{this moment}

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{this moment} - Every Friday.
A single photo - no words - capturing a simple, special moment from the week.
A moment I want to savor and remember forever. Inspired by SouleMama

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If you're inspired to do the same,
leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for others to find and see.

:: Baby Quilt #2 - Houndstooth

So now that you know about the baby girl quilt I made, it's time to talk baby boy quilt.   Before Blaize was born, we hardly dared to hope it might be a boy.  And even though NOT finding out what we were having was hard... Oh, it is so incredible at the end!

And after seeing this pattern, I knew I wanted to make a houndstooth baby quilt.

The backing fabric was a vintage print of Goldilocks and the 3 bears.  But it was really the bears that won my heart.  Especially "mummy bear".

 

 

I machine quilted it using my walking foot, in a simple grid pattern.  Not too much to make it stiff, but enough to give it texture.

 

 

Baby Blaize sleeps under it every night, and I love seeing that houndstooth peek out of his crib at me every time I walk in the room..  Almost as much as I love seeing his little face peek out above it.  =)

 

Quilt Pattern:  Houndstooth - by V and Co

fabric:  Moda Bella Solids, Bunny Hill Blue

white and background (not sure)

:: The Tooth Fairy

Thanksgiving Day was an extra-special day for this girl. She lost her first front tooth, and the other is almost ready.

 I've been meaning to make this tooth fairy pillow for months now.   Up until this point, we've never really had a tradition or "system" for lost teeth.   So this was the push I needed to get it done.

We've had the flu these past few days, with the 3rd child throwing up all day today.  So our schedule has slowed, and we are taking things easy here. 

 

Today I sat on the couch with the kids, tried to teach the math concept of "carrying" over to the ten's column, read books, threaded (and re-threaded) needles for the children as they worked on their little embroidery pictures, caught vomit in bowls, gave baths, and nursed my baby.

 

Ellie and I both learned a new sewing stitch today.  Me the blanket stitch, and Ellie the back stitch.

I love learning new things, and I love watching someone else learn something new.  What a great day, to be able to do both.  =)

 

So... back to the Tooth Fairy Pillow.  You're dying, I know. So here's how to make it: 

Cut 1 "tooth" out of a piece of white fleece.

 

*Note: I forgot to sew the eyes/mouth on before I began attaching it to the felt square. So, follow the written instructions, and you'll be fine.

 

 

 

 

Now attatch rest of tooth to the pillow with a blanket stitch (leaving the top open for the tooth and money!).

 

 

Cut ribbon to desired length (remember to include seam allowance).

Place 2 pins in top corners, holding ribbon till you sew it.

Place 2 more pins to make bottom opening (for adding stuffing).  Begin blanket stitching from first pin, up sides, around top, and down to other pin.

 

Stuff and pin closed.

 

 

Stitch to close.  You're done!  And look how cute it is.

 

 

 Now we're ready for that 2nd front tooth to come out.  Just in time for Christmas. =)  I love it.  Maybe, just maybe, she will sing for me.

:: Baby Quilt #1 - Granny Squares

Ok, for the next few days I'm going to review a few of the quilts I've made this past year... for me to document.  It's quite exciting for me.  =)  I've never made multiple quilts in one year before!

So... first one up:

As some of you know, before baby Blaize was born, I made 2 baby quilts - not knowing which sex he was, but knowing I'd want a gender-specific quilt once he WAS born.  =)

I fell in love with the granny squares pattern right around the time I began thinking of making a baby girl quilt.  I wanted the quilt to look vintage and be nothing but sweet baby girliness.

 

Ruby was the name we had picked out for a girl, and quite appropriately, I bought fabric from a line named just that. =)

 

I kinda came up with my own pattern, which used a charm pack of Ruby and simple white background fabric.  The machine quilting was very simplistic, and left the quilt feeling soft and vintage.

 

 

I love the way this quilt came together. And even though we can't use it for a new baby, my 3 girls are more than happy to have it hanging in their room. =)

:: Mending

I now know why mending is also called darning.  It must be because every time I remember I need to mend something (like another pair of my 8-year-old boys jeans), I say, "Oh darn."  =)

 

 

This morning, when my oldest came into my room informing me his last pair of jeans has a hole in the knee and he had nothing to wear, I decided I couldn't put off mending his (now 4) pairs of jeans any longer.    I decided to try something different this time, and it rocked my world!

First, I start with a scrap of denim (from other old jeans I've saved) that fits the patch size.

 

Last time I was in JoAnn's, I saw this thread specifically made for mending jeans (weight is normal thread weight, it's just the variegated color), and I bought it.  Let's say - it is amazing!

