tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166535092024-03-14T12:49:03.968-06:00Life and Times of JillOne woman. Four children. A big city. A lot of fabric. Bring it on.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.comBlogger793125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-14105411530436424152012-07-07T09:49:00.001-06:002012-07-07T09:49:50.793-06:00Moving on . . .This has been a fun space, that I've enjoyed for the last 6 years and 839 posts. But I don't have the energy to figure out what is causing the malware warnings, after the most obvious solutions failed. So I'm moving on to a new blog. Same sewing, same family, new look and name (and possibly some new features).
From now on you can find me at:<a href="http://jillisdreamingof.blogspot.com"> http://jillisdreamingof@blogspot.com </a>
Hope to see you there!Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-14875497826837012452012-07-02T07:01:00.002-06:002012-07-02T07:01:51.498-06:00To change or not to change?So, my blog is doing strange things. I keep having these malware warnings pop up, but then they go away again. The problem is that I dont' know if there's actually something wrong with my blog or not. After I tried to fix it, and the warning started to pop up again, I started to set up a new blog. But it looks like you're all here and my blog is working again anyway.<br />
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What to do? Do I switch to a new blog, or do I stay here? This blog has 6 years of history on it and a few tutorials. But I am in a new place in my life as a stay at home mom again in a new city. Does that require a new blog?<br />
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Can you share some opinions, my dear readers? Can you still access the blog? Are you getting malware warnings when you try to view it? Would you move with me to a new blog? What do you think?Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-19801329201779736982012-06-20T15:39:00.000-06:002012-06-20T15:39:27.332-06:00Where there's a will, there's a way.That's what my mother used to say. So, while I've been frustrated with my lack of space for a design wall in the living room, I have been mulling over other possibilities and blank wall spaces in my house. And look what I found:
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A handy space to hang some quilt batting and mess around with giant star blocks. I have to cut the rest of these out, but this is the start of my bed quilt for my bed. <br />
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This is the space between my (messy) desk and the change table. So it doubles as something stimulating for the baby to look at while I'm changing his diaper. Because, you know, there's no stimulation in our house at all. No noise or action to keep him insterested and occupied.<br />
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Speaking of the baby, Owen is doing well. He has quite the mop of hair, and it has the funny effect of making him look much older than 2 months. See: <br />
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He's also started smiling. If his little smiles are any indication of what is to come, he's going to be a fun little boy.<br />
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<br />Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-85025959514194083272012-06-18T08:08:00.000-06:002012-06-18T08:08:10.756-06:00Releif!So, my blog seems to have got hacked into. And after a frantic night of messing around in Webmaster Tools and a night of panicing about what I would do if I had to erase the record of the last 6 years of my life, including all the details and funny stories about my kids.
The question, then, is does anyone know how to backup a blog? You know, just to give me something to do in my spare time?Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-23547276659628368292012-06-13T20:42:00.002-06:002012-06-13T20:42:50.679-06:00You know you live in Montreal when . . .the weather man says, "So, if you're planning to go to a festival or go protest tonight, make sure you bring a warm layer".<br />
<br />Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-41316912705546456822012-06-08T20:24:00.001-06:002012-06-08T20:24:15.817-06:00In Bits and Pieces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm trying to sew in bits and pieces. In the midst of the recent 4 child chaos, I do have time to sew, as long as I pace myself. No pics yet, but I sewed a wrap skirt (initially backwards, but that is another story). Tonight, I'm tracing patterns, instead of thinking about which pattern to start sewing. If they are all traced, then I can actually pick one up and cut the fabric the next time I have a few moments to spare.<br />
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I think I might get to blog more if I do it in bits and pieces too. As much as, to quote my highschool art teacher, I tend to be "prolific", I feel better if I at least get to write a little bit. Hopefully stay tuned for more short blog posts soon.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-42937983679028651732012-05-16T21:11:00.001-06:002012-05-16T21:11:07.233-06:00Crafty comparisonsSo, I have had a lot of time to roam around the crafty blogosphere lately, what with all that breastfeeding I've been doing lately. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time cruising Flikr and blogs and quilters blogs linked to Flikr. Not to mention all the regular blogs I follow that keep me up to date on the latest and greatest in quilting.<br />
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This is the thing; I have no time to make quilts right now. No. Time. Yet I keep seeing these increasingly complex quilt blocks that would be cool to make, and these wonderful improv quilts that are amazing displays of creativity and careful design. Not only that, but it seems like many of these bloggers produce at least a quilt a week. Seriously. And I think I made two quilts last year.<br />
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I've been thinking, for instance, about how much I'd like to make a scrap quilt out of tiny pieces (it will have to be done eventually before my house is taken over with scraps). And I always start with a simple - ish plan (why don't I choose a block and make a scrappy quilt using that block, or make a basic spider web or string quilt). But then I start thinking of all the creative things I could do - a medallion quilt with five or six different kinds of scrappy blocks. A tricky paper piecing something or another. A postage stamp quilt. The Maple Leaf rag with all those tiny pieced centers to the spiderweb blocks . . . and my head starts to spin. And I think "I will never be the quilter I want to be. I don't meet up to the standard. All I do is sew squares together and that is not very creative. I give up."<br />
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But the problem with this thinking is the people I am comparing myself to. I forget that a lot of the bloggers I am following are trying to make their living by quilt blogging. They get sent bundles of free fabric, on the condition that they can turn around a quilt top with that fabric in 2 or 3 weeks. Their kids are in school or out of the house or they have help. Or they just devote a lot more time to sewing than I can at the moment.<br />
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This is sort of like when I was a kid and teenager. I always felt like I wasn't meeting the standard set by my siblings. But I was ignoring the fact that they were 10 or 15 years older than me, so of course they were more mature / had more experience / were doing more than I was.<br />
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I think I need to give myself the grace to just enjoy making simple quilts. I need to release the inner over-achiever that wants to make something fabulous that will wow the blogosphere. I just don't have the time, and that's not why I quilt in any case.<br />
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Instead, I need to remember that this is my HOBBY. I don't want to make money off of it (despite many people's insistence that I should try). I just want to play with colour and pattern and make beautiful things for my family and friends. I have some quilts that don't quite work like I thought they would, yes. But then, I was pushing myself outside of my comfort zone when I made them. And often I really enjoyed the process of making them. So who cares? Is the quilt police going to come and ban me from quilting for lack of productivity? No. Are my quilts going to get confiscated for using slightly clashing colors or unsucessful designs? No. Are the Flikr police going to take away my contacts (and online friends) because I don't meet the mark as far as comments or favorites or admirers? Nope. Nope. Nope.<br />
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So why am I so hard on myself? Why do I compare myself to professionals and super popular people? I don't know. I think its time to let it go already. Make things I love with fabric I love and not worry about wether it is what the cool kids are making or doing or using in their quilts. And realize that its okay not to be quilting like crazy with a 3 week old and 3 other kids, when I can barely get sleep and showers in.<br />
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I think "Let it go" is actually my new mantra for the next 3 months. Sounds good, no?<br />
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<br />Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-31148646825601519262012-05-04T09:09:00.002-06:002012-05-04T09:11:16.686-06:00{this moment}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKouLOi_TD-97FeNyFlwInB0uZSvjHCHcFDveKuqZ1XgaY_bKR7eLpUTM5GHZLDpR_uC1-kpY7G5FsrlDwWjhrIN-OM7QMQzrXQdyq4l8u1ALF03RtLtM_M_OPjfLvhgliWHy/s1600/056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKouLOi_TD-97FeNyFlwInB0uZSvjHCHcFDveKuqZ1XgaY_bKR7eLpUTM5GHZLDpR_uC1-kpY7G5FsrlDwWjhrIN-OM7QMQzrXQdyq4l8u1ALF03RtLtM_M_OPjfLvhgliWHy/s640/056.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A
single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple,
special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and
remember.</i></div>
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<i>If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.soulemama.com"> soulemama </a></i></div>
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<i> for all to find and see.</i></div>Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-13433810443841773002012-04-28T09:17:00.000-06:002012-04-28T09:17:09.822-06:00Pre- baby finishes!I did get a few more projects finished while I was waiting anxiously for Owen to show up. First, I finished the second finger and sewed in the tails on my third pair of fingerless gloves:
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These ones are made of a cream wool, and more or less match my favorite crochet hat. The second pair of these that I made I gave to my sister-in-law for Christmas, and forgot to take a photo of. This pair is by far the tidiest of the lot, and on the sixth thumb hole, I finally figured out that "pick up two stitches and knit" means to pick up the stitches that are already present on the sides of the glove, rather than to cast on two new stitches. <br />
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This means that one of these thumb holes has the distinction of not floating around, held together by stitching in the woven-in tails of the thumb hole, but instead is actually attatched to the body of the glove on all sides.<br />
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I forgot to keep the label on the wool, but it is really soft and warm, and it shows up the cables nicely, so I'm happy with how these turned out. I think my next knitting project might be legwarmers. I want to knit something for the baby, but I'm afraid that he'll have grown out of it by the time I'm done. Maybe I'll start on some fall hats in August - I'll start with Andrew and work my way down, that way if they don't fit one child, there is a chance that someone else will grow into them.<br />
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The second thing I finished was the bag I was talking about in my last sewing post, the Nikki Tote (pattern from <a href="http://www.pinkchalkfabrics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39_643_655&products_id=5680"> here </a>). I was a little nervous about this bag because of the pleats, the interfacing and the curved corners. I've never sewn a bag that wasn't of the sew-two-rectangles-together variety, so this one scared me a bit. But with all my experience sewing softies and clothes, I'm not sure why curves and pleats seemed so intimidating, as I've done both in the past. <br />
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I was really happy with the results. This bag is giant - just the right size for a laptop and some work files or for swimsuits, towels and lunch at the park. Last year I used my MEC backpack or a reusable Loblaws (Superstore) bag, but they both lacked a certain panache.<br />
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The pattern was really simple to follow and the pattern pieces fit together beautifully. As an experienced sewer I could finish it quite quickly - probably without interruptions this would be a half-day to a day long project. I used some of my favorite fabric, which has currently been reprinted - Freshcut by Heather Bailey. These reprints don't quite match the original fabrics, so my idea of using this mum pattern in a quilt with them wasn't going to work. The interior print - this yellow - is by far my favorite print in the line, and so I wanted to use it as a co-ordinate.<br />
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One great thing about this pattern is that although it is really clean on the outside, it has big pockets on the inside. These big pockets fit a commuter mug, or a good sized waterbottle, or a power cord (or a tin of pencil crayons). I thought it would be fun, since it will probably hold cup-type things, to pick a fabric that would remind me of the pockets' purpose. <br />
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The other side of the bag also has a "small" pocket, just right for my wallet, keys, and cell phone (plus a soother). The top has no closure, but because of the angle of the handles and the top of the bag, it stays securely closed, which is great.<br />
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Andrew did me a favor and posed with the bag to show you just how big it is - of course this had to be done with proper drama.<br />
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<br />Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-67522831172489774392012-04-28T08:30:00.000-06:002012-04-28T08:30:44.124-06:00On Monday, April 23rd, after just over 2 hrs of serious labour, our new little boy was born: Owen Caleb. Because of his fast labour, he had a bit of a rough start - he started gagging and had to be whisked away to the nursery for his first night and morning. <br />
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Fortunately, while I had to stay in the recovery room, Dave got to hold his finger while all the initial diagnostics were taking place, and then give him a big skin-to-skin snuggle. I got to be there with him while they took blood, and stayed with him, hoping he would get to come back to my room that first night. Un/fortunately, he had to stay overnight. I was sad, and had to wake up every few hours to feed him, but he was really choke-y and needed to have mucous suctioned out several times, so I'm glad he was where he could be taken care of, although he and I were both happy when he got to come back to my room mid-morning the next day.<br />
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Wed morning he got to come home with us, and he has been lavished with love whenever he is awake (and woken up whenever he is not in protective arms the rest of the time).<br />
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Aaron is super excited - the week before he was born, Aaron complained, "Mom, I've been waiting for this baby almost FOREVER." <br />
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Andrew and Emma are also excited, and have been enjoying holding the baby. Every time Emma sees the baby in my arms she wants to "Give Hug! Give Hug!" and if he's awake and not eating, Owen has a little sit on her lap, she looks at his face and his feet and then gives him back.
