ALYOF--June Finish

Well, some got finished.

Got the quilt top and backing finished and the quilt basted with the bonus HST.

Did get a few more pieces cut for blocks for the baby's star sampler.

Didn't get any blocks done for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.

http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/?p=4894

Starting a Claddagh

Hello!

I decided to start some handwork. I found a lovely Claddagh stencil at www.quiltingstencils.com (The Stencil Company).

I traced the Claddagh onto a big square of the pale yellow Fairy Frost. Then I found scraps of green blender and the gold Fairy Frost, fused them on scraps of Wonder Under, then traced the heart and  crown on the paper sides. Cut out the shapes, removed the paper, and fused the shapes into place on the tracing on the background. Then I sewed a tiny blind stitch on the machine for the appliqué stitches, but it was too raw edge for me. So I switched to a satin stitch. Much better!

Now I'm ready to outline stitch by hand. I found a nice dark green embroidery floss and away I go!

More pins please

Yesterday, I was in the middle of pin-basting the Autism HST star quilt, and I ran out of basting safety pins!  Oops, I guess it would help if I didn't have pins still in two other quilts that need to be quilted!

I took a quick (what's quick when you're taking a baby, 7-yr-old and 5-yr-old with you?) trip to the JoAnn, to pick up more pins. I love it when I can get nearly everything cheaper with their coupons! And I stuck to my list and my self-imposed budget too!

Here is the backing:

And here is the top, without the final border (last week).

Now, after looking at the picture, I wish I'd done things just a little differently. But overall, I'm really pleased.

After JoAnn, we visited the pond with the playground. Boy, was it hot! Then we visited the local small quilt show, the Peteetneet Quilt Show. The boys weren't quite so well-behaved at this point, even after the park!  More on the quilt show later.

More basting, here I come!

You Don't Taste the Shape

.....is a phrase my husband quotes from his father all the time. He said his father said it a lot (remember, I didn't get to meet my father-in-law, since he died right before I met my husband).

He was referring to food: that even though it might not be presented perfectly, or misshapen, as long as it tastes good, it's alright by him. For example: a weird-shaped cookie (not perfectly round or cookie cutter perfect).

I'm laughing, because he probably wasn't referring to babies and Lego Duplos, or babies and *gasp* quilting rulers! Yup, one of the first senses that babies use to explore is taste!

He is so adorable!

Moda's Facebook page had a giveaway of their new favorite tools during Quilt Market, and I won Jaybird's new Mini Hex n More ruler!

I was holding the baby when my package came to the door, and I was so excited. The baby had to explore the "shape" while I looked at the pattern.

They sent the Mini Disco pattern as well. I'm so glad they included a pattern, because how else are you to learn to use a new tool without a pattern to go with it? Thank you!

So now, I have a complete set of Jaybird Rulers! Hooray!

Star fun

Talk about scrappy!

I finished my star from the 4 1/2" HST cutoffs from the Hugs & Kisses.

Now what?

Now I have one large star, about 24" finished, and 10 little blocks about 6" finished. How should I lay these out into a quilt together?

This?

Since 4- 6" blocks make 24", the size of the star?

Or something like this, with sashes in between and more stars in the sides?

Or something different altogether? I need inspiration!

Weekend

It feels like I didn't get much sewing done this week.

This past week started off with me waking up to the stomach bug on Sunday and not feeling well most of the week...while working Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until the wee hours. Not much sleep. Followed by middle guy's birthday on Thursday, and party for the little guy with family on Friday evening.

I'm still exhausted from the week, but glad it's behind me. I really should go to bed, but I wanted to show off and link with Kim.

Tah-dah! All 10 finished HST bonus blocks from Hugs & Kisses (some HST were from the tops of the hearts, and the rest from the x's and oh's.) They are roughly 6 1/2" square. I need a layout. Hmmmm.

Now I need to decide on a layout for the 5" HST from the bottom halves of the hearts.

