Happy New Year!

Shifting gears

The other night I snuck out to take a walk to the beach (don't worry, the husband was home with the kiddos).  It was rainy/misty/foggy/blowing/stormy - the perfect time to be at the beach.

Because there is usually not a soul there.

Except that night I crossed paths with another woman walking the beach.

We didn't say anything, just smiled at each other.

Like we were sharing a secret - the call of the stormy ocean that no one else got to see.

I wanted to share that with you 

- since you couldn't walk with me that night.

And let you know that I might not be sharing here for awhile.

Shifting gears.

Seeking guidance.

Blessings and stormy beaches,

Daphne

Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

This and that and using what's on hand

Hello there!

Still haven't taken pictures of finished projects - but I have managed to whip up some "new" projects since we've been home.

Well, one was more of an improvement I'd say.  

Nursing bras.  

Not usually the prettiest things out there and the ones that are pretty are also pretty expensive.  I had a plain ole' white one that I decided to dress up a little bit.  Some lace trim and ribbon (all from my stash) and hello new bra!  (sorry I don't have a picture, but you get the idea, right?)

And some nursing pads.  I have been using disposables which I am not too fond of, so I decided to go ahead and make some reusable ones.  (I also considered just buying some from the lovely and talented vendors on Etsy, but in the end I just didn't want to wait)  I mostly followed this tutorial by I Sew, Do You? (thank you Pinterest!), but my layers were a little different.

Flannel, fleece, diaper, flannel.

All from things I had around the house - 

flannel from the quilt I finished in New Orleans, 

diapers from the cloth diaper pile 

and fleece from some pajama's Big Brother has outgrown.

I'm not one to buy a whole lot of 'new' or 'trendy' craft stuff/fabric/yarn anyway, but it feels really good to make do with what is on hand.  I've been thinking about that a bit (when I have coherent, non-sleep-deprived thoughts...) after listening to Frances in her Rambly Rose podcast a few weeks back, reading Julie's Use What You Have post, and finding, also via Pinterest, this post by Sandra's Cherry Heart blog (what really got me, was her little tag at the end of the post "crafting for free in June").

Speaking of making do, I created a new board in Pinterest called "Make Do and Mend" where I'm attempting to gather what I can on all things 'mending'.  Bits of information, history, neat ideas/ways to mend, styles of mending, etc.  So if you're on Pinterest (or not) and you happen to find anything about mending and feel so inclined - please send it my way!

All this was started by a hole in the heel of a pair of my husband's wool socks - and then I got a book - and then...but I'll save the rest for another post.

Blessings friends,

Daphne

A sleeping baby at my side...

Well, I took some pictures of WIPs and projects I've finished since we moved, but they are pretty terrible.  Need to find a new 'picture spot' in this house.

Here are some details anyhow...

The house is quiet - everyone (including the dog) is napping and it is overcast and blustery outside.  Just right.

Blessings,

Daphne

A life lesson...

-- I had some blog posts pre-loaded and this is the last of them.  Hopefully I'll have more soon, but we'll see how things go with Homegirl and Big Bro!--

Or: Why they teach you to take your pins out in sewing class in the seventh grade...

Needles break = bad things can happen

Kind of hard to see in that top picture, so here's a better shot:

The needle isn't poking me, my finger is just there so you can see how it broke off!

Fortunately (?) the thread was still through the eye, so it just hung there until I un-threaded it.

I'll show you what I was making when I get a picture taken (I downloaded all of the 400some pictures  I took since we left New Orleans, but apparently haven't taken any of the things I've made since we've been here!).  

And I did not put this needle in my "broken but not forgotten" special needle-holder-place.  I feel like that is a place reserved for needles that have been totally spent - this was me being stupid. ;)

Blessings and take those pins out!

Daphne

Introducing "Homegirl"!

Our little lady, Eleanor Mae, joined us on Thursday morning (June 7), at 9:30!

She and Mama (and Daddy and Big Brother) are all doing well and can't wait to watch her grow!

Blessings,

One Happy Mama

Happy Friday!

Blessings and beachy wishes for you this weekend!

Daphne

Birthday presents

More sewing today!

Before we left New Orleans we had several birthday parties to attend.  Two were for little girls, so I decided to try my hand at pillowcase dresses.  I found some tutorials on Pinterest, looked a few of them over and then just went with it.  They turned out pretty well!

I was able to find some really cute pillow cases at the local thrift shop.  This dress was for a 1 year old.

 But just a dress isn't enough, is it?  I didn't think so, so each little lady got a matching flower hair clip!  Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the flower for the dress below, but it pretty much looks like the one above.

How neat is this pillowcase?  I was so excited when I found it because I knew it would be perfect because my friend is a quilter!  This dress was for a 2 year old.

The bottom was part of a different pillowcase I cut off and sewed on the dress.  

These were a lot of fun and I have a few more planned that will hopefully turn out to look like a watermelon slice!  Too cute.

Blessings,

Daphne

A Special Quilt for a Special Girl

Remember this one...?

Well, it was always destined to turn into this!  It was machine pieced and hand quilted.  Inspired by the Film Strip Quilt Pattern from Erin at Why Not Sew?: link here.

