The Heron's Nest

For The Twins

 

Our little friends turned three a few weeks back.  I had made a crown for their sister a year or two ago and it was time for them to have their own.  The skirts  were an afterthought, as the fabric was screaming to me "Emmie and Gracie"!  (I cannot say enough about this pattern.  They are so easy to make that I seem to have created a little girl who thinks that skirts can be made on a whim!)  I found the t-shirts at Target, on clearance, and fastened a little applique onto each.  Finished with a bag to throw it all in and ta da!  A sweet birthday present!

The Inaugural Skirt

The Inaugural Skirt, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

Because doesn't every girl need one? Most people would probably have more to say about a day such as this, but this tired mama is amazed and pretty much speechless.  Instead of words, my fingers got busy, stitching memories of this day, and feelings of hope and pride into the fabric. 

This was made thanks to the FREE downloaded pattern from Oliver and S! It came through in an email a while ago, and I totally forgot about it.  Luckily Soulemama posted some recently and reminded me of the great pattern.  It is easy to see why they are incredibly addictive.They are so easy to pull together, and very cute! And let me say, it is just a great way to use your leftovers!  I could not resist the temptation to make more than one!  That, and I had to do something else while watching the amazing "Barack Obama Show" as my five year old refers to the non-stop tv viewing today.  What a great day!

 

I realized after making this that the jammie top form Christmas will actually go with the skirt too!  Gotta love that!

Binder Organizer

Binder Organizer, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

Shouldn't everyone be making a binder organizer a week before Christmas? I had to make a list of what I wanted to make.....went to my calendar to make the list, and it was all down hill from there. I decided that my calendar was overdue for an update....not that I am using a calendar successfully yet! I used some of my favorite fabric from Superbuzzy. This is the second attempt, as the first was a bit puffy due to the extra heavy Pellon I had used. The second try was much more satisfying, and I was able to work out some of the kinks. Too bad I had used the nice fabric the first time! I always curse myself for winging it with the real stuff the first time. When will I learn?

I added handles and a snap, just so I can cart this great big giant thing around with me anywhere I go!

A Little Something for a Wee Little One....

There seem to be babies everywhere right now.  So many, I can't seem to keep up with the gift giving/ making thing.  Another little onegraced our home today with a sweet visit. A very cute one I might add.  We had made a few things just for the fun of it.

            

I love the bib, it is a copy of one that was given to me by a very special lady.  In fact, it was the first homemade item I recieved for my first little one.  The ties were added on almost as an afterthought because I had forgotten to set a tab in, and was too lazy to venture into buttonhole world.  It is huge and covers a messy toddler quite well.  The bag arrived after Ella was determined to have her own purse.  I basically shrank the design I used on this  bag and opted out of the patchwork.  My I am sounding rather slothful !.....On a positive note, I had success with the onsie, having finally placed appropriate interfacing behind the appliques, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!!!  I am feeling a few more of these coming, just in time for the holiday season....which brings me to another topic...

I am getting the Christmas itch already.  Thanksgiving has not even arrived and I am anxioulsy awaiting the fun of Advent and holiday activities with the kids.  We are triyng to keep things simple this year.  Reasonable.  Trying to focus on the giving part of the holiday. Still, it seems as though these children get showered with so many things....the thought much appreciated, but I begin to wonder how much is enough?  How many more toys can the closet hold?  How many options must they have?  Of course, Santa must leave something, and so I think we will opt for something which will encourage creative play......

The Bubble Dress

The Bubble Dress, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

Another little thing I managed to make this summer. The girl refuses to wear it, other than this one time. I am about to abandon sewing for her. It is so frustrating laboring over a dress for her and not seeing the work ON HER! I can guarantee, if her brother were to wear it, she would. She much prefers to hang out in his dinosaur jammies.

The Bag....The Weekend

The Bag, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

I actually started and finished something in less than three days!!!! What and accomplishment. The pattern is a Lazy Girl Design . (So appropriately labeled for me it is sad.)  I finally mustered up the courage to start cutting some favorites from my stash.

Of course none of this would have been possible if my lovely husband had not sent me away for a couple of days. I am not sure whether it was more for his sanity or mine. I was having some major mama burnout. I hadn't REALLY stopped since Ella was born....two years ago! We have very few family members who actually live near us, and just have not had the luxury of taking a break. So, in the final stages of construction, drywall dust everywhere and me freaking out, Paul suggested in a rather bold way..."would you get away, PLEASE!!!!!" He had been offering this for a while and I just hadn't taken him up on it. With the arrival of the school year around the corner, I knew it was a chance I had to take, or risk losing the offer until next summer. And as my friend Renee said, "if my husband was telling me to take off for two nights, I'd jump on it!" So off I went to a fancy hotel nearby. I spent the TWO nights ordering room service, reading, sewing (of course I took my machine) and watching movies. Oh and there was a trip to a spa too, but I won't brag too much. The herbal tea and meditation room was just what was needed!  Let's just say it was well deserved, and I think every mama out there should get it sometime!  I am so very grateful to Paul.  I think there are times I give the guy a hard time and really do not give him the credit he deserves.   

The Twins

The Twins, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

Our little friends Emmie and Gracie celebrated their second birthdays last week. Here are the little Hillary Lang dolls I made for them. I love her patterns!

Felt Donuts

Felt Donuts, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

I thought I had posted these a while back, but I guess that was one of those "I am going to do this" thoughts that flies through my brain momentarily, and then I am off to somehting else. We had a very long car ride down to Georgia over spring break, and this is what I did to pass the time, per the request of a rather demanding little boy in the back seat who seems to think his mama can make anything. Thank goodness for felt food craft books! I don't have to crush his expectations yet!

Super Hero Pillow

Super Hero Pillow, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

A while back, G took some fabric markers, a piece of muslin and colored the day away. Yet again more of his super hero pictures, which are slowly morphing into other subjects (he included and apple tree the other day, thank god!). The boy has been stuck in this phase, coloring super heroes in a rather obsessive manner. One entire wall of his bedroom is covered, we have PILES of homeless super hero drawings throughout the house. I imagine that if left to his own devices, he could some day end up a hermit, living in between papers, piled high up to the ceiling, with random action figures sitting on top of them.
This is no longer a U.F.O. I am glad to be again plunging into my unfinished project piles (oh, the apple does not fall far from the tree) and see some of these things turn into the original idea. Anyway, I was very imperfect with this, not really measuring precisely, just having fun, and now my boy can snuggle up with his buddies!

Dinner Please!

Placemat, originally uploaded by The Heron's Nest.

A new little placemat for E. Once I manage to muster up the nerve to cut this wonderful japanese fabric, I can't seem to stop the flow of ideas that appear. It is painful to see the price per yard, but it really is worth it! That is a good thing, as Superbuzzy has become one of my favorite places to visit.  I have had this sitting in my stash for a while. Unofficially, I have attempted to follow the Use What You Have pledge, over at Flickr, for February.   (Can you unofficially pledge to something?  According to my English teacher husband, I can only consider pledging....sigh.)  I was able to dig into a rather nice stash of vintage bias, thanks to my friend Tricia.  Thus, the white vintage bias, which will very soon be stained with spaghetti sauce I am sure! The linen is probably an even sillier idea, but I saw a placemat similar to this in a japanese craft book, and couldn't resist.