New Reason to Sew

I have hinted at some secret projects recently, mostly in regards to some fabric purchases. I can now reveal the "secret:" I am expecting my second child this January!

I am dying to sew/quilt for Baby #2.  I didn't yet sew with baby #1- I didn't get a sewing machine until she was 2 1/2! We know it will be another girl (Big Sister is thrilled) but I do NOT subscribe to pink and white for girls. My oldest daughter's nursery was a sort of sage green (the paint colour was Mother Nature) with white accents. New baby's nursery (much to Daddy's chagrin because it means he has to repaint) will be a grey colour. I have some paint samples waiting to pick just the right one!

I picked up this fabric on sale at my local Fabricland (a very poor version of Jo Ann's):

These are flannelette and will be made (I'm hoping) into crib sheets. I found with #1 that I never had enough crib sheets and yet they were so overpriced for such a simple product. Won't they be cute?

I have so many piles of fabric that I would love to use to make for baby. The problem is matching my hopes to my reality. After all, I still have three baby quilts to piece over the next month, and I have two larger quilts that I intended to make for Christmas. How much time will I really have to make this baby quilts before she arrives?

So. I am narrowing it down to making two or three quilts for everyday use and one wall hanging for the newly-grey nursery. 

The wall hanging is rainbow and will be from Allison Harris' book. The three quilts (pattern yet to be decided for two) will be from these three much-loved bundles:

Indian Summer

 The pattern for the Indian Summer quilt (found on Pinterest, of course) is from Simple Simon and Company and looks like this:

These organics are so gorgeous I MUST use them for my newest addition!

These ones I am only using the Backyard Baby from the right. My hubby agrees that those are super cute. I love, love this line so I want to make something for baby with them.

I know I am being vastly unrealistic, especially considering I also want to make some baby blankets, a car seat swaddle blanket, a taggie blanket, some changing pad covers...ack!

I also hope that I will get lots of chances to sew while on maternity leave. Am I crazy? I was super bored when at home with #1, and my eldest will only be in school part-time so she will add to my busy level, but maybe I can sneak in more daytime sewing while baby naps? 

I have also reflected that during my first pregnancy, daughter #1 was subjected to the constant sound of keys jingling from my work lanyard bouncing off my stomach. In my current role I don't have keys around my neck, but baby #2 gets to hear a lot of the hum of sewing machine! Maybe she will be my sewing prodigy?

Tell me if you think my sewing goals are ridiculous!

Lynn

GeoBaby: A Finished Quilt

I have a bit of a Pinterest addiction (like most anyone with a Pinterest account could attest to) and my Quilting and Sewing board is rather *ahem* robust with over 1000 pins. Quite awhile ago I was inspired by a pin that came from Missy Mack Creations on Etsy. The quilt is no longer available but the inspiration photo was this:

Her choice of colours (love the navy and green) and the HSTs (one of my favourite shapes for a quilt) really appealed to me. Most of all, however, was her reliance totally on "basics," geometric and "stash builder" type fabrics without any single print on which all other fabric pulls were based.

So when my daughter's best friend's mother gave birth to a little boy, and when I saw that his nursery is all green and blue, this quilt popped into my head.

Cue digging in my stash! 

Here is the finished result. I love the graphic impact and colours of this simple (yet adorable) baby quilt for Baby B!

GeoBaby:

The front. All from stash. Some Lotta in there and some Riley Blake but I couldn't identify it all.

This shot gives you a better idea of the fabrics.

The back. A bit scrappy with some green polka dots and a Kona solid (not sure which colour) but mostly the Lake in Navy print.

This shows the diagonal quilting from the reverse. It looks good and doesn't make the quilt too stiff.

I get to meet Baby B in a couple of weeks at a play date between my daughter and her friend, and I hope the new mom loves it! 

Lynn

A Gift from a Quilty Friend

My friend C, over at The Edgy Perfectionist, made a zippy pouch to contain her phone, pens, post-its and other items when at work events at banquet halls. We both end up at these sorts of events and so I instantly wanted one. She had already made one for her boss, so I thought my chances were low.

Then I forgot to put borders on my quilt.

I think she felt bad for me (over the laughing at me, of course). And look what she made me!

I love that it is from her fabric stash because it is not what I would have picked but it is the most delicious pattern and choice of colours. And the green goes super well with my new work bag! I love it. She's the best.

But I still don't want to talk about those borders.

