Progress

Welcome Baby C Package - Finished and delivered to the C family 

• Wonky Stacked Coin Quilt
• Teddy Bear Blanket
• Terry cloth bibs
• Hooded Towels
• Bath Apron 
• etc. 

April Showers/May Flowers I and II Quilts - Finished

Washed and completely finished. And both still at my house.

Improvised Jungle Blocks Quilt

Blocks have been squared up, but I'm still searching for sash fabric.


Pansy Patch Project

Still slowing piecing the blocks.

Half-Square "Procrastination" Quilt

Basted. 
Still needs: quilted, bound, washed. Quilting will be held up waiting on machine repairs. 

Rainbow Road Quilt

Sketching out more solid plans for the pattern and beginning to collect fabric. Practicing making stars.

Patchwork Quilts
1. Backward progress: unpicking three rows of blocks.
2. Cutting fabric and waiting for my good machine to be back.

Waiting to Start:

• Cover for Singer machine
• Teddy Bear Blanket II
• 'Love' themed cross stitch
• Holiday Projects

Easiest Mash Pie

This is the kind of thing I hardly consider a recipe, but I made it last week and from my husband's reaction, it's worth sharing.

Easiest Mash Pie

1) Mashed Potatoes
I start by boiling 7 good sized potatoes until soft, then mash them with butter, milk, cheese, scallions, garlic powder, and salt. Of course I don't measure things, just mix until they're a good texture and a good taste.
2) A large can of beef & vegetable soup - pour into a pan and top with mashed potatoes.
3) Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, basically until the soup is warm through and the potatoes are beginning to get an extra browning.
4) Eat.

I usually scorn gravy - but this was basically a beefy gravy on potatoes, and to my surprise, it was very good. There weren't many vegetables or beef pieces in comparison to the gravy and potatoes, but that didn't bother me. It'd probably have been just about as easy to put the warm potatoes in a serving dish and pour warmed soup over the top - but I was aiming for something more like shepherd's pie.

See, super easy, and hardly even cooking.

I think I have a problem...

I've never been one to dedicate myself solely to one book at a time, but between traveling, a rash of holds coming in at the library, and my main sewing machine being down, I think I've gotten a little carried away.

I've started all of these books:

• "The Outlaws of Sherwood" by Robin McKinley - I'm reading this one aloud to my husband (when we're not listening to other audio books) so it's slow progress
• "The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever" by Julia Quinn
• "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin - A friend (and co-watcher of the show) loaned me his copy last night. 
• "The Agency 3: The Traitor in the Tunnel" by Y.S. Lee
• "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" by Mindy Kaling 
• "Toward the Sunrising" by Lynn Morris and Gilbert Morris
• "The Far West" by Patricia C Wrede

I'm enjoying each one, but none so much that I cannot switch between books. It helps that prior to gathering them for this photo, two were at the bedside, one was in the car, one was in my purse, one near the bathtub, one at the kitchen table, and one at my desk.

So, with no quilting to distract me (only the whole wide internet), I'm hoping to get several of these finished up in the next few days. Especially since I'm impatient to get to the others on my library card.

• "Bloodhound" by Tamora Pierce
• "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education" by Diane Ravitch 
• "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 

None of which I will let myself start until I finish at least three of my 'already started' list.

So, if I'm quiet around here this week, don't worry. I'm probably in Sherwood, London, Winterfell, Reconstruction South Carolina, or an alternate/fantasy West.

Wonky Star Attempt 1

Since my newer machine is still out, I've pulled my old Singer in to use again. Strange how when I used it daily I thought it was easy to use, and now I find myself reaching for controls that aren't part of this machine.

The Singer isn't in the greatest shape either, so this seemed like a good time for working on little projects. I'd hoped to continue working on the Pansy Patch blocks, but - while I'm not certain about this - it seems like a bad idea to swap machines half way through a project. Especially since the Singer pulls left and the Kenmore pulls right - just another one of those things I've got to readjust to until I get the Kenmore back in working order.

The first 'new' project that came to hand was a first attempt at a wonky star blocks I'll need if I'm going to make any kind of serious progress on my in-over-my-head Rainbow Road quilt. 

It could use some ironing, I know, but I'd say it's not bad for a first try.

It's also only a first try.

While this is probably the best I've done yet at matching seams, I'd like to be a bit better yet. The edges of the center stand 'out' beyond the top and bottom points just a bit. My best guess is that I need to use a slightly smaller seam allowance on the top/bottom rows than I use on the middle row. Ideally, I should be able to use the exact same all around and have everything turn out perfectly - but that's what I thought I did, and it didn't. So, I'm going to tell myself to think a little smaller with the hope that the results will be a little nearer to equal all around. 

