Thursday, December 06, 2012

Zooming Right Along

Here's tonight's progress. Knitting was accompanied by the classic film "Casablanca." The Professor was mostly quiet so I had to visit IMDB for my trivia tidbits.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Inch by Inch

A bit of progress on the shawl tonight, impressive considering the headache I've been sporting all day. Harrowing stuff.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Beginning to look like Christmas

The annual Cavanagh Christmas Wall is hung with care.  It's really amazing how important this collection of felt, fabric, ribbon, cross stitch, ceramics, paper and who know what else is to me.  Now that I have manufactured a small person, I'm looking forward to the day when we can take part in this tradition together.



Speaking of that small person, here's a gratuitous cute shot:


And in crafty news, here is my latest undertaking:


It is to be a prayer shawl for a friend of my sister-in-law, who recently found out that she has the big C.  Neither she nor I are particularly religious, but there is something about these shawls that is so cozy and comforting that I could not resist.  You hear news like this and it just makes you feel so useless, knitting or other kinds of crafts feel sometimes like a grasp of control over something when it seems like the world is full of chaos. 
 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Epic Scrap Quilt and a Few Other Things

The Epic Scrap Quilt was born out of a few objectives.  One was that I needed a project that I didn't have to measure, count, match, or really thing about at all.  The other was that I wanted to use up as many of my crappy scraps as I could.  So I started cutting strips that are 1.5 inches in width and haphazard lengths.  And I started sewing them together randomly.  Strips started out quite short, only 2 or 3 inches long.  That quickly started driving my crazy, so I decided to make some longer pieces, like 9 or 10 inches.  Here's what I've got so far.  I decided that this Epic Scrap Quilt will be 72" square.  So it's gonna take some time.

Pile o' Scraps
  
Pile o' Strips.  Got a ways to go.



Here's a project I'm determined to finish - it's from the Pieces of Candy collection:

The top is all done except for sewing a few buttons on to act as eyes and mouths.  Then it will just need to be tied (I'm way too terrified of ruining it to attempt to machine quilt), bound and labeled.

And here are just a few shots of some random quilts.  Finished projects.  A rarity that needs to be noted.

blurtastic

I made four quilts that are almost identical.  The fabric is flannel... so warm and snuggly.

snuggletastic


One more day until vacation.  Can't.  Hardly.  Wait.  I get to hang out with this kid for a week:




Tuesday, October 30, 2012

How I Spent My Hurricane Weekend

Is that like a vampire weekend?  Dunno.  Anyway I pulled out a project from the Momma pile.  This was one that she bought but hadn't started yet.  My brother and his wife have announced that they will be expecting another Ray bundle of human in June, so I thought why not get a jump on my Very Thoughtful Baby Gift.  Here's the top:
One strange outcome: everything measured perfectly and the star squares have nice sharp points, and yet those parts of the top are a good 1/2 inch longer than the panels turned out.  Either I did something wrong or the measurements in the directions are wrong.  And we'll never know because there's no way I'm spending time figuring it out.  There are a few more layers of borders left to do, but it was amazing that I managed to get this much done this weekend.

And we came out of the storm unscathed, for which I am very grateful.  A small leak in the wall.  I'll take it.  Looking at the devastation other have experienced breaks my heart and I just hope those people can find some peace and can move on with their lives as quickly as possible.

Also, the Rupper is cute.



Monday, October 22, 2012

iHave an iPhone

I have for a while now. But this is my first foray into posted to this blog on it. It's as magical as I imagined it would be.

Just because I can't resist: a sneak preview

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Oh Right... This Old Thing

I'm not sure what it is about blogging/journaling of any kind that makes the writer feel the need to apologize when she has not written anything in a while.  Perhaps just the need to start somewhere?  Because it's certainly not for the benefit of the reader, according to my page visit count. 

So September happened.  I spent half of it as a single parent, as John was called away on Very Important Business in London.  Oh, the life of a Discovery Channel coordinating producer.  It's all ice cream socials and Bagel Wednesdays.  The Rupper took it pretty easy on me in his father's absence.  There were full nights of sleep, good moods, and only one instance of vomiting. 

We went to a tailgate for the William and Mary vs. Maryland football game.  In a stunning upset, the Rupper won the "spirit" award, which turned out to be a book about our beloved alma mater published in 1994.  Hot, hot, hot.  I'd like to think it was the homemade onesie created by yours truly that put him over the top.




I give up trying to format photos. 

Let's see, what else... oh yes, the big birthday party.  We celebrated the Rupper's first year of survival with a "preppy alligator" themed party.  I may have enjoyed myself too much.





Not very impressed with his banana cream cake.


And here we are in October.  We were invited to a wedding in Telluride, Co so we got to impose the Rupper on a very excited Grammy C and Auntie E.  Everybody won.  John and I got to live the wild childless lifestyle for a few days, and they were able to hang out with the Rupper without the every watchful eye of his mother keeping track of every movement.  It was so nice to be able to fully listen to friends when they spoke to me and be able to respond without having to interrupt myself to save the Rupper from impending doom, or carry around a baby monitor.  Ahhh.  Mental note:  get invited to more weddings in the middle of nowhere.

Self Portrait in a Gondola

So there's that.  Crafts?  Yeah, sure there were crafts. 

Pillow Case Dresses: fun!


This is my 100 Quilts for Kids creation.  Now I need to just my act together to send it somewhere.


Apron for my friend Kate.  She loved it and put in on instantly upon receipt.  She was drunk, but whatever.
A little bag also for Kate.  She seemed less impressed with this gift.  But I also gave her some gin, so it all worked out.

