Ocean Breeze

         A good friend of mine and her husband are having their first baby in August.  They recently moved to California and I thought this color combination was perfect for them.  The turquoise, orange, and gray triangles give off the feel of cool ocean breezes and brilliant sunsets. 

             Last winter I stumbled upon the owl print and fell in love with it.  After finding coordinating fabrics I started piecing it together.  Cutting and piecing all the small triangles became tedious and I found myself packing it away.  Then when I found out they were expecting, I dug it back out to finish it before the baby shower this weekend.  Seems I always need a deadline to complete a project.

         Upon completing the front I discovered there wasn't enough of the white with gray polka-dot fabric for the backing.  Since its been sitting in my closet for over a year, there wasn't a chance to get 1/2 a yard more.  That's when I decided to piece together strips of extra fabric from the front.  At first I wasn't sure how it would look, but I really love the interest it adds.

         Here's a close-up of the quilting. 
        

Our Gift From Above

For this child we prayed and the Lord answered our prayer.  1 Samuel 1:27

 

 

        With joyful heart we anticipate the birth of our first child in July.  We are 24 weeks along and interestingly enough baby is the size of an ear of corn.  Hopefully we will be enjoying some fresh corn on the cob around the time of baby's arrival.

Madelyn

 

       Last night Madelyn Idel was welcomed into this world. She took her sweet time in making her appearance.  Poor Mom was due on February 13 and had been told weeks ago that she would go early.  She is the first daughter of a good childhood family friend.  Congrats Mary Ann & Jason!

 



         I fell in love with these fabrics last winter when they went on clearance prices.  They are from the Marmalade collection of my favorite designers Bonnie & Camille.  Of course I couldn't pass up that opportunity.  I ended up purchasing a half yard of all three front colors and the red/white striped binding.  Then I also purchased a yard of the red floral backing.  Luckily it was just enough fabric.  I think there might have been two-three inch strips leftover. 

        When I found out last July they were expecting, I knew this would make the best baby quilt for them. Mary Ann's just loves the color red from her high school prom dress to their wedding colors and even included in her home decor.  I started sewing it right away.  It's been done and stored away since the end of summer. 
        I did get a little scared a month ago when she had the baby shower.  They wanted to be surprised with what the baby was at birth, but she was almost for sure it was a boy.  So there is now a warm and cozy boy blanket stored away.  

Country Girl

      

It's the Fourth Sunday of Advent and this is my last Christmas present to wrap.

 

         While checking out one my favorite online fabric shops on Black Friday, I came across this Sasparilla line of fabric on sale.  Instantly, I fell in love with the cute cowgirl print.  So I decided to make a throw for my brother's wife, who loves horses.  The Sasparilla line's color palette was more yellow, gray, and light blue with one red and navy print. Since my sister-in-law decorates with much more of a country theme in her house, I added some brown and tan prints from the Honky Tonk line.  Luckily it all went together nicely. 

        It's actually been finished for a couple of days now, but the lighting in the house wasn't favorable to taking pictures.  Last night's freezing rain topped off with an inch or two of snow provided the perfect background this morning. Then I just had to sweet talk my husband into holding it for a quick snap shot and by quick I mean quick.  Hopefully she will enjoy her new quilt on Christmas Eve!

     

 

Winter Wonderland

        Yesterday around two the snow started coming down.  The early predictions said we should expect 2.5 to 3 inches. 

         It stopped snowing just a little bit ago.  To my best guess, I'd say we got 9.5 to 10 inches of snow.  It's such a beautiful snow.  The only bad news is my Sunday school class won't get to present their Christmas program tomorrow, because the roads are too bad for everyone to travel for practice today. 

       My husband is out helping the township clear the roads. Since the road commissioner has the snow plow truck, and another guy has the maintainer, he gets the backhoe.  From the sounds of it, he is having all kinds of fun.  He has used the backhoe twice to get himself out of the ditch and is on his way to push the snow plow up a hill. 



   I was supposed to take these pies to church for a funeral dinner, but I'm beginning to think I might not make it there.

           Guess I'll just stay home, listen to Christmas music, do a little Christmas baking, and work on wrapping presents.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

        O Come, O Come Emmanuel. 

        During this Advent season we are using a Jesse Tree to get us ready for Jesus on Christmas.  Each day we learn about a different character from the Old Testament.  It helps to remind us of all the promises God, the Father, made with his people, how they broke those promises, and how Jesus fulfills each and every covenant. 

        Friday, we read about King Solomon.  It's hard to believe Sunday starts the third week of Advent.  Christmas is coming quick!

New Look

        Our computer/craft room received a refreshing new coat of paint a couple weeks ago.  The creamy yellow gives the room a calming cheerful feel, which is exactly what you need when you are paying bills and keeping the farm books up-to-date.  Just in time for our 2013 tax appointment. 

        The other side of the room is dedicated to my sewing obsession.  I spend a lot of time here making baby quilts for expecting family members and friends.  I have four safely tucked away for my aunt and a good friend due in January and February respectively. Neither of them are finding out what they are having, which is why I have four made.  Once their bundles of joy come, I will post pictures of the blankets.