heartache and home arts

Farmer's Wife Friday

2011-11-25T15:11:00.004-05:00

Hi! I'm back with some Farmer's Wife Sampler blocks... FINALLY!!! With the holidays fast approaching, the gal getting more active, and work, I've been neglecting this project.

block #31: Evening Star

A bit of Appleville in the center, some Denyse Schmidt dots for the points, and some unknown scraps of navy as the background. I love how it reads from a distance! The dots make it *glow* when you pin it up across the room.

block 69: Practical orchard

What's better than some Apple Dots? Not much for this block. Loving these two together!

block 39: Friendship

Well, then there's this block... How could I resist using these fun charm squares from Aneela Hooey's Little Apples line??? I love how the kids appear to be going around the center. The white is some scrap Kona cotton.

block 41: Friendship Star

And speaking of friendship, here's what I came up this one. Not quite convinced there's enough contrast, but we will leave it up on the board to ponder. It may be a redo. Fabrics are more Denyse Schmidt as the background and some fun scraps of some girls playing (Moda? Maybe Michael Miller?).

block #6: Big Dipper

I love using up favorite scraps as in this case. Loving the large scale brown pattern against the semi regular strips of the Japanese mushrooms print.

block 85: Square Dance

And then there's this one. My FAAAVORITE from this batch! So perfect! I used a bit of this awesome Japanese girl and bear apple picking print as the center and triangles, some scrap red vintage dots, then a bit of Aneela Hooey's Apples print for the corners. I love the repeating of the apples theme!

Hope you enjoy your weekend of Turkey sandwiches, turkey pot pie, turkey soup, turkey hash, turkey salad... you get the drift.

Leafy Kids

2011-11-24T07:43:00.005-05:00

What happens when you rake your leaves?
Kids jump in them.
And what happens when a baby eats leaves?
She promptly spits them back out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Back to the Modern Standards

2011-11-09T16:48:00.001-05:00

Fall brings me back to my old playlists, nestling back into the familiar and dear songs that carry me through the short days and changing winds... a favorite to share.

Rolling Over!

2011-11-09T08:49:00.005-05:00

Guess who can roll over from her back to her tummy? Yes! She is growing exponentially these days, changing rapidly and developing new skills faster than we can get the camera out.

Or dodge her big bother. We need to work on our reflexes.

Norah

2011-11-03T20:26:00.003-04:00

It's hard having an older brother sometimes. That said, enjoy a little bit of Norah in all her 5 month old glory!

Halloween!! Costumes!

2011-11-02T16:31:00.005-04:00

...so what were we for Halloween? Well, Bennett was a robot. We toyed with different styles, and had a lot of awesome bells and whistles (foil dryer tubing "joints," awesome lights and dials) but per Bennett's requests (read: vehement vetoes) it was a simple cardboard doublet with cutouts.
We spray painted it silver, added some knobs and let him go to town with the glitter glue, added a couple of reflectors, and presto!

Underneath I bought a pair of simple grey fleece pants, a grey sweater, and he was as happy as a clam with his costume!

Norah went as a spider. I made her a pair of webby shoes using a bit of Echino I had around.I had big plans for buying a black onesie and sewing on two pairs of stuffed black socks for arms, then using a little black pilot hat, etc... But, when I stumbled across this outfit for $1.75 at a kids consignment store, I was sold. There was no way I could have made her outfit for that!
Now we just have to wait until the sugar wears off. Candy anyone???

Halloween!!

2011-11-02T16:08:00.003-04:00

We have been short on time around here... I honestly don't know where the month went! It feels like a haze of fall walks, work, nursing marathons, laundry, work, and just a dash of sewing around washing diapers. We didn't even make it out to a pumpkin patch this year. Instead we made these awesome luminaries (thank you Momtastic!) using old jars and some painter's tape and tempra paints. Super easy and SUPER fun!

And here is how they looked on the porch. Awesome, no? We used some battery operated tea candles to keep them cool.

Vincinnati

2011-11-02T16:04:00.003-04:00

It's an honor to be asked for donations to a cause, especially when it has affected good friends who have lost someone so important to them.

Go and see beautiful photography from someone who has departed far too soon, and bid on some awesome items and support a group who can be a safety net for others who are hurting.

Vincinnati

Garden Closing

2011-10-20T20:55:00.005-04:00

Well, the garden is about done. We have pickled the last batch of peppers, picked the last of the tomatoes, and are expecting a frost tomorrow.

We dug up the last of the few onions that made it (not sure if we can blame the squirrels or extremely dry weather on their lackluster growth) and carrots a couple weeks ago. We will miss the fresh produce, but not the weeding.

Ever have one of those weeks?

2011-10-19T13:10:00.001-04:00

Yes, you know you have.

one in four

2011-10-15T21:13:00.006-04:00

One in four. Each of us has a unique set of circumstances, but the grief and ache is uncomfortably familiar. Love to all my fellow lostbabymamas and lostbabypapas out there on this day. There's a candle on our mantle for you.

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 9

2011-10-07T17:37:00.002-04:00

Happy Farmer's Wife Friday!

Back on track with two new blocks this week. No real theme, except maybe "lots of little pieces."block 7: Birds in the Air

Ok, so maybe using some scraps of this awesome clouds print makes it a bit too literal, but hey! It's a perfect compliment to the orange Kona scraps! Getting those dang half square triangles of the clouds print oriented properly was a pain, but I love the overall look.

block 72: Railroad

More scrappy goodness used up! The hedgehog print is just fabulous. They managed to pack in all kinds of goodness in this Japanese print: mushrooms, flowers, hedgehogs, wee houses, clovers, flowers, apples, acorns, squirrels... you get the idea. I'm going to be so happy when I see them all in the finished quilt. I paired it with some vintage scrap of red dots from my mom's stash. Another block I'm loving!

That's it for now, I promise another update soon, complete with photos of things other than quilty stuff. Have a great weekend!

