Everywhere I Go

"Everywhere I go, everywhere I go" (Jesus will go with me)... this song has been running through my head as I am going around disinfecting doorknobs, refrigerator handles, stove knobs, phones, etc. Wow! we sure do use a lot of things. The computers were long overdo on cleaning of the keyboards, too. Another song is "Through it all" the phrase, "I've been lot's of places"... Hopefully, this will catch any germs that are lingering.

We are recuperating from the flu. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I guess when I handle cash I need to wash/sanitize my hands more frequently. Any ideas on how to clean money? beside 'laundering' :-)

To add insult to injury, my mouth has been swelling, fat lips look strange on me... it could be a food allergy that is starting, who knows... ice has helped and I am staying in so that I don't make babies cry and grown men run for cover.

***************

On another note, I am gathering up various items for our next sale. The knotted rug that I just completed will go and I rolled up the orange fabric into a ball and it looks pretty. An old non-working alarm clock, but it looks so vintage, a little ironstone creamer with delicate orange and brown flowers along the top, etc. Most of what we brought home from our previous sale will do. It seems that we sell only about 1/4th of what we take, but if it is not there at the sale, it will not sell... We always take a trailer full, we just can't help it.

"All Boy"

A new little one is on the way.

No, its not in our family, but we have known the grandparents for years.

I wanted to send along a little something

and this flannel just said, "take me and make something"

Flannel says,

whisper soft skin, so young

caresses

love of a mother

swaddling blankets

(I know, they don't do that any more, and I miss it)

~~~~~~

So, being it is going to be a boy...

The two pieces compliment each other

And, after trying to make a "self-binding" blanket the other day,

I decided to take the easy road and just sew along the edge of

two pieces, turn them and then sew along the edge.

My sewing machine sewed a flotilla of little sail boats along the edge

I wasn't sure what would happen when we got to the edge,

but the Coast Guard didn't even have to help us.

During the mindless sewing (the machine takes it away)

I was put in mind to pray for the family that will welcome this new little life.

May the mother guide this child with the love of the Lord in mind.

May the father be worthy of being the role model the child will see to view his heavenly father.

~~~~~

Now, what to do to keep it from shifting as it is washed.

I sewed from side to side in the center (don't tell the mother, she will think it is this way on purpose)

Then, because the flannel is so soft, so baby skin soft,

I had to think of the man he will become

Now, I will send it on its way to its new home.

Linking up to:

JAQS Studio: Made By Me

Jelly Roll Quilt Top WIP

I just found out what "WIP" means-- Work In Progress

I have seen this on other blogs, but never could figure it out. Well, someone had it and in parenthesis had provided the translation, thank you, thank you.

Now, back to this attempt. I saw a post about Jelly Roll Races here and I was intrigued. I had a jelly roll of reproduction vintage prints that was screaming to be used. I first thought this would be a baby quilt, but I am not sure at this point. I may just have to stay home. I make quilts for a lot of others -- and well, always a bridesmaid and never a bride, if you know what I mean.

This was probably the fastest quilt top I have ever pieced.
I started out with 20 different fabrics, they are pre-cut across the width of the fabric, and there were two of each print.

I sewed them together, end to end and had 1600 inches of strip.

That's a long, long, long strip.

You join the two ends and sew them side by side and then cut the ends. Now you have 800 inches of strip, still a long one.

You do this again, and now you have 400 inches and 4 strips side by side.

Continue, and with a few more seams (and each one is half as long as the previous one) you have you finished top.

It needs to be squared up and I think I will put borders on this. A light solid color.

What do you think? Pretty big and bright for a baby?  I do have other pink fabric that I can cut into 2.5 inch strips and do this again, only on a smaller scale.

What's the verdict?

Bamboozled! Flying By the Seat of My Pants!

I consider myself an accomplished sewer. Not to boast, but I have sewed tailored jackets, dresses, clothes for myself, clothing for my children as they were growing, wedding dresses when that time came for more than my three girls. Quilts, curtains, gifts, you name it, I have probably tried it. This project bamboozled me!

I took one look at the directions and thought, piece of cake.  Well, I had problem after problem.

 It wasn't the fault of the directions, I want to make that clear, but it was me! I am an "eyeballer". OK, now that I have confessed to that... there are probably a lot other things I should confess to, but we can leave that for another time and place. Hence, "flying by the seat of my pants". There have been many projects that I have just made it up as I go along - one of my daughters has the same problem talent...

I sewed up the sides, but when I got ready to do the corners, I cut the wrong angle... OOOPS! Now I had a mess. Please forgive the poor quality of the photos, the sewing reflected...

I had to take it all apart - something I hate to do, cut it down and then I thought about adding something to the front - the flowers with the left over-cut off flannel.

Well, that was OK, but I had to work with those funny corners I had already cut. They distinctly did not like me. This photo shows the lumps - not my best work.

and again. When I decided to do a decorative stitch on the outside, I ran out of bobbin thread (doesn't it always happen when we don't want it to?) I then couldn't find the same color until I looked everywhere!

Well, I am sure that the baby won't take notice. 

And, I AM going to do this again and again until I conquer this,

or wish I had never started.