This little turkey wanted to say hello too! 🙂
It deserves its own post but probably won’t get one. It was a fun little project that Ellie pushed me to finish in November, using this tutorial. I finally managed to sew something for our home for Thanksgiving! (But still haven’t sewn that tablecloth...)
We’re grateful for you!
Love, Nik, Laura, Ellie, and Marko
On Monday, Mark was running FAST (as he always does), tripped on who knows what, and slammed his face onto a little chair at our art table. Blood poured out of his mouth and eventually I figured out that he’d managed to put a pretty large gash above his gums inside his upper lip. After a couple hours of wondering if we should, I took him to a nearby urgent care. Thankfully, he didn’t end up needing stitches and it’s healing well now. I do feel the need to commemorate this event however because it’s the first time we’ve had to take a child to urgent care (or the ER) and of course, it was our boy, not our girl who sent us there. Everyone told us that we would need urgent care more once we had a boy and I guess they were right! I am thankful we made it to almost three years old before we had to go.
poor sad face from all the crying. 😦
Last night, he told Nik that he had to see two doctors because he was TWO! (In reality, our first doctor was interviewing for a job so the 2nd doctor had to come in and check her work.)
And in other news, I’ve already completed my Black Friday shopping! Joann Fabrics decided to start the flannel doorbuster on Tuesday this year. So I got up early, was the first person there at 5:45 am, bought a year’s supply of flannel, and was home in time for Nik to get to work at 7:15. I’ll still go out and get some poinsettias at Home Depot on Friday morning but other than that, I’m done!
Finally, I leave you with three adorable kids, singing and having a grand time together! We’re thankful for our little friend who comes to play with us (and brings her mother too) almost every week!
taken on 11/17/15
Years ago (2008?), the Crate and Barrel store near me was selling Marimekko remnant fabric for $1/pound. This was in my early fabric acquisition days when I had hardly any fabric and the idea of getting “ALL THAT FABRIC FOR SO CHEAP” was irresistible. And so I bought just about every piece of fabric in the store that had any appeal to me. (In other words, I bought way too much.) I’ve used it in lots of projects over the years, including in my Twister quilt and a drawstring bag for toys and I’ve even given bunches of it away (in 2011 and 2013). Slowly but surely, I’ve worn down the pile except for one last stack of fabric I’d been saving for the perfect project. This summer, I came home from being the wedding coordinator for a friend’s daughter’s wedding, and in a fit of brilliance, conceived the plan for this quilt.
The entire quilt is made from the one special Marimekko patterned fabric and 3 solids (dark brown, yellow, and maroon). I cut some of the Marimekko on the bias to give more visual interest to the quilt. I can’t tell you how much I love looking at this different patterns in the quilt and knowing that it’s really just one fabric.
Each row has four blocks, one block with a non-brown (either yellow or maroon) border, and three blocks which each have a different small section on the bias (either the 8″x5″ section, the 8″x8″ section, or the 5″x14″ section.)
I used my remaining larger pieces to sew a pieced backing.
I quilted it with lines spaced one inch apart, using 3 colors of thread (maroon, dark brown, light brown), attempting to approximate the variegated thread that I would have used to quilt it in my ideal world. I started out with a big off-set 2-inch wide X.
That yellow block is my favorite one.
I bound it with the Marimekko cut on the bias to get the angled stripes.
My plan all along has been for this to be the quilt that we take with us for picnics and other outings to the park. My resolve was tested this summer, when, while on vacation at Niagara Falls, we needed something to sit on for lunch. I was hand-sewing on the binding while we were driving and sew, although I still had binding clips on it, it had a trial run. I was nervous the whole time that it was going to get dirty because I was planning to enter it into the state fair. Thankfully, it survived.
the first food-seeking ant
crumbs! dirty feet!
By now, we’ve actually used it and I’m getting used to thinking about it as a quilt that can get dirty, because well, it’s going to if its job is to be used on the ground!
our first friend to join us on the quilt
even truck driving!
Now, I’m plotting my next quilt (which promised to be much more difficult and even larger than this one, which finished at around 70″ by 70″).
As is our custom (here’s 2012, 2013 and 2014), we went to Weber’s Cider Mill Farm back in late October of our kids with the pumpkins. Unlike last year, when we got basically ZERO good pictures due to an unfortunately busy forklift, this year, I had a hard time choosing from all the cuteness. I think this means they’re growing up!
They both smiled for the camera
will the drooling never end?
and obligingly posed with their mother.
There was, of course, lots of running,
silliness with pumpkins and gourds,
REALLY BIG AND HEAVY!!!
and apple truck driving/riding.
Mark was thrilled to “drive” a forklift and we even “talked” to Nana (who we were leaving to see in just a few days).
All in all, we spent a really fun hour with our kids that day. Did it hurt that now they are old enough to know what apple cider doughnuts are and that a tasty treat was awaiting them at the end of the photo shoot? Probably not! 😉
Well, I seem to be on an every-two-week posting schedule around here. Hopefully one of these days I’ll find the time to be a real blogger again!
