This is it

I am typing this in the very last minutes I have at home before I have to...*sigh*...go back to work. It has been a nice long hiatus. I have been able to do so much sewing and other general crafting. I have been very productive. Just look at this! And this! And this!
I really do like my job, I'm just sad because I know how tonight is going to be. Get home at 7:30 at the earliest, make some dinner, eat some dinner and not have the teeniest amount of energy to do any sewing. Poo. Oh well, how else will I feed my stash? Not to mention my cats! Or me!
I am going to try my darnedest to stay motivated and productive even while working. The last three months have been so wonderful and I don't want to lose that. And you, internet, you! You're great. Thanks so much for all of the sweet, helpful and encouraging comments! You are amazing!
So, I'll leave you with this:
That's what I'll look like in an hour. I'll miss you!

Spring Sack

Well, old mister so-and-so says that I shouldn't share any pictures of the puppets I am working on until the film is done. That is ok, it will be worth the wait. I have been making some super cute little costumes here.
I finished one puppet yesterday and before diving into the second one I took a little break to make something that I can show you.
A sweet little springtime purse, made with the fabric that adorns my living room wall. A couple of years ago I told Harv the importance of changing purses with the changing seasons and he has since been very comically aware of whether I am carrying an appropriate purse or not.
I made this similar bag about a month ago to use when we went to Europe. I made it from Butterick pattern 4944. It is a great big bag, perfect of for carrying all of your sightseeing necessities without looking like a dopey tourist with a big backpack or (gasp!) a fanny pack. When I travel I try to look and act as much like I would in the city where I live as possible. The big purse is a must. The only change I made to the pattern was I lengthened the strap so that I could where it across my chest. The pattern has a really short strap that just goes over one shoulder.
I loved this pattern. It was so easy to make and I really like the look of it. The new bag is much smaller. I wanted an everyday purse and I know that if I have a large bag to carry around with me I will fill it up and I don't need to be lugging around 15 pounds of Advil, paperbacks and tampons. I was going to scan the original pattern into the computer and resize it but I decided that it was simple enough that I could just draw a new one myself. It was very easy and there was only a tiny bit of arithmetic that made my brain hurt. (Have I mentioned that math and arithmetic are different? Not all math majors are good at arithmetic. Please don't judge me!) I used the actual pattern pieces for the closure strap, the handle and the two side tabs, just shortening the closure strap.
I also changed the inside pocket. The one in the pattern is way too shallow and your stuff just falls out but it is easy enough to make your own.
So with a back-to-school purse and back-to-school hair(greatest haircut of my life, by the way, but kind of flat in this picture...haven't washed it yet, don't tell) I am hopefully ready to go back to school (work) on Monday!

PS Buy this! It just came out on Tuesday and is so funny and wonderful. The episode called "Love" has my best animation on this DVD. Watch it!

No news.

Hi internet, sorry I've been such a pokey poster lately. I have been working on some puppets pretty much non-stop for the last 5 or 6 days. They are for a friend and I'm not sure how much I can devulge here at this time. I will find out though because there is some super cute mini costuming going on that I think you would like.
I don't have time to post much of anything right now as I am running out the door to get my hair chopped! Yeeps! I have only had trims since mid-2003. It's pretty long and I feel like a change. Harv doesn't know that I made an appointment for today though. Double yeeps! Quelle suprise!
Ok I have to go but before I do I want to give you something pretty to look at, even though I didn't make it.Isn't that amazing? Very inspirational. Read a little more here. It makes me want to stop all of this puppet nonsense and get back to my darling.

Rainy day blues

As you may have guessed, most of my interests and activities take place indoors. I love to be outside but there is just so much sewing and crocheting and internetting to be done indoors. Living in Southern California we don't get many days that force us to stay inside. I don't like that! I need a little balance in my weather. I need days that tell me it's ok to sit inside watching a movie in my pajamas. Too much sunshine makes me feel like a bum, like I should be outside ALL day and I just don't do that!
I grew up in Connecticut where we have four very distinct seasons. I miss it so much! The seasons help you to measure time passing. They refresh and renew your spirit as well as nature. Spring can really only be fully appreciated after suffering through a cold and blustery winter. Rainy days give you the perfect excuse to snuggle up with someone soft and not feel like you're wasting your time. Too much sun makes me feel like a bad person for holing up in my craft room and watching Arrested Development.
I don't want you to think that I'm complaining. The weather here is great. I miss the snow and seasons of New England but I always say that if we're going to give all that up at least we're giving it up for beautiful year round sunshine.
The point is, I've been waiting for a rainy day. Today it is raining. There is nothing I want to do more than sit on the couch, watch DVDs and work on this all day.
But I have to go out! Outside! In the rain! Hiatus is slipping through my fingers like drops of rain on my bone dry lawn. Oh well, perhaps the rain will continue tomorrow. Sad.

The Circle is Unbroken

I got a very special treat in the mail yesterday...
My very own doll quilt from the doll quilt swap! Can you believe it?
Lynn made this for me and I can't tell you how much I love it! It's amazing! It totally suits my tastes but at the same time it's not something that I would ever come up with! Isn't that wonderful? How does that happen?
I think that she did some sort of machine appliqueing here. What is that? I certainly know nothing about no machine applique! I am intrigued.
Lynn also sent some sweet treats that I recognize from my (near-daily) trips to Trader Joe's, the grocery store closest to my heart. Thank you so much Lynn, you are the total best! So so talented and creative.

