Sew Much to do, Sew Little Time

Last weekend I took a short sojourn up to my favorite quilt shop/fabric store/magical haven of creativity. It's called Suppose, and if you should ever find yourself in Preston, Idaho, you simply must stop by. I know right? Preston, Idaho. I was surprised too. (No offense, Preston, Idaho, but you're pretty much a tiny little town out of yesteryear and I never expected to find such an incredible hipster crafty place on your very old and very un-modern main street.)

Anyway, I went to Suppose and after meandering about the tiny place that is packed with only the prettiest and darlingest and most whimsical creations and textiles and patterns, I of course wanted to buy everything, but even more than that, I left with an intense need to create. If you've never been, and you have any creative inclinations or wishes at all, you should go to Suppose. All that prettiness can't not inspire you. And it's really, really cool place. Everything is modern and quirky and totally not old-ladyish at all, and they play killer good music like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. It's a store that totally represents and embraces the awesome fact that making quilts and embroidery samples and handmade toys is super hip right now.

So, since I paid that little visit, I've found a renewed zeal for craftiness that is making me wish I had a little more time on my hands. I always assumed that after I became a stay-at-home mama that I'd have gads of time, what with naps and early bed times and all. Not so. But Magnolia's been doing a little bit better with sleeping in the last weekish, so I'm trying to squeeze in some creative time in between playing with her and trying ("trying") to keep up with dishes and laundry. Here are some things I'm working on or planning to undertake soon:

I've cut all the fabric for the top of my queen-sized (yikes!) new year's resolution quilt and plan to lay it out this weekend. Then in ten years it might be done.

I've been making about a bazillion baby headbands, both for Nolie and as gifts for a few other girl babes. I've been buying miles of elastic (it's SO cheap!) from this fabulous Etsy seller and don't even worry about it, I probably have like every color in the world.

Today Nolers and I had ourselves a case of the cabin fever, so we took a little jaunt to the Hob Lob and wandered around for a good while. I bought embroidery floss spools (cause all of my floss is currently floating around in a random drawer and tangling into knots no boy scout could ever untangle.) and some other random things, and of course I had to get this seersucker fabric (I had a coupon, after all) to make Magnolia a skirt or dress for this summer. Does she need one? No. She's got a bazillion skirts and dresses for this summer. But come on. SEERSUCKER. I'll be getting to that one soon. I'm thinking something ruffly. Only I'm rubbish at making clothes, so hopefully it'll turn out to be not a disaster.

Speaking of making clothes, I altered a pair of boot cut jeans into skinnies today. I love the wash and the fit of them, but I never wore them. And tragically my favorite skinnies are on their way out of this world due to the fact that I wore the crap out of them. So I needs more skinnies, but gots no monies. It was pretty quick and easy, although I used jean thread (also purchased at the Hob Lob) and that stuff doesn't mess around. It nearly beat my poor little sewing machine to a bloody pulp. But all's well that ends well and I gots me some old-new skinny jeans.

I am anxiously awaiting these two darling books of patterns to come to me by mail. I saw them at Suppose and had a literal meltdown in the store and it's not a big place so everyone heard/saw me. They are all fabric/crafting nerds too though, so they didn't judge, they seemed pretty happy that I was freaking out over the cuteness of the stuff in these books. I would have bought them right then and there but they were quite costly, and so I went home and found them on Amazon for more than half off. (I'm really sorry Suppose, I'm all about supporting local business, but I'm also really poor. Plus we both know I've spent unspeakable amounts on fabric from you, and I'll do it again.) But anyway, one is a book of baby quilts and I bought it for one quilt alone, which has an elephant on it and is the be-all-end-all of cuteness. The other is a book of doll and toy patterns and every single one of them is absolutely squeal inducing. I've been wanting to make Nolie her first dolly for awhile but hadn't found a good pattern, and there are tons of supa cute ones in this book, so I'm pretty excited. I'm especially excited because they're coming in the mail, and who doesn't love getting lovely packages?

I'm also working on my new year's resolution crochet chevron throw. I started it in Colorado, but had to start over after I'd done almost ten rows (GRRRRR!!!!), so we're a bit behind on that one. Also, it was supposed to be for Rob, but even though I increased the pattern to make it bigger, it's...not big. Like, we're talking baby sized. So maybe I will save it for my possible future son? (Not an announcement, by the way.)

Aaaand there is a hand embroidery class at Suppose next month that I really, really want to take. I love to embroider, but I don't really know anything and I've just been winging it all these years, so it'd be nice to be legit. I dunno if I'll take it, because it's a bit of a drive and I dunno if I can bring Nolie or leave her for that long, but it's an awfully tantalizing prospect.

So yeah. I may have gone and, how you say, bitten off more than I can chew? But it's been really fun to be so busy with all of this stuff, and to have projects to look forward to. I was constantly working on projects when we were expecting Magnolia, and with her arrival and the holidays I had a pretty lengthy break from doing anything major, so I've enjoyed getting back into things and making a huge mess at our kitchen table, which, who are we kidding here, is really my craft table since we never eat at it and it's the permanent home of my sewing machine.

Let's just hope I keep up the enthusiasm. I guess if I lose it then I know it's time for another trip to Suppose.

And for good measure, how cute, right?