WIP Wednesday #16

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's time for another update. (In case you've missed out, I'm following along with Freshly Pieced's W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesday series as a good way for me (and you) to keep track of what's going on around here.)

Completed this week:

Despite a very busy weekend and very little sewing time, I managed to finish all of the rainbow blocks for Biscuit's Hide and Seek Spectrum Quilt!

I love the way it's turned out, and it came together with very little trouble. I've ordered the fabric for the sashing and backing, so now I'm just eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Started this week:
Another baby gift for an upcoming shower

In progress/On the "to do" list:

Empire Waist Cinch for me from Handmade Beginnings

Nursery bedding for the biscuit: crib dust ruffle, crib mobile, and lots of crib sheets

Other biscuit-related projects

Blocking the Early Bird/Kitchen Window quilt

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week. And be sure to click on the button to check out other great WIPs for more inspiration!

Completing the rainbow

This weekend, I managed to finish all of the rainbow blocks for Biscuit's Hide and Seek Spectrum Quilt!

I finished the bottom row of blocks last weekend, so up first this time was the top row of blocks: red, orange, and yellow.

Open the doors, and what do you get?

Then, the middle row of blocks: pink, black, and green.

Piggies and cows and frogs, oh my!

And then they all got put together. I decided to follow the order Anna Maria Horner uses in the pattern because it worked for me: black in the middle and then follow the spectrum around in a clockwise direction.

Matt was sweet enough to serve as my model.

Flip it upside down, and you can see it with the doors open. I'm so pleased with how it's turning out so far, and I think it's going to be a great tummy time quilt for Biscuit.

I also managed to finally decide how I wanted to do the sashing and backing. In the original pattern, AMH calls for using white muslin for both the sashing and the backing, but aside from not being in love with the look, it also didn't seem like a very exciting or practical choice for a blanket that a baby's going to play all over.

I thought about using a rainbow fabric of some sort for the sashing, like one of these beauties by Ann Kelle:

 Photo courtesy of Hawthorne Threads

Photo courtesy of Hawthorne Threads

But I was afraid it wouldn't match the colors like I wanted and could be overwhelming. Then, I discovered the Hide and Seek Spectrum Quilt that Stitched in Color made:

Photo courtesy of Stitched in Color

First, I love the muted colors she used, and how she changed up some of the windows to use the patterned fabric on the outside. But I also loved how she used a linen for the sashing. I think it will play nicely off the rainbow of colors and still allow me to do some decorative stitching in the sashing, as AMH does in the original. I'm going to go with a khakier linen than Stitched in Color's.

For the backing, I decided to bring in some brown since there's not a brown block on the front. I wanted a little bit of a pattern but nothing overwhelming and nothing that would take away from the front, so I just purchased Robert Kaufman's Metro Living Rings in Chocolate from Fabricworm.

Photo courtesy of Fabricworm

I can't wait for it to arrive so I can get started on finishing this baby up!

UPDATE: For a list of the solid colors I used in the quilt, see this post.

Thankful Mondays #27

Happy Monday! Each Monday, I'm writing about things I'm thankful for. This is week 27. Read more about it here. 

391. my mom's new job!!

392. finishing the rainbow blocks for Biscuit's Hide and Seek Spectrum Quilt
393. two great dinners with friends this weekend
394. starting our natural childbirth class with the doula
395. cloud formations
396. that Matt's feeling better
397. the first apples at the farmers' market
398. that our bank stopped the loser who was trying to make fraudulent charges to my debit card before they were posted to our account

Photo courtesy of A Sweet Pea Chef
399. watermelon sorbet (from this recipe)
400. that I decided on a backing fabric for Biscuit's quilt
401. rainbows
402. a beautiful harmony
403. a good steak

Image courtesy of the Lake Highlands Class of 1990
404. that my high school years were good enough to make me sad about missing my 10-year reunion this weekend
405. building new friendships

WIP Wednesday #15

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's time for another update. (In case you've missed out, I'm following along with Freshly Pieced's W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesday series as a good way for me (and you) to keep track of what's going on around here.)

Completed this week:

Despite a very busy weekend and very little sewing time, I finally got started on sewing Biscuit's Hide and Seek Spectrum Quilt! I managed to finish three of the blocks — purple, blue, and teal — which will become the bottom row, and I was super pleased with how they turned out and how easily they came together.

I'm hoping to get started on the next set during lunch today (**crosses fingers**).

Started this week:

Hide and Seek Spectrum baby quilt

In progress/On the "to do" list:

Empire Waist Cinch for me from Handmade Beginnings

Nursery bedding for the biscuit: crib dust ruffle, crib mobile, and lots of crib sheets

Other biscuit-related projects

Blocking the Early Bird/Kitchen Window quilt

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week. And be sure to click on the button to check out other great WIPs for more inspiration!

