A Happy Halloween

I've known all year that I wanted Maddie to be Boo from Monsters, Inc. for Halloween.  It really has to be done this year because she's the right age and just looks so much like the character (although cuter in my opinion).  Her costume was pretty easy - purple stretch capri pants (I just put Maddie in a size 9 months pants I got on sale from Target for $2.74, I got this idea from Ed as he accidently put her in her brother's pants and they fit except for being a bit short) and a pink oversize tshirt ($2.50 at the tshirt warehouse) and white socks.  What really sells the costume though is the pigtails and while I wasn't able to find pink ball ponytail holders (we used to call them knockers, but I guess no one else did?!?!?) I did manage to get Maddie's hair up, after several practice runs throughout the week, into pigtails . . . crazy, uneven pigtails, but pigtails none the less.

I really wanted Jamie to have a Monsters, Inc. costume as well, and several weeks ago I came up with the idea of dressing him as Mike Wazowski.  At 10 p.m. on October 30th I had a yard of green felt, and a small piece each of black, white, and blue felt, and a pair of green stretch pants from Target.  Three hours later I had Mike Wazowski sitting on my computer chair:

I really have to thank my good friend Tor in Australia for talking me through all of my random ideas for the creation of Mike, and especially for using her artist eye to help with eye and mouth placement over the webcam.  The most important part, however, was the shape.  I figured if I just sewed together two circles poor James would end up looking more like the green m&m than Mike, you know, just sort of flat.  Tor came up with the idea of three barrel shapes sewn together, and it was brilliant, I freehanded a barrel (I was obviously tired and desperate because I never freehand anything) and cut through all three layers of fabric in the most haphazard of ways.  I then sewed it together in a ridiculously hasty fashion, I am literally just lucky it came out so nice.  The eye I measured out with different size plates and cups, and because my hot glue gun went kaput I was forced to stitch it on!  So I got to practice my precision stitching and discover that my machine will indeed stitch through four layers of felt!  

James really, really loved this outfit, it was kind of funny, he kept grabbing it and rubbing it on his face like a blanket, and in the stroller he smushed it up and fell asleep on it like a pillow.  Here is a full body shot so you can see it with legs, and one of him laughing . . . the flash is a little harsh, but you can't beat that grin!  The costume is so big he could probably be Mike for at least 3 more years . . .

And last, but not least, here are my little Mike and Boo with Mommy on the porch before heading out to Disneyland (where Daddy kept wheeling the stroller up to employees and saying "Excuse me, we are looking for someone named Sully" which was usually met with a blank stare).

Happy first Halloween to my sweet little Mike Wazowski, and Happy second Halloween to my beautiful Boo girl.

Pumpkin Patch Primitive Quilt Shoppe Give Away

There is a really awesome give away of some gorgeous fabrics at Pumpkin Patch Primitive Quilt Shoppe.  Brenda is giving away a Fat Quarter Bundle of Red Rooster's Pumpkins & Spice Fabrics by Whimsicals:

Aren't they pretty?  You can enter by following the directions on her blog (just click on the link above).  The give away ends on October 31st.  Good luck!

Riding the ponies

Saturday we went to the Los Angeles County Fair and Maddie went for a ride on a pony with no mommy or daddy walking alongside! She did great, we are so proud! Her pony's name was Dr. Pepper and here are some pictures:

I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper,

She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper,

Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?

Be a Pepper. Drink Dr Pepper.

Starting my first quilt

I am so excited right now! I finally bought material for my first quilt today! And my first ever rotary cutter!

I signed up for a beginning quilting class through the ABC school district. The class runs from mid- September through the end of January and it's only $25 (plus all the materials you bring, but for a beginner like me that basically boils down to fabric, thread, my rotary cutter, and my other basic supplies like pins). $25! Seriously, what a steal! Not only that I used my birthday money from my Mom, so my class is actually a gift . . . thanks Mom!

The first class was last Friday (9 am - 12 pm), basically it's a bunch of ladies (I am the youngest by at least 20, possibly 25-30 years) who get together and quilt! There are some that have known each other 35 years, and some that have only been coming a few years. There were 3 or 4 of us newbies. The teacher, Beverly, handed out a pattern we are going to be working on this session (one of the other new quilters is going to opt for something smaller and simpler, but I figure why not jump on in when I have the teacher, plus all the other ladies to get help from). The pattern isn't what I would necessarily pick, however, I can see why it's great for teaching different techniques. It's called Be-Bop-A-Lula (Rhubarb Pie . . . ok, not really the Rhubarb Pie part - my father warped me with too many Prairie Home Companion radio broadcasts while I was growing up), by Colleen Reale and Chloe Anderson for Toadusew.



I am going in a completely different direction with colors . . . I have more of a shabby chic feel going on (who, me? really? quelle surprise!) but more in a lovely sort of goldeny-green, brown sugary goodness sort of way - with my main fabric being a gorgeous blue (with ever so light a stripe) with cascading roses and vines . . . oh my, I am in raptures. It is times likes these I wish I had Anne Shirley's vocabulary.

Here are the fabrics I got today. I love getting fabric. If I had any kind of money I'd be an absolute fabric whore (what a horrible thing to say, shall I say fabric strumpet instead? ). Get this, Fabric Whore is an actual website! That entertains me greatly, but sadly it looks like it hasn't been updated in awhile. Moving on . . .





The blue is from the "Mary Rose" collection by Robert Kaufman, The paisley from "The Bailey" collection also by Robert Kaufman (I love his stuff), The taupe with flowers (which will be for the pieced rectangles going all over the quilt) is from "Sweet Dreams" by Robyn Pandolph (first time I've used anything by her), and the faded roses on the dark cream that will be used for my background is a screen print made in Japan.

I am so excited! I can't wait to get started tomorrow!

I have to go put my bag of goodies together to take with me!

These are the times that try men's souls.

The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

- Thomas Paine

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

- Francis Scott Key

Walking away with ourselves

I am excited to announce that my friend Liz and I have a new blog - Walking Away With Ourselves, which is going to chronicle our journey as we train to walk the Catalina Marathon in March, 2010. Come join us!

Random projects

Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew;

especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts

than while so occupied.

- Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

Here are some pictures of some of the projects I've done in the last few months.

My first sewing project on my Mom's machine, curtains for my kitchen:

A skirt for maternity pictures, Maddie had a matching top:

Little boy burp cloths for James, please ignore the staining on my computer chair where Maddie has emptied out her bottle a few times:

Mother's Day apron, made one for my Mom and for Grammy, I love the bright, cheery fabric:

front view

back view

The only place where housework comes

before needlework is in the dictionary.

- Mary Kurtz