Bleeeeeeeehhhhh.
The baby is coming in 10 weeks, give or take. Sometimes that feels like 10 minutes and sometimes 10 years. When it's really hot and sticky and the heartburn kicks in, it's more like 10 years.
I can't sleep at night because I have a burning, searing pain in my left hip. I did not have this problem with my first pregnancy, so whassup? It sucks. I keep rolling to my back but then I wake up feeling all weird because I have this giant weight pressing on important stuff. Yes, I've tried piling pillows everywhere, and I do sleep with a pillow between my knees. Nothing helps.
I have gained 30 pounds. That is already more than I gained over my entire first pregnancy, and as I mentioned, there are still 10 weeks to go. It's ok, I was quite underweight to begin with this time, but I stand at the mirror just trying to figure out where it is, exactly. I mean, the baby weighs about 3 pounds right now, and I figure we're talking around 2 more pounds for amniotic fluid, placenta, etc. So where are the other 25 pounds??? I guess my butt must be getting bigger too, I just can't tell because I live with it every day.
Along those lines, my husband thinks I'm seriously HAWT right now. And I say, oh God honey, really? Now? Right now? Because I couldn't be less in the mood.
I'm tired and I don't feel like doing anything. So I'm going to park in front of the a/c and read while Daughter does anything but sleep in her crib. Bleh.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
look what i got for 5 bucks!
I mentioned a few weeks back that our local Hancock Fabrics is closing its doors. Though I didn't shop there much (it is quite far from my house) I am sad to see it go because we are now left with Joann Fabrics and only Joann Fabrics, unless you count the high-end quilt shops and people, we all know I'm just too poor to be buying $9/yd fabrics. So last night I was driving home from my mom's house with Daughter and we heard on the radio that interstate 90 was basically a parking lot due to accidents in both directions...hmmm...what to do, what to do. Should we sit on the thruway and waste gas? Or should we detour to Hancock Fabrics and see if there's anything left for cheap?
Duh.
So look what I got for only 5 bucks:
I KNOW, isn't it AWESOME?!? That's 15 cards of buttons and 3 spools of thread for five measly dollars! The threads were like, 35 cents or something, and the buttons were 85% off. 85 percent off!!! I think I need to go back this weekend and raid the racks some more. I tried to get basic baby/kid buttons that I can use on the gifts I make (as well as the stuff I knit for my own kids). If you're my friend and you have a baby, chances are you'll be getting a little cardigan sweater and hat or something like that, handmade by moi...and usually I'm frustrated because a) I can never find cute buttons I like and b) they always end up costing more than the stupid yarn. So, I am stockpiling. Luckily I have a mental rolodex of my yarn stash so I can pick buttons that more or less match what I already have. What a dork, huh?
Even after the tremendous finds of yesterday I was kind of in a foul mood all day today, so when Daughter finally collapsed for her nap, I pounded out 32 more blocks for the baby's quilt. (Side note, the poor kid really needs a name...and also a blog name. Can't keep calling her "the baby" forever...)
So there are 40 9-patch blocks finished, and I have a few more strips ready to sew into sets. I had to quit after these, though, because of the sweat running down my back and also between the, uh, bazoombas. However, it did much to elevate my mood, just sitting and methodically feeding these through the machine. I should maybe mention that the strips I started with were 2.5" wide (and about 18"-20" long depending on the scrap...some were fat quarters). They were sewn with a 1/4" seam allowance. After that they were pressed toward the print fabric, sliced the other way (also at 2.5") and then sewn into blocks. If you're interested in starting to quilt, this is the easiest block in the universe to start with.
I think I may take the leftovers and use them for this:
I lurrrrrrve vintage and vintage-looking stuff, and this would be so cute hanging in the girls' room (yes, they will be sharing because we are poor and our house is totally small). I super-duper love quilts made with purdy fabrics and plain old muslin, and though I don't care much for the weird blue border on this, I could change that really easily. The idea is that I love the blocks.
I also love this one for some reason:
But definitely not in those colors...red, white and navy don't appear anywhere in my home. I just find this pattern very visually striking and would like to make it someday. Like in 2010 when I have free time again and no one is hanging off me looking for snacks, entertainment or a diaper change.
Not that I mind. I love my kid...how could I not? I mean, look at her:
Duh.
So look what I got for only 5 bucks:
I KNOW, isn't it AWESOME?!? That's 15 cards of buttons and 3 spools of thread for five measly dollars! The threads were like, 35 cents or something, and the buttons were 85% off. 85 percent off!!! I think I need to go back this weekend and raid the racks some more. I tried to get basic baby/kid buttons that I can use on the gifts I make (as well as the stuff I knit for my own kids). If you're my friend and you have a baby, chances are you'll be getting a little cardigan sweater and hat or something like that, handmade by moi...and usually I'm frustrated because a) I can never find cute buttons I like and b) they always end up costing more than the stupid yarn. So, I am stockpiling. Luckily I have a mental rolodex of my yarn stash so I can pick buttons that more or less match what I already have. What a dork, huh?
Even after the tremendous finds of yesterday I was kind of in a foul mood all day today, so when Daughter finally collapsed for her nap, I pounded out 32 more blocks for the baby's quilt. (Side note, the poor kid really needs a name...and also a blog name. Can't keep calling her "the baby" forever...)
So there are 40 9-patch blocks finished, and I have a few more strips ready to sew into sets. I had to quit after these, though, because of the sweat running down my back and also between the, uh, bazoombas. However, it did much to elevate my mood, just sitting and methodically feeding these through the machine. I should maybe mention that the strips I started with were 2.5" wide (and about 18"-20" long depending on the scrap...some were fat quarters). They were sewn with a 1/4" seam allowance. After that they were pressed toward the print fabric, sliced the other way (also at 2.5") and then sewn into blocks. If you're interested in starting to quilt, this is the easiest block in the universe to start with.
