When in stress..

Things have been REALLY stressful this week. ........
Well, you know what I do when I am
stressed... I sew.

I recently got orders for 5 beanbag doorstops and apparently that was all I needed to get myself started. I coped with my stress today by cutting, sewing and filling more doorstops... All said and done, I think there are 16 finished and 14 unfinished. I have no idea as to why I made that many. That's just plain old excessive. But at least it's better than over-eating or binge shopping... And now I can list them on etsy soon... And they are cute... Cute does seem to help a little...

awards shows and the glamourous life

this was from the photo booth at the holiday party last december...

Most of my days are spent in the minivan, driving little people to their various appointments... Feeding, cleaning and helping them do life.
Then there are the rare days where J's work has fun events or awards shows where we get to dress up and act all "Hollywood". I laugh when I think about how there will never be an awards show for motherhood, or most of what I do, but it is really fun to see my hubby recognized for his good work... (watch FRINGE on Friday nights on FOX!!!)

Last night was one such night. Though, sadly, J's nomination for
"Undercovers" didn't win an award, we still got to go out all dressed up and have a fun evening together. Considering we are the parents of 3, that's something to be proud of, in my book.

Grapevine wreaths

As an artist, there is a fine line to walk between collecting and hoarding. Too many ideas for castoff junk and you end up on that tv show everyone is talking about... (minus the dead animals)... And yet, you know how much I love to repurpose things.
It's tricky, though, when I'm dealing with the design director. She errs on the hoarding side... I mean REALLY.
I fear this craft was super fun for her, but didn't reinforce the ability we have to toss some things out...
We were in the backyard on Sunday and I decided it was time to prune the grapevine - which grew vines like crazy, but no grapes this year... We were hauling the dead vines to the green can when I remembered how we'd requested grapevine as part of our wedding flowers 10 years ago. "wait! I have an idea..."
15 minutes later we had 3 lovely wreaths.
Fun, easy.
I don't love the idea of adding flowers or something froufy to them... And am not yet sure their next step, but for now, they are pretty lovely. And truly homegrown.
Now I have to find another way to teach the lesson to Mimi.

This is why I quilt

Because somehow it lasts a lot longer than my longest hug.

Piano in the afternoon light

I love winter light. Our house has rippled old glass windows and thin curtains to let in the hazy winter Los Angeles light in the most beautiful ways.
I took this pic just now of Z, playing the synth in the afternoon light as baby and I snuggle on the couch. A rare quiet moment... Most of my time is spent shuttling little people around, not sitting and resting with the boys. The peace will be over in less than 5 minutes... But it is beautiful for now.
These pics were all so pretty, I couldn't decide between them for a favorite.
Which do you like?

More baby gift quilts

I made these quilt tops in December when I was on the marathon quilting frenzy... I used the scraps from my nieces' and nephews' quilts to whip up these baby quilts for some friends, but they lay unfinished until I got the speed quilting inspiration the other night...
These are for a family who has a boy and a girl 14mo apart... My kids are 18mo apart, so I feel for those moms... It's a hard hard season.
I thought knowing that someone who has been where they are is thinking of them would be encouraging...
Once again, I'm doing my best to bust my stash and use up what I have. I've made it through January without buying any fabric.

Simple sewing

These are so fast and easy! I have a baby shower for an awesome family this weekend.... Another foster family who has experienced love and loss of a child and they recently got a call for a beautiful baby girl abandoned at a hospital that they get to adopt... What joy!!!
This sweet baby girl needed a quilt from Auntie Lala (me...) but I've got a busy week... So I dug around and found these beautiful bird panels that I'd never used and whipped up some tiny quilt tops as we watched a movie last night.
I then quilted them to some fleece for padding and then sewed that (right sides together) to some vintage chenille that my pal Tifanie gave me... Flipped it right side out, top stitched - and wow are these sweet! (and SO fast, no pinning, no binding)...

sorry, i forgot

for those of you friends who emailed me, asking to be on our update list for foster care, etc... I'm sorry - I lost my list!
please send another email to me about it. and i'll be better at updating...

Detail images of urban neighborhood blocks

Too much fun!
I loved making these. Loved it!

Think I am going to bring them to my new art class tonight... It's a collage class through Art Center (yippee!) - I'd met the professor at an exhibit recently and we'd gotten to talking about quilting and how it's a little respected art form with lots of rigidity - until recently. I think these will illustrate my point. :)

When I look at these up close, my thought is - "I want to live in that world"... Then I realize... I do. This is what my world looks like from my point of view...

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #2

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #2
Originally uploaded by libertyworth

Here's my second Urban Neiighborhood block!
It's styled after our own house - though the mushroom-Snow White style roof is missing... I was hoping the fabric choice would communicate that.

I'm super happy with how these came out - and also with how fun it was to make these!