

Avery's ideal t-shirt nightgown would be made out of a vintage Kenny Rogers t-shirt. Oh Kenny. How I heart thee. And for a little extra fun here's one of my favourite Kenny songs (old school Kenny pre-face lift -swoon). I always thought it was 'four hundred children' as a kid instead of 'four hungry children' (where did they all sleep I wondered?).

and then there were 16.

Avery had a record breaking monster nap today. About 3 hours... Wow! So while she napped, I sewed and sewed these little blocks for her quilt. Sixteen done, only four to go. I've enjoyed sewing these up, but now I'm feeling ready to move on to the next stage of this quilt. It's going to be a nice size. Biggest one yet. I love these little blocks... and I love biscuits too! Biscuits... anyone?

This is interesting.

Check this out (if you are into quilting). What a great resource for quilt blogs! All 600+ of them! The concept is pretty neat too. I spent a bit of time today thinking about and planning out the quilt that I'm working on. It is interesting to me how my quilts come together. They never end up looking exactly how I think they will when I first start out... they sort of take a life of their own as I get quilting, adding fabric from my stash here and there. Avery's quilt is coming together nicely. I have 10 blocks done and have 10 more to go. Once I'm done the 'inner blocks' I'm going to add a bit of pink (love the pink!) to 'frame' the squares... it's all very exciting and keeping my creative juices flowing. SO FUN!

http://r0ssie.blogspot.com/2010/05/process-pledge.html

Love this song:

Movie Time

Last night I went to the movies. By myself (I love going to the movies by myself, actually I just love going to the movies). It was a really great break. I really needed to get out of the house. I had plans to go out with a friend but plans changed and instead of staying home, I thought why not just go anyway? I saw the movie 'Bridesmaids'..... and it was HILARIOUS. If you are in need of a good laugh I highly recommend it. It was exactly what I needed. The trailers don't do this movie justice. Damn that was a good movie!

and then there were 8 (and only 12 more to go)

The bunnies are multiplying.

This quilt is gonna take a while...

I was inspired by the quilt I thrifted a while back to use up some of my fabric scraps to make a quilt for Avery. Most of my scraps are pinks, oranges and reds and I love how they all come together. A little bit of Heather Ross, a little bit of Anna Maria Horner and of course lots and lots of polka dots! I've only added in one 'non scrappy' fabric, the bunny one. I bought it here: This and that from Japan.You just have to love those Japanese fabrics! I'm really enjoying this project. I'm taking it one block at a time, really enjoying making each block instead of feeling rushed to finish the entire quilt. The other nice part of this project is that I know it will be staying here. I love making gifts for friends, but it's also nice to work hard on something and then get to enjoy it yourself. I really love that bunny... and his double decker bus!

The Baby Barnes Quilt

This is a rock n' roll quilt for a special friend who loves to play guitar and hug trees! xoxo

We've been busy....

Celebrating Ian's 4th Birthday

Discovering we love to swing!

Picnicing on our favourite new thrifted blanket.

Getting our new Summer 'do

Enjoying Vietnamese treats.

Riding around on our brand new 'big boy' bike (even in the grocery store!).

What's been keeping you busy?