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 8

2011-10-01T20:48:00.003-04:00

Well, a day late and a block short from my weekly 2 block goal. There's been an upswing in orders on my Etsy site, a sure sign the weather is getting cooler in other parts of the country (and the world, for that matter), not just in our neck of the woods. So, my sewing time has been spent filling orders this past week.

block 95: Temperance Tree

What a block. I guess it could count as 2 blocks since it has a whopping 42 pieces. I'm not sure if I'm happy with the results, but I'll chalk it up as done and revisit the block later on down the line. I used some cute Japanese bits as the tree top and some more brown scraps from Norah's Brown Bear quilt. The background fabric is some vintage red scraps and a neutral crackle print from the bottom of my stash.

Hello, Dolly!

2011-09-29T20:36:00.005-04:00

I signed up for September's Doll Quilt Swap at our August Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild meeting.
After my first doll quilt fail (hello, seam allowances I forgot to add. That will teach me about midnight sewing, right? Right? Right??) I had to come up with a plan B. this idea banging around of a funky star quilt on a deep gray. So, I dug through the scrap bin a bit and here's Jeanie's doll quilt!

I quilted around the perimeter of the stars in progressively wider spacing using a pale gray thread. I love the look!

The back is a remnant from I don't know where, but the color is tremendous, and it just feels so good to "shop" my stash.

The binding is some of Cosmo Cricket's Taylor Made. Again, perfect color and loads of personality.

I love stars.

Pumpkin Harvest

2011-09-25T21:55:00.005-04:00

Anyone remember this tangle of sprouts from the spring?

Well, we just harvested the sole pumpkin. Behold!
She is already baked up, pureed, packed in baggies, and loaded into the freezer, all 7 cups! Who knew we would get so much from such a wee pumpkin? Here's to a few batches of pumpkin bread and maybe a pie. Mmmm, pie...

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 7

2011-09-23T17:24:00.004-04:00

Well, here we are at week 7 with two more blocks. Not too shabby with a busy week and sickness throwing a wrench in the works. Everybody's feeling much better, and I'm counting myself lucky that I magically managed to dodge that bullet!!! The leaves are starting to turn around here, and thoughts are turning to apple picking, canning the last of the peppers from the garden, and getting ready to celebrate Fall (happy equinox!). I chose a couple blocks along this theme:

block 56: Maple Leaf

I love this hippo print and was excited to use it up. I tried to fussy cut a bit, but there wasn't a whole lot left, so I just did the best I could. I'm pleased with it, and glad I went with the pale gray Kona as the background. I think it's Kona Ash?

block 88: Star of Hope

The second also used up some fun scraps! I love the gold against the brownish pumpkin color of the kitchen print. Mmmm, apple pie... This was a block that took some fussing. I screwed it up once (templates are wrong, I think!), then tried to paper piece it, and found the foundation paper piecing is also drafted incorrectly. Sigh. Sooo, I ended up designing my own foundation piecing block and voila! Here she is in all her cuteness. For those that haven't done this one, beware! It's fiddly, you'll have to adjust somewhere, regardless if you are doing the blocks by templates or paper piecing!

Happy Farmer's Friday!

Quilty mail!

2011-09-20T17:22:00.005-04:00

Look what just arrived from New Zealand!! My godmother sent along two quilts, one for each kiddo!
Each one is perfect for the kid intended.

Norah's batik pinwheel quilt has awesome baby animals appliqued in minky fabric with embroidered faces. So cute!

The white background is quilted in a tight stipple that accentuates the soft plushy animals.

I love how the bunny matches her little green onesie!

Bennett's is embroidered with cute Disney characters, check out the close up of Donald and you'll get a sense of the insane number of stitches this quilt required. Totally awesome!

It's become his favorite, as you can tell. I am still in awe that a little package could contain such wonderful gifts! Thanks a million, Anne!

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 6 (late)

2011-09-18T17:54:00.006-04:00

Well, back on track this week with four new ones I'm happy with, and one that I totally screwed up. Sigh.

Block 29: Economy

Well, "Economy" was not what was running through my mind as I cut into some of this ultra rare and super precious Heather Ross VW bus print. Except in an ironic sense, I guess. But look how cuuute! My favorite of the week, I think. It's paired with some brown Heath from Alexander Henry.

Block 77: Seasons

I love how this one turned out! The color combination is grand, I managed to get the giraffes placed pretty much where I wanted them, and my corners meet relatively well. Yay! Fabrics are some scrap brown from Norah's Brown Bear quilt and some of Laurie's Urban Circus Giraffes put out by Kaufman.

Block 80: Single Wedding Star

I like this one a lot, too. Using up the last of some Heather Ross wildflowers print in a gorgeous hot pink, pairing it with some of Cosmo Cricket's Tailor Made print. I can't decide which stands out more, the golden "ring" or the circle of boxed flowers.

Block 30: End of Day

Another block using up tiny bits and scraps of past favorites: some chairs from Laurie's Tufted Tweets line, a bit of Kona solid in a pale aqua shade, and wee triangles (the last of the LAST!) of Heather Ross wildflowers. TOTALLY satisfying to use up these precious little bits!

And then there's this one. Perfect. Except it should have been set on POINT. Aaargh! It was the last little bits of my favorite Japanese print of all time. And now it's going to go down in my memory as the One I Royally Screwed Up. I wish I hadn't started it at 11:30 one night, should have taken a second (third? Fourth?) look at the pattern, should have taken a breath before diving in, scissors in hand.
So now I have to decide if I want to just go ahead and use it in the Farmer's Wife quilt, or save it for a fun mug rug or other small project...

September 11th

2011-09-11T20:01:00.002-04:00

I remember I was at work, getting ready to open the bookstore and to train a new employee at the register. Our maintenance guy knocked on the side door, and told us there had just been a big accident in New York: a plane had flown into a building.

The first customer, a guy picking up a book he had on hold, was visibly shaken, and told us all flights were grounded, that there had been another accident in Washington DC. We tried tuning in the radio, couldn't quite get reception, then decided to turn on the tv. I tried calling my dad, who traveled to DC regularly, and couldn't get through.

