Summer Fun

Been busy busy last month, nothing like a tornado, hail storms and power outages to keep life interesting. Oh and a canceled vacation (due to the van breaking down on the side of the road an HOUR from home! :( It's fixed now :) I did manage to sneak in some sewing before we embarked on our failed trip, so now I just get to enjoy everything at home!






First, I gotta brag a minute. This is the first house we have lived in that I can have a garden and well I am excited to say it is moving along quite nicely!

My lovely hibiscus Mother's Day plant. Fab huh? There has been too many blooms to count!


hmm looks like I didn't upload the garden pics I will have to do that later, but you can see part of my herb garden in the background of the hibiscus picture :).






First up is my mess of needles, oh it was bad bad. Couldn't even zip it up!
























Much better, all of the knitting needles are nicely nested and organized :D














The crochet needles and project bag. Four skeins of yarn fit in that bag!
















Another Amy Butler Barcelona skirt. I picked up this fabric on a whim in a coop thinking it would be lovely and summery. It was perfect for the 4th of July celebrations! I also altered 2 other skirts smaller so I have a few more clothes that fit!














A super HUGE diaper bag, fits everything and then some, and matching wristlet. The beige fabric is linen; the inside (which I didn't take a picture of) is Amy Butler Full Moon Polka dot in blue, coordinates nicely :)


























Wetbags (for cloth diapers, wet clothes, etc) the blue owls is hanging and hold at least a day and a half of diapers! the orange is minkee (and the stitching is wonky durn PUL, but it works), the skulls is wipes and spray bag and the blue is for cloth pads :)








That's it for now got a few knitting/crochet projects going- ohhh I gotta take pictures of the yarn swift Kev made me! It's awesome! And I am hoping to make some clothes that fit (lost all the baby weight- yay! ALL of my clothes are too big and falling off of me -boo! and embarrassing!)

Love Annmarie

Mama, i can sew too!

Little i has taken a liking to my sewing stuff, so santa brought him his own sewing materials. Anyone had these cards as a kid? I did made me so happy to find them and share them with my kids.

Little i proudly displaying his 'i did it, i diiiid iiit' sewing.

Wait how does this work again?

How is the quilt coming, you ask? Very well! I have about half of the fabrics cut and then neglected it all weekend because I had to test out my new bamboo crochet hook!

Love Annmarie

Cute Skirts Skirt

Another finished project. 'sigh' really and truly nothing better. Today it is the Cute Skirts skirt from Favorite Things Cute Skirts pattern. I don't know what it is, but I simply am unable to call it a cute skirt, it is the cute skirts skirt. Anyway, I made the panel skirt (has 8 panels), it has a flat front, and elastic back so no zippers for the zipperphobic (Mum!). This was a fairly easy pattern to follow, but perhaps not the best for someone who has never sewn a skirt. There are no lay out directions for cutting fabric and no mention of hemming the panel skirt (the flounce variation mentions a 1/8th inch hem but not the panel directions). Not a great problem for me, but someone new to sewing might get confused and frustrated.

Isn't it nice and spring-y (can you tell I like nice weather!)? Now only if it would be nice enough outside to wear it!

I was wearing a sweater that did not show the waist at all- it lays nice and flat in the front.

And the back is gathered and fuller looking.

So can you see where I was short fabric? If you can't tell then I won't! All in all, a fun pattern to sew and I think I will definitely make it again.

And now because it IS so cold outside I made baby n some crochet longies. Longies are usually wool and used with cloth diapering but I think they are incredibly cute just for kids to wear. But I cannot use wool (have skin allergies), so these were made using worsted weight acrylic yarn that I had laying around the house and US 8 hook (I tend to have a loose tension so need a smaller then recommended size). I crocheted in the round and increased in the bottom area. They are by no means perfect but I did them in one evening and they have survived 2 meals, 8 trips around the house, and 1 grocery shopping trip!

In completely unrelated events: when making bread in a bread machine over night, one must press the start button to actually have bread for breakfast and not a pile of water, butter, cranberries and flour. Umm oops. :)

Love Annmarie

Crochet Zen

Oohh ooh! I have completed my first crochet project following a pattern. Which is pretty great considering I have been working on a baby blanket for... 2 years? 0r 3? hmm I think it was at least 3 moves. Anyway finished project- the crazy easy urban soft newsboy cap on etsy.com (the one linked is sold but she lists more ;) It is a great pattern and honestly, it's easy. I even learned how to do a double half something or other that I have never understood. Uses the absolute biggest crochet hook ever: size Q, which makes it all the more fun for some reason. I didn't quite get the the stitches tight enough on the crown but I managed to shrink it just right in the dryer.





And here it is. The most beautiful color of blue: which is extra special to me because it was one of our wedding colors! I think I might add a sweet little red flower or button w/a cream center and have all of our colors.

Little i has already aquired it as his own, so I guess I should try making the child's sized cap!












Now for the zen. Little i's work, of course.

Don't know what you are looking at? That would be the snack food from the snack food bucket (which is on the right) in the boys' bug catcher net. Apparently he wanted to catch a little snack. and the three toys behind the net- yes they have tiny portions of trail mix in them. Makes me giggle every time I see this picture. The snacks ARE in a child proof cabinet- but little i can open it :O!!





That's it for today.
Love
Annmarie