I think I may take the leftovers and use them for this:
I lurrrrrrve vintage and vintage-looking stuff, and this would be so cute hanging in the girls' room (yes, they will be sharing because we are poor and our house is totally small). I super-duper love quilts made with purdy fabrics and plain old muslin, and though I don't care much for the weird blue border on this, I could change that really easily. The idea is that I love the blocks.
I also love this one for some reason:
But definitely not in those colors...red, white and navy don't appear anywhere in my home. I just find this pattern very visually striking and would like to make it someday. Like in 2010 when I have free time again and no one is hanging off me looking for snacks, entertainment or a diaper change.
Not that I mind. I love my kid...how could I not? I mean, look at her:
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
progress on all fronts
Ok! So, I really hope you enjoy this post because it took me over 1/2 hour to upload the 5 stinking photos. I have read lots of rantings about Blogger being difficult when it comes to the photo uploads and I always thought, "what are they talking about? I never have this problem!" Well, today that bit me in the butt.
Anyway! On to the craftiness. I haven't gotten too much done because it gets really really warm in the dining room where I sew, and also I can't sit in a regular straight-back chair too much these days. I've at least managed to get several strip sets sewn for the new babe's quilt (this is just a few of them):
These are then cross-cut into 2.5" segments:
Then the segments are sewn into 9-patch blocks, with a finished size of 6.5" (in the quilt they will end up at 6"):
Hmmm...I could maybe press them.
Most of these blocks are not yet sewn up, but here's the idea of how I will lay out the quilt:
It's going to be way scrappy, which I hope will end up looking quaint and sweet rather than dorky and mismatched. We'll see when the blocks are all sewn and the final layout is done. I'm thinking the back will be made up of the remaining large chunks of fabric I used in the blocks, for a truly scrap-tastic feel. Also, then I won't have to buy a big piece of backing fabric. As it is I'll have too many blocks and may end up having to make matching pillowcases or something. I'm antsy to use up these fabrics as I'm sick of seeing them in my stash. They're stale or something. Bleh. I want to be able to buy some new stuff with less guilt, too (when I rob a bank or win the lottery or whatever).
And on the knitting front:
This is the sweater I'd started last week and goofed up. The photo is a little crappy because my camera is a little crappy, but you can sort of get the idea of the shell pattern, right? The tricksy thing about the pattern is in the setup rows before you make the actual shell stitches - you start out with 253 stitches and it balloons up to something like 457. If you miss one yarn-over the whole row has to come out until you figure out where the mistake is...ask me how I know this. It is slow going and I can only get about 1 pattern repeat done per night. But I think it's really pretty and I'm in it for the process anyway, so it's worth it.
I'm working on a couple other knitted items as well, which are intended as baby gifts. I was going to blog about that - my thoughts on who (whom?) to gift with handmade items. But this post has taken up half my day already so I'll hold that thought.
In other news, I took Daughter for her 15-month checkup today. The doctor says she is perfect (which we knew already, har) and actually somewhat advanced for her age in language skills. That doesn't surprise me because she's home with me all day and we just read book after book and talk a lot. She tries to repeat most things we say...guess we'd better watch our mouths. I was praying she'd be 20 lbs so I can turn her carseat around finally, but no, she is 19 lbs, 8 oz. So it's a few more weeks of hefting her in and out backwards. She has no complaints about facing backwards, it's just my discomfort at cramming her in and out with my large frontage in the way. She is, however, 32.5 inches tall, which is almost off the chart - she is the height of the average 2 year old. Tall and skinny. But she is doing all the age-appropriate things and developing nicely, so we feel quite blessed.
I'm blowing some quality naptime here...time to go lay down for a bit.
Anyway! On to the craftiness. I haven't gotten too much done because it gets really really warm in the dining room where I sew, and also I can't sit in a regular straight-back chair too much these days. I've at least managed to get several strip sets sewn for the new babe's quilt (this is just a few of them):
These are then cross-cut into 2.5" segments:
Then the segments are sewn into 9-patch blocks, with a finished size of 6.5" (in the quilt they will end up at 6"):
Hmmm...I could maybe press them.
Most of these blocks are not yet sewn up, but here's the idea of how I will lay out the quilt:
It's going to be way scrappy, which I hope will end up looking quaint and sweet rather than dorky and mismatched. We'll see when the blocks are all sewn and the final layout is done. I'm thinking the back will be made up of the remaining large chunks of fabric I used in the blocks, for a truly scrap-tastic feel. Also, then I won't have to buy a big piece of backing fabric. As it is I'll have too many blocks and may end up having to make matching pillowcases or something. I'm antsy to use up these fabrics as I'm sick of seeing them in my stash. They're stale or something. Bleh. I want to be able to buy some new stuff with less guilt, too (when I rob a bank or win the lottery or whatever).
And on the knitting front:
This is the sweater I'd started last week and goofed up. The photo is a little crappy because my camera is a little crappy, but you can sort of get the idea of the shell pattern, right? The tricksy thing about the pattern is in the setup rows before you make the actual shell stitches - you start out with 253 stitches and it balloons up to something like 457. If you miss one yarn-over the whole row has to come out until you figure out where the mistake is...ask me how I know this. It is slow going and I can only get about 1 pattern repeat done per night. But I think it's really pretty and I'm in it for the process anyway, so it's worth it.
I'm working on a couple other knitted items as well, which are intended as baby gifts. I was going to blog about that - my thoughts on who (whom?) to gift with handmade items. But this post has taken up half my day already so I'll hold that thought.
