Pee-pee Tee-pee

In February, my friend gave birth to her third son. Not long before, I came across a pattern for Pee-pee Tee-pees, which are just what they sound like; tents for the little wee-wees! After having changed diapers on a girl for two plus years, it was quite a surprise when Connor came along and took every exposure to air as an opportunity to let loose a fountain of urine. I thought these would be the perfect solution!

Aren't they adorable?! I just love them. Little umbrellas to protect against showers, he-he. Well, in theory, they are great. In reality, not terribly effective. My girlfriend was excited to receive these and put them right to use, only to find out that babies are quite the squirmers. Keeping those little tents in place just didn't work out. Oh well, they're still cute...and a great conversation piece. giggle

P.J. Pants Party

My first real exposure to sewing came in 4-H. I remember going to the teacher's home once a week for a few weeks to complete a pillow. It was just a 9-patch block, but I was so proud. We entered it in the fair and I received a blue ribbon. Hm, I wonder what ever happened to that pillow.

A few years later, I watched Dirty Dancing and fell in love with Jennifer Grey, a.k.a. "Baby." I wanted a dress that would spin and twirl just like hers in the final dance sequence. My mother took on the challenge and sewed me a beautiful purple skirt. I adored that skirt. And yet, I have no idea what became of it, either. I can only imagine that I wore it out because I know it was hard to convince me that it needed to come off to be washed!

In high school, I returned to my pillow roots and, with the help of my mother, took two cross-stitch pieces (one made by her, the other, my very first cross-stitch) and sewed them into ruffled pillows. They are memory laden and a staple fixture of my bedroom.

My interest in sewing really bloomed when I was pregnant with my second child. I had attempted to make my daughter a play quilt, but something just wasn't quite right. (For the record, though the quilt wouldn't have won any ribbons from anyone, it was much loved and served as the nap blanket for both of my children during their kindergarten years. So, I guess it couldn't have been all bad.) Nevertheless, I knew that I wanted  to make more blankets and was determined that I learn a thing or two about sewing before trying again.

So, I took a sewing class. I made a sampler quilt top. It is gorgeous. I can't show it, though, because I still have yet to complete the quilting and binding. I've made oodles of projects since, but have never managed to get back to that one. I wonder what the great thinkers would make of this. Anyhow, I did manage to finish a quilt for my second child before his arrival.

The quilt I chose for Connor was nothing especially difficult, but it was the first start-to-finish project I made, creating my own pattern (obviously simple) and diving right into free motion quilting. This, I have not lost track of; my son still uses it on a regular basis. And, my daughter has one to match, in girly colors, of course.

What I have never had interest in is sewing clothing. Which leads me to wonder how I ended up making p.j. pants for myself and children. Well, it all started with a group sewing project to make sample p.j. pants for a themed event at the quilt store. Having succeeded in a pair for myself, though recognizing that there was significant room for improvement, I decided to try again.

Gracie's Pants

 

And because my kids are goofy, here she is having some fun.

Connor, too!

Not to be outdone....

And though Mom could still get in on all the silliness, I would hate to distract from my cutie-pa-tooties, and let's face it, if I got all crazy, my big o' butt would steal the show. So, just a glimpse of my pants.

I thought for sure that this would be the end of clothing for me. However, it's been about a month since I made these and I am itching to find a pattern for some winter nighties for Gracie. Perhaps even a skirt that twirls, too.  :)  Who would've thunk?!

Friendship in August

I am in the homestretch of my Friendship Swap blocks. Here are the August blocks.

I love looking at the in-progress and finished version of this block. There was nothing complicated about the block. It was just putsy; lots of little steps along the way. When I got to the point where I had nine mini-blocks ready to go, I was wishing the block would just be done. Once it was totally assembled, I was relieved. As I look at the pictures of the block, I think it's pretty cool. I didn't think I would ever want to make enough of these to make a quilt, but I think that as long as I was moving at a leisurely pace, it could be lots of fun. I can't imagine how striking all the blocks will look together!

For the second block, there were no parameters other than to use a foliage fabric. I found a lush green and paired it with a cream. Though there is no Celtic look to it, the block feels Celtic to me. I can only imagine how lush the greens are in Ireland. My father has been there and I understand they are a one-of-a-kind sight to behold.

Lucky for me this wasn't the specified block because for reasons I couldn't ever understand, my center block never sized out the way the directions indicated. I checked and rechecked, scratched my head, and moved on. Ha-ha! I added a 1/2 inch border to the inner block and called it good. In the end, it all worked out just fine because it allowed me to add more of the lush green to the block.

As I am the recipient of one of the September blocks, and I've already made the one of the two October blocks, I only have two more blocks to go. Well, I suppose I will make some of my own, too, but I should probably wait and see what I get before I try to make it all go together sight unseen. Then again, it could prove interesting to randomly work ahead. Hmm. What to do? ;)

Caring, Cozy, Comfort

Two weeks ago, today, I received a call informing me that my daughter's classmate had lost his father of a sudden heart-attack. I just sat there and cried. Though I know the mother and children because of their activity in the school, I didn't even know the husband/father, Ted. It didn't matter. In that moment, I realized that this life cut too short could have just as easily been me or my husband. Being faced with your own mortality is frightening. Imagining the devastation of his wife and all the ways his children will miss out on a lifetime of memories with him is overwhelming.

Later that evening, speaking with my friend, Jen, whom I've lovingly dubbed Queen of Comfort Quilts, I said that I would really like to make the kids each a comfort quilt; something soft to snuggle into when the arms they most long for aren't able to be there. Wanting and doing are two different things, though. But, when Jen offered to share the load and help me get them done, I had hope that we could get these completed before the kids were grown. I should have realized that enlisting Jen's help would put us on a whirlwind pace and get them done in record time (at least, record time for me!). We hashed through the details, and though it was 10 p.m. and there was much else to do, Jen had a good hunk of fabric already on hand and got right to work, nearly completing the top before bed. That was the beginning of a week filled with trips to the store and back-and-forth passing of materials, each of us contributing time, talent and material to both quilts.

