Crafty Project - #babyburf mobile

I originally was going to make a mobile from Pom poms but then I couldn't find the right blue.  So I switched to perhaps a leather craft, but again I couldn't find green and leather is a wee but pricey.  So after pretty much giving up on the idea the baby would have a mobile.  I crafted him one from foam and string and these metal rings that were from my grandmas stash.  Total cost was like $4 for the foam.

The foam I just freehanded triangles from and used the already provided sticky to stick two sides together and ahere the string.  Then strings were tied onto the rings and I wrapped the ring in more string (this was the most annoying part).  I used two rings one slightly smaller and just tied those together in the center.  Relatively simple.  It's not perfect but it matches so well and it's another little addition to his room that I crafted.

I also love his perspective from under neath.  Hopefully he enjoys looking at it.

 

Oh and let's cross off craft project #3 from my list.

Book 36 - Longbourn by Jo Baker

I read about this book on a blog I read.  After not being a fan of Pride and Prejudice I was a little bit not interested in attempting Longbourn by Jo Baker.  However it was available at the library I recognized the title and just picked it up.  

It was much easier to read then Pride and Prejudice (it was without the weird English).   The book follows the story of the servants in the Longbourn house.  It goes right along side of the traditional story from P&P so some of the characters/events are familiar.  I appreciated that because it was a little slow going and some of the "surprise" parts were just starting to annoy me enough to make me want to stop reading it.  But I stuck with it, and I didn't hate it. Overall it was alright not necessarily a book I would read again but still worth reading and it took just under a week to finish so that's a plus.  And that's Book #36. 

2014 List An Update

As we approach the end of the May I thought I'd do a little recap of where I am with my 2014 List.  Currently I have completed 11 of the 52 items some of these items surprisingly were not the easiest items I have on my list too. 

• 19. Kathleen's 25 Party
• 10. Paint Babies Room
• 3. Attend Jono and Lo's Wedding
• 15. Build a Kitchen Table
• 27 Clean out the Coffee Table
• 4. Babymoom Trip
• 6. Add Lo to the Wall
• 5. Start Improv Quilt with Thea
• 21. Make Scrap vomit Quilt
• 17. Make the Baby a Quilt
• 33. Go to an Art Museum with Momo

I have started another 7 most of which will probably be on-going projects for the entire year so I feel like this is good progress. 

• 2. Bake 25 Breads
• 11. Remove Carpet in Back Rooms (1 down)
• 26. 4 Crafty Projects
• 38. Finish Sushi Quilt
• 42. New Work from Home Space (about 1/2 way there)
• 44. Use my SLR twice a month
• 45. Finish the 52 Books (I'm wrapping up book 36)

One of the things I've done this year to help track my how it's going with these goals is tracking them in my phone.  I made a to-do list in my phone and each time I complete one I cross it off.  I also find myself checking out my phone to see what needs to get done at various different times.   I use this little tool often in my everyday life for to do lists for work, groceries, shopping in general (like I have a list of things we need but I don't want to buy all at once), preparing for the baby - it's a handy tool and it comes free with your iPhone.  FYI it also plugs in with outlook and google however I usually just use the phone version.   Anyhow that's where we are with the list back more soon with more updates I'm sure. 

Quilt Collaborations - My Improv Blocks

Here's my blocks currently for my quilt collaboration with Thea.  I started my quilt sending her one finished block using my fabrics.  She made three more and sent it back.  Then I made three more too.  Here are the newest three blocks. 

Yes they need a little ironing (naturally).  I love the freedom of creating these blocks and that I can make them any size really it doesn't matter.  Packing the fabric back up soon and sending it back to her before our baby comes and I lose track of it.

Quilting Collaboration - Thea's Improv Quilt

Thea and I started a little collaboration project.  We each are making Improv Quilt Blocks for quilts made from scrap fabrics.  I worked on a few blocks for her quilt this weekend.  These are fun to put together although my machine was struggling with staying threaded.  

I like little pops of yellow and green in these.  

Here's what the five finished blocks look like.   When they are all finished they will be fun to determine where they go in the top.  It's funny how the red seems to be in the center of each block somehow.   Anyhow I will share mine soon when I finish the blocks I started.  

