I Made it Monday: Our Primary Colors Quilt

Our home was in the process of being made into a duplex before we bought it, and then someone changed their mind, leaving the home with random doors through out.  We intend to keep two of them, and the others will eventually be replaced with windows.  In the meantime, this door gets a little drafty and isn't exactly cute.  WBH asked me a while ago if I could make a quilt to hang over it.  With the best of intentions, I ordered some nice fabric, and sewed up a top.  Then I let that top sit for more than a year, unquilted.  I bought batting and fabric to finish it... last October.

So this summer, itching to sew, but not clothing, and without budget, I put the pieces together (it took me a whopping three nights.  Silly procrastinator).  WBH took down an unused curtain rod, I sloppily basted a sleeve onto the back for it, and Voila!  Hidden door.  Yes, it's very bright, but being in a climate that favors overcast skies, coming home to a cheery color scheme is something I really appreciate.   Now I'm on to a few paper projects, and a scrappy nine-patch quilt.   What are you working on this week?  

Sunday Inspiration

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InstaFriday 8.24.12

1. learning to play Uno, kicking mom's butt 2. quilted into the wee hours, but it's done! 3. fitting into my favorite again.  4.  garden harvest.  5. backyard cinema  6. art project  7.  the after-library sprawl  8. the finished trebuchet  9.  following a trip to blueberry park.  10.  basil cubes  11.  knitting work-in-progress.  12.  waking up is hard some days 

Happy Birthday, Rotten One

Two years ago, Rotten's arrival happened in a way that would foreshadow a lot of his personality.  When he surprised me by arriving eight days before my scheduled c-section, I kept saying to him "this was not the plan, little guy"  and when he was born, he came out yelling.  He yelled at us for an hour, as if to let us know that it wasn't his plan either.  He gave us this look for a  days after.  Somedays, he still does. 

Hours old. 

 1st birthday 

2 years old. 

Dear  Rotten, 

Some days you are still such a mystery to me.  The way that you live life on your own terms confounds, awes, and sometimes makes me absolutely crazy.  Still, I can't imagine you any other way.  You are so clever, so funny, such a flirt and a tease.  I'm so happy you are a part of our family.  Crazy as it can make me, I love the way you shake things up, the way you taught me that I know absolutely nothing.  I love your passion for books, the way you simultaneously adore your brother and want to boss him around.  I know that your stubbornness and drive for the things you want will someday be your greatest assets, but today, you are living up to the words you said to everyone today: "I'm two!" You bring so much joy to our family, in a way that no one else could.  We love you.  Happy Birthday, Rotten one. 

Love, Mama 

I Made it Monday: Banana Silk Cowl

Awkward self-portrait in dusty mirror.  Yeah.  So let's focus on my the most recent finished object and how it came to be.  I'm allergic to animal fibers- eyes water, hives pop up- and it's really lame.  Fortunately, there are a lot of cool, vegan options available: cotton, linen, rayon, and this super cool yarn, made from the bark of banana trees.  WBH surprised me with this it earlier this summer.  I worked on this onstage during a park scene.  It's got a great, hard to describe weight while staying soft and fuzzy.   I wanted to focus on the cool texture of the yarn, so I kept the pattern simple, worked it all in stockinette  and then the ends were sewed together.  Simple, but I like the statement and pop of color it adds.  It will get more use when the weather cools off. 

I picked up a quilt top I made a while back to finish this week.  The plan is for it to cover a superfluous door in the living room, and hopefully stop a draft when things cool down.  It's pinned and ready for some sewing, and I'm so excited to get it up on the wall. 

Sunday Inspiration

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Instafriday 8.17.12

1.Building a trebuchet.   Yeah, we are.  

2. Sunshine squash, this years attempt at "pumpkins."  

3. Just before a date to go get school shirts.  

4. Playing nicely (it's been a rarity this week).  

5. Building a wooden helicopter (Stinky's choice of dollar store treat was the kit.)  

6. Kindergarten countdown 

Other cool stuff  that happened this week: 

-Backyard Cousin Campout

- Cast Party ( gosh, I miss those people)

- WBH and I hitting lower weights we haven't seen in years. 

-Rotten 'reading' a mash-up of Slippery Fish and Rainbow Fish

-Realizing there's just 3 weeks until the big boy is a school kid.  Killing me, but so excited for him.  

-One week until the Rotten one turns two.  Though, he's gotten really, really good at two already. 

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