Another Exciting Swap

Hand Stiching, originally uploaded by threedancingmagpies.

For a few days I have had visions of pillows dancing through my head and now I will have to add hand-stiched goodness. In addition to designing wonderful fabric via Spoonflower, Ariel is organizing a hand stitch swap and it is one I just had to jump into. I have done a few bits of hand-work here and there and each time have loved it! So what fun to take part in such a fun swap!

Here are some of the things that have inspired me to want to partake! I purchased a few designs today from Tosha, check them out!

Ellie and Sam feeling Crafty

DSC_0369.JPG, originally uploaded by threedancingmagpies.

All we have done during the rainy last few days is color and play with play dough. They have really decided they like to make stuff and I am loving it. They have both sat on my lap a lot lately while I try and sew and now they are happy creating little master pieces while I glaze tiles and make various stuff for our first craft show of the fall this weekend.

They have really just become so much fun and so funny! I think we have one day a week pre-school to thank for the coloring and play dough bug. I am not complaining, I got laundry done, dished washed and even started to clean the garage. I hope the rain sticks around a few more days!

Pillow Inspiration

Pillow Swap, originally uploaded by threedancingmagpies.

So excited about this new pillow swap group that is getting going. I have already learned something! I have been wanting to make a mosaic of flickr favorites for awhile and just hadn't taken the time to figure it out. It was quick and fun! Swap groups have been a wonderful push for me to try things in a timely manner. I just finished a quilted pillow and have been crazy to try another- this will get me going! So here are some pillows that inspire me! I have just finished making one for a swap group with other Heather Ross fabric junkies and used some fun Munki Munki Coke Travelers print. While making the block into a pillow I realized I need to do some pillow mechanics research! I think I will have to make a couple of practice pillows for Ellie's room first! Before really charging ahead into sewing this last year, my friend Stacy at Red Door Home made some wonderful pillows for our living room in lovely shades of browns, greens and olives. I will show you some scenes from our kitchen and living room soon with shots of her awesome pillows. I love the way she pairs linen, burlap and home dec fabrics both new and vintage into wonderful and fun pillows. I have come to the realization through sewing lately that I am drawn to bright bold colors paired with white or linen. My plan is to make quilts and pillows for all three of the kids rooms and also some fun and bold pillows for their playroom. So I think I might start with some pillows for the nook in Ellie's room. I am thinking hot pink, pale pink, red, chocolate brown, aqua and maybe some lime green. Perhaps fairytales? Owls and birds? Graphic Numbers? I have a feeling it will be a bunch of various themes and colors. For Sam's room I was thinking more boyish fun . . . robots, animals, cars and a few ball sports thrown in. Max is become a teenager at 7, so perhaps I will finish his red/white/blue baseball quilt and some fun pillows in white with lots of pops of color. Our room is also in need of some serious help. Just before adopting Ellie and Sam 2 and a half years ago, we finally got a start at decorating our room. The walls are a wonderful shade of dark slate blue and the nook is a wonderful chocolate brown. Some chunky crown moulding and wooden blinds were added in white to make it all pop. Then the bed, oh how I love our bed. It is a big king with a padded headboard and footboard from Pine Cone Hill in a cream and brown ticking stripe. It is lovely and large enough for all five of us to cuddle in each morning. This is where the decorating stopped. We have the plainest pillows and a plain tan duvet. We decided to stop until after the kids got past the age of messing up our bed. I think the time is coming to finish the job. I have been so inspired by Liz's pillows at OllieKate that I feel guilty! Is it wrong to want to make exact replica's from photos someone is generous enough to share . . . all of her pillows are so fantastic! Ihad three of her pillows in my mosaic, but somehow messed it up. So I thought I would just link to them, here, here, and here. They rock don't you think? I am sure they will sell FAST at her show this fall. Okay more pillow talk soon and some photos of Stacy's pillows that grace our home!

Crafty little Sunday

Ellie and Sam have been starting to love doing all things creative. They have started to spend hours playing with playdough, coloring and painting. It has been really fun to watch them grow and see the joy they have when they are flexing their creativity! Of course a added benefit, is while they are creating . . . I am able to have a little fun myself! Today while they colored and had fun with playdough, I quilted a pillow and a holiday stocking. What fun!

Pigtails, pigtails and more pigtails!

and more pigtails, originally uploaded by threedancingmagpies.

Starting to panic a bit for the 11 shows we have coming up this fall. Every day we make some more scrabble tiles, but soon will stop and see how sales are the first couple shows. We always run into the problem of shows having too many jewelers and have been turned away. We like to think our stuff is unique and it is somewhat unique to the Capital Region, but we have tried to branch out into some crafted and sewn using fabric items. Ponytails and pigtails have been good sellers for us. The problem is they are easy to make, but when in a rush, they are tough to do a bunch at once. This year I am trying to get a jump, by starting early on them. I made about 20 sets and it took a few hours. Will have to be organized so I can make some each night when watching TV or not sewing or glazing scrabble tiles!

Block for Munki Quilt Along or Twist to HR Mini Swap?

Block for Munki Quilt Along or Twist to HR Mini Swap?, originally uploaded by threedancingmagpies.

After a busy morning of soccer, errands, a walk and just the everyday Saturday stuff . . . the little ones took a nap, Steve packed for his business trips this week and Max was tired from playing such AWESOME soccer, so he curled up with a book AND I got to SEW! Mainly cut and iron, but a little sewing did get done.