We found this fun Amy Butler print (and the solid pink) while on vacation in the Niagara Falls region in August (yet another trip un-blogged, sniff, sniff). When we were touring the Niagara peninsula (on the Canadian side), we came across this lovely fabric store, Modern Bee, after it had already closed for the evening. Nik super kindly agreed to go back the next morning (way out of our way), because I now have a tradition of making Ellie’s birthday dress from fabric I buy on vacation. For her third birthday dress, I found the fabric in Montana and for her fourth birthday dress, I found it in Culpepper, Virginia.
And here we are, for her fifth birthday! I used the Book Report pattern from Oliver+S.
Isn’t she just the sweetest? 🙂
I switched up the fabric combinations a bit (the original pattern calls for the print on the sleeves and solid cuffs). I had bought all the store had of the print though and just barely managed to eke out enough. I like the color blocking effect of solid sleeves and print cuffs.
fun box pleat at the back
cuffs with button loops – the sleeves are a bit long so I need to move the buttons over a bit for now to keep them from falling down on her hands. I’m glad it will fit her for a while!
the front yoke overlaps the back yolk and then fastens with two button loops – I love that hint of extra yellow (a perfect match that I happened to have in my stash!)
lovely pleats in the front too!
The pattern also has on-seam front pockets (a new skill for me!) with a shot of orange.
As I was cutting out the dress, I started to worry that the pink skirt would be a bit too plain. I had begun to try to figure out how to cut a flower from the print when I realized that this was the perfect chance to try out making hexies. I’ve been reading about this sewing craze on the sewing blogs for forever. I’m SO glad this project propelled me to try them because now I just want to SEW ALL THE HEXIES!!!!!
Isn’t that the cutest thing ever?
All in all, this was a fun, relatively fast dress to sew. Ellie has actually even worn it once already! (I just never know if she’s actually going to wear what I sew her, even if I give pnik, pink, pink like this one.)
Ellie wants you to see her new silver shoes, too. 🙂
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If you want to know how to sew hexagons yourself (because really, who wouldn’t?), I used this tutorial (part 1 and part 2), and found the instructions really easy to follow. I especially love that it’s totally portable, uses up scraps, and ends up so perfectly precise (as you all know, another love of mine when it comes to sewing).
I cut my own card stock hexagon shapes for this project but I think I’m going to buy a pack of pre-cut papers
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And, because I’m sure you want more sewing/hexie eye candy, check out this heirloom quilt, made around 100 years ago (or so) by my father’s mother’s family. They were all amazing quilters who lived in western Montana. The quilt is HUGE and it’s all hexagons!! (It’s the Grandmother’s Garden quilt pattern.)
SO MANY HEXAGONS!! (2,318, to be precise)
up close – even more amazing!!
So, this is what I’m aspiring to – recreating this quilt. It lives with my sister now, lucky girl! (I have another amazing heirloom quilt of my own.) Now that I know how to make hexagons, I’m going to start working on it! I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
We’ve been celebrating Ellie’s birthday for days now, starting with our family birthday bash (5 birthdays in 3 weeks) at Yiayia’s house on Saturday.
wearing her new favorite accessory, the tiara from Yiayia!
opening her birthday dress sewn by yours truly
For the second year in a row, I made a dual-personality cake, chocolate for the chocolate lovers, spiced carrot cake for the more sophisticated tastes (ha!). Which side would you have chosen?
Then, last night, we had her birthday dinner, joined by Pappou. She chose blueberry buttermilk pancakes with bacon, for the 2nd year running.
By tonight, her actual birthday, she was so exhausted she could barely eat dinner and so, we managed to blow out the candles, open one last little present, and we’ll eat her cake tomorrow.
that’s the 2nd layer, unused from Saturday’s cake extravaganza
putting her “little skinny markers” (a birthday present from Grandpa) into the pouch I made her at 4:00 this afternoon in the hopes that they might be safe there from her little brother. I’m not feeling too optimistic about that one!
It’s hard to believe that it was five years ago today that Ellie joined our family. She amazes us every day with her insatiable drive to create (the way she consumes art supplies…), her perceptive comments about friends and family, her incredibly fertile imagination, and her dawning desire to write. She fills our house with light, love, and energy and we can’t imagine life without her.
We love you so much Ellie! May God bless you and keep you and bring you peace in this coming year!
Recently, Mark has become obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED, with peeling things, particularly crayons and whole garlic cloves. He peels the garlic while he sits on the counter next to me when I’m making dinner. This is really useful on two fronts – I have peeled garlic to use and he’s not pestering his sister during the arsenic hour.
nothing a broom can’t take care of!
Even more useful to me, however, is his obsession with peeling crayons. This has been going on for a couple weeks and we’ve almost run out of crayons to peel. At this point, he’s even peeled all of our little bits of broken crayons that I’ve been saving to send in to a crayon recycling place (like this). Not exaggerating, he’ll peel crayons for an hour straight, totally content. He gave up napping a couple months ago and he spends quiet time in the office/playroom with me so that Ellie can have her own quiet time that’s actually peaceful.
He can even peel while lying on his back!
