Wednesday, January 27, 2016

jumping in the deep end


So.


(oh hey - don't forget to enter the drawing)
and then
I turned my attention to a new commissioned project. (yay!)

I'm still gathering fabrics,
(thanks, Love for going to the fabric shop with me!! :-)
but I had enough to get going on one little section of the quilt,
so Monday
I starched and pressed the 36 prewashed fabrics
with plans to cut into them as soon as possible.
I moved the pile to the table that evening after dinner
and just a few minutes later
I got a text from my sister in law
'just giving you a heads up,
my shower 
(a baby shower :-)
will be Feb 6th'

I sent back the huge eyeball face.

'Cause ya'll.
I thought I had more than 2 months to make my nephew a quilt.
I hadn't even decided what I was doing yet!

Tyler said, "You'll just have to give them the quilt when he's born.
You can't make a quilt in 12 days."

(These aren't just 'empty' 12 days. either.
Yesterday held 4 dentist appointments.
Today is my Gramma Joyce Day (I need to get moving!)
which is an all day affair,
and Saturday is TKD testing (which takes up the entire morning)
and then TJ and his family are finally coming for Christmas,
which means Friday will be filled with preparations for that.
I don't even know what all next week holds...)

I thought about listening to him;
I really did.

He told me at bedtime that he wasn't forbidding me,
just suggesting that I let myself off the proverbial hook.
(knowing me well enough to know there wasn't a chance of that...)

I tried to sleep.
Really.

But I couldn't,
 so I got up and searched baby boy quilts on pinterest.
But I didn't find anything that begged to be made.

I went to Moda Bake Shop.
Didn't find anything there either.

I thought about an Irish Chain.
But I wasn't really feeling it.

I kept thinking patchwork.
Simple patchwork.
In grey and blue.

When I didn't find a 'better option' after 2 hours of looking,
I decided simple patchwork it would be!

With that settled,
 I went to bed at midnight.
And still couldn't sleep.

So I got back up at 1
and since I couldn't gather fabrics
(I have fabrics tucked here and there all over the house, 
but my main fabric storage spot
 is in our bedroom...)
I decided to order backing and binding fabric.
And went back to bed a little after 2.

I gathered fabrics while kids did math.
Lily was the only one who needed help,
and it was just a smidge.
I gathered more 
while they did English.
(Jeremiah needed just a little help)
and by the time I stopped to fix them a late breakfast of rice cereal,
I had a stack of 80+ fabrics
(all from my stash!! happy dance)


While we were in town for the dentist appointments, 
(no cavities ~ yay!!)
I picked up a few more grays,
since I was heavier on the blues.
and after we got home
and got groceries put away
(I pretty much always tack on grocery shopping if we  have to go to town...)
and got the house cleaned up for Pop to come home
(and I had a second cup of coffee 
because I was dragging since I'd only gotten 4 hrs of sleep)
I brought my iron to the dining room
(but not the board, I just used the little tray table ironing board
since I would only by pressing a corner of the fabrics)
and started cutting into my (now) 90 fabrics.


I paused the cutting to throw dinner in the oven
(pork roast with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, and roasted cabbage)
then got right back at it.

When Tyler called on his way home,
I put the phone on speaker so I could keep working.
He commented on the noise every time I ran the rotary cutter across the cutting mat.
When he asked what I was doing,
I joked, 
"Well I am certainly not trying to make a 12 day quilt!"
;-)

I cut the final fabric
about 5 minutes after Brandon sent the 'we're heading home' text at 7:15ish.

Everyone pitched in to help get my crap mess off the table so we could eat
but I still have about 75 fabrics 
to re-fold.

After the late dinner
(dinner is always late on Tues and Thurs)
my feet and knees were killing me,
so I put my feet up while I drank a mug of hot water with red mandarin e.oil
(totally unrelated to the pain, I just like it)
and read a few chapters in my library book
then hung some batting on the wall and started laying out the quilt.

By midnight,
I had the 252 3 1/2 inch squares off the wall, 
neatly stacked,
ready to sewn into a top.

....to be continued


8 comments:

  1. been there! i've gifted a pile of fabric at a baby shower more than once. and then gotten it done around the time of birth. it works out. but i also understand the desire to do when you want it done! this is a great little pile and i think simple patchwork will be wonderful. too bad you didn't use my super-easy six and one half dozen pattern. it's just a bunch of fat quarters halved and slapped together! lol. in the nicest way, of course. it's actually really popular on favequilts. go figure. people want easy baby quilts for those last minute showers! anyway, best of luck with yours and all the other stuff on your plate. yay for late christmas visits! and no cavities! soldier on, momma!

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  2. There is that need to get those baby quilts done. What if the new little person comes early!? I'll look forward to the rest of the story of your 12 day quilt.

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  3. I understand your need to get it done in time for the shower. You can always gift the flimsy at the shower, then finish the quilting in time for the little one's arrival. Your plan of simple blue & grey patchwork sounds very doable, and a great classic quilt for a baby boy.

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  4. Love patchwork baby quilts! I use bigger (4.5") squares and it goes lickety split. Sounds like you had an uber-productive day! Good work Mom!

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  5. Dang! That is some dedication! I am glad I am not the only one who stares at Pinterest for hours looking for just the right quilt inspiration! LOL! Good luck on that 12 day quilt! You got this! :-)

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  6. Where there's a will there's often a way! And you know, it will be nice to have this one ticked off your mental list of quilts-to-do before you know it. There's a certain excitement kicks in when you have a plan and want to see how it all works out! :)

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  7. A patchwork quilt without a hint of pink??? You know I'm excited to see this one!! I hope you can feel me cheering you on from across the river over these next 12 days. :)

    Nancy

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  8. Ha! I love this post! Can't wait to see the next chapter of this story. :-)

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