A Cheerful Baby Quilt and the Baby Box

You know how one thing leads to another and another, and before you know it, you're in a totally unexpected place?

It all started with making gifts for two young mothers expecting new babies. First I made the "Carriage Ride" mug rug.  Next I made some flannel blankets with satin binding, and crocheted baby bibs for baby showers coming up.

I was really on a baby roll, so a baby quilt came next. 

"Hearts and Pinwheels" 34 1/2" x 43 12" The Pattern

I pulled a layer cake of cheerful baby prints from my stash, and designed this little quilt that can easily be made with either 10" squares or with 5" squares. It turned out so sweetly. The photos really don't do it justice. I used polyester batting to keep it lightweight, and minimal quilting to keep it soft and fluffy. The only quilting other than stitching in the ditch around the blocks is a bit of FMQ on the outside border.

There was quite a bit of fabric left over, so I made a bib to match the quilt. I'll add a button or some velcro as soon as I can get to the store.

Since my granddaughter now lives next door, she had been following the progress of the baby quilt. "What are you going to do with it?" she asked.

"Why, it goes in the baby box."
"You have a baby box?" She sounded quite surprised. "What's in it?"

I pulled the box from the closet. There isn't a lot in it right now because I keep giving things away as gifts. There are the little bibs and blankets that I've made recently , a couple of quilts have been put aside for eventual great-grandbabies, and something very special that I've been saving for ten years.

I asked Sara, "Do you recognize this?"
"The fabrics are familiar," she said. The rest of the story surprised her.

Ten years ago, when Sara was 11-years-old, she was very interested in sewing. I'd been sewing for my niece who was expecting a baby girl. Sara decided she wanted to make a baby quilt for the new baby, too. So, she made this quilt top. She chose the fabrics and the pattern. We worked together on it during the summer.

When the quilt top was finished, Sara changed her mind. "I don't want to give it away," she said. "I want to keep it for my own babies."

Summer ended, Sara started middle school, and in the whirlwind of new school,  friends, and all that early adolescent craziness, sewing lost it's appeal. I put the unfinished quilt away for her. I hope that someday, she'll have reason to finish it.

What's in your baby box?

Wishing you a lovely week!

The Empty Chair, Part 2. Exciting News

 A few days after Fred was gone, when my house was still filled with family, my next door neighbor came over to tell me that they were moving in less than a month. I was shocked. They'd been next door for seven years and I would miss them. But, their moving placed an additional stress on me well beyond the loss of a neighbor.

We live in one unit of a triplex that we own. The other two units are rented, so on top of everything else I was dealing with at that moment, I would need to find new renters and get the unit completely ready for them. She apologized for the timing, but on the day after my husband passed away, they had  received notice that they were being transferred to Kansas City . Her husband would leave in a week, and she and the girls would stay until the end of February to pack and clean the apartment.

My daughter and granddaughter were sitting together on the couch, following this conversation and carrying on a side conversation of their own.  After a few minutes had gone by, my daughter interrupted us.  "Sara has something to say."

"We'd like to live there," Sara said. "If that's okay." Of course that was okay! I couldn't think of anything that would make me happier than to have my granddaughter and her sweet hubby next door.

I silently wondered, "Fred, did you have anything to do with this?" It was exactly the kind of thing I might expect from him, and the timing was surprisingly coincidental.

During those last few months when he knew he didn't have long, he became more and more concerned about my safety and well being. He hated for me to go anywhere without him, because, what if ... ? He reminded me, "Hold the railing", whenever I went up or down the stairs, and, "Is the door locked?" was a frequent question.

Most emphatically, though, he didn't want me to ever live alone. What if something happened and no one was there to help me? He insisted that I must either go to live with our daughter or ask our son to move in with me. I tried to assure him that lots of people live alone, and they're just fine, but he was adamant. I changed the subject, but he came back to it several times every day.

I've spent most of March getting that apartment ready for my granddaughter, and her hubby. It has a master bedroom and bathroom on the main level, and another two bedrooms and full bathroom on the walkout level. They don't need all that space, so they invited my grandson to move in, too! I'll have both of my grandbabies right next door!

The kiddos have been filling cupboards and closets, and the moving van comes tomorrow. I am so excited!

No, Fred, I won't be living alone. Not really.

New Babies Everywhere!

Something wonderful is happening in my garden! Spring is really, truly arriving. 

This has been the longest, bleakest winter in my memory. I am so glad it's spring. I'm sure that with the warmer weather and all of the new life, my mood will start to lift. The babies help. Baby birds, baby rabbits, baby goats. Baby humans, too. I wish there were lots of babies in my own family, but it's too soon. My grandchildren are still in college. The time for our babies will come, but right now, there are plenty of other babies attracting my attention.

A young former coworker just had a baby girl. Another, even younger teacher friend is due almost any day now, and one of my dearest friends will have a new grandchild in a few weeks. There's a new baby a few doors down from my house and another a few blocks up the street.

My newest mug rug, "Carriage Ride" celebrates both spring and babies. Happy pinwheels, happy balloons, happy colors. I may use this for a baby shower gift. Then again, I just might choose to save it in my great-granny hope chest. It would be sweet used as a mug rug, and it would be lovely hanging on a nursery wall.

"The Girls". A New Pattern

It's been months since I've published a new pattern, but my house is quiet - too quiet, and I have more time than I ever wanted. I plan to fill much of that time with sewing. This week I finished working with the hens.  The bright colors and busy hens with button eyes make me smile every time I look at them.

"The Girls", Table Runner 11" x 29"
https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/the-girls-table-runner/570622

The baby chicks are fun, too. I hand embroidered their beaks and  legs.

I only used three hens in the table runner, but a templates for a fourth hen are included in the pattern.  I used that hen and one extra to make 9" blocks. I haven't decided what to do with them yet. They could go into a lap quilt. That might be fun. 

I can think of so many other ways to use the chickens. These two would be fun on a pillow. I reversed the templates for the chicken on the left for this project.

Or, all four could fit together on a wall hanging. As you can see, I played around quite a bit before settling on the table runner.

It's time to start thinking about a new idea to work on. A mug rug? A square table topper? A lap quilt? Something pieced?

It will officially be spring in less than three weeks! I am so looking forward to sunny skies, mild temperatures, and flowers in bloom.

Wishing you a wonderful week!