Busy bee me

I know it seems like I let a time slip by without posting much. Summers are challenging because they are so busy. One of my projects has been renovating the guest/project room. It is a small bedroom and I needed a project room much more than we needed a guest bedroom so even though it took me two years to do it,  I finally sold our super-comfy queen size bed that didn't fit in the room no matter how you tried to arrange it. And then I built two more to fit into the space (yes two more!)

This is the XL Full daybed I built with a Full-size trundle beneath it - two beds in a smaller space. I already love how the smaller beds have transformed the space in the room. I also made the drapes and pillows (after all this room is also my project room!)

The dresser is an antique yellow pine one that I fell in love with at an antique show in Boston and have had ever since. I wouldn't dream of painting it antique white to "match". I like the Bohemian look to this room.

Kevin helped by finally replacing the closet doors in this room. They had to be removed during the radiant floor-retrofitting, but that was two years ago... The quilt on my design board is the most recent one I've completed.

On the other side of the room is my somewhat organized, always in use, sewing space. I built this desk as a Christmas present to myself last December but it's been in use from the day the paint dried so I've never taken a photo of it. I custom-built it 2" lower than average so it suits my height perfectly (no more stretching my toes down like a child to reach the sewing machine pedal!)

I've tried to make the most of the space by adding shelving to store fat quarters, peg board to keep my sewing tools within reach and a fabric covered design bulletin board for my lists and ideas.

On the corner wall I painted a pair of thread-holding racks and mounted them to keep my thread with reach as well. The sewing desk is large enough to accommodate both my serger and my regular sewing machine at the same time and for large projects, I can pull the table away from the wall to let the fabric drape over the other side as I'm sewing. Forms follows function is the motto of this room.

Halloween Witch

I'll get you my pretty!

And your little dog too!

But if you give me some candy,

 then I won't turn you into a toad!

Savannah's scary witch costume and William's frog costume for Halloween. Savannah filled her cauldron with Halloween treats despite the initial downpour.

A little something for everyone

For reasons I don't understand, my midwife insists that I have on hand a stack of ten flannel receiving blankets when baby is born. For Savannah I got by just fine with four or five. I don't like to have extra of most things around unless it's part of an emergency supply (like canned goods, medical supplies and of course, my stash of fabric). But, I finally gave in and made a stack of four new receiving blankets for baby to add to the pile I already had leftover from Savannah.


As well as some double-sided burp cloths with fabric I had leftover from a gift to another mom last year.


Every savvy mom knows that you can't go around making new things for baby unless you make something for the G.O. (genuine original, aka, big) sibling too. So, Miss Savannah got two new fabric belts. One is made from Amy Butler's pink Wallflower fabric. This belt is three fabric layers thick and 3/4" wide and is super cute on her with her new jeans.


The second is an all-scrap belt made with two layers plus batting for strength and is 1" wide. They both do a great job of holding up her pants on her skinny little waist so she doesn't get plumber's butt - a common occurrence when she isn't wearing a belt.


And, I made a little something for Mommy as well. In many countries there is a long tradition of belly binding after birth. The purpose is to restore the body to its original shape as quickly as possible while providing support for the stretched stomach muscles that must realign and tighten again as well as the lower back, which is stressed more with picking up baby at a time when it is weakest (due to those stretched tummy muscles). They also help restore stretched out skin to its original shape and help mothers maintain good posture. Unfortunately, unless you live in LA or NYC, you can't try on a belly binder, you have to special order them and they are non-returnable items, which stinks if you don't get the correct size since the prices range from $60-110. So, I made my own out of a soft washable pima cotton with organic cotton batting for strength (both scraps from other projects). We'll have to see how it goes, I may end up shelling out the dough for one of the expensive ones anyway but I'm eager to try mine out. Belly binders are usually worn for 2 weeks to 2 months post delivery. In Mexico a belly binder is called a "faja" and in Japan a "sarashi". In some regions, women see a special belly binder whose job it is just to bind women or fit them for a binder.


My belly binder has a 2" velcro strip that can attach to a patch of velcro on the other side that is 4" wide. I hope the 4" strip gives me enough flexibility but in case it doesn't, I can add on another 2". It is 9" tall or wide so it will stretch from the top of my hip girdle to just beneath my lower ribs. Usually bellies shrink by 5" after delivery and then very slowly thereafter, although belly binding is supposed to speed up this recovery process and restore the body to its original shape faster.