In other news, I took Daughter for her 15-month checkup today. The doctor says she is perfect (which we knew already, har) and actually somewhat advanced for her age in language skills. That doesn't surprise me because she's home with me all day and we just read book after book and talk a lot. She tries to repeat most things we say...guess we'd better watch our mouths. I was praying she'd be 20 lbs so I can turn her carseat around finally, but no, she is 19 lbs, 8 oz. So it's a few more weeks of hefting her in and out backwards. She has no complaints about facing backwards, it's just my discomfort at cramming her in and out with my large frontage in the way. She is, however, 32.5 inches tall, which is almost off the chart - she is the height of the average 2 year old. Tall and skinny. But she is doing all the age-appropriate things and developing nicely, so we feel quite blessed.
I'm blowing some quality naptime here...time to go lay down for a bit.
Harrumph
Hmph. I had this post all set in my head but decided to upload the photos first...you know, just in case...lo and behold, Blogger is being poopy and won't take any of them. Glad I didn't get a big ol' post all written up first. Maybe later.
Monday, July 24, 2006
go
I was going to blather on about some junk today, but instead I'll direct you to Notes from the Trenches. Grab a few kleenex first, you'll need them.
Friday, July 21, 2006
i'll tumble 4 ya'
You know it's bound to happen, but when your precious baby falls and puts her tooth through her lip, it still sucks. You really feel like an awesome mom, let me tell you. Well, I'm sure many of you already know the feeling. See, Daughter has this talking toy vacuum that hurls insults at me ("this place is a pigsty!"), which she likes to push around. Today, while my mom was here of course, she decided it was time to let go of furniture and just stand with the vacuum for support. While she was trying to navigate around an end table, she pitched forward and somehow banged her face on something. There was blood and crying, etc., etc. She seems fine now, and it turns out the cut is confined to the inside of her upper lip, but it was rough when it happened. Poor kid.
***
On the knitting front, I started a sweater for the new baby last night. But I messed up somewhere along the line because I am one stitch short.
292 stitches in fingering weight yarn on size 3 needles. The problem is, it's supposed to be 293 stitches. Somehow I frigged up the YOs on the first increase row of the pattern, which serves me right - I should have been in bed instead of trying to start a baby sweater while watching stupid TV. Like I need to hear Jay Leno's tired old jokes. Oy. So anyhoo, I'll be ripping that out and starting fresh tonight. I borrowed The Magdalene Sisters from the library the other day and I'm hoping to watch it this evening.
I'm also in decision mode about an upcoming project. There is a baby boy who is due to make an appearance later this year (sometime around Thanksgiving, I think). He will be born in a chilly place and therefore, I believe, needs a warm sweater and hat for the winter. And possibly some adorable little flannel pants to go with. I'm just sayin'.
I went stash diving today and here are possibilities I came up with for a boy:
In the sport weight category, clockwise from upper right:
Lion Brand Baby Soft in navy
Lion Brand Baby Soft in pale blue
Bernat So Soft (? not sure because the label was mangled when I got it) in baby denim marl (light blue and white twist)
Lion Brand Wool Ease Sport in natural heather
Lion Brand Wool Ease Sport in fisherman (off-white)
And in the worsted category:
Lion Brand Wool Ease in denim twist
Patons Classic Wool in denim and also in dark grey mix (it's a tad heathery)
I am quite amazed that I have this much yarn in "boy" colors. Not that I wouldn't use most of them for a girl, because I totally would, I'm just surprised at what I have. Also, I'm not averse to going out and buying another skein or two and mixing some colors (I think the grey would look really sharp with a contrasting color like deep red).
The project in question will most likely be a cardigan, if only because it's just so much easier to get a baby into and out of a cardigan than a pullover. And though I am fond of baby items in soft, lightweight yarns, I might have to go with worsted in the interests of time (hi! less than 12 weeks until my own wee one arrives!) and energy. And brain power, because I'm convinced something is eating my brain or it's been running out of my ears at night. We're talking barely functional here, people. It's not pretty.
Anyway, I love the Patons colors, but I'm again faced with the dilemma of whether or not it's polite to knit a baby gift out of 100% wool. Which is not so much machine washable, unless you want to turn the item into a felted potholder.
I guess I'll also be going through the ol' button tin to see what goes with what. I happen to believe (and I think the mommy-to-be agrees with this) that the buttons are very important to the garment. So I'll be working through that this weekend, I suppose.
292 stitches in fingering weight yarn on size 3 needles. The problem is, it's supposed to be 293 stitches. Somehow I frigged up the YOs on the first increase row of the pattern, which serves me right - I should have been in bed instead of trying to start a baby sweater while watching stupid TV. Like I need to hear Jay Leno's tired old jokes. Oy. So anyhoo, I'll be ripping that out and starting fresh tonight. I borrowed The Magdalene Sisters from the library the other day and I'm hoping to watch it this evening.
I'm also in decision mode about an upcoming project. There is a baby boy who is due to make an appearance later this year (sometime around Thanksgiving, I think). He will be born in a chilly place and therefore, I believe, needs a warm sweater and hat for the winter. And possibly some adorable little flannel pants to go with. I'm just sayin'.
I went stash diving today and here are possibilities I came up with for a boy:
In the sport weight category, clockwise from upper right:
Lion Brand Baby Soft in navy
Lion Brand Baby Soft in pale blue
Bernat So Soft (? not sure because the label was mangled when I got it) in baby denim marl (light blue and white twist)
Lion Brand Wool Ease Sport in natural heather
Lion Brand Wool Ease Sport in fisherman (off-white)
And in the worsted category:
Lion Brand Wool Ease in denim twist
Patons Classic Wool in denim and also in dark grey mix (it's a tad heathery)
I am quite amazed that I have this much yarn in "boy" colors. Not that I wouldn't use most of them for a girl, because I totally would, I'm just surprised at what I have. Also, I'm not averse to going out and buying another skein or two and mixing some colors (I think the grey would look really sharp with a contrasting color like deep red).
