Baby Steps

Remember way back, when I started the Dancing Stars QAL?

When these....

Went to this?

Finito!  I wanted this done before I left for WI this Friday. I think I delivered.  Love when that happens.

It took me an hr or so to do the straight lines on each side of the vertical seams.  Another day and couple hrs to do the clams (which came from the highly recommended Natalia Bonner's book) inside each and every triangle.  That was fun and went quite quickly.  I find that the more direction the clams are able to take on,the better the end result.  Learning as I go, I find, is the best way I know how.  

I dawdled on the quilting part of this top A LOT.  I didn't want to take away from the stars beauty and therefore I didn't want an extravagant overall quilt design.  My seams were not all completely lined up either so my quilting lines had to work in a way so as not to show that fault up!  I feel I have achieved that.

For the binding,I wanted to tie in the dark blues throughout my outline embroidery stitching on the stars and the sailor print on the back.  The Kona Midnight (?) did the trick.  The sailor print on the back was one that I bought years ago at a flea market in GA.  It has a great home now!

She measures 33" square. Will it be up for sale in the shop?

Hmmmmmm.....

I know you all are waiting for me to announce the answer to what my "post title" meant last time!






Several of you guessed it right away just by adding up the months it took to get to February 2014:)



Smarties!!



Ayden is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Josh and I are really excited for Baby #2!!!!!!!  I cannot wait to show off some ultrasound pics along the way and my growing belly!!!!!

I had NO symptoms really except heartburn with Ayden.  Well...............this time round it is a little bit different.  Nauseous all day especially afternoon and at night.  Feeling of wanting to "you know what",but I haven't hugged the toilet yet.  Hoping for the best!  I am also tired constantly.  I take an afternoon hr nap and I am in in bed my 10/10:30 every night.

I am at 9 weeks today and I cannot wait to feel normal again so I can really enjoy this pregnancy.  I shouldn't complain too much,though as it could be so much worse from stories I have heard of pregnant mama's.

Ayden is very anxious to feel the baby kick and he KNOWS it's a boy.  He tells me all the time.  He even has a name for him---- Luke! 

So I may keep the Dancing Stars quilt for now until we find out if it is a girl or boy.

Sara

Just Rosy

Roses are very photogenic beauties from God.

Whisk me away to a breathtaking garden any day and I will be just fine. 

Even though knockout roses aren't really for picking as table arrangements in the home.  I may break that rule.  Is there a gardening police?  There isn't a quilting police!  Too bad it is raining heavily outside.  Rain is good.  But this girl needs her roses!!!  What to do?  What to do? 

There are days like these, though that we all need some roses in our lives.  The days when our 5 yr old boy decides to be helpful (we are certainly at that stage) and pour himself his own cereal.  Why in the living room?  On the carpet?  Only Ayden knows this.  Just as the box says, Smile.  Right??!!!  Accidents happen.

Maybe my new mint plant purchase will serve me well in a mojito later. 

Sigh......I am not a drinker per say folks, honest, but that mint plant is sure calling my name today!

 This Dancing Stars quilt top is begging me to do otherwise.  1 1/2 stars to go and each of  the 25 stars will have a navy blue outline. 

Sara

April it is!

Looks like we are in for a storm here today.  The wind is wildly blowing the trees around.  Ayden and I had to visit the dentist this morning for 2 fillings.  This was the first time he had to be numbed.  I thought he did fairly well with the pinching feeling.  You know that annoying sting you get?  At the end of the shot part,he began to cry a bit.  For some reason, it had me teared up too.  It's a mommy thing!  The boy is fine though!  We went to Walmart and he picked out a Nerf gun.  Much deserved in my opinion.  Clearly he is doing good now.  Running through the house with his gun, yelling "Uhuh I gotcha!"  while cracking the trigger!  He's a toughie:)

With the weather this way presently, I am so glad we were able to get to the park yesterday.  Ended up staying over two hrs.  After our picnic lunch, Ayden went scoping out some kids to run around with on the playground.  I sat there and worked on my Dancing Stars quilt with some perle cotton in navy.  I have the center blocks done and working my way outward.  It's a great project for those park days! 

tulip eye candy at my house

The day before our park trip, we had some friends over and while the kids played, my friend, B. and I went upstairs to the studio.  B. has been sewing her bindings on by hand and she wanted to learn how to machine stitch one on.  She is entering it into a local quilt show.  I showed her my technique and then also told her I originally learned from Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts. It felt really good to teach someone a skill for sewing!! 

I showed her around my studio to include this huge pile of scraps from all the baby clothes I cut up the day prior for my next commission.

I have learned a lot about garment construction from this cutting adventure!  Live and learn goes without saying almost!

All stacked up in 3 different sizes using this pattern.  Sometime next week, I will be cutting into some Kona Ivory for the sashing. 

In the meantime, I picked up some flannel for this pattern by Pam Lincoln over at Mama Spark's World.  I ordered a pair of chenille scissors as well that should be here today.  I will be using a charm pack of Posy and some coordinating prints for the top patchwork squares.  This is a quilt for my new niece!  Eeeeek!!!!  I may,just may,get started today.

My March block for Lucky Stars BOM.  Looks can be deceiving.  This is actually around 1/2" too short.  Oy vey....it's a seam ripper kind of job here:/

All those seams could be tricky.  I think I can rip out the two halves and then take those 2 and split them apart.  Sew them back together with a scant 1/4" seam and I am really hoping that will do it!!  REALLY hoping! 

Check out all of my paper pieced stars on my new design wall!  It's about time I say!  I bought a really big piece of foam board at Lowes. First I taped the batting to the back.  Then I added staples.  The hubs nailed it to the wall and for about $30 I have an awesome design wall!!!!

We celebrated the hubby, Josh's Bday the other day as well.  I made some homemade chili in the crockpot and we had the above ice cream cake for dessert.  I don't think you can ever go wrong with ice cream cake!!!  It was a pretty low key celebration.   He also bought a much wanted bow and arrow online which came today.  I may start calling him Robin Hood!  hehehehe  Soon Ayden will be his sidekick! 

Love to you all!!!

Sara

Crazy Mom Quilts