Dave has also been enjoying as much snuggle time as he can get with Owen, but since he is the main child wrangler, feeder and dish washer right now, he doesn't get as many chances as he would like.
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And really, can you blame us all for being enamoured? He's pretty cute.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-14801173913065689572012-04-20T07:52:00.000-06:002012-04-20T07:52:10.553-06:00Little ProjectsSewing is a great way to distract yourself while you are waiting for a baby. Today is the baby's due date, but technically I am 41 weeks pregnant, so I have one more week before I get induced. In any case, I thought I would show you guys what I've been stitching to keep myself busy and close to home.<br />
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First, more fabric baskets. I love this pattern, courtesy of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/designsmayamade?ref=pr_shop_more"> maya made </a>. I had a couple of fabric baskets in use here, but one was actually originally from the change table, while the other was actually an Easter basket. So I decided I needed some new, kitchen coloured baskets. One side is the grey (courtesy of Ikea) while the flip side is the blue peacock pattern, courtesy of Art Gallery fabrics (don't remember the name, sorry). These are the biggest square baskets I've made so far, and I like the size - I might made some for Emma's toys, now that she's starting to have little - bits toys. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRfI83ZYWYdJuRkDLKeK9Gt6KtYYb8iJeguEdBXYWoRvKijcjbVGaRbDXkFiFcoyeL53j3RZA9Kfb1xSBi1dpmOD2cE1X1oajhFEqhke6W2R4WwlKdButUfMzcZZEiy39FLBM/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRfI83ZYWYdJuRkDLKeK9Gt6KtYYb8iJeguEdBXYWoRvKijcjbVGaRbDXkFiFcoyeL53j3RZA9Kfb1xSBi1dpmOD2cE1X1oajhFEqhke6W2R4WwlKdButUfMzcZZEiy39FLBM/s400/003.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Next up is actually a re-working of something I sewed a while ago. This was originally a soft laundry basket, theoretically for the boys' laundry. However, they never used it. This basket was twice as long, with red canvas and no lining. I basically cut it in half, cut another circle for the bottom, and added some heavy duty fusible interfacing in between the layers.<br />
I love blocks, because they are open ended and all our kids can play with them at once, despite being 2, 5, and 7. So I wanted them out where the kids could see and use them, instead of in a closed bin, where they were before.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BpGs2Gr0oj1JPmI1Ps6tGTZPIZRU_fq28AhZ9TfBbCK6R2AJOMzxnp6t2t8b6SCJJAu8TUqcZpr4RLVpiHtWNwmTewe42qhMW5_pV_AmZPeY3dA1EJj1Uh8xyK2Q9NE9768R/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BpGs2Gr0oj1JPmI1Ps6tGTZPIZRU_fq28AhZ9TfBbCK6R2AJOMzxnp6t2t8b6SCJJAu8TUqcZpr4RLVpiHtWNwmTewe42qhMW5_pV_AmZPeY3dA1EJj1Uh8xyK2Q9NE9768R/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Next up is a pattern I've wanted to try for a while from Lotta Jansdotter's "Simple Sewing for Babies". It is a basic diaper bag. I made the bag as the pattern requires for me, out of blue canvas (this is a medium weight organic canvas - the same as the red in the last post. It is from <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/"> tonic living </a>. The other is a lined variation I made for our daycare provider, as it is our last week of daycare, and I wanted to make her something to thank her for all her work.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5g0mgLZJXK80EOWh2JxulgIDliL68uNHxKurWolQXTzRxfAkK9CMI7skQ6o5PPm1E1te4REV5b7L03RrdzRHkPNIO-6H8qlUMmtOO7mWuW7_jxvphUYAOPiV3nLF0o4N2ndB/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5g0mgLZJXK80EOWh2JxulgIDliL68uNHxKurWolQXTzRxfAkK9CMI7skQ6o5PPm1E1te4REV5b7L03RrdzRHkPNIO-6H8qlUMmtOO7mWuW7_jxvphUYAOPiV3nLF0o4N2ndB/s400/020.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>I put the pockets on the inside of the floral bag, as I thought it looked better with a clean outside to display the big print on the fabric.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3wE0nacDLW9T9zF26WyFtSknuGAmYdWhXCJI34wRpfygj5KY6YYXiaL6OYvLysASZ7bNBNgBFSbLqSsLK1JZ0c2tJq8GTnRui4Yb86bT-kzGkuYz7HZN2k1idUX8F7OeBTLq/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3wE0nacDLW9T9zF26WyFtSknuGAmYdWhXCJI34wRpfygj5KY6YYXiaL6OYvLysASZ7bNBNgBFSbLqSsLK1JZ0c2tJq8GTnRui4Yb86bT-kzGkuYz7HZN2k1idUX8F7OeBTLq/s320/022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I didn't add any interfacing to this bag - just a strip of flannel in the bag handle - but the Kona cotton is pretty tough and tightly woven, so hopefully it will stay together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhORFZevVFTyAGZCEbqzP7LTIb_rEQ83i2Z2qp3wTtuJA1h294r35d77jAjGgKjLi8nWbjXgu9PEIDaq973KABcikG16c4VAhGk9TrsIgkk5BHN9UejzMkuTtxHtCRtgQlQIi/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhORFZevVFTyAGZCEbqzP7LTIb_rEQ83i2Z2qp3wTtuJA1h294r35d77jAjGgKjLi8nWbjXgu9PEIDaq973KABcikG16c4VAhGk9TrsIgkk5BHN9UejzMkuTtxHtCRtgQlQIi/s400/023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My version is simpler, with the pockets on the outside. I thought it might be nice to have a fairly gender neutral bag for diapering stuff, so Dave can use it, too. I might get some fabric paint and stencil something on the outside - I haven't decided yet.<br />
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Next, I wanted to make a little light stroller / car seat / travel quilt for the new baby. As baby #4 will have to come along with whatever the rest of the family is doing, I thought he should at least get a snuggly blanket for cool days. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDprXEQGm2Vc28YdHQMHZ4LvhX2UvW7s1rAtwpjlO87W5Eixvl5txCQLI0nm-15vsq9ZumsfUDkcM_BKf7EdU4jBKGG5-Avgzp7rBOsmo3dUJepGkymVNX0K_fkB8ljuV8UYb/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDprXEQGm2Vc28YdHQMHZ4LvhX2UvW7s1rAtwpjlO87W5Eixvl5txCQLI0nm-15vsq9ZumsfUDkcM_BKf7EdU4jBKGG5-Avgzp7rBOsmo3dUJepGkymVNX0K_fkB8ljuV8UYb/s400/025.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>This quilt was really quick - I have hoarded two charm packs of Funky Monkey fabric for several years now, and I decided I would use it for something for me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G4QLStwoToJmXu40oCIAkidaNIzQXD_zsSFJ_WIXaflcOPQSrH3F03JXy3LcZHKTF0xfhrOCXc8ZaULeT30d8j5GHiuHS_X4euWkjGbKFBFsPifLqIYWMELwC8ZEFqwvrJsD/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G4QLStwoToJmXu40oCIAkidaNIzQXD_zsSFJ_WIXaflcOPQSrH3F03JXy3LcZHKTF0xfhrOCXc8ZaULeT30d8j5GHiuHS_X4euWkjGbKFBFsPifLqIYWMELwC8ZEFqwvrJsD/s400/026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The back is a 1/2 m of yellow flannel sock monkey fabric that was leftover from a quilt I made for the boys' cousin. I put a border of charm squares along the edges to make it a nice size for baby. The front is charm squares stitched together, and some brown flannel I picked up at Fabricville (the local big box fabric store). I sandwiched it with another layer of flannel, pillowcase flipped it, and tied it with red embroidery floss. The ric-rac ties are handy for tying the quilt to strollers or car seats, so it can't get kicked off. One of the best things about this quilt is that is is heavy enough to keep baby warm, but light enough to roll up and tuck in your bag.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_wC41RTrNWTGXdfNMERu8Oz6_tb2-s7TGtZwhDlShRVXTG5u0aZawxmyz2eesGOGWv512MkZGNw0_fB-3czKCDbozKILPgYp_iWaHS__zCpzSqHgQNF1UmboF1Hl3CadhX2x/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_wC41RTrNWTGXdfNMERu8Oz6_tb2-s7TGtZwhDlShRVXTG5u0aZawxmyz2eesGOGWv512MkZGNw0_fB-3czKCDbozKILPgYp_iWaHS__zCpzSqHgQNF1UmboF1Hl3CadhX2x/s400/027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Finally, I finished these change pads. I actually cut these out for Emma, but I didn't ever sew them together. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnnZsvFeTitBU_5NUkoBrv82J_YFnpjHb_ut04czv4pfzundBrV0E0ByWROUKzT_KpGs2EywgCLZg5Pj-OrlWE9hYcPJLabFNzCdB1kV8y370MTNorzby-aAZKZawMeqaWvSO/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnnZsvFeTitBU_5NUkoBrv82J_YFnpjHb_ut04czv4pfzundBrV0E0ByWROUKzT_KpGs2EywgCLZg5Pj-OrlWE9hYcPJLabFNzCdB1kV8y370MTNorzby-aAZKZawMeqaWvSO/s400/029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>These are also from "Simple Sewing for Baby". I don't know why I didn't finish them, because they are, well, really simple to make. They roll up and velcro together so that they fit nicely in any bag, and they took me one night to make.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDioksosm2fnJDp2gCCN6DXM76TbddSmJrwu2E1WeMN7aGgMPLU-S9EjqZgrNuauXWsCW_ME22dj3-U2AJdpgEG0UjwCrZqvHY-gruNi2pOg11Ggbq3SqKKSJxS2Jbo-ptcEq/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDioksosm2fnJDp2gCCN6DXM76TbddSmJrwu2E1WeMN7aGgMPLU-S9EjqZgrNuauXWsCW_ME22dj3-U2AJdpgEG0UjwCrZqvHY-gruNi2pOg11Ggbq3SqKKSJxS2Jbo-ptcEq/s320/030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The outside fabric is an Amy Butler Nigella print that I bought on sale a couple of years ago. The inside fabric is something I picked up at the fabric store in Melfort. It is really old-lady ugly, but I love it. In polyester it would be the kind of thing my grandma would have made a house dress out of. There is something about it that makes me smile. I always dream of it being mixed into a quilt with aqua blues and silvery greys, but I've never been able to find enough co-ordinates to make it into something pretty, so here it is in all its ugliness, ready to hide stains instead.<br />
