Lucy's First Quilt

Lucy's first quilt, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

I found this picture today while I was browsing through pictures of Lucy as a baby. The quilt was being displayed at the annual Pennington Quiltworks Quilt Hanging. It was the first quilt I made from start to finish - I did all the piecing and quilting by machine. Making this quilt was one of my favorite things about being pregnant. I would spend the last part of my pregnancy sitting at the machine, day-dreaming of Lucy. I finished it just in time, a few days shy of her birth! Lucy still has the quilt on her bed and although I've made her others, this is the one she prefers.

The quilt is a simple 9 patch set on-point. I had actually found the floral focal fabric a few years before I had Lucy and held onto it for just the right moment. The other fabrics are a collection of Aunt Grace.

Looking at Lucy here, it's hard to remember that she was every little. I believe that she was around 10 months at the time of this picture. Look at how happy she is in this picture! She still smiles for the camera and has that same love of life!

I miss doing patchwork - perhaps this is a sign that I need to start piecing again....

Summer Fun

Sam Skates, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

Wow! I can hardly believe it's almost August! I've been busy with work at CHOP and sewing when I can. I made Lucy a nightgown that she loves loves loves - she wants me to make "hundreds of them" for her. That request is a bit more than I can do but two or three more are in the works.

Plus, I bought quite a bit of yardage of Anna Maria Horner's new home dec fabric with the intention of making curtains for my sewing room. For now, I've tacked it in place just to see how it looks (love it) until I can get a bit more time. Ha Ha.

The little girl skating is called "Sam Skates" and is from the Wee Wonderfuls site. Her designs are just delightful. I want to do all of them! Her latest, the picnic fairy, is so cute. I feel a paypal purchase coming on.

Speaking of, I just sold a bunch of yarn on ebay and with my "winnings" I bought two Japanese sewing books. I can hardly wait to get them -they should arrive by Friday! The simplicity of the designs is inspiring. Maybe after the nightgowns and curtains I can get to them!

And, as far as classes at the shop, I have three scheduled. Flirty Skirts is August 6th, On a Whim (the circles quit I blogged about here) is October 8th and The Weekender Bag is October 12th and 26th. I also hope to put together a class on English paper piecing (Grandmother's Flower Garden) and appliqued t-shirts. More on those to come.

Keep cool!

Sewing for Lucy....

I made another outfit from this pattern for Lucy using the green colorway of Denyse Schmidt's previous collection. I loved making the entire outfit, the top especially because it presented the challenge of understitching, something I rarely do but always gives great results. The whole outfit is just really cute. Well, Lucy put it on this morning for about five minutes before she announced that it was too small on the top and that she didn't like shorts - she wants skirts that "spin around." Devastation. As much as I tried to convince her otherwise, she wasn't going for it.

So, this afternoon I bribed her to try it on for me so that I could take some pictures. The bribe: she doesn't have to wear it again. Clearly, the only way to successfully sew for Lucy is to involve her from the outset. I talked to my mom about this recent development. She said that I never complained about her sewing (it's true, I loved everything she ever made me) but I was always very involved in the process from picking the patterns, fabric and buttons. Lesson learned.

Here are the pics. Again, she wasn't up for posing so most of these are taken on the go. As you can see, Lucy is a climber too.







On a separate note, I just came across another great blog knittinginpink Everything is lovely on the site - this blogger loves socks and has so many great pictures of her creations. Plus, anyone who uses pink in their blog description is going to be a favorite of mine! Check out her site if you have a chance.

Lucy wants to take off her outfit. Oh well, maybe I'll just hang it in my sewing room for inspiration and as a reminder of what not to sew! Ha ha!

My Friend Mandy and Jenny patterns

My Friend Mandy and Jenny patterns, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

Mandy and Jenny were my very favorite dolls. I had a doll box filled with clothes and accessories that I would pack up and bring with me on overnight trips to my grandmother's house. Grandma was kind enough to make me outfits for the dolls and my mother contributed as well. I saved the dolls and clothes with the hope that someday I would have my own little girl who would enjoy the dolls as much as I did.

That day has come. I recently gave Lucy both of the dolls as well as the box filled with clothes. I wish that Grandma could have seen Lucy dressing Mandy in the clothes that she made - I know that she would have been delighted to see the joy in another generation.

My mother found her collection of patterns for Mandy and Jenny. This one is my favorite - the drawings are so sweet and sooo 70's! It's hard to believe that those groovy fashions are coming back into style! My plan this fall is to make Lucy and the dolls coordinating outfits. Hopefully I can make that happen!