I can't quite remember if we saw the towers fall live, or if it was a replay, but the gut-wrenching feeling is unforgettable. The dust-covered survivors, paper and ash in the air...

Later on I got in touch with my dad, he wasn't sure if any of his colleagues or friends that were stationed at the Pentagon were affected. Short sentences. Stunned silences. Reminders to get gas in case the stations were to shut down.

Where were you? What do you remember about that Lonesome Day?

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 5

2011-09-09T17:24:00.004-04:00

Only one new block this week, what with family fun stuff and getting my working-mama groove back, there hasn't been much time.

I used more happy Japanese scraps, this bit of trees printed in brown and white (you can juuuust barely make out the white trees) a scrap of black Kona, and some of a vintage burgundy print from my mom's old fabric stash. They go together perfectly! I also strip-pieced the corner blocks instead of making them as 4-patch blocks like the book suggests. It just seemed easier to me.

And since scanning the blocks is working out so well, here are a couple from the first week...
Love this one!
And this one, too!

Lego king

2011-09-02T17:25:00.002-04:00

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 4

2011-08-31T15:11:00.003-04:00

I think I'm beginning to anticipate fall. Most of the fabrics I have pulled for new blocks are all about cooler weather and colorful trees! I can't wait to have the time to put them together. At least I got a couple done this week, I'll take the progress no matter how small. Baby steps, right?

block 5: Bat Wing

I saved a scrap of one of my favorite Echino prints, and when I saw the title of this block I knew it would be perfect! I paired it with some Michael Miller dots, and I just love the combo. Let's say luuurve, because that more accurately reflects my feelings. I ended up paper piecing this one, I only had a little bit of fabric and didn't want to stress the usual sewing/unsewing that I tend to do with triangle blocks.

block 111: Wrench

This block is a combo of new and vintage fabrics. The grey is some of Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips, the red is a bit of hearty-vintage goodness from my mom's fabric stash. I remember having some of this pattern in a vest from 4th grade! I pieced it "traditionally," just using measurements (yay math!). So far I haven't used the templates, just measured them out to make sure my math skills aren't that pathetic.

I am thinking I will end up using the templates on a couple blocks, and am thinking of hand piecing a couple of the more challenging ones with Y-seams. I think that technique will yield the best results.

T-Rex

2011-08-28T07:54:00.003-04:00

A quilt for T-Rex: welcome little guy!

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 3

2011-08-27T08:15:00.003-04:00

Here are my Farmer's Wife blocks for this week:
I've had this remnant of fabric forever, and am so pleased with the block! I knew I was hanging on to it for a reason, and I love the idea of interpreting the block in this way.

The original pattern just used two colors, but I have so many tiny scraps of fun prints, I decided to keep the white consistent and mix up a bunch of little bits. It's really addictive, I could make an entire quilt using just this block!

This was the only block I paper pieced this week. I just couldn't get the "bow" right, so I used this technique to get the points to line up accurately.

I haven't had a chance to take photos outside, but saw others participating in the Quilt Along using their scanners to take "photos," so here's my attempt.
Progress will probably come to a crushing stop as I go back to work next week. Such a mix of emotions: I love my job, I mean I LOOOOVE my job. Underline. Italics. But, am going to miss the time with the kids. We made the most of the summer, we were constantly on the move, trying to maximize every last moment.

So, you could say I'm going to downgrade my status from Farmer's Wife to Farmer's Girlfriend, or maybe Mistress. A continuing relationship but with a little less, em, commitment.

Farewell Penny

2011-08-22T14:41:00.003-04:00

You were not the smartest dog (hello greyhound racing school drop out), but you loved us with every ounce of your being. You withstood the torments of toddlers with patience and a gentle heart. We love you and you will be missed. You will always be my little princess.

-Brian

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 2

2011-08-19T07:23:00.007-04:00

Here's the latest batch of blocks for my FWQA! Not a bad week, though a couple I'm not so thrilled with. One of which I'm not posting. Maybe I'll get it fixed by Wednesday?

Block #49: Honeycomb

OK, let's start with the least favorite and move on from there. Not as happy with this block, I may redo it with a different fabric. It just doesn't look as great on point. I think I need to avoid directional prints with some of the blocks that are clearly NOT designed to be set on point.

Block #15: Buzzard's Roost

Liking this one much more! And got to use up some awesome scraps.

Block #17: Cats and Mice.

My favorite! Still learning more about paper piecing, this one was super tricky. Please ignore the multitude of strings from the multiple sessions with the seam ripper. I ended up picking lots of the paper off and reassembling it in a manner that made more sense to me. Phew! And it's nice and straight after all that work, but just blowin' in the wind.

More Garden goodness (and gnome apron)

2011-08-16T11:09:00.006-04:00

The tomatoes are going crazy (yay!) in this hot weather (boo.). Bennett helped me pick a second round while wearing his gnome apron.
For a little while. I tried getting a couple shots to show it off, but this is what you get with a three year old. I got the awesome pattern here, and let me tell you what a fun and quick project it was! The pattern is well drafted and came together easily. The best part: Bennett can put it on and take it off by himself, no fiddly strings. Genius!
He is great at sorting them after we picked them, keeping all the Yellow Boys in one basket, and all the red Campari, Roma, Better Boys and a couple Beefsteaks in another.
Guess what we did last weekend?

The beginning of the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along

2011-08-14T08:08:00.007-04:00

And here we go, the first few blocks, fluttering in the breezy afternoon!

These blocks from the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book are all 6 inches square. One of the reasons I wanted to do this project (and chances are good I won't be completing all 111 blocks!) is to stretch myself and learn some new techniques.

Another reason is I have these great quirky scraps and need to do something with them! Each block is a little bite of quilty goodness, a chance to experiment with color and hue without a huge commitment of time. Perfect for getting a nice feeling of accomplishment in between laundry, nursing, puzzles, gardening, canning, and "read me one more, Mom!"

