Category Archives: Life

checking it twice … wait I still need to make it

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Getting ready for gift giving is a bit challenging.  I mean right out of the box,  WHERE do you keep your list?  I can't check it a second time because I haven't got it made in the first place.  My kids aren't overly snoopy, and a good thing too or there'd be no surprises.  But I need a list that won't be uncovered at an inopportune time, like say anytime in the next month.  T and I keep talking about what to get the kids but can't seem to finalize it and we're starting to run out of time.  

We're pretty flexible with our devices and let the kids use them pretty much anytime but that takes them out of the running for list making.  I did start making one with actual pen and paper and I just hope it got washed in my pocket otherwise there's no telling when or where it will turn up. 

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One think I know for sure is that the 2 kids that wear pajamas are in dire straights.  Both of these girls keep eyeing the David and Goliath rack of fabric and make comments about how great they'd be for p.j.'s. 

Point taken.  I see some quality time with a ball point needle in my weekend :-)

fledglings of one kind and another

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As I took up a seat to write about a baby blanket that I recently made I glanced up to see our little baby chick up out of it’s nest getting ready for the first flight.  My own fledglings came scrambling from every corner of the house to share in this exciting moment.  

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Mama and Daddy birds chirped encouragements, bringing bits and bites to eat while the baby gathered courage, spread it’s wings, had false starts and even pooped a few times, certainly from fright.  And then, as sometimes happens the parents missed it, off getting more bugs the baby took a leap.  Lots of chirping and looking and the fledgling was nowhere to be found.  Until I stepped onto the porch and saw it on the ground, looking up, and wondering how in the world to get back UP THERE.

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After gathering my own troops for the latest development we decided it might me best to help the chick up.  Safely back to the protection and familiarity of it’s nest there is much doting going on, plenty of bugs, and I suspect another adventure will be happening soon.

After this my own blanket seems less newsworthy, but since that was the purpose of this sit down, I’ll go there. 

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I’m pretty proud of this project.  It may be that I have my head under a rock, or just too busy to search out too many blankets, but I haven’t seen this particular construction before.  One of my girls’ teachers asked if I could make a blanket for her and the way my girl looked at me, with those “you can make a blanket, you can make anything” eyes, how could I not do it.  Pink and Brown was the extent of the direction given, well that and “I trust you, everything you make is darling”.  No pressure or anything :-)  

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I backed it with Chenille I’ve had on hand for … some time now … and constructed it in 3 pieces with the center strip gathered on both sides and pressed flat.  I also fussy cut a little square of fabric to embellish a tiny onsie.  Easy as pie, I’d make more in a minute.  Oh wait, I have been making more, yes there are always more babies, aren’t there.

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fyi: milly tonal fabric and church flowers fabric were used on the front of this blanket

feeling nostalgic

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A couple of years ago I went on a fabric exploration trip to Milan.  I've not ever talked about it here but last night when I was working with G on her Ancient Roman project I whipped up some images and find myself, this morning, drawn into looking at them again. 

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At every turn there are religious figures with their eyes on you!

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Wish I saw more of this around here … public transit, bikes and walking

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The very old and the new

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just breathtaking

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 A modern art sculpture of needle and thread

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10 in 10 for 10 – Day 2

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A walk around the neighborhood takes more than 10 minutes but I tried to keep my snaps in roughly a 10 minute span.  Excepting the waterfall because I took the opposite route and the waterfall was toward the end of the walk.  Oh and it seems I've discovered a problem with my camera: that curved line on the right definately should not be there.  I'm sorta freaking out and hoping that it's just because my camera was just too cold.

 

taking flight

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I think I’ve captured her in mid-air, taking flight if you will.  Which is pretty much right where G is at this moment in time.  Growing up, stretching her “wings”, having a crush, telling me about it and yet still checking to make sure I’m okay with it.  Wearing her “Banberry Place” clothes with pride and not having peers give her a hard time about it.  I know what’s coming round the next bend and some of it isn’t pretty.  Then again, some of it is beautiful; the moments of self-assuredness, the spontaneous acts of kindness, and the knowledge that she can be her own person and go her own way.

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A couple of notes about the clothes:  I always lengthen the ANTONIA shirt pattern.  This one is lengthened 4″ (size 128) with 1″ folded up for the hem.  It’s a tad long but is comparable to some ready made brands.  The sleeve length was perfect (just add the normal seam and hem allowance) and I did not add seam allowances to only the neck line side of the front back and funky “raglan” pieces.   Adding the seam allowance to that part of those pieces will result in a wider neckline. — I know that’s not the best shot up there, with tree branches growing out of her and all, but it shows the neckline so well that I had to include it.

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The lunada pants:  First, I might suggest that you not serge the part with the fake fly business.  I took a little snip out of my denim that way.  Lucky me I was covering it with the skirty part but if I hadn’t been planning that I would have had a bunch of un-picking and re cutting to do.  These are size 134 and the length is just right for this 8 year old.  However, I did have a little situation with the skirt; Firstly I needed 8 gores to go round the hip part, which wasn’t a big deal since I have a lot of that snowman fabric.  Next the skirt was way too long.  The instructions tell you to modify the skirt width to fit the hip part but doesn’t mention that you might want to work out a shorter length.  Finally, after I shortened the skirt by 2″ it was much better but something still looked not quite right; the skirt was too low on the hip.  Repositioning the skirt up 1″ made a big difference.  Since you complete the pants before adding the skirt it might be wise to pin the skirt on the girl and let her flounce around in it a bit before deciding on length and placement.

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To recap:  I used 8 gores, shortening the skirt at the top edge by 2″ and moving the whole skirt up the pant 1″ from the marking.  This is for the size 134.  I suspect the smaller sized will require more shortening of the skirt.

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Patterns:  Farbenmix Antonia, Studio tantrum Lunada

Fabric stenzo dots, patty young blossoms knit, hilco knit (senin), bias trim, denim and stash snowmen