Making Monthly: April and May

I’ve wanted to get back into blogging but I have a back log of projects to write about AND I feel very out of practice with the actual writing so I’ve struggled to get started. Then I recently saw that Mel over at Mint Button started doing a monthly recap of projects she’s been working on and I really loved the idea. I’m going to try it here in hopes that it’ll encourage me to write at least once a month and that it’ll break me out of my writing funk. Here’s a little update of the last two months:

First up, I was able to make this cute dress for my daughter for her baptism. Having just had a baby, I had a very hard time getting my mindset to making, especially when all my brain wanted me to do was snuggle a baby! I know I ought to have made the dress before the baby was born but let’s be honest: a couple months before and couple months after having a baby aren’t really great for “doing stuff.” But I did eventually get it done even without having any major issues! We both loved how it turned out. I’ll have to do a post about the dress because the photo shoot was just too good.

I also tried my hand at lei making and I had so much fun doing it! My mom was visiting and she really wanted to learn to make lei. Having never done it, I couldn’t teach her, but we found some great tutorials. My mom made 3 or 4 different varieties of ribbon lei. I only made the one, but it was right up my alley being postpartum-meaning I could sit the entire time! I followed this tutorial for the Ohana lei by Yanny Letters.

After MONTHS of my creativity being a barren wasteland, I finally had some inspiration and a plucky attitude strike. I whipped out these pants and also started working on a skirt and two tops. These pants were an attempt to copy a pair I saw on someone out in the wild and I think I came pretty close! I’ll need to alter some things for my next pair, but these are wearable and very comfortable.

In some sad sewing news, I made the difficult decision to send my beautiful Bernina to my parents’ house for safekeeping. In its place, I got this basic, mechanical Singer.

So why would I willingly swap out my Bernina?

RUST! That’s not lint or a weird reflection on my rotary cutter, it’s rust, if you can believe it! And we haven’t even been here a full year! When we moved here, bringing my sewing machine was a top priority, but I had no idea how much the humidity would affect all the things! I’m not able to see inside my sewing machine, but the exposed exterior metal was already rusting and affecting the functions of the machine. I couldn’t stand to watch it deteriorate, so I decided to send it back to a drier climate. It’s not ideal but me and the Singer will survive! Have any of you who live in more humid climates had similar experiences? Any tips?

Anyway, that’s about it for my sewing the last two months. Definitely slower months creatively but…

I had my baby! And I think that’s as good an excuse as any to take a little break !

Yes! Baby is here! I still occasionally find myself having a hard time believing that I am a mom to four (!!!!) children, but even so I feel so grateful. My other kids have stepped up as amazing helpers and the best adoring fans. They fawn over their baby brother. It’s so sweet. I have been exceptionally tired but otherwise doing very well.

My mom came out for a month to keep us alive help with kiddos, and it was her first time to Hawaii. We were able to show her some of our favorite spots as well as join her for new places as well. We had a great time. My dad and sister joined my mom at the end of her trip and then we also got a visit from my mom-in-law. My girls had lots of fun end of the school year stuff and now it’s officially their summer. It’s been busy but great.

I’ve seen other blogs include what they’ve been reading, so sorry, but I’m going to copy this too! I don’t have a yearly reading goal but I do keep track of the books I read every year. In April I read 3 books and May I read 4 (I’m almost done with one, so might make it 5). My favorite of the ones I’ve read have been nonfiction histories, which is not the norm for me, but they both sucked me in. The first is The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown. It’s an account of the Donner party and it was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. Brown does an excellent job at portraying the humanity of the people in the party and the extreme circumstances they were under. It was so good.

The other one I’ve been enjoying (haven’t quite finished it yet) is Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell, which is a history of the Americanization of Hawaii during the 1800s. Somehow she’s able to write the sobering story while infusing it with wit and sarcasm. It’s well researched and very interesting.

Anyway! This was a long post! Thanks for sticking around if you made it to the end!