Friday, September 07, 2012

Catching Up on How Far Will You Go QAL


I have skipped week 4 for the moment.  Hard work makes me quit!  But here are weeks 5 and 6.  These blocks are really starting to pile up!

Happy September

August went by in a bit of a blur.  John spent a week in London for work, so I got a taste of single parenthood.  Luckily the Rupper stayed healthy and I didn't have to work too hard.  And maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world to have quiet evenings to myself for a few days.

Then we went on sweet sweet vacation.  A road trip to New Hampshire, emphasis on the road.  So much time in the car.  First up was my birthday, which I was able to spend with my dad, brothers, sister-in-law, and nephew.  Which was wonderful. 


Photo credit to John, who has a real knack for catching me at moments where I look batshit crazy.

Next up was Soda Pop's wedding, a wonderful affair for a lovely couple.  Not to be forgotten is the priest's homily, which heavily referenced the happy couple's need to maintain eroticism in their relationship.  Eroticism.  Did I mention the priest is Soda's cousin?  Eroticism.  Soda, if you ever read this, I loved everything about your wedding.  But that made me a little uncomfortable.


My outfit was provided by Pittsburgh Girl.  My first foray into pumps.  The worked!  I wore the for the whole cocktail hour, which is a huge victory for me.  It's John's turn to look a little touched in this photo.  Also to be noted:  I spent an hour curling my hair.  An hour.

A spontaneous play date broke out on Monday.

The Rupper provided his usual creepy staring at the other babies.

Monday night we visited Uncle Thom at Rudi's in Portsmouth and also met up with our friend Drag.  It was a twofer and a great time.



Tuesday we headed up to our family's camp on Lake Winnipesaukee, with only a slight (2 hour) detour so that we could take a little hike.  It was my first outing using the Ergo as a baby backpack.  Pure brilliance. 


The Rupper loved it.  He did not, however, enjoy the beach.  Maybe next year.

On Wednesday, we met up with Roommate For Life & Co.  In a stroke of good luck, they were out visiting from Chicago and were staying at a friend's island on the lake, an island that was only a 10 minute boat ride away.  So the Maxster got his dose of the Rupper's staredown.







 Obligatory kitchen sink bath at camp:


 Back to North Hampton on Friday, took the opportunity to take another little hike.  Waterfalls!

Friday night, Dad and Jean took over baby sitting duties so that John and I could take in a baseball game at Fenway park.  What a treat.  At this point in the week, I was tired of taking photos.  So there aren't any more.  The Red Sox are terrible right now so the atmosphere was something less than electric.  But they did win, so that was something.

Saturday brought another play date with the Rochester Rays.  So cute to see the cousins chase each other around.  You'll have to take my word for it.  There are no photos.

A great vacation.  I would improve on very little.  New Hampshire in the summertime is such a lovely place.  Even at it's hottest and muggiest, it pales in comparison to the DC oppression.  It was so nice to go outside and not immediately burst out into sweat.  Lots of friends, lots of family time.  Can't wait for Christmas until I can go home again.





Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Friends w/ Kids x2

Ahhh... a much needed rest from the never ending tasks of a Woman Home Alone.  Pittsburgh came over tonight and we ordered Thai food, drank a little Argentinian wine and watched "Friends with Kids."  I watched it last week but was more than happy to view it a second time.  Neither of us was disappointed.  The Viking remained silent this evening and I'm glad it did.  My instincts are always to spend every alone moment working.  Yes, they are personal project and no, there are no deadlines so no real sense of urgency.  But sometimes it's nice to not have anything to think about but being happy for the career of Adam Scott, and wonder whether Jon Hamm is ever going to give the ladies what they want and play a traditional leading man role.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

When the Cat's Away the Mouse Will Sew


Here is this week's addition to my How Far Will You Go QAL project - the Weathervane block.  Pretty smart looking, though I'm a little worried about how the edges line up - or don't, as the case may be.  But worrying is about as far as I'm willing to go to fix it.

Here is a heap of blocks that are to be the basis for my contribution to 100 Quilts for Kids.  They are string blocks that are being made out of leftover fabric from a quilt that I made for Priest Girl when she left for her priestly studies in England.
And this is the latest block for my t-shirt quilt.  I went to Park City, Utah with College Boyfriend.  We visited his brother who was playing ski bum for a year (something I will totally do in my next life).  Ski Bum worked 2 days a week at Texas Red's in order to fund his bumming.  It was a nice trip.  I remember drinking Rumplemintz and playing beer pong.  And meeting a Mormon who didn't know what AAA was.  I never much liked this shirt, the decal has a strong rubbery smell that hasn't washed out over the 11 years that I've had it. 


I made a whole bunch of strip sets from this super cute and cuddly flannel fabric in the hopes that someday soon I will turn them into a cozy little quilt.

And here is The Rupper looking Very Serious.  It's just me and him this week as John has been called away on very important business in London.  Not Olympic related.  Which explains why I've had so much time to sew.  And yet it's still never enough, is it?

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Oh, Right! Bad Idea Quilts!

Back in March, I learned that one friend was having twin girls, and that another friend was having a girl.  All three babies were due around the same time so I thought, I'll make 3 of the same quilts (with color variations for the twins) all of the same pattern.  It'll be a breeze!  I thought.  So went the next three months of my life, these quilts turned out to be so much more work than I was anticipating.  Not because they were difficult, but because I have precious little time in a week to sew and these took up ALL of it.  But they're done now and off to their new homes.  Like with every project, an important lesson was learned.  Something about biting off... chewing... surely I'll never make this mistake again!

Below is a pic of each quilt.  I went a little overboard with the color editing.  The white balance is weird in my house.


And best of all, the three little lady recipients of these quilts have all arrived into the world.  Safe and healthy and with parents who are out of this world excited about them.