In Other News

I know that for the past near year, I have only blogged about my children. And I love them dearly and nearly.  However, there is more to me than my mother hat (which is on about 98% of the time).  So, perhaps in order to reassure myself that there is indeed more to me than mom-dom, I am blogging about that two percent today.

That two percent is mainly focused on the capsule wardrobe and quilting at the present.  I would like to clarify that I am not quilting my capsule clothes, however.

So, I am transforming my closet into a "capsule wardrobe".  I stumbled across this concept about a month ago on the blog, un-fancy.com. Go here. Read that statement. Then print this (free wardrobe planner).  I love, Love, LOVE the concept of only having 37 items in my closet.  37 items that I love, feel good in and are "me."  (It is by season, so for fall, I will have 37 fall-ish items of clothing-accessories and shoes included!) When I lived abroad in Finland, I had a mere suitcase full of winter clothes to last my entire six months there.  And it was a VERY AMPLE amount... getting dressed was so E.A.S.Y.  It was, "Do I wear sweater A or sweater B with pants A or pants B?" And now, I need more easy in my life.  I am still in the beginning stages of the capsule wardrobe, and I will update my progress.

Moving on....

The spring before last, thanks to my MIL and SIL, I was introduced into the wide world of sewing, in particular, quilting.  Now I was am not a sewer (?).. at all.  Remember this blog? I made a few things over the past year: a rag quilt for Baby Tripp, a fleece car seat swaddle blanket, burp cloths and bandana bibs for presents, one pillow case, six place mats and six coasters.  This is my sewing history. (The quilt my MIL & SIL started me on is sitting very unfinished in my sewing basket).   Well, I feel like I skipped a million growing steps in the world of sewing and was plunged, head first, into the super hard stuff.  Quilting is like the mecca of sewing.  Everything (stitches, cutting, ironing, etc.) has to be perfect.  And well, in the fine arts realm, I'm more of a "free spirit."  Needless to say, quilting is very hard for me!!  But alas, there are all of these darling fabrics and then, well, I'm completely sucked in...  So I am a total newbie trying to tackle being a quilter.  Maybe I like challenges? Maybe I just like pretty fabrics..

Here is what's happening.  This is the fabric (love, Love, LOVE!)

and this is the pattern. 

It is rated "easy" and I think I can do it. (Fingers crossed). 

 And then, in five years, when I finish the above quilt, this is next on my list,

with this fabric. 

 Also, I am 3/4 of the way finished with my winter rag quilt... that one is actually only about 6 nap sessions away.  (Nap sessions is how a mother measures time). Here's the rag pattern.

And this is my winter fabric:

So those are my sewing machine endeavors.

That's the two percent these days!  Yay, me!