In the Bag...

Continuing on with the gift bag for baby Layelah...
Her quilt was finished just in time.. but her Raggedy Anne doll was finished early as I worked on it through the summer. When I was much younger, and all my friends were having babies, I made many Raggedy Annes and Andys, always in the traditional red; the last two I made were for my own two children (so we know that's a few years ago!) But I knew red just wouldn't work for Miss Layelah- not with a purple room!! So I set about making her a funky purple Raggedy Anne. What fun I had searching for the right fabrics for the dress, striped socks and look at the perfect gingham rickrack!!







Her face and I Love You heart are hand embroidered. She is 14" tall. I calculated that my pattern is about 40 years old.. so no wonder the embroidery transfers for the facial features were all dried up... I just traced them onto the fabric with pencil. All in all I was pleased with how she turned out.





Making the doll itself, the hair in particular, takes more time than the clothing. Every loop of the hair (and there are many) is secured with another stitch so little fingers can not pull the loops out. The hair probably takes longer than anything else. She is well dressed with pantaloons, dress and pinafore. Somewhat "dated" perhaps, in today's world, but still a classic in my mind.

In the gift bag as well were a lilac soft flannel receiving blanket and a copy of Sheree Fitch's Mabel Murple along with these two darling bunnies, knit by my friend Gail M. I begged, pleaded, coerced convinced Gail to make them for me, a boy bunny for big brother Noah and a girl bunny for baby Layelah. Aren't they just sweet? Gail does such a wonderful job on these, I would love to have a whole collection... errr.. litter? just for myself! Soooo cute! I "named" them Benny Bunny and Bitsy Bunny...

I guess you can see I had such great fun getting ready for this little girl's arrival...  ♥

I am linking up with Wendy's Peacock Party. Pop over to see what others have been working on here.


Love and Peace,
Grammie Linda

A granddaughter is a treasure whose worth you cannot measure except by the love in your heart.

The Baby Quilt

Miss Layelah is almost 6 month old and I haven't yet shown you the quilt I made for her, or her special doll. Shame on me! The nursery walls are painted a soft grey and most things are neutral- white crib, white chest of drawers, black curtains... but the accent colour is purple, so purple was going to be the main quilt colour.






I eventually found a nice soft lilac batik for the background, and set about going through all my batiks for fabrics that would work. I used 28 different fabrics, with a couple of donations from friends (thanks Lucy and Sandi!) Just pinks and purples seemed dull to me so I added a few corals as well as a couple of peachy-yellows. I cannot tell you the pattern name or source, I just found a picture on Pinterest I liked and made up my own version. I cut the "bricks" 2.5" x 5" so their finished size is 2" x 4.5" with 21 bricks in each vertical row (total of 84 bricks.) The inner sashing rows finish at 2" wide with the outer two on the sides wider at 4." The overall size is 40" x 42." (With no real pattern to follow, I just determined the sizes by what looked right/in proportion to my eye.) It was pieced with Aurifil 50 wt. thread, and was quick and easy to put together.


(Edit: My friend Carole tells me this is a Missouri Star Quilt Co. pattern. She thought it was called a Zipper quilt, but I haven't been able to find it when I searched their site. If anyone can shed light on this, please let me know.)

I quilted it with rows of serpentine stitch with a soft pink and purple 40 wt. variegated King Tut thread (#940 "Cotton Candy") by Superior Threads. (Ginger was such a great help with the pinning of the quilt sandwich! Thank you Ginger!!   ^..^   )








I was "down to the wire" getting this done, in fact I think it was finished just two days before she was born. She was overdue, so we joked that she was waiting for Grammy to finish her quilt!








Laura also made a quilt for Layelah during the summer. For her first effort, we chose something quick and simple - four patches and plain blocks, in whites, purples and greys. I helped with the cutting but she did all the sewing and quilting by herself, and I finished it off with the binding. Well done, my dear! (I may make a quilter of her yet!)

Up next, you'll see what else was in that purple gift bag...

