Now that the kids have some options for summer attire, I was able to make a couple of things for myself before our big trip to the West Coast. This fabric is from Joel Dewberry's new line Deer Valley. I made the skirt for myself, and another skirt for my niece Caitlin who was visiting last week (no pic of that one). I had some fabric left over so I made a bag for my dear friend Edith, whom we will be visiting this summer.
I was really excited about the fabric combinations at first, but now that it's done I'm having major misgivings about it...the color combination reads much more "pinky" than brick red (which was the predominant color with the blue, or so I thought). So Edith, if you're reading this, and you're not crazy about this bag, let me know and I'll bring some different fabric with me and I'll make a new bag for you when I get there, OK? I'm serious about that, you know - speak up now or forever hold your peace. :-)
Here's the inside of the bag. I always like to include a row of pockets for pens, cell phones, etc. Of course, the only real good they do in my bags is to provide entertainment for my toddler Hazel, who takes great delight in emptying those pockets full of essential stuff and watching them mysteriously vanish into the Black Vortex of Unknown Whereabouts. Which, incidentally, is also the reason why I lose at least 2 or 3 socks every time I process the laundry. Somewhere in the Universe, the contents of my purse and those mismatched socks are floating in the Mysterious Unknown.
I'm happier about this green skirt that I made. The bright, bold design just makes me smile. And I will definitely be ready when March 17th rolls around again.
I used two different ribbons on the trim, both from Michaels. First I sewed the striped ribbon onto the wide dotted ribbon, then I sewed the wide ribbon onto the skirt. A bit tedious, but I love the result.
A bit of advice: Cutting out fabric and sewing very very late at night is hazardous to the outcome of the outfit. Take this skirt, for instance. I barely had enough fabric to make it the way I wanted it to look, and because of the irregular dot concentration I didn't cut the waistband from selvedge to selvedge, like I usually do. I checked and double checked the width of that waistband, but my brain was on StupidPilot (as opposed to autopilot) and low-and-behold, when I had finished the skirt and attempted to try it on, guess what. I couldn't even pull it on because the waistband was a couple inches too narrow. ARGH. I had absolutely zero fabric left to "patch" onto the waist, so now my cute and fresh skirt is hanging in my daughter's closet (now with a much smaller waist size, obviously). Ah, well. Maybe if I'm able to ditch those last 15 pounds that I would love to bid adieu to forever, I'll steal it back and replace the elastic.
I just love pink and red together. I know I've said that before, but let me say it again. I just LOVE pink and red together! Just in case you didn't catch it the first time.
I'm not the only one in our family knee-deep in projects this summer. For the past month or so, Hyrum (and to a lesser exent, Eliza) has been diligently constructing (okay, so I do the glue part) and painting all these fantastic models (AKA sculptures, as Hyrum calls them). I bought the kits for a buck apiece, and after the initial racecars were so enthusiastically painted I went back and stocked up. I should have enough for the entire summer, but we'll see.
Hyrum's going through them pretty fast. He is typically a very hyperactive child, but when he sits down to paint one of his models, it's all business and concentration.
How else could a 4-year-old achieve a paint job like this? Sort of Jackson Pollack-ish, don't you think?
Hyrum gets a kick out of the rubber band tracks on his bulldozer. Until they fall off, and he follows me around all day asking me to put his tracks back on for him. What are mothers for, if not to replace bulldozer tracks and re-glue model vehicles that have died a thousand deaths because they keep getting in unbelievably violent wrecks. There is such an inborn difference in the way boys and girls play!
My rough-and-tumble boy has a soft side, too - he can be the sweetest kid in the world. Nothing can compare to him flinging his arms around my neck and telling me he loves me more than a billion gazillion trillion. Or when he suddenly states "This is the bestest day in my whole life!" for something as mundane as eating a bowl of cereal. Don't worry, I really do feed my children breakfast every day...he is just enthusiastic about life!
Here is Hyrum wearing the same shirt that either I or my brothers wore when we were kids...my mom saved it because it was so cute, and I'm glad she did! (Primary is what we call the children's sunday school organization at our church). He asked me to read what it said, which I did, and he replied, "You know what Mom? Primary really does make me happy! It really does! And not just because it says so on my shirt." What a darling, innocent sweetie. I love that kid.
Oh - one more funny thing from Hyrum. In our congregation there is a family named Baker and one with Cook as a last name. One night, Hyrum was obviously deep in thought and he finally asked, "Mom, do the Bakers and the Cooks live in the same house? Because they do the same thing, don't they?" Too precious.
I think the bag is beautiful. You may not be satisfied with it, but since I am officially design-impaired, I am the perfect recipient of anything you make out of your left-over fabric. Especially since I am thrifty and the idea of using leftovers to create something so fun AND useful makes me happy.
We are so excited to have you here! Send us your itinerary so we can plan some fun activities.
Posted by: EdithSonger | June 28, 2009 at 03:02 PM
Hi, I just love reading your blog and seeing all of your wonderful creations :) I also wanted to say that after first reading your blog, I had a feeling that you were a member of the church. Your kids are always dressed so modestly, and your recent post about the wedding you did in Utah, kind of sealed the deal:) I too am a member and from Utah. We live in Woodbridge now and are in the Woodbridge Stake. Thanks so much for all your tutorials, it is always fun to try your craft projects.
Posted by: Jill Denham | June 29, 2009 at 02:10 PM
You are oh so talented!!!!
Posted by: Someday Crafts | July 01, 2009 at 10:10 PM