Step Into My Thimble

What is it about spring that always makes me want to sew?

SKIRTS!

As much as the universe doesn’t need to see my neon-white legs, at this time of year I’m so sick of socks, long pants, tights, anything constrictive on the lower legs. Sure, it’s Michigan and it will be weeks before I can go outside in sandals, but it’s a good time to revisit the fabric stash and plan a few new wardrobe items.

Above you see a lovely linen tablecloth (folded in half) that is going to become an Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt (A-Line style). I bought that tablecloth probably six or eight years ago at a thrift store, for some paltry amount, and have been saving it ever since. And then last year, I visited Stitches Seattle, and as a souvenir I picked up the Amy Butler Pattern (among other things). Somehow the two came together this week, in my urge to SEW SOMETHING! And I have fabric to make a couple more, both probably in the layered style though. I just have to figure out how to install an invisible zipper. Don’t you think Amy Butler would approve of the tablecloth reuse? I do.

Along with the spring sewing urge comes the Reprodepot urge–one I only indulge a couple times a year. I couldn’t resist the Tea Party Sundress, Bloomers and Playsuit Pattern from Oliver + S, and we’ll see once it arrives whether stash fabric is going to do the trick, or if I can make this cute frog print work! Since you-know-who is turning two in a few weeks, maybe she can wear it on her birthday.

First, happy spring! This is what we’re getting in local weather…

An early spring storm is set to arrive in the Great Lakes later today bringing primarly snow to the area this afternoon and especially tonight. Heavier snow will develop this evening and tonight. By Saturday morning, 4 to 7 inches of snow will be possible in the Winter Storm Warning area. There could be a few areas within the warning area that see isolated totals of 8 to 9 inches.

My emphasis, but come on, up to nine inches? Haven’t we had enough already?

At least we got a new issue of “Everyday Food” this week, which always results in something good to eat.

I’ve said before that Martha Stewart recipes often lead me to disappointment, but for some reason, we’ve had consistent good luck with “Everyday Food.” Maybe it’s because her media empire is so giant that she can’t micromanage the whole thing anymore, so the peons are actually responsible for some of the content. Who knows. I shouldn’t hate on Martha, she’s human too, even if she uses her FACE for the favicon on her web sites. And that chicken with orzo recipe was so good we made it twice.

So the snow reflects the title of this post, but maybe not the food bit. What else? I have barely had any time for knitting in weeks now, WEEKS. I think sometimes about what this blog is for, or what it used to be for, and also about who my audience is/has been. I feel like for months now, or maybe even since I had a kid, I’m not living up to the standards I might have had before. So much randomness, barely any craft content, it’s kind of pathetic. It is a lack of awesomeness. There are so many other great blogs out there, with good writing, excellent photography, beautiful finished objects to show, and a very nice focus overall. Lately, I have very little of any of that. I fear that if I did limit myself to posts only about crafts, you’d hear from me once a month or less. But maybe I should! I certainly don’t get anywhere near the traffic I did when I hosted Secret Pal 2…oh yeah, way back in the day. I think they’re up to Secret Pal 65 by now.

Despite the snow, I’m going to plan my garden this weekend. What are you growing this year?

Maeve has been out of commission since Thursday, with the oh-so-fun combination of strep throat and ear infections. Friday night was the worst ever in her life so far.

And today we heard that my grandmother died. She had a few very severe strokes about a year ago that left her completely debilitated. For the last year she’s spent about 23.5 hours of each day asleep, “sundowner’s” they called it. We heard from a man my dad works with, the president of a well-known rehabilitation hospital, that if one has to suffer from serious strokes, sleeping all the time afterward is much better than being awake and unable to speak or move or feed yourself. It hasn’t been a fun year for my grandfather, but she was in a great nursing home connected to his apartment building, and we think she really wasn’t suffering, all the way to the end. She was almost 89 years old.

In happy circle-of-life news, my brother and his wife had their second baby, a boy named Benjamin Jay, yesterday. It all went really well, and if Maeve hadn’t been sick we would have gone to see them today. Sometime soon we’ll get pictures! And although he won’t be lavished with piles of handknits like his older brother was (ahem, he was born before Maeve too!), he will get some cute socks, and maybe his brother will hand down some of the stuff I made…