The front:

The back:

I didn't use the pattern because I knew I wanted bigger pieces, but all of Erin's patterns and tutorials are top-notch and I highly recommend them!

This one just took longer than it should have - thanks for your patience Evie!!

Blessings,
Daphne

I'm still here!

Wow - it's been a long time!  Sorry!  We have completed our move to the Jersey Shore (and are Loving it!), sold our house in New Orleans, our new place is almost to the point where it feels like home and I am due to have this baby girl TOMORROW (though I would not mind one itty bitty bit if she came today...)!!!

So, a lot has been going on.  That and the fact that the camera cord is here somewhere (meaning I haven't downloaded any pictures) is why I haven't posted.

BUT - a lot of sewing/creating/starting to decorate/cooking/canning has been going on and I will share that with you all real soon.

I promise.

(the few pictures I do have are from photobooth on the computer - this is a card that I painted and then scanned and printed- something am going to be doing more of in the future to stock the shop!  I sent this pic to my Dad because I was so excited that I actually got the whole process to work - his smart comment was, "that's nice, making the kids read backwards".  Thanks Dad.)  ;)

As soon as I find that cord...and/or this baby gets here...

Blessings,

Daphne

Needlebook Complete!

Hello!  It's been crazy around here and I think it will just get more crazy until our move is complete, so I'm not sure how consistent I'll be able to be with the blog.  (just a little warning!)

I finished my needlebook though!!!  The class was SO MUCH FUN!

Seriously, if you want to take an online course in the future, I HIGHLY recommend anything Susan teaches.

I believe she is planning on teaching this same class in the fall and hopefully others in the future!

This ended up being completely sewn by hand.  What with the little one running around and showing our house every other day, it seemed, it was just easier to get a little done here and there on the couch.  I really love how it turned out.

An unexpected bit was the spine - I blame the preggo brain, but I didn't even think to switch threads to match the pages, so it's all white and it all shows.  The more I see it, the more I like it though.  Definitely handmade and I love me some handmade!

The other little bits that I love are the pocket and accent fabrics.  The pocket is from a little scrap of fabric I got with my Grandma when she visited when I was little and got my mom a sewing machine - so that reminds me of my Grandma and my mom.  The green fabric, back accent strip and ties are all fabrics that I have more bits of that will be used in a quilt for "homegirl".  Someday I hope to pass this on to her and maybe she'll have special memories of it too.

Until next time,

Blessings Friends!

Daphne

Journaling the trip

Slight delay on the way there.

The hubby and little one were off getting energy out.

I doodled with a ballpoint pen and colored it in later.

As I mentioned in the previous post - Love me some Dunkin'!

This sort of sums up some of the great memories from our time in Ocean City!

Blessings Friends!

Daphne

A trip and a tip

Some highlights from the trip earlier this month:

The beach!!!

Lunch at Ikea!  SO GOOD!  (we don't have an Ikea here, so this was an adventure)

Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Chai.  

There is one DD in New Orleans, and it is ALL the way across town, AND they don't have a vanilla chai machine so it's really not even worth going.

And now for the tip.  When traveling and eating with our toddler, we found entertainment necessary while we waited for food.  He loves to color, but sometimes papers slip out from under crayons, etc.

I had a sticky pad in my purse and found that it worked out really well if I overlapped all the edges, so for the most part the whole thing was stuck to the table or pieces to each other.

Presto entertainment!

More soon...

hopefully..

maybe?

It's a little nuts around here with the house of the market and the move around the corner.

Blessings,

Daphne

Hello Again!

Sorry for the extended absence - we were up in New Jersey finding a place to live because we're moving in about a month!!!!!  (CRAZY!)

We did find a little place that should be perfect for us and is just blocks from the beach - woot woot!!

While we were gone, I did a bit of art journaling (enjoying that so very much).

I was also able to stop in to Home Made and meet the very lovely owner Julie and Dot, a patron that loves the shop!  So fun.  

Looking forward to being able to attend some knitting afternoons there!

Still need to finish:

- my needlebook

- the baby quilt for the baby who will be one before we know it!

-something I am forgetting...hmmm, that's not good

Anyway - I don't have pictures from the trip ready yet, so here are some updates to the Etsy shop!

Hope you all are well,

Blessings,

Daphne

On the needles

I finally started the leg warmers for homegirl.

This is all the farther I've gotten, though.

I'm using this pattern.

It is great!  But I am not, and I messed up so I'm deviating a bit from the pattern.

We'll see how they turn out.

I just love the colorway of this yarn - they can't turn out that bad...right?

What are you up to these days?

Blessings,

Daphne

The Word

A Coast Guard helicopter crashed Tuesday night in Mobile, AL.  

My husband is a Coast Guard pilot and when anything like this happens it hits way too close to home.

This is something I fear every time he goes to work.  The Coast Guard and especially the aviation community within the Coast Guard is so small, we all know each other and that makes it so difficult when things like this happen.  

Three of the four crew have been recovered, deceased.  The search continues for the fourth.

They were training.  Training to do the mission their fellow Coasties are doing right now to find them.

What I have been reminded, though the week has been very difficult, is that God is good.  

No matter what.

May God Bless and Keep them and their families.

Blessings,

Daphne

sharing here today