In which I give you a garden/yardwork update and betray my snobbery

First the update:

1. Garden: Our first harvest (besides the overwintered carrot): arugula (not pictured) and radishes!

2. Yardwork:  The progress continues.  I’ve completed the mulch circles/rings/keep the push mower away under all three trees in A1 (find the map here).

The dogwood:

And the redbud:

I also weeded the entire swiss chard bed in B1 now that the plants themselves are big enough to easily distinguish from the weeds.  We’re going to mulch it so hopefully the weeds will stay slightly more under control.  Favorite mulches, anyone?

You can see the mulch circle of the dogwood in the top right hand corner.

And I’m currently worked on the bed below the big bushes in A2, reclaiming the sidewalk.

3. The snobbery:  See the water bottle in the above picture?  It’s a kid’s Nalgene that my college sent to me after I had sent them the announcement that Ellie was born.  Ellie is in love with my Nalgene so I like giving her this one because it’s small enough for her to hold relatively easily.

Here it is even closer:

It was really nice of them to send me the water bottle (and probably good policy in terms of buttering me up to be a grateful, money-giving alumna).  Unfortunately, I cringe every time I look at it.  Why?  You mean it doesn’t just jump off the computer screen at you?

It doesn’t?  (Kelly, you probably have noticed by now.)  Fine, I’ll show it to you even closer.

Do you see it now?  It’s COMIC SANS!!  Gross!  Disgusting!  Gag me with a spoon! My least favorite font ever!!  The curse of being a teacher!!  And now I have to look at it every day because I’m too frugal to get rid of it and buy Ellie another one.  Really, Houghton?  Just because it’s for kids doesn’t mean you had to choose the “kid” font!  If I was your marketing department, I would have chosen the Houghton font and symbol (which by the way has been changed to a stylized H instead of the bell tower and I’m not happy about that either but that’s another story).  Don’t you want to start the brand loyalty early?

And so my friends, I’m going to end this post by complaining about a great thing that my college sent me for free because seriously, it hurts my eyes.  And I’m going to have to make sure Ellie understands that Mama doesn’t not approve of the font but she doesn’t believe in throwing things away just because they’re ugly.  So it will just have to hurt Ellie’s eyes too.

The End.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Posted in Ellie, gardening, just for fun | 7 Comments

Sleeping

I love how squishy her cheeks look when she falls asleep like this!

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Giveway Winner and Your Awesome Recommendations!

Everyone, thank you so much for your great recommendations!  I’m going to be able to sew for years based on all your ideas!  I decided to go through all your comments and compile them here to make it easier for me and anyone else who might be looking to find them.  I’m sure I missed some as I scanned through the comments so I’m sorry if I left out your recommendation.  I didn’t take (or have) the time to format the blog addresses or book names (or for that matter, to even verify that the names are correct).  And obviously, I don’t have any control over the content of these so proceed at your own risk (although I’m sure they’re fine).

I was amazed to get 176 comments and I wish I had enough fabric to send to all of you!  If you are not the winner, and you live near a Crate and Barrel outlet, then you might be able to find Marimekko remnants there.  I found a lot at the CB outlet in Leesberg, VA a couple years ago.

I ended up choosing two winners because I used a random number generator and the first number it picked was #3, my Aunt Zona!  I figured I probably shouldn’t only choose my aunt as the winner (as in, “Sure that was random Laura!”) so I had the random number generator chose another number, #34 – Aelysium of Ruminations! Congratulations to both Aelysium and Zona!  Aelysium – I’m going to send you the fabric in the picture.  Zona – I’m going to e-mail you and you can choose among my other fabric for your prize!

Aelysium said, “I really like dana-made-it.com, and makeit-loveit.com. They are great blogs with lots of fun ideas for kids clothes. thanks for the great giveaway! Love all of those fabrics!”

Zona said, “Those fabrics look very fun! Right now most of my sewing is to make table centerpieces for my church’s women’s ministry, which is up to 20 tables at this time – lots of turning and hemming! But I also love to make pillows and curtains. Some of that really cute fabric would end up in one of those projects!”

I’ve sent both an e-mail.  Please get back to me soon!

For all of us, here are your recommendations for sewing for girls:

Blogs:
MADE (very popular)
PrudentBaby.com (very popular)
ikatbag.com (Very popular)
weewonderfuls.typepad.com
thismamamakesstuff.com
luvinthemommyhood.com
purlbee.com
indie tutes
dana-made-it.com
makeit-loveit.com
Whimsy Couture on etsy
Made by Rae
elsiemarley.com (with Kids Clothing Week)
sewingin-nomansland.blogspot.com
fabricbowsandmore.blogspot.com
somethingsewspecial.blogspot.com
http://www.gritsandgiggles.blogspot.com
http://www.ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com
http://www.aestheticnest.com
Hyenacart.com
angry chicken
Craftiness is Not Optional
http://www.mommysaidsew.com.
everythingyourmamamade.com/tag/upcycled
thedillspiel.blogspot.com

