I have been working on a lot of boring organizational stuff this week. After KCWC, I spent a week doing patterns for myself and hating every minute of it, so I've given up on that for now, When I stopped throwing my tailbone out of wack by sitting on the floor tracing patterns, I realized that my whole sewing area was a HOT MESS.

It isn't hard for this to happen. I sew on our dining table. While the table itself seats 6 comfortably, the room it resides in is lucky to hold the three of us for one meal a day. And it is open to the kitchen (nothing I hate worse than an open concept floor plan. HATEHATE.*) and our pantry is a massive antique corner cupboard that did an excellent job putting a knot on my head breaking my fall when I passed out cold while sewing one night.** I don't even have room to trace out my patterns on the table, so you can only imagine the state it gets in to.

So I set to on Wednesday trying to make sense of the chaos. And I now at least know where everything is again. My poor mother would still have eye-spasms over the chaos, but at least it is a controlled one and I know where my tweezers are.

I did get a little carried away with the tossing stuff and tossed my machine oil. Oops.

I also did a big tidy-and-pack-up of Elizabeth's clothes. And I have realized that he needs for summer are met. Unless she grows another inch. Half of which she grew this week during naps. *Sigh*

But thankfully, I have plenty of coordinating fabrics that I can use to add ruffles to the bottom of dresses! And my mom sent me a lovely Mother's Day present that I have used to get some new patterns, so all is not weeping and packing the toddler in a box to prevent further growth. I managed to find some oliver + s patterns that I have been coveting for a while, so I've ordered them.

I am just bitterly disappointed that Paypal is stupid about gift cards. I SO want the Charlie Tunic and Dress add-on from Made By Rae. But, with my gift card, Paypal attempts to verify it and it goes ppfftthh and declines it *every* time. And yeah, it's Paypal doing it. I tried to add the card to my account and it spit it back at me again. But, it will be a while before Elizabeth outgrows the pattern. Maybe when she starts to Kindergarten, she'll have one.

I did manage to finish a couple of Popover Sundresses, but I've been lazy about pictures. And it is hard to take pictures when Elizabeth is helping wash the deck chairs. But they are little mirrors of one another - one will be delivered to its new home tomorrow, the other is being auctioned off tomorrow for a charity event to support Elizabeth's playschool. The other project will find its home tomorrow too - but I can't post pics of it as it's a surprise present.

I'm working on a post about the lovely lady in the picture above. That's my grandmother who sewed. There is a rumor going around the family that I am an awful lot like her. I consider that a compliment. A big one. And I'm not sure that it is always meant as one.

* has anyone ever thought about what a nightmare it is to entertain in a space where your guests can see the disastrous mess one makes in the kitchen while putting a large party together? open plans only produce more entertaining stress! and don't get me started on combination mud-and-laundry rooms. STUPID!
 ** i'm fine. i have low blood pressure and didn't eat much that day which led to low blood sugar. Add that to having just gotten done with a very heavy period and you get me, falling over. The knot did go away about 6 weeks later and now I always sew with a pillow strapped to my head. That was a lie.