Sew Happy!

I am going to make this a short one, although I have plenty to say. I NEED to get to bed but I just swallowed my nightly 7 pills and therefore if I lay down right away I feel like I my pills are trying to float back up my throat, so I might as well pass the time pleasantly.

I have been very busily sewing today!

Last night while Evan was gone at the Hank Williams III Concert, I was really restless and uneasy. I just had a bad vibe. It made me pretty nervous. The kids and I dove into the front porch with a vengeance. I removed ALL the furniture from the west side off the porch (Wicker loveseat, two wicker chairs, wicker coffee table, wicker trunk, white wood side table, etc) and vacuumed and mopped the floor. Then I put down the alphabet foam play mat that had been in my sewing room in the basement (which I am currently not using to sew, because it's too hard to get both kids up and down the stairs all the time for potty breaks, meals, toys, diaper changes, and still get anything DONE!) Then I took the Little Tykes Activity Garden out to the porch. Marek is just now getting to the ideal age to start using it, but if it's in Ardyn's room, there's not a chance she will let him play in it. We also moved out all the little people toys, which we did last winter, and they are a BIG hit out there, and safe for both kids. I put the Pack n Play across the room so that Marek could see my sewing area really well from inside it, and moved Ardyn's desk closer to my work area. I moved my fabric and notions closer to my sewing table. I cleaned a BUNCH and got everything a little safer for little bodies. I am really loving it! We still have to move the slide and playcube inside, and probably the teeter totter. After Christmas we will have a mini-trampoline to add to the mix. I love that the kids can play out there and I can see them, plus because my sewing area faces the window to the living room, if they are in the living room watching TV or playing, I can see them because they are RIGHT in front of me. How cool is that?

Porch in Progress (West Side)


I don't mind if Ardyn plays in her room because everything is safe in there, but I don't want Marek in there with her because he is a crawling maniac and he is putting electrical cords, dog food, and everything he finds EVERYWHERE into his mouth now. I can't believe how much he has changed in just the last WEEK even. I have video of him crawling that I took today, and i hope to get that on Facebook before the end of the week!

This week is about to get REALLY Crazy! I am ordering our new family photos and our Christmas Cards at the photographer tomorrow. I have Library Books due back and errands to run. I have a shopping trip with my friend Angela O. this week, because I just fixed a computer and got some cash and I NEED some new shirts for the holidays. Everything I own has a bunch of stains on it. No good I say! I also have a scrapbook night at the church this week, AND the kids are going to BOTH stay overnight at Grandma's! This will be the first time that Marek has ever been away from me overnight! I am excited because Evan and I are going on our first "Date" since he was born.... 8 months seems long enough, right? Next week I have a fun mom's night to look forward to, and then my BIRTHDAY! We also have WIC appointment, Evan has an acoustic gig at Kelly's Place, and we are Hosting Thanksgiving.... and then we have family to meet for cocktails later next week, and ANOTHER date night as the kids are staying overnight at the OTHER grandparent's the next weekend! AND another Thanksgiving celebration, AND taking Ardyn to the Polar Express night. We have watched the Polar Express to prepare for our pajama train ride and also to see Santa! She wants Hungry Hungry Hippos and has been telling me for a couple of weeks now that when she sits on Santa's lap she is going to tell him that she wants it. The Hungry Hungry Hippo thing was not prompted by us... she kept seeing the commercial and one day I asked her what she was going to ask Santa for and she said "HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS!" She also says that she is going to get a Polka Dot Present from Santa. She loves Polka Dots. LOL.

Marek moved up into size Medium Fleece, so I made him four pair of Fleece Longies today (and one pair last night.) Ocean/Pirate Theme, Insect Theme, Car/Travel Theme, and a Tree/Bird Theme... and then a pair of "boyish" Polka dot pants too! I use the Little Comet Tails Crescent Moon Yoga Pant Pattern and I ADORE it. They are so easy and fit so nicely! I have modified the pattern to add my own contrasting leg cuffs, an inner sling style soaker, OR an inner Shorts style soaker, AND for board shorties in the summertime. I have, several times, considered trying to get licensed instead of just being a home seamstress (which means that I would be able to sell items that I make with Little Comet Tails Patterns.) But I am not sure if the market is really there, and on top of that with the new CPSIA laws, it's really too much hassle. So I will just stick to making them for my own kids.

Longies




I also made two pair of shoes for Marek today, with the pattern that my friend Leslie made back when our girls were little. I never made any for Ardyn, but I got inspired recently and the pattern is for a size 2-3 so I started this evening and made two pair tonight. They are just so CUTE and are really simple to make. I altered the pattern to do some serging, because they seem so clean and simple and well made if serged.... and I also skipped stitching the elastic and decided to KNOT it instead because it's quicker, simpler, and just as secure. Then I modified it again to use wider elastic and a wider casing, because they weren't staying on his feet as well as I would have liked. They are sweet! He always has cold feet, and they are two layers of flannel with an inner padding of fleece in the sole, which will help! Now if I could figure out a way to keep his HANDS warm!

Insect Shoesies


Space Shoesies


I have bunches of fabric in the dryer right now. My mom wants me to make her some new kitchen curtains and tie backs.... so I have her fabric ready to go now, and then I have David and Goliath fabric that I am going to make car blankets for the kids with. I am just waiting for the Minky fabric to arrive for the backing (soooooft!) and then I can make them to keep in the van. I have been tempted to make them each a car seat poncho.... but I think if I do that I will have to get more fleece. I might have enough in my stash for Ardyn's, but I don't have any boyish fleece to make one for Marek. Maybe I will make Ardyn's first and see how much I like it.

Okay, I really need to go to sleep. It's been like 45 minutes. I started uploading photos, and then somehow I was geo-tagging my pics in Flickr, and then I remembered that I had entered Scenic Drive photos in the photo contest and so I started to look at their websites to see if they had announced the winners yet.... it's never-ending!

Goodnight!