Medallion Mystery Step 1 (January)

I'm writing this post the night before I report to the hospital to be induced, but since I don't know when I'll get back to blogging, I'm scheduling this for towards the end of the month.

Judy Laquidara at Patchwork Times is hosting a Medallion Mystery, month by month.  After my "meh" reaction to Easy Street, I wasn't even thinking about partaking in another mystery until...  I learned Vicki Welsh was dyeing a set of fabric for the quilt in my favorite colors.  I was sold!

I had a cutting issue with the light green due to my own preggo stupidity.  Hopefully it won't come back to bite me in the end.  If it does, I'll have the lesson about reading directions more than once reinforced thoroughly.

I have no idea how these bits will fit in the final picture, so after spending some silly time arranging them, I decided just to snap a photo of the pieces complete.  It was after dark when I finished, and I will be in the hospital by daylight, so this will have to do.

The directions are clear, the fabric beautiful, and the pieces, so far, are intriguing!

Thank you, Judy and Vicki!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Get It Done February

I didn't join Judy at Patchwork Times in January for her Get It Done challenge as I knew a baby would be arriving by the middle of the month, so ANYTHING that was finished was a bonus.

Now JoJo is here, and while life is ever-changing with a newborn, I do have some projects on which I would like to make progress.

1. Month 2 of Judy's Mystery Medallion quilt.  Month one was quick and easy, so this should be a very reasonable goal.

2. Sew 5 red blocks for the sampler listed on my "short list," on my sidebar.  I'm really struggling with choosing blocks, cutting fabric one block at a time, and just working on this quilt.  Isn't that pathetic?  I like the fabric, especially the border fabric.  I don't love that I opted for all different blocks.  I like orderly lines of the same block.  If I set a goal of a few blocks a month, even if the top isn't complete by the end of the year, it will be much farther along than it was January 1!

3. Finish 1 twirly skirt.  I have three identical skirts with no particular deadline, cut and ready to pin and sew!

4.  Use up my purple scraps, per the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Plans include a doll quilt, more spools for my in between quilt, 2" 36 patches to go with the pink one from last month, and, if there are still scraps (as there probably will be), a coin baby quilt.

5. Mending.  I have a jumper to rehem and need to buy buttons to replace a missing suit coat button.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

WISP

I don't often use quilty acronyms, but work-in-slow-progress takes a long time to type one-handed.

I do more watching this...

...than sewing this.  And that's awesome!

These twirly skirts are definitely wisps, as they are worked on only when I make the trek to the basement, and only when JoJo is asleep, and only when I actually make it to my sewing chair!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Fiber Finish

Considering I've had a newborn in my arms for many of my waking hours, I'm surprised I've finished anything in the last 12 days.

JoJo has a cousin due in 3-4 weeks, and her mommy requested a pink hat.  Now, I can knock these hats out practically in my sleep, so it was easy to pick up this project when I was reminding myself that I should NOT be cleaning the house, no matter how cluttered it might be.  (This didn't work Wednesday, as I felt awful by bed.  Lesson learned.)

I love the huge flower.  Now I just have to wait for the baby to arrive for an awesome picture!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

See other lovely finishes at AmandaJean's.

Too busy admiring to sleep...

I think about sewing, I study the quilty books I stocked up, I sorted some scraps and kitted up some spools with the Assistant, but mostly I am nursing, changing diapers, and admiring this lovely face:

Less than 24 hours

We have ventured out of the house only to have the mandatory baby doctor check up, but otherwise we have spent a lot of time in my bed.

It's much harder to get extra sleep this time around, as I have three kiddos running around, frequently checking on me to be sure I haven't left again.

Bear Cub Q in particular is worried about me mysteriously leaving him again. He ignored JoJo for the first few days, but now that he's realized the baby won't take his trains, he loves on his little brother.  He's very quiet about keeping track of us, even sneaking in while I'm napping, saying, "Time to sleep," and setting next to me until I wake up.

6 days old

 I'm headed back to the couch for more rest.  If you don't hear from me, it's because I'm trying to stay off the computer, and the iPad makes it difficult for me to write blog posts (and no photos!).

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

He's Here!

JoJo arrived yesterday at 11 am, weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds 9.6 ounces.  I will post pictures when I get home and upload from my camera.  It may be a few days.

He is a champion nurser, keeping me up most of last night, but since we had a little scare with meconium in the amniotic fluid, I'm just grateful we don't have any feeding or breathing issues.

The girls love him.  Bear Cub Q ignored him!

I'm doing great!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
Katie Z.

Baby Today!

We will be reporting to the hospital in an hour to be induced.  Thoughts and prayers would be appreciated!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

End of the Pink

My pink scraps are exhausted but for a few 1" x 1.5" and 1" square bits.  The final result for the month ended in a baby quilt, a doll quilt, eight spool blocks

and one 9" block for a scrappy rainbow quilt at the end of the year.

Not a bad start to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for me!

