Bye bye 2014

It’s been quite a while since I last found the time and energy to write about my sewing projects (it’s half a year actually!). Looking back to the first months of 2014 I realize how everything was too much for me – especially too much work at my day-time-job. Hours and hours of overtime that made me impatient with the boys (which made them uneasy and even more agitated), unnerved by the workload at home and generally too exhausted to enjoy my freetime (which I mostly spent sleeping).

But! Everything is better now. I have a new colleague that took over a large amount of my workload and circumstances made it possible to return to normal schedule at work during October/November.

I made a re-start at running, sewed more often and generally enjoyed my life much more than during the first months of 2014. The boys were easier to handle, more balanced and family life got calmer, too.

There. I thought I’d share these good news with you and I really look forward to enjoying 2015 as much as possible.

But first let’s have a look back at the last months of 2014:

In August, big boy started primary school:

In case you are wondering what he carries in his arms: it’s a “Schultüte”: In Germany the kids get a cardstock cone filled with candy and little gifts to “sweeten up” their first and exciting day at school. Very often the cones are handmade by parents (or parents and kids together). When I asked him, what kind of design he’d like to have (soccer, superheros, etc.) he said that he wanted me to sew him a cone. When I told him that I didn’t know how to sew a cone he simply said: “we’ll look it up online”. Ha. Clever boy he is. He chose a star-y theme and I machine embroidered the date of his first day at school, his name and his class.

In September my sister had her second child – a girl! The first baby girl after 4 baby boys in our family! I was so looking forward to sewing little dresses for girls that I started right away:

  

October, November and December flew by with secret sewing projects.

But the best thing that happened during the last half-year was the visit of Ann for a private sewing retreat in August. She came over from Denmark for an extended weekend and we had lots of fun together. (Some pictures are from our Instagram Accounts: she is kvintaen on IG and I am grapesandhearts)

She taught me how to sew a Sew-together-bag (pattern by SewDemented):

 

And I showed her how to use a Serger to sew t-shirs for her son. We made an entire production:

 

And we visited Zen Chic Owner and Designer Brigitte Heitland. She lives approx. 30 minutes away from me:

 

This was truely my sewing highlight of the entire year. Thanks so much for flying over, Ann! It was so much fun to have you here, you are very welcome to come back at any time!!

So in a nutshell, this was the second and better half of 2014. I made many more things during the last months (christmas gifts, baby quilts, big boy quilts, bags), that I plan to show you during the next days (the kids are visiting grandma so I hope to get some blog post up during the weekend).

Enough for now. I sincerely hope that 2015 will be a good, happy and healthy year for each and every one of you and your beloved ones.

Happy Sewing!
Christine

Holiday Sewing

Hi everyone!

It’s been quite awhile since I last sat down to write a blog post. I have been sewing a bit during all the stress produced by my daytime job which took so much more time than usual (for several weeks I have been working full time instead of halftime). It is not over yet but I hope to get a new colleague soon.

But the last two weeks we had two weeks of family vacation of which we spend  10 days in Spain.

Prior to our trip I made some last minute holiday items:

1. Traveling Documents Holder with a clear vinyl back pocket for boarding passes:

    

2. Small Triangular Pouches for earphones and such…

  

3. Cases for sunglasses for the boys and me..

  

  

4. A little bag for the headphones I bought for the boys:

  

5. And last but not least three luggage tags that I made the very morning we were leaving for the airport:

I apologize for the mixed quality and backgrounds of those photos. When I made and photographed the items I did not have a block post in mind… I already posted some photos on instagram (did I ever tell you I gave in and joined instagram?! I am @grapesandhearts over there).

Does that happen to you? That you regret afterwards that you did not put more energy into coherent photo styles?!

 

Well and here are some photos of our trip to Mallorca, Spain.

The boys dragging their luggage bags to the airport… waiting…

  

… and then their first fight… and nightly bus transfer to our hotel (2 hours… uaaah)

  

Lots of fun by the sea / and by the pool…

  

… and in the water of course (o:

Tons of fun for the four of us. We had a great family time and somehow I wish I could stay at home a bit longer. But tomorrow I will have to go back to work and the stress starts all over again.

If your holiday still lies ahead, I wish you a happy and sunny time.
In any case, I wish you a happy new week!

Christine