Needing a Boost

If I didn't have incentive to sew, this little stack of fabric should do it for me.  Last Friday afternoon while Mama was in the beauty shop, I went over to Wetumpka to Beth's Heirlooms with the sole purpose of getting that Easter-y looking dotted stripes fabric.  There was a sweet outfit pictured on her Facebook page, and I already had the shirt and the design.

I'm playing around with some fabrics for the Easter eggs on the shirt, but I've mainly just stacked it up and ignored it.  The bottom fabric is the sweetest softest fine-wale corduroy.  I have in mind a long-sleeved smock top for Graysen to wear with leggings until it gets warm in Snoqualmie - end of June maybe?

The yellow is just a broadcloth I might either smock or embroider a simple dress.  Such a pretty color.

So if I'm not sewing, what am I doing?

Cleaning out and throwing away a little.  A LOT.

After digging through my crowded pattern box, I decided to file my Children's Corner and other nice ones in the top drawer of my filing cabinet where they're easier to get to.

I'm putting them in file folders so when the escape that little envelope they come in and will never go back in, they can spread out in a bigger space.  I'm also copying a picture of the pattern and sizing information, etc. to tape to the front of the folder.

I had to do something with what was already there, so I moved it down to the 3rd drawer which was full of empty file folders and plastic sleeves -  things like computer information, old check stubs, folders of Christmas ideas and crafts and decorations that I've finally realized I don't even like and have learned by now what I'm capable of.

When I was in my 30s with 3 children and a group of friends who lived to cross-stitch and smock and craft, I actually did a lot of the things in those folders.  They look familiar anyway.  I love that I had hopes that "someday" I would have the time and/or skills to create all these things.   It kind of makes me sad to throw them away.

We did make bread-dough ornaments - once.  I don't remember much about it.  I know they looked nothing like the ones in these pictures, but we probably had fun doing them.

I have to laugh at this set of plans for a sewing center that I saved once - probably in the 1970s after I got my first little Kenmore sewing machine.  At $.75 for a full set of plans, it had to be a long time ago.   I showed it to Mike, and he thought it was hilarious that I thought he would ever be able to or have interest in making something like that.  I think the hilarious thing is really that it would take a dozen of those to house my sewing stuff now.

I see my coffee stains on the bottom of it, so I did once consider it enough to open it and look at it.

Looking through the Christmas cross-stitch folder, I did come across patterns that I wanted to keep.  Like the companion pictures to this one that I love.

It has so much detail and was so much fun to do at the time.

It seems a shame to have something like that just come out at Christmas, but I might look at making the other 2 and framing them similarly.

I have nothing else to do, after all.

Mike finally tore himself away from his babysitting duties and came home.  He misses those sweet morning times with her when she was allowed to empty bookcases and toy baskets to her heart's content while he watched and marveled at her energy.

He was good enough to send me pictures every few hours and some videos that I treasure.  Since I haven't figured out how to save them yet (slow learner) and I don't like to search my emails, this is a good repository for them.  

I just learned some details about the following video.  The little fenced area with the floor mat has been wonderful for keeping Graysen's toys corraled - before she became ambulatory.  She would play in there but never allow the prison door to be closed.

Then she discovered the floor mat came apart in little puzzle pieces, so that became a happy pastime.  Now I hear that the floor mat is gone, and the fenced-in area has become a parking garage for her riding and push toys.

Mike couldn't resist getting Ryan working his magic on whatever he was smoking that day.  Makes my mouth water to think about it.

(I'm not sure why the videos aren't working, but I'll try to fix it later.)

 He may not be missing these cold rainy walks.  But it's hard not to want to gaze at and snuggle this sweet face every day.

One more video that I loved until I saw her linger over the picture of the s___ke and actually touch her finger to it.

Looks like it's her favorite book though.  She seems to be looking for Pat-the-Bunny type textures (scales).

Today is our beautiful daughter-in-law Stephanie's birthday.  I don't get to see her and Gray as much as I would like, and I miss them, but I hope she has a wonderful day.

Last Sunday we had a shower for a sweet friend from the Friday morning Bible study group, Kari.  It was lots of fun with good food and laughter and gift for little Leah due to arrive in a couple of weeks.

She already has 2 little boys, so these little girl things were fun for her to open.  She may even begin to like pink one day.

Speaking of babies, we have a new cousin in Florida, but I don't even know his name yet.  I have a bunch of cousin pictures to post, but I've used up my whole morning, so maybe tomorrow for more.

Going home to a BIG sister, Emma, who is all of 15 months old.  Fun, chaos, hard work, and lots of love in the coming weeks.