13.1 miles.

A huge thank you to Fatty and the girls for supporting me, cheering me on and handing me a banana and taking my jacket at mile 9. Thanks also to Michael for coaching me, listening to my whines and then promptly ignoring them, and making me believe that I really could do this thing. Thank you, Kirby, for running all those miles on Saturdays and Sundays, in the dark and in the sun, telling me funny stories and believing in me. And to my friends who I work out with during the week and that met me along the route, especially Suzanne for running with me when I really needed some distraction. Thanks to Marcia and Kelly for looking for me at the start, waiting for me at the finish line, and commiserating with me about long runs while training. You girls rocked that race! And to all of you, for the phone calls, texts, tweets and emails of encouragement. It was really nice knowing that so many people were out there virtually cheering. Thank you! I couldn't have done it without all the support.

And now I am off to continue celebrating a certain 10 year-old's birthday. The well wishes for her are very appreciated as well.

Cheers!

I'm so excited to be one of today's stops on the blog tour for Little Bits Quilting Bee by Kathreen Ricketson and published by Chronicle Books. As you probably know, Kathreen is the brains behind Whip Up, that fantastic website and resource for those of us that are craft-inclined. She's also the author of Whip Up Mini Quilts, a fantastic book with some of the most amazing little quilts around, and she publishes Action Pack, an e-magazine geared towards crafting with kids. She's a woman with boundless creativity and it was no surprise to me that her new book, Little Bits Quilting Bee, is fresh and informative resource for quilters.

Little Bits Quilting Bee has 20 different quilt projects that use pre-cuts. You know the charm squares, layer cakes, jelly rolls and fat quarters that are always so pretty and tempting at the quilt store? Yes, those! I am always ooh-ing and ah-ing over those little stacks and rolls, but have never really know what I would do with them until now. Kathreen has done an exemplary job of showing just how versatile using they can be. I especially love how she uses solids, together with prints and shining on their own. She also doesn't stick to the simple square and rectangle shapes that pre-cuts come in. There are patterns with curves and appliques, projects that are easy for beginners and some that offer a little more challenge. The book also contains a good resource section with information on quilting basics and about how to start your own quilting bee. I just love the idea of sewing with friends.

Some of my favorites are:

Crimson Cross

Garnets and Gold

Community Garden

Dress Circle

At the moment, having just pieced 176 half-square triangles out of two charm square packs, I'm working on my own version of Prismatic, which in the book uses layer cakes.

Kathreen and the nice folks at Chronicle Books have offered a copy of Little Bits Quilting Bee to one of my readers. To be entered in the giveaway (U.S. addresses only, please), comment on this post before 5:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, November 13th. If you are so inclined, tell me if you have ever used pre-cuts and what you have used them for. I'll pick a winner and announce it on the blog next week.

For other reviews and giveways, take some time to visit the remaining stops on the blog tour:

Friday, November 11 – CraftyPod

Monday, November 14 – Handmade by Alissa & Hello My Name Is Heather

Tuesday, November 15 – West Coast Crafty & Foxy Art Studio

Wednesday, November 16 – Patch Andi & The Last Piece

Thursday, November 17 – In Color Order & Duo Fiberworks

Friday, November 18 – Kristin La Flamme & Camp Follower Bags & Quilts

Monday, November 21 – Quilt Dad

Tuesday, November 22 – Pat Sloan & Pleasant Home

Kate turns 10 this coming Saturday.

Ten years old.

We celebrated this milestone with her friends on Monday. Ten girls, ten hula hoops, yards and yards of duct tape and electrical tape, pleasant 70 degree weather, lots of giggling and screaming, running around and rolling in the grass. I think they had fun. It looked like they were, at least. She wanted a rainbow cake - that was her only request. If you could have seen the look on those girls' faces when I cut the first slice. The awe and surprise was amazing. It made me look like a superhero of a mom when all it really took was some food coloring. What they don't know, won't hurt them.

