The great facebook break of 2011

Holla, peeps! 

It's been a while!  Things are good here.  Still creating, still mommying, still singing. 

I decided last night it was time for a break from facebook, like a real break, like a don't-even-look-at-it-for-a-number-of-days break.  It feels weird. 

I love facebook for many reasons, first among them is the fantastic opportunity to be in touch with people I care for.  On more than one occasion, I have gotten to know people from different facets of my life better than I have ever known them before and realized how very much we have in common.  I love that. 

What I hate about facebook is how addictive it is.  I've gotten to the point that I check it whenever I'm bored, which, apparently, is a lot, because I check it all the time. 

I also hate getting hurt feelings because of facebook.  It's so strange to be a party to people's conversations, and I find myself wondering why they choose not to involve me in their plans or their inside jokes quite often.  It's sooooo easy to be passive aggressive on facebook.  I guess I'm still a self-conscious teenager inside sometimes.  

This break will be good because I can concentrate on other things (among them my blog, obviously).  I hope I won't just replace fb time with blogging, though, or some other equally-as-distracting activity. 

On another note, I'd love it if you looked at (and followed!) my other scary and embarrassing blog, This Fat Lady Sings. I'm done being fat and am sharing my weight-loss journey with posterity.  Eeek! 

more pattern testing

I jumped on the chance to do another pattern test for Whimsy Couture; seriously, people sign up so dang fast that you basically have to be online right when the designer posts a need for testers.  Luckily, this time I was.  :) 

This is a shirred skirt in ladies' sizes (though I think she also has a pattern for girls).  I made a skirt in my very own size, which is weird, because I've never sewn anything for myself.  Ever.  But it was fun and I was pleased with the result! 

Here are some pics. (Click on the pic to see a larger view.)

Write it Out!

One day, as I was perusing blogs (which I do regularly), I stumbled upon Service Boot Camp on a blog called We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. I'm always looking for service opportunities, and since sewing for others is my favorite pastime (lately), this looked like it was right up my alley.

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Write it Out project.  Alida, who designed this project, is an Iraq war widow.  Her first husband was killed in 2007. As the three year anniversary of his death approached, Alida wanted to do something to commemorate it, so she decided to help other grieving war widows.   

Seeing the need for newly widowed women to have a place to express their feelings of loss, Alida designed a beautiful, handmade journal that costs very little to make but can make a huge difference to a mourning wife.  The tutorial is found on the link above, and I'm sure more journals are always needed, so check it out if you're interested in helping!

I pledged 10 journals, but didn't realize that the deadline for the Service Boot Camp challenge (which had PRIZES!) was two or three days later.  Thankfully I had most of what I needed to complete all 10 journals.  It meant a lot to me to be able to work on these.  When I make things for people, I think about them.  This fact made this project a little tough, because I can't imagine the pain of the women these journals will go to.  I cried a lot (which brought extra hugs from the kids) and pondered the service of these great men who gave their lives serving their country.  It was a wonderful experience, and though it took me a whole month to actually mail the journals to Alida, they should be in her hands by now. 

(While I was making these,  Peter, Lily and Will all mentioned they would LOVE one, so I made 3 extra.  They use them to draw pictures, make plans and write down their feelings.  I love it!) 

Here are some pics:

I LOVE this fabric!  I bought it to make something for Sophia, but this is just as good.  :)

This was the perfect opportunity to use the Amy Butler fabric

I had sitting around waiting for the perfect home. 

(my second favorite):

(the one I thought I would like least but ended up being my favorite):

This project also gave me the chance to use some of the amazing antique buttons

my grandma gave me.  We decided buttons would be a fun thing to collect

from grandmas, and Nana Kelley had quite a collection!

Thanks, Alida for the opportunity to help grieving war widows.  I loved it.  

pillows pillows pillows

I made my inaugural trip to Ikea a couple of months ago.  It was fun!  Well, it was as fun as it can be for someone who isn't in the market for furniture but doesn't enjoy window shopping.  

