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Thought I would share what I made for the little ones' Easter baskets this year. I made two like this for the boys, and I'm working on a pink one for her. I was happily surprised with how EASY and quick it was, and also how CUTE they turned out! And so soft and cuddly, too! I think they will like them, and I think they'll look just adorable all snuggled in the basket with their candy. :)

Monsters

So, I'm debating about doing the craft fair again this year. (shrug) I haven't decided if I want to go, yet, or not. But either way, I figured I'd do well to make up some monsters...they were quite a hit last year, and my etsy shop has been void of them for a while--I've found I get tired of making the same thing over and over again, so I have to take a break every now and then and work on other stuff...like clothes for me, the kids, etc. That needs to be done anyway. :) But I thought it might do well to get a few in etsy before Easter. Someone might be needing a little monster for a basket. :) You never know.

But here they are, the fruits of several nights' labor in front of the TV. :)

A Calm, Productive Afternoon

Here's a stack of fabrics that I cut out into clothes for the kids. The animal print is for shirts for the boys and a dress for Little Bit for Easter. The others are for shirts for Little Bit for her first year of school this fall. sigh. Is it really time? And here's a shot of the patterns I used.

And lastly, what Little Bit did while I cut out fabrics and we talked. :) A nice afternoon. Oh, and the boys actually took NAPS! What more can one ask for?

Off for a walk now to enjoy this nice weather with my family. Hope your day was as nice and productive as mine!

Addicted

I love these things. WAY more than I remembered. I look at them, and I am instantly transported back in time to when I was about six or seven year old, hunting Easter eggs at my grandmother's house. She used to buy these kind and hide them in the grass. Weird how one little piece of candy can do so much to jog your memory...I hadn't thought about that in years.

And unfortunately, now I can't stop eating them! :)

Happy Mistake

This is the little flower tutu or "Fairy Skirt" (as Little Bit calls it...) I made it for her for Christmas, and she absolutely loved it...and ripped a hole in it the very same day (sigh). So, I FINALLY got around to fixing it today, but the thing is, I couldn't really figure out how to do it with it looking like anything, you know? Tulle isn't so very easy to stitch, at least where you can't see the stitches VERY well, and the tear was quite large and obvious. SO...I just sewed it up with purple thread, then got the idea to sew on a little purple felt heart patch, and my daughter thinks I'm a genius! LOL Got to admit, though, turned out pretty well. :) I love happy mistakes, don't you?

Work in Progress

This is what I like to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, when the boys are asleep and Little Bit is outside helping her Daddy clean up the truck, the sounds of outside (the wind, the neighbor's windchimes, the birds) mixing with the comforting sounds of home (the dishwasher and the dryer going). This time is precious to me, and fleeting, too, as we will soon have to jump up and hurry and get supper ready and eat (I never start supper soon enough on Sundays...) and get ready for church.

I have also learned that, impatient though I usually am, there is just something so insanely satisfying about quilting something by HAND. I just love it, and, naturally, I'm doubly proud of my creation when I get it finished. All that time and work put into it, and I usually sit and work on it at night while Jason and I watch TV at night, and it's interesting. I can look at a quilt and remember practically EVERY show or movie we watched together. My last hand-quilted project was a compilation of Bones episodes and Into the Wild. Go figure, but I don't think I'll ever forget that. shrug. Weird how the memory works.

I told myself I wanted this one done, that I was just going to do it on the machine and have it done within a day or two, but it just kept calling me, beckoning me to get out that old quilting hoop and have at it. And so, the quilt won out, I suppose, over my impatient nature. And yes, I am perfectly aware that my stitches aren't perfect, and I rather prefer the bigger ones, opposed to the ones that are tiny and hidden. Truly, I'm not using excuses here. I like that old, folksy look, where I can see each stitch, each step of slow labor and smile, because I am happy with how it turned out...

And here I go, again. But oh, isn't it worthwhile. :)

Bot

Okay, my boys are IN LOVE with the new Nick Jr. show Team UmiZoomi. (My daughter, too.) But the boys scream "Bot!" "Bot!" every time it starts to come on. So, I figured for Valentine's Day, a little "Bot" of their own would be good. :) So, as I've already made them Spaceboy for Christmas (who looks a little like Geo from the show), I turned to a cute little pattern by Hilary Lang at Wee Wonderfuls. Anyway, I was pleased with how they turned out. And, my daughter calls them "robot friends." Too cute. Now, let's just hope the boys are as impressed!