April showers bring...

...more time to complete our inside projects.

The floor pillows I made for Savannah's playroom, plus the sofa pillows below. The floor cushions are big and soft - 24" x 24" and have removable cotton covers that can be washed in the machine.


And I finished my first Boppy or nursing pillow cover. I used a soft Minky fabric from my stash that Savannah had picked out a while ago in case baby is a girl. This was my first invisible zipper and it turned out well enough for my first try. I must have pulled on the fabric (Minky fabric is maddeningly stretchy) a bit because there is a small pucker around it. I'm so glad I make a 22" zipper instead of the 14" zipper called for. It takes just the right amount of pushing and pulling to remove this pillow cover.


See the puckered edge at the top where my invisible zipper is? All the rest of the wrinkles smoothed out after a day of "use" by a practicing future Big Sister.

Savannah snuggles with her Lovey, Bunny, while learning how to hold baby sister or brother. She also helped me pick out a Lovey for baby on Friday.

Pillows, pillows, and more pillows

While I've always appreciated how quickly a change of pillow cover can coordinate a room, I've never been a big fan of a pile of decorative pillows. My philosophy is function first, then make that useful item as beautiful as possible.

Since we're doing well with the tiling and grouting, I decided to go ahead and knock off some pillows for the sofa I ordered in red microfiber for the family room. I figure if I don't get it done before baby arrives, it might be put on the back burner for a long time and Savannah deserves a finished playroom of her own.

Pair of sofa pillows and covers for Savannah's playroom in Alexander Henry's Kleo on the front and Esprit stripe on the back. Removable with button and ribbon closure and machine-washable - a necessary feature for young kiddies!

I made the playroom curtains in Alexander Henry's Mocca fabric so I decided to use the coordinating Kleo and Esprit stripe fabrics for the sofa pillows. Both pillows are an easy 20" x 20" square and I made a back flap of fabric with a button (that Savannah selected herself) so I can machine wash them.

The back view of the pillow covers in Esprit stripe with the turquoise ribbon and bright red buttons Savannah picked out for the button closures.

I want a very child-friendly playroom with safe floor space for moving and playing so instead of cluttering up the space with extra furniture, I'm making floor cushions that are 24" x 24" for the kids to sit on. Savannah tested the pillow forms out at JoAnn's and loved the big ones best. JoAnn's is having a 50% sale on all pillow forms this week by the way, including their "Nurture Nest" U-shaped pillow form, which is identical to a Boppy (except it's only $10). Coming up next - two coordinating floor cushions.

Baby wrap - a swaddling aid

I've just made a prototype that I'm calling the Baby Wrap (Baby Burrito was already trademarked!). It's purpose is to help new parents swaddle their babies. Swaddling is so important to the well-being of newborns but unless you're willing to take the time to learn how to swaddle your little bundle snugly (and I think some Dads give up when their swaddles come undone because they're afraid of wrapping up something so precious and fragile too tightly), it can be a frustrating act that gets handed over to mom, or left out all together.

Rather than make a blanket (everyone has tons of baby blankets already), this wrap is intended to go around the outside of a blanket - no matter how you've bundled or swaddled the little one. My hope is that it will hold together even a loose swaddle, but I'll have to wait for my neighbors to report on its usefulness since they are my first testers - and the inspiration behind the design.


The outside is a soft quilter's cotton with 1/2" double-fold bias tape.

The inside is a super-soft Minky fabric with stars. My prototype went together quickly but I'll wait to have it tested with a real baby and daddy before making changes and improvements.

Due to a lack of infant models in my house, here's parrot, modeling the swaddle, which did a great job of holding his wings in close and snug to his body! If we had more baby dolls around, it probably would have made for a less comical model and I could have showed it with a blanket or sleeping sack. Anyway, there are two 6" strips of velcro on the inside to make it adjustable and hopefully easy to tighten around baby. I will send this little creation to my neighbors and see what they report after a few days of use. If all works well - I'll post a tutorial and make another one for my bambino on the way so Kevin won't be so frustrated when it's his turn to swaddle his little bundle.

