Embrace the camera.

Embrace the camera.  

Purposely put yourself IN FRONT of the camera.  

Create visual memories with your children.

Inspired by:

Emily at the Anderson Crew

I've been off on a flea market (Junk Bonanza) adventure this week...so I'm giving you a photo of Soleil and me from this past winter.

Soleil's sweet face and the sparkle in her eyes...awww, it makes my heart warm.

I'm so happy to be home.

What I've been working on. Progress.

I've made some progress on the quilt that I'm making out of baby clothes.  Wanna see?

After A LOT of research on how to best stabilize all of the knit fabrics, I decided to use a fusible sheerweight interfacing.  Here's how I did it...

*Keep in mind that I have decided that the finished quilt blocks will be 8 inches square, 

so I will be cutting 

8 1/2" squares to accommodate for seam allowance*

After carefully seam-ripping each onsie/shirt/sleeper (in this case a shirt) apart, I placed it right side down on my ironing board and ironed it flat.  Then I placed a 9" square (approximate) of the fusible interfacing, bumpy side down, on the shirt.

I affixed the interfacing to the shirt using a wet pressing cloth and a hot, steamy iron (FYI, fusible interfacing comes with great instructions).

Then I flipped the shirt over and using my 8 1/2" square ruler cut out a perfect, stabilized square.

Here's an action shot...

Now, that stack of baby clothes = 44 squares!

Here is one of my favorites:

What's next?  Cutting out the 44 squares of white flannel that will go in between these beauties!

My Princess

Few things get me as excited as a good silent auction.  Silent auction + drinks = good time for Ruth.  Often if the drinks are especially accessible, I bid on quite a lot and forget about things like budgets.  

Such was the case last winter at an event benefiting a family challenged by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

But this time I won something good.  Really good.

I won the opportunity for my daughter to be a Princess for a Day

And today was her day.  

She was an Honorary Princess with the St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family and had the opportunity to have breakfast with the Royal family, was officially "Knighted" by the King, and rode in a parade alongside the Queen of Snows.

  I was so proud of her...and happy for her.  She did a fantastic job.  And was a perfect princess.

Embrace the camera: First day of school.

As inspired by The Anderson Crew's Challenge

(The following text came from her blog):

so, have you ever embraced the camera?  if you haven't, why not?

it's important for your kids/family members/etc. to have memories of YOU.  one day, you won't be around, and all they will have are those 2 pictures you let someone take of you at christmas time.

stop messing around and make some memories...and capture those memories...with YOU IN THEM.

it's that important.

We're looking a little intense in this photo.  I guess we're still working towards "embracing" the camera.

This was breakfast this morning at our house.  My kids were fueling up for their first day of school.  Shore is now a First Grader and Soleil is in Third Grade.  

They were ready...and so was I.

Bye-Bye summer!!!

*OMG, I just noticed that there are PAPER TOWELS in this photo!!!  They were left over from our cabin vacation...I promise! 

Don't hate.

What I've been working on

Have you been wondering where the crafty posts had gone?  

I kind of was too. 

Actually, I've been working on something that I needed permission to show you...and the permission giver had been out of town.

But permission has now been granted and I'm gonna start showing...

I have been hired to make TWO twin sized quilts (yay)...but get this, they're going to be made out of baby clothes!  Is this a phenomenal idea or what?  This incredible mom saved her two sons' baby clothes and is trusting me to turn them into quilts.  

This last week has been "fabric prep" week.  I've been seam ripping all of the adorable little onsies and sleepers in an attempt to maximize fabric.  And researching the best way to stabilize all these soft cuddly knits.

I've loved touching and examining each and every one of these garments.  I've daydreamed about my client holding, rocking, and feeding her little boy...getting to know and falling in love with this new little person.

It's made me think a lot about my own babies and those years of rocking chairs, instinctive bouncing, and middle of the night meals. 

I've been given full creative freedom with these quilts...but I'm going to keep things simple.  The clothes are the main attraction.  

I'm thinking a patchwork design using 8" finished squares.

Stay tuned...

Embrace the camera. Saturday morning edition.

Inspired by the Anderson Crew here is my Embrace the Camera entry.  I'm calling this "Saturday Morning Edition"...I'm extra crusty and unwashed but it's oh so real.  

I was going to crop, blurr, sepia tone these bad boys all up...but instead, I'm just giving them to you raw, and in their original state.  We're embracing the camera here, right?!?

I adore this family of mine.

may The Force be with you...

today and every day.

Here's to you, my sweet girl...

Soleil is fearless and will try anything.  Her body may be tiny, but she has the courage of a giant.  I have always been enamored by her willingness to put herself out there and try something new. After not being able to hoola hoop at her kindergarten Sock Hop she taught herself, practiced all year, and won the hoola hoop contest in first grade.  Then she won it again in 2nd.  

This last week, while at the cabin, she was determined to paddle board.  When we explained that she was too young/little to paddle board on her own on such a big/deep lake she agreed to go out with an adult.

But then she insisted that she be the one paddling.

She's my WonderGirl.

Today I am grateful for Soleil's nerves of steel.  I'm convinced that if she puts her mind to it, she truly can do anything.