T is for Super Hero

So far I've made things for Mary and things for gifts, but Thomas didn't have anything cool yet. That needed to be rectified, so I made him his own super hero cape. Total cost - $.10. The blue fabric was freecycled, as was the red felt. The blue felt is real wool and a piece of a larger remnant I did buy from a store. The striped lining was contributed by my mom.

"T is for... what, Thomas?"

"Super heroes!"

I've been rescued countless times already, and given bunches of super hero hugs.

The cape was based on this one, with a few adjustments. I also didn't have any velcro, but it ties up just fine.

Psychedelic Grandma Quilt

After much hemming and hawing, my Grandma decided she could part with some of her sewing things. She's 86 and can't sew anymore (can't see), but she's still holding on to some of her supplies "just in case." No matter. My mom (who stays with her once a week) called me over the other night. I dropped the older two off with friends and off George and I went. He's a great helper. Ate a sandwich all over Grandma's floor.

Anyway, I came away with a huge stack of quilting books and magazines, some patterns, and a mega stash of high quality quilting fabric, including a few awesomely precious vintage pieces. There were also these:

Ten beautiful 12" quilt squares pieced together God knows how long ago from scraps of fabulous 60s and 70s fabric. Check out all that polyester! I can't even begin to imagine the awesome outfits my mom and her sisters would have worn from these. I needed to use them immediately.

I set one aside and cut 16 squares from this bright turquoise (rayon?) fabric brought home from a recent thrift store shopping spree. That stuff was a pain in the ass to cut, but I couldn't ask for a better color to go with Grandma's squares.

And here it is, my first quilt top. Crooked? Absolutely. In my defense, the original squares weren't quite square either, but no matter. I'm in love with it.

Check out that color! Unfortunately, I don't know the first thing about the next steps in the quilting process. For now, I'm just enjoying it's beauty spread out on the dining room table.

new(er) sewer

It's been so long since I updated this thing that my third baby is almost as old as the second kid was when I last posted.

I've been sewing. One of my friends found a free sewing class in a town a half hour away, so we've been going. I'm so stoked I'm trying to start a similar group locally. The best part? Mary is old enough to help me now.

Today we made this bag. We got our first letter from our new sponsor child in Bolivia, and Mary wanted to make her a book bag just like I made for her the first night at the new sewing class. Except the latest bag is way better. It's big enough to fit small exercise books and some soft-back phonics books, and the strap is long enough to go over the shoulder. Best part? Total cost: $0.

Before this bag, Mary requested a "mat." I'm not exactly sure what she was envisioning, but she's pleased with the result. She sleeps with it, wraps it around her like a cape, and otherwise cuddles up with it. The top is made from three fat quarters from the bargain bin at the quilt shop, $5. The white strips and blue corduroy backing were picked up at the Recycle Exchange for about 25¢.

I've also cleared out the storage area downstairs and turned it into my own little space. It needs some paint on the walls before I put p shelves, and I'm working next to the furnace, but it's MY space. There are two doors making for a quick exit, and BOTH of them have locks.

I made a coordinating crayon roll from the same set of fabric as the bag. Only took me about an hour! (not including time I was called away by kids, dinner, bedtime, etc) Isn't it pretty? I even made matching ribbons. It's meant to fit 8 jumbo crayons, but it also fits 24 regular ones.

Mary's List

Mary: Go car, Mummy!
Mummy: You want to go car?
Mary: Yeah! Go a mall!
Mummy: What do you want to do at the mall?
Mary: Umm... buy.
Mummy: What do you want to buy at the mall?
Mary: Umm... bananas!
Mummy: You want to buy bananas? What else do you want to buy?
Mary: Umm... milk!
Mummy: What else?
Mary: Umm... potatoes.
Mummy: And what else should we buy.
Mary: Umm... POOPOOS! *obnoxious laughter*
Mummy: You want to buy poopoos???
Mary: Yeah! *more obnoxious laughter*



She went on to also list fishies and cereal. So since we had nothing in particular else to do, we got ready to go to the grocery store. Mary helped me write our list. Then she chose a few extra things to put on.

We walked through the store without argument and collected all the things on the list, and nothing more. Mary had a great conversation with the check-out lady about her poopoos and who might eat them, and how yummy they were. They also discussed her housecoat. Then I asked Mary if she would like to go home, and rather than insist on going into the rest of the mall, she said yes.

Bread

Three weeks ago I bought nearly-expired organic milk at the grocery store. They mark it way down - $1.50 for a 2L and $3.50 for a 4L. Less than half the regular price and well under the price for non-organic milk. We almost always drink it, but this one jug got forgotten till after it was expired. I didn't want to give it to the kids, so I saved it. A week later, I tried sour milk biscuits. Or hockey pucks. I guess the milk wasn't sour enough. Today I tried sour milk bread. Yum!

Warrior Girl

Scott has always called Mary "Warrior Girl" for no particular reason at all. And now we have this photo.

Green Goals

Goal set: Find a butcher/farmer's market source for meat (sick of plastic and styrofoam packaging)

Goal accomplished: Start collecting warm-up/cool-down water in the sink, and start collecting the drips from the leaky faucet outside to use for watering

Goal set: Switch to cloth "paper" towels and, maybe, cloth toilet "paper"

Goal accomplished: Bake a successful loaf of bread.

***
Healthy Eating Win: Homemade whole wheat multigrain bread
Healthy Eating Fail: Perogies fried in bacon fat with full fat sour cream and bacon bits on top, with a side of bacon.