God made us cousins because he knew our Moms couldn't handle us as sisters ~Anonymous

Katelyn has come to Atlanta to visit, so of course I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to photograph her with Mae in their (somewhat large) Bonnie Blue rompers. Since Mae's romper fit her big sister Issa, I was eager to see how they did on the cousins who were two years younger! Barefoot in the backyard early in the morning before breakfast, I was fortunate to get big smiles from my girls.

I don't do windows....

Unless someone that I love asks me to make some window treatments. I don't know if it is the math that gets me, or the massive amount of fabric in my tiny little sewing closet, but I am afraid of even attempting to do draperies. yikes. But when Rachel asked me to make some curtains for baby Sarah's room, how could I refuse?

I am so glad that I couldn't enlarge this photograph so that you could see detail. I had enough fabric for the panels to lie flat, and that was about it. I lined them with blackout fabric, which was a good choice because this baby can SLEEP! Usually 12 to 13 hours a night. Both of my girls know the importance of sleep, so all our girlies are well rested.

This photo was taken during their improve/classical/creative ballet time which precedes bath time each night. Kathelyn gets on her window seat and performs for Sarah, who appears to be an appreciative audience.

I think this hour has turned into a really special time for all three Birmingham girls. I loved the enthusiasm in Rachel's voice as she told me how this little ritual developed, and I can't tell you the gratitude I feel in my heart that this mommy loves being with her girls as much as she does.

Janey sews

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone




Bibi hasn't sewn for over a week, but Janey has and she made this onesie for her new grandson. She found the directions on ....crapivemade.com....honest that is what she said.

And this picture simply warms my heart. I don't think any of the three could be happier.
Here's to some of the truly great fathers I have had the pleasure to know...dear Joe, Brent and Jacob, grandaddy, Connor's dads, David who drives a great distance to be a dad to his grown son, Earl who was not a biological father, but was a father to many, and also to the dads who sometimes tried to be great, but more often than not, fell short. We love you all.

Meet Me in St. Louis?

I spent the week in St. Louis, Missouri hosted by the kind people at Tacony Corporation and Baby Lock sewing machines. It was a week of learning about their products, meeting new friends across the country, and being served some delicious food!
Most of our time was spent on the Ellisimo, their top of the line embroidery machine. Oh my goodness. This machine does everything, and does it well. It turned out some beautiful embroidery and decorative stitches. It makes you look good!
We made a quick little cosmetic bag that we quilted and embroidered, then put together on their oh so wonderful top of the line serger, the Evolution. This machine not only is a serger (now honestly I have never really wanted one) but it does a cover stitch and a wave stitch, too. Geez. Now I am spoiled by all of these top of the line machines. I have also rethought the entire I don't want a serger thing. I don't want one. I NEED one. And I have to admit, it will be one of the babylock jet air threading sergers, if not the Evolution, that I buy. If I had lots of money to spend, the Evolution would be in my future.
Last of all, we took this bad boy out of a very big box and threaded it, and learned about the capabilities of a 10 needle mac daddy embroidery machine. Wow. If I ever thought I was going to have a little business....this is the machine that I would want. The BNT 10, or the Enterprise. But I am a Bibi in a sewing closet, sewing for 4 little girls. It was nice living in the world
of top of the line sewing machines for a week, but I am back in Atlanta now in the real world. It was SO much fun to spend a week being taught by some of the best in the business in a wonderful environment, and to be pampered as well. Still, there's no place like home.

Lovely Linen

I started this dress months ago at Robin's sewing Shoppe in Birmingham, Alabama. The class was taught by Lezette Thomason from Children's Corner. It is a simply sweet dress that has been adapted from the Adelaide pattern by Lezette. And I love the linen. I love wearing linen....shorts, capris or pants. Slouchy, wrinkly, comfy linen. The back of the dress is precious. I didn't have buttons, and the only available shell buttons at JoAnns were these little hearts, but after I put them on they were just the right touch. I had a difficult time getting the stabilizer from the front of the dress. Since I started it months ago, I do not remember what stabilizer it was that she gave us. My guess is a medium weight aqua mesh. I hung it under a cool shower spray for about 10 minutes. Gooey. I soaked it in the bathtub overnight. Gooey. I tried the shower again to no avail. A friend suggested a repeated plunge as we used to do our old cloth diapers or a quick spin on the rinse cycle in the washing machine. Hmmm. I think I will try the latter. I have some time to work on it; this size 6 is still a little large on Issa's slight frame. I imagine it will fit better late in the summer. So here is my reward. This is what I love. A precious little girl is sitting on my lap, she has lost a few teeth, her toenails are painted pink and blue and silver, and she is wearing a linen dress that I made. Uh oh. I am getting teary eyed. But life is good, indeed.

My personal AH HA! moment

I tried to love it; I really did. The beloved #37 quarter inch foot. But in my construction of little girls clothes, I found myself turning more and more often to the #8 jeans foot. It held my fabrics very stable, and allowed me a teeny weeny zig zag that I used so often. The only problem is the occasional broken needle when I forgot and changed to a wider stitch.

But in a conversation with Stuart and Barbara at the Sewing Center, I figured it out. Or rather they figured it out. I sew on a Bernina Artista 200; it has the capability to sew a 9mm stitch. When I use the 1/4 inch foot, the right feed dogs do not grab the fabric, giving me a stitch that is less than perfect. Stuart's solution: use the #1 foot, move the needle position to the right until you get the 1/4 inch that you want, and THIS time the right edge of your fabric is over the feed dogs! WooHoo! Barbara added that I could put a piece of clear tape over the stitch plate, and when it is pierced by the needle I will have created my own straight stitch plate...mine seems to have disappeared and I broke way too many needles with it, anyway.

The more I learn, the more I understand how much I don't know!

Where oh where did May go?

I had this little onesie in the back of the old pie safe where I keep my blanks. It is from Rabbit Skins and the applique is froma Husquavarna Viking CD. It will probably give us a chuckle on Sarah's slim body! I heard daddy call her Sarah Bear this weekend; I hope they enjoy it.