Easter and pink dresses and springtime love

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend!!

We had a lovely time celebrating together.

On Saturday, the kids enjoyed a giant Easter egg hunt with the neighbors.  (Oh my, the quantity of candy that entered this household was unprecedented.  Seriously...like Halloween in April!  It will take everyone a while to detox from it, for sure...but they had a blast, and that's what holidays are for, right?)

We also had violin and cello lessons, had a visit from some out-of-town friends, pulled weeds at Grandma's house, and took her out to dinner.  Oh, and I made three Easter dresses!  (With so much going on, and so little energy, I tried to talk myself out of it...really I did.  But to no avail.  It's a tradition, and surely those three sweet girls wouldn't let me forget that...)

I found this awesome pintuck-stripe fabric lying around, still on the bolt, in my studio. 

I had made a couple of jumpers a while ago out of some identical blue and white fabric (copying a dress my friend Mindy made...thanks, Mindy!).  I knew the jumpers would look just as cute for spring in pink!

The girls wore the new dresses over these white summer dresses, which acted as a nice slip layer, and a darling top.  Oh, and Eliza lost a tooth, and has another loose...can you tell?  :)

I didn't use a pattern, I just drew up a bodice similar to other jumpers I had made, and then held it up to the girls to see if it would fit.  I cut two fronts and two backs, and sewed them all right sides together to create a lining, attaching straps as I went.  The skirt is just the width of the fabric, cut to a long, pretty length, gathered at the top, and attached to the bodice.  I used fabric-covered buttons, and had to read my sewing machine manual one more time to remember how to make a buttonhole.

On Sunday, we attended our church services to hear beautiful music and words of worship.  Then we had a big Easter feast.  I ate so much, I'm still full!!

I also spent some time reflecting on memories of my dad, and other loved ones who have passed away, feeling gratitude for the Savior of mankind, whose resurrection makes it possible for all of us to live again, after this mortal life.

The blossoms and buds of nature, springing up on every tree and plant, echo these sentiments perfectly.  Newness and life surround us, after a season of still, colorless rest.  It's as though the creator of Heaven and earth is proclaiming once again that life is beautiful and eternal.  Springtime is indeed glorious!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope your day is lovely!

holiday handmades--Sarah's shawl

brrrrrrrrrrrr...

Here is Sarah's Christmas shawl.  I fell in love with Alicia's version of this chauffe-coeur pattern.  Isn't hers darling?  But then I realized that the pattern is only available in french.  I ordered a copy of it anyway, but decided it was just way too complicated!!

So, I found this similar pattern, changed the gauge and the stitch count, and basically winged it!  I was so excited when it actually turned out how I wanted it to!!  Well, except for the fact that I started out making it to fit Hannah, and it ended up many sizes smaller than I had intended.  Thank goodness for little sisters!

I used Berrocco Vintage Chunky yarn from my stash.  Not my favorite yarn, but it knit up soft and cozy as a shawl.

And this little girl loves it!  Hooray!!

holiday handmades: the dresses

I really, really tried to talk myself out of making holiday dresses this year.  Our December had gotten so busy, and I had so many other projects in the works.  I really needed to simplify.  Besides, I could just make winter dresses in January, right?  But I had made dresses almost every Christmas since the girls were little, and I just couldn't let it go.

So...I woke up early the morning of Christmas Eve, and since the presents were wrapped, and I had almost everything ready for Christmas, I decided to go for it.  I would sew all morning, and I could have them finished by noon.  Then there would still be plenty of time to brine the turkey, make lemon curd for the neighbors, finish knitting the Christmas sweaters, and cook our yummy seafood dinner.  So, I went for it!

I used this Japanese sewing book, and this pattern.  But I couldn't figure out which pieces to trace again, so I just upsized the pieces of the size 5 dress I had already made for Sarah.  I used some beautiful, soft fine wale corduroy in three colors, and lined them with contrasting small-print 30's fabric.  Not super "Christmas," but very holiday festive.  I love how they turned out.  Simple and classic.  And the girls loved them too!

December favorites and happy new year!

