Living my simple life

My kids are invited to many summer birthday parties. I am a big fan of personal, hand-made items. Each season, calls for something fresh and new. Something that is as much fun to make as it is to receive. This season, for girls, it’s beach towels.

Inspired by a tutorial from Anna Maria Horner. I made one towel using her easy-to-follow directions and then modified the pattern to make it even more easy and brainless so I can whip these out in no time. This seems to be the perfect gift for the newly nines since they love going to the pool in packs and carrying one’s own stuff is very cool.

And for the upcoming first graders, nothing beats a number shirt. This has been a birthday stand-by of mine for years.

With name embroidered on back for the first day of school — so the teacher can learn your name quickly.

Now if only I could come up with an easy and acceptable gift to make for 11 and 12 year old boys. I am open to any and all suggestions.

It’s been a while since I’ve sewn anything. I seem to have been in a winter knitting spell but my sewing machines? Abandoned. A few weeks ago, I cut out some spring kid clothes but the pieces just sat there. Ignored. I’ve been waiting for them to call to me and yesterday they did. In one morning, I made Mojo three dresses and a shirt for Oli.

Here’s one of the dresses.

Mojo called it the “tacky dress.” I think it was said affectionately but I’m not sure. Regardless, she snatched it up to wear to school this morning.

Oli, of course, gets more pirate wear.

I feel my sewing groove creeping back in. On the docket for today? More sewing!

I can’t resist sewing or knitting patterns. Especially ones that can be obtained on-line — instant gratification, no need to drive around searching for a place that carries them or stalk my mailman each day while I wait for mail order. A friend pointed me to Sense & Sensibility which is very fitting since I’m in a Jane Austen reading kick right now (she’s one of my all-time favorite authors). After looking through them all, it’s hard to choose which one to do first. I wish I had a tea party to go to, then I’d make a tea gown. Hmmmm…..maybe I need to scale back a bit and try a child’s regency gown for Mojo or Pie. Or maybe matching Mojo and Pie. Oh, I think I can have some fun!

Cinderella likes to hang out with John while he works. She needed something cozy to sleep on — so I cannibalized a ripped, hand-me-down beanbag and dug into my fabric stash. Presenting a posh pillow for princess poochie:

She likes it.

And we like her. When I start sewing for the dog, does it mean she’s here to stay?

I am lucky. Now that Oli is in school each morning, to stave off loneliness and keep the house from being too empty, I play with my great-niece, Pie. She comes in the early morning and we wake the family together. John takes her to the bus stop to wave bye-bye to the kids and then we have some fun. Most days, we’ll do errands or adventures but last week, we sewed.

It warms my heart to see a toddler’s eyes light up over fabric. Pie helped make her skirt. She handed me pins, telling me the color of each one. She snipped threads (and fabric, and, well, anything her small scissors came in contact with…..). She pulled pins as I sewed and watched wide-eyed as her skirt was created. And then it was done!

Let the spinning begin!

Our weather has been cool lately. In the morning, it’s too cold for shorts. Oli has grown a lot since last spring — all his long pants are now floods. He needed a good dose of momma sewing and I had time earlier this week to make him a new outfit.

There are several more coordinating pieces in the works. I can’t wait to get back to my machines and finish them. Stay tuned!