Re•building Joy - The Courage Quilt

I've already announced that it's done, but today I added the label and wrapped the 100% hand sewn quilt.
The label says, "to the bravest person we have ever met".

Making this quilt calmed my nerves during that crazy year. Having her (the giftee, our social worker) alongside us, gave me courage.

I'm quietly joyful that pain can be turned into something beautiful. I'm learning that by releasing this pain slowly and appropriately, it's like a fizzy soda that I am able to let out.
If things come out in methods of beauty and art, they seem to be in a manner that I can control. As I share the art and meaning, I'm able to tell small parts of my story without crumbling into fragile pieces.
By sharing this with you and others, some of those fizzy bubbles of pain are released slowly. And some beauty can rise from the ashes.

 I have to also admit that I am happy to let this quilt out of my hands. It is very painful for me to look at. Hundreds of hours of pain, fear, anxiety, anger and dread were channelled into this. It will be a big release to let the gift bring love and joy to someone who matters so much to me. Plus I think it's really pretty!

Raw edged baby quilts

My friend just had a baby and had an adoption go through a few weeks after giving birth and now she and her husband have had 2 babies in a month! Their family of 6 is one that is super special to our family and I couldn't let the opportunity pass without making them something for their new bundles. I will send them when the family gets back from the Dominican Republic, and when I figure out what to make for their 2 precious big kids too. These quilts are so so easy, I used a glue stick to place the squares and simply quilted them to a soft blankie background instead of making a quilt sandwich. (FAAAAaaaaST!)

Owl Make my Own

Seems like everyone loves owls these days.
I rarely get time to actually read blogs these days with the kids, the baby, sewing up a boatload of Christmas gifts and working like crazy to get 10 collages done for my upcoming art show, but I did get a few minutes the other day. And I found this adorable application where you get to make your own owl calendar.  Very clever art, clever programming and a fun gift idea.

Key chain Wristlet - a mommy must-have

I recently made a huge bulk purchase of these gorgeous wristlet keychains. We gave them to every mom that came to our MOPS group as a welcome gift. These are the best! I've heard at least about 10 different women thank me for getting them - mommies tend to lose their keys about 10 times between the house and the car and this not only eliminates the loss, but it gives you a few more fingers free to lug whatever you might be lugging.

They've been my gift of choice for a few years, and not just to mommies of little kids... doggie mommas love them too. I'm planning on giving them as teacher gifts this year, too.
I've been using the keychain wristlets for about 2 years and when I wear one until it's hideous and filthy - I get out a new, different, pretty one. (happy)
I have a few favorite vendors for them on etsy... check out lovey duds and also gingersnappz (both of whom also list a bunch of other great mommy must-have items, the ones pictured here are from Gingersnappz)

The dress that wanted to be a casserole carrier

Have you ever wondered if your dear old friend Libby is insane? Wonder no longer... Proof?
...My sister asked me about a month ago if I would make a casserole carrier for her to give a foodie friend on her birthday. (of course!) But in the craziness of school starting and G arriving, well... I forgot and the birthday came and went. Oops. Victory asked if I would make it soon, so I knew I had to do it asap. I asked her to remind me of the birthday girl's favorite colors: Burgundy, wine, plum, orange and lime green. Wow. Orange and green I have, but plum and wine are not big members of my stash.
Last night I was panicking a little, knowing I had to do this soon. I stumbled onto an all but finished dress for myself that's been awaiting a ruffle hem for about a month... Um yeah, perfect color scheme... Hmmm... Would I? You bet. So long dress, hello adorable casserole carrier.
I believe I may qualify as nuts. At least that's what my sister told me when I sent her this pic.

Ticker-Tape quilt for baby Maile

Those of you who see my flickr pics will know that this was done a little while ago... I didn't want to post about it until my friend who it was for actually received it. She's got it now.

 This is a ticker-tape style quilt that I made for a friend's new baby. The fabrics in it have a lot of sentiment, there are pieces that are new and vintage, pieces that she and I shopped for together, pieces from J's grandmothers, pieces from AJ's one receiving blanket that I held onto...  There are pieces from all over the world and many of them have deep meanings to both my friend and I.  I had so much fun making this quilt, I am sure that there are more ticker-tape style quilts in my future... it's a fast and fun way to quilt. Plus, the raw edges are really... well... edgy.

I sent this quilt with a note for my friend telling her that this quilt is not a fussy quilt. I am hoping that it gets stained, used and loved.  (I guess I hope that for all my quilts.)

Quilt - Made for baby Cade

My pal, Christy, gets lots of love here for being a fun and talented creative pal to me... This week was the baby shower for her long-awaited precious little "snowflake" baby. 

Since Christy is one of my sewing pals who has recently taken on quilting, like me, she had to be the recipient of a special baby quilt, right? 

I had a lot of fun making this for her... 

Teacher Appreciation Week

We just presented our kindergarten teachers with their class gifts. I got the idea from my sister last year when she was Kindergarten room mom at their school. It was her idea to use one of my handmade
journals (only bigger) and fill it with love notes from the class. I took note and saved the idea for this years gifts for Mimi's two teachers... The amazing office manager and PE teacher at our school
snuck me into a PE class so the teachers never saw me collecting the art. What a fun, easy gift... Might be doing this every year!

Mother's Day Alert...

Did you realize that we've got just over a week before Mother's Day arrives?
I don't know about you, but Mother's Day is a working holiday around our house. J is usually in the season of delivering season finales of the TV shows he works on and has even had to skip out in the middle of Mother's Day dinner to go work. I earn my salt as a mom on Mother's Day - (**please don't mistake this as griping... my man does his BEST to treat me well in May as soon as the TV season is over... remember how he took me to Italy last year? Here's 2 pics to show I AM NOT COMPLAINING)

...but - in addition to often having the kids mostly on my plate for Mother's Day... I also get lots of last minute requests for the hand stamped charms... Daddies asking me if I can ship to them via Express Mail on the Friday before Mother's Day... or random people asking me to drive all over LA to meet them with orders.

