Going Random

I was very deliberate when I was making Alison's first Liberated Wedding Ring block, but for the second? I'm going random. Improv at it's best. I hope it turns out because strip piecing doesn't leave much room for error. I've learned that the hard way. :-)

Emerging from The Deep

...I think.

I'm slowly spending more and more time with needle and thread -- whether it's at my machine, or hand stitching something. I can only spend about 10 minutes at a time, but at least I'm getting my fix. :o)

Here is a sweet little project I made for a friend's new baby. I'm also going to make a rocket (his dad is a rocket scientist, too), and maybe one with a Fourth of July theme. The package of 5 solid color onesies came from Target, and I'm just using scrap fabric. It's a SHORT and SWEET present to go along with the requisite diapers and wipes I'll be gifting. :o)

And here is the tutorial for that: http://www.crapivemade.com/2009/03/appliqued-tie-onesie.html

(ETA: Here's a picture of the rocket ship onesie)

I finally finished a couple of blocks for my Bee Happy virtual quilting bee. Yay me! I finished Leslie's April blocks. In JUNE. Nice of me to be so prompt, eh? I did ask, and she gave me a bit of grace, seeings how I just had a baby. :o)

Now I've got to get on with making Alison's (scary-hard) May blocks. And Blossom's June blocks. And then, very soon, Lori will give us the fabric for our July blocks...sigh. And there is also a little birthday present I'm working on for Kelly.  Plus, I would like to find the motivation to finish the baby quilt for my best friend...who probably doesn't feel much like my best friend these days :o)

I guess I'll just eat this elephant one bite at a time, and try not to add too many more projects to my to-do list! I am enjoying the process, and enjoying the work, and enjoying what I'm learning...I just wish I could do it more. :o)

Hope you have a great, and crafty, week!

Sprout is OUT!!

So, yeah. Everything went pretty quick yesterday. Aww, who am I kidding. It went like a ROCKET!! Man!

When last I blogged, I had progressed from 1 cm to 10 cm in about 3 hours. And two of those hours were spent progressing without proper medication numbing my lower extremities. THAT was not fun. Holy cow. May God bless that second anesthesiologist richly. Is all I have to say. :o)

My OB got there, and got all suited up about 10:30, we got Dave holding one leg, the nurse holding the other, and I commensed to pushing. I think it was harder this time, pushing the baby out, than it was with Mookie, but she came out quicker. With Mookie, I pushed through 4 contractions, and with Sprout, I only pushed through 3. It took about the same amount of time, but it was just a smidge different. :o) And...

Sprout was born at 10:48am, and weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long.

A few minutes after birth

The proud Papa

My friend Emily came to the hospital Monday night to take pictures.

This is MAGICAL!!

Sweet sister smooch

A family of four.

Sweet Cherub Cheeks

(awesome quilt made by Kelly)

Mommy and baby (and Papa) are doing fine. We all got a bit of sleep last night, which was luxurious. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more of the same tonight.

But for now, I've got to go fight with Dave for some snuggle time. He is Mr Grabby Hands with her. It's almost as bad as trying to pry the remote out of his hands!

Birth by iPhone - 10:00 Update

I could call this one "10 at 10" because I'm almost 10 cm already! GOSH!! Water broke, all good. Calling the doctor now! Next stop = new baby!!

Birth by iPhone - 9:00 update

As is my natural way of birthing babies, apparently, once I start, things progress fairly quickly (no baby, yet, though, don't worry!!).

What I meant by that was that I went from 1 cm to 5 cm in about 30 minutes, and I. WAS. FEELING. IT!! Through the epidural.  YOUCHIE!!!

I told the nurse, and we gave me one top-up shot, which offered no relief to my abdomen, then another 30 minutes later. Still no relief to my abdomen. I mean, really. What good is it if my toes are numb? They aren't birthing anything!! 

So she called the anesthesiologist back, and he came up and gave me a bolus/extra B-I-G shot, and all is well again. :o)

I will say, though, that Birth Day blogging isn't as easy as some women make it out to be! I like to type sitting up, using both hands. :o)  But, I'm certainly glad we have wireless in the room and I can blog regardless!

Dave has been chilling out, even napping a bit, and is now playing a trivia game. :o) Good to know he is enjoying himself!!

Birth by iPhone - 8:00 am update

So here we are, in the hospital, working on bringing Sprout into the harsh, outside world. I'm posting a lot on Facebook, but I want to keep this updated, too, for memory keeping. :-)

We arrived at the hospital about 5:15 am, and Nurse Marlene got me started with the lovely gown, the 4,679 questions, the IV, and the Pitocin with the promise that I was first on the anesthesiologist's agenda for the day, and then she left.

Within 15 minutes I was having painful contractions every 2 minutes, squeezing Dave's hand, trying to do my special breathing, saying lots of "doggones" and "wows" and "holy cows.". I put up with that for about 15 minutes, and called Marlene to ask if we could stop the Pitocin till I could get my epidural. No use in feeling pain if I didn't have to, right? :-). She asked me how I would rate my pain, and Dave said "8!" but I didn't cuss, so it couldn't have been an 8! :-)

As it turns out, even though I was first on the list, the anestesiologists were having a meeting so she thought I'd have to wait. ("No waiting! I neeeeed that epidural!!"). Thankfully, she made a call and they released an anesthesiologist to come up and get me all squared away. Yippee!! He came in, talked me through everything, and I was good to go. Thank goodness!

By then it was 7:00, and my day nurse, Crystal, came in to take care of me through labor and delivery. We got the Pitocin back on, and everything set up for the baby, so NOW I was ready.

Instead of Blogging

I've been being VERY crafty lately.

Which could be a valid excuse for not blogging. :o)

But then again, that's a pretty lame excuse considering the amount of time I spend on the computer each day...but let's just forget about that part, okay?

I'm part of a virtual quilting bee (see button to the right), and the first block we have to make is a Spiderweb block. With corners and points that have to match. And I. AM. SCARED.

I can sew straight lines kinda okay, but I don't know anything about joining points and corners! Especially for someone else, you know?

Like, I can sew a pretty good project for someone who is a friend and will love me whether I sew a straight line and match the points or not. But to make a block for someone I don't really know? And expect her to like it?  Again, I. AM. SCARED.



So I made this block as a sample using scraps from fabric I already had (or bought so I could put it in the samples I'm going to make from all the virtual bee blocks.)

Honestly, I can do "wonky", and I can do "improvisational", but I don't think I can do "unintentional".

To my little brain, unintentional = chaotic.  (And the top of my sewing room (dining room!) table is VERY chaotic right now! Scraps are EVERYWHERE. It hurts my eyes.)

But, my eyes are soothed when I look at this finished block! :o)  I learned a few things, and hope to put them in place when I use Abi's lovely fabrics to make the block I will actually send to her.



So, excuse me while I'm off doing new things and wallowing in chaos.

Oh, and actually working to try to finish The Baby Quilt. For which I did NOT beat the baby. (Jack was born on March 15th!)

I've still got some work to do, but the blocks are done, and I made a computerized mock-up to see what the tan sashing would really look like before I committed to it.



I need to finish the sashing, and make the backing, then quilt (or send it off)

I need to get off the computer and fire up the sewing machine...I hope you have a great, and crafty weekend!