Back to Life, Back to Reality

Today is Iva's first day of daycare. Please, whatever you do don't put something like, "wow, it's so soon for her to be in daycare" in your comments. I am already feeling very sad to be leaving my baby, but in order to continue getting paid I had to come back. My department has been really great about giving me duties other than teaching, so I can ease my way back and have a flexible schedule. I even plan to nurse her over my lunch break for the next few months, so I'll be seeing her once during the day. Despite all that, it's still really hard. Thankfully, I really love my job so I am looking forward to getting back to my actual work.

While I was on leave, I did manage to do a bit of crafting, but mostly of the sewing variety. I am trying to make Christmas stocking for everyone in the family and have been making pretty good progress. I had a stocking that I sewed years ago for myself that served as my starting point.  I have lots of holiday fabrics in my stash, so I was able to buy just a couple more fabrics and put together a patchwork quilted stocking for RJ which I got done before Christmas.  Here it is after I did the patchwork.  I will take a finished photo of it soon and post it. My stocking is made from a panel of vintage 50's-60's holiday fabric, so I was trying to mimic that in RJ's stocking.

I also did one for the hubby in dark red and green plaids, so more masculine. I have the quilting done on this and just need to sew it to the back and make a cuff.

I also started one for Iva before she was born. Hers has a more "country Christmas" feel, with blues, burgundy, and tan. Here it laid out before piecing it together.  I now have it all pieced and am working on quilting it right now.  I should have it done in a couple weeks.   It was really fun to make each one unique and I am so excited to put them up all together next Christmas!  This has also gotten me on a sewing kick, and I will share my next big sewing project with you soon.