Two-thirds of the Way There!

Weekly Rewind

Our ten days with Joe went by way too fast. Just when I was getting comfortable we were back at the airport dropping him off for the flight back to Japan. We had a nice week just living life. Kids went to school, Joe and I had a chance to exercise together, we had a night out and, oh yeah, Joe went to work too. I caught a little glimpse of what the routine could be like when he gets home and it felt good. The week of comfortable living was tempered by the fact that in the back of my mind I knew he'd be gone again soon and saying goodbye this time was extra hard for me.

I think Grayden and Audrey felt the same way, with Grayden's behavior reflecting his anxiety over the impending separation. We had some difficulties with his mood this week exhibiting as extreme defiance, argumentativeness and utter unpleasantness at times. Luckily, when I just don't think I can take another minute of it, he counterbalances this difficult behavior with sweet affection, his sense of humor and his keen observations. The actual goodbyes were not too difficult for either child but at bedtime both expressed they missed Daddy and Grayden had a prolonged meltdown that, thankfully, ended in a relatively early bedtime.

Olive fingers while making pizza.

Watching space shuttle launches and landings on YouTube.

The morning we dropped Joe for his early flight we had loaded the kids in the car in their pajamas knowing we'd return home quickly. Well, I decided we should stop for breakfast on our way home and convinced Grayden no one would care at the Cracker Barrel if he was in his PJs. He soon forgot all about his attire and enjoyed his eggs and playing with the peg game at the table. When the check came I realized my wallet wasn't in my bag and after searching the car came to the conclusion I left it at home. So here I was, the crazy lady with two kids in pajamas that couldn't pay her bill. Luckily the manager was extremely gracious and told me I could call him with my credit card number when I got home.The craziness of the day was compounded by the babysitter getting sick and cancelling for the afternoon during the party I was attending and a bottle of wine falling on Grayden's head and shattering everywhere in the pantry. All turned out OK, with a friends daughter stepping in to sit and Grayden seeming to be fine after the big knot on his head shrunk. Never fails that as soon as Joe leaves all hell breaks loose!

The Project

• Fabric - 1 3/8 yards each of two different quilting cottons - $15
• Pattern - Olive Ann Designs, "Sunny" - $9
• Notions - just thread and Wonder Under applique iron on adhesive
• Total Time - about 3 hours
• Total Cost - $24

Grayden and Taylor on Lake Casitas.

One of the joys of spending the summer in California was reconnecting with old friends. I was able to see quite a few childhood friends while there, some by chance and others through Facebook connections. I especially enjoyed spending some time with Amy, my best friend from elementary school. I hadn't seen her since our ten year high school reunion, 11 year ago, and couldn't believe how little she has changed! Still fun, gregarious, generous and warmhearted. I also loved seeing her mom and having the privilege of meeting her three year old daughter Taylor, an exact replica of Amy as a girl! I also benefited from Amy's addiction to the Gymboree brand of children's clothing and came home with a suitcase full of hand-me down outfits for Audrey for a bargain price. 

Since Taylor is such a girly-girl and loves dresses I thought I'd make her one as a "thank you" for passing on her lovely wardrobe to Audrey. Since all of the girl's patterns I have are baby or toddler sized I had the pleasure of shopping for something special and picked out a sweet pattern from a small design studio called Olive Ann Designs. I used the pattern called "Sunny" a reversible wrap dress with an optional applique.
 

I decided to try my first attempt at an applique and used the template for the three hearts from the pattern. I definitely need a bit more practice with the machine applique since it looks less than professional.  Once I realized I had to loosen the tension on the presser foot it was much easier to negotiate around the edges. This pattern was a breeze to sew up. The most time consuming part was cutting it out since I had to cut doubles of everything to make it reversible. For this reason the pattern must be a fabric store owner's dream since it requires buying twice as much fabric (which may be why the gal at the store suggested it!). The results are super cute and the dress would make a great travel dress since once its dirty you could just turn it inside out for another day of wear!

The instructions for turning and finishing the garment are great and easy to follow. On my version the point where the front and back come together at the shoulders is a bit misaligned. If I make the pattern again I'll pay special attention to the cutting and seam allowances on the shoulder pieces to make it more polished.  Amy - let me know when you get the package and if you get a photo send it my way and I'll add it to the blog!