Blanket for Baby O

In my lack of consistent blogging I realize that I have yet to really discuss the up-and-coming arrival of Sawyer's first Ondrey cousin! My brother Jakob and his wife Jessica are expecting a bundle of joy around the first week of January and we're all so excited to meet the little guy!

Like I said, these days things between me and my sewing machine have been cold at best. However, I had to make something for the sweet child, so I put together this little blanket with two different fabrics on either side and some binding in a third. A nice simple boy blanket for a boy who is sure to be a class act!

Can't wait to meet you, Baby O!

Lark, by Amy Butler

Amy Butler, queen of fabric design, has a new line out...and it comes in quilting, upholstery, and laminate weights! Aside from wads of money to spend on it, what more could a crafty soul want in life than to see fresh, new bolts of fabric available.

Check out the goods!


After looking through the inspiration images, I'm recognizing the complete and utter lack of floor cushions/poufs in my home. Yikes!

Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee

My quilting bee's book is hot off the press and available for ordering! Thanks to the top-notch Chicago postal service, I've finally received my books, only two months after I should have. I beg to differ with their supposed creed: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Moving on. About a year and a half ago, my virtual quilting bee got a book deal and signed our lives away. I'm thrilled to be a contributor to the book.

September was my month and I asked my fellow quilters to do an "Uneven Coin Block." I chose a light brown background and provided an array of pastelly blues and greens for them to make the uneven coins. To me, they look like books in a library, piled high and waiting to be read.

As if having a published book about quilting wasn't enough, the one and only Denyse Schmidt, one of the truest queens of quilting and fabric design, wrote the foreword! Be still my heart!

Two of my favorites are Jaquie's "Dresden Plate Block" (July) and Elizabeth's "Wonky Stripe Block" (November). If you've ever attempted a Dresden plate, it'll really kick your butt to the curb. I can't even imagine doing an entire Dresden quilt on my own...but that's one of the joys of the quilting bee...you can learn new techniques and promptly move on if you don't care for the work involved with them!

You can order your copy of the book here!

Missing: Quilter

Remember when I used to post about quilting? I was quilting it up all the time. Now for some reason I avoid my sewing machine like it's the plague. Pathetic.

It's not that I don't have the time either. My sweet baby boy has slept through the night from 7pm till the morning since he was a wee lad of four months old, so I can't blame the kiddo. Maybe I'm lazy. Maybe I'm uninspired. Maybe I've got no money for fabric.

The thing is (and I've admitted it before) that I don't enjoy the actually quilting process...so quilt tops sit in my closet, nicely folded and collecting dust. It's a sad existence for a quilt...unfinished potential.

I need to make a pact with myself that I'll get back in touch with my sewing machine. It never did me any wrong, so why do I ignore it like I do?

Easter Basket

While I didn't want to overdo a basket with lots of spring-themed toys that would remain in my house after the holidays, I had to make an Easter basket for my sweet boy. We decided to do Easter on the cheap and used a basket a friend bought us for Sawyer's bedroom, dyed some hard-boiled eggs, made a bunny, and bought at set of stacking ducks for bath time.

My fabric collection had been gathering dust, so I whipped up this friendly rabbit on the fly. It was basic doll construction, plus some bunny ears.

These stacking ducks are to die for, don't you think? There's nothing like a toy that doesn't offend an adult's sense of design! We've got a major water baby on our hands, so I'm looking forward to future bath time floating/stacking/pouring fun. You can even buy them at Target or Amazon!

Burp Clothes, Etc.

My dear cousin Kate will be welcoming her first baby in a few weeks, so I got myself back to the old sewing machine, dusted it off, and put together these burp clothes and a diaper cover for the little mister.

If you're going to have to be in the presence of puke and snot, you might as well have a pretty burp cloth, right? And who can resist a little bum covered with this classic checkered pattern?

Christmas Quilt

Something about being a mom convinced me that I needed to make a Christmas quilt for my growing family. You know, wrapped in it's warmth, sipping hot cocoa, listening to sounds of the crackling yule log on cable.

Usually, Christmas fabrics don't do it for me, but this line from Michael Miller couldn't be more full of classy yuletide style!

I did randomly colored wonky stars with a pure white background. I may or may not finish quilting this before Christmas...chances are very slim, but it IS the season of hope!

Boo!

