WIP Wednesday #51

Howdy, Wednesday. I've been battling a cold since this weekend, so despite having a little free time after a crazy busy week last week, I wasn't able to get much sewing done. So frustrating, especially because the upcoming weeks are going to be crazy. I see a lot of late weeknights in my future.

Completed:
Not much
 
In progress:

Progress is at least being made on the Waterfront Park quilt! The fabric is all cut and went from these little piles...

to this loveliness! Ah, these colors are killing me with their wonderfulness.

This quilt has been all about deciding on a pattern. It was originally going to be the Mod Circuitry pattern from Don't Call Me Betsy, which I thought would really highlight some of the larger prints. Then, I switched to the windmill block from Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop for Quilters.

But after looking at similar quilts online, I just couldn't commit. And then, I saw these bee blocks from Jess, and I was hooked. I'm using this great tutorial for the whirlygigs. Obviously, I first laid out the blocks in a very traditional layout, but I think I'm also going to try them out in a more modern layout like Jess's and see what looks best.

We've got grandparents in town this weekend and a big party for B's second birthday, so I'm not sure how much I'll get done in the next week, but I'm crossing my fingers for a little sewing time. I'm getting so excited about this one!

On the "to do" list: 

Get back to the T-shirt quilt and Kitchen Window quilt
Kitchen dish towels
Kindle cover for my sister
Pillows for the STLMQG Pillow Bomb Project
Christmas table runner
Secret baby project: quilt or divided basket full of goodies, I can't decide!
New tie for B (with a tutorial, finally!)
Superhero cape for B
Re-covering the downstairs chair

New pillows for the downstairs chairs
iPod workout strap
A mug rug for me
Ironing board cover
Another divided basket from the Noodlehead pattern 
Reusable snack bags
Living room quilt
Washi dress

This week, I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

Zoo time

We had some beautiful weather this weekend, so we did our best to get outside as much as possible. We spent the afternoon on Saturday at the park, but on Sunday, we headed to the zoo. The zoo has the double advantage of both animals and trains, Beckett's current favorite things. In fact, we decided to sign up for a zoo membership just because it makes the train rides cheaper. :)

We got there a bit late in the afternoon, so we started by just riding the train all the way around (there are four stops where you're allowed to get on and off).

Along the way, we got some good views of the tiger, jaguar, and elephants (including the baby born last spring!).

When we made it back to the beginning, we hopped off and headed through the River's Edge area, which was chock full of wildlife.

Elephants, anteaters, capybaras, and rhinos

Hippos and fish (B LOVES these!)

Not to mention cheetahs, hyenas, foxes, and lots more.

After the zoo closed, we wandered across the street to Turtle Park for a little climbing fun.

Now that he's almost two, B has become extremely adventurous lately and seems to have lost all sense of the (mom-approved) caution he used to have. Eeek! Gotta keep an eye on that kid.

I can't say enough how awesome it is to have a zoo that is free so that you can go for just an hour or two without feeling like you didn't get your money's worth. It's perfect for a short afternoon outing.