Block #2: Autumn Tints

Block #1: Attic Windows

Block #58: Mother's Dream

Block #7: Birds in the Air

Obviously I'm not doing them in order, just doing them as I come up with a good fabric combo. The Quilt Along is shooting for two blocks a week. What I really dig: no commitment or deadlines, just lots of people having fun!
So check out the book for some incredible reading, then check out the rest of the gang participating in the quilt along!

I'm nuts.

2011-08-12T13:28:00.004-04:00

Because I need another project. Umm, yeah. Anyhow, I have been seduced by the Farmer's Wife and all that she promises to teach me (and the scraps I can use up, right?), so I have joined my first Quilt Along.

There is no pressure with this quilt along to complete all 111 blocks in a specified time frame, some folks are only picking and choosing what they want out of the book. Most of the group are striving for two blocks a week, so this will be an ongoing project for quite a while!

Want to check it out? Look in on the two organizers of this round: Angela and Amanda, then take a look at the awesome creations on the Flickr group.

a Different kind of Habitat

2011-08-09T21:08:00.006-04:00

Guess what is being built on an empty lot a few doors down?

It's a Habitat for Humanity home! Although the neighborhood kids are probably sad to see their space for touch football and impromptu soccer matches go, at least watching the progress offers some fun, right?

We have been taking lunch and snack breaks in our neighbor's yard and watching the progress. It's been really neat to watch it happen so close to home.

Habitat Challenge

2011-08-05T09:21:00.004-04:00

I have been working on the Jay McCarroll’s Habitat Challenge (just in time for the start of season 9 of Project Runway!) along with several members of our Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild. We each got a little bag with some dilectible fat eighths, and decided to make it a sewist’s choice. We can only suppliment with additional yardage of the line or with solids. I decided I was going to push myself to “use what I have,” so solids it is! I am also wanting to use up ALL the fabric as part of my personal challenge.

And here’s what things look like now... taken late at light (my only sewing time) with my phone camera, but you get the idea. Hopefully.

Check back soon to see what it turns into. It’s due August 10^th, so it won’t be long!

sleep sacks

2011-08-04T17:43:00.002-04:00

How can I begin to tell you how much I love these wacky gnomes from this print?? I got a yard to make myself an apron, but instead I made one for Bennett, and had enough left over to make Norah a sleep sack.
I used the pattern from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book I got a while ago. It turned out so cute!! The back is more of the red and white dots, the inside is soft white flannel, and the binding is bias tape made from brown Kona cotton.
Ugg! So cute! I tried getting some shots of the gal in it, but she's a wiggle worm. I'll have to keep trying.

I used Riley Blake prints for the front of this one, following the pattern in the book. I had big plans for these fabrics (a quilt!) but time ran short, so here we are. It has brown flannel on the inside, and I used more of the brown Kona cotton for the trim. All in all, super cute, though the late afternoon photo shoot doesn't do the photos justice.

For the back I used my favorite print from the line, a green "Road Trip" pattern. This one is sent off to a new little guy, so here's hoping he enjoys it!

Guess who found her hands?

2011-08-03T15:00:00.004-04:00

from the garden

2011-08-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

The tomatoes are getting ripe, the eggplants are setting on, we have one pumpkin on the vine, the carrots are tender and sweet, and all is right with the world.

outtakes

2011-07-31T15:12:00.003-04:00

some funny out takes from our little home photo shoot for her announcements!

beginning at the end...

2011-07-29T10:25:00.006-04:00

...with the massive July 4th Northside Parade! Fun and craziness had by all (bless Jake and his strong arms carrying two toddlers through the crowd).

Of course the parade started off with an awesome fire truck!
Followed by your expected and unexpected: old cars, kooky floats, and a bit of politics.
This one was a favorite of Finn and Bennett. I kept wondering how long it took to glue on all those toys, what a job in the broiling weather we were having!
This one was just great, and expressed the "Going Green" theme of this year's event.
We both attempted some family portraits and ate some delicious food.
This one was the best of the bunch, taken on the lovely front porch.
We went from an afternoon of fun up the hill for an evening of outdoor grilling and fun with more friends!

The gal actually woke up for a while before the fireworks started.
What holiday is complete without a cheesecake from Brian? Here's his take on a Red White and Blue theme... Red Raspberry, White Chocolate, and Blueberry, that is. You may commence drooling.

Where I'm From

2011-07-22T21:10:00.004-04:00

"If you don't know where you're from, you'll have a hard time saying where you're going."

-Wendell Berry

I am from organic yogurt, from Guterman thread and Berninas.

I am from the bungalow where I have forged roots, complete with too many zucchini and failing air conditioner.

I am from the wild strawberries, the rogue violets by ancient European graves.

I am from craftsmen and women who create with their hands, from Dice and Lourena and Hazel.

I am from split lips in winter and Cowboy singers,

From do unto others and turn off that television and make something.

I am from Presbyterian roots, broadened and defined by pain and loss. All that is left of me is a humanist glimmer of faith, quietly observing the changing seasons with my Son Who Should Be.

I'm from the Cottonwood prairie, from chicken soup (homemade noodles!), and sun-warmed tomatoes,

From the grandfather with verboten M&Ms in his pocket, the grandfather and his basement workshop.

I am from the box in the closet, urn on the mantle, frames and photographs on our hallway wall, and rocking chair that soothes the little ones to sleep.

Coming to a mailbox near you!

2011-07-20T17:46:00.002-04:00

Ribbon Dot Girl Birth Announcement

Birth announcements, Valentine's cards, & invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Consequences

2011-07-03T18:56:00.003-04:00

Bennett decided to take a nap on the train table while we were in the middle of playing with Legos. Things kinda got out of control.

O is for Opossum....

2011-07-02T11:05:00.008-04:00

.....but since opossums scare the heck out of me, O is for Owls

Bennett and mom went to Owl week at the park

Then they worked on the projects for the day

Nailed It!

Another of their owl creations

Happy Birthday Finnny Finn Finn!!!

2011-06-25T19:05:00.008-04:00

Finn had his 3rd birthday party at Devou Park's Behringer-Crawford Museum.

