Elise is 8

{Taken at 3:30am Friday night.}

Elise turned 8 on Saturday.  What an exciting day for her.  On the simple side, there was no huge party to host or plan for, but a lot of love was exchanged that day.  Friday night I swooped the kids off to bed a little earlier than usual so I could finish her quilt.  I still had a little machine quilting to finish up and binding to sew on.  Hours later, it was complete around 3am.  Just so happened to be right around the time she was born eight years ago.  How synchronous was that!







She really loved her quilt.  I was so pleased with how it turned out.  It's a pattern that madebyrae published on her blog several years ago using Heather Ross' Far Far Away II fabric line.  It was one of those jaw dropping moments I had when I first eyed it and started making plans right away to make one for Elise, just turns out it took me awhile to get it completed.





So this morning I took it upon myself to take some photos of it on her bed where I think it looks lovely.  I'm sure as soon as she's home from school, it will be pulled off and carried around from room to room as it has been all weekend, it makes such a lovely warm companion.

Now she's got a quilt of her own.  She's such a special, sweet little girl.  Happy Birthday Elise!

sewing again

There is something special about a stack of fat quarters.   The potential; the soft loveliness.  The whole process of washing and ironing before any length is cut.  This is a special set I've been collecting for sometime, they are getting harder and harder to come by.   They are from Heather Ross' Far Far Away II collection.  The hardest to find is my favorite, the blue owl and the moon.  Totally makes the collection in my opinion.  Then there is the gray sleeping beauty, the green Rapunzel.  Hopefully, our little soon to be 8 year old will love them just as much, something tells me she will not be growing out of any fairy tale stories anytime soon.

Hopefully my last minute sewing/quilting will be done in time for her birthday two short days away.  Almost done.

this season

The season is here in our house.  Decorating for Christmas is a magical part of all our lives this season.  As much as I love looking at other's blogs and admiring their houses and their decorations, nothing compares to feeling our home in person.  The added warmth and love that comes with the season that clothes us like an extra layer to what we already "wear" each day is hard to put into words.  It has to be felt.  When the house gets quiet at night for a few short hours before I turn in, I may take a few moments to walk slowly around the tree admiring the memories and anticipating the next few weeks and wonders that will be waiting for us to open next year.

her birthday sweater in december :: Rosie's Thumbelina

This sweater stayed on the needles far longer than I intended.  It was a lovely pattern that I picked sometime earlier this year to knit in time for her 4th birthday as I have done in the years past. (here and here )  The pattern is Thumbelina, from the book More Knitting in the Sun by Kristi Porter.  As it got closer to her birthday in early September, I realized that my goal was not obtainable.  There was just not as much time as I've had in the past to devote to such projects, even when it was crunch time.  I just accepted it and continued to work on it when I could.



When Thanksgiving was approaching I found a little more time and made a new goal to get it completed by then, and I did!  It just wasn't the right weather for this sweater and again I held off giving it to her.





Turns out, today was the perfect day for Rosemary to wear her new sweater.  Who knew that on St. Nicholas' Day, it would be a balmy 65 degrees?  I was so happy to finally see it on her, I am very pleased with how it looks and I love the color of this yarn.

It feels so good to complete something, and to watch her wear and play in the sweater that mama made her.  It was definitely worth the wait.