Linking up with Kim from My Go-Go Life!

http://gogokim.blogspot.com/2014/06/sewjo-saturday-aurifil-thread-selection.html?m=1

ALYOF--June Goal

Yikes! How is it June already?

There is so much that I want to do!

June is going to be my "finish unfinished piecing projects" :

Cut the rest of the blocks for the baby's star sampler quilt.

.

Finish piecing the blocks and piece the tops for the Hugs & Kisses and Pieces of Hope projects.

Finish piecing Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks.

Oh darn, I don't have anything finished to enter in the Peteetneet Quilt Show this year. It's the local small quilt show in my town. They'll probably be taking submissions next week.

Little guy's birthday

It was a fun day!

My little guy, J., turned 5 years old today!

We went to Utah's Hogle Zoo, which J. requested for his birthday. He just had to have a new map of the zoo.

J and S. rode the newly remodeled train while I nursed the baby, after we saw the new lions and zebras and everything in the new African exhibit. J just adores trains. We had lunch at Red Robin, and visited daddy's fire station quickly so he could drop off paperwork (and shift trade for an extra day off).

 How did five years just go by?

Five years ago right now, I was laying in my hospital bed, alone cause my hubby took then 2-yr-old S. home to bed. The numbness from the c-section was wearing off, I was sicker than sick from the anti-seizure meds they were pumping through my IV drip to combat the preeclampsia and blood pressure, and I still had not seen my baby nor held him nor touched him since he was delivered at 5:30 pm (now being 11:30 pm). He was 35 1/2 weeks old, and his lungs weren't ready. By midnight, I caught my first glimpse of him, but he was packaged up in a NICU incubator, more tubes and blankets than baby, accompanied by the NICU and life flight crews. They had to drive him to the NICU at another hospital (the hospital that I now work at) because he needed the ventilator. I barely got to touch his little hand. It was a Friday night. It was a long and worrying and lonely weekend for me, trying to pump and get my breast milk going so I could nurse him. I was recovering from bronchitis, too. My husband was stressed because of the suddenness of the whole situation, a toddler to take care of, and his wife and newborn in two different hospitals.

I'm very proud of the fact that, once my milk came in, little J. never had another drop of formula. I was released Monday night, and we drove over to see our baby. I got to hold him for the first time, and despite the feeding tube, he opened his mouth right up and nursed well! By the next morning, he was off the ventilator and downgraded to a less critical level.  By Saturday, he was off all bilirubin lights, air, feeding tube out, sleeping in a regular hospital baby bassinet, and I got to stay overnight. We took him home on Sunday-- 9 days was a miracle, when they wondered if he would be going home by his due date at all.

I have no doubt that God was watching over us, and my doctor, to deliver him and take care of me safely. I also have no doubt that a priesthood blessing from my hubby, his daddy, helped him heal and develop more rapidly. And I also strongly feel that being able to hold him and nurse him was the best thing I could possibly do to help him grow when there wasn't anything else I could do--my body got sick trying to grow him inside. I'm proud that I nursed him for 15 months!

This is J. on his blessing day (kind of like Christening) in his white outfit that I made. He is almost 3 months old in this picture. All three boys wore this white outfit for their baby blessings. I love the Celtic knot ribbon trim.

Today, J. is a happy, healthy, smart, growing, energetic, daring, bouncy, and compassionate little boy who is a loving big brother and an adoring little brother all at once. It seems he was determined that being born early wasn't going to hold him back! He loves to play, has an incredible memory and imagination, and he's my little mommy's boy--my helper and companion, my little buddy.

(this was the day the baby turned 4 months old, so J insisted on singing and playing a birthday song for the baby.)

He has recently learned to love Star Wars, like his daddy and I. He wanted a light saber for his birthday!

(He made me a picnic for Mother's Day! This was so cute, I just about cried! Flowers, favorite snacks, drinks, his favorite "cuddle blanket" for the picnic blanket. It was seriously one of the sweetest things I have ever had done for me, and from a 4-yr-old!)

Happy birthday, J !