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Next up (barring baby actually deciding to show up) is a big pleated hobo-style bag. For some reason, it makes me really nervous and I've been putting off making it. I've never made a "real" bag with interfacing and pleats and really nice fabric, so I'm kind of anxious about messing it up. It is all cut out, so I just have to not mess up sewing it together (and hope I cut it properly). Wish me luck with both the bag and the baby!Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-49160907634399815692012-04-11T20:27:00.000-06:002012-04-11T20:27:55.097-06:00Easter and the LikeThe rest of our Easter Weekend was more peaceful than the start. Saturday I spent the day (and late into the night) stitching up some Easter Basket softies. In order to be somewhat awake on Sunday, they remained faceless until Sunday afternoon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsuSHLPdst8nZOH9Ej8hEZ-Zr4plwzk8CE20LKS42lJx2F14xjgciHaiwghU9eyJ_1SQJwQbOS-YElnX1JmnBk7ZiC9aoxOXdzUs5jStLQk0TkC74JbfkeRgeyAFsxoCM1GlJ/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsuSHLPdst8nZOH9Ej8hEZ-Zr4plwzk8CE20LKS42lJx2F14xjgciHaiwghU9eyJ_1SQJwQbOS-YElnX1JmnBk7ZiC9aoxOXdzUs5jStLQk0TkC74JbfkeRgeyAFsxoCM1GlJ/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here they are ready to be found in the morning, in the <href="http: 05="" 2011="" lifeandtimesofjill.blogspot.ca="" whew-real-life-has-been-busy.html"=""> baskets I made last year . And here they are today, fully embroidered and embellished:</href="http:><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5mlgq9f9pe1txIHDZZjYTdvpCsEJJmZXFwM6G7Q7HIWfTY-x8Gs_wGE3uGz5atKo99LT0Z_AMeCLyJ9e7lCsCG04ay9FqbuSIXaqKZrW1GxRVlErTZt_iqp4qIFUr3fpvFlG/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5mlgq9f9pe1txIHDZZjYTdvpCsEJJmZXFwM6G7Q7HIWfTY-x8Gs_wGE3uGz5atKo99LT0Z_AMeCLyJ9e7lCsCG04ay9FqbuSIXaqKZrW1GxRVlErTZt_iqp4qIFUr3fpvFlG/s400/029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The ninjas are from a Melly and Me Pattern, "Little Ninjas". They would have been really fast to sew if I hadn't sewn their head bands wrong three times. Sometimes when you are used to making things up yourself, it is harder to follow a pattern than it really should be. The kitty is from the original Wee Wonderfuls Put Together Book, by Hillary Liang. She was also a quick, fun sew. Eventually I might make a pair of felt Mary Janes for her, but for now she's bare foot.<br />
<br />
In other exciting news, I received the rest of my blocks from Melissa, my partner in sarah and molly's free peicing study, today. Neither of us finished all the blocks, but since they were supposed to be done in November or so, I emailed Melissa and asked if we could just call it done. She agreed that she was kind of burnt out on making the blocks too, although they were fun, and we are just sending each other what we have done. I think my blocks are hers are lovely together. I left my blocks all odd sizes so I could fill in bits and pieces in the colours I needed to. I think I will also make a "Mel" block, just so both our names appear on the quilt. But I love the bright, fun look of all the blocks together, and I think this will be a fun project to stitch together in the fall sometime (when baby is bigger and I have two boys in school).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgSB5HLytPsrpfRsmcR2o8u7zkQYqQwEbdvf6ocL0S5B2O0n6TEpeoq3t0PJF4VK9Ktlgz2zi0NSgkSr0YAMGnXx5DALZzTF8r9mqimCIAsGHaT1RMd_cUzx73Oa3msAZzI2l/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgSB5HLytPsrpfRsmcR2o8u7zkQYqQwEbdvf6ocL0S5B2O0n6TEpeoq3t0PJF4VK9Ktlgz2zi0NSgkSr0YAMGnXx5DALZzTF8r9mqimCIAsGHaT1RMd_cUzx73Oa3msAZzI2l/s400/023.JPG" width="371" /></a></div>In family news, it appears that Emma has picked up her mother's creative layering style. This is how she went to church on Easter Sunday. No cute little poofy dresses (or even cream tights to tone things down a little) for this girl:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOxeih8PY5UVKLlagTlZiW9Tb1PvEnqb_W8KOVF9wppQfAiYl1ev8tpmxCbeDUfTS5AqSxxn2nVHBVKsn97okyYejOhw-puz1yeo4Au1Q_NMCUtU7zFoQ2vFU6WOhaV1rHsh-/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOxeih8PY5UVKLlagTlZiW9Tb1PvEnqb_W8KOVF9wppQfAiYl1ev8tpmxCbeDUfTS5AqSxxn2nVHBVKsn97okyYejOhw-puz1yeo4Au1Q_NMCUtU7zFoQ2vFU6WOhaV1rHsh-/s400/004.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>On Monday, Dave bought Aaron a bunch of these little ATV's that you pull back to wind and then let go. They have been a huge hit, and we've spent a lot of time racing them across the living room floor in the last few days. Andrew won our first after-supper-series, and he was sorely disappointed when we told him that the prize for winning was that you got to be the winner and take a bath. So he build some trophies, which the boys took turns modelling the next night: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFOSC-Niaioc8GGsmpI7FiIkVXDar_JKrS7yLMqMyDfPJENwL0mkTqRKx_mmV97YpJtAeXzd3tGBa8iPvCoRt0qhFONOQ_2wPFIwaP6ZXXnzKscucaWfrrrcV1MiLG3XcmT2x/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFOSC-Niaioc8GGsmpI7FiIkVXDar_JKrS7yLMqMyDfPJENwL0mkTqRKx_mmV97YpJtAeXzd3tGBa8iPvCoRt0qhFONOQ_2wPFIwaP6ZXXnzKscucaWfrrrcV1MiLG3XcmT2x/s400/013.JPG" width="312" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfWAYwl8kE4CP1gHMD_0okXnVgoJ5ozrbtnWH-Yg8bzEBzt9PGkZd3KAY-HzL9cEiPkk2AobuJ2H5UO8K7_7UGLQo3urizpX5cujXq_6hm2HjGrIEdzWqHXLuE1dn9ZKz_6v4/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfWAYwl8kE4CP1gHMD_0okXnVgoJ5ozrbtnWH-Yg8bzEBzt9PGkZd3KAY-HzL9cEiPkk2AobuJ2H5UO8K7_7UGLQo3urizpX5cujXq_6hm2HjGrIEdzWqHXLuE1dn9ZKz_6v4/s400/020.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>I love this shot. Its another one for the mini-pops indy band cd cover series.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-58087461256837274202012-04-06T13:08:00.000-06:002012-04-06T13:08:55.222-06:00A Different Good Friday Than ExpectedToday was a little bit of a different day than expected. Not because of a new baby, no. Because we had a plan for a family outing. There is a joint ANiC Good Friday service in the town of Lennoxville on the South Shore (of the St. Lawrence River - we are on an island in the middle of the river). Because it is an hour's drive and it starts at 5, we decided that we needed a plan.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sLE59bqyO3BWBb6JmgYtvEDQyHhuIcnYKlu7u0KNNi1j4wmfXwUZkOAcHcsmvIvayKI4K0ONnsUDG1K9Vlex3VW7-D0cBSgGfYdMv3BkoehxSXad0_6Bqc2lrX8hDeIE5N-E/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sLE59bqyO3BWBb6JmgYtvEDQyHhuIcnYKlu7u0KNNi1j4wmfXwUZkOAcHcsmvIvayKI4K0ONnsUDG1K9Vlex3VW7-D0cBSgGfYdMv3BkoehxSXad0_6Bqc2lrX8hDeIE5N-E/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So instead of leaving at 3:30 or 4, we decided to leave around one, find a park, play for a while, find a McDonalds as a special treat for supper, then go to the service with kids who would be pretty mellow and not hyper and cranky after an hour long car ride.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJs0IqeE1b-6-ScOele8ayBQ35qAp_q4Mz3lAj0m2WAGPLzyjlGT9pQZ9Qfr3q1WGGHtxJ6V58LpkkZuISrfy3EGC0FzQUOFeYmXNx5StFDwvNg4PNjQIZQDVzjy75SzSMNw7/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJs0IqeE1b-6-ScOele8ayBQ35qAp_q4Mz3lAj0m2WAGPLzyjlGT9pQZ9Qfr3q1WGGHtxJ6V58LpkkZuISrfy3EGC0FzQUOFeYmXNx5StFDwvNg4PNjQIZQDVzjy75SzSMNw7/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Well, first of all, we started out in the wrong direction. Then, when Dave got off the highway to get turned around in Lachine, the car started vibrating. Dave stopped to see what was wrong with the tire, and couldn't see a problem. Then 2 min. down the road, the car stopped moving. The axle was broken. So we weren't driving to Lennoxville after all.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhbd-1Eq88Ef2Yp1OYSbCwb-5t5D5M4lVRfTHb8hEmaffwzlHSof-7EYCKVw3wEp8rzENzImjCOKxE-xYcIVN0aBYiK4_TESplPFHiJBD-WfyyvGz0iKLz_QKbxWhokqEZosV/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhbd-1Eq88Ef2Yp1OYSbCwb-5t5D5M4lVRfTHb8hEmaffwzlHSof-7EYCKVw3wEp8rzENzImjCOKxE-xYcIVN0aBYiK4_TESplPFHiJBD-WfyyvGz0iKLz_QKbxWhokqEZosV/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Instead we had a completely different kind of adventure. One involving a tow truck. And kids riding in the back of a taxi. Then realizing that Dad had the keys with him, in the tow truck, on his way to Canadian Tire. And breaking into our own house through the kitchen window (no, I didn't climb in myself, I boosted Andrew - I have my limits when I'm 9 mos pregnant). <br />