The project in question will most likely be a cardigan, if only because it's just so much easier to get a baby into and out of a cardigan than a pullover. And though I am fond of baby items in soft, lightweight yarns, I might have to go with worsted in the interests of time (hi! less than 12 weeks until my own wee one arrives!) and energy. And brain power, because I'm convinced something is eating my brain or it's been running out of my ears at night. We're talking barely functional here, people. It's not pretty.
Anyway, I love the Patons colors, but I'm again faced with the dilemma of whether or not it's polite to knit a baby gift out of 100% wool. Which is not so much machine washable, unless you want to turn the item into a felted potholder.
I guess I'll also be going through the ol' button tin to see what goes with what. I happen to believe (and I think the mommy-to-be agrees with this) that the buttons are very important to the garment. So I'll be working through that this weekend, I suppose.
***
Sewing? None. Too damn hot. Hopefully this weekend, though, as the high is only 73 tomorrow, and rain is predicted. Glorious!
Sewing? None. Too damn hot. Hopefully this weekend, though, as the high is only 73 tomorrow, and rain is predicted. Glorious!
***
And finally, you guys rock with the hot weather dinner ideas. My main thing is I refuse to light the oven because my old house traps the heat like nobody's business. But I will light a burner in the interests of feeding my family. Thanks for the suggestions!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
hot 'n stuff
Not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but it's like, really hot here.
Today the squirt and I went to the library to cool off and exchange our books, only to find that the air conditioner there was broken. Gross! Sticky! By the time we checked out I could barely even form words. The lady behind the counter was all, "can I help you?" And I was all, "huh?"
My kid has been taking the world's crappiest naps because it's so dang hot in her bedroom. I don't know what to do about this.
Last night she was so crabby by dinnertime (see lack of sleep issue above) that we threw down some quick eats and hit the beach. It was easily 10 degrees cooler with the wind blowing off the water, and she thought squooshing her toes in the wet gloopy sand was awesome. Also, she squealed every time the tide washed over her toes. I wish I could bottle that and keep it forever.
It's time to start thinking about dinner. What do you gals make for dinner when it's eighty-bazillion degrees outside and you don't have central air? Has to be kid-friendly and somewhat healthy. I'm struggling here.
Today the squirt and I went to the library to cool off and exchange our books, only to find that the air conditioner there was broken. Gross! Sticky! By the time we checked out I could barely even form words. The lady behind the counter was all, "can I help you?" And I was all, "huh?"
My kid has been taking the world's crappiest naps because it's so dang hot in her bedroom. I don't know what to do about this.
Last night she was so crabby by dinnertime (see lack of sleep issue above) that we threw down some quick eats and hit the beach. It was easily 10 degrees cooler with the wind blowing off the water, and she thought squooshing her toes in the wet gloopy sand was awesome. Also, she squealed every time the tide washed over her toes. I wish I could bottle that and keep it forever.
It's time to start thinking about dinner. What do you gals make for dinner when it's eighty-bazillion degrees outside and you don't have central air? Has to be kid-friendly and somewhat healthy. I'm struggling here.
Monday, July 17, 2006
a little bit of everything
Did you watch the shuttle land this morning? Truly a cool sight. It's so scary until it actually comes to a stop on the runway.
In other current events, it's still flipping hot. I know it's hot almost everywhere in the US right now, but I'm still complaining. Just when I thought my hair couldn't be any bigger...poof!
We watched movies all weekend because it was too sticky to do anything else. Here are my reviews:
Syriana - I thought it was really boring. Much like another Clooney movie I didn't enjoy, Solaris, I kept asking my husband what the story actually was. Like, is there a plot here? I like to be mostly entertained when I watch a movie, and this one was a little too documentary-like for me. Not that I mind educational movies, I just didn't like this one. I was so bored I went to bed with 1/2 hour to go. My husband claims it made sense in the end but meh, whatever. I didn't need to see George Clooney all fat and getting his fingernails pulled out. Gross.
Failure to Launch - I didn't want to watch this one because I don't like anyone who was in it, really. But it surprised me with excellent dialogue. Very witty and funny, if somewhat (ok, totally) predictable. My husband liked it too, so it's not necessarily a chick flick or anything. Nice and fluffy for summer viewing.
Benchwarmers - freaking HILARIOUS. I laughed my butt off. The combination of David Spade, Jon Heder, and Rob Schneider was totally priceless here. I like Rob Schneider playing it straight for a change, and even though this was a lowbrow, screwball comedy, it had a totally feel-good message and was extremely entertaining. Maybe it's just because it was so hot my brain was melting, but man, did I enjoy this movie.
Other than that, we didn't do much over the weekend. On Sunday morning Daughter and I zipped out to Joann Fabrics to check out the big coupon sale. I thought there would be more people there but I guess they were all hiding from the heat. We went early, before the mercury hit 90, and got some great stuff. The thing is I always end up with extra coupons because they put everything on sale, so you don't actually need the coupons. Anyway, we went with the intent of picking out winter fabrics to make little flannel pants and corduroys, but of course here is what happened instead:
The only "winter" fabric we got is the pink flannel on the left. The rest is cotton or cotton/poly for next summer's wardrobe. I think I got enough (around 1.5 yards of each) to sew for both girls. No matter, it was so cheap (like $2.39/yard!) I will do what I can with it. I used my notions coupons to get matching limey green and yellow thread, which my darling child proceeded to chew on in her stroller where I couldn't see what she was doing. Eew. Many apologies to the cashier ensued.
The afternoons and evenings have been spent camped out in front of the air conditioner (isn't that the case for most of us?), working on the baby dress. Our little AC unit is just powerful enough to allow me to knit. I finished all of the actual knitting (read: the fun part) last night:
Of course, it is not yet blocked, nor are the eleventy-billion ends woven in. So please don't mind the curling hems and stuff - that will all be fixed.
