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The Present Moment

10/31/2014

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“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
        ― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life


A Friday ritual adopted from SouleMama.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
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Bath Time

10/30/2014

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Bath time is one of Goen's favorite events of the day.  As soon as David or I say "It's time for your bath," he perks up and heads straight for the gate by the stairs.  When the gate is opened, he bounds up the stairs as fast as he can.  His bath toys are always placed on the edge of the counter nearest the bathroom so he can reach them himself.  He gets so much joy from grabbing them one at a time and throwing them in the tub.  The process of removing his clothes never goes fast enough for him and he tries to get in the water before his diaper is off.

David is usually the one to sit with him during his bath so I can get everything ready for bed (or steal a few minutes to write a few more lines in a blog post).  He always moves the crocheted rug (which I made from a couple bed sheets and is very cushy) from in front of the vanity sink to kneel on by the tub.  I listen to them while I straighten the blankets on the bed.  Perhaps it is because my husband has done all this before with his first son, but he always makes the bath seem like a fun game.  When I do it, I can't help getting annoyed at my glasses getting splashed for the umpteenth time or getting my nightshirt wet just before bed.

Goen has always enjoyed baths.  When he was small enough to fit in the extra-wide sink in our cabin, I would hold him with my hands under his head and shoulders and let him float in the water.  When he outgrew that, I would do the same thing in the claw foot tub (one of the many things I miss about our little cabin in the woods).  And I'll never forget the time a couple months ago when he ran so fast through the hallway to the bathroom that he flipped right over the side of the tub.  It happened so fast that David, who was sitting on the edge of the tub, wasn't able to act fast enough to stop him from tumbling in.  Luckily there was only an inch of water in there so he didn't go under.  And the non-slip mat padded his fall so he didn't get any bruises.  He cried briefly, but then took his bath like usual.

The bath time routine has also made getting him to sleep much easier.  David dries him and then hands him off to me.  We try not to let his feet touch the ground once he is out of the bath, otherwise he tends to get a second wind and start running around again.  I snap his diaper on and then crawl into bed.  And that is one routine I can really get into.
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Hanging Up My "Family"

10/29/2014

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Drum roll, please...

dadadadadadadadadadadum!

Ta-da!

Yesterday I promised to post some pictures of my full banner.  Well, here it is.  After appliqueing the letters onto the felt triangles and attaching some fabric-printed family pictures to burlap, I sewed it all together with bias tape.
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Most of the materials were already owned, so I didn't spend much on my bunting banner and I got to make a very small dent in my fabric stash.  The pictures were left over from my baby book project (they even had fusible interfacing on them already).  I used a pie tin to trace the curve on my pictures.  After cutting the curve I fused them to burlap and cut them out again with a half inch border (I just eyeballed it).  I ended up buying the bias tape from the store.  I made some a couple years ago that was left over from another project, but I could not find it anywhere (maybe I'll find it in the next move).  It was even the perfect shade of blue.  But, such is life.  Sometimes you just have to let it go and make the purchase to finish a project. 

Hopefully you have already posted and properly hashtagged your Wise Craft-inspired projects because the deadline is almost here.  And now that I have shown you my banner in so many beautiful outdoor spots, here is what it looks like hung in my dining room against the boring white wall (and yes, those pictures also have a burlap border, but no, I did not make them that way).

Happy crafting!
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Making Up a Bunting Banner

10/28/2014

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I've done it!  I finished the entry I started three weeks ago for the Wise Craft contest.  And just days before the deadline.  It took some time to do the embroidery since I could only work on it during naps, but it came together perfectly.  Today I am going to share a tutorial with you on how I made my bunting banner.  Tomorrow I will post pictures of the finished banner (or you can check out the one I posted on Instagram for a little sneak peak).  I was originally going to include fabric flowers similar to the ones on the bunting in the book, but my husband said they looked too busy with everything else in the banner.  I will post a tutorial on the flowers anyway very soon.  Hopefully I find some way to use them.  If not, they may just end up in my shop.

Appliqued Bunting Tutorial:

Supplies:
 - Triangle template (I used the Fons and Porter template)
 - Rotary cutter and cutting surface
 - Felt
 - Fabric for applique
 - Fusible web
 - Embroidery floss
 - Scrap of cardstock or cardboard (at least 4" square)
 - Ruler
 - Paper-cutting scissors or craft knife
 - String, yarn, twine, or quilt binding


Directions:
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Place your triangle template (mine measures 6 3/4" wide and long) so that the top edge lines up with a flat edge of your felt and close to one side.  Use your rotary cutter to slice through the felt on the two long sides of the template.  Set the resulting triangle of felt aside.  Flip the template so that the short edge is now at the bottom and one of the long sides matches up with the newly cut edge of felt.  You should only have to make one slice with your rotary blade to cut another triangle from the felt.  Continue cutting triangles in this way, flipping the template after each one.

