I might have made a mistake...

You know that feeling of inspiration? When a project idea comes to you, and you're in love with it already? You may not know how it's all going to come together, but you had a vision, and you're sold!
Or not.

For a long while, I was collecting scraps of vintage doubleknit fabric. I liked the individual pieces somewhat, and I pictured them melding into an extremely hip creation. Instead, I got this:
Which looks like the 70s threw up on my kitchen floor. I tried to like it, but the only emotion it grabs is sympathy for my lost time and energy. Now I have a scrap rug that will never wear off its ugliness. It's currently in the garage, but if someone wants to make an offer.....

A little of this and a little of that

Yesterday I finally ran the whole 5K distance on my treadmill. Without collapsing a lung or flooding my jogging shorts, I might add. My time was exactly 3 minutes slower than my only official 5K race, which I ran 7 months post baby Helen. I'm 11 1/2 weeks post baby now. I found a neat tool for comparing the two races and future times.


Jack was proud:

And I'm starting another scrap rug. I've been looking forward to this for quite a while; aren't these fabrics awesome? Jason's grandma kept an eye out for doubleknit as she measured donated fabric for a local thrift store. (I paid for it!) The endless cutting of rectangles gets pretty dull, though.

Scrap Denim Rug

Someone in our family went wee-wee all over our bathroom rug. Then someone's brother went wee-wee on the rug in his room. So, it was time to wash throw rugs.

Then when I was gone for the evening, my kind and gracious husband, seeing something that needed to be done, moved the clean rugs from the washer to the dryer. (He didn't know I was planning to hang them on the line.) So now Owen has a poodle rug in his room.

Christmas Sewing

I had so much fun making most of the Christmas presents we gave this year. I completed most of them in advance, and then didn't face as much pressure during the month of December (except for the Christmas cookie plates...) And since I wrapped them ahead too, we got to enjoy them under the tree for longer than a day.

During October, I made Kaiya's nightie (on the left). Hers is flannel because Indiana winters are so cold. Jason's niece Abby was here the day I was making it, so she served as my model to check the fit. Her eyes glowed with pretty princess thoughts when she gazed in the mirror, and I decided she needed one too for her upcoming birthday. So hers is the lightweight cotton on the right.

Brian and Lincoln, the baby boys on both sides of the family, got very similar gifts. I got the idea from 60 bugs and then, you guessed it, my kids' big brother/big sister shirts were a derivative. I found the green t-shirts at Target. They had pockets on them, so I had to get out the ol' seam ripper. Once I had the gifts wrapped, I thought they looked a little plain. They had to be labeled somehow, or Brian was going to open a nightgown. I don't usually buy stick-on bows, especially not for presents that have to travel (hello ruined, smooshed, pathetic-looking gifts!), so I had the brainstorm of an idea to make felt initial ornaments. They didn't take long at all, and I was happy with the way they turned out.

And one last project that was NOT a Christmas present, but deserves a little piece of post anyway...
a homemade scatter rug for the garage, courtesy of velour scraps from my mother in law. In real life, it is a thing of ugliness. As soon as I have my waay-cool scatter rug made from my scraps of waay-cool vintage double-knit, this rug is headed to the back of the garage, so it won't be the first thing a person sees when stepping into my house.

Project: Scrap denim rug

Owen finally has a rug in his room! I was inspired by Grandma B's hand-made scatter rugs, although she made hers out of doubleknit fabric so they wouldn't ravel. Her garage and house were and still are always neat as a pin, partly due to throw rugs by all her doorways. She custom made these rugs to fit any surface, and I do believe she even has some in her vehicle. She made a tiny one for me out of red and pink fabrics when I was little, and it is now in Helen's room--that is how long doubleknit fabric lasts!

I made Owen's out of old denim. I used thinner fabric, not the thick stuff like jeans are made from. It was satisfying to cut up yucky old denim clothes. One day I was sick of wearing a pair of old shorts, and the next they were part of a rug! Also included in the rug are at least two jumpers, one dress and a pair of denim slacks my mother in law donated to the cause, a nasty work shirt of Jason's and a skirt of mine that my dear husband abhorred. (He said it looks better as carpet!)