pink picket fence

The Olivia Baby Quilt

I tell you what, my friends sure are keeping me busy making baby gifts these days.  Not that I'm complaining; I'm getting my fair share of snuggles and baby breath.  Is there anything that compares to that?  Because I really don't think so.

This quilt was made for Olivia Christine, born on October 27.  She is delicate and coo-ey and has the most beautiful full lips -- just like her mama. 

In general, vintage sheets are so pretty that I don't like to cut them up very much.  Bands of color are just fine by me.  It also makes them easy to personalize with embroidery.

I usually mix a band of a new fabric in with all the older sheeting, mostly to stretch my vintage stash and also to break things up a bit.  But this front and back are made completely from the vintage goods and are ever so soft.   { I used a new cotton print for the binding, which I do prefer for its strength.  Sometimes those timeworn lovelies are prone to tearing. }

I hope sweet Miss Olivia enjoys her blanket and her mama lets her use it and spit up on it and everything else that goes along with babies.  This one was made with love and should stand the test of time. And if it does need repair, I'm pretty sure they'll know who to call.  ;)

Hopefully, before too long, I'll have nursery room pics to share.  I'm kind of loving how it's turning out. 

Made in 2008

Thank you, each and every one of you for the sweet congratulations on our newest little Big Project.  2008 was a strange year for me -- not the least of which was a month-long emotional drama resulting in a miscarriage last summer -- so the baby news is something that I am, shall we say, cautiously excited about.  We are 16 weeks along now, and every week I feel more confident.  Last weekend I actually pulled on some maternity jeans, so I suppose it is real now.

Anyway, you just have no idea how much your sweet words meant to me.  Really.  So thanks.

2008 was also the year I tried to crochet.  And slip-covered my little settee.  And did a lot of satin stitching.  And clothes-making.  Even for myself, which was something I had never done. I picked up watercolors for the first time since college and also made silly sashes for our annual Miss America Party.  Sarah set up a flickr pool called 'What I made in 2008" and this was just the little push I needed to look back and review.  

It really was a productive year.  October, November and December seemed so light on the Making, mostly due to feeling, well, tired and queasy. I was surprised how much I got done before then, though.  (And I actually forgot to shoot a couple of things.  A couple birthday number shirts and other embroidered gifties that got wrapped and given away before I could document them.  Oops)

So, here's to 2009.  I have a quilt to finish.  Some more quilt blocks for Twelve Square.  Some more sewing for the girls.  And a nursery to arrange.  That sounds like enough to keep me busy for a while.

What are your big plans for 2009?

embroidered anniversary

My inlaws recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.  That's a long time.  Enough time to make Dinner or a Gift Card fall way short of feeling like the perfect gift. 

Anniversary plates are not their thing (although I saw a really pretty 40th one the other day at the thrift shop), and elaborate gift trips are a bit out of our budget.   So.  I made them a giant embroidered monogram, working on it in the car, at night watching tv, and whenever else I had a minute.

 

It measures about 8x10 and is more satin stitching than I have ever done in one project before.  I created the basic design in Adobe Illustrator, printed it out and then traced it on to white linen.  That part was not so fun, and explains the wonky nature of some of the circles.  Also, I must have been inspired by Kirsten's gocco with those swirls, now that I see them in a photo.

It occurred to me after I had already begun that this would have been great to do in their wedding colors; however, I had no idea what they were. Instead, I went with light blue, which is my father-in-law's favorite, and black, which was sure to provide the necessary contrast for those tiny details.

 

I bought a regular matted frame and popped out the glass piece.  Then I wrapped the linen around a piece of foam board, smooshed it in, and replaced the original frame back.   It looks so much better than the tattered wrinkled piece I had been carting around.  Very satisfying and official.

A stitch in time.

I was emailing with laeroport the other day about embroidery projects, and various stages thereof.   She knows how to thread a needle, that one.  Have you seen her stuff???   She has several very cute projects in the works.

Anyway, that got me to thinking. I've got some, too.  Projects in various stages, that is. 

In fact, I have a little stack (4? 5?) of these little girls hidden somewhere in my fabric stash.  I originally intended them to be placed into a quilt for Fidget (because there is no getting aound how much that little girl looks like my Fidget, pixie-cut and all).  I remember folding them up neatly with some of the fabric I was thinking of using, and then having to whisk it out of sight one day when company was coming.  I never intended for them to be smushed into my fabric hutch for nearly half a year.  But they are.  I might have to rescue them soon.

Thanks, dear friend, for the reminder.  I think the girls in their cute little dresses and bows will appreciate the fresh air.

[ This photo.  Of course it is old.  Look at all that GREEN outside!  Ha.  ]

Happy Spring! 

She 'bakes', too.

That Fifi.  She's a busy girl.

I've been down in my office finishing up some work and all this time she was putting the final touches on Fidget's new birthday cake!

Would you like a slice?

Zero calories, I promise.

Be careful with the sprinkles on top, though.  They might be a little crunchy.

It pains me to have to wrap this stuff up tonight.  Momma's had a lot of fun playing with her Fidget's new toys.

Happy weekend!  xo