Piece,
Linda

Today's "quote" is a poem.. I have no idea who penned it, but I've always loved it...

This quilt is made of cloth and thread     

To place upon your little bed.
It's not an heirloom just to keep,
But to lay upon, as you count sheep.
Or perhaps the floor's the perfect place
For a doll or teddy picnic space.
This quilt can be anything you dream,
From Superman's cape to the robe of a queen.
Pretend it's a raft adrift at sea
Or just cuddle up and watch TV.
So use it up and wear it out
I promise I won't yell or pout.
Just tell me when its days are through,
And I'll make another, just for you!

A Grand Update

As they say.. time flies! Claire is in school, Noah is almost 3 (!!) and Layelah is already 5 months! I must be getting old! Indeed, I will become a senior citizen in another week. How can that be?! I'm trying to look on the bright side.. I am still vertical.. and healthy (no meds at all- yay!) and now I'll be getting a regular cheque each month! AND I'll qualify for seniors discount!! Gotta love it! And the BEST part of getting older....??  Grandchildren!!

So, it's high time for a little update on "the grands."
Claire, age 5, is now in kindergarten, or "Primary" as they call it in Nova Scotia. She is in French Immersion and doing well with picking up a second language. Here she is on the first morning of school.. so excited!












I love this photo of her, taken last fall obviously. She is tall for her age, takes after Daddy I guess!














She takes swimming lessons each week through the winter, and plays soccer in the summer.  Of course, winter also means lots of time to play in the snow...

What a little monkey, playing on the bed...
Photo Credit: James West Photography

Noah has passed 2 1/2 and is heading towards 3. He's growing like a bad weed! He is developing quite a personality, and keeps us laughing with his antics.

Photo Credit: James West Photography

He is such a good big brother to his little sister. Right from the start, he has been gentle with her, and shows her his love. I'm sure they will be good buddies as they grow up.















Now that she is showing interest in things, he likes to show her a book or bring her a toy, or make her laugh. Sooo precious! Such wonderful times!











He just melts my heart, every time I get to spend time with him. This grandparent gig is THE BEST!!

Photo Credit: Mummy Laura

And speaking of little Miss Layelah... look how SHE has grown! She has just passed the five month marker...














She is such a happy little girl! Wakes up smiling, goes to bed smiling, and smiles most of the time in between!

Look at that sparkle in her eye!

Photo Credit: Mummy Laura

Yep, another little bundle of joy to love!
I am smitten once again....
                 ♥♥♥♥♥











Feeling Very Blessed,
Grammie Linda

Your children are your rainbows. Your grandchildren are your pot of gold.

A Few Small Projects. Done.

I always have a long list of PTD's - that's Projects To Do... usually it includes some UFO's (UnFinished Objects) as well as new projects  that have been percolating a while. I'm sure I'm not the only quilter with such a list, whether it's actually written down, or just in the head. Knocking a few items off that list always feels good.
I've crossed off four items in the last few weeks. Since Laura, Noah and Layelah were coming the weekend before Valentines for a visit, I decided it was time to get a pillowcase made for Noah with a jungle animal print I've had since last summer, and a pink taggie blanket for Layelah. ❤️❤️  I also got a totebag made for one of my "choir sisters" and a runner finished.

The pillowcase was quick and easy. If you've never made a "magic pillowcase" (aka "sausage" or "burrito" pillowcase or "roll up" pillowcase) you're in for a treat. I followed this Youtube video with Alanda Craft but there are others out there too which are likely just as good. It is fast and pretty much foolproof, and all seams are enclosed ( French seams) for a professional finish. To make this you need 27" of your "focus" fabric, 9" for the cuff and 3" of a contrasting fabric for trim. This is easy to remember with 3x9=27.








I enjoy making these and can see I'll be keeping an eye out for fun fabrics to make more for the kids as you can easily have one done in an hour or less. Of course they are wonderful for an adult as well- a pair would make a nice little gift. There's no need for me to explain the process here, watch the video for a step by step illustrated guide. Noah decided he should be  a puppydog "model" for you... gotta love a two year old's humour...   :)

It was time for Layelah to have her own taggie blanket. She was enjoying Noah's and we just can't have our little girl using a blue taggie blanket, now can we? You can read a previous post here  for directions.