Peeling crayons has been keeping me sane the past couple weeks. So anyone – do you have any old crayons to donate to us for peeling? We’ll take them!
And, add “peeling things” to my list of screen-free mesmerizing tips for kids! Don’t forget about painting the house, washing shells, pouring water, cutting paper, and playing with potato peels!
Last Tuesday, we took an early morning walk (mainly to avoid the extreme heat).
Bear and Joey (as in, kangaroo baby joey) came along and they needed a lot of nursing that morning.*
Sometimes, Mark asks to put on a shirt so he can nurse his animals! (They hang out under his shirt a lot.)
Once I started interviewing them about their babies, it became clear that their babies were actually toddlers, and that Ellie and Marko have very clear opinions on how long babies should nurse! Hooray for extending nursing!
http://https://youtu.be/7NyHvq6rQ2M
http://https://youtu.be/aB3aafDBYtk
Ghee-Ghee is Ellie’s imaginary friend who Mark accepts without question. We only talk to Ghee-Ghee on the old rotary phone that’s on the wall outside the laundry room downstairs. Too bad Ghee-Ghee also seems to like hitting Joey.
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*I initially said “no” to their request to bring their stuffed animals along on their walk and then I thought, “Why am I saying no?” As it turned out, upon reflection, I was saying no automatically and without a good reason. So I changed my mind, cautioned them that only kids carried stuffed animals, not mamas, and we had a lovely walk. Hooray for saying yes!
Yesterday, Ellie, Marko, and I started attending our new preschool co-op, “Homemade Preschool”. There are nine mamas, 12 kids, and it’s shaping up to be great Thursday mornings for the whole year. The co-op is meeting in the house of my very first co-workers, back when I first moved to Baltimore in 2002. Matt and Kedri were married but with no kids at that time, I was single, and now there are six kids in the mix (plus a husband for me!). So it’s been pretty cool to see our lives come back together like this.
with raincoats and rain boots because of yesterday’s torrential rains!
Anyway, yesterday was not my day to teach but Ellie had initially told me that she didn’t want to stay (because all the other kids are 2-4 and she’s almost 5). Plus I was scheduled to get together with a friend of mine. I wasn’t thinking that I’d have a free morning to myself, in other words. But then, Ellie said she wanted to stay, Marko was totally fine (“Aren’t you sad about me leaving you in this strange house, even a little bit?!?!”), my friend had to cancel, and I found myself driving home, alone, in the quiet.
Great, you say, right? A whole free morning, ALL BY YOURSELF! Well, I found myself feeling inexplicably, irrationally sad the whole morning. I did work super hard and get a sewing project completed (start to finish! amazing what I can complete without little bodies around to distract me) so that should have made me happy. But instead, I think I was just mourning the loss of our friends who moved to Cambodia. Up until now, it’s been easy enough to think “Oh, they’re just off on summer vacation. They’ll be back soon.” But now that school has started, all of a sudden, it’s real. They’re gone, we’re at a strange preschool co-op that’s a 15-20 minute drive away instead of 5, there aren’t any kids Ellie’s age because they’re all in Pre-K or K and life feels just a bit off.
And, this is weird I know, but I also felt anxious and sad because they were going to eat lunch without me. Neither Ellie or Marko have ever eaten lunch without a family member with them. They’ve had lunch at Yiayia’s house before without us but never without family. Who will make sure they eat? Will someone open their containers? Who will take care of them? Don’t they need me to be with them, all the time, every day?
For the record, they were totally fine, they ate lunch exactly as they always do (Mark = all the sandwich, not much else, Ellie = not much sandwich but everything else), the other mamas are lovely and took care of them (of course), they had a fabulous time, and Marko evidently talked the most during the circle time weather discussion! (That’s my extroverted, chatty 2.667-year-old for you!)
After we got home, I asked Ellie, “Did you feel different eating lunch without Mama?” and she laughed and said, “NO!” as in, “What a silly question, Mama!”
So, I’m sitting with sadness about changes that are good too, with missing my dear friend Emily, with not knowing how the coming year will go in finding homeschooling friends for Ellie, and also with gratefulness that we’re able to be part of Homemade Preschool for this year of transition for us.
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And yes, I finally made Marko his own backpack, thanks to the Labor Day long weekend.
upon receiving the backpack I finally made for him, just in time for preschool!
I decided not to fight the “things that go” obsession (even though I do try hard not to sew super gender-stereotypical things for my kids) and so we have an all truck/car/plane backpack. Just like Ellie’s backpack, he has his initial on the front pocket and a car on the back (because it’s for taking things in the car).
hard to see but I love the polka dots of his “M” – that fabric is from his quilt!
And, thanks to my sister-in-law Nikki giving me this adorable crib sheet, I had the perfect fabric to line it with (plus make the straps)!
What’s the first thing Marko put in his backpack? A truck of course.
Want to make your own lined drawstring backpack? Use my tutorial, like I did! 🙂
My friends in the band, Sojourne, are holding a “Pass It On Day” to help us remind each other in Baltimore, “of the love and generosity already on its streets.”
Here’s my video contribution!
Thanks, Marie!
Salmon and Souvlaki 