I've been sewing - OMG!

In a reckless attempt to get my pregnant behind off the couch and on my swiss ball (good for the back!), I decided to try some sewing today, with mixed results.  Turns out baby brain might be real after all!  First up, a receiving blanket made with voile and super soft flannel...

it's gender neutral, right?

First time sewing with either voile or flannel and what a palavar!  Suffice to say it's a bit rough and ready but it's gonna get ironed and packed in the hospital bag.  It's a nice size for pram use too so I think it will get well used.

I was on a roll!  A tag blanket was next on the list so I cut the material out with no issues, the ribbon pieces next also no drama, then pinned and sewed it all together....

I should probably iron my fabric before starting to sew with it :(

Can you see the problem? I was about to turn it the right side out when I realised that the tags were all sewn on wrong - they should be on the right side, not the wrong side - D'OH!  Now I'm about to seam rip the whole thing and start again.  I was doing so well too..... what a numptie!

It's a good job I've turned to the professionals for a couple of indulgent baby purchases.  The lovely Amy from Badskirt makes such cute things so I recently bought Addison the hippo from her and it arrived all the way from Australia in record time....

too cute!

Then I found out that Denyse Schmidt (queen of improv quilting) was having a sale on her baby quilts - like 75% off so as a last hurrah I bought one of her sets:

It came with some cot bumpers and pillow cases - not a bad purchase I think.

Well, T minus 17 days, maybe I'll sort that tag blanket before the munchkin arrives (oh, was that the couch calling my name......)

Jos bday quilt - done and done!

It was my lovely friend Jo's 30th birthday early last year and I promised to make her a quilt as a bday gift.  Because I'm a bit slow and keep starting things before finishing other things, it took me until Christmas to start choosing, cutting and sewing the quilt top.  I finished this early January and introduced crazy crazy crazy quilt here.  I did the back, sandwiching, the quilting and added the binding to the front by the end of April (morning sickness permitting!) and set about the final element - hand sewing on the binding to the back.  I did not expect this to take me another 3 months!  But finally, it's done and ready to meet the world.....

crazy crazy crazy!  laughing boy with no legs!

Because it's based on a crazy nine patch design, I decided to quilt it with random straight(ish) line quilting using a really cool variegated pink cotton thread and I think it worked out ok.  Now all it needs is a run through the washing machine and a quick check for stray threads then it's off to Jo's.  Sorry for the wait :)

Whilst I've been slacking (or I guess making something else!), my MIL has been busy quilting and is now mastering free motion quilting; she's a braver woman than I am!.  Here's her latest creation:

Laughing Boy's dad's legs are getting some quilt action too!

I need to check but I think this was a quilt as you go project and that each block has a different quilting style.  She's good!

I'm in the process of losing my sewing room (it's getting turned back into a bedroom to accommodate all the babysitters!) as we re-arrange things for the arrival of the munchkin.  Laughing Boy has been preparing too with a visit to the Forest Club shop....