A Quilt for Charlotte

So, about a year ago, I found a really cute quilt pattern online and ever since I’ve been waiting on the perfect baby to give it to.

And then Sarah Robins announced she was having a baby.  Yes! Perfect!

So, I whipped this up and I must say, I’m really proud of it.  Quilting gives me such pleasure.  It’s reasonably simple…just sewing shapes together…and it will last for years!  I think of the quilts we have in our family that were made by Great Granny Easterwood and how we fight over who gets which one.  Will my great-grand children want my quilts? I hope so.

Sarah Robins gave me a wonderful color palette to work with.   Here’s the finished product.

 

Congratulations Sarah Robins and Luke! She’s beautiful!

Two Pups and a Bowl Full of Candy

Otherwise known as Halloween.  This was our first year trick-or-treating and it was great.  We took it easy and only did a few houses.  The girls only got about 6 pieces of candy, which is perfect for us.  The problem is we’ve still got a bowl full of candy since only 3 sets of kids knocked on our door.  Oh well.  Candy in the house is never really a problem, is it?

I wanted to be inventive and make  the girls some sassy and hilariously creative costumes.  Problem is, I couldn’t think of anything and we are short on cash.  So, Goodwill and their $5 Target costumes came to my rescue.  Presenting, my two adorable dogs.

I promise, she's not in pain. Chocolate plus friends created a sensory overload and she forgot to look sweet.

Again sensory overload.

See, they even have tails!

Finished Quilt Makes One Happy Girl

Without any further ado, I give you my first quilt.

I am so proud of this thing.  It was really a lot of fun to make.  And, thanks to our broken-down computer, I had all the time in the world to get it done.

The reverse is solid white, as will be the sheets and pillowcase.  I’m also making those.  I’ll take a grand picture when the bed is all put together for you.

It’s hand tied instead of “quilted.” I couldn’t get a good picture of it so I’ll just explain.  A quilt is made up of 3 parts (front, batting, and backing) that have to be sandwiched together somehow.  The traditional way is to, either by machine or hand, run stitches all over it to make the three pieces into one.  A newer and much easier way is to simply tie knots all over the quilt to semi-sandwich it together.  It still has some give and results in a very soft blanket-type feel.  You can tie the knots where the tails are on the front or the back, and choose a color that contrasts or blends in.  I chose to put the tails on the back (white side) and use white embroidery floss.  I didn’t want the ties taking over the fabric.  It’s perfectly soft and warm, and not stiff at all.  Just what I wanted.

Oh, and Laelyn loves it.

She is one happy little girl.

Oh the Suspence!

So, our computer died Friday night.  We’re waiting on Dell to send us a new motherboard.  I’m at the library right now checking up on things.  Hence, no progress has been posted.

But you wouldn’t believe if I told you that I have the entire quilt front sewn together! It’s beautiful!!  I had also planned on sewing the back together, just simple white fabric…when lo and behold, I had the perfect size piece in my stash.  I just had to trim about 5 inches off the bottom.

I bet you would LOVE to see it, wouldn’t you.  Well, I would love to show it, but we’ll have to wait till our computer is working again.  Sadly, there probably won’t be a picture until it’s finished.  Which should be next week.

Tomorrow I’ll head up to Hobby Lobby to get a few more supplies and it shouldn’t take long to finish.

PS.  I have never done anything in my life that is so quickly satisfying.  As soon as I had sewn the first two squares together, I was in love.  It took about 6 hours Saturday and 3 hours today to go from squares to quilt front.  Quilting is amazing!

Check It! (Quilt WIP)

Today’s progress: All squares have been cut.

I would have loved to maximize today’s naptime by laying out my squares and deciding on the pattern, but the in-laws are coming into town and I’ve got to at least straighten up.

I think I like the stripes vertical.  What do you think?

Laelyn’s Toddler Quilt

I’ll be making quilts for all beds in my house.  The nostalgia of a story behind a quilt inspires me.  Each child has a personality…their own color, almost.  It sounds strange…but kids are very unique and it’s very clear to a mom.  Their special bedding made by mommy can reflect that.  I’ve already got Penny’s quilt top, it shouts “Penny.” But I’ll get to that one later.

Laelyn is in need of a bed.  She’s protesting her crib by jumping, kicking, screaming, and taking clothes off.  She’s tired of being constrained.  She’s never climbed out, but she would if she knew she could.  She’s sort of like the Great Dame who stands behind a barbed wire fence, with his head resting on the top.  If she only knew her size, she would have escaped long ago.

So, I’ve got Laelyn’s fabric picked out and washed.  I know exactly how many squares I need and of which color.  I’m ready to start cutting.  Here’s a picture of all the fabric.

I’m gonna add a few squares of one of my old shirts.  It’s an aqua with small white flowers.  It will be mainly blue and yellow, with fewer accent colors.  Laelyn’s not a pink girl.  She always has messy hair, scraped knees, bug bites, and dirt under her nails.  She’s not a tomboy, but she’s not a fairy either.  I think the quilt will match her perfectly.

I’ll post as progress is made.  Hopefully every couple of days.

