Sewing Continued

This week I finally got around to dealing with the window in Nora's room. Here's the curtains I "made". Actually it's a shower curtain that I cut down the middle and hemmed up. I really like the way it turned out and it works in the room.
Here's the pattern close up - yeah it's toile-y but Nora really likes birds.
This morning Nora astounded us by telling my dad there was a woodpecker outside, he looked and sure enough, it was. My girl knows her birds! One of my favorite things in Nora's room is this quilt that my mom's aunt made in the 60s or 70s. I really love it so much.
On of the things that makes is so great (in addition to all the retro fabrics and crazy quilt strips) is the fabulous fabric backing it-

SHEEP! All the better for counting when you want to go to sleep. Someday I hope to make a quilt as fabulous. The rest of Nora's room is still a work in progress.
She's got way too many toys, but some of them are really mine - like that FP boat and farm and the doll house was my mom's, then mine, and now Nora's.
She's also got too many books, just like her parents. She's talking to the fox family here in these photos, but I have no idea what she's whispering in their ears.

Gunnerkrigg Court

As Todd and Jason already know, I've become completely enamoured with the the webcomic Gunnerkrigg Court. I think part the appeal of Siddell's creation is the steampunky feel, although more gritty and then the whole girl power aspect gets me completely. He's dealing with some interesting themes too: technology verses nature, the power of myth, mothers and daughters, free will (for robots and humans), and whether our children take the same paths we choose. Because I have no patience, I devoured the archives in one fell swoop and now I must wait for the three times a week when the next intallment will be posted. I hate waiting...

Zoo!

This weekend Bob, Sarah and Zelda came to visit and we went to the zoo. It was possibly one of the best zoo days ever for me. While we didn't see everything, we came really close. I'll post more pictures later, but here is one of the peacock in all of his glory. I don't know that I've ever seen one up close with the complete fantail before.

Tweet, Tweet, Birdy

Lately, I've become a little obsessed with Echino fabrics. This now rivals my love for Amy Butler fabrics. Both inspire and frustrate the latent crafter in me. I need to make more time for craft projects and then edit out some of my other belongings to make room for these potential crafts. In the meantime, I'll just dream about what I'll make with this fabulous fabric that I've bought and is just sitting idle.

Sharing

I've decided to actually tell folks about this blog. I did a mini-release Friday, with Tree and Jason, and they were nice enough to comment, which has encouraged me to post more and to direct others here. Of course you may not stop by, but if you do and you are curious, the title for this comes from this old nursery rhyme for counting magpies:

One for Sorrow
Two For Joy
Three for a Letter
Four for a Boy
Five for Silver
Six for Gold
Seven for a Secret Never to Be Told

There are several other versions also:

One for sorrow
Two for mirth
Three for a wedding
Four for a birth
Five for rich
Six for poor
Seven for a witch
I can tell you no more.

or


One for sorrow
Two for mirth,
Three for a wedding
Four for a birth,
Five for silver
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.

Eight for heaven
Nine for hell,
And ten for the devil's own sel'.

Or more commonly:
One for sorrow, two for joy;

Three for a girl, four for a boy;

Five for silver, six for gold;

Seven for a secret, never to be told;

Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss;

Ten for a bird that's best to miss.

Too much HGTV

In my efforts to escape winter and do something about the dismal state of things indoors, I've been on a decorating campaign. Part of this was just dealing with the mess our bookshelves in the bedroom/office are in and then I found out about these fabulous things. While we probably could paint, I'm not inclined to right now and it's a bit difficult with a one year old and anyway, If I paint, I really should be painting the furniture in the bedroom that is about 4 different shades of green (and no they don't harmonize nicely). So when the fabulous bliks came, I put them up pronto. Amazingly it took me about a 1/2 an hour from cleaning the walls to finish. J. helped with the reaching the high places and Miss N. loves it all. See for yourself.





Yeah, I need to make the bed.


I got some for over the changing table too.