This is a better preview of what it will look like when finished:
Cute, huh? It looks so small right now (the pattern says it's 6-month size) and it's hard to believe it will actually be too big for several months.
What to make next? I have started the baby's quilt (8 blocks, whoopee) but it's too hot to sit in the dining room and sew right now. The wee one will need a small bunting/snowsuit as we didn't have (or need) one for Daughter - the smallest we have is 6-9 months. So I guess I'll be breaking out the wool and some patterns and swatching for that.
Now, what's a pregnant woman to do with a whiny 15 month old on a 90 degree day? I'm open to suggestions...
In other current events, it's still flipping hot. I know it's hot almost everywhere in the US right now, but I'm still complaining. Just when I thought my hair couldn't be any bigger...poof!
We watched movies all weekend because it was too sticky to do anything else. Here are my reviews:
Syriana - I thought it was really boring. Much like another Clooney movie I didn't enjoy, Solaris, I kept asking my husband what the story actually was. Like, is there a plot here? I like to be mostly entertained when I watch a movie, and this one was a little too documentary-like for me. Not that I mind educational movies, I just didn't like this one. I was so bored I went to bed with 1/2 hour to go. My husband claims it made sense in the end but meh, whatever. I didn't need to see George Clooney all fat and getting his fingernails pulled out. Gross.
Failure to Launch - I didn't want to watch this one because I don't like anyone who was in it, really. But it surprised me with excellent dialogue. Very witty and funny, if somewhat (ok, totally) predictable. My husband liked it too, so it's not necessarily a chick flick or anything. Nice and fluffy for summer viewing.
Benchwarmers - freaking HILARIOUS. I laughed my butt off. The combination of David Spade, Jon Heder, and Rob Schneider was totally priceless here. I like Rob Schneider playing it straight for a change, and even though this was a lowbrow, screwball comedy, it had a totally feel-good message and was extremely entertaining. Maybe it's just because it was so hot my brain was melting, but man, did I enjoy this movie.
Other than that, we didn't do much over the weekend. On Sunday morning Daughter and I zipped out to Joann Fabrics to check out the big coupon sale. I thought there would be more people there but I guess they were all hiding from the heat. We went early, before the mercury hit 90, and got some great stuff. The thing is I always end up with extra coupons because they put everything on sale, so you don't actually need the coupons. Anyway, we went with the intent of picking out winter fabrics to make little flannel pants and corduroys, but of course here is what happened instead:
The only "winter" fabric we got is the pink flannel on the left. The rest is cotton or cotton/poly for next summer's wardrobe. I think I got enough (around 1.5 yards of each) to sew for both girls. No matter, it was so cheap (like $2.39/yard!) I will do what I can with it. I used my notions coupons to get matching limey green and yellow thread, which my darling child proceeded to chew on in her stroller where I couldn't see what she was doing. Eew. Many apologies to the cashier ensued.
The afternoons and evenings have been spent camped out in front of the air conditioner (isn't that the case for most of us?), working on the baby dress. Our little AC unit is just powerful enough to allow me to knit. I finished all of the actual knitting (read: the fun part) last night:
Of course, it is not yet blocked, nor are the eleventy-billion ends woven in. So please don't mind the curling hems and stuff - that will all be fixed.
This is a better preview of what it will look like when finished:
Cute, huh? It looks so small right now (the pattern says it's 6-month size) and it's hard to believe it will actually be too big for several months.
What to make next? I have started the baby's quilt (8 blocks, whoopee) but it's too hot to sit in the dining room and sew right now. The wee one will need a small bunting/snowsuit as we didn't have (or need) one for Daughter - the smallest we have is 6-9 months. So I guess I'll be breaking out the wool and some patterns and swatching for that.
Now, what's a pregnant woman to do with a whiny 15 month old on a 90 degree day? I'm open to suggestions...
Saturday, July 15, 2006
hot
Oh my goodness. People, it is so hot. We are even under some special weather advisory for the next few days because of the hotness.
So I can't do anything. Today I went outside for 20 minutes and hacked away at the forsythia from hell until half of it was on the ground, and I feel like I ran a marathon. I have 2 blisters, a pile of shrubbery on the driveway, and sweat stains on my shirt to show for it. Bleh. I've decided to be a total sloth for the next 2 days. Hub better mow the lawn tonight because he surely won't be able to for the rest of the weekend.
I need a glass of water.
So I can't do anything. Today I went outside for 20 minutes and hacked away at the forsythia from hell until half of it was on the ground, and I feel like I ran a marathon. I have 2 blisters, a pile of shrubbery on the driveway, and sweat stains on my shirt to show for it. Bleh. I've decided to be a total sloth for the next 2 days. Hub better mow the lawn tonight because he surely won't be able to for the rest of the weekend.
I need a glass of water.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
fun with the fetus
Midnight is baby play time. It's like "Alien." You know what I'm talking about.
I think tonight she is doing a "welcome to the 3rd trimester" dance. Oy vey.
I think tonight she is doing a "welcome to the 3rd trimester" dance. Oy vey.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Anniversary
Happy 3rd Anniversary to my darling Hubby. Who does not read this blog. Who does not even know this blog exists, actually. But I want to publicly acknowledge the man who puts up with my crazies, loves and supports me, and has given me 1.66 beautiful children.
I can't say that every day has been perfect wedded bliss, but it has definitely been more good than bad. Here's to many more years of laughter and love.
