Runaway October

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that for the longest time I detested thrift stores. Just thinking of them brought the mothball/sanitizer/old lady smell to my nose and images of peg boards filled with headless Barbies danced in my mind. I hated some of the ugly (to me) clothes that my mom picked out and forced me to wear and there was never any of the cool stuff that all the other kids had.

I’ve decided recently though that I like thirft stores now that I’m in charge of what I buy. Did you know that Goodwill carries Fabric, notions and other crafty bits? Totally! That’s how Mom got me in there in the first place.

These were panels that I also found. Declan loves the little map blankie I made him.

Other nifty stuff:

(As always, click for bigger pictures.)

I used a pattern from Hip Handbags and love the way it turned out. I’ll definitely be using the pattern over again, as both my mom and myself really liked the size and shape.

Only problem is that it’s more of a medium purse than a market tote.

I went ahead and put a regular double welt pocket in it anyway, using matching piping from the outside. The lining is the Sage Kleo from Alexander Henry’s Fashionista line that I am totally in love with.

I totally love the way it came out, but I realized I could really use one of those itty bitty mini irons. I just could not get the wrinkles out of the bottom corners. It got pretty mangled trying to sew the bottom on. Apparently my machine does not like tight corners when using buckram and heavy interfacing. Who knew?

I hope you enjoy Elizabeth. I’ll get it in the mail as soon as I have someone to watch the kids!

________________________

On another note, here’s the ironing board cover I did recently. Cute, no?

I really need to work on taking pictures indoors. Summer sun is just too harsh to take stills outside.

"Phew!" with a dramatic swipe across his forehead.

I’ve actually been pretty busy of late. Remember those 17 loads of laundry stuffed on the couch that I mentioned? ALL folded, hung, sorted, organized and put away!! After 3 weeks it was hard to come up with excuses for why it was still there. But I’ve also completed 2 more aprons - one for Grandma Betty’s birthday, along with matching placemats and one for Nicky’s birthday. I finally got a new ironing board cover made. It’s super simple but took a day because of the nooblets… I mean the kidlets. (Does anyone remember Sixlets? Those were awesome!) I started a third apron for Ann today. Next up is my bag for the Market Tote Swap. I have the idea all worked out in my head, I just hope I can transfer it to reality easily.

So after all that’s done I’m going to start working on some smocking and shirring and posting items to my Etsy shop. I promise. No more swaps or birthdays and whatnot. I’ve found some gorgeous designer prints mixed in with the cheapy cottons at JoAnns and have totally scored bolts of them with 50% off coupons. I’m afraid to cut some of them up.

I’ve also been comtemplating getting a cottage license to sell the aprons that I’ve been making. The thing is it’s $100 for a year but I’m not sure if I could cover the cost with any profit I make, ya know? The license gives me the right to make and sell anything by Sew Liberated, formally Montessori by Hand, where as now I can only make and give such as all that I’ve made so far. It takes me about a week of fiddling to make an apron because of… interuptions. The hardest part is choosing the fabrics - I always worry that someone will get their apron and go "WTH was she thinking? This isn’t me at all!" I’m debating on just going it alone, or using someone else’s patterns. Any thoughts?

Here’s Grandma’s Apron. The reverse is a very pretty white Poppy print.

I read alot of blogs. Alot. I think there’s over 100 in my RSS reader last time I checked. Most of them I just scroll through unless something catches my eye, except for the crafty ones that have to do with family, kids and such. I’m in love with the ideal that they portray - happy little families who eat organically, spend their nights playing board games in an immaculate and organized house and mom still has time to whip out beautifully crafted projects every day.

I think it all contributes to how shitty I’ve felt about myself lately. I always thought that being a stay at home mom would the the be-all-end-all, but it’s really just a facade for hell. The day I quit my job was the day I turned into everyone’s bitch. All day long people demand things from me:

• If they’re under 1 year demands are communicated in ear-shattering, heart-wrenching squalls.
• Between 2 and 18 demands are produced in the form of nerve-grinding whines at the most inoppurtune times.
• Over 18 and demands are best disguised as guilt or worded in such as way that they make me feel like a total failure for not anticipating the demand sooner. 

I thought everything would be perfect and it’s not even close. There’s a least 10 loads of laundry stuffed on the couch that I have no intention of folding. My mom or Declan is more likely to fold it than Matt is. I’ve managed two dinners this week, burnt one and have no plans for anything tonight. Mom is wanting me to start feeding Rowan solid food but I know that just translates into more work for me because Matt has never fed Rowan once. I keep getting told that I’m not challenging Declan enough but I can barely keep the kids in dry pants and full bellies. To get time to do some sewing basically means that I put the babygate up in the kitchen and ignore everything. I’m so so slow that everything takes forever, If I rush stuff well… the quality goes down.

I have no friends, other than long distance or internet ones. I don’t know where I’m even going with this. I need a vacation, but I don’t think I could leave the kids. Nor do I want to, I just want to stop being the 24/7 mom for awhile. But there’s millions of moms in the world and they all seem to be fine. What’s wrong with me? I’m I just super lazy? Do I have to be willing to just shut my brain, hopes, wants and personality off for good (because heaven knows the older little boys get the more they demand)? What happened to Me? When did it become a requirement that I’m no longer considered a person, just because I have children? I feel like a servant and a poorly treated one at that.

Well, I’ve already sent a not so nice email to Matt so I guess I might as well post this too. I’m done wallowing, maybe.

I need to get my thyroid checked.

• Hippos! Yay! My Grandma sent me this adorable family of hippos as a Mother’s Day present. Aren’t they cute? Now I just need to find a home for the rest of my hippos.

• My ability to successfully complete a double welt pocket, as demonstrated here:

• I received my Spoonflower Beta invitation! I am so excited to try and get something of my own printed. I am thinking I’d like to do some logos and what not to stitch onto my completed projects. Heaven forbid someone come across one of my aprons when I’m dead and gone and not know who made it. That would be a shame. Plus, I’m really getting to the point where I’d like to start getting some stuff done for my Etsy shop. I really like to have things tagged and labeled. It seems to up the professionality, ya know?  My biggest concern with premaking things to put in a shop is what if it doesn’t sell and it just sits there? Especially if it’s girl clothes - I have no use for those unfortunately.
• I also got my Ravelry invite, but it’ll be awhile before I actually get anything going in there.
• I’m excited to get started on the Market Tote Swap. No last minutes for me this time. I’m getting it done and out of here. I need to make some stuff for myself for a change.
• I thought I had more than that but I guess not. I’ve got a big post in the works on sewing FAQS and another on ‘Pretty vs Functional’. Maybe you guys can weigh in with me and convince Matt that I need to have free decorating reign on the ENTIRE house.

Stay tuned my wonderful readers. Same blog time, Same blog channel.