Her little fingers and toes are of the utmost interest these days; much of the time they are in her mouth, but when they're not, they are exploring, and babies love to feel different textures. (Update on Miss Layelah coming soon...) Don't you just love those little pink toes!?








A fellow alto in choir asked me if I would make her a totebag, with a keyboard around the bottom of the bag. She provided the fabric and I used a pattern I have used before with great success - the Fiji tote by Pink Sand Beach designs. The dimensions of the bag are slightly different (a bit narrower and taller) as I was limited by the length of fabric she provided, but otherwise I followed the pattern as given. The keyboard was fun to do, even though it took considerably longer than I expected. I doubled the white fabric so the black print would not show through, with a seam along the top and bottom of the strip so there would be no raw edges for wear and tear. This was fused on to the bag front and back, then blind hem-stitched with monofilament ("invisible") thread. I was concerned about the keys being in the right proportion, so I measured the keys on my piano - the white keys are 6" long and the black keys are almost 4" long. I knew 6" would just look too big on the bag, so I went with a 5" wide white strip and made the black keys in proportion.

The white keys were stitched with 12 wt. black thread with all thread ends pulled to the inside and knotted so there was no backstitching to show. The black keys were fused on and stitched around with black thread. I am pleased with how it turned out. In hindsight, if I was doing this again, I think I would piece the keyboard.. hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it...?

I'll save the runner for a future post.
What have you been working on lately?

Piece!
Linda

Sewing is not a hobby. It's an obsession, an occupation, a fascination, an addiction, self-expression and a way of life.

Introducing......

11 hours old...

...Our new granddaughter finally made her appearance in the wee hours of Monday morning, October 1. She was only a few days "late" for her due date of Sept. 27, but Mummy's OB was so sure she was going to arrive a few weeks early, the last few weeks of waiting seemed to go on forever... But, here she is. She was SO worth the wait!

Can you believe they didn't have any PINK hats left at the hospital??!!







Layelah Rose arrived at 2:40 a.m., very shortly after Mummy arrived at the hospital, and weighed in at a dainty 7 lbs. 1 oz. Her birth was quick and easy, so Mummy is doing well, recovery-wise. She looks exactly like her brother Noah did at birth- except for her darker hair, they could be twins. And speaking of hair, yes, she has lots! I think she'll need a hair appointment soon! lol








Big brother Noah is getting used to the idea of having a little sister. He wasn't terribly interested in her at first - was more interested in her swing! Typical boy! But after a few days, he's doing much better. Mummy and Daddy are doing a great job at involving him and making him feel important by giving him little jobs to do to help out. Today he was very proud to fasten her car seat buckles, and sit beside her in the van.  :)

 Yes, she's a little cutiepie! I think she's a  keeper!  ♥

3.5 days old here and already smiling at Mummy!


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! You know what WE are giving Thanks for today...

                                                                                  



Peace and Love,
Grammy Linda

Such a BIG MIRACLE in such a little girl...

Catching Up and Mr. Noah

Well it's high time for a catch-up! (Okay, it's long past time!)  The days and weeks have flown by... I don't know where the summer went. How can it already be mid-September. Sigh.
I'm so far behind I don't know where to start. Let's just say it was an extremely busy summer. Wish I could tell you I have travelled to exotic destinations, but that would be a lie. It was just super busy with lots of hot dry weather so I spent a lot of time watering and trying to keep my vegetable gardens and all flowerbeds alive. Our water bill reflects it...  :(   There were some day trips, lots of visits with Mr. Noah both here and at his home, a summer wedding, a 5 day trip to Maine, a reunion of university friends, company for several weeks... well you get the picture. Busy times! There was also a kidney stone and a bout with the flu, but otherwise a great summer. Most of my pickling is done... 2 batches of Lady Ashburnhams, a big batch of 11 day crock pickles, peach jam, salsa, and ratatouille are all done. Many litres of stewed tomatoes from the garden are in the freezer. My apple jelly is underway, apples cooked and the juice in the freezer to be boiled and bottled another day. Pickled beets are the only thing remaining; my beets are not very big, guess it'll be pickled baby beets this year!
There hasn't been a lot of sewing or quilting done this summer. I did do a few small projects I cannot reveal yet, plus helped a friend make a totebag and helped Laura make a small quilt.

