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Last week, we spent the afternoon at the park in 70 degree sunshine and I got a bit sunburned. Today, we spent the afternoon outside, shoveling wet snow in the rain. While we were out there, Elllie invented a contraption to help Marko get up into the tree more easily. Never a dull moment around here, weather or otherwise! 😀Who needs coats when it’s 56 degrees (a full 40+ degrees warmer than a week ago)? The polar vortex has decided to take a little vacation. 😉 When discussing my childhood growing up in Alaska, Nik has never really understood how we could say that it felt super warm when it got into the teens (or even just above zero). But, when it’s been -40 or colder, 15 feels downright tropical! The same principle is at work today! #springinwinterLast night, I had about a month’s worth of recycling to set out and as I was working in the cold, I realized that my “lived in the East for 16 years” self had forgotten how invigorating being outside in the cold can be. When you are dressed warmly enough, it’s really fun to be active outside when it’s cold! Our polar vortex temperatures only got into the single digits and as you can see if you swipe to the third picture, soon our high temps will be in the mid-50s. So the [not-that-cold] cold wasn’t here for long (though probably long enough to kill our figs back to the ground 😭) but I enjoyed it while it was here! #salmonandsouvlakireflects #ilikethepolarvortex #imaybetheonlyonewhodoesMy most recent finish: a matching apron/potholder set for my nephew who just turned 8! I love the dark navy and yellow combination and chevrons are always a favorite. Swipe to see them on the recipient himself. 😀 . . . Fabric from my stash. Apron is of my own design (-ish, I used one of my kids’ aprons to give me a starting point on size). Little squeezy potholder tutorial is from @sewmamasew (search the blog to find it) from a couple years ago. #salmonandsouvlakisewsIt’s snowing again tonight so it feels appropriate to share these pictures from last weekend during our last snowstorm. I did manage to get at least one string of lights set up outside for Christmas and we are leaving them there until it’s not so dark anymore. 😍First snow of 2019! And in typical my children fashion, Ellie was super into building a mountain of snow for sledding and Marko wanted to play soccer. 😂 (Also, I would like to point out that my hat has been sparking joy in my winter life for at least 20 years. 😉) . . . Both kids are wearing @mymayuoutdoor boots, which we love. ❤️And as for my actual first finish of 2019: a happy birthday bow tie for Marko! Isn’t that the cutest thing ever?! He requested one and has been wearing it a lot. I used a tutorial from @patternsforpirates and it was SO easy. I will never make a long tie again. I got the apparel flannel from @joann_stores and have plenty left to make Nik a matching bow tie so they can be twins. 😍 Happy 6th birthday my boy!! #salmonandsouvlakisews #bowtiesofinstagram #charmcitysewcialFirst major finish of 2019: 13 baby blankets! I fell off the baby-blanket-making train early in 2018 and then...SO MANY babies were born!! 😂 I actually only made the six girl blankets in the first picture in 2019. I sewed the other seven in November. I had fun distributing a few at church today, gave away two in December and hopefully will be able to track down all the other mamas soon. A 9-month-old needs a blanket just as much as a newborn, right? 😉 #salmonandsouvlakisews #flannelbabyblanket #charmcitysewcialSo you all liked Ellie’s #fancyforestmedallionquilt! So do I! 😍 Here’s to another year of making and creating! Happy New Year! #salmonandsouvlakisews #bestnine2018 (pattern and fabric designers are tagged)So, I decided to jump in on the #yearofcolour2018/#yearofcolor2018 (The British spelling is for you @jon_judge 😉). I must admit to being a little bit surprised by my major colors. I wonder if all the pictures I posted from Northern Ireland this summer contributed to the larger more neutral circles. Anyway, I find this collection of colors very pleasing. 😍(which makes sense, considering I am the one who posted the pictures. 