Here are the end results.

For the boy, I chose a super-hero fabric; Batman!

For this quilt, I pieced the top and did the binding. Jen quilted. This is a nice picture of the beautiful quilting. Both quilts were backed with minkee fabric for extra snuggle-softness. As an added benefit, though they were backed in solid colors, each looks very intricate because of how nicely the quilting stands out on the minkee.

For the girl, Jen chose Wizard of Oz fabric and maintained the theme by choosing to piece it as a Yellow Brick Road, dropping the borders and adding a focus panel. (It turned out so nice, I think I will have to replicate something similar for my daughter.)

Look at that quilting! I just love how visible it is against the minkee. For this quilt, Jen did the piecing and quilting. I did the binding.

These took nine days, start-to-finish. The last one came out of the dryer Sunday morning and I was able to deliver both to the family Sunday evening. Of course, there are no words that seem appropriate for such an occasion. As it turned out, not many were needed. On what was one of the hottest days of the year, both kids seemed content to claim their quilt and wrap-up it around themselves. It was quite a sight, especially as the mother and I were dripping in sweat. It was heart-warming and I hope it brings them comfort for a long time to come.

And, of course, a special thank you to Jen for all she contributed and her motivation to get things done. Truth be told, it was her kindness that inspired me to even consider the project. Here is the comfort quilt that she recently gifted me.

What a comfort, indeed! It's amazing; beautiful in color and texture and design, quilted with loop-de-lou's, which make me smile. Everyone knows to keep their hands off; this is Mom's quilt! (For a better picture and more information about it in Jen's words, check out her post at Cre8tive Quilter.) To be found quilt-worthy has left me humbled and speechless.

Tag Along Totes

A coworker recently asked me to make her a tote to fit inside of the larger purse she usually carries. It's a very trendy bag but doesn't fit the bill for the dressier occasions. She wanted something small and black.

Here is the Tag Along Tote Tote that I made for her.  To brighten it up a bit, and to make things easier to find, I added a pink liner.

I think the liner is my favorite part!

When I bought the fabric for the bag, I thought the fabrics should be reversed. I thought the black should be the accent and the gray floral should be the main fabric. Though I like how this bag turned out, I needed to try it my way.

Yep! For me, this is way cuter. Of course, it's not really " a little black bag" to go with "a little black dress," but it is adorable. I added the pink interior to this one, too.

So feminine!

I had fun quilting these, too. I usually meander, but I've been wanting to stretch my skills, so I decided to try leaves.

I've got a ways to go, but these don't look too bad for my first try. They look even better when you're looking at the exterior of the purse and not the muslin. ;) I think it gave a really nice finishing touch to the bags.

And what bag would be complete without a Wonder Wallet?

I usually show my coworkers my crafty stuff. I got thumbs up all around. Truth be told, I was a little nervous about how the black one would go over. Does that happen to you? I get an idea so firm in my head that I start to doubt myself. I figured it looked fine, but I liked the gray floral one so much more that I was a little unsure. I was happy that others liked it. In fact, someone liked the black one so much that she asked for one for herself. Doubt was set aside. Now I get to make more!

Crafting Cube

Sew...when you sew, do you find that everything you make must have a purpose; a place to call home when it's complete? For a long time, that was how I thought of all my projects. Recently, though, I have started making things just because I enjoy them. (Of course, it could also be that it helps me procrastinate from completing other things that I'm not enjoying. No, never! Not me! Have we talked about taxes? Anyhow, I digress.) They have no specific purpose or recipient in mind. One such item is my Crafting Cube.

As is typical of crafting, I saw someone else make one, loved the look and had to get one for myself. I liked the original version so much that I copied it down to the fabrics. The project was so fun, in fact, that I made one for me and one for...well, I haven't figured that out, yet. Currently, it's in a pile with several recently made, purposeless bags. :)

Here's how they look.

I had a lot of fun coordinating colors, getting my pockets all matchy-matchy. The cube is relatively small, but it holds all of the notions that I use regularly, two rings of bobbins, my large magnetic pin holder and even some of the things that don't get used so often. With four pockets, lots of slots and a wide open center, this little thing goes a long way. Best yet, the handles make it easily portable.

I love all sorts of crafts. Hmm, maybe I should keep the second one for myself and use it for all my stamping odds and ends. Maybe the second one has a purpose after all!

Comfort Quilt

A while back, I mentioned a top secret project I was doing. I couldn't give any details because it was part of a gift. Now that the gift has been given, I'm free to share.

 These are the blocks I made to contribute toward Regina's (a.k.a. 1I's) comfort quilt. Moneik, Jen and Regina have been friends for a few years and, as I understand it, their group of quilty friends have had cause to make comfort quilts for most of the ladies in that group. They are wonderful ladies and I felt honored to be asked to contribute.

I met Regina back in March on retreat. She is a neat woman who knows how to laugh with...and at...you. Well, to be fair, she's pretty good about laughing at herself, too! Though I hardly know her, she made quite the impression over the course of that weekend. I'm hoping that our friendship grows and that I will continue to cross paths with her for years to come.

Here is a picture of the completed quilt. We all sent our blocks to Moneik. She then put the top together, added borders/backing, quilted it and sent it off in a care package to Regina.

 
Regina was so excited when she received it. I wish I could have been there to give a hug to go with the quilt. Still, it was clear that Regina knew she was being held in love and prayer. Being part of a community is a powerful thing. I'm blessed to know these women.