I knew going in that February would be challenging. As evidenced by the complete lack of posts for the last couple of weeks, it's been busy around here. We had a wonderful (and long overdue) trip the first weekend of the month to visit some extended family. I always love getting to spend time with them because it reminds me who I am. The day after we got home my husband went on travel, and I went back to work full time. Which is funny, since I only have a part time job. I set my schedule for how much I'm available to work, and then I find out at the beginning of the month how much of that schedule is booked. In January, I had a lot of time to sew. In February, every single thing I scheduled is booked and it is busy busy busy. And that's a GREAT thing.
I've been continuing the sewing madness in the evenings after my little one goes to bed. I could have been posting about it, but it would really have just been a summary of how much quilting I got done and what happened on the three episodes of
Star Trek Voyager
I watched that night. It's almost done, though. All the quilting is finished and this afternoon I got one edge of the binding sewn down. Three more chunks of work time and it'll be all done!!
A few weeks ago I took my daughter with me on a run to JoAnn Fabrics. There was an adorable stuffed robot on the front wall as a sample, and she loved it. So of course I said I'd make her one, with not a clue where I'd find the time. We found time to get it started today. We're potty training, which means we aren't going anywhere, and I'm scratching the bottom of the play idea barrel. Thus I decided we should have craft time this morning. I got my daughter started with some crayons while I cut pieces out of felt. (I'm proud to say I haven't bought a single thing for this project. The felt is left over from a gift I made last year, and the thread is something called Purrfect Punch that I bought in the 80's thinking I'd make all sorts of textured punch-thread embroidery. I took the wrapper off it this only this morning.) Eventually the crayons got old and she wanted to sit with me. It's really hard to hand sew with a toddler in your lap, so I let her play in the button box and pick some out to make a face with.
He's coming along pretty well. I'm attempting a blanket stitch, which I have no idea how to do correctly. My mother-in-law uses it on lots of her projects and it looks so charming, so I thought I'd try it. I wish I had started somewhere besides his face to learn the stitch, but oh well. My daughter already loves it and is more than ready to play with it, and he doesn't have a body or stuffing yet.
The to-do list is pretty short right now: finish the robot, finish the quilt. After that I get to go look at the project board and decide what direction to go next. Well, after I finish the presentation I have to give on Sunday afternoon and get my tax papers in order for our visit with the accountant next week. Is it March yet?
, which is an outstanding tutorial and reference for total beginners like myself. If all goes well, family may be finding a ball of socks or two under the Christmas tree next year. 
