Clips, Snips & Quips

Tinkerbell and Rylee

Rylee has been a Tinkerbell fan for quite a while now.  When she went to Disney and met the characters, she wore her Halloween costume...a/k/a Tinkerbell.  And for her birthday I made her a Tinkerbell blanket, out of pink and purple, of course.  

The quilt is fine.  It was fun to make and I even quilted it on a longarm machine myself.

BUT, the picture of Rylee with her Tinkerbell costume on, standing next to one of Cinderella's stepsisters is far more priceless.

I just finished holding Mason, my week-old grandson, for an hour.  Looking at these pictures of Rylee, she looks sooooo big.  They just grow up too fast!

Mason Daniel Delaney

Mason Daniel Delaney arrived yesterday afternoon at a whopping 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 21 inches long.  Caleb and Landon have a new brother complete with ten fingers, ten toes, a toothless smile and a head void of hair.  He's simply awe inspiring!

I've been trying to help out with the boys a bit more the past couple weeks.  Yesterday I picked Landon up at the babysitter's, I picked Caleb up from preschool, fed them dinner, ran them for haircuts and then took them to the hospital so they could see their mommy and meet their new brother.  I've enjoyed every minute and I'm sure I'm going to miss some of the craziness.  The memories are going to last a lifetime. 

Just about the time I was sure things couldn't get any better, I had the chance to hold this little guy, and my heart melted as it always does when cradling a new baby.

What a wonderful gift.

Will it be a Boy or a Girl?

For the fifth time in about five years, I'm waiting for a new grandchild.  Michelle's getting anxious.  The baby, however, isn't in any hurry this time.  So, while we're waiting, I thought I would show you what the new little one has waiting for him/her when the day finally comes.

Okay.  If Caleb and Landon are lucky enough to have a new brother, he's going to be wrapped up in a colorful blanket with airplanes and "twisters" flying around.  Baby Boy #3, if that's what he turns out to be, isn't going to be adorned in pastels and baby stuff.  With two older brothers to teach him the ropes, he's going to be a busy little boy and this quilt should work well...I hope.

 

 

 

 

Now, if Baby #3 is a little girl, I think this soft and pretty little pink quilt will be just about perfect.  I'm secretly crossing my fingers tonight that it's a little girl and she comes sometime tomorrow.  Why? Because Michelle's sister, Stephanie, is delivering a baby girl by c-section in the morning.  How kewl would that be to have a girl cousin with the same birthday as you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, for good measure, since we're doing baby quilts tonight, I'll add this one to the batch.  It's the same pattern as the pink one, but this one's done in blue and yellow.  It's  much prettier in person.  Don't know why the colors are all funky in this picture.  Anyway, this one is for a baby shower in June for a neighbor's great-grandson.  She asked me to make a crib blanket for her.  She's picked out a crib as a gift, and this is going to be sitting inside.  Hope it fits the bill.

Now, to get back to the waiting game.  I'm the on-call person if this baby decides to come at night. We've been keeping in touch for about a week since they've been told we can expect good news any time now.  It's a full moon out there.  Maybe tonight.  Exciting times:)!!

Thomas The Train -- For Caleb

Happy 5th Birthday, Caleb!!

Thomas The Train has been one of Caleb's favorites since he was very small, and since I found some Thomas "stuff", I decided it was time to make it up...so here it is.

Having three grandchild celebrate birthdays within four weeks is a blessing.  Making three birthday quilts and having them finished in time when I didn't really plan on doing them ... well, I'm running behind.  This one is pieced, but it's not quilted.  I need to call the quilter tomorrow and see if she'll let me work with her.  I've never used a huge longarm machine, and I have an itch to give it a try.  Who knows what that will lead to??

I also decided it was time to start labeling these quilts.  I've found a program that's super easy, and my embroidery machine's been working overtime.  Word's traveling that I can make labels and I've actually had a few phone calls from friends of friends of friends all needing a label for a special-occasion quilt.  I'm lovin' it:)

And, it goes without saying, the quilts for the kids are all special-occasion quilts.  They're my most special people in the world.

Happy Birthday, Caleb.  Can't believe you're FIVE and heading off to kindergarten soon!

Love you, Buddy!

Sailing Sailing

Sailboats, sailboats and more sailboats are what Landon's new quilt is all about.  

I  picked up the kit for this paper-pieced "baby" quilt at a retreat a while ago and decided it was time to put it together.  All told, there are 35 of the boats.  I'd do one here, one there.  Before I knew it, it was quite a stack.  

Tuesday I was home for the day and decided to put them together...and lo and behold, the quilt wasn't a baby quilt at all.  It was supposed to be finished with the striped border, but even at that, it was a large twin size.  Soooo, I decided to add one more border and now it's big enough to fit Landon's double bed.

I dropped it off at the quilter's last night.  She's promised to have it to me in time for this birthday on the 12th.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  

Carolyn W...we really must get together sometime soon and make some sailboats.  You cringed when I told you I was paper piecing.  After doing 35 little boats, I'm now an expert, and it's incredibly easy and every boat is matched "just so".  I think Ben needs one of these in his room, too.  

What's next?  So many projects, so little time.  I've promised a girlfriend a baby girl quilt for a granddaughter coming in March.  Don and Michelle's new baby is due sometime in May.  I have a Thomas-The-Train quilt that would fit in Caleb's new room.  I have a tree skirt that never quite made it under the tree this year.  That uncovers just the tip of the iceberg.  Guess I'll have to close my eyes and see which one I pull out of the cabinet.

Off to work...usually I'd be hoping for a blizzard so I could take a week or so off in January.  Not this year.  We've been in the 50s most of this winter and I'm lovin' the clear roads and bright sunshine.  If this keeps up, the trees will be budding soon.  Either way, in another eight weeks or so, spring will be here!!!