So how about an update on Mr. Noah, which I promised a while back... Noah is now two!!  (Time is passing much too quickly!!) He is a bundle of energy, picking up new words and skills daily. He is a delightful little guy, and brings much joy into our lives. So without further chat, here are a few of my favourite photos of him, taken over the last 10 months, since you haven't seen any photos since his first birthday! (Indulge me, okay?!)

Photo Credit Jennifer McKelvay

Photo Credit Jennifer McKelvay 

Christmas visit with cousins Ada and Josephine

I think this one is an all time fav...  Yes he's definitely all boy, right down to the ball cap on backwards!

Noah has some big news to share with you... he's going to be a big brother!! Soon!! And this PINK icecream photo revealed to all that it's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't be any more excited.

Of course Noah and I had to celebrate with some icecream too, at the Wharf Village, Magnetic Hill.

          And then there was Noah's second birthday to celebrate..with chocolate cake, of course!

Who could resist this sweet face?

Yes indeed, this sweet boy has stolen my heart. I'm sure you can see why....

Peace,

Linda

"Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent." 
~ Donald A. Norber

The Big ONE!

Guess who has had a birthday? It seems hard to believe that our sweet little Noah is now ONE year old! Time sure flies. It is so wonderful having him living much closer so we now see him much more often. What joy he brings to our lives.

We didn't actually see him on his birthDAY (they went camping that weekend) but he was here for several days just before his birthday as well as a few days the week previous, so I have lots of recent photos to share.

Look at that sweet little face... isn't he just totally the cutest little bug?!

Noah is a solid little guy at over 25 pounds and is a good little eater. He likes most things, and when he REALLY likes something, you know it! He can make it disappear before you turn around. It's not hard to tell he really likes Grammy's homemade spaghetti sauce... Although it looks like most of it went onto his face, he actually DID swallow a good amount as well...










Since his birthday was just a few days away, we had to have a special dessert. Fresh picked strawberries with lots of whipped cream fit the bill. We just sat the bowl in front of him and let him go at it.. what fun! Here is the progression...

"Strawberries and whipped cream!"

"Yummm, these are so good, Grammie!"

"I want to get every last bit!"

"I think there's still some cream, but I can get it if I lick the bowl..."

"Would this work as a hat, do you think?"

Peace,
Linda

He's tender and bashful but boyish and brute, impossibly clever and cunningly cute!

"Getting to Know You"

What a wonderful time we have had getting to know our grandson Noah a little better. It is SO great to have them much closer to home. Noah and his Mommy were here just 2 days before we packed up and headed to their new home to UNpack, but we squeezed a lot into that two days!










Noah had his first "official" haircut
right in Grammie's kitchen.










                                                                                                   
He learned to ride a firetruck (loves the "siren"....)

Photo Credit: Mummy Laura

                                                  and Uncle Marks' horsey....

Photo Credit: Mummy Laura

and Great Uncle Leigh is already teaching him about the ride-on mower.

Photo Credit: Mummy Laura

Once we got to his new house on Friday, he was SUCH a  big help....



Supervising Grampie to make sure he fixed the clothesline properly...

                                                             




Checking the newly installed gate to make sure it's secure.....

"What did Mummy put in here? I'm sure I can re-organize it..."


Ah yes, life is never dull with a little one around... he makes life interesting! He will soon be walking, as he is already taking a few steps on his own. It won't be long now.





Peace,
Linda

A child has a special way of adding joy to every day.