I've tentatively made plans for quilts I want to make out of my other scraps, but since the quilts don't use up all my strip sizes (1", 1.5", 2", and 2.5"), I'll be tossing around ideas for other things to make. Of course, I'll cut spool blocks from every color as I am able.  There are plenty of babies being born in our circle of friends, so scraps can always go to that.  I'm thinking video coin quilts might be in the makings.

I love that working with these scraps keeps me using fabric that I otherwise don't touch for months at a time.  What's the point of keeping scraps if I don't ever use them?  I don't have extensive scraps, but neither is my storage extensive, so using what I have now instead of saving them for the great "someday" is a better use of my resources.  Besides, sorting the scraps once a month will help me keep up on the scraps that need to be trimmed.  I have a bad habit of throwing them in a bag until the bag is overflowing, then feeling absolutely overwhelmed at the prospect of such tedious trimming.  Now, I'm down to only three or four awkward sized pieces that will be pressed and trimmed in February.

Now it's off to finish preparations for the baby.  He will be arriving tomorrow, as I'm being induced!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

In the Pink

Finishing at approximately 34" x 42", the "In the Pink" baby quilt is complete, as is its companion piece, a doll quilt for big sister.  (For more on the doll quilt, go here.)  I even managed to get them washed and dried in preparation to send to the family soon.

The baby quilt top is made entirely from scraps from my scrap bags and my stash of larger pink scraps that the girls picked out, cut up into chunks, and abandoned.  The solid squares are cut 4 1/2", and the pieced bits are as small as 1" up to 2.5"x4.5".

The backing and binding are a lovely pink/purple batik I purchased on clearance from Hancock's of Paducah (making good use of a friend's generous gift!).  I thought the backing could act as a quilt alone if the front proves to be too busy for the baby.

There aren't many pink scraps left after this.  Keep watch to see what else I can create before the baby comes!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Finally...

... Finally, Easy Street is a completed top.  I would be purchasing a backing today, but the Assistant has a tummy ache.  Much less psychedelic with the purple border.  I will be hand quilting this somewhere down the road, but not any time soon.

... Finally, a finish!  This little doll quilt is 18"x20" and is for my niece, who will be joined by a little sister in March.  My pink scraps, called into play by the rainbow scrap challenge, were nearly exhausted after little sister's pink crumb top and then this beauty!  Even the backing was a leftover.

... Finally, some desperately needed rain, .5"!

... Not-so-finally, a top in the process of being machine quilted.  My hope is to finish it by Monday.  Why Monday?  Because, finally...

... Finally, on Monday, if JoJo hasn't arrived yet, he will!  My due date was Wednesday, and he's not interested in making an appearance.  I'm exhausted.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

And the beat goes on...

And on and on and on...

I had a lovely birthday.  Now to get a chance to stop at a quilt shop or two to use my birthday coupons and get a backing for Easy Street.

JoJo's due date is tomorrow.  Considering the likelihood that he won't arrive any time soon, I am scheduled to be induced Tuesday.

In the meantime, the beat goes on!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Easy Street Step #8

If you don't want to see it, stop reading!

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Nope, I still think there's too much green, although I am more happy about it now that it is less chaotic!  At least I have all the blocks done, and once it's together, I may put a nice dark purple border on it.

I even have an intended recipient... if they'll take it!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

RSC: In the Pink

From the sorting stage (see here), to the block stage,

this baby quilt is moving along.  DH thinks it will look better when it's ironed.  I think it will look better  when it's in one piece.  Either way, I'm happy with it sofa, although I keep tweaking block placement while I work on my Easy Street blocks.

The backing is going to be a lovely pink and purple batik.  I'm looking forward to quilting!

There are still scraps left!  There is still plenty of month left, too!

Check out what other quilters are making with their pink scraps at SoScrappy's place.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Easy Street Step #7 (PICTURE INCLUDED)

If you're Chris, stop reading!

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Easy Street was easy right up until the final crash of Step 6 on Friday, Step 7 Monday, and Step 8 on Tuesday.  Too much, too soon.  The final link-up is next Monday, but there's not much chance of my finishing the top before then, and I'm a little bummed about that.  Oh, well.

I finished the setting triangles and think there is WAY too much green in this quilt.  Away I go to pin some more!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
Katie Z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

This year, at least for a while, I'm going to join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge hosted by Soscrappy.  The first color was chosen was pink, and all I could think was WHY?  Pink is my daughters' favorite colors and one of my least favorite.  Ah, well.  Let's get it over with.

First, I had to sort through my scrap bags and pull out any pinks.  Then, the Assistant helped me sort them by length.

 And I began to sort the itty bitty bits.

Trimming commenced, and a rough plan of what to do.  We are expecting another new niece (once again, my baby is the only boy in a trio of babies) in March, and she needs a blanket!  This scrappy pink blanket should be the ticket.

Essentially, I'm attempting to piece my scraps into 4.5" squares, which will alternate with 4.5" solid pink squares to give the eye a place to rest.

Sewing the bits is addicting and obsessive.   I'm enjoying it so far!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.