I can't say that every day has been perfect wedded bliss, but it has definitely been more good than bad. Here's to many more years of laughter and love.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
random stuff
Yep, my in-laws are annoying, blah blah. Yesterday they called Hub at work to wish him a happy birthday and said sorry they missed "our little party." And it turns out my mil's tests weren't even yesterday, they were today. As in, Tuesday. As in, not yesterday. I am trying to just let this go, because I don't want a contentious relationship with my in-laws. But even Hub is mad. Especially since she told him today that the tests weren't that bad after all and then they went shopping and ordered new furniture. Whee.
So pardon me for thinking they're jerks.
In happier news, the sun is out and it's beautiful and warm. Daughter and I went for a ride to drop off my paid projects (finally) and to visit with some friends. It was so good to get out and be social. Sometimes I go an awfully long time speaking to no one but my husband, mother, and child. Stunts the brain a bit.
Here are a couple more projects I finished for Daughter over the weekend:
Some shorts and another little dress with bloomers. There's another pair of shorts but I'm not risking waking her from her nap to go get them and take a picture. You'll have to take my word for it that they're cute and blue. The little purple dress pictured needs (hand) finishing work that I'm not real enthused about. Oh well, I'll get to it. I have a pile of stuff that falls into that category right now and one of these days I'll just thread up a needle and go.
I also cut a bunch o' strips so I can start the new babe's quilt:
Or from this angle, if you prefer:
That's all for today though, 'cause it kills my back to lean and cut on my dining room table. One of these Christmases or birthdays I will get a cutting table of the appropriate height. Hopefully tomorrow I can cut the muslin and start piecing the strips together. I don't know though - it's supposed to rain and when it's really gray and dark out I can't seem to get my butt in gear. I tend to just go back to bed when Daughter takes her naps and I don't even shower till late afternoon. So I'm hoping for sunshine. It makes me much more productive.
So pardon me for thinking they're jerks.
In happier news, the sun is out and it's beautiful and warm. Daughter and I went for a ride to drop off my paid projects (finally) and to visit with some friends. It was so good to get out and be social. Sometimes I go an awfully long time speaking to no one but my husband, mother, and child. Stunts the brain a bit.
Here are a couple more projects I finished for Daughter over the weekend:
Some shorts and another little dress with bloomers. There's another pair of shorts but I'm not risking waking her from her nap to go get them and take a picture. You'll have to take my word for it that they're cute and blue. The little purple dress pictured needs (hand) finishing work that I'm not real enthused about. Oh well, I'll get to it. I have a pile of stuff that falls into that category right now and one of these days I'll just thread up a needle and go.
I also cut a bunch o' strips so I can start the new babe's quilt:
Or from this angle, if you prefer:
That's all for today though, 'cause it kills my back to lean and cut on my dining room table. One of these Christmases or birthdays I will get a cutting table of the appropriate height. Hopefully tomorrow I can cut the muslin and start piecing the strips together. I don't know though - it's supposed to rain and when it's really gray and dark out I can't seem to get my butt in gear. I tend to just go back to bed when Daughter takes her naps and I don't even shower till late afternoon. So I'm hoping for sunshine. It makes me much more productive.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
sigh
I'm kind of down today.
It's my dad's birthday, which is neato. That's not the downer part.
Tomorrow is Hub's 30th birthday. A few days ago we decided we'd have his parents, bro, and bro's girlfriend over for a little cookout type of thing, with hot dogs, burgers, salads, etc., and an ice cream cake (Hub's favorite which we always have for his bday). So I went to the supermarket on Friday and got all kinds of grillable meats and whatnot, fresh rolls, blah blah blah, and we invited everyone for tonight (Sunday).
Hub's mom was all weird and listless on the phone when we called but said they would be here. Apparently she has to have some kind of female-parts test done tomorrow and she's nervous about it. I can't describe what hypochondriacs my in-laws are, or how many events they have ruined with their crying wolf and histrionics. So when Hub said his mom wasn't feeling well the other night, I jokingly said, "watch, they won't even come on Sunday."
This morning I got up and dragged my huge pregnant self around the house for hours, scrubbing and mopping and vacuuming and dusting. I finally got in the shower at 3 pm so I could be presentable and also so I could run out and pick up the ice cream cake. When I got out of the shower Hub asked, "so what's your dad doing today?" And I said I didn't know, I should really call him. Then Hub suggested maybe we should go see him for his birthday. I asked what he was talking about...people were coming to our house in 3 hours..............
You can see where this is going, can't you?
Yep, while I was in the shower the in-laws called and said they weren't coming. And since Daughter was safely tucked away for a nap, I let loose some 4-letter words. My mother-in-law couldn't manage to come to her son's 30th birthday party, wear a smile for an hour, eat some cake, and go home. Because she has to have some sort of test done tomorrow. Her doctor doesn't even think there's anything actually wrong with her, it's just a simple test. So I worked all day to make a nice birthday party for my husband, and it was a waste of time. We called his bro and told him not to bother coming over, since we'll have to make up the party at a later time anyway.
Sigh.
At least the house is clean. And tomorrow, Daughter and I will go to the ice cream place that makes the really good cakes and get one, because darn it, it's still his birthday and we love him. And he should have a cake.
Stay tuned for the final items of Daughter's summer wardrobe tomorrow...I sewed like a maniac on Saturday night before packing up all my stuff for the party we were supposed to have...
It's my dad's birthday, which is neato. That's not the downer part.
Tomorrow is Hub's 30th birthday. A few days ago we decided we'd have his parents, bro, and bro's girlfriend over for a little cookout type of thing, with hot dogs, burgers, salads, etc., and an ice cream cake (Hub's favorite which we always have for his bday). So I went to the supermarket on Friday and got all kinds of grillable meats and whatnot, fresh rolls, blah blah blah, and we invited everyone for tonight (Sunday).
Hub's mom was all weird and listless on the phone when we called but said they would be here. Apparently she has to have some kind of female-parts test done tomorrow and she's nervous about it. I can't describe what hypochondriacs my in-laws are, or how many events they have ruined with their crying wolf and histrionics. So when Hub said his mom wasn't feeling well the other night, I jokingly said, "watch, they won't even come on Sunday."