Well, climbing through the window was so cool and exciting that everyone needed a turn. Aaron followed Andrew. Andrew unlocked the door and Emma and I went in. And Emma and I had a discussion that went something like this:<br />
<br />
"Car wheel broke!"<br />
"Yes, that's right, the tire broke on the car and we had to stop. The tow truck came to carry our car away to get fixed."<br />
"High up."<br />
"Yes, the tow truck was lifting our car up very high."<br />
"No Macdonalds."<br />
"Nope, instead we came home in a taxi."<br />
"Window."<br />
"Yes, we climbed through the window."<br />
"Emma's turn."<br />
"You wanted a turn climbing through the window?"<br />
"Yeah."<br />
So, we put a chair by the window on the inside, went outside and opened it up again, and I boosted Emma in through the window. <br />
<br />
A lot of people say they feel sorry for Emma, as she is the only girl in our family. It seems to me sometimes that she gets the best of both worlds. All the cute clothes and softies and doll quilts to herself. Plus all the rough and tumble play she could want. Even climbing through the window to do her part in rescuing us.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-17365489620870475912012-03-30T21:25:00.000-06:002012-03-30T21:25:30.446-06:00Missing a Design Wall . ..One thing I miss about my house in Melfort is my sewing space in the basement. Although I have a cute, compact little space here, I miss being able to spread out and leave the mess of a half finished project or three on the floor, the tables and the wall (like in <a href="http://lifeandtimesofjill.blogspot.ca/2010/03/ug-how-did-this-happen.html"> this post here </a>). I find that I am especially missing my design "wall" (which was really just a piece of batting I would tack to the wall).<br />
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Now instead, I have a design board which is about big enough for a doll quilt, or I can spread out a piece of batting somewhere and stick parts to it, then roll it up when little "helpers" arrive to get in on the action. Unfortunately, when I unroll said project, it looks something like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZIE18gVZf6XqmhzF16-wqsVxFU_NWE7iIaL7HQigAzVjVu7wJLWIUKVtu4IDAAfz9IiLd0tUest1Hs3I8Te5ufNYqFaRJhAJeW3RSPIvt3CiWMvjr9IvqmNFfuafj-Ch5uzW/s1600/DSC04931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZIE18gVZf6XqmhzF16-wqsVxFU_NWE7iIaL7HQigAzVjVu7wJLWIUKVtu4IDAAfz9IiLd0tUest1Hs3I8Te5ufNYqFaRJhAJeW3RSPIvt3CiWMvjr9IvqmNFfuafj-Ch5uzW/s400/DSC04931.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> Then I get discouraged, and I don't really have the patience right now to move all the pieces around and figure out what is wrong when bits keep falling onto the floor and wrinkling all up like this. I do know what's wrong: I either need more reds and oranges in the frames, or I need to make it all blue, green and whites. But that requires more cutting and playing around with which blocks belong where. So instead of fixing this quilt (the beginnings of boy #4's quilt) and sewing the blocks together, I got frustrated and pulled them apart.<br />
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I briefly contemplated just doing this (only with fabric, of course):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xUTIxeLyi8j4U7v5hT6zGq8atZRlrh-zmJWfHhM1oZiW8QZ_h2Lezh4GnBLH85jG5AGFE7QuP64I88FL28r-Wzn4METOtfItuorEhvTqoF4hlKVxeUe-35IHQv_ek46uZ9h0/s1600/DSC04933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xUTIxeLyi8j4U7v5hT6zGq8atZRlrh-zmJWfHhM1oZiW8QZ_h2Lezh4GnBLH85jG5AGFE7QuP64I88FL28r-Wzn4METOtfItuorEhvTqoF4hlKVxeUe-35IHQv_ek46uZ9h0/s400/DSC04933.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> But in the end, I did this instead:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOPzmEVz5xWJA1hZgviscfQVNUceRNpdRAs4Uk-R2ugsUs0AbcNaNxg4Da93-XOuIDLKkUPgXiIJE6T1H-u7VOA4KhX1rO0X7paxIffWe_hURYtwh7O7evEM0QVwX50M-6K-P/s1600/DSC04936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOPzmEVz5xWJA1hZgviscfQVNUceRNpdRAs4Uk-R2ugsUs0AbcNaNxg4Da93-XOuIDLKkUPgXiIJE6T1H-u7VOA4KhX1rO0X7paxIffWe_hURYtwh7O7evEM0QVwX50M-6K-P/s320/DSC04936.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I think this quilt needs to wait until I either figure out a way to hang some batting on the wall, or have the mobility to use the floor as a design space again (not so easy at 37 weeks pregnant). So instead I'm going to sew some brainless, satisfying smaller projects with happy fabric, and leave quilt piecing until later.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-37675659395404243482012-03-27T21:32:00.000-06:002012-03-27T21:32:33.158-06:00The Waiting Game Begins!These photos are from last Monday when we still had snow. A week later and 5 days of freakishly warm weather means our yard is now full of mud, not snow and ice. And now its back to "regular" March weather.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZR8G9_LBC9lgrdmH8nk44odYTrNPB1ILmvl6buIvhfreUSfEo3gtlwz32-G-8AppEzywG6DkGYUUabfVi9A8tVnVhpl04vJqmsGmHQ8drFl36hvzjBl-C-49veCrYnzJ4mglP/s1600/DSC04904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZR8G9_LBC9lgrdmH8nk44odYTrNPB1ILmvl6buIvhfreUSfEo3gtlwz32-G-8AppEzywG6DkGYUUabfVi9A8tVnVhpl04vJqmsGmHQ8drFl36hvzjBl-C-49veCrYnzJ4mglP/s400/DSC04904.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>One month to my due date has come and gone, and spring has sprung in Montreal. While my kids finally get to go outside and enjoy their sandbox, their fort and - soon - their bikes, I am increasingly finding myself inside, sorting and organizing and, mostly, resting.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0QmMNEGfcxN5HGMF8mGJVVBHYKzm1x-comnKOGDhomP6ZD4WAXKzo0ysu5fDIvJc1bS-sw2Y1sk7XIENoLNPR2-A_XuSI8R1AK0RMYrQWoJe8M96zBKz2guFlO9uZ4ThBB2j/s1600/DSC04909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0QmMNEGfcxN5HGMF8mGJVVBHYKzm1x-comnKOGDhomP6ZD4WAXKzo0ysu5fDIvJc1bS-sw2Y1sk7XIENoLNPR2-A_XuSI8R1AK0RMYrQWoJe8M96zBKz2guFlO9uZ4ThBB2j/s400/DSC04909.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>I feel like the new life in me is a little like my kids in the sandbox these days. They are re-discovering all the joys - wind, sunshine, excercise - and pains - skinned knees, wet mittens, and dirty hands - of the outside world. And I am remembering, and about to rediscover all the joys and pains of that early, intense stage of motherhood that is caring for a newborn. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWFclubU9HoO_EUGhyF002RrBfCWeJ1ue4pio2X-BAOdMccZqSDHBF_Wj0Nq_1WHiM15Zib4aYf6yo0BfB92ZvbcxUBlggEtrP3Y-lX7qCHCfGY0Wga7TYXkiG1K90aApqx4o/s1600/DSC04912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWFclubU9HoO_EUGhyF002RrBfCWeJ1ue4pio2X-BAOdMccZqSDHBF_Wj0Nq_1WHiM15Zib4aYf6yo0BfB92ZvbcxUBlggEtrP3Y-lX7qCHCfGY0Wga7TYXkiG1K90aApqx4o/s400/DSC04912.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>In the meantime, there is little I can do but wait, prepare, and distract myself from the inevitable change to come. Work is almost finished. Baby clothes are being sorted, emergency bags packed, and the last few re-organization tasks are planned or completed. And then there is just the slow, measured wait. Trying not to panic. Trying to keep busy and distracted while simultaneously doing a lot of nothing but resting and staying calm. Keeping our household operating, while realizing that our rhythm is about to change, and accepting that things are just not getting done as my energy and stamina wanes. Life is slowly, inevitably, briefly, turning inward.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-75039809784734139822012-03-21T18:22:00.000-06:002012-03-21T18:22:28.278-06:00Sewing Time!Well, I finally got a day off where no one was sick and I had a few hours to myself. I decided that aside from sleeping (which I did quite a bit of) and tidying up a little bit (enough to make things sane again), I decided it was time to sew!<br />
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I decided that I need to get a few UFOs (unfinished objects) finished, so I can feel more excited about sewing again, and I wanted to start with this quilt: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcERWEdhfcao1vrB3sSJWkO7h9QD-9T39JIdzbnbvP7PjZovnjOquB8savbxLDBWwQV3yXH8jBn1tJrlJ5yviFn4dvlicunEf0Dg5lfiQKvBgG_17pUOaGHS3yeGxiRapzTigC/s1600/DSC04920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcERWEdhfcao1vrB3sSJWkO7h9QD-9T39JIdzbnbvP7PjZovnjOquB8savbxLDBWwQV3yXH8jBn1tJrlJ5yviFn4dvlicunEf0Dg5lfiQKvBgG_17pUOaGHS3yeGxiRapzTigC/s400/DSC04920.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>These blocks were made for me by the ladies of the Threads Together Quilting Bee way back at the beginning of the quilting bee craze. I loved these fabrics, and had been collecting them to make a wonky log cabin quilt for Dave and I's bed. Instead, I decided to hand them over to my quilting bee with no instructions, and see what I got back. A few people flaked out and I ended up with only 12 of the promised 16 blocks. Since I had asked for small blocks - 10 1/2 " - this meant I either had to put huge sashing around them or make a bunch of blocks. Discouraged, I put them in a bag with the leftover fabric and left them. Occasionally over the last few years, I have taken them out and played around with them, but always I have put them away again to work on another project. I still love the colours and fun bee and butterfly and owl fabrics in them, and the blocks I received were really stunning, so I've always felt bad that they were sitting in a bag, unassembled. It seems so disrespectful to the ladies who worked so hard to make them. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl5B99FcZBK3OpqvyNCiodgNpIAO0RZ7jyHhpLBqWeZFmTZc0jeh56ATEMV7S2FnT5Qm69KnwegdvPsOGweab5izcJd9R9EcB0aFjCoJ9Z2n2-r5SokCbALCU8mI_7xev96vY/s1600/DSC04923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl5B99FcZBK3OpqvyNCiodgNpIAO0RZ7jyHhpLBqWeZFmTZc0jeh56ATEMV7S2FnT5Qm69KnwegdvPsOGweab5izcJd9R9EcB0aFjCoJ9Z2n2-r5SokCbALCU8mI_7xev96vY/s400/DSC04923.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>So I finally decided to just make one block to replace the one block that just didn't fit with the rest, and sash them together, and make a small quilt. Right now this is about 40 X 50, but I might add a scrappy border to it, which will make it about 46 X 56. I figure we have enough little people in the house that its okay to have some little quilts around that are just the right size for their laps.<br />
