Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Sewing and Going

Time is getting away from me. Today marks Wednesday, which feels like Sunday because I cannot keep track of much lately. Work and home and Life keep blurring, leaving me feeling occasionally off kilter and occasionally very blessed.

Things settled down really quickly with the boys and the beds. We changed the room set up, took off the side of the cribs first and placed the floor mattress between their cribs as we have all bamboo floors with a rare rug here or there. The mattress was a must; when I moved it into its new position, Owen freaked out thinking I was taking it out of the room. It is where I once laid with them as infants when they needed me to pat them back to sleep during their all too short naps. It is where they jump and roll. And now, it is where they sleep. Every night, without fail. We can place them in their beds, but that is where they cry and shuffle about. Once they arrange themselves on the floor mattress, Mace's head tucked into Owen's chest, with their blankies nested all about, well, that is it. We are not needed any more. We leave the room quietly, no protests made, no plaintive cries, No "mommy mommy daddy daddy". Actually, no nothing until the next morning. For many many days now. Which is totally tripping me out. Wondering why we waited so long.
Love


The plan is for toddler beds pushed together to see if that works for them. If not, IKEA for one good sized bed where I am pretty sure they will sleep until they decide they need their own space. It should not strike me as odd, I like sleeping with Tim. A warm body, my warm body, his feet close and familiar and needed when I wake breathless from one of my strange winding dreams that make all too much sense. It does not bother me a bit that they sleep together. I slept with siblings for years due to many many siblings and a smallish sized home.

(Tonight is the first night of truly converted beds...we will just have to see how that goes. They were lights out at 715 with a good nap...crossing fingers).

Seeing as the theme of this post is beds, I have a few things in the works for these growing boys and their beds. Last week, I posted a set of the pieces I was working into a duvet cover. I like simple and I am finding I am not sure I like quilting. I mean, I like the result, but I have to find the patience to create the quilt. This is a good way to work on my piecing and quilting and patience. I cut rectangles of fabric in a proportion I liked, arranged and shot a few photos to check for balance. Whatever, I cannot say I understand color theory, I just liked what I saw.
placing

Then I staggered the strips and sewed away to make the top of the duvet cover. The pieced top is done, needing a border and light muslin backing to hide seam fraying.
Pieced and Sewn
In the Wind

The border is a nice olivey color, picked by Tim, in a sturdy Kona cotton. These are built to last, as I hope they will use them from bed to bed, it seems like they are giving it a positive verdict so far. Though they may end up sharing a bed, they will have a separate blankie for when they need a little space.
Likes It
Horse!


I could not bear to leave our bed lacking some hand sewn love so I pulled out some more Ross fabrics and sewed up a pair of pillowcases for us. I love the Matroyshka pattern from her West Hills collection; the sweet dolls in so many sizes, all the same pleasantly rounded shape.
Pillowcases from Weekend Sewing


I used the pattern from her book, a very simple approach spiced up by a stripe of pretty fabric. Of course, I did not have the called for 1 and 1/8 yard, so I just used the 1 yard per pillowcase I had on hand. I also never read instructions correctly and made the accent strip a little thicker (because I skipped referring back to the pattern and my mind said I had to cut a 4" strip, resulting in much more presence to the strip. I like it).
Pillowcases from Weekend Sewing


The blue is Tim's, a concession to his maleness (since I am insisting he sleep with dollies all night long).
Pillowcases from Weekend Sewing

That would make the pink mine.
Pillowcases from Weekend Sewing


My current sewing frenzy was brought on by my imminent departure tomorrow morning, a solo trip to see the sisters waaay up North in Humboldt. I have been yearning for some time with them. Not the stolen minutes between wrangling the twins, but time to talk in depth and play with my niece and help my talented little sister at her booth at the Benbow Arts Festival. And watch my other gorgeous sister perform with her west African Dance Troupe. I am excited, but a little apprehension now builds as the day comes closer. Planning what to bring, what podcasts to put on the Ipod for the quiet 10 hour drive, fantasizing a little about sleeping in, worrying a little about leaving for four days. Not worrying about Tim with them, just me being without them for the time. That must be why I am sewing things to leave with them. So they can feel Mama all night long, warming them, supporting them, loving them.

