December Photo Project: Day 23

Gingerbread house decorating with friends,  year 4.

December Photo Project: Day 16

 

Buttonholes are still a challenge for me so I was excited to discover this alternative: the embroidered loop.

December Photo Project: Day 13

 

Why not start in on sewing a Christmas gift?  I've still got 11 days to finish.

Artistic Expression

In my idealistic routine (NOTE: routine not schedule) for our day, an hour each afternoon is devoted to quiet art projects.  Reality is that our house is never quiet and art comes and goes based on weather and whims.

The temperatures were low and spirits were high.  Matthew pulled out a spirograph he received for Christmas and got to work designing unknown planets.

Thankfully we had another set in the basement so there were plenty of pieces to go around.

Did you ever have a spirograph?  I still remember going to the Mercer Mall and purchasing one at Hills.

The little ones were not to be left out.  While I'm not so brave as to try these paints, I got out our Do-A-Dot paints.

 

 

It's hard to imagine she could see well enough to paint, but she managed.

It really was a great diversion for some stir-crazy children.

December Photo Project: Day 20

It must be the Year of Cheap Decorating.

 

 

My friend Meg employs masking tape; I exalt the lowly noodle.

 

 

I think they are surprisingly lovely for pasta.

December Photo Project: Day 19

The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.  They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken-down toolhouse....

 

They were just so all-around awful you could hardly believe they were real: Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys - six skinny, string-haired kids all alike except for being different sizes and having different black-and-blue places where they had clonked each other.

 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

 

 

Sometimes I wonder if it is wise to read this book each year.  I'm so afraid someone may pick up on a new method of mayhem.

 

 

  And speaking of mayhem, it was just a little bit crazy around here when we had a dozen kids decorating faux gingerbread houses.

 

We did it a couple of years ago but had to skip last year because of travel plans.  Some more friends joined the party this year, and it was a blast.

When I ran out of gluten-free graham crackers, we made do with a rice krispie sod house.  (It wouldn't have mattered at all seeing as the underlying form was just a canvas for lots of icing and candy).

Mrs. Snow came to the rescue when the toppings were applied just a "little" too thickly.

 

All was good in the world once again.

 

And Best of Show?

 

I just loved the Santa Sucker (though it looks a little like a steeple on a church).

Ready and Waiting

This weekend I put the final touches on #6's quilt

(while finishing up the last disc of Heat of the Sun - so good!).

 

 

I was hoping to find a way to incorporate pieces of all the other kids' quilts.



This from Andrew's completely hand-quilted and embroidered quilt.

 

 

 

This trio from Stephen's summer inspired quilt.

From Matthew's - maybe my all-time favorite.

 

This is also from Matthew's - I remember showing it to
my quilting grandmother who had made a blouse for herself from the very same fabric.



I cut things close with Jonathan's and only had tiny pieces to work with.

  

 

 



And these were all from Josie's quilt.

 So what about the new baby?  He/she needs something special.

 

 

I fell in love with this darling vintage print.

 

 

And who can resist houndstooth?

 

 

And just because, a special letter.

 

We are ready and waiting to meet you...please come soon!

Baby Gift Backlog: Boot Scootin' Boogie

This one is headed to a little cowgirl in Texas.

 

Can't wait to meet her!

Baby Gift Backlog: For Charlie

Just in time for the 4th of July....

 

 

 

a patriotic mix of blue and white and darling red crabs!

 

Baby Gift Backlog: Boy or Girl

These projects were actually completed ages ago (sometime during the winter) but got buried under mountains of stuff during our remodeling.   I pulled them out a few weeks ago, wrapped them nicely, and delivered them to some special friends.

 

 

 This one has been waiting patiently for baby Patrick who just arrived this very afternoon!

 

My mother once delivered a baby blanket to our neighbor on her 10th birthday.   I used to think it quite funny, though like many other things, hindsight plus motherhood gives one a whole new outlook on things.  I'm sure there were other things to occupy my mother's time.

 

Well, in this case the birthday girl is just one (and some!).  I like to say that it took so long because I hand-stitched all those little stars (as if!), but in fact, it was an upcycled Pottery Barn bumper pad I found at the local "boutique."

I originally gave the latter quilt to said baby's grandmother who immediately remarked, "You have no sense!"  and when I relayed this conversation to my mother, she replied, "Did you tell her your husband says so too?"  I don't deny it, but it is so much fun to craft for a baby and I love to have something crafty to work on.  I've got a couple of other baby-related projects in the works, but we'll see how the time goes (it's going too fast for me!).