Bah-Humbug

When I was recovering from my surgeries back in June my lovely friend Keli sent me a package full of books and magazines to encourage me to sit back and relax. My mother-in-law came to help and paged through one of the books frequently, often turning back to the same pattern over and over as if trying to memorize it. Once even taking the book from my hands and exclaiming, "So that's how they did that!"



When I found a batik jelly roll on clearance at an online fabric shop in August I snapped it up, even though I wasn't too sure about the color scheme. Batiks are her favorite fabrics and the pattern she loved was from the Jelly Roll Quilts book.



Meanwhile, for my own mother I hadn't a clue. Part of me wanted to do her favorite color, but as I planned my quilt gift to be for the entire family (something to snuggle under on the couch, a small throw quilt) I didn't want to do anything that was too geared toward just one member. I was really at a loss, then I found another jelly roll on clearance and convinced myself that working on two identical quilt tops at the same time would be much quicker and easier than making two different gifts. Plus, my mother-in-law and mother will not be sharing any holiday time with me and my mom would end up with no idea that she was getting my mother-in-law's favorite quilt pattern as her gift too.

It has been quick. That part is true. I nearly have all of the blocks ready to sew together. I keep going back and forth about which one I like more, or whether I like either of them at all. I plotted the whole quilt out on graph paper (the instructions and layout in the book are for a bed-sized blanket) and I know that I like the look of the finished product on paper. It's the fabric part that I'm not so sure about. Either way, it's too late to turn back, and even if I'm disappointed in the end product it is a big part of what I have planned for Christmas...so cross your fingers for me!

Monday Moments

I dressed up as a cowgirl for Halloween this year. After the night was over, I took off my hat and both kids tried it on. They giggled and acted like fools until the camera came out, then even my not quite three year old was too cool to wear the hat. I reached into my bag of Mom tricks (or maybe the candy bowl by the front door) and conned both kids into wearing the hat for a photo.



I've gotta get those embarrassing photos for the graduation party collage somehow!

Disappearing 9 Patch

I told you it was coming!

I have been dreaming of this disappearing nine patch quilt since the last Blogger's Quilt Festival where I saw so many beautiful ones. I bought a charm pack of reproduction shirting prints and combined it with anything that looked anything like it could have been a shirting from my stash.



I had originally fallen in love with versions of this quilt that used no discernible layout whatsoever, but when I tried throwing my crazy mix of prints together randomly it just didn't look right. All of the busy needed some serious organization to tone it down. When I started laying the blocks out in the typical way, I started falling in love with my own version.

To date, I think this is the biggest and prettiest quilt I've done. And if I hadn't went and sewn the surname of the person I made it for into the back, I would probably be keeping it for myself.



At least if I can't keep it, it does calm me down to know that I have one Christmas gift finished. (Though I now think I need to make a quilt for my living room wall, I really didn't enjoy taking this one down after I photographed it.)

And I learned how to do a wider binding on this quilt, which lays so much nicer and is so much more forgiving than the super thin binding I have used in the past. I think I might want to do all of my holiday quilts this way!

Look what I snagged...

Off of my sister's facebook page. He has so much attitude! I love it! And am so glad it fits decently!

I have been quietly working away on the quilting for my disappearing 9 patch in the hopes of entering it into the Blogger's Quilt Festival. So be on the look out for that post soon. I'm nearly ready to start binding. Then, since I'm out of batting I am going to piece two more tops (same pattern, different fabric). I'm deep into Christmas sewing over here, but I think I'll be able to post all of the projects on the blog as the chances of the receivers checking it out are pretty slim.

Monday Moments: Tuesday Edition

I nearly forgot to post this, but look who I got to meet this weekend! Her name is Zoe and she is so beautiful, even when she's screaming...and she is a screamer!

I love her chubby cheeks! They remind me so much of my son's when he was a newborn. It's going to be a long, long month until I get to see her again, and she's going to be so different. It makes me sad to live so far away.

Thank you very much

Finally finished with my nephew's costume on Sunday! One day before the One Thing, One Week Challenge deadline at Amy's Creative Side.

I altered this Simplicity pattern to a size 12 months and changed up the way it was done in a few spots to make it easier, and more wearable for a one year old. And I know they are choking hazards, but it just isn't an Elvis costume without all of the little iron on jewels and studs. He will be watched very carefully, I promise!

30: The electronic gadget birthday

I will never deny that I am a very lucky woman with such a generous family. A family who buys me things that I would never buy myself, but I wouldn't think twice spending that kind of money on them (okay, maybe twice, but only because I'm kind of poor).



Why, are those iPod headphones?



Yes, yes they are. I am so in love with my new nano. It is my best sewing buddy, drowning out the kids and the husband when they have all promised me I can work, but inevitably have just one question. And since my car stereo only gets radio it has become my best buddy for the 40 minute wait in the parking lot at my step-daughter's school. I have to go so early to get a parking spot and my son is almost always asleep by the time I get there, so I end up sitting, bored for nearly an hour.



However, that first day I took it to school I was so concerned. I had to just sit it in my purse with my sunglasses and keys and loose change! I knew I would go crazy with worry if I didn't make some kind of cover for it, with something to keep the headphones from getting all tangled up in the random crap inside my bag.

I will probably redo this case once I'm done with my nephew's Halloween costume and my disappearing nine patch quilt. I'm not happy with how it turned out and it takes less than a six inch square of fabric, so I won't be worried about killing my stash on it.



P.S. The fabric is Minny Muu and I love it! You can probably find it around somewhere or settle for the equally cute, equally tiny New Minny Muu.