October 29, 2007

I finished the quilt for Susan Timna today. It looks so good, and I think she’ll be really pleased. The quilt is appropriately named “Million Babies”. Each square is a collage of photos that Dr. Timna has collected over the years.  He delivered all the children in the photos. It’s pretty amazing to see how many children one man has helped bring into the world. I imagine it’s incredibly gratifying. What an amazing profession.

 

 

 

Here’s a close up

 

 

In other news, we started Sean on solids on Friday.  He was very excited to try out the high chair.

 

 

And not so excited to try the rice cereal and formula, especially since he doesn’t eat formula. Is that a face, or what??!

 

We give rice cereal to him for dinner right now.  Michael and I figure that we should only torture him for one meal a day. We’re pleased if he takes two teaspoons. Baby steps, right? There is comfort knowing that he’ll go to kindergarten eating and drinking on his own. Oh, how quickly they do grow.

 

Stupid

Stupid Red Sox. I knew it would be virtually impossible for the Rockies to come back to win the World Series, but I really was trying to be optimistic. I really was.  I don’t like American League baseball. The games last way too long, and the DH is ridiculous. Seriously. AL pitchers should learn to hit the darn baseball.  Irritating.

 

And, why am I writing this at one am?  Because my husband decided to wake me to tell me some trivial information and now I cannot get back to sleep. That’s also irritating. Hopefully I’ll be able to doze off shortly. If not will be a long day for me, and a very long night for him tomorrow with a crabby wife.

 

In the meantime, I’ve been able to continue brainstorming on the Hoffman challenge quilt I want to make. I think I’m going to use a lot of neutrals for the quilt and applique on some of the flowers from the fabric. I have some ideas jotted down and I’m rather excited about the project. I hope to have enough energy to go through my stash tomorrow to pull fabrics that will work. Of course, I can always buy fabric too. That is certainly not a tragedy, but if I already have some pieces that will work it seems silly to buy more.

 

Susan’s quilt is finished. I have to put a label on it tomorrow and I can mail it out Tuesday. It’s just lovely, and I really hope that she likes it.

 

Okay. Going to try to get some sleep now. Wish me luck.

Rain, Rain, Come again

Okay, so not that I love the rain, but occasionally it’s nice. It urges you to stay in and accomplish things you would otherwise neglect. Or, you can curl up in bed and nap. We really need it, too. Desperately.

I enjoy the nice fall weather and take Sean and Lady for walks, but I want the rain to return.

 

I am going to enter a quilt in the 2008 Hoffman challenge. The fabric is a very cool oriental with beautiful peacocks.  I fell in love with it. I have such love for oriental fabrics and my collection is grossly large. It’s phenomenal!!  I have been doing some research online and looking through my books to gather inspiration. I think I want to do a raw edge applique something or another. Maybe with some falling peacock parts. We’ll see. I need to get all my ideas in order first and go from there.

 

And, I am almost finished with the quilt for Dr. Timna. I have to mail it on Monday. I am putting the binding on right now. I am about halfway through with that, then back to Lindsay’s quilt. One day I might even find time to make something for myself.  I recently purchased the Mariner’s Star pattern by Judy Neimeyer. I’d like that to be my next project. Fabrics have been gathered from my stash, and a few others have been purchased. And, of course, if I don’t use those fabrics for this project I can always use them for the workshop I plan to take with Judy at Tiny Stitches in February. Oh, I cannot wait for that!!!

Halloween Parade

 

Am I a baby or a pumpkin?

 

 

 

The Little 5 Points Halloween Parade was today. We dressed Sean as a pumpkin.  He was so cute and didn’t seem to mind the sunglasses either. He was a very hip baby pumpkin. Bob, the baton twirler, led the parade down Euclid into L5P. Gotta love Bob! You know it takes a man that is VERY secure with himself to dress in a tutu, tights and wig and twirl a baton down the street. And, he twirls better than his female counterpart!!! Of course, all the locals love Bob. He’s a local legend and he leads the Halloween Parade and the Festival Parade.If you want an obscure parade, L5P has it…..bunny rabbits, beer trucks, half naked women and the local dog walkers. Odd. I know.