Trying the triathlon

This past weekend, Matt was part of a three-person triathlon relay team, along with our friends Chris and Stephanie. Matt's been getting more and more into running over the past few years, completing his first half and full marathons within the last year. So, when Chris and Stephanie suggested they team up for the Lake St. Louis Triathlon, Matt jumped at the chance.

Stephanie's the swimmer in the group, so she was supposed to start the boys off with a generous lead. Sadly, the weather was against us, and after an hour or so delay for lightning, they finally cancelled the swim and decided to move ahead with just the bike and run.

Chris and Matt waiting out the rain

Me relaxing under the umbrella

After some general confusion, the bike race got started in the rain.

Chris headed off wet but otherwise none the worse for the wear.

After an hour and 11 minute ride, Chris came around the bend, and Stephanie and I signaled to Matt to get ready for the hand-off, which went off without a hitch.

And then Matt was off for his 10k run!

He finished with a personal-best time of 50:03, and we all cheered him across the finish line.

 Go Schunkepants Trio*!

After several cookies, turkey wraps, and bottles of Gatorade, the results came out. The trio finished third! Plans are already in the works for a re-do next year so Stephanie can show off her stuff. We'll cross our fingers for clear weather. :)

*A quick explanation of the team name:

Back in Houston, some friends of ours had a little girl, and Matt's best friend decided it would be a good idea to teach her that when she had a poopy diaper, she should say she had "Schunkepants." Naturally, this caught on, and it was impossible for Matt to live down. When we moved to St. Louis, he had the chance to leave Schunkepants in his past, but for some reason, one night (perhaps after a few beers) he decided to relay this story to our new friends. When Chris and Stephanie signed up for the race, they realized they had the perfect name, and the Schunkepants Trio was born.

Thankful Mondays #26

Happy Monday! Each Monday, I'm writing about things I'm thankful for. This is week 26. Read more about it here.

376. rainbows
377. a negative result on my gestational diabetes test!!

378. that I finally got to start sewing Biscuit's Hide and Seek Spectrum Quilt (and the blocks come together really quickly)
379. chocolate tastings (Yum, Kakao!)

380. that the Schunkepants Trio finished third in the Lake St. Louis Triathlon this weekend (even if lightning caused the swim part to be cancelled, technically making it a duathlon)
381. receiving unexpected gifts from friends
382. finishing big assignments
383. handmade goodies

384. Biscuit's awesome new onesie from our friends Christine and Zac
385. Project Runway marathons
386. Instant Watch
387. body pillows

388. Pinterest
389. getting to hear sneak peeks of my sister's new music
390. long weekend naps

Marine quilt love

As I mentioned a while back, we finally decided on the fabric we wanted to use for Biscuit's nursery, Dan Stiles's wonderful Marine collection. I have plans to make a crib skirt, mobile, and sheets (at least) from the fabric we selected, but then today, I came across this beauty in Barabooboo's Etsy shop (via this post on the Everyday Beautiful blog):

Photo courtesy of Barabooboo

How cute is that quilt?? I love the whale, and he will almost certainly be the inspiration for something in Biscuit's room. If only I wasn't already making a different quilt for Biscuit (and had more fabric). Alas, I'll just have to drool over this one instead.

My new love

Meet my new love:

Image courtesy of the Postal News Blog

I have this love affair with stamps. It's silly, I know, but I love having a cute little picture to place on the outside of my letters, even the boring ones. I don't collect them or anything, but sometimes I'm reluctant to use the ones I love most. I almost always try to buy one of the special sheets of stamps instead of the boring old flags, and when I saw these on the "coming soon" poster at the post office months ago, I couldn't wait. They were supposed to arrive in May, and when May arrived, I asked about them every time I went in. Weeks went by, and nothing appeared.

Then, I went in last Monday to mail some packages, and voila! I saw them sitting behind the postal worker's desk. They're even more wonderful in person than they were on the poster. I bought two sheets, and I'm seriously contemplating going back for more. They're that cute.

Oh, and they're called the "Garden of Love" stamps. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. (Movie? Anyone? Anyone?)

WIP Wednesday #14

Hello, Wednesday! It's time for another update. The list is getting shorter, which feels great. This week was all about finishing up projects for friends. (In case you've missed out, I'm following along with Freshly Pieced's W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesday series as a good way for me (and you) to keep track of what's going on around here.)

Completed this week:

Three more makeup bags

Kindle cover and coin purse for my cousin

Produce bags for the market

Started this week:

Hide and Seek Spectrum baby quilt — This weekend, I finished cutting all the fabric (yes!). I'm planning to start with the teal block, because we all know how I feel about teal.

In progress/On the "to do" list:

Empire Waist Cinch for me from Handmade Beginnings

Nursery bedding for the biscuit: crib dust ruffle, crib mobile, and lots of crib sheets

Other biscuit-related projects

Blocking the Early Bird/Kitchen Window quilt

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week. And be sure to click on the button to check out other great WIPs for more inspiration!