This morning I got up and dragged my huge pregnant self around the house for hours, scrubbing and mopping and vacuuming and dusting. I finally got in the shower at 3 pm so I could be presentable and also so I could run out and pick up the ice cream cake. When I got out of the shower Hub asked, "so what's your dad doing today?" And I said I didn't know, I should really call him. Then Hub suggested maybe we should go see him for his birthday. I asked what he was talking about...people were coming to our house in 3 hours..............
You can see where this is going, can't you?
Yep, while I was in the shower the in-laws called and said they weren't coming. And since Daughter was safely tucked away for a nap, I let loose some 4-letter words. My mother-in-law couldn't manage to come to her son's 30th birthday party, wear a smile for an hour, eat some cake, and go home. Because she has to have some sort of test done tomorrow. Her doctor doesn't even think there's anything actually wrong with her, it's just a simple test. So I worked all day to make a nice birthday party for my husband, and it was a waste of time. We called his bro and told him not to bother coming over, since we'll have to make up the party at a later time anyway.
Sigh.
At least the house is clean. And tomorrow, Daughter and I will go to the ice cream place that makes the really good cakes and get one, because darn it, it's still his birthday and we love him. And he should have a cake.
Stay tuned for the final items of Daughter's summer wardrobe tomorrow...I sewed like a maniac on Saturday night before packing up all my stuff for the party we were supposed to have...
Saturday, July 08, 2006
somebody stop me...
Help me...I can't stop making cute outfits...
So I was wrong! The shorts I made the other day are totally fixable! Thank goodness when I pitched them I only put them into the little garbage bag I keep next to my sewing table. Turns out the seam I frigged up was the side seam, not the (reinforced with double stitching) crotch seam. I merely had to spend an irritating half hour with the seam ripper, picking out the 4 incorrect seams.
The problem is, I have no visualization skills. I cannot - can not - visualize how pants and/or shorts come together. So I have to really take my time and think carefully about what gets pinned where and how the seams should be sewn. Last night I took another crack at it and sat studying the pattern diagrams and the cut pieces for a loooooooooong time, trying to understand where I went wrong the day before. And it finally clicked. I know I sound so moronic, but I really struggle with this! I'm glad I did it though, because I rescued those other two pairs and now Daughter's summer wardrobe will be complete. I didn't finish re-stitching them yet (no time, no time) but I got this outfit done:
The color is much richer in real life. My camera sucks.
Pattern: It's so easy it's Simplicity #4142 (size A, 1/2-4)
Size: 1/2
Fabric: Calico from Joann Fabrics big wall o' stuff
This pattern is awesome. And cheapy-cheap at Walmarteroonie. I think the whole thing, from cutting to sewing to finishing, took about 2 hours. I broke out the serger for this one, so I didn't have to turn any hems twice, and it made things so very quick. My serger is really old and clunky, and only works when it wants to, so it's been banished to a trunk in the family room for ages, but today I guess it was in the mood to help me. Anyway, Daughter will wear this outfit for her Daddy's birthday party tomorrow. Sweet!
This is the other pair of shorts I made over last weekend:
Limey! She insisted on wearing the hat. By the way, this is what 90th percentile for height and 5th percentile for weight look like. Tall and skinny with chicken legs. It's no wonder she's only just now starting to walk.
So I was wrong! The shorts I made the other day are totally fixable! Thank goodness when I pitched them I only put them into the little garbage bag I keep next to my sewing table. Turns out the seam I frigged up was the side seam, not the (reinforced with double stitching) crotch seam. I merely had to spend an irritating half hour with the seam ripper, picking out the 4 incorrect seams.
The problem is, I have no visualization skills. I cannot - can not - visualize how pants and/or shorts come together. So I have to really take my time and think carefully about what gets pinned where and how the seams should be sewn. Last night I took another crack at it and sat studying the pattern diagrams and the cut pieces for a loooooooooong time, trying to understand where I went wrong the day before. And it finally clicked. I know I sound so moronic, but I really struggle with this! I'm glad I did it though, because I rescued those other two pairs and now Daughter's summer wardrobe will be complete. I didn't finish re-stitching them yet (no time, no time) but I got this outfit done:
The color is much richer in real life. My camera sucks.
Pattern: It's so easy it's Simplicity #4142 (size A, 1/2-4)
Size: 1/2
Fabric: Calico from Joann Fabrics big wall o' stuff
This pattern is awesome. And cheapy-cheap at Walmarteroonie. I think the whole thing, from cutting to sewing to finishing, took about 2 hours. I broke out the serger for this one, so I didn't have to turn any hems twice, and it made things so very quick. My serger is really old and clunky, and only works when it wants to, so it's been banished to a trunk in the family room for ages, but today I guess it was in the mood to help me. Anyway, Daughter will wear this outfit for her Daddy's birthday party tomorrow. Sweet!
This is the other pair of shorts I made over last weekend:
Limey! She insisted on wearing the hat. By the way, this is what 90th percentile for height and 5th percentile for weight look like. Tall and skinny with chicken legs. It's no wonder she's only just now starting to walk.
Friday, July 07, 2006
adventures in sewing (and bad photography)
I always mean to post more regularly, but then I get sucked into the pregnancy/motherhood/housewife vortex and I just disappear for a few days. It's an odd sensation, that. Disappearing. Poof.
Anyway, I did not end up making anything patriotic for Daughter to wear on the 4th. The reasons are threefold: first, I hated all the patriotic fabric carried at our Joann Fabrics this year (and $9.99/yard? really? come on); second, my back was super owie after sewing a lot last week (mental note...must get a cutting table of correct height one of these days); third, we didn't do squat for the holiday anyway so there was no real reason she needed anything special to wear.