The one thing I *was* in the market for was a duvet and a duvet cover for our bed.  We found the perfect one (on sale!) and so my mind was spinning with ideas for pillows.  In the clearance section, we found some couch cushion covers and my plans started to take form!

Here's what we started with:

(I also had one yard of red, white and black heart fabric on clearance, also from Ikea.)

And here's what we came up with!  

I put in my first hidden zippers, so of course I have to show you a picture!  They would have been more hidden if they matched, but oh well.  :) 

Now I can take adorable pics on the bed, like this:

And Sophia can sit there with a chunk of ham in her mouth not smiling.  Then, of course, I call in reinforcements.  But all she tries to do then is climb off the bed.  Stopped by some tickling, but not for long.  

Then finally mean Mommy let her off the bed and she ran into Daddy's arms. 

How sweet is that?  I'm one lucky mom.  With cute pillows. 

whimsy couture

So, it's been a while!

Please don't think that means I haven't been sewing, though.

Oh, no. In the time since I've written, I made three huge (like Ikea bag huge) completely lined denim bags for carrying music stands (for my choir) and embellished (read: bleached, dyed, ruffled, flowered) upwards of 10 tee shirts for friends. I've been so swamped with projects that I haven't even taken pictures or blogged about them.

But this one is different!

One of the blogs I follow is Whimsy Couture. I love her patterns (found in her Etsy shop -- um, 4500 sales!) but haven't yet bought any.  Imagine my delight when I happened to check my Google Reader just a few minutes after Whimsy posted a need for pattern-testers!  I jumped on the chance to test her pattern for Knot Overalls, and here is the result.  I love them, and Sophia does, too!  Even after I took them off her, she carried them around. 

Front:

Back:

Knots:

Ruffle:

Sophia's back (complete with diaper melvin):

Sophia looking at a worm (just for fun):

I LOVE this pattern.  It is so simple, takes very little fabric (I paid $8 for this, and I could make 1, maybe 2 more) and looks adorable.  I'll be sure to let you know when it gets published, so you can make them, too! 

the great apron swap

My awesome friend, Paige makes beauuuuutiful aprons.  I've always wanted an apron of my very own.  The only apron in our household is M.'s, and he got it from a friend who is a flight attendant for Continental.  It's a flight attendant apron.  I wear it once in a while, but it's neither cute nor comfortable.  I toyed with making one for myself, but then I realized, I HATE making stuff for myself; sewing is only fun when I'm doing it for someone else. 

Then Paige suggested the Flirty Apron Swap!  I was so excited to get my partner assigned so I could buy a pattern and start working on it! 

Here's the finished product.  I sent it off today!
 

First, my favorite parts: the pocket

And the bodice and tie

Here's the whole thing (almost.  It was 3 am when I finished it and I couldn't fit the corners in.)

Oh, did I tell you it's reversible?  I might like side 2 even more than side 1.

I really hope my partner likes it!  

(Apron pattern is Pretty Ditty Apron by Jamie Christina)

frantic Easter sewing complete!

I think this is the biggest sewing project I've taken on, except for maybe Halloween of 2008, after which I didn't sew for at least a year. That was traumatic. And I do need a little break after finishing this one, but then it's on to another project!

I love love LOVE this bubble skirt. It's reversible and so easy! It took me two nights to finish two of them from start to finish. Bravo, Tanya, on a great pattern and a fabulous tutorial!

I LOVED this fabric.  Here is a close-up:

And here's the other side, along with a close-up:

And here's the top (aka the bane of my existence for the last two weeks:)

It's Simplicity 2429, and a lot of work.  But maybe I'm just not good at working with these kinds of patterns.  It's done, and I do love how it turned out. 

And this post would not be complete without some pictures of my lovely ladies in their outfits! (Monogrammed posy clips by my awesome friend Kerryanne)

(I <3 this one because Will is playing the harmonica so intently. )

My GOODNESS, I love these girls.  I love my boys, too; they're just harder to sew for.  :)  Yay for Easter outfits!