my favorite kind of sewing.

Inspired.

Spontaneous.

For a baby.

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*No, we don't know yet whether baby #2 is a boy or a girl... our sonogram is this coming Friday; however, we will not be peeking.  Daddy gets to decide this time.

Calme in progress quilt top

Both my boys helped me hold up my progress... (it was quite windy). :)



I get excited whenever I have something sewing related done these days... so I had to show y'all. :)



I plan to add more strips to the right of the bee blocks, and I'm contemplating a linen border.

While I was sewing, this is what Steiger did to himself (I swear; I had nothing to do with it). ;)



*nor did I have anything to do with his mis-matched Christmas jammies. ;)

WIP Wednesday - new project (and a list)

I'm outgrowing my pants... my fabric storage... actually, we're outgrowing our house quickly.  We have two bedrooms, and a big boy bed and a crib won't fit in the second.  We have another little office sewing room, but it doesn't have a door, it's right off the living room and well... I'm not giving up my sewing space.

So, Jay had last weekend off (yea!!!), and we did some work inside and outside.  Part of that included Mommy organizing the fabric.  It was all over the house...

And *inspiration*

I was in a little mini Bee (last fall???), called the Quilting Divas.  The lovely Kelly was sweet enough to send the same linen to a number of us in the group.

And now I'm making a stash quilt with these blocks.

I cut some strips of various widths (2 1/2" to 6" or so)...



Started sewing a few of them together (haven't gotten very far)...



Steiger was more than happy to help me keep the fabric down in the wind...




My plan is to arrange these gorgeous blocks with a little sashing, and make a column toward the right side of the quilt...



It's going to be gorgeous.  And (except for maybe the backing), totally from my stash. :)

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Now I need to make a list (since I only have 3 days as a paid working girl left, and I can get back to sewing before the tummy gets ginormous!)

- Finish Libby's quilt (I've started on the quilting)
- Make Molly's big girl bed quilt
- If It's a Girl quilt from VIBees (I've got some of the most gorgeous blocks!)
- If It's a Girl quilt from Mommy
- If It's a Boy quilt from Mommy (inspired by Amy!)
- Pickledish (I love this one)
- Quilt for my cousin's new baby
- Quilt for my friend's new baby
- Bag for Goodie Bag Swap (this needs to go to the top of the list -- I've got the pieces cut out)

OK, I feel overwhelmed now officially! :)

Thankfully though, I am all caught up with my Bee Blocks... this one's for Corey, and I love it.

I'll be 20 weeks tomorrow, (I'll get a picture soon), and will be having our "big sono" very soon.  I don't think we're going to find out the gender, but I am wavering a "bittle bit." ;)

Happy sewing!

Linking to Lee's WIP Wednesday!

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Finished Urban Lattice - "Facets"

I finished!

(and in time for Bloggers' Quilt Festival!)

Here is my finished Urban Lattice Quilt, made from the Urban Lattice Quilt Along over at Cara's.  (For previous entries on the process of making this quilt, including directions for making the block without paper piecing, please see this link).

I've decided to rename it "Facets."

The weather was not being cooperative today, but I did finally convince the hubs (home unexpectedly due to unseasonable rain) to try to hold my quilt for me so I could get a picture.



He compared it to holding a heavy flag.

I really wanted a cool shot with the flooded rice fields in the background...

I think I got a better shot of his feet... and you can see the sort-of even-ish straight lines for quilting.

In this picture, the wind is holding it up against an old dog kennel we no longer use.

I'm pretty thrilled it's finished though.  With the first trimester, working three days/week, and a busy little man, it took longer than I hoped... but now it's all done (except for the wash).  But I have loved this quilt from concept, to completion.  

I made it for my husband, though I have a feeling Steiger's big boy quilt won't be done in time, so he'll probably get to borrow this one for a "biddle bit."  Besides, when I had it laying on the floor, and he had just got up from his nap, he explained "Dat's pretty."

