better late than never

well... here it is sunday again, and i am very very delayed in posting photos from last week's meeting of minerva's circle. many apologies to my fellow quilt-and-sewers... i will try to be less of a slacker next time :) there were some marvelous creations at our meeting, and we had a new small person join us-- teri's son! he is already quilting at age 8 and was sewing away on a lovely patchwork piece. clearly he's good genes from his mama! here he is with teri looking on...
amazing, no? it made me think about when i learned to do needlework from my grandmother... i was in elementary school and i loved it. she taught me to crochet, quilt, sew, even tat lace! (the lace-making didn't last, though :) )

the super-productive gisele and her cozy halloween flannel pajamas for her son...
she was also working on 2 new mini-moopy dolls that were so, so cute. the fabric choices were so bright and colorful and she was embroidering some very expressive faces. here is one and the second is in progress in her lap.
flor is making some pants here , i believe, and is also trying to work out a pattern for a baby-holder that will go into a shopping cart. that's her little one in the stroller next to her... he is getting so big and is extremely adorable.
yanina is working on another pillow (or wall hanging? the memory starts to go when you wait this long to blog!)... a floral geometric design that she invented herself. i'm amazed by her ability to sketch out complex designs and make them a reality!
and clara is now the official goddess of applique. this is a finished bag for her son, to carry library books home in. all of those sharks are hand-cut and appliqued, and the details (teeth and eyes) are sewn on. we were all in awe of this bag! she sketched the sharks from a children's book that her son likes, cut them from soft blue suede-like fabric, then put the sharks together with "algae" fabric for the bottom and shimmering green threads. and check out the bag handle... it's padded so the heavy bag won't be uncomfortable to carry. this rocks clara!see you all this afternoon!

Birthday cake and more...

My son just turned five years old. He is so proud of his age!




He loves animals
and for the last year and a half
his passion
has been "sharks".
So, after having a
Tyranosaurus rex birthday cake
for his third
and fourth birthday,




he wanted a shark cake. I had no clue how to make a shark cake.
Then I had an idea. But when I woke up on his birthday,
I had given up and was going for one of those
nice cakes from Publix.
That's when my son interviene: "Mom, let's go
do the icing and decorate the shark".
What could I say?
Well, we had fun and we did it.

This is what we did.

We were so happy that we started
throwing ideas around to add to the cake for the party.
So, while I stayed home baking and decorating, the kids with dad and
the grandparents went "shopping" for a boat and a fisherman.

When the cake was finished we all
gathered around and laughed. My
husband asked me if I was making the cake for
my son or for me, as I was having
so much fun (specially while making the waves...).




The kids loved it.
They just wanted to play with it.

I can't emphasize enough that this project was only possible because my son would not let me give up. I guess we all need that kind of input, once in a while.






As it was the beginning of school,
I decided to sew these little pencil bags for the children.







Just before leaving to Portugal, where we spent four wonderful weeks with our family, I made this pillow for my father. I could not show it to my friends because I left that Saturday, so here it is:

We are so immenselly sad for tragedy hit amongst us.
In our hearts the deepest sorrow.
Conforting words and tears fall short of power to relieve pain.

"There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief"

Aeschylus

"The pain passes, but the beauty remains"
Pierre August Renoir