Going Crazy (Over Fabric and Beatrix Potter This Time Thankfully)!

For those of you who read about my quilt dreams, you know that I have been dreaming of making a quilt of my own lately. Well, after four hours of errands with the kids in tow I can proudly say that I am the proud owner of some basic quilting supplies and some gorgeous fabrics. Herein lies my story...

I tracked down a few of the Freshcut fabrics that I've had my eye on at a local quilting store and found a few other fabrics to coordinate. I am starting small. Really small. I'm putting together a baby quilt. If I were to say that the assembly of this beautiful and cozy blanket has not sparked a few longings for a new baby I would be lying! BUT instead I will sew this quilt just for the craft of it and perhaps let my three "big kids" take turns snuggling with it at night.

My almost-six year old, Sophia, took a real interest in choosing the fabrics with me. She has a real eye for color and took the process very seriously. Late this morning I found her in bed with a few scraps of the fabric I had given to her on her lap. I asked her what she was doing and she simply said, "I'm sewing in bed". She was using thread and a nail she found in her closet! Perhaps she will be the seamstress and quilter that I dream of being (it's never too late for an old mom, I mean dog, to learn a new trick, right???)!!!

Anyone who has read my blogger profile knows that I have a bit of an obsession with Beatrix Potter and her books. Well, I finally got my hands on the movie about her life that I've been wanting to see for a while now-Miss Potter. The movie came highly reviewed by a friend and after calling around to three stores, I finally found it at Blockbuster. This movie was filled with beautiful images- from the opening credits where "Beatrix" is dipping her paint brush into a bold blue watercolor and rinsing it in dainty glass of water to the "working farm" that she ultimately purchased in the Lake District of England in the early 1900's.

The images of Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and the other "friends"of Miss Potter were precious. And to finally hear the story of how these characters came to be was most interesting. I could go on and on about Miss Potter and how interesting, imaginative and bold she was, but instead I would just recommend that you see the movie (remember, only Blockbuster carries it).

I liked it so much that I even let the Sophia and Nicolas watch a few scenes from the movie so they could see how those gorgeous images and words that they enjoy so much from Beatrix Potter's books actually made their way onto the pages. Sophia was really fascinated with the fact that Miss Potter started sketching, painting and creating tales at a very early age. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers as she watched "young Beatrix" sketch a rabbit in her bedroom. We've always used watercolors during our "art time", but I think Sophia has a new-found love and appreciation for them now.

She asked me to "set her up with painting" today and asked me if someday she might be like Beatrix Potter. I told her YES, YES, YES. And that with hard work and imagination (which she most certainly has) she could be anything she dreamed of being, even a world-renowned author and illustrator.