Sewing is not quite like riding a bike.  After a two year hiatus, I'm definitely rusty.  Sure, the basics are all there--I remember how to read a pattern, thread my machine, press the fabric--but I've forgotten all the hazards and tips I learned along the way. 

Forgotten, that is, until I make a mistake or encounter an obstacle.  THEN I remember that it's easier to make a strap like this, rather than the way the pattern has me trying to turn the skinny tube inside out. 

In any event, there's a Halloween costume in the works, butternut squash soup on the stove, Barefoot Contessa cupcakes in the oven, and I've gone all domestic again.

Stay tuned...

Once upon a time, I was little.  My first sewing project (that I remember) was a little pincushion for my mom.  I made it from some stretchy knit scrap fabric and stuffed it with polyfill.  If squished, the pins would go straight through and poke the fingers on the other side.  Completely impractical.

Being a good mom--the type that treasures the weird and random things her children make her--my mom was using that pincushion right up to the day I gave her this one for Christmas.

Much more practical, but pretty enormous.  I'd seen the pincushion teacups, but when I saw this pretty little bowl at Target, I knew it would look great with this fabric stuffed inside.  Viola, pincushion in a bowl.  Fingers are spared.

Isn't she adorable? My mom made her for the Two Year Old, who absolutely loves baby dolls.  She came with an extra diaper, which was a huge hit.

Are you overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of it? (Too many viewings of Kung Fu Panda...)  She did it sans pattern! Amazing.

She even made matching PJ's for the real live Baby Doll. Love it!

I made these Patchwork Placemats for my sister-in-law. They're intended to be a set of breakfast placemats, so I chose this bright fabric I thought would be the perfect start to any day. The stripes and polka dots are Moda Swell, the flowers are Ginger Blossom. I bought them both off Etsy a while back, you might remember my excitement.  

I used the tutorial from Wink Designs (find it here) for the placemats. It was great--very easy to follow.  I skipped the quilting I was supposed to do on one section, because I've never actually quilted before and didn't have time to experiment.  Next time, though, I'm planning to give that a try.

I included a jar of oatmeal topping using the recipe from Martha (that's her picture, because I forgot to photograph mine). I left out the honey because it apparently required the mix to be refrigerated, which I couldn't deal with.  Do you just store the wrapped gift in the fridge until Christmas? I couldn't wrap my head around it, so I mixed up the fruit and nuts, packaged it in a cute reusable cannister, and called it a day.

Also included in my set was a big cannister of brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal, which I mixed together myself. I topped both cannisters with printed labels and wrapped everything together.

Viola. Breakfast in a box.

The best way to celebrate the end of 2008? With the return of Win-It Wednesday, of course!

I found these little favor boxes tucked away when doing a recent laundry room purge (okay, Mr. Plaid was doing the purge...).  Six of them are still boxed up, one stray is from another box that must be around here somewhere. 

There are no birthdays on the horizon for us, at least not ones where the guest list stalls at seven.  If you think you could use them, leave a comment on this post before next Wednesday.  One lucky winner will receive all seven.  If I find the other box, I'll pick two winners.

Enjoy what remains of this year, and stay tuned as we ring in 2009!

Regular programming will return, as I have a ton of great finished projects to share (I've been saving them up, since they were all Christmas gifts!) 

But I get positively giddy when I drive past a gas station these days.  Today, I found gas for $1.88 a gallon! My joy is indescribable.

A few years ago, I got all prophetic and declared we would never see gas fall below $2 again. But look at us now! I have to physically resist the urge to stop at every gas station. I keep wanting to just "top it off," in case prices sky rocket again tomorrow.

I know, I should be shrinking my carbon footprint and using less oil and all of that.  But I just can't imagine shuttling my two children on to a bus to drop the oldest off at school. For one, I imagine we'd accumulate far too many tardy slips.

We are those sort of people, the ones who use our vehicles as a second home/storage facility.  The other day we arrived at school in a panic.  For weeks, there'd been one purple tennis shoe riding around in the back seat, while the other was somewhere in the house.  Yesterday, my daughter grabbed the second tennis shoe from her room, believing its mate was still waiting in the car.  When we arrived at school with one shoe on, the other purple shoe was nowhere to be found. 

Seriously, I have no idea what one does when one shows up for school with only one shoe. On a rainy day, no less.

Fortunately, I found the shoe. It was in the front seat--under the umbrella, my winter coat, the baby's diaper bag and last week's mail.

Still, we were tardy.

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm a huge fan of handmade gifts. In my world, it means a lot when someone sits down and takes the time to create something for me.

Imagine my excitement when I received this lovely birthday gift today from my friend N!  Wait 'til you see what's inside:

Isn't this the prettiest sewing kit you've ever seen? Where does one find such tiny scissors? And see that little measuring tape folded in there? 

It even has safety pins. I always need safety pins, and I never have them! There's also a page with assorted buttons.

Now I'm feeling quite behind on N's birthday gift. 

It's a good thing I've snapped out of my sewing slump.