i didn’t forget how to sew

It just took me a while to get back into it.

I made this apron for a good friend who we see whenever we are in New York. We don’t meet up very often, but when we do, we pick up right where we left off. It is one of those great relationships. She’s the best. Muchos besitos amiga mia! The fabric is Freshcut by Heather Bailey. I still can’t get enough of this fabric line. So much so that I think my fondness of it is not allowing me to give Heather Bailey’s latest collections a fair shake.

I gave this little doll quilt to my BBF’s two year old to celebrate her entrance into “big sisterhood.” The fabric is Urban Chik’s Swell. One thing I learned while making this quilt is that, even though it is mini, you still have to go through all the steps, so its not necessarily a quick project–for me anyway. Having said that, I loved how it came out and know that its new owner will put it to good use, so of course, it was well worth the time spent.

The lamb snoozing underneath the quilt is a puppet that I bought when I lived in Budapest. The woman who made these puppets was an incredible craftsman. I wish I could remember the name of her shop so that I could post a link.

yo

Just popping in to say a quick hello. I promised my sisters a belly shot, so here it is. This marks the first time I have put a photo of myself up on this little space. I must be getting brave. Funny I chose to do it 1) as I am slowly becoming a blimp and 2) just after I got a haircut that I am not too sure about. So be it. I hopped in front of the imac and took a quick one with photobooth. Felt pretty silly doing it, but here it is. My boys caught me in the act so they came by and joined me for some belly shots too. Funny guys they are.

I have been making things–little gifts for great people–but have been slow to take photos and write about them. I will get around to it soon though. We have also been on a few great trips visiting friends in upstate New York and NYC as well as a beach weekend in Rhode Island with Papa and his gal. I’ve been pretty good about enjoying myself and equally bad about taking photos. But I do have a few to share.

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer–and do keep in mind that it doesn’t officially end until September 21!

from where i sit

Sometimes when our family goes on a road trip we take my husband’s pick-up truck in lieu of my four door hatchback.  The only time we really do this is when we need extra cargo space to lug a small fishing boat, for example.  The Cydermaker’s truck is a two-door/two-seater with a small area behind the front seats that has two smaller “seats” that pull down from the side of the vehicle.  Since there is no safe way to accommodate a car seat in the “jump seat” area, the little guy gets to sit up front with dad while I squeeze into the back area.

Most would think of this as a downgrade in seating arrangements for me, but the truth is that it makes for a much smoother ride.  Smoother in the sense that, while mom is certainly less comfortable than normal, the kiddo is waaaay happier because he has a front row view of all the action.  He oohs and ahhhs at the big trucks and is entertained the entire way.  I snapped these two shots while we were sitting in traffic on the way home from a weekend in Maine.  It won’t be long before we will probably have to trade the smaller pickup for a more family friendly one, so it was nice to get a few shots that will serve as a reminder of my time in the back seat.

P.S.  Family members:  My flickr account is updated, so if you’d like to see photos of the little guy in Maine and wherever else we visited in July, click in.  (I have to designate you as “family” or “friend” so that you can view all of the family photos.  Otherwise, only a few of the shots will show up. All of the crafty stuff is public.)