Super Hero Cape

Today is my son "G"s second birthday. I can't believe he is already 2 years old! For his birthday I made him a super hero cape. I used a simple pattern that I found on a really cute blog Creative Kismet.

I made a few alterations though. For this pattern, it called for a serger, but I don't have one and don't know how to use one, so I used my sewing machine instead and stitched the two sides of the cape right sides together, then turned it rightside out and stitched up the neck.

For the super hero symbol I cut out the shapes and used fabric glue instead of applique to adhere it to the cape.

I then used a zig-zag stitch around each shape in their corresponding colours (I did all of this before stitching the two sides of the cape together). Since I am fairly new at sewing, I made a couple mistakes. As you can probably see in the picture, you can see some of the fabric glue through the white fabric. Next time I would learn to use an applique and try that out.

Another alteration I made was to use matching fabric instead of felt for the collar and I used Velcro instead of a tie to fasten the cape as this seemed safer.

The reverse side is Spider-Man. I know Spider-Man doesn't wear a cape, but it was the only superhero fabric left at the store (there was a sale!) and my son loves red.

I had a lot of fun making this easy cape (even though I was up until midnight finishing it off in time), and now my daughter is asking for one too. I'll just have to find some fun girly fabric for her and then I'll pump out another one of these fun babies!

The Emperor's Challenge

My sister-in-law and I have decided to run a half marathon this summer. I have started running and training off and on, but I really need to step up my game if I am going to be able to do this. The race is called the Emperor's Challenge and is a 20km half marathon up a mountain. It looks really challenging, but also a lot of fun. I don't think I would ever have done it by myself, but doing it with a friend is really motivating.

I ran this morning up a big hill near my home and the thought crossed my mind, "Do I really want to do this? Am I crazy?" But I just need to condition myself and run at least every other day. There are still 78 days left before the race and a lot can be accomplished in that time. I'm going to do it! Good, now I'm committed and hopefully motivated. Good luck to me.

The Toilet Is Not A Garbage Can

My 23 month old son, "G", loves to help around the house. He loves to help me vacuum and sweep the floor, set the table (which usually consists of grabbing all the forks and spoons out of the drawer and placing them on the table), and he especially likes to put things in the garbage.

Yesterday I asked "G" to put a lid to a glass jar (that used to have pasta sauce in it) into the garbage. He took it, ran out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. He often puts things into the bathroom garbage so I didn't think anything of it... until I heard the toilet flush. I am pretty sure he flushed that lid down the toilet, for now the toilet is plugged and no amount of plunging on my part has made it unplugged. I think I may have to call a plumber.

Geocaching

One of my new favourtie hobbies is geocaching. The official geocaching website says, "Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online."

Basically, to find a cache (or treasure) you log on to the website or application (I use it on my iPhone) and use a GPS to find the treasure. It gives you a map, a compass, and clues. It is really fun. My daughter E really loves it. Some caches are small and only have a paper and pencil to sign your name, but others are large enough to hold little treasures. When you find one of these, you can take a treasure as long as you leave something of equal or greater value in return. Last time I left a bracelet and my daughter took some stickers.

What`s neat about geocaching is that you can find them almost anywhere in the world. There are tonnes in the area I live and we are still finding them all. My mother-in-law (who introduced me to geocaching) found one when on holiday in Hawaii. She was hiking up a volcano and a geocache was hidden along the trail.

Want a new and fun outdoor activity with your children, or friends, or even by your self? Then give geocaching a try.

A Little Sleep Deprivation

Last night my son was up and screaming at least half a dozen times. He had a fever and was uncomfortable. I had given him a cool bath, placed a cool cloth on his head, gave him lots of fluids, and then finally gave him some medicine to bring his fever down. But still he was waking up. I tried all the usual things to put him back to sleep: find his soother, find his puppy, fix his blanket, change his diaper. He would go back to sleep and then wait long enough for me to just fall back asleep and maybe start dreaming when he would cry again. Around 4am, he woke again. I helped him get back to sleep, not doing anything really different from the other times, but this time it worked. He finally continued to sleep.

This morning I woke and helped my daughter with morning stuff. My son "G" stayed asleep with all the noise we were making. It was geting later and later in the morning, he was still sleeping and I was starting to get a little worried that he was still sick and that maybe his fever had come back (it broke soon after I gave him some medicine in the night). I was starting to worry that he had an ear infection or something and that I was going to have to bring him to the doctor. But just as I started to worry, he woke up. It was 11am. He rarely sleeps past 8am. I rush in to feel his forehead, and he is nice and cool. Thank goodness! I don't know why he had a fever, hopefully just a little 24 hour bug or something. Now he is happy and running around being his normal self, chipper as ever. At least someone got a good rest.

Taking Off

My 23 month old son "G" is a runner. Every opportunity he gets, he runs as fast as he can away from me. His favourite place to go is the middle of the road. He is so fast, I can't believe it. I have opened the car door, turned to grab him and he is already at the end of the drive way and almost onto the road. He's too big to carry every where and he insists on walking anyway, and refuses to hold my hand, so it difficult to keep him close. I am seriously considering getting one of those toddler leashes. It would strap on to him like a back pack or harness around his shoulders and then have a leash that I can hold on to. The thought of strapping my son to a harness and leash makes me feel a little silly, but it might be the safest way to keep him from running into the street. Just the other day I was picking my daughter up at school, and "G" took off and was in the parking lot before I could catch him. It was frightening. I am aware now of what he wants to do, so I guess I just need to be extra vigilant.

Quilt Squares

I've been kind of crafty lately. My last two post have been about my new Cricut (that I love), but I have also been working on some quilting squares. My mother-in-law asked me to make 4 squares (one for each of us in the family) and send it to her. She is making a quilt for her mother (my husband's grandmother) for her birthday. We each had to make the square reflect ourselves or something we like.

Mine is a colourful flower, and the first one that I attempted.

My 5 year old daughter "E" drew a picture on her square of a mountain, birds, the sun, grass, and flowers. I then embroidered over her pencil drawing with coloured thread and used buttons for the sun and flowers.

For my 23 month old son "G" I traced his hands on fabric then sewed them on the square.

My husband wanted his square to be of his guitar and amp. He loves music and is an excellent guitar player. He didn't have time to sew it (or the inclination) so I did it for him. I'm not much of a sewer (obviously) and have only done a few projects like a baby quilt, and some aprons for "E". But I must say, I am rather pleased with how this one turned out. First I want to show you the originals.

The amp:

His Guitar:

And my quilt square:

I think it turned out well, "A" likes it anyway. I first cut out the basic shapes of the guitar and amp and then used fabric glue to  put them on the square. I used sequins for the pots and silver thread for the guitar strings and mesh of the amp. For the lettering, I used my Cricut and glued that on as well. I used my sewing machine for all the stitching (outlines, mesh of the amp, frets on the guitar neck, etc.). It was a lot of fun, and I hope Gramma likes her quilt.