Books:
Handmade Home by Amanda Soule (and her other books too)
Sewing Clothes Kids Love by Nancy Langdon
Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little Ones (and anything else from AB)
Carefree Clothes for Girls
A Girl’s World by Jennifer Paganelli
both of Alicia Paulsen’s books
Weekend Sewing
One Yard Wonders
Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner
“Little Girls, Big Style” by Mary Abreu
Lotta Jansdotter’s books
Meg McElwee’s Growing up Sew Liberated
Liesel Gibson’s new book “Simple Things to Sew”
Sew Tina

Other suggestions:
e-course from Whipstitch
Ottobre Design magazine
Oliver + S patterns
gathering foot “for making lots of twirly skirts”
patterns for baby quilts off the moda bake shop
littlelizardking patterns
Quilter’s Ark book (paper piecing animals) and the Block Magic books: for baby quilts
sensibility.com’s Girls’ Pinafore and Pantaloons pattern
Modkid Patterns
Farbenmix patterns
Lisette Patterns from Simplicity

Thanks everyone! Happy Sewing!

Posted in sewing | 1 Comment

Someone has a drooling problem

Welcome visitors from Sew Mama Sew!  You’ll find the Giveaway Day post here.


Posted in Ellie | 2 Comments

How I learned to sew

Welcome visitors from Sew Mama Sew!  You’ll find the Giveaway Day post here.

The other day, my sister Rachel and I were talking about sewing. She is just starting to sew and was commenting about how little she knew and how much she had left to learn.  I said something like, “Well, you can do it Rach.  Everything I know I taught myself from tutorials on the internet.”

That’s actually not true (sorry Rach!).  The specific skills that I have today such as zippers, box pleats, gussets, French seams, applique, quilt binding, and sew on, I did teach myself.

However, this is what I did not teach myself: the appreciation of a precise seam allowance and straight seam.  The compulsion to clip every stray thread and present a smooth and finished product.  The desire to make beautiful, useful things.  The simplicity and usefulness of a beautifully-sewn flannel baby blanket.  How to thread a sewing machine.  How to use one of those little 6-inch rulers with the little piece that moves so you can measure hems precisely.

All of these things I learned at the side of my mother when I was very young.  I learned by observation and then from her diligent teaching.  She gave me the foundation of sewing knowledge on top of which I have built the skills that I use every day.  And sew you could say, I owe my love of sewing and my ability to  sew to my mother.

Sew today, on the occasion of your 60th birthday, I say to you, Priscilla Lorene Judge, my precious mother:

Thank you, thank you for raising me to love beauty, to love precision, to love sewing, to love gardening, to love kids, and to love the Lord.  I love you!

Happy Birthday!

This is also my belated, “Happy Mother’s Day” post!

And for all of you who are just about gagging on all the “sew” puns – my mother loves a good pun sew I figured she’d appreciate these.  Sew just don’t worry about it!

Posted in faith, family, love, parenting, reflecting, sewing | 3 Comments

Because we’re totally coordinated around here

Welcome visitors from Sew Mama Sew!  You’ll find the Giveaway Day post here.

We only play with toys that match our clothes.*

It’s just the way the way we roll.

*(And if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you too.)

Posted in Ellie | 3 Comments

Think they might be cousins?

Welcome visitors from Sew Mama Sew!  You’ll find the Giveaway Day post here.

Jonas at 7 months (I think, am I close Meggan?)

Ellie at 7 1/2 months

Posted in Ellie, family | 3 Comments

Giveaway Day!

To everyone coming here from Sew Mama Sew‘s Giveaway Day, welcome!  I’m excited to have you all visit.  I love to sew and have learned so much from  all the tutorials on SMS’s blog.  In case you’re interested, I keep track of my sewing projects here.

I’m giving away an assortment of Marimekko fabric, which I got from a Crate and Barrel that was moving a few years ago.  They are remnant pieces so the pieces are various sizes.

I’ve made all kinds of fun projects with this fabric, including this crazy hat, this nursing cover (the blue/green one) and this draft snake for our living room.

My current sewing fascination is with sewing clothes for my little girl, who is almost 8 months old.  To enter the giveaway, please tell me your favorite book or website about sewing for little kids.    Giveaway is closed!  And if you don’t sew for little ones, then just tell me your current sewing project.  And if you don’t sew, tell me why you don’t!

The giveaway will close at 8:00 pm EST on Wednesday, May 25th.  At that time, I’ll pick a winner randomly.  Sorry, but I will only be able to ship to a U.S. winner.   Please make sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you comment so I know how to contact you if you win. Friends and family – you’re welcome to enter too!  Good luck and thanks for visiting!

Posted in sewing | 177 Comments

A winning combination

What do you get when you combine a drooling, teething baby and digging in the mud while her mama does yardwork?

A goatee!

(And Zona, you’re right – I guess I can take some cute pictures too!)

Posted in Ellie, gardening | 2 Comments

Nik takes all the cute pictures!

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