I did make one cutie-patootie pair of shorts for her, but they are in the wash right now. I'll take some photos and talk pattern specs another day. I started 2 more pairs yesterday only to sew the crotch seam incorrectly so those were ruined and I was VERY VERY FRUSTRATED. They went straight into the garbage as they were unsalvagable. Grrrr.
I did, however, experience some success in the sewing/knitting arena over the past week or so. Besides the one pair of wee shorts, I managed to finish the 2 quilt tops I owe the shop:
It is actually quite a sunny day but for some reason I cannot take a quality photo. Anyway, you can see there are 2 tops there, right? Tedious work making those borders, let me tell you. Freaking half-square bias triangles. Invented by sadists, I'm sure. But they are done and I am happy. Now I will spend the afternoon snipping bazillions of threads from the embroidery sections so these can be turned in tomorrow and I can GET PAID!! That's happy, because I want to buy more fabrics to go with these:
Whoa, how 'bout that segue? These are a small collection of little prints I've been, well, collecting. For many years now. There are actually more hidden away somewhere in one of my closets or cabinets, and I have to go spelunking to find them. These have been displayed in a basket lately so they were handy to photograph. I'm planning to use them (along with the bleached 200 count muslin underneath) for the new babe's quilt. I figure I ought to get going on it, considering she's due in just over 13 weeks...aaaaagh! Ok, must not think of the timeframe. Breathe. Breeeeeeeeathe.
The pattern will be a simple 9 patch, and will hopefully have an "old" look to it when I'm done. I'm not planning a border, just alternating white squares with 9 patch squares to the edges, and then a binding made of strips of each fabric used in the top. I think it will be super cute. I plan to make one block of each fabric to take shopping with me so I can pick out a few more teeny prints to coordinate. Hopefully my paycheck will arrive just in time for the hy-ooge Joann Fabrics coupon sale that starts the 16th.
And finally, we have news on the knitting front. I finished the front of the wee dress for baby #2:
My word, this is tough to photograph. For some reason the stockinette portion comes out all freaky-looking. The bodice portion is really sweet:
I don't know why it looks so washed-out in the picture. The garter ribs are a lilac color and look adorable in real life. This is such a nice, simple pattern. I've been plodding away at it while we watch movies at night because other than making sure I click my row counter, I don't have to think. Once the back is done the shoulder seams get sewn and then the sleeves are knit down from the bodice...happy, happy day! That's 2 fewer seams to sew. Rock on.
And then, of course, once that's done I have twelve billion more things in mind to make.....
Anyway, I did not end up making anything patriotic for Daughter to wear on the 4th. The reasons are threefold: first, I hated all the patriotic fabric carried at our Joann Fabrics this year (and $9.99/yard? really? come on); second, my back was super owie after sewing a lot last week (mental note...must get a cutting table of correct height one of these days); third, we didn't do squat for the holiday anyway so there was no real reason she needed anything special to wear.
I did make one cutie-patootie pair of shorts for her, but they are in the wash right now. I'll take some photos and talk pattern specs another day. I started 2 more pairs yesterday only to sew the crotch seam incorrectly so those were ruined and I was VERY VERY FRUSTRATED. They went straight into the garbage as they were unsalvagable. Grrrr.
I did, however, experience some success in the sewing/knitting arena over the past week or so. Besides the one pair of wee shorts, I managed to finish the 2 quilt tops I owe the shop:
It is actually quite a sunny day but for some reason I cannot take a quality photo. Anyway, you can see there are 2 tops there, right? Tedious work making those borders, let me tell you. Freaking half-square bias triangles. Invented by sadists, I'm sure. But they are done and I am happy. Now I will spend the afternoon snipping bazillions of threads from the embroidery sections so these can be turned in tomorrow and I can GET PAID!! That's happy, because I want to buy more fabrics to go with these:
Whoa, how 'bout that segue? These are a small collection of little prints I've been, well, collecting. For many years now. There are actually more hidden away somewhere in one of my closets or cabinets, and I have to go spelunking to find them. These have been displayed in a basket lately so they were handy to photograph. I'm planning to use them (along with the bleached 200 count muslin underneath) for the new babe's quilt. I figure I ought to get going on it, considering she's due in just over 13 weeks...aaaaagh! Ok, must not think of the timeframe. Breathe. Breeeeeeeeathe.
The pattern will be a simple 9 patch, and will hopefully have an "old" look to it when I'm done. I'm not planning a border, just alternating white squares with 9 patch squares to the edges, and then a binding made of strips of each fabric used in the top. I think it will be super cute. I plan to make one block of each fabric to take shopping with me so I can pick out a few more teeny prints to coordinate. Hopefully my paycheck will arrive just in time for the hy-ooge Joann Fabrics coupon sale that starts the 16th.
And finally, we have news on the knitting front. I finished the front of the wee dress for baby #2:
My word, this is tough to photograph. For some reason the stockinette portion comes out all freaky-looking. The bodice portion is really sweet:
I don't know why it looks so washed-out in the picture. The garter ribs are a lilac color and look adorable in real life. This is such a nice, simple pattern. I've been plodding away at it while we watch movies at night because other than making sure I click my row counter, I don't have to think. Once the back is done the shoulder seams get sewn and then the sleeves are knit down from the bodice...happy, happy day! That's 2 fewer seams to sew. Rock on.
And then, of course, once that's done I have twelve billion more things in mind to make.....
Monday, July 03, 2006
100 days and counting
My little baby ticker thingy says there are 100 days to go. That sort of sounds like a lot, but it so isn't. Daughter arrived 2 weeks early, and since this wee babe seems determined to trump the first in every way, I wouldn't put it past her to show up early too. Yikes.
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