pickles

baron in september...

which is different from the baron in september.

bateau neck shirt

the baron spent much of her summer sewing version after version of this shirt.  above, on toddler x, is a version in grey and white seersucker.

peach jam

the best antidote to winter.

new mexico sky, june

hyder park picnic, albuquerque

nashville highway

memphis in June

 

exotic fruit

car caddy

the baron used fabric left over from toddler x's quilt to make this car caddy.  it's not nearly large enough to hold all the child-related stuff that floats around her car, but it's a start.

let's be creative

the baron is always and forever trying to think up interesting and stylish ways to showcase the children's artwork.  this is her latest - and favorite - display.

another palate cleanser

in the last few weeks, the baron has made several summer shirts (knits, no less!) for things 1&2, and also the jacket above, which has just sleeve hems and buttons to add.  she started these clothing projects from a sincere need to pad out summer wardrobes (well, not the jacket; the jacket is for a nephew, for next fall), but now she's feeling a bit of dread about returning to the as-yet-unfinished quilt.

on one hand, the baron regrets her choice to spiral quilt a 7ft. square quilt (1/4 inch spirals, really, the baron?).  on the other, she really likes the look of the spirals, as they so nicely set off the straight lines of the quilt top.  also, it's come on summer now, so the thought of sitting at a table wrestling with a heavy, uncooperative blanket does not appeal to her. sometimes it happens that, mid-way through a project, the baron falls out of love with the pattern or the fabrics she's chosen and can't fathom, even a little, why they appealed to her in the first place.  in those cases, faced with regret, wasted time, effort and money, she guiltily tucks the project away, to be finished at a later - much later - date.  that's not happening now, though: the baron still really loves everything about this giant quilt, from the simple block pattern to the colorful fabrics and even the fabric she picked for the binding (the baron has been historically dissatisfied about her binding fabrics).    

so, in summary...the baron, she's feeling all the feelings, and perhaps just needs to grit her teeth and finish (as seems to be the case with so many of her sewing projects).

a sensible lunch

peony

blueberry lemonade

a palate cleanser

he baron has been working on toddler x's quilt for a couple of weeks and is feeling, really, a bit beaten by it.  the antidote?  a quick and easy boatneck top, in blue and white stripes.  so lovely, right?

first harvest

small radishes, from the yard: crisp and slightly spicy, toddler x greatly enjoyed plucking them from the ground.

a friend in the yard

much to the delight of everyone, the baron found this toad under the water hose.  later in the week, on a pre-dawn morning, the husband found him sitting on the back stoop.  it's been decided: he's a friend, possibly a prince, and worth keeping an eye out for.

sky blue sky

dandelion day

hammock time

happy mother's day

a well-chosen gift.

sunday morning on the lawn

some hedge trimming, some sun shining, some seeds sprouting...

finished!

the baron has finally - FINALLY! - finished her english paper pieced quilt.  it was her first - and most likely her last - epp project; it is entirely hand sewn, except for the binding, for which she used her sewing machine on one side.  the final product is around 5 feet square, in white and varying shades of grey and orange.  the back, which you, reader, can kind of see peeking out below the binding in two of the three photographs here, is pieced together from two fabrics (one orange and white, the other grey and white).

this quilt has been a fabric specter, haunting the baron every day she was not actively working on it.  she kept it in her bedroom, on top of her dresser (for ease of reach - a hearty joke), and so it lurked there in its off hours, reminding her of the enormous and impossible amount of work left to do.  the quilt was conceived of and made for the baron's daughter, for her second birthday (a milestone 6 weeks past now).  the hexagons and restricted color palette feel modern and clean to the baron, and she's hoping daughter x will want to keep this quilt in use for many years to come.

outside in the springtime

singer settings

the baron is currently working on the quilt in the photo above. it's really, really big, the largest she's ever made. quilting it has been a bear, and getting the tension settings right has been especially tricky.  she just learned, for instance, that the bobbin holder has a tiny little screw that can be manipulated to affect bobbin thread tension.  who knew?

crepes kind of morning

with nutella and whipped cream, o-la-la.

scenes from a life

there was a time when this scene would have horrified the baron.  those days are long past.

a red lip

the baron, having recently taken to carrying a purse, is also (kind of considering) embracing la maquillage.   womanhood, quelle surprise!

study in potty training

yes, that is a potty training seat, minus the insert, so that the smallest member of the baron's family may pee directly onto the lawn while comfortably seated.  the solitary pink flip-flop really makes the scene, right?

bouncing for spring

french toast kind of morning

hexagon quilt

the baron has been working on this quilt for over a year, which, now you mention it, does seem like too long a time.  but the end is near!  soon, perhaps within the week, she'll be done with the quilting and can move on to the binding.  a baron can hope, anyway.

in the yard

fly a kite

why yes, the baron did use square lashing and a clove hitch, as well as a trash bag and washi tape to make this kite!  what a keen eye you have, reader!

also: no, it did not fly.  but much fun was had anyway.

playground days

such good days

a fourth birthday

a little something

the necessary libation

meals for a snowy day