The Birthday Boy

Let me introduce you to your bartenders this afternoon

Fishing for Bennett

The closest thing to a group photo

Jake really wanted the red train

Good times had by all

Classy cupcake eating techniques

The girls

I honestly have no idea how Sarah made them, I was watching Braveheart.

Just one more cupcake? I just eat the frosting anyways!

Cars and Beers

Jake preparing for the next Speed in the household. Look how natural he looks with that baby.

Do you like The Clash?

N is for Nest

2011-06-21T08:59:00.004-04:00

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T16:36:00.003-04:00

photos

2011-06-18T07:01:00.001-04:00

Brian's well-defined bed... finished!
Lovely vibernum
Bennett's favorite "fire flowers"
Crook neck squash blooming like crazy
Lovely cucumbers just about ready
Squish!
A perfect shot on a perfect summer day.
Favorite Norah shot from Bennett's party

Bennett's Birthday

2011-06-12T08:23:00.002-04:00

So on Saturday we had Bennett's birthday party at our house. This was our first attempt at a kids party and were a bit nervous especially about the thunderstorms that luckily past just in time. I think we did a pretty good job of keeping the kiddos entertained.

We went with a robot theme. So first thing we did was turn the kids into robots. I made giant sickers with the kids robot names and they colored them and put them on their shirts.

We played a game of pin the battery on the robot (patent pending). There was some suspicion of cheating and we are currently reviewing the tapes.

Gifts !

Gifts!!

And more gifts!!

Bennett made out like a bandit. We want to thank everyone for coming and hope everyone had half as much fun as Bennett.

Version 2.0

2011-06-12T08:13:00.003-04:00

One thing about being a Krygowski is that we want to make everything bigger, better and faster.

I give you PUPPIES!!!

2011-06-07T22:02:00.003-04:00

Our neighbor brought over a litter of puppies the other day for Bennett to play with.

Backyard waterslide

2011-06-07T21:43:00.003-04:00

I have a feeling we will have the greenest grass around the playhouse this summer.

Settling in

2011-06-04T08:13:00.003-04:00

We're settling in at home and getting to know little Norah. Bennett is proving to be great with her: lots of hugs and kisses and not a lot of "gentle!!!" That's probably because she's just too darn sweet.

Also thinking today

2011-06-01T21:25:00.002-04:00

Thank you Etsy, and thank you Anna Maria Horner for posting this on your blog. Take a minute (only about 5 minutes, actually) to watch...

Now off to use a few quiet moments to craft by hand.

Without further ado....

2011-05-28T22:21:00.007-04:00

We present Norah Rae Krygowski
Born 5/25/11 6:12PM

Stats:

8lbs 7oz
21 inches long

She took a little extra time deciding if she wanted to come out but we are glad she finally did.

**BONUS**
So my family was calling for updates constantly prior to Norah's birth. I started to text them Babywatch news team updates (The best Baby Doppler in the tri-state area) to keep the calls down to a minimum. My mother would then ask if Frank was available for the weather. Let me explain, Frank Marzullo is one of the weather forecasters on Fox locally and he used to do the weather in my home town. So I started to wonder if I could get Frank to do a baby update. So I emailed him and explained my plan. Frank jumped right on board and filmed the following video clip for my parents. Thanks Frank!!!

While we are waiting...

2011-05-21T20:51:00.007-04:00

So here we are a week past my due date, and still no sign of the elusive new member of the family. We were so sure this kid was coming early! All those heavy duty contractions beginning at 36 weeks! Already dilating! Lost my plug!! Sigh.

Leave it to parenthood to remind you there is nothing you can count on, no guarantees. You know what they say about people who ASSUME. So much of the process is learning to release, let go of any expectations you have and just "go" with it. In that vein, and trying to stay positive, we have gotten a TON of stuff done in the meantime, in between flood warnings and the Rapture, that is.

Deep freezer purchased and stocked: check.
Major yard cleanup and mulching: check.
Cobwebs swept up: check.
Potty training complete: check.
Cars cleaned out: check.
Mount Washmore and Mount Foldmore in the laundry room defeated (thanks, Mom!): check.
A few closets and storage spaces cleaned out: check.
Baby clothes washed and ready: check.
Nice hair cut: check.
Pedicure: check.
Bennett in big kid bed: check.
Kitchen and bath floors scrubbed on hands and knees: check. Didn't do much, by the way.

Burke's Grief Quilt for this year complete: check. Now I need to figure out what to do with it: Sell it and donate the proceeds, give it away...

Baby Quilt for the new one completed: check. It's from Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear book, a favorite of Bennett's when he was little. Choosing a unisex theme was kind of hard since we don't know yet if the babe is a boy or girl...

And the back. I used a simple purple batik and added a strip of stripes from the front and more of the kids.

Swing set assembled: check. Separate post coming on that insanity. Imagine Ikea. In hell.

New bed for squash, cukes and pumpkins: check.

Rest of the garden in: check. And planted by yours truly in efforts to bring on labor.

I even got pretty far in the quilting of Bennett's tool quilt! I'm trying to emulate wood grain with the quilting. The sun has not been cooperative, so these are the best photos of the quilts I have right now, but more when it's done.

Anyhow, we are still waiting. If there is not much happening by Monday we are going to begin the process to file formal eviction papers. As Bennett says: COME ON OUT, BABY!

spring sickies

2011-04-14T09:51:00.006-04:00

I shouldn't have bragged that we had good luck avoiding sickness all winter long. Apparently we are getting walloped with the back log. Everything from Swimmer's Ear, upper respiratory infections, intestinal troubles, chest colds, migranes... it's been a bad couple of weeks/months.

That said, spring has arrived! At least while we are grumpy inside, the garden is coming back to life outside. And there are some fun smart phone camera apps to play with.

scraptastic

2011-04-06T20:37:00.007-04:00

Today was a much better day. Bennett and I spent it making muffins, hanging with friends, a Dr checkup (all is well with the baby, PERFECT time for that reassurance), and a lovely asparagus frittata with a strawberries/cream/angel food cake chaser.