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Continue cutting and stacking up your felt triangles until you have one for each letter (or other shape) you want to make.

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The next step is to make a template for your letters to make sure they are all the same size.  If you are going to use printed and transferred letters, you can skip this step (but make sure that you print or trace your letters in reverse). 

Cut your piece of cardstock to about 4" square.  A little more is fine, but less would make the template window unsteady.  Measure and draw a 3" square in the very center of the paper and use your scissors or craft knife to cut out along the line.  You should end up with something similar to the template pictured here.

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Now to prepare the applique fabric.  Iron the fusible web to the wrong side of your fabric.  After ironing, leave the paper backing on so you can draw/trace your letters onto it.

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Place your template at one corner of the fusible web-backed fabric.  Make sure the grain line is parallel to the sides of your template (either top to bottom or side to side parallel is okay).  Before outlining your letters, it can be helpful to write them on a piece of scratch paper just to make sure you have an idea of how you want them to look.

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Freehand (or trace) each letter you want for your bunting banner.  Make sure the letters are written backwards (they will be forwards when you turn them over and iron them down).  Most letters will not need the entire 3" width as this will make them look misshapen.  Reserve the whole 3" for letters that have diagonals (such as A, V, M, and W), which will look better at this width.  Be aware that erasing on the paper backing will cause it to come up from the fusible web, so keep erasing to a minimum.

Cut out each letter along the drawn line.  Pencil markings tend to rub off on your fingers, so be careful not to get it on the fabric (especially if you are using a light-colored fabric).  If you are more sure of your sketching abilities, just use pen.

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Remove the paper backing from one letter.  Center it on a flag about an inch from the top edge.  Lay a piece of fabric over the flag (being careful not to shift the placement of the letter) to avoid melting or shrinking your felt, depending on what it is made of.  Iron for about ten seconds (or according to the product instructions) over the entire letter space.  Repeat the process for each letter and flag.

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Use three strands of embroidery floss in your chosen color(s) to embroider around each letter.  I chose to do a blanket stitch (here is the best and most comprehensive tutorial I've found).  I was lucky to have a set grid on my applique fabric, which helped keep my stitches even.

Once all your flags are done, string them up using your chosen method and add embellishments if you'd like.  Don't forget to post your own project according to the contest guidelines.  And feel free to link to them here, too.  I'd love to see what you were inspired to make.
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The Present Moment

10/24/2014

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“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
        ― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life


A Friday ritual adopted from SouleMama.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
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2 Comments

Shoe Fix

10/23/2014

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My little runner has already worn a hole in his leather moccasins.  The cause?  A combination of standing on his toes to reach for things and jogging on the balls of his feet on pavement.  It's small, but you can just see it in the picture.  Right below the stitching at the toe.  I had to do something before it got bigger.  The rest of the leather is in great shape and I did not want to scrap them just because of a little hole.  This is the second pair of these beautiful moccasins we bought (he grew out of the first pair pretty quickly) from Starry Knight Design on Etsy.  They get so many compliments everywhere we go.  I love the way they look and the way they wear.  I highly recommend them.  If you already have a pair (or something similar) that your toddler has worn a hole through, check out how I fixed these.


Patching Leather Moccasins:

The first thing I had to do was turn the moccasins inside out.  Since the elastic goes all the way around the ankle, this was pretty easy.  I cut a couple small pieces of scrap leather to patch the hole on each one.
  I still had a tube of shoe glue from sewing a pair of shoes and was able to use it for a quick fix on this pair as well.  Following the instructions on the package, I put a thin layer of glue on the inside toe where the hole is and a thin layer on the leather patch and let it sit to dry for several minutes.  I ignored the application instruction to use a cotton swab to apply the glue.  Been there, done that.  It doesn't work.  I just put the spout up against the surface and squeeze very gently (or let gravity do it) while moving the tip around.  Once they were ready, I put the patch against the toe seam, covering the hole.  A large binder clip held it all together nicely while it dried for 24 hours.  Even though some of the stitches came out as a result of the holes, the glue should hold the seams together.  And the patch is small enough that it does not alter the look of the moccasins when they are being worn.  The perfect quick fix!
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The Beginnings of A Village

10/22/2014

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I had an unfinished wooden peg doll lying around on my craft shelf.  A leftover from a child's birthday gift I made about six months ago.  I contemplated for quite a while about what to do with it.  I found an idea on Etsy to use colored pencils to create a wood person, but it wasn't until I found an acorn top at the park that I was finally inspired.  I turned my blank person around in my hands a few times to plan out what I wanted and then set to work.