And because I am me, I always am hand-making something for ALL the moms in our family - including my sister and sis in law - since we all celebrate together.
So .. here's my own warning to myself... and also to you...

MOTHER'S DAY IS COMING!

Don't forget to do something special for MOM!

The design director and art

Mimi looked at this just now and asked, "hey mom! Where is the other half of her?" I explained, well, mommy's friend, Tori, made it for me... It's inspired by a picture mommy took (show her the pic)... "so then, that's you?"

A birthday smile

You may be sensing a theme here, but I have had a REALLY hard day. And today I opened my door to find a package on my porch... (earlier today I tweeted that each time I open my door I secretly hope a package is there for me)... And THIS was in it! My pal Tori sent it for my
birthday... And I'd even commented on it on her blog... About how she had this cute piece of artwork that -um, reminded me of, um, me... That sounds really self centered, except for those of you who know how much I love red and white polka dots... And my red and white polka dotted rainboots on top of that!...

come to find out... it was actually inspired by this pic.... the one I posted here...

Tori, you're awesome. What a cool fabric collage... Do tell your process... And thanks for the smile today, Lord knows I needed it.

Rockin' baby gift.

I am going to a baby shower for a baby whose parents were married last year by Elvis... Who was born on Elvis' birthday and is named Presley. They are KIND OF big fans of The King.
So they're getting this, along with a polka dotted baby sling today at the shower.
I literally sewed this with Ace on my lap at the machine, licking my arm the whole time. (he's kind of into licking... This guy. Now I have to go shower all of his slobber off before the shower!)

another use for scraps

You all know me and scraps.... i simply can't part with them.

The ones that are too small to sew usually get ModPodged to candles and birdhouses and anything else that sits still too long... but what to do with those selvages? or the tiniest strips of the edges that are left over after serging or making a precise cut for quilting?

BOWS! for gift wrap.

I grabbed little handfuls today, wrapped another strand around to make it secure - and CUTE!

Goodie bag gift

I always have a small stash of goodie bags on hand to whip up a quick smile gift when I get the urge... Because it's not really the gift that matters as much as the thought that someone thoght of you, right?
Today's little goodie bag is a $1 smell-good hand sanitizer for my carpool partner who is newly pregnant, an awesome mom of two already, and displaced right now because she's having her apartment painted and re-carpeted... Bleh... Not a fun week for her. I hope this will make her feel a little loved today.

Forgot to tell you what J made me

I forgot to tell you about my big present from J for Christmas! Well, he actually did two. One was a bound copy of the first year of our family blog in book form. (he used www.blurb.com)
The second was this poster print from our Christmas pic, made up of thousands of photos from our year in 2009. He used an online program (will post later!) that made it possible and spent hours working it out just right. Isn't that sweet? When I look at it, I get the real sense of our complete year. I see pics from Italy, artwork I did, school pics, our family trips to Seattle and Arizona, lots of AJ pics and random days at the house. I flood with memories both happy and sad. It's just amazing to see your whole year in one glance. Thanks, J!

Nesting - sewing, really

What do you do when you are waiting for a baby to arrive? You nest.

Which is exactly what I have been doing. Organizing, sewing - trying to get through my to-do pile of things to sew, really...

here are some of the projects I've done recently for some lucky kiddos... (i.e. they're all custom orders for people)

PS - apparently, you also BLOG while nesting. I'm trying to get a few posts done tonight. We get AJ tomorrow!

Initial Sweatshirts

After seeing Ze Artiste's hoodie the other day, the Design Director asked for one, and since it was her birthday week, OF COURSE she got one.
At her request, instead of an "M" on the back and front, we opted for an "M" on the front and a number "5" on the back. Which I actually replicated in boy colors for a classmate of hers who also just turned 5 this week as well. Cute, eh?

Tomorrow's project? oh goodness... my lovely friend, Tifanie, has offered to come organize my insanely overstuffed and under-organized office/sewing room. I told her that I am swallowing my pride big-time by simply allowing someone to help me - that involved admitting I have a problem, right? (argh) wish me luck. I'll post finished project images... If I don't die of embarressment tomorrow first.

Happy Birthday, 5 year old!

Our princess is 5 today. Here's her present from us... An IKEA canopy all "girlied" up by mommy and Tifanie (butterflies, fairies, ribbons, "diamonds", the works...)... She's so excited to be 5 and we adore her. Happy Birthday, Mimi!

Christmas spoiler (family, don't read!)

Thought I'd give you an updated peek at my niece/nephew project (which is now done!) for Christmas gifts. These are two of my faves...now, I'm off to finish prep for the design director's birthday and then it's all the sister/mom gifts!

ps. just got asked if I'd make these for sale... um, yeah, ok.... if you provide the towel, $15. Otherwise, $20 each (for a basic bath towel). let me know if you're interested. I thought I was done with these for a while and now have 5 more on my to-do list... you can buy them here.

Embellished bag

Store-bought bag. Hand embellished monogram. Easy-peasy... When I use my favorite fusible webbing. I'm having fun with my new machine and learned a trick last night... If you are sewing something a little sticky and it starts to ruin your needle, stitch through a dryer sheet a couple of inches to clean it off. (I used ones that had already been through the dryer, so as not to cake up my machine. I also took a previously sticky needle and cleaned it with the sailme said sheet.
Nice and clean) I don't know if doing that a Tom would be so hot for the machine, but after 9 names (close to 50 letters) I needed to not change needles every few minutes.