With the Christmas thrill and magic winding down, we're enjoying a slow and relaxing week-after, hanging around the house together.
I keep reflecting on our beautiful Christmas season,
feeling nostalgia and gratitude,
and decided to make a list of favorites,
so as not to forget what made it so wonderful:

• Stockings hung by the chimney with care.
• Lots of knitting (photos of the Christmas handmades to come!).
• Making aprons from tea towels...super easy and fun!  (thanks for the great idea, Mindy!)
• A new nativity in the mail from my MIL.  I love it!  Thanks, Mom!
• Making gingerbread, caramels, and lemon curd for friends and neighbors.  Yum!
• Seeing the lights at Temple Square.
• A traditional family viewing of It's a Wonderful Life.  Love!!
• This beautiful short film.  Such a special Christmas gift to the world!
• A live nativity in our neighborhood...dressing up as shepherds and following Mary, on her donkey, to the stable up the street.  Then visiting with neighbors over hot chocolate and barrel fires.
• Hosting a great (and sticky) marshmallow fight (due to a lack of snow for a snowball fight), complete with PVC pipe launchers. 
• Piano and violin recitals, giving a feeling of good 'ol pride to this mama's heart.
• Surviving the beginning of basketball season, with three players in three different leagues.  (I knit almost an entire sweater vest watching my boys play in December!)
• Christmas parties and celebrations.
• An office party up at Park City's Olympic Park.  Dining with great friends while watching the US and Russian ski teams train and perform amazing jumps live.  Wow!
• Deciding I just couldn't go a year without making holiday dresses for the girls...on Christmas Eve morning!
• Seeing the girls twirl around in their new dresses and swedish clogs before our Christmas morning Church service.
• Hearing the children of our neighborhood sing "gloooooria in excelsis deo" at the top of their lungs from the pulpit.
• Watching a brave 10-year-old son sing a solo without flinching, even though the Church was packed to the rafters.  He sang the verse, "Come to Bethlehem and see..." with such power, that I was convinced he would have been the one running through the town, telling everyone to come and see the newborn King, had he been there then.
• Taylor's confident recitation of Christ's birth from Luke 2 at the pulpit.
• Caroling to friends and neighbors.
• Having another turkey dinner, with ham and all the trimmings, on Christmas Day.  And having Mom and Uncle Todd here to eat and celebrate with us.
• Lots of happy surprises on Christmas morning.  Joy!
• Feeling coziness and warmth as we gathered as a family by the woodstove, cherishing our time together. Soaking in the magic and wonder of the season.  Together.

I always get a little nostalgic as we welcome in a new year.  I have felt so much joy and happiness this year.  I have felt so truly blessed.  I have had some amazing experiences.  I have learned so much and grown in so many ways.  I have been blessed by so many wonderful friends.

However...

there is so much more to be learned.  So many new roads to travel and paths to forge.  So many opportunities on the horizon.  It's time to begin a new season of growth and learning.  And I'm ready to go!

Welcome 2012!

And a Happy New Year to you all!!

christmas making

Oh my...

the Christmas making has kicked into high gear around here.

Almost every surface in this house is covered in supplies and scraps 

and filled with little busy fingers at work.

It feels like Christmas!!

My cute 9-year-old has been our busiest elf.  She made almost all of our cousin gifts by herself, including the darling stamped fabric pouches.  She has cut out, wrapped, sewed, knitted, and MADE so many pretty things...I'm so proud of her!!  

Her favorite handmade this year has to be yarn pom-poms.  (tutorial here.)  I can tell by the looks of the area rug, which seems to have morphed into a Christmas-colored shag rug!  It is continually speckled with bright furry yarn trimmings, and an array of perfect little pom-poms.  All of the kids have joined in the fun too.  (you can imagine how many times we've emptied that trusty Dyson vacuum this December...)

And my cute littlest girls...making Christmas cards and gift labels all day.  So much drawing, writing, and creating from such little hands.  They beg to sew something at least twenty times a day too.  But they still need mom's help for that.  So when mom's busy, they make more cards.  I love peeping over their shoulders to see what funny drawing they come up with.  And it always makes my day! 

And thank goodness for DesignMom's great handmade sibling gift ideas.  We're using a bunch of them!  Each child is making a batch of one type of gift for his/her siblings.  I look forward to working with each of them one-on-one to create fun surprises for the other kids.  I've hunted down all of the supplies, but most of the making will happen this week.  Can't wait to show you the finished products!!

I have so many knitting projects underway as well, which need some serious time and attention, if they are to be completed by Christmas!  I'm looking forward to lots of knitting this week.  In front of a roaring fire and glowing tree.  With a cup of tea and Pandora Christmas music playing.

Now, I've finished my breakfast of warm eggnog and sourdough bread with butter.

Christmas cards are all sealed, stamped, and ready to go.  (thanks, Taylor and helpers!)

Now to finish packaging up the gifts to be mailed, and a quick (praying for short lines) trip to the post office.

The kids are doing chores and looking forward to an outdoor fire with s'mores and a marshmallow fight with friends this afternoon.  

While I start that knitting by the fire...

in peace and quiet.

I love Christmas!!