This was my very first ever swap and I am so thrilled! I can't imagine a better experience. It's so wonderful to share craftiness with such talented people. I love it.

The Reviews Are In

I am a happy little camper! My Doll Quilt Swap partner Kristin recieved the package I sent, and it was well recieved. I am so excited! This swapping thing is great.
Since the puss is out of the bag, here are some pictures I took before sending off the quilt.
I am so happy with this experience. Isn't the internet awesome? Look who I'm asking...of course you're awesome! I heart you internet.
Now, this has gotten me super fired up to start some hand-quilting. I have a week and a half left of sweet sweet hiatus. Can I do it? Stay tuned.

Effervescing All Over the Place

I must type this real quick like because I am going to do some actual work today! At an actual workplace that is not my home! Yeeps! But don't worry, it is just for one day and I will be back in the craft room tomorrow.
Soooo...
My very bubbly quilt top is complete! I am so happy with it. All of the circles are appliqued and I made them using this handy trick as I mentioned before. I am going to hand quilt this baby with lots of little circles to add to the bubbliness. I am not sure what to use to draw the quilting circles on the top. I have had some bum luck in the past with certain pencils and chalk. Any tips?

Adventure

Well internet, have I told you about this?
I didn't think so. Long story very short, our friend Eric needed an old Winnebago and Harv thought it would be fun to go in on it with him. It's a 1972 Winnebago in decent condition with awesome 70's shag carpet and panelling.
It's awesome. I have many dreams of retro 70's curtains and cushion covers for the benches and front seats.
It's like a house that I can decorate in a way that I would never ever want to decorate my actual house. Like a themed decorating challenge. And it will be a challenge because I want to be very authentic, not hokey at all and the three of us owners (me, Harv and Eric) only experienced about 2 years, 5 months of the '70's between us. It will also be difficult because because I have visions of pom-pommed curtains and granny squares on the bed but I know that I need to keep the cuteness level at about a four or five, to be fair to the two gentlemen.
So we invested in the RV, we had it fixed up, it was given a clean bill of health. Yesterday the three of us set off on our very first adventure in the beast: camping on the coast, about 40 miles north of LA. Eric's sister Jenny was following us in her car because she wanted to come but could not stay the night. Thank goodness for that.
We set off on our merry way,
Eric driving, Harv rocking out and me happily rippling away in the back, all of us dreaming of the beer and hot dogs we would be enjoying by the campfire that night.
We were about ten miles from our campsite when we got a call from Jenny, saying the RV was on fire. Yes, there were flames coming out of the general vicinity of the back right wheel. So naturally, we pulled over, naturally, we had no fire extinguisher and managed to extinguish the (not so large) fire with bottled water.
Well folks, the adventure was over. Actually it wasn't entirely over until at least three hours later when we all managed to cram ourselves and our camping gear (you know, pillows, board games, more pillows) into Jenny's car and leave our sad little Winnebago to return home in defeat.
I won't bore you with the automotive details, mostly because I don't want to bore myself. There is still hope though and my decorating dreams may still come to fruition. I will keep you abreast.
Anyway, we came home. We still got to eat our wieners and drink our beer and we still got to build a campfire and we even got to share it with those non-campers among us.

The Complete Package

I know that I said I was sending out my doll quilt a few days ago but I didn't actually do it until yesterday. That's just me. You know how it is. Well maybe you don't but Harv knows how it is, with me at least.
But it is now in the mail so I thought I would share with you some little peeks at packaging Lady-style.
First, there has to be a very Denyse Schmidt-y card. This one is a little mini card with a mini envelope that is leftover from our wedding (we had a weird postcard theme that extended to little mailbox favors with mini mail inside).
Second, I stuff the card and the sweet little quilt (goodbye my love!) into a lovely handmade (by me) envelope. The envelope is made out of craft paper and sewn together, not glued. I fold over the top, sew it shut and then,
step three, add a handmade Lady Harvatine sticker! Voila.

In other news, look at what I did!
Can you see it? I installed a sprinkler! Yes, I know, hold your applause. We had this ugly patch of nothing in front of our house and since I wanted to plant some vegetables this year I thought this would be a perfect spot for them. There was already one sprinkle in the ugly patch but it didn't reach the entire area so I dug up the pipe, chopped off the end, added more pipe and another sprinkler! It was great! Then of course I buried it all and planted my vegetables. So fingers crossed. This is my biggest gardening attempt ever. I'm hoping to be up to my eyeballs in tomatoes this summer. It's going to be great!

Goings On

Remember this? I have just been plugging away at it over here, taking full advantage of the full days I can spend sewing right now.
Also, listening to a little of this and having MAJOR high school English flashbacks. I'm pretty sure I never actually finished reading it back then. So maybe the ending will be a surprise.
And last, we let the cats out in the backyard for a little bit on Easter and they have not gotten over it yet. We have been dealing with a lot of whiny Stabone and a lot of this:
You can just see in her face, she really thinks I'm going to open that door.