Three Kitchen Fairies

Crafty-family-work out-and-eat all the calories back again weekend"

The weekend went by so fast... I can't believe everything we did: we went hiking, and the girls did great for an hour long power walk that went mostly up hill. We also went to the playground, and for dinner we went downtown where I had the second best vegetarian ravioli  (the best are my father-in -law's butternut squash and spinach ravioli.) Clara attended a birthday party looking great in one of the girl sets that I made, and she gave as a present one of our bags filled with goodies.

Where has time gone ??? She has grown so fast...

I wonder for how long she is going to like what I make so much... she makes me feel so happy with her acceptance.

I also went crazy with the pillowcases on Saturday. I used the fairy fabrics that my sister in law sent me, and added some other fabrics. I used my trusty manual  to make the "Simple Pillowcase" : Last-Minute Patchwork+ Quilted Gifts.

The outcome.

I finished the pillowcases this morning at 6:30 am after waking up with my head full of "first day of school worries." They are for the girl's beds but I took this picture of them on my bed with my thumb sucking baby.

Now, feeling very satisfied from my "crafty-family-work out-and-eat all the calories back again weekend," I'm off to prepare for my mom and sister's visit. They will be here tomorrow morning. Finally, we'll have them all for ourselves for six days.  Since I'm the oldest of four children (twelve and seventeen years older than my siblings,) it's almost impossible to have my mom to myself for a few days.

Have a great week.

P.

Inspired by...

I don't know if this is good or bad, but once I start with a new idea and execute it, the "idea" keeps changing and growing addictively (is that a word?,)and non stop. Like with the skirt and blouse sets. I did not want to make that many, I just kept going.

I started making these bags last week, and now I have four of them. And then you know: how about a flower here, or a quilted bag, or the house as a pocket? And then "Mommy, don't you think these bags need a little pocket in the inside? Oh!! You are right baby." I guess that's why I needed a store. My head is full of ideas, and plans for so many crafts, quilts, recipes, kids crafts, etc.  That is without counting real existential art work... At the same time I'm feeling tired. I'm keeping the girls from napping (the two older ones) because they will start school soon, and they won't be able to nap at school. At the end of the day they are so cranky...  and I'm exhausted, and sometimes in a bad mood.

School will start soon, and I'll have time to organize my crafting in a more thoughtful and harmonious productive way. For know, I just have to make three more smaller bags for the girls, and one for a friend's birthday party this coming Saturday.

Let's sew.

P.

Much more than I expected.

This week had its ups and downs. I had the feeling that not much was going on until I started to think about this blog. What to post about ? And even considering that I'm about to post just too many pictures, this is not everything that I have accomplished this week.

I finally finished stitching this mini-quilt. I wanted to see it framed because I'm not completely happy about wall-hanging-doll-size quilts.

It looks good to me...

The embroidery is from drawings made by my daughters. I love the idea of making their art work transcend together with mine. It's like been together forever.

I also worked hard on some totes for my store, and I finally got my woven labels. To make the story short, I did not notice when I ordered them that the company is in Thailand...It took almost four weeks, and tons of back and forth e-mails with the company in Bangkok.

And last but not least, I received a wonderful present that made the gray clouds of my busy week go away, and brightened my days. My sister in law Marta sent me fabrics, but not just fabrics. She sent me the fabrics from "The Quilt Maker's Gift" with the illustrations of Gail De Marcken on fabric. This book is one of my recommendations at my store. This is the book that started it all over again. My love for quilts, and my new beginning as an artist after having to leave my career due to maternity. Marta also sent me adorable fairy fabrics that will be sewn into something for the girls, pillow cases maybe?

This one is my absolute favorite...

Yeah, you can tell I"m bad at taking pictures. The fairy fabrics are amazing. They actually look like floral designs but there are fairies hiding here and there, mostly in the top fabric.

All these things, and the re-count of the other good stuff (that I don't post because it would be too much,) make me feel that I did well this week; after all it was not such a bad week. I guess it was a little bit about the frustration of having only two weeks left of summer vacation; and about life not letting me enjoy some precious moments.

Happy Friday !!

P.

From point "A" to point "B," to point "C."

This summer we went from sowing the seed, to this.

Then to these...

And at last, to this.

Our zucchinis were delicious ! I guess it's all the care that we took of them, and the fights about who waters them first. It is amazing to see my girls' eyes open wide when they see the little plant come out of the seed. They screamed "mami a baby zucchini" every time they went out to check our yard. "We don't even need to ask, they are organic..." said Clara. It is amazing to see nature do her job through the eyes of my children.

P.

PS: We stuffed the zucchinis with ground turkey and sprinkled some corn flakes crumbs. Very, very simple and yummy.

The importance of playing.

"It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self".

D.W. Winnicott
British pediatrician
1896-1971

The importance of playing has been a matter of study for so many decades... Still playing is being somehow difficult for me these days. And sometimes I'm afraid to loose the child inside of me. Well, I don't think I will "loose it", it is that sometimes she hides from me. Sometimes she hides in the pile of dirty laundry, or behind my "to do list".

So I'm off to play "hide and seek".

I'll be back later

P.

"If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society".

Jean Piaget
Swiss philosopher
1896-1980

"A child who does not play is not a child, but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived in him".

Pablo Neruda
Chilean poet
1904-1973

Weekend project.

Last week I found this tutorial at House on Hill Road, and it instantly became my weekend project. I love reading Erin's blog. She is a real crafter. The amount of things she posts by week makes me think that she is really fast at concocting projects, and at sewing them. I made this summer picnic quilt in two days thanks to Jose. He entertained the girls for most of the weekend. I chose my fabrics having in mind some  sheets I saved for the back of a quilt. I don't know if all quilters wash the batting before using it. I do it and it is a pain to make it straight again. Please let me know if I can use it as it comes out of the bag.

The rock pockets are such a good idea. I love how it turned out !! Thanks for the tutorial Erin !! I'm sure we are going to enjoy our summer picnic quilt beyond summer...It is also good for cuddling up on the sofa when the weather starts to get colder.

This week I have maybe three more things to blog about. Due to the fairies coming to ask for help for absolutely everything, I will be posting in installments.

See you soon.

P.