Fun with my sewing machine

I had a really great run yesterday. It was just me and my ipod (only one earbud in so I can hear what's going on around me).The ipod made a huge difference. My sister shared her workout playlist with me awhile (thanks!), but I don't use my ipod when LMS is with me. I've started running more without her, so I'm starting to use it again. I ran a mile and a half in 15 minutes, which is a 10 minute per mile pace, which I haven't managed in quite awhile. I walked the mile and a half back, and expected to take 30 minutes to do it. I managed to walk the mile and a half in 19 minutes! I credit my pace to the upbeat playlist- apparently a faster beat really does help you keep your pace up.

I got the duffel bags all finished last week, now I just need to go to the dollar store and get toothbrushes, toothpaste, and combs, and 5 Christmas presents will be done!

What they started out looking like
The finished products

As I was working on the duffel bags, LMS brought her backpack and lunchbag out and said 'sew e, mommy'. She calls all letters 'E', and wanted me to sew her name on her backpack and lunchbag. Since she might use them for preschool or kindergarten, I did her initials instead of her name. I even got adventurous and tried out some flowers, which didn't turn out too bad. It was fun experimenting and seeing what my sewing machine can do.

Not professional results, but I am learning

I decided not to make felt food for LMS. They're cute and all, but she has some play food that I found on ebay awhile ago. We had these when we were little, and they're great. I decided she didn't really need more play food, and we don't have space for more, so there will be no felt food at this point.

The car seat cover is finally finished!

I finally finished Little Miss Sunshine's car seat cover. The first picture is her old car seat, with the cover I made for it. I loved that fabric, too bad I couldn't find more...

The second photo is her current car seat. I really like it, and I like the pink, but unfortunately it gets dirty very easily. Especially since LMS has a habit of stepping on it as she climbs into it, and her shoes aren't always very clean. So my OCD takes over and I find myself making covers for her car seats.

The third and fourth photos show her car seat with the new cover. The darker purple line across the back, near where the seat joins the back, is where the removable piece attaches. I made one (and will make another as soon as I buy more bias tape; I barely had enough for the first one) removable piece that covers where she sits and where her feet rest. Those are the places that get the dirtiest.

The main seat cover is two pieces: one that covers the seat, foot rest, side pieces and goes up and around the top; the other covers the head rest and the back rest. The removable piece sits on top of the main piece and attaches to the back rest. Now I can just unhook it, toss it in the wash, and put the spare in place, without having to take the entire cover off. Which can be a massive pain. I know a lot of people don't worry about keeping car seats clean, but my OCD won't let me let it go.

Next up: making a slip cover for a chair. I've been gathering various pieces of furniture so I can furnish the room LMS and I share for my parents when we move out. I've found some great deals on craigslist, but in the instance of the chair, the cushions are red, which completely clashes with the color scheme. The price was too good to pass up, though, and I don't mind a bit of sewing. I also got a killer deal on a log bed, but will have to strip the crappy stain job (I kinda think that's why they were selling it: they got tired of looking at it) to make it look decent.

Little Miss Sunshine's room is finished!

I finally got Little Miss Sunshine's room all finished, even the small details. I should clarify, though. Her room isn't really a room, it's more .... a cozy space.

Here's the before pictures, after I put the insulation in and started framing and drywalling. As you can see, it's an unused space under the eaves.

The first picture is looking to the left, from the doorway.



The second picture is looking to the right, from the doorway.



Here's the after pictures.



The first picture is looking to the left, from the doorway. This is her reading area, complete with comfy cushions.



The second picture is looking straight in from the doorway. The doll cradle is one my dad made me when I was little, which I have now passed to LMS.





The third picture is looking to the right, from the doorway. There's room for stuffed animals on the shelf, and in the hanging shelf in the very right hand side of the photo. I was going to make a trundle bed box to lift her bed off the floor a bit, but decided that it's fine as it is. I keep finding her half off the bed, so I think it's safer for her bed to be on the floor for now.


LMS is a big fan of Finding Nemo, hence the decals, the poster above her bed, and her quilt.

When we move into our own place and she has a normal sized room, I'll switch her bedding to pink or purple, something more girly than the blues that currently predominate. It works for now, though.

When I was painting and remodeling the room, I finished off a smaller space under the eaves for use as a toy room for LMS.


Here's a photo after I had put the insulation in.

Here's looking to the left from the doorway.


Here's looking to the right from the doorway.


And here is just outside her toy room (doorway is on the right), looking at the rest of her play area. Remember those shopping carts? My sisters and I had a couple of them, and they lasted forever (which includes the abuse my three younger brothers dished out). They did finally die, but I found one on ebay for LMS.

By finishing off two unfinished, unused (except for storage) areas attached to our room, I've been able to give LMS her own bedroom and playroom. It's nice for her to have her own space, and it's nice for me to have more room than I otherwise would. I have my closet space back, too, now that her crib is no longer in there.

I'm glad to finally have her room done. Now it's time to move on to other projects. Tomorrow my mom and I will be canning peaches, but we should be able to get it all done tomorrow.

I still need to get out and exercise, but I still have a phlegmy cough. I'm starting to think that maybe I do have bronchitis, after all. I was going to go for a bike ride first thing this morning, but it was 45 degrees! Add a stiff breeze, and it was quite cold, and it didn't warm up till close to noon. I'm going to have to get outside tomorrow, regardless of the temperature, though. I have to be ready for the marathon. I did buy an indoor trainer today; once that comes I can ride my bike inside, even if it's cold outside.