Quilt block dilemma - Sophia's cows

There was something about these little moo cows that caught my eye on a recent trip to the fabric store for something entirely different. Savannah liked it too "for a Sophia" so we stacked up some coordinating fat quarters and half yards and brought them home for whenever I might have time to start thinking about making something for baby. I was hoping to make two simple, alternating quilt blocks in contrasting colors for baby's undeveloped eyes. But I can't find a decent pattern to contrast with this block that I do like. Here's my first block attempt (it doesn't work at all but I really wanted to find a way to use the cow print and polka dots).

I think this quilt may be suffering from a lack of white space. Maybe I'll try removing the stripes and replacing it with white fabric. Unfortunately, I can't find any of my white fabric at the moment since it's all packed away in boxes. I'm reluctant to purchase new fabric since I'm trying to put my craft room, which is the dining room table until the basement is tiled, on a fabric diet. I also considered embroidering "Moo!" on white squares that would alternate with the cows but I usually waste fabric when embroidering on small 4" squares like these. Plus, then I'm back to wading through boxes to find my white fabric...


Cute little moo, moos. Wonder what I'll come up with for a Baby William quilt. With the fabric diet in place, I may have to use up my Kaffe Fassett stash for a bright, gender-neutral quilt.

Playroom curtains complete

Between books and a busy schedule of work crews shuffling in and out of the house, I've been working on completing Savannah's playroom curtains. She picked out Alexander Henry's Mocca fabric and the timing was excellent because I found it on sale for $5/yard (Alexander Henry fabrics are never $5/yard!). Lucky me. If I convince Kevin of the red sofa for the kids playroom, then some pillows in the same fabric will go on the sofa. If not, I'll make floor cushions for the kids or fabric baskets to organize their toys for the room.

The floor for the playroom has been leveled and poured and the radiant heating is working very well. It's soooo nice! This weekend we'll paint it in Sherwin-Williams' compatible cream using their low-VOC paint called Durable. No, I'm not supposed to be painting so I'll only do some trim work with my NIOSH respirator on. Here are some early pics of the curtains, which are 100% cotton, machine washable, and lined. The ring clips Savannah selected make it very easy for her to slide the curtains open and closed -an unexpected child-friendly feature.

Holy cow - look at that color!

One curtain up before we installed the locally-made, custom, double-honeycomb, light-blocking insulating shades with side tracks for added draft prevention.

In the design room (which is currently the kitchen table!) pinning the lining to the fabric. These are large panels - 90" across for each of the two panels and with the heavy lining the largest part of my job was "fabric management" not sewing, cutting or pressing. The window is 100" across. I'm so glad these weren't floor-length drapes! The lining by the way was purchased with a JoAnn's gift card from my mother-in-law - great idea!

The curtains with the new shade drawn. The shade blocks sunlight (important for tv glare for family movies and when the summer sun is too hot). They are very insulating as well so reduce heat-loss from the house with their impressive R-value. The local company that custom makes these is Comfortex. It's another great way to save energy for your home, since windows are responsible for a large amount of heat loss. My only regret is that we picked out the shade color while the room was supposed to be painted in rice grain, a neutral warm grayish color like the shade. Now that we've changed the pallette, the color looks more like it belongs in an office building....

Little sewing projects - curtains, curtains and more curtains

Now that our house is packed with boxes again, I've begun some small sewing projects. Today I made a valance for the downstairs bathroom and lined it with light blocking fabric. I know it's kind of silly to line a valance with light blocking fabric but I wanted the practice of sewing with that particular lining, which is thick and semi-sticky on one side, before attempting some more important drapes with a much more expensive silk fabric. Plus, the light blocking fabric will prevent any damage from UV rays to the silk. All turned out well I think tying the reds, greens, and yellows together and giving the bathroom one last punch of color. Kevin has custom-ordered the double honeycomb blinds with a high R value for this window (and most of the others in the house as well) from a local company in Troy, but the valance will conceal the blinds and hardware when they are opened.

A simple lined valance rod pocket with ruffled header.