Caleb's Big Night !!

It's been a long, long time since I've gone to a Christmas program for a little guy.  Probably about 20 years, I'm guessing.  I know I won't wait another 20 for the next one.  If I get nothing else for Christmas, I'm happy.  Tonight was what it's all about.

Caleb is now 4, going to be 5 in March.  He goes to the SonShine Christian Center preschool while Mom and Dad go to work.  Tonight was his night to shine.  He was the spokesman for his 4-yr-old group, reciting his 9 lines from the Book of Luke.  He'd practiced hard, but there was a moment when he looked out at the audience of probably around 200 and decided it was a bit scarey.  Then he found his voice and the whole room hushed while he told his story.

They followed it with Let it Snow, Let it Snow and a few more caroles.  And then, as quick as it started, it was over.  All 77 kids, from 2 up through kindergarten, smiled with pride as Moms and Dads picked them up and took them home.  Good stuff.

Of course, preschoolers still take naps, or at least they try to rest:)  Caleb has a new blanket for nap time.  This time it's a story book about the elves getting toys ready for Christmas.  Hope he enjoys it.  After tonight, he's more than earned it. 

Love you sweetheart.  You made Grandma so proud.

Christmas Quilt

I had the pleasure of hosting the Sew What (my Friday night sewing group) Christmas party yesterday afternoon.  The crunch had been on the last couple weeks to finish my new quilt, pillow shams and valance.  Friday night, after an already long day, I knew I had to get the pillow shams together.  For the life of me, I couldn't keep the concept of "right sides together" in my brain.  At least three time I did some really nice, long seams only to open them up and realize I needed a seam ripper.  Still, those pillow shams were going to be ready, one way or the other.  Sleep just needed to wait until I finished -- which I did shortly after midnight.  

The original fabric came as a Christmas gift last year from Carolyn Shelby.  She'd found it in a quilt store in Sedona, AZ while on a business trip.  They were so pretty, I just couldn't keep them tucked away in a drawer.  In October I went on another of The Little Shop's Mystery Quilt weekends, and this is what materialized in about 48 hours -- sleep, again, was optional.  

Here's what I learned along the way:  Buy at least twice as much "stuff" as you think you could possibly use.  Nothing's worse than getting settled in for an afternoon and realizing you need to get in the car and run out for supplies.  Next, don't believe for a minute anything takes as long as it's supposed to.  I "should've" had this done a month ago.  So why was I still up on Friday night, trying to miter the corners on those shams?  And third, when stuffing pillow shams, go down to Kohl's with a 30% off coupon and buy a couple of their $5 pillows.  Stuffing and unstuffing those things is such a waste of time.  They're pretty...but they're just for show.

So what do people do who have their house cleaned and decorated for the holidays this early in December?  I'm kind of at a loss.  I'm usually a December 23rd-type person.  Who knows what I'll have time for now!

Advent Calendar 2011

I've finally finished one of the many things I have planned for the holidays.  This Advent calendar didn't look like it would be too hard.  It just looked like there were a million steps.  Make that a million and one steps.  And then multiply it by two since I wanted to make one for Caleb and Landon and one for Rylee and Ryan.  

The picture really doesn't do it justice.  If you want to see each of the pockets, just double click the picture.  That should zoom in and give you a better view.  

Anyway, I saw this pattern last year and knew I wanted to make it sooner than later.  Everyone except Ryan has worked really hard at learning their numbers and I thought I'd try to make something that they could use as a Christmas tradition.  

Now comes the fun part.  Do you have any suggestions for things I can put in the pockets?   So far I have flashing toothbrushes, stickers, tiny flashlights, and Kazoos.  If you have any ideas, leave me a comment.  I still have 21 more days to fill!!

I still have more Christmas things that really need to get finished.  I'm picking up my Christmas quilt from the quilter tomorrow, and I'm having a Christmas party here on the 3rd, so I'd like to have the binding finished so I can use it on my bed that day.  If it happens, you'll be the first to see it.  

Hope all's well and you're getting just a bit of the holiday spirit.  Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and then Christmas will be right around the corner.

Chinese Auction...

It must be fall and it's time to get ready to settle in and nest!  I have tons of projects started and nothing getting finished.

A while ago I said I'd have a donation for a Chinese auction hosted by the Burlington County 4H.  I pulled out an "extra" baby blanket and decided it was time to find it a home...and then decided it really needed something to go with it. Noble idea -- for someone who's retired -- which I'm not.  That's never stopped me before, so last Saturday I took a day totally for myself and sat down and made the h.u.g.e. matching bag with an embroidered turtle on the front.  Originally it was supposed to be a diaper bag, but it's too big.  Then I decided it was going to be a toddler bag filled with the important things toddlers need to pack when they're going to grandma's for the day...or daycare...or the babysitter.  That meant I needed to take a trip to Target and get those important things -- Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Don't Break The Ice, Hi Ho Cherrio, Go Fish, Crazy 8s, Old Maid, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Crayons, Coloring Books...you name it, it's in there.

So tell me the truth.  If you were putting tickets in bins at a Chinese Auction, would you pick it?  We'll find out next Friday when the drawing takes place!  

Promise...more things are coming soon.  I just need a couple more days to finish them up!

TWINS!

A friend of a friend of a friend is having twins!  Actually, it's a girl who used to be a part of the Sew What? sewing group I belong to.  She moved just about the time I joined the group, so technically I've never met her.   

Anyway, long story short, since Kristen's on bedrest, our group has decided to help her finish up a couple projects she had started...and the group thought it would be fun to put a matching pair of baby blankets along in the package.  Since I'd rather work on something new than finish up something old, I volunteered to make the quilt tops...and I do believe they turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself!

That's what I did this past weekend.  What did you do?