I'm putting together a package for my sister. She had her 2nd daughter last Monday (Chiara - 6lbs, 4oz), and hopefully I can get some things sent to her before the baby starts walking.

Since there is also a big sister (Iza), there has to be something for her too. I made some clothes peg dolls, and also a banner for Iza, to section off her little sleeping area of my sister's tiny apartment.

The dolls were a lot of fun to make. It was's J's suggestion to put the bindi (the red dot on the forehead of the doll in red), and I like it a lot.  Of course, making the little scrap dresses took a lot longer than it should have, but they had to be wearing something.

The banner was also a lot of fun to make as well. I found a font (sans serif), adjusted the size I wanted, and then printed off each letter on paper. I then cut the letters out and used them as a template to create them in fabric. Each letter had interfacing applied, and then they were attached just by a simple wide zig-zag stitch.

So what am I sending my sister?  Peeps, Tide, and some books. And, also the quilt that I finished for Chiara. I washed it on Monday, and it turned out beautifully. 

For me, quilting is just the right combination of planning, calculation, fabric fondling, and making. My next project is a couch-quilt. I've bought a pattern from this woman on her etsy page, and I have been reading and re-reading her quilting instructions. Her blog is a wealth of information, and her tutorials are amazing. The fabric for this quilt is mostly by Heather Ross, who is one of my quilting/design idols. There is such a difference between her fabric, and the stuff bought elsewhere. Softer, tighter weave, and just better all around.   Okay, do I sound excited? I am.

Let's see, what has happened since this last post.

1. We put a mudroom addition on the house. Not a huge project, but lots going on in a fairly small space. It did go over time and over budget, but not too bad. Of course it is still a WIP, so there is blue tape, and nail holes that need to be puttied, sanded, and painted.  Overall it functions as it should, and it's made a huge difference in this whole side of the house.

2. J turned 10. Dude, where did the time go?  We had his party yesterday; six other 10 year old boys came over, and we took them for pizza and a movie. Most the gifts were game (video or sports) oriented, and he was happy as a clam. Since his gifts from us are fewer in number (but higher in cost!), I made a treasure hunt for him when he woke up to make it more exciting. Rhyming hints, and everything.

3. I went to Sweden. I went in November, and it was the ultimate trip. I visited most everyone I wanted to see, got to spend time with my sister and her daughter, and basically got to go at my own pace. Lots of reflecting and very soul-nourishing (is that a word?).

4. Work is insanely busy. Much more work to do, less people to do it, and every day is a crisis. I am so incredibly thankful I have a job, and I work with some awesome people, but whew. A little less Crazy would be nice.

5. I'm putting more time into quilting. I'm so in love with non-traditional, wonky types of quilts. Maybe because I can't cut a straight line, or because of the uniqueness of each one...  This, this, this, and of course the quilts of Gees Bend.

6. I'm running. Well, not walking anyways. I'm slow and probably look silly, but I feel like I'm taking steps to not go down the same cardiovascular road that my dad did.  The weightloss has been nice too, but wasn't the main goal.

Some mudroom pics..

Blurry photo of Iza.

Detail of quilt. It's upside down, and none of the strings have been trimmed yet.

I already feel like the world is on my shoulders and in an effort to lighten the load, I am going to take a blogging break.  I realize not posting for more than a few weeks already indicates that, but it's been one of those things that has been on my very long to-do list, and I feel guilty.  My wishful thinking is that maybe if the piles aren't so high, the shadows won't seem so dark..  Anyways, I've got a good husband and kid, and I'm sure that with some time, I'll be back. TTYL.

 "Mom, when I grow up, I want to play college football, and then afterwards, get drafted by the NFL.  If I can't play for the NFL, then I'll just work at Subway instead."

Glad he's got it all figured out. 

 "I'm tired of this whole tooth brushing thing. All the back and forth and back and forth. There's not a lot in it for me."

***On Mon 4:34p Dec 10, 2007 J wrote***
Hi!Daddy!I'am all done with my homework.I hope you hade a good day beacause I did.Today we went to CVS and I got to sit in the vibrating chair.I made smile volume number twelve & thirteen.I would like to get Mommy a new pair of shoes.
Do you think so?Email back OK?I love you!

The reference to Smile, is a comic book that he's been making on and off the past month or so. They're short (like 4 pages or so), which is why the volumes are already in the double digits. I gave him no hints on the gift reference; I think he saw all my shoes laying around and decided I needed another pair.  Regardless, his email just makes my heart melt a little bit. He is becoming such a big kid, and there is so much he's learning and absorbing..

Now I've exerted way too much energy on sitting upright. I'd better go and place myself on the couch, pronto.

I'm glad the work is done for now, and realize that I am so fortunate to have the means to improve upon things in this way. Nothing over the top, and I feel a little guilty replacing the previous stuff, as it all worked just fine, although it wasn't exactly what I'd call attractive nor did it have the features I would have chosen.  I've definitely felt a little awkward with all the worker people around, since I realize they see me as this Person With Money.  They probably think I'm one of the typical women in my town (which has a somewhat deservedly snobby reputation) who don't work, but instead go to pilates class, and have my nails done, while my husband brings home a big paycheck.  In actuality, my family's background is working class, like them, and we are certainly not rolling in money, although we are good savers.  I try to be friendly and nice, and I offer them coffee, but all the time I'm wondering what they're saying to each other when they yell back and forth in Portuguese...

Completely unrelated. When I went to school today to volunteer in J's class, they had just broke up from circle time on the rug and had been talking about holiday traditions. J comes up to me with a pouty face and says:

   "Why didn't you make any food I liked for Thanksgiving? All I had was turkey, and everything else was Bad." 

Not sure how to reply to that one. Maybe we should have had chicken nuggets and ramen noodles with carrot sticks, and he could have bragged that he ate everything. Oy vey, this kid gives me such a hard time sometimes... 

 Of course, my throat is killing me and my head is throbbing - I am getting sick, but there is way too much to do instead of laying down and taking it easy. The house looks like a bomb hit it, and there is cardboard, papers, pots and pans, and other accumulated detrius all around the house that need to be put away. Fingers crossed that the plumber shows, and hopefully he'll show up soon so I can try to get a handle on the mess.