sunshine and clouds

Usually, I'm very controlled with my colour choices, allowing myself one or two main colours only, and a generous portion of grey and white. For this quilt, though, the request was for "randomly colourful" -- a delight to have free-reign over all of my fabrics, and yet a challenge to my controlled aesthetic. Several times, I sent off a preview of the layout, and my lovely friend responded, oh-so-kindly, with encouragement to randomise it further.

In the end, what I found it helpful to do was to create an image in my head -- a cool, cloudy day, with glimpses of the blue sky and rays of sunshine smiling through. And then, surprise! A hot air balloon appears on the horizon, and then two, and suddenly the sky is dotted with colour.

Backing this one with a giant piece of Lotta Jansdotter's new line, Glimma, felt very extravagant -- I loved the touch of grey binding with all that yellow. And, as a special little addition, I made an eye-spy sheet (or three -- one for each little boy) to accompany the quilt. With so many animals, vehicles and little people prints, there's a lot to be found!

A pleasure to work in so many colours, for a change!

you are sew loved

"Feeding the people I love is a hands-on way of loving them. When you nourish and sustain someone, essentially, you're saying that you want them to thrive, to be happy and healthy and able to live well."

Author Shauna Niequist writes about her love of food, and how she has found that cooking for others is a tangible way of loving them. And though I don't often feel that way about food, that's exactly what sewing means to me. Sewing for the people I love is a hands-on way of loving them -- of keeping them warm and comforted, and perhaps brightening their day with a bit of colour. Emotion often stays concealed in the remote world of the heart and mind, but we can bring it out into the physical realm of the senses. Love is a warm bowl of minestone soup on a cold day. Love is a soft blanket to wrap around your shoulders when you wake before dawn. It's hands-on, it's communicated.

This quilt is a bit of tangible love for Art and Lylabeth -- a couple we met a week after we moved to Texas and were feeling very distant in that new-start, new-place sort of way. They showed us love with homemade cinnamon lemonade. Love was a physical space around the dining table, or room on the big leather sofa. Love was well-thumbed pages in borrowed books.

Next week, then, this quilt goes up for auction at the Salvation Army Banquet in honour of Art. You can find more details on the event here.

baby blue

A second dress, to correct the mistakes of the first -- this version has no hidden holes where I re-did the binding, a proper hemline that doesn't come unfolded, and a Thai hill-tribe pompom for back-closure because buttons are so last week.

It's blue, blue completely blue (save for the red pompom) because I love how wearing blue makes Tilly's eyes seem extra blue, and because the fabric looked just like the one Lotta herself used in Simple Sewing for Baby.

So, my apologies to you, strangers in the supermarket who think that even the smallest dot of blue means 'boy', I really hope your heads don't spontaneously implode when you see a baby in a blue dress.

Moose Rattle

Here's another simple little toy to add to my "Ready for Baby" box! Again, the pattern is from Lotta Jandotter's "Simple Sewing for Baby", and again, it was incredibly easy.

Just a bit of pinning, cutting, machining, and then stuffing with poly fill and a little bell.

Lotta's example in the book was a sweet little giraffe, but somehow mine came out looking more like a moose! I think it's the uneven seaming on the nose which creates a moose-like bump!

Bella goes a bit crazy over this rattle, and begged me to let her model it, but I didn't think it would last longer than me taking the photo if she had!

Ribbon Blanky

"Simple Sewing for Baby" has arrived! And so today I got started on my first project: the Tag Blanky.

The idea is that babies love to put the tags of toys in their mouths, and little ribbons sewn around the edges of a blanket feel just like that.

So, with a little red gingham fabric (I told you our baby would see a lot of that!) and some ribbons, I got pinning...

...and then simply machine stitched it together inside out, turned it, and stitched it once more. Finished!

Bella thought it might be a nice bottom warmer...

...or possibly a hat!

So, I'm feeling very good about having something completed from my book already! It was the perfect little project to refresh my sewing machine skills (or lack thereof!) as a warm up for some of the more challenging ideas.

Next on my list from Lotta's "Simple Sewing for Baby":

• Gingham baby bloomers
• Simple trousers (for which I've got my eye on Justin's old striped shirts)
• Roll-up changing blanket
• Rattle

And a couple from the lovely lovely "Handmade Home":

• Family heart
• Eco-friendly cleaner

How wonderful to have such inspiring books! I highly recommend both of these.

New Month's Resolutions

A year seems like a long time to stick to, so here are my resolutions for the next month:

1. Order this amazing book I found today in Barnes and Nobles, and make something from it. Even if it's just one bib, make something!

2. Celebrate not feeling like this (below) anymore by getting out and about! I.e. walking the dog further than to the mailbox.

(drawing by the awesome Gemma Correll)

3. Take photos of some of the beautifully rusty buildings in downtown Bryan. Who knows when they might get new roofs?

4. Cook. More. At least five nights a week, let's say. And no more bloody canned soup!

That's it!

I feel confident I can stick to these, and enjoy sticking to them.