the week past

Boots, buses and little red riding hood (the cape is a recent thrifty find.) The weather is fine and springy and we are going to go play out there with our fingers crossed that the sun and warm is here to stay.

sleepy friday

Oh how I love fridays! The prospect of the whole weekend with two parents at home, some time to spend with my love, and perhaps even some moments to myself. We are all tired by the end of the week, ready for a break from our respective jobs. So this is a little sleepy post with not much focus before I head off to bed.

I was complaining in my last post about not having sewing time these days, which is mostly true, but I have been puttering away here and there and have not posted anything here in a bit. This is a little ribbon blanket made for a new baby. He's not actually that new anymore, and I have not yet given him the gift, but I'll get there. His big sister's gifts are not done yet and are holding things up. I made another one of these- with apples fabric and owl trim, but gave it away before I photographed it. They were good fun to make though, and pretty fast.

And I am also starting to hand sew some felt food for Ari. We hope to get him a wooden play kitchen for his birthday in a few months and I figure I should make or thrift as many of the accessories as possible. And he is enjoying playing with them now, without the kitchen.
His most favorite toys these days are his animals though. It is such fun to watch his little imagination emerge. These guys go with him all over the house, and can be seen dancing, climbing (especially the kitty!) and kissing at various points in the day. This little scene he set up so carefully, every animal and person needing their own little block to stand on. He would just lie on on his belly on the floor and look at all those animals on their towers. We bought the plastic animals as bath toys, but they certainly are not staying in the bath. There is currently a cow and a sheep on the kitchen table, a goose and cat on the living room floor, a deer on top of the farmhouse and the rooster went to bed with him, tucked into the crook of his arm.
Which is currently where I am headed (no rooster under my arm, just a good book.) Goodnight!

moose and a mei tai

Ari wanted to wear his "Sammybaby" in the "bact-pact" today, and they looked so sweet going about their important business together. I thought about making Ari his own little mei tai, as the straps are so very long on this one, but the sewing time seems rather lean around here lately. I'll put it on the ever growing list.

And we woke up to this sweet visitor in our yard this morning- she was still laying in a little snow bed behind our house, and as the sun rose higher we watched her get up and amble over to our willow tree for a snack. We watched her for a good while, and Ari talked about it all day. He told my mom on the phone, "moose eatin'... moose poopin'... bye bye moose." Which pretty much sums up the sighting.

just this

a week of gnomes, books and lovin'.

love muffin

Baking muffins together, listening to Elizabeth Mitchell, enjoying the late afternoon light. Such sweetness, this life, full of moments that ache with beauty. My sweet boy stirring the flour in the bowl, humming his favorite songs, face lit by the sun.
And, after marvelling at the alchemy of sticky batter growing into finely risen food, we sat at the table and spoiled our supper by eating several in a row, slathered in butter. And, over and over I buttered the same little crust so he could happily lick it off and thrust it towards me with a smile. "mo peese mama." Happily obliging him, enjoying the peace and the sweetness between us.

playing and dreaming

::playing::

A new favorite toy- the box from our new hot water heater. Needing a new heater was not in the plans financially, but the cardboard box it came in has provided hours of fun.
:: dreaming::

browsing through a gardening catalogue by the fire, thinking about spring.

curtains and crafts

I am sewing a closet curtain with this fieldguide print. I love the print a lot, but it might look a little quilt-y up on the wall, I'll have to see how I feel about it once it's up. I've never tried to sew such a big thing before and getting it square is challenging, especially since the print isn't square on the fabric. It sort of matches the wonkiness of our home with its many imperfect angles (some are Dr.Seuss-esque, but it's all part of that built-by-someone-a-long-time-ago-who-didn't-know-what-they-were-doing, charm) but I bet there are women pulling their hair out at this very moment, trying to get this fabric to look non-wonky on their lovely quilts.

I just got my first issue of "Living Crafts" in the mail, and I love it. My sister got the subscription for me for christmas, (thanks sis!) and it is full of great ideas and patterns and cute stuff.
I had to try out the knitted bunny pattern straight away since is is so simple and cute and I was in need of something to do with my hands. It is just a knitted square sewed up into this teeny little bunny shape.
Mine is a wistful sort, staring out at the snow, knowing it wouldn't last a minute out there with its dark coat. It would have been kinder to knit it in white. Best to stay in the basket in my studio till Easter, little bunny, when a little boy will snuggle you and keep you safe from predators.

I have been enjoying the collaborative photo journal Six One Way a lot, and noticed that Eren and Stefani had a invited other mama's to participate in the project- documenting the everyday moments of motherhood in 3 photos at the beginning of each week. I think I'll give it a go- it is a fun way to look at all the little moments, a simple record.

new studio

Though there is still much to do, I now have a crafting space to call my own. It is tiny, about 4 ft by 10 ft, and is at the top of the stairs, so it does not have a door to close (though a baby gate was a first priority,) but it is lovely and bright and mine, all mine. I am not anywhere near unpacked or organized, but I have most of my fabrics out and my machine set up and I am feeling positively gleeful about it all.There is enough shelf space to sort my fabic into colour! Oh the sweet simple joys. My very first project was to make two little pincushions. Someone mentioned (Melissa I think...) in a past comment that their child could remain entertained for ages by moving pins from one cushion to another, so I had to give it a try. Ari certainly does take an interest in all important adult activities, especially those involving tools that are sharp or "poety" (pokey.)
They are a very big hit. This is serious work this pin moving business. And if one of them hits the floor? Oh! Quick! He is on it in a flash.
He thinks mama's sewing room is so terrific in fact, that he stands at the bottom of the stairs shouting "sewin', sewin'!" until I come running. We climb the stairs together and I open the baby gate and he goes and finds his pin cushions. When he tires of this he climbs up on my lap and we sew together. He counts me in when ever the machine stops - "two, free, go!" and then cheers on my work- "yeah!" and "fast sewin' mama!"
Such a helpful guy. Maybe one day I'll actually spend some minutes sewing without a baby on my lap. Didn't I say this room was all mine? Ha! I guess there isn't really such a thing as a mama. But I am finding this kind of room sharing to be a good deal of fun, even if my seams are a little wobbly.

artist at work

My artist boy has been hard at work lately. He loves his block crayons (which give off the delicious smell of beeswax as he works,) and he has a favorite green pen that he will happily use for ages, scribbling intently, filling up a whole page of green. We have been keeping his supplies out on the kitchen table and he just hops up several times a day to partake in his ongoing creations. Which sometimes involve a little body art.

He is just beginning to do representational drawings, which is pretty exciting. Today it was "boats, stars, and mooooooonnnnnns!" and here is one of some babies. Clearly.

He is also moving on to ever bigger and broader canvases. Although he always enjoys his chalkboard for spontaneous drive-by artworks, he has found the primed, but unpainted surface of his bedroom door especially appealing. This one is entitled "puple." And his parents learned that washable markers are not washable on unpainted surfaces.

We are lucky, I suppose, to have an artist do his work directly on the walls. Cuts out the framing costs.