I trimmed away any loose white threads and pinned the patch piece underneath.  (I make an extra-large patch piece, to reinforce the worn spots of the knee). Then here's where I tried something new.  Rather than use a zig-zag stitch, I used my darning foot (imagine that, isn't that what mending is?  Darning?), dropped my feed dogs, and stitched a large loop around the edge of my patch piece (without ever changing the direction of my jean leg!). 

 

I circled the patch a few more times, in a swirling motion towards the center.

 

 

Then I moved the fabric in a zig-zag motion around the raw edge of the hole.  It worked flawlessly.  And you don't even have to know how to machine quilt to do this!  So what if your stitch length isn't perfect.  Small stitches make it nice and secure.  =)

Turned the pant leg inside out and trimmed away the excess patch fabric.

And now you've got a nice, neat patch.  (this is the inside leg)

And here's the outside knee.  Now my boy has jeans to wear, and I no longer have 4 pairs nagging me every time I walk past my sewing machine.  =)

Disclaimer:  I have no idea if this is the "correct" way to mend jeans.  It's just the way I've come up with, and it works for me!

:: Happy Girl

 

I just finished this one up, much to the delight of my Girl #2. Before I could sew on the buttons, I had to google "how-to-sew-buttons-on-knit-sweaters".   I love Google... and YouTube. Through them, I have learned so much from other women, from how-to make homemade yogurt, to how-to K1FB (knit 1 front and back). But, now I'm on a tangent..  Back to the knitting.

 

In Threes Cardigan (my Ravelry page)

The moment Audrey woke up she wanted it on.  Sorry for the poor lighting... it was still dark.

I'd think it's safe to say I have one happy girl.  Her mama's happy, too.  One down, 2 more to go.

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - Every Friday.
A single photo - no words - capturing a simple, special moment from the week.
A moment I want to savor and remember forever. Inspired by SouleMama

. . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . . .
If you're inspired to do the same,
leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for others to find and see.

:: Christmas Quilt

 

As long as I can remember, my Dad's birthday (November 8th) has marked the date that us kids were allowed to start listening to Christmas music.  He loved it so much, and seamlessly passed that love down to each one of his 9 children!  The past 2 days, my own little munchies have been listening to it non-stop.  And I admit, the music and recent cold weather have made me want to enjoy every minute of this coming Christmas season.

 

 

Last year I made this quilt for my Mom for her December birthday.  It was one of those quilts you love (and hate) to give away.  I especially adore the red ric-rac trim around the edges.  Ric rac makes my heart beat faster.  Especially when it's red.  =) 

 

I free-motion quilted it, using stippling with loops thrown in here and there.

 

 Pattern:  Wild Thing

Fabric:  12 Days of Christmas, by Kate Spain

 

Someday, I think I'm gonna have to make one for me.  =)



:: 7 Months

 

It's hard to believe my Little Mista is already 7 months.  Complete with 4 teeth now!

He's so easy-going and tolerant of all the "love" he receives on an hourly basis.

 

 

 

 

 

His all-time favorite activity is the Jonny-Jump-Up.  He will literally bounce for a solid hour if all the family is around and he's in the middle of it.  He also loves to sit with a pile of toys, chewing and exploring with his mouth...

 

 

He re-discovered a love for his thumb after I stopped getting up in the middle of the night to put his pacifier back in (how is it that I don't notice it creep in?).  Now we are all much happier.

 

 

He smiles and laughs constantly, he's had 4 haircuts so far, and I'm enjoying these last fleeting moments of his inability to move.  =)  We love you boy.  Even more than last month.

 

:: More Homemade Wall Art

I know, I know.  You are probably sick of me talking about using old, weathered boards and hanging them on walls.  But I just can't help it.  I have so many ideas of things I want to make!

Here are a few examples:

 

The Handmade Home

The House of Belonging

KPattonDesigns

I am absolutely loving these 3 Christmas ones!

Wood & Wool Stool

Growing Up Gardner

 

Love, love, love this design.  But might try it in using the gratitude saying.

 



GoJumpInTheLake

 

This next one I made for my little sister a few weeks ago.  She wanted something special for their anniversary.  And it went much better, since I used a different method for painting on the lettering.

Rather than trace the outline with a pen, I used a flat-head screwdriver, and pressed the outline of the letters.  So much easier!

 



I made it completely on my own.  You know what they say:  Necessity is the mother of invention.  And in the process, I learned how to use 2 more of my man's power tools.  It's quite a liberating experience.  Now I told him I can make as many as I get the hankering to!  Good thing.  I think he is getting tired of having to create all my pinterest ideas.

 

What about you?  Any pinterest inspirations that you've tried?