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The other thing I wanted to start on today was a baby quilt for the new baby. I decided I'm going to do really simple square - in - square blocks in these lovely bright colours. Some are from a couple of fabric bundles I picked up at Fabricworm.com, and the Pezzy prints are from a yummy bundle of pezzy prints I picked up at Pink Chalk Fabrics (also online). I wanted to get the cutting done while I had no little fingers around.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsoCDGJnHPue2vDRYUs9LOQhU-qC1hPnCWpW6t1X53xN3lSq_gv_P8gXvVQpDQudUHhOuvBFOy06XcShBTxDOabjgVjv3dVoPcQr3Za1H7A4Zh49bMVVGWUxv0-nQ2_T6E8u5/s1600/DSC04924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsoCDGJnHPue2vDRYUs9LOQhU-qC1hPnCWpW6t1X53xN3lSq_gv_P8gXvVQpDQudUHhOuvBFOy06XcShBTxDOabjgVjv3dVoPcQr3Za1H7A4Zh49bMVVGWUxv0-nQ2_T6E8u5/s400/DSC04924.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Since Emma stays up so late, my old quilting routine of cutting and ironing at night when everyone is sleeping, and then sewing during the day when I have a few moments hasn't worked, so I was glad to get these all done today. I was really happy because I figured out a way to get all the fabric I'll need from two 2 1/2" strips and one 4 1/2". This means I have enough fabric left from these plus the other fabrics I ordered as "potential" fabrics to make a nice log cabin picnic quilt later this year (I want to make a second go at the quilt-as-you-go method in "Patchwork Style").<br />
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Emma came home while I was sorting out and spreading out the fabric for the last photo. I gave her the leftover bits and pieces and she had fun playing with them until supper time. Soon she'll be a great quilting apprentice to have around the house.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafga0y7zk8fNtC9pirgig_p-pqkvO6-6sNA8hebcmDapmYoTUkekakY9bOpMv_4bxuCJVy_4_TiNk3FUaEXU1YvJq4sdNjyn86VnkaYLmWpJAYhza7j6B-8HAQ1hRFNT0O2jZ/s1600/DSC04925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafga0y7zk8fNtC9pirgig_p-pqkvO6-6sNA8hebcmDapmYoTUkekakY9bOpMv_4bxuCJVy_4_TiNk3FUaEXU1YvJq4sdNjyn86VnkaYLmWpJAYhza7j6B-8HAQ1hRFNT0O2jZ/s400/DSC04925.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Here is some of the leftovers from my original stack, although since I cut them in pairs and then folded quickly, you can only see half the fabrics here . . . I am really excited about this baby quilt. It should be super fun.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGHyNfsy-XBF7bO_70yT64gqs7YAPkR1ZF744Eyf_j1taE-5ScxVowtnvEVjTebjBqeIxxjXR5R7RAg4ub98GEMBXT1JowRHYsg77inDW_EjywqUyqKPm8iIjLRZGFdIHiK_f/s1600/DSC04927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGHyNfsy-XBF7bO_70yT64gqs7YAPkR1ZF744Eyf_j1taE-5ScxVowtnvEVjTebjBqeIxxjXR5R7RAg4ub98GEMBXT1JowRHYsg77inDW_EjywqUyqKPm8iIjLRZGFdIHiK_f/s320/DSC04927.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-88505218681019342072012-03-21T17:21:00.000-06:002012-03-21T17:21:31.461-06:00Fab Little Quilt Swap Conclusion . . .Well, the Fab Little Quilt Swap is now at the point where all the quilts have been sent out, and everyone is checking their mailboxes for their quilts to come! Since the swap is mostly out of the US, I am considered "international" and have to mail early. So my part in the quilt swap has come to its happy conclusion.<br />
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Here is my finished quilt. My partner was <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthiequilts/with/6997836415/"> ruthiequilts </a>, the queen of all things bitty (she is one of the members of the truly amazing bitty block committee). She likes some order and structure in her quilts, and had just photographed some quilts with all 3" churn dashes that she loved, and she had lots of pics of tea cups and tea pots in her photo stream.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJpCmzWn4xPayeWZWbBwy2wNEt0mdw4KM1Z35a2pcJV8-4WT5xvpZ5pDipQCPVDj5CMoFf2FQwgRDSYne_Y_RWmOBWd47-JJlvSi7xZWak6vVK18JQKR3XmEEm-zPmRqhAFSD/s1600/DSC04876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJpCmzWn4xPayeWZWbBwy2wNEt0mdw4KM1Z35a2pcJV8-4WT5xvpZ5pDipQCPVDj5CMoFf2FQwgRDSYne_Y_RWmOBWd47-JJlvSi7xZWak6vVK18JQKR3XmEEm-zPmRqhAFSD/s320/DSC04876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So I put all that together to make her this little quilt, which I called "Catmint Tea". She loves it, and I'm glad it made her happy - I had a lot of fun making it.<br />
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In return, I got an amazing quilt from Angela / Twee Cut to Pieces. She read through my blog when she was looking for quilt ideas, and must have read my post on <a href="http://lifeandtimesofjill.blogspot.ca/2012/01/ambivilence.html"> my ambivalence about staying home again </a> after being back at work. She put that together with <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tweedledeedesigns/6751463463/in/pool-1678548@N23"> this amazing illustration </a> to create this masterpiece for me: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hFe1mJ65yEF9n8LU_Y8cNVUboAwl0VgfXauCV91lvMCTeShqG_7nHVz4ERLfJ2DrceU-fyLIVD6FMYdR03HTWaHMPCzFkef-PM4YFVkCAW__-ZEq-P6smuS4pGcBeRrrC2HZ/s1600/DSC04884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hFe1mJ65yEF9n8LU_Y8cNVUboAwl0VgfXauCV91lvMCTeShqG_7nHVz4ERLfJ2DrceU-fyLIVD6FMYdR03HTWaHMPCzFkef-PM4YFVkCAW__-ZEq-P6smuS4pGcBeRrrC2HZ/s320/DSC04884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
As soon as I got it, the pretty quilt found its place on my quilt wall in the kitchen, to remind me to enjoy all the things I love, and relish this time I'm going to have at home with my little ones. <br />
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Angela actually won a blogger competition with this quilt, too, so it is very cool that its now mine! I really and truly love it.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-54250168298497152552012-03-14T21:41:00.000-06:002012-03-14T21:41:22.709-06:00Inspiration OverloadSo, now that I am done my Fab Little Quilt (no time to down load pics and do a proper post on that today, so it will have to wait until later in the week - if that is too much of a tease, just check my Flikr stream), I am trying to finish up some WIP's and think of what I want to make for a baby quilt, and for Emma's big bed quilt.<br />
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The problem is that I have too many ideas and choices. I've gathered some awesome fabrics for both quilts, and part of me wants to just do simple one-patch quilts of some variety. But I know I could do so much more, and I sort of want to stretch myself a little bit, so I never actually cut into the fabric. Instead I just toodle around on Flikr thinking, "oh, or I could do that. or maybe that. oh, that's nice too . . ." without actually choosing an idea, or thinking about how short my time frame is before the baby is actually here.<br />
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And every time I do settle on a plan, life gets in the way and I have to wait a little longer to start working on it. This week I thought that I would finally get some solid sewing time in, because Thurs. and Fri. are half days at school. But Emma picked up Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease and she is highly infectious, so she has to stay home from daycare all week. So there go my free days - AGAIN.<br />
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I think I just need to acknowledge that as much as I'd like to be making more complex and challenging quilts right now, my actual sewing time is short. So I need to think simple, stop trying to over-complicate my own life (one of my favorite pastimes) and just make something relatively quick, that I will still be happy with. I will have years when my kids are older to make Dresden quilts and Postage stamp quilts and carefully crafted and balanced Improv quilts and Wonky neighborhood quilts. Right now I just need to think lovely, simple, comforting quilts in happy colours to brighten our rooms and warm our hearts. Right? Right.<br />