Still, it's a good start.

Even this good start might not be enough if my budget and time get eaten up paying for and waiting on sewing machine repairs. Although... if all I do is make star blocks (like this, in a variety of sizes/colors), it shouldn't be too bad to use various machines - people in bees do it all the time with no problem, don't they? Well, it doesn't solve the money issue, but it could help with the time issue. Hmm...

Welcome Baby C Package

Alright, after a little more than a year-and-a-half of working on this Welcome Package, it's done and given away. And yes, I do usually start collecting things before I know I'll be needing them. Which is one reason I try to only buy things I'd use if I don't find the right person having a baby to give them to. It's also part of why I only buy things when they're on sale. 

Fitting everything in one picture was nearly impossible - which may mean I went a little overboard. 

While most everything is 'from me' to Mom/Baby C, one or two things from my husband to Dad/Baby C snuck into the pile. Want to guess which things? 

Hint:

I'm a big believer in books. As much as the outfits are adorable and I've loved making hooded towels and quilts, books are where I'd spend my whole budget if I'm not careful.

I have a list of books I know are something I can rely on, but I spend hours reading in the children's section of libraries and book stores to add to the list. Giraffes Can't Dance and Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing are probably my favorites from this set. 

Most of the hand made items that went into the package:

Two hooded towels, two flannel/terry wipes, one flannel wipe, a towel/apron for Mom and Dad (not pictured), a small minky blanket, a flannel/bear blanket, a quilt, and four terry cloth backed bibs.

I also put in a few little things for Mom and Dad.

Staying with me? The adorable dress I bought for Baby C. Why? Her grandmother bought the same dress, in the same size and already gave it to them! One very good reason I try never to pick up something I wouldn't mind keeping!

So, all in all:

• The Wonky Stacked Coin Quilt I started before Baby C was conceived
• Teddy Bear/Flannel blanket
• Minky-back blanket
• 4 bibs
• 2 hooded towels
• 1 bath apron
• 5 books
• 1 stuffed elephant 
• 1 set of Lots Of Links 
• 10 outfits: 5 onesies, 1 sleep sack, 1 footie onesie, 1 hoodie + pants, 2 3-piece sets. Not all of these are pictured. Because I bought some more after taking these photos. Even those I said I was done. Whoops.
• 1 small candle, 1 small lotion, 1 small body wash, 1 bottle sparkling pear, 1 pair knee socks, 1 Burt's Bees lip gloss 
• 1 elephant shaped picture frame
• 1 set tights/headband 
• 3 drawstring bags, 1 large bag
• 1 Disney movie (also not pictured)

Yeah, I think I'm just a little excited to meet Baby C, what do you think? 

My 3rd Quilt: Wonky Stacked Coin Revealed!

Now that this quilt is happily with the C Family, I finally feel like I can share more than just occasional sneak peeks of it.

I'm rather in love with this quilt, and it took me a long time to get to this revelation phase - so I'm going to celebrate it with lots of photos!

From start (in June 2011)

The very beginning

Ready to fold into hiding while the C's were here

My first diy bias tape binding

Front

Back

To finish (in March 2012)

Washed

I adore each and every piece of fabric that got used - and I couldn't be happier with how they work together. It's quilted in organic lines with multi-colored brown/tan/cream thread on the body, and a multi-shaded green thread on top of the binding. Yes, I love multi-shade threads, and I have five spools of it in various shades. 

I'm in love. I hope Baby C and her family like it as much as I do. 

Vacation

As wonderful as it is to be home again, a huge part of me wishes we were still vacationing with Baby C's parents. We ate amazing home-made food (thanks Daddy C!), ate at a great hole in the wall Japanese restaurant, and worked on turning Mommy C's old, pink dresser into Baby C's new, brown dresser. More than anything we sat around and talked - just like we used to when Mommy C and I were roommates. Oh, and of course we dropped off the Welcome Baby C package.

In our circles, Daddy C is known for quite a few things - including bringing Mommy C flowers regularly. So I shouldn't have been surprised when the guys' trip to the store for groceries resulted in flowers for Mommy C and I. I hated leaving mine there, but they weren't going to stand up to the car trip home.

Mommy C is still about a month out from her due date, so we took a break between layers of paint - and hanging adorable home-made curtains - to take a few pictures of the parents to be.

I wish we'd been able to finish the dresser before we left - three coats on the drawers, three on the dresser - but it could be finished and moved into the room in less than a day. I can't wait to see how it looks in the room. And as good as it is to be home, I wish we could still be there.