While Lily Napped, I Sewed

Remember this? Operation Decorate. Somewhere along the way it went on hiatus, but today while Lily napped I pulled out my sewing machine and my fabric stash and whipped these pillow covers together. I made both with an envelope back so they can be removed and thrown the wash. They make a vibrant addition to our living room, no?

I think so. Now onto finishing the coffee table we picked up from the flea market.

My Kick-Butt Diaper Bag

I bought Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby over a month ago and finally made this diaper bag today. Of course, it helped that my sewing machine stopped bunching the thread every time I sewed and started sewing a straight, even stitch again -- after I spent over an hour adjusting the tension.

The bag really was a simple sew (Lotta's not kidding). It took me a little over an hour, start to finish. I got the fabric from a little shop about a block from our house that specializes in upholstery fabric. I may even make myself another one, slightly modified, to carry books and graded papers to and from my classes.

Speaking of classes, I haven't even touched my syllabus. I have a smidge of guilt over it, but I'm sure it will all disappear on Saturday (then rear its head when we return from the beach). Classes start in two and a half weeks, and I'm in a bit of denial about working again.

This summer, in spite of its disappointments, has rocked and I've loved (almost) every minute I've gotten to spend with Lily. But I keep reminding myself that it's healthy for her and me to spend some time apart, and it's good for me to be out interacting with other adults (or college freshmen, as the case may be).

Morning, Afternoon, Evening

morning
I put the finishing touches on this shirt from Alabama Stitch Book. I got the book from the library a week after Lily was born, but it wasn't until I saw how simple it was for Kate to make this shirt for her son that I decided I'd give it shot. Two days later, voila!

After bouncing the idea around since Lily's arrival, Adam and I flipped through the classifieds for houses to rent. We found one a few blocks from where we live that's about the same size as our current house (minus one bathroom) that rents for $200 less than what we're paying now. So, we got to take a gander and it is wonderful -- big fenced-in back yard, huge kitchen, carpets. We're filling out an application and keeping our fingers crossed.

afternoon
Five Guys Burgers and Fries moved in down the street, so we thought we'd give it a shot for lunch. So did about fifty other people, leaving us to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Lily pitched a fit while we were there and we left early -- the joys of parenthood.

We came home, napped, watched our new favorite show, Burn Notice (which makes me want to visit Miami -- ahem, Kate), and I went for a run, two and a half miles without stopping. Small victories.

evening
Adam is grilling chicken and I'm making this couscous. It is absolutely gorgeous outside, so I want to soak up every second we have before the sun sets and the mosquitoes start getting frisky. I'm also glad that we have Lily, who keeps us in at night, because Adam just told me about tonight's UFC fight that we could be watching at Hooters. Thank God we're not.

Father's Day, Sewing, & The Curator

Today is Adam's first Father's Day. Unfortunately, he's spending it at the emergency room working one of his rotations for school. It's hotter than Hades here, leaving me, Lily, and the animals indoors. Being inside, though, isn't much better than being out. The house we rent isn't insulated well, so the air conditioner has been running almost nonstop and the thermostat reads 82. I have the blinds most of the way closed and have done little more than finish watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, take a nap, and snap a few dad's day pics of the peanut.
We're hoping Daddy might come home for dinner tonight!

I am also hoping to get some sewing done. I was given a gift card to Barnes & Noble and immediately ran out to buy Lotta Jansdotter's new book, Simple Sewing for Baby. It's fantastic and has a lot of projects I'd like to tackle. I also got some fun new fabric. I washed it this morning, so I just need to press it, sharpen my scissors, and get sewing.

In unrelated news, my newest Curator article went up on Friday. I interviewed a friend from college who is getting her Ph.D. in addition to having her own sewing business. Talk about ambitious!