Note to Reader: Feel free to hassle me if I haven’t been working on it.  This seriously needs to get done.

WAGA

Women Addicted to Giveaways Anonymous, that is.

Hello, my name is Kelly.  And I’m addicted to giveaways.  [Hello, Kelly.]

I’ve been sifting through all my blog frequents lately to sign up for different giveaways.  Anything from natural toys to frozen pizza (did you like how I smoothly did that, Dolly? That’s two entries for me!)

Ha! See there! I can’t even blog about my addiction without entering my name into another pool.  I can’t help it.  It’s too much fun!

Anyway, I feel compelled to really give a shout out to the giveaway that I’ve been trying to win.  First, let me preface by saying that I’ve started searching for this particular giveaway online and I’ve commented on blogs that I’ve never heard of in my life.  It’s that serious.

Now, onto the desired prize.  Take a look at this!  Or more precisely, this.  I love this necklace.  If I were to ever win it, I would have the word “embrace” stamped on it.  Lisa Leonard Designs are absolutely beautiful.  In honor of my own Mother’s Day, I’ve been trying desperately to win this necklace.  Embrace means so much to me…and the life that I see for myself.  I see God embracing me, helping get along in the day to day.  I see my children and husband and remember to embrace these moments before they slip away.  I see my life and try to embrace it…the good times and the bad.  Embrace life and let life embrace me.

See! I’m telling you! This word is powerful! And I want it on my neck!

Do you ever sign up on giveaways? Do you ever win? I hope I do!

Kermit, You’re Wrong

It IS easy being green!!

So, in honor of Earth Day 2010 being just around the corner, April 22, I’ve been thinking lately about how I love living a Green lifestyle.  People’s reasons for living green vary greatly. I feel it is important, for our own lives and the lives of others, to live as closely to creation as we can.  It is much more healthy to live with the earth than against it.  The Industrial Revolution was great and all, but it’s literally killing us.

So, I figured I would share my thoughts and maybe help others who don’t know how to get started.  Basically, there are 5 areas in which to go Green. You have energy, environment, food, waste, and water.  I’ll try to list all the ways I live green in each area.  By no means is this list exhaustible.  A simple internet search would give you thousands of more ideas.

1. Energy

• using energy efficient light bulbs
• driving a compact car with a high mpg rate
• using sunlight instead of light bulbs as often as possible
• keeping heater and air conditioner set at 68 and 78, respectively

2. Environment

• using natural ingredients for cleaning, like vinegar and baking soda

3. Food

• growing food in a backyard garden
• making homemade baby food
• buying organic when possible
• buying local when possible

4. Waste

• recycling
• composting plant scraps for garden soil
• using cloth diapers
• using washable sanitary pads
• drinking tap water
• using cloth bags instead of plastic at the grocery store
• buying secondhand clothing, toys, furniture, and household goods

5. Water

• not running excessive water
• taking baths together

It’s not much, but I feel a lot better doing these small things.  I hope that I’ve inspired you to do SOMETHING to better your earth and your health.

Cheers!

Friday Favorites

I’m linking up to Hillary’s Friday Favorites to hopefully win her necklace.  If you get a chance, head over to her blog and read her stuff.  She’s great!

Recently, my favorite thing about Friday is how it beautifully seeps into Saturday morning…the one time I get to sleep in! I look forward to it all week.  Sometimes I don’t get out of bed till 10:30.  It’s so wonderful to not have to change diapers, feed babies, and deal with attitudes before I’ve even had a moment to pee.

I am so thankful for a husband who is home on the weekends.  And for children who don’t cry for mama anymore.  They know if daddy’s home, mama’s asleep.  Hehe.

And…if I can have two favorites, the second would be this picture.  It’s right after Laelyn’s first haircut, at age 2.

How to Make Non-toxic Playdough

The Play Doh you buy in those little yellow tubs are horribly toxic.  You always have to watch your kids to make sure they don’t eat any.  Why? When it’s so simple to make your own at home. You need minimal ingredients that you should already have.  There are plenty of recipes online.  I chose a no-cook method which used boiling water (so it technically cooked, I just didn’t have to fool with it.)

You’ll need:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup salt
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup boiling water
• natural or food colouring (eg. beetroot, turmeric powder), optional

*This recipe makes the amount of about two of the yellow tubs.  You could easily half it and make two separate colors.

**If your child is old enough to not be interested in eating it, you can add some orange oil or something like that.  The recipe makes it smell like flour, which is perfect for a two-year-old who would otherwise love to eat it.

***While the recipe is non-toxic and edible, it is VERY salty.  A child will be very thirsty if it is eaten.  A dog could be in serious trouble if it ate it.

Assemble all your ingredients with one eager, messy-haired, toddler.

It will look like this until you’ve mixed it.

Once it starts separating from the bowl, you can stop.

Flour your counter and remove the playdough from the bowl.

Knead the dough until it is smooth –  a minute or so.

Pull out your rolling pin…

…and your cookie cutters…

…and admire the work of your hands.

It’s fun for Mom, too.

When you’re done, store playdough in an airtight container.  It will keep for about 3 months – till it’s dry or smelly.

Enjoy!