Me Do It!

I alluded to the current stage we are going through in my previous post. It is the “Me Do It!” phrase/phase when independence is not merely an assertion but a matter of life or death. Well, maybe just tantrum or no tantrum. The need for independence manifests in various ways, from trying to get in and out of the car (including the opening and closing of the car door) to attempts to make Mama coffee in the morning (resulting in some chewy and very hearty brew. Mmmmm). We have learned to not interfere too much with the chosen activities because it usually takes more time to calm the hysterical child. So we guide them through the steps and try not to impatiently tap a foot as we wait (and wait and wait for Owen to go through his rituals).

The perks to independence has been some “Me Do It” time for Mama as the boys explore play scenarios and reading “Meself” books. I took advantage of the energy generated by our fall weather and finished and blocked the Damson.


I found the knit fairly simple, it was a whole lot of knit stitches on both sides until the border, the pattern was easy to follow and gave very lovely results. Blocking lace never fails to amaze me, the bloom and opening that occurs with a good soak makes all the ticky ticky effort of lace so rewarding. In this case the end really justifies the means. I did find the merino/silk blend from Karabella to be splitty at times but the silky texture of the yarn just about made up for the splitting. It has been given over to our bride, she graciously modeled it for me this week.






We spent an evening up at the wedding site to get a feel for the light and space.



I doubt I have many master carpenter readers, but I am gonna’ drop a name here that might excite them (if they read). My brother and J are getting married at the home of Sam Maloof, a renowned carpenter. My Mama has worked for him and his wife for many years and they have a fabulous foundation home with native Californian gardens.



Sam passed away this year and he is missed, we are all so happy that the place will be home to such a special event as it holds so much created and natural beauty. It sits lightly at the top of our Foothill community and the way the light bounces around up there is nothing short of magical. Taking a few test shots made me beyond excited for the quickly approaching day. I have always loved walking the garden paths and finding the art treasures revealed at every bend and curve. 2 more weeks. So excited.





The whole family will be in town for the wedding, so I had to use some of the energy I discovered to make up something for my delicious niece. This is the Girly Dress from Jennifer at JCasa.


It is free and simple and so much fun. You basically draft your own pattern.


I used one of the boys 24 month t shirts just to make sure it would fit her for a bit. I had a great time picking out my colors and used mainly pieces from my stash. (Hey, Lori Z, recognize the fabric at all?) The only new fabric is the lining, a sweet school day ‘print’ I found at our local quilt shop.



I had this dress done within one school day session for the boys. The boys were nice enough to hold it for me while I took some shots. And yes, I did make Mason try it on as a test subject….he is the smaller of the two and I was trying to gauge my success.




It felt a little tight at the armholes, so I would recommend that if you try the pattern you give ample room in your draft pattern for the armhole opening. I plan on trying to wrangle the niece and my two boys into a photo shoot in their home sewn clothing. I also plan on making more of these simple dresses. Thanks, Jennifer, for yet another wonderful pattern. You have to check out her newly redesigned site with easy links to her patterns. This woman cranks out the creativity…with twin girls and a hugely busy schedule. I love her work and you will too.

Now onward to a weekend full of family and more Fall weather. I am excited to see what else I can do with the “Me Do It” time on my hands.

Next up :: a scintillating post on potty training and the success and failures of boys in underwear.