Hello friends!
We’ve decided to extend our stay in Madrid for a second year, and we’re so excited about it! A longer stay will allow us to improve our Spanish and explore more of Spain and Europe, but really we just love it here and want to stay longer. Madrid has many charms, not least of which are its many small businesses like our neighborhood bakery, patisseries, and local markets, most of which have disappeared from New York over the 25 years that we’ve lived there. But more than that, we love our new friends, and we’re really enjoying the slower pace of life here. This year has certainly had its challenges, but they’ve been well worth the frustration and inconveniences during our time of adjustment.
Textiles in art at the Prado Museum (from my Instagram account)
But we do miss our New York friends, which is why we’re headed back for a visit in July! It will be wonderful to catch up with everyone since we’ve been gone for nearly ten months now. S is going to spend time with both sets of grandparents, which has become a tradition since she was very little, and she is going to spend a day with her New York classmates before they all graduate and depart for middle school. (Whoa, can that be happening? Middle school doesn’t happen in Spain until after next year, so I feel like I just dodged a bullet. I’m not ready for it yet!)
Next weekend we’re headed to the Netherlands to meet up with my family and to visit my college roommate, so I won’t have my usual weekend links post for you, but maybe I can find someone to fill in for me. Any volunteers or special guest requests?
Pinterest Picks
This outfit has Everyday Skirt with Bento Tee written all over it, doesn’t it? I love the stripes. If you make this for yourself, maybe you’d like to try cutting the side panels of the Everyday Skirt on bias like I did with my gingham version.
Speaking of reversing the direction of stripes, I think I might have to make S a Book Report Dress similar to this style. I love the addition of the buttons here.
And here are the shoes to wear with the above dress.
Cute summer ice cream-themed (my favorite!) birthday party favors with a downloadable print-out to make them (additional supplies needed).
We’re hoping to take a trip through Spain into southern France this August. I’ve never been to the south of France, but in my imagination it looks a lot like this photo from Provence. That cool color palette looks so welcoming right now.
Weekend Reading (and Watching)
- My Dad is a soil scientist, and since my parents and Denyse Schmidt were visiting us at the same time this week, the conversation–naturally–turned to the Soil Quilt.
- Here’s an interesting idea. Edible cutlery!
- The hidden message behind wax prints.
- If you’re going to be in London sometime in the next nine days, go see this and tell me about it, will you? It sounds fascinating!
- This week’s quick sewing tips video: two ways to use a seam ripper.
- I’ll tell you a little secret. Todd loves Taylor Swift. But it’s not because of her music that he loves her. How can you not think she’s amazing when she does such thoughtful things like this?
- I’m tired of over-wrought street style as it’s developed over the past decade, especially during fashion week. So yes, it’s refreshing to have a little bit of practical individuality here and there.
- Have you ever wondered what happens to coins after you toss them into a fountain? I have!
- This made me laugh, but the author is right that it won’t make much sense if you don’t know at least some French.
- Oh, and I am just loving all the Made for Kids Month photos! Are you, too?
OK, have a wonderful weekend! And if you find yourself with a little time to sew, don’t forget our 20 summer sewing tutorials round-up!
Congratulations on your deciding to stay in Spain! What fun it must be! This weeks links are a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the link about the soil quilt. Working in soil conservation myself, I found this article particularly close to my heart. I couldn’t help but giggle when I saw that in one of the photos. I know one of the families that submitted a quilt square! They are clients of ours in NE Iowa. What a small world we live in!
-Rebecca
Rebecca, it is indeed a small world! I love it that you know one of those families and work in a similar field to my dad. You must be another of the small segment of population that refers to it as “soil” and not “dirt”! We’re a rare breed. xo
Good Luck to you and your family. Do you ever think you will make it back to Craft South? Sorry!
Teresa, I hope so! Not this summer, but maybe sometime in the fall? I’ll talk to AM about it. Thanks for asking!
Yea ! Fall,is good !
How exciting to stay there another year!! It looks like a lovely place to live.
I just this week made myself two sets of everyday skirts paired with the marine top for summer. These are perfect patterns for summer time!
Oh, I’d love to see, Sharon! They just work well together, I think. I’ll check the Flickr group to see if you posted. xo
Ha, that bilingual article read perfectly to me! That’s exactly how I sound in my weekly French class 🙂
I live in a multicultural big city in an area with a big north African migrant population and I’ve always been wary of sewing with wax prints. It would feel like cultural appropriation to me, and thankfully now I know that I’d probably also be mistakenly advertising my political beliefs or that my husband has multiple mistresses!
I’m so glad you’ve found your “village” in the big city. Stay there at least until I can wrangle a European holiday and come visit!
I think I’m at that stage with Spanish, and I’ve lost so much French over the past few years my French is probably there as well. It’s funny. And yes, I know what you’re saying about the wax prints. It seems somehow disrespectful to me also, but I must admit I love the birds escaping the cages print even though I know the message! I hope you WILL visit us! xo