Finish It Up Fridays: My First Week!

A few months ago I ran into a contest challenging us to finish up our works in progress.  It was quite an incentive for me to work on my projects, not so much for the winning a prize, but rather it felt like I had an obligation to finish something even if it was only a couple projects a month.  I've gotten out of the habit of following blogs (I actually had put it in my schedule for an hour, 2 times a week), which has led to my being less reliable in my own blog postings.  My reasons for blogging was to have a way to express myself (this was especially important this past spring when I was home-bound) and connect to the outside world, even if its the small world of quilting and crafting.  

This past week as I attempted to get back on schedule I read a post from a site I recently started to follow called, Crazy Mom Quilts.  She recently started an encouragement for readers to work on finishing projects.  So each Friday I will post what I have finished for the week and upload my link to her website.  You should stop by there and see all the other projects linked by others.  Some I am simply amazed by what I am seeing and it puts a fire within me to get moving on something each week.  My first "finish" for this week is a set I made for my friend's Baby shower of a bib and a burp cloth for her coming little boy.  It is true that I have been making a lot of baby shower gifts lately, and the trend will continue in the foreseeable future as everyone I know seems to be procreating these days!  My second "finish" would be the table runner I wrote about on my Tuesday blog post this past week; it's a belated birthday gift for my MIL.

My goal for Saturday is to get my fabric stash finished being ironed, organized, and yardage counted!  On Monday I hope to post my very first official Stash Report, and share with you my ideas for how I plan to start using these wonderful gems!  See you Monday!

WIP: "When the Leaves Come Falling Down..."

Somewhere (else) the leaves are falling and the air is cooling down in anticipation for a coming winter (in other places besides Texas).  In our household we have the apple cider simmering on the stove in my efforts to foster the scents of the season (as well as a spice candle burning).  I've also broken into my Sandy Gervais stash of fabrics to get in a little fall sewing.  The Fat Quarter collection shown in the picture is from her Grand Finale line of fabric, I also have a scrap bag from her fall line from last year (I will have to look up the name when I start posting the projects), and two layer cakes from her Tranquility line.  All these are such beautiful fabrics, it is hard to choose exactly what to do with them to do them justice.  I have plans for wall hangings, wall hangings, and perhaps a quilt as well.

In my second picture is the start of a table topper that is a request for a friend.  The pieces are extremely small compared to other projects I have attempted in the past; in the end they should look like stars.  Have you noticed another theme in my pictures today?  Nugette has been jumping into most of my pictures lately.  It's something I did not anticipate for picture taking while I am pregnant.

I look forward to posting some cute projects on Friday that I have finished this week.  Monday, I hoping to have a rough number for a stash report!  If you have time, take a look at our baby-name contest on another post or my husband's blog.

More news from Babyland & Baby Name Contest Round 1 begins!

It has been an interesting week in babyland!  I had some contractions on Sunday, so I called the Doctor on Monday, had an appointment that afternoon whereby he sent me to the hospital for observation.  I was seen by a Grey's Anatomy like resident (tagalong in tow) who informed me that I was mistaken because I was no longer having any signs of contractions and sent me home.

It also happen to be the day my husband forgot his cell phone at home so I had to send him an email at work and hope he got the message.  He comes running in the room towards the end of my stay, out of breath, clearly shaken up.  Two good things to note, a) No restrictions were added to my list, and b) we got to check out what a room is like at the hospital where Nugette will be born!  Timothy and I were quite impressed by the accommodations; they even have a pull out couch for my husband when we come back in about 15-17 more weeks.  On another happy note, we went for an another ultrasound today where we got great news that our Baby is right on target to be born 4 months from today (give or take a week or two, depending on how she is feeling about it). We home to scann and add more pictures soon.

So without further ado, we are ready to announce our baby-naming contest!  We will be holding it on my husband's blog http://toshav-sojourner.blogspot.com/, you can go to his post today for the rules and clues to the contest.  I will be posting some ideas on my blog and you can all tell me which item you think I should make for the prize.  I am super excite and cannot wait to see when you all will guess Nugette's name!

A Belated Birthday Gift.