In all that fun goodness I forgot to take better photos of the works in progress that I blasted through yesterday, so I guess I'll just post the mediocre ones now.

The first is some of those scraps I have been compulsively trimming down for a while, paired with Kona Ash. I'm trying to decide what to do with it. I started it thinking I would use it to make one of Anna Maria Horner's patchwork sleep sack, but I'm not so sure now. Part of me wants to finish it as a quilt, sell it, then donate part or all of the proceeds (Red Cross for Japan relief came to mind, especially as 2/3 of the prints are Japanese). Grief work provides comfort, but the association looking back becomes a weight once the project is finished, when the "work" is through. Maybe I should donate it to Cherry House's project? Anyone got other ideas?

The next is Bennett's tool quilt, intended to be a quick and sturdy lap/toddler quilt for him to drag around his "workshop." The sashing is a bright blue Kona, the back will be pieced in the remnants of the fabrics as well as navy and the bright blue. I have some ideas for the quilting...

Next is to finish the Brown Bear quilt for the new baby, three quilts for three babes.
Not too bad for a day of sewing.

Burke

2011-04-05T20:36:00.005-04:00

Four years ago today, Burke slipped into this world, but unexpectedly, had already slipped out again. We didn't know this at first. It took several days of seeing him in the NICU unit, attached to tubes and sensors (along with a battery of tests) to determine that he was gone. Unresponsive. Brain Dead.

The emotional din and crash today could only be managed by putting two pieces of fabric together and applying my foot to the sewing machine pedal.

I had Finding Nemo stuck in my head: just keep sewing, just keep sewing, just keep sewing...

I pulled out unfinished quilts today, thinking about the upcoming International Quilt Festival here in town this weekend and have decided to use this time to get a couple of these projects closer to completion. Grief, though not a good motivator for things like laundry or dusting, stirs in me the old need to DO, to CREATE, to try and make something you can touch, something useful to provide some comfort.

More soon, with photos...

Egg cartons essploding

2011-03-30T21:20:00.003-04:00

We started some pumpkins, sunflowers and sweet peas (think big easy-to sow stuff for a 2 year old), more to help Bennett get enthusiastic about the work ahead of us in the garden, but he is enthralled with the plants on our windowsill. Who knew some old egg cartons and a bit of time could be so awesome?

Sunflowers!

Pumpkins!

The little tray of wild seedlings, nestled in their pizza box liner...

Score!

2011-03-23T14:14:00.005-04:00

I've been jonesing for a few sewing books lately, and found that many were not available through our local library. So, I finally indulged a couple weeks ago. I really lucked out and scored this awesome book at my local Half Price Books... and the patterns were still in it!

Heather Ross is a tremendous illustrator and fabric designer, and I keep hoping the baby will be a girl so I can make MOUNDS of these:
And even if it's a boy, I've got some fabric lined up to make several pairs of these from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book:
Then there's this awesome pattern for a quilted sleeper, also in Handmade Beginnings.

Maybe this is what that scrappy pile of fabric will turn into!

Dirty Dirt Dirt

2011-03-13T08:31:00.011-04:00

As spring quickly approaches it is time to get back outside and boot up the garden. Our first task this year was to fill the raised beds that little B and I built frames for last year.

This job requires three things:

Dirt

Manpower

and Wheelbarrow Rides!!!

A special thanks to Jake, Sarah, Finn, Colleen, Andy, Uncle Scott, and Opa Pratt for all their hard work. Need more Bennett and Finn pictures? Visit Speedville.

Bennett's SUPERmittens

2011-03-11T06:21:00.005-05:00

He calls them his SUPERmittens because they have SUPER Powers. Best worn with his bike helmet, hand-me-down Spiderman snow boots (thanks Sasha!!), big boy underpants (yesss!) and not much else.

I used this pattern on Ravelry, my other guilty pleasure! They were quick and fun, and a great way to practice for the Valentine's Day socks in progress for Brian... maybe I'll get those done by his birthday in July.

I'm nuts.

2011-03-09T06:34:00.006-05:00

I like to pretend I have all the time in the world to work on all these ideas bouncing around in my head. The latest: quilting up fun kids quilts while using up some of my precious tiny scraps.

Day job, household chores, errands, Etsy, sleep, it's all pushed aside as these ideas tumble forth, at 2am these days, while the baby in my belly decides I need to switch sides for his/her comfort, thank you very much.
I keep perusing fun patterns for using up tiny scraps, and although I've been smitten with spiderweb quilts lately, this type of quilt seems a better choice for highlighting some of the quirky and unusual patterns and prints.

Fancy Sleeve

2011-03-05T19:02:00.006-05:00

A fun sleeve for the hubby's new Xoom... I'm in love with the print! Almost as much as he's in love with the tablet. He hasn't been able to find a sleeve he liked to keep it in, and has been worried it would get damaged or scratched. So, I made him a temporary sleeve this afternoon until he finds his "ideal" holder.

I quilted the layers (cotton print outsides, a layer of batting middle) before assembling the teal flannel lining to give it some squish.

Now he can actually take it places!

Bockfest!

2011-03-04T20:21:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately the rain prevented us from attending the Bock Fest parade and crowning of the Sausage Queen... and some cranky selves (we have a houseful around here) battling lingering head/chest colds that we all thought were done and gone.

Oh, well! We'll have to toast a round of Bock Beer at home this year. And watch Jake Speed's annual commercial on You-tube.

Spring

2011-03-02T06:07:00.004-05:00

I can feel things shifting as the weather warms up. The bulbs are beginning to rise, the ground is getting soft, and this heart-crushing sadness begins to well up inside me for Burke. It's as if the memory of him that has been dormant all winter begins to flow like the sap inside a tree.

I stumbled across the hand print molds we made on the day he died a couple days ago. They were buried in the back of the spice cabinet, behind the sprinkles, straws and cupcake papers, and the contrast between these two things made me have to sit down for a minute. I had forgotten we stashed them there, out of sight, out of mind, waiting to find the strength to actually pour the plaster in to the small cavity left by his tiny hand.

