weekends lately

I have been absent a lot lately. Mostly it was due to stress. Stupid stress I will admit. Car stress. The engine on my semi-old (2002) decided to stop working and was basically deemed un-fixable. To replace the engine and have the work done on it at a mechanic's shop it was going to be in the $4000 range. A lot of money we didnt & don't have. In enters my mechanically inclined dad. He bought the engine for us (which we are paying him back for) and he and my uncle got to work.
Dad in the plaid, my uncle in the blue. It took them a day to get my engine ready and back in the car.
This little piece, dont ask me what is it, but basically it came loose and fell into my engine screwing the whole thing up! As sucky as this whole situation was I am glad it wasnt my fault and no maintenance would have helped even though we do routine maintenance on the car!

There she is back as one whole piece. After a month of not having my car I am so glad to have her back.
We have been back up to my parent two weekends in the last three weekends. Just this last weekend we got to go back home to pick up Ken's car. A car that we haven't been able to drive since Leila was born. Bless my dad so not only did he fix my car he also towed Ken's car over 2.5 hours so he could fix his too. Needless to say my parents are going to be spoiled for Christmas this year!

how to keep a creative momma from going crazy

Leila has always done her own thing. Walked when she wanted to. Started to talk when she felt good and ready (each day more and more words are coming out its thrilling to me!), the only thing I have really pushed on her (and that is the wrong way to word it) is creative outlets. Now at 2 she needs constant stimulation, she loves her telletubies but we are severely cutting back the TV time (which means my computer/sewing time has been cut back as well) and I need to come up with new activities to keep her busy while I don’t go out of my mind with boredom.
So the other day I brought out the watercolors. The best craft activity to date if I do say so myself. She was content painting for a good hour and most of that time was painting with mostly water and a little paint (her choice not mine). And the clean-up? Spic and Span no issues what-so-ever. With the growing need of independence Leila has been playing more and more dress up, as well as changing her clothes sometimes three times daily. She is a pretty clean kid in general so it doesn’t worry me. I love seeing her layering her clothes, and backwards/inside style cracks me up everytime!

We also made some homemade play dough for a birthday present that Leila had so much fun making and playing with before I sent it off that I think that will be in order next week. Now I just need to stock up on cookie cutters!

What I have been up to

I know I have been touch and go these last few weeks. And for awhile it was mostly personal stress and such keeping me back. Lately though I have finally gotten my sewing grove back (as well as a sewing machine that works!). I have been sorely behind on purses and totes for two stores I sell on consignment to in Wisconsin so this past few weekends have been spent cutting and sewing.

This top photo might not show it very well but I am working on more fallish fabrics as well as a whole bunch of purses with corduroy (I love that stuff!) . I am also trying to get even more adventurous with my applique totes.

I know most seamstress have a system of how they get work done. When I am doing large orders I prefer to work like a factory line. I cut every piece at the same time. Sew all of the same parts in groups (outsides, lining, pockets). I always save the straps for last (I hate that part the most). And I finish all of the bags at once. The process is tedious but I like to get instant satisfaction in large amounts so when I finish 20 bags in a day it feels better than doing each one by one and finishing one or two in a day.
So here is hoping by the end of the week I will have large mosaics to share with all of my finished bags as well as shipping them off to the stores that really need them right now. (BTW if my vendors are reading this, thank you so much for all of your understanding, I appreciate it more then I will ever be able to express!)

Enjoy the change

I have always been the type of person to rush things. When I get something in my head I want it now, I want it finished, I want the end result end of story. I dive head first without any reserves and have blinders on. I am the same when it comes to the season changes. Being in Wisconsin we get to experience all of the seasons to my dismay though in Wisconsin in a week you can experience all four seasons and it is rather normal. This is not good for my I have to have it now mentality.

Every year I battle with I cant wait for (enter in season) to be here. Only problem is once I am in that season for awhile I long for the season that just passed. I caught myself the other day going I cant wait for fall. Not the cold wet fall that it turns into but the transition fall the cool, need a light jacket, weather.

I had to stop myself, to tell myself while the calendar is saying it is now fall we are still getting temps in the high 70’s. Perfect weather for summer dresses, lots of bubbles, and tricycle riding. Weather perfect for Leila to play for hours and hours.

So this weekend I kicked myself hard, said enjoy it whiles it here, by next summer she will be so much bigger, I only get this last summer with her, just her as her perfect 2 year old self (tantrums included) so I need to stop rushing.

Fall will be here before I know it and I will be missing warm summer nights.

Pictures in my mind

1. Rainbow Crayons, 2. Rainbow Crayons, 3. A rainbow of crayons, 4. Guess who's making crayons?

1. kidlet wall pocket - version 20, 2. Story Time Kidlet Tote, 3. IMG_1620, 4. sentimental patchwork

Someone on my blogroll today posted a picture of what you would see if you looked into her brain. While hers was rather dark and sober, mine was that way still yesterday, today though I am now in full kids birthday crafting mode. And as usual I only give myself a day to make everything when I had MONTHS to get it done and just let it go. I am planning to create an arts 'n' craft type of gift. I am sure the kids will love them, as long as I get them out the door tomorrow (for their weekend combined birthday party)! After these I have a feeling my mind will remain crafty I have a large amount of purses to get out to various stores and then it is count down to Christmas (eek).

Let us never forget.

Credit for photo found here.

Life Happens

When life hands you a hard day. You make pumpkin muffins with your baby girl. Hope everyone is having a better few days then us!

Recipe can be found here. It is a good base but we may add to the recipe as we feel adventurous.

Some Progress

Ken and I basically tuned out the world this weekend, unintentionally, but none the less we did. The phone was turned off, TVs stayed off most of the weekend and we just spent time hanging out. I was able to get a few things done. Not the huge list I was hoping but I did get my quilt mailed off for the Doll Quilt Swap 4 and this by far is my favorite yet. I just hope my partner likes it as much as me. I still have a lot of sewing to do, bags need to be made for the fall and Christmas crowds (I know it seems early but really Christmas is right around the corner!) so now that my machine seems to be a little happier after the extra love and tender care and a good cleaning I gave it I should hopefully be good for awhile.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Here is hoping the sewing just keeps on going around here!