This little centerpiece/table runner was started in the spring for my favorite Mother-in-law's birthday (yes, yes my only mil) which was in July.  I sent it off to her with some pieces that she requested I make, but I forgot to finish something in the back as well as tagging my work.  One of my favorite bloggers really opened up my eyes to the importance of tagging one's work.  It doesn't take much time before you forget the details of when, where and who made an item.  My husband has a baby quilt that no one in the family made for him, so no one remembers where exactly it came from.  For many years he thought it was from his grandmother, but although a wonderful seamstress in her own right she did not make it, so it still remains a mystery to this day!  Check out Julie at Jaybird Quilts, especially her Tutorial 1 & Tutorial 2 for getting your own labels made for you!

This will be sent off to my MIL with some more requested items and Christmas presents for family.  I only have 3 more Christmas presents to finish for family this year (I started early, had most of the bought items purchased months ago).  I am most excited about my two niece's presents this year, hopefully they like them (& hopefully I get them done)!  Now off to do some laundry; my goal is one load a day for the next 4 days until it is done.  I will post my update on my stash report/project later today after more ironing of fabric!

My Second Quilting Bee

Carin from Margaret's Hope Chest just posted on Tuesday, the finished quilt top for the second quilting bee I joined in this year!  It is so exciting to see a finished project, especially for the purpose these quilts have.  They become birthday gifts for children of incarcerated parents as part of the "Wrapped in Hope" ministry.  If you have quilts you want to donate to the cause, Carin will make sure it goes to someone in need of hope and encouragement.

WIP: "All I Want To Do..."

Today I finally swiped my husband's IPOD, we (Nugette and I) have been listening to some music on my computer, but Nugette starts moving around, especially to the European dance music.  I love the feel of her moving, but yesterday she about drove me batty and triggered the very weird Braxton Hicks Contractions I've heard so much about.  I think I am going to listen to some encouraging music and maybe put on an Audiobook while I get moving on my list of things to do.

I told you that I would post a picture of one of my projects this week.  This is a table runner someone asked me to make for their friend; a few days ago while ironing fabric(yet again) I literally saw the fabrics I should pick right before me!  It was definitely a pick-me-up since I feel I am way too behind in what I want to accomplish before Nugette is born in February-ish.  What do you think of the colors?  The pattern is one I saw in Fall 2011 Quilts and More called Holiday Happenings (plans are underway to use this pattern with traditional holiday colors as well).  What still needs to be done is:  need to add the border & corner blocks, get it sandwiched,  quilted and bound; all of which I am still hoping to do today.  There is a lot of cutting, ironing and sewing taking place here in my craft room this week.  Some of the projects I have been working on I simply forgot to take pictures during the process so you will be getting a few of them towards the end.

WIP: "A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On..."

My little Nugette, has been doing the "happy, happy, joy, joy, dance"  all yesterday afternoon and evening thus I just sat on the couch doing a little hand sewing.  I now have these two little "mug rugs" prizes done, the first I delivered, the second will arrive next week!  For the rest of the week I am going to try to get a few in-progress projects completed as well get a start on a request from a friend.  I found a cute little project I started for my future little girl (started about 5 years ago) for my baby hope chest.  I am trying to hold off touching it for a few weeks, but it's just so cute!

We will be announcing the name-guessing contest, and the rules on Sunday, October 30 by the end of that day.  I am so excited; I wonder kinds of names you will all guess, and if anyone will guess both names, you all have a good chance of doing so!

WIP: "The Colors of The Wind..."

 I simply love color!  As I am constantly talking about on this blog, I have quite a bit of fabric.  It's a lifetime time of birthday presents, Christmas presents, monthly budgeting, allowances, and babysitting money.  Someone suggested that I should simply give some of it away if I could not use or organize it.  Now that is a challenge!  

It has been my struggle to get started on a stash report and give myself challenges to use the fabric I own without purchasing a lot more of it (I am allowing others to give/gift me fabric because it's always a smart gift option, lol.)  But the first challenge has been to get it organized.  I have been simply delighted over getting these beauties ironed in in their right place.  Sometimes I linger over a particular cut, remembering a story that might go with it or why I might have purchased it.  I wish I could say that I am done, organized and ready to blaze on ahead to my project challenges, however, I am finding more fabric every day hidden in boxes, bags, in my closet, trunks, and storage tubs.  It is sad to say that there is still a pile on my craft room floor waiting to be ironed and put on bolts!  I have made a decision that those cuts will be set aside for my sewing classes, and to be given away before we move next year.

