baby quilts3

this will be an almost entirely sewing related post, so come back in another week if you [bob, ian, joe, etc...] are looking for something more interesting ;)

i think there must be a baby boom going on or something, because almost everyone i know is having babies. normally, i break out the knitting needles and make a cute sweater or blanket, or if they are having a girl, make a cute little dress. when ian's sister was due to have her baby in january, i thought, hey, why don't i try to make a quilt? i had just picked up "last minute patchwork + quilted gifts", and thought i would try one out. she was having a girl, so i looked thru my fabric stash and found some fabric remnants that would work, plus part of a new white sheet that was in my dad's quilting stash. [and i would have to agree with that... sheets seem to produce a much softer quilt than cotton fabrics from the store.]

baby quilt #1:
pattern: chinese stacked coins from last minute patchwork + quilted gifts
size: approx 36 X 45 ish
gifted to: kellie's baby samantha





i used some soft colored fabrics for this one, with a backing of a purple-ish floral. i machine-quilted it on a diagonal. this was my first attempt at any of this, so there are a few mistakes [some puckers on the back of the quilt] but i think it turned out well :)



baby quilt #2:
pattern: my own; a simple quilt of blocks on a white grid
size: approx 36 X 45 ish
gifted to: penny's baby boy-to-be





my sister wanted more of a traditional quilt [something that "looked like quilt"], so i decided to go with something simple and somewhat traditional. i picked up a few fat quarters, used some stash fabric i had, and backed it with leftover fabric from the bumper pad + crib skirt i had made her. she was very happy with it :)


baby quilt #3:
pattern: my own, in shades of pink, chocolate + coffee. double sided, machine-quilted on the diagonal with pink thread. self binding by wrapping back side around to front as binding.
size: 40 x 40
gifted to: gary + ann's girl-to-be







i think this has been my favorite quilt so far. i love the color scheme and design. i designed it in illustrator which was very helpful and made the actual piecing of it very easy. this was my first solid color quilt and i am very happy with the results. i discovered that my machine has a walking foot attachment, which made quilting so much easier! no puckers on the back! even stitches on both sides! you can't even tell which side was right side up when i quilted it. i was inspired by the color's of yaiann's quilt, but of course, didn't want to copy it! it was gifted on sunday morning at a warhol museum baby shower, and the couple was happy with it.

finishing up this last quilt has made me seriously re-consider my sewing/knitting hobby as a side business. i've been thinking of opening up an etsy shop [to start, before i can actually make the website + market items] focusing on infant clothing and bedding type accessories. i've got a lot to think about before i can start planning, but with any luck, it will happen :)

smile

the warmth of the sun does wonders for the soul. and today, i needed that. its the 6 month reminder of a very sad day. and while i miss my dad every day, i still can't believe its been 6 months without him.

so today, i'm taking notice of the little things that make me smile, because today, i really need it.

- springtime. its finally here. the sun is warming up the ground, and i was able to plant some bulbs and groundcover this weekend. i find gardening to be calming and relaxing, so i'm glad that i'm finally able to do it again.

- watching the birds and squirrels from my office window. the birds check out the numerous bird feeders we have, while the squirrels dig holes in the mulch and scurry all over the yard and across the fence.

- random text messages from ian, i.e. "my name is seth. i like to dance." or "he's a master of karate". ok, these make me giggle too :)

- waking up in the morning, with sydney at my feet and a cat [or 2!] curled up beside me, as if i'm spooning them. its almost as cute as falling asleep with tan cat draped across my rib cage as i'm curled up on my side. and yes, he does that every night.

-realizing, 5 seasons into monk, that leland stottlemeyer is none other than buffalo bill, the creepy, transexual, womens-skin-wearing, it-rubs-the-lotion-on-its-skin, serial killer. wow! i'm really going to have a very hard time watching the show after re-watching the silence of the lambs infamous dance scene.

- bell's oberon. its that time of year again. enough said.

- homemade chocolate pudding. oh wait, i didn't make that, but i do *love* it, and it sure sounds good right now. i'll have to wait till we finish up the chocolate zucchini cake that i made earlier this week. its my moms recipe and it is tasty! maybe i'll share that someday.

- did i mention it was spring? my lilac tree is blooming :)



[hopefully my next post won't be too far off, and i'll have some photos of the cute clothes i've been making, along with the handknits, and more info on my fabric de-stashing.]

enjoy the sunshine. life is too short not to.