My Daughter, the Superstar

Okay, "superstar" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I thought it was pretty laughable when I got a call from my sister-in-law tonight asking if I was going to Knit Night at Barnes & Noble. I told her I didn't think I was... (I'll tell why in the next paragraph) and she was like, "are you sure? Because the paper is here and they really want a picture of Anja." Hahaha!! What can I say, everybody loves my super cutie baby. So we threw some pajamas in the diaper bag and headed out there--luckily, she was wearing a VERY cute summer outfit, those kind of bubble-butt overalls. (We bought it at a garage sale when I was first pregnant, and I secretly was hoping so badly for a girl! Today was the first day she's worn it!) As it turned out the girl taking the pictures for the paper was in fact Laura Anthrop, Christine's sister! How funny!! The Anthrops are all so nice. Aaaanyway.... it'll be fun to see if Anja Pie gets her picture in the newspaper for the first time tomorrow. (Or sometime.)

So the plan for tonight was for Martin to stay late at work. B-u-m-m-e-r. I texted him around 4:30 (when his work day ends) and asked him what he was doing for his break. He said he thought he'd take a walk. I said, what are you doing right now? He said "driving." I asked him where and he wasn't telling me. Finally he called and told me he was sorry to be so secretive, but he'll tell me where he'd been driving later tonight. Well, okay, Mr. Secret Keeper. 30 minutes later, he pulled into the driveway! We had quick and easy toast and eggs for dinner. It was a very good surprise. Some days I am okay with him staying late, but tonight I'd had a long day with a lot of activity and sunshine, which makes for a good day, but a tired ending. Anyway, since he surprised me by coming home I wasn't going to ask him to go to knitting night, even though he tells me he loves going. He'd forgotten it was Tuesday, but as soon as TusaRebecca called, he started packing things up to get out there! What a goon.

I was thinking today as I was walking to Rubia to buy flowers, wearing my elephant skirt, with my baby strapped to my front about the fine line between pride and happiness. Sometimes I think, "Gosh, if I weren't me, and I saw my life, I would WANT to be me." Is that pride? Or is that just being really, really happy with all I've been given? I dunno. Maybe I am very self-centered. And of course there are things I would definitely trade... my thinning hair... my bad complexion... my enormous Blockbuster movie late fee total... but overall, I've got it pretty good and I can't tell if realizing that makes me prideful, or if it's just genuine gratitude?

Anyway, here's this "pattern" for my wrap skirt and pictures.

Okay. This is laid out on the floor. If you had a full piece of fabric (I used 2.5yds) this would lie on top of it, and be close to the same width. It's basically a semi-circle. I think we measured from the waist to the hem was 32 inches. If you were to use fabric chalk and draw straight lines from the waist (if you eyeballed it and cut it in a wide semi-circle, I guess) each line would be 32in. Make points around, all 32in from the waistline, they'll be concentric arcs. Anne, I know that measurement would work for you because you're short like me. Taller girls, I can't be so sure.

When you hold it up, it looks like a curtain, as you see here. (I am wearing my elephant skirt in this picture.) Once you have your fabric cut, you just hem up all the edgets, including the waist.

A button hole is necessary on one side, whichever side you prefer. I did mine by hand and it looks very much like garbage, but it doesn't matter because nobody sees it. I made mine before I put the ribbon waistband on. I was expecting to have to go back and cut the ribbon and re-make the button hole, but in the end the ribbon fit through the tiny space that wasn't covered by ribbon, so it didn't matter. To choose a place for the slit, put the skirt on (the middle of the skirt will be at your bum) wrap it, and wherever the underneath fabric comfortably meets the over fabric is where you'll make it. Lastly, you put on the ribbon. I was lucky to find a very matchy one! I sewed it on all the way with super long tails, then had Martin cut the tails at what he thought was an appropriate length. I put "No-Fray" on the edges of the ribbon. And that's it! The best part about these skirts it that even when the wind blows them open, no one will see your underwear because there's still a layer of fabric underneath!

After the second piece of fabric for a skirt, my next attempt will be to make a double-layered one out of more sheer material like my purple one that I love so much. I probably can't do it. But I can try if the fabric is on sale.