Halloween is a day that I've always despised. Since I was a little girl I hated being scared and, to be honest, still can't event watch previews for a scary movie. I can never find the costume I want and then I'm guaranteed to be scrambling at the last minute to attempt to throw together something that isn't completely lame. Last year, a friend and I gave up on the whole thing, reconnected with my bundt pan, and called it a day.

I don't want to be the worst, most boring mom in the history of holidays though, so now that junior has graced us with his presence, it's inevitable that Halloween will experience a revival. I might as well suck it up and join in on the "fun."

After visiting a few party stores, I decided on the spot that homemade costumes will be the way this family rolls from here on out. After racking my brain for a costume I could make for an eight-month-old with little to no supplies, I settled on a mummy.

White muslin...check! White sweat pants and onesie...check! His outfit may have looked a little haphazard at points, but the total cost for this year's costume was zero dollars and zero cents... Sarah=1, Halloween=0.

Stylin'

I couldn't have my boy show up without looking good in a tie to my brother's wedding so I fashioned him a manly shirt for the occasion. Using this pattern, it's one simple project that results in a stylin' baby boy!

A word to the wise: If you have a 4-month old, make a onesie instead of a t-shirt! This sucker kept riding up on the poor kid. I've found it hard to locate solid colors onesies, pants, and t-shirts for babies, but American Apparel has an abundance of offerings if you're in the market for baby clothes, sans characters.


Here he is with his daddy, about to tear up the dance floor at the reception.

Viking Man

I've been a lover of Sandra Monat's vikings, knights templar, angels, etc. ever since the day I laid eyes on their perfect form. Each one of them is cooler than cool, but they are also priced for only the Richie Riches in our lives. I'd love to have an original, but this girl can't afford to cough up $138+ for a plush toy. I just can't!

You've all heard my song and dance about marrying into Swedish ancestry, so I'll spare you this time. The bottom line is that I saw the vikings and needed to make one for my half Swedish, soon-to-be-born baby boy.

Don't worry, my muse, I'll never make another knock off...I just wanted to try this one time. He turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself, and he'll be loved and adored for years to come.

Happy Ring Stacker Toy

I finally whipped together a little something for our coming bundle of joy! I saw this ring stacker a few months ago and thought it would be a perfect addition to any nursery.

When it comes to following patterns, I've got no expertise. I'll be honest, this one was not for the faint of heart. Once I "got it," the sewing went smoothly, but it took some trial and error on my part. At any rate, it's finished... ready to be thrown around and drooled on!

I'm So Crafty, I Make People

This phrase that I saw from a friend struck me the other day because it was apropos. I've never been one for making announcements, but I'm guessing I can't just suddenly pop out a baby this March and move on in the blog arena like nothing monumental happened. TK and I are expecting a boy March 2 and are looking forward to this new stage of life with great excitement! I've always wanted to be a mama, and by our estimation there's no time like the present.
Due to the baby's male nature, I'm afraid my new found love of pink, girly fabrics will quickly meet its demise...or at least be diminished. C'est la vie... there are still plenty of things I can make and create for junior. His dad, a carpenter/contractor and all-around wonderful man, is thrilled to have a boy coming to whom he can impart his creative passions as well.

Wish us luck over the next 4 remaining months!

Contract

Just as buying a "real couch" makes me feel a little more grown up, so does signing a contract to be a contributor to a published book...a quilting book no less! My virtual quilting bee, Block Party, is being turned into a book that will be written by our fearless leaders Kristen and Alissa and published by C&T Publishing, a quilting and fiber arts company. As members of the bee, each of us have been given one of the twelve chapters in which our quilt will be featured.

More than a "how-to" manual, the book will also speak to the emergence of virtual quilting bees and the sense of community crafters have found online. Modern quilters unite!

The Swap

Over the weekend, I led a little sewing session at my church for a monthly event we have called "The Swap." Each month, someone leads those who show up in a session/workshop on something they are interested in or have a passion for. I obviously wanted to spread my love of sewing to any willing participants.

Besides teaching my new proteges and sewing together, one of my favorite parts of this weekend was buying loads of fat quarters I could have never justified just buying for myself! Look at how luscious it all is! I felt like Scrooge McDuck swimming around in his vault of gold coins, basking in the glow of all this yummy fabric before my eyes.

We made custom pillow covers and it was grand old time! Here are some pictures from Saturday. I wasn't able to get everyone's, but below are a few. In a world where many of our jobs require sitting at desks all day with results and work that is often un-quantifiable, it just feels good to make something with your own two hands and actually see and feel the fruits of your labor.