Little Kisses pillow (and coupon code!)

I've got this little pillow in Fat Quarterly's new issue: Modern Traditional.

It went to the lovely Crystal, as part of a swap we arranged.

You saw me working on it back here:

For the design, I re-sized my French Kisses pattern to make a good pillow size.  And though I named it "Little Kisses," that is only a relative term.  The pillow actually fits a 24" pillow form!  But we like big pillows around here, and Crystal said they would too.

Crystal was part of a small group who managed to collect a charm square of every single one of Anna Maria Horner's quilting cottons, and she asked for a pillow to go with that epic quilt she has planned.  Anna's fabrics from all her collections play so well together.

And look pretty on the couch too.

In a little over 2 weeks, I'm going to Portland for Spring Market, and I'm having a pattern sale to earn some spending money!

20% off everything, including templates, in my little pattern shop through May 15.  Use code "SpringMarket" for the discount!

Hi Friends! :)

A little update, in bullet form, for my friends.

• I finished a quilt for my cousin's soon to be born baby boy -- Jax

• She loved it, and it goes perfectly with their Red Sox theme.

• I made a little bunting to go with it with the other leftover triangles.
• My good friend Kelly correctly surmised that I quilted it with vertical lines to give it the pin stripe look of a baseball uniform (and to keep things from getting too complicated). ;)
• It is my husband's Spray Season (I capitalized it for good reason - the thing deserves its own capital letters).  He leaves by 5 am, and gets home between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.  He is working ridiculously hard.
• I tend to lose it a little bit during this time of year, along with swearing off all aspects of country living, so I've been taking naps during the babe's nap-time... thus the quiet blog for the last couple weeks.
• He'll be done some time in the middle of July; days off only happen if it's windy.
• I had the most wonderful appointment with my midwife last week.  She specializes in home-births, but because we live so far from the hospital, she will be working as my doula and giving me concurrent care on my VBAC journey.  She (TMI) told me I have a great, roomy pelvis, and I've been glowing ever since.
• Grandma watched Steiger for that appointment, as well as for my appointment for the two hour glucose test.  Not a fun test, and not the best way to test pregnant women for gestational diabetes in my opinion, but since I am declining major surgery, I am picking my battles, and I did the test.  I passed (*phew*  One less thing to worry about!)
• My older brother and sister-in-law and nieces are coming in July.  I will get to meet my new niece Libby, and give her her quilt.
• My SIL has asked me to make my niece Molly her big girl bed quilt.  I'm working on it, and need to finish it up in the next couple weeks!

• The fabric is Riley Blake (Sweet Divinity and Quite Contrary), pattern is Thimble Blossoms Marmalade, and it's taking me quite a while because each petal and piece has to be planned in conjunction with all the pieces around it.  
• But it's cute. :)

• I got my Goodie Bag Swap bag from Linda!

• She spoiled me... (bag is Anna Maria's Sidewalk Satchel, and the goodies are just fun!)

• Here's a link to the bag I sent.
• I drank the Kool-Aid and ordered my book.  
• I got to have a girlie day with Amanda a couple weeks ago, and hope to have a sew date soon. :)  She's even cuter and more genuine in person than on her blog... we went to two quilt shops, a shoe store, wandered the farmer's market, a cosmetics salon, and a yummy salad place for lunch... oh! and frozen yogurt.  It was a good day. :)
• I've got an apricot pie in the oven that I am going to photograph before I post this. I hope it looks (and tastes) as good as E's pies. 

• Re: the bun in the oven -- I'm at 24 1/2 weeks.

• The belly's feeling big, and making me a little nervous for where it'll be in another three months... but the baby's super wiggly, which always makes me happy. 

With ♥ from farm country!

-Tracey

P.S. The winner from my giveaway forever ago, is The One & Only... I will email you. :)

It's a...

Baby!

There were times I doubted our resolve, but we made it through our ultrasound on Friday without peeking between the legs.

And I'm thrilled with a healthy baby... really and truly.

Jay is sure there's a boy in there, and that is what I think too, but I was completely wrong with Steiger, so I don't trust myself.  This baby is measuring right on schedule (Steiger was about a week ahead), so that makes me think maybe there's a chance it's a girl.  During our sonogram, he or she kept playing peek-a-boo with us, and had two hands covering the face most of the time.  The tech had to work hard for those shots. :)

You know, it's funny... when I was pregnant with Steiger, I really wanted to find out.  My priorities though have shifted now.  After the ordeal that was my son's entry in to the world, the infertility struggles of those close to me, the softness and humility that comes from actually being a mom, I really don't care what gender this babe is.  (Besides, I'm having too much fun planning my "If it's a boy" and "If it's a girl" quilts!)

My prayers now are that the baby is healthy and strong, and that he or she meets us without surgery or complication.  If we do need medical intervention, I just want it to be because it is truly necessary, and not because of convenience, an arbitrary ban/policy, or poor medical care.  I'm doing what I can on my end to take care of those things; I suppose I have to trust God with the rest... If you're the praying kind, I covet all your prayers to that end. ♥

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I just noticed the follower number is precariously close to reaching a new milestone, and I feel like celebrating the end of school, and a healthy so far pregnancy...

Let's see... I'll give away a half yard each of the dots in the DS Quilts collection.  They're really cute, and appropriate beings that one is more "boy" and one is more "girly."  

To enter: 

- Leave a comment with a boy name suggestion (we're good for girl names, but really stuck with boy names; how do you follow a name like Steiger?)

- Followers get an extra entry.  I think I'll close this on Wednesday.

Now I need to get back to work on finishing up my Goodie Bag Swap ... it's going well so far, but needs to be mailed soon!

(Amy Butler's Cosmo bag from Style Stitches)

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* I had a request that I let you know which ones I like... well let's just say that if you and I were naming this baby we'd be great!  Jay and I only agreed on Steiger when he was born.  We didn't even agree on the middle name, but Jay gave me my way and allowed his first name as Steiger's middle name.  If I was naming the next one, he'd be "Dane Allen" ... but Jay doesn't like the name Dane.  I really want to have a name before labor, because whatever happens, it's bound to be intense and really emotional... I can see that cute husband of mine giving me the name I like because he is either so dang proud of me, or wants to give me some relief (or a mixture of both).  I plan to go over these suggestions with him after Steiger goes to bed, so keep 'em coming! :)

* The problem of finding a boys' name is compounded by our last name of "Jacobsen."  It eliminates all the "son" names, and some of the "en" names.

* I've also been a teacher for 6-ish years; I've met a lot of students, and some names are inextricably tied to those pupils of mine... for better or worse. ;)

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! :)