Apron!

I've wanted to make this apron for awhile, months actually. I used the pattern in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing book. It's so easy. I made one for my sister awhile back, and this time I didn't even look at the directions, it's that simple. I love how you can customize this pattern--I added pockets and a little lace to mine, used some funky retro-inspired fabric, and now I have an apron that screams "me." Also, it's reversible, so it's like having two aprons in one!

Like my pink jammies? :O)

Migraine

Last night, after a lovely dinner at Farelli's with the Mom's Group, we ended up at the ER. No, it wasn't an emergency, and yes, we're all fine. I've just had this wicked migraine for 7 days now, and it was so bad last night I was having problems walking. First we tried going to the urgent care office, and they said they couldn't do anything more for me than I was already trying at home. The other urgent care office's strongest medicine is Demerol, and since that definitely wouldn't work, we went to the Emergency Room. It was a quiet night, thankfully, so I was seen within an hour, and got an IV almost immediately. They gave me a combination of three drugs, one of which was Benadryl (weird) and I can't remember the name of the other two. Whatever the medicines were, they helped in the interim, although today my headache is back. Lovely.

I've been dealing with my migraines for years, actually since I was 8. I've seen numerous neurologists, had several MRI's/CAT scans/an EEG, and tried just about every preventative drug (at least one from every "family.") Beta blockers made me twitch, Toparol made me sick, Topamax made it impossible to concentrate, and Nortryptaline is the current drug of choice, and I think it's making my migraines worse. Since being on it (just over 30 days) I've had 6 migraines, one of which is this current, wicked nasty one. I know there are at least 7 others I've tried before. And the medicines they give me for relief rarely work. I'm currently using Imitrex, in the nasal form, and that's not working. In fact, it makes me sick to even think about using it. I've tried combinations of drugs, a homeopathic "cure" (that is AWEFUL to take, but does help, at least for a little bit.) The only thing that gives me relief is sleeping, and that's only because I can forget about it for a few hours.

Why am I posting this? Mostly to whine.

In other news, I received my Flea Market Fancy fabric yesterday! Thank you Ashley for the tip!!!




I still don't know what I'm going to make with it, so for now it's sitting on my shelf, looking at me all day long. It's so pretty, I don't want to cut into it. Sigh. (Life is hard, I know.)

I'm (still) working on this one quilt, and my remaining sock. I think I've had a minor setback with all my headache stuff for this past week, so I'm hoping once I see a doctor I'll be able to concentrate more.

Haven't Fallen Off the Blogosphere...

No, really, I haven't. I've just been busy--keeping house, celebrating 2 year-old birthdays, and creating.

Having a larger house is nice, except when it comes time to clean it...I try to keep up with it everyday, but with a little boy running around, pulling things off shelves, flinging his toys all over the floor, and driving his cars (and me) up the wall, it's hard!

Speaking of that little boy, he turned 2 last week. I'm not sure I've come to terms with this yet, but I suppose I'd better soon. Because like it or not, he's growing up. We had a small celebration on the day of, with cupcakes from Cupcakes Royale (oh my gosh, awesome!) Then we celebrated with family and friends (for the third time) last Saturday. We had about 20 people here, and it was great! I loved having so much family over! My brother stayed the weekend, and my mom stayed Saturday night. We had dinner at the little cafe down the street, and then they both left at the crack of dawn Sunday morning for the dog show.

I've also been creating, but mostly for myself/the home. I've made a tablecloth, curtains, and have been working on my second sock (yes, for those of you who might have doubted me, I finished the first one!!!)

Yesterday we got our driver's licenses, and today it's off to the Department of Licensing to get our car licensed. Probably with the boy in tow. Fun times in Momma Land, I tell you what!

I Saw Nature Today...

...and then realized I forgot my camera. So I went home (not nature) and went back out to the park (nature) where I saw some pretty nifty things.





Yup, those are raccoons. Right outside my car. We had a raccoon in our yard in MA, and the only time I ever saw her was when I pulled up after dark, and she'd be in one of the trees in the back, and she'd startle me every time. People who know me know I'm scared of the dark. Well, scared is an understatement. More like terrified. So I usually walked veryveryquickly to the house from the car. But if I saw Roxy Raccoon, I'd run. A dead run. I know, I'm neurotic, but all I could think of was Roxy jumping out of the tree (yes, I know she was 30 feet in the air,) landing on my head (yes, she'd have to be pretty coordinated to jump 30 feet down and land on top of my head, I know,) and biting me with her rabies-ness (I may have a bit of an overactive imagination. Maybe.) So today, when I saw the raccoons (I saw 14 total, 9 of which were before I went home for my camera) I stopped the car, snapped a few pictures, the quickquickquick rolled up the window. I wanted to show my son, but that would have meant getting him out of his car, and then we might have been bit by rabid raccoons. So, he has yet to see a raccoon, but I suppose that's life. :O)



I also pulled up to a lookout point and took a few pictures (I actually got out of the car, and managed not to be attacked by any large, rabid, woman-biting raccoons.) It was really beautiful, and I wanted to take Bug out so he could see too, but he was asleep by then. (I think the excitement of nature was just too much. Or maybe he was trying to evade his crazy mommy.) Anyway, there was a man playing a sax, and while generally I like to sink inside myself with my thoughts while I commune with nature, somehow his jazz was appropriate. Actually, I think that may have been the highlight of my little jaunt.



