A Baby Quilt: A Gift for a Childhood Friend {Story Book Quilt}

I love sewing up quilts, and I do not do it often at all. I start them, but rarely do I finish them. It seems to be the curse of the crafter, right?

Well, this one I was determined to finish! It was for a friend that recently discovered she was pregnant and is due the end of November. And now that she has it, I can share it with you. :)

I used the free pattern and tutorial Story Book Star Baby Quilt on Moda BakeShop. After posing the question to the Tucson Modern Quilt guild for help finding a pattern, one suggested Moda Bake Shop. Skimming through, I pulled up a few for little man to pick out. Little man picked out the fabric and the pattern. :)

I pieced the center a bit differently in an attempt to use all the fabrics I had for this project. I got them before this pattern. Who doesn't just buy fabric, right?

I love how it turned out with the minky on the back. So fuzzy and soft. I hope she likes it.

Happy Halloween: an Octopus Trunk-or-Treat

I am so excited about Halloween this year! I have been mostly on top of the kids and our costumes. Granted we had a minor set back with the hubby's mask, they have been coming along rather nicely! I have to say that the Costume Planning Printables made that so much easier this year! I'm still working on finalizing costumes, and finishing up my own, but took a break to work on our awesome Trunk or Treat decorations. 

I joined the local MOPS group earlier this year and we participated in the sponsoring church's Trunk or Treat event this last Saturday. It was so much fun! I forgot how much fun it is to pass out candy to trick or treat-ers! I have not lived in an area where we got trick or treat-ers in over 7 years! Kind of sad, but then we go to the fall festival with the hubby's parents church and that is super fun anyway! 

This year I'm glad that I got to participate in the Trunk-or-Treat! The theme we decided upon was under the sea/pirate themed with an octopus draping over the hatch, a pirate chest and under the sea creatures. We were supposed to have bubbles, but the bubble solution and the machine were none too happy to work together.

The girls did a great job on the sea net and Styrofoam ice cooler treasure chest (full of candy!)...

I sewed up the octopus using a couple of cheap drapes from Walmart (the yardage equivalence was about 4.66 yards). Seam ripping the hems is so much fun, ha! Just gotta get as much fabric use out of it that I can right? Even though I didn't use all of it...

 I drafted the tentacle pattern using old computer paper being almost a foot wide at the top and narrowing down over 5 feet to a couple inches wide at the bottom. I cut out sixteen to make the eight tentacles.

Brandon drafted the head side panel the foam parts of this octopus puppet for inspiration.  I used a strip roughly about the same width of the legs expanding at the ends.

The eyes are felt and stuffed with poly-fil and the whole octopus is stuffed with plastic grocery bags! I would not have gotten it finished without the wonderful ladies from our groups coming and helping stuff the octopus! (not to mention the reason to make it!) 

This was a fun project!

And now, the kids have something super fun and squishy to play with (or snuggle). :)

Happy Halloween!!

Welcome Fall: Decorate a Mantle {Free Printable}

I am not great at decorating. I have a hard time with it and I feel it doesn't usually look good when I'm done. But this time it's different! I love my simple, fall-ish mantle! I shared my Glass Jar Decor (etched baby food tea lights!!) with GYCT Designs for their 31 Days of Halloween. It is still going on, you should check it out! :)

Today, here I am sharing with you my made over fall mantle! :) It's just now starting to feel like fall here, so I'm now just starting to welcome it in, a month later! Here is the messy before...

Ever since reading Clutterfree with Kids, I've been trying to get more simple. Here is my simpler after...

Well, I found a quote by John Donne from his poem The Autumnal ... "no spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face." Granted the poem is about the stage of life and more with the beauty that comes with maturity. And, we may not be at that stage of life just yet... but I liked it.

So I printed it out on Inkjet Translucent Vellum (affiliate link) and put it in the picture frame we used for our announcement pictures for when we were going to have baby girl (you can see them here). It is just a simple 12"x14" picture frame. Sort of like this one here 12x14 Satin Black Picture Frame (affiliate link), but a couple inches smaller on the longer side. I backed it with scrapbook paper.

I think it adds a little bit to the mantle, and I like it. Even hubby said that he likes it! Win!

I decided to make them available for you too. That way it can save you some time if you want to use the quote. I have two versions, one with background and one without.

The Autumnal Quote - Without Background

The Autumnal Quote - With Background

What do you think?