After four years I'm still astounded at the depth and breadth of this ache.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

2011-02-27T21:40:00.008-05:00

I love Eric Carle!

I have had this fabric and played and played with ideas for well over a year. Finally I am getting it done! I used the tossed animals fabric and made fun wonky blocks to highlight them along with a block of the children in the corner, then added the complimentary stripe print as the sashing.

Now onto finishing the back (I have a lovely purple batik print I think will go well with the front) and figuring out what to use for the binding... maybe some of the children print? The brown print I used on the front? What do you think?

Unexpected Visitor

2011-02-24T07:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had a SUPER rare moment of having the morning to myself as Bennett slept in for two whole hours. I got the opportunity to get stuff done, and was carrying laundry to the basement when I heard a bump and scurry. Crap.

I wasn't sure what it was since the cat was still out on his early morning prowl and the dog was crashed out on her pouf upstairs, so I dropped the laundry and crept toward the room, to find a bird by the window!

All of the windows in the basement are glass block, some with small vents, but none were big enough to leave open, close the door and let the bird find the way.

So, I shooed him up to the kitchen and managed to get one of the windows cracked open enough for him to flutter out before he hurt himself. Hopefully the cat wasn't waiting.

Swap!

2011-02-20T09:17:00.004-05:00

I have a mountain of precious scraps. Tiny pieces of awesome fabric, too small to make something useful, to big to throw away, and I love them desperately. For our February Modern Quilt Guild meeting we were to make something Valentine-inspired. Bad photos, I know, but you do what you can at 4am, right?

So, I used a quick Keyka Lou pattern I had to make a sweet treats bag, using some Lizzy House scraps and a bit of a Japanese fabric with sweet little deer and lots of candy.

Even the button looks like chocolate! I lined it in a simple brown polka dot and filled it with truffles.
Yum, yum yum!

Cupcakes

2011-02-12T08:27:00.005-05:00

It's been freezing cold around here, too cold to play outside or horse around much. What to do but turn on the oven and make some delicious cupcakes? These are strawberry banana chip cupcakes with pink buttercream icing. Yum!

I even had a volunteer helper. Think he likes frosting?

Digital Felt

2011-02-09T16:59:00.008-05:00

All week Bennett has been craving a digital watch of his very own.

Digital Felt

2011-02-09T16:59:00.007-05:00

All week Bennett has been craving a digital watch of his very own. I blame it on Opa, who let Bennett wear his watch (and showed him how to light it up!) last weekend. He was so enamored, he nearly charmed my dad out of it (sucker!). Bennett grudgingly let the watch go, with the promise of another from Opa next time we got together.

So, until then, I whipped up a replacement with some felt scraps, a few small buttons, and a bit of velcro on the band.

The watch face was quickly stitched into place on the machine, then the digital numbers embroidered in floss. I only stitched the front and back of the watch face together, allowing it to slide up and down on the band.

He could not be more pleased!

more Groundhog Day fun

2011-02-07T19:21:00.004-05:00

Aren't printables from the internet great? We had a blast coloring and cutting the "grass" around the cup.

More Groundhog Day

2011-02-07T19:10:00.002-05:00

Better late than never.... X-mas Eve!

2011-02-06T09:09:00.007-05:00

At least we got our Christmas tree in the trash before it turned brown.

X-mas Eve

2011-02-06T09:02:00.002-05:00

To infinity...

2011-02-05T21:07:00.002-05:00

...and beyond! On a frog rocket ship.

6 more weeks?

2011-02-02T18:03:00.003-05:00

Happy Groundhog Day! Here's to an early spring, thanks Phil!

Mug Rug

2011-02-02T17:37:00.001-05:00

Made not for a coffee or tea person, but for a Mountain Dew fan.

Another Quilt!

2011-01-11T20:12:00.003-05:00

Another quilt done and gifted! This one for a wonderful little girl living with her awesome folks in a blue house just down the road. May they snuggle all winter in toasty bliss...

post-holiday coma

2011-01-05T08:02:00.004-05:00

This is what our house is like, recovering from the holidaze... more to come soon!

View an Etsy Front Page Treasury List - The Vault on Craft Cult

2010-11-18T23:35:00.001-05:00

View an Etsy Front Page Treasury List - The Vault on Craft Cult

To the neighbors and beyond

2010-11-01T05:18:00.007-04:00

So this was the first year lil' B went door to door for Halloween. We wanted to make his costume so bad but he wanted to be Buzz Lightyear and wasn't having any of our other suggestions. So we bought an off the shelf Buzz costume and I built the jet pack. G also made him a custom trick or treat bag.

Always test your equipment before the first flight.

Ready for duty.

You can barely see, but I built lights into the wing tips and the exhaust of the jet pack.

Hitting our first house, more amazed than scared!

We really thought lil' B was going to give up after couple houses but he kept going for over an hour!

psst!

2010-10-26T19:28:00.002-04:00

I am featured on none other than fabric designer Alice Kennedy's blog! Take a look! alice kennedy design

Canfield Fair 2010

2010-10-25T19:12:00.003-04:00

finished!

2010-10-14T08:11:00.006-04:00

We're still here!

It's been a while since we've posted anything, it seems the fall is slipping by in a flurry of house work, gardening, sewing, zoo visiting, working, and reading Richard Scarry books. Time to catch up!

Another quilt finished off and gifted to a new babe. I love the graphic quality of the blacks, whites and reds together! These were sample blocks for our Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild block swap from July, made as I was learning how to make a Wonky Log Cabin.

The back is a swirly black print, the binding is upcycled from a favorite cotton skirt with a damaged zipper, and it measures about 46" square... it was hard to give away!

Front Page!

2010-09-20T22:32:00.005-04:00

Isn't it great!?