The center blocks are from a piece of a pair of PJ's I swapped fabric for. Designed by Heather Ross for the Munki Munki clothing line. This particular print is called Coke Travelers, how wonderful are those images? I made this for the gift or twist to the mini quilt swap, but I think I will be making another one, I love how this came out.

Now for the big question, what shall I twist this into for my wonderful swap partner? I was thinking perhaps a pillow. I could quilt it in simple lines and then perhaps just make a simple pillow sleeve. Maybe add some buttons, perhaps cover buttons with more of the Coke Traveler images. Now to see what fabric for the back. Maybe I could make some cording . . . I could just make it into another little quilt . . . it is a little big for a pot holder . . . I think I am leaning towards the pillow option. Maybe with the aqua and red dot Bubblegum basic fabric as the cording and the blue basketweave KJR as the back.

Can't wait until nap time today!

First Days of School

All three of my little dancing cherubs experienced first days of school.  Two out of three with great success, one we will have to work on . . . Ellie and Sam will be attending preschool each Friday for a couple of hours and Max has started second grade.  Max has had a great week and is thrilled to be back with friends and in the swing of things.  He loves the school, the teachers, his friends and is so content and happy.  We are thrilled to see his school spirit and pride!  It reminded me that not too long ago he was in Ellie and Sam's shoes and starting out into the school world.  Time has flown by!

Today Ellie and Sam thought going to school meant boarding the bus with Max. They grabbed their backpacks and headed down the driveway with Max. I happily snapped photos of all three of them and then when the bus came I realized what was going through their little minds.. . as the bus drove away they were very disappointed.

When I explained that we were driving to their school, they happily ran down the driveway chanting "school, school, school!" It was a riot. Then came the hard part, we didn't really need to leave for an hour! They were not going back into the house, so I grabbed some breakfast and we took off for a pre- pre-school breakfast picnic!

We of course were VERY early and took some more photos . . .

The class was for two hours and needless to say, Sam cried for most of it. When I walked back into the building to pick them up, I could hear Sam crying from the door four classrooms away. When the teacher caught my eye, she had me come in. He ran to me and grabbed his backpack and was ready to go. He went from kid to kid and said goodbye while touching them gently on the back. He looked so sweet and was trying to be brave. I must say part of me loved that he just couldn't make it two hours without me . . . I am sure that as the weeks go by, he will get into the swing of things.

Ellie ran to my arms and jumped to me when she saw me, which was so sweet! Then she went right back to dancing and having fun. The teacher said she was a happy lively child and loved every minute. She tried to comfort Sam and when he wasn't interested, she told him "no cry Sam, no cry" and then starting singing the Mommy always comes back song, she learned from Max.

I must say it reminded me of our time in Bellingham and at the second MOPS meeting the speaker asked for the mom of the two year old who cries so much he threw up, to report back to the class. That kid of course was Max. Now the good part of this story is by the time he was in a two day a week pre-school the next year in Saratoga, he didn't miss me a bit and was one of the only kids who didn't cry the first day.

Heather Ross Giveaway - One not to miss

Heather Ross Giveaway, originally uploaded by Raggedy Owl.

One of the wonderful woman I have met through the Designer Fabric Swap Group is having a super cool giveaway, especially if you are a Heather Ross fan! She was lucky enough to attend a workshop sponsored by Heather Ross and if that isn't enough Denyse Schmidt. So get on over to her blog and enter, raggedyowl.blogspot.com. I also must mention, Angela has a wonderful ETSY store filled with all kinds of fun items . . . I have been looking at the lovely handmade washcloths since seeing them on ETSY's front page. Did I mention that the giveaway is for the charm pack from Angela's stash and also a great autograph and drawing from Heather . . . actually please don't enter, I want a better chance !

Big Brother leads the Family

Four years ago when we moved to the Albany area from the Pacific NW we stayed in a hotel for a month right near this sweet little amusement park that is really meant for small children. Max loved it and it gave us a little fun adventure once per week when coming back from yet another dinner in a restaurant. The nights have been beautiful lately and we thought it would be fun to take Ellie and Sam. Actually Max hatched the plan and we went along with it. Last night was a picture perfect evening and everyone had a wonderful time.

The best part was watching Max nurture and show Sam and Ellie the ropes. Sam got off to a rough start and sat out the first ride, but once he saw what he was missing, he went nuts! He was ringing the bell and honking the horn on the bus as it drove around in a big circle and laughing the whole time. Ellie went with Max on a kiddie size ferris wheel and LOVED it! Max told us his favorite part was putting his arm around her and she was so cute, he wanted to just squeeze her. He really wanted Sam to go, but when it was his turn, he ran away from it and Ellie ended up having a second go.

Sam LOVED the boats and rode them a couple of times. He went crazy ringing the bell and shouting boat, boat, boat the entire ride. Ellie was a great co-captain and took it all in. The boys loved racing around in the Red Baron planes and Steve of course loved that a white British jet was chasing. All three kids loved the Carnival stuff and thought the clown garbage can was fantastic. The Hot Air Balloon was one of the only rides that all three could do at once and of course that was the one where I couldn't get a good photo!

We finished strong with a Father/Daughter spin on the carousel and a battle of Max and Daddy on the bumper cars. Sam finished off by falling asleep in the stroller . . .