The fabrics are some various blenders, Moda Bella solids in Medium Gray, Ivory, and White, Kona solids in Ash, Stone, and Bone (I think), and Kona Charcoal and Quilter's Linen in Black for the Lattice and Binding.

For the back, I used Bella Gray, some Robert Kaufman Metro Living Circles, and some of the Pastry line Voile from Anna Maria.

Thank you Cara for the Quilt Along design, and Maritza for the inspiration of using mixed neutrals!

Happy Quilting!

(Only 8 days left of work for me!  Steiger's face captures well how I feel about that!)

I miss sewing...

First off -- thank you for all the lovely Birthday and Mother's Day wishes!  Jay didn't get any time off really, but Steiger was in a good mood all Mother's Day, and would tell me "Happy Mother's Day" as if, on cue, any time I started to feel too sorry for myself.

I'm trying... desperately, to get Jay's Urban Lattice Quilt done.  I've got 6 days before the Quilt Blogger's Festival is over, and I wanted to have it done by then. :(

But these long lines are killing me (though they look awesome).

If I get a spare minute (which seems rare), I'm usually outside with Steiger, or cleaning, or cooking, or reading (just started on Harry Potter #7 again)...
In all fairness, Steiger was trying to help me out on my birthday, by vacuuming for me.

But really, I'm doing well, just tired.  Jay's alarm goes off at 5 to 5:30 every morning, and I can't fall back to sleep on the days I'm working (or am rudely awakened by crop-dusters buzzing my rooftop).  To give some perspective, the hubs worked 96 hours last week... and it was his fourth in a row of weeks like that.

OK -- Enough complaining... maybe... ;)

Yesterday, Steiger and I had doctor appointments.  All was well for both of us (well, all three of us actually), but Mommy made the mistake of trying to go to her local quilt shop's retiring sale with a baby who had just had 2 shots.  He usually does pretty well while I'm at the fabric store... not yesterday.

I managed to sneak these out the door before he completely melted down.

Some dots.



Some voile.



and some assorted pretties.




Here's to getting that quilt done!  (Though I have been taking today to work in the garden... with my hubs who took the day off.  While I was typing this, I had to go wake him up off the floor of my son's room, because he fell asleep too while he was putting Steiger down for his nap... I guess I'm not the only tired one here). ;)

32nd and 3rd

Today is my thirty-second birthday...

the hubs had to work, so I went and spent the day with a dear friend who is like a second mom to me while Steiger went on a boat ride with his grandpa.  Living out in the middle of rice fields like we do, does not create as many opportunities for long chats about anything and everything as I would like.  It felt good to get a full night's sleep, a full belly of Eggs Benedict over breakfast that lasted nearly two hours (you all know -- that never happens with kids), and a quiet walk through quaint shops.

Tomorrow is my third Mother's day.

I'm hoping Daddy will be able to spend the day with us... but if not, I'll be enjoying my time with the little person who gave me the honor of Mommy.  

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are mamas, or like mamas... 

and a very Happy Mother's Day to my mom too.

make mine modern swap

Hang out on flickr long enough, and you get sucked in... it's pretty impossible not to. :)

Ali was my partner for this round of Make Mine Modern.

I made her a little bag,



And a pillow cover (since she loved one I had made in a previous round),



(And Ali took this picture of it all stuffed and pillowy)



Then I added in my fabric, a hera marker, some cute pins and some Aurifil thread (my favorite).

Package complete.



Even though I was completing this package simultaneously with the first trimester, and it was mailed 2 days late -- it was really fun to have a partner I "knew!"  (first time in all my swaps)

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The package I received came all the way from India!  Shruti sent me these lovely pillow covers, a fabric belt I intend to wear above my tummy, and a cute little fabric bookshelf for Steiger. :)



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I've lately been plotting for my Goodie Bag Swap bag.  After I made the bag above, I decided I kind of like making them.  A few books later... and I'm on my way.

This was the inspiration I gave my secret partner.

*Click on photo to see all the links for those lovely bags.

I'm telling you all here though -- no more swaps for me for a few months! :)