I've also finally decided on fabric for the kitchen. The one color scheme I've always loved in the kitchen are the colors of blue willow. So the only colors I ever buy are white and white with blue trim or a willow pattern. This makes it very easy to match sets over time as dishes get broken and chipped. I also like being able to "see" my food so having white plates and bowls appeals to me. I've chosen an Asian blue willow print for the curtains made by Duralee (E20781, royal blue & white Willow pattern). Eventually, the rest of the kitchen will be updated - stainless steel energy-efficient appliances (I can't wait for my induction top stove!), new counter tops, and a backsplash of white tile with a hint of blue border - to better match my curtains. I bought a stainless steel curtain rod in anticipation of my future appliances, which may trickle in one at a time with the rest of our more costly home renovations. Having "colors" makes everything easier. I also bought some bathmats today that I'm going to repurpose into kitchen towels with trim that will match the curtains. They would have done terribly as bathmats but they will make for very soft absorbent kitchen towels!

I'm trying a new style of curtain for the kitchen - inverted box pleats. It's a bit more formal for a valance with such a large playful print on it but I expect it to hang well and the personality should match mine in the kitchen - both formal and playful.



And, as if that weren't enough, I let Savannah pick out the fabric for her playroom curtains. I think she did a great job! The playroom has an enormous picture window that is almost 100 inches wide. I wanted to hang a large retro-looking curtain with oversized grommets but Savannah prefers the ring clips. Here's the fabric she's selected along with floor tiles and the paint. I want to finish the curtains before Kevin returns from his trip, if possible, because there's no way he would approve of this bold fabric choice. Because the fabric is from a 2006 Alexander Henry collection (Mocca), I've purchased it for only $5 a yard! I'm working on convincing Kevin that a bright red sofa or slip covered sofa, would look great in the kids playroom but he's not convinced. Brown is my second choice and after that a plain old neutral. Either way, the sofa will be plastered with pillows that match the curtains. I might also make floor pillows for the kids for this room since it's meant to be a 100% kid-friendly space.

Above are the Alexander Henry fabrics Savannah selected for the playroom (Esprit stripe, Mocca and Kleo). The large print on the right will be made into curtains (in progress). Below are the floor tiles, paint color and Chobi rug that I'd already picked out. As the kids grow, it will be very easy to make the room more sophisticated but until then, I see nothing wrong with some bold color choices that say, come and play.

Autumn pleasures

October is my favorite month and Halloween is the holiday we spend the most effort and time preparing for. This year will be a smaller effort though since we are moving a few days before the big event but, Savannah will still enjoy scaring people's pants off and the haunted house and hay rides at the local apple orchard in Altamont. She's also gotten smarter about "Daddy's cut" of her Halloween candy. She told me this year, she's going to count her pieces and only let Daddy take the candy she doesn't like! She's also learned how to hold spit in her mouth like a rabid fox to make scarier Halloween sounds...

Anyway, here are the preliminary pictures of her Halloween costume BEFORE the scary parts are added. This year I added a zipper in the back but if I had to make it again, I'd make it 2 inches longer. Savannah stuffed it and adores her enormous pumpkin belly, but I think she over stuffed it, which hiked the hem up a few inches. You'll notice I made it in safety orange and there is reflective tape on the back for safety as well. This year I made her treat bag slightly larger than the one from last year so it will hold about 6 oz more of candy...what a lucky pumpkin!

Here I am!

Rar! I'm the scariest pumpkin ever!

In other news, it seems I've turned a corner this week as far as energy is concerned. I haven't crashed or needed a nap during the day, I nearly completed Savannah's costume, and I started reupholstering the dining room chairs, something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Rather than staple new fabric on, I decided to make removable, washable slipcovers in zebra stripe, because let's face it, I've got two mess makers in my house with one more on the way. Kevin nearly had a heart attack when he heard about my fabric choice. I love it! The dark brown in the zebra stripe really matches the dark stain of our Italian chairs perfectly and because they stay pushed in under the table for most the day, they really are a subdued accent. I've completed two so far and have four more to make. It's taking a long time because for once I'm doing everything the right way - top stitching and measuring each one properly.

Savannah enjoys her bagel on the new zebra print fabric.