On Kate's actual birthday, I'm running my first half marathon. I remember the first time I thought that I might just want to run that far. It was New Year's Eve 2001 - Kate was 6 weeks old, Jane was 2. Someone asked me what resolutions I had for the coming year. I said to run the half marathon. I didn't end up doing it - I could barely find the time to sleep, let alone run enough to train. Really, what was I thinking? But for 10 years, more or less, that thought has been in the back of my mind. I trained for a different half marathon three years ago, but didn't end up running it. It wasn't meant to be then and, until recently, I wasn't sure it would ever happen.

At the beginning of the summer, I saw a sign advertising a half marathon in November. I mentioned it to Fatty and friends, all of whom are cyclists or runners or both, and they encouraged me. With the promise of beer, I convinced one in particular to coach me (Thank you, Michael. I couldn't have gotten this far without you). I've been training since August. I have run short distances and many miles. People (you know who you are) have helped me along the way and I am grateful to have them in my life, pushing me, running with me, believing in me, cheering me on.

Saturday. 13.1 miles. I'm nervous and little bit scared. But I'm ready.

It only took me 10 years.

It fits!

I took this photo right about ten minutes after I finished making it, wet hair and all. Then I decided that I didn't really want to blog this photo because surely I could get a better one without the wallpaper/fabric clash. And one where the bust line actually sits on the bust, instead of higher up because my arm is raised, holding the camera. In the meantime, I haven't gotten a better photo and it's wet and cold outside so I don't feel like taking off my sweater to try to get a better one. So, basically, I'm over needing a better photos so here it is.

This Tova is an XL. I broke my own rule about not cutting into the good stuff and just went for it. This Liberty fabric has been in my stash since our June 2010 London trip. I've been saving it for something for me and a shirt is just the thing. I wore the top all day long, got multiple compliments on it and not a single person asked me if I made it - win, win, and triple-win! It's super comfy, albeit a tad bit big on the sides. I will probably take it in a smidge, but I wanted to wear it first before altering it too much.

(I got up and put it on the dress form, you know, for a better photo. If only....)

I will definitely make another Tova for myself. I've got a voile all picked out and waiting. It's such a great pattern - I enjoy sewing it which isn't always the case when making garments. To that end, I'm also hoping to find time to start tracing the pattern for the girls this weekend. Jane wants a top and Kate wants a dress. Does anyone have a good online source for shirting fabrics? Jane would like some kind of plaid....

Happy weekend!

This week is flying by. Things on my mind:

Margaritas. I was so happy I blogged the big batch recipe - that came in handy this weekend.

Leslie makes and sells the coolest chalkboard placemats. My girls love them and so do I. We do math problems, spelling words, hangman and doodle on them. They would make a lovely holiday gift. You can snatch some up in her store.

I'm completely crushing on Amy Butler's newest fabric line, Lark. Maybe it's time for some camera straps...

Eireann has stocked her store with lots of great paper goods. I bought her calendar last year and have enjoyed flipping the page each month. Go, take a look. You won't be disappointed.

Emily and Molly have opened up habit to everyone this month. It's chock full of magic. Won't you consider joining in? Details here.

I put the garden to bed this afternoon. I was amazed to find tomatoes and peppers still going - I kind of gave up on the whole deal about a month ago. I left a few tomatoes in the beds to see if we get any volunteers next year. I always think that is so cool. And if there are no volunteers, I'll be happy knowing the squirrels had a good meal.

Halloween was here and gone in a flash. It hurts a little to think that Jane only has a year or two left of trick or treating. So bittersweet, this growing up thing.

I have the urge to knit. Big time. Hats and cowl, particularly. Any suggestions?

My second Tova fits! More on that another day.

I thought I'd pop back here with a photo of the finished Tova shirt and answer some of the questions about it that came up after yesterday's post.

I made the size L - which according to the size chart is a 10/12 (bust 37"/38"). It fits great in the shoulders, the length is fantastic, and it just skims my hips. I chose to make the L because I knit sweaters and when I buy commercial patterns for tops, I do so based on my bust measurement, which is 38". The finished Tova is *slightly* too tight on me across the bust. It fits my dress form (a size 12, 38" bust), but there isn't much ease under the arms and across the chest. I think it's hard to tell that from this photo, but trust me, the ease is not there. I think if I were a size 10, 37" bust, it would fit pretty well. My guess is that it fits the smaller of the two number sizes better than the larger. Just a guess. So I am going to re-trace the pattern and cut an XL, figuring from my experience, that this is probably going to do the trick in the bust. I'll take in the sides if I need to.