A Quilt to Match the Nursery

I finished the quilt to match the nursery this weekend as well - this was actually the second quilt I made our little guy.  It came together so fast.  I love when that happens.  The top is assorted black.white prints with little blue farfalle bowties these are simple blocks.  The prints on the front almost look blurry with all the variation of bold prints. The binding is two fat quarters from with a stack I purchased like two years ago. The green is a little more lime than the nursery green but it was in my stash, and I plan to reuse some lime green baskets from the studio on his shelves.  I backed the quilt in leftover striped ikea fabric that wasn't used in pillow making last year.  I  quilted it in straight lines in blue thread.  

It still matches the nursery.  And it currently covers that our baby still needs a mattress.  As I finished this one so quickly it seems that perhaps baby quilts should be made more often. I may actually make him more quilts so we have one fir each month or something. 

WIP Wednesday - Quilts & Nursery

Well over the weekend I finished up the nursery quilt (watch for post about that).  I also got some work done on my Michael Miller MQG Challenge Quilt.  I don't want to give away too many details about this quilt but here are a few snaps from my table. 

Yep that's a pretty horrible sneak peek.  Sorry. I am making this quilt for Dust he will be very sad to learn there's no zombies or bacon.  

I also got the batting for the sushi quilt but I have bow misplaced the 9000 basting pins and I refuse to buy more so maybe that will get quilted soon of maybe in a year!

And as for a nursery update...  

We make progress slowly I moved the shelf from our room to the nursery and set up all the books.  I also got all the unused green bins and baskets I emptied from the garage studio now I just need to get some blue ones too.  I washed all his sheets and clothes for infant size.  I also organized all the shower gifts so the can go in baskets when I get that organized.  

Clearly this is still a hot mess! But it will come together soon.  The other side of the room is worse because my "desk" is back in the room while we figure out space issues in our room. 

Kathleen may have a dresser we can repurpose for his changing table I need to go over there and see if I can fix the drawers.  If not we'll need to just bite the bullet and buy one because all the thrift store and craigslist adventures have resulted in a bunch of nothing.  

And that's what's working on Wednesday. 

Quilts for #babyburf

#babyburf is now the owner of several new quilts.  Both playmats for him to play on.  This first one made by my friend Rachael using scrap fabrics.  It's pretty much amazing I love the quadrants of the  different colors.  It's fun to have bits of Rachael's prior projects and to remember those quilts as well.  The binding is perfect as well.

The second quilt made by my Aunt Thea is also a playmat.   This one for us to play cars with #babyburf on.  I love that she made him a quilt that is not one I would have made for him but is still so fun and playful.  

She backed it in a nice soft flannel which I am sure my baby will appreciate.  Especially since his mother strays away from such backings herself because she doesn't like the stretch and give of sewing flannel.  It looks very nice with the blue velvet chair in the nursery too.  

Thanks so much to both Thea and Rachael it's wonderful to know that #babyburf is so loved and not yet even here.

Book 35 - Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

So the latest book I read was "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert.  It was a short book probably why I picked it - I had previously read Eat Pray Love which I didn't love but didn't really hate either.  This one was written in a slightly similar manner although a little less "story-like" so it bored me in sections - I much preferred EPL to this one.  It's the follow up book to Eat Pray Love actually and honestly I was continually left wondering why these two are getting married of course they are married in real life so this is rather a null point but still this is a book about marriage.  The little stories about other marriages were interesting but they were also so very different from Liz's love story that they didn't seem to relate entirely.  Now I didn't completely hate this book but what I enjoyed most were some of the quotes like "to be fully seen by someone and to be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous". And "Marriage becomes hard work once you have poured the entirety of your life’s expectations for happiness into the hands of one mere person. Keeping that going is hard work.”  

Family Vacation/Jono & Los wedding

So for our family vacation this summer we went to Florida for Jono and Lo's wedding.  We rented a big pink house a block from the beach on Anna Maria Island.   We spent time on the beach, in the pool, went to get our nails done, visited the town a little, and had family meals and did many wedding events.

It was a good trip.  I even found a magical sunscreen to keep my pale skin from burning worse this summer (shout out to Neutrogena Beach Protection in the yellow bottle love you).  My only regret of our trip aside from the 16+ hour drive 8 months pregnant, was that with all the family and friends around we didn't get much time together as just a family.

But it was still beautiful and amazing and I would do it all again.  I will leave you with a few snaps taken.