Puff also got a new hairdo this week, thanks to Dearest, and Savannah promises not to rip out his magical hair this time... She also requested that his hair be slightly longer so now she's got a dragon with a fro.

And Savannah loves her new crayons. Here's a leaf rubbing I helped her do with leaves from around the neighborhood. I think the crayons add depth to the drawings and eventually teach kids about mixing blue and yellow to get a fabulous green instead of just reaching for a plain green crayon.

Little Monsters

One of Savannah's nicknames before and after she was born was Tummy Monster. It was a nickname well-deserved. Now I have a new tummy monster, and again the nickname is well-deserved. I feel like I'm carrying a gremlin at the moment, not sugar and spice or snips and tails.

Savannah loves monsters, really LOVES them. When I was her age I was petrified of monsters under my bed and was certain that they would bite my achilles until it sprang up to my kneecap like a roller shade, if I got out of bed. Savannah would probably be thrilled to discover a monster under her bed. So while she was sleeping I created her own little monster, named Violet. Violet is hand-sewn from felt scraps, which is unusual because unless I really, really have to, I don't sew with a needle and thread. Violet has a little pocket on her tummy so she can double as a tooth pillow should the tooth fairy visit us anytime in the next year or so.

Violet the monster, who enjoys sleeping under Savannah's bed.

The little princess had to get some extra energy out this evening so she danced away to Tchaikovsky for an hour after dinner. When she dances, my "job" is to watch her. I get to play "the audience" according to Savannah, and speaking over her performance is not appreciated.

Finally, the finale! She bows, then curtsies, then poses for pictures.

I feel guilty for not finishing my craft projects right now. Between moving chores and baby fatigue, I barely have the energy to function all day long. The one project I'm really trying to finish before the move is Savannah's Halloween costume. I asked her if she wanted me to make her a princess or pirate costume this year and she said, "No!" She wants to be scary. She decided to be the most obscure thing - a bewitched pumpkin from Scooby Doo that comes to life and grabs people when the back-from-the dead witch Sarah Ravencroft brings it to life. She wanted to know if I could put a scary voice box inside her costume that makes eerie sounds. Picturing the poor kids in our new town peeing in their Halloween costumes when they encounter Savannah on Halloween night, I told her not this year.

I suppose even if I am slow to complete my projects right now, I'm still busy creating the greatest thing in the world, life.

Crayon crafts and baby blankies

Today we went through the house and tossed out or organized what we could to prepare for our move. Savannah's craft drawers got a big cleaning today but I wasn't sure what to do with her enormous shoebox box of crayons. Savannah was a compulsive peeler of crayon labels from ages two through, well, now, so most of her crayons had been peeled. We sorted them into color piles and baked them in the oven to make new crayons. This will be perfect for an upcoming unit we are doing on nature and textures where she'll be collecting things she likes from outside and making rubbings. Savannah was very interested in watching the crayons melt in the oven into "crayon muffins." Got some broken crayon pieces of your own? Here's the recipe:

• sort broken and peeled crayons into piles of your liking (they can be totally mixed if you want or in theme colors such as primary, patriotic, etc)
• preheat oven to 350
• fill a muffin tin with your crayons
• turn off the oven and place the crayons inside, keep the light on so you can watch - they go pretty quickly
• remove the melted crayons and let cool overnight or place them in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool

Sorting the crayons. I like to do it this way because I think it gives more depth to children's drawings. Most people just mix them haphazardly.

Sorting the broken bits into a muffin tin.

Savannah can't take her eyes off the "crayon muffins."

Some of the finished products. We ended up making 2 dozen!

I also finished making some gifts for my new nephew. He's getting a very boy themed blanky and burp cloths with fire trucks and cars. I was hoping to find fire engine fleece but no luck, so no matchy, matchy. Every baby needs something colorful, soft, machine washable, and thick enough to keep them warm in cold cars or to avoid painful head bonkings on hard surface floors. Here's my tutorial for this baby blanket.

I'm hoping for a girl since I know girls. I think a boy would be overwhelming for me. On the bright side Kevin and I have agreed on one single boy name over the past five years so at least if we did have a boy the name is already settled. He doesn't like any of my boy names and I don't like any of his, with this one exception. If we have a girl I don't really know what we'd name her. It would involve another one of our great debates.