And though I am a little worried I am also grabbing any and all projects I might get to during the long hours in absence of constant responsibility, and during that 10 hour drive home that will be done by my sister and her lovely partner Michael.

So, rental car picked up (snappy little Ford Focus, makes me feel so collegey), check. Laundry in and down jacket packed (highs of 55 up there. Brrrrr), check. And video or two uploaded for when I have a total meltdown from missing their loveliness, check. Enjoy.





These kids are my life, I am betting the next five days are going to reinforce that, but also bring other wonders too.
Two on Me

11 comments:

LauraC said...

Enjoy your time away! I always come home from trips feeling so refreshed. And it always feels like my boys have grown up so much since I left!

(And YAY for good sleeping! Goes to show every set of twins is different. Nate hates cuddling with Alex. HATES.)

Em Natural said...

Amiee, Your sewn quilt and pillow cases are darling and i loved what you said about the comfort they can give when you are away. I really cannot believe you are going to be here today! It makes me so happy that you will be here for the fair, I cherish our time together esp. when in involves craftiness:)! Love you drive safe, big kisses to the boys and big hugs for tim because he is just so awesome!

Anonymous said...

You know, I'm 24 and my sister is 21, and whenever we're both home at my mom's we always wind up sleeping in the same bed. Too much to talk about, I guess.

And that quilt is just wonderful, A.

Preeti said...

Your time away from the boys is going to be tough, but sweet at the same time since you will be sharing it with your sisters. The quilt and the pillowcases are so fab. I love the his and hers look with the strips:) Enjoy sleeping in...that sounds like bliss to me right about now!!!

Dawn Johnson Warren said...

I was just thinking the same thing the other day about how it shouldn't be considered bad for children to get used to having someone to sleep with. We as adults certainly enjoy that companionship. I love the image of your boys cuddling to sleep.

Good thoughts and love to you all in this time of transition between home and work.

Disentangled said...

Have a great time away! And how exciting about their new sleeping arrangements :) too cute! i love that heather ross fabric as well...i made a similar square quilt with it, too :)

Sereknitty said...

What a lovely post! Your quilt tops and pillowcases look adorable. So glad to hear that the boys are happy with their new sleeping arrangements and best of all, sleeping through the night -- yay!

I have the exact same fabric as Tim's blue 'ribbon', but in scrapbooking paper! Go figure!

Enjoy your 'me' time -- you deserve it!

Threeundertwo said...

What a great quilt! If you ever want a little help with perspective, pick up a door peep-hole from a hardware store. Costs about $2 and is great for looking at a whole quilt and evaluating the colors. Just hold it up to your eye.

Love the pillowcases.

The Benbow Inn is one of my favorite places! It should be beautiful up there right now.

a li'l bit squishy said...

We don't have twins, just four kids who adore eachother and often end up sleeping together. We have done everything, beds pushed together, impromtu blankets thrown on the floor to make beds, tent sleeping, queen size beds. Everything. Our children have their own spaces that they can retreat to if they need to, but it is rare when they choose to be alone. It surprised me too, I grew up in a more modest household and we never thought to change the arrangements that my parents insisted upon, always sleeping separately unless forced to by circumstance while travelling.

Your sewing projects are beautiful and more importantly inspiring, obviously put together with love. Have a refreshing trip, I love coming home. Feeling the blessings of my family as I return to them sure of my individual self and happy in the choice to be with them instead of alone.

kaitlyn said...

I am going to sew blue and pink ribbons to all of our pillows! We play 'who's pillow is this?' way too often ;)

Claroux said...

The boys' quilts are gorgeous! You're SO talented. And I'm jealous that you're having such good luck with the bed transition process. Our transition started out well but has quickly gone downhill. Our babysitter suggested pushing their beds together which I think we might try. Even though they always preferred to sleep in separate cribs they were still close to one another - able to hold hands through the bars - and I think they must be missing that closeness now that their beds are on opposite sides of the room. The video clips are too adorable for words. The girls watched them with me and when they were over Maddie laughed and said "I like those boys. Do it again!" So we watched each clip about five times!!!!