2010-08-09T06:18:00.004-04:00

B has a new lunchbox called a Goodbyn. It's designed like a bento box, only with many more compartments that seal themselves, eliminating the need for sandwich baggies and other "disposables." The center holds a 8 oz bottle.
It also came with TONS of stickers to decorate the outside. What did he pick? An ice cream cone, sock, log of wood, cell phone, traffic light, glass of juice with a bendy straw, skeleton key, and an amoeba.

A bit too big

2010-08-05T22:41:00.001-04:00

If I can fit, so can you, grandpa!

Pickling a Peck of Peppers

2010-07-29T06:44:00.002-04:00

Peppers soaking in their briny/vinegar goodness

More garlic!
Finishing the hot bath...
Done!

Picking Peppers to Pickle

2010-07-26T22:16:00.005-04:00

Summer evening, no shoes. Wicker baskets, ripe peppers.

Into the garden we go.

Filling up the wheelbarrow to take them up to the house.

Next: pickling!

Sophie's Quilt

2010-07-24T20:44:00.006-04:00

Sophie's become a favorite toy as of late. And any self-respecting giraffe needs a quilt of her very own.

Sophie's Quilt

2010-07-24T20:44:00.005-04:00

Sophie's become a favorite toy as of late. And any self-respecting giraffe needs a quilt of her very own to snuggle under.

I chose a fun Japanese print of Ed Emberly's animals and made a simple patch quilt using some scraps of Amy Butler (they looked like a giraffe's spots to me) and a bit of Kona orange solid and a green textured print from the scrap bin.

The back is a fun black and white swirly-spotty print.

It's in the wash at the moment, so I will update with better pictures later.

Puzzles

2010-07-21T20:41:00.003-04:00

Bennett has been WAAAY into puzzles lately. Ignore the mountains of fabric in the background. Oh, and the ugly looking scrape on his nose.
Instead focus on the 12 and 20 piece puzzles this kid can complete with no help.

Quilt Done!!!

2010-07-17T21:10:00.005-04:00

This quilt was begun about 10 years ago. At the time I needed a machine with a walking foot and was just so broke I couldn't afford to buy one. I did find a free-motion foot, but my machine's feed dogs didn't lower, and the cover kept popping off. So, after trying a couple different methods with little success, (I had in fact grown way beyond the capabilities of my machine) I got frustrated and sick of looking at it. Into the closet it went, unceremoniously shoved in a bag.

Well, now that we've got a local Modern Quilt Guild I've resurrected several old quilts and am determined to finish them. And here one is!!!

The center panels are an Alexander Henry print bought at St. Theresa's Textile Trove back in the day. I wanted it to look like an Asian shoji screen and used a traditional Amish pattern.

The geishas are hand quilted, the rest is machine quilted.
Here's an image of the pieced back, which is all the rage these 10 years later!
It is made for a full size bed, which we got rid of 4 years ago. Ha!

Quilt Block Swap

2010-07-15T22:37:00.004-04:00

The plan:
A finished block: 9 more to go:
And the aftermath:

I had so much fun making these I left them hanging on the dining room curtains for weeks!

2010-07-15T22:09:00.003-04:00

It's been a few weeks here of hints, clues, nudges and prods from the past. Some were private things, like running across the blanket we held Burke in while he passed away, and some a little more public, like attending the blessingway for another babylostmama, but all are pointing back to the grief and ache.

I've been trying to ignore them, pretending it's "just a little emotional bump." But I realized last night while crying and laughing with a new lostbabymama friend that it's time to do a little more Work. Time to reflect, maybe pull out some photos.

Take some long walks. Talk a little more. Tune in and listen. Spend some time getting to know the quiet space in our little family where our eldest son should be.

So thank you for this...

Little wheelbarrow

2010-07-14T07:56:00.004-04:00

Bennett's favorite garden tool, he uses it to haul anything and everything around the yard, even trying to give the cat a ride.

What to do with crap?

2010-07-13T18:50:00.004-04:00

Once your family is sick of zucchini bread, cupcakes, risotto, Barbara Kingsolver's Disappearing Zucchini Orzo, fried zucchini, sauteed zucchini, zucchini in fajitas/quesadillas, you shred that mountain of zucchinis into manageable amounts and freeze them. 22 cups worth to be precise.

And there are still more setting on.

In other news, our neighborhood deer has been spotted sleeping in a backyard across the street. Awesome. No wonder he's visited several times, tearing up more tomatoes, nibbling more cukes, and razing the peppers back to the stems YET AGAIN.

Let's hope eating hot peppers gave him some indigestion. Grumble.Last weekend we finally took some heavy-handed measures and installed a mesh fence around the entire garden.

You can barely see it, but there it is in all it's 8 foot glory. Just try it again mister deer.

Oh, crap.

2010-06-27T16:30:00.005-04:00

We are going to end up with WAAAY more zucchini than we will ever be able to handle. We already got about 12 large ones off the 4 plants we planted. What were we thinking??? Last year we planted 2 plants and I just used the last batch of frozen shredded zucchini last month.

At least we have something coming in! Our garden has been ravaged by what we thought were rabbits. Between owning a greyhound and a cat that will take out anything with feathers or fur (including bats, moles, voles, squirrels, blue jays and anything else that dares to enter his territory) we have never had problems.

Come to find out it wasn't a rabbit that decimated the chard, ate the tops of ALL of the pepper plants, bit into the cucumbers and nibbled down the tomatoes.

The cat is forgiven.

Bathtime for Sophie

2010-06-23T08:11:00.002-04:00

Zoo

2010-06-21T07:13:00.003-04:00

Bennett and I spent a lovely afternoon at the zoo a couple of weeks ago. We got to see the elephants getting a bath, the penguins swim, and lots and lots of ducks.

He's been fixated on giraffes lately and has even taken to carrying around his Sophie...

Father's Day

2010-06-20T22:39:00.002-04:00

A Father means so many things...
A understanding heart,
A source of strength and of support
Right from the very start.
A constant readiness to help
In a kind and thoughtful way.
With encouragement and forgiveness
No matter what comes your way.
A special generosity and always affection, too
A Father means so many things
When he's a man like you...

~Author Unknown~