I made some napkins

We had friends over for dinner a couple months ago. At the last minute I realized that I did not own a single cloth napkin.  And the only paper ones I had in the house were those tiny drink ones.  Embarrassing.  It was kind of like they read my mind, too, because they brought me a set of white napkins from Ukraine as a hostess gift. 

Anyway, immediately, the yards and yards of Valori Wells Karavan fabric I aimlessly bought just because it was so pretty, had a new purpose.  I used five half-yard cuts for these napkins, which have mitered corners (new skill!).  I have five cuts more of coordinating fabric to use up.  I think it might become a matching table runner.

I want to know, too, what how sewers ever did before the internet?  When my mom gave me her machine, she showed me how to run it, taught me the importance of back stitching, and gave me a couple tips, such as what stitch length to use in order to be able to easily pick out stitches if I messed up. I've picked up a few tips from friends here and there, too.  But 95 percent of my sewing knowledge has come from the Internet, and much of that from Youtube. 

April in Moscow

The weather has been so frustrating the last week. It's either sunny and below freezing, or in the mid-30s, but overcast and snowy.  Monday was the former, so we decided to go outside and get some vitamin D.

Gross.

We got another inch of snow on Tuesday, but this morning it looks like some might be starting to melt.  The end of the 10-day forecast predicts weather in the low 40s with partly sunny skies.  We're getting there ...

Meeting the Easter Bunny

He came to Moscow last weekend to hide some eggs and play duck-duck-goose (or goose-goose-goose, as N calls it) with the Embassy kids.

It was a lovely 32-ish degrees, so we had to layer long-sleeved shirts under our pretty dresses.  Don't be fooled by the lack of coats - it is still very much winter here; we just weren't going very far. Nonetheless, a good time was had by all.

So what happens when she won't wear it?

That's where we are now.  I am sewing like mad, but N is resisting my efforts to get her to wear what I make.  She only agreed to put on these pants after I told her we wouldn't go to the playroom unless she did.  I know.  I'm mean.

Maybe if I had made them in red or put animal appliques, she would be more amenable.  In any case, I love these pants, which I made of fine-wale corduroy using the After-School Pants pattern from Oliver + S.

 

Quiet time

We gave up on regular naps for our oldest about a month and a half ago.  Instead, she spends 90 minutes in her room, having "quiet time" every day.  Sometimes she falls asleep.

Note the crib mattress in the lower left-hand corner of the photos ... and the glider cushion on the floor in the last picture.