Maritime Baby Girl Quilt #2

Last weekend I made some progress on the baby girl quilt front. Not only did I wash the fabrics for our little one but I also spent time with the mermaids of the Maritime Baby Girl Quilt for B's little sister.

Not much, granted, but enough to keep me satisfied. I'm sure I would be quicker with a proper block and layout but I don't mind. It's interesting to work with less of a plan and see the quilt grow nonetheless.

Most of all I'm just glad to be creative again and I adore these teeny mermaids.

This weekend, alas, had to be spent in bed due to a nasty cold but it hasn't kept me from being creative. I've taken up my sister's scarf again. Yes, the one with the November 2013 deadline - I'm determined to make the November 2014 one! This is an old picture - it's actually only a few repeats away from being giftable.

Further, I spent considerable time on ravelry and have tracked down two cowl patterns as well as a hat pattern that I'm dying to try out for quick but pretty knits. After finishing my sister's zig zag, of course. But I simply had to ponder and order yarn already. Best to be prepared, right? Most importantly, it's all DK/8-ply Worsted/10-ply yarn. No more sock yarn for me - I've grown to despise the stuff.

On top of that I've also ordered backing fabric for little one's curtains - Kona Regatta will go with this beauty.

To speed up the delivery I've ordered it from a German store this time. As I'm slowly starting to notice the pregnancy more, I'm 25 weeks along after all, it's probably best to get the curtain sewing out of the way as quickly as possible. Crawling on the floor pinning fabric panels of nearly two metres length (and that twice!) won't be the most fun thing to do but I do want these badly and at least I don't have to make sure that the stripes are perfectly vertical this time around.

Happy sewing!

Maritime Baby Girl Quilt - Kick-off

I did it. Today, for the first time since my gran died, I've employed my iron, rotary cutter, and sewing machine. I put on some favourite music, ironed several yards of fabric, got cutting, and then I made the decision to go kind of improv with the blocks. Let's see where that'll take me.

It's been only a few seams as I'm busy with household chores and will be babysitting my nephew in the evening but these few seams make all the difference (and will be continued tomorrow!). I might have got a little emotional when the machine started whirring. Well, it's ridiculously wonderful to be back and I'm so so excited to be working not only on this girl quilt for friends but on a second baby girl quilt as well.

Yes, the sonographer confirmed it this Friday: We're expecting a little girl. Having made quite a few boys' quilts over the past years it's something new. Though my quilts have never been heavily gendered it's sweet to be making "something different", if only by appellation.

Here's the backing - I can't believe that's set already. It's usually the last thing I decide upon!

So much for now, I've got to hop off but I'll be back.

Happy sewing!

Ahoy, Matey!

First of all, thank you for your kind words that have reached my through comments or by e-mail. They are genuinely appreciated and a reminder of why I enjoy sewing blogland so much as well. It's good to be back in the fold and if I haven't replied to you yet be assured that I will.

As I told you last time the cute little boy who got the viking quilt in November 2012 will be joined by a sister this October. As his parents adore the old quilt and because I don't think girls must be gifted with tons of pink and frilliness I've decided to play up the sibling theme and make another maritime quilt.

These are the fabrics that are new - isn't the panel gorgeous, aren't the mermaids cute without being over the top girly? - but I'll also throw in some well-known friends from previous quilts as well as some vikings.

A fabric I might not use is this pretty flannel, it depends whether I decide to stick with my idea of using the big boat on the backing or not.

I'm still playing around with the layout - although the clock is ticking - but it sure feels good to be working with fabric again.

Happy sewing!