cute lil storm

While I was mostly immobile waiting for baby to make her debut, I was inspired to make a mobile for the baby room.  I found inspiration here and here.

David helped make a pattern for clouds and a lightning bolt.  I used scrap fabric that I have on hand.  Mostly neutrals, as with the rest of the baby room decor, but I couldn't resist adding a funky and colorful pattern.  Sewed and stuffed!  I used tiny pearl beads for rain drops on a couple of them.  The little pillows are strung from a painted embroidery hoop with plain white thread.  Lil baby Magpie loves staring at it when she is in her crib.

Meet Magnolia

The biggest project of 2013-2014 and beyond...

Makin' Magnets

Pretty paper turned fridge art.  For sale on etsy!

Also working on some custom swag for local biz:
Essential Beginnings
Kalisher

completed quilt

As a refresher,  here is a look at my first ever quilting attempt.  And the beginning/progress of this latest quilt.  Finished dimensions: 44 1/2 by 40 inches.  Looking forward to wrapping my little one up in this, and having it loved and worn for years.  Already dreaming up ideas for more quilt projects!  

the fabrics

the binding

front

back

details

crazy for cuppow

Dear Cuppow,

We love you.  A lot.  I got one a long time ago and love it.  Got some more recently with the new wider opening to accommodate a straw.  Cannot wait to fill up with BT iced coffee in this bad boy!  Also got David a BNTO container... easy non-mixing lunch box stuff!  Hooray!
Both David and I have been drinking all of our beverages out of our new cuppows + 12oz mason jars.  Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,
The Wontons

VIC, please

BNTO

Pepper and I are ready for spring! Hurry up MLW!

getting ready

Only a couple of weeks left until we have another being living in this house with us.  Making final prep of the baby room, getting other things organized, retraining Pepper to help ease with the transition.  Pictures of the baby room coming soon!

My fabulous friends threw a baby shower for me a couple of weekends ago.  They know me so well.  Having it at my own house was awesome too... didn't have to transport anything, and my friends didn't let me help with set up or clean up!  Can't wait to get my little girl in the custom-crafted onesies.  Also, David spent the day before cleaning the WHOLE house while I was at work.

 The next weekend, my SYNC family threw a surprise shower for me.  I definitely thought we were having a meeting.  Instead there were presents and cake!!  And a LOT of caring people.  What a great community to be a part of.

120 triangles

That was a lot of cutting!  Thankful for my fabulous work table, cutting mat, and rotary cutter.  

Making good progress on the quilt!  Have all triangles cut and sewn together.  Now pressing seams and sewing each row together today.  Binding is made and ready to go.   Then on to backing the quilt, actually quilting it together, and binding.  

 triangles cut

 stacks on stacks

 deciding on the pattern

inspiration pillow, cutting binding strips

binding... ready when I need it

club chair

I found this chair a long time ago at a thrift store for a crazy good deal.  In great shape, just a little dirty and dingy. 
The folks that did our living room chairs suddenly stopped doing reupholstery projects so that delayed my getting this done. 
Finally got around to finding a new place and taking the chair in.  Rainbow Upholstery in Raleigh did a great job and had a very quick turnaround.  So happy to have this done and in place in the craft/baby room!

 before

after!

Quilt #2

A new quilt project!

I came across this tutorial and it looks like a good next step in trying a quilt.  I made a straight line quilt last year, which now belongs to Pepper.

This new quilt will belong to my daughter.  She is due to arrive in March, so I have plenty of time to pull this together (or do I??).  I am excited to see how this goes with a different shape, and a LOT more sewing.

The fabrics I got:

Starting to cut out the many many triangles today!

working it

I've been keeping busy with little stuff:

Pins!  And more pins!!

For a class reunion

Kalisher keeps us busy.  Art is love.

Pretty vellum bunting for a party in BKLYN!

SYNCSTUDIO woop woop!

The LIST

David and I were recently shot into gear to get the house in order.  It is officially GET THE HOUSE IN ORDER time.

Earlier this year we checked off a few other overdue to-do list items, like removing dead trees from the back yard.  There are just some things we should not attempt to DIY- like cutting down trees with the potential of smashing your house.  We called professionals, and I got to watch nervously from inside.

What we've done so far:
Cut down trees
Started so back yard clearing & clean-up
had plumber fix faucet

What we need to do:
sell the Toyota
touch up paint in master bath
paint above chair rail in craft room
organize/clean out craft room closet (we did David's downstairs office closet last year)
DEEP CLEAN the house (wiping baseboards and cleaning blinds, etc)
upholster craft room reading chair
fix back gate
strip & repaint/seal the deck
create landing pad for trash bins outside
create walkway in front garden

What looms in the future:
painting the house (you're supposed to do that every 5-6 years, right?)
still thinking about that detached office out back
make downstairs office a guest room again

LET'S DO THIS!

Gunlocked

The chairs!!!  YAY!

little collections

After touching up the walls in the bedroom MONTHS ago, we finally got some artwork back up.  It is feeling complete again in the bedroom.  I made these teeny tiny little things:

Hannah gave me these lil' canvas babes in a craft box for my birthday in April.

Also in April, I got some fancy earrings.  I love them.  I do not wear them very often, as exercise and GIANT fancy earrings tend not to mix.   Most of my earrings are in a ceramic egg crate, and they are studs so it makes sense.  I did not want to store these like that... so I put them on the wall!  Then I was inspired to make a little collection of fancy lady things.

art deco in the house

Nothing says (old) lady more like cross-stitch amiright? And nothing says fancy like displaying your jewelry on the wall.  I love it.

To continue decorating the bedroom, I am going to take some neat-looking bottles and make a little collection with fake flowers- I can always swap in fresh ones when we have guests.

And speaking of little collections, I gathered these babies in Alabama last year around Thanksgiving.  We may have the opportunity to visit the gulf coast again this year and I can't wait to find more tiny whole shells.

the black one is the size of a dime

And finally, here is my collection of (mostly) living things by the window!  The guy on the far left was a wedding favor from Alex & Adam, and is still kicking after almost 2 years!