 

 

 

 

There was a costume judging contest for kids as well as dogs.  We didn’t see that portion of the show, but did see a very cute dog dressed as an alligator, the Von Trapp’s, Bonnie & Clyde, Justin Timberlake, geisha, vikings, and one of the Village People (the gay cowboy, to be specific).  The parade wiped out Sean. We arrived back home shortly before his bedtime and he went down mostly without a fuss. He’s a good baby.  Michael and I count our blessings daily.

 

 

It’s sushi for dinner

I’ve had a busy day. As usual, Sean kept me dancing all day and by the time I was ready to take a nap he was up again. Oh, well. And dinner was an afterthought so I picked up some sushi at our favorite sushi restaurant, Zuma. It’s soooo good!

I have had a very productive day. I have almost finished piecing a quilt top for Lindsay Allen. Her brother passed away and I am making a memory quilt from his clothing. I had a pattern in mind, cut out the pieces then decided I didn’t like it. So, back to the drawing board. The quilt is rather geometric – kind of like a brick wall. I like it. I plan to put a black inner border on the quilt top, but haven’t made it past there. Hopefully I’ll figure that out in the next day or two. The quilt might just have more 3×6 pieces for the outer border. I think it would look rather nice.

I plan to be in my very first craft show on November 16th. I’m excited and nervous about it! Friends and family have urged me to do get myself into fairs and shows for a good long while, but I’ve managed to ignore everyone so far. I finally decided it was time. I’m not sure what finally clicked, but it did. I plan to show my quilts – memory quilts, blue ribbon winners and others. Because all my quilts are made on a commissioned basis, I’ll be happy to get inquiries and will be thrilled if I am asked to make even one! I will have several memory quilts there so people can grasp what it is I can do with clothing.

This quilt is a great way to showcase your little one’s clothing that you aren’t ready to part with. There is no better way to cherish the memories of infancy than making a quilt out of your favorite outfits! November 2005

Mrs. Feldman lost her husband recently. I made a king size quilt for her bed from all his clothing. April 2007

Brooke’s mothers favorite color was purple. I made this queen size quilt for her with her mother’s clothing. August 2006

This isn’t a great photo of the quilt, but t-shirts and other clothing were incorporated into this quilt. It’s a personal favorite! June 2006

I also plan to have my barrette holders at the show. Completely customizable. They are super cute and I’ve been a painting fool over the past several weeks getting them ready to go. I must admit that it’s fun to make little girl things!

 

This one is for my niece for Christmas. In the meantime, I don’t think she’ll mind if I show it off!

Well, off to paint some more.

 

Oh, the challenges of an infant

Oh, another sleepless night. And the poor little guy is in a lot of pain from teething. If I’m not his entertainment, well, then he’s a total crab. Makes for a long, long day. Michael will be home soon so I have some relief in sight. Thank goodness.

 

Leslee has my Kaffe quilt all finished and I plan to pick it up tomorrow. I’m so excited and cannot wait to see it. Normally I would have quilted the thing on my own, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Plus, Kaffe will be here next week and Sarah wants it hanging at the shop. If I am really lucky I’ll get to the shop tomorrow to pick out a binding so I can get that stitched down in the next few days. I think it’s the last project I do on such a tight deadline. It was way too stressful to get it finished when one gets very little sleep because of the little one. Oh, and when one has one hour time slots to accomplish things during the day – often reserved for showering and other necessary tasks. At least I know I have several projects in the queue that I want to finish so I can teach as classes next spring. Well, assuming I ever have time to sew again.

 

So, the little guy is screaming at me. I think he needs more Tylenol. Gotta go give him a dose of medicine.

 

Hope he goes to sleep easily tonight…hmmmm…

Blairsville or bust!

Michael, Sean and I went to Blairsville this weekend to visit my parents. The trip wasn’t as relaxing as I’d hoped, but it was nice to see my Mom and Dad. And, I know that they were thrilled to see Sean! My Mom couldn’t get over how much Sean has grown in just a few weeks.

The leaves on the trees have begun to change. The drive up was littered with gold and crimson. The air was cool, crisp and had a very distinct fresh smell. The air was clear, the sun was shining and billowy clouds hung in the sky. Here’s a quick snapshot from Mom and Dad’s back porch.

