'Fess Up Fridays - Beat The Babies (Wk 5)

I don't think I can post any pictures this week. I'm blogging upstairs having been (lovingly) relegated to the bedroom while Dave is wrapping my Christmas presents.

As an aside, we're celebrating tomorrow since he was gone for Christmas. Yay! I am very excited for him to get his gifts. It was kinda awesome for me to have an extra month to get his presents together! I didn't feel the pressure and stress I normally do when I end up giving him stuff I'm not really that excited about. But this year? Yay! I'm excited! I got to be a lot more creative, and I think he's going to be pleased. He never asks for anything, so it's always tough. Plus, his birthday is one week before Christmas, so it's a double-whammy, ya know?  I guess since I'm 'fessing up, I'll say that I did spend some baby-beating time this week doing some of the last touches to his gifts instead of sewing.

So, anyways, back to beating the babies. I've now completed 5 quilt blocks, and I'm liking this more and more as I go. There are parts of the process of doing an improvisational quilt that I don't like, but they are minor compared to the whole thing. For instance, I don't like that I have to cut the strips for each new block. I am able to cut some ahead of time, but I only want to cut as much as I need, and since I don't know how much I'll need, I can't pre-cut that much!  Right now, probably since I start sewing so late at night, it takes me about an hour to complete each block. That's WAY WAY WAY too much time, but I'm a slow sewist. Even when I'm not gestating. And even when I don't start after bedtime. But my sweet little Mookie doesn't like me to sew while she's up and playing, and since the idea of her sitting on my lap "helping" is a bit off-putting, I just don't do it. I wait, and do it after the house is tidy and quiet.

I'm snagged right now on the sashing, though. I know, obviously, that I need to complete all my blocks before I move on to what goes between the blocks (duh!), but I'm thinking ahead, you know? I hope to complete my blocks this weekend soon, and just don't know what the in-betweens should be. My choices right now are black, natural, and a kind of tan that matches the tan dot in the Katie Jump Rope large dot fabric. I think I'm going to just have to wait till I get the blocks done done and then lay them out on big pieces of each type of muslin and see which looks best. Maybe I'll save that for next week's 'fessing up.

And in other 'fess up news, I bought some more flannel to make some more receiving blankets for a couple of the other babies getting born around me. I'm obviously planning on finishing the quilt for Angela first, but if I have to, I can always stop the quilting and make a receiving blanket and burp cloths. It's important for me to at least have the fabric.

OH, and I was incredibly shocked to find the Alexander Henry Diamond Eye fabric at Jo-Ann's! Shocked, I tell ya! I didn't know they carried fancy designers (other than, like Debbie Mumm and Heidi Grace). I need to do a better job of keeping my eye out for the good stuff! :o)

I did hear that people at Angela's shower were quite impressed with all the handmade gifts I sent, and that lots of people liked the red/black/white blanket I was so worried about. I don't know, yet, how Angela liked it, but I did tell her that if she wants me to redo the backing, I will. :o)  What are friends for, right?

She's at 35 weeks now, and MAN am I hoping that baby doesn't come early!! :o)  Cook a little longer, Baby B...cook a little longer for Aunt Melissa.

I hope you all have a great, and productive weekend!