I found a spot where the wood grain created a circle and drew in a face.  Green dots for the eyes and brown lines for brows.  I drew the hint of a nose and a pink line with a slight curve for the mouth.  I didn't want the hair to look super neat so I drew quick lines with my brown pencil.  Still, it was important to have a steady hand to make sure I didn't draw over the face.  I had to keep a tight grip on peg and pencil. 
The hands, which are simple semicircles, were drawn and colored in a light tan color to make sure they set off from the clothing (the face was left wood-colored).  The dress is done in pink and dark pink, the latter acting as a border color for the collar and cuffs, as well as an outline for the sleeves.  A couple dots for buttons added a little interest.  And, of course, for the finishing touch I glued on the acorn top for a woodland-inspired hat.

She turned out so well that I decided that I want to make a whole bunch of little peg doll people.  A village to populate the buildings my little one will build some day.  The possibilities are as limitless as my imagination.  Mothers, fathers, babies, doctors, grocers, teachers, chefs...  I can't wait to get started, though I think I must.  There are other projects to finish (my banner is so close to being done!).  But soon this village will begin to form. 
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Mixed

10/20/2014

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This past week has been a mixed bag.  There has been some good and some bad and some in-between.  In no particular order:

I discovered two new-to-me fabric companies and three fabric designers that I absolutely love.  The first fabric company is Windham Fabrics.  They print fabrics designed by Jessica Levitt and Kim Andersson, whose first collection comes out in January.  I discovered the third designer, Eloise Renouf, on Instagram, then visited her Etsy shop.  I loved her designs so much that I messaged her to ask if she designed fabric.  She responded back directing me to check out her collections on Cloud 9 Fabrics.  All these designers have collections that are inspired by nature; realistic, but with a whimsical feel.  I have already chosen several that I would like to use for a quilt I am planning for my little one.

Somehow, wool-eating insects (carpet beetles, apparently) got into my house.  I noticed them Sunday evening while picking up toys.  They had made dinner out of poor Mr. Fox.  He is now recuperating in the freezer, along with my handstitched nuthatch (so far untouched), just in case there are more bugs on/in them.  It was a very sad thing to see my hard work full of small holes that will inevitably become bigger unless I patch them up.  Mr. Fox's beautiful face is gone forever.

Our second wedding anniversary was Friday.  I made a delicious red curry with peppers and kabucha squash over rice.  I had planned to make an apple crisp for dessert but ran out of time.  I made it the next night instead.  Although we were celebrating two years, we have actually been together for over six.  It felt strange not to recognize the other four just because we hadn't said "I do" yet.

Saturday's dinner of barbecued chicken legs was left on the grill for about three hours too long, becoming something more like "charbecue."  It's a long story, but the end result was hours of work for my husband to clean the cast iron grates.  Luckily, I remembered that night was the moms' club Halloween party that I had RSVP'd for over a week ago.  They served a delicious dinner of serve-yourself soft tacos.  I had also volunteered to man the craft table for an hour, which was... interesting.  The crafts were of the "this is how you do it" variety.  Coloring pages and markers, foam pumpkins and stickers, string and beads.  Pretty generic stuff.  But I have never seen such concentrated chaos.  Five to ten kids at a time, some with a parent, all reaching for something while spilling something else and leaving everything out when they left.

I came up with a name for my future farm (should it become a reality) only to find out from a Google search that it has already been used as a blog name.  The blogger only published a single post about a year ago and then quit.  Maybe, if I succeed in my goal, she will let me have it and I can blog about my adventures as I continue my quest for self-sufficiency.

My sister had surgery.  It was minor, but still scary.  There is nothing like a medical experience to make you think about how things would be if...  Luckily everything turned out fine.

I am getting close to finishing my entry for the Wise Craft Handmade contest.  I used up some fabric from my stash and have only purchased embroidery floss for it.  It should be done in the next few days (assuming I get enough baby-free time to actually touch my sewing machine). 

Our 50mm camera lens, which I use almost exclusively, quit focusing on anything more than five feet away, probably as a result of being dropped six months ago.  I'm not sure what to do about it.  I can't afford a new one, and I'm not sure paying someone too fix it will result in a more usable lens for the long term.  In the meantime, I'm limping along and hoping my subject stays close.

I had several very strange and disturbing dreams.  One involved crash landing on a dark, glacial island surrounded by frothy ocean water and inhabited by werewolves.  In another I chipped a tooth.  And last night I dreamed of my childhood nemesis.

It was a very busy week, this one.  Busy enough to make me miss the slow, mundane, even boring days I'm used to.  But, hey, life is always mixing it up for us.  It's what keeps things interesting.
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    Carley Biblin

    Hi.  My name is Carley.  I love to sew, craft, and create. As a Jane-of all-crafts so to speak, I enjoy sewing, writing, cooking, drawing, photographing.  But the constant thread (if you'll excuse the pun) throughout my weeks is needle arts. 
    I hope you'll join me in
    Making It Up As I Sew Along.
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