My new favorite T

Just wanted to share something else quick before I pack it in and ready myself for work tomorrow...I made myself a tshirt over the break that I really like. I based my top on a post I saw here:

http://sewingin-nomansland.blogspot.com/2011/03/instant-gratification-top.html

The thing I really love about Kelly's top is the amazing and feminine ruffle around the neckline. I modified my T a bit. I put sleeves on mine. I wanted to be able to wear it without a cardi and I don't wear tanks without a cardi. I also didn't extend the ruffle all the way around the neckline. I finished all seams and edges, including the neckline and the ruffle. (Next time maybe I'll go with a more carefree look and feel and leave the edges raw.) And I extended the length.

I started mine the same way she started hers. I used one of my favorite tshirts as a guide. I folded it, layed it out on my jersey knit fabric, and traced. I did the same for the back. I did the same for the sleeves, which was a bit more difficult, but I did it! The ruffle is, well, basically a really long knit casing. I used a loose running stitch up the middle, gathered the fabric, pinned it in place and sewed it to the shirt. I like it a whole bunch. And I'm going to try it again. I really like the extended length.

Pay no attention to my gross hair and no makeup. I didn't go ANYWHERE today.

Spring break is AWESOME

I've been looking forward to spring break since Christmas break. No, now that's not true, but our winter here seems to drag on and on and on and on...and you just start feeling so blah. You know what I'm saying...I know you know what I'm talking about. Even if you don't live in a place where warmth disappears altogether for six months out of every year, yes that's right, half the year is crappy, I know you can still at least sympathize. Anyway, Superman and I don't have the same spring breaks...so I had a week, one whole, unadulterated, mostly blissful week with Pumpkin. We played a lot. We went to the park despite the snow covered ground and she loved it. We went to McD's. Barf. But she loved it. We read a zillion books a zillion times. We danced. We painted. We watched movies (and Dora the Explorer, and Diego, and Phineas and Ferb). We visited family. I turned a year older. We made these pinkalicious, bluealicious, and greenalicious cupcakes.

And of course we kicked back and got our lazy on...as much as possible.

My Fat Quarter Addiction Part VI: Project Organize

It seems, if I'm being completely honest, that I have stuff. Lots of stuff. And the open surfaces of counters, dressers, shelves, etc. seem to be places for me to put lots of baskets, and trays, and storage containers in which to organize and store my stuff. It's come to my attention that Superman has stuff too. And he needs places to put his stuff. So I made him trays. One for on top of the refrigerator, and one for on top of the dresser. Not much space for his stuff I know, but it's a start. This is what they looked like straight from the dollar bin at Target:

You can see I've already started applying several coats of black paint. Although one of Superman's favorite shirts is, in fact, pink, he wouldn't take too kindly to putting his manly stuff in a pink, polka dotted tray. I used black acrylic craft paint, because it's too cold to spray paint today.

Here's what they looked like all painted up. pretty nice. But, they needed a little punch, so I got the fat quarters out. One in a yellow print, and one in red that will coordinate with our kitchen. I also got the trusty Mod Podge. Ahhh, good ole' Mod Podge. I traced the tray and cut the fabric inside my lines. I painted Mod Podge all over the inside bottom of the trays and smoothed the fabric down. Then I added another coat of Mod Podge on top of the fabric. (I also painted Mod Podge on the sides of the tray on the inside, to seal the black acrylic. If he's going to throw stuff in there I want it to hold up and not chip after his keys hit the tray the first time.)

Here they are completed...They are pretty little things. And all for a couple bucks. You gotta love that.

My two great loves...

I'm feeling happy tonight. We just got Pumpkin a new bike. I know, it's a little bit early here in the great North, where the snow is FINALLY beginning to melt. But she rode it all around Wal-mart, which was hilarious, racing with particular abandon through the lawn and garden department before Superman and I decided we couldn't put it back on the rack. It would be too heartbreaking. So the bike came home with us. As soon as she got out of the car, immediately in fact, she rode it up and down the loooong block we live on exactly a zillion times. A ZILLION. I had a blast watching her.

This whole week was a great one overall. Even though Superman was on spring break and I was still at work. I think we went for a walk with Pumpkin every single night. We played, we ran, we skipped, we read books together, we ate ice cream, we enjoyed each other. It was wonderful. So wonderful. These two beautiful people are the great loves of my life. I have come to a point now where I know I cannot live without them. They are a part of everything that I am. Just wanted to share the joy...

More watercolors

Sun I, Sun II

Here are two more that I finished within the last two weeks. I'm really enjoying this. I may be in a bit of a rut, so to speak, for a while. (No, a groove, let's call it a groove.) Seeing as I'm really digging these watercolors. What do you think? Give it to me straight...

Some other projects...

Here are a couple of watercolors I made. They are not recently completed necessarily, but I had them at school and finally decided to bring them home. I think I would like to frame them?? Not sure. The clockworks piece was finished about a year ago, the season's end about three or so months ago. Let me just say that I love watercolor. Love, love, love it. I think it's the rich, transparent layers, and the myriad variations of tone and value in every inch of the artwork. There are so many things that could happen when you touch your watercolor brush to your paper. So many wonderful "happy accidents" as one of my art professors used to call them. I've been using my watercolors a lot as of late. I will have to post those works later.

Good Things to Come...

The past several weeks have been so stressful for Superman and I. (And for hundreds of thousands of others in this great state of Wisconsin.) We are both teachers. And to dispel the grand amount of myth and misinformation circulating out there, we are not rolling in the dough. We make a pretty modest income. So modest, in fact, that I have to work. I struggle with this fact often, you can read about that here. Anyway, the outlook seems pretty bleak right now, but however crazy this sounds, I know we'll be just fine. Our faith will see us through. I have no doubt that though this will impact us greatly we will be watched over. We will not quit. We will keep going. We will overcome. We will find joy.