I brought Nibbler with me, thinking I could let her out to play in the grass, but seeing as how there was nature everywhere...

Details: Point Defiance Park, 5 Mile Drive.

Pants!

Newborn to 6 month pants, for a boy or girl. Beige corduroy with imported Japanese cotton cuffs.



6-12 month pants, for a girl. A very feminine corduroy with crocheted lace ruffles on the hems.

I made these pants for a friend, as a custom order. I think they turned out great!

Aliens and Pants, Aliens in Pants

(This picture has nothing to do with this post. I just like tea and scones.)

Wow. Tonight, as I sat at my desk, sewing away, I heard my husband start up the XBox. I think--maybe it was the PS3? Or the Wii? Anyway, I was sewing, content to manipulate the fabric, lulled into an almost cathartic state by the matching of seams, pinning, sewing, pressing, pinning again, the whir of my machine, and the background noise. Suddenly, I was jolted into reality by the sounds of crashing, banging, and yelling. "Honey," I said, "what are you doing?"

Jes replied, in a matter of fact tone, "Killing aliens."

"Oh."

This led me to analyze, as I was still busy sewing, half listening to my husband massacre extraterrestrial life-forms, my life, or more specifically, what it's like to be married to a geek. I'm not sure I came to any conclusions, except maybe that it's sometimes annoying. Of course, I'm not Miss Popularity myself--I love me some Settlers (of Cataan) now and again, and I'd rather sew or do otherwise crafty things than go out to clubs--but there is something seriously strange when I can be lulled back into my meditative state by the sounds of alien annihilation. I'm just saying.

(Relevant pictures tomorrow, I promise. Shop update? Not so much. Probably next week once the craziness of making a new home wears down.)

Preserving

Today I made blueberry jam, from fresh blueberries from the farmer's market. It was my second time making jam, but my first experience actually canning it (the first batch was more of a freezer-type jam. No pectin.) It came out beautifully, and I now have nine jars for this winter/spring. Next weekend I want to make apple cider jelly, with fresh cider from the market.

The entire time I was working, my mind was filled with memories of my (step) mother canning, preserving food for our large family for the winter. Each summer we would load up the truck with whatever fruit or vegetable was in season, and Dad and we would help prepare the food. Though I believe we may have been more of a hindrance than a help, because I seem to remember my parents doing most of the work. Regardless, the memories stuck with me all these years, and ever since moving out on my own I have thought of canning. This year, with a toddler to feed (the boy can eat when he wants to, and jam is especially a favorite) and some extra time on my hands, I am finally doing it. No, nothing like the giant stacks of jars weighing down the pantry shelves--and bag upon bag of vegetables in the giant freezer--that Mom made. No, my preservation is smaller and definitely simpler. But still, I'm proud of my nine sparkling jars of jam, sitting in my tiny pantry waiting to be devoured with fresh bread this winter. Hopefully my family will enjoy it, and maybe when my son is older he will remember his mother working away in the kitchen, storing food for a well-loved family.

Settling In

Our things arrived yesterday (not on the day they said they would get here, just like the car. Ugh.) We've been unpacking like crazy, and it's kind of starting to feel like home.

It's funny: I've moved so many times in my life, but the last two (save a tiny move in between--buh bye crazy landlord!) were the hardest. I think because I had been trying SO HARD to put down roots and BE AN ADULT that I felt (feel) uprooted when we left. I had left the security of my family and friends here in WA, and set out on a grand adventure to the "unknown" and I made such good friends that I felt (feel) like I have left my family again. I don't know what the correct word is for how I feel, but maybe discombobulated (is that really a word?) Anyway, it finally hit me the other night that we had left our house, and all of our friends, and I just sobbed and cried and slobbered on my poor husband's shoulder. And he's not good with emotions. :O) Ever since then I'm having a hard time keeping my emotions in check, and as I unpack each box it reminds me of something that happened in MA. It's still hard to realize that we won't be seeing our friends for awhile. It's especially hard when my son says a friend's name, asking for them, and I have to tell him we won't see them for a long time. And he doesn't get it, so he asks for someone else five minutes later.

In other (not so depressing) news, I have nearly finished a quilt, all in one afternoon/evening, in between unpacking boxes, cooking dinner, and running after my son. It's pieced, sandwiched, and quilted. All I have left is the binding, but unfortunately that will have to wait until after the baby shower tomorrow afternoon. I don't think I can get all the hand sewing done with a crazy toddler running around. So I'll get the front of the binding on, and safety pin the back so the new mama can see what it will look like.

Does anyone have any good tips on keeping the quilt from shifting while quilting? Right now I'm using basting safety pins, which is fine, but it's hard to sew around them. I picked up some quilt basting spray, but I think I'll try it on a few dog crate blankets before I attempt an entire quilt with it.

The Moving Truck is Arriving Today!!!

Woohoo! Our stuff is finally getting here! I'm so excited to set up my new studio, with my new desk, and my lovely sewing machine (oh how I've missed you!) And all my fabrics--oh, that is the most exciting part of all!!!

In anticipation of all my Tiny House stock's arrival, I've reopened my shop. For now it's older items, but I'll be adding more as they are finished, probably early next week. The rest of this week is going to be devoted to finishing a quilt for a soon-to-arrive baby.

And now we're off to the bank to get a rather large money order so the moving company can't hold our things hostage. The joys of being a cross-country moving adult, I suppose.