Funky Monkeys Changing Pad

A friend of mine is having a baby this summer and this gave me the perfect opportunity to continue to learn some new sewing skills. So, I went to my local quilting shop and found some fabulous fabric - some yellow minky and 5 Funky Monkeys Counting in Lime - that is just perfect for a little baby boy. See?

I borrowed Amy Butler's Little Stitches from the library - it has so many cute projects, as one would expect from Amy Butler. I mean, really ... isn't everything she does amazingly cute?

I figured I could handle the changing pad pattern. Remember ... I am a total beginner, so I am very proud of my small projects. As with knitting, I especially like it when I can complete a project in a night or two. I need the immediate gratification! The final step of the pattern is to quilt it a bit, which I haven't done yet, but that should be easy-peasy. I love this soft little creation ...

Springtime in NC

I cannot believe that I haven't blogged for nearly 2 whole months. Time is flying by!! Maybe I will do a few posts in the coming days to catch up.

Let's start with our trip to North Carolina in April to visit Matt's sister. We spent a week with her and her husband. We took lots of road trips from our home base of Goldsboro. It was the possibly perfect time of year to be there. Spring had not yet arrived in Michigan, so it was a real delight to see all of the dogwoods in bloom. We ate some vinegar-y BBQ in Raleigh. We went to the aquarium near Wilmington. We explored the campus at Chapel Hill.

We spent 2 days in the Outer Banks. It was a bit overcast, but we really enjoyed it. We visited 3 lighthouses and the Wright Brothers Memorial. We dug our toes into the sand and nearly froze our toes off in the Atlantic Ocean. Not bad at all.

Doll Quilt in the works

I have been working on my doll quilt using the tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew. I am so happy that I took on this project! I am learning a lot as I go and quilting on a smaller scale is the perfect way for me to figure out how it all works. I should have been taking pictures all along to show you my progress, but this is the only picture I have.

At this point I had pieced together each row, but I hadn't sewn the rows together yet or added the sides, top and bottom pieces. In the meantime, I basted it and then free motion quilted. I watched a few online videos of free motion quilting and stippling and made some sandwiches to practice on. I was nervous about ruining my quilt, but after some practice I got more comfortable decided to just go for it! Last night, I cut the fabric for my binding, so I am in the home stretch.

In order to complete this little project, I had to acquire some new tools in additional to my new skills ... an acrylic ruler, a rotary cutter and a darning foot. It is so fun to acquire new tools, especially when they make life so much easier.

I love this rotary cutter ... it is my very last minute entry for Heather Bailey's March of the Tools.

A ballband bib & my first apron

It is kind of embarrassing how long I have been working on this (I think I started it back in July), but at long last, I present to you the Ballband Bib in blue, green and yellow ...

When I started this project, I didn't know if the recipient would be a boy or a girl. The knitting part was actually completed about a month ago, but the bib still needed a button, which had to wait until the baby was born. My friends had a girl and named her Clementine, so I promptly went to the store and found an orange-colored daisy button to complete this project.

I have actually been spending more time thinking about sewing lately. I have buying a little bit of fabric. And finding good sewing blogs to read. And interloaning sewing books through the library. And thinking about projects that I'd like to do someday. Since I am a total novice, I have to be realistic when I look at all the patterns and possibilities. I figured an apron might be a good second project for me. So, I made the Psychedelic Squares apron from A is for Apron. Wanna see?

Now I am thinking about tackling the fat quarter doll quilt from Sew, Mama, Sew! I figure that it will be a good way to learn how to quilt ... FUN!

Getting Ready for the Oscars

Matt & I have a busy weekend planned and I am looking forward to it! Melvy & Jeanne (Matt's dad & step-mom) are coming to the D for a little visit. Jeanne hasn't seen the house yet, so we are looking forward to showing it off. We will probably find something delicious to eat downtown - maybe Xochi's? And then we are going to the DFT on Saturday evening to see "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" (listen to the interview on Fresh Air).

On Sunday, we are having a little Oscar party at our place with a group of friends that I have dubbed our "Dinner Club." For the past several months, we have been taking turns hosting dinner on a Sunday night. It is always an occassion for good food and lots of laughter. Two of my most favorite things! Anyhow, I think we are going to make the most delicious mac&cheese recipe that I know of. Always a hit!

But I was thinking that it would be fun to have food to go along with the Best Picture nominations. I don't know if we will actually be able to pull off something for all 5 movies. The mac&cheese will work for Milk, right? I mean - it does have 5 1/2 cups of milk in it. And I think we can pull off something for Slumdog Millionaire - maybe samosas or naan. I haven't seen Benjamin Button, The Reader or Frost/Nixon ... so I am not as motivated. But I did find an article with some cute recipes to go along with these films.

Even though I haven't seen as many movies as I had hoped to (again), here are my Oscar picks:

• Best Picture & Best Song & Best Score & Directing & Editing & Screenplay & Sound Mixing & Sound Editing & Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire (yeah, I loved it!)
• Short (Animated): undecided ... maybe Lavatory Lovestory or Oktpodi
• Short (Live Action): Manon on the Asphalt (but I also liked The Pig quite a bit)
• Actor in a Leading Role: Mickey Rourke
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger
• Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet
  

  

Evidence of Crafting

Matt bought me a sewing machine for Christmas last year. Not this past Christmas - but the one before that. I was super excited about it and 2008 should have been the year that I learned how to sew ... but I was a little busy (just a little bit). So, 2009 is my year!

I finally made the appointment for the lesson at Haberman Fabrics where he puchased the machine. It is an awesome local shop that I used to go into occassionally just to look at all of the beautiful fabric. Now I can go there with a legitimate intent to buy something beautiful. YAY! Anyhow, they taught me how to use my sewing machine! I didn't even know how to thread the machine - so this was an important step for me!

A few days later, I dug out a bag of Marimekko fabric that I have held onto for years (from my Crate & Barrel days) and I made this little bag using a pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing.

It is a super tiny bag, but I just wanted a project to work on. I like how the long handle tucks thru the short handle. I may make another bag using this pattern, but make it big enough to use for knitting or books. This one might carry a sandwich and an apple ... not much else. But I am proud of my first completed sewing project! And so happy that it was fun & easy & not a total nightmare. I CAN DO IT!

Cupcakes for Obama

The events of this week have left me feeling that things just might be okay in this crazy world. We have a new president (yay!) and I cried all through the inauguration. It was so moving and I have to say that I feel proud. And today, Slumdog Millionaire received 10 Oscar Nominations. Amazing! If you haven't seen it - DO!

I haven't been doing much in the knitting department - I still need to finish the bib I have been working on for months. So, instead I got a little bit crafty in honor of Obama's inauguration. Matt & I offered to have a little neighborhood party to celebrate the inauguration, which I totally failed to capture with my camera. Anyhow, I decided to make some cherry chip (red & white) cupcakes with vanilla (in blue) frosting.

But they needed a little something more, so I made fun little cupcake picks for the occasion. Totally easy, but kind of festive and impressive looking!

I swear that there will be knitting content soon. That bib is nearly complete! Just a button hole and a button, really. Oh, one more thing ... check out this stocking stuffer from Matt! Cute, no? I finally remembered to stick it in my purse and then I swung by Starbucks on my way to work.