Wave of Light: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day October 15th

Today is a day that is observed by those who are aware. We grieve, we are not alone in our grieving. They say 1 out of 5 women experience a loss.

On September 11th, 2014 I lost a baby for the third time at 5 weeks gestation. Hubby was out of town and my poor kids had no idea why their mommy was so upset, angry, sad, frustrated. 

We weren't trying to have another baby. We were leaving the possibility of more children to the hands of God, if he so willed to bless us with more babies. 

I am grieving. I am holding the ones I can. I know I will never forget. 

I will look at my two babies that I can still hold and love them as they are. I will think of you as you may have been and cry. Every time your birthday comes and goes without a celebration, I hold you in my heart. Every anniversary I will hold your memory close. I miss you. I love you. 

I am lucky to have support from an amazing group of moms in the MOPs group. I honestly don't know what I would do without them. 

Today I am joining in the Wave of Light. We might not have any specific memorial or event in my area, but I will still light candles and say a prayer for myself and others who have experienced loss. The wave of light is a goal to have a day where there will always be a candle burning across the globe for the babies we lost and heaven gained. Starting at 7pm in your own time zone, light a candle for an hour. Join in the wave of light in remembrance of your own babies or those you know who have experienced loss.

To my three babies, until I can hold you in heaven

5-9-2002      4 months

4-14-2008  9 weeks

9-11-2014  5 weeks

Searching pulls up so much information from websites devoted to some sort of loss...

Here are some website that I have spent some time looking at.

http://www.national-awareness-days.com/baby-loss-awareness-week.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy_and_Infant_Loss_Remembrance_Day

http://pailnetwork.ca/awareness-campaigns/

http://miscarriage.about.com/od/copingwithmiscarriages/qt/october15.htm

http://lostinnocentsorthodox.blogspot.com/p/resources.html

The official site for Pregnancy and Infant Remembrance Day

http://october15th.com

http://www.october15th.com/activities-walks/

If you wish to start an event in your area.

http://www.october15th.com/event-planning/

2014 Finish-Along: Quarter 4 Goals {2014 FAL Q4}

I missed the last quarter post for listing the finishes. Not that I finished anything! So busy! I have been working on Halloween Costumes. I am determined to get them done before Halloween. 1 down, 3 to go!

So... Here is my goal list for this quarter! Is it sad that I am still carrying over the list? ;)

1. Labyrinth Lap Quilt... I am still debating the backing for this, if I really want to use it...but I have nothing else...

2.  My band shirt memory quilt... Still trying to find backing fabric for this... I would like a large print musical theme but that seems hard to find...

3. This is baby girl's baby shower quilt.  No extra signers. I think it is time to just sew it up. She needs a momma made quilt. 

4. This is my checker-board quilt. It is still hanging on the design wall. It should be an easy sew, right?

5. Jelly roll quilt... I still need to fins a good enough yellow... Separate the rows and add in the sashing...

6. The Dinosaur quilt that was *supposed* to be Little Man's birthday present (last year). I think before his birthday I had one border around it. At least I have started the quilting! Sad thing? He says he is scared of dinosaurs now! Oh no! 

7. This circle quilt. It was supposed to be for the fabric challenge, but honestly, I know I am not going to be finishing it in time. I seem to sew so slow... But it'll be cool when it is done! I am not sharing what it is going to look like when it is done, but you are more than welcome to guess! ;) I just hope it looks as cool finished as it does in my head! LOL

8. These are supposed to be some Peasant Tops pattern by Tie Dye Diva Patterns (affiliate link) for Baby Girl. I was working on them, then got carried away with something else and I hadn't gone back to them and now, sitting in a manilla folder in the craft room. Better finish them before she cannot wear them! 

9. This is going to be Little Man's Going to Grandma's/&or/Grandpa's over night bag. It is going to be the Dorothy Day Tripper by Swoon Sewing Patterns (affiliate links) ... 

&

10. If I have enough left over I also want to make a Tiny Explorer Backpack by Diedelbug Handmade for him when we go to MOPs meetings, the Zoo, and anything else that seems to fit with learning and fun. ;)

So, for now these are my goals... I seem to keep adding and not subtracting. I also have a bag I am working on, but prefer to keep that secret. I am hoping to finish that soon though! It depends because Brandon said he was going to make the hardware for me! So excited! 

I hope to at least finish the Dino and circle quilt... 

Linking up at The Littlest Thistle