As far as fabric goes, this is a quilting cotton called Meadow (in green) from the Sarah Jane collection from Michael Miller. I was pretty smitten with the ditsy green floral and had to use it even though quilting cotton is probably not the best fabric for this top. Shirting fabric would be ideal and I really think that Liberty Tana Lawn or some gorgeous Anna Maria Horner voile would drape beautifully and be absolutely stunning.  I just wasn't willing to cut into the good stuff for my first try. And actually, I'm not going to for the second try either. I'm going to use quilting cotton again, knowing that if it fits, I'll still wear it. Fingers crossed that it will and then Tova take three will get the good stuff.

The sewing portion of making this was very straight forward. The pattern is well written and there are some good photos which helped me wrap my brain around a couple parts. I did serge my seams, as suggested. If you don't have a serger, I'd suggest using the overlock stitch if your machine has one or zigzagging the edges. French seams would be a good option for everything except for where you sew the sleeve to the body because of the added bulk. But I don't really know - that's just a guess. It came together fairly fast for me, but I have been accused of being a fast seamstress, so take that with a grain of salt.

I also bought the pattern in the smaller size range so I could make the dress version for the girls. They are both making the transition from girls' clothing to the world of juniors and I find it especially difficult to find age appropriate clothing for them both, but especially for Kate who is fourth grade and 5'1".

Any other questions? I'll happily answer them in the comments.

The Princess Leia costume is finished. I tried to take some photos of it, but a white robe on a hanger is well, um, boring. I'll make sure to get one of Jane wearing it. Adding a hood to an angel's gown took a little creative thinking on my part, but I got it done (on the first try!) and the finishing looks good. It fits her well and she is happy - I can't really ask for more than that!

All the costume making following the garment sewing in NYC following a finished quilt got me thinking. Making begets making. It is so much easier for me to create when I am already in that mode. And, hey, even if some of the things I am making (Halloween costumes, ahem), aren't my most creative work, or heck, even very exciting, they do keep me on that making path. I lost sight of this at some point. While having this blog has been a great place to share what I like to do, I often get bogged down by the idea that everything I make needs to be super creative, or outside the box, or even just really, really cute. I'm letting go of this idea. I want to sew, knit, cook, make because it is what I like to do. I want to enjoy making for making's sake.

That said, I made this Tova top yesterday. It's too small. I'm still going to finish it and then make another, one size bigger. This one will go to a friend.

I'm talking Halloween costumes.

It's been years since I've made two costumes. Most years, I end up making one and buying one, or heck, even buying both. It's what I have worked out to keep myself sane at the beginning of the most hectic two months of the year (birthday after birthday after birthday and then the holidays, you know). Because after Dorothy and Glinda, I was d-o-n-e. And this year wasn't going to be any different. I planned on making Kate's costume and we were going to throw together a black cat ensemble for Jane per her request. That is, until she saw Star Wars for the first time.

You know where this is going, don't you?

I sewed Kate's flapper dress yesterday. How she came up with the idea of being a flapper beats me, but her heart has been set on it for a few months. I used a simple a-line dress pattern that I got for 99 cents at Jo-Ann's and added 10 yards (!) of fringe that I bought in NYC earlier this month. We plan on adding a headband, a long strand of pearls, a feather boa and calling it done. I wish I had enough fringe to cover the entire dress, but I think it still looks cute. It fits her and she loves it. Win-win.

This afternoon I'm going to wrangle 4.5 yards of Kona white into something that Princess Leia would be proud of. I'm just not going to tell her that it's really an angel's robe with a make-shift hood sewn on. I'll divert her attention by pointing her to the you tube video on how to make the buns. The key is a pair of socks. Who knew?

P.S. I'm secretly loving that they will actually let me sew them something, even if it's something I know they will only wear once.