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So maybe I should spend that extra 15 min. I have here and there sewing instead of popping in to Flikr, overloading my brain with MORE inspiration. Well, okay, once my Fab Little Quilt arrives at its recipient's doorstep, anyway. Then I will cut into that yummy stack of baby boy fabric. Promise. Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-43374698624988544692012-03-09T15:02:00.001-06:002012-03-09T15:04:30.376-06:00Bye, bye hair!Well, my hair has been <a href="http://lifeandtimesofjill.blogspot.com/2007/02/pre-raphelite-hair.html"> pre-Raphelite-ing </a> again, and had become pretty unmanageable. I was mostly just throwing it up in a messy bun or braid, until Emma got a hold of it and pulled it all down and apart. Since I have no immediate plans to swoon in rowboats or languish on the edge of city ramparts or otherwise take advantage of my long, unruly hair, I decided it was time for it to go.<br />
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So, off to the hairdresser I went. She asked if I wanted most of it cut off in a ponytail so I could donate it to a wig-making for cancer patients charity. I said yes, of course. How fantastic would that be to have my hair, which is just irritating me, used for something so wonderful? And since my hair is such an unusual colour, it really is perfect. Rather charmingly, when I brought home and dried out the ponytail, Dave asked if we could keep it next time in case I died, so he could remember my red hair. I told him he was being very Victorian and that the ponytail was going in the mail.<br />
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In any case, here is the hair that was cut off, and here is my new haircut:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FhsQV2glxpCMoWnux6a6KDOujUz2vSlKypaGJRx9FXarHPxIUk_LOU_GEMbL-tHipt23vAvW27Jci_phlXRd362A71GkpvYoMDdo9drg7KJkimtHp65TToHji3kdtBBj8fIl/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FhsQV2glxpCMoWnux6a6KDOujUz2vSlKypaGJRx9FXarHPxIUk_LOU_GEMbL-tHipt23vAvW27Jci_phlXRd362A71GkpvYoMDdo9drg7KJkimtHp65TToHji3kdtBBj8fIl/s320/048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I was hoping for something a little longer, but my hair grows. Fast. So this is good for now - light, easy to clean, hard to spit up in or pull, and polished and professional for the next month while I'm still at work.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxC6dON9pnzMpI1UG07TGWB7fRDcOGubVTydm0Q9JzL-hAmYpUK78OWJ5Im4uxuaOE1xtEBsOn75Vq3JYuLD-P_CcaCK0F-TnZOc79jEw8NV87wgYPtOhRgBUnopmIM21SbE7/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">"<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxC6dON9pnzMpI1UG07TGWB7fRDcOGubVTydm0Q9JzL-hAmYpUK78OWJ5Im4uxuaOE1xtEBsOn75Vq3JYuLD-P_CcaCK0F-TnZOc79jEw8NV87wgYPtOhRgBUnopmIM21SbE7/s320/051.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>So, if I was in my "Earth Mother" phase back in the day in Saskatchewan (see my pre-Raphelite post), what would I be in now? My "Urban Working Mom" phase? My "I'm Too Busy to Construct an Identity" phase? Any thoughts?Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-20099177631209281592012-03-02T22:36:00.000-06:002012-03-02T22:36:05.698-06:00Stage Two of Nesting Complete - Paint!As I mentioned on Monday, I have been in that particular stage of pregnancy insanity where you must throw your entire household into upheaval and get everything ready for the baby. I beleive with Emma we got new wardrobes and I sewed everything in sight - wipes, change pads, baskets, wall organizers, quilts . . . I was a mad sewing demon. This time it appears to be painting and re-organizing.<br />
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I think I might have mentioned that we are switching all the bedrooms around. Since we were moving all the furniture anyway, and two of the bedrooms did not get painted when we moved in, and the third has been liberally sprinkled with Aaron's idea of wall art, I decided that there was no time like the present to paint. My long suffering husband agreed to wash walls and move furniture and peel tape, and gave me free reign to choose colours and paint walls. <br />
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Since I finished these rooms it has been snowing, and there is only pale, filtered light to see the new colours in, but I had to show them off in any case because I love them. When we were in Saskatchewan, I was always trying to pick paint colours that would liven things up and make our space more stimulating. In Montreal, I find that I am chosing colours that feel calm and happy as a foil to all the chaos and crowding (not to mention all that red brick). <br />
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Our room, formerly the boys' room, is at the front of the house, facing the street. It is this lovely moss-y, pine-y green. Dave and I both love it, and it feels so soothing to be in this room now.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS_fv-Jdg6YKXoi2jyEKfhynA_PvKwvsSKuAnuD__-ejjxBhYKsnS3ejZvGhaIV83YsN27NLvFiCZdK9ckoidh_i_Z_UwbCqXcO1GF-Z8MrujgnxvI3mYfn3AOgaasvoaAmYk/s1600/DSC04815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS_fv-Jdg6YKXoi2jyEKfhynA_PvKwvsSKuAnuD__-ejjxBhYKsnS3ejZvGhaIV83YsN27NLvFiCZdK9ckoidh_i_Z_UwbCqXcO1GF-Z8MrujgnxvI3mYfn3AOgaasvoaAmYk/s320/DSC04815.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>And look, I even sort of made the bed for you (the duvet cover is in the laundry right now, and what with all the painting, the laundry is sadly neglected, so pardon all that white. I think I'm going to finally pull out my Freshcut fabric and make a wall quilt and possibly a bed quilt with it. And the fact that it has been re-issued and I could get more of a few prints I was missing or had used for other things helps, too.<br />
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Emma's room (formerly our shared room) was a neutral-y white colour with lots of handprints and wall art fromt he previous owner's kids. Yuk. Frankly, it has been driving me crazy for the last year and a half, and I have been itching to paint it, so I was happy to finally get the chance. <br />
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This room has no windows, just a sliding door joining it to the boys' room and the main door leading to the living room. It is pretty dark, and when I started applying this yellow-green paint I discovered that part of the reason for its sad, cavern-like feeling was that the former owners had painted it a neutral with a purple undertone. I totally do not get why you would put a cool, dark undertone in the paint of a dark room. In any case, this meant I had to add a second coat of paint, since there was this strange pink glow emmanating through the seemingly flourecent yellow at the end of my first coat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx8YHdH_2T_BEEqY15Yj1RukB7pyomoOmzRkAWGfTj-8uow_2XypNhBR6jrJwF1rl16w6CeaNkLatEZJy2g3EgmDN1a5VVL2MKTp8Q_pVCjqtDCR_wgPhwAUKyFaTJoCxImDl/s1600/DSC04818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx8YHdH_2T_BEEqY15Yj1RukB7pyomoOmzRkAWGfTj-8uow_2XypNhBR6jrJwF1rl16w6CeaNkLatEZJy2g3EgmDN1a5VVL2MKTp8Q_pVCjqtDCR_wgPhwAUKyFaTJoCxImDl/s320/DSC04818.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The end result is a pretty, soft green that will be great to match with pink for now, but will have staying power for when Emma moves on from the pink thing. There was nothing in this roome except a giant, ugly, cheap Ikea wardrobe when I went to take this picture, so I thought I would show off the baby bump. Because this room has so little natural light, it is hard to photograph. The colour of the back wall is pretty accurate, but it is a little more yellow in real life.<br />
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The boys have been moved into the former study at the back of our bedrooms. They seem to have really taken to this room, and play in it a lot more than they did their former room. I think they maybe feel more secure because they are in the middle of the house rather than slightly isolate at the front of the house. They are still on their futon mattress, although plans are brewing to build them loft beds in the spring or summer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tfmVuqr_G88xiJ9h3VbR04ZPuaMmf7g9C-NYt-yEMjqY-x7DwASswXzlkHNaDtHNDypkktbhjYvh0E_J1v5v7VQ5qhk3rjFVcs6XUWGPzxxNdnio-difscsgP9_iFAJBNoin/s1600/DSC04814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tfmVuqr_G88xiJ9h3VbR04ZPuaMmf7g9C-NYt-yEMjqY-x7DwASswXzlkHNaDtHNDypkktbhjYvh0E_J1v5v7VQ5qhk3rjFVcs6XUWGPzxxNdnio-difscsgP9_iFAJBNoin/s320/DSC04814.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The boys initially really wanted a similar colour to their old room, and this is pretty close. It is a little bit lighter, because there is less natural light at the back of our house (thanks, hill covered in tri-plexes on the other side of our back yard). Aaron decided once we had already bought the paint that he wanted grey instead, and then of course Andrew decided he would like red. We compromised and told them they could each pick a colour for their bed when Dave builds them. <br />