As I am starting to feel symptoms for the first time during this pregnancy (besides the obvious tummy bulge and energetic little kicking that is), I am finding that I am slowing down to the speed of State Government.  It is my sincere wish to get my 4 commission projects done and mailed off in the next 3 weeks.  I am having trouble with one of the projects because I do not have the right fabric for the sashing; every time I have picked the right one online, it has sold out before I can purchase it, and this has already happened 4 times!  I am going to get started on the middle portion and travel to a fabric shop near my husband's work in a couple weeks; I will find the fabric I need!  I have almost completed the two prizes for my little contest a few weeks back.  I should have the binding hand stitched on tonight or tomorrow morning, the first to be delivered tomorrow, and the second one will be received by next week!  You will see the start of one (or more) of the commission projects by the end of the week.  Thanks again to all of you for your encouragement.

Yes, The Prizes Are Coming!

Sorry for the delay in posting the prize pictures for the little contest I held two weeks ago.  They are almost completed (I ran out of fusible webbing for the finish), I am hoping to get them finished and posted tomorrow!  Stay tune for a REALLY exciting contest coming soon; some people have heard me mention on facebook that we want you to guess the name we have decided on for our little girl...start thinking, more details soon!

WIP: A bunch of little things are getting done!

 I have been working on a few little projects that I have been wanting to get done.  The first two are cushioned frames for my friend G's two cross-stitches.  She does truly great work; it makes me want to take up cross-stitching again!  G made me a fantastic trade deal in exchange for my sewing she gave me some gdiapers her daughter outgrew!   I am super excited because it was what my husband and I have decided to use for our baby (We have allergies to traditional disposables in both of our families).


I also have a bunch of friends/family who have new babies or babies on the way!  I have been using these cute colored pre-folds to make various burp cloths.  I had a girl pack with dark pink, light pink, and a medium purple.  The boys' pack included dark blue, light blue and a lime green.  Since more of my friends are having girls (not all of them like pink) I have gotten a little creative with using other color choices.  I forgot to take pictures of the burp cloths I have made over the past couple weeks, so some went off to the mommies with out me recording them, oh well!

I also made a "baby scrubby" for lack of better words.  It has "minky" fabric on one side, flannel on the other, 3 layers of batting and an elastic band to keep it on your hand while washing a child.  My friend "K" has a little girl coming soon that will has some health issues and I was trying to come up with items I thought might help.  I wish I had been more creative, it just doesn't feel like enough.  When I have made a few more of these I will show you how I made the "scrubbies".  I made two other burp cloths (not pictured), I am in the middle of 3 more.  They are great little projects that I can start on my machine and then hand sew the binding on while resting.

On my 4 commission projects:  I am super excited because I finally found the perfect fabric for one of them that has been troubling me (one other time I had the "perfect" fabric picked out and it sold out before I could buy it).  My husband is going to help me spray baste the foundations for a funky Modern pieced wall hanging (#2).  I am deliriously happy that I truly found the perfect pattern in two magazines that just came out a couple weeks ago for #3 & #4.  My husband let me camp out at Joann's for 3.5 hours while he was at work one Saturday.  I will show you more as I get these pieces together!  We are getting further into "Iron Fabric 2011" and my dreams of organization, its slow but steady.  I will post a picture soon to show you an update on my Fabric Stash project!

Nugette

Tuesday morning we went to the Ultrasound Doctor (All High tech for High Risk Pregnancy) and was able to find out that we are having a little girl!  I have added this one and another new picture of Nugette to her page!  Timothy and I thought a nickname changes was needed.  They told us they will be watching our pregnancy very closely and so I will have to go back in 3 weeks for more pictures.  I am trying to remain calm and see this as a blessing rather than a little terror in my heart.  I cannot begin to tell you how I am feeling right now.  A little shocked, and a little awed.  That child is in my tummy!  Whoa!  I still am not having very many pregnancy symptoms.  I mean except the belly, the tipping over and the crying all the time you would never think I was pregnant...

Meanwhile, back in my apartment...
I have been working on some special gifts for my friends' new babies and almost done with my two prizes from my little contest.  Tomorrow (or Saturday) I will show you the projects I have been working on!  I am also very excited because I have been slowly ironing and organizing my fabric.  Soon I will be able to start my stash report and enter the fight against my fabric collection!  There is a major sale at Joann's over Columbus Day so I will be trying to decide on a color for the quilt I shall make our own child.  Today I am covered in hives, so I am going to take a sick day.