Still here, I promise

I bet you think I've left for good. I can't believe it's been another week since I last posted. Things have been a little crazy around here. After we got back from Texas, my step-mother and aunt came to visit me a few days later. We had a fantastic time. Lots of talking, walking and shopping. We went to check out the new Anthropologie store in Rockefeller Center. It was the first time I'd been in one, and I was not disappointed. At least with the look and feel of the store. I thought the clothing was overpriced for the quality, but the home goods were somewhat fairly priced. I bought two tea towels I'd like to turn into skirts or something. I also found a lamp I absolutely loved, but decided against spending the $500 they wanted for it. This past Saturday, we had friends over for brunch. They were here visiting from Dallas. We had a great time and the breakfast casserole I made turned out great. So... the last couple of days were spent doing pretty much nothing. And I'll admit, it felt good. I had planned on going to the garment district today with Mia to get fabric to slipcover some chairs, but the rain (three days in a row now) held us inside. Maybe tomorrow...

I leave you with this beautiful flower. A few weeks ago, my friend Cathy and her son Charlie came over to play with me and Mia. They showed up with the most wonderful sunflowers. I enjoyed them so much before I left for the trip, that I bought more after we got back. These are from Cathy's bunch. Thank you Cathy!

We're back!

Wow, gone for over a week, and I didn't even say good-bye. Sorry about that. I had every intention of letting you know about our trip before we left, but that didn't work out. The night before we left, I was sitting at the sewing machine finishing Mia's sun hats at 10 p.m., and I still had to finish packing. Why I wait until the last minute for things, I'll never know. But it seems I always do. Anyway, we went to the Texas hill country (beautiful!) to spend time with my family. It was a great trip. I got to spend time with my grandmother, which was wonderful. Tarek even got these pics of us, which I absolutely love. Thank you Tarek!



Now that I'm home, I have my sewing mind spinning. I'm looking forward to working on some projects I've had sitting on the back burner. Pillows for the couch. Applique project for Mia's room. Should be fun!

Fabric bliss

Mia and I went fabric shopping in the garment district yesterday. Something I haven't done in a very long time. I had forgotten how nice it is to be surrounded by so many beautiful prints and colors and textures. One of my favorite things about living in New York is the unbelievable access to amazing fabrics. Bolts and bolts and bolts of things you just can't find anywhere else. Much of it is out of my price range (I found a nice linen for $68 a yard), but it's still fun to look and touch. I did find a cute brown and white polka dot to use on a skirt I'm making (more on that later). And while I'm on the subject of fabric... Don't you just love the way scraps of fabric can make you feel like you're moving in the right direction? Like you're getting things done. Accomplishing something. Moving ideas from your mind into someting tangible. It feels good and even looks good. I'm working on Mia's sun hats and trimmed a lot of seams last night. The tiny strips were just so pretty resting on the table. I couldn't throw them away. Today, Mia discovered them and pulled them behind her around the apartment. They can bring comfort and fun even for a 21-month-old. I love fabric. I think Mia does too.

Little dress

I'm back from a nice weekend. Saturday was spent mostly at home watching it rain, rain, rain with a quick early dinner out at Patsy's Pizzeria with Tarek and Mia. Sunday, we went to brunch in the East Village with Max and Courtney. It's been weeks since we've seen them, so it was great to catch up. After brunch, Courtney and I checked out some small clothing boutiques, which is always fun. I saw several things I liked, but didn't spend a dime. A, because I'm cheap. And B, because I can make literally everything I saw. Arrghh. It's the sewing curse hitting me again. I mean, yes, I can make any of those things. But the question is, "Will I?" I'll admit it. Probably not. I'm just out of time almost all the time. In fact, as I type this, I'm sitting here worrying that it's 7:40, Mia's been asleep for 40 minutes, and I'm still sitting here at the computer when I should be at my sewing machine finishing some hats for Mia or cleaning. Seems like no matter what I'm working on, I always feel that I should be working on something else. Geez. I really need to relax. Deep. Breath. Exhale. Now that's better.

Oh, before I forget. These pictures are of a sample dress I made years ago when I designed children's clothing. It fits Mia now, and I love it. One of the hats I'm making will go with it. The pattern is my own based on a vintage pattern my mom gave me. My mom says my grandmother made some of these dresses for me when I was Mia's age. I'd love to find pictures of those. You could probably find similar patterns today. The dress is reversible with green and white gingham on the other side. The fabric came from the garment district here in NYC. I have a few yards of this if anyone is interested in a small fabric swap. I could swap about three yards (or less) of this for fabric from you (anything but pink, please. My cabinets are overflowing with pink fabric). This fabric has some stretch, so keep that in mind. I think it's about 97% cotton, 3% spandex. Anyway, if anyone out there is interested, please leave me a comment. Have a great week!

Summer is officially here!

And I have this adorable summer handbag to prove it! A few weeks ago, I saw Autum's post about handbags she made for bridesmaids gifts. Oh my, I took one look at the cherry print bag and had to have one. Lucky for me, it just so happened to be around Mother's Day. So I eagerly emailed Autum to see if there was any possible way she could make one for me too. Well, a short time later, here it is. Actually, I should say, here they are. Because not only did she make the adorable bag for me, but she sent Mia a coordinating bag as a gift! Complete with bamboo handles! Can you believe that?! I was so surprised and so excited and so grateful, I was like a little kid hopping around. I handed the bag to Mia and told her it was a gift from Autum, and you should have seen the look on her face. Total joy and surprise. She immediately took it from me and said, "Nice, Mama! Nice!" And she is so right. They really are nice. So well made and sturdy. Every detail is wonderful. And not to mention, they're the perfect size for each of us. Mine is just big enough to carry my wallet, cell phone, camera (must have), keys, and diaper, wipes and sunscreen for Mia. Mia's is just big enough for her little horse and some other toys she immediately put in her bag. Ooh, and I have to share the hang tags that came on them. So adorable. See what I mean about every detail? I can't tell you how fun it is for me to have something handmade and special from someone who's blog I read every day. I just love it. I really do. Thank you Autum!