thimbly things

This used to hang on Evan’s wall when he was a kid. I really love the whale and turtle. And there’s ric-rac. Nice.

And here’s his layette, the quilt from his bed, and some wooden baby toys. (Mom D., were those wooden toys handmade? If so, who made them?) That sweater is so cute, I wonder if I couldn’t recreate one in my own size…? The quilt needs some mending, then it is destined for Emily’s big girl bed. Hopefully it will be ready when she’s ready–perhaps in a couple of months.

Thanks Bibi and Papa Joe for bringing such sweet memories. I already put the wallhanging in the nursery. Emily loves it. And she misses you guys!

Thanks for the love and the laughs, everyone! Jacquie and I had some really great times as roomies. It’s too bad she’s in San Diego now, and I’m in Tulsa. One day, Jacquie, we’ll live within driving distance again… Right?

So have I ever told you how kind Evan’s grandparents are? Here’s some stuff they sent Emily for Valentine’s Day. The other day we received a package for both Emily and Jacob. It’s especially nice when folks think of Emily and Jacob. The book is for her, and I assume that the gray and pink bunny is too. Of course, she has adopted both bunnies for now, taking good care of Jacob’s bunny until he can at least see the guy. But that sweet Pooh quilt is just for Jacob. Grandmother Derrick made two quilts for Emily and mended Evan’s baby quilts for her when she was born.  And now it’s his turn.

She is extremely skilled in hand-quilting. I’ve only ever done a tiny bit of machine-quilting, but I know that even that is quite time-consuming. Her work is very impressive, and she always embroiders names and dates on every quilt. At some point, I’ll have to gather together all her work for a photo shoot.

Thank you, Grandmother, for the beautiful heirlooms! We appreciate all the care and thought that went into every stitch.

There’s little that will make one more desperately needy for an outing than handling a cranky baby all day long. Last night I wanted to escape, but with temperatures below freezing, I decided to stay in. With Sufjan Stevens and U2 on the iPod, I holed myself up in the bedroom and began my free-hand embroidery for the quilt I recently began. I made quite a bit of progress–finished 4 squares and started another. I’m 1/3 of the way there!  The fabric used on these bunnies in the book Softies by Therese Laskey was a great inspiration for me.  And being “alone” for a few hours was just what I needed to recharge.

Even now as I type, Emily is sitting on my lap. I can’t seem to reason with her that she needs a nap. She doesn’t feel well, but she’s not whining. A sweet but clingy baby is way better than a crying, snotty, inconsolable baby.

EDIT: Emily is now crying inconsolably in her crib. Now where did I put my iPod?

This is the gorgeous (and rather huge) rose Evan gave me on our anniversary. A single flower means much more to me than a dozen–I think it’s easier to appreciate its beauty.

Today we have a “Winter Weather Advisory” in our area. Since 8 am, I’ve been longingly peeking out the window in hopes of seeing a little of the white stuff. But all I see is dreariness and a light dampness on the ground. On top of the ickiness, Emily is sick-ish and grumpy (hopefully just cutting teeth). Maybe after I get a shower (this is almost always an afternoon event), I can start fresh on some project that will brighten the day. I’ve cut a few quilt squares, and now I’m seriously thinking of free-hand embroidering the solid pink squares with flowers. I also need to cut borders for all my squares, so I have quite a bit of work ahead of me: 12 embroidered squares and about 100 rectangular strips to cut.

After a long hiatus from the blogging world (and a lot of lurking…sounds creepy, huh?), I decided to follow in Amanda Soule’s footsteps and list 10 things that make February lovely right now. So here goes.

1. Listening to the Across the Universe soundtrack again and again.
2. Emily “coloring” for the first time.
3. www.moviezeal.com
4. Preparing for the Oscars by watching lots of movies with Evan.
5. Emily running through the house with her heart-shaped Valentine’s Day “boon.”
6. Jane Austen on TV.
7. Handmade Valentines.
   
8. Quilting…or planning to quilt with beautiful Repro Depot fabric.
   
9. Evan’s homemade bread–especially the cinnamon raisin batch.
10. Three years of marriage to my college sweetheart.

For bonus points, I’m inspired right now by the idea of starting afresh with thimbly things. I’ve intended to do this for months now but was afraid that I wouldn’t fully commit. What a silly, paralyzing thought! So here I am, and I’m just gonna do it already!