Space Capes the Final Frontier?

Hello! I did not drop off the face of the planet (thank goodness that would be rather frightening) but I have been keeping rather busy. I had birthday gifts and spring bunny baskets to sew for and then I was sick and then I had to get ready for family to come visit! All fun things (except being sick) Oh and I totally had to watch the entire first season of Downton Abbey, which did not disappoint and was very good (except now I have to wait for season two to come to to NetFlix blurg).

So my dear daddy turned 50! To save you from trying to do any type of math in your head I will just tell you; yes he's very young.  He and my mom beat all the odds and were and are amazing parents and very much in love.

For his birthday he requested a super hero cape because that is what all mature adults want for their birthdays.  I decided to go ahead and make matching ones for the boys because together they form a formidable Crime Fighting Team!! I used Alicia Paulson's book "Stitched in Time" which I just love.

"SP" for Super Poppie.

Training!

The front and backside of the cape.

I've always been a sucker for any kind of space/spaceship/alien fabric. Even before the good Doctor came into my life.

Hope your having a super filled day!

A New Stocking.

Years ago when I first got my sewing machine I made some stockings. A couple were for Brian and I and I sold a few in my Grammy's shop, I gave a couple away as gifts and that was that. Then I had a son and it was cool because I had an extra stocking, then I had another son and then we were short a stocking. Of course that means that mom goes with out. Really Santa doesn't always fill a stocking for me and Brian so it's no big deal but still a girl needs a stocking don't you think?

Enter Alicia Paulson's book "Stitched in Time" which you've heard me blather on about many times before. I had so much left over fabric from the dress (remember the baby hat? Still going strong) But, I thought it could make a cute plaid stocking that was just a little different b/c of the color. I got the lining fabric at my favorite sewing shop Sew Unique. The lining makes the stocking for me. I picked it because I wanted stripes and the colors were perfect.  However it's a bit unique. I'll let you figure out why on your own. Let me just say it's "uniqueness" kind of grew on me in a "Nightmare Before Christmas" sort of way.

And, why pray tell, must I make a stocking for myself in October? Well, I got bit by the Christmas bug and I thought if I did a small project it would keep me from decorating the house and getting out the Christmas CD's. It's worked so far...

Sometimes Giving a home made gift isn't what you dreamed it would be.

As in I dreamed that this giraffe would be the hit of the birthday party.  People ooing and aahing over how talented I am and how hard I must have worked to finish this little cutie.  I imagined that in time this giraffe would become my nieces favorite stuffed toy; you know the one she can't sleep with out the one that goes every where with her.  I imagined that this toy would be loved so well it would loose an eye and get really floppy. That some day it would end up in an antiques shop and someone like my mom would see it and fall in love with it and buy it for an unreasonable sum saying all the time "I have to have it, you can tell how loved the poor thing was." then they would take it home and display it on an old child's rocking chair next to a ratty stuffed dog and a bunny missing an ear!

That is what I imagined would happen... what actually happened was my sister-in-law pulled the toy out of the bag while my niece was trying to escape off her blanket back to her cake and said "Oh how cute a sock monkey." (let yourself pause here to get the full effect of my let down) then I giggled politely so she would know that wasn't right and she said "I mean sock giraffe." Friends this toy is neither a monkey (I hate monkeys) or was it ever a sock.  I CROCHETED this GIRAFFE during the afternoons while the children were asleep and in the evenings after they were in bed, I went to wal-mart (WAL-MART YUCK!) because the face didn't look right in the colored yarn I already had on hand and it was late.  Oh well my favorite crafter (I hate that term isn't there a more romantic term then crafter?) Alicia Paulson (who's new book, The Embroidery Companion, I LOVE) warned me this could happen.  In her first book, Stitched in Time, she talks about how there will be times when people won't appreciate what you've made them quite as much as you do...

And you know what that's all right with me because I still feel like a hand made gift is more special then any thing I could buy in the store (especially any fisher price light up crap) Tasha Tudor says that when you make someone a gift you gift them twice; once in the actual gift and a second in the time you took out of your schedule to make them something because you thought of them.  I like to use the time when I'm making something to stitch and sew little prayers and hopes for that person (especially when it's children) into the project.  And I like to think that some of that magic is left there.  A piece of me, so that when they hold the toy or wear the garments they will feel how much I love them and how much I hope for them.  The blessings that I want to give them but am not sure how to put into words I put into stitches instead.

This giraffe has rather large arms which I like to think of as muscles; and really doesn't a little girl need a stuffed animal with large muscles to keep her safe from the boogy man at night?  The bib I did mostly in the car on our Maine trip.  My niece had a rough start in life spending the first many months of her life in the hospital so I wanted this bib to be light and free, full of colors and flowers and the idea that she will be a free spirit blowing with the wind, following her dreams.  And a sun because of that Irish blessing, "The Lord let his face shine upon you."