 

My Dad and Michael went for a drive with Dad’s Corvette club on Saturday. It was a perfect fall day in the mountains and they both had a good time. Sean was even allowed to sit in his future wheels!

 

Of course, since Sean can’t enjoy Grumpy’s car now, my Dad bought him another Corvette. He wants to make sure his grandson catches the bug early. It’s black and shiny and I think Sean will really enjoy rolling it around on the floor when he’s about three.

Mom, Sean and I went to a quilt show then back to the house to relax. The boys came home and we had afternoon cocktails, summer sausage and Jarlsberg cheese. It was yummy, and quite the family tradition, too! Nothing kills time better than afternoon cocktails, and it makes my Dad’s ranting and raving about his political views much more tolerable.

A little relax-o time with Michael. Sean is adorable between the squealing and teething pain.

We were up and out relatively early this morning. We had a tough night and wanted to get home. Michael wanted to get back to watch Sunday football and I wanted to get back so I could continue preparing for the Holiday Fair I am participating in on November 16th. I plan to have my quilts there as well as these adorable barrette holders I am making. I’ve been painting away to get the barrette holders ready, amongst other things. I also have three commissioned quilts to finish by the end of the year. The quilt for Lindsay is mostly laid out and half way pieced. I need to finish getting it all together. I am hoping to do that tomorrow.

 

Atlanta in the Fall

I love Atlanta in the fall! There is a crisp smell in the air. A cool breeze blowing. Chilly mornings and cozy afternoons.People out walking dogs, children, themselves, breathing it all in so not to miss the spectacular display. The blue sky is an amazing canvas to the bright green leaves of the Live Oak trees, looming in Freedom Park and casting shadows on the Victorian houses. How can you not love that!? It’s a breathtaking sight! Yes, I do wonder how anything is still green in this drought. I know the season will get better… when the Ginko leaves turn an intense yellow you can sit under a tree and feel as if you are surrounded by gold. The sun shines down the path of trees on Lanier…..a small treasure in the city. If you’ve never been down Lanier Road in the VA-Highlands in the fall, I highly recommend it. The Ginko’s peak in color around November 9th. It’s a lovely, quick stroll and I assure you it will be worth it. I’ll be sure to put up a photo later.

Getting Started

     So I’m trying my hand at a blog. I’m hoping that between Sean’s naps and other important life tasks, even the not so fun ones like paying bills and laundry, I’ll be able to keep this thing updated. We’ll see. If nothing else it’s a great way for me to get all my quilt projects, past and present, on-line. Of course, that requires time and who has enough of that? Oops…baby’s up. gotta go!

 

Okay, so a few hours later with some errands accomplished all is well in my household. Sean is on the floor playing so I’m taking advantage of a few spare minutes. I should be doing laundry since we are heading to Blairsville this weekend, but I’d rather not bother. Besides, I can do it tomorrow.

 

I am close to finishing a huge photo quilt. A doctor in Savannah, GA is retiring at the end of this month. His wife commissioned me to make a quilt using photos of babies and deliveries from the past thirty years. Pretty impressive, huh? You should see all the newborns with their smooshed little noses and unhappy faces. It’s just adorable…makes me remember the day Sean was born and helps me realize how much he’s grown!

Here’s another view…..

Kaffe Fassett is coming to Atlanta this month. He will be giving a seminar and workshop at my favorite quilt shop, Intown Quilters (www.intownquilters.com). I was lucky enough to get to see a sneak preview of his new book, Quilts in the Sun, and I made one of the quilts. Here’s a close up. Now, in the book each of the flowers, leaves and vases are appliqued by hand. I stitched one flower by hand then realized I would NEVER finish the project. So, I ripped it out and satin stitched all the parts down with my machine.

Now I’m not much of a pattern person. I’d much rather design my own quilt, but found this quilt particularly nice, so why not make it? Beats re-inventing the wheel.

 

In the book each of the flowers, leaves and vases are appliquéd by hand. I stitched one flower by hand then realized I would NEVER finish the project. So, I ripped it out and satin stitched all the parts down with my machine.

 

Here is a snapshot of the back….much more interesting with multiple pieces sewn together…..