Lynn

Kona Solids September & Best Laid Plans

My Sew Sisters Kona Solids of the Month photo this month was:

Back to school, of  course!

I can't say this combination of colours is particularly pleasing but I am thrilled with each one individually as I would have wanted to try each solid.

From top to bottom: Kona Snow, Kona Pepper, Kona Parchment and Kona Chinese Red

On another note, I am back to work and the busiest I have ever been in my professional life. It is pretty break-neck paced and so I have no time to sew. My machine went in for servicing- the first time ever in the three years I have owned it- and it is still sitting, untested, calling my name. Sigh. Also, I had plans for when it was in. Cutting I would do. Pressing. Binding. None of it happened. I'm just too busy!

I'm hoping to get in some hand sewing on the binding of a baby quilt I was working on, hem some pants and then (fingers crossed) tackle some sewing on my newly-serviced machine tomorrow night. Wish me luck!

Lynn

Little Red: A Finished Quilt

My lifelong friend and her husband recently had their first child, a sweet little girl. My friend, C, has a mom who quilts beautifully (and all by hand!) and an aunt who has quilted for more than twenty years. I told her I didn't need to make her a quilt if she didn't want me to (certainly Baby A will have lots of quilts in her life) but my friend wanted me to because she loves my modern fabric choices.

The day I found out they were having a girl I ordered a fat quarter bundle of Riley Blake's Little Red Riding Hood fabric by Tasha Noel. I then weeded out the pinks (a little too pink for my taste) and some of the more in-your-face greens and reds, and went with the turquoise and grey colours. I then supplemented from my stash and created a bundle I was happy with.

I chose a pattern from Camille Rosekelley's book Simply Retro, The Sweet Life, and got to work on this quilt. It took me longer than I had hoped. And I made it 3x4 instead of 4x4. And I forgot the borders.

BUT...

I think it looks awesome. Whimsical and modern with a touch of little girl old fashioned cuteness to even it out.

Here is Little Red:

This is from the reject photo shoot. The lighting was all wrong. Check out my hubby behind the quilt! (He was super thrilled about having to do two photo shoots in two days. He told me the next quilt needs to be less wide).

One of my favourite blocks.

Front

Another favourite block because it is a little wonky. This fat quarter had that polka dot and a strip of white storyline. I like the unusual star it created!

The scrappy pieced back. I love backs like this.  My hubby hates it. I think the mom of the baby who got this liked it, though!

I purposely made one extra block to add to the back. Cute, right?

Hanging over her crib

Baby A enjoying her new quilt for some tummy time!

Is there anything better for a quilter than a picture of the cutie on the quilt?

I think the overall result is fun and girly and somewhat modern. The pattern stretched my skills and the colours are perfect for this adorable little bundle.

Lynn

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

In My Defense...

There was a $2 Fat Quarter sale at one of my sort-of local quilt shops (in that, if I so desired, I could probably get there in about an hour). I wasn't sure I would be into any of the fat quarters offered since their selection is sometimes more traditional than my taste, but when Sew Sisters posted their choices and there was Ann Kelle (!) and other modern fabrics I went a little crazy.

I ordered some Kona Artichoke while I was placing the order since very few stores seem to carry it and I LOVE it. I also ordered a metre of Out N'About Mod Planes in Sky (cute for a backing, right?)

Here is my stack of TOTALLY UNNECESSARY fat quarters. But they only cost $2 each!

Along the top is a bunch of Urban Zoologie by Ann Kelle. The owls and turtles are my favourites. Then there is some Modern Numbers and Modern Bubble Stripe on the left, and a selection of Roar! Lion Heads fabrics. Then one Metro Living Circles in turquoise (who can resist some turquoise) and one Laurie Wisbrun Perfectly Perched.

I have been doing more than shopping. I got the binding on Little Red and have been hand finishing it this week (despite being crazy busy due to back-to-work).

All ready to finish. Borderless, of course.

And speaking of hand binding, I had this helper hanging out with me the whole time I was binding:

Aren't I helpful?

This cat is a super cuddly guy, but he never sits with me on the couch. His fluffy brother, Marlowe, is the couch snuggler. That sure changes quickly if this cutie sees me sitting down with a quilt on my lap! Bam! Instant cat company from Cyrus. I often have to haul his butt off the quilt to shift it around as I bind, which he does not enjoy. I obviously need a cozy living room quilt to cuddle under so I can have Cyrus around when I want him and not just when he is in the way!

Lynn