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Now that the painting is complete, we have started sorting and moving. Hopefully I'll be able to show you that next week, along with my finished Fab Doll Quilt, which has to be mailed in a week or so.<br />
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Hope you have a lovely weekend, and if you are in our area, find a way to enjoy the snow!Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-41217052913681897092012-02-27T16:41:00.000-06:002012-02-27T16:41:17.514-06:00You might be nesting if . . .on your first official day of Spring Break you put two coats of paint on a room, prep another room for painting, cook two chickens, make a batch of chili (neither of which are actually supper for tonight) and bake cookies. <br />
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You know you are Jill nesting if the kitchen floor has been left un-mopped and there are three baskets of unfolded laundry to be tackled while you are doing all this . . .<br />
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Ahem. But in my defense, my husband did put our mattress in the middle of the living room, on top of the laundry bins that contain the washable mop heads and other clean laundry.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-24149103489155928242012-02-23T23:08:00.000-06:002012-02-23T23:08:51.173-06:00Free Pieced Tea Cannisters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyL_AYB_UvOluIs3qT1KDn_22tmgtUF_uyJGoQh1fyFmMWQdiwEqbMqaAWzhuNSlDDGp-t1ZCbaqpAG_IJhpAH6JsD_6LmPfJIMqiyzwk8kn8AibKY0vbEbM81Snkp7svcnSs/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyL_AYB_UvOluIs3qT1KDn_22tmgtUF_uyJGoQh1fyFmMWQdiwEqbMqaAWzhuNSlDDGp-t1ZCbaqpAG_IJhpAH6JsD_6LmPfJIMqiyzwk8kn8AibKY0vbEbM81Snkp7svcnSs/s320/011.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>So, the next step of my Fab Little Quilt is to make a tea cannister. Above is the first one I made, inspired by the crazy bird on the fabric. He matched perfectly with the churn dashes, and I love the cannister, but the yellow was overwhelming everything else in my quilt and killing the overall design. So cute or not, it had to be replaced.<br />
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Fortunately, when I was first tinkering with the block, I made a label that I thought was with the same yellow as the cannister above, but was really in a more orange-y print from the same fabric line. It clashed with the yellow in the bird fabric and wasn't working at all. I pulled it back out tonight, along with a little piece of my latest funny animal fabric (I love this designer's animals - they are so whimsical and happy), the original green and yellow, and a bit of the fabric I bought for this quilt. Here is my second cannister:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xrtf9_ABaPGgSVN7nsCRAKmf-jGBXK-HYlQHOfvfczX_3wlaRhyphenhyphenfB-vt-faVncL-APb-_UJS-8MLTQQdyY1w6tphz21cfpeWhTvvZ6GATDpnLlgJsG_owbqq3R1mgNa3FTIo/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xrtf9_ABaPGgSVN7nsCRAKmf-jGBXK-HYlQHOfvfczX_3wlaRhyphenhyphenfB-vt-faVncL-APb-_UJS-8MLTQQdyY1w6tphz21cfpeWhTvvZ6GATDpnLlgJsG_owbqq3R1mgNa3FTIo/s320/003.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>One of the ladies on Flikr commented that it must be catmint tea. I think it fits in with the overall colours of the quilt, and is still cute without stealing the show, don't you?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfp8ti4lb2TQVkv8lZOE1NOltWriSsjJTLbMA0UWg4-Y_z6WthMhw6QPDis42D9y82coayuVSgOIswCd1mQx12NedITi23xQ29PHM4YirpkW2g8QttZJ_KoOJoFNyFmDIjjQR/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfp8ti4lb2TQVkv8lZOE1NOltWriSsjJTLbMA0UWg4-Y_z6WthMhw6QPDis42D9y82coayuVSgOIswCd1mQx12NedITi23xQ29PHM4YirpkW2g8QttZJ_KoOJoFNyFmDIjjQR/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So, on to teacups, and then to put the puzzle pieces all together somehow!Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-20428995950698171452012-02-23T13:04:00.000-06:002012-02-23T13:04:17.478-06:00Let the Switch Begin!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KkRJhHGqao2auAjJXuCHI5ycisb7mwesUm58rXTXK0zIHpFu-FRmfppwGB4hkJP6Y6el3VKuKjiJC4y9R9yNM2fd5Odv8LXLHedxlq7tYN3yi71IzfCNSkqHEqAt5nEPkSSy/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KkRJhHGqao2auAjJXuCHI5ycisb7mwesUm58rXTXK0zIHpFu-FRmfppwGB4hkJP6Y6el3VKuKjiJC4y9R9yNM2fd5Odv8LXLHedxlq7tYN3yi71IzfCNSkqHEqAt5nEPkSSy/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So, the "big switch" has started. Dave has reading week, and he spent a number of days of it moving things around. So far we've done some of the "easiest" moving first. The white storage thing that was in the hallway is now in our bathroom (making it look much tidier, I might add). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTbWLQKCsiQafSqvzfn4ThKb3f9do9n1ebdbbjOZHOEGcfLMDknz2aW1deJmFkLc8zt4SRx9zcO5auo7MkCZ5OCQCFnQwgKmdZ7U6KgJV97oRLdfxFRmcY4KpYbJhkH6tmjfx/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTbWLQKCsiQafSqvzfn4ThKb3f9do9n1ebdbbjOZHOEGcfLMDknz2aW1deJmFkLc8zt4SRx9zcO5auo7MkCZ5OCQCFnQwgKmdZ7U6KgJV97oRLdfxFRmcY4KpYbJhkH6tmjfx/s320/007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Next, the bookshelves from the entry way were moved into the place where the linen storage used to sit. This is nice, as these shelves are narrower than the storage unit was. The down side is that Emma is much more interested in the books now. I found her leafing through "Leisure: The Basis of Culture" the other day, which gave me a good laugh.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDhOHzlyHD887y0FDhucEoSK54J7J0DoRdQATX1r84TX-fMuXu3Xu1jgSgt3807TLOc8cd5ubuyeohiyNNOrJ7F50K9yaubVfKVuZO9DlS70We5r_BbHqI6tPdV_Lg3gD7mQJ/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDhOHzlyHD887y0FDhucEoSK54J7J0DoRdQATX1r84TX-fMuXu3Xu1jgSgt3807TLOc8cd5ubuyeohiyNNOrJ7F50K9yaubVfKVuZO9DlS70We5r_BbHqI6tPdV_Lg3gD7mQJ/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>We moved those bookshelves, because Dave's bookshelves needed to be moved out of his former study. It is going to become the boys' room, so all the books had to move out to the living room. Now we look much cleverer, as we have the Ante-Nicene Fathers and assorted other theology and commentaries sitting out in our entry way. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdiQLD82jPfUatbNuz3m3qdHdWsCeBrfS7Nn5QubcxH5bBb8YYMLtC-BDjpbV8K5gehpavi12X_4Y4_f-aWtBf2gtr0PLCLdSz_iuq7fz61OCTsUTR5wEkt-eyNArSumArgVL/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdiQLD82jPfUatbNuz3m3qdHdWsCeBrfS7Nn5QubcxH5bBb8YYMLtC-BDjpbV8K5gehpavi12X_4Y4_f-aWtBf2gtr0PLCLdSz_iuq7fz61OCTsUTR5wEkt-eyNArSumArgVL/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Yes, I know the shelves are covering that door, but that is the door to the basement. As we have a basement suite, we don't ever use that door, so its all good.<br />
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Now we're on to the more complex changes - moving beds, toys, clothes, drawers while simultaneously painting rooms. All of our bedrooms are turned upside down and the boys' bed is a room with a stuff-covered office desk, while their toys and drawers are shoved into the center of their former bedroom while the walls are primed and painted.<br />
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I think we're all feeling a bit turned upside down too. Every day when Emma wakes up or comes home and something is different, she says, "Momma, come see! Come see!" and takes my hand and makes me come and check out the "new" thing she has discovered. Aaron asked this morning if the living room was still going to be the living room when we were all done. I am surprised every time I walk by a door and see a bed in the study. But, we think its better to do these changes now than when we are also adjusting to the new baby's arrival. So, hopefully we'll have a few weeks between the transition of our house and the transition to being a household of 6.Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-66685950167683124982012-02-18T09:14:00.000-06:002012-02-18T09:14:36.271-06:00Fab Little Quilt Swap Progress . .So, I've been working away at my Fab Little Quilt in little bits and pieces over the last few weeks. I'm running out of time, and ever time I've planned to work on this quilt lately, someone is sick or I'm sick or I decide to have a nap first and wake up 3 or 4 hours later with no more progress made . . . sigh. And now I'm stalling because I don't know where to go from here. So, after checking out my partner's photostream and favorites and galleries and thinking about my strengths as a sewist, I came up with these two sketches:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJoz_lWUdsdQh4c4WAMvZoeZj827q0Tnc9loWZSg4PcCHWPogf6JkZTUNom2Ylot6gis_H5RtKXQX60KzGynHOGln4x7GwrtKMP12v-IRNeHmU2P849KmfckUpQ7pZ8iecDMy/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJoz_lWUdsdQh4c4WAMvZoeZj827q0Tnc9loWZSg4PcCHWPogf6JkZTUNom2Ylot6gis_H5RtKXQX60KzGynHOGln4x7GwrtKMP12v-IRNeHmU2P849KmfckUpQ7pZ8iecDMy/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr9BEXMz7y4gaUvUsKaMgFi7V3p2n5KAdj-ZZT3nBbOCV5srCY2xRNdN7O_KNF1ofOCiVv3XkX9Dj0V1gzej0e004IDYi8mjYJZukVt_YysYpMlaILHJgKUw4DiwuCuaPp8qC/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr9BEXMz7y4gaUvUsKaMgFi7V3p2n5KAdj-ZZT3nBbOCV5srCY2xRNdN7O_KNF1ofOCiVv3XkX9Dj0V1gzej0e004IDYi8mjYJZukVt_YysYpMlaILHJgKUw4DiwuCuaPp8qC/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>(nope, I can't take credit for the soldier at the bottom, but I wanted to include him. Its always nice when your son decides to take over your sketchbook . .. ) I thought my partner would prefer the one on the right, and I was correct. I bought a few new fabrics and pulled a bunch from my stash and ended up with this fantastic little pile here:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrrMwR5NZWkqD2Bd2RAwLxC-AQJ-3Ttan4gx3AXKetpseJjby5P7VLVSpktaXHO86ICO1hM9E7Hrrsxg0Vp1GhHNlGufxFWKQERSgkRiCD6kbSjN1nkmFTyFy1hAHpKJRRJOC/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrrMwR5NZWkqD2Bd2RAwLxC-AQJ-3Ttan4gx3AXKetpseJjby5P7VLVSpktaXHO86ICO1hM9E7Hrrsxg0Vp1GhHNlGufxFWKQERSgkRiCD6kbSjN1nkmFTyFy1hAHpKJRRJOC/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Then, I started making churn dash blocks. Have you ever made 3.5" unfinished (3" finished) churn dash blocks? They're fiddly. They require lots of precision and trimming and pinning and proper pressing. They took me about two weeks to finish, but I think they look great:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk_BHbYTMc2Ng83C3hV5hxaFf7xZ_65apTdk_02fiWlX1VbJbBon5ol70TmaT3EcvbYtlkUWCbfpXD-sbsMey4npUgRz-3FQ5K50UE5JJW_bud0QmViuKdVqbojZciJOAialC/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk_BHbYTMc2Ng83C3hV5hxaFf7xZ_65apTdk_02fiWlX1VbJbBon5ol70TmaT3EcvbYtlkUWCbfpXD-sbsMey4npUgRz-3FQ5K50UE5JJW_bud0QmViuKdVqbojZciJOAialC/s400/011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>But now I was almost out of time, and my original quilt required about a dozen or more cup blocks, which are also fiddly and I was sick for 2 1/2 weeks and exhausted from teaching, and I started playing around with a simpler idea . . <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7j7WQz9TAcwyFoBwprubbfuh8ON2pWxmIC-Xup52iVXWoKONKJxe0if12EsrDuDMd4pYkIxVTCTltUNGUJEMvBSsgPnYaRPhaE7_KPk0HiDiOk2OP5hofEUXJOSVy20Ik9nw/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7j7WQz9TAcwyFoBwprubbfuh8ON2pWxmIC-Xup52iVXWoKONKJxe0if12EsrDuDMd4pYkIxVTCTltUNGUJEMvBSsgPnYaRPhaE7_KPk0HiDiOk2OP5hofEUXJOSVy20Ik9nw/s320/021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So I made my teapot, and now I feel like I've hit a wall . . . do I want to make a cannister and two cups, like in the plan above? Or do I want to make a yellow bird teapot and some cups in vertical rows . . <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPxMV9hV-4Hw2E2hXvBpso82Ies-lQn1Lbrs2F8h412w2Wh4xWO5UfdfhAkeJjKWWTYP4SkVxHNXv9YyjRS5BF73y2vxcFyMm2FtPrVHSX5KQhLr091bi0usseE-NyTnqfaEC/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPxMV9hV-4Hw2E2hXvBpso82Ies-lQn1Lbrs2F8h412w2Wh4xWO5UfdfhAkeJjKWWTYP4SkVxHNXv9YyjRS5BF73y2vxcFyMm2FtPrVHSX5KQhLr091bi0usseE-NyTnqfaEC/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPxMV9hV-4Hw2E2hXvBpso82Ies-lQn1Lbrs2F8h412w2Wh4xWO5UfdfhAkeJjKWWTYP4SkVxHNXv9YyjRS5BF73y2vxcFyMm2FtPrVHSX5KQhLr091bi0usseE-NyTnqfaEC/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>And if I only want to make two or three teacups, then what do I do with all these fab fabrics I pulled to make teacups? I wanted to do 3 or 4 dainty cups with the little fabrics, and then some funky clunky mugs out of the bigger prints. But then how will I balance out the quilt? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DZIt2vvWc8zXqjqOa69L3N6HcF5zOF8DamC6ainufotYYpVnG63NPro9KGImY9QCvq2cuTxaqJdYR3b3z87uc2zP46fjrs9PMDXI8-UJVZofQHepjj9vH6CPKw4OsB2KZmBu/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DZIt2vvWc8zXqjqOa69L3N6HcF5zOF8DamC6ainufotYYpVnG63NPro9KGImY9QCvq2cuTxaqJdYR3b3z87uc2zP46fjrs9PMDXI8-UJVZofQHepjj9vH6CPKw4OsB2KZmBu/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>What to do, what to do? So much pretty fabric, so many ideas, and only two more weeks until my mailing deadline, and not even a finished quilt top. Sigh, I'm usually more on the ball with these things, but I'm feeling a little lost and nervous of making something "too simple" or "not good enough" for this swap. I think I might just start making teacups and a teapot and a cannister and if I don't want them for this quilt when I'm done, I'll use them in a little quilt of my own. Thoughts, anyone?Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653509.post-78127869724843751702012-02-11T18:42:00.000-06:002012-02-11T18:42:03.781-06:00[Un]Productive SaturdayOr would the proper Postmodern Punctuation be Un/Productive? Not sure. Okay, enough obscurity.<br />
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In any case, I had plans for today. I was going to get work done on my Fab Little Quilt (I shall have to show my progress on that sometime). I was going to finish editing my chapter in the Crosstalk Daycamps Manual. I was going to fold the laundry (I say that every day . . . that way one day it will get done). And then the boys decided to start playing one of their favorite games this morning - Softies in the Kingdom.<br />
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Softies in the Kingdom is one of those wonderful games entirely invented by Aaron and Andrew. It involves all the stuffed animals in the house, and it has been ongoing for over a year. Sometimes there are dramas involving lost family members that need to be reunited. There are dragon attacks, spy missions, burned down houses and destroyed communities that all require the entire relocation of the softies from room to room all through our house. Usually by the end there are bears and hippos and tigers and monkeys strewn all over the house in every room as they have become casualties in some epic battle or natural disaster, and the whole thing ends with a few lone survivors and a massive clean up operation.<br />
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Unfortunately, Aaron has determined that there are just not enough scary bad guy softies. There is one giant tiger and one dragon puppet, and other than that, there are no really evil looking bad guys. So, today Aaron decided it was my assignment to solve this problem.<br />
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I agreed, with plans of making little round black dots with horns and fangs and red glowing eyes (the three things required of the softies). And so I started cutting out pieces and fusing fabric to webbing and getting things ready.<br />
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And Aaron walked by and asked, "But where are their arms?"<br />
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So I cut out arms and started sewing again, and I got the faces fused and stitched on.<br />
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Aaron walked by again and asked, "Why don't they have any legs, Mom? They need legs."<br />
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So I cut out some legs and started sewing the horns and legs together, when I realized that if I just added some claws, then they could "roll their terrible eyes and bare their terrible teeth and wave their terrible claws". And at the very end of the day, we ended up with these:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjofRs1vAGi8Y7xgF3FPpQr_Dk0AR_QERFc2qmkhE83m8Jl0VMzP3Hf4echVmd8QzNwrpfjM8X-NdHDZHBNePc1QcNwLxl2FG1Ifa2lYYqV7O7OhWCj6mu4qlinZDYXBkbHa3/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjofRs1vAGi8Y7xgF3FPpQr_Dk0AR_QERFc2qmkhE83m8Jl0VMzP3Hf4echVmd8QzNwrpfjM8X-NdHDZHBNePc1QcNwLxl2FG1Ifa2lYYqV7O7OhWCj6mu4qlinZDYXBkbHa3/s400/041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Terrifying, aren't they? Here they are devouring my bills and looking at a takeout menu - guys this bad obviously don't cook themselves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGqw1Ma3nKaH7kfIfHBN_ufFTTIhlnmNJuYDzJzw3UrtAS9nxIGXEo-L_SWnrjO069cs5ALaeCntdr_jp3qCZL436XTvf5ZaROmSMBm9rWRc_yPBNUnLiH5irdSHSSxR9gd2E/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGqw1Ma3nKaH7kfIfHBN_ufFTTIhlnmNJuYDzJzw3UrtAS9nxIGXEo-L_SWnrjO069cs5ALaeCntdr_jp3qCZL436XTvf5ZaROmSMBm9rWRc_yPBNUnLiH5irdSHSSxR9gd2E/s400/043.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>And here they are hanging out on a shelf, waiting for some cutsie softies to come by so they can jeer and make clever remarks.<br />
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I photographed the process of making these guys, if anyone's interested in a tutorial . . .Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293324718529774171noreply@blogger.com3