😂)To wrap up my sewing projects of 2018, here’s the official photo shoot of Ellie’s #fancyforestmedallionquilt. Although spread out over a year, the project took about four months. The center panel is from @elizabethagh’s #fancyforestquilt pattern. The outer borders are half-square triangles, flying geese, improv scrappy fun, and extra animals and circles (as inspired by @jessee_artschooldropout’s #pixelatedcirclesquilt pattern). I pieced Ellie’s name on the back using @elizabethagh’s #refrigeratormagnetpattern. It’s backed with quilter’s flannel from @joann_stores, at Ellie’s request. After I finished the quilt top, I discovered it was too long for her bed. So I took off the top border, chopped it into two end pieces it into the backing. All in all, a very fun project and best of all, Ellie allowed it to go into her bed! 😂 #salmonandsouvlakisews #baltimoremqg #quiltersofinstagram #charmcitysewcial #favoritequiltfinishin2018Introducing...my #100daysofsewingbeforechristmas project, the Twister quilt!! This is my second Twister quilt, the first one having been sewn for my brother-in-law and his family back in 2014. Ever since then I’ve been saying that I need to make one for my own family and I’m so glad that this project finally got one made! I put a giant checkerboard on the back and even made the checkers to go with it. Other than a big push at the end, to get it basted and quilted, the entirety of the quilt was generally sewn in 15 minutes segments. It’s pretty amazing what you can accomplish in 15 minutes a day! 😍 I did all all the quilting on the circles before assembling the quilt top so I wouldn’t have to do that while wrestling the entire quilt through my machine. . . . The pattern is my own exact rendering of a real Twister game board. I used some [long hoarded for this quilt] giant Marimekko trees (remnants purchased many years ago at @crateandbarrel) for the back. It’s so nice to finally use them! All the rest of the solids are @robertkaufman #konasolids. The binding is a red polka dot that I got a long time ago, also for this quilt and I don’t remember where I found it. That tells you how long I’ve been planning to make this thing! 😉 The drawstring bag tutorial is a favorite of mine from @jenib320 . #salmonandsouvlakisews #handmadeholidays2018 #quiltsofinstagram #baltimoremqg #charmcitysewcial #twisterquiltCategories
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Monthly Archives: March 2015
Sometimes Your Animals Just Need To Be Close
The other day, Mark asked me to help him put Bunny and Puppy on his back. He seems to have fond memories of being worn because now he’s helping out his animals in the same way! 🙂 I made him … Continue reading
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March Sewing: Flowers and a Heart for a Special Baby
I had the privilege of attending a baby shower on Saturday for a friend who is expecting a little girl in May. I made her a little baby blanket and wanting to add a bit of pink to the otherwise … Continue reading
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Favorite Books of 2014: Non-Fiction (everything else)
I read almost 100 books in 2014. Here are my favorites (and yes, I realize I’m nearly 3 months late with this list). I track my reading on Goodreads. So if we’re not friends there, you should join me! Here … Continue reading
My No-Shave Experiment – 121 Days and Counting (The REVEAL)
I haven’t shaved my legs or my armpits in 121 days (since November 22, 2014.) I did this deliberately. That day, I said to myself, “I’m going to shave today and then I’m not going to shave, for a long … Continue reading
Cute Children, Singing
My apologies for overwhelming you with videos this week! Ellie has been teaching Mark her Sunday School songs and here’s one. And, finally, I prove to you that Ellie has progressed beyond “Chukka, chukka, oh wah die” when it comes … Continue reading
Why Sourdough? Why Soaked? Why Even Bother?
A few weeks ago, my friend Liz left this comment on my “Seven Essential Tools for Baking” post. I answered her briefly in a comment there but promised her that I’d write a fuller response because I think it’s a … Continue reading
He Counts In Greek! And Sings in English!
It’s only fair that we show off Mark counting in Greek, right? Ellie had her moment in the spotlight, so here’s Mark’s. Unlike